《World Strongest Rearguard – Labyrinth Country and Dungeon Seekers》


 1 Prologue Reincarnated person procession

    I found myself in the middle of a long, dark tunnel, in a line of men and women, young and old.


    As I recall, I had decided to join a company-organized overnight ski trip on a bus, and after boarding the bus, I closed my eyes to sleep until morning. I don''t remember getting off the bus and suddenly I''m in a different place - not good.


    I could hear someone else in line. "Really?" and "Bring him back to life somehow," or something like that. The person responding to this is the woman at the front of the line, guiding the line. She seemed to be used to it, and she was going through the line as if it was a flow of work.


    (Does that mean the bus had an accident...?¡¡(Are all the guys in this row dead?)


    Is there a heaven at the end of this procession? If there really is an afterlife, then I''m glad to hear that death doesn''t equal annihilation, no questions asked. Because I didn''t think I was going to die yet either, and I have quite a lot of unfinished business.


    But it could be hell at the end of this tunnel, so I can''t be too careful.


    It''s possible that it''s just a dream, and it''s probably too early to think of anything that serious, but I can''t see my co-workers who came with me in the line.


    I had flagged that I''m getting married soon, but if I survived, then the death flag is not so effective. I''m glad to hear that, but if I had an accident on a snowy mountain, it would be harsh by all accounts until I was rescued.


    Several of the other employees on the trip have been in this line as much as I have been. I tried to move away from the line, but for some reason my legs wouldn''t move and I could only move forward, so I couldn''t be sure who was there.


    The back of what appears to be a female section chief, who has been hitting me hard, is pretty far ahead of me. She was a power-hungry boss who repeatedly criticized my documents and refused to give me her stamp, and threw the last train to the end of the workday, but she couldn''t seem to resist the situation, so she stood in line quietly. The intimidating feeling she felt even from her back, or the pride of an honorable species, hasn''t gone away, though.


    While I was thinking about the inexplicable, a girl in line in front of me, about the size of a high school girl, received something from someone who seemed to be a guide first and walked in the direction of the light in front of her.


    The girl, whose appearance was visible as she boarded the bus, had black hair and a figure that fit the word "Yamato Nadeshiko" in a way that was hard to see. She was also on the bus with a friend, but the other one was in a girlish mood - and now was not the time to remember.


    There was a woman standing in front of me, dressed in a fantasy-like outfit that looked like it could be from a video game. Her shoulder-length hair is purple and seems to be her natural hair, and she is wearing a short-sleeved shirt and culottes, but the design is not what you would see in Japan. She is wearing a beret-like hat, but if you look at it closely, you can see that it has an intricate pattern on it that makes her look like a wizard.


    She was handing something to the people in the queue and sending them on their way. She appears to be droopy-eyed and calm, but her speech is lively and light-hearted.


    Next up. Yes, please take this with you. When you go over there, you''ll have to go to the guild first to determine your profession. There''s nothing good about stopping by.


    The Guild?¡¡Wait, what the hell is going on here?


    ''''This is the ''Labyrinth Country'' ahead. Your souls have been taken over and reincarnated in the Labyrinth Land. You will not be able to choose any other reincarnation destination, so please do not hesitate.


    He had other questions he wanted to ask, but he couldn''t get them to explain more than that right now.


    ''''Since I also live in that town, except when I''m giving a reincarnation guide. If we have a connection, we may meet again.


    I wonder if he''s not a god or an angel or something like that. It seems to have some kind of special power, but I''ll leave it at that for now.


    I got a sturdy-looking bill from my guide, one larger than a paper bill and made of a leather-like material, and proceeded toward the light ahead.

 2 Chapter One Maze Country

    The Land of the Labyrinth is a land where only those who explore the labyrinth and those who support them live.


    In other words, everything revolves around the labyrinth. There are many entrances to the labyrinth in the city, and they are ranked according to the level of difficulty based on the monsters that appear inside.


    This time, the number of people who reincarnated as a group with me seems to be about thirty. An accident of this scale would have made quite a bit of news, but I''m a lifelong loner, so it''s a relief that I don''t make the family I left behind grieve or anything like that.


    My colleagues may be sad for me, but I can''t help but feel sorry for them, but I can''t help but dwell on it. I have to figure out how to live in this world from now on.


    It seems that we came out of that tunnel to various places in the labyrinth country, and as we gathered for the guild as instructed, I learned a lot of things from the information I gathered from them as we met once again.


    I was able to come to the plaza near the guild without getting lost, but I wasn''t the first to arrive. When I entered the building of the guild, which is conspicuously large and conspicuous in the vicinity, there were already people who had registered as ''explorers'' and were going out on an adventure.


    ''''Hey, you''re new here, right?¡¡If you''re alone, don''t enter any labyrinths other than the one-star beginner''s labyrinth. If you enter more than one maze, you will die instantly.


    Oh, he died instantly? I don''t think it''s possible to...


    A working man in his thirties or so is being approached by the senior members of the guild. From the content, it seems to be a decent advice, so it''s not a tough environment for newcomers.


    ''''You don''t want to die from a goblin arrow, do you?¡¡They''ll almost always turn on us, and they''ll shoot at us without question. If you get hit by a germ-infested manure arrow, that''s it. A beginner wouldn''t even need to use the extracted poison.


    Hee........okay, I get it. Elementary level maze...


    All right. I''ll take most of the day''s earnings, but I can show you around. Don''t worry, we''ll split it up a little.


    Oh, thank you!


    I don''t know to what extent he has good intentions, but I wonder if some explorers make a living showing newcomers around. While praying that he survives, I suddenly have an idea.


    It''s a good idea to form a party with all the reincarnated or former employees of the same company and dive together - but there are many who think it''s better to team up with experienced searchers, and they are invited to join a party that welcomes newcomers, one after another. It''s gone.


    One of the people who hadn''t been invited yet was that dark-haired girl. My gal-like friends aren''t with me - unfortunately, it seems that I was invited to join a party led by a young male adventurer.


    I wonder what it would be like to leave my friends behind, but the dark-haired girl didn''t seem particularly upset, so I assume she was expecting the gal-like girl''s behavior.


    I''d like to join the party early on, or find a mate and feel safe. I wanted to invite the dark-haired girl if I could, saying that we''re from the same world and we should work together, but it didn''t work out that way.


    ''''Thank you for filling out the form, Suzuna-Shiromya-sama. Your desired occupation is .........Miko. Congratulations, your aptitude for ability has been determined and accepted.


    ''Oh, thank you...''


    Suzuna... what does that kanji mean?


    Take the tag that was given to you at the registration desk of the guild, and write your desired profession on the tag. It seems that if you have the aptitude, you will be able to take up the occupation you wrote on the tag, that''s what it means.


    And it was a girl swordsman of a similar age who sashayed up to the girl who had been assigned to the ''miko'' profession. She wears a blue gambeson underneath her silver breastplate and other armor, and carries a sword in a sheath on her back, secured with a belt that seems to be made of leather.


    His hair, which sparkles like platinum, is tied back in a single bun, and his slit eyes are cool and inviting, even from a distance. Even the adventurers who passed by stopped chatting and watched her every move.


    ''''........do you have a minute?''''


    Oh, yes I''m sorry............................ I''m new in town...


    ''I know. If you''re registering here, that means you''re a newbie who just reincarnated.


    The dark-haired girl - Suzuna looked nervous when she was approached. The blonde girl swordsman''s voice was quiet, but her voice carried well in the suddenly quiet space.


    ''I''m looking for a rearguard - I''m not a very good vanguard in some ways, and I think it''s hard for a beginner to team up... but if you join my party, I''ll be able to get the level I''m sure it''ll be up soon...


    The girl swordsman seemed to be quite skilled from the looks of it, but for some reason, she didn''t seem to have anyone to party with, and she was desperately trying to convince Suzuna to join her.


    I''m not sure how many days I''ll last this time. How many days do you think he''ll last this time?


    It''s not a matter of how strong you are, as long as you have that thing, it doesn''t matter who you partner with. Well, if you want to, I''ll partner with you.


    That swordsman, Elitia, seems to be a celebrity in the guild. A strong beautiful girl swordsman would be hard to pull off, but apparently there''s a reason why that''s not the case.


    As I looked at Suzuna wondering what she would do, she seemed to notice the shady talk around her, but she still held out her hand to Elitia, who had her eyes down as if she had given up, and held it with both hands.


    ''''It''s nice to meet you too. I''m also inexperienced, but I''ll do my best to serve as the rear guard.''''


    Are you sure you don''t want to...?


    ''I was actually trying to work with a friend, but she went to someone else... so that''s very reassuring. Even if there are ''bad parts'', I''d love to have her in the party.


    Thank you. My name is Elitia-Sentrail. And you are?


    I''m Shiramiya no, Suzuna-Shiromya.


    The two hit it off and left the guild together. Some people are still grinning off, but is the ''that'' thing that Elitia is holding on to that serious?


    I''m curious, but right now I have to make a decision on my own profession first. When I turned to the registration counter, I saw the other reincarnated men, who were in some kind of dispute.


    ''''I''m sorry, you don''t seem to have the aptitude for ''Holy Knight''. From the looks of it, you have the qualities of a ''warrior'', ''bandit'' and ''fighter''...


    ''I want a more heroic profession!¡¡Just shut up and let me get a new job!


    A man with a loud voice and a heavy build was biting down on the receptionist at the other window, but he took it as a threat to the receptionist.


    However, it might have been taken as a threat to the receptionist, but in that instant, armed soldier-like people came and seized him.


    ''Whoa, what are you doing?¡¡Let go of me, I thought I''d get away with this for free........


    "I am sorry, but your actions are considered to be a threat in the land of the labyrinth. Since your ''karma'' has risen, I will imprison you until it is reduced to zero.


    No... no... no!


    It could be said that they were both reincarnated at the same time, but right now, as a counterpoint, he tells himself that he should act in an orderly manner within the guild. He will probably be released from prison when his karma is reduced to zero, so I''d like to think that it won''t be an irreversible situation.


    In the meantime, I want to manage to finish my vocational decision and prepare myself to take it easy. I''m not sure whether to attack the labyrinth or find a safe haven in this world, but I should first stabilize the foundation of my life before thinking about it.

 3 Chapter Two Career Selection

    ''Sir, you have an unregistered tag. You must be registered as a seeker before you can enter the maze.


    Oh, oh I''m sorry, I was just distracted by the commotion.


    The receptionist who had just accepted Suzuna as a ''miko'' calls out to me.


    I''m not sure if you need to be glamorous to be a receptionist for the guild, but the breasts are so large across the board. It''s a good thing that you''re able to have a good time with your friends.


    You can''t do that, sir. Dressing in otherworldly attire may seem revealing, but gazing at a single point is an act of rising karma, depending on the relationship. Please move your gaze in moderation.


    I''m sorry.


    You''ve been apologizing for a while now, but I won''t bite you, so please relax your shoulders and make yourself comfortable.


    I can''t help but admire the elegant gesture of her smiling with her hand over her mouth. I think I have a fascination for any haircut, but I have a relative weakness for updo haircuts, so to be honest, a woman like the receptionist was my type, or rather an object that I was firmly aware of.


    ''''I''m sorry, my name is Louisa-Farmel and I''m the registration officer for this time, and I''ll also be your go-to person for various things while you''re a novice explorer (Novice). You may appoint another person, if you wish, but may I proceed with the process?


    Please keep it up.


    Before my reincarnation, I often worked with other companies, and depending on who I was working with, the sooner I got to know them, the easier it was to communicate with them. I thought that a business relationship should not become a familiar one, but on the other hand, too much formality could get in the way.


    ''Ouch....''


    Oh, sir?¡¡Oh, you have just been reincarnated and there is some confusion in your memory. I''m sorry for talking to you so much all of a sudden, would you like to see a healer (healer)?


    ''Oh no, I''m fine. I just had a bit of a headache, that''s all.


    As I said this, I remembered that I didn''t feel very good about it.


    Even though I was nearly 30 years old, I was working for a younger female section chief and was being treated rather harshly. There were about twenty other subordinates, but for some reason they only assigned tasks to me.


    Despite the fact that I had to sit at my desk all day to digest the volume of work, she didn''t care whether it was inside or outside the office, she made me accompany her to meetings and even asked me to take notes and express my opinions. She is an elite person herself and can do her job terribly well despite her young age, but she doesn''t want me to be expected to do the same level of work as she should.


    I''ve been jokingly told by my peers in another department that they might like me, but my attitude is so thorny that it''s hard to believe it, and even when I couldn''t digest my work and had to work overtime, they would just make me a cup of coffee once in a while and I would always go home on time.


    --But once you come to another world, you won''t have to work for a boss you don''t like, and you''ll be freed from the bonds of the company. When you think about it, you suddenly feel lighter in mind and body.


    ''Good, you seem to be feeling more energetic.


    Yes, thanks to you. So, how do I register?


    Then please take a seat in that chair. Then please take a seat in that chair. There, write down the name of the occupation you think you are suited for or would like to take up.


    ''I see. So you don''t choose from a certain profession?


    Our reincarnated people come from a variety of backgrounds. Some of them work in professions that we don''t know about. They didn''t want to disclose their occupations, so we can''t tell you now.


    In other words, Suzuna thought it was okay to make it public that she became a ''miko'', so I guess me and Elitia could hear the story as well.


    At the time of registration, the competition with the surroundings has already begun - I understand that.


    Why we have to explore the labyrinth, even before we go exploring, will be explained even before we go exploring, but since everything in this world is made up of explorers and the people around them, we can expect to get a reasonable reward for playing a role as an explorer.


    Whether or not you can choose a profession in demand here will make a difference in how well you start out. However, I don''t have any special background, and before I reincarnated I was a planner at an advertising agency, and my skills are limited to making proposals and presentation materials and being able to do some DTP. The rest of my skills are limited to making proposals and presentation materials and some skills in DTP, which is a plus for me when I joined the company.


    Louisa doesn''t rush me and starts dealing with another incarnation at the other counter. It seems to give me plenty of time, since it''s like making a life decision.


    But I''m also eager to pick a profession and try my hand at exploring as soon as possible. The rest of the incarnations are moving on to the next step even as we do this.


    "Hey. You''re at the back, aren''t you?


    .........geez, Chief Igarashi!


    "''Geez'' what? I just called out to you because I found a face I knew.


    When I turned around, I saw a woman with loosely curled brown hair who looked like she was on the verge of victory. Igarashi Kagamika was an elite among the elite, having risen to the position of section chief in our meritocratic company after three years of employment.


    She was wearing a warm-colored knitwear, commonly known as a vertical sweater, and a tight skirt. He is wearing thick tights to protect himself from the cold, but his appearance is not that different from the one we see in the company. The proportions are still the same, but if you gaze at them you will be killed or abused to the point of wanting to stop living.


    --Anyway, my demon boss has appeared in the same form as usual. I break out in a cold sweat, and even though he hasn''t said anything yet, I''m still in a tense mood.


    "You haven''t decided on a profession yet?¡¡Get a job that will serve me well if you can.


    E....Chief, are you going to have a party with me?


    No, of course not. When you''re able to use it, you can come to me yourself. I''ll give you a party when I see the benefit of it. You should be grateful.


    (d*mn you ... you''re still so naturally condescending to people.)


    I''m not sure what you''re calling me out for, but to say something like that. I think I''m incompetent, but even I might be useful in time or something, and my expectations are so low.


    ''How could this happen at all? Are we all dead?


    ''Well I think the bus crashed and everyone but the survivors were reincarnated...''


    ''So it doesn''t mean that our section is wiped out? I hope the rest of us can make it work, but I don''t have time to worry about that. Anyway, if the bus driver is over here too, I''d like to say something.


    ''It''s a tough one. Good luck, Chief.


    I say, wanting to get away as quickly as possible, but I get a hard glare back. I have to admit, it''s hard for me because I''m not one to enjoy being treated coldly by women.


    ''You need to mind your own business. The labyrinth of this world is full of monsters, right?¡¡If I could, I would have had you play vanguard and make a wall of meat, but I''m not going to do that.


    "The wall, the wall...


    Our company also handled advertising for games, so Chief Igarashi didn''t seem to be interested in such things, but her knowledge of the commercial products the company handled was in her head. There were many cases where her knowledge was even greater than mine, which is why I was able to play games as much as anyone else.


    That''s why she will adapt to this world without that much resistance.


    ''Well, I''ll see you somewhere else. You''re going to have a hard time waking up, so take it easy and stay alive.


    ''''Ha, yes. I''ll see what I can do........oh, Chief!


    "I''m not the section chief when I come over here, but if someone calls me by my name in the back I''ll be a bit surprised. Well, that''s okay. What''s up?


    Well....if you don''t mind, can you tell me what you do for a living, Chief?


    Given her personality, rather than giving away her hand, she suddenly said, "Who do you think you are? And it''s no wonder he''s so angry - I thought so.


    ''You mean you want to refer to me to help me choose a useful profession?¡¡Not a nice touch.


    ''Well, uh ... well, yeah.


    Well?


    ''Yes, yes I do. I''d like to choose the right profession to get the Chief''s approval.


    If I can get information from you, I''m willing to do anything to get it. It''s easy for this demon boss to give you a hand because he can''t read what''s on my mind.


    It''s a good thing that the company is making such an effort. When I first joined the company, I didn''t work any sleep or rest day.


    ''Eh ... is that so?¡¡Igarashi-san, always on time....


    ... "Oh yeah, that''s great. As for my profession, I''ve decided to call it ''Valkyrie''. I can use a sword and a spear, and I seem to be able to use spirit magic to some extent.


    Well, seriously you''ve got a great career.


    ''Well, it''s me, of course. Well, I''m going to go and find a party to get in to. I''d prefer a ladies-only party, but I don''t have the luxury...


    ''Oh, thank you for letting me know. Chief, I''ll see you somewhere else.


    ''''........I failed to get angry at you for calling me by my name.


    That''s it, I guess, but I didn''t look back. It''s not a lower name, so it doesn''t matter.


    I thought that if I reincarnated, it would soften the Chief''s hit a bit, but that wasn''t the case. However, since we are one of the few acquaintances, I want them to survive if possible, and I want to build a friendly relationship with them to the extent possible - is that still difficult?

 4 Episode 3 "Rearguard" Skills

    ''Is this your boss from the previous world?¡¡It must have been hard for you.


    Louisa-san smiles cheerfully and cares for me. She may be warmly accommodating to all the searchers who visit this guild, but it''s still soothing.


    My period of popularity ended in elementary school, and my life was devoid of women outside of committees and work. So even if they were just a little kind to me, my MP would recover.


    ''''But now that I''ve come to this labyrinth country, depending on my achievements as an explorer, I can look back. For that reason, I want to choose a profession that I won''t regret.''''


    As long as I can produce a track record, will that section chief review me a little?


    No, there is no such thing as a goal, and we should aim to move up until we can. In a previous life, the only way to get to the top was to quit the company and start your own business, but in this world, it''s considered different.


    ''''Louisa-san, how much of an achievement as an explorer, for example, do you have to do to be recognized as great?''''


    ''''That''s...one of the first things we need to do is to raise the pecking order as explorers. All new explorers are not ranked yet, but the ranking on their tags (licenses) will change according to their achievements.


    Louisa-san points to my explorer''s tag - the license. I traced the words scrawled in the upper left corner, and the content displayed on the tag changed.


    (Could this possibly be used like a miniature tablet PC?¡¡(If so, that''s intuitive and straightforward.)


    This page is the part of the labyrinth that records and displays your actions in the labyrinth. It doesn''t say anything right now, but this action is evaluated and a pecking order is calculated after you leave the labyrinth. Make sure you don''t enter the labyrinth and leave right away, or get attacked unilaterally by a demon and escape. If you''re at the bottom of the pecking order, you''ll end up sleeping in a dungeon rather than a stable.


    ...or at least a stable.


    The stable only restores a small amount of life and magic, so you are destitute. If you must, call on me for help. I can''t do it again and again, but I''ll find you a place to stay.


    At a time like this, Louisa-san staying at her own house is a convenient development, but apparently it''s not so sweet.


    ''''.........Oh, is this early tonight?¡¡Yes, it''s difficult to arrange on short notice, so I''ll be at my house in an emergency measure....


    No, no, it''s not just about making a mistake in the maze yet, so it''s okay.


    I was in a hurry to deny it, but should I have taken your word for it? No, even if I risked being at the bottom of the pecking order to be taken care of by Louisa-san, it would raise questions about my prospects.


    ''''Louisa-san, can I ask you one last question? Is it still the rearguard, as someone named Elitia said, that is in high demand even for newcomers right now?


    ''''Yes, it''s true that the demand for rearguards is high. Inevitably, their strength and defense are low, and in terms of survival rate after five years, rearguard positions are the lowest... Elitia-san has a little bit of a situation in addition to that, she''s not really suitable for forming a party, she''s not really suitable for a party, she''s strong on her own It''s a profession. But to conquer a ranked labyrinth, it is essential to form a party. An adventure cannot be completed with just a vanguard. She''s also stuck and is trying to train the rear guard by herself.


    ...I see.


    It''s not that I want to avoid it because I''ve been told it''s a flesh wall - but if there''s a demand for it, what''s the hesitation?


    But even in the "rearguard," what the hell am I cut out for? I wasn''t a monk because I wasn''t devoutly religious, and I wasn''t thirty years old yet, so I was too young to be a wizard. To say that the countdown had begun would be an understatement.


    --I want to be a "rearguard" for whatever it is, for now. It''s a good idea to be able to have a good idea of what you''re looking for.


    It sounds like you''ve made up your mind. Then please trace the license with your finger.


    I made up my mind and wrote "rear guard" in the occupation field.


    -- The next moment, the word "rear guard" shone and was replaced by another string of letters -- and it was now firmly displayed in the occupation field of the license.


    ''''What...?''''


    I''m relieved, but Louisa-san has an indescribable expression on her face for some reason. It sounded like she said "eh," but I wonder if it was my imagination.


    ''''Louisa-san, this, though the shape of the letters has changed. Since you wrote "rear guard", that means you got to be something of a rear guard, right?


    ''No, no, not like that.......whether you''re a wizard, a monk, or an archer, the letters you write should stay the same. But this.....


    Ms. Louisa turned my license toward her, pulled out a pair of monocle glasses from her pocket, and looked at the letters as if she were evaluating them.


    Then she leaned forward against the counter and asked me to lend an ear. She said that she didn''t want people around her to hear.


    ''I''ve never seen these letters before. Well, your name is........Arihito-Atobe-sama, what on earth did you write?


    ''Well, uh ... as I said before, I wrote ''rearguard''.


    Cringing at the voice in my ear, I answer as calmly as possible. Louisa slowly backs away from me, compares her license and my face once more, and then smiles as if she''s broken up about something.


    ''Congratulations, Atobe-sama. Your request has been accepted.


    Wait a minute. What did I end up doing...


    I hurriedly ask, and Louisa, after all, has dutifully leaned over the counter so that the people around her won''t hear her. I notice for the second time the sight of the chest on the table according to gravity, but I can''t stare at it because my karma goes up.


    No one would believe me if I told them of this profession, and they would make fun of me. I think it''s partly my fault that this happened, and partly my fault for giving you the advice, so I''m going to take special measures. Use this ''mercenary ticket'' until you understand for yourself the strengths of your profession.


    Louisa put her hand in the sleeve that was like a sack and took out a few paper money-like pieces from it and gave them to me, literally, as if they were under her sleeve.


    ''''With this ticket, you''ll be able to lend me a mercenary for as long as I''m willing to dive into the labyrinth once. Even if you call them mercenaries, this copper ticket won''t allow you to hire a human, though.''''


    You mean other than people and animals?


    No, there are trained animals, but they can only be trained by a certain tamer. It''s the sub-human monsters that can be hired on a temporary basis. The most solid one is the lizardman. As a vanguard, their basic abilities are perfect, and they are usually in some kind of warrior-type position.


    This - getting a job as a ''rear guard'' might not have been a negative thing.


    If you hired a lizardman with a copper mercenary ticket, you could explore the elementary labyrinth, even if it was a one-time employment with a single ticket. If you take advantage of that opportunity to research the ''rear guard'' and determine its strengths and weaknesses, you might be able to find a way to make use of it.


    ''''Do you have any skills or tricks that you can learn if you''re new to the profession?''''


    Yes, you can get two skills by default. When you go to the license page, you will see the skills and you can choose the one you want. I don''t have any advice on this. Skills are the lifeblood of an explorer, and you should generally not disclose what you have acquired to others.


    ''Yes, sir. You should confide in someone who you think this person can be trusted with your back... no, you should confide in someone who you think can be trusted with the front. A party is a team effort. If we don''t work together, we won''t be strong.


    Louisa combines her hands and puts them in front of her chest and closes her eyes.


    ''''It is a ritual as the officer in charge, but I wish you well. May the God behind you smile upon you.


    There are still mysteries in her words and actions, and more things to worry about. What is the secret god, and is he a believer in the ''Labyrinth Country''?


    Rather than asking them all at once, a little at a time is better. For now, you just need to find out what your profession is all about.


    After I handed Louisa-san my license and had her draw a map of the mercenary agency, I thanked her and left the counter.


    After getting up from my seat, I move to an inconspicuous wall and bring up the ''Skills'' page of the license and check the skills there.


    Skills that can be obtained ¡ô.


    Supportive Defense 1: Reduces the blows struck by the companion in front of you by 10 points.


    Supportive Attack 1: Deals 10 points of blows in addition to the blows struck by the companion in front of you.


    Support Recovery 1: Restores 5 points of health to the companion in front of you every 30 seconds.


    Backward Front: Spends 5 points of magic and extends your vision to the rear for a set amount of time.


    Remaining Skill Points: 2.


    (...how much of a 10-point blow is that?)


    I don''t see a damage indicator on the license, so I can only know how much 10 points is in terms of experience. We don''t even know what my strength figure is.


    If it''s 10 damage with decoupling, that''s completely useless, but I''m not sure. Sorry about this, but I need to hire a lizardman and then see and measure the strength of the blows from the weaker enemies.


    (''Rear Front'' is a skill for a low strength rearguard to guard their rear... or maybe this could be used, but for starters I''ll take ''Support Defense 1'' and ''Support Recovery 1'' to recover after testing it... ...or maybe I''ll hold off on how to recover.)


    If you have wounded medicine and the like, it might be premature to take ''Support Recovery 1''. I hesitated, but I allotted a point for "Supportive Defense 1". I''d like to take "Supportive Attack 1" as well, but I want to use my precious points carefully.


    So far, there is no noticeable change. No one around me has even noticed that I''ve taken a skill.


    Once we get the party together, it will be clear if I''ve drawn a hazing or if I''m going to get along just fine. I checked the three ''Copper Mercenary Tickets'' that Louisa-san gave me and left with a secret determination in my heart.

 5 Episode 4 Employment of mercenaries

    The labyrinth country is a fortified city surrounded by an incredibly long wall.


    I don''t know how it came to contain countless entrances to the labyrinth, but at any rate, there are walls at the ends of the north, south, east, west and north, and it is believed that it is not possible to go outside through these walls.


    It''s divided into eight districts clockwise from the north, and we''re in the eighth district. There are several one-star beginner''s labyrinths here, and I aimed for the entrance to the labyrinth called ''Akebono''s Field'', which is the closest of them.


    Louisa drew a map of the mercenary agency on my license, so I stopped on my way to the labyrinth. It was located next to facilities such as a demolition shop and a slave market, and when I tried to enter, I was greeted by a red-haired woman wearing an eye patch.


    You''re a novice (Novice), aren''t you? You''re a novice, aren''t you? You seem to have quite a bone in your body for coming here alone,


    Is this neighborhood really that dangerous?


    ''No, not really. Sometimes the reincarnation that sees a demon dismantler''s shop, for example, is so frightened that it doesn''t head for the labyrinth.


    The woman with the eye patch says with a wry smile. She looks like a brawny amazoness in any way, and although she''s wearing some sort of tight leather armor, you can see the area that is her abdominal muscles, and you can see that they are reasonably toned.


    You can see how good these muscles are. It seems to be quite promising. The last thing a searcher can rely on is muscle. You should remember that.


    Haha....I''m not a vanguard, but it''s true that you need to train your body. The desk job makes me slow.


    ''''Well, it''s true, with your current level of training, even the attacks of the small animal-type monsters that appear in the shallow layers of the Elementary Labyrinth would be a threat. I''ll tell you one thing, avoid taking a blow until you get up to level 3 or so. One hit will kill you if you lick it.


    The word "death" came up so easily that it made me cringe. I flipped to the license page and saw the page with the occupation and the level also displayed, with a red and blue bar below it. Further down, ten small black circles were displayed in a row. Red was strength, blue was magic power, and the black circle was probably experience.


    ''What, you didn''t get an explanation at the guild? Who is the officer in charge?''''


    ''Oh, no, I forgot to ask you and I''m in charge of Louisa.


    ''Ho, I see. You can rely on Louisa, who has been the officer in charge for five years, to help you. There are a lot of new officers in charge who are useless.


    ''This copper ticket was given to me by Louisa. It''s a special deal, so I can''t keep spoiling it for you.


    I showed her my ticket and the woman handed me a board she was holding. The board was like a binder, with a few sheets of paper with some string of letters written in a row between them.


    ''I''m late to introduce myself, but I''m Leila, the deputy director of this mercenary agency. The Guild is our client who buys our mercenary tickets, so I know the guys in the Guild as well.


    ''So you knew about Miss Louisa.


    ''Mm, yes. She was a former explorer, too, and retired and became a supporter of the explorers. The sub-humans here can be said to be like that in a way, but... well, that''s okay. Now, what kind of mercenaries do you need?


    ''I''m a lizardman and I''d like to be a vanguard. You''re also on this list.


    Leila-san looks a little apologetic. Could it be that they''ve already been hired and don''t have any left or something like that?


    The first thing you need to do is to make sure that you have the right equipment. I''m not sure if it''s a good fit for the vanguard, but the equipment they have is also different.


    Are you a warrior type?


    ''A ''rogue'' position. Not the vanguard or rear guard, but the middle guard to be exact. They can handle a certain amount of armor, but they are not as good as specialized warriors. His manual dexterity is also inferior to that of a Thief, but he can also use a bow, and in that sense, it''s a versatile job. This position is rare among lizardmen, but it''s not very popular with beginner explorers, since it''s more stable to gather those with specialized skills.


    So that''s what you''re left with. That said, if there were a limited number of tickets, he would first choose a male lizardman warrior who would clearly be a force to be reckoned with.


    Can that rogue lizardman use his shield?


    ''''Hmm, it''s equipped with a leather buckler. Although its performance is not very high, it should be good enough for the first layer of ''Akebono''s Field'' that lies ahead. However, what you need to be careful about is that the blows will depend on your physical abilities and how well your shield can withstand them.


    In light of that lizardman''s ability, I''ll have him take a low-risk hit and try ''Support Defense 1''. Then we won''t have to waste time waiting our turn.


    ''''There are other sub-human races that can be hired, but when the levels are far apart, they won''t listen to instructions, although they won''t defect, but they won''t listen to instructions. With that in mind, this young lizardman might be a good choice. Since he''s level 3, he''ll do what he''s told.


    ''Thank you. Then let me hire this lizardman.


    All right, I''ll get him. I''ll go get him and wait here.


    There are other people in the mediation office who have come to hire mercenaries, but they were being handled by other office staff. I guess I was lucky in a way that I was able to get the deputy warden to deal with them sooner rather than later.


    After waiting for a little while, Leila-san and - someone who looked something different from the lizardman I had imagined came out of the mediation office building.


    (.........lizard costume?)


    A lizardman is a literal translation of a lizard man, so a lizard based on a lizard in human form would be the usual imagined figure.


    But what Leila-san brought with her was a ''person'' no matter how you look at it - it looked like a human woman wearing a skull (lizard) head mask and equipment made of lizard leather.


    ''It would still be a surprise at first. A sub-human is a human who has been defeated by a demon in the labyrinth and is now a changed form. That''s also why it''s basically impossible to revive the dead in the labyrinth country. If I can undo this subhumanization, I can return to my life-form...


    But you''re treating him as a lizardman?


    ''We''re not forbidden to use the ''Slave Seal'' against sub-humans. It would be nice if we could communicate with them, but basically the only way to do that is to move at the orders of others. When it comes to battle, though, we fight voluntarily based on our instincts.


    (...I wasn''t expecting this development. They say it''s not human, but that''s legal, and the figure is not what it looks like...)


    You can''t take off the snakehead mask and other equipment unless you want to take it off. There are some people who think bad things judging by their appearance, but they will defend themselves even if they are using the mark of servitude. That said, though, there are those who try to mess with the sub-humans they''ve hired and get turned back, every now and then. I''ve asked them to write a pledge not to do that kind of thing,


    I certainly can''t tell what''s underneath the snakehead''s mask, but the lizard-leather equipment clearly shows the lines of his body, and for some reason there''s a large cut between his chest and his lower abdomen. The hand and foot equipment also doesn''t completely cover the skin, and if I stare at it, I have to say that it''s sensational - although the emotionless eyes of the snakehead''s mask make me feel less weird.


    I sign the pledge and promise not to harm the sub-human. Then the license screen switches on its own and the ''Party'' page opens up.


    ¡ôCurrent Party ¡ô


    1: Aricht *¡ô$¡õ Level 1


    2: Theresia, Rogue, Level 3, Mercenary.


    (I still can''t read my occupation but I''m guessing this one says ''rear guard'' in some language. And this lizardman''s name, it''s a normal female name... and I wonder if Theresa is of European descent.)


    ''Leila, if you switch the numbers in this party, does it change the ranks as well?


    ''No, on that page you''ll just check your party members. There''ll be a section on the other page called Formation, where you''ll determine the position of each member individually. If you''re a mercenary, that''s how you''ll work to keep your ranks in line. In flesh and blood, though, it would take some training.


    Well yeah, they''re all in the front row. Here, let me fix this...


    Battle formation.


    1: Aricht, rear guard.


    2: Theresa, vanguard to mid-range.


    I didn''t specify a single point of vanguard in order to avoid being too forward, for one thing. I''d like to have her stand in front of me first, and see the ''Support Defense 1'' working up close.


    Lizardman - or rather, Teresia with her lizard equipment, I wonder if it''s safe to say that she''s now my friend. She''s staring at me silently - I don''t know where her eyes are looking - but I''m not sure where she''s looking.


    ''Well my name is Alito. It''s nice to meet you, Theresa.


    ..........


    I held out my right hand, and Theresa held out her hand quite late. When I shook her hand, she squeezed it back, and she has quite a bit of strength - I think I can rely on this one.


    ''''By the way, the mercenaries are automatically transferred to the mercenary agency when they find themselves in danger. Some seekers who are troublesome to return will do so on purpose, but avoid such actions as it will increase your karma.


    ''Yes, I understand. We''ll return Theresa safely to you when we''re done searching.


    ''Hmm, you''re quite a pleasant young man. There was a woman who went into the labyrinth by herself a while ago, is she your acquaintance?¡¡If you find him in the labyrinth, give him a shout if you can, because any position is dangerous at level one.


    (Could that be Chief Igarashi...?¡¡You said you were going to join another party, so it''s different. (Well, we''re both in trouble, and if I see someone in danger, I want to help them.


    First and foremost, you have to know how strong your party is.


    As I start to walk away, Theresa follows a bit behind me. I can only see the human''s mouth through the mask and we''ve been emotionlessly tied together for a long time, but she''s the only companion I have right now. I continued on my way to my first dungeon, thinking that I would somehow get us both back unharmed.

 6 Chapter 5: Weapon Merchant

    There is not one labyrinth with a single star, but the labyrinth called ''Akebono''s Field'' is the one that is customarily determined to be the first place all beginner explorers visit.


    Leaving the mercenary agent''s office and advancing, there is a large staircase that looks like the entrance to the labyrinth, and people were gathering around it. Looking at this alone, it looks like the ruins of a tourist attraction or something.


    ''Are you an elementary explorer?¡¡If you don''t have a weapon, stop at one of the stalls over there and pick one out. You''ll get one for free the first time.


    ''Oh, I see. Thank you.


    Sounds like you got a tough job hiring mercenaries. Well, there''s a way to live in any job. Good luck with that.


    The young young adventurer may have more experience than me, but from the looks of it, he still looked new to me. He''s still diving in this elementary labyrinth, so he might have just arrived a little earlier than me.


    I didn''t see the Chief in sight, but I did see Suzuna and Elitia. Elitia leads Suzuna to a street vendor of armor, while she picks out a priestess weapon. However, the introductory equipment was generic, and she seemed to have chosen the oak wand that wizards often equipped with.


    ''''Brother, what is your profession?¡¡Would you like me to make it up to you as I see fit?


    I didn''t immediately notice the arms street vendor because he was wearing a turban, but upon closer inspection, he was from Japan, just like me. He looks younger than me, just because he''s my brother - even younger than Suzuna. She''s a vivacious-looking girl with black hair and a bob cut that suits her well.


    You must have been surprised to see so many Japanese people here. Lots of people from other countries too, but it''s fun to talk to anyone with a license.


    ''Oh, oh that''s for sure. Did you become a weapons dealer after your reincarnation?


    Yes, my parents were in a sporting goods store, so I wanted to be a ''merchant.''


    I see. Even among the searchers, there are those who find a position closer to the town''s residents.


    I don''t seem to be in a position where I can do any business, so I can earn the most obvious money if I can defeat the demons.


    ''''So, we have weapons for melee, long range, and a few mid-range ones as well, which one do you want?''''


    Well I guess I''ll just go with the orthodox sword then.


    A sword?¡¡Let''s see, your brother''s profession........oh, it seems you can use it for anything. It''s amazing, you''re a ''weaponsmith (all-weapon)''?


    ''No, it''s not that big of a job. But if you can use anything, you might as well make it an unusual one.


    Since the range indicated by ''rear guard'' is so wide, it means you don''t have a choice of weapons. To support them from behind, you should probably get used to bow weapons - that''s how I looked for weapons lined up in the stalls, and I caught sight of a sling.


    ''Well, then, with this slingshot.


    Oh, that''s a good idea. But it''s not easy to hit, unless you have a specialized skill.


    ''I see. But, well, if you can equip them without skills, you can practice.


    It''s a sling, or rather a sturdy-looking wooden slingshot. Twenty bullets, I don''t know what metal they were made of, came with me in a bag.


    ''Sorry, you''ll have to reimburse me for the actual cost from the replenished bullets.


    ''Yeah, okay. We''ll need a lot of bullets if it looks like we can use them, and I''ll make enough money to buy them.


    ''''Oh I forgot to give you this, it''s a leather bag to hold the things I got from the labyrinth. If you use this to gather materials for the weaker demons, I think we can buy some bullets.


    If you defeat too large a demon, will you have a hard time choosing the harvest to bring back? In the future, I''ll have to think about an efficient means of bringing back materials from the labyrinth.


    ''''Then I wish you good luck. Um.........''''


    You know, I never told you my name. I''m the guy in the back. How about you?


    My name is Shinonogi, Madoka... it''s been a while since I''ve said my first and last name in order like this.


    If you ask me, it''s been a long time since I''ve been able to say that. I was able to remember the kanji by calling myself this way, but I have a feeling that I''ll forget it when I find out while living in this labyrinthine country.


    ''So long, Shinonogi-san.


    Oh, just Madoka. Everyone in this town goes by their first name.


    ''Oh, yeah Madoka, you''re a bit too old to be comfortable.


    You can call me whatever you want, Arihito-san. It''s a very good idea to have a good idea of what you''re looking for. So, then.........


    I think we used to take a lot of care in Japan with the way we called our names. By the time we come out of the labyrinth, the sun may have set, but I''d like to at least say hello if I see your face.


    ''Oops ... sorry to keep you waiting. Let''s go, Theresa.


    Theresia seemed to nod very slightly. We approached the entrance to the labyrinth and were approached by a mature man who seemed to be a guide.


    ''Oh, you''re new again. This is the seventh person today. It is said that more than 30 people have been reincarnated, but it''s a shameful bunch of cowardly people. There''s no other way for a seeker to explore.


    Is becoming a supporter still a passive choice for you?


    He is a man whose hair and beard are mostly white, but he is well-built and has an axe by his side. He seems to be an active explorer.


    You can''t afford to keep going into the maze, it can be tiring. There are people like me who make a living rescuing people stuck in the primary maze. Yeah, it''s too late to say your name. I''m Rival.


    My name is Aricht, nice to meet you.


    ''Aricht can I call you Al?¡¡Or is it Richter?


    ''Yes, no, it may be hard to pronounce, but I''ll ask as is if possible. Mr. Rival, I''d like to ask you one thing...


    ''What?¡¡You can''t make me your protector, because if you work with me at level 5, you''ll get very little experience in the elementary labyrinth. My party''s experience is calculated based on those at the highest level. Even if you kill a low level demon, you''ll get very little experience.


    Not that I wanted to hear that, but I got another piece of information. It seems that power leveling by high levelers assisting low levelers is not the usual way to go.


    ''Thank you for telling me that too. What I''d like to know is how much of a ''10 point'' blow is that...''


    Hmm?¡¡Haha, you''re mistaking it for a game?¡¡It''s impossible to quantify the damage that a demon''s attack will do to you... well, if you look at the life-force indicator on your license, you can measure the approximate amount of damage you''ll take from this enemy with your own defensive strength.


    (In other professions, numbers are never used when damage is mentioned in the description of a skill... so only the ''rear guard'' skill is special.)


    The first thing you should do is to brace yourself as best you can for the attack of the ''Watadama'' minnow in the first layer. It would be ideal if you didn''t take a single bite, but his attack is the only one of the labyrinths in this country that amateurs can take without preparation and still not die. You can''t measure a point by points, we searchers have to know the strength of the enemy by real pain. The first time you get hit, you''re always scared to death.


    ''Thank you. It''s been helpful.


    You have a lot of nerve. You''ve got your mercenaries with you, Aricht, and if you tread carefully, you''ll be able to return under your own power. If there are other dwellers out there and it looks like you''re in danger, come to me. I patrol regularly, too, but there will inevitably be holes.


    Okay. Mr. Rival, if I have to, I''ll come back and call for help.


    Rival-san smiles at me and pats me lightly on the shoulder and sends me off. There are a few friends who do rescue work for a living just like him, and although they are middle-aged men across the board, they send me off with a good face.


    ''Rival, come to think of it, you might want to be careful. A few minutes ago, a party incorporating beginners dove in, but that was........


    But since you''re in a party, you can''t talk to them from the outside.


    (You mean the guy I saw in the guild earlier...?¡¡By "named", you mean a powerful demon? (If it''s abandoned, there''s a high probability it will die...)


    Like Chief and Suzuna, but at the same time, I hope those who have been reincarnated and know their faces are still alive. I can''t be reckless in the labyrinth, but I have one more purpose.

 7 Chapter Six: Support Defense

    I accompanied Theresa down a long, gently descending staircase, and halfway down the staircase was covered with grass, and before my eyes, even though I should have gone underground, I saw a field filled with light.


    This is Akebono''s Field - a labyrinthine scene that far surpasses anything I''ve ever heard of.


    It''s not an entire field, with trees growing here and there. The license screen switched over to a map showing the surrounding terrain.


    One layer was so large that one might not be able to traverse it even after a day of walking around. It was unlikely that spaces like this could be spread out all over the city''s basement, which is why they were sent to a labyrinth elsewhere on their way down those stairs.


    ''Watadama........... If you''re going to call me a small fry, then there''s that.......


    Theresia walks ahead and heads in the direction I want to go without me saying a word. As I was walking while looking around, Theresia suddenly stopped and held up her shortsword and buckler.


    ¡ôThe demon I encountered ¡ô


    Watadama: Level 1 Vigilance Drop: ?


    A cute, fluffy, plush looking animal emerged from the shadows of the grass.


    Looking at its license display, it seems to be in a state of ''vigilance''. The fact that it appears to be slightly reddening means that it is angry--or


    Just as I was thinking that, it was just as I was thinking that.


    ''''Huh........!


    --Watadama, who was bouncing, suddenly and furiously pounced on Theresia.


    Theresia sets up her buckler and catches Watadama''s tackle. I can''t believe my ears when I hear that tremendous impact sound. An explosive sound pierced my eardrums, capable of destroying the buckler with a single blow.


    (That''s not funny........the attack of the weakest small fry is this powerful.......!


    But Theresia had almost completely offset the impact with her buckler, and when she ran her gaze over the red bar under her name on her license, it was only reduced by about twenty percent of the total.


    But there was not a shred of reassurance, as her strength - life itself - was being reduced.


    Then the staggered Theresa bravely thrusts at Watadama with her sword, but it''s not enough to finish him off with a single blow, Watadama blows up and lands, then strikes back with terrifying speed.


    Teresa, I''ll help you.


    Behind Theresia''s shield at the ready, I''m conscious of protecting her. The use of the skill was naturally understood when I acquired it.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Aricht''s ''Supportive Defense 1'' is activated ¡ú Target: Theresa


    The first time was a bone-shattering sound if taken properly - but the second time was different.


    Just before it reached Theresia, Watadama was bounced off of something and bounced away.


    She couldn''t see it clearly from behind Theresia, but it was as if a transparent barrier had appeared in front of her. She doesn''t seem to understand what happened either, and stands on a stick for a moment.


    ''Theresia, set it off after I shoot!


    .....


    I jumped out from behind Theresa and guarded the sling and fired at Watadama. While I can''t even waste a single shot, the blow catches Watadama''s body.


    ''''--!


    Theresia, after all, doesn''t speak even with a stopping blow. She fleshes out Watadama, who stopped moving for a moment after being hit by a sling bullet, and flashes a short sword.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Alihit''s attack on Watadama


    Theresa''s attack on the Watadama


    Defeat one Watadama.


    ...or did you...?


    Theresia looked back at me and nodded at me. As I approached the motionless watadama, I saw that it was a small animal that looked like a rat covered in long body hair.


    However, its face was quite vicious when viewed up close. No matter how ferocious it is, if it looks like a lapdog, I''ll feel guilty when I defeat it, so I''m glad it looks like a demon.


    ''I''m sorry, Theresa. If only you could have used my skills from the beginning....


    Theresa didn''t answer - or so I thought, but she gave a small shake of her head. It means that I can not only say yes, but I can also say no. I''m just obeying my employer, me, if you ask me.


    If I had the skills, I would be able to take the material from Watadama and bring that much back, but I can''t do that, so I put it straight into a leather bag. If I take it to the "Demon Dismantler", will I get the money for the sling''s bullets back - or should I take it out and reuse it at first, since the bullets are buried in it? We''ll have to be thrifty before we have any chance of earning it.


    "Theresa, how''s your wound?¡¡I''m going to go out and recover...


    Theresa shakes her head. It''s still okay, it seems.


    -- and I notice. The second hit that Theresia received seems to have been able to reduce the damage with my skills, after all, and it didn''t reduce her strength at all.


    (If Watadama attacked Theresia, her damage was less than 10. Whether that''s 1 or just barely nullified the 10 damage, the value of ''Support Defense 1'' will be very different...)


    I''ll have to test my skills a bit more, but as expected, I can''t ask Teresia to try to take on an enemy stronger than Watadama. However, even though they were small fry, just knowing that I could take out a Watadama that hit me with such a strong body hit with no damage was a harvest. It would depend on the efficiency of the Watadama when it was exchanged for cash, but we could choose to make this our hunting ground for a while.


    ''Then let''s look for a few more of them to hunt.


    Theresia nodded her head in a persistent nod. And that''s when she started walking towards the large tree a little further away.


    ''''-- Kyaaaah!


    ''Whoa!¡¡Hey, it''s ''named''!


    A woman''s scream - that was the Chief''s voice. And the other voice I heard was the voice of a senior explorer who confidently said he would be a guide in the guild.


    ''''Not good........Let''s go, Theresa!


    I run out in the direction where I heard the voice. Then, on the other side of the blind spot, hidden by a large tree, he sees the searchers fleeing after being driven away by someone. The Chief is quick on his feet, but the other new man is slow to escape.


    A bright red watadama that bore no resemblance to a normal watadama. It was chasing after the fleeing explorers at a terrific pace and was about to take a bite out of them.

 8 Chapter 7: The Skill of "Guardian"

    Even a normal Watadama attack can be fatal if you take a decent bite from a level 1 Watadama. However, the red Watadama was one size bigger and faster than the one we defeated. It may not be three times as fast as normal, but it''s certainly more than 1.3 times as fast.


    Current Situation


    Redface activates Boomerang Dive ¡ú Budwick''s party


    A special individual with a unique name - Red Face. His technique activated after a few breaths, and I saw something unbelievable.


    ''''Aaaaahhhhh...!


    In an instant, the entire party that was fleeing was ''cleaved'' by Redface.


    Red Face applied a tremendous acceleration and, like the name of a boomerang, laid waste to the fleeing party while flying around in an elliptical maneuver, laying waste to the fleeing party. It was a merciless attack, hitting each and every one of them with its full force and body, without mercy.


    Even the ''named'' ones that appeared in the first labyrinth were this strong.......no matter how many lives they had, this was not enough. Or was it that they, and us, were out of luck in encountering it?


    "Gahhhh........and I don''t want to die......I don''t know......


    Current Situation


    Budwick" uses "Scroll of Return (Return Scroll)".


    The party of "Budwick" has left the labyrinth.


    Budwick''s party escapes - but the Chief remains in place. He didn''t have a party, but he happened to be there.


    ''''--I can''t be beaten silently........!


    Current Situation


    Kyoka''s Blink Step activates and avoids the Boomerang Dive.


    The guts to activate the skill you just learned at the last minute is impressive. However, how many skills could he activate with his level 1 magic power - the more powerful the skill, the greater the attrition should be.


    ''''Chief, please run!¡¡We''ll do the rest...


    In the rear........you run!¡¡I can''t let this thing beat me!


    I''ve never seen the Chief so emotional before - but I was already shooting bullets in a sling at Redface after he performed a big move.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Aricht''s attack hits Redface, no damage.


    Wha...


    Even the metal bullets I released with all my strength didn''t make it through the blows, and they bounced back with a cracking sound.


    Redface''s target switches to our party. Once it bounces, it starts to super-accelerate - and then Teresia takes it, and we manage to survive the blow. If we survive and there''s no way for him to get through the attack, there''s no way we can win.


    (Theresia can return... but what if she takes unbearable damage before she returns... but if she dies once, speechless, and then dies again... ...)


    I''m coming for you, you monster rat!


    Current Situation


    Kyouka activates Thunderbolt and hits Red Face.


    Valkyrie said that she could also use magic. Among them, the magic chosen and acquired by the Chief literally hits Redface at the speed of lightning.


    (Why ... were you trying to save us?¡¡You''re the one who always looked down on me...


    Redface''s target switches. Redface bounces back and tries to perform another ''boomerang dive'' on the Chief.


    -- if she takes it, she will probably die instantly. The party that had just been cleaved off earlier was also that powerful, it was hard to believe that any of them were safe.


    However, she no longer had enough power left to activate the ''Blink Step''. She grabbed her spear and thrust at Redface with a prepared expression.


    ''''Yah!


    Even if the spear strike doesn''t go through, it cancels the ''boomerang dive'' accumulation - but.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Kyouka''s attack hits Redface for no damage.


    Red Face''s attack hits Kyouka.


    The spear that Igarashi-san thrust out broke and she was blown away without even uttering a word as she was hit by Redface''s body and rolled across the grassy field.


    ''''What are you........you........''''


    I heard something snap in my head. It didn''t matter who I was abused so much - Redface''s ridiculous strength, the party guys who got away, and the fact that I was looking at this situation with a big smile on my face, even though I wanted to help them if I found someone in distress. I''m getting angry.


    ''''What the hell are you doing to our chief........you''re going to die......!


    I''m incompetent. It''s like being covered up by a demon boss at a time like this, and it''s a further reminder - no matter what profession I get, I''m not going to make it.


    With Theresia''s help, I might just let her die, but still, there''s only one way.


    I''ll use ''Support Defense 1'' to surpass Redface''s attack, and then I''ll put the ''Support Attack 1'' I''m about to acquire on it to penetrate his defenses.


    If I fail, both Theresia and I behind her will die. The enemy isn''t naive enough to wait for me to rescue Rival-san.


    As a mercenary, Theresia could have left in favor of her own life.


    However, she nodded her head in the same way as before - and.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Theresa activates ''Axel Dash''.


    Teresiak!


    What does that mean? For me to save Igarashi-san and buy her just enough time to escape.


    Theresia, who is not in a close combat position, approaches Redface, who is still breathing, trying to catch up with Igarashi-san, in an instant.


    A rogue''s skill - and she hadn''t used it until now.


    No one would throw themselves at him to protect others.


    They don''t even think about what the protected party will think after they do so.


    (Then.........I should just protect them, right.......!


    --not that I can only reach the person in front of me.


    All the ''party members'' in my ''front'' are treated as the ''vanguard''.


    I understand that now that Theresia has now moved away from me by a large distance.


    My support defense is a ''wall'' that can be used against my comrades who are fighting over a wide area.


    ''''--Tereziah, I will support........!


    Redface reacted to Theresa''s sudden approach, and after a moment''s pause, he unleashed a great technique - ''Boomerang Dive''.


    It destroyed Badwick''s party with a single blow, but that technique--''''


    By no means is it a dimensionally different power compared to Watadama''s body hit that ''could destroy Buckler''...!


    Current Situation


    Red Face activates Boomerang Dive ¡ú Teresia: no damage


    I could have prevented it........with Theresa''s defense and my supportive defense.......!


    I was able to ''support and defend'' Theresa, even though the distance between me and Theresa was wide open. And Terezia is unharmed.


    Probably the damage Terezia would have taken from a normal Watadama without ''Supportive Defense'' is 1 or even 2. If you can nullify that 10x or even 5x damage, the ''Boomerang Dive'' won''t pass.


    (If it''s 10 times, Theresia''s maximum strength is only 20, not only is 10 not ridiculous, it''s a big number in this world... then...!


    My supportive defenses have repelled it, exposing the gaping figure of Red Face in the air.


    --The power of the ''Support Attack 1'' to strike the guy is something you can only guess at.


    Let''s go, Theresa!¡¡"Support"!


    -Oh!


    Current Situation


    Theresa''s attack hits Redface. No damage. Support damage 10


    (Normal attacks don''t go through... but the ''10 blows'' do...!


    And it doesn''t end with a single blow - Theresia follows up with a slash that continues in the blink of an eye while Redface is frightened, and follows up with a slash.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Theresa''s attack hits Redface. No damage. Support damage 10


    Theresa''s attack hits Redface. No damage. Support damage 10


    Defeat one "Red Face".


    Arihito has been upgraded to 2nd level


    As if being cajoled in the air, after Theresia''s slash, the invisible pursuit ''Support Attack 1'' attacked Redface''s body.


    --The demon that annihilated the senior party in an instant was defeated by us. I felt like I wanted to scream out at that realization, but this is not the time to do that.


    ''''Theresa, I''ll watch Igarashi-san, so go outside and get Rival-san!


    Theresia listens to me and runs out of the labyrinth.


    Igarashi-san''s condition is not good as she is lying on the ground. Her arm is red and swollen from taking a blow, and her arm is red and swollen - her bones might be broken.


    ''''Ugh........Ku.......''''


    Igarashi-san is in severe pain. She fought for us, and in front of her, the ties of her previous life flashed through my mind.


    --I''ve pressed my time card. You can only report up to two hours of overtime when you''re done with your work.


    --You''ve been absent because you caught a cold?¡¡Then why don''t you just take this energy drink and hang in there. I''ve got a job I can''t shake without you.


    --You''re lucky to have my back. It''s not easy to ask for this kind of work when you''re not around.


    Well I''m still thinking about what you did for me. That''s what''s keeping me up at night if I let you get away with it.


    When I got to the level, I had kind of expected it to happen. When I flipped through the license page, the number of skill points I could assign to it had increased by 2.


    I assigned it to ''Support Recovery 1''. But in order to use this, I had to somehow get the unconscious Igarashi-san''s approval to join my party.


    ''Igarashi-san, it''s me, the rear. Help will be arriving soon, but until then I can give you first aid too. For that reason, may I ask you to join the party?


    Igarashi-san didn''t respond at first and almost gave up on the idea that she was in no condition to listen, but after a while her eyes opened thinly and she nodded emphatically.


    ''''If you do........something weird.......I''ll sue you.......''''


    She tried to protect us with her life, but she really doesn''t have a strong core when she''s trying to be stubborn in this state.


    However, I look at the red bar, which has been reduced by more than 70% after bringing her into the party, and I only think about recovering her with my new skills.


    Nervously, I manage to get a limp Igarashi-san to raise her upper body and sit behind her, supporting her body.


    ''''..........''''


    He doesn''t seem to be able to speak anymore, but I can feel the air of disapproval. That''s right, because the position is like being held from behind.


    If I have her lie on her side and I lie on her back side, will she become a ''rear guard'' in position? I''m not even sure if I''ll ever get a chance to test that, but for now, I waited for what felt like a long, long 30 seconds for her to recover 5 points of strength.

 9 Chapter 8 The end of the first exploration

    Looking at the red bar indicating physical strength, based on the information I had gleaned from previous battles, I expected "Restore Support 1" to be a very useful skill for novice searchers.


    You have 30 seconds to recover your strength - that''s when the "Restore Support 1" is activated and it works perfectly.


    Current Situation¡ô


    Arihito''s ''Recovery of Support 1'' is activated ¡ú Kyoka''s health is restored.


    Chief''s red bar, which had been reduced by 70%, recovered 50% at once. And her breathing, which seemed to be quite painful, also became easier, and her arm, which was red and swollen, could hardly be seen to be swollen with only a little redness remaining.


    If a level 1 explorer''s strength was 10 points, then recovering 5 points in 30 seconds would be very useful. Of course, it would be meaningless if a single blow took 10 points with it, so it was fortunate that Redface''s blow was shallow enough to get in.


    However, from the shock of the intense pain that followed, the Chief has lost consciousness. Even if her strength recovers, she won''t be able to recover that much - does that mean she needs another method of status treatment?


    I put her down once and I put ''Red Face'' into a leather bag as a harvesting tool. If you take her down, she''s a rat covered in fluffy red fur, but her face is still vicious. It was a size larger than a cottontail, so the leather bag was full, as a normal cottontail could hold four rats.


    "Hey, are you all right?¡¡I''ll carry you to the healer (healer) now!


    Theresia brought Mr. Rival and his friends with her. His friends carried the Chief on a stretcher. I was escorted out afterwards, while Rival-san asked me to talk to him.


    ''What the hell happened ... did you run into a group of watadama or something?


    ''You''ll have to ask Mr. Budwick''s party about that. ''Named'' came out, and they used something called the Scroll of Return to get away with it.


    I''m sure they knew that, but I guess they needed the money. But how did you guys manage to get away from ''named''?


    It''s hard to say that I can''t simply say ''I beat him'' here. If my occupation isn''t special, it''s impossible to defeat Redface, and if the story spreads too much and I''m spotted, I don''t know what''s in store.


    (Let''s just report Redface''s case to Louisa and have him announce in time only that he''s been defeated. I''m sorry for Budwick''s party, but I''ll have to ask him to be suspended for a while. (My skills aren''t quite on the board yet, either.


    The skills of the ''rear guard'' have their drawbacks. Since I don''t have to support myself, I can be easily killed depending on the formation. If there are skills to avoid this risk, such as dealing with side attacks or concentrating the enemy''s aim on the vanguard, then I must obtain these skills as a priority.


    However, if the vanguard fights and the rear guard supports, you can probably capture the beginner''s labyrinth without difficulty. That is, as long as no enemies appear that can''t nullify the damage.


    And although it''s an effective "10 points" right now, if the demon''s health value goes up a little bit, or the damage amount changes by an order of magnitude, it becomes instantly unreliable. If we have "Support Defense 1" then we should have "2" as well, so hopefully it will be strengthened as much as possible.


    --and we passed both Elitia and Suzuna before we escaped.


    The girls were far away from us, so we didn''t know that there was a battle with Redface. However, they must have sensed the stuffy air and rushed over to me.


    As she does when she fights, Elitia has her long golden hair tied into two pigtails. It''s a twin-tailed princess knight, and now is not the time to tease her.


    ''''What the hell happened...?''''


    ''I got ''named''. It was a close call, but I managed to deal with it.


    "...dealing with........red cotton candy?¡¡That one only comes out once a month, and even a 3rd level party can be decimated. It''s so quick, you can''t get away with it, and in any way...


    Elitia seems to know about Redface and asks me eloquent questions, as if she thought it was a miracle that we survived. However, in the middle of the process, she made a huffy face and stopped talking.


    ''''I''m sorry, I should be happy that you survived in one piece, but I''m sorry to hear this. You''re amazing, you''ve only just been reincarnated and you''re dealing with it tactfully.


    ''No, we got lucky, too. I don''t think it''s worth my concern, but if you two are going to hunt here, be careful, too. There won''t be any more red ones, so don''t worry about that.


    I''d be careful about giving out information, but it''s not in good taste to scare Suzuna, another novice explorer, by making her think there''s a chance of redface. There''s a chance that she''ll notice that I''ve defeated her - but no, that seemed to be an unfounded fear.


    ''The named ones will continue to vindictively pursue the first person they show up with, so we may run into another named one, but we won''t run into a red cottontail. Thank you for your concern.


    She was a humble person, even though she seemed to be at a pretty high level. Even as a beginner, she treats me with courtesy.


    ''Oh we haven''t had much time to talk. Accompany the people at your party my name is Elitia. And you are?


    I''m Alito. It may be hard to pronounce, but just call me Ariecht. You''re Suzuna, right?


    ''''Yes........well, the one who was carried away earlier was not the one who was reincarnated with us.......''''


    Yeah, but I''m fine. He''s out, but he''s regaining his strength.


    Did you use a potion?¡¡How could you keep it when it''s so valuable...


    Then Elitia looks at me. Her question is understandable - it''s my profession.


    ''''.........no, no way. If there was someone in the rearguard that competent........


    If you have any questions, I can answer them.


    ''Nah, it''s nothing.


    Elitia wants to team up with a good rearguard. If I explain my position here, she may want to form a party.


    She seems to be a position for solo exploration (solo) and there seems to be some risk for the rearguard, but I''d like to know about that as well. If Suzna continues to accompany Elitia, there will come a time when Suzna will face that risk. It''s not something that''s going to be a problem right now, but it''s worrisome to leave it unaddressed.


    (And if that risk can be eliminated, Elitia would make an excellent vanguard. For now, it''s just a possibility...)


    Right now, the Chief is the first thing on my mind. When you see Elitia and the others again, you can talk some more then.


    ''''Then I''ll go.


    "Yes........it was a pleasure to talk to someone who is also a reincarnation from Japan. If I see you again somewhere else, can I say hello to you...?


    Of course. I''d love to hear from you, too.


    I guess they were all heartbroken, having just been reincarnated. Suzuna bowed to me repeatedly and walked with Elitia. The girls will probably be doing a small check today, so they''ll come out after exploring a bit.


    I look over at Theresia who was waiting for me. And I was going to call out to her to go - but something about her looks different than before.


    ''''........Teresia?''''


    ..........


    She doesn''t say anything, but she''s staring at me. It seems to be OK, so I start to walk away, and Theresa shuffles behind me.


    I suddenly have an idea and turn around and ask Theresia.


    ''''Well you know, I''m going to use my mercenary ticket again tomorrow, will you come with me?''''


    Theresia didn''t answer for a while. Maybe individual mercenaries don''t have the right to choose their employers - I thought.


    She nodded dully. In other words, she would come with me tomorrow.


    ''Okay, it''s settled. I''m going to say goodbye to you at the agency today, but I''ll see you tomorrow, too, Theresa.


    This time Theresia didn''t reply. I chuckled and was pretty much pulled away from her, so I ran with Theresia and followed Rival''s party out of the cave.


    ¡ô Results from this exploration ¡ô


    We''re in the ground floor of Akebono''s Field. Five points.


    Aricht''s level is now 2. 10 points.


    5 points for defeating one Watadama.


    200 points for defeating the bounty hunter "Red Face".


    Trust in "Theresa" has increased by 50 points


    Trust in "Kyoka" has increased by 10 points.


    Searcher Contribution ??? 280

 10 Episode 9 Reliability

    After leaving the labyrinth, I dropped Theresia off at the mercenary agency on the way back to the guild and was greeted by the deputy warden, Leila-san.


    ''''It''s only been an hour or so, but you''re brave to come back after an engagement. Theresia, leave the weapons you have used with the artisans, as long as they don''t get the gore off them and take care of them.


    Theresia nodded her head in a persistent way. And she didn''t move from her spot, staring at me.


    ''''........Mm?¡¡Normally, I''d go back on my own without saying a word. Theresa, is there something you want to tell me?


    ..........


    But what''s the point if you can''t talk about it? I wish I had the skill of ''giving your heart to the world''.


    We worked together all day today, working together, fighting together, and defeating a powerful enemy. Theresia protected me, and I''m sorry to say that I''m leaving her easily in no small part of the world.


    However, if I have a ticket, I can hire Terezia. There are only two tickets left, is there any way to procure more?


    ''''Leila-san, I''d like to hire Teresia again tomorrow, but since there are only two tickets left, is there any way I can purchase them?''''


    ''First of all, mercenaries cannot be reserved. To ensure that all seekers have an equal chance of being hired, the mercenaries to be hired will be determined at the time of the visit. Tickets can be purchased from the guild, but the limit is ten tickets per month. This is another measure to prevent searchers from becoming dependent on mercenaries and losing their ambition, but there will still be those who depend on them.


    Theresia was looking at me the whole time, but in the middle of our conversation, she walked into the mediation office.


    Leila-san looked at me curiously with the one eye that wasn''t hidden by her eye patch. There was a faint smile on her mouth.


    ''''Hmm. It''s rare, but you seem to have taken a liking to that lizardman.


    What ... really?


    ''''Normally, only in jobs such as demon handlers would the sub-humans take a liking to them. There are many mysteries about the mental structure of sub-humans, even for us. Sometimes, there are people who are not demon handlers and do not have the skills of ''Ishin-denshin'' but they are liked by sub-humans.


    I have one idea as to why they liked it. It''s the part that was displayed on the license earlier, ''Increased confidence''.


    Is it because of the fact that you supported Theresia by ''Support Defense 1'' and ''Support Attack 1'', or is it because of the fact that you formed a party? To specify, I was going to ask Louisa a question about trustworthiness when I asked her about her contribution.


    ''Well, in your case, it''s probably just that they liked you. If that''s the case, that''s a different story. You''ll pay a reasonable price for it, but I can change Theresa''s seal of servitude to make you a master. In that case, I have set a price of one hundred tickets for your employment.


    (One hundred ... for the price of being able to hire Theresa a hundred times. (If that makes her a permanent companion, I don''t find it expensive)


    But if the purchase limit is up to ten cards per month, then I''d have to wait ten months, and I can''t hire Theresa during that time. I guess I''ll have to ask Louisa if there''s any way out of this.


    ''''But buying out the mercenaries means I''ll have to take care of all the food, clothing, and shelter. You''ve only just become an explorer and you can''t prepare such funds. If you have gained experience as an explorer and you still want to hire her, then offer her again. Don''t be in a hurry, the chances of her liking and buying another employer are slim to none in my experience.


    --almost. If it''s difficult to find a way to increase ''trustworthiness'' or if it''s compatible with different people, Leila''s words are probably correct.


    But as soon as possible, I want to prepare a hundred copper tickets. Since the party is made up of a vanguard, a middle guard and a rear guard, I want to collect two of each, including me -- and even though it''s only one search, the cooperation with her is so perfect for me that I can''t even think about going through the search without Theresa! ...


    All right. I''ll have a hundred tickets for you as soon as possible.


    ''All right. I''m sure you''ll be fine tomorrow, but this place opens at eight in the morning, so come early.


    Bowing to Leila-san, I leave the mercenary agency. I see a demon demolition shop, but first I want to show Redface, who was labeled as a bounty hunter, to Louisa-san. Maybe I should just bring back the materials as proof that I defeated them.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    When they arrived at the guild, Rival''s party was about to come out from inside. They would carry the Chief to the healer and then pull up to the entrance of the labyrinth again.


    ''''Oh, Aricht. I left that female explorer in the care of the healer. She''ll be moved to sickbay later, so you can talk to her there.


    ''Thank you, Mr. Rival. Thank you so much for your help.


    ''Well, don''t worry about it, we''re doing this for a living. I''m sorry, we could have used the return scrolls to get around in an instant, but they''re expensive and if you use them you''ll get a negative contribution rate. If you don''t rescue them with your own feet, they''ll subtract 100.


    ''So much ... so much ... then a Budwick party with scrolls ...''


    "Depending on how you behave until you meet ''named'', it''s probably a negative, and your pecking order is probably down. Well, it''s no use, I owe my life to them. They will learn their lesson, and will start to search steadily, not just as a guide.


    Some people might benefit from it in terms of guiding beginners if they don''t get redface. But that kind of thing is too risky if you don''t have a strong explorer to do it - I''ve learned from this one too.


    ''''Aricht, are you coming to ''Akebono''s Field'' again tomorrow?¡¡Or do you want to dive into another star one labyrinth?


    I haven''t decided yet, but I''m going to dive into the same maze again.


    Okay. Then invite that searcher to join the party if you can. Maybe it''s because he doesn''t specialize in forward or rearguard, or maybe it''s just his personality, but he couldn''t join a party... but it''s too dangerous to dive alone from level 1.


    Beginner explorers are stronger when they gather specialized professions - if that''s the common sense of explorers, then the position of Valkyrie will be stronger as they move up in level, but just like the rogue, they will be seen as dexterous and poor at level 1.


    But would that Chief come with me? If he can restrain me with an attitude from above, then the meaning of my reincarnation in the Labyrinth Country will fade away.


    (..........but I''ve been blown away by that kind of logic. They say that when life and death are at stake, a person''s true nature comes out...)


    Even though she was in a tight spot, the Chief didn''t run away from the situation, but tried to challenge it bravely. She dared to risk her life, even though she admits that she has always been able to get around in life.


    But I''m not easy enough to make it all go away by itself. After listening to the story, I concluded that if our interests are in line with each other''s, then we can team up like explorers - and Rival-san looked at me with an amused look on her face as I came to the conclusion.


    ''Is that it, or was the relationship bad in a previous life or something like that? Well, there are a lot of people who start talking to each other with real feelings after reincarnation. I think we can get along surprisingly well.


    ''I wish it were. I don''t want to be hostile at least.


    You''re not very good at it, are you? Well, just listen to the old man''s ramblings. There aren''t many people who can continue to hate the man who protected them. So long, good luck with that.


    Say what you want and Mr. Rival has gone. It''s supposed to be me protecting the Chief, but I can''t deny that.


    It would be difficult or even impossible. I can''t even imagine that section chief becoming friendly to me or trusting me to party with him.


    --But in the corner of my head, the indication of the license that ''Kyouka''''s trustworthiness has increased is firmly engraved. If you turn the page now, you''ll be able to confirm it.


    It''s vaguely imaginable that ''support recovery'' will increase your trustworthiness, but what will that change? Such a convenient story about a visible change in attitude....


    ''''Atube-sama........Ah, thank goodness. You''re not injured, and you haven''t been poisoned.


    Finding me, Louisa-san runs up to me with a tearful look on her face. The section chief who was carried in earlier was unconscious, so she was worried if I was okay too.


    As you can see, I''m unharmed. It''s thanks to Louisa-san''s ticket.


    ''''Oh, no... I just threw everything to the mercenary agency, not that you would say that much...''''


    Louisa says with a flush on her face, even though she has just come running.


    I''m sure I''m going to surprise her more in the future, but I need her to know what''s going on, and hopefully she''ll continue to share her secrets with me.


    ''''Louisa-san, can I ask you to lend me a few ears?''''


    Yes, yes ... what is it, a secret story?


    Louisa lent me an ear and I whispered so the others couldn''t hear me.


    ''I took down this thing called Redface, can you take a look at it?''


    -- Louisa-san''s surprise was still huge. When I pulled away, her eyes widened and her lips quivered with a shake.


    When I show her the leather bag containing the harvest, Louisa doesn''t understand for a moment what it means, but she understands a beat later and is more aware of her surroundings.


    ''''Well, cool. Well then, please go to the private room in the back........''''


    He tried to be as calm as possible, but his voice was trembling. I followed Louisa, carrying my leather bag, half expecting to see what the outcome would be.

 11 Episode 10 Search Reward

    Passing through a hall with a guild counter, I was led to a private room by Louisa-san.


    The room used for interviews seems to be of different sizes depending on the size of the party, and it''s a small room with only a square table and four chairs. We were told that we could sit down first, but after looking around the room, we found a stand with scales and other things on it, presumably for storing the harvest.


    (I was pretty surprised, so it''s bad to leave the redface out of the blue... but I put it in a bag without thinking about it, but I wonder how well it''s stored.)


    I was starting to get a little worried, but I was told to carry it in this bag, so I had no specifications to think about now. After I broke it off and took a seat, Louisa-san knocked on the door and then came into the room with a tray of glasses.


    ''Here''s your tea. Would you like a cup of herbal tea?


    ''Oh, I don''t have a particular preference, so that''s fine. Thank you.


    I''m probably my favorite drink of all, soda water. Unlike coffee, soda water doesn''t seem to break your liver from drinking too much, even if you wake up after working late - and let''s forget about the company''s days as a company employee for a moment.


    The herbal tea had a clean aroma and was moderately cold. I was soberly impressed because I thought it would be only a lukewarm drink, given the degree of civilization.


    Yes. There was a lot going on this time, and this is how it went.


    I''m looking forward to seeing how they react, and I''m also a little nervous. I suppose we all do that when we''re evaluated.


    Louisa looks at the page of license I''ve presented and puts her hand over her mouth. She seems to have suppressed it as she almost shouted out.


    Are you okay?


    ''I don''t need to worry about you... and 280... how do you get a number like that... oh, you really do beat the bounty hunter. .........!


    She is no longer the officer in charge of the guild, but a plain girlfriend. Her cheeks flushed and she looked at me as if she were a star.


    ''''Amazing ... too amazing, Atobe-sama. My highest contribution when I was active was 105, and it wasn''t until a month after I became an explorer that my level rose to 2...?


    ''Oh, I see. I knew it was a good idea to beat Redface.


    ''''I think so. The experience of the prize neck is far more than the basic species of the same family. By the way, it is said that you have to hunt 50 Watadama before you can move up from level 1 to 2.


    So Redface''s experience level is roughly 50 times that of Watadama? Apparently he has the ability to destroy even a level 3 party, so it''s a reasonable point.


    ''''So.........Then.... Could you place the hunted red face or the evidence (Souvenir) on the stand over there?


    ''''Yes. Well, I put it straight into a leather bag... is it okay if I take it out here?


    ''''It''s okay. I''ve been the officer in charge for five years now, so I''ve seen numerous demons, and... ah...!


    At will, I put my hand in the leather bag and place the redface on the stand. It doesn''t feel very good, so I want to procure and equip my gloves if I get a prize.


    I was completely misjudged........


    Louisa blushes and puts a hand to her cheek and swoons. I''ve never had a woman look at me like that before, and it almost reveals my lack of immunity.


    ''Well, um, it''s just as it appears on the license. Me, the mercenary Theresia, and the guy named Kyouka who was brought in earlier, we defeated him.


    ''''No I don''t mean to sound a bit rude, but a level 3 rogue and a level 1 Valkyrie would not be able to contribute properly in a battle against Redface. I am convinced that it is all the power of Atobe-sama''s, unknown profession. Amazing..... really amazing....


    ''''Luisa-san, I''m a man too, so you''ll get the wrong idea if you say something so great and amazing. You have to take better care of yourself...


    Maybe I should take this opportunity to sell myself. But sadly, it''s the sad part of being a prospective wizard that I can''t step in here.


    ''''........Ah. Her contribution was 280, which is without question the top (top) position among those who were reincarnated at the same time this time. Congratulations.


    Top - it''s a sweet sounding thing I don''t remember hearing in a long time. I''m tempted to get carried away, but I have to weigh myself so I don''t get stunned by the increase.


    Besides, I don''t want the story to spread. I need to discuss that matter with them as well.


    ''''Oh, thank you.......and Louisa-san, I have a favor to ask.


    ''Yes, sir?¡¡Oh, shall we gather our classmates together to celebrate?


    ''I''ll accept that sentiment gratefully. But I don''t want everyone to know about it yet. Redface is a demon that wanted the rest of the party, but we who were there had no choice but to defeat him. But normally, this isn''t an opponent we can beat on our level.


    Louisa understood what I was trying to say without even telling everyone. She stroked her green hair in a braid and listened to me with a mysterious face.


    ''''Well........ As word of Atobe-sama''s abilities spread, there will surely be people who will try to take advantage of it. As an officer in charge, that is not my intention. I would like you to be free to explore without unnecessary constraints.


    ''Thank you, Louisa. I appreciate you saying that.


    It''s our duty to respect the will of the defeated. Well, I won''t tell you who defeated him, but I will announce on the board later that Redface has been defeated.


    I''m glad the Guild was flexible enough to help. Now my concerns are gone and I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.


    ''''Redface is a bounty hunter who has re-injured or injured a number of explorers in the past. It''s one star, so the amount of money isn''t a lot, but I''ll give you twenty gold coins.


    How much is twenty gold coins.......how much is that worth?


    The value of each is ten times greater than the value of the copper, silver, and gold coins, in that order. Therefore, 20 gold coins are worth 2,000 copper coins. By the way, in the cafeteria in the eighth district, a lunch of three coppers is the only thing you can eat for lunch.


    I earned about two years'' worth of lunch money in just about an hour. Even though he was a powerful enemy, is it okay to get this much? If the armor was expensive, though, maybe I wouldn''t be able to afford that much if I had what I needed.


    What form of payment would you like us to make? We can either pay by wire transfer to the bank or hand delivery.


    Then can I have a copper for about a hundred pieces? I''ll transfer the rest.


    I''ll make sure of it. As for redface, we will take the footprints to prove its defeat, so we will leave it up to Atobe-sama''s discretion to use it as material. The guild also buys them, but it''s cheaper on average than a demolition shop.


    ''''You can even get the material? Oh........If I put it in this leather bag, I''ll have to take it to a demolition shop right away or it will be ruined.


    ''No, this bag will not deteriorate for up to a day. A higher quality bag will have a larger capacity and a longer storage period. There are a variety of shapes, including backpack types.


    I''m going to want more stuff, but I want to plan ahead and get it all together. If it''s okay for the day, it looks like we can stop at the demolition shop before we go exploring tomorrow.


    And there are two more things I want to ask you. The ''reliability'' and my pecking order, which will be calculated on the basis of my contribution to this project.


    "Louisa-san, the ''trustworthiness'' you''re showing here...


    ''The guild also assesses the contribution of explorers as to whether they have a smooth relationship with each other. Once they explore, if they don''t get into a fight or something, they''ll go up a few points...


    Louisa didn''t seem to take a good look at those numbers, and she froze when she saw them.


    Then she slowly looked up - blushing again. It seems that thoughts easily show up on his face.


    ''''Gosh, Goju.......how intimate have you become in this short period of time?¡¡Moreover, you''re dealing with a mercenary who doesn''t normally have an increase in trustworthiness...?


    Oh, what?¡¡Does that 50 mean your confidence level has increased as it is?


    Unless there''s something very wrong, the contribution from the increase in trust should be less than 5.


    -- It wasn''t my imagination that Theresa''s attitude had changed. As Leila-san said, our relationship had become better than it would normally be.


    (In order to exert our power as the ''rear guard'', we have a good relationship with the ''vanguard'' and ''middle guard''... in other words, if you''re supporting everyone and they like you at an uncommon rate... yada, yada, yada... (No?)


    I''d like to think that when you bring a man into your party, your friendship is deepened. Trust and affection are not the same thing, maybe, no, probably not.


    But who could blame me for imagining that that demon chief would easily delude me just to ''support'' him?


    ''''........I even want to accompany her once to see what it''s all about. The more I learn about Atobe-sama, the more the mystery only grows.......


    Louisa-san smiles as she holds up her monocle (monocle) and smiles. If she accompanied me, I would always ''support and defend'' from behind, and as a result, our bond as a party would be deepened. I won''t abuse the collateral effects of ''support'', never. There is no way I would do such a thing.


    ''''Atube-sama?¡¡How can I help you, you look so happy.


    ''Oh, oh no. I don''t really understand it either, so don''t worry too much about the trust factor. Lastly, about the pecking order - you''ve avoided sleeping in a stable or prison, haven''t you?


    ''''Yes, of course. Master Atobe''s pecking order is 137529 in total, and if we take the pecking order for the eighth district only, it''s 1124. There are about 3,000 explorers in the eighth district, so it''s higher than half. Your quarters will be a suite of rooms in the inn in the eighth district. I''ll let you know what rooms are available later.


    (A suite ... it''s like a large hotel room. (What''s it like in another world?)


    ''''........Ah. Speaking of which.........Kyouka-Igarashi-sama, who was brought to the healer just now, right? Atobe-sama fought with her, didn''t he?


    ''Ha, yes. We just happened to be in the middle of a....


    ''I''m sorry, Igarashi-sama has defeated one Watadama, but he has been rendered incapacitated by Redface and has been rescued. Your contribution at this point will be zero, so you will have to sleep in a stable after you are released.


    --The stable. Um, Chief Igarashi.


    ........is it my job to tell him that?


    I''m sorry, sir. I told her that the officer in charge just started out and that she couldn''t tell you and that she wouldn''t be able to keep her job if she did.


    That would be hard to say, to tell that proud woman to sleep in a stable.


    And I''m in a suite. I''m likely to be asked to replace the room, but I''m resolute there, and I want to be able to defend my castle - and I''ve just thought about it.


    ''Atobe-sama, you seem to be worried about her. I understand your feelings.


    ''Oh, no I''d say I''m worried, but that''s not what I meant...''


    There are two beds in the suite, so if you are worried about her getting sick, why don''t you let her stay?¡¡Master Atobe is a gentleman, and I don''t see any problem with that.


    Louisa said that if my pecking order was too low and awful, she would let me stay, but why wouldn''t she apply that idea to the Chief - more than any other question.


    I didn''t feel like I could actually say in front of her that she would come to my suite, even if it was to avoid the Chief''s living in a stable.

 12 Episode 11 Valkyrie

    Louisa walked me to the entrance of the guild, and she was in a good mood by the end. She said she was happy that I was the first person to produce such a surprising result since she became the officer in charge, and she was happy.


    (But despite the tension, what about that last suggestion?)


    In the meantime, there''s no point in worrying too much about what the Chief will do after he leaves the hospital. It''s quite possible that the Chief will accept a sleepover in the stable if it''s decided by the pecking order. That''s something I''ll have to talk to him about.


    I head to the medical center, which is a short walk from the guild, and ask the receptionist to show me the Chief''s sick room. Perhaps because her strength had already recovered, she was said to be sleeping on a first aid bed.


    A nurse woman comes out of the first aid room and looks at me to confirm my identity. I answered that I knew her and showed her my license, and she allowed me to see her.


    ''She is asleep at the moment, but I''m sure she will wake up soon. I''m sure she''s in shock from the battle, so please talk to her slowly.


    I understand. Is it safe for me to come into your room?


    ''Yes, I''m fine. If you need anything, call our healers.


    She wasn''t a nurse, she was a healer too. I''m curious because I''ve never seen a professional healing type skill, but that''s something I''d know if I could get her to heal me when I took damage. I''m assuming, though, that the rear guard is supposed to stand around and not take damage.


    I knock and get no response, but I have permission to open the door. Then, in a brightly lit room with thin curtains drawn, I find the figure of the Chief asleep with a generous sheet draped over him.


    ''''Excuse me ...''''


    I sit down in the wooden chair by the bedside. The Chief''s face looks a little pale, but he is sleeping peacefully.


    When she wakes up, what can I tell her first? Should I try not to hurt her pride or admonish her that she shouldn''t have been reckless if she couldn''t get a party together?


    ''''Hmm........''''


    Before he could gather his thoughts, the Chief winced slightly. Then his eyes opened thinly.


    ''Good, you''ve found out. ''It''s all right now, Chief.''


    ..........


    I''m worried that he''s still unconscious, but the Chief looks at me and smiles when he realizes I''m there.


    I''m sorry. But I''m really happy for you. I didn''t know what would happen for a while...


    ''I thought I might have died too, but it wasn''t so bad. It looks like the ''Thunderbolt'' slowed you down a bit, so you didn''t take it seriously. But it hurt so bad I thought my arm was broken...


    I wondered for a moment if I should pretend that the healer had healed me. When I think about what happened when I did the ''assisted recovery'', he might choke on what I did in my sleep.


    But before I can be ambiguous, the Chief lowers his eyes as if to think, and then says


    ''''At that time........you mean that the rear (afterbehind) took care of me?


    ''Oh ... well, um, what do you call it?''


    ''Well the red demon was already killed or gone then. If the demon didn''t cause a whim and run away, then it was the rear and his friends who took it out...


    If it were a normal Chief, he would not believe that I had defeated Redface and would have laughed it off--but something was different this time.


    At first, he had a thorny attitude, just like the usual Chief. But now, he''s having a decent conversation with me, and he seems to be choosing his words with care.


    ''''Well you can laugh if I''m wrong in my imagination. But if it wasn''t for you, I''d probably be dead. That''s a fact, isn''t it?


    ''''That''s.......I guess that would happen. But I''m just lucky too, so the next time a strong enemy comes along, it won''t necessarily work out.


    You should have more confidence in yourself when you''re successful. That''s why you won''t get ahead of yourself.


    I''m back to the usual Chief - I guess, but after all, partying with her is a needle in a haystack for me, isn''t it?


    However, seeing my unflattering expression, the usual section chief would be in an even worse mood - he suddenly loses momentum and says with his eyes downcast, "I''m sorry.


    ''''........I''m sorry.


    ''No, no I don''t think everything that explorers think is common sense is right. I think that in this world, every job has strengths as you move up a level. Because I believe that I can party with people of any profession and still make a strong party.


    I''m chasing after the weakened Chief and relieving him of the sorrows of his previous life. What the hell am I talking about when I should have had the idea to do so?


    And I''m so passionate about it that I feel embarrassed about something. I had never spoken so passionately in front of a section chief in my company. It was partly because the company culture was such that employees who got hot easily were difficult to handle.


    ''''Well, well, what can I say, I think it''s a good idea, Valkyrie. It looks like it''s going to be very strong in the future, and the equipment looks cool.


    How do you think you''re a softie?¡¡It''s not like you forgot all the things I said and did to you when you reincarnated or anything. You should be able to laugh at me and make fun of me more. You have the right to do that...


    ''No, I won''t do that. The Chief didn''t run away, you know. My sling shot hit him, and after he took a shot at us, he shot his magic at us.


    When he said that, the Chief looked like he was in some kind of panic, and he turned his head to the other side of the room, squirming.


    ''''........That was just frustrating. I couldn''t stand being chased around by those rats. It''s not like I saved you because you were in danger or anything. You didn''t save me.


    ''Yes, Chief was reckless. But that lit a fire under me. I was lucky to be able to defeat him, but I''m confident that I can defeat him no matter how many times I encounter him.


    Does that mean... that your choice of career is so powerful?


    ''''If the conditions are right, we can show our strength. For that reason, I''d like to go with a party member if possible...''''


    Having said that much, the Chief is about to look behind him.


    ''''........If you''re that strong, can''t you gather some strong people?''''


    ''Maybe so. But I''d prefer members who are close to my level. And I''d appreciate it if they thought about how to take skills based on my skills.


    You''re the leader of this group, so how do you get people to join you?


    ''Well well Chief, you''d think that wouldn''t be a gala for me. I also want to achieve what I want to do in this world in my own way. And in order to do that, I believe that being a leader is the baseline.


    I feel like I''m speaking in a company meeting. I wonder how my presentation about the policy of my leader - how is it received by the section chief?


    ''''So... if you think I''m incompetent and unreliable, you can ask me to leave in the middle. Chief, would you like to join my party?


    The expression on the section chief''s face, who had been staring at me, doesn''t change and he looks over there. How could this man''s pride allow him to serve under a former subordinate? That''s just the way it is.


    --The next moment my imagination of giving up so easily was betrayed.


    The Chief returns to his back position and gives me a look. Normally, I would feel that I was being stared at, but now it was different.


    ''''Well you helped me and encouraged me. So I''m not so helpless as to say I won''t listen to you or anything.


    Well, uh ... does that count as consent?


    If you want me to sign, I will. You won''t be able to trust anything I say.


    Then, Chief.........


    You can go ahead and change that manager, since you''re the leader.


    ''''Well then........Igarashi-san. I will always try to show you the benefits (benefits) of joining my party, so.......


    Hmmm.........there''s no need to worry about it, the profit is already there. It''s the best thing for me to be alive in this way.


    You laugh like this - and it''s so fresh. I guess I''ve never made this guy that happy before.


    Well, I don''t intend to stay in my subordinate''s spirit forever. I want to respect his autonomy in taking skills, but I want to make sure he takes what I ask him to take. If you have the skills that you feel are essential, the party will certainly become stronger.


    Chief--Igarashi-san raised his body and sat down on the bed. His body doesn''t seem to be anything anymore.


    ''''First, I need to do something about my clothes. This is going to make me stand out and get talked to by some strange people.''''


    ''''Haha you''re right. Shall we go to the armor shop later?


    A sweater, a tight skirt, and a pair of boots. So being a Valkyrie with a spear is certainly unbalanced.


    ''''........Ah. Come to think of it, I got beaten up, so the pecking order is showing up low.......


    Igarashi-san checks his license. And his hand trembles - he has zero contribution, so he must be ranked pretty low. It seems that there is a negative contribution, so it''s probably not the lowest rank, though.


    Well, well, it seems so, but Igarashi-san, I have a suggestion, but could you listen to me without getting angry?


    ''Yeah, yeah ... what the hell?¡¡You look so serious.


    I had simulated several ways to say it in my head, but in the end, I decided that I had no choice but to say it simply.


    ''''Well, um........why don''t you come to my quarters, as a temporary lodging? Of course I won''t do anything weird, and it''s just an emergency measure until the pecking order is raised.......


    So, "What? Igarashi-san looked up at me and replied.


    I''m not sure if it''s a good idea, but I''d like to come in, if it''s okay with you, I''d like to come in...


    Okay, okay. Well, let''s get on with it.


    What... where are you going?


    It''s my dormitory. It''s supposed to be a suite, so I think it''s spacious.


    S-Sweet........is your rank that high...?


    The way he calls me is casually different. It''s somewhat softer than calling out - and I think I''m somehow simple enough to feel soothed by that.


    The map to the inn displayed on the license. Let''s sit down there first and then go get some dinner.

 13 Chapter 12: Necessities

    After completing the discharge procedures, I was on my way to take Igarashi-san to the inn when I stopped at a clothing store at her request.


    While looking at the shelves lined with clothes, Igarashi-san mended them appropriately and put them in her basket. I was about to do my own shopping too, but before I could, she spoke to me.


    ''''They say you can be provided with a change of clothes if you wish, but that lineup is a bit tough for a modern person, isn''t it?''''


    The guild distributes cotton (wata) or linen T-shirts, pants and trouser-like items to beginner explorers. Shoes are not provided, as you have to earn them yourself to get them.


    And if you don''t earn them, even female explorers can''t get a bra - isn''t that a bit harsh? It is said that the market price for a Watadama is about five copper coins, so if you hunt five of them, you''ll have a complete set of clothes.


    The fluffy hair of those cottontails is needed in large quantities to make clothes, isn''t it? It''s worrisome to think that it''s made out of the material of a demon that attacks you, but you just have to get used to it.


    ''So there''s always a demand for Watadama. I''ve always wondered why it seems you can always redeem for a certain amount.


    The country is made up of only searchers and their supporters. As for how the things they consume are produced, one of them is the demon materials of the labyrinth.


    It''s not like the only food they have is demon meat, apparently. Some of the people going through the town are eating something that looks like bread.


    I''m sorry to be indebted to you for everything, and I even asked you to lend me some money. I''m sorry for lending you money.


    It''s a necessity. I''m the one who''s sorry I''m missing it, but if I''m wearing the same outfit tomorrow, the ladies will be wondering what I''m wearing.


    ''I wouldn''t be able to say that when it comes down to it, though. I''ve only been here for about half a day...


    As if something was bothering her, Igarashi-san glanced at me.


    Oh, no, I don''t have a sweaty smell or anything. Don''t worry about it.


    Oh, you know what? If that''s the case, guess what, but don''t say it out loud.


    I''m sorry. I''m not used to dealing with women...


    After saying it, she thought, but she saw her boss, Igarashi-san, every day for a change, and that didn''t seem to be an excuse for her to not be used to it.


    But it''s not that she was offended, she just breathed a sigh of relief.


    You''re going to be organizing a party from now on, so get used to it. Don''t keep talking like a teenage junior high school student like that.


    Hahaha I''m sorry.


    ''You don''t have to apologize for that right away, either. I''m not mad at you. I''ll tell you if I''m mad at you.


    Louisa-san also told me that I was low in the waist, even if I wasn''t particularly aware of it, and maybe I should be careful about that.


    But Igarashi-san was just saying what she thought rather than lecturing me, and her expression was soft.


    ''If I hadn''t been reincarnated, I wouldn''t have had the chance to say this.


    ''''Ha ... that''s true. Or rather, I never had anything to talk to Igarashi-san about other than work matters.


    It''s easy to start a conversation when you''re talking to your colleagues. The one time you stayed behind to work with Mr. Higuchi, right? I don''t know why, but I was warned by my superiors that time.


    Was there such a thing? No, I was aware of a certain ''rumor'' related to that matter, but--.


    There was a rumor that Igarashi-san''s speedy rise to the top was because she was personally favored by her "superior," or president, as she put it.


    I didn''t believe that, nor did I think it was absolutely not true, but I wonder what the truth was. I was curious, but I knew that if I heard it, that''s exactly what I would be hated for, like a snake scorpion.


    ''''Well you may know, Rearward-kun, but the reason I was promoted is because the boss pushed for it.


    ''''Oh...is that so........''''


    The first thing you need to do is to get your hands on a new pair of shoes. It''s just that they took the liberty of looking at me and trying to make me a useful pawn. They''ve been telling me ever since I got the promotion, like I was the one who found you.


    .........Igarashi-san is a beautiful woman, so I''m sure she caught your attention. I heard that our president has been in trouble with women since he was young, but...


    A person in his position would be attracted to other women, even if he was a married man. It was not uncommon to see such situations in society.


    I was a little mistaken about Mr. Igarashi, he reflected. Maybe it''s naive to believe everything that''s said here.


    ''''........Did you think of me that way?''''


    ''''No, no, I didn''t know the president and Igarashi-san well either, so...''''


    ''No, I didn''t mean... well, okay. Anyway, that was a misunderstanding. I didn''t want to be promoted for those reasons either, and the boss''s emails were so insistent that I would have quit if I couldn''t help myself.


    ...and that''s what got you so frustrated and hard to hit me with?


    I boldly cut to the heart of the matter. Igarashi-san tries to glare at me, but - soon his eyesight weakens and he makes an apologetic face.


    I''m ashamed to say this, but we have a curfew. You''re not supposed to come into the company and talk like that, but we had to leave on time. I had to go home on time. The way my parents got angry was unbelievable.


    Is that so? Could it be that Igarashi-san is your daughter...?


    People are quick to say that, but I''m just a country bumpkin and a land owner. My neighbors say I''m a master craftsman.


    How hard it was to commute from my parents'' house in the countryside to the city center every day. I had bought a home, but the commute was too far, and while my coworkers never complained about it, I rented an apartment within a fifteen-minute bike ride of the office. The shorter commute to work, though, didn''t mean that I had to spend a lot of time working.


    ''I''m sorry I had no choice but to go home and do my job.


    I gained a lot of ground, and all sorts of resentment towards her was reduced by half once I knew what was going on.


    ''Also, the cursing was horrendous. It nearly broke my heart many times.


    ''''I''m sorry, there''s no excuse for that, it''s just my personality. The thought of being able to do more makes me speak out of turn and my brother used to tell me that my sister was too tight in character.


    I wish I could have said more to that brother - but now that he''s reincarnated, Igarashi-san gives him a distant look as if he''s remembering his family.


    ''''........What was your family like, Rearward-kun?''''


    My parents died when I was young. When I think of my family, I think of the teachers and the people I work with.


    When I talk about these things, I often get pity, and I''ve tried to avoid talking about them as much as possible. But now that I''ve been reincarnated, there''s no point in hiding it.


    ''''I''m so sorry, I''m really sorry, I worked so hard to get into our company, but I didn''t make time for you to take the promotion exam.


    ''Well, there were times when I thought that was hard, but I''ll forget about it now. After all, Igarashi-san will be my party member, and she''ll be listening to what I have to say.


    Well that''s ... well that''s only a party order. I''ll follow your instructions as they come.


    I hated him so much, and then I forgot about it. It wasn''t as difficult as it seemed.


    If she apologized, I would have been fine with it. I didn''t hate her enough to say that I still wouldn''t forgive her.


    ''''Well ... shopping, are we done?¡¡The basket is getting full, though.


    Oh I''m sorry. Do we have enough money....


    Okay, so you''ve bought too much and you''re lost. Then I''ll have to help you out.


    If you''re short, I''ll go to the bank and drop it off.


    ''What ... well, do you still have it?¡¡You lent me fifty of them.


    ''There''s still plenty of room. Do you want to lend me a hundred of them, whenever you want to pay them back?


    Come on, just give me 30. You don''t want to return them.


    If the party goes out to explore and earn money as a party, it would be fine to say that property is shared. If we were to allocate fifty percent of the money to party funds and the rest based on the level of contribution, it might be easier for individuals to make purchases.


    After I saw Igarashi-san off to add the necessary items and go to settle the bill, I realized that I hadn''t bought my own clothes - apart from the armor for the search, I had to get things for sleeping.

 14 Episode 13: Definition of "Rearguard"

    After I bought some clothes, I headed to the inn town where the middle-ranking explorers gathered in the Eighth Ward. The property rented out to me was located on a hill high up in the inn town.


    It was on the third floor of a larger building with three floors and eight rooms on each floor. Nornil Heights, Ward 8, Room 304, that''s the address of my room.


    It couldn''t be a south-facing corner room, but it seems that the next room is still vacant, so I don''t have to worry too much about it. However, it''s not like we''re going to have a meeting until midnight, so we''re going to go to bed early today.


    The hostess who showed me around is a good-looking woman, and she always works at the lodge, cleaning and managing the facilities with some of the employees. She said she would wake me up on time if I asked, so I decided to have her wake me up at six-thirty so that I could arrive at the mercenary mediation office at eight o''clock tomorrow.


    We have only one key to your room. If we have to rebuild it, we''ll have to replace the whole key, so we''ll charge you eight silver coins.


    Okay, I''ll be careful not to lose it.


    Eight silver coins are eighty copper coins. I don''t think they are cheap, so I want to keep them under tight control.


    ''''Excuse me, Igarashi-san, it seems I can''t make two keys.


    ''What ... when two people live together, do they make a key for each of you?''


    ''Well, well, that''s what happens when you consider convenience. Me and Igarashi-san might even come back to our rooms separately.


    I''ve never given anyone a spare key to my apartment, either. I''m just saying that it''s more convenient to have two of them, and I''m not talking from experience.


    ''''Well...eh. You don''t have to worry about it now, so it''s fine.¡¡There''s no way we''re going to be separated, not without getting into a fight.


    Yeah, well....


    It''s as if she''s saying that she''s never going to fight. If it was her a little while ago, she would be fighting every time she opened her mouth, so it''s honestly hard to believe her.


    "If you want to fight, I''m always up for it, but?


    ''No, no, not at all. Let''s just be harmonious.


    Well, well...you can learn a lot by talking to them. You are surprisingly easy to talk to, aren''t you? I don''t know if it''s a harmonious one or not.


    Although it''s called a confidence level of 10, it''s just a 10 increase in contribution, but it doesn''t mean that Igarashi-san has gotten along with me by that number or anything - it should be.


    ''More importantly, I need to get some food after I put my stuff down. I heard the cafeteria is open late, but I heard it''s difficult to get involved with drunk high level searchers.


    ''''It seems they rarely get involved in crime because their ''karma'' goes up. But it''s good to be careful.


    That ''karma'' is also very convenient. There''s no need to call the police, the guild''s security team will come to you on their own.


    Presumably, when the license detects an increase in ''karma'', it is transmitted to the guild. It seems that not all of the information is leaked to the guild, but that may be a surface story, and I would like to learn more about the license eventually.


    When I opened the door to the room, the first thing that struck me was the living room. There is a room at the back from the living room, and there are indeed two beds in the bedroom.


    It''s bigger than the hotel my family used to go to. How did you manage to move up the pecking order to be able to stay in a room like this, Rear-kun?¡¡Because you killed that red one?


    ''''Yes. Igarashi-san also fought, so of course you have the right to stay. So please don''t hesitate.


    Well, I guess you could say that...


    Igarashi-san shrinks back with the bag of luggage, as if wondering what to do.


    I thought she was used to rooms like this, and that she was going to split up staying with me and act briskly, but I didn''t expect this reaction.


    (.........ah. I see, it''s a house with a strict curfew, and Igarashi-san has been observing it.......)


    ...Igarashi-san?


    What?


    Excuse me for speaking to you so suddenly. Let''s see, there are two luggage compartments, so please use this one for you, Igarashi-san. We''ll decide on the bed allocation later.


    ''Uh, yeah, okay. It''s fine this way.......yikes!


    Igarashi-san almost falls over in the middle of nowhere. Just like the horribly cute scream just now, this twenty-five year old female section chief definitely has no experience with men.


    I''m a wizard candidate who asserts that, but even I can understand that. If a woman who is more nervous than I am is the one I''m dealing with, for some reason, I can relax my mind, and that''s exactly what I''m feeling right now.


    "...what are you smiling about?¡¡Hey, what''s your problem?


    It''s gone. You left your stuff in the car. Let''s go, then. I''ll take it. You don''t need to bring your wallet.


    ''Well that''s so sloppy and annoying. Can I hit you?


    ''Please don''t hit me, I''m still as good as a man of flesh and blood myself.


    If I treat her wrong here, the spring that comes will be far away. No, I know that it won''t suddenly turn out that way - if I didn''t discipline myself to do so, I wasn''t going to be able to tighten my face at all.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    Meals can be taken in the inn, but they are more expensive, so we were advised to have dinner at the tavern down the hill.


    It was almost time for the sun to go down, and the restaurant was crowded with explorers who had finished their adventures.


    ''Apart from the fact that I''m not quite sure what kind of meat it is, I''d say the taste is just okay.


    Igarashi-san, do you have any likes and dislikes?


    ''Not so much, but you weren''t a fan of kusaya or blue cheese. Or stinky tofu.


    So you don''t like anything with a strong scent. Then it seems that durian is not good either. I''ve never eaten them either.


    "I wonder if they''re as high up on the pecking order as you are.


    ''''It seems so. The highest ranking people in the Eighth Ward seem to change their quarters again.


    ''''You''re dividing the labyrinth country into eight sections and then making them compete within each one of them as well. So the first district is totally different from this one or something?


    ''There will come a day when we''ll know as we move up the pecking order. Maybe we can go to a different ward if we just want to move.


    In order to do that, you have to get your party members, level up, and get strong armor.


    ''''Speaking of which, who was with Rear-kun, dressed like a thorn in the side?


    Her name is Theresia, the Lizardman. My occupation was a mysterious one, so the receptionist was worried about me and gave me a mercenary ticket. I used that to hire him. Eventually, I plan to have him officially join the party.


    ''I see. You seemed so strong, so it would be reassuring if you stayed on all the time. I''ve got to raise the bar so that I don''t drag you down too.


    ''I''ll assist you. When I go exploring tomorrow, I''ll also explain to you how I defeated the red one there. Information about the explorer''s skills is a lifeline, so don''t tell anyone else, please.


    ''That''s such an awesome way I''m starting to enjoy it. When that red one came out I didn''t want to go into the labyrinth anymore.


    That would be a traumatic experience for anyone if Redface suddenly came out of nowhere.


    ''It looks like that party of explorers called Budwick that was there was targeted by Redface. Igarashi-san said he just happened to be there.


    ''Yeah I mean, I just took down Watadama by myself and he called out to me. He said something like, ''I''ll protect you, give me the profit,'' and I was about to say no, when that guy answered.


    Talk to the beginner explorers and sell them a favor. Just thinking about what Budwick and the others would do after that was disgusting.


    ''Igarashi-san, you used a spear, didn''t you? I think Watadama moves pretty fast, but I''m surprised you were able to take him down by yourself.''''


    "I was in the Cleave Club. I chose something as close in shape as possible so I could use it, but the red one was hard and broke, so I''ll have to get a different one.


    ''''Shall we go to the store in front of the labyrinth tomorrow and buy some? We don''t just need clothes, we also need the armor to wear over them.


    ''Oh well that''s right, the armor I couldn''t think of that much, I couldn''t imagine spending that much money on clothes... and weapons were broken. Even though


    ''Let''s do our best to keep our earnings steady, shall we? We''ll be busy again tomorrow.


    Once we got our stories straight, the after dinner meeting was over. It was time to go home and get some rest for the day - that''s when I thought about it.


    ''Hey, did you hear that?¡¡I heard that the ''Sword of Death'' is coming to the eighth district.


    Yeah, now they''re trying to get the new guy and train him to be a thing.


    At first I thought it was unrelated, but when I heard the crap about ''newcomers'', I thought of the two girls I met today.


    (If it''s Elitia and Suzuna.......Elitia is the ''Sword of Death'' (Death Sword).......?


    Don''t you think we have a chance?¡¡It''s a high level searcher, and he''s got some baggage with him. If we play our cards right....


    Hey, don''t be so open about it. You can talk about it later.


    A man with a scar on his cheek, perhaps the leader of the party, said, and the men who had been talking changed the subject.


    ''What''s up, Rear-kun?¡¡You look scared.


    ''No, a little. Let me talk to you tomorrow.


    Yeah, yeah I get it. If you say so, Rear Admiral.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    The bathrooms in Nornil Heights were divided into men''s and women''s bathrooms. As a lower level explorer, you''ll be using the communal bathrooms in town, so it''s convenient to be able to bathe in the inn.


    I came to take a bath first, but I came back to my room earlier than Igarashi-san. As I lie in bed, thinking about what happened at the bar earlier, my eyelids are getting heavier and heavier.


    (Tired as mud, but pleasantly sleepy... although I feel like I could use a little more time awake...)


    I closed my eyes and surrendered to sleep. After a while, I was just about to lose consciousness when I heard the door open.


    ''Rear, this inn''s bath is amazing!¡¡I thought it was a different world, but there''s some kind of shampoo and rinse and... oh... hey, were you asleep?¡¡I''m sorry, I''ll be quiet....


    ...That''s good, isn''t it, Igarashi-san?


    I thought about it, but I was too sleepy to speak. I was thrilled with the benefit of the shampoo and conditioner, too, and I wanted to share it with you - but I was at the end of my rope.


    ''I''ll see you tomorrow, rear-end,''


    A gentle voice encouraged her to fall asleep. It''s been a very long time since I''ve had someone in the same room with me when I go to sleep.


    --I continue to sleep in my bedroom with the lights dimmed.


    My consciousness surfaced a bit, but it''s not like I''m waking up and trying to fall asleep again.


    "Hey, hey........Rearward, just.......


    ........hmm......oh, good morning, Igarashi-san.


    When I woke up after being discreetly swayed, I found Igarashi-san in her pajamas. It''s amazing to see that her beauty doesn''t change much even when she''s naked.


    She''s standing by my bedside in the dim light, looking at me while trying to say something.


    Even in a vertical sweater, I couldn''t look at her eyes, but even in her nightgown, I can''t help but stop looking at her breasts. It won''t raise my karma, but I still try to look away - I want to look, but I shouldn''t.


    ''''Can''t you ... sleep?¡¡Or maybe it has to be your usual pillow.


    ''Well, I don''t mean... well, I don''t want you to be offended, but it''s not like I want you to sleep with your back to me...''


    Turn your back on ... oh, God. Did I turn over in my sleep? I didn''t really sleep facing that way, though.


    That''s just the way it is, so it''s not your fault. The fact that the rear of the car is looking at you is not bothering me, it''s just that I think it''s weird myself...


    I''m not sure, but if it bothers me to sleep facing her, should I turn around and sleep on my back? Even if I did, I''d probably turn over again.


    (...wait...)


    It''s impossible, that''s impossible - I think so, but if so, I can''t explain what she''s saying and the gesture of embarrassment.


    (Isn''t ''Support Recovery 1'' for ''Rearguard'' working all the time, even during normal times... even while you''re sleeping...?


    The indication on my license that my confidence level has increased comes to mind. If I just lie back and the ''Support Recovery 1'' continues to activate every 30 seconds - the next time I''m woken up, probably.


    ''''Wow, I get it. I will definitely not turn that way, so don''t worry about it.


    Uh-huh. I''m really, really sorry. I''m sorry I have to wake you up for this.


    After apologizing sullenly, Igarashi-san went back to her bed. I waited until she started to breathe in her sleep, and then it was time to get out of bed.


    (If I was sleeping normally, I''d definitely turn over... I''d like to think that if I slept on the couch, as expected, I wouldn''t get a rear-guard decision. No, I still don''t have any proof that it''s because of ''support recovery'' but...)


    Let''s get the bed moved to another room or something, so I can get a good night''s sleep tomorrow. However, I was able to sleep in the bed sufficiently, and the couch isn''t as uncomfortable to sleep on as I thought it would be, so I decided to just go to sleep.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    --and in the morning. I wake up before the innkeeper''s little mother comes to wake me up.


    "...hmm?


    It wasn''t cold, so I was sleeping with nothing on, but before I knew it, the blanket was covered.


    I wondered who had done it - had Igarashi-san woken up?


    When I looked at the table, I found a note left in Japanese. ''You''ll catch a cold if you sleep here,'' it says.


    Will my trust level increase just by being behind me? What happens if the trust level goes up too much - there''s no way to verify it, since there''s no record of your actions outside the labyrinth.


    Today, I''ll try to sleep in bed normally again. Still, if Igarashi-san woke me up in the middle of the night, I would ask him to carry my bed to the other room then.

 15 Chapter 14 Xi Shao Material

    After a while, Igarashi-san woke up, so I tried not to leave the living room and the bedroom became her changing room.


    ''''Rear-kun, did your body hurt from sleeping over there?''''


    ''What?¡¡Oh, oh, it''s okay. It was more heavenly than sleeping in a company chair.


    I didn''t expect him to call out to me while I was getting dressed, and I was a little upset. I''ll have to get used to it, since we''ll be living together from now on, but I can''t help but feel unsettled, as if I''m spending the night with the chief before going to work. It''s as if my feet never touched the ground.


    I''m sorry........I still have a lot more to apologize to you, Mr. Rear. Even last night, because of the strange things I said to you...


    No, don''t worry about it. I''m sure it''s not easy to get nervous about sleeping with someone else all of a sudden.


    Is the assisted recovery working at bedtime, and if so, can I only activate the skill when I want to activate it? It''s not that serious of a problem, as long as I can take action.


    Even if my trust level increased too much, I doubt Igarashi-san would come into my bed in the middle of the night or anything like that. That would be like putting Igarashi-san under some kind of spell.


    After getting dressed, Igarashi-san comes out with a slightly nervous look on her face. I was used to seeing her dressed over there, so it''s something new - she blends into the fantasy world.


    ''''.........''''


    ''........Ah. It looks good on you. It''s so natural, I was impressed.


    I didn''t mean to prompt you. If you look good in it, it''s worth it. The fact that you''re a town girl and not an explorer is what bothers me personally.


    If you put an armor-like item on top of it, I think it will instantly become more like it. I''d like to buy a breastplate and some armor if I could.


    ''''Well........money, I only have 3 copper coins left. The money for the armor....


    Don''t worry, we''ll get you out. We''re a team, aren''t we? Unlike the company''s project team, though, we''ll split the profits.


    She''s had a strict home, so I guess she thinks that''s basically what you shouldn''t do when it comes to lending and borrowing money. It''s because she''s that kind of person, though, that I can trust her to lend me money.


    ''''..........well, I mean, I don''t want to borrow it, but don''t indulge me too much. I''d like to be an independent searcher, and based on the partnership between you and your partner, I''d rather not be a piggybacking on you....


    Yes, I know. But isn''t it a leader''s job to get people to depend on them?


    ''So, you can get mad at me, like, ''Don''t waste your money. It''s easier that way.


    If you spoil them, they become restless, so I want you to be moderately strict with them. Even though I was told that, I couldn''t easily be strict with people.


    ''But changing clothes isn''t a waste of money. I won''t get mad at you for that.''''


    Has anyone ever told you that you''re like an older brother?


    Not only was he treated as an older brother at the facility, let alone a younger one, but he felt like he somehow understood why that was the case now.


    ¡ô¡ó¡ô


    After having breakfast, I told Louisa-san at the guild about my plans for today''s activities, and then I first visited the mercenary mediation office.


    ''''Good morning, Leila-san,''''


    Hmm, you''re earlier than expected. Good seekers always keep their promises.


    She is just as friendly as yesterday, though she is in full-body leather armor and has a powerful eye patch on her, but she is friendly. As they say, appearances can be deceiving.


    I''m not going to be able to get a good idea of what you''re looking for. It''s a pleasure to work with you.


    Mmm, you''re the new guy I saw yesterday. I was worried about you because you were walking slowly towards the labyrinth by yourself. I''m glad you found some good company.


    ''Yes, I''ll do my best not to slow him down.


    Igarashi-san''s greeting was so quick that if he had a business card, he would start exchanging them.


    Leila-san also seemed to be looking at it favorably.


    ''No, ask Theresa. I suppose we should try to explore all sorts of things, but we were working well together as of yesterday.


    Okay, well, I''ll get Theresa for you.


    I''ll use one copper mercenary ticket with this one. I bought seven additional tickets earlier, so when I added up the amount Louisa-san gave me, I reached the limit of ten tickets.


    When I talked to Louisa earlier, she also asked me about how to get the copper tickets in a short period of time, and I heard that if you earn a certain amount of contribution, the purchase limit is removed.


    Once you reach 1000 cumulative contributions, you will become a 2 star explorer. Then the purchase limit for copper mercenary tickets would be removed. Since there are three silver coins per ticket, it takes thirty gold coins to buy a hundred tickets.


    In other words, the requirements for hiring Theresia are to earn a contribution and to have thirty gold coins ready to go. It would be more profitable to strengthen the party and increase the efficiency of the earning process rather than leaving yesterday''s earnings behind.


    ''''I don''t mean to say this, but Lizardman''s outfit looks like something out of a movie.


    ''The power is great, but she''s reliable and excellent. Good to see you today, Theresa.


    Theresia nodded her head in a persistent way. She reacted faster than yesterday - even sub-humans remembered the person they had met once.


    ''It seems that Theresia has been waiting to be summoned, too. I''m sure you guys have your reasons, but I''d like you to dive for as long as you can in one search.


    Yes, I think it will be longer than yesterday.


    What are you going to do at noon, Mr. Rear?¡¡If it''s going to be lunch in the labyrinth, I''ll have to bring my lunch with me.


    ''You can buy food from the stalls in front of the labyrinth. If no one else has the skills to cook in the open air, you should buy some.


    ''Thank you for telling me, Miss Leila.


    No need to thank me. Then have a nice day.


    Leila-san and I parted ways and headed to the demon demolition shop next. Today, Theresia is still following me from behind - the shortsword has been taken care of and the buckler that received the demons has been restored.


    ''''Was Leila-san also a former explorer?¡¡You look so strong, don''t you?


    ''I haven''t heard of it, but I think it''s probably true. It seems a lot of retired explorers turn out to be supporters.


    ''Hmm ... but we can always go out exploring. I wonder if we''ll have to retire at some stage. Or.........


    ''Let''s go as far as we can. "Let''s go as far as we can. We can''t risk our lives, but if we minimize the risks and move up the pecking order, we can see some things, too. It will make life more comfortable.


    Yeah, I get it.


    Some searchers might want to retire as soon as possible. However, Igarashi-san didn''t lose heart even after what happened yesterday.


    (.........Theresia lost her life in the labyrinth and became a sub-human. Still, continuing to hide in the labyrinth as a mercenary is a bit harsh...)


    Someday we will turn Theresa back into a human, retire her from fighting and let her live a peaceful life. In order to do that, I can''t stay in the current pecking order.


    ¡ô¡ó¡ô


    When I went to the demolition shop, I saw a young blonde man was tanning the demon''s leather.


    ''''Um, excuse me. I''d like to ask you to dismantle a demon...''''


    Welcome to Rykerton Demolition. I''m Rykerton, the owner. And this is my daughter, Melissa, who''s over there taking apart the big guy.


    A girl named Melissa, dressed in tuna-like clothing, is mindlessly dismantling demons with a large knife. Her eyes are sharp, and she has the look of a craftsman.


    ''''There are a great number of demons hanging around, aren''t there?


    Yes, except for the furs and other materials that have been dismantled and are waiting to be removed. We''re trying to keep the materials inside the demolition site from rotting for at least seven days so that we don''t raise any complaints from nearby residents.


    In other words, it''s the same kind of technology as this leather bag. In a labyrinthine country like this stone-built medieval city, one occasionally encounters things that feel like over-technology, but since magic exists, is it even that strange?


    Igarashi-san was overwhelmed by the strange atmosphere in the store, but he seemed to have gradually calmed down and was looking at the furs hanging in the store. Some of them looked like mink fur, which could be made into good quality clothing if processed. And a large amount of cottontail furs were packed and placed in boxes.


    ''Sir, may I ask your name?''


    My name is Arihito. My name is Kyouka...


    ''Oh, well, well. I''m glad to hear that you and your wife are having a party together. When I was young, I too was hiding in a labyrinth with my wife, covered in the blood and flesh of demons and drinking and pudding... oops, my daughter will hear about it.


    No, no, first of all, it''s not your wife...


    I mean, you don''t have to deny it. It''s just a social thing to do, you know. It''s embarrassing to overreact.


    Igarashi-san is going to give me an adult''s opinion. If the word gets out that she''s my wife, that''s going to be very difficult to explain.


    And this Mr. Rykerton, since he only dismantles demons on a daily basis - although it''s rude to say so, but he seems a bit unusual. It''s like he''s always smiling, but his eyes aren''t smiling. Well, as a craftsman, if your skills are good, you''ll want to get along well with them.


    "...Demolition is over.


    Thanks, Melissa. Next up is this customer''s material. When you''re done with that, we''ll take a break.


    Okay.


    Unlike Mr. Rykerton, she is a girl with hair that is almost silver in color - maybe in her mid-teens. She''s covered in returning blood, but her appearance is remarkably well-groomed - combined with the lack of expression, she looks like a bisque doll.


    I''m sorry, he doesn''t talk much. Don''t worry, I''m as good a dismantler as he''ll ever be.


    You''re still so young, but you''ve got that much skill.


    I was curious about their situation, but now I want to get the requirements done. I produce one Watadama and one Red Face from the leather bag. Igarashi-san''s leather bag also had one Watadama in it.


    As soon as Mr. Rykerton looked at redface, he adjusted the position of his glasses. And Melissa, who was watching next to him, also opened her eyes slightly.


    ''''Well ''named'' can get rare materials. My father can do the processing, or I can bring the material to the armor shop.


    ''I would prefer to let me handle them if possible, but I''ll leave it to your discretion. First, I will take back the two Watadama for two silver coins. As for redface, I will either dismantle it and return the material only or buy it for eight gold coins. If you only want to dismantle them, I will charge you 10 coppers.


    ''Named'' materials can be redeemed for a high amount of money - if the guild has a bounty on the line, the rewards are great. In the future, if we continue to encounter them while exploring, even the strongest enemies should be defeated by any means necessary.


    ''''Rear-kun, what do we do now?''''


    ''Well...''


    You can either have the redface material processed, or you can redeem it. If possible, you want to strengthen your party''s strength as much as possible so that you can take out strong enemies - then process it.


    What can I make out of Redface''s materials?


    ''''When Redface is on the verge of death, he uses a technique called ''Blaze Dive'' which emits flames from all over his body and flies around indiscriminately. When processed, he can draw the power of this flame at will.


    (You use such a dangerous technique when you''re dying... thanks to the 10 support damage, you were able to stop him before he died.


    I will take Redface''s body hair and the Burning Stone inside his body and incorporate it into a weapon. Then you will be able to use a ''Blaze'' type move that uses up magic power.


    I see. So you can switch between no attribute and the flame attribute?


    ''As you can imagine. From a single redface, if you''re lucky, we can create three or more Blaze weapons from one redface. If you request the dismantling and processing as a set, we will reimburse you for the excess materials and apply them to the dismantling and processing fee, and if there is still any excess, we will pay you cash.


    What happens if I make armor out of leftover materials?


    By affixing body hair to the shield, you can increase its durability against fire. The rest can be made out of scarves and other small items. Even if it''s a small item, you can expect to see an increase in defense, but I''ll use up all the materials except for meat.


    He was fortunate to be able to make multiple pieces of equipment thanks to being considerably larger than Watadama. This would allow me to strengthen everyone''s armor.


    Teresia''s buckler will be modified to be flame-resistant, and Igarashi''s scarf. And I''ll modify my sling shot.


    ''''Rear-kun, have you decided what to do?''''


    Yes. Igarashi-san, do you wrap your scarf around your head?


    I used to roll it up sometimes but maybe you could make it for me?


    ''''I''d actually prefer an armor that covers a wider area, but I''m going to go to the armor shop now. As for flame resistance, I''d love to have it for the vanguard mid-guard, so...''''


    I don''t know if you''ll meet any demons that use fire in today''s quest, but it wouldn''t hurt to save your resistance. I''d like to be prepared to defend myself against any resistance.


    Then, this is Rykerton Dismantling Station and Workshop. This will take some time, so I suggest you take care of business in the meantime.


    As Mr. Rykerton prepares the paperwork, Melissa walks into the back with Redface - perhaps it''s because it''s a rare material, but his eyes are more alive than the first.


    The armor shop is next. You''ll be at the stall in front of the labyrinth, let''s go see Madoka the merchant.

 16 Episode 15: New Armor

    In front of the stairs leading to the ''Akebono Field'', Rival''s party is still stationed in front of the stairs today.


    Nearby, there is a woman who is sending out a male party. That''s the gal-like girl who was on the bus with Suzuna. She''s changed today, and has changed into a hoodie-like outfit and skirt.


    ''Well, good luck with that~''


    ''Oh!¡¡Misaki, I''m going to make some money for you!


    She has brightly dyed, permed middle hair. It''s a cute little girl who could be a magazine reader model.


    ''I wonder if she''s doing something like cormoranting... maybe she''s groped a man or something?''


    ''If that''s the case, you''re worldly-minded. As an explorer, though, it seems risky, since you won''t be able to increase your level and contribution if you don''t go under,


    The girl called Misaki walks over to us. When she spotted us, she walked over to us and smiled affectionately.


    ''Thank goodness there are Japanese people here. I feel comfortable after all...when you come to another world, there are a lot of people mixed up, and there are demons and stuff...


    Apparently he has a habit of stretching his endings, but I get sleepy when I hear him talk like this. It''s not that I don''t like it, but it''s a bit sweet.


    ''''Oh, if it''s about those people, don''t worry! I went in to see what kind of party in this world is like. They looked nice, but they were 2, even if they were on a high level! If I follow them any further, they''ll expect me to follow them, so I''m going to droning here.


    Doron ... ah, ah. You mean you''re leaving that party.


    ''Yes. It''s still good to have a party for girls only!


    Then maybe you should have stayed with your friends.


    As expected of Igarashi-san, his eyes are sharp. Misaki made an ''ah'' face for a moment, but she laughed and faked it.


    ''Haha, that''s right. I just kind of went along with it in a groove. I''m always being told that you''re dangerous! Oh, Suzu-chan!¡¡Wait, take me with you!


    Elitia and Suzuna - the girls seem to be hiding in the fields of Akebono today. They were exchanging something with Misaki, but the three of them took off together and went into the labyrinth.


    (Hey, hey........the party that broke up earlier went in, and you''re going to follow them there? (You''re really only working in the groove.)


    I wanted to talk to Elitia and the others, but the timing wasn''t right. I might meet them later in the labyrinth, though.


    As I was thinking about that, Igarashi-san and Theresia were also staring at me.


    ''''Depending on her occupation, I might be able to invite her to join us... or something, don''t you think?


    ''No, not that much. I had a feeling that you were a troublemaker, so I was just a little concerned. I just hope it''s not too much trouble.


    ''Hmmm ... don''t all guys like girls who are at least in high school?''


    ''Well, well, maybe a lot of people are like that, but I''m not so sure about that.


    I hadn''t actually thought much about it, so I''ll answer as I thought. It''s so much that when I grow up and see students in uniform, I suddenly remember the old days and get nostalgic.


    ''I don''t just decide I want this kind of member and look for it myself, I want to recruit them when the flow of life naturally leads me to want to team up with this person.


    ''''Yeah, well that''s what I was doing when I was...''''


    ..........


    ''''Oops, sorry to keep you waiting. Igarashi-san, Theresia wants to go with a roll, so let''s go buy some armor.


    ''Yes, yes, in a roll. We have to wind up where we can.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    When we see us, Madoka, who was at the stall, waves to us.


    ''Good morning, brother!¡¡Oh, and the sister I gave the spear to yesterday.......I''m glad to hear she looked fine, she seemed to have been injured......


    Yes, thanks to you. I''m sorry, you chose me for this, but my spear was broken.


    ''''What ... didn''t it work with the demons on the first floor?¡¡I''m sorry, I may have been inferior...


    ''No, we got a ''named'' The weapons Madoka sells, they''ll work properly for Watadama.


    I''m really glad you two are safe...!


    It''s not surprising that they are that worried, but since Madoka is in tears, Igarashi-san is getting tears too.


    I wait until they both calm down. They both blush and smile shyly with their eyes, and are ready to talk again.


    ''Thank you for your concern, I''ll continue to be careful in my quest. So, I''d like to ask you for a new set of armor...''''


    ''''Yes, my shop has a main store and two branches in District 8, but we also have one more than the beginner''s version available here.


    ''There''s nothing like a higher version of Slingshot... oh, there isn''t. Then it''s a good thing I asked for enhancements after all.


    ''I''m sorry, we don''t sell strong slings in Ward 8. If you give the materials directly to the artisan, though, we can make some for you.


    The sling itself doesn''t seem to be in stock right now, and it looks like the one I bought was the last one. Maybe they don''t have an adequate supply of weapons for the number of newcomers.


    I left the sling with them for modification, but after thinking about it, I was worried that it would have been better to modify it based on a stronger weapon - I was worried. There was no use in sparing too much material, but there was no better way to strengthen it as efficiently as possible.


    ''''Then let''s choose Igarashi-san''s weapon first?


    Yes I did buy something called Woodspire yesterday.


    ''Madoka, is there a stronger spear than that?¡¡If it''s a long weapon, it doesn''t have to be a spear.


    ''Well how about these bronze lances, spears, and javelins made of bronze? It''s an odd one, but there''s also a trident. Originally, they were used to attack underwater demons, but of course they can be used on land as well.


    Igarashi-san looked at them one by one carefully, but the one he finally chose was Lance. Apparently it''s because it''s sold as a set with a shield.


    ''The lance is a spear that attacks while holding a shield. Everyone uses it when they are in the vanguard.


    Then I guess I''d better use Lance for now. Is that okay with you, rearguard?


    Ha, yes. I don''t feel comfortable with me being behind the whole time as a man, but I''m in a position to show my ability in the rear guard.


    ''Then I''ll go with the lance. If someone more suited to the vanguard joins me, I''ll switch to another weapon.


    ''In the middle or rearguard, we are more likely to use a spear or throwing spear (javelin). Please call on me if you need them.


    As for Theresia''s shortsword, I don''t have a stronger one and I''ve modified the equipment at the mercenary agency, so I only buy a return buckler.


    Then I buy a chest equipment called Bronze Breast - armor that isn''t too heavy and can be equipped with Igarashi-san''s current muscle strength - Bronze Breast. Since I had a stock of equipment that fit, I also bought other items, such as leather gear (gleaves) to make it look more like a Valkyrie. Igarashi-san''s equipment is clothed with 250 coppers, and Theresia''s buckler is 50. And although I can equip anything I want, I bought the banded armor, leather grease and gusoku according to my level 1 muscle strength.


    How about me?


    ''No, that''s fine. Eventually, let''s go with a Valkyrie-esque look, like we''re wearing armor over our leotards.


    Pahhhhh, you know what? I almost said, "You''re an idiot! It''s true that there are a lot of things in Valkyrie, but what you''re talking about is a dubious one.


    If you call it a disreputable Valkyrie, you''ll have to explain (and present) your company''s vision in detail - and you''ll be beaten to the punch if you''re businesslike.


    Even at this stage, the bronze breasts have accentuated the size of the breasts. That it is so hard to make women''s armor is evident from the artistic curvature of the piece.


    ''You can''t change from your thorn gear, Theresa-san...I wonder if this is sucking up to you.


    I don''t think we''re strong enough to disarm it.


    She lost her life once in the labyrinth and was revived as a subhuman. Unraveling the subhumanization seems to be difficult for a one-star explorer, according to Leila''s story.


    ''''Brother and sister, you look good together. I wish you all the best in your quest. I''ll try my best to get the best goods possible too!


    Thank you. Can I give you the material and have you make it for me?


    ''''Yes, our shop can make the request to the artisans on your behalf. If you find any ore or other items in the labyrinth, please bring them in if you wish.


    Demonic materials, ores - there are many things I want to get in the labyrinth.


    The current leather bag had a small capacity, so I wanted to get a bigger one, but that problem was solved when I returned to Mr. Rykerton''s shop.


    The Blaze Shot, the Red Buckler, and the Red Scarf, which were modified slings. As we received them, Melissa brought a large knapsack with her.


    ''''Hey, we''ve been treated to some good materials, and Melissa is in a good mood. This is the least we can do for you. If you hunt a lot of demons and defeat the ''named'' again, please patronize our shop.


    ''Oh, thank you...!¡¡I was just thinking about getting some sort of bag.


    Mr. Rykerton had seen my leather bag and was concerned about its small capacity. This knapsack would have more than twice the capacity of a leather bag.


    If you can finish it in this short amount of time, I''d like to continue to bring the demons I''ve hunted here in the future. It looks like there are other demolition sites nearby, though, so I may have to go look elsewhere at least once.


    That was pretty good. Come again.


    Melissa said just that and walked into the back. Maybe she enjoyed dismantling it, or maybe she was just happy to have handled a rare demon - either way, I''ve never seen her smile before.


    ''''My daughter also said she wanted to go to the labyrinth for the first time in a long time. ''Akebono''s Field, the second level named, hasn''t been defeated since it appeared, and there''s a bounty on the table,'' she said. I''m waiting for Melissa to be brought in as well.


    The named keep targeting the first party they attack. It''s difficult to take them down from the side, unless you have a lot of conditions - basically because they''re going to be sidetracked.


    If I can make it to the second level by the end of the day, or - with that in mind - I picked up the modified Slingshot and checked my condition.

 17 Episode 16: New formation

    After getting ready for the search and buying the portable food of our choice in the square, it''s time for the second search.


    We''ve seen it before, but it''s a lot of work to prepare. I''m glad you''re prepared and ready to team up with Arihito.


    Oh, please don''t call me Ane-san... I''m younger than you, Ane-kun.


    ''Haha, sorry, I''m sorry. That''s a bit of a verbal ayah, isn''t it?


    I used to have a complex at the sound of being a younger section chief, but now it''s different again. I''m the senior and leader of the team, and I have to show my worthiness to Igarashi-san, who is four years younger than me, in my own way. I won''t get beaten up for saying that, but I''m sure he''ll be pissed off.


    Take care of yourself. You may be able to reach the depths of Akebono''s Field today. It''s only three layers of depth, though, so you''d better always think about your return.


    Rival-san sees us off and we enter the labyrinth. The plains spread out with the same brightness as yesterday - does the time of day not fluctuate in the labyrinth? Maybe it''s just because it''s the "Field of Dawn" that it''s always the same time of day.


    ¡ôCurrent Party ¡ô.


    1: Aricht *¡ô$¡õ Level 2


    2: Kyouka Valkyrie Level 1


    3: Theresia, Rogue, Level 3, Mercenary.


    Today, Igarashi-san and Theresa will be the two vanguards.


    ''Yeah, okay. I can''t wait to try out my new weapon.


    ..........


    The first thing I need to do is re-set the formation. As long as Theresia was a mercenary, she had to set it up every time. Just by calling out to her, the license display was also changed in conjunction with her.


    ¡ô The formation in battle ¡ô


    1: Aricht, rear guard.


    2: Kyouka Avant-garde


    3: Theresa, vanguard.


    Currently, I don''t want to leave the vanguard to Igarashi-san alone, and have the two of us spread out the target. Since both of them are melee weapons, it would be easier for them to coordinate. It would also be easy for one person to receive the attack and the other to attack.


    If there was a position like a heavy armor soldier, specializing in shield equipment, I would ask that person to be a wallflower. I haven''t seen anyone capable of heavy armor in District 8 so far, as their physical abilities seem to grow with their level and their equipment weight increases with their level. They don''t sell them, and even if they could make them, they would need a large amount of ore.


    ''''Let''s walk around for a bit and test out the new formation against the Watadama.


    All right. It''s such a relief to be around people...


    She says sullenly. I wonder if she was walking around yesterday as an oopsie. I would have been, too, if it weren''t for Theresa.


    And within three minutes of walking, Theresia readies her equipment. The rogue seems to have a wide search range due to his skills, and he was quicker to notice it than Igarashi and me.


    ¡ôThe demons we encountered ¡ô


    Watadama: Level 1 Vigilance Drop: ?


    (Hmm....what?¡¡Is Watadama itself not in the drop stuff? (What is it that you have in a different frame of reference...?


    They''re coming!


    After looking at it this way, I realized that I need the vanguard to position themselves so that my line of fire is open, otherwise I can''t fire a sling. Normally, the easiest thing to do would be to use a restraining shot, or at least to finish them off with a preemptive attack.


    However, there are some things I have to try. The first one - does my skill only activate against a designated opponent, or is it all the companions in front of me?


    ''''Igarashi-san, I''ll ''support'' you!


    Huh...!


    The moment Watadama jumped on Igarashi-san, I shouted. First, I designate Igarashi-san and activate ''Support Defense''.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Arihito''s ''Support and Defense 1'' is activated ¡ú Target: Kyouka


    Watadama''s fierce body strike was easily blocked by the barrier covering Igarashi-san. Igarashi-san held her shield at the ready, but when she saw the enemy blown up, she judged it to be an opportunity and pushed forward with her spear at the ready.


    ''''--Seyaa!


    Current Situation


    Kyouka''s attack hits Watadama for supporting damage of 10.


    Defeat one Watadama.


    (You don''t have to utter a voice each time to get support to come through. Okay, I can just stay in the back.)


    Lance''s attack seems to have gone through, but the support damage rides on, and Watadama is blown away by the invisible force that hit him. It''s a strange sight at any time, but what is Igarashi-san''s response?


    ''That was an amazing thrust, Igarashi-san. As expected of a former naginata club.......eh, what''s wrong?


    Igarashi-san, who slowly turned around, had an extremely happy - if I may say so - ecstatic face.


    ''Ha, yes. My job allows me to support the vanguard. It''s not like being a wizard or a monk either.


    Igarashi-san stabbed her spear into the ground and held her shield, then put her free hand to her cheek and huffed.


    ''''........Did it feel good, perhaps?''''


    ''Yeah ... that was so good ...''


    (No, I mean the invincible mode kind of exhilaration or something like that)


    My supportive skills that make the war maiden (Valkyrie) ecstatic. That''s why Theresia would think I might be a good person, too.


    ''Because when we fought yesterday, I attacked with all my might five times, and she finally collapsed. But this time, Zash!¡¡And then, boom!¡¡He said. It''s so refreshing.


    Igarashi-san, you said you relieve your stress at the batting center and by hitting all the time.


    ''I''m not at that level anymore. I think I could be on a show that airs on Sunday mornings or something like that now.


    I''ve never seen you this excited before and I honestly didn''t expect you to be so happy with my skills, so I''m glad to be honest. I wonder if the Sunday morning show is a transformation anime, a sentai show, or a modified human type?


    ''Hey rear end, let''s do it again. Watadama could be worth five copper coins.


    Yes, that''s what I''m going to do. Then let''s look for the next enemy. Since Theresia has a wide search range, Igarashi-san, please step back for a moment. Also, since I''ll be providing cover fire as well, next time, just the first time, can you leave some space for me to shoot?


    Yeah, okay. It''s not going to hurt as much as it would if I hit my back.


    I definitely want to avoid accidental shooting too. As a ''rearguard'', I wonder if I can get a skill that doesn''t hit my friends from behind - I can''t wait to get it up to 3rd level.


    Come to think of it, I still have some skill points left over, should I check the skills I can get at level 2? I only want to take the skills I need and keep the points, though, so three support skills are enough for now.


    As I was thinking about it, I realized that I was about to pick up my watadama to put it in my knapsack. There''s something like a stone stuck to my head.


    ''''It looks like this is what you call a drop item.


    ''You got the treasure?¡¡It''s a sparkling, beautiful stone.


    I wonder if this is an ore. It''s a green, round stone that appears to be metallic.


    Depending on the individual, ore may be produced on the head - could it be a piece of bone, or something like the secretion of a cotton ball? I feel like I''ve seen the mysteries of demons.


    ¡ô ¡ó¡ô.


    Then I encountered Watadama again, and when I looked at the drop column, I realized what the green stone was.


    It''s called "wind agate". Watadama moves like a gale, so it must be a wind-attribute demon.


    You don''t have to dig for the ore to get some of it. I never imagined what kind of ore could be obtained in this plain, but it seems that if we continue to defeat the Watadama, a large amount of ore can be obtained. It''s a weak demon, though, so the armor that can be made from wind agate might not be of much value.


    ''''........Hmm?''''


    The next thing that came out was a cotton candy and something the size of a fist floating in the air.


    ''''Oh, rear-end-kun........oh, that''s a big bee.......aaaaah!


    "--Igarashi-san, ''support''!¡¡After defending, avoid the side!


    The demons in the sky attacked Igarashi-san and Watadama attacked Theresa. I watched the movement, praying that I would succeed.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Aricht''s ''Supportive Defense 1'' has been activated ¡úTarget: Kyouka and Theresa


    (Okay ... all of the vanguard will be assisted!


    With a bashin, what looks like a bee and Watadama''s body hit the ''Support Defense''. Igarashi-san jumped back to the side with her shield at the ready as instructed, and I fired a "Blaze Shot" at that moment.


    ''''Hit me........!


    Current Situation


    Aricht''s Blaze Shot activates and hits the Dokuyari bee.


    The "Dodger bee" is burning.


    Jeez!


    I don''t know how much of a blow went in, but after being played by the ''supportive defense'', Hachitaro''s movements slowed down and he was able to hit it even with my aim.


    ''''Yaaaah...!


    "-Oh!


    Igarashi thrust his spear at the burning wasp. Teresia silently fleshes out Watadama and flashes her shortsword at him.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Kyouka''s attack hits the bee. Support damage 10


    Theresa''s attack hits Watadama for 10 sustained damage.


    Defeat Watadama and Dokuyari bee.


    That''s a surprise. I heard that bees can die of anaphylaxis if they are stung...


    It was dangerous to be stung twice by the same kind of bee. But poison is not something that can be invaded even once. Louisa-san must have been worried about me getting poisoned yesterday because of this demon''s presence.


    ''''Your wings are melted because your rear end slingshot hit it. This slowed him down, so my spear must have hit him. Did you do the math on it, Rear-kun?


    ''No, it would be cool if it was, but it''s just a normal coincidence.


    ''Oh, I see. But I''m still glad you made a weapon that can do ''Blaze''.


    It''s true that I couldn''t kill the quick bees'' mobility, and I wouldn''t be able to see if I got poisoned without being able to hit their attacks.


    Since the weapon was made from the redface that appears on this plain, does that mean it''s useful in this area? At any rate, the search is off to a good start so far.


    ''''Shall we go to the second level soon? Be careful of the demons along the way.


    ''Yes, I''m not tired at all yet, and I want to raise the bar, so I need to get them to keep coming. You just have to be careful with the bees.


    By the time we arrived near the entrance of the second level, we had realized the size of one level of this labyrinth and killed fifteen Watadama and six Dokuyaribachi.


    Even with the maximum use of everyone''s bags, we couldn''t fit all of them in the Watadama. Watadama are light but large in volume - we should try to bring back only demons that are easy to carry as much as possible and have good conversion efficiency. Or, I''d like to add a companion with material stripping skills.

 18 Chapter 17 "Akebono No Hara" Second Floor

    The party hunting for cottontails at the first level told me that the entrance to the second level was not a particular staircase, but rather two large trees that grew on the plain, and if you walked through them, you would be on the second level.


    I thought that a labyrinth would be a place where you could go down and up the stairs, but this common sense didn''t seem to apply to this "Akebono''s Field".


    We found the big tree we were looking for. The air between the big tree seems to be hazy for some reason - it seems to be like a gate to transition to the next level.


    ''Before we go to the second level, why don''t we get some food?¡¡I think it''s better to snack in between than to take time to eat well.


    ''Right. Well, let''s have some food and then go.


    The grocery store sold a whole range of foods that were dried to last longer. The one that the clerk recommended that the explorers buy first was a mixture of nuts and dried fruits mixed with nuts and dried fruit, hardened with wheat or some kind of flour and baked - like crackers, or biscuits.


    It was pretty hard, so I heard there were many ways to eat it, including putting soup in a water bottle and soaking it to soften it up, but I peeled off the wrapping paper and bit into it anyway. It wasn''t stubbornly hard, and the inside was a bit moist, so it wasn''t difficult to bite off.


    ''''........Ugh, I''m so thirsty. It looks like we should be more careful about the amount of water left in the labyrinth than food.


    ''We can''t just drink the spring water as it is, and it''s going to be a challenge in the long labyrinth. There''s magic, so I suppose you could come back from the middle of it after you''ve made some progress, or you could escape wherever you want and come back to the same place, or something like that.


    ''People with those skills would be quite popular, so it would be difficult to scout them.


    Theresa has an appetite, too, and when I asked her to choose what she wanted at the grocery store, she chose jerky. She was told that that alone would make her malnourished, so she was instructed to also feed her an assortment of dried fruit-like items and tree nuts.


    ''''Hmmm........''''


    (He doesn''t speak at all, but only subtly when he eats... no, he just swallows.)


    I won''t say a word about it, but it''s........


    ''Sub-humans can''t communicate with each other in words. But it''s not going to stay that way forever. If only we could somehow get the lizard''s equipment off...


    To that end, you wanted to make Miss Theresa an official companion.


    ''There''s that too. The best thing I can say is that I explored with you yesterday and you were very reliable.


    When we met Redface, if it weren''t for Theresa, we would have been wiped out.


    The ''rear guard'' would not be possible without the ''vanguard''. Without the use of supportive skills, the strengths of the ''rear guard'' won''t come out at all, so you must always maintain a good relationship with your companions.


    ''''Igarashi-san, we''ve been hunting for about an hour, are you tired?''''


    No, not at all. No, not at all. When you are behind me, sometimes my body gets warm and I get rid of my fatigue. Is it because of your skills, too?


    ''Yeah, well. It just makes you feel tired, but nothing else weird, right?


    I''m going to ask you something I''ve been wondering about in the process. ''I know that ''Supportive Attack'' and ''Supportive Defense'' make you feel better, but what kind of feeling does it feel like to have your trust increased by a supportive skill?


    After taking a bite of the portable food bar, Igarashi-san couldn''t reply right away, and she blushed and concentrated on chewing.


    ''''Hmm.......sorry, I just put it in my mouth.


    Okay. I''m sorry. I''m sorry for interrupting. Enjoy your meal.


    ''It''s a weird feeling... it''s like... it''s like... it''s like I''m being ''protected''...''


    I''m glad to hear it then.


    In fact, I''m protecting them from behind, so it''s not a mistake in that sense, and it''s not that they''re getting more and more favorable to me - not without, it seems.


    ''''..........It''s tasteless to have only portable food, I''ll make a lunch for you sooner or later. I''ve been told I can use the kitchen in the inn, so I can make something reasonable.


    ''Oh, that''s good. Oh, did Igarashi-san know how to cook?


    ''The girls in our section are half bento. We don''t have time to go out and buy one for everyone, and the canteen has too much to offer, so we inevitably end up with lunches.


    I did see many times a female employee having lunch in the meeting space with a homemade lunchbox.


    ...Well, well, my mother often made them for me.


    She''s a good mother, isn''t she? So the bento you make tastes like your mother''s?


    ''Hmmm, if you have the right materials. Can you stop by the market today when you''re done exploring?¡¡It seems like there''s a lot going on up there.


    ''Fine. So that''s what we''re going to do after the search... Teresia, are you happy now?


    Theresia clears her throat. She''s just finished eating the dried meat.


    She looks at me intently. If she''s satisfied, she''ll nod, which means she''s still hungry.


    ''''There''s dried meat or the one Igarashi-san is eating, which one do you want?


    ..........


    Theresia points to the meat and moves her fingers to the solid food bar. I can''t help but be pleased at the thought of the emotion in that movement.


    ''You like meat better, don''t you?''


    I asked her, and she nodded her head in agreement. I don''t know why she refrained - I guess she was worried about me eating the last of the dried meat myself because I was chewing on a portable food bar.


    When I accepted the dried meat, Theresa chewed it off in her little mouth. Then she chews with a munching motion - while looking at me for some reason.


    ''''Theresa-san, you look happy...?''''


    ..........


    Well, well, you seem to like dried meat.


    The whole problem with portable food is that it''s hard and muggy in the mouth. That''s not a problem because it will fill my stomach and I can get the nutrition I need - but sometimes, as Igarashi-san said, a bento is a good idea.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    As I entered the second level, the number of trees in my eyes increased. The difference is about as different as evolving from the plains to the savannah - no, I''m not familiar with the definition of savannah.


    ''I wonder which way this should go. I heard that the goal was to get to the third level.


    I heard that all the way to the northeast, there''s a gate thing again, like now.


    If I hadn''t gotten the information from Rival-san, if I wasn''t lucky, I would have kept going in the direction of the day after tomorrow and would have been exhausted.


    (And while I have no way to get rid of my own fatigue, the two in front of me are always at full strength due to... well, fatigue doesn''t seem to diminish their strength either.


    ''Oh, yeah. Rear, I''m only level 1, but I''m taking two skills. Can you give me some advice on how to use them?


    Yes, I was shown it yesterday, and it''s "Blink Step" and "Thunderbolt".


    What does that tell you if you''ve used it on your rear end?


    "There''s a page in your license called ''Current Status,'' and it will show up there.


    I flipped to the license page. I slide my finger a few times and the desired screen comes up.


    ¡ôCurrent Status¡ô


    Arihito and Kyoka talk to each other.


    Theresa is activating "Search Extension 1".


    (Does it show up in casual actions? Is it correct that Theresia''s skills are always activated without using magic?)


    I didn''t know that. Thanks to this, your body will feel warm and fuzzy, huh?


    ''I''m sorry. It seems like a skill that''s constantly being triggered it might be unsettling, so I''ll see if I can''t find a way to prevent it from being triggered.


    ''........oh. I was hit by a red one yesterday and it hurt so bad, and now it''s easier...


    ''''Yes I used this skill. This is our strength and magic power, and my skills can restore this strength.


    I remember using the skill in a position where I had to hug him from behind. Anyway, as a position, I had no choice but to come around to the back.


    Support recovery has always worked for me so far, even when I''m about 5 meters away. I''ll have to try to gauge how much, if any, marginal distance, and that too against a safe enemy.


    --then, a little distance away, I could hear the other party engaging in a battle.


    They are just barely grazing the range of Theresia''s search, and she is responding. I can see it from a distance - it''s Elitia and Suzuna.


    (Misaki isn''t with them... no, more importantly, the person they''re fighting is... what is that... that humanoid... pig or boar? ........?


    Bulloo!


    ''Oh no...''


    Suzuna, stay back!¡¡Don''t move from there!


    The demon you encountered


    Fang Orcs: Level 2 In Combat Drop: ?


    Dodger Bees: level 1 alert:?


    Dodger Bees: level 1 alert:?


    (Orcs........level 2 demons. From the rumors I''ve heard about Elitia, it doesn''t sound like she''d be a good match for her...)


    Her golden hair flowed in the wind. The girl swordsman in silver armor was more than a size bigger than her, and she was completely undaunted by the orcs who were striking at her with a roar.


    ''''-- Scatter!


    From her normal perspective, these words sounded extreme. But it was also an indication that even though she had probably passed through successive battles, she wasn''t letting her guard down in this battle.


    Current Situation¡ô


    Elitia''s Slash Ripper activates and hits Fang Orc.


    Defeat one Fang Orc.


    The orc was not even given time to scream. At the moment of contact, all that could be seen was Elitia''s hand on her sword, and a moment later, the orc was on the ground with a splash of blood.


    (The strongest enemy has been defeated--but still...!


    ''Igarashi-san, Theresa!¡¡Let''s get the bees'' attention over here!


    There''s your answer!


    ......


    Current Situation


    Theresa activates "Axel Dash".


    Theresia uses her skills to accelerate - she gets into the search range of one of the dwarf bees and attracts the target. However, the other one''s position is not good.


    No matter how good a swordsman is, if a randomly positioned bee suddenly becomes hostile - even if it targets Suzuna in the rearguard, he can''t immediately respond to it.


    ''''--Alihito-san........!


    Suzuna, who had been keeping low and unmoving, noticed us and called out. Before the bee that was circling in the air could take aim at her, I let loose a bullet of a flaming sling.

 19 Episode 18 Extraordinary Party

    Come on!


    Current Situation


    Alihit''s Blazeshot activates and hits the Dokuyari bee.


    The "Dodger bee" is burning.


    Jeez!


    The distance is too far - I''ve hit it, but the response is thin. If I don''t give him one more chase, I won''t be able to interfere with Bee''s attack...!


    "-Oh!


    Theresia cut away with her shortsword in an interlocking manner at the moment when the dokuyaribachi, which had been stagnating to the left, was in attack position.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Aricht''s ''Supportive Defense 1'' is activated ¡ú Target: Theresa


    Teresia has been hit by a bumblebee. No damage.


    Theresa''s attack on the bee has hit the bee. Taking damage of 10.


    Defeat one of the dokuyaribachi.


    If the bee''s poisonous stinger is also prevented by the support defense, there is no danger of being poisoned. But there''s a dokuyari bee on the right, still burning and stagnating in the air--!


    d*mn it...!


    Then.........!


    Igarashi-san!


    I''m not going to give it to you!


    Other than me, you can attack remotely - if you''re a Valkyrie who uses both sword and magic.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Kyouka activates Thunderbolt -> Docu-Yaribachi is hit.


    Defeat one of the dokuyaribachi.


    The bee, which was weakened by the combustion, was about to shoot a poisonous stinger at Suzuna when it was shot through by the lightning bolt Igarashi-san fired and fell to the ground with chattering sparks.


    But........I had heard it was suited for a solo (solo), but I didn''t know it was this good)


    Elitia put her sword away and moved closer to Suzuna. But she knew she was at fault, but she couldn''t speak to him.


    Igarashi-san and Theresia waited until I arrived. First I lend a hand to Suzuna, who is sitting down.


    ''Are you okay?¡¡Are you hurt?


    ''Ha, yes it''s fine. I''m still dragging my feet...


    ''''Oh no, that''s not true. Suzuna came all the way here with me. You worked so hard and defeated Watadama, too.


    Rival said that the amount of experience you get goes down with the level difference. He was talking about "hardly any experience coming in," so I guess it wasn''t zero.


    In other words, there''s only one means to make Suzuna get experience efficiently.


    ''''........I see. In battle, you disarmed the party and Elitia led the enemy to stop Suzuna, right?


    ''''Yes but there are others who are hunting watadama, so it''s hard to get the prey around...''''


    ''So you came upstairs in search of a hunting ground. It looked a little, or rather, quite dangerous... but are you going to continue hunting with that kind of risk?¡¡Shouldn''t you be sticking around on the ground floor?


    ''''I can''t........spend too much time here. I need to get Suzuna to level 8 like me as soon as possible and get back.......


    Back?¡¡You''re going back to ... sorry if I''m wrong, but to the ''Midnight Sun Brigade''?


    Elitia''s eyes widen slightly and she looks at me. How did she know - she seemed to want to say that, but she didn''t say it.


    ''Well I''m not going back to the brigade. They have abandoned my people. My best friend is still waiting for me at the bottom of that labyrinth. If I leave her alone, she''ll be a sub-human with no heart.


    ''What kind of demon would hold a seeker in captivity?¡¡Can''t we ask for help from the guild or any other party?


    You''ll find out soon enough. The longer you live as a seeker, the more you''ll have to live with yourself eventually. But that''s not a bad thing ... no one explores because they want to die. Fame, we explore because we want to be free.


    Suzuna hadn''t heard that much about the situation yet, but she listened with a calm expression on her face.


    She was frightened when the dokuyaribachi targeted her, but she was her, and it wasn''t just that she was scared. The will to seek and search for something in the labyrinth was in her eyes.


    ''''I''m sorry, I saw a big pig ghost earlier, and my legs slipped away. I really should have covered you with this bow.


    I don''t know if it''s because a miko is a shrine and a shrine is a breaker arrow, but Suzuna was equipped with a bow. She is wearing white clothes and a red skirt, and her long black hair is tied up with a ribbon, making her look like a Japanese miko, even though she is dressed in otherworldly attire.


    ''''Also, I saw you entering the labyrinth earlier, what happened to the other one?''''


    Elitia and Suzuna''s expressions cloud over as they ask the question. It seems that something bad has happened.


    ''''........She........well, she failed to open the treasure chest......''''


    ''That girl........Misaki-chan seems to have chosen a job called ''Gambler''. I said it was supposed to be lucky, and opened the box that the demon had dropped, but then he disappeared. But then, she disappeared...


    ''''Treasure chests I haven''t found a single one after all those demons I''ve hunted, is there such a thing?''''


    Igarashi-san is right, we found the drop items, but we didn''t see a shadow of a treasure chest.


    There are only a limited number of chests that appear on a single level (floor). The stronger the demon, the easier it is to drop the chests, but sometimes Watadama and Hachitaro don''t drop the chests even after killing 100 of them. So I really think Misaki is lucky... but if I had told her properly that the only jobs that can remove the traps are those that are similar to bandits...


    Elitia seemed to have a lot of experience as an explorer, but it was difficult to lead a group of beginners and guide them well.


    ''''If we transition with a trap, where do we get sent to?''''


    It''s probably an ''intra-level transfer'' trap, so he''s on this floor somewhere. We have to find him and join him as soon as possible.


    Yeah, well. What do you think, Mr. Backside?¡¡Do you want to go with these kids to find them?


    ''I would if I could, but... Elitia, were there any other parties on this level?¡¡If you''re here, I''d like to ask for their help, too.


    It would take too long to go call for Rival-san. It was times like this that I wanted Misaki to have the scroll of return, even if it would be a negative contribution.


    If the demon attacked her and she failed to escape, she would probably be lifeless. Depending on the "Gambler''s" fighting strength, even Watadama''s attacks would be fierce at level 1. We can only hope that we haven''t encountered the Fang Orcs.


    ''''Maybe it''s just my imagination, but as soon as I got here, I had the feeling that someone was watching me. Maybe I was just barely out of sight of the rest of the party.


    ''Does that mean ... that there was someone watching people coming to the second level?¡¡That''s not what it''s for....


    Igarashi-san expressed his doubts. I was remembering a story I overheard at the bar where we had dinner yesterday.


    A trio of men. They seemed to be plotting something when they found out that Elitia had come to the Eighth Ward.


    ''''........Is it going to be difficult to get the rest of the party to cooperate with us? But even if we split up and encounter a group of demons, it will be difficult to deal with them. Elitia, just for now. Form a party with us.


    Level 8 - a searcher on a cloud from what we''re doing now.


    She was desperately trying to raise a rearguard because the group she was in had abandoned her precious friends. She was trying to create a new party to help it.


    But it was too dangerous as it was now. Suzuna doesn''t want to leave the party even after hearing about Elitia''s situation - the risk of getting hit back when she puts a stop to it is going to continue all the way until she grows up.


    Even if you try to make the dokuyari bee take experience, there''s a chance that Suzuna will fight back. A watadama would still be too dangerous, but a poisonous stinger would be too dangerous. If possible, Suzuna should be paired with someone in the same level range.


    Does that mean I''m not qualified to work with Suzuna?


    That''s not what I said. I''m willing to help Elitia''s cause if I can. But if you''re going to raise Suzuna, it''s better to have her join our party and Elitia stay solo and accompany me until she''s on the same level.


    I can''t leave someone who wants to save their best friend, no matter what the circumstances, I can''t leave them alone. At the same time, I''m also worried about the reincarnated Suzuna-san.


    "...both of you...


    Suzuna''s eyes moisten and she holds her eyes with a hand towel. Elitia looked like she didn''t know what kind of face to make - but she looks at my face again.


    ''''I''ve been wondering if you''re an amazing rearguard. But I was dismissing the possibility that it wasn''t possible. If you helped me, maybe we could safely raise Suzuna''s level... and then I pretended not to notice.


    I''m not going to spread the word about my job, either. If you''re going to work with me, I''d like you to keep it a secret if possible. What''s the problem Elitia has as a vanguard other than that she''s not cut out to protect the rearguard?


    ''''As long as you don''t have a party, it won''t matter as long as I''m far enough away from you. If I ask you to run away, leave me and run away. Please just do that........I''ve given Suzuna the ''Escape Scroll'' and you can use it.


    Elitia said and held out her right hand to me. When I squeezed it back, she huffed, her face tense the whole time.


    ''I''ll see what you can do, Mr. Alihit. It''s going to take me a while to get my little hand off, so I''ll have to excuse myself.


    Oh, yeah nice to meet you.


    I''ll be standing alone, but I''ll more than reimburse you more than enough for your cooperation. You don''t have to be at the party to listen to my instructions and I''ll give you what I''ve got. If you don''t have enough money to live on, just let me know.


    I''m good for now. And I''m not a pimp.


    Elitia smiles happily. I guess that''s her true expression. If she was thinking about it, and her nerves were as sharp as a blade, it wasn''t a very good state of mind - it was good to see her here for Suzuna''s sake.


    Elitia also shook hands with Igarashi-san and Theresia. And Suzuna came unsteadily in front of me.


    ''''Ah, um........nice to meet you, Arihito-san. Once again, I''m Suzuna Shiramiya Suzuna.


    Yeah, I''m Rear Man. This is Kagoka Igarashi, and her name is Theresa the Lizardman.


    Nice to meet you. It''s nice to have company.


    ..........


    Suzuna smiled reassuringly as Igarashi-san smiled gently at her. Theresia is a bit powerful, so it might take some time to get used to it, but Suzuna still shook her hand and greeted her in a disciplined manner.


    ¡ôThe current party ¡ô


    1: Aricht *¡ô$¡õ Level 2


    2: Kyouka Valkyrie Level 1


    3: Suzuna Priestess, Level 1


    4: Theresia, Rogue, Level 3, Mercenary.


    Guest 1: Elitia

 20 Chapter 19 Tyrant

    I''m going to follow them from the back of the line, even if they have more friends - even if I''m not, I wonder if that''s what I''m going to see most in my life from now on.


    Even though this formation would take supportive defense, even though they''re small fry for Elitia, I can''t bring myself to let Igarashi-san and Theresia take that muscular Fang Orc''s attack - I''m going to have Elitia help me test the damage! I''m not comfortable with that. If the defenses of Elitia and the other members are too different, I can''t refer to them.


    (I can''t set up Elitia''s ranks if I''m just accompanying her as a guest. Even though there''s some risk to her skills, I''d like to ''support'' her if possible, but...)


    How much strength does a level 8 swordsman have? If it''s about 80 as a number, then 5 points of recovery is not much - is it? Even though he couldn''t recover a great deal in an urgent situation, he would still be able to recover fully after an eight-minute break, so it would be almost permanently useful.


    ''''You can''t get through there without getting in sight of the Fang Orcs I''ll sweep them away.


    Then Elitia makes her own decision to go ahead and take down the Fang Orcs. I know she feels responsible for Misaki, but this is not delicious.


    (.........hmm?¡¡(But that doesn''t mean you have zero experience.)


    If you look at the information about the party, you''ll see a yellow circle and a black circle underneath the name, in addition to strength and magic power. This seems to be an experience value, and the experience value slowly increases as you defeat monsters. The black circles are painted yellow as you accumulate experience points, and the level of the game seems to increase as 10 of the circles turn yellow.


    For the sake of convenience, we''ll call these experience balls ''bubbles''. Even if Elitia defeats an enemy in guest status, it''s about a tenth of a bubble, but it''s a subtle amount of experience. Members who are lower level than me are even more so, and Theresia has very little experience in her. It''s not that mercenaries don''t get experience, though, so I''m sure it will eventually go up.


    ''''Arihito, can I give you the orc''s fangs now that I''ve accumulated them?¡¡I''m only selecting and cutting out the high-quality tusks, but that''s a lot of them, as expected. I''ll give you what I redeem later, you''re the leader of the party.


    Oh, yeah I''ll keep it then. I''m full of them too, though.


    How much is a fine oak tusk worth?


    Igarashi-san will ask me what I want to hear. Elitia thought for a bit before answering.


    ''''In the eighth ward, it''s about three silver coins. In the upper wards, they wouldn''t be usable as material and people wouldn''t collect them, but in this ward, I don''t think it would be any cheaper than that.''''


    ''That''s delicious I''ll let you pack it in as much as you can. It''s not that bulky.


    Ten fine oak tusks and three gold coins. With this, I can see reaching the purchase price of the mercenary ticket.


    ''''Elitia, after we find Misaki.......or maybe tomorrow. Will you stick around here with us again?


    Well if we save her, we''ll have to start over.


    She is in a hurry. But she also knew it would take time for Suzuna to grow up, and she seemed to be suppressing her feelings.


    I hope they''ll find her soon, but if Misaki is moving around looking for us too, it would be nice to be able to spot her from a distance.


    --But what I heard instead of her appearance was.


    ''''--No........tha, help me, help me, someone!


    A scream that ripped through the silk, unimaginable from that laid-back tone.


    ''''Misaki-chan........ah.........''''


    Suzuna also thought the voice was Misaki''s, apparently. However, she was speechless when she saw the direction of the voice - a huge shadow that floated in the far distance.


    ''''What........is that.......''''


    Up until then, he shouldn''t have been able to see such a figure. But now, I can certainly see a humanoid shadow, with a physique large enough to look up.


    Misaki''s position was finally recognizable. She was bound and deprived of her freedom, lying in the grass as if she was a sacrifice or something offered to a giant orc.


    ''''Oh, that thing... it''s going to appear on the second floor of the first labyrinth...?''''


    Someone is going to put us on the hook for defeating them...!


    (-this is what they were talking about...!)


    The higher level searchers have their baggage with them. That''s what the men I saw in the tavern were saying.


    If it wasn''t for Misaki, they were going to kidnap Suzuna and have Elitia defeat the ''named'' that they had made appear. To have them defeat the demon that their level couldn''t reach and take away their harvest.


    --probably with a way to neutralize her in some way after Elitia defeated the orc named, as well. Even now, they are probably watching this situation somewhere in this hierarchy, hiding signs of it.


    ''--You guys stay there!¡¡If I were alone, I could at least have an orc named after me...!


    Elitia, wait!


    A group of Fang Orcs was about to attack the motionless Misaki. There was no time to think about saving her, she knew that the only way to save her was to defeat the orcs.


    ''''-- Scatter your guts, Orcs!


    Current Situation


    Elitia''s "Sonic Raid" is activated


    Elitia''s Blade Rondo activates, and six Fang Orcs are hit.


    Eliminate six "Fang Orcs".


    ''Sonic Raid'' is probably an instantaneous acceleration skill - more powerful than ''Accel Dash'', and the distance it can travel is much longer.


    Elitia instantly approaches the Orcs and flings her sword in a flurry of white blades. That skill, which is more powerful than the "Slash Ripper" and can attack dense enemies, does exactly what she said it would do, shredding and scattering the bodies of the orcs into four pieces.


    --But the moment I was bathed in that return blood. It''s a good thing that you''re able to have a good time with them.


    The current situation¡ô


    Elitia''s "Berserk" is activated.


    I can hear Elitia''s suffering voice.


    That''s the problem she was having - a skill unique to her that is probably activated by being bathed in return blood.


    ''''Elitia-san........!


    "Rear, you can''t leave her alone!¡¡That big orc, no matter how strong she is, is one person...!


    Don''t come here!


    Suzuna and Igarashi-san are conquered by Elitia herself, not the other way around.


    Berserk--if you mean the mad warrior (Berserk), Elitia is in a state of extreme excitement right now. Even if her attack power and so on increases, she may not be able to discern the surroundings.


    (That''s why you told her to not form a party and keep her at a distance.......but.......!


    Because she tried to carry it all on her own. That named and the group of orcs, she tried to take care of everything.


    -- but we could get Misaki involved even if we were far enough away. But we can''t catch up to them at a distance with a sonic raid and stop Elitia.


    ''I will save her I''m not... I''m not a murderer... I''m not a murderer...'' ...!


    The spearhead orc is defeated, and the other orcs are frightened - but the named one is unfazed.


    Elitia cuts in front of the huge body that is shaking the ground and coming at me.


    --I run my gaze over to the license and shout, knowing it''s too late.


    ''''Elitia, that guy is........!


    The demon you encountered


    ¡ï Juggernaut: Level 5 Physical Disabled in Combat Drop: ?


    ''--Aah!


    Elitia screams and leaps at the huge mountain of orcs.


    --and the sword she swung out. Unable to scrape the orc''s skin, it slid across the surface and was swept away.


    ''''Huh........!


    The orc''s ''named'' - juggernaut''s roar was completely different from the Fang Orc''s, too loud and too intense.


    ''''Kuhhh........!


    Current Situation


    Juggernaut activates "Brutal Voice" ¡ú "Elitia" is temporarily paralyzed.


    Juggernaut captures ''Elitia''


    It was a desperate attack. Elitia, who had defeated the Fang Orcs without a fight, screamed as the giant Orcs caught her.


    The orcs on the ground are gaining momentum and try to rush at Misaki.


    --if she doesn''t open the treasure chest. If she had acted carefully, she could have avoided this situation.


    I don''t want Igarashi-san, Theresia, or Suzuna -- I don''t want them to die.


    As it was, Elitia would be squeezed. There was no way the juggernaut''s hands would be able to twist and crush a human.


    If she was told to run, she was told to use the escape scroll Suzuna had in her possession. I can do that now, I should, there''s no way I can beat that monster.


    But if I escape - both Elitia and Misaki will lose their lives.


    A fierce anger at that rises up. I can''t allow that to happen, I can''t allow that to happen.


    ''''I can''t run away when I''m told to run away...!


    Current Situation


    Alihit''s Blaze Shot activates and hits the Juggernaut.


    The "Juggernaut" is burning.


    Uggh...!


    He shoots a blaze shot at the juggernaut''s face. Even if the physical invalidation is disabled, the flames will still pass through - just like that idea, the huge body that wasn''t even frightened by Elitia''s sword shakes, and the strength in her hand is released.


    ''''Kuch...!


    Current Situation


    Attack of the Juggernaut ¡ú Elitia is evaded


    Released, Elitia turned herself around before falling to the ground and avoiding a juggernaut blow that slammed into her from above her head. It was fortunate that the effects of the temporary paralysis wore off quickly, but it seemed that her non-dominant arm was no longer able to be used.


    Even though he was considered a level 5, the ability of ''named'' is not as good as the numbers say. It''s a fact, though I hate to admit it, that level 8 Elitia has been pushed to the brink of death.


    ''''Igarashi-san, Theresia, Suzuna. If there''s nothing you can do about it, leave me and run.


    It''s impossible for me to do that!¡¡I''d like to finish........


    Please ... listen to me. I''ll do anything I can to get you home safely I promise.


    I won''t run away until there''s nothing I can do about it. So let me stay.


    Suzuna-chan....


    I don''t feel alive in front of such a monster - Suzuna is really a kid with a lot of liver at the last minute.


    "...Suzuna, keep the escape scrolls ready to use at all times. You have to promise me that.


    We can''t fight the Juggernaut. The mere act of getting close enough to it will kill us instantly - but Elitia can avoid the Juggernaut''s attacks. That means we can create a chance to attack.


    (Supportive defense isn''t going to be useful against a juggernaut like that... but a supportive attack...)


    Elitia!¡¡Come join my party, it''s only temporary!


    Even when you call out to her, Elitia doesn''t respond. She evades the juggernaut''s attack once, twice, and is looking for a time to counterattack -- is this due to the effects of ''Berserk'' or is she not trying to escape of her own volition?


    --No. She is guiding Misaki so that the attack won''t hit her.


    ''''I can''t help Misaki at this rate!¡¡Listen to me, please!


    She screams at the top of her voice. Even so, Elitia doesn''t look back - she can no longer continue to avoid the attack.


    ''''Eritia-san........please!¡¡Please listen to Mr. Aricht!


    You don''t... you don''t want to die like that, do you!


    Suzuna and Igarashi-san shouted. Even so, their voices couldn''t reach them--that was the moment I almost gave up.


    ¡ôThe current party ¡ô


    1: Aricht *¡ô$¡õ Level 2


    2: Kyouka Valkyrie Level 1


    3: Suzuna Priestess, Level 1


    4: Elitia Carth Blade Level 8.


    5: Theresia, Rogue, Level 3, Mercenary.


    He''s in... this...!


    My support can be used against Elitia. As long as the range of the Blaze Shot is within reach, the effect can be reached even from this far away...!


    ''Elitia!¡¡Use your big guns ... and we''ll assist you!


    Even if physical attacks are disabled. If the damage is fixed at "10 points", it''s possible...!


    Haaaah...!


    Elitia activates ''Sonic Raid'' with her remaining magical power. Her figure disappears, and the juggernaut''s large blow cuts through the sky.


    --and the next moment. A rain of slashing blows rained down towards the Juggernaut''s entire body.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Elitia''s "Blossom Blade" is activated.


    The first level hits the Juggernaut. No damage. Support damage 10


    The second level hits the Juggernaut. No damage. Support damage 10


    The third level hits the Juggernaut. No damage. Support damage 10


    A series of super-fast attacks launched while Sonic Raid was applied. It''s a beautiful, but also a fiercely powerful secret technique.


    The invisibility of the chase by "Support Attack 1" also passes through opponents who are physically disabled. Is the physical attribute and the non-attribute separate - either way, you have no choice but to bet on this strike.


    (Say... please... please...!)


    Current Situation


    The Juggernaut has been hit at the 16th level with no damage.


    Defeat the "Juggernaut".


    The giant body shakes and stops moving. The juggernaut collapses, and the fleeing orcs are caught in the middle - and.


    ''''Ha, ha........''''


    Eritia appeared in front of the juggernaut she had defeated, thrusting her sword and falling down herself. But I hadn''t forgotten that I still hadn''t lost my mind.


    ''Theresia, Igarashi-san!¡¡Get me an Elitia cover!¡¡There''s still another enemy nearby!


    The one who was quicker than anyone else to notice was Theresia. Three men who appeared at a slight distance away - each with a ranged weapon, aiming at Elitia.


    ''''Tch ... you could have just turned a blind eye to them!¡¡Don''t regret it, kid...!


    I guess the guys are underestimating us, thinking that we just beat the juggernaut with Elitia''s skills. But as long as they can see us, we''re not going to let them do us any good.


    Their level may be higher than ours, but we can never lose...!


    You''ve got my back!


    "Yes!


    The men''s ranged weapons - the small bows are defended by Theresia and Igarashi-san''s ready shields. In the next moment, Igarashi-san''s Thunderbolt and my Blaze Shot are released, hitting the two men.


    ''''Guh!''''


    Ugh!


    Hah!


    Igarashi-san continued to push forward and thrust his spear into the air - the men managed to take it, but the support attack blew them away and they were stuck in place. They were probably level 2 at best, if the fixed damage of 10 was shaved off at once and the shock made them stretch out.


    There was only one person left - a man who seemed to be the boss, who was showing some leeway.


    TE TEH, d*mn it........!


    Theresia, who had fleshed out the boss with "Axel Dash," unleashes a slash. When I jumped away from that blow and avoided it, I aimed and chased it down.


    ''''--Eat it!


    Current Situation


    Arihito''s attack hits a Bergen.


    I can''t...


    I didn''t miss my aim with the sling, but it seemed to be a bad spot to hit, and Bergen fell to the spot. It''s not a high-powered sling, but is it a critical one? When I approached and checked, it seems that an iron bullet had hit his chin.


    Igarashi-san looked at me and had a face like he was unable to speak. Surviving, that in itself is like a miracle - more than the joy of victory, it''s a soul-deepening weakness.


    I looked back and saw Suzuna looking at us. She hadn''t been able to join the battle yet, but it would all be coming. I nodded and urged her to go to Misaki and Elitia.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Aricht''s ''Support Recovery 1'' is activated ¡ú Elitia''s health is restored.


    At the thirtieth second, the first recovery occurs. I thought more time had passed, but apparently my senses were too sharpened and the time just felt too long.


    ''''...Igarashi-san, Theresa. I''m glad you''re safe. Sorry, I didn''t mean to scare you.


    You, my dearest son I was so absorbed in my work that I didn''t know what to do.


    ..........


    We walked away, relieved to see that we were safe from each other. And then we went to Elitia, who confronted the juggernaut and defeated it.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    After the battle, Elitia''s Berserk is released.

 21 Chapter 20: Magic Stone and Black Box

    Elitia''s strength has been reduced by 70%. She said herself that the potion is valuable, but as she said, she either doesn''t have it in her possession or she doesn''t have the energy to use it, but she remains standing there with her sword poked all the time.


    ''''Elitia, great length........''''


    .........


    The moment I got to the back of her and was about to call out to her, she lost her balance as if a thread had broken. Unable to pretend, I managed to support her by jumping on her from behind.


    ''''Thank you ... thank you ... it''s pathetic, but I couldn''t put my body through it.''''


    His voice has regained its calmness. The killing intent that seemed to be scattered around the surroundings until a moment ago, although it was badly worded, seemed to have disappeared with the release of Berserk.


    ''''........Level 8 abilities, I''ve been shown my level 8 abilities. It seems that it was a bit of a bad match with the swordsman, though.


    ''''The ''named'' individuals sometimes have resistance... but I was told that the individuals that appear in this labyrinth don''t have resistance... but I guess I didn''t have enough validation.''''


    No searcher would dare to make an orc ''named'' appear. The reason for this was because it was not commensurate with the difficulty of this labyrinth, which was understood in the current battle.


    Once again, ''Support Recovery'' was activated, and Elitia''s body, which was being supported, slightly returned to strength.


    ''''I felt it earlier........but since Aricht took up the rear guard, the pain is fading away.......''''


    The fact that he''s being healed by a mysterious power might also be unsettling, so some explanation should be given here.


    ''''I have a skill that allows me to recover the strength of the vanguard when I take the rear guard position. If you take a break here, I think you''ll recover quickly. Potions are still very valuable, right?


    Even those who can create potions are more expensive to sell in the upper wards through the merchants'' union than to buy them here....


    In such a situation, a reincarnated person who chose a ''medicine man'' type of occupation choice would be able to live the life of a left-handed fan as long as they could gather materials.


    But I think every job has its own demand and role. The fact that you can''t get the job you want if you don''t have the aptitude for it also creates a situation where everyone has a wide variety of jobs to choose from, and I don''t see a problem with that at the moment.


    ''''Well yes, Misaki ... thank goodness you''re safe.


    I wasn''t sure if I could protect her either, so it''s a good thing that I could.


    Elitia didn''t blame Misaki for her recklessness, and she seemed to be truly happy to have been saved - I could see it in her moist eyes.


    ''''Misaki-chan, just wait for me, I''ll untie you right away...''''


    ''Miss Theresa, use your shortsword to cut the rope for her.


    ..........


    After receiving Igarashi-san''s instructions, Theresia placed the blade of the shortsword against the rope. Misaki fainted, probably because she saw the juggernaut at close range. When she cut the ropes on her hands and feet, she was left with a painfully red, tightening afterwards.


    ''''Wouldn''t it raise your karma if you restrained the other explorers like that?¡¡You tried to reap the juggernaut''s harvest by being a criminal, those guys.


    ''There''s a loophole in the license''s karma detection. Misaki was either blackmailed or had something important taken from her, and she did what they said. There are several ways to do this, but the most obvious one is to deliberately make Misaki attack him. If that means they held him in retaliation for that, then the karma is offset.


    (That''s what I''m talking about ... sounds like a hit to me.)


    ''But that''s on the face of the license, so if you report what they did to the guild, they''ll be judged.


    "Well I''m going to have Misaki testify and bring those guys to justice. Sounds good to me. You have no problem with us fighting them?


    ''It doesn''t matter, because it looks like the other side fired first. The searchers are forbidden to fight with each other, of course, but they were blinded by the juggernaut harvest and did something stupid.


    Both the redface material and the bounty are worth an enormous amount to the adventurers of the Eighth Ward. If the juggernaut''s materials were worth it, and if the bounty was also put on it, it was hard to imagine how much it would be worth.


    But how could they bring back the juggernaut material with such a huge body?


    ''''How do they deal with these huge demons?''''


    ''''There are people who are known as ''couriers''. They specialize in transporting large monsters to and from different areas of the city, but the magical stones that are worthy of being transported by them should be taken away. But if there are any magical stones that are worthy of being transported by these guys, it''s best to get them out of there. It would be best if you can open the ''stone bag'' inside your body, but cutting off the wrong organs can be dangerous so check the claws, fangs and horns.


    ''I''m not a connoisseur, so I''m sorry, but you''re coming with me. Can you walk?


    Elitia''s strength is slowly recovering, but she''s still wobbly on her feet. It seems that the damage to the body due to the recovery of physical strength is healing from a bad point - the arms that were shattered and swollen from the small hands and the ribs that were swollen due to the damage to the armor are recovering.


    ''''........Can I borrow your shoulder?''''


    ''Yeah, okay. That''s a lot to check when you''re this big...


    As for the Fang Orcs that are being crushed, if the couriers can carry them away, we should ask them to do so even if they charge a fee. Since there are dozens of them, the amount of material is going to be tremendous.


    ''''........Hmm?¡¡This is what this is called a treasure chest...?


    A black box falls around the side of the juggernaut''s massive body. It''s smaller than I imagined it would be, and it''s big enough to fit in if you open up a space in your bag.


    ''Named ones rarely show up, but they''re said to have a good chance of dropping a treasure chest. But I''ve never seen a black box with a name before either it''s a coveted treasure for searchers. Don''t open it carelessly, it''s better to ask someone who can disarm the trap. They do it in the town''s shop, but if you can, ask the guild to introduce you to it.


    Yeah, I''ll do that.


    Rearward, what can we do to help you?


    ''Then could you check the nails on my left hand? I hear there might be a magic stone in it.


    Igarashi-san and Theresia arrived and asked the girls to investigate as well. I was suddenly curious about the men I had defeated, but they were stretched out and showed no signs of moving.


    Hmm.....


    Hey, what''s up?


    I was in the middle of walking with my shoulder when Elitia let out a small voice. It sounds awfully glossy and I can''t help but get upset.


    She looks at me. Her cheeks are blushing a little - is it time to start getting embarrassed to be walking closely together? If so, I''m not reluctant to leave.


    ''''It''s ... nothing.''''


    Oh, yeah, well that''s a horn on the forehead and not a fang-oak with horns on it.


    If you cut off an orc-type demon with horns, you can break it open and find magic stones in it every once in a while. The horns themselves aren''t very strong and have no value as a material, so they''re more like nut shells.


    Watadama''s "Wind Agate" was also attached to his forehead, but I guess that means the juggernaut drop was included in the corner. This was a loss if I didn''t know about it, so I have to thank Elitia for that.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    The horns of the juggernaut''s forehead grew many, and two of the ten horns were found to be the Broken Military Crystal and the Life Stone.


    It seems that any named life stone can be dropped, and if you make it into an accessory, it will increase your maximum strength. I''m not going to be able to get it for you.


    I''m not sure if it''s really okay to get it?¡¡Elitia.


    ''As I said in the beginning, I''ll give you the harvest. If I have no choice but to process it into something that only I can use, then let me buy it.


    Okay. Well, I will, then.


    Will the breakable crystals be incorporated into weapons, like the burning stones? Or is it an armor or an accessory - I hope you can show it to Mr. Rykerton and tell him what it can be used for.


    ''Then you can ask for a courier when you get outside. There''s a liaison officer in the square in front of the labyrinth.


    If we go out like this, won''t the other searchers take it with them?


    ''Whoever defeated you will be recorded on your license, so no one else can touch the demon itself. But it doesn''t record dropped items or even treasure chests. So it''s safe to save it while you can.


    (I see ... you''re learning a lot.)


    So the men, Bergen, were after a drop item that was not a crime to take away, a treasure chest. It''s good to know a lot about the karma determination of licenses this time around.


    If you know the rules, you can counter the bad guys who try to exploit those holes. We should be careful enough in town to act with enough caution, it''s possible that someone with bad intentions could set it up by using karma offsetting through ''retaliation''.


    ''''No, it''s a world of living horses out of sight. Once again, I''ve realized that we need to protect our party members.


    ''I''d like to tell you that you won''t be kidnapped so easily, but you have to be careful. Hopefully Misaki-san will learn from this and be more careful.


    Misaki is still unconscious and I''m carrying her on my back. Is there some kind of supportive treatment that can be brought up from the stunned as well as supportive recovery - would it be too convenient if there was?


    Ouch!¡¡It''s not as if I''m going to use fake nails to get my nails up.......


    It seems she''s having a terrible dream and Misaki claws at her shoulder. When Suzuna caringly patted Misaki''s shoulder, she seemed to calm down a bit.


    ''''Soooooo.........''''


    The miko has a skill called ''Purification'' that improves the mental state of the party. Considering Elitia''s situation, I think it''s a good match, but if Elitia''s job title of ''Cursed Sword (Curse Blade)'' goes out of control, it won''t be enough to hold her back.


    I''d like to hear about her job title as well, if I can, I''d like to hear about the situation. There''s no way she would write the name of such a job herself - that is, she changed jobs later on.


    For now, I need to get a courier to carry the harvest. I''m also curious to know how much of a contribution I made to this battle.


    -- In total, there are 15 Watadama, 8 Docuaribachi, and 23 Fang Orcs. And a juggernaut. It was the first thing that was certain that the numbers would be incomparable to yesterday''s numbers if leveling up, increased reliability, etc. were also calculated.

 22 Episode 21 Return

    On our way to the ground floor entrance, we find and rescue a party that is about to be wiped out against Watadama and Dokuyaribachi.


    Elitia is already fully recovered, so it''s too early to leave it to her, but we all help out. Suzuna was also seen shooting a bow for the first time, but just like I was able to handle a sling, it seems that as long as I can equip it, I can get a practical hit rate.


    ''''When the arrow hits, there''s a strange response...''''


    Think of it as an added bonus to the attack if you''re ahead of me.


    ''Is that so? Ariehito-san, amazing.......you''ve already mastered your skills in this world.


    It''s all of us. I can''t do it alone.


    It''s not humility, it really is, so we must always remember that. I''m only the rear guard, and I''m only strong if I keep my ranks together.


    The young man who seems to be the leader of the party we saved is a bit younger than me, and seems to be a swordsman-type profession.


    ''Did they break up the ranks, and it was a total collapse?¡¡That''s a lot of work.


    "Wow, beautiful lady.......wait, what''s with this party? It''s all women!


    "It''s a harem....wow, I''ve never seen that in real life before...!


    (It''s weird coming to another world and being real, but it''s real.)


    It seems that my fellow youthful boys are the type to say what they think. I never brought the word "harem" up in conversation in my previous life, but it was quite embarrassing when it was actually said. Everyone didn''t seem to hear it very well, though, so that was a blessing.


    And Igarashi-san, after all, seems to be the older sister that the boys admire. She''s younger to me now, but if I met Igarashi-san in high school, I would have had the same reaction as they did.


    ''''Hmm........oh, you, aren''t you Misaki!¡¡What the hell, you''re here because you''re worried about us!


    Yes - as soon as I saw their faces, I realized that this party of four men only was the people Misaki had sent out earlier.


    I thought I was going to have a bad reaction to being found by the handsome leader, but Misaki whispered a "thank you" to me and got off my back. He had been awake for a little while now.


    ''''Haha, I thought I''d come after all, but I kind of fell for this thing called a trap. It was tough, but these people saved me.


    Wow, that''s tough luck. I mean, he''s a life-saving species, so watch out for him.


    I mean, we had help too, but you know what? Those bees are f*cking awful, for real. They can''t hit you, and they look like they''re poisonous.


    It''s hard work, isn''t it? It''s not safe for me to go on like this, so I''ll try to become stronger on my own. I don''t think I should leave it up to Junpei and the others.


    Misaki... then you can come with us...


    Junpei seemed to be the name of the young man who seemed to be the leader. But Misaki shook her head.


    ''My job seems to be lucky, but that''s all it seems to be. I think what Junpei and the others need is probably a monk or someone who is a wizard or something. I''m my own person and I''m trying to find a place for myself, or something like that.


    ''''Well I see. Too bad, but we''re certainly brainiacs.


    I don''t want them to be destroyed like they were before.¡¡Shouldn''t we put in something that can alert us so we don''t get attacked out of nowhere?


    They did their best to not show Misaki their pettiness - and then they went back to hunting watadama again.


    ''''........They''re nice people! But there are as many parties as there are stars, and there''s a flow to where you enter, isn''t there? That''s something I want to cherish.


    ''That''s true, though. They must have been happy to have you in there just yesterday.


    ''Oh, don''t say that, it stings. I was thinking about making those people into worker bees, and I would be the queen. But I have to be strong enough not to be caught by bad people.


    ''Misaki-chan, then you''re going to be with us from now on...''


    ''Hmmm ... that''s it, but that''s going to be a bit of a challenge. Let''s see, what was your name again?


    Oh, I didn''t know your name. My name is Alito.


    The position of gambler apparently has a skill that increases the drop rate of the treasure chest. It would certainly be a boon to have her stay, but I had a feeling that she wouldn''t be acting with us, somehow.


    ''I fainted easily, but I kind of knew that Arihito-san and the rest of the party was outrageous. With a half-hearted resolve like mine, I''m not sure if it''s too early to ask them to let me in now, or I''m reflecting on the fact that I was that rash!


    ''It''s not like I want to conquer the labyrinth that stoically either. I''d like to move up the pecking order, and I don''t intend to stay in the Eighth Ward forever.


    ''The idea of getting out of the eighth district is already amazing! I heard that the experience level will drop if you don''t earn it every day. There are people who can''t get out of the 8th district without being level 1 or 2 for a long time. That''s what it means that there are 3,000 searchers in this district!


    --If you ask me, it''s true. I could take down a strong enemy by demonstrating my ''rearguard'' skills, and I didn''t think it would be that difficult to earn funds or move up the ranks.


    Even if I encountered a named one, I''d have to run away because my party wasn''t strong enough to do so - and many parties would be second-guessing me. If they could only defeat them, it would make a world of difference, but with an enemy that strong, it was ''impossible to win, so running away is normal''.


    ''''Once the party leader is ranked number one in the pecking order in this district, there''s a test to go to the seventh district. But you can still make a living in the eighth district... so a lot of people will stop trying.


    Elitia''s words have real feeling and weight. I guess I''ve seen people like that before.


    ''''I''ll try to do my best in my own way too.


    ''Not bad at all....................Come to think of it, Misaki got caught in the treasure chest trap. What happened to the contents of the box?


    Oh, I had it in my bag. Those scary old men took it away.


    -- That being said, we must return to collect. Even so, it''s hard for all of us to return, so Elitia shrugged her shoulders and even used her "sonic raid" to run an errand. I''m sorry to let a higher level searcher use their skills for such a thing though.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    They were sorry for causing trouble for Rival-san, but when they told him about Bergen and the others, they bravely entered the labyrinth.


    It seems that Bergen and the others, who have the skill to eliminate signs, were abusing it to cause all sorts of problems. Until now, they hadn''t been able to pursue it without any evidence, but this time they seemed to be able to get a clue.


    After Rival-san and the others disappeared down the stairs, Igarashi-san spoke to me.


    ''''Rival-san and the others are doing something to protect the order of this neighborhood, aren''t they? It''s a bit of a shameful thing to call a private police force, but it''s something like that.


    ''Yes. I think a lot of people owe a lot to them.


    The meaning of being in the first labyrinth for them, who are probably more experienced and higher level than us. It''s because they''ve found the purpose of training the younger generation and are finding fulfillment - that''s the impression I got when I saw them alive and well.


    I guess my goal is to be first in the pecking order? Since the first labyrinth will have a juggernaut-like monster in it, though, it''s going to be quite a long way before I''m able to explore the most difficult labyrinth in the first ward.


    ''''Elitia, are the explorers in Ward 5 roughly level 8 or so?


    ''Ummm I think it''s about 10. My level is low for a bit of a reason...


    Elitia looks at me, as well as the rest of her friends. Igarashi-san and Suzuna both looked at her with concern.


    ''''Well I''ll tell you later. If you see me like that and I don''t say anything, I''ll make you feel scared. I''m sorry I didn''t tell you, Suzuna.


    ''No I''m glad to know a little bit about what Elitia-san is having to deal with. From the beginning, I had the feeling that you had something on your mind.


    It''s only the second day of their meeting, but the girls are already in a relationship that could be called friends. Misaki, perhaps having the same impression, squared her shoulders with Suzuna and Elitia from behind.


    ''''Kyah.......what?''''


    I felt like she got along better with Suzu than I did, and I was jealous. I''ve known Suzu-chan and I have known each other since we were little.


    Misaki asked Suzuna to come with you... or was it just Misaki asking Suzuna to come with her?


    No, we''ve been in the habit of going skiing at least once a year, so it''s not like either of us invited him.


    The reason Suzuna corrects that is probably because of the accident and the reincarnation. It''s not because one of them invited him to join the accident - that''s what he thinks.


    ''........I didn''t think that labyrinths and exploration meant anything to me, but.... I''ll do my best to change my mind. So..........please buy me dinner!


    Okay. Theresa, then don''t take me to the agency.


    Theresa - she doesn''t nod. Could this possibly be such a sign of intent?


    ''Rear-kun, why don''t you ask Leila-san how long you''re allowed to take Theresa out?


    Wow, I''ve been thinking about this lizard hat for a while now, but it''s really cute. Wow, it''s so sleek and cool.


    Misaki flattens and touches Theresa''s skullcap - or rather, the full face of the lizard. Only her mouth is peeking out, but she looks subtly shy, while being pulled straight up and tied together.


    When I''m told it''s smooth and cool, I''m tempted to touch it to see what it feels like. But if I, as a man, touch it, I''m likely to be s*xually harassed, so I have to restrain myself.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    When I returned to the guild, Louisa-san was already feeling something like a premonition, and she greeted me while being nervous to look at me.


    ''''So Elitia-san and Suzuna-san were accompanying you today? I''m glad to hear that Igarashi-san was also active.''''


    Thank you. But I could barely keep up with the boys in the back.


    ''I couldn''t do anything about it either ... just watching. But next time I''ll have to try harder...


    Louisa beckoned me over to her, saying, "A little bit," as if she had a thought for our men. And then she said in a voice that my friends couldn''t hear.


    I''m being approached by all the women.


    ''No, no, it''s not like that. She''s a free-spirited girl.


    ''''So the other four will continue to work together in the future? Elitia-san is level 8, so soon, Atobe-sama will also graduate from the eighth district...


    ''''Even if that happens, I''d like to ask Louisa-san to be in charge if possible. If the ward changes, that''s still not possible....


    ''''No, no. All of the guilds are inter-transferable so if you''re willing, Atobe-sama, we can keep you in charge for a long time.


    ''That''s good to hear. I''m finally getting used to it, but I''ll miss you if you change your charge... hmm?


    I turned around when I was pecked on the arm and it was Elitia.


    ''Aricht, it''s the leader''s job to report back on the results. We have a change of clothes to change into, and I''ll have to go back to the inn for once.


    Yeah, right. All right, I''ll take care of the rest.


    ''Don''t worry, Kyouka said that Theresa will accompany you to the inn. We''ll meet up later at a tavern near your quarters.


    The mercenaries were allowed to take them out until eight o''clock in the evening, so there was still plenty of time to get there. We could leave the tavern at 7:30 and head to the mediation office in time.


    After we parted from everyone, before heading to the private room we used yesterday, Louisa-san asked me a question.


    ''''Um, by the way, I don''t think it''s likely that you''ll run into someone with a name today either...''''


    ''''Yes, I defeated that juggernaut on the second level and left the process to the couriers. I heard that he''s going to come back to the guild later to report back to me when he''s done carrying it.......Luisa-san!


    ''Ummm...''


    The word "juggernaut" was too stimulating for Louisa-san, who was too surprised even by Red Face.


    As I supported Louisa-san, who was suddenly about to stroke in the corridor, and stopped thinking about the softness of her body, I thought. I hadn''t asked her, but I wondered how old (or how old) she was - or, more importantly, I still wanted a way to cure her from fainting.

 23 Chapter 22 Leap Forward

    A minute passed before Louisa regained her composure, and in the meantime, one of Louisa''s juniors who passed by said, "Senior, are you okay! I shook her and she finally woke up.


    She played the role of the older man, red to the ears and able, "I''m sorry you had to worry about me," and then led me to a different room, a private room at the far end of the room. The d¨¦cor was like a different story, with leather chairs and a table made of a material like ebony, the kind of wood you''d expect to find in a place like this.


    After bringing me a tea set of steaming herbal tea, Louisa took a seat next to me instead of across from me, cleared her throat and began to talk.


    ''The last time an orc ''with a name'' appeared on the second level of Akebono''s field and was defeated was four months ago. The one that appeared at that time was called ''Yellow Fang'', with the bright yellow body of a Fang Orc, it was a very good-tempered and boisterous creature that was popular at parties.


    ''A demon is at the banquet!¡¡Louisa, are you upset and strange?


    ''''Haha... sorry, I''ve been assigned to be the secretary of this month''s guild drinking party, and I thought it was very troublesome, and I was told that although the color and strength were different, it wasn''t much different in size from a normal Fang Orc.


    They say I''m too upset and my thoughts are all jumbled up. What have I done to have my memory confused by the juggernaut, what have I done?


    ''Louisa-san, please calm down for now. Was the individual that came out four months ago different from the juggernaut?


    ''Ha, yes. Did I say something strange? I apologize for my mistake. You are more muscular than I thought you were, aren''t you?


    I''m still confused, but I wonder if this is some sort of state of affairs. It will calm down if we talk - but if my impressions of the hug are leaking out, I''m quite embarrassed if it''s leaking out.


    ''''.........Ah, yes, you''re right. Yellow Fang is a yellow oak, as the name suggests. It is said that after killing about two hundred orcs on the second floor of Akebono''s Field, they will appear to avenge their resentment. It is a level 3 named demon and is very powerful compared to Red Face. Last time they were finally defeated by a sixteen-man strike team after causing seven victims.


    The ''Juggernaut'' we defeated is a different individual than that one, isn''t it?


    You''re right. There are two types of ''named'': those that are more likely to appear and those that rarely appear. The Juggernaut is a rare species among the named Fang Orcs. The last time it appeared three years ago, there have been 11 named orcs killed since then, all of which were yellow fang.


    I can''t say for sure since we haven''t defeated enough of them to be able to get statistics, but out of the thirteen that appeared, two of them were juggernauts, so the appearance rate is about a tenth of a percent, or maybe once every three years--''''


    ''''But my personal opinion, Bergen I don''t think the guys in the party that made the juggernaut appear could have killed two hundred orcs. And their levels were low.


    ''It was another party that made it appear. It was bigger than Yellowfang, so we had four parties with a total of twenty-four explorers, but unfortunately the defeat party was destroyed. It is recorded that the survivors were led by a party of explorers named Bergen. It is possible that they abandoned the party they accompanied and attempted to escape, which was investigated by the guild, but they testified that they were only lucky to have survived and no evidence was obtained.


    -- it was much deeper-rooted than they had imagined.


    The Juggernaut could not be defeated even by the 24 explorers, and Bergen and the three others had escaped. They hadn''t returned to the second level of the ''Akebono Field'' since then, and the juggernaut that had targeted Bergen and the others had not been defeated.


    When they learned that Elitia had come to the Eighth Ward, Bergen and the others thought they could now take advantage of the fact that they were being targeted by the Juggernaut, so they took action. And that''s where we found ourselves.


    ''''Yes. Of the 21 people who were defeated by the Juggernaut, 3 of them changed into sub-humans and became Orcmen and are enrolled in the mercenary mediation office. The remaining 18 are........


    What would happen if the searchers were defeated by the demons? I thought I understood it, but it''s too harsh a reality. It could happen that they don''t even become sub-humans, but unreturned.......


    ''''The ''named'' often causes damage to the explorer, and there is a bounty on offer. However, when the bounty is made public, some people will try to profit from the hunt, even if it means taking advantage of the party targeted by ''named''. For this reason, we do not post bounties to avoid unnecessarily inflaming the gambling spirit. However, in the interest of safety, I should have told you all that the juggernaut has not been defeated...


    ''So the guild is also difficult to behave due to a combination of things. It''s not something that can be changed right away, and we''re safe, so it''s good that we''re safe. The status of the ''named'' of the hierarchy we''re heading to is valuable information, and it''s not easy to know.


    ''It''s a relief to hear you say that. But ... I''m so glad ...


    Louisa wiped her eyes, probably relieved that we had survived. It wasn''t so much because she was sensitive that she had fainted earlier, but rather because she knew how horrible the juggernaut was.


    With an embarrassed look in her reddened eyes, Louisa-san took out her usual monocle, or monocle. It looks like she''s preparing to look at my license''s action record.


    ''''Then let me check the record of your activities in the labyrinth.


    Yes, nice to meet you.


    The results of this search


    We''re in Akebono''s Field, second floor. 10 points.


    Aricht''s level is now 3. 20 points.


    Kyouka''s level has been raised to 2. 10 points


    Suzuna''s level is now 2. 10 points.


    Took out 15 Watadama for 75 points.


    8 Dokuyari bumblebees killed, 64 points.


    Killed 23 "Fang Orcs", 230 points.


    800 points for defeating the "Juggernaut" bounty.


    Trust in "Theresa" has increased by 50 points


    Trust in "Kyoka" has increased by 50 points.


    Trust in Suzuna has increased by 10 points.


    Trust in "Elitia" has increased by 50 points.


    I rescued another party. 30 points.


    100 points for rescuing misaki.


    We fought off three criminals. 90 points.


    50 points for bringing back a "Black Treasure Chest".


    Searcher Contribution ??? 1649


    Eighth Ward All-Time Contributions Ranking 2


    (Whoa, the three of us have leveled up. So the experience of the juggernaut was so enormous that even with Elitia in the party at a level apart, the experience of the juggernaut was huge.)


    However, considering the difficulty of raising the level and the future efficiency of the level, it might be better to unify the levels somewhere - but it''s troubling because the efficiency of the hunt will only improve if we have a party and use my skills.


    ''''Ahh... even a 3-digit contribution is amazing, but to go up to 4 figures in just two days...''''


    With a blush on her face, Louisa-san is enraptured as she hugs one pair of glasses to her chest.


    Apparently, the limit for trustworthiness to be counted as a contribution is 50 for a single search. And it turns out that once the ''Support Attack'' is activated, the contribution level is 10. Perhaps because Suzuna''s stamina hadn''t been reduced, the amount of ''support recovery'' didn''t appear to be accounted for.


    In the ranking of contribution in a single search, it ranks second all time; the party in first place once posted 1660 because a large number of demons in the labyrinth occurred and they were able to hunt a large number of Watadama. However, with this number of defeats, only Atobe-sama and the others who defeated the Juggernaut still exceeded 1000.


    Now we''ll be recognized as two-star searchers... right?


    Congratulations. Will the required amount of copper mercenary tickets be purchased today?¡¡The juggernaut''s prize is a hundred gold coins, so I can give it to you right here.


    I thought it would take more time, but being able to beat the juggernaut has allowed me to achieve my goal faster than I thought.


    ''I have eight tickets left, so 92. Let me buy them for 276 silver coins.


    ''Very well. Now you can officially add Theresia-san to your party. She is a sub-human, so please keep her in the party for the entire time if you can. If you dismiss her in the middle of the party, she''ll have to return to the mediation office.


    ''It''s okay. She has an immovable role to play and I know it may seem strange to say this after just meeting her, but I want to make her human again.


    ''''........It won''t be easy.


    (The Great Temple of the Fourth Ward ... this is important information.)


    In some wards, there may be major facilities in the labyrinth country. Since it''s a country, there will naturally be a governing body - let''s just ask this now.


    ''''Louisa-san, I''m sorry for asking this now. Does a labyrinth country have a king?


    ''''No, the family that founded the country has been expelled from the First Ward. The real power to rule the Labyrinth State now lies with the Temple Master of the Great Temple and our guild leaders.


    ''''Huh........So it''s like we''re exploring at the country''s behest? So that''s what you meant when you said we have no choice but to become explorers?


    ''''Yes. As you may have already noticed, all of the labyrinths in this labyrinth country are located somewhere else in this world. Only the entrances to transfer are collected within the walls of the Labyrinth Country... and I''m not yet in a position to know why that happened.


    That means there are many different labyrinths, not just the plains. The skills and tools you need will also change, and if you don''t respond flexibly to the labyrinthine environment, you may get stuck in it.


    In order to avoid this, you need to gather as many friends as possible. As a party, five or six people would be the best in terms of being able to turn around small actions, but if there is no limit to the number of people that can be supported, then in some cases, you may have ten or more people to take on a strong enemy.


    ''''Thank you for teaching me so much. Louisa-san, I''m changing the subject, but what''s our pecking order?


    ''''Depending on the role of the party, each contribution will be calculated separately. Atobe-sama is in the eighth district ... wow, seventh in the pecking order ... in single digits. As for the others, Igarashi-san is ranked 438th, Suzuna-san is ranked 435th, and Elitia-san is ranked 115th out of 12,000 people in the Fifth Ward. Congratulations, you can change your quarters to a ''Royal Suite''. We have preparations to make, though, so you can start using it tomorrow.


    The royal suite--that is, it''s bigger than a suite. Then the three of us, Igarashi-san, Theresia and I can live there without any problems........


    Igarashi-san''s pecking order has also jumped up in the pecking order due to her contribution this time. In other words, she''s out of living in a stable, so she doesn''t have to stay at my house anymore.


    (He said he''d make my lunches... but you can cook even if you live separately. Don''t expect it to be the same all the time, with the exception of one night last night.)


    "...Atobe-sama, would you prefer to remain in your current room?¡¡You don''t look very happy, sir.


    ''Oh, no. That''s not what I''m talking about. I''m going to look at the room tomorrow, and if it looks good, let me move in.


    "Very well, I''ll make an appointment with the manager to take a look. Also, to unlock the Black Treasure Chest, we need to remove the traps, so I''d like to introduce you to a skilled boxmaker.


    Box store?¡¡So you''re saying you specialize in removing box traps?


    "Yes, sir. The trappers are working on it, so they can''t fail to unlock it. It''s one in ten thousand, which is the most difficult part of handling the box. There is no doubt that there are several treasures inside, so it is worth paying a fee to open the box safely.


    I was able to buy tickets, check out the pecking order, and was introduced to the ''box office''.


    She''s been really helpful in many ways and I want to thank her in some way for asking me to be in charge in the future. It may be difficult to do so in a hurry, but I''ll invite her to the launch.


    ''''Thank you so much for everything you''ve done for me. Louisa-san, what time are you up today?


    ''The Guild is open until midnight, but since I''m not on duty, it will be closing soon.


    Well you could have dinner with us if you want. I''m sorry for asking you out on such short notice, but we really appreciate it.


    ''Well ... is it okay?¡¡If it''s okay with you, Lady Atobe, I''d love to have you with me.


    --At this time, I really, genuinely just wanted to share the sense of accomplishment of completing a great task with Louisa-san as well.


    Going to the tavern means that adults drink to some extent, except for Suzuna, Misaki, and Elitia, since they are still children.


    What kind of changes would happen to Igarashi-san when she got drunk, and what kind of drunkenness would Louisa have to go through? I hadn''t yet imagined that it would happen like that.

 24 Episode 23: Chat

    Louisa told me to wait in the plaza outside the guild, so I waited while I once again looked at the surrounding landscape.


    The juggernaut was too huge, so it was transported to the demolition station using transference-type skills. There was only one dismantling station in the Eighth Ward that was capable of handling giant monsters, and Mr. Rykerton''s place couldn''t handle it.


    He felt bad that he couldn''t let Melissa handle the rare material, but since all the demolition workers in the Eighth Ward were going to dismantle it, she would be able to participate in the process. The thick bones, like the big tree, are said to be used as high-grade building materials, and the nails and other parts of the tree are utilized as glassy materials, and other parts of the tree have uses as well.


    I''d love to have one in my crew.)


    Elitia was cutting out the fangs of the Fang Orcs based on the rule of thumb, but it seems that the value will still be maintained if you leave it to a skilled demolition-type person. Well, when you can''t hold it, you don''t have to worry about the details, you just have to take back what is of high value.


    It seems that the materials we threw away - such as cotton balls - are usually picked up by other searchers. Many things are thrown away in the labyrinth without being able to hold them, and demons that are left unattended for a certain amount of time are treated as having lost their ownership, and even if they are acquired, they are said to lose their karma detection.


    ''Sorry for the delay, Atobe-sama.


    ''''Ah ... thank you for your time. Oh, I see, you''re changing into your work clothes at the guild.


    ''Yes, walking outside in your uniform will make you stand out... and I can''t say it too loudly, but the receptionist is easily accosted by men, and we''ve been dictated from above to dress modestly outside.


    It''s called plain, but when I took my hair down from being up, the impression changed again, and it''s a mature outfit that gives the impression of calmness, but the fabric is soft and shows the lines of my body.


    (The same goes for the vertical sweater, but when it''s emphasized, I can''t help but notice the eyes... maybe it''s an orthodox design in another world, but for some reason there''s a slit in the chest.)


    "...?¡¡What can I do for you, Master Atobe?


    I thought they would tell me that my karma would go up, but that wasn''t the case. I was told that it depended on our relationship, so I didn''t want to get in a position where I could look at him without hesitation - I didn''t want him to get in a position where he didn''t have to stare at me.


    No, I was surprised at the complete change in my impression of her. It''s amazing what working women can do on and off.


    I don''t change much, but I do like to drink, so I might get a little chatty.


    ''I think it''s good. I like to drink while I watch everyone else get excited.


    ''I see that Atobe-sama prefers the ''rearguard'' at drinking parties.


    It must be. I''ve been told a long time ago that you''re not young enough.


    Louisa seems to enjoy listening to my jokes. She doesn''t hold back either, and I didn''t realize that we could have such a good relationship after two days of meeting.


    I''ve been able to reconcile with Igarashi-san, and I think something is going too well - I''m not going to live with her until today, and it doesn''t look like we''ll ever be more than a companionable distance.


    (...why am I remembering what happened last night? Am I regretting not touching it? No, just because you liked me because of my support skills...)


    --when I began to walk away, thinking. A man who came from the other side almost bumped into Louisa-san.


    ''''Wha.........watch out. It looks like he was in some kind of hurry.


    I reflexively pulled away from Louisa''s hand. Maybe I didn''t have to go that far, but I was worried if I got hit.


    ''''Even if there are only three thousand people, it''s going to be crowded around the guild...isn''t it, Louisa-san?


    ''Yes, no. I was thinking that ... well ... I think I''m going to have too much to drink tonight.


    Well, well, it''s good in moderation. If you drink too much, it will affect tomorrow.


    I don''t think we''re talking, but Louisa looks in a good mood.


    Then she walks closer to me in line than she did earlier. I felt like I was being watched for something, so I looked at her, but she just smiled at me like it was nothing.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    The tavern is still busy today. I hope I''m able to get a seat before it starts to get crowded - and when I walked into the bar, I found Igarashi-san waiting for me there.


    I hope you can get a table before it starts to get crowded. There was a spacious table available, so........Oh, did you invite the guild members as well?¡¡You''re doing it.


    Sorry to bother you.


    It seems I''m the one who''s always been in charge. You''ve been in charge of me since you decided on your profession, haven''t you?


    ''Yes. Now, I feel a sense of destiny. I never thought I''d be in charge of someone with such qualities...


    ''He''s always helped me too... I used to be a boss and a subordinate, but now it''s turned around. It''s like I''m his subordinate.


    ''Well, that''s what happened. Your boss and your subordinates ... you had the opportunity to interact with each other in the company and you knew each other ...


    Yes, but since my reincarnation we''ve been talking about a lot of things, so I don''t really feel that kind of threshold anymore.


    (Is it just my imagination that we''re both talking with smiling faces and yet, for some reason, it feels weird and powerful...?


    "Rear, you''re the leader, so sit in the center today.


    That''s what I think. Come to think of it, it''s a rare opportunity to see Igarashi-san at a seat similar to a drinking party.


    (Igarashi-san rarely came out except when the drinking party started early. At that time, she didn''t know she had a curfew and everyone said she wasn''t a good friend...)


    Some people said that Chief Igarashi was the president''s favorite, so he wouldn''t attend the downstairs drinking sessions - some people said that. At the time, I felt ashamed of myself for somehow agreeing with him that he might be right, but now I feel even more ashamed of myself.


    ''''Well do you remember what happened at the company?¡¡I''m starting to see that kind of thing in your face.


    ''Oh, no. Do you like to drink alcohol, Igarashi-san?


    ''A little bit of your father''s company, you know. If he doesn''t get home soon, he sulks that I won''t pour him a drink. It''s like a child.


    He was a prominent local man and a strict curfew father. He must have really loved his daughter very much.


    -- I''m sure Igarashi''s family is grieving right now. There''s nothing I can do for her family, but I''d like to move constantly to make it as fun as possible and help her feel worth living every day after her reincarnation.


    ''With that out of the way, let''s go to our seats. Louisa, come sit next to Mr. Rear.


    No, Igarashi-san. You''re the star of this party.


    Really?¡¡Well would you like Suzuna or Theresa to be next to you?


    a€?Ehh, please include me in the list! I''m grateful to Arihito-san, so I''ll pour myself a glass of wine in general. I''m very good at pouring alcohol.


    Not you. The rearguard said he wasn''t good with the girly girls.


    Isn''t that just jealousy for the young ones?


    Crikey, Igarashi-san froze. For some reason, Louisa-san is also disconcerted - does that mean she''s also in her twenties?


    ''''There''s also the term ''youthful mistake''. Are you reflecting on it properly?''''


    ''Ah, yes, I''m sorry! How old is big brother Arihito?


    He may be older than you, but that''s nothing new to you, isn''t it?


    I didn''t realize that career women and gals are such a bad match. It''s harrowing to watch, but Misaki seems to listen to me, so I have to follow her to make sure we don''t fight.


    Teresia and Suzuna are sitting quietly side by side, and there''s something harmonious about them. Teresia''s equipment doesn''t come off, so it stays the same, but Suzuna has changed into what Igarashi-san calls a town girl style, instead of the white and red outfit she was wearing earlier. Her ponytail remained the same, and her white nape dazzled in the light of the bar.


    ''''Do you like quiet girls, big brother?¡¡Like Suzu.


    Randomness is a no-no on that subject.


    ''Eh, that''s nice! Oh, you want older people, after all?


    Misaki tries to get my taste out of me no matter how I try. I have to be careful not to say that I like vertical sweaters or something like that, although I admit that I''m not particularly biased in my tastes - I have to be careful not to say that I like vertical sweaters or anything like that.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    Six people can drink as much as they want and order any food they want, and the change will come in one gold coin. Very inexpensive in terms of feeling.


    We sit around a rectangular table, with Theresa, Suzuna, and Misaki on one side, and Louisa, me, and Igarashi on the other side, in that order.


    They all leave their eating for the moment and come to pour me a glass of sake, one after the other. The miniature barrel-shaped mug is half-emptied, poured out, and drunk, and as the process continues, my mind begins to wander.


    ''Yes, brother. Did you drink a lot and are you in a good mood~?


    Misaki got up from her seat and came over to pour the drinks. Suzuna followed suit.


    ''''Well, I''m a good drinker. Are the minors drinking their juice properly?''


    ''Suzu-chan, you make alcohol for the shrine business, why can''t I?''


    ''Mi, Misaki-chan that''s an old fashioned way of doing things, it''s not like I''m drinking the alcohol I made.


    Igarashi-san reacts to Suzuna''s words. Making sake at the shrine, is it amazake or something? Doesn''t that have almost no alcohol in it?


    ''Does working at a shrine mean that Suzuna-san''s house is a shrine?


    ''Yes, my father was in the priesthood and I was helping out at home.


    Was that the reason why she chose the position of miko? The possibility that a high school girl from an average family might think that she is suited to be a miko is not zero. In fact, many part-time maidens are hired at shrines during the busy season.


    ''''Arihito-san, go ahead........ah.....


    Suzuna is so nervous that the liquor comes out of the bottle with such force that it spills a little. It splashes on my pants, but it''s nothing serious.


    ''Oh, thanks. I''m fine, I''ll wipe them up myself.


    ''No, I have a handkerchief and I''ll be right back ... I''m really sorry.


    Suzuna wipes my pants while her face turns bright red. A handkerchief is also a valuable item in this world, so I''m sorry to have it used for such a thing.


    ''''........Oh, good. I was able to pour it well this time.''''


    Suzuna pours the drink again, and this time she looks happy that it worked. At first I thought it would take some time to break the ice, but that doesn''t seem to be the case.


    He empties his mug again, halfway through it. One or two more drinks would be light enough.


    ''....Rear-kun, can I pour you a drink?¡¡I might be hungry already, but...


    It''s okay. I''m the one who should pour it out for you, Chief.


    Chief, you mean Kyouka''s sister?¡¡Wow, I would have loved to use it on my chin if my brother were my man.


    ''Oh, how could you do that with your chin... not that much use... not that much...''


    Igarashi-san reminds me of the days of Onii-chou, and I get a kick out of it. I wish Misaki would learn the art of not saying unnecessary things.


    ''I don''t mind it anymore. Igarashi-san has been a big help to me since I came here.


    ''''Well you don''t have to be so auspicious about it because I''ve been so much more helpful to you than you have been to me.


    Igarashi-san takes the bottle of sake and pours it into my mug.


    It''s going to take some time before we don''t feel any reservation about doing this to each other - but there''s no need to rush. We''re going to be a team, even in this world.


    And before I can sip my mug, Louisa-san pours the fruit wine into Igarashi-san''s glass.


    ''''You''ve only drunk the juice yet, haven''t you? How about another toast around here?


    ''Yeah, yeah I''ll take it. I was just going to have a drink.


    ''Louisa, your glass is empty too - you haven''t had enough to drink yet!


    Theresia can drink, too, and she''s drinking while munching on a meat dish. Her entire skin is subtly flushed and her skull mask looks red - maybe not too strong.


    ''Can Theresa have one last drink, too?''


    ..........


    She nodded and offered me a glass as I sat up and went to ask her. As a way of wishing Theresa, who has been a big help to me since the first day, I pour myself a glass of wine.


    Cheers.


    We all match our glasses and mugs, and I drink what will be my last drink.


    It''s been a long time since I''ve felt this good and drunk. We are almost ready to leave the tavern to formally admit Theresa to the club. Until then, we''ll continue to enjoy our drinks while chatting with each other.

 25 Episode 24: Moonlight

    Louisa-san, Igarashi-san, and Theresia. I didn''t check on Teresia''s age, but to begin with, there is no age limit on alcohol in the Labyrinth Country, so Misaki and Suzuna can also drink if they want to.


    Elitia seemed to have taken some time to change her clothes and came in later. She had her golden hair down and was wearing a dress with a blue insert, just like her armor. I toast her again when she arrives - it''s becoming quite a drink.


    ''Misaki, your face is so red, could you be drinking?''


    No, Suzu stopped me. Do you want some, Eri-chan?


    ''E, Elli you''ve never been called that before. I have Ellie, but....


    So, may I call you Miss Ellie from now on?


    "...Yeah. Can we keep Suzuna in place?¡¡Because it sounds good.


    Ha, you''re really good friends. We have the same personality. We''re both very quiet.


    Well, that''s not true and I talk a lot when I talk.


    The three younger men were talking coyly. Theresia was drinking at a slow pace beside them.


    ''''Hmm.......delicious. Since I''m with you all today, it tastes better than usual.''''


    ''You''re drinking very well, sister! Come on, another drink.


    ''Misaki-chan, Louisa-san is already on her fourth drink, so if you suggest it too much...''


    The atmosphere is different now... and drinking is still dangerous.


    Misaki poured Miss Louisa a drink. Suzuna seemed to be worried about Misaki''s bad temper and stayed by her side. Elitia was so overwhelmed by Louisa-san''s adult s*xiness that she lifted the sake bottle and glared at her.


    ''Suzuna-chan''s compassion is very sobering. But sometimes adults need to drink. I don''t just want to go along with your father''s evening drinks, I want to have a drink with my friends in a pub or bar once in a while. Are you listening to me, Mr. Higuchi?


    ''Yes, yes, I''ve heard. Igarashi-san, it''s time to start drinking...


    Oh, I''m still sober. I''ve never seen you drunk. You only drank water yesterday and you don''t want to drink it with me?


    No, no, that''s not why I''m here. I''ve been drinking today, but it''s time to go.


    ''''Oh well, that''s fine. As for Theresia-san, there''s still time to go to the mercenary agent''s office...


    Before I could say anything else, Louisa poured me a glass of wine. And, as I didn''t know it, she had a slight blush on her cheeks and boldly put her hands behind my back to toast me at close range.


    ''''Ru, Louisa-san, what''s going on, all of a sudden?''''


    ''Excuse me, I think I''m a little drunk. I annoy my friends a lot, but I have a habit of hugging them...


    Wow isn''t that a little too exciting for your brother?


    .........


    I understand that they are expecting me, but that doesn''t mean they are too close. Even Misaki is embarrassed, so Suzuna has a look on her face that says, "I don''t know what to say anymore.


    (Don''t tell me you''re the type to get s*xy when you''re drunk?¡¡(If you get close, your chest is in danger........well, not good, Igarashi-san is behind you.......!


    Hey. Excuse me. I''ve got to be out of my seat...


    Don''t you run away. Now, sit your ass down. Okay?¡¡You''ve done a great job, Mr. Rear, you''ve done a great job, you need to be more poised, you can just use us with your chin. Here, I''m going to pour you a drink. Drink a lot, and eat a lot. Yes, ahhh.


    Mr. Igarashi has a preaching habit, or something motherly about him. She stabs the leftover ham with a fork and lets me eat it - and then she gives me a drink.


    (If we drank together yesterday, we''d be in trouble... good or bad.)


    I''m not an advanced drinker, but I can tell you one thing for sure about Igarashi-san''s drunkenness. She gets very gaping when she drinks.


    (So don''t even think about those things.......annoyances don''t need to be a part of the party.


    Hmmm........haha, delicious. I knew that you could do it if you tried. Compared to the others, his paperwork was better than the others, and he had nothing to say about their appearance, so I just asked him to do it. I felt bad about it. But you were the only person under me that I could trust.


    Okay, I understand. Um, excuse me!¡¡Can you bring me some water and some fruit to finish it off?!


    Okay, wait a minute.


    The woman who worked at the shop walked into the back. The whole time we were waiting, Igarashi-san was talking about how much she expected me to be there and how sorry she was for overworking me.


    (I wish she''d told me that when she was working late, really.)


    So for Valentine''s Day, I made my valentines a little different from the ones I gave out to other people as a sign of my appreciation. But when I wrapped them all in the same package, Mr. Rear didn''t notice. Hey, are you listening to me?¡¡Did you get the chocolate right the other day?


    ''I ate, and it was good. So please calm down.


    ''Oh, I didn''t eat that word. You threw away your boss''s chocolate that you didn''t like anyway, because you didn''t want it. I brought home a very special gift for White Day. But when I told my mom that it was from one of my subordinates, she and my brother ate it without permission. How would you normally do that?¡¡Even though I got it for my in-laws, I came home with it. I looked in the fridge and it was all empty.


    It''s not to the point of saying that I should have left it properly in my room or something - maybe I was being treated by Igarashi-san as a subordinate in my own right? I was just too tired to notice it. No, I know it would be a bad idea if I didn''t notice.


    ''Arihito big brother, did you really have nothing to do with your sister Kyouka?¡¡If so, it''s incredibly platonic.


    If something had happened, it wouldn''t be like this. Can''t you see that?


    Don''t be angry, Rearward, and eat your meat. If you eat the meat, you''ll almost always be fine. You''re irritated because you haven''t eaten the meat.


    I don''t know if it''s called a drinking binge, but I keep getting tangled up anyway. From the other side, Louisa-san was leaning on me, so I couldn''t help myself.


    And Elitia, who had been watching our exchange for a long time, finally asked me what seemed to be on my mind.


    ".........isn''t Valentine''s Day a time for friends to exchange gifts?


    Then I found out - she''s from Northern Europe and the custom of Valentine''s Day is different from Japan. It''s not all about the country that is clamoring for righteousness and true love, that''s what it is.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    After leaving the bar, Louisa and Igarashi-san hit it off and wanted to go to my room together to talk. In other words, I''m almost certain to stay the night.


    Even the sober Elitia was probably affected by the heat of the bar, and was looking up at her face with her hands in a flurry of activity.


    Then I''ll send Louisa and Kyouka home. Will Suzuna and Misaki come too?


    What''s it like to be in a suite, brother?


    ''....I''ve never been to a man''s house before, but with all of you....


    (Well, you''ll be back at your place later. Still, four if you include Theresa.)


    Even if I were to sleep on the couch, we couldn''t have one bed for each of us.


    ''Louisa-san, keep up the good work on your rear end,''


    ''''No, I''m looking forward to Kyouka-san''s success, and I''ll be supporting everyone in the party.


    Since Louisa and Igarashi-san are getting along with each other, why don''t we get them to sleep together?


    Leaving Elitia with the keys to the room, the five of us parted ways, and I returned to the mercenary mediation office with Theresa. I asked the other staff members who were outside to go get Leila-san.


    ''Oh, you''re here. I''m glad you''re here in time. I''m glad you''re here in time.


    ''Leila-san, we have the desired number of copies for today''s search. May I officially have Theresia join my party?


    Leila''s eyes widened in surprise when I handed her a copper ticket. She took the bundle of paper and flipped through it and checked the number of tickets twice.


    ''....One hundred tickets. I''ve definitely received them. I heard that a huge orc was brought to the dismantling station near the outer wall, is that your job, Aricht?


    ''Yes, I can''t say it out loud. I''d like to continue to do this quietly, so please keep it to yourself.


    Leila takes a small breath. It''s more of an impressed reaction than a dumbfounded one.


    ''Big deal. Even for a newcomer like you, I thought it would take a month at the earliest. I didn''t think you''d have the tickets you needed the day after you declared.


    ''I''m afraid so. A lot of things have worked out well for us so far, and we''ve had some luck. We will continue to do this with caution. We''re going to make Theresia human again.


    ''Well I respect your aspirations. I see my role as giving the sub-humans a place to stay, but I will always have a desire to give them their hearts back. But beyond my strength a good and honest seeker like you is my hope.


    ''Theresa is my first mate. There are moments like that, when I can''t talk about it, but I somehow know how I feel, even if I can''t talk about it. I can''t know if that''s what I''m assuming until I talk to her.


    Theresa still doesn''t say anything. But she was staring at me when I handed her the copper ticket.


    She has feelings. She''s only limited in the ways she can express them now.


    ''Arihit, when I told you that Theresa liked you, I was not trying to get you to transfer your feelings. I cannot simply say that sub-humans have emotions, but as an individual, I believe that they have a heart. If you believe in that feeling, I believe that Theresa is more open to you today than she was yesterday.........


    Thank you. I hope you''re right, too.


    The substance of our time together is more important than the display of increased trust. I wouldn''t neglect her, and I would continue to rely on her.


    I shook Leila''s hand as she sought me out and shook my hand before heading back to the inn.


    Theresia follows me as I cautiously walk behind her. I wonder if the lack of footsteps is an effect of the rogue''s skills or the skull equipment.


    ''Teresia, you don''t have to be behind me. You can walk wherever you want.


    ..........


    Theresia thought for a moment, and then stepped forward a bit to stand beside me - I thought she was going to line up, but she stepped forward.


    ''''You mean ... you usually walk in front of me?¡¡"As the ''avant-garde,''


    I asked, though I wasn''t sure if my intentions were clear. Theresa still didn''t answer.


    --no, she didn''t.


    She nodded her head, and then shook her head. What did she mean -- she came back and lined up beside me.


    ''Yes. I don''t care where we walk. When it''s time to fight, you''ll be a little ahead of me. Then I can help you like I have been.


    Theresa nodded at me. Then, after staring at me, she tugged lightly on her sleeve.


    ''Let''s go home early, does that mean?''


    ..........


    She didn''t answer. I guess that means there''s no need to hurry. If she wanted to walk with me, a sobering walk wouldn''t be a bad idea.


    We walked through town to the inn where everyone was waiting for us, not in too much of a hurry. Before we knew it, a floating moon was in the sky, illuminating our path with the light from the sparse streetlights.

 26 Episode 25: Searchers Habits

    When I came back to Nornil Heights, a lady in the janitor''s office called out to me.


    ''Atobe-san, Atobe-san,'' she said, ''it''s very lively today. It''s very lively today," she said, "and there were a lot of girls here just now. It''s nice to be young.


    I''m sorry to have disturbed you. Three of my companions will be home in a few minutes.


    Oh, yeah?¡¡The people in my close party, after we''re done exploring... hey?


    The aunt says with a slight reddening of her plump cheeks. I wonder if there''s some kind of custom that''s customary after the search is over.


    ''''I''m still a newbie who just reincarnated, so there''s a lot I don''t know. Is there anything that''s like a standard thing to do after your quest is over?


    Oh my God, I can''t believe you''re a newbie... how old are you, Mr. Atobe?


    Well, I''m 29 and I''m...


    After the reincarnation, my physical body has been refreshed in some way, or rather, initialized, and the parts of me that were rattled when I was a company employee have been healed. I''m not saying I''m young again, but I feel like I''ve regained the sharpness I had in high school or something.


    The Japanese people look younger than their age, though. Atoobe, you know, you look like a proper adult. If it''s just the beginning, I''ll support him, and we''ll have a party with the children of our employees.


    ''Eh ... ah, yes. I''m busy every day at the moment, but I''d like to talk to a lot of people. But I might be moving to a new quarters tomorrow.


    ''Well it''s amazing that you came to our room on the first day. I''ll let everyone know that you have a lot of potential. And then, you know, it''s nothing to be ashamed of, even if you''re a beginner.


    "...?¡¡Well, well, you know, it would be helpful if you didn''t spread the word too loudly. Just think of it as something new that''s working hard.


    ''Yes, I''m very aware of that. I''ve been running an inn for many years myself.


    They seem to listen to those requests, but will they get through to the employees somewhat? It would be rare for a newcomer to move into the royal suite after two days of reincarnation, and it''s not unreasonable to want to talk about it.


    You can''t put words in people''s mouths, but if you want to gain fame, you want to do it only when you absolutely have to - it doesn''t seem to be far away when you leave the Eighth Ward, so it won''t be that much of a problem if it''s rumored here.


    You can confirm your rank in the pecking order with your license, but as for the others, you''d have to meet them in person or ask an informant to find out about them. In other words, the name is not automatically known to the license holder when the pecking order is raised, so it''s easy to feel comfortable there.


    ¡ô¡ó¡ô


    I was about to walk up the stairs to the third floor when Theresa fluttered to a stop on the stairwell.


    ''What''s up?''


    ..........


    She doesn''t say anything. She looks at the top of the stairs and then looks at me again.


    ''You mean there''s something up ahead that makes it hard to get to?


    I wondered if that meant there were other guests in the house - and then I thought about it. I had thought I was hearing a cat or something, but then I realized it was an extraordinary voice.


    Then I realized what my aunt was trying to say in a roundabout way now.


    If it was a party of a man and a woman, and the members were in a relationship with each other. Or if they were a married couple, or if they were in the mood for a night out after a successful search - well, I wouldn''t be surprised if that''s what happened.


    It''s not surprising, but this awkwardness is not half as bad as it could be. Theresia won''t say anything, but I should be the one responsible for breaking this atmosphere here.


    ''Hey, it looks like you''re taking in something. You''re making a lot of noise with the door open?¡¡If so, you''ll have to give me a word of warning.


    ..........


    I went first and went out into the upstairs hallway. Then I see the door to the back room is slightly ajar.


    (No, it''s someone else''s private and I''m not the one closing it but I hope you guys didn''t hear this.)


    ..........


    ''I''m sorry. I know you''re probably surprised I brought you here at this point, but it''s basically quiet.


    Theresia nodded at me and went up first, leaving me behind this time. When I went up to the third floor, the floor was thicker, but fortunately, I didn''t hear much of a voice anymore.


    And what I found out was that the skull mask could still turn slightly red, as if it was one with the subhumanization until it was released. I''ve never seen a lizard that was ashamed of itself, but since Theresia''s equipment didn''t cover her entire body, her skin was also red.


    She''s subtly opening up the distance between her and me compared to earlier. And since she frequently peeps at me until she arrives at the room, this is not the time to say that this is awkward, I should properly reassure her.


    ''''Theresa, you can get another room from tomorrow, too. Just because I brought you to my room doesn''t mean you, you know, have to do anything or anything.


    Theresia looks at me. Her mouth, peeking out of the lizard mask, is still pulled straight together. But it wasn''t just the lizard mask, the mask of the lizard was also red from the neck to the mouth.


    ''''.........''''


    ''It''s okay, like I said. I only went through the formalities to get Theresa on board, I didn''t buy Theresa with a ticket or anything.


    When I said that much, she nodded her head after a short pause. But the redness doesn''t diminish at all - well, I guess it''s largely due to the influence of alcohol.


    ''''I''m sorry to be talking about something so important, but... can I give you a word of advice?''''


    ''Wow, I''m surprised. Elitia, and Suzuna... where have you been?


    ''I was catching a bit of a night breeze over there. It sounded like a cat somewhere, but...


    ''Well, well, yeah, it''s like having a purring cat.


    They were apparently out on the third floor balcony. They seemed to hear the voices upstairs when they went outside, but I''m glad they didn''t seem to realize what they were actually saying.


    I didn''t think I''d have to worry about soundproofing my room after my reincarnation. It would be nice if the next room you move into used high-grade building materials and showed the depth of construction technology in other worlds.


    ''''So Elitia, what''s your advice?''''


    ''The rooms rented out to a single party are limited based on the number of ''occupants''. How high up in the pecking order have you risen in this district?


    ''''We''re up to seventh place and we''re going to preview the Royal Suite tomorrow, but...''''


    The Royal Suite has a capacity of six people, so the total number of occupants is six. The number of people in one party is limited to eight, so the total number of people who can live in a room is limited to eight. Me and Suzuna''s room is for two people, but........


    ''Ellie originally rented a room in Ward 5, so the room in Ward 8 is temporary. We''ve been talking about renting a new suite when I can move up in the pecking order.


    That way, we''ll have two rooms for Elitia and Suzna, and a royal suite for six, and we won''t be able to rent a new room for the rest of us.


    ''I think it would be better to consult with them and live with them if possible, as the facilities would be worse if we chose a smaller room. And a bad bed will delay your recovery from fatigue.


    He was told that the stable would only restore a small amount of strength and magic. Considering that it was uncomfortable to sleep in and couldn''t get tired, it was no surprise.


    However, I thought on my own that this was the end of my cohabitation. Thinking that it might continue depending on the case, I felt embarrassed when I met with Igarashi-san.


    ''''Then........let''s have them look at the room and decide. If we move up to the seventh district, we''ll have to start over again with the smaller quarters, right?


    ''You can rent the same room for a week for quarters, so you can use the Royal Suite as a base for your exploration in the beginning. If you want to live in one place permanently, you''ll have to buy a property, but it''s very expensive, and you have to be a 3-star explorer before you can become a homeowner.


    I just got two stars, but three doesn''t seem that far off. In case you''re wondering, let me ask you what the requirements are.


    ''How do I get up to three stars?''


    ''''First, you must go to the Seventh District. Once you reach 10,000 contributions in the guild there, you''ll be presented with a few challenges, and if you complete them, you''ll be recognized with three stars.


    ''All right, I''ll remember that. Are you two leaving already?


    When I ask that, Elitia and Suzuna look at each other and chuckle.


    ''''Misaki-chan, I had to borrow your bed.......can I wait for a little while until she wakes up?''''


    When Suzuna said that, the door to the room opened. The ones who came out were Louisa-san and Igarashi-san.


    ''''Atobe-sama, welcome back. We''ve interrupted you first.''''


    I''m going to take a bath, so stay here. Misaki is asleep in your bed, so leave her alone until she wakes up.


    Okay, I get it. He''s not allowed in bed with...


    ''''........Ah. Suzuna, if we go back to our quarters now, we won''t be able to make it back to the bathrooms in time.


    ''''We shouldn''t go in any other time......What should we do? I''m sweating, and I''m not going to explore tomorrow with Aricht-san and the others as it is....


    -- A big trend is coming. No, I suppose it''s just a big fancy.


    Well, why don''t we all go in together? There''s a charge, but you can borrow a change of clothes.


    ''Ha, yes it''s an emergency measure, so I don''t blame you. Is Suzuna okay?


    You said you wanted to take a bath, Ellie. I''ll be fine with you.


    Then it''s settled. Master Atobe, I''ll see you later then.


    Louisa wrapped up her story and headed downstairs with everyone else to the bathroom on the first floor. I walked into the room with Theresia and sat down on the sofa in the living room.


    ''Oh, I''m tired of everything Theresa, sit anywhere and make yourself comfortable.


    ..........


    Hmm?¡¡Oh, oh ... do you want to take a bath, by any chance?


    I was wondering if he wouldn''t take a bath since it''s a skull equipment, but if it''s integrated, maybe he''ll take a bath with his equipment on. Would it be okay if I washed it properly?


    Theresia tries to say something, but she still remains silent and slowly checks the room. Then she comes to the back of my couch.


    ''.............''


    ''Well, well, you can sit down any time you want. I''m a little concerned about it.


    When I turn around, Theresia also tilts her head slightly to look at me. The skull-head that was so powerful at first seems to be charming now.


    ''''Yes, my level was raised today. Can I check my new skills?''''


    ..........


    Theresia understood that skills were the lifeblood of an explorer, so she sat down on the couch instead of behind me. I didn''t mind being watched, but I wanted her to be comfortable, so that''s good.


    (Well ... can I learn my new skills?)


    Skills Acquired


    Supportive Defense 1: Reduces the blows struck by the companion in front of you by 10 points.


    Supportive Attack 1: Deals 10 points of blows in addition to the blows struck by the companion in front of you.


    Support Recovery 1: Regain 5 points of health from the companion in front of you every 30 seconds.


    Skills you can acquire


    Support Uplift 1: Increases the morale of your companions in front by 10 points.


    Rear Front: Spends 5 points of magic to increase your vision to the rear for a certain amount of time.


    Eagle''s Eye: Improves your situational awareness when you are in the back row.


    Backstands: Stands behind the target and locks you in place.


    Backdraft: If attacked from behind, the target will automatically counterattack.


    Remaining Skill Points: 3


    (Whoa ... four new skills!¡¡(I should have made sure I was on the right track when I got to level 2).


    The skill points you get per level 1 are apparently 2 each. I shouldn''t waste my precious points, but just looking at the description of the skills makes me excited.


    Among them, there is a skill that seems to be able to cover the risk of me, the rear guard, being attacked directly to some extent, which was my biggest concern. ''Backdraft'', semantically speaking, when a flame is burning in an enclosed space, if you open the door, oxygen is supplied at once and an explosion occurs.


    If you can only fight back against attacks from behind, you''re still vulnerable to side attacks, but it''s not like you can''t be completely defended at level 3, or maybe that''s a problem the ''rear guard'' will always face. It''s a powerful position, but I can see how it''s not perfect.


    The other skills are also interesting. I''m not sure if I should take the "support" skill, since it is always activated and does not seem to consume magic power. I''m not sure if there are any penalties for ''support'' that I just don''t know about, though.


    As I''m thinking about which skills I should take, Theresia is looking at me. I want to go over her skills again, and I want to hear about everyone else - I''m looking forward to tonight or tomorrow or when we have a meeting.

 27 Episode 26: Equipment Boundary

    There''s still time for everyone to get back from the baths, but I can''t leave the room until Misaki wakes up. I think I''m safe in the quarters, but I''m a little worried about leaving her alone.


    ''Teresia, do you have a license?¡¡All searchers should have them.


    Theresia shakes her head. Mercenaries don''t have a license - does that mean they''ve lost it once they''ve lost their lives?


    ''''..........''''


    Hmm?¡¡....and you want me to watch your back?


    Theresia is sitting on the sofa, nodding her back to me. The skull mask completely covers the top of her neck, but her black hair is growing out of it - Theresia has long hair when she looks at it like this.


    She runs her hands behind her back, sending her hair forward. Then the part of her back that she couldn''t see is exposed.


    She wears a leather armor, made of a material like lizard leather. There is a hole in the back of its neck, and a branding-like mark is engraved on it.


    ''''This is the ''mark of servitude''.......te, Theresa?''''


    Theresa put her hand behind her back and grabbed mine. Then I let her touch the mark on my neck.


    Then the mark glows red, then turns blue, and the letters change shape.


    ''............''


    Theresia makes an inarticulate sound. And when the letters stabilize in their form, she finally lets go of my hand.


    (Oh, by the way, you said you were going to change the ownership of the slave seal to me... was that done?)


    Nevertheless, the skull armor follows the shape of Theresia''s body perfectly. Although the mask makes her age indeterminate, I have a feeling that she may be younger than I thought.


    ''''.........''''


    Theresia turned silently. Her lips, which had been drawn together, were faintly open now, perhaps because they had been touched by the servant''s mark.


    Her skin is as smooth as ceramic at the mouth alone. Could it be that once she had lost her life, she had suffered no physical damage? So far, I don''t see any wounds of that nature.


    She watches me for a while, then looks at the license and points to it about time.


    ''License?¡¡You want to operate it?


    Theresia affirmed, and I held out my license. Then she slipped her index finger and switched the screen to a list of party members.


    Then she poked at her name. Then the screen switched to a page displaying her skills.


    ¡ô Slave Skill Disclosure "Theresa" ¡ô


    Lizard Skin 1: A subhuman''s unique skill. Improves defense and attribute resistance.


    Axel Dash: Quicker movement for a fraction of a second.


    Search Extension 1: Extends search range slightly.


    Alert 1: May detect a surprise attack from behind.


    Silent Walk: Does not make any sound when walking. You can make noise at will.


    Skills you can acquire


    Pick Pocket 1: You may be able to steal designated items without your opponent''s knowledge.


    Pick Pocket 1: Steal designated items without your opponent''s knowledge.


    Finger tip 1: Remove low-level keys and traps.


    Remaining skill points: 1


    The points you get at level 3 are probably the same as mine, 6, but they''re all waved out with 1 left.


    They say rogues aren''t specialized in a certain field of work, but I wonder if they have specialized skills such as trap removal if they''re specialized in bandit-type jobs. Even so, it looks like he can use fingertip techniques, and his combat skills are reasonably well-developed.


    It''s called ''slipping the rope'', but if you can deal with restraint-type attacks in general, it could be useful. A demon with tentacles is also not something I would like to encounter very often, though.


    Pick pockets are fine if you want to use them against demons, but if a situation comes up where you need to use them against people, I can''t let you use them because it would raise your karma. For now, does ''fingertip technique'' look good - or is there no hurry?


    ''''If I can, I''d like to develop what only Theresa is good at. When you''re at a higher level, pick a good skill and learn it. If I must, though, I might take one of these three.


    Oh, hey, bro. Welcome back. Do you know where they went?


    I had just put away my license when Misaki woke up. She comes over to me while randomly removing her hair from her choushuu, which she had put up in a bun.


    Everyone''s gone to the bath. What do you want to do?¡¡Can we go now and get there in time?


    That''s okay, Suzu-chan likes to take a bath, so it''s a long one. Brother, can I borrow the money to change clothes?


    You don''t have to pay me back. Misaki''s been through a lot.


    ''Well, isn''t that like a parting gift? I''m already a part of your brother''s party at heart, you know?


    Didn''t he say something about working separately?


    ''Ugh ... because ... Once you know how comfortable the bed in the suite is, you won''t be able to get out of it~. Please leave me at your brother''s place until I can find a way to do it too!


    That''s what it comes down to... well, I also said I''d take you on a quest once.


    Why did Misaki write the word ''gambler''?


    I thought it would be fun to have that kind of job. I get a lot of good luck with fortune telling, and I''m very good at playing cards. Does your brother bet on things?


    Sure, I''ve bought a lottery ticket before. Did you ever win the lottery?


    ''Ehehe, the one my family bought won 100,000 yen. Well, that''s about it.


    If she could become a gambler with that, does that mean she had the wherewithal? If I carelessly challenge the odds, I might get ripped off myself too.


    What I find fascinating is her luck. If she''s in the party when you beat named and so on, it''s likely that the drops will be better - I wasn''t in the party when I beat the juggernaut, so it shouldn''t have anything to do with the black box.


    ''''I''m taking the skills called ''Increased Drop Rate'' and ''Lucky Dwarf''. Brother~, I''m sure that even if I''m like this, I''ll be useful one day!


    All right, all right. It''s good to see you back on the scene.


    ''Wow!¡¡I''m going to tell Suzu and the others that they''re my friends!


    I thought she was devilish and calculating, but she seems to be more innocent than I thought.


    ''''.........''''


    Theresa can come in with you now while you''re at it.


    Theresia doesn''t nod, but when I try to go to the bath, she follows behind me. Well, she won''t nod and reply to everything, and if I go to everyone, she''ll bathe with me - although I''m worried she''ll get steamy because she can''t take off her armor.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    I had to get back from the bath as soon as possible since I was the one with the keys. I hurried downstairs and headed to the bathroom.


    I quickly take off my clothes in the changing room. I don''t have to meet the other residents - there are no restrictions on bath times in this accommodation, so I guess that means there are a lot of people who come in late. I''m told that even if the water is freshly boiled at first, it gets lukewarm over time and finally turns to water, but that''s all at your own risk.


    I wonder how the facilities in the Royal Suite are. I wonder if the baths in the eighth ward are limited to no recessed heating - can''t we do something about it with magic technology? It would be easy enough to say that the caretaker is making it easy enough for me to heat the baths.


    I went into the bathroom and covered myself with a tub of hot water. Unlike the Japanese style, it is not difficult to get into the tub, but the lack of a faucet is a little inconvenient. The amount of hot water is also fixed, and it seems to be able to replace it after some people enter, but do not use too much.


    (Still, it''s good only to put it in every day. Especially Igarashi-san and the others, they''d probably want to go in every day... it would have been pretty tough if they''d started out living in a stable).


    Suzuna was also concerned about the fact that she was sweating, and after all, if she didn''t have a solid foundation for life, it would be a matter of morale. In that sense, there are many lodgings made for explorers.


    Since I''m on the principle of washing from the head up, I cover myself with hot water first. Then I start lathering up my hair - it''s the shampoo-like stuff that Igarashi-san was so impressed with. The smell is fruity and the lather is easy to build up, but it''s still slightly squeaky, unlike the hair wash I used on a daily basis.


    --I''m not sure if I''m going to be able to find out what''s going on, but I''m sure I''m going to be able to find out.


    ''''Eh ... who are you?''''


    I didn''t feel like anyone had come in, but there was definitely someone behind me. I felt like I was going to get bubbles in my eyes as I was thumped again, but I turned around and opened my eyes fearfully.


    The first thing I saw was - reptilian scales. This is nothing, this is the leather armor of a lizard. I''m familiar with it since Theresia wears it.


    --that, the legs covered by the leather, are visible. If you look up a bit, you can see a tight waist, and the navel is open and not covered by leather. I look up some more and - without being able to - I finally realize what''s going on.


    (Te, Theresa........why are you normal.......!


    ..........


    Te, Theresa just in case you''re wondering, this is a men''s bath. Theresa isn''t allowed in here, okay?


    I admonish her as calmly as I can, but Theresa puts her hand on her chest, wondering what she thought.


    ''''No, no, I don''t mind keeping my armor on, since you won''t be able to take it off. It''s not that, you can go to the women''s baths and everyone will be there, so it''s more like...


    I try desperately to convince her, and Theresa looks at me. I earnestly hope that she''s getting my point across, but she doesn''t move easily - and...


    Theresia''s hand moves quickly and touches the hardware on her neck. The moment she manipulates it, she hears a bang, a popping sound.


    And the reason why she is called a lizardman - the leather armor that should have been stuck to her body and thought to be impossible to detach and remove, ''came off'' with great vigor, as if it was like peeling a skin.


    A sight beyond comprehension is before my eyes. Just like the lizard mask, the body armor, which I thought I could never remove, came off easily just by fiddling with the hardware.


    However, the skate lizard equipment such as wrists, shoulders, and ankles do not seem to come off, and the leather parts remain in places - no, this is probably due to the ''Lizard Skin (Lizard Skin)'' that was displayed in the skill column. But the white skin that was peeking through the cracks in the armor was now mostly exposed before my eyes.


    ''''.........Te, Theresa......can you take it off, that.......er......no, no..... ...!


    ..........


    Theresia looks like she''s pouting. As if to ask why she''s upset.


    I run out to the changing room anyway and put out a ''rent a room'' tag because I don''t want anyone to come in - originally I could only let them out for fifteen minutes, but I want them to miss it this time.


    I take the towel and go back into the bathroom and urge Theresa to wrap it up. I can''t help what I''ve already seen in her eyes - she''s more supple and dynamic than I imagined her limb to be. The scene of the moment when the leather armor that had constricted her body came off was still replaying in my mind on repeat.


    (I''ve been wearing it for so long that there''s still a trace of the equipment on it again... no, don''t think about it... I told Theresa to reassure her, but this is no time to be conscious... ...!


    ..........


    Theresa pats me on the shoulder in frustration. I''m not sure why she''s being encouraged, but it seems she''s not ashamed to show her nakedness, after all. It''s a great nerve, or rather a split.


    If you think she might show some shame, she suddenly becomes bold. I wonder if it''s this kind of unpredictability that people say sub-humans don''t have emotions, in part because of the reputation they have for being so unpredictable.


    Is it partly because her trust level is rising - she must have come to the bath because she likes me anyway. This is her own good intentions.


    ''''You mean........you came to wash my back or something?''''


    Kunigiri, Teresa nods simply. I can''t help but feel deflated, but since I was the one who triggered the removal of the armor, I can''t say anything about it. ''''If I hadn''t said, ''Since you won''t be able to take off your armor,'''' she wouldn''t have let me take off her leather armor.


    ''''Well then........can I have it flushed out, just for simplicity''s sake?''''


    ..........


    Theresia nods and goes around behind me and starts washing my hair. Come to think of it, it''s still lathered up - but when she does it, it doesn''t catch my fingers as much as washing it myself.


    Next, I have her lightly rinse my back, then instruct Theresa to wash herself. I soak in the tub first and turn my back so I don''t look at her.


    When I looked back at the skull mask and wondered what they would do with it, I found that it still wouldn''t come off. That''s not the only thing that can come off if you want to.


    Eventually, Theresa also finished washing her body and slowly turned around. The towel wrapped around her body had come off, but her body was well hidden.


    ''It''s a bit hot, but can you soak?''


    ..........


    I nod back, and I have to close my eyes again. I have no choice but to remove my towel the moment I get into the bath.


    With a chap, Theresa soaks in the hot water. Finally, she has calmed down a bit, but I can''t bypass her gaze - I still have to say it firmly.


    ''''Theresa, I''m glad you''ve washed your back off, but next time you''re going to take a woman''s bath.


    ..........


    ''Yes, no, you''ll have to nod your head to that. I''m a man myself, and Theresa needs to be a little wary of that.


    Still, Theresa doesn''t nod. It''s good to know that she''s not going to listen to any orders with the ''Slave Mark'', but I feel a strong will to come in next time.


    ''Theresa is doing it for my good, I know she''s doing it for me. But I can''t keep renting out the men''s bath for a bunch of times...''''


    Even after she gets out of the bath, no matter how she does it, everyone looks at her with suspicion. But Theresia''s will is hard and inexorable.


    ''''........Theresia?''''


    ..........


    The skull mask turns red, I knew that. It''s not long after you''ve been immersed in hot water, but it''s turning bright red in the blink of an eye.


    You''ll be able to see that the actuality of this is not the same as the fact that you''re a lizard, so you''re a variable temperature animal...?


    ..........


    Oh my God, get a grip!¡¡I''ll have you reasonably chilled in no time!


    He looks like a skull-equipped human, and some of his equipment is off. However, the nature is just a lizardman - that''s what it is.


    If she could climb at this speed, a lukewarm bath would be better for her. Rather than use that for future reflection, she was forced to take action as soon as possible to find a way to rescue her, who was turning red all over and was in danger of becoming unconscious, in a peaceful manner.

 28 Episode 27: "Rearguard" at night

    I managed to carry Theresa out of the bathtub before she managed to get soaked and unable to move.


    I hadn''t had a princess cuddle since the first time I''d been greeted at the facility and played with a child my age when I went to greet her - the first time I''d carried an adult like Theresa, but she didn''t feel heavy at all.


    It''s partly because she''s light, but it seems that as she gains experience and levels, her physical abilities improve. I knew her physical strength would increase, but it also seemed to affect her arm strength and so on.


    (That''s because it''s the body after reincarnation, right? The same goes for being able to use skills...)


    I''ve adapted to the fact that I was able to use it when I used it, but support is also a magical power. If it was draining magic power, I guess I could feel it.


    However, it seems that heat was a weakness for Theresia, and her strength bar has been slightly reduced. From now on, it might be better to bathe in lukewarm water or take a water bath - not because I''m bullying you or anything, but because it''s a matter of life.


    ¡ô¡ó¡ô


    In a way, it was the right decision to let Theresia have the flame resistant ''Red Buckler'', and I went up to the third floor, thinking about how I should explain this situation.


    The formations that can be set up with a license only apply when you enter the labyrinth. I could understand if it was out of necessity, but it would be surreal, or rather, eye-catching if we were walking in formation in town. And so far, I haven''t seen any other parties like that.


    (.........but this outfit of Theresa''s.......)


    I called for the rescue of the inn''s employees and had them prepare a change of clothes for Theresia, but she wore her bedtime dress-type sleepwear as it was, and didn''t wear any underwear.


    It seems that sub-humans only want to wear equipment according to their own race. Weapons and shields not so much, apparently, but they don''t like to wear anything on their skin except skull leather. He was also quite reluctant to wear his nightgown when he put it on.


    In other words, I''m not wearing underwear, so I can''t very well show it to the other male explorers in the quarters. And me, of course.


    I should have heard more details from Leila-san about how sub-humans usually live, what they like and what they don''t like, etc.


    ''''..........''''


    Not long after I had him walk in front of me after I left the bathroom, ''Supportive Recovery'' was activated and Theresia''s strength was restored. It''s not much damage since it''s a full recovery in one go, but I was worried, so I patted my chest down.


    ''''Theresia, I''m sorry I didn''t notice. You didn''t like the hot stuff, did you?''''


    She didn''t nod. Which meant that she hadn''t realized that she was vulnerable to the heat because she had been in a water bath or something all the time, not a bath.


    ''Can I just take a bath next time?''


    ..........


    Well, you can choose not to get in the tub.


    Theresia shakes her head. Where does that steel will come from, wanting to soak with me even though I know I can blot it out - healthy or stubborn?


    I''ll get something that makes me heat resistant in order to take a bath, or maybe I won''t be as vulnerable to heat when my lizard skin reaches 2. The most ideal thing to do would be to get some heat resistant accessories or something else that would make you heat resistant, since you could use it when you turn back into a human.


    (Thinking about how to counteract it by bathing, that''s unique to this world...)


    I have no way of knowing what I''m contemplating, and Theresa is on the stairs before me - and when I look up, I have no choice but to cut my stomach off and apologize. Here, in memory of my shame, let''s talk to Louisa-san about how to get her to put on her underwear.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    After I got back to my room, everyone else came back a short while later. I managed to explain to everyone in good faith about Theresia''s visit to the men''s bath.


    ''Well that was tough. It''s hard to find people who can bring sub-humans into the party, so I was unaware of such a case.''''


    Jeez, calling it a problem makes my conscience ache a little bit.


    If they find out you''re bringing a woman into a men''s bathhouse, the other residents will complain. It''s not enough of a problem.


    Louisa and Igarashi are a little sobered up. Both of them are in their sleepwear, which are similar in shape, so it''s clear that one part of their abilities are on par with the other.


    ''''.........''''


    Well Theresa, do you mean you don''t want me to be angry at your rear end?


    Theresa nodded at me with a chuckle. With that alone, my sins were greatly reduced, and as for the matter of the two of us taking a mixed bath, the flow of the story was that it was a matter of circumstance.


    ''''Theresia-san wanted to express her gratitude to Aricht-san, didn''t she?


    ''And I think that''s a bit too bold of a move but we didn''t notice it at all either, so that wasn''t good.


    Suzuna followed close to me, and Elitia seemed to be suspicious of me at first, but I think she managed to clear her suspicions.


    ''If it was my brother, though, I think it would have been a clean bath time with nothing going on! Surprisingly, when it''s just the two of you, are you more aggressive?


    ''I''d have appreciated it a little more if you''d only done the first half. That''s one word too many.


    ''Haha, we were actually talking in the bath, and I was wondering how your brother is doing right now. Kyouka''s sister.


    Don''t say anything you don''t have to. For God''s sake, young kids these days........


    Just the fact that Igarashi-san is bothering me in the bath is information that makes it hard to sleep at night - but after all, there are only two beds, what do you want me to do with one man and six women?


    ''''Well, I''m going to sleep now, but can we have a countermeasure meeting?''''


    ''I don''t want you to say that while looking at me but you can sleep on the couch if you want. After yesterday, I felt bad about kicking your rear end out of the bedroom.


    ''''That''s not to say that there''s anything wrong with being fastidious, Igarashi-san, but Atobe-sama is the party''s meritorious leader, and she''s the leader. You need to rest properly in bed.


    ''Oh, oh no, I''m fine on the couch. Can we sleep three at a time in bed?¡¡My sense is that we''re on the edge.


    A woman could sleep with three of us, but if you''re not used to the bed, you might fall off.


    ''''I''ve already used my brother''s bed, so I''ll be fine on the floor too!


    ''Suzuna and I are interrupting your visit, so I''ll just take the couch and rest.


    ''No, I''m used to sleeping in a chair, but not everyone is, so it must be hard.


    ''''Well then, I''ll spend some time talking with Louisa-san, and you, rear, go to your bedroom and rest. That''s what we''ve been talking about to begin with.


    ''Yes, I meant to. Please, Master Atobe, please take a good night''s rest.


    The meeting has been difficult - I appreciate that everyone is putting me first, but I''m not that much of a fan of sleeping in bed. It''s partly because the couch is far more comfortable to sleep on compared to sleeping in a row of chairs at the office.


    ''Well, why don''t we have a fair lottery to decide?¡¡Yes, I borrowed a quill that was in there and made a knitting pattern!


    ''You work fast ... and you know you have a good chance of winning, don''t you?


    Ehehe, well, that''s fine. There''s no hard feelings in this one, and if I get hit, I''ll hand it over to Suzu-chan.


    ''Misaki-chan, don''t worry about me. I want to put you first, Arihito-san.


    Suzuna is too disciplined to be disciplined. It seems that Misaki can only smile shyly because she feels that she really thinks so, rather than being concerned about it.


    ''After all, you don''t have to decide on a lottery or anything, I''ll sleep on the couch. Sleeping in the room with me would be quite difficult...''''


    ''Oh well, don''t worry about that anymore. It was my first day and I think I was just nervous and.......


    Well, since you made it, please use it. Okay, that''s it then!


    Misaki has everyone''s names written on the Amida lottery she created. There''s only one last spot left, but since I don''t feel like I can beat the gambler Misaki anyway, I figured it was the same, so I wrote in my name.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    -- and what happened. I pulled a great hazing and ended up sleeping on the couch like I did yesterday.


    ''''Well Theresa, can you sleep there?''''


    ..........


    Everyone seemed to have been talking in the bedroom for a while, but it wasn''t too long before they were all quiet, as if they were still tired. Theresia muffled her footsteps and came out of the bedroom all at once, sitting on the other couch.


    I lay down, and she followed suit. The eyelids of her skull mask grew heavier and heavier.


    It closes and then snaps open.


    ''You don''t have to take a turn at not sleeping or anything. Get as much rest as you can.


    ..........


    Theresia shook her head, but she still couldn''t seem to beat the sleep, and eventually her eyes closed completely and she began to breathe in her sleep.


    I kept thinking about it after I saw the skills I could acquire earlier before I went to bed, but I decided to conclude and get some of the skills. I''m glad I was able to win the juggernaut, but I don''t want to forget to get it and regret it.


    I think ''backwards front'' is useful, but I don''t think it''s necessary if you have ''backdraft''. If I can automatically react to an attack, then a surprise attack from the rear would prevent me from falling down and becoming a total mess.


    (But if I can grow Theresia''s ''Vigilance 1'' then I don''t need it... hmmm.... It depends on the power of the backdraft. (That''s the only thing we''ll have to try.)


    After all, skill points are valuable, so my unique role should be the first priority. If that''s the case, the things I should prioritize to acquire will naturally be determined.


    The skills you have acquired


    Supportive Defense 1: Reduces the blows struck by the companion in front of you by 10 points.


    Supportive Attack 1: Deals 10 points of blows in addition to the blows struck by the companion in front of you.


    Support Recovery 1: Restore the health of your friends in front of you by 5 points every 30 seconds.


    Boost Boost 1: Raise the morale of the comrade in front of you by 10 points.


    Eye of the Hawk: Improves your ability to understand the situation when you are in the rear row.


    Remaining Skill Points: 1


    The skills marked with a ''star'' seem to mean that they have just been learned. The ability to grasp the situation is probably important when commanding from the back row - although I don''t know how taking the skill specifically will help you.


    This is a rearguard.......not bad, not bad.....)


    As I close my eyes in the low-lit room, I rapidly sink into consciousness. Moving to the royal suite would solve the bed shortage, so this might be the last time I''d sleep on the couch.


    Come to think of it, I forgot to ask Igarashi-san for her opinion on moving to a new room. Well, everything is tomorrow, but it''s still not too late.


    --I can hear a voice speaking softly.


    ''''Well you''re all with me, aren''t you? I just woke up, too...


    I don''t know what to do but I don''t think I''m going to get a wink of sleep at this point.


    Even in the other room I''m still aware of it just from sleeping...


    Are they all the same?¡¡How in the world can this be...


    He''s sleeping a lot, brother.


    Well, that''s... but...


    Everyone seems to be getting up, but very sleepy. If it''s a separate bedroom, it should be fine - then it''s probably just a bad night''s sleep after a drinking session that made me feel better or something.


    (...let me sleep some more...preferably until morning...)


    The room goes quiet. I''m not sure if this is a dream or reality - but right now I still want to sleep.


    I can hear the birds. I pick myself up on the couch and stretch out wide.


    Theresia is curled up and snoozing, using her arms as a pillow. The blanket had fallen off and I gently put it back on and look around the room.


    Something seems to have happened in my sleep. It''s like everyone is waking up and talking about something near where I''m sleeping....


    ''.........am I frustrated?


    .........


    ''Oh, good morning, Igarashi-san. Sorry, I muttered something weird.


    Igarashi-san came out of the bedroom and seemed to have heard me talking to myself. Just because you had a strange dream doesn''t mean you should give a random reason for it.


    Oh, yes. I''ve been sleeping like mud on the couch here because it''s so comfortable.


    ''Yeah, well I''ll be in the bedroom changing when you all wake up, so don''t go in there.


    I understand. I''ll tell Theresa to change there when she wakes up, too.


    "...you''re sure you didn''t wake up?¡¡You never woke up, you were asleep, weren''t you?


    ''It may have happened, but I don''t really remember...I have a vague recollection.


    Well, that''s probably because there was a lot of alcohol in your system and your memory is a little fuzzy, isn''t it?


    She looks like she''s in some kind of a hurry, I wonder what''s wrong with her. Well, it''s true, I feel a little lightheaded and my body feels a little flustered, so maybe there''s some alcohol left in my system.


    ''''Well, I''m going to go wash my face and wake up.


    Yeah, yeah ... go ahead and take care of yourself.


    The washroom is common to each floor, so I stepped out into the hallway. For some reason, it bothered me that Igarashi-san was very affectionate - but I thought it was a good trend that she was also getting used to the other world and her personality was becoming more rounded.

 29 Episode 28: New Dormitory

    After everyone gets up, we have a quick breakfast in our room. I''m thankful that there is morning service.


    Eggs, fresh bread, and bacon. They said that fresh vegetables were not always available, mainly fruits and nuts were served for breakfast.


    After finishing the meal, I drove Louisa-san to the guild. The town is still quiet in the morning, but other staff and explorers have already visited the guild.


    ''''Thank you for last night. It''s been a long time since I''ve been able to stretch my wings and my body feels lighter.''''


    Thank you for coming on such short notice. Let''s get together again when you''re done with your work.


    ''Yes, by all means. Are you going to the labyrinth today, Lady Atobe?


    ''I''m thinking of going to a shop that will open the boxes for me in the morning. Would it be okay to view the new room in the morning?


    Yes, unless it''s mealtime, I''m sure the superintendent can help you at any time.


    First we went to a box store that is said to be located near here, and next we previewed the property. In the afternoon, we head to the deepest level of Akebono''s field. Although it''s rough, today''s schedule has been set.


    Louisa-san enters through the private service entrance at the back of the guild building. She gave me a small wave at the end, and I raised my hand in response, feeling embarrassed too.


    ''''Well at first I thought you were a bit of a bad type. I''m sure you''ll find that you''ll be able to get along with me very well when you talk to me. I didn''t know this could happen.


    ''We''ll have a chance to talk together again. I hear you''ll be able to keep us in charge in another ward.


    Hmmm... did you want to do it, Rearward?


    ''Well, well, yes. I have no ill will.


    She''s a beautiful woman, she''s impressed by what I do, and she can do her job - she''s a woman who can''t complain, but since we''re only guild officers and explorers, it would be difficult to make any further progress.


    ''''........That''s right.


    Kyouka, Kyouka. You said you wouldn''t tell anyone about it.


    Oh, you mean last night?¡¡I''m glad you learned a lot, Suzu.


    ''''I''m sorry Aricht-san, I can''t see your face... I did that just because I''m with you all...''''


    Did he do that?


    Suzuna says something that''s bothering her and I can''t help but ask her a question. Then everyone starts to get really upset.


    ''Hey, it''s nothing. The latter was sleeping on his stomach, so I just put a blanket on him. That''s right, Ellie.


    ''Yeah, yeah, that''s really all. I didn''t do anything else. Are you saying I did something?


    Igarashi-san calls Elitia a nickname. I guess that means they talked and got to know each other before I was even looking.


    The two of them have a bit of a similar personality, but they didn''t seem to clash over similarities. It''s good to have a good relationship with the party in the future as well.


    ''''Well what did or didn''t you do or not do or what are you talking about?''''


    ''No, no, it''s fine! Brother, you''re going to see your room, right?¡¡I asked Louisa to tell me where to go! What do you think, how prepared you are?


    I asked to see the map, which I thought was a bit of a mess. I switch the license display to show a map of the town and the markings were struck there. Apparently there''s a new property on a different plateau from Nornil Heights.


    --the center of the Eighth Ward, about fifteen minutes'' walk from the Guild. The property, which is also perfect in terms of convenience, had facilities, room sizes, employee services and everything else that could not be compared to the middle class lodging, Nornil Heights.


    ''Welcome, sir, miss. Please, your room is this way.


    On the outside, it''s a two-story Western-style building with only four rooms. There''s another property of the same make, but that''s all the building with a royal suite in Ward 8.


    You are greeted in the entrance hall by a few maids. They seem to be able to take care of our luggage, but since we''ll be out soon, we refrain from doing that and are shown our room.


    The rooms are so overwhelmingly luxurious that even the always lively Misaki is modestly silent. All of the rooms were carpeted, and even the spacious bathroom and restroom were fully equipped.


    ''''It''s........amazing, even more so than I imagined. What do you think, Igarashi-san?


    "I was told I could rent a middle-class room privately, but if you have a room available, this is better..... It''s still annoying...?


    ''Yes, no, not at all. I''m too big for one person, and that means there''s a limit to the number of rooms I can rent for the party, so I''d like to live with you if I can.


    So I guess I''m going to have to live with you for the rest of my life.


    The word "live" makes me imagine the future of my life.


    ''Well, um ... hopefully one of these days we''ll be able to buy a house where we can sit down for the long term.


    Is that..........that.......that''s what you mean, Rearward, is that what you''re saying?


    ''If we can buy a house, then the residency limit won''t matter, and we can have multiple parties living together. If Alihit wants to move up the pecking order without stopping, he could consider ''multiplayer combat'' (raiding) with just his own people.


    What I was thinking was that rather than moving from one accommodation to another, it would be better to be based in one place, meaning that I wouldn''t have to move, and I could do whatever layout I wanted with my own house - Elitia was right, if 16 or 24 people could live together, multiple You can even share a party.


    You already have six friends, but as long as you have enough friends to form another party, you can swap out members as needed to explore.


    (That way, the number of positions that can be organized will increase. We don''t have any professions that specialize in vanguard defense, or medicine men, or wizards or monks.)


    ''If we don''t have people in the jobs with the skills we need, we could be in limbo... and we''ll have to add more people to our ranks if we can. Even if we don''t all live in one house, it would be ideal if we could buy several houses and live wherever we want.


    ''When your brother becomes a multiple homeowner, he''ll pop one of them on me... and then I''ll have to listen to everything he says...''


    Well, no, it''s not a good idea to trade your house for a house, Misaki, is it?


    ''''Well I have a problem, as you guys know, so I might as well bring in a different swordsman when we get to a closer level. But please ... even if you''re in the middle of it, help me. I don''t need to go to the depths of the labyrinth where my best friend is. If I can get to the front of it, I can go on my own.


    Seeing us talking ahead, Elitia probably couldn''t help but say it.


    ''''........Elitia, when you were exposed to the enemy''s return blood, you were acting a little strange. Are you telling me to keep your distance because that state of affairs is dangerous for your friends as well?


    I wasn''t sure if I should do it here or not, but it''s something I''ll have to do at some point, Elitia says while looking at the sword stored in the scabbard at her waist.


    The first thing that comes to mind is that this sword is called the Scarlet Emperor. I was always a swordsman, but when I got this sword in my hands I couldn''t let it go.


    Endemic weaponry there''s such a thing?


    The ''Carth Blade'' is a unique weapon profession - the ''Scarlet Imperial Sword'' is a cursed sword that cannot be let go. In other words, you can''t even change your job title.


    It''s similar to the circumstances of sub-humans. After losing their lives, they are revived in a different form and cannot return to a human--their equipment is also limited, and there are some things that cannot be removed.


    ''''Didn''t you know beforehand what would happen if you equipped that scarlet imperial sword?


    ''''........The explorer group I was in, the ''Byakuya Brigade'', hunts for ''named'' and collects boxes and strengthens itself with the armor found within. There are many searchers who try to improve their strength in the same way, and that in itself is the royal attitude of the searchers. But........in the Byakuya Brigade, we are absolutely not allowed to reject equipment, even if we don''t know what kind of weapon it is.


    Elitia had no choice but to equip the Scarlet Imperial Sword without knowing what kind of weapon it was.


    No matter how powerful the weapon was, there was a major problem with ''Berserk''. On the contrary, as long as it could be countered, Elitia would be an unquestionably powerful vanguard.


    ''''Wasn''t there a shop in the Byakuya Brigade that could appraise it, or a skilled one?


    ''''If you bring it into the shop, you will not be able to use it as a weapon because if you find out that it is cursed, you will have to prioritize its sealing. In the brigade, even if the cursed weapon was dangerous, they considered it to be far more powerful than a normal weapon... so they didn''t dare to appraise it. Appraising with skills can be fatal if you fail, and there aren''t many people with the aptitude for it, so professions similar to appraisers are protected from the guild. Even the brigade couldn''t keep them in the guild at all times.


    --Rare skillful people will be protected by the guild. The people in the ''box store'' we''re going to go to are probably also subject to it.


    Since the guild protects them and opens a specialty shop, even the explorers of the eighth district can benefit from the rare skills. So, thanks to the guild, they don''t have to be exclusive to the human resources that could be monopolized by a party of high-ranking searchers.


    Personally, I don''t sympathize with the brigade''s approach.


    ''I suppose it doesn''t help that you say that. I wanted to be strong as well, but after I became a Carth Blade, all I could do was regret it... I didn''t feel like I was fighting of my own volition, just being swept around by the sword...''''


    ''Eritia-san but it was different when you and Aricht-san were fighting together, wasn''t it?¡¡You fought for us, you fought to protect us.


    .........


    When Suzuna said, Elitia''s eyes moistened and she lowered her eyes.


    ''''........If it wasn''t for Arihito, we would have been wiped out.


    ''You don''t have to be so hard on yourself. I was surprised and thought I was going to die too, but now that Elitia is here, I can handle it. Then you can do better next time. Because you''ll be stronger with a party from the beginning than you will be with a party in the middle.


    Arihito...


    It hurts my heart to see her blushing eyes, too. ''You don''t want to see the tears of a younger girl as much as possible.


    ''Well, as far as experience goes, you''re going to have to be a guest for a while. I''ll join the party and put my support to good use when I need it. So please.


    "Yeah, okay, fine. I''ll let you do all the work. If it goes out of control, stay away from it and stay away from it until the fight is over.


    Yeah. But I can reach my skills pretty far away, you know.


    ''Oh....''


    The ''physical invalidation'' was broken by the unattributed ''support attack''. How far away they were then - so far that they were completely out of the battle zone of Elitia and Juggernaut.


    If we can support them as far as we can see, then the flexibility of the formation will be very different if we can support them as far as we can see. After all, we should verify the range of effect while the enemy hasn''t become too strong yet.


    ''I would be able to cover for Elitia''s ''Berserk'' with less risk, even with her dangerous skills. But I suppose the curse should be broken eventually. There must be stronger weapons out there that aren''t cursed.


    ''''You ... you ... it''s easy for me to say. Aren''t you afraid of me?


    I''m not afraid of you. However, it would be a shock if you were to be cut down, so I''ll keep my distance.


    ''''Haha........Normally it wouldn''t end in shock. After all, your brother is not normal either, he just got reincarnated, but he''s very calm. Well, that''s what makes me feel safe when I see it. Hey, Suzu-chan.


    ''Ha, yes ... time seems to flow gently when I''m around Aricht-san.


    If I''m quicker to adapt than everyone else, then the air of the other world is probably better suited to me. If that makes everyone feel at ease, I''ll continue to try to remain calm in the future.


    This is the kind of world where a momentary lapse in judgment can be fatal. If you can''t instantly grasp the situation from the rear guard and choose whether to fight or run away, you''ll put the entire party in danger.


    ''''Well, if Elitia wants to act independently once she reaches her goal, then there''s no way around it. If possible, though, I''d like a good swordsman to stay with me forever.


    ''Mmmm ... how much of a sycophant can you be? Kyouka, say something to him too.


    ''I''m happy to have more people around too, so I can''t complain. I decided when I joined his party that I would defer to the judgment of the latter, and I decided to defer to his judgment when I joined his party. As I told Louisa-san, I feel like I''m his subordinate.


    ''''Eh.........so that''s how it is? Igarashi-san is my subordinate........


    You look a little ... very happy. What do you imagine?


    I''m the one who orders a lot of things from my loyal subordinate, Igarashi-san. Yeah, that''s going to be easy to work with - I think I understand why people are drowning in power.


    ''Everyone is on the side of Arihito, so it''s a problem that there''s no one to admonish.


    ''That might be true. Maybe it''s just as well if Elitia is strict about it.


    ''''Well yes. Don''t get mad at me for that kind of role, you said it yourself. It would have been best if Kyouka had been strict with you.


    ''And it''s been too much of a done deal since I''ve been over here, and I don''t have anything to pay attention to. I''m not sure I''m okay with that either.


    Igarashi-san says, and everyone laughs - I have no choice but to laugh with them.


    Theresia, who''s been watching our exchange for a long time, nods at me. It''s her way of showing her will of affirmation.


    There are a total of six people living in this room. It''s all going to be busy, but I''m sure we''ll get along just fine.


    I hope I can be in a position to watch over everyone as they spend their time in a humble way.


    Now....the preview is over, what do we do next?


    ''Well we need to go back to our quarters once and tell them we''re moving out. They''ll send our stuff back to us.


    May I bring it in here?¡¡It''s only day three, so there''s only a little of the stuff.


    ''Yeah, we''ll figure out room assignments and such later. We can get your stuff in the living room first.


    ''''Then let''s meet again in the plaza in front of the guild in the afternoon after we finish arranging for the move. Rear-kun, let''s go home for a while too.


    After today''s exploration, we''ll all be spending another night together. I''m going to be able to sleep in my bed today too - after all, there are two bedrooms in the royal suite, with four beds in each.

 30 Episode 29: Genetic Skills and Box Opening

    Since the preview was over, we signed a contract to rent a room, and Elitia and the others went back to their quarters for a while.


    I also returned to Nornil Heights with Igarashi-san. We were taken care of for two days, so it''s a shame to leave, but we''ll have to move places at a certain period of time until we can get a place to settle down in the future. I have to get used to the move.


    ''Atobe, I wish you the best of luck in the future. I''ll always be there to support you.


    Thank you. Take care of yourself, caretaker.


    ''Since you''re here, please remember your aunt''s name. My name is Parm-Artur. May the secret God smile on your future, promising explorer.


    Her name was Mr. Palm? She knew my name and I hadn''t heard it - this was rude.


    ''So, Master Atobe, where are you going now?¡¡Since you''re here, I''d like to ask you one last time. No, it''s very nice to have you back again, but this is a growing company, and I''m sure it''s not the last time you''ll have time to pause to get your search on track.


    ''''Um ... the way you put it, Palum-san was once an explorer too?


    Igarashi-san asks me questions that I was curious about. Indeed, he was talking about having experience in exploration.


    ''''Yes, I was an explorer as a ''shifu'' when I was young. But I wasn''t a thief, my specialty was trap removal and lock picking. I''ve been retired for more than 30 years, though, so my level of skill has declined.


    ''So that''s what happened...''


    When I was young, they called me ''cat''s hand'' even though I looked like this. I was exploring up to the sixth ward, but I met my father, you know. He passed away a long time ago, but I don''t miss him because he has his daughter and grandchildren.


    What kind of second life will a retired explorer have? I haven''t thought about it for a long time yet, and for now, I''d like to remain as active as possible.


    Will I make an achievement in my quest, or will I be in a position to support the searchers? Either way, you''ll have a place in the Maze Country. ''They say that all incarnations must become explorers,'' but the bottom line is that you are free to live as long as you play a role in something as long as you incarnate.


    ''We''re going to go to the store where we''re going to open a box for you...''


    Oh, my God, really?¡¡There are three box stores in town, and one of them is run by my daughter.


    ''I see. The world is so much more connected than you think.


    ''We''re not the biggest box store, but we''re good at it. My daughter was able to transfer my skills to her and it was easy for her to improve her ''lock-picking'' and ''trap-removal'' skills. She''s only been retired for two years, and she''s been trained to maintain her skills, so she''s a very good box opener.


    ''Skills passed on ... you mean your daughter inherited your skills?¡¡That''s awesome.


    Does that mean that when a child inherits his or her parents'' skills, they can be born with more talent than their parents?


    ''They say you can only pass on the skills of one of your parents, though. My daughter seems to be a lot like me.


    So it''s not like you''re going to take over the skills of various jobs and become all-powerful...


    Children are not born to their parents to further their search. God must have taken that into consideration.


    The story of Parmomom''s story has implications or something to think about.


    In this labyrinthine country, running up the pecking order gets you what you want, both status and honor. But pushing forward by any means is not my principle.


    But if it was Atobe-sama and his side............no, it''s a delicate subject. I''m sorry, but as I get older, I don''t have any more discretion.


    I haven''t been in a relationship with you yet...


    ..........


    Beside the flustered Igarashi-san, Theresa is looking at me. After all, without ''Ishin-denshin'', it''s difficult to read the maiden''s mind silently.


    ''''Eh, eh. Palum-san, it was nice to talk to you about things. If the box store we''re going to is Palum-san''s daughter''s shop, I''ll give her my regards.


    Yes, please. Take care of yourself, both of you. Don''t take it easy.


    We left our quarters after being seen off by Palum Kobo-san. Igarashi-san didn''t speak for a while, but on the way down the hill to town, she opened her mouth.


    ''''Oh, Rear-kun. Come to think of it, I''m at level 2 now, so I have two more skill points. Which skill do you think I should take?


    ''Congratulations. If you''d like, may I see your license?


    ''Yeah, fine. Can''t you see the skills of the people at the party?


    ''Theresa is a special case, and she seems to look like one to me. But in the case of my party mates, I''d have to ask to see their licenses to know.


    That''s all you can do is build up your trust and let me show you. Igarashi-san took out the license from the pouch on his waist while ministering to me and showed it to me.


    Skills I''ve Learned¡ô


    Thunderbolt: Runs lightning bolts and strikes opponents. ?Thunderbolt: Runs lightning bolts and strikes the opponent, causing a low probability of being electrocuted.


    Blink Step: Become an ''alter ego'' and avoid attacks for a short time.


    Skills you can acquire


    Double Attack: Increase your weapon attack frequency.


    Brave Mist: Removes fear from allies.


    Freeze Thorn: Freeze your enemy''s feet and slow them down.


    Snow Skin: no longer freezes and becomes more attractive.


    Bullet Repellent 1: Makes it slightly harder for enemies'' indirect attacks to hit you.


    Decoy Doll: Spend "Doll" to create a decoy that resembles you.


    Remaining skill points: 2


    ''Valkyrie''s can acquire a lot of skills... there''s a thing called "skin of the snow country", but was Valkyrie a job related to the snow country?''


    "...maybe because my mom is from a snow country or something?


    ''Oh, I suppose it could be. The only reason I can use lightning is because you used to drop thunderbolts on me a lot.


    ''Then it''s not like I''m the one who took ''Thunderbolt'' first, I still have a personality problem...''


    ''Well, it''s not like that.......Thunderbolt, it''s great. And when a demon gets electrocuted, it''s easier to hit it with an attack.


    Igarashi-san looks at me with a jittery look. I shouldn''t carelessly say what happened in the past, I myself said I''ve already forgotten about it, but if you''re persistent, you won''t like it.


    The strongest skill at a glance would be ''Double Attack''. It goes well with supportive attacks.


    If the state of fear is the state of being frightened by demons, then I feel like I want ''Brave Mist'' just in case I can''t fight properly.


    Akita beauty is often said. There is an image of pale skin, but I wonder what it is really like.


    ''Well, well my mom is from Akita too, but that''s good. Then I''ll change my question then. Do you think we should take this skill as a countermeasure if the demons that freeze us will eventually come out?


    ''''Well, if the equipment can make you resistant, you shouldn''t dare take it... oh, but the fact that it''s more appealing does bother me.


    Igarashi-san is still beautiful, but what would happen if she took away the ''snow woman''s skin''? She could become even more beautiful - she''s not a sub-human, and she wouldn''t become as white as the snow woman.


    ''''Well, that''s not my goal, but... then I''d better make it a different skill for now. I wonder if this ''decoy doll'' means you can attract the attention of demons.


    ''Yes. It will be a supplementary skill, but it seems strong depending on how you use it.


    Can I get it?¡¡I''ll leave the rest to you, Mr. Rear.


    I think she really wants to get the ''Skin of the Snow Country'', but it''s not an urgent skill, so she seems to be patient with me.


    The level is likely to go up in today''s search, so let''s have her take the ''Double Attack'' for now, and then we''ll make her a ''decoy doll'' of her choice.


    ''''Then I''d better go to the labyrinth after I procure the ''doll''.


    I''m pretty sure I saw one in the general store in front of the labyrinth.


    ''Then let''s buy it there. The other skill is ''Double Attack''.


    The fact that it seems useful in some situations is true of all skills, but her reluctance to take it up will reduce her effectiveness. The "double attack" will have a noticeable effect from today''s battle.


    (Now all that remains to be seen is how much magic power is consumed. If it costs as much as Blaze Shot, I can use it in every battle.)


    That''s it. Oh, you can never have enough skill points. There''s a lot of skills I want to try out.


    ''I''m the same way. I want to be as lean as possible, but you don''t have to just save up because you can learn by taking it.


    ''''Yes. And the exciting feeling you get when you take this skill is addictive...


    When Theresa gets to the next level, we''ll take up some new skills.


    I''ve been watching Igarashi-san take the skill beside me for a long time, so I have no doubt that Theresia is interested in her own skills as well. I have one point on hold right now, but I''d like to let her take the new skill as soon as possible.


    Now, the other person who doesn''t have a grasp on the skills is Suzuna. I''d like to see Elitia''s skills as well, but it''s hard to know if she''ll be able to teach me the skills of the Carth Blade, so I guess I shouldn''t rush and wait for the opportunity.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    When I entered the box store Louisa had told me about, I saw a woman wearing an apron sitting around a table with two other women, a boy and a girl, reading a book.


    ''''Welcome. Are you a guest introduced by the guild?''''


    ''Yes, I was introduced to you by Louisa. I''m Alihit-Atobe.


    Hey, mom, are you going to open your bag?


    Wow, a package, a package of beans!¡¡Plum, I love your box!


    The older boy is apparently his older brother, and is about 5 years old. The younger sister was about three years old and had a very similar face. And she missed her mother, who seemed to be the owner of the box store, a lot.


    Palme Aunty said she has a daughter and a grandson, and this mother and son seemed to be the one.


    ''Excuse me, I was just looking to play. We don''t let these kids go into the basement to open the boxes.


    Well, I wish you''d shown me a simple box.


    I''m sorry, Ake, but this customer''s box is a very difficult box to open.


    But your mother can open it, right?


    Your mother is a ''wannabe''!


    A trapper - that''s the job of a woman in a box store. If a box has a difficult trap on it, she can remove it and open it, I guess that''s what she means.


    ''Ake, Plum, go and play outside for a bit. Take a letter to your grandmother. I''m sure she''ll be delighted to see you.


    Isn''t your mother coming?


    ''Yes, I''ll be there when you''re done. Eik, take care of Plum for me.


    ''Yes!¡¡I''ll be waiting for you at Grandma''s!


    When Aik and Plum go outside, a large white dog in the corner of the room follows them - like a bodyguard.


    Igarashi-san seems to be curious about the dog and speaks to the shopkeeper with a glint in his eye.


    ''It''s amazing.......you can understand human language perfectly. He''s a very big dog, what''s his breed called?


    ...doggie?


    Why are you so upset about it? You''ve been called that before.


    ''''Huh........I call her that too. She''s a ''Silver Hound'' breed, and she was originally a guard dog that accompanied the searchers.


    So now you''re escorting children.


    He''s just a loyal dog. I love animals too, so it''s nice to see a dog for the first time in a long time.


    ..........


    Theresia seemed a little scared of dogs, always upright and immobile, but she had her hand on my shoulder. Well, we all have our strengths and weaknesses.


    ''I''m sorry, my name is Farma-Artur. As for Atobe-sama''s ''black box'', I, as a guild-approved trapper, will politely open it for you.


    A strange old housewife in an apron on the outside - in fact, a terrific trapper.


    The smile that can only be described as compassionate, as well as the dog embroidery on the chest of the apron - the majestic height difference, so much so that it is pulled to the limit.


    ''''........Rear-kun, don''t raise your karma up here, okay?''''


    Yes, yes and no, I didn''t see him?


    Igarashi-san pinched her arm to keep her in check. Unaware of the meaning of the exchange, Falma-san put her hand to her cheek and smiled with a blush on her face, as if she was watching the two of them get along.

 31 Episode 30: Barrier Lock

    Igarashi-san noticed that Falma-san was looking at her with a smile and quickly removed her hand from my arm.


    ''You three are fellow partygoers, aren''t you? I''m glad you guys get along so well, because sometimes people can''t decide on their share of the box and they''re full of tension.


    ''Oh, that sounds like a lot of work...''


    We''ve got this guy, Rear-guard, as our leader, so we''ll be fine. That''s right, Rear-kun.


    If Igarashi-san says so, I''m sure of it.


    ..........


    Theresia nodded her head in agreement. She''s been scared of the dog for a long time, but finally seems to have calmed down.


    ''That dog is so friendly to people, it won''t bite you.


    ''The sub-humans are often not very good with dogs. A werewolf, for example, can turn into a beast and start a fight.


    ''Werewolf I didn''t see you on the list of mercenary agents.


    ''''That''s because there are several different races of sub-humans in each labyrinth. They are said to be affected by the last demon the explorer encountered.


    So Theresia has been killed by a lizard-type demon. When I think about it, she might be even worse at the lizard''s kind than a dog - I''ll keep that in mind.


    ''''Then may I have a look at your box?


    ''Yes, please. Here''s the thing...


    Farma drapes a cloth over the table and places a black box on it.


    Once again, I look at it and see that it is made of a metallic material and that it is made up of parts of various shapes and sizes to create a square shape. At first glance, it''s hard to tell where it opens from.


    ''''........This box. You''ve defeated a rare named one. It''s been a long time since I''ve seen.......Among the boxes that the magic power of the labyrinth congeals and is produced in the body of a demon, the black box is a valuable one that is rarely found in the eighth district.


    "I took down a big one with the name ''Fang Orc'' and it only comes out every few years. It''s called ''The Juggernaut.''


    ''Yes, we''ve heard of its appearance. The guild watched for a grace period until the people targeted by its name were defeated or they could gather their people and defeat them. Had a little more time passed, a high ranking explorer would have been invited and defeated.


    The guild may take such measures against powerful demons. That''s probably true, we can''t leave an opponent who could cause massive damage at any time forever.


    ''''The fact that you have this black box in your possession and that you brought it here is confidential. Since the ''Boxmaker'' is under the patronage of the guild, it is not so easy for an unwanted person to come and take the box.


    Thank goodness for that. Do you have an escort for this store as well?


    ''''Yes, whenever a problem arises, the ''Guild Savers'' are always on hand.


    Guild Saber, so that''s what you mean by the strength the guild holds to maintain order. As a name, it''s a bit embarrassing because it''s so direct, how righteous it is, but it''s a bit embarrassing.


    At any rate, I knew that even if I brought a rare box to the box store, I was guaranteed safety. As long as Falma-san doesn''t get involved in anything dangerous over the precious boxes, I can ask for peace of mind about my boxes as well.


    ''''This box here, it''s called a ''black box,'' and if by any chance it fails when unlocking it, a variety of phenomena will occur. Please think of it as a trap that is far more powerful than the boxes usually possessed by demons.


    ''No comparison... how powerful is it?''


    ''A section of the town disappeared, a large number of powerful demons were summoned, and so on. Because such things happened in the past and caused great damage, special procedures were always used to unlock the boxes. Even so, there are still some accidents that occur when people try to force open the box using rudimentary fingertip techniques, but the number of accidents has been drastically reduced compared to the past.


    A calm woman in an apron says something nonchalantly that sends a chill down my back. It''s still less scary than being told the same story by someone so powerful, though.


    ''''...Is it literally just in case?¡¡Or.....


    If there was a higher probability of an accident, I would dare not open the box.


    But Mr. Farma smiled, held out his hand to me and held up three supple fingers.


    ''In order to avoid accidents, and to guarantee safety, there are three requirements for operating a box store. One is that the probability of unlocking the ''wardrobe lock'' must be 100 percent, even in combination with equipment. The first is that you must transfer to a special facility when you open the box. Lastly, you should train to maintain your box-opening skills and get your license renewed once a year. I have mastered the ''Fingertip Technique 4'' and I use the ''Technique Piercing'' and the ''Polarity Ring'' to increase my odds of unlocking the box.


    I didn''t know that an accessory that casually emphasizes femininity could have such a meaning. The Kyokudo ring is worn on the little finger and is stacked two on top of each other.


    I see........you''re the consummate professional.


    ''Without the skills I inherited from my mother, I wouldn''t have been able to get certified as a boxmaker at level 7. I was able to get to ''Fingertip Technique 2'' at Level 3 and ''Fingertip Technique 4'' at Level 7. My mother was an excellent sifu, but she said that even at level 10, I could barely make it to fingertip jutsu 3.


    (What about Theresa? With a rogue, I wonder if he''s slower to enhance his "fingertip technique" than Thief.)


    If Theresia''s parents were also in a bandit-type job - I think about it. Even if they weren''t as good as Falma-san, they thought it would be helpful if they could remove simple traps, so they might be able to get ''Fingertip Jutsu 1''. Even if the rogue could get ''Fingertip Technique 2'' and beyond, he would still need to take ''Fingertip Technique 1'' first.


    ''''Excuse me, I''ve never met a ''trapper'' before, so I''d really like to ask you something.


    Yes, I''d be happy to help if I could.


    Can the traps in the labyrinth be spotted by ''fingertip techniques''?


    I think such a skill would be of the ''trap detection'' variety. You will need the "fingertip technique" or "trap destruction" skill to remove the trap even if you detect it. There are very few searchers who have the latter.


    If you can also get trap-sensing, you can expect Theresia to be a sifu. It''s true that a position with a lot of things you can do is troubling - I''m very confused about fixing the role.


    ''I hope you are relieved. We may or may not have a rare box once a year, so it''s been a long time since I''ve given you this kind of detailed explanation...''


    ''You were very thorough and explained it very well. I would like to ask you again to unlock this box. Is the fee still too high for a box with a sophisticated trap?


    ''Thank you, I will open it with all sincerity. We do not charge for this type of box. We will dispose of the items inside that you do not need here. That''s all the revenue we can generate.


    The box contains what you need and what you don''t need - is that what it is? Or maybe it''s something you can''t equip, or something that''s only useful to a certain party.


    Either way, you''ll find out when you open it up. I signed the request form and entrusted the black box to Falma-san - and she asked me to be present, so I went down to the basement of the store.


    ¡ô¡ó¡ô


    As they walked down the stairs, they came to a door. There was a large blue jewel on that door, and when Falma placed her palm on it, the letters appeared. ''17,'' apparently a number.


    ''This will be a transition door. You can transfer to a large room that the guild has prepared for opening boxes. The location of that room and other information is confidential, though.''''


    Just in case there''s an accident in the city, they''re going to move it to another location... thorough.


    ''When the biggest accident ever occurred, the residents of the Third Ward were killed by the thousands. Even so, the Guild could not forbid the boxes from being opened, as they are a great source of revenue for the searchers. The guild has invested a lot of money in the operation of the box store. Opening the boxes even if it means spending a huge amount of money to ensure their safety is the guild''s current policy.


    I have no objection to the guild''s policy since I too have a desire to open the box. Igarashi-san was also nervous, but she seemed to be convinced by Farma-san''s story.


    ''''........Aren''t you afraid, Farma-san?¡¡I wouldn''t open it myself, but I''m so nervous it hurts my chest just to be there.


    ''It was very scary at first. But the box doesn''t betray your experience and skills. Once I figured that out, I started to enjoy it ... it''s almost addictive.


    Falma puts her hand on her cheek and sighs feverishly. To be honest, I don''t envy a husband who has a wife like this.


    ''''........everyone calls me a big sister too?


    No, no, I didn''t say anything, but... phew.


    I try to cover it up and he sticks a finger in my cheek. It doesn''t hurt, but I can''t help but make a strange sound.


    "What''s the matter with you, Puffy? You''ve been delirious and disheveled for a while now.


    ..........


    Not only does Igarashi-san, but also Theresa, put silent pressure on me. I guess she''s just looking at me, but it''s probably my guilt that makes me think so.


    ''Here''s the room number. We''ll transfer to an empty room, so you won''t have to meet up with anyone else to open the box. Please don''t worry.


    Farma-san opens the door and the four of us walk through. So, I''ve already transitioned - it''s surprisingly easy.


    When we descended into the labyrinth, we weren''t clear when we were transferred, but this time we could tell that we were ''transferred''. Does this mean that there are different types of methods of transference?


    ''You''ll see why it''s so big when you open it. Now, let me start the unlocking process Oh my God. I haven''t seen it this big in a long time....


    The "wardrobe lock" is hung on a black box. If you have mastered the fingertip technique, you can attempt to unlock the lock - the scene of the unlocking was beyond my imagination.


    When Falma-san held up her hand, something like a shiny figure unfolded around the black box. It''s a common scene in games, like when you activate magic.


    The unfolded shapes spread out endlessly - first on a flat surface, then vertically, to become something like a giant three-dimensional maze.


    It''s like a puzzle where you spin a ball of steel around and carry it to the goal. Have you ever seen something like that, Mr. Higuchi?


    That''s what I thought, too. How in the world is this figure coming up?


    The box is reacting to my skills, and it''s fighting to keep the wardrobe from being unlocked. I use my fingertip technique to successfully channel the magic to unlock it. When I channel the magic into the correct path, the warding that the box developed disappears. It will be a little dangerous then, so please stay away and get down.


    What........well, doesn''t that mean the trap is going to explode?


    I''m not going to let it explode. Oh I wonder how they can get through such a narrow place Huh, you managed to get through. It''s easier to get through here now that it''s wider Oh, Master Atobe, look here. This is the part that''s trapped. If you make a mistake, boom........


    ''Boom, boom Mr. Pharma, that''s not good.


    ''Am I the only one who thinks we should go into something more fundamental?¡¡Theresa, say something to her... oh, you can''t talk about it...


    ..........


    For some reason, Theresia is sitting in a gymnastic seat and observing the box opening. To me, it looks like Farma-san is saying troubling words, but to Theresia, does the box opening look like a mystical ritual?


    ''Well you can''t do it like that your mother can see through it you can''t try to hook it up. Well, I guess I''ll just have to go this way next time you''ll be able to reach me in a little while.


    Get down, rear end!


    Igarashi-san follows Falma-san''s instructions and jumps on me, covering me up. This was not the time to stand idly by, the box is about to be opened right now.


    In the end, as the cheered-up box complied - it may not be the case, but the magic power of Farma-san, passed through the unfolding maze, formed a single pathway.


    And when the warding dissipated, from the streaks that ran across the surface of the box, light flooded the vast space, enough to illuminate every inch of it.


    ''''Well, it''s dazzling.......ooooh......!


    Rear...


    ..........


    Theresia gets down with me and works through the light. I think she opened it safely, but the light was so horrendous that it was hard to open her eyes.


    Eventually, after the light calmed down, I noticed that the landscape around me had changed completely.


    ''Good work, Atobe-sama.


    Scattered on the ground were countless copper, silver and gold coins. That alone was not the mass that was contained in a black box large enough for even a woman to hold in both hands.


    Ignoring the mass, everything that was inside was flying out into the room. There were countless weapons, ornaments, armor, and other items - most of them looked like junk or no different than beginner-level equipment, but some of them seemed to be of good quality. The party''s equipment might be updated in one fell swoop, and when I realized that, I felt a shiver rise in my heart.


    Now you know why searchers want the box. "You can see why searchers seek out boxes, not only for the belongings of defeated searchers, but also for some reason, the named ones accumulate in these boxes a great deal of treasure of unknown origin. Removing the wards of the black box also means freeing up the different space inside the box.


    That''s more than I imagined.......you really never know what''s going to happen in another world. Oh, this spear........Rearward, can I hold it?


    ''''You should appraise the equipment before you touch it. As long as it''s not a ''coloured weapon'', the Beginner''s Appraisal Scroll will be able to appraise everything. We will charge five silver coins for each piece.''''


    A weapon of color--is the ''Scarlet Imperial Sword'' that Elitia is equipped with one of those weapons? If it can''t be appraised and the only way to know if it''s cursed or not is to equip it, it''s a causal weapon even if it''s strong.


    It''s not cheap, but even if a large amount of scrolls are needed, this amount of coinage will ensure a surplus. Probably, the amount is larger than the juggernaut''s bounty.


    ''Igarashi-san, Theresia, let''s find something we can use.


    Very serious. No, it''s more like a restaurant, isn''t it?


    There is no doubt that there will be a considerable amount of money to be made, so Falma is in a good mood. She moves to the point where she transitioned with a light step, shifting and disappearing. She must have gone to get an inventory of the appraisal scrolls.


    I also direct Theresia to look for her equipment. I also search lightly for slings and projectile weapons - then I hit something knocking on my foot.


    (................................What is this?


    Falling at his feet was what looked like a stick. When I looked closer, I saw that it was made of a material that was different from the others.


    ''''What is that ... what is it?¡¡It''s like a key at the end.


    ''The key ... it''s definitely a shape. It''s big for that, though.


    The tip of the stick is in the shape of a key. If it''s a key, is it the one used in "Akebono''s Field"?


    -- I don''t know, but I''m irresistibly curious. I''ll try out the appraisal first and then we''ll figure out how to deal with it.

 32 Episode 31 Equipment update

    Once outside the box store, I go to call for Elitia and the other three who were waiting in the square in front of the guild.


    ''''Aricht, thank you for your hard work. I''ve gone through the moving procedures. After we go up to the next ward for a while, though, the quarters will be dispersed again.


    ''With all those facilities, I''m sure some people will want to stay in the royal suite.


    ''''Yes, but it''s only a rented residence. Reincarnates can stay for free for the first month, but after that you''ll have to earn your own money to pay for your room.


    ''Heh, I didn''t think so. You''re right, the stable is free, right?


    Yes, yes but I wouldn''t recommend it. You can''t close the door, and, well, it''s a stable, so there''s a lot of hygiene issues.


    ''My relatives run a farm, so I know a little bit about the atmosphere - it''s amazing. They''re living things, so it''s just natural.


    I haven''t experienced a stable for a day, so I''m not going to sleep without a roof over my head when I''m broke - no, I''ll have to be very careful about the amount of money I have left.


    ''Well, it doesn''t look like we''re going to be on the road for the time being. I think we''re well-funded.


    Well you''ve opened ''that''. In some cases, you won''t have to worry about funding.


    ''You shouldn''t tell me that because saying that makes your brother want to feed you, so you better not tell me!


    ''Misaki-chan, I''m really trying to be independent I have to make sure I don''t over indulge Arihito-san.


    Around the ''really'' part, Misaki felt she wasn''t being trusted and scratched her cheeks. Well, she was the first to abandon her friends and infiltrate another party.


    ''I don''t have any useful skills for exploration in my current state! I think my good fortune might be needed at a critical moment, but...


    ''Well, if you feel it''s dangerous, you can usually spend time in town. You''ll have to train individually to raise your level, though.


    ''That''s it, but I''d like to try to find a mate in me too! Eventually we''ll have more people and I''ll be a bench warmer until it''s my turn. Rather than that happening, I''d like to get members together so that we can start with two parties.


    I see. So, do you have a potential member in mind?


    ''I''d like to get together with people who aren''t specialized in fighting, but it would be convenient to bring them along from time to time. Then the roles would be perfect! Even if they provide for you when you''re not earning any money, you won''t feel like a piggyback on them.


    At first, we''ll dive like a labyrinth attack member, and when the skills we need come up, we''ll replace them with members who have them and deal with them.


    The multiple party concept was still vague, but that would be a good general idea. If we have members who are close to our level in the second party, we can go to the labyrinths that match our level and level up. Only Misaki is level 1, so in her current state, it''s hard to raise her level even if she forms a party with me.


    Elitia has also officially become a party member, but the level difference is still a bottleneck.


    ''''I''ll usually act as a guest until Aricht and the others reach level 7 or 8. It would have been better to revert back to a guest when I kept the juggernaut...''''


    ''No, not really. When the experience display on my license fills up, when I come back from one adventure and I level up, the display is back to zero. I guess that means that no matter how many powerful enemies you kill, you''ll only get one level up.


    In other words, find a demon that''s easy to gain experience from, defeat it and leave the labyrinth as soon as the experience bubble is full. In terms of leveling up, that''s the most efficient way to do it.


    Elitia''s experience level only increased by one bubble, even after defeating the juggernaut. That''s probably because Juggernaut''s level is 5, which is lower than Elitia''s. It''s not that it''s not easy to level up just because it''s a strong enemy, it''s more that Juggernaut isn''t that much of a struggle if you have a party of level 8.


    (The stronger you are, the harder it is to level up. Find a demon that''s at the same level and can be hunted consistently... that''s probably a good thing. (As your level goes up one level, your strength could jump up.


    ''''I''m sorry, but I''m going to have you be a guest for a while and join the party when we fight strong enemies. If you can manage ''that skill'', you won''t have to act apart...


    Do you think you can handle it?¡¡Even if I discard this sword, it will return to my hands. The cursed sword is not something I can let go of in any way...


    ''Break the curse or overcome it. I''m sorry to say it''s so easy, but I think there''s a way. It''s partly because I can''t do it if I don''t think so.


    ''Well it helps to hear you say that. Because I can''t think of anything brighter than what I''m going to be, either.


    ''Ellie, I''m sure you''ll be fine. If you''re right, Alihit-san, if there''s a curse, there must be a way to deal with it.


    Is it not possible to break the curse with a skill that the miko can learn? If it''s that easy, does anyone else have any trouble with the curse?


    ''Suzuna, when you were helping at the shrine, did you ever do any exorcisms?''


    ''Yes, I have assisted my father with this once. It sounds like a slightly different form of skill for the ''miko'' position.


    Well I''m sorry, if I can, but can I see your skills?


    ''No, I''m sorry it took me so long to show you to the party to let you in. My skills are like this. I''ve already taken two... oh, you''re getting more points.


    Skills Acquired


    Purification: improves the mental state of the party and repels weak spirits.


    Exorcism 1: Cleanses the body of the spirit. The success rate is lower the higher the level of the target.


    Available Skills


    Doomed Arrow: When using the bow, the arrow gains the sacred attribute.


    You will be able to use your bow for a certain number of hits, depending on your level.


    Pray: The success rate of the entire party''s actions increases slightly.


    Salt: Apply salt to a certain area to prevent demons from approaching.


    Spiritual Sense 1: Sense the existence of spirit entities that are normally invisible.


    Remaining skill points: 2.


    Suzuna, have you ever done archery before?


    ''Yes, yes ... you''ve got it all figured out pretty well. Oh, my new skills....


    ''''Minnaka'''' isn''t a skill that can normally be learned at level 2, right? You''re a good archer to begin with, so you''re able to learn those skills as well?


    If you think you can help me, I''d love to learn.


    ''Yes. This is going to be useful for a long time to come, so can you take it?


    Suzuna chooses to get ''Minnaka''. It''s a ''must-have'' rather than a high hit rate, so it will be extremely effective against enemies with high evasion capabilities.


    The "salt heap" will be useful for creating safe zones in the labyrinth, and spirituality sensing will be essential in the labyrinth where there are many spirit-type demons. If you can supplement it with equipment, it''s good, but otherwise, being attacked by an invisible enemy is not something to live for.


    ''''I wonder if the ''purification'' is always working. I feel calmer when I''m with Suzuna.''''


    ''Well I hope you''re right. I''m not exactly sure how it works either.


    Suzu-chan was said to be a healer.


    ''''Misaki-chan, that has nothing to do with this or that...''''


    I don''t think it''s irrelevant. Most of the skills are acquired by ''jobs'', but some of them come out of personal aptitude, so there may be people who are the same miko but without ''purification''.


    I think the popular skills are common, but Igarashi-san and Theresia also had their own unique skills. I''m too special for everything, I don''t meet people in the same position as me first, so it''s hard to say that all skills are unique.


    (.........wait.... What happens if someone else writes ''middle guard'' or ''vanguard''?¡¡(I guess it''s not so easy to get accepted after all)


    I don''t know how many people have been reincarnated so far, but I was the only one who wrote ''rearguard'' and got accepted. My license display isn''t normal either, and I don''t think the same kind of thing would happen very often.


    ''Well, more importantly........Aricht. Do you have any of your skills that have always worked?


    ''I think having me behind you will help you regain your strength on a regular basis I''m sorry if you''re feeling restless. I just hope I can disarm it except when I need to.


    ''Is that...?¡¡Oh ... the license says ''recovery limit''.


    Hmm?¡¡No, not on my license....


    It says that "Assist Recovery 1" of "Arihito" is activated. Does that mean that the person being recovered has a different display again?


    When I asked to see Elitia''s license, the display looked like this.


    ¡ôCurrent Status¡ô.


    Elitia''s mental state has recovered ¡ú calm state


    Elitia''s health has been restored.


    (I don''t see my skill name... no, Suzuna''s skill isn''t named either. Is the display different for the user and the receiver?¡¡(Other people''s offensive skills and such will be named, so recovery will be different.


    I wonder how supportive attacks and supportive defenses will be displayed. People don''t have time to look at their licenses in battle, so they didn''t seem to notice it, but if it''s going to be clearly displayed, it''s better to be able to hide it at your discretion. It''s because if a third party is present while we are in battle, they will know the content of our skills.


    ''''Elitia, is it possible to hide the skills you used for your license so that they don''t appear?''''


    ''''Yes, if you have the ''Concealment'' skill, you can prevent them from knowing what you''ve done. If it''s not a skill, though, some ornaments can replace it.


    Are those ornaments pretty valuable, do you think?


    Well there''s not that many of them out there. If you open the ''box'', you''ll usually find one.


    ''Thanks, I hope they find it in the box this time.


    Does that cover up the bad things you do?¡¡Your brother thinks badly about it too!


    Is that...?¡¡Alihit, I''m sorry, but covering it up will only raise your karma if you don''t show up for your license. Don''t do anything dishonest.


    That''s a shame, I guess I should jokingly say. Elitia and Suzuna seem to be fastidious, so it''s probably best not to joke about it. I''m old enough to be their guardian, and I don''t want to lose their trust.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    When I returned to the space I had transitioned to from the box store, I found that weapons, armor, ornaments, other items, and coins had been sorted to some extent.


    Without needing to appraise them, I''ll have to buy the weapons and other items that are widely distributed. If you only keep what you can use, there is not too much to sort through.


    One of these bags is a thousand gold coins, and there were a little over six thousand in all. We removed the shavings, we weighed them on a scale, and from the second bag on, we reduced the number of coins we had to count.


    As expected of Igarashi-san. But it must have been hard just to put them in a bag of 1,000 sheets.


    ''Yes, it''s ... it''s a great weight. If you put it in the bank, you''d better get a check out for it if you need a bigger sum.


    This is the moment when you realize how convenient paper money is. No, although paper money in an amount equivalent to the value of a gold coin is still a hassle, as the number of bills is large.


    (The funds are so plentiful that it''s almost numbing my senses.......it''s not good. I''ll spend boldly when I need to, but usually I''m always thrifty.)


    ''We bought the shaved coins because they cannot be used unless they are recast. We also have a considerable amount of silver and copper coins, but these are easily damaged, so the number of coins in good condition is not so large.


    The copper and silver coins may be discolored, but they could be minted and used as well. The purchase price was already attached to them. For convenience, we call them ''degraded silver coins'', but there are about 4,000 of them and their value is 30 percent. Considering the time and effort required to reuse them, it''s just fortuitous that they''re worth a price.


    I''ve always wanted to try it. I wanted to spread the gold coins around and say ''treasure!


    ''I put it all together, so don''t open the bag. I don''t know when, but I''ll call you when I open the box again.


    Really?¡¡The magic of money is scary...making it harder and harder to get away from your brother like this........oh, please listen to me!


    ''If there''s any equipment the gambler can use, you''d better pick one. The ones I could use too...


    Rear, how about this one?¡¡It''s a sling made of a wood called ebony.


    What Igarashi-san had found for me was a sling that was clearly of better quality than the one I''m using now.


    It will not be able to shoot blaze shots, but it seems that ''hit'', ''hit ratio'' and ''range'' are all compensated.


    ''Congratulations, that''s a weapon with one rune slot on it. By inserting a rune into that one, its performance will become even stronger.


    Farma, who has been watching me, speaks to me. She points to the hole in the sling - does that mean this is the rune slot?


    ''''Runes ... is that different from processing with magic stones?''''


    ''Runes are made from magic stones. They are more powerful than ordinary magic stones because they are made by collecting and compressing a lot of magic stones. Even those that would be called crappy stones are sometimes prized when made into runes.


    My lance seems to have a slot in it too.


    The spear Igarashi-san brought with her was made of alloy and had corrections for ''strike'', ''defense probability'' and ''penetration''. It''s a type of spear called a cross spear, and it''s said to be able to receive enemy attacks with its crossed blades - with this, a shield might not necessarily be necessary.


    ''It''s a good weapon, so for me, I''d recommend switching it out. Oh, there''s some armor over there.......isn''t this for women?


    It''s the ''Lady Armor''. It''s light in weight and focuses on evasion, so it''s often used by women in warrior-type jobs. This one also has an open slot.


    This armor was designed to be perfect for Valkyrie, or perhaps it could be called Valkyrie after equipping it. Even with that, Igarashi-san had a hard time taking the plunge - not unreasonable, it''s not a bikini armor, but it has rather a lot of exposed skin.


    Because you can''t walk around town in this bold armor.


    ''I don''t think that''s true but the enchanted equipment is more defensive than it looks, and I''d recommend using this too. It''s not as good as my armor, but I think it''ll work all the way up to level 5 or so.


    Elitia, who seems to focus on the performance of the equipment, recommended it to Igarashi-san, disregarding the design. Falma-san also arranged a set of head equipment and other items and placed them around the armor, then tapped Igarashi-san on the shoulder.


    ''''If you don''t mind, I''d be happy to help you put it on. Don''t worry, you might not get used to it at first, but you get used to it when you equip it. You can even wear a cloak (cloak) in town.


    ''To tell you the truth, there was a time when I admired the sight of a female warrior wearing Lady Armor. I was limited in what I could equip, and it was no different than normal clothing, so...


    So why do you recommend that Igarashi-san equip it yourself, Igarashi-san wanted to say, but he stared at the performance displayed on the appraisal scroll and sighed, haha.


    ''''........I''ll try to equip it. Rear-kun, I''ll hit you if you say it looks like a cosplay.


    ''No, no, I won''t say never. I look forward to it.


    ''''Well you don''t have to be flattered now!¡¡Really!


    As if I was going to lose my embarrassment if I didn''t get angry, Igarashi-san and her attendant, Falma-san, transitioned in with their equipment.


    Teresia comes next and shows me a short sword, a shield, and a pair of boots. The boots seem to be made of a material that even Teresia can wear.


    The shield is a type of ''turge'' that can be used as armor on the chest of leather armor. Defense, durability, and evasion are all better than the buckler.


    The shortsword has already been modified and can be used for ''wind'' type techniques. Its bare performance is also high, and I immediately recommended replacing it.


    Neither of them have a slot, but I''m sure I''ll eventually find one with a slot. Although it can''t be said to have been greatly enhanced compared to Igarashi-san''s, it''s important to steadily strengthen it, even if it''s only little by little.


    ''''The boots... ah, you can take those off too, right?


    The new equipment called "Chameleon Boots" had the ability to assimilate into the surrounding landscape. If you didn''t have to be a full-body chameleon to use it, it would be perfect for a surprise attack.


    Theresia sat down on the floor, bare feet, and changed her boots. The lizard boots I''ve been wearing for a long time aren''t bad in performance, but they''re quite used up, and it''s harder to lose durability if you change shoes with several spares - if they''re the same as normal shoes.


    ''''.........''''


    Yeah, the color looks good on you. It looks good on you, Theresa.


    Theresia doesn''t say anything, but she seems to like her new equipment. But a chameleon, if there are demons like that, will they attack you while you''re invisible - that''s terrifying.


    ''How about this cape or something, Suzuna?


    ''What ... are you sure?¡¡Such a precious thing....


    You''d better have a little extra protection, so equip it if you can.


    When I hand her the cape, Suzuna puts it on over her white clothing. Since the cape is also white, the white and red miko-ness of the miko is not spoiled.


    ''''........Ah. Arihito, there''s a ''choker of concealment''. It might be a pain in the ass to wear around your neck, but now you can do what you thought you''d do.


    I''ve never worn a choker before.


    ''Then I''ll put it on for you! Please stay put.


    In the meantime, Igarashi and the others, who have finished changing, will come into transition.


    ''''Ah, um.........rear end, we''re equipped, but.......''''


    ''Yes, thank you for getting dressed. How do you feel...


    After getting the choker on, I turned around and was left speechless by the sight in front of me.

 33 Episode 32 Lady Armor

    The idea that Japanese people might not be able to adapt to the way they dress even if they went to another world - that didn''t apply to Igarashi-san.


    ''''Well...I also tried wearing the kote and gusoku (glebe), but they''re not as heavy as they look. It''s not as heavy as it looks, because it''s ''lightweight''.


    Igarashi-san blushes, but explains her equipment to me. The scroll that appraised her armor still displays its contents on the scroll.


    ¡ô Light Steel Lady Armor +3¡ô


    Made of steel.


    This is made of steel.


    Improved evasion capability.


    Slightly improved indirect defense.


    Slightly improves magic defense.


    The "Light Steel" in front is the name of the material, and the "+" indicates the number of elements that are added.


    ''''It would be easier to understand if we could get a numerical value for defense, but I guess we''ll just have to judge it by how it looks.


    ''''With ''Steel'' and ''Lady Armor'', I have a rough idea of how much defense I''m going to have. It would be hard to quantify it, because you''d have to actually take a few attacks.


    It would be very helpful if Elitia, my senior, was with me, as the explanations would come in instantly. I know that the materials and the type of armor will determine the base defense power.


    ''''Well I don''t plan to do it at the moment, but is there such a thing as testing defensive strength among friends?


    ''I''m sure some explorers will do that if they have to. Just one difference in the number of times the vanguard can withstand an enemy attack could cost them dearly, and the party could fall apart.


    It''s not just a matter of avoiding annihilation, I don''t want to lose a single party member. I have to ensure that I have not only the skills to make combat easier, but also a way to retreat safely when the time comes.


    Is that...?¡¡It''s nice to have the front droop, but the sides are a bit...


    ''Wow, it''s looking pretty cut up and risqu¨¦, isn''t it? I think you need to prepare for it like you do when you put on a bathing suit.


    ''''It''s a bold piece of equipment.......but it''s nice. I wonder if I''ll ever be equipped like this one day...


    Lady armor is gear for the warrior profession, but maybe some of the gear for priestesses is fantasy-like.


    ''''Ah... the word ''fantasy'' is sometimes mentioned by reincarnated people, isn''t it? Compared to the world before you were reincarnated, is the labyrinth country a fantastic place?


    For Falma, who was born in this world, the labyrinth country is nothing but a fantastic place. That''s what we are reminded of.


    ''Things that are talked about in our country in the imagination, or things that are supposed to happen in a fantasy world, happen here as a matter of course. It''s still a constant surprise to me. Igarashi-san''s armor was also imagined as a god or a warrior with great power or something like that.


    ''It really has become ''Valkyrie'' itself! Oh, I can understand a little bit of that kind of thing too!


    Well, I''ve seen a little bit of that in the story.


    ''''At first you''ll feel embarrassed when you''re dressed like a character in a story. But no matter how resistant you are, you''ll definitely get used to it... but Kyouka seems to attract a lot of attention from people around her in many ways.


    ''''I wonder if they couldn''t do something about just this place... it''s armor, they could have covered it up.


    The Lady Armor has a structure that supports the chest, but there is no armor to cover the chest, and the under armor worn like underwear is visible. Igarashi-san''s chest, which had asserted its undulations even in the vertical sweater, was regrettably present.


    (Umm, huge.........) Louisa''s breasts are out of the norm, but Igarashi-san must be in the largest class among Japanese...)


    "...that periodic shift in your gaze, is that karma-proof?


    No, no, I don''t feel guilty about it at all. I want to see them because they look great, but isn''t it rude to stare at them too long?


    It''s really amazing - if I wore it, I''d be all over the place.


    Even a woman would see it, perfectly dressed.


    Farma would be able to wear it normally if his job title wasn''t a trapper, but the chest would be even harder to wear. Of course, regardless of your body type, I''m sure you can equip it if you''re in a warrior position.


    The Elitia is an armor with armor covering the chest, and it''s a very strong-looking piece of equipment called "High Mithril Nightmail + 4". I''m sure you''ll be able to find out more about this as well.


    ''''As for the helmet, we found a crown, so we asked him to wear it.


    ''Oh, that''s nice. And then there''s the ''cloak'' for walking outside...


    ''That wasn''t included in what was found in the box, so I''m giving you mine. I''m a little taller than you and I''m sure it will be just barely long enough.


    ''''Thank you, for everything.


    Igarashi-san still looks uncomfortable in her armor that makes a clinking sound. I have to admit, I''m envious of her for being able to wear the equipment of another world with great skill.


    ''''Rear-kun, I couldn''t find any other metal armor, but I do have some ''hard leather'' armor.


    Thank you. Hardened leather........what is this stuff made of?


    ''''It''s the leather of a demon in the labyrinth called ''Marsh Ox'', the ''Noon Swamp''. It''s one of the elementary labyrinths in the Eighth Ward, but it''s not visited very often because it''s populated by dangerous demons that literally put us to sleep.


    I can use any weapon I want, but that''s not always the case with armor. However, Suzuna''s equipment was even more limited, and other than the cape, there was nothing else I could possibly equip but ornaments. The women started to choose their ornaments while taking advice from Falma-san and Elitia.


    I removed my previous armor and equipped the ''Hard Oxmail +2''. Thinking about it, I think that this equipment was worn by other explorers - but I can''t tell how it feels to use it from its appearance.


    (Wherever the source is, we can only use what we can use. I''d like to eventually have equipment made from scratch just for me, but...)


    When I looked for something else that I could use, I found something called ''Chain Grab + 1''. It looks like a small hand made of cloth, reinforced with chainmail, like a thimble glove, and is made to handle weapons and other things easily.


    Looking at the scroll containing the results of that appraisal, I almost shouted out.


    ¡ôLight Steel Chain Grab +1 ¡ô


    Made of steel.


    Made of steel. ?Modified to be "lighter".


    Your ability to strengthen your allies has been slightly enhanced.


    Here....!¡¡(If the skills I''m strengthening include my support skills...!


    I''ve never worn a ring before...


    They come in different sizes, so we''ll just have to wear the ones we can use without being too picky.


    ''It takes a lot of courage to wear it on your ring finger - and your little finger, too, in a way. Oh, I''ve never worn a ring on my finger, only a toy ring.


    ''Does Theresa care about the ring too?¡¡I think this is good for you.


    ..........


    You mean you want to focus on design over effect?¡¡Theresa is a girl too!


    Does this mean that women are still attracted to ornaments? Everyone was choosing the pieces in a hurry, and Falma-san was looking at them with a smile on her face.


    ¡ô¡ó¡ô


    I asked Farma-san to arrange for a ''courier'' and left a bag full of coins in the bank, and also rented a rental warehouse to store the ''++'' equipment that I couldn''t carry. One gold coin per month is needed for each storage unit, but that much investment is nothing to worry about.


    After having lunch at a cafeteria in the center of town, we headed to the entrance of the labyrinth. Leila-san was dealing with the other searchers at the mercenary agency, and when she saw us, she raised her hand to greet us.


    In the plaza in front of the labyrinth, Madoka is opening a stall today as well. It seems that the reincarnators have visited again, and it''s quite busy - equipment other than the ones we distribute is also sold.


    ''''Ah, brother, good morning!


    ''Yeah, good morning. Madoka is looking good, too.


    ''There are so many more of my friends and they''re turning into very good equipment. I see the search was a great success.


    Thanks to you, a lot of good things have come out of this. We should thank Madoka for that.


    ''''No, no, I''m in the business of selling equipment. Just your brother''s thoughts........


    ''No, I''m not your brother, and you don''t have to raise your hand. Misaki, what''s up?


    Misaki''s eyes lit up as she wondered what she was going to do, and she squeezed Madoka''s hand firmly.


    ''Eh, ah, um, what''s going on?''


    Don''t you think arms dealers and gamblers go well together?


    I''m sorry, but that''s not a very good offer. I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to ask you out. I was incompetent to direct.


    ''''No, no... well, how should I put it... I was surprised that it was so sudden, but I also thought it was time for me to go out on a quest, since I''m about to be down to level one, so I wanted to give this person a thought. I thought you''d read me.


    Really?¡¡See, brother, recruitment is still about feeling. Let''s get more friends at this rate!


    It doesn''t mean that I''m going to have a fixture in my party, but it means that I can now ask Madoka, the ''merchant'', to accompany me when I need her.


    ''''That dynamic is honestly amazing. You seem to be very good at making friends and stuff... I''m jealous.''''


    Misaki-chan makes friends everywhere. It''s amazing how she''s able to talk to people she doesn''t know without fear.


    The ''Merchant'' is a non-combat job, but apparently it''s not completely unfightable compared to other mid-range types. Since Watadama can defeat them, it seems that it''s safe to have them work with Misaki - if redface appears, there''s no danger if you escape with a scroll. I''ll keep the idea of me overseeing it in mind if necessary.


    (I''ll also have to look for a vanguard that specializes in defense... oh, so that''s the kind of job he''s in.)


    In Rival''s party, there is a man with a large shield. There is also a woman with a bow and a man with a staff, and Rival-san, who seems to be in charge of the attack, is a well-balanced party.


    Oh, so today is the day to traverse the third level. Be careful because there will be different demons on the third level.


    I''ll be on my way.


    My friends also say hello and dive into the labyrinth - my third time in. The deepest part of the beginner''s labyrinth has probably been conquered by now, but I hope there''s something to be gained.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô.


    As soon as they entered the first level, they were advancing through the field, using the sparse trees as a landmark, when five cottontails appeared.


    Elitia didn''t dare to fight, and Igarashi-san and Theresia, the middle guard, stepped forward. First, I''ll have Suzuna and I open up the line of fire to reduce the number of enemies.


    (.........Come to think of it, Misaki, too, was a projectile weapon, for one thing.)


    "Misaki, throw your weapon!


    Yeah, I''m going to try.


    Current Situation


    Alihit''s attack on Watadama


    Suzuna''s attack hits Watadama. Taking 11 damage.


    Misaki''s attack hits Watadama for support damage of 11.


    Defeat 3 "Watadama".


    Gamblers can equip daggers and such, but they can also use dice, cards, etc. that have been modified for combat. I can equip them too, but the sling is usually stronger - but if you ''support attack'' it, it''s a blow to Watadama.


    (1 more support damage ... the effect of the chain grab. I''ll have to gather this kind of equipment as a priority).


    It can also be effective on defense and recovery. At a low level, it can''t be underestimated just because it''s a one point difference.


    ''''Leave the rest to us.......Let''s go, Theresia-san!


    -Oh!


    Running with a speed that wasn''t quite as fast as the armor he was wearing, Igarashi thrust out his cross-spear. Theresia also flashed a short sword and the enemy was easily wiped out.


    ''''With Arihito-san behind me, my attacks get stronger. But Misaki-chan''s dice, you''ve hit it well.


    I''m a lucky man, you know. When I tell you to hit it, you usually hit it.


    Even with that luck, you''re not going to get a ''box'' every time. Maybe the number of boxes appearing here is already trapped in the limit, though.


    ''''I''m going to try out my new skills from the time I fight the orcs. Is that okay with you, Rear-kun?


    ''Yes, please. Theresia, try ''Wind Slash'' too.


    I gave them instructions, regrouped the formation again, and moved on. Elitia hasn''t fixed a particular position since she''s a ranger, but she seems to have something on her mind, so I called her out.


    ''''.......What?''''


    ''I''m sorry you had to take care of me, even though I''m a wattadama. You must be so bored with nothing to do.


    ''Well that''s not what I''m going to say, I''m not going to say anything childish because it''s important for you guys to grow up.


    That''s good. If you''re going to miss out, feel free to help me out.


    ''Yeah, I''m holding off on that. I''d like to have your ''support'' again, and I''d like to have your ''support'' again.


    Like Igarashi-san, we all find that the more we support them, the better mood we''re in. Well, even in a normal party, I don''t feel bad if they support me, and that''s how you build up trust.


    (.........Yeah, I took a skill called ''Support Elevation 1''. (This doesn''t seem to work automatically, so I''ll try it in the next battle)


    Then we moved smoothly up to the second level without any particular struggle with the enemies we encountered. The number of Orcs wandering around has dwindled considerably, but there are a few in the direction of our objective, so we''ll fight them if we proceed normally.


    ''''Next, let''s try using our new skills. Suzuna, it might not be worth it, but when you see a ''dokuyaribachi'', use ''everyone in'' and try to aim at it.


    Yes, I''ll try.


    I use ''support uplift'' after providing covering fire. What does it mean to have a 10-point increase in morale - I don''t feel scared at all when the Fang Orcs who noticed us are killing and gathering together. Thinking that this was probably a sign of growth, we entered the battle for the sixth time today.

 34 Episode 33: Invisible Enemy

    Orcs and elves, orcs and princess knights. Fang Orcs are the enemy of women in many situations, but even in this labyrinth, their reaction when they see a woman is just like that of a beast.


    ''''Buhiii!''''


    Wow, you''re drooling. I mean, if we get caught with this, we should get out of jail, right?


    ''It''s better for you not to imagine it. Unlike Watadama, orcs use weapons, and although their intelligence isn''t quite the same as humans, it''s quite high...


    When you''re humanoid, intelligent, and honest in your desires, if you get caught you certainly shouldn''t be imagining it.


    The dokuyari bee is also flying nearby. Already Suzuna has her bow at the ready and is preparing to use her skills - I''m going to take cover fire first too.


    ''''-- Hit me!


    Current Situation


    Suzuna activates Minnichu for two consecutive hits.


    Suzuna''s attack hits the bee.


    Alihito''s attack hits the Dodger bee.


    Defeat two Dokuyari bachi.


    If I''m not mistaken, the dokuyari bee would have moved and evaded Suzuna''s arrow - but the arrow''s trajectory changed as if to guide it along the way, and it successfully shot through the enemy. Next to it, an iron bullet released by an ebony sling pierced the body of another individual.


    ''''Boogie...!


    The Orcs were surprised that Dokuyaribachi had been shot down, even if he wasn''t one of their own kind. Igarashi-san and Theresia fleshed out there and launched a preemptive attack.


    ''''Guys, let''s get fired up!


    Yes!¡¡........................Hah!


    "-Oh!


    Current Situation


    Arihito activates ''Support Elevation 1'' and the party''s morale increases by 11.


    Kyouka launches the "Double Attack".


    Fang Orc A is hit in the first level. Support damage 11


    The second level hits Fang Orc B. The second level hits Fang Orc B. Support damage is 11.


    Theresa activates "Wind Slash".


    Hitting Fang Orc C. Knockback small. Support damage 11.


    Defeat three "Fang Orcs".


    Double Attack can hit multiple targets - and Wind Slash blows the enemy away after the attack, making it harder to counterattack.


    However, improving morale does not seem to enhance damage. It''s a number that shows your motivation to fight, and I suppose it means that you''re supposed to use ''Support Elevation'' to recover when your morale is lowered.


    ''''Ah, um........Arihito-san, everyone''s bodies in front of me seem to be glowing faintly......''''


    ''Hmm I''m not sure. Can Suzuna sense it?


    Yes, I''m afraid so.


    Does this mean that Suzuna, who has skills related to spirits, or spirit bodies, is seeing improved morale - spiritual energy?


    (I wonder if her status has changed in some way or another.)


    Current Party


    1: Aricht *¡ô$¡õ Level 3


    2: Kyouka Valkyrie Level 2 Morale +11


    3: Theresia Rogue Level 3 Morale +11


    4: Suzuna, Priestess, Level 2


    5: Misaki Gambler, Level 1, Morale +11


    Guest 1: Elitia


    Suzuna''s morale wasn''t boosted because she was in a side-by-side position with me. Depending on the position, I can apply support, so it might be better to have a four-row system with me in the fourth row and Suzuna and Misaki in the third row.


    (More importantly, your morale is still up 11... you don''t think this is going to accumulate?)


    When I try to use it again, "Support Elevation" does not activate. It seems to take some time to reuse (recast), and the license says ''4 minutes 33 seconds to reuse''. Probably, it means the interval between uses is 5 minutes.


    (Since the magic power doesn''t seem to decrease, I''ll use it often to boost my morale as much as possible. It doesn''t seem to have any negative effects.


    "Rear, that orc up ahead doesn''t seem to be responding yet, what do you think?


    Okay, I''ll fish from a distance.


    Wouldn''t that mean you''d have to beat him with just your brother''s slingshot?


    ''Don''t worry, you''ll get some experience just from working together. Here, take a look at your cards. It''s building up a little, but it''s building up.


    ''''Oh, it''s true. As I thought, the Alihit brothers are strong, so even if we defeat a lot of them, it''s only a little. But they''re helpful enough!


    Misaki''s experience has only accumulated about 2 bubbles or so, and since she needs to accumulate 10 bubbles to level up, I''d like to raise her level in this quest if possible.


    ''''Elitia, do you have any idea how strong the enemies on the third floor are?''''


    ''''I''m sorry, I''ve only been in this labyrinth for two levels. The family I reincarnated with wanted to enter a different labyrinth, so this labyrinth didn''t go on.


    ''My family ... that''s right. How is Ellie''s family doing now?


    When asked by Igarashi-san, Elitia - she gave a fleeting smile that she hadn''t shown before.


    ''I''m sure they''re doing fine. And there hasn''t been any talk of those people dying flowing in.


    ''''........There''s something about the situation. Ellie, if you want to talk about it, you can confide in me, because it will make it easier for you. You''re a good listener, like your brother.


    ''Well, if you look fine, it''s fine as it stands. If I ever have contact with you, I''d like to at least say hello.


    ''I''d at least say hello but they''re very competitive people, so don''t be offended if I say something weird.


    The family that had been incarnated with Elitia. Did Elitia work with them from the fifth ward to the eighth ward?


    I don''t feel it right now, but as long as moving up the pecking order is the goal of the searchers, we''ll be competing with them too - I don''t want to be a contender, but it depends on what kind of person they are.


    ''Brother, what do you want to do with these orcs and bees?¡¡It''s a lot of money to take home with you.


    "The poisonous crystal stone?


    ''''I suppose we should only pick up those kinds of valuables. The materials would be more valuable for the demons on the third level.


    The magic stones are not bulky, and the ores that are in the bags that orcs wear around their waists are heavy, but they can be carried somehow. It''s a good idea to have a good time with them.


    ¡ô¡ó¡ô


    Two large trees that grew on a grassy hill. As I dived between them, the scene around me changed again.


    And there are more trees on your property after a few sparse ones at first.


    Igarashi was right, there are now more shields. With this kind of terrain, it feels like the difficulty level has increased, so there''s probably a way to go elsewhere without forcing yourself to attack it. There are several other labyrinths besides this one, so it''s more efficient to attack this one.


    (Is it more efficient to attack this one or not... hmmm... For now, I want to check the strength of the enemies, but... hmm?)


    ..........


    Theresia reacts and readies her weapon. From behind a tree over there, an animal about the size of a medium-sized dog emerges - and.


    ''''--Geez!


    With a screeching scream like a scream, it suddenly rushed towards us. Although I''m used to Watadama, its speed on the ground is so fast that it gives me a chill.


    ''''Holy crap........what is that voice.......''''


    ''We''ll talk later, Igarashi-san, Theresa, we''ll shoot first!¡¡Misaki, don''t step forward!¡¡Suzuna, be mindful of my slant!


    Yes!¡¡''Hit''.........!


    Current Situation


    Suzuna activates Minnichu for two consecutive hits.


    Suzuna''s attack hits the Gaze Hound, taking 11 damage.


    Alihit''s attack hits the Gaze Hound.


    -- still breathing. Igarashi-san, who was closing the gap between the two, tries to hit a ''double attack'' --.


    ''''Geez!''''


    H..........?


    Current Situation


    Gaze Hound activates "Stare" ¡ú "Kyoka" stuns


    (Oh no ... you have a conditional ... no, you have Theresa!


    When ''Gaze Hound'' tried to aim at Igarashi-san who stopped moving, Theresia caught up with an accelerated dash and unleashed ''Wind Slash''.


    ''''Gafu........!


    ''Get a grip, Igarashi-san!


    I can move.........if I can do this!


    Perhaps my ''support uplift'' worked, Igarashi-san immediately returned to work. And this time she unleashed a ''double attack'' with all her strength.


    Current Situation¡ô


    Arihito activates ''Support Elevation 1'' and the party''s morale increases by 11.


    Kyouka uses his morale to recover from a ''stun''.


    Theresa activates "Wind Slash".


    The Gaze Hound is hit. Knockback small. Support damage 11.


    Kyouka launches the "Double Attack".


    The first level hits the Gaze Hound. Support damage 11.


    Second level hit on the Gaze Hound. Support damage 11


    Defeat one "Gaze Hound".


    Yes....!


    Kyouka, look out!¡¡There''s still ''something'' nearby!


    Ehhhh.....


    Current Situation


    Someone activates Breaktan ¡ú Kyouka''s Silk Cloth is damaged.


    --where were they lurking? When Igarashi-san took a breath after finishing off the Gaze Hound, someone attacked her.


    (Unseen enemy... yes, chameleon... I knew there was a demon like that.


    Suzuna!¡¡Aim in the direction Theresa indicates!


    Yes.....


    The effect of everyone in the middle continues for two in a row. Suzuna does as I say and shoots her bow in the direction Theresa indicates - it was a gamble, but if you understand that the demon is there and shoot it, you''ll hit it, you have to believe it...!


    Current Situation


    Susuna''s attack has hit someone. 11 damage.


    The identity of the "plain eater" is revealed.


    The arrow fired by Suzuna stabbed into the ''empty air'' - and what emerged was a demon with spiral eyes that looked like a chameleon turned into a monster.


    Even though there was an arrow in its brain, it hadn''t yet died out, and the plain eater tried to fight back - but before it could, Elitia was moving.


    ''''--End it!


    Current Situation


    Elitia''s "Sonic Raid" is activated


    Elitia''s Slash Ripper activates and hits the Plane Eater.


    Defeat one "Plane Eater".


    The very first blow - like an iai-drawer, I couldn''t see the sword being pulled out of its sheath. The plain eater was cut in half, and a purple blood splatter rose. Elitia was more than enough distance away and did not receive any return blood.


    ''''Igarashi-san, are you alright!


    Yeah, yeah I''m fine, Mr. Rear, I don''t feel any pain...


    As I ran up to her, Igarashi-san looked back at me carelessly. Then, something I shouldn''t see was reflected in my vision as much as I could.


    ''''S-Sorry!''''


    The chest part of the armor - the ''silk cloth'' she was wearing as an under armor was damaged and torn so large that one of her breasts was visible.


    ''''Why is it a demon that only goes after this.......armor...?''''


    I''d like to think that the reason even Rival and his friends didn''t say anything is because of the low encounter rate. The chameleon''s boots were probably made from plain eaters, though, so the explorers who defeated them must have been there in the past.


    ''''..........''''


    ''Oh, oh thank you, the enemy isn''t around anymore, is it?


    Theresia came back to me and told me that we were safe around. I''m glad the plain eater isn''t a swarming demon - if we''re unlucky, it can do a lot of damage.


    ''You were good at sewing, Suzu, weren''t you?''


    ''Yes, I came over here with my sewing kit, so I can mend it to some extent... but they''ve eaten the fabric, so I''ll need a replacement.


    You can''t change your back, so why don''t you put a scarf on it?


    He saw me....and he saw you....


    I''m shocked for Igarashi-san, but I''m also sorry, so please forgive me. I can''t say I''m very lucky to have seen it in this way.


    ''''..........''''


    Theresa, please. Don''t stare at me now.


    It''s unsettling to be stared at in silence, as if I''m being told that I must be happy on the inside. I thought the least I could do to make amends to Igarashi-san was to never let the damage caused by the Plain Eater''s ''Break Tan'' happen again.

 35 Episode 34: Uses of morale

    While Theresia warns me of the demon''s approach, I approach the demon I defeated and check it out. We''ll start with the gaze hound.


    "Monocular dog........gaze (gaze)? If you stare at me with these eyes, I''ll certainly be upset.


    ''There are a lot of demons that will have a bad effect on us with their eye power, but you can assume that the first one will set it off first.


    A grey, wet-looking gaze hound with grey, wet-like fur. It could be used as is for a broom or something else - maybe to make a tool to sweep the floor. Dog lovers would be offended by this as outrageous.


    ''I''m a dog person and I didn''t hesitate to attack you because you have such a scary look on your face.


    I know, I know. You don''t show mercy to a demon and it will get us killed.


    Igarashi liked Falma''s dog, but he liked dogs in general. Some breeds have this kind of hair, so you had to be prepared to attack them.


    ''Their teeth are nice - they''re all pointy like needles, though.


    ''If he bites you, you can''t hurt him...''


    I wonder what''s available as material.


    ''''Since the hair contains moisture, it seems to be effective in preventing flames. And then there''s the ''mop'' that some explorers equip...


    Is there such a thing as a cleaner?¡¡Other worlds can be anything!


    She''s a gambler, but it''s true that not many people would dare to choose a job as a ''cleaner''. If I tried to write with the nuance of an assassin, I''d really be a janitor or something like that - as expected.


    But at this size, I can''t take the material home with me. As I think about it, Elitia offers me a helping hand.


    ''If you''ve rented a warehouse, you could just send in a demon of this size, right?


    Do you want a ride?¡¡You can''t do that.


    ''When you rented the warehouse, you were given a key. With that, you can send all the non-living things that can be transferred to the warehouse, including the demons you killed. You can transfer them up to ten times in a single search, though.


    The capacity of the warehouse isn''t too big, and if you can send it ten times, it''s enough. It''s hard to enter a warehouse with too many demons piled up, so it''s hard to throw them in carelessly, no matter how much they are harvested.


    The only thing that helps is to have a demolition company in your group. Being able to dismantle them by skill...''''


    There are ''stripping knives'' and ''butcher''s knives'', but they''re no match for the ''dismemberment'' skills of an expert craftsman.


    We''ll have to scout this one out. Brother, do you have any idea what you''re talking about?¡¡I''ll recruit the demolition company in one shot!


    When I think of it, Mr. Rykerton and his daughter, Melissa, come to mind. However, seeing that Melissa right after she was dismantled, I''m a little worried about Elitia reacting to the blood.


    The monster that''s going to come after my clothes isn''t that a chameleon?


    Igarashi looks at the plain eater and says what he imagines it to be. The figure that had stopped moving with its mouth open - it was so big that a small child would have swallowed it, and it had a blade-like exoskeleton on the outside of its arms. I''m really glad it didn''t attack me with this.


    ''Its tongue is long... how many meters long is this thing? It looks like it''s wrapped in some kind of cloth...''''


    Can I cut off my clothes with my tongue and my tongue?


    The plain eater''s tongue is a great roll up of Igarashi''s "Silk Claus". The tongue in "Blake''s Tongue" is probably the tongue.


    I''ve heard that tongues are used for materials and food, but the most valuable part of the tongue is the leather. Like the boots Theresia wears, it reacts to the user''s magic and turns invisible.


    If you ask Theresia to try it out, only her legs will become invisible. This means that you need to make a chameleon suit to make your whole body invisible.


    ''Isn''t it possible to make a cape to make a full body invisible?¡¡It could be useful in a surprise attack.


    ''I don''t blame Ms. Theresa for needing her thorn gear, but not Mr. Rear. You must feel guilty about that kind of equipment.


    ''Is it possible that this chameleon is also tearing his clothes for some reason...?


    Demons only act on instinct. Destroying their armor will give them an advantage and........oh. Arihito, I''d better check the inside of the plain eater''s stomach later. These demons can hold indigestible things in their bodies.


    ''Oh, oh ... can I ask the demolition guy to do it? I''m not afraid by any means, though.


    I''ve handled fish before, but I have no experience with chameleons. It occurred to me that I would eliminate every possibility of a gaze hound as a sentiment, but what about chameleon as an edible item?


    ''Okay, you don''t have to tell me. I''ve eaten things in my life that I didn''t know what meat they were, but I''ve learned that you''re happier when you don''t know...


    ''In a long labyrinth, you''ll need to add a cook to your searchers and stave off hunger with demon meat. The loss of food is even one of the top reasons for abandoning a quest.


    Igarashi looked hatefully at the chameleon that had come after his equipment, but seemed to be sitting back when the subject of eating or not eating came up.


    Theresia is holding her hand carefully, as if to say that the jerky she is carrying in her pouch is her staple food.


    ''''........Oh, um. It''s not fair for me to say this, but why don''t we conquer the long labyrinth little by little, going out and so on along the way?


    ''Yes, I would if I could. Is Suzuna not allowed to have demon meat at all?


    We didn''t have a lot of meat in our diet so fish and tofu were the substitutes for meat.


    ''Then I''ll have a hard time with the food over here. I haven''t seen any fish or tofu at the moment.


    ''If you''re an Otouf, there''s a restaurant that serves it if you go to the upper wards, since it was handed down by a reincarnated cook. We have sushi and templa. Not all demons are ingredients.


    The meat that I didn''t know what it was, in other words, it was demon meat - well, sure, if you didn''t know what it was, it could taste like a cow or a pig, and I wouldn''t mind if I put it in my stomach.


    ''We tried a lot of things when we went abroad with our parents, so it''s okay! I can eat frogs and other normal foods.


    ''Kaeru..............they say you can eat them, but I wouldn''t dare.


    I agree with Igarashi-san and I agree with him, but it seems like it would be better to face the menu of the town''s cafeteria and check what meat it is, just in case you need it. If there''s anything other than demon meat, though, I''d likely choose that as my priority.


    ''Tofu, you have tofu........and sushi and tempura. I have to thank the cook for telling us.


    I''m starting to enjoy this one. The Japanese just can''t seem to forget the taste of soy sauce.


    If there is a tofu, there is also a soy-like one. There may be subtle differences, but I''d like to taste it for myself at least once.


    ''Do you like Japanese food, Rear?¡¡Then we''ll have to get some soy sauce we''ll have to get it somehow.


    ''Shouyu is manufactured in very small quantities and is as expensive as potions, so if you go to a Japanese restaurant, you''ll be paying gold for the condiment alone.


    Still, I''d like to visit it at least once. Another reason to move up the pecking order - Igarashi-san is also motivated, so let''s devote ourselves to exploring in order to eat good food.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    We then had a few battles with the Gaze Hounds, but we encountered a situation where we had to be careful. When there were four enemies, two of them were stopped by Igarashi-san and Theresia, but they turned around to the side and two of them came running through from both sides.


    ''''Arihito, I''ll take one of them...!


    Okay ... we''re in one piece now!


    "Yes!


    With Elitia''s speed, it wasn''t too difficult to move immediately after being passed by the vanguard and stop one of them.


    (There''s a chance the other one won''t fall under our attack we''ll just have to get that one.)


    Before attacking, I slid my finger over the license and called up the skill acquisition screen. And the one I chose was ''Backstand''.


    '' --Geez!


    Current Situation


    Alihit''s attack hits the "Gaze Hound D".


    Suzuna''s attack hits the Gaze Hound D. Supporting damage 11.


    Misaki''s attack hits Gaze Hound D. Support damage 11


    I still can''t fall with three shots. The counterattack comes before the second shot - I said as I stepped ahead of Suzuna and Misaki, who were diagonally in front of me.


    ''''You two, sidestep!


    What...?


    Aricht-san...!


    The gazehound kicks the ground and leaps at me - its fang-filled mouth snaps open. But in that moment, I imagine going behind the gazehound.


    Current Situation


    Arihito activates "Backstand" ¡ú Target "Gaze Hound D".


    Arihito moves to the rear of Gaze Hound D


    With a clunk, my ''forward'' gaze hound snaps its fangs. I went behind the gaze hound and successfully avoided his attack - and.


    Current Situation


    Alihit''s attack hits the Gaze Hound, dead center.


    Defeat one "Gaze Hound".


    He landed and didn''t miss the momentarily confused gaze hound and shot through it with an ebony sling. The response was different than usual, and it felt like the blow he gave was bigger than usual.


    ''''Yi, now ... brother, didn''t you disappear for a moment?''''


    ''Indeed, the demon attack almost hit me and then Arihito-san, in a huff, disappeared...''


    ''It was a close call now, so I used my backhandedness. I can''t make a series of shots though...


    Just by using ''Backstand'' once, the bar of magic power has been reduced by a third. Considering the effect, it''s normal for it to be reduced by that much, but I''d like to have a way to reduce the wear and tear.


    (You can use it to move behind the shield role and all sorts of other things... I didn''t expect to be able to use it like I do now, but the ease of backstopping is huge.)


    I thought it was flexible since there was no indication that it ''targets only allies'', and I''m glad I was right. I could have asked Suzuna and Misaki to receive it by applying ''Support Defense 1'' to them, but it was a risk to have the two rearguards receive it.


    ''Thank you, Arihito-san but that was reckless. I also have a little more defense with this cape, so if it comes down to it, I can use it as a shield.''''


    ''Oh I''m sorry. I''m a bit upset now. I''ve been thinking about the possibility of you breaking ranks, but it''s a lot harder to deal with than I expected.


    Rear Admiral, I''m sorry I let you outrun the enemy so easily.


    ..........


    ''We both took out two of them, so there''s nothing to apologize for. I got to try out my new skills too, so it was a win-win.


    If I had the skills to keep them from passing the vanguard, I''d be more stable. For now, we can only ask Elitia to get in behind the vanguard and serve as insurance.


    ''''More importantly, were Igarashi-san and the others okay?¡¡Didn''t you get the ''stare''?


    No, I knew it was once, but I was able to move quickly.


    ..........


    Igarashi-san and Theresia seem to be the same. It seems that "morale" can also be used to cure minor abnormalities, and the morale I raised with "Support Elevation" is reduced by 20 points every time I solve a stun.


    And when I noticed that Suzuna and Misaki were the only ones who hadn''t used up their morale, their morale was up to 100. It seems that 100 seems to be the limit.


    ''''Suzuna, you said earlier that everyone''s body was glowing, how does it look now?''''


    ''''Well ... ah ... me and Misaki-chan''s glow is getting stronger.


    Okay. Are you motivated or something like that?


    ''I''m fine for now, but... that?¡¡Brother Alihit, what do you think this is?


    Misaki takes out her license and shows it to me. On it, it was labeled ''Morale Release Available''. No matter which screen you change to, it is always displayed in the upper right corner of the screen.


    ''Morale release........Wait, doesn''t that sound a little cool?¡¡Can I try?


    ''No, wait a minute. Elitia, do you know what ''morale release'' is?


    ''What ... that''s the indication you''re getting?¡¡''Cheerleader'' or something like that, which should be rare unless you''re organizing a position like that...


    Elitia checked the display. Then she looked at Misaki and Suzuna and said.


    ''''Morale Release'''' is a powerful skill that is specific to that position that is activated. But even so, I didn''t expect my morale to build up to the limit with this number of battles.


    I''m well aware of how useful ''Support Elevation 1'' is. The accumulated morale has several uses, and ''morale release'' seems to be one of them.


    ''You can''t know if you don''t try everything, so why don''t you try it in a direction where no one else is?''


    Sister Kyouka, that''s a good point. My grandfather also said that you should regret everything you do before you do it.


    ''Mr. Aricht, can I try it too?¡¡Or is it better to preserve it?


    ''I should keep it as a trump card, though, once I know what the effects are. I don''t even know if it''s for combat or not, so can I have a look at it once?


    Suzuna and Misaki nodded and turned in the direction of no one - and.


    ''Morale release, ''Fortune Roll''!


    "Morale release, ''moonlighting''!


    The two ''morale releases'' have separate effects. I was just thinking that, but my eyes widened when I saw the license display.


    The current situation


    Misaki activates the "Fortune Roll" and her next action is sure to succeed.


    Suzuna activates "Tsukuyomi" ¡ú Success


    Suzu, what''s going on?¡¡Hey, Suzu!


    Hey, hey... what''s the matter, Suzuna?


    Suzuna''s body was enveloped in a pale light. As I walk around in front of her, I see a moon-like pattern emerge in her eyes.


    She touches my arm. I realize that she''s telling me to let go, and I back away - and I do.


    The direction Suzuna is pointing in - all the way ahead, a pillar of blue-white light, the same color as the one that enveloped her, rises up. After a while, it disappeared as if nothing had happened.


    ''''Huh........''''


    Suzuna almost falls to the ground as if a thread has broken. When I hurriedly support her, she looks at my face - cringe-worthy, temperature-less eyes that take my breath away.


    But the light comes right back into Suzuna''s eyes. When she realizes that I''m supporting her, her cheeks flush a little as she says, ''''I''m sorry.


    ''''I''m sorry... what''s wrong with me... my head is so fuzzy...''''


    ''Yo, good........Suzu, if it''s my fault you got out of it, what are we going to do?''


    Misaki slumped into place. If Suzuna''s "Moon Reading" was successful thanks to the effect of the "Fortune Roll", would the original have a low success rate? The effect and nothing else, it''s impossible to understand everything just by looking at it once.


    ''''This is Suzuna''s morale release.......there must be something in that place of blue light.......''''


    What do you wanna do, Mr. Rear?


    ''Let''s go and find out. I wasn''t expecting this to happen, but the search is always unpredictable and more importantly, I''m terribly curious.


    Thank you, I think I can stand up on my own now.


    Suzuna gently moves away from me and tidies up her messy hair. She seemed to have only been weak for a moment, and there was no sign of any decrease in her strength or anything else. However, both Misaki and Suzuna''s morale had dropped to zero.


    ''''.........''''


    ''Theresa, do you remember where you are?¡¡That would help.


    Theresia leads us on. But the place we arrived at was empty and looked like nothing more than a grassy knoll.


    ''............


    ''No, it''s too early to decide there''s nothing there. If there''s nothing on the surface let''s dig it out.


    I don''t know if spear digging is the way to go but the most appropriate tool is this one.


    Mr. Igarashi thrusts his cross spear into the ground. Her chest, mended with a red scarf, is bouncing loudly as she digs - I''m worried that it won''t hurt. Teresia is also beside her, and begins to scrape the ground with her shortsword.


    ''Rear-kun, dig a little and then we''ll take over... hmmm... I hit something hard.


    ''Wait, let me try to get the dirt out of the way. This is.....


    Igarashi asked me to stop digging, and as I cleared away the black earth, I found what looked like a stone slab. It looks like something is buried in the ground.


    ''''It looks like ... something''s buried there.


    That sounds pretty big, too. We''ll dig in together.


    Hey, there he is!¡¡Let''s dig in, dig in!


    You should go get a tree limb for your hand, it hurts.¡¡I''ll spear you down.


    A cross spear is used like a pair of high pruning scissors. Don''t be impressed that it can be used in place of a spade - I''ll be bringing a mining tool with me next time.

 36 Episode 35: Underground Secrets

    From the middle of the excavation process, I ask a pair of Teresia and Elitia to stand guard to deal with the Gaze Hounds that are appearing around us. Teresia discovers it and Elitia defeats it - if they interrupt the excavation, they won''t be able to finish digging forever, so I move my hands along with everyone else, while being conscious of quickly ''supporting'' the two of them as they enter the battle.


    ''''Are you two alright!


    It''s not a problem!


    ..........


    ''Well, we''re almost there, so let''s keep each other going!


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates ''Support Elevation 1'' and the party''s morale increases by 11.


    Weaving this kind of encouragement into everyday conversation to encourage everyone will naturally boost morale. It''s important to be consciously behind everyone. I''ve had Elitia join the party until her morale reaches 100.


    But I feel guilty when I''m in the back row and bypass looking up at Misaki, who has a short skirt (apparently they don''t have any cute equipment to replace her skirt) and Suzuna, who is wearing her red skirt like a miko outfit, from a low position. Both of them are crawling boldly to the ground without holding their skirts down, as if they trust me - it''s good that they trust me, but for now, I don''t mind having them be wary of me at all.


    "Um, Igarashi-san. Shall I dig with my spear?


    Yes, please. Rear, you''re really good with your spear. I don''t mind telling you that when I''m digging.


    I can use all kinds of weapons, so I can use a spear too.


    Yeah, I know it''s easy to say, but wouldn''t that be great?


    ''It''s not as good as the profession, though. I''m a rearguard, so it helps that I can use a sling.


    It was nice to be able to use my bow since I could be in a close row with Aricht-san.


    The concept of a column has been communicated to everyone. When you set up a formation with your license, if you move to a different column, you are instructed to move to the correct column.


    ''Dice don''t reach very far, can I fly them with a slingshot?''


    You can''t equip them without aptitude... or maybe they won''t hit you.


    ''Oh, that''s true too. And I''m a no-contact guy.


    ''Oops ... here we go again. Theresa, ''support''!


    Thus, support attacks, defense, and recovery always work even if you don''t speak out. However, "Support Elevation" only activates when you don''t speak, perhaps to raise morale.


    By the way, Suzuna and Misaki''s morale remains at zero, and when you use the "Support Elevation", the message "23 hours and 47 minutes until morale recovers" is displayed. You can only release your morale once a day, and if you use it, your morale will not accumulate for the next 24 hours.


    Yeah, that''s true. Your recovery is going to take forever, you know.


    Well it''s a relief to know that you''re recovering even if you''re not injured.


    I thought that ''assisted recovery'' wouldn''t increase my contribution since my confidence level wouldn''t increase if I was fully recovered from my physical strength, but it seems to be working in the right direction emotionally.


    (Is my fatigue recovering too?¡¡(You don''t lose a lot of energy unless you''re really tired, but it looks like you''re recovering before that happens.


    "The rear end of your body never seems to recover... are you okay?¡¡You''re sweating like crazy.


    Yeah, well, I managed to...


    When you''re done exploring, let''s all work on your brother.


    I''ve been digging for a while now and even the level 1 Misaki doesn''t look tired. It''s almost as if I''m the most tired, as I''m not able to recover.


    Igarashi-san is wiping my sweat off my face, but come to think of it, it''s her handkerchief. I find myself instantly shying away from it.


    ''It''s okay, that''s all right. I''m doing my best.''


    ...Igarashi-san, you''ve really changed.


    I said I was expecting it. So it hasn''t changed that much.


    If the tsundere thing is applied to her, then I can say that the many acts in her previous life were tsun - but it was too much, so I hope you''ll be nice to me for the time being. I''m not going to take advantage of your weaknesses or anything like that, though.


    ''''Well, well........as expected of me, I''m too sweet and sour to make a joke of it....


    What kind of corporate job did you have, Mr. Arihito?


    I was doing a lot of things under Igarashi-san. She''s a younger female superior, she''s a barricade candidate.


    ''Well, it''s not about the company. I''ll talk to you later, so give me a break for now.


    Don''t worry, I don''t wanna complicate things.


    "Well it''s not something I could say, but please be gentle with me. I''ll pay you back later.


    Don''t worry, I''m not going to talk about Mr. Igarashi''s tongue in cheek. I''m just going to give you an overview of my work at the advertising company.


    Suzuna and Misaki seemed interested in hearing about my company, but they were particularly responsive to the first part of the story about the ''younger female boss'', and they both seemed to imagine that I was a subordinate. Suzuna is a gentle boss and Misaki is probably a loose boss - although currently I''m more like a boss or a guardian.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    Then, after ten minutes of digging, what had been buried in the ground finally revealed itself in full. The enemy''s attack calmed down, and Theresia and Elitia returned after recovering the magic stone.


    ''''Rear-kun, what do you think?¡¡It looks like a board with some kind of graphic on it.


    I guess so. It''s so hard down here that I can''t dig.


    What? Isn''t it just for you?¡¡I thought it was going to be a bunch of gold and silver treasures.


    What do you think, Elitia?


    ''''Umm ... oh. Come to think of it, the pattern on this stone is similar to the one I''ve seen in the other labyrinth. That labyrinth had a format where each level was unconnected and you had to transition to the next level... but the floor you were transitioning to had a similar shape to this one.


    Akebono''s field is only up to three levels. Rival-san had said so - in other words, if there is a destination beyond this, it''s an unexplored area that no one has ever entered.


    (A hidden staircase........not a hidden transition floor? Even on the third level, I''m starting to feel the enemy''s response to me, and even if I don''t want to dive in, should I come back after I''ve raised my level enough...)


    There''s no need to rush. I know that being too careful is just right.


    ''''What if there''s a powerful demon ahead of us. What if we can''t use the escape or return scrolls. With that in mind, it won''t be easy to transition.


    Elitia advises us. That''s certainly true - but.


    ''Rear-kun, should we be cautious here?¡¡Or ... do you think it would be a shame to turn back and leave all your discoveries behind?


    ''Well I''m both eager to move on and cautious about it.


    ''I feel both ways, too. I know it''s a little scary, but...


    ''We should follow the leader''s decision here!


    Misaki!


    Misaki pretends to put her feet on the stone tablet, and the crumbling soil slips, causing her to fall on her buttocks on the tablet with great success.


    ''Oita....tataa...tataa...ah, that...?''


    Misaki-chan, hurry up and get in here........ah......!


    The tablet shines, and Misaki''s body is enveloped in light - and then disappears.


    (Of all things, I didn''t expect you to do it here... what do I do, I don''t have time to think about it when it comes to this...!


    Suzuna was reaching out to Misaki to pull her back this way, but she didn''t get caught up in the transition. Apparently, you can''t transition unless your whole body is on the floor.


    ''''Arihito, if you transition and come back soon, you won''t be in any danger. I''m on my own........


    No, I''ll go. If I''m not back in a minute, it''s safe to assume we won''t be able to go back and forth with each other. And then....


    ''What are you talking about, Rearward. You''re the leader of this party, so everyone in it has to survive.


    Igarashi-san says without hesitation. She thinks it''s dangerous too, but she still says she''s going to follow me.


    ''''.........''''


    ''Theresa, I think that if Mr. Aricht goes, he will transition later.......and so will I. So.........


    Okay. But I don''t know what''s in store. Be prepared to use the Scroll of Disengagement immediately.


    Suzuna and Theresa nodded. Elitia hadn''t tied her hair up before, but she did so when she got serious, or she had changed her hair as she watched everyone''s interactions.


    If I do, I have to be there as soon as possible.


    ''Alright then, we''re going to transition. We can ride on this, right?


    We all get on the stone floor. Not long after we stepped onto the floor, the landscape around us changed dramatically.


    We were in a large stone room. I felt as if I was in an ancient ruin.


    Oh, brother, you''re here!¡¡I can only transfer one way, but........


    I knew it, I shrugged my shoulders. But even more so, I also think that I had to come here.


    ''We can''t just abandon them, can we? You can''t just abandon them. Whoever comes here will have to bear the same risk. Then we, the ones who found it, should go.


    I was just careless, so you''re on your own.........


    ''That''s the kind of person you are, Rearward. On the contrary, I wouldn''t be following you if you weren''t like this.


    ''I ... when Arihito-san said she was going alone, I knew I had to go with her. Because we''re a party.


    Everyone affirms it, but I''m pretty nervous, if I say so myself. Is there a clue to escape ahead, or is there a strong enemy - it''s a situation that requires courage to even take a step forward.


    However, Theresia was already staring in the direction of the ruins. She seems to sense that there is something over there.


    ''''Over there ... let''s form up and go. We don''t know what we''re going to find out.''''


    Yes. It doesn''t matter what you''re up against, as long as you fight as hard as you can. We defeated the Juggernaut, so there shouldn''t be many demons stronger than that in this labyrinth.


    Hoping Elitia was right, I helped Misaki, who was sitting up, to stand up. She was still scared and held her eyes with the sleeve of her clothes.


    ''My brother and everyone else is too cool, already. I''m such a tough guy, I''ll be able to come back alone.''''


    ''You looked like it was the end of the world earlier, and now you seem to be feeling better. I''m relieved, because it''s not like you when you''re depressed.


    Even Kyouka''s sister is kind........stop it, I''m too weak to cry.


    Igarashi-san popped Misaki on the shoulder. She doesn''t seem to be afraid at all - she feels even more like a Valkyrie after today''s day, even if it''s in armor.


    Talk to them and raise their morale at the same time. Even if you don''t clearly say ''go for it'' or ''I''ll do it'', the support uplift is activated. With this, Igarashi-san and Theresia have a morale of +100.


    You should always be able to release your morale as much as possible. If it''s for combat, you can use it as a trump card - I wanted to make sure it was effective, but if you use it, you can''t reuse it until the next day, so it''s a gamble to see if it''s useful in this time of need.


    ''''It''s a beautiful place. It feels a bit lonely, but...''''


    Suzuna says as she walks. The lights dotted high up in the corridor were a fluorescent green glow, and the light shone back on the white stone walls, a fantastic sight.


    The transition floor hidden in the labyrinth of the Elementary level. Beyond that was a hidden area - what was waiting for me in the future? I remembered my curiosity about walking in the unknown, but I proceeded with caution.

 37 Episode 36 Gatekeeper

    ''Brother, why do you think that floor used to lead here?''


    ''I think Suzuna''s morale release will find something that we wouldn''t normally see. That was successful, and that''s why we found the location of the transition floor in the ground. If Elitia is right, then this is effectively the ''Fourth Level''.


    ''''Everyone thought there were only three levels! ''''There weren''t that many ''maidens'' and no one dared to release their morale in the first labyrinth?''''


    ''Well, I don''t know. We just haven''t found it now, but maybe we''ll find traces of people coming in the past.


    The three of us in the back row talked for a bit, then focused on moving forward, keeping our attention on our surroundings.


    And then. We reached the end of the corridor - we found a large stone door there and a huge statue standing there guarding it.


    It''s so high that we look up. It has an eagle-like head, holding a spear in its right hand and a shield in its left, armed with armor. His whole body has a dull luster - a statue made of metal.


    ''''I have a feeling it''s a moving statue (golem) everyone pause.


    Do those things start to work after all?¡¡If that''s the case, it looks pretty strong...


    ''If it''s as you see it, the surface of the body is made of metal it''s like a juggernaut, the sword might not go through easily. But with an arihit........


    ''Well it could be that it doesn''t work. I know it''s a chicken, but let me try the escape scroll once. If it doesn''t work, I''ll be ready.


    Suzuna followed my instructions and took out the scroll and read it - but nothing happened, and the license says ''under seal''. Everyone had a subtle look of disappointment, or as expected.


    But I quickly changed my mind. If we have no choice but to move on, we have to do something about that statue. Assuming he''s going to move, I make a plan - I don''t think it''s comical when he doesn''t move, I want to hit the stone bridge before I cross it.


    ''With me, even an enemy like that should be able to pass a blow. But we need to make as many moves as possible - Igarashi-san should use the Blink Step and then set up a double attack. You don''t have to force yourself on Theresia, you don''t have to attack if it looks difficult to avoid the enemy''s speed.


    Theresia didn''t nod - but she decided that she should follow the instructions, and after deliberation, she nodded curtly.


    ''Suzuna, you all hang inside and aim with your bows. Misaki, take it easy and stay close to me.


    I can at least throw the dice from a distance!


    ''''Even if it''s rash, if you''re lucky, you might hit it... You don''t have to force it like you said, Rear-kun, but if you can, try to aim for it. It''s better to have at least one more number to attack, right?


    If the dice are played, I don''t know how much difference 11 support damage will make, but it''s better than nothing.


    ''''If I don''t activate ''Berserk'', my technique will lose a few moves. Even so, with ''Blossom Blade'', I think I can get twelve levels in.


    ''''That''s enough. Igarashi-san can also avoid it with a single strike, but if you continue to use ''Blink Step'', you will lack magic power. Do you have the confidence to avoid it, Elitia?


    ''Sonic Raid'' is also used in the sense of increasing evasion so... if that guy is faster than that, then complain to this labyrinth.


    There are demons that are completely incompetent, even at level 8, lurking in the hidden areas of the Elementary Labyrinth - it''s a story that''s not lost, but I''d like to think it''s an obstacle that can be surpassed.


    ''''And ''morale release''. Elitia''s morale builds up immediately after the battle begins. Also, Igarashi-san and Theresia can use it, too...


    ''The morale release in Valkyrie is called ''Soul Blink'' apparently, but I''m sorry I''ve never seen it. They don''t derive from warriors and the like to Valkyrie, so it''s one of the less numerous positions in the labyrinth country.


    Soulblink what do you think it means, Rearward, what do you think it means?


    ''Are you sure about the part about using it in battle?


    ''I can tell because you won''t see the words ''morale release available'' on your license except when it''s available. You won''t see it now.


    Neither Igarashi-san nor Theresia are displayed. So you can use it in the middle of a battle - the timing of using it is dependent on intuition, but you have to have it activated when you think it''s here.


    ''''The ''rogue''s'' morale release is a ''triple steal''. For once, it grants all allies the effect of taking away strength, magic, and enemy drop items. Your drop-grabbing rate won''t be as high, but you''ll be able to instantly increase the number of attempts, making it easier to take the more difficult ones.


    ''Does it heal for every blow you give it?¡¡That''s great....


    ''There''s no support effect, so it doesn''t matter if the party can''t hit the other side. That works well in combination with Alihit.


    Soul Blink and Triple Steel. If the latter can absorb my support damage as well, I can recover at least 11. Since Theresia is level 3 and has about 20 vitality, she could recover at once even if she was down by half.


    However, as a vanguard, Igarashi-san''s vitality is less than 20, perhaps 15, and there was no way I could let her take even a single hit. If you use the Blink Step, you can use it as an absolute evasion shield, but even at level 2, it''s probably limited to about 4 blows.


    (Basically, you''ll be relying on Elitia''s evasion... after all, you need an immovable shield. Let''s aim for "Supportive Defense 2" in conjunction with that, and hope that the damage blocking ability will increase.


    What kind of technique is Elitia''s morale release?


    ''''My morale release........can only be used after activating ''Berserk'' for a certain amount of time and meeting the conditions. It''s risky, and besides...


    ''I wouldn''t want to use Berserk if I could.................... All right, we''ll see your morale release when the curse is lifted.


    ''''Thank you. But even with my own blood, Berserk will trigger it, so I''ll try to get at it then. You guys stay away, as much as possible.


    You want to avoid at all costs a situation in which your friends bleed, but that also depends on the enemy''s ability.


    Okay we''re going to go. Theresa, proceed with caution. We''ll set him up when he moves.


    ..........


    Theresia looked forward and walked silently. And when she approached a certain distance, the eyes of the eagle-headed giant statue shone bewitchingly.


    The demon she encountered¡ô


    ¡ï Eagle-headed Titan Soldier: level 6 In Combat Drop: ?


    (I knew it would work, but it''s not very powerful... but if it''s a level 6 ''named'' juggernaut, then it''s only 1 behind the juggernaut... it shouldn''t be too far off in strength...!


    "--koaaaah!


    As if brought to life, the metallic body begins to move. The giant soldier spread his wings and let out a high-pitched cry, as if he was happy to be able to fight with us.


    ''''Everyone, be on your guard!¡¡''Let''s get fired up!''


    Yes!


    Everyone responds to my call - Elitia''s morale will now be at 100, but I won''t use her morale release, and I''ll have her use her morale for other purposes if possible. It''s unclear if it can be used for anything other than state release, but the morale is there and it won''t be negative.


    ''''--I''ll start with me........!


    It was Igarashi-san who stepped in ahead of him, activating the Blink Step. She launched a double attack, but she heard a bang, a sound of being popped - but the support damage came in, and the giant statue tilted slightly.


    ''''Coaaaaaah!''''


    The spear that was unleashed with a cry like a raging eagle - a spear that was not likely to be easily spotted, Igarashi-san successfully avoided it with the effects of her skills. Her body was bumped into two, and the spear of the giant soldier attacked the afterimage. The fact that I can grasp the situation even though the distance is far away is thought to be an effect of one of the skills I acquired, ''Eye of the Hawk''.


    ''''Kook...!


    Kyouka, pull up!¡¡I''ll take over!


    Logging ¡ô


    Eagle-headed Titan Soldier attacks Kyouka ¡ú evade


    Elitia activates "Sonic Raid".


    Elitia activates ''Blossom Blade''.


    Scrape away!


    The giant soldier''s conical spear growls and aims at Igarashi-san -- but she avoids it with the effect of her skills, and Elitia hurls a storm of slashes at the giant soldier who has an opening.


    --but only when the seventh step is in. The giant soldier''s eyes shone and he shook his head as if he was going to rampage and shouted.


    ''''Quoosh!''''


    Current Situation


    The Eagle-Headed Titan hits the seventh level. Support damage 11


    Aricht''s ''Support and Defense 1'' has been activated ¡ú Target: Elitia


    Eagle-headed Titan Soldier activates Wind Burst ¡ú Elitia interrupts the action.


    ...I almost had it all in!


    Unlike the physics-disabling juggernaut, the blow itself is in - but the giant soldier generated a raging wind, popping Elitia and interrupting her attack.


    The amount of reduction in the magic bar was the same as when it hit all the levels. The ''Blossom Blade'' can only fire two more shots - then what should I do?


    (We need to be ready to put all the levels in.


    Mr. Aricht, I''m going to shoot you!


    Wait, Suzuna!¡¡Now.........!


    Suzuna fires an arrow as instructed beforehand - but now it''s not good, the wind is wrapping around the giant soldiers...!


    Current Situation


    Suzuna activates Minnichu for two consecutive hits.


    Suzuna''s attacks are deflected by Wind Burst


    Oh...!


    Theresa, please!


    Current Situation


    Aricht''s ''Supportive Defense 1'' is activated ¡ú Target: Theresa


    Suzuna''s attack is reflected by Theresa''s attack, causing no damage.


    .........


    Theresia, who was in the middle guard, uses her circular shield, the Taj, to protect me from the arrows. She quickly activates her accelerated dash and fleshes out the giant soldier whose ''Wind Burst'' effect has expired - I aim to give her a covering shot to avoid hitting her.


    And the moment I concentrated - my vision clearly caught the figure of the giant soldier, as if I was looking through a scope.


    (The creaking of his body, the flow of power.......his habit of movement. If you put it all together, you can see........the old wound on his head, that.......!


    Current Situation


    Alihit''s Eagle-headed Titan Soldier''s weaknesses are discovered through the Eye of the Hawk.


    Aricht''s attack hits the Eagle-Headed Titan Soldier


    Theresa''s "Wind Slash" is activated.


    The Eagle-Headed Titan is hit. Knockback small. Support damage 11


    Quaahhhh!


    (Just because he uses wind doesn''t mean he''s resistant.......and my sling got the damage through.


    I can''t fire a series of shots right after the Wind Burst runs out, that was also a boon. If I can exploit that gap, I can also put in a full stage of ''Blossom Blade''.


    ''''Guys, the enemy''s head is cracked!¡¡We''re going to get there!


    ...Yeah, I''ll try!


    I can''t go for that high head but I''ll have to...!


    Igarashi-san and Elitia were able to tell me the weaknesses they had grasped. The one to strike a killing blow is the head of the giant soldier--.


    But the enemy isn''t so naive as to allow me to honestly aim at them after realizing that.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation¡ô


    The Eagle-headed Titan Soldier activates his ''survival instinct'' ¡ú all abilities increase.


    A red light envelops the entire body of the giant soldier - and an incomparable amount of killing energy gushes out of it, more than ever before.


    Just like Red Face, the danger increases as its strength diminishes. How to defeat it or get through it safely from here? I''ve got a lot of time to think in front of the ferocious looking Titan soldiers.

 38 Episode 37: Death Fight

    The giant soldier with the ''survival instinct'' activated is seamless to see. However, Elitia measures her timing and slashes in at this point.


    ''''Hah!''''


    Holy shit!


    A fierce battle of spear and sword. It was so intense that Misaki''s body trembled every time the weapons clashed.


    ''''Heeee..........''''


    ''This is the moment of truth Misaki, don''t pass out.


    ''Mr. Aricht, if you can''t use your bow, I''m not.......''


    Take your time. The time will come when you''ll be able to guess..... Elitia will be able to keep up with his moves.


    Current Situation


    Elitia activates "Sonic Raid".


    Eagle-headed Titan Soldier activates the Triple Attack ¡ú Elitia avoids it.


    A technique higher than Igarashi-san''s double attack - Elitia avoids the three spear thrusts that are unstoppable to the eye. However, pushed by the enemy''s spirit, they are unable to instantly turn into a counterattack.


    But when the vanguard is away from the enemy, this is our chance to attack.


    ''''--Fire, Suzuna!¡¡Aim for the head!


    Yes....!


    Current Situation


    Aricht''s attack hits the Eagle-Headed Titan Soldier


    Suzuna''s attack hits the Eagle Head Titan. Supporting damage 11.


    Immediately after my bullets, Suzuna''s arrows pierce the giant soldier''s head - and as the support damage is done, the giant soldier collapses languidly and nearly falls to his knees.


    ''''Ko-oh.........!


    Nevertheless, the Titan Soldier stepped back. The light in his right eye was gone - the part that was emitting light, the part that was inlaid as an eyeball, had been removed.


    ''''--Sink!


    Elitia leaps and aims for the lowly giant soldier''s head.


    Igarashi-san, Theresia moves - we''re going for the next attack too. Misaki also grabbed the dice and was just about to throw them.


    But an all-out attack, just a moment before. A chill ran through my body as I felt a chill.


    The word "death" came to my mind.


    (It can''t be... it can''t be... it can''t be...)


    Current Situation


    The Eagle Head Titan Soldier activates the Wind Burst.


    Derived from Wind Burst to Needle Feather.


    A breeze wrapped around the body of the giant soldier, causing Elitia and the others to stop moving. A moment later, in the midst of the raging wind, the giant soldiers spread their wings and cried out high in the air.


    --a whole attack. By the time I understood that, countless feathers were shot out of the giant soldier''s wings towards us.


    ''''Kyaaaah...!


    Goooooo...!


    I had been thinking about the possibility of such an attack - if they attacked me, which would involve all of us, I wouldn''t be able to support and defend myself, and I wouldn''t be able to mitigate the damage.


    I guess I''ll still be fine for now. With that thought in mind, I came this far, and at the last minute, I made a mistake in packing it in.


    But - my ''supportive defense'' wasn''t something I had to abandon. Other than me, the strength bar hasn''t been greatly reduced, even for Suzuna, who has the lowest defense.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Arihito activates ''Support and Defense 1'' ¡ú Targets: five players, including Kyouka


    Needle Feather" hits everyone in Aricht''s party.


    Due to the decrease in physical strength, the ability of the "Arihito" decreases.


    Aricht-san...!


    Brother..........


    (Ouch ...) The bones in the wings are sharp as needles. But it''s a good thing I changed my armor because it''s not deep enough. You''re missing some bone on impact, but still...


    Rear-end man!


    ....!


    Igarashi-san and Theresia are the first to worry about me. Elitia boldly aims at the giant soldier''s head alone, but is blocked by the spear and can''t get close. After the ''survival instinct'' is activated, he doesn''t even take a big swing easily, and he can''t create a stance to strike the ''Blossom Blade''.


    ''''Guh........''''


    Aricht, don''t move!¡¡The feathers stuck...!


    Let''s get out of here, brother!¡¡Now everyone.....


    Don''t worry we can still fight. We''ve got to take that guy down.......because if he comes after us, there''s nowhere to run.......


    Current Situation


    Aricht''s ''Support Recovery 1'' is activated, and 5 members of the party recover their health.


    Okay ... everyone''s strength is in the safe zone.


    As long as everyone''s actions are intact, we have a trump card. If this doesn''t work effectively, we''ll be in even more of a bind.


    Elitia is frustrated at not being able to attack. Still, she doesn''t lose her composure and draws attacks well, but she doesn''t have any more times left to use "Sonic Raid" while preserving her magic power for "Blossom Blade".


    Igarashi-san''s Blink Step and Double Attack can barely be used once each. Teresia''s Axel Dash as well - if we can''t create an opportunity to attack with it, we''ll be overrun.


    (If there''s a god or something, I''ll believe it.......the owner of the fortune is in the party too. Please........!


    Oh...!


    Elitia, who failed to avoid one of the three thrusts and received it with her sword, is flung away. At that moment, the giant soldier takes a ''Wind Burst'' stance - there''s no choice but to do it now...!


    ''Igarashi-san, Theresa!¡¡"Morale Liberation!


    Okay okay...... "Soulblink"!


    .....


    Current Situation


    Kyoka activates "Soul Blink" and all members of the party receive "Spirit of War".


    Theresa activates Triple Steel and all members of the party have the Triple Steal effect.


    (This is ... an alter ego (blink) ... no. (An alter ego with a physical body...?)


    Next to all of us, a figure appears next to each member of the group that mimics their appearance. Its entire body is wrapped in blue light, so we can''t see its expression, but its equipment and everything else remains the same.


    ''''--Choaaaaaah!


    "Everybody use my alter ego as a shield!¡¡I can use it that way!


    Igarashi-san understood what kind of effect it had right after he did the morale release.


    If my ''Support Defense'' works on this alter ego and I can join the attack even more--.


    Needlefeather from Windburst. All of us hide behind it, using the war spirit as a shield - and.


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates ''Support and Defense 1'' ¡ú Target: Six Spirits of War


    Needle Feathers'' hits six of the warrior spirits.


    I''ve endured ... and my strength is the same as our main body. This will double the attacks of all of us!


    Go!


    I know that the guy''s reaction is fast after the windburst is cut off. If that''s the case, then I''m going to find out when the wind is going to cut off beforehand and hit him with all the projectile weapons I can find...!


    -- "-- ''hit''!


    Current Situation


    Suzuna activates Minnichu for two consecutive hits.


    Suzuna''s attack hits the Eagle-Headed Titan. War Spirit''s Additional Attack for supporting damage 22


    Aricht''s attack hits the Eagle-Headed Titan. War Spirit''s Additional Attack for supporting damage 11


    Suzuna''s health and magic power are restored.


    Aricht''s health and magic power are restored.


    As soon as the bullets land, the giant soldier''s head is hit by a series of invisible attacks. When he wobbled and tilted, Igarashi-san and Theresia chased him down.


    ''''Theresa-san, let''s go at the same time!


    -Oh!


    Current Situation


    Kyouka launches the "Double Attack".


    Kyouka''s attack hits the Eagle Headed Titan Soldier. War Spirit''s Additional Attack for supporting damage 22


    The Eagle-Headed Titan is hit on the second level. Support damage 22


    Theresa activates Wind Slash.


    The Eagle-Headed Titan is hit. Knockback. Support damage 22


    Kyouka''s health and magic power are restored. Drop attempt failed


    Theresa''s health and magic power are restored.


    Igarashi-san and Theresia, as well as their two alter egos, hit a total of six levels of attacks. Igarashi-san slashes at the head with a spear that has a reach, and Theresia aims for the feet - a brilliant coordination.


    And then, largely where he''s in front. Elitia and her war spirit had already jumped up above the giant soldier''s head.


    ''''-- Scatter!


    Current Situation


    Elitia activates the Blossom Blade.


    The Eagle-Headed Titan is hit by the first level. War Spirit''s additional attack deals 22 damage.


    The Eagle-Headed Titan is hit at the second level. War Spirit''s additional attack deals 22 support damage.


    A rain of slashes pouring down. If all the steps go in, the damage is at least 264 - the total is close to 350.


    "Koho.........oh.......!


    But the horrible thing is that even with a blow that far outweighs the juggernaut, the guy continues to stand.


    (-- If this doesn''t end.......no, ''end it''.......!)


    Why don''t you fall down...!


    No wonder Elitia was whining. He didn''t fall even though he and the war spirit shot the Blossom Blade together.


    -- but this isn''t the end of the attack. You can''t let him counterattack again.


    --Misaki!


    ...God...!


    Misaki throws the dice at the eagle-headed giant soldier before Elitia flails in the air and lands.


    As long as it hits, I''ll have my support. And even if she throws them in a tornado, she''ll still hit them, which was the reason she was a gambler.


    Current Situation


    Misaki''s attack hits the Eagle-Headed Titan. No damage. War Spirit''s additional attack causes 22 damage.


    Misaki''s health and magic power are restored.


    The strength of the metal exceeds the limit with the support damage on the iron dice - the head of the giant soldier shatters with a buggin'' sound.


    ''''Ah...........''''


    Still, the giant soldier does not fall. They swing their spears as if they were going to take Misaki on the road - but then.


    Current Situation


    Arihito activates ''Backstand'' ¡ú Target: The Eagle-Headed Titan Soldier


    I noticed a sign that he had arisen behind me and tried to turn around.


    Right after I supported Misaki, I had gone behind him. If it''s a deadly attack from the rear, the damage will increase...!


    Please!


    Current Situation


    Arihito''s attack hits the Eagle-Headed Titan. Warrior Spirit''s supplemental attack, dead angle attack, supporting damage 11


    Defeat one of the Eagle Head Titan Soldiers.


    The sling bullets released with the war spirit hit the back of the giant soldier''s head.


    Stepping forward, the giant soldier tried to poke his spear into the stone floor - and fell down in a crumpled heap and stopped moving.


    ''''........We won.......?¡¡We.....


    Since we moved in the ''Backstand'', Igarashi-san, Theresia and Elitia were nearby. Igarashi-san still had no sense of victory and was still holding her spear with both hands. Theresia and Elitia also kept their swords at the ready.


    ''''Ah, haha........Nah, it''s not like I don''t feel alive or anything.......Kya!


    ''Thank God.......Misaki-chan, for being so reckless.......''


    There are ways to avoid taking the risk of putting Misaki in front of the giant soldiers. The idea is to use "Supportive Defense" and "Supportive Recovery" while using the War Spirit as a shield to withstand it.


    But if Elitia doesn''t draw the attack, he''s quick enough to shoot ''Needle Feather'' twice in thirty seconds. When Elitia''s magic power is exhausted, she would have been gradually cornered by just enduring it.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    The effect of "Soul Blink" ends.


    Kyouka''s ability has temporarily increased.


    The war spirits disappeared in a huff, and the residue of magical power gathered around Igarashi-san - the positive effect seemed to continue even after the effect expired.


    The duration of the ''Soul Blink'' effect is approximately thirty seconds. Considering how powerful it is, that''s more than enough, but you have to be ready when you activate it.


    ''''The MVP this time is definitely Igarashi-san. It was an amazing effect.''''


    ''Oh, that was ... I feel like I pulled off some kind of coincidence very well, though. It''s heartbreaking to think that if the effect was off the mark.


    ''Now I understand why the story of the Valkyrie''s morale release hasn''t spread. If they were this powerful, everyone would want to keep it a secret.


    Elitia is so effective that even Elitia would marvel at it, so if the details of the Valkyrie are known, it could be pulled down. It''s a shame that it''s unpopular just because it''s not a specialized position.


    Theresia comes over here and shows me the black stone she''s holding - translucent, with letters floating inside - and shows me.


    "Is this ... what''s this ... a rune?¡¡You don''t have to compress the magic stone to get it?


    ''Wow ... did you get it through the effects of "Triple Steel"?


    Theresia nods her head in a persistent nod. She entrusts me with the rune and squeezes my hand with both of hers as if to wrap it in hers.


    ''''Hmm ... what''s wrong?''''


    ''I''m worried about you now that your rear end has been attacked. So am I. I''m sorry, I''m supposed to be covering for you.


    Are you okay, Mr. Aricht?¡¡Your wound is.....


    No problem. The Triple Steel heals the wounds I attacked him with. It still hurts a little bit, but...


    ''If your brother gets hurt, I''ll take care of him! I''ll take care of him downstairs as normal, and if you want, I''ll start carrying him on my back now.


    Oh, you know I told you I''m almost healed. You don''t need to feel grateful, Misaki fought back.


    With a pomp, she places her hand on Misaki''s head. She tidies up her slightly messy hair as she does so.


    ''It''s been a tough day for all of you.


    ''''I feel like we''d lose if we said we tried our best too...''''


    ''Wow, I ... I was just shooting from behind. If I can be of more help, then....


    Everyone likes things and, well, a little bit of everything.


    Not only the three of us, but also Theresa is looking at me. But when our eyes meet, I quickly look away in embarrassment - the snakehead''s mask is subtly reddening.


    If you get a chance, I''d like you to pop your head in a particularly non-embarrassing moment to show your appreciation. I was able to guess that this was what was required, but I thought that it would require a great deal of courage as a leader and a human being to carry out the action after knowing everyone''s reaction.

 39 Chapter 38: The Holy Ark

    I approached the fallen giant soldier with caution and looked for anything else that I had dropped - and then.


    ''''Isn''t this what the Titan Soldiers had in their eyes?''''


    Jewelry. It''s still in perfect shape....


    Igarashi-san brought a single gemstone. Is it a magical stone - no, unlike burning stones and the like, its shape is not rough and it is arranged as if it was cut.


    There is no doubt that this ruin and the floor used for transitioning were made by someone else. While there were almost no artifacts in Akebono''s Field itself, only the fourth level is clearly different.


    ''''Weapons and such don''t seem to be too heavy to use...''''


    ''We can''t even send it to the warehouse at this size, so we''ll just leave it there for now. There won''t be anyone else coming here either... or not so much...


    If the explorers hadn''t entered this place in the past, there would have been no wound on the giant soldier''s head. In other words, what happened to the searcher who was sacrificed--''''


    ''''....Suzuna. It''s not a good time to take it, but can I have you acquire the ''Spiritual Sensing'' skill?


    ''Yes. I thought it would be better if I did, too. This giant soldier is probably...


    It has buried many explorers so far. What if the entrance to the fourth level was a secret mechanism to be hidden again after defeating the explorers who entered - if that was the case?


    (Is this giant soldier some kind of ordeal or just a trap to kill those who stepped in... Either way, it''s not a horrible story.)


    Suzuna manipulated the license and acquired ''Spiritual Sensing''. She then rang the bell she was holding in the direction of no one and clasped her hands together.


    ''''........What, did you see?''''


    Yes.... a former explorer who was here before lost his life here. I understand that he fought with six of his Titan soldiers and was defeated against them, and it must have been a terrible tragedy.


    The reason why I felt like the giant soldiers were happy to see us is because they are cannibalistic monsters - none of the demons in the Labyrinth Country are willing to go up to humans, not a single one of them. To them, it''s just a form of sustenance.


    Then there is no need to condone them in the future. There may be exceptions among the demons that are not hostile, but in the current situation, we can''t be lenient.


    ''''........This looks like something that fell off when I attacked it. It''s a metallic body, but when it was moving, parts of it must have been fluid.


    The metal that had dripped down like blood when the head was destroyed was now solidified. The sight of it reminded me of the term "metal life form". That would explain the eating and the fact that the wounds from the past had regenerated and remained as old wounds.


    ''I think it could be used as a material, but it''s a lot of unknowns. Let''s just take the pieces with us.


    ''Shouldn''t you take the proof of your defeat with you?¡¡Maybe pick up a few feathers.


    ''''Well there''s no point in bringing back this eye gemstone if the guild doesn''t know what it is.


    ''The most definite proof of defeating a demon is sometimes the heart... let''s strip the armor off for a bit.


    Oh no...


    Misaki clings to me. Well, it''s not unreasonable, and I''m a bit of a coward, but - Elitia puts her blade between the giant soldier''s armor and pulls it off with a sliver.


    And what you see is a round pearl embedded in the giant soldier''s chest.


    ''''........Is this the heart?¡¡It''s not as graphic as I thought it would be.


    They used their magical powers to make the metal body move like a living being. It''s a kind of orb.


    Orbs....I see. So this guy is like a golem after all?


    ''It''s not like it''s inhabiting a creature''s soul, it''s like it''s made.


    As the "Eagle-headed Giant Soldier", the "Orb" was used to move the metal body. Whose hands made such a thing - there are many mysteries, but I''ll take this as proof of the defeat.


    ''''........Teresia, is that door going to open?''''


    ..........


    The stone door is so large and tightly closed that I wonder if it was made for a giant soldier to pass through, and it''s not going to open easily.


    But there''s a small indentation so high that I can''t reach it, even if I were to reach it. It''s to the left and right of the closed border - you don''t want me to put my finger in that one to open it?


    ''''Brother, won''t that hole hold the jewels you picked up earlier?''''


    ''Yes, it looks like it''s going to fit just right but I can''t reach it by jumping.


    I''ll take care of it..........................


    ''........Elitia, are you out of magic?


    It looks like she tried to use the sonic raid, but nothing happened, and Elitia''s face turns red.


    ''''This much, if I''m a level 8, I can just leap... eeeeee!


    Elitia flies as fast as she can with a capacity that is as if she were measuring the height of a vertical jump. Frighteningly, she jumped up more than a meter, but she still couldn''t reach it just in time.


    ''''........What do you mean because you can''t reach that hole?¡¡I''m not losing. What''s funny is how high that hole is.


    ''Well if you''re here as a party, there''s a way. You can gain more height by standing on my shoulders than you can by doing a vertical jump. Igarashi-san, are you okay with the heights?


    ''Wow, I can''t. I''m heavy because I''m wearing armor and........no, no, I''m not saying I''m heavy. It''s just that my armor is heavy.


    I think it''s not so much because Igarashi-san''s armor has been modified to reduce the weight of the armor - then it''s the rogue Theresia that''s relatively light.


    ''Alright, Theresia. I''ll put my hand on the door, so you can manage to scramble up and try to fit the jewel in that hole.


    Theresia put her hand over her mouth, which was visible through the snake''s mask, and seemed to be wondering what to do - indeed, it would be difficult to get on my shoulder suddenly, so I would need a foothold.


    ''''Then........let''s make a foothold in a group exercise. I''m the bottom and Elitia-san is also the vanguard, so please be the foundation. Then, if Misaki-chan can get on top........


    Wow, this is kind of nostalgic. Do you have a flute, Suzu-chan?¡¡Beep, and we''ll all move forward.


    It''s dangerous, so don''t talk to me anymore, okay?


    Okay. Well, I''m going to get on top of it..........................


    ''If you bring me a magic potion I''ll buy it the next time I find it, no matter how much I have to pay.


    While discovering that Igarashi-san''s point of laughter is surprisingly loose, he does a gymnastics pyramid, albeit on two levels, to get a foothold. Elitia looks a little frustrated, but she firmly prods her hands on the floor and supports Misaki with Igarashi-san.


    Theresia takes off her boots and it''s time to climb the pyramid and get on my shoulders. I don''t feel the load as much as I expected, and I hear a click, click, click of the jewels being fitted in above my head - and.


    ''Whoa...!


    Huh...!


    Suddenly the door starts to open from side to side, and I almost lose my balance - Theresia, who was on top of me, falls down and shifts into a shoulder carriage position, but I managed to avoid dropping her.


    ''''Huh ... so, are you okay, Theresia? Didn''t it hurt?''''


    ..........


    It seems to be okay, and I can feel a hint of nodding. It''s a good thing........but the softness of my thighs feels indescribable when I''m carrying them up.


    It''s a good thing that you have some experience in gymnastics.¡¡I''ve dexterously moved onto the shoulder, though.


    ''I admire that too, but you need to pay a little attention to what''s on the other side of the door. It''s not just a matter of looking at it.


    ...someone in the back of the room........please be careful, everyone. I can''t say for sure, but I''m getting a disturbing feeling.


    After setting Theresa down, we all look through the door. There is a short staircase at the back of the dimly lit room, and at the top of it is a large box-like object with a spotlight-like light shining on it.


    Is the unsettling presence a result of Suzuna''s ''psychic sensing'' or is it just a hunch? Either way, rather than proceeding unprotected, I want to take some kind of safe measure.


    ''''Igarashi-san, you took the skill called ''decoy doll'', right?


    ''''Yeah, yeah ... come to think of it. If you''d used it first, it would have attracted the attacks of the Titan soldiers.


    ''No, it would still have been a comforting experience. It might be more useful in a case like now. Why don''t we use the decoy doll here, since there might be a trap for you?


    ''Well, after you''ve defeated such a strong demon, would you normally set a trap or something afterwards?¡¡If I were a labyrinth-maker, I might do it.


    I don''t think "never" would apply to the labyrinth. That''s what you''re talking about, Mr. Rear, isn''t it?


    Igarashi took the doll out of the pouch. Placing it on the ground, made of clay, she held up her hand and chanted the incantation.


    ''O human form of mud, born of the earth! Once you have possessed my magic, rise up and become the sharp-edged soldier that draws the eye of the devil...............


    Are you all right, sister?


    Misaki and Suzuna support Igarashi-san, who wobbled as soon as she finished chanting the spell. When I looked at the license, Igarashi-san''s magic power was almost at zero - I didn''t calculate the consumption of magic power with the decoy doll, my mistake.


    ''I''m sorry, Igarashi-san I didn''t take magic into consideration.


    ''No, it seems to recover slowly after resting, so it''s not a problem... but this is what happens when you''re worn out. I''ll have to be more careful in the future.


    If you run out of magic power during a battle, you won''t be able to stand a chance when the enemy comes after you. You have to be very careful - it would be nice if there was a way to recover magic power during battle.


    The mud doll was infused with Igarashi-san''s magical power, and after a while, it swelled up and became larger and larger - and to my surprise, it looked just like Igarashi-san.


    "I can only execute simple commands, but you seem to be using them as bait. "Keep going straight ahead.


    The mud doll proceeds to follow orders - and. It was too dimly lit to see clearly, but he stomped on a switch of some kind with a clunk.


    ''''Ah...!


    Igarashi-san shouts out. The mud doll wilted rapidly and disappeared like a scrapper.


    ''Kyouka''s decoy doll has stepped on a life absorbing trap'' is indicated on the license. Good thing it was a decoy doll, because if it came this far and got caught in a one-hit death trap, it would be impossible to cry.


    ''''The doll looks just like Igarashi-san, so it''s heartbreaking...''''


    ''Yeah, well you''d have to look that much alike to be a decoy, and you''ll have to get used to it.


    Now, I think I saw something that looked like a box in the back that lit up.


    The decoy doll was given a small amount of life force by Igarashi-san''s magical power. The trap sucked it up and the box-like thing reacted - what does that mean?


    The clues to escape should be here.)


    We regrouped and proceeded, keeping an eye out for traps underfoot. Fortunately, there were no other traps, and we made it to the box at the top of the stairs in one piece.


    The box looks like it was carved out of black marble. There is a round hole in the center of the part that corresponds to its lid.


    It''s not a box, it''s a kettle, isn''t it?¡¡See, it looks like there are vampires and stuff in there.


    ''''No........I don''t sense any signs of impurity. Nor is there any sign of hostility, for the moment....


    It''s like putting something round in there.


    In your exploration of this labyrinth, did you find anything like it?


    Elitia asks me, and I look back on the search so far - and.


    ''....There is........''


    ''Oh, you have one?¡¡Brother, where did you find it!


    The stick found in the black box where the juggernaut was dropped. The tip was like a key, but the side of the handle must have been rounded.


    ''It''s this one. From the black box that the juggernaut dropped the handle of this is going to fit right into the hole.


    ''Guys, be careful, you never know what you''ll find out. If Suzuna''s right, I''m not the enemy, but........


    Elitia told me and we all nodded. After having Theresia check the safety of the surroundings, I inserted the stick into the hole in the box with my intentions.


    ''''Huh........!


    The moment you insert the stick, the box opens up from side to side around the hole you inserted it into - only the lid opens automatically without touching it.


    What overflowed from inside was a dazzling light. And as if a box of dry ice was opened, white smoke flooded out with the cold air, spreading like a stream down the stairs and quickly disappearing.


    ''''Ah, Rear-kun.......inside the box, there''s a person.......''''


    This is....


    The box is still filled with a pale light, and a girl is lying in it.


    That''s exactly what it is, well formed, like a doll. Long light blue hair covers the bulge of her chest - I haven''t seen hair of this color since I came to the Labyrinth Country.


    (Those on the ears are ... antennas ... no, they''re not. The town is at the level of civilization about medieval times, but at the bottom of the labyrinth, there''s suddenly something super civilized or something...)


    ''......................Still alive the soul has not left this body. But I don''t know if I should wake it up ... if it has been sleeping here quietly, there must be a reason for it.


    Suzuna was right, but I opened the box. And the key on the end of the stick is probably the literal key to wake this kid up - I have a feeling that it is.


    If you check out this room, you might be able to find a way out. But after what happened with that trap earlier, it''s dangerous to go around without a fight. If we can wake the kid up, we might be able to find out what this room is and how to get out...


    If I can''t escape and wait for him to die a debilitating death, I don''t know what I''ve defeated the giant soldiers for.


    I want to reach for the clue in front of me. I think so too - the keyhole to use this ''key'' is in an unexpected place.


    ''''Rear, look ... between my breasts ... this girl isn''t a normal person after all, with a hole like this.''''


    Do you want me to insert the key on the stick in here?


    ''What if only those who come here after defeating the Juggernaut are qualified to come to these four levels and open the box. I think we''re the first ones to reach this place with the right conditions, Arihito we''re the first, led by you.


    We are in an unexplored place that no one has ever been to before. There is a saying that it''s dark under the lampstand - the first level of the hidden hierarchy of the elementary labyrinth that anyone should pass through, and it''s true.


    The key found in the black box. A box that can be opened using that key. If everything was connected, there was a possibility that anyone could reach this place if they could just follow the steps.


    (But it wasn''t.) We were the only ones with the right conditions to get here.)


    I''m nervous, and my heart has been racing since earlier. But my head is strangely cold, and I''m convinced that this sleeping girl has a clue to our escape, and information that could change our future.


    ''''I''ll use the key. No hard feelings, guys, no matter what happens. Is that all right?


    Everyone nods. I try to insert the key into the sleeping girl''s chest, but my hands are shaking and it doesn''t fit properly. However, the size and thickness of the key matched perfectly.


    ''''..........''''


    Theresia is behind me, putting a hand on my shoulder. Following that, the other four also touch my body and try to calm me down - even though all of them are in an extreme state of tension, it allows me to forget my fears.


    ''''Let''s........go.......!


    The hand stopped trembling and the key slipped easily into the girl''s chest hole. And when it was inserted deep into the chest, there was a clink - the body trembled slightly.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Arihito uses the "Key of the Mysteries" in the 117th Ark of the Covenant to unlock it.

 40 Episode 39: Girl in the Sanctuary

    ''Mr. Aricht, this man is moving my heart...''


    Yeah well it looks like this key was the right one. Now let''s see what happens...


    The box opened, so there was no doubt that there was a connection between this key and the girl - just as I expected, the key fit perfectly into the girl''s keyhole.


    ''It''s like she''s starting to breathe - it''s like a cold sleep in a science fiction movie. I stayed in form the whole time, and then I woke up from my long sleep...


    Mr. Igarashi also seems to have the impression of being over-technical. The things like the covers attached to the ears also look like machines.


    ''''Hmm.........''''


    ...it''s time to wake up. Alihit, Alihit, I''m warning you, be careful.


    Elitia, tense as a taut thread, calls out to everyone. I gulp and watch the sleeping girl''s eyelashes tremble - and.


    The girl''s eyes open. She slowly raises her upper body in the black box and stops moving, leaving no light in her eyes, which are the same color as her hair.


    I don''t feel like I''m going to seize it or anything in anticipation of danger. I don''t feel any killing intent or anything - more importantly, I have a big problem.


    ..........


    What....what...is...?


    Wordlessly, the girl looks at me. I feel uneasy when she stares at me with her lightless eyes, but I try to read her intentions somehow to understand why she''s looking at me - but she doesn''t say anything, and then she looks behind me.


    Behind me is Theresa. She doesn''t look away, her skull-masked eyes catch the gaze of the awakened girl.


    ''........Can we communicate?¡¡Telepathic?


    Hey, hey ... don''t make fun of me.


    But you both seem to be calm. Your souls are calm and unruffled.


    Suzuna''s psychic sense is very useful when knowing if the other party has hostile intentions. With full trust in the "miko" sense, we watch Theresa and the girl with bated breath - then.


    (...what are they doing? Can we communicate our wills...?


    Theresia steps forward and extends her left hand. Then, the girl matches it with her outstretched right hand - and then.


    ''''........''''


    Theresia pulled back her hand in surprise. A light dwells in the eyes of the girl who has been watching with a blank expression on her face for the first time - and her lips move.


    ''''Are you the one who unlocked the ''Covenant'' and awakened me? The subhuman girl gave me the information I needed, reading bits and pieces of what had happened. Arichto-Atobe, is your name correct?


    Oh, yes I am. I am a rear man, transplanted from Japan to this labyrinthine country.


    Is that the place where those who have been charged with the responsibility of ''collecting gods'' gather? They gather souls from the land beyond, reincarnate them, and make us ''search'' for them. Is that why we are ''searchers''?


    The unexpected words of the girl make me shudder.


    -- Why do we have to become explorers after being reincarnated in the labyrinth country? The question that I had always wondered about, and thought I would be able to teach it to you someday, is just now being uttered by this girl.


    ''''What do you mean...?¡¡The blame of the God-gathering we''re not being told anything about that.


    ''Wait, Kyouka. She knows something ... something very important. Let''s hear the whole story.


    Igarashi swallowed her doubts as Elitia controlled her. I looked at her and she nodded with a hand on her chest, as if to say she wasn''t worried.


    ''Reincarnated from the world beyond, you are the unshakable ''rear guard''. I would like to first thank you for getting this far, and for solving the mystery of the labyrinth.


    "I''m sorry we got here, and I''m sorry I had the key. And waking you up. Does that mean you ''solved the mystery of the labyrinth''?


    ''Yes. I praise and bless the one who solves the mystery, and I am ruled by the price. I am Ariadne, the Iron Wheel. I am the one hundred and seventeenth secret god and an imitation of God. In the depths of the labyrinth, where there are no more visitors, I have fallen asleep.


    "What.........the 117th is the first labyrinth?¡¡The ears?¡¡Imitation?


    I can''t keep up with her either, but I suddenly realized that I looked at the license and understood a bit of what she was saying.


    The key I used was the ''Key of the Secret God'' and the open box was labeled ''The Ark of the Covenant''. The word "Ark of the Covenant" originally meant a box that enshrines the remains of a holy person or something like that.


    The girl who slept in it called herself a secret god, ''a replica of a god''. An imitation - that is, a copy, or a forgery (fake).


    ''Giving blessings and being ruled over... does that mean you''re going to lend us power?''


    Elitia asks, but the girl doesn''t answer. She quickly stands up and shows her body - and.


    ''''What.........what........?¡¡The patterns on the body... is this an electronic circuit...?


    As Igarashi-san said, a glowing pattern like a circuit appeared on Ariadne''s body. However, the pattern seemed to be interrupted.


    The pattern spread from the keyhole of her chest as well, but it was cut off at the halfway point. The pattern was clearly visible up to the middle of the chest, where it was richly ridged, but beyond that it was fading and disappearing. It''s not because it''s hidden by her hair or anything, but it looks incomplete.


    Eventually, the circuitry that appeared in the girl - Ariadne''s body - disappears and she returns to her original form. She looks at me and hangs her head apologetically.


    ''''After all, it is believed that the period of time since it was discarded was too long. The blessings I can give you are weak and it is highly unlikely that you will be able to recover all of your functions. It is recommended that you activate and control the preserved secret gods in a better condition.


    Does that mean...Ariadne, do you want me to just let you be and leave you alone?


    I am the original, discarded being. My guardian golem is not even a member of my family. The Creator placed me, a poor imitation, in a box as an outlier and sealed me in a maze. He didn''t expect me to be found by anyone, and he didn''t expect me to accomplish anything by waking up.


    --I want to thank you first. I didn''t think deeply about the meaning of those words at first.


    Why did I preface it with ''first''? Because she was going to tell him that there was no point in waking herself up and that she herself thought it was an exercise in futility.


    ''Outliers are awful ... how ruthless would you be to take someone who is willing and able to talk and put them in a box for years ... how ruthless would you be to do that?''


    Igarashi-san and Suzuna are angry - the content of Ariadne''s speech sounded more pathetic, just because her tone was unassuming.


    However, what can be guessed from her blank expression is that it''s just a fact for Ariadne and not even something to be sad about.


    ''''.........''''


    "...Theresa.


    Theresia''s hand on her chest is clenched tightly. She''s angry at Ariadne''s situation, at the ''Creator'' for putting her in a box - harder than ever before.


    ''....Ariadne, what are you going to do with her?¡¡Let''s just leave it here and let someone else take over... that''s a possible decision.


    With my power, I can send you to the ground. The transmigrator from the third layer to here, after activating it, will transmigrate itself and bury itself in the ground again. You can report me to the organization you belong to, or you can leave me alone.


    It''s all up to us, Ariadne says, and both choices are equivalent.


    --but that''s her one-sided view, too. Since we''ve come this far, we can''t pretend we didn''t see Ariadne.


    ''Well Ariadne, they say it was in a bad state of preservation, but it doesn''t look that way to me. I don''t know if it''s years or decades, but it''s hard to believe that you''ve been asleep here for so many years, but you can talk to each other now, and you have feelings of concern for us. I don''t think there''s anything missing from that figure either.


    That''s exactly what made it convincing that she was an imitation of God, there was almost no waste in her form.


    Still, she was discarded - as an imperfect imitation of God.


    But if God is a being of tremendous power, as we imagine him to be, is it futile if he couldn''t imitate her perfectly?


    I don''t think so, even if you declare the being who created Ariadne to be futile. To us, the blessings she gives us, and the piece of mystery of the labyrinth she brings, are surely irreplaceable.


    There is no chance of restoring a fully functioning system if it is ''extremely unlikely''. We''ve only just become explorers, and we''re just starting out...although Elitia is a veteran. So we can grow together from now on. I think that will help us grow as well.


    "....Once you have My blessings, you will need faith to maintain My functions. You must have faith in Me, an imperfect god, and when you encounter the secret gods who are in opposition to Me, you must fight them unconditionally. If you still wish to be blessed, show me the ''bill''.


    The tags ... the license?


    Ariadne nods as I show her my license. I confirm everyone''s intentions - no one disagrees, and we look at each other and chuckle.


    ''I''m sure Rear-kun would have the answer from the start. I''ll leave it all up to the leader''s choice.


    ''''Arihito-san I''m not strong enough, but I want to help you, Ariadne. I''m sure she''ll be lonely here alone for a long time.


    ''''It''s Alihito-san and Ariadne-san, and they''re an antagonistic duo! Oh, wasn''t I just about to make a joke?


    ''I''m not nervous, but well, it''s Misaki, so it''s no wonder. Arihito, I agree with you. I''m sure we explorers have been assembled to search the labyrinth for beings like Ariadne. I think a partnership with her would be a great way for us to continue our search.


    I''m of the same opinion as Elitia. But that means that we will move according to the intentions of the beings who reincarnated us - and by extension, the beings who created the labyrinthine country.


    (.........In the beginning, let''s dance on the palm of our hands. Just as long as we don''t keep dancing until the end.)


    I''m sure the fledgling explorer is too early to even care about the significance of the reincarnation or the mysteries of the labyrinth - but I can''t blame her, I''ve found Ariadne.


    ''We want to receive Ariadne''s blessing. How is it possible for us to ''believe'' in you?


    Ariadne remained silent for a moment, watching my face. While she didn''t answer, Theresa stepped forward and held out her hand to Ariadne.


    Taking her hand, Ariadne stepped out of the box and held out her right hand towards me. As I hand the license to that hand, Ariadne holds it in her left hand and holds up her right hand.


    "I''m adding a secret function to the ''tag'' that is unknown to any third party. It will allow you to contact me. You can offer an offering to me to receive my blessings. If you fall down in the labyrinth during your search, you can be summoned back to this place by force, provided that you have given Me sufficient offerings. However, at that time, you may lose your equipment and other items.


    ...Isn''t that only beneficial to us?


    ''Even this is limited in function. I am the weakest among the secret gods, and many of them are hostile to me. After all, the recommendation is........


    ''''Don''t be so humble. Because I haven''t seen any explorers who have received the blessing of the ''Secret God'' so far. If you can receive Ariadne-san''s blessing, I''m sure you will be able to help me in the future when an unavoidable crisis comes up... just the possibility of that will be a great help to me.


    How much of the existence of the Secret God itself has been passed down - Louisa-san and Palum Komother had said ''Secret God'', but even if that was a reference to the Secret God, they didn''t seem to know that the Secret God actually existed itself.


    Is it just us discovering it, or are there many people who would know about it if they were higher level explorers? I don''t know, but the fact that Ariadne''s function of adding it to the license is ''unbeknownst to any third party'' means that Ariadne''s existence will be hidden from the guild and other explorers as long as we don''t reveal it to them.


    ''''........Ariadne can''t move from here?''''


    ''In its current state, it can''t leave the ''Sanctuary''. If we can collect the ''parts'' to restore the lost functions, we can work outside for a certain amount of time. Until then, we can only provide temporary assistance, and only a limited number of times.


    Does that mean she can borrow Ariadne''s power in some way? In any case, I can only see the benefits now, but since she was so reserved, there must be some risk in some cases.


    However, a new feature has already been added to my license. A ''Secret God'' page has been added, and ''Ariadne''''s name is displayed in the column of the gods I believe in.


    ''If we can find it. If we can replenish the power of the sanctuary with offerings, we can set up a new entrance, a transition floor, outside.


    Okay. First, the offering...


    ''''I''ll get back to you on that. I''m just glad you''ve chosen me for now. I wouldn''t ask for more than that.


    Right now, she doesn''t seem to be talking any more than that. The girl with the light blue hair remains naked to the end, letting the glowing letters emerge on her skin - and.


    Ariadne holds up her hand towards us, and we have transitioned into the open field.


    This landscape is one level of The Field of Dawn. Everyone had a look on their face as if they were dreaming.


    ''''Well guys, don''t worry, it''s not a dream.


    The evidence of defeating the Titan Soldiers and the features that were added to my license are still intact.


    Misaki slumps into place. Everyone seemed to be in the same mood, and they were all too relieved to be distracted.


    She was able to come back safely, but how should she report to Louisa-san? There are too many factors that would cause her to faint, and I''m having trouble now how to explain it - but for now, I want to be happy that I survived without thinking about it for now.


    ''Oh I''m glad I made it out alive. For a while, I wondered what would happen...


    Thanks for your help, Rear Admiral. Let''s get some rest and then go home.


    ''''Well Mr. Aricht, I''ve been on the lookout for you the whole time.


    So many things happened, one after another...


    Elitia is saying something embarrassing, but I pretend I''m not listening right now and try to lie down in the grass in a wide open position.


    Then Theresia comes over, right beside me, knees together and thrusts on the grass - and.


    I can see why Igarashi-san is upset. Theresia held my head and guided me onto her lap.


    ''''Oh, thanks but what''s up with you all of a sudden?''''


    ..........


    Theresia doesn''t answer. But there seemed to be a faint smile on the mouth peeking out of the skull mask - I could feel the eyes of the others, but I was going to continue to rest my head on my soft knees for just a little while, and bask in the joy of being alive.

 41 Episode 40: Upset of the officer in charge

    Everyone seemed to be becoming aware of their hunger as soon as they were relieved, and we talked about what to eat after we went outside.


    I was about to get up, too, because it was time for Theresa to feel bad, but she put a hand on my shoulder and blocked me from moving. After something like that, I don''t feel like getting up until I shake it off.


    ''''........Is a lap pillow something a man would enjoy?''''


    ''What?¡¡Well, well, well, I don''t know. Looking at your brother, he seems to be in a good mood.


    Yes, that''s true........Aricht-san trusts Teresa-san a lot. She seems to calm down when she does that.


    Suzuna understands that I''m quiet when she kneels me down. It seems that things like annoyances and evil thoughts are going to be perceived with a single shot before spirituality sensing - more and more I''m required to be pure of heart.


    ''Speaking of which, Ariadne first joined hands with Theresa, does that mean that Theresa is special?


    Maybe there''s a connection between the sub-humans who are involved in the labyrinth and the secret gods.


    We still don''t know why a seeker who falls in the labyrinth becomes a sub-human. I can''t say that we will never witness a seeker turn into a subhuman in the future, but I would like to save both my own people and a passing party, if possible, before it becomes irreversible.


    Even if we can faintly communicate our wills, the lack of communication is still too great. Considering that the searchers who didn''t survive will disappear without turning into sub-humans, perhaps we should consider it a miracle that Theresa is here - but it can''t be like this all the time, either.


    ''''.........''''


    I seemed to have a serious look on my face without realizing it, and Theresa was looking at me with concern. Just by looking at her mouth, I''m starting to understand her emotions a lot better.


    ''''Oh, I''m sorry. I was just thinking about a few things. Thanks, I''m pretty rested.


    Theresia looks like she''s going to miss it, but she removes her hand from my shoulder.


    On one level, the new explorers who have just arrived are still fighting watadama and seven other newcomers. They don''t seem to be able to hit the attacks easily, but they seem to be getting the hang of it little by little.


    She''s really good with a sword, isn''t she?


    ''It really is. Even Watadama''s tackles aren''t foolproof at level one.


    ''''I was also protected by Elitia-san.


    They''re in a party of six, just like us, and they''re very happy to hunt two cottontail gorillas. If they can get to the second level, they''ll find the demon material we left behind - if they can bring it back, they''ll get a great deal for their first search.


    ''''We''d better get going. I''d like to report to Louisa-san as soon as possible.


    We''ll have to get the material we sent to the warehouse to the demolition shop as soon as possible.


    The poisonous crystals of the dokuyaribachi, the ores the orcs had, the materials of the plain eater and the gaze hound - and which equipment will I put the runes I got from defeating the eagle-headed giant soldiers on? Even after the adventure, there''s a lot of work to be done.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    When we left the labyrinth, the time was around 5pm. We made it in time for the guild''s business hours, and waited until Louisa-san finished dealing with the other searchers before heading to the same special room as yesterday.


    The women went back to their quarters once. It is said that reporting is a leader''s job, but it seems that this practice will continue from now on. Well, I feel that the best part of the search is reporting, so I don''t mind if you leave it to me.


    I''m sorry, I just finished my search, so I may smell a sweat.


    What do you say, sir? Isn''t sweat a seeker''s medal?


    If you say that with a smile, even if you''re not an immunocompromised man like me, your heart must be tilted.


    ''''........Luisa-san, what''s wrong?''''


    Louisa-san approaches me unexpectedly. I was weirdly reserved, so I checked her scent - it''s not so much boldness as it is too natural to be troubled by the way she closed the distance.


    ''''Hmph.......I don''t mind it so much. I can smell Atobe-sama, though.


    No, no, I mean. I''m wondering to myself if that''s not a very good smell.


    ''Well it may vary from person to person, but I''m fine with it.


    Louisa says while hiding her mouth with the file she uses for work. Her gestures are becoming not only the officer in charge, but also completely forgiving, like a friend.


    (Normally she''s careful not to open her breasts, but as soon as she starts walking with me, her guard is loosened... could it be?)


    Excuse me, sir, but can you go ahead and wait in your room?¡¡Would you like me to bring you a cup of tea or would you like a cup of tea already?


    ''Well... er... well, it''s still light out now... Louisa, would you like to join me for a drink today?''


    Are you sure?¡¡No, it''s enough to make you eat normally. If you drink it every day, it will affect your body.


    Louisa-san seems to be the type of person who wants to drink every day. But to serve alcohol at the debriefing table, the guild is quite a bold organization.


    ''''........We don''t offer alcohol to other people, right?¡¡There''s only Lady Atobe.


    No, no, no, hahaha...


    If I kept saying things like, "Oh my God," wouldn''t I be taken aback? It''s frustrating that I can''t think of a witty response at a time like this.


    The back of Louisa-san''s body as she went to make a cup of tea, the shape of her buttocks was clearly showing in her soft fabric skirt, and there was no place to look. Although she had changed a lot from the neat and clean impression of the first day - to be honest, if they liked her enough to give her achievements, she wasn''t reluctant to continue to work hard in the future.


    ¡ô ¡ó¡ô


    After drinking the cold herbal tea Louisa had brewed for me and taking a breath, I presented my license to her. She took out one pair of glasses, put her hand on her chest and took a deep breath before looking at the screen with seriousness.


    ''''Then I''ll take a look at it...''''


    The results of this search


    We have entered the third level of Akebono''s Field. 40 points.


    We''ve entered an unexplored area in Akebono''s Field.


    Elitia''s level is now 9. 100 points.


    Aricht''s level is now 4. 40 points.


    Theresa''s level is now 4. 40 points.


    Kyouka''s level is now 3. 20 points.


    Suzuna''s level is now 3. 20 points.


    Misaki''s level has been raised to 2. 10 points


    Killed 8 Watadama for 40 points.


    Took out 6 Dokuyari bumblebees, 48 points.


    Defeated 12 "Fang Orcs" for 120 points.


    Took out 7 "Gaze Hounds", 140 points.


    50 points for defeating a "Plane Eater".


    Defeated the Eagle Headed Titan Soldier.


    My trust in "Theresa" has changed. 100 points


    Trust in "Kyoka" has increased by 50 points.


    Trust in Suzuna has increased by 50 points.


    Trust in "Elitia" has increased by 50 points.


    Relationship of trust with Misaki has changed 100 points


    ''? You''ve awakened the Unrated


    ''? Blessings of the Unrated


    Searcher Contribution - 1038 + Unrated Value


    8th district cumulative contribution ranking 1


    ..........


    Louisa used her single-glasses and stopped when she saw to the second line. Was the display of ''unexplored territory'' too stimulating after all - how could I wake her up?


    ''''........Louisa-san?''''


    Huh?


    As soon as she reacted as if she were being played, Louisa''s breasts bounced as if they were about to spill out of her open collar.


    The swaying continued for a while, and then she reddened her face all at once, fixed her hair, which wasn''t even that disheveled, adjusted her collar, cleared her throat, and then looked at me.


    ''''........Atobe-sama, do you have any plans to get engaged in the future?''''


    ''''Buh........Louisa, please calm down. We''re jumping to a totally unrelated topic.


    What did I just say?¡¡I''m sorry, I was too upset about it, and I''m beginning to realize that I''m about to be of the right age...


    Apparently, when she''s confused, her words and actions are disruptive. It''s more like what she''s thinking comes out of her mouth - or perhaps it''s too much of a leap to say that she wants to marry me, no matter how great her achievements are.


    (Nah, I''m starting to get nervous... my hands are sweating a lot. (Calm down, I need to talk to you calmly.)


    I''m not sure if it''s right to talk about the secret gods. ''''?'''' is shown as released, so I think that''s where I''ll need to explain it.


    For now, we should follow the order. A clear presentation should help Ms. Louisa to understand.


    ''''Louisa-san''s suitable age is also an important agenda item, but for now, let me talk about the ''unexplored territory''.


    I don''t care about the right age................ ...I''d rather die.......I can''t live with Atobe-sama''s disdain for me.......


    ''Duh, it''s okay. I understand that you think I''m promising, and I''m very happy for you. But it''s not a matter of gain or loss that Louisa got upset. That''s how I see it.


    "...Master Atobe...


    If I were to take her hand here, it might be called a romantic atmosphere - but I can''t be too buoyant in front of my friends who are also waiting for me.


    ''''........Thank you, I''ve finally settled down. You''re talking about the ''unexplored territory''. This means that no one has ever returned to the guild to reach it.


    ''''So that''s what you mean Louisa-san, is it the guild''s policy to share information about the discovery of unexplored areas?


    ''No, what we will be discussing in this room will be shared only with me and Master Atobe. It is up to the discretion of the explorer to report to the guild''s higher echelons. The last thing the guild needs is to antagonize a good seeker, so there is no requirement that information gained in a search be made available to them by force.


    It''s not hard to see that, but is the guild allowed to let the searchers do whatever they want?


    If the people in the upper echelons of the guild are competently weaker than the searchers at the top of the pecking order, they may not be able to restrain them - but we''re still fledgling and low in the pecking order, and it shouldn''t be unreasonable to make them listen to the regulations as a shield.


    (By not doing that ... you''re encouraging explorers to grow and become more experienced and stronger than anything else. But...)


    ''''........I understand your thoughts. With such a policy, when the people at the top of the pecking order have rebellious intentions, the guild will not be able to restrain them. The order of the labyrinth country will collapse, and everyone will think so.


    But that''s not the case. Does this mean that all searchers are hard-working, even at the top of the pecking order?


    That''s not always the case. However, talented explorers who move up the pecking order prefer to hide in the maze rather than dominate and influence others. I didn''t expect that Atobe-sama would be discovered at this stage, but you have discovered it and received further blessings.


    Louisa knows about the secret gods - but she doesn''t know that they were sleeping in the hidden hierarchy of Akebono''s field.


    She may not know all the details of the secret gods either. If the fact that such a being was in the labyrinth was the only thing that was shared among the guild staff, then it would make sense for her to be upset.


    ''''I will tell you what I know, Atobe-sama. The founders who created the Labyrinth Country set up transitional gates to the labyrinth within the walls of the city in order to let people explore the ''Forgotten Labyrinths'' located in different parts of the world. In other words, the labyrinth nation was formed as a country after the entrance to the labyrinth was collected within the city walls.


    "...why did you collect the maze?¡¡If it was forgotten, that means it was considered worthless.


    ''Not so. The labyrinth holds many mysteries, and is equipped with obstacles and demons to protect the deepest treasures. Only explorers with wisdom and power can solve these mysteries... But there are countless labyrinths that have been abandoned because of the lack of challengers. Even now, labyrinthine entrances can be added to the labyrinth country at any time. This is because those who carry on the will of the Founder, who have disappeared from sight, still travel outside the walls to collect the labyrinths.


    He continues to collect the entrance to the labyrinth by throwing the strategy to the explorers and continuing to collect the entrance to the labyrinth - calling souls from other worlds, reincarnating them as reincarnators, and forcing them to explore the labyrinth, as explorers.


    The ''founder'' who has that much power is no longer equivalent to a god. The fact that he is no longer visible means that he was indeed present in this labyrinth country in the past.


    ''''So far, this is what I can teach you when you become an employee of the guild. I''m not able to speak to you with any real feeling either... it''s like I''m explaining it to you according to a textbook.


    No, that''s good enough for me. ''The Secret God seems to be an object of belief in the Labyrinth Country, why is that?''


    ''''It''s because they are the ones who give blessings to the searchers. At the same time, I''ve heard that there are times when the secret gods can be hostile to each other, but fortunately, there have been no fights between the searchers in the eighth district because there are not many searchers who have received their blessings.


    ''''In the Eighth Ward.......you mean, in the Upper Ward, parties that have received the blessings of the Secret God will sometimes fight each other?


    ''Unfortunately. The Secret Gods are to be respected, but they are also sacred things that must not be touched by their wrath. The Guild may provide a place for them or intervene in a battle if the Secret Gods must fight each other. All of this is to protect the Labyrinth Country as it is now.


    I could imagine how fierce the battle between the secret gods would be with what we just heard. That would be just as dangerous to the country as the accidents that would occur during the ''box opening''.


    It would be good if Ariadne didn''t meet a hostile secret god, but if she did, how would she avoid conflict - she would have to think about that too.


    ''''I understand that the ''search for a god'' is the ultimate goal of the searchers. I can''t say anything big, but I''ll be careful how I behave so that the labyrinth country doesn''t turn out to be terrible.


    ''''I''d appreciate it if you could say that. I will also prepare the information that the guild can provide to meet Atobe-sama''s wishes as much as possible. If a contractor with another secret god causes a disturbance, for example, the guild will be informed, so we can alert them.


    Louisa says she''s willing to cooperate fully. After hearing that much, I had an idea.


    If Louisa-san is promoted or something, she will be able to have more discretion within the guild.


    ''Would it be a plus for Louisa-san, who is in charge, if we made an achievement?


    ''''Ha, yes ... that''s enough. When the adventurer in charge is promoted to the upper wards, the officer in charge will be promoted by one as well, so...


    ''Well, we''ll have to keep up the good work. I won''t make you regret being in charge of us, you know. I''ll repay you for the trouble you put us through.


    Well that''s most gratifying to hear.


    Louisa blushes and smiles. Her lightly reddened lips are glazed in the light of the room, and how s*xy she is - and if I stare at her, my karma goes up.


    ''''........I don''t think my karma is going to rise again.''''


    ''Eh....''


    It''s nothing. Otherwise, I won''t have a face to match everyone at Atobe-sama''s party.


    Well I''ll invite you back then. So, this unrated column....


    ''This one will be assessed directly by me in my report. I believe your contribution will be very high, and you can pass it without having to take the promotion test to the Seventh Ward, how would you like to do so?


    If it''s a free pass, that''s a good thing, but I wonder what it''s all about. If it''s not dangerous, I''m interested in what it''s like.


    ''I''m interested in what the exam is about. If I don''t take it, how will I know what it''s about?''


    ''It will be a matter of exploring one of the labyrinths in District 8 to find a prescribed item or defeat a demon. The designated labyrinths change with each test, so I''m afraid I can''t tell you what they are in advance...


    ''No, I understand. I''ll discuss it with everyone else, but in general, I''ll accept the offer.


    Very well. Okay, the exam is every Saturday, so it will be two days later. Please register by tomorrow.


    I''m also curious to see how much we''ll be contributing to the four unrated items, but for now, it''s safe to say that our promotion to District 7 is a second away and we''re turning our attention to that as well.


    The next step is to bring the harvest to the demolition plant. Let''s go to the warehouse and ask the couriers to transport it, and then we''ll meet up with everyone at the usual meeting place - the square in front of the guild.

 42 Chapter 41: Guard Dogs

    After finishing my report to Louisa-san, I was looking forward to seeing what skills had been added, but I didn''t check and held back until I returned to my quarters.


    I didn''t know how the information would be disseminated in case they peeked at my license and saw my skill list.


    My hunger is nearing its limit, and I thought I''d meet up with everyone quickly to eat - but there''s some kind of struggle going on as I leave the guild.


    (Is that........the children at Farma-san''s place, and the Silverhound.......what, are they involved in some kind of trouble?


    You f*cking dog, you deliberately bumped into me. How are you going to explain this to me?


    A man with a shaved head and an air of roughness about him, even if he wants to get a tattoo on his shoulder, is giving the silver hound a cause for concern.


    The giant dog with silvery body hair stands in front of the children - Ake and Plum - and glares at the man. People passing by don''t say anything because the man is too angry to get involved and intercede.


    ''Hey, wait a minute. Those kids are my acquaintances.


    Oh?¡¡Hmph. It''s just fine then. I got some dog hair on my shoe. You''re going to pay for my shoes with ten gold pieces. And I''ll let you off the hook.


    (You''ve been mugging the kids for a while now. You can''t save them.)


    He must have looked at me and decided on the amount of money to beg for, but even from the not too large amount of ten gold coins, the man is probably a level 2 or 3 at best. However, I''m the rear guard - my role is to support my companions, and my personal fighting strength is not that high. I wouldn''t be able to fight one-on-one with a close level opponent and be unscathed. There''s also the issue of karma, and it''s tough not to be able to set them up from here.


    ''''........Can I talk to the kids for a moment?''''


    "Ha, you want to collect money from the kids too?¡¡I don''t care how you pay me, I don''t care how you pay me, but I''m busy. Come on.


    It''s something that would raise karma through blackmail, but it seems that the man has cleverly led them to it, and it seems that the silverhound has been bumped into first.


    ''Zion didn''t bump into him. That man was trying to hit my brother, and Theon....


    Shut up, kid!¡¡I know your license shows that the d*mn dog attacked me!


    Yikes...!


    -- an adult, threatening a child with an angry voice. At that moment, a feverish anger that I had been suppressing spreads through me.


    The silver dog -- Theon is still watching the man without a care in the world. Just because he was attached to the children''s guards, his physique was nearly two meters tall, and I could imagine that he would certainly become a more dependable force than a low-level explorer.


    ''''........Aik, Plum. Can you lend me a little bit of Zion''s power?


    Well, how do you...


    "Uh-huh... big brother Ake, that!¡¡The one your mother gave you!


    Plum takes the license out of the butt pocket of Ake''s short pants. Then he operated behind me and Zion and called up the party list.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation¡ô


    I changed "Theon" to "Alihit"''s party member.


    (--Okay. Preparations are over........now we just need to find a way to lower Theon''s karma. (Well, I guess we can manage it.)


    "...Oh?¡¡If you think you''re messing around, you''re going to get a dog to cover for you. No way, man.


    The guy seems to be a reincarnation too, but when he swears so much, it doesn''t even cause a hometown feeling.


    I have to provoke him to set up here - I''m not too good at blatant swearing, but I''ll try to pick a word that will make him angry.


    ''Theon didn''t do anything wrong. Apologize to these boys and I''ll let you off the hook.


    "You think you''re a righteous man but you''re not giving me a chance. If I attacked this dog, my karma wouldn''t get any better until I hit him. Do you know what that means?


    ''You''re gonna hurt the dog?¡¡Even if your license doesn''t raise your karma, do you think the people around you will forgive you for your actions?


    ''Karma is an absolute judgment. You guys can''t do anything but sit back and watch with your fingers in the air.......!


    A man takes out a knife and tries to confront Theon - it''s only a bump, but even if the other side attacks with the intention of killing him, the karma will cancel out. It''s an incomprehensible train of thought to make an example of Theon, who is bound by karma and unable to resist, to threaten us.


    I hide Ake and Plum behind my back and say to encourage them, who are trembling, if only for a moment.


    ''It''s going to be okay. Don''t worry. Theon will never get hurt, you know.


    Current Situation


    Aricht''s ''Support and Defense 1'' is activated ¡úTarget: Sion


    Jack attacks Theon. No damage.


    Woah...!


    With a startled voice, the man''s unleashed blade is flicked off before it can touch Sion, who was in front of me.


    ''''I, that was some kind of mistake.......I don''t even have a companion to use support magic, this guy is just a dog.......''''


    What''s that guy''s lonesome?


    Isn''t that dog insanely strong?


    You think you can do whatever you want.....


    The man turns me, not Theon, into a target - but.


    Even though he tried to turn around and aim at me, Theon reacted agilely and put his body between me and the man to protect me.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Aricht''s ''Support and Defense 1'' is activated ¡úTarget: Sion


    Theon''s "Covering" is activated ¡ú Target: Aricht


    Jack attacks Theon. No damage.


    Theon''s karma has been reduced to zero.


    Karma in "Jack" is up.


    "Geez ... oh, it wasn''t my fault!¡¡This guy just came out of nowhere.........!


    There should be no damage to Theon, but perhaps because he jumped out to cover for me, the man panics, thinking he''s attacked.


    Even if there''s no damage, the man''s karma has risen at the point of attempting to attack - then it should be okay to fight back if it''s ''up to a blow''.


    Wavering, Sion glares at the man. The man mistakenly thought that he was intimidated by it, and he puts strength into his hand holding the knife - but then.


    ''''-- Go, Theon!


    Current Situation


    Theon''s "Tail Counter" is activated.


    Jack has been hit. Knocked back. Support damage 11.


    Jack" has fallen into a coma.


    d*mn...?


    It was an unnoticeable and fast action - Sion unleashes his rich, fur-covered tail at lightning speed and looks at the man as he smashes into the man''s side, and the man flies through the air with the force of his momentum.


    With a gap, the man stops moving as he runs into a trash can at the end of the road. There, the armed soldiers finally rush in - they thought their karma was offset, but the man was mercilessly taken away in the trash can.


    Plum jumps on me and cries loudly, while Ake struggles to hold back his tears and is happy for me and Theon to be safe.


    ''''Ake is strong.


    Eike, too, was probably at the end of his nervousness, and he clung to my lap when I patted his head. It can''t be helped because they were scared - both of them are still very young.


    I don''t mind that that dog was strong, but he''s reckless.


    There''s a meeting place nearby, so Igarashi-san seems to have come to see what the commotion was about. It seems that he had also seen me and Sion fighting together.


    ''He''s a very strong and courageous dog. I was pulled by this dog''s courage too.


    Theon is still looking around as if he''s protecting us - although I''m not sure about the townspeople who are just playing onlookers and not trying to help, but as it turns out, they didn''t spread the damage down the road because they didn''t mess with us. The man, Jack, had no idea what he was going to do because he was a bit of a quack at the end of the day - he wasn''t cool enough to be a hit man.


    ''Hiccup my brother, that was so cool...''


    To Plum, Ake is also a ''big brother'' so he''s wearing it, but I''m a little relieved that he doesn''t call me ''uncle''.


    The two of them seem to understand somehow that I supported Theon. However, they don''t understand to the point that it''s a skill of the rear guard, and they seem to interpret it as ''I protected you'' anyway.


    ''Thank you, brother. I''ll tell my mom that my brother saved me.


    ''Tell him Theon was protecting me. Don''t worry about the rest.


    I want to eliminate any hindsight so that that man won''t think about getting even and so on. Well, since it seems that Theon''s tail counter had knocked him out of consciousness, I''d be grateful if he could forget about it, including the fact that he met us here.


    That Sion, when Ake and Plum stop crying, comes over to me and sits down without saying a word - and.


    ''....Kuhn.


    Wha... what''s the matter?¡¡You sound like a puppy for someone so big.


    It''s like you''re taking care of him. I''ve heard dogs are very submissive to people they admire.


    ''Theon wants me to stroke him. That''s what you do when you''re in your spare time.


    Do you want to pat her too?¡¡Zion''s so docile, you don''t have to worry about touching him.


    Igarashi-san''s eyes lit up as she looked at Sion, so much so that even Eike noticed right away. I laughed and showed her a nod as she gave me a look that said, ''''Is it okay?


    '' ''........Fluffy. Reminds me of the girl I had at home I wonder how she''s doing now.


    Igarashi-san combs Sion''s fur with a familiar hand. Sion looks comfortable, but he stares at me with a look on his face, wondering if I won''t do it too.


    (Even though he''s nearly two meters tall, his eyes are dull when I look at him like this... maybe he''s just a big dog breed and still in the mood to be pampered.


    ''Oh Kyouka. What are you doing, bothering the dog. I thought you were going to pick up Arihito?


    Mr. Ellie, Mr. Aricht will be there for you.


    Hey, big brother... and big dog... and big brother... and big dog... and big brother.¡¡But it''s too big and a little scary!¡¡But I want to mooch!


    Elitia and the others seem to like dogs, too, and all three of them begin to touch them with Ake and Plum''s permission.


    Only Theresia was unable to sit back and hid behind me - but since Sion is quiet, she too is brave enough to reach out and pet her head soon.


    ''''..........''''


    ''It''s not absolutely impossible? That''s good to hear.


    Theresia doesn''t exactly get over her difficulty, and after a little petting, she hides behind me again. Aik and Plum laugh happily at Theresia like that - it seems like it was a long time ago that she was crying a lot earlier.


    ''''Well ... let''s get these kids off.


    What? Are you sure?


    ''Wow!¡¡I''m with my sisters!


    Oh, my God, what''s going on?¡¡Have I done something to get you hooked?


    Igarashi-san was confused as he clung to Plum. I looked at the two of them and remembered what Farma-san had said.


    ''Sis, you''re so cool!¡¡I want to be a strong woman too!


    ''Can''t we have swordsmen?¡¡Or maybe I don''t have enough of an adult demeanor.


    ''Don''t be depressed, Ellie. You''re a wonderful swordsman, Ellie.


    Elitia looks at Igarashi-san with a bit of envy. She''s level 9 and definitely the ace of our party, but I guess her true face is that she''s an age-appropriate, impressionable girl.


    (And yet.........I can''t believe Sion has that kind of skill. A guard dog...)


    Right now, Theon is still in my party. I thought about letting him go home at Mr. Falma''s house, but watching Zion faithfully walk next to me and follow me made me honestly wish I had a dog like him.

 43 Chapter 42: Parents and Children

    When they arrived at Mr. Farma''s shop, Ake and Plum jumped into their mother''s chest in a flash.


    ''Oh my goodness ... what''s wrong, you two?''


    ''Well, umm ... a bad person tried to bully Theon, but that big brother saved him.


    Eike says excitedly. Mr. Falma''s bent over apron is being pulled and biting into a bulge that''s too big for him - it''s normal for children to spoil their parents, but it''s a very hard sight to see directly.


    ''Thank you so much, Lady Atobe. I have to protect these children, but for all the trouble I''ve had to go through...''


    ''No, I''m glad I happened to pass by. And I can''t afford to have my children''s pocket money taken away.


    Thank you, brother Atobe!¡¡I''ll give you this!


    Plum gives me a candy that he was holding in his little hand. I''m not sure if I should take it - Igarashi-san makes me hold it in my hand, and then takes the candy out of the pouch and hands it to Plum instead.


    ''''What? Are you sure?¡¡Thank you, sis!


    ''Your sister has a sweet tooth, too. I hope it''s good for your palate, Plum.


    Igarashi-san also bends down and pats the plums. The street where the ''box store'' is located has suddenly become more relaxed - everyone is looking at it with a smile.


    ''''It shouldn''t be too bad in town because of the karma thing... but I guess there are still people who take advantage of the loophole.


    ''Theon was trying to protect Ake and the others, and he bumped into a rattler. He really is a brave dog.


    Bow.


    Theon barked like a phase, as if he knew he was being praised. Seeing this, Falma-san''s eyes widened.


    ''Well I can''t believe Theon is nipping at the others. Silverhounds are supposed to only allow their masters to have a heart, but they seem to adore Atobe-sama.''''


    ''Theon knows his brother was protecting him.


    ''My brother Atobe is amazing!¡¡Just being together is magical....


    Please keep that to yourself.


    "?¡¡Why?


    ''My brother Alihit is shy, so he gets shy and hides when praised!


    ''Really?¡¡Well then, Plum, I''ll leave you alone!


    My secrets are protected by Igarashi-san and Misaki. Well, I can see why Plum would want to say it, and I don''t think the secrets of the ''rear guard'' will leak out a little or a lot.


    As for Theon nudging me, it''s probably because I ''supported'' him. Oddly enough, I''ve been able to verify that my trustworthiness increases when I support him outside of the labyrinth - but when I look at the license, it only shows about the battle between us and Jack.


    ''I''m sorry, these kids are just as interested in everything as I am...''


    ''No, don''t worry about it. Mr. Falma, is there a place where you can introduce me to an escort dog like Zion?


    ''Have you taken a liking to Theon?¡¡ You seem to be very fond of dogs.


    Yes, I used to have one, Rearward, do you want a dog like Zion?


    What, doesn''t that mean it''s for Kyoka''s sister?


    ''Huh ... oh, congratulations. You wanted to have a dog with us, which means you were intimate with us before you met us.


    ''''No, no, it''s not that. It''s just that Igarashi-san is my former boss and I''m his subordinate.


    I thought I explained things as they were, but Igarashi-san''s mood was somewhat disconcerting - she said it was like she was my subordinate, so I should have respected her feelings? I still don''t understand this thing called maidenhood.


    ''I thought we''d built up a little bit of trust as a party... but then it''s not like anything has changed since before I reincarnated.


    ''''Ha, yes. As a party, of course, we''re united, or maybe we''re relying on her...


    ''''Hmm........Atube-sama is very serious after all, isn''t she? However, like Igarashi-sama, everyone seems to be tightly united around Atobe-sama. I wish I could have an adventure with such a group of friends... although my life now is full of life every day.


    Farma says, patting the heads of Aik and Plum. While doing so - Theon reacts to the entrance of the store. The one that came out of there was a silver hound that was one size larger than Sion.


    ''''Farma-san, did you have two dogs?''''


    ''Yes, Theon is his child. He''s such a big kid, but he''s only been born for about two years.


    The mother dog had a scarred eye, giving her the look of a giant dog of the past. However, when she found Sion, she approached and licked Sion''s fur with a peroration and began grooming him.


    ''''I was asked to do a little guild work and was away for a while, but I came back today.


    ''I see. If you have two strong dogs, that''s a lot of relief.


    ''''Yes, I don''t think the security is bad, but there are people who will inevitably think bad things.......oh dear. Zion, I knew it........


    Theon pulls away from his mother''s dog and looks at me. It looks like it''s waiting to be ordered to do something - though it''s not my dog, so I can''t do that.


    ''If you don''t mind, Atobe-sama, would you like to take Theon with you the next time you go out to explore?


    Are you sure you''re sure?¡¡That would certainly help, though.


    ''She has a father and he''s still an active guard dog. If it''s Atobe-sama, I wish I could ask for your help, since Theon also adores you.......


    If Sion comes, having him use ''Covering'' will make my party''s defense even more ironclad. It''s a bit awkward to ask Falma-san''s house dog to act as a shield - but if it''s the labyrinth of the eighth district, we won''t have to suffer so much anymore.


    ''''How do you like it?¡¡If you don''t feel up to it...


    ''No, rather the opposite. Since Theon has helped me so much will you come with me and explore once?


    I hold out my hand to Zion and he gives me a big hand. He keeps me from clawing, and the paw pads feel surprisingly pudgy and nice.


    (I know I''m doing this with Theresa, but even in a relationship where trust doesn''t seem to be inherently high, I can use my skills to increase the trust level. (Let''s remember that even someone who can''t talk to me can become my friend depending on how you do it.)


    ''Pet Theon, please, because this boy loves to be petted.


    ''Oh, yes ... I hope that''s all right.


    As I was stroking Sion''s head, I thought he started to move something - and then he rolled over and laid down on the ground, showing his belly.


    ''''It''s true ... she''s cute. She''s big, but she''s surprisingly spoiled.


    You shouldn''t have been so scared, Mr. Rear, you shouldn''t have been so scared.


    ''It''s been a long time since I''ve touched a dog but I''m getting a little used to it. Elitia, what''s up?


    When I called out to Elitia, who was glancing at me, she hesitated a bit before saying, as if she had made up her mind.


    ''''........let me touch you too?''''


    ''Yeah, sure. Do you want to touch Theresa too?


    If you''re going to join the party, Theresia should also get used to Zion - she knows that, too, and gently reaches for her stomach with Elitia.


    ''''.........''''


    ''''Theon seems to feel good too. She won''t be alarmed by the sub-humans, so don''t worry about it.


    Theresia nodded her head in a perturbed way when Falma-san approached her. Elitia is silently and enthusiastically touching it - it seems there were many animal lovers in my party.

 44 Chapter 43: The Disintegration House

    Falma invited me to dinner, but I wanted to go to the demolition place today, so I declined, though it was a shame. I''d like to visit them at least once while I''m in the eighth ward.


    ''''Hi, Aricht-san. You''ve become quite a large group of people.


    ''Thanks to you, we''ve made some friends. The search is progressing well.


    ''The materials have just been brought in from Aricht''s warehouse. The joint dismantling of the juggernaut is finished, so I''ll have Melissa dismantle it when I report back to you.


    As I was talking with Rykerton-san, Melissa, who was in the back, comes out - the front cover, worn over a rough outfit of a shirt and shorts, is still not that dirty.


    ''''Well earlier, the couriers brought in the demons. A gaze hound and a plain eater. Can I dismantle them?


    Yeah, do me a favor. I''m sorry it''s not a very rare demon.


    ''Rare enough. I wish this had a name, but plain eaters aren''t easy to find.


    Melissa said, walking over to the demolition room, where the demons were laid out on a platform in the demolition room. Then she tied the plain eater''s legs to the rope and hung it up.


    ''''Well I just caught them today, so they''re fresh.''''


    Melissa gave a bewitching lick of her tongue, unbecoming of her age, and then grabbed the meat cleaver that was on the floor - and then.


    ''''--!


    With one swipe of the knife - that''s all it takes to instantly separate the plain eater from the rest.


    The material of the plain eater comes out in parts and falls to the ground. It''s a true artisanal technique.


    I wonder if chameleon meat is edible after all...?


    "Among the demons in Akebono''s field, it is considered to be the most delicious. Only a few of them are edible, but when it comes to ''named'' demons, there are very few examples of them being captured, but the taste is on par with the highest grade of beef. It is said that the stronger the demon, the better it tastes.


    Is that so.......the juggernaut is indeed not edible, is it?


    We don''t eat it, but we use its large chunks of meat as food to catch the dragon demons off guard. The eating habits of the dragons vary from species to species, but the dragons that live in the Noon Marshes will prey on anything and everything. If you catch them with a large amount of food, even an average level 3 party can barely defeat them.


    The flesh of a demon becomes food for other demons to catch - I wonder if there''s a food chain within the labyrinth. If Watadama is also on the side of being eaten, it''s no wonder that they are so vigilant in attacking me without question.


    ''You can barely defeat them, that means you can lose... what happens if you lose...''


    Eighty percent of the new explorers who come to the labyrinth country will remain in the eighth district after a year. The remaining ten and a half percent are those who have not returned. It is said that the percentage of those who have not yet returned decreases as you move up to the top, but this only means that they have not been wiped out, and it is a common occurrence for promising seekers to die and become sub-humans. It''s sad, but...


    Mr. Rykerton closed his eyes as if he were praying. But when she opened her eyes once more, the soft smile had returned.


    ''''........However, I also hear that there is a way for the sub-human one (kata) to return to his original form. It''s like the hope the labyrinth left behind for the searchers, I believe.


    ''I agree. Because when I made her one of us, I decided I would make sure to bring her back.


    As he says this, Mr. Rykerton looks at Theresa. Theresia doesn''t seem to know why she''s being watched, but she looks back at him - and.


    Mr. Rykerton suddenly gives me a serious look, and says


    ''''Well now you sounded like a stranger. As you can see, the lack of emotion in Melissa is partly due to the fact that her mother - my wife - is a subhuman.


    Mr. Rykerton''s wife is a subhuman...?


    When he was young, he said, he traveled with his wife. But when he thought he couldn''t see his wife - he didn''t know that was what happened.


    ''My wife lost her life in the labyrinth of the Seventh Ward and was found by a search party a month later as a sub-human. But by that time, she had Melissa in her belly. I finally realized that fact after living with my sub-human wife for three months.


    And your wife.........


    ''My wife is accompanying a party of acquaintances. In order to reach the way to unlock subhumanization, she will need to accompany the best explorers and move up the ranks. Even with her subhumanization, her combat prowess was rather high, to the point where I was slowed down.


    ''So Mr. Rykerton decided to raise Miss Melissa, and he left his wife...''


    Mr. Rykerton nodded. Melissa hadn''t noticed what we were talking about and opened the gutted plain eater''s belly bag and took out the shiny thing inside.


    ''Melissa had little interest in childish things, and the only thing she showed an interest in was my job ... demolishing demons. I guess she was born with a natural talent, her skills are already beyond me. Even when she occasionally dives into the labyrinth to maintain her level, I''m embarrassed to say that I even have my daughter to protect me.


    Skills are passed on to children - Melissa inherited Mr. Rykerton''s demolition skills and allowed them to blossom from childhood.


    ''But I''ve been thinking about it lately. She is old enough to consider independence. I wonder if she should waste her days, the time of her youth, just helping out in my shop, looking forward to rare materials that are rarely visited... What do you think about youth, Mr. Aricht, what do you think of it?


    Eh....well. I haven''t spent my days as much as I did in my youth, but there are many things I was able to do because I was young.


    ''Brother Alihit, was there a time when you were naughty?¡¡It''s true that sometimes it''s very exciting and powerful - like when everyone is in a pinch.


    ''Mi, Misaki-chan I don''t think it''s a good idea for you to imagine what Arictoo-san used to do, do you?


    ''''I don''t want to pry, but I''d like to hear as much as I can. Ariehito, regardless of his level, has a lot of courage, or rather... he seems to have a lot of heart.


    I haven''t lived a maverick life like everyone else thinks I should, but I gained some life experience by working a variety of part-time jobs and other things until I started studying hard to live a straight life. It''s been said that I''ve always been calm and collected, so I guess I have an original personality.


    ''''You mean you want Melissa-san to experience something like that.......youth?


    Mr. Igarashi asked, shying away from saying the word "youth". Mr. Rykerton affirmed and looked at Melissa and said


    ''Yes, although if I were to say fatherly things now, Melissa might say it''s fatherly meddling for her.


    ...not so much.


    ''Hmmm... Melissa, did you hear me?¡¡Sorry, I guess I got distracted.


    Melissa brought the demon stone, which was dimly visible as the one she took out of the dismantled plain eater, to us. She has sleepy eyes, but there is a sparkle in her eyes as she looks at the magic stone, and she doesn''t hide her strong interest in the demonic material.


    ''''A plain eater had a ''Camouflage Stone''. Attaching it to his equipment would allow him to blend in with the surrounding landscape. Jackpot.


    ''Oh that''s great.


    ''When you say it blends into the landscape, is it like optical camouflage? It reminds me of what it was like before I was reincarnated.


    It seems that Mr. Rykerton is a first generation reincarnation. Melissa, a second generation, has a question mark on her face, not knowing what the term "optical camouflage" means.


    ''Oh no, it''s nothing. I was wondering if Mr. Alihit would understand it between the same men. Optical camouflage is a man''s romance, you know.


    ''''Haha, yes. But if you blatantly put a camouflage stone on your equipment...


    ''What are you talking about, by all means have them put on you. You''re the rear guard, so the more ways you can avoid the enemy''s attacks, the better.


    ''Even if you use it in combat, you can''t go on a spree. ''Active Stealth'', used with camouflage stones, consumes a lot of magic power.


    That would be a large drain on magical power if you were to maintain constant integration with the landscape. On the contrary, if you can control that drain, you can become an invisible person - if you combine it with ''Backstand'', you can attack unilaterally while the enemy doesn''t notice you, and so on.


    ''''Well, if you were my brother, you wouldn''t use it for s*xually explicit things, would you?


    Misaki-chan is already........


    ''''Well we''re in no position to say that. Misaki, have you forgotten already?


    ''''Ugh ... wow, I don''t know anything about it. Everyone else is doing that to my brother who''s sleeping so well....


    No, that''s not true, Reiko. The blanket you were wearing while you were sleeping fell off, so I just put it back on for you. I didn''t do anything else.


    Misaki has apparently slipped up and everyone is getting impatient. What in the world did he do to me while I was sleeping - a little embarrassing for a grown man when it comes to observing my sleeping face and such.


    "Didn''t I look like an idiot when I was sleeping?¡¡I wouldn''t mind if it wasn''t.


    He was sleeping very quietly and not a bit of a jerk or anything like that.


    You''re right. My brother slept like a baby. Unlike my dad, he didn''t snore and he was very quiet.


    Then I don''t think there''s anything wrong with that, but I wonder why Theresa is turning bright red. Something good to me who is sleeping - there are not many developments that are convenient for me.


    ''''And by the way.......about Melissa-san. She has no desire to go out on a quest........


    ''There is. Just call me when you need a demolition company, just occasionally.


    ''''Hoah.......Unexpectedly, there''s someone in the second party led by me who could be the vanguard......!


    Don''t make your own decisions. Depending on Melissa''s ability, she could be an instant replacement for you. You''ll be replaced by Misaki.


    Oh no!¡¡But it''s time for me to take a break, so I''ll do my best to warm up the bench!¡¡Sigh, exploring is a constant source of tension, and you''re getting old twice as fast as normal~


    ''''Stop, it''s not that auspicious. Oh but I wonder if we can find some rejuvenating treasures or something if we continue our search.


    Igarashi-san is interested in rejuvenation - although it certainly seems likely, I wonder. I somehow have the feeling that nothing is impossible in the Labyrinth Country.


    ''''According to rumors, some demon meat also has rejuvenating effects. Of course, it wouldn''t be a hardship if you could rejuvenate yourself with normal demons, and I heard that you can''t do it below a certain age.


    ''''Wha........wha.......just because I''m the oldest of the women doesn''t mean you have to be so careful....


    ''What age group is your brother Alihit striking?''


    ''I haven''t thought about it. If I thought it was this guy I couldn''t find someone like that.


    It sounds like a joke, but I''m pathetic in saying it myself. How to get a girlfriend is still one of life''s propositions for me.


    ''I''m sure Arihito-san will meet a good person eventually, though. To say that you''ve already........that would be meddling. I beg your pardon.


    ''La, Mr. Rykerton. The way you put it, we''re going to....


    Mr. Igarashi tries to say something, but he gets muddled in the middle. He''s certainly gotten closer to everyone, but that''s trust as a party, so don''t get me wrong.


    ''Now, about the materials. Let me go over their uses one by one. There are about six Gaze Hounds, and we found two ''eye power stones'' inside their bodies. This is used for equipment and goggles, etc., to increase the accuracy of the hit rate, and for projectile weapons, to increase the range.


    ''Yeah, that sounds great. I want to use it for me and Suzuna''s gear.


    ''Very well. Fur is used for mops and such, but what do you do with it?¡¡It''s also resistant to fire, so it can be used in armor...


    The fur of the gaze hound is also highly resistant to fire, but it is heavy and has the weakness of conducting lightning strikes, so I sold it off for this time.


    The ''Eye Power Stone'', which is said to be a crystal formed inside the eyeballs, is a small black magic stone that can be easily incorporated into weapons.


    ''''I''d like to use these ores and runes as well if I could use them to strengthen my equipment.


    ''''Oh, then it''s better to visit a blacksmith. I''m surprised, isn''t it a natural product?


    Mr. Rykerton gets excited when he sees the letters floating in the stone. He has apparently seen runes before.


    ''''Well the ring I sent to my wife was also made of natural runes. In the Labyrinth Country, runes are also treated as valuable gems. Please take good care of it.


    Thank you for the advice.


    Instead of processing it in the demolition shop, I''m going to take the material to the blacksmith shop. We''ll do that tomorrow morning, and the rest is plain eater material.


    ''''Plain Eaters are in high demand for meat, so we can pay fifty gold coins for the purchase of meat alone. But we can also process it into food that can be preserved, such as dried meat.''''


    So, can you sell half of it and process the other half?


    Very funny. As for the leather, I can make one piece of armor for each head.


    So, can you modify the equipment for Theresa? I think she''s pretty good with it.


    Well, shall we go with the gloves? It''ll take me until tomorrow to process this one.


    Yes, please.


    Since the material we brought back was small, the reimbursement was quicker this time - I thought.


    ''''And this will be the juggernaut''s material reimbursement. If all but a few are sold, it will be three thousand five hundred gold coins. That''s the amount the guild has offered.''''


    There''s nowhere to put something that big, you know. Can you get it for cash?


    I''m sorry. I''ve separated out the parts that could be used for weapons and such, so it will take some time for them to arrive from the dismantling site, but I''m sure they''ll arrive tomorrow.


    Thank you so much for your concern.


    I don''t think you can suddenly obtain something as intense as ''physical invalidation'' armor, but the fact that you can make armor out of juggernauts is exciting to me. There''s nothing to say about the income - if we could dismantle it on our own, we''d keep the profits to ourselves, but it would take that much time and effort.


    ''''........Can I join you tomorrow?''''


    ''Yeah, I''ll come get you tomorrow. I think we''re going to explore the labyrinth, so be prepared.


    All right. Nice to meet you I''m Melissa. I can dismantle and disassemble.


    Melissa timidly bows to everyone. She''s holding a meat cleaver, so it''s strangely powerful - but the demolitionist who was among the people we wanted joined the party.


    What skills will Melissa use when exploring and fighting? The girl with long, silvery, catty hair and a doll-like appearance, noticed that the knife she held in her right hand was an extractor, and smiled as she put it in the case and then smiled.

 45 Episode 44 Room allocation

    Our lodgings are called "Lady Orelus'' House", and as the name suggests, it was built by a female adventurer named Orelus to spend her last years after she retired.


    In the infamous labyrinth of the Fourth Ward, nicknamed the "Corridor of Failure," Mrs. Orelus lost her husband and all of her companions, and she hid in the labyrinth to take revenge on her enemies until she became too old to explore.


    The maid who greeted us on our return - a man named Mirei - told us a lot of things on her way to show us to our rooms. As we walked up the stairs to the second floor, she explained to us about the beautiful shield on the landing as if it were a tourist guide.


    ''This is the shield Mrs. Orelus used to use. It''s called the ''Queen''s Knight Kite Shield +8'', and although it''s extremely heavy and only a few people can wear it, it''s very high performance and valuable as a work of art.


    A shield so large that it covered the entire body of an adult and had an extra area to cover - Mrs. Orelus would say that she was the vanguard, despite being a woman.


    ''''What exactly was Mrs. Orelus''s position?''''


    She was not a reincarnate, but a member of the SS family that protected the royalty of the Labyrinth Nation in a position called ''Royal Order''.


    I didn''t know there was such a job... ''Shield Knight'' or something like that.


    I had imagined the same thing as Igarashi-san. But even in that position of Royal Order, her party has stopped walking in the fourth district.


    And the royalty of the Labyrinth Kingdom. As for the forces other than the reincarnated ones, they may eventually come in contact with them - although it seems to be quite a long way off.


    ''''Um, is there a job called maid?''''


    ''Yes, thank you. We choose maids for our job change, but there are some people who want to be ''maids'' when they reincarnate. You can learn several skills that are useful for exploration, and there is also a surprisingly wide range of equipment. Although there are many skills that can only be used by equipping a maid outfit.


    Ms. Millay answers me briskly. She has soft brown hair in a braid, and she has an easygoing demeanor, but the way she speaks shows that she is a good operator.


    ''''Did you used to be an explorer in the past, too, Mirei-san?''''


    I''m still active, and I''ve been in the 8th Ward for a long time. I''ve been hiding in the labyrinth, accompanying my colleagues and the people in my room who are taking care of me.


    I see, so that''s how some forms of explorers are. It''s obvious from the people I''ve met so far that people in the labyrinth country, other than retirees, have two sides to them: explorers and supporters.


    The building of the mansion had two sides, one on the left and one on the right, with the entrance hall at the center, and our room was on the second floor on the right. After Mr. Millet unlocks the door, he hands me a duplicate key and shows me into the room.


    ''I just finished making your bed just now, is it okay for six people?


    ''Oh, yes. I''m a guy, so if you could, I''d appreciate it if you had a separate room for me.


    Oh I''m sorry, I didn''t pay enough attention to you and I only made your bed in three rooms. I will immediately prepare the beds in the rooms you are not using.


    Mr. Millay rushes to the bedroom. I wonder if she will carry the pillows and sheets to the unused bedroom - I''m a bit sorry to take the trouble.


    ''''Brother Arihito, if you''re just going to sleep, don''t you have to worry so much about it?


    Well if you''re the only one in the back, one of the others will be in a room by themselves.


    ''''Oh, well I''m fine with Arihito-san. If it''s okay with you, Arihito-san, that is.


    Suzuna, are you sure you want to do this?¡¡Okay, I''ll be outside when you get dressed. I''m sorry Mr. Millet, can we still leave the bed as it is?


    Very well. So when it''s time for dinner, I''ll bring it to your room. If you need anything, please ring that bell. I''ll be able to summon you wherever I am.


    Millet-san bows and leaves the room. I bail too and finally take a break - I thought.


    ''''Since Suzu suggested it, why don''t you and your brother decide who will sleep with you, Amida?''''


    ''No, Misaki-chan, don''t worry about it. Arihito-san, I want to be more useful to everyone in the rear guard, so can I talk to you about it for a bit?


    Well, if that''s what you''re talking about I wouldn''t say it''s a definite no-no, but...


    Igarashi-san please don''t look at me like that.


    ''''Well it''s not just today that I''m staying in this room, so I think we can switch. I also have some things I want to discuss with Aricht.


    This suggestion from Elitia led to the use of only three of the four bedrooms, and the sleeping area was to be rotated from one day to the next.


    ''''Good day to you, Aricht-san,''''


    Yeah, I''m the one... what''s up?¡¡Theresa.


    ..........


    Theresia was staring at us, but what did she think, she sat down on the sofa in the living room.


    ''Oh Mr. Theresia, you don''t have to be shy. I''m used to the moustache mask and I''m used to it but you''d be surprised to see me suddenly in the middle of the night.


    Of course I''ll be fine too! It''s going to happen, isn''t it?


    Theresia defended herself as she imagined being used as a hugger by Misaki. It suddenly occurred to her that there are four seasons in the labyrinth country, but before she could ask Elitia about it, Igarashi-san looked at an ornament in the room and said.


    ''''Ah........Rear-kun, isn''t this tool perhaps something like an air conditioner?''''


    A black, round metal figurine. A blue and red switch - apparently a magic stone - is attached to it, and Elitia, who seems to know how to operate it, touched the blue one. Then cold air begins to flow from the many holes in the surface of the ornament.


    ''If it''s an air conditioner that runs on magic power, you can usually find it in the quarters above a certain rank. In order to use it, you have to charge the ''filling stone'' here with magic power... but we don''t have any magic experts in our ranks, so we have to conserve it.


    Magic power takes time to recover. The magic power depleted by exploring the labyrinth will not be recovered without a night''s rest in good quarters.


    Our party doesn''t have all the positions we need yet. It''s not the season when we need air conditioning yet, but if the hot summer is coming, we''d like to solve the magic power shortage problem before then.

 46 Episode 45 Skill Level

    The room assignments have been made and we will be meeting from the time we get dressed until dinner. Now that everyone''s level is up, we want to go over the new skills.


    Everyone has a license and each of us opens a page of skills. The reactions are different -- even Elitia''s eyes light up at this moment.


    -- but the expression on her face was never just bright. The skills of the Carth Blade must still involve a lot of risk.


    Skills Acquired


    Support defense1 Support attack1 Support recovery1 Support uplift1


    Eagle''s Eye Backstand


    Skills that can be acquired


    Skill Level 2


    Supportive Attack 2: Adds a weapon attack of your own to the attack of the companion in front of you.


    Supportive Defense 2: Adds a wall to the companion in front of you equal to your own defense ability.


    Skill Level 1.


    Support Magic 1: Overlays the magic of the companion in front of you at 50% magic consumption and power.


    Assistive Evasion 1: The companion in front of you rarely activates ''Absolute Evasion''.


    Rear Front: Spends 5 points of magic to extend vision to the rear for a set amount of time.


    Other Assist: Spends 5 points of magic to select a target outside of your party to assist.


    Backdraft: Automatically counterattacks when attacked from behind.


    Remaining Skill Points: 3


    The second stage of the support system skill can finally be obtained - from the contents, it seems that the effect of the support changes depending on my ability.


    (This would make me weaker if my attacks are under 10 fixed damage... but if it''s a weapon attack, the attributes will ride on it, and my sling will be useful if it can lightly exceed 10 damage.)


    If the skills I acquired were overwritten and ''Support Attack 1'' and ''Support Defense 1'' could no longer be used, and my own support correction from attack and defense was less than 11, my support effect would be temporarily weakened.


    However, as the damage numbers get larger in the future, my attacks will undoubtedly jump up the damage with my attacks on top of them, rather than the fixed damage of 10. The total number of moves I can earn instantly with the total party is currently close to 20, but with a fixed 11 damage x 20 and a hypothetical 15 damage x 20, the total amount of damage dealt will change by 80 in total.


    I''m not sure if it''s too early to take it yet - will the support of the same system overlap or not, or will it only be more effective if you get it later? Another test would be necessary.


    ''Rear-kun, can you take a look at my skills too?¡¡I need your advice on which one to take....


    ''Oh, sorry, I was just thinking about it. Elitia, there are levels of skill, aren''t there?


    ''You can now get skill level 2?¡¡Congratulations. But you''ll need the same number of points to get it as the level, so be careful.


    I see, so the amount of skill points you get for leveling up has increased by 1, since you''ll be spending more. Then, will I be able to get 4 or 5 of those points per level?


    If you believe that the more points you need, the more powerful your skills are, then let''s take ''Support Attack 2'' first. If I can increase the types of attribute attacks, then the attacks won''t be able to get through at all and the support will be useless - after thinking about it, I realized something.


    Not only that, but if you can give them state disorders in addition to poison, all members will be able to fight while their opponents are disabled, regardless of their equipment.


    Then there''s "Support Magic 1", which will be very useful when a powerful wizard-type role is added to the team. If you can use recovery magic as well, it has a wide range of uses. Igarashi''s Thunderbolt is the only one that seems to be applicable, so it''s not necessary at this point.


    Other Assist depends on how you use it, but it''s an interesting skill. Support Evasion 1'' is also appealing, but I''ll put it on hold for now since it''s a good defensive tool.


    "Sorry for the wait, Igarashi-san.


    Yes, then please. It looks like I can get these skills...


    Igarashi-san is back to the way she looked when she was just reincarnated, in a sweater and skirt. She still can''t get used to the feel of the clothes she bought in Labyrinth Country, and Misaki and Suzuna were also in their civilian clothes when they were reincarnated.


    Skills Acquired ¡ô.


    Double Attack Thunderbolt


    Blink Step Decoy Doll


    Skills that can be acquired


    Penetrating Attack 1: When equipped with a spear, some of the blows ignore the enemy''s defenses.


    Decoy: Attract enemy attacks to the used target.


    Brave Mist: Removes fear from allies.


    Freeze Thorn: Freezes enemy legs and slows them down.


    Snowy Skin: will no longer be frozen and will be more attractive.


    Bullet Repellent 1: Makes enemies'' indirect attacks a little harder to hit.


    Remaining skill points: 2


    ''The penetration attack is good, isn''t it? The decoy is also a very versatile skill. I''d mainly use it in combination with a decoy doll.


    ''Yes, well you''re right. You don''t need ''snowflake skin'' as your rear end...


    What is that skill that could make you a beautiful woman? I like it. I want that skill too.


    ''I don''t think you can be a Valkyrie from a gambler. I suppose you can be a Valkyrie from a priestess, though.


    Wow, is that me?


    Suzuna seems to be reasonably interested in it too. Granted, both Misaki and Suzuna are young, so their skin is fresh and looks perfect, both shiny and supple. It''s a good thing that you''re able to get the most out of your time with the help of a good friend. There are times when I''m in a position to It''s probably because exploring is a good exercise and there''s no stress at all.


    ''''Well Igarashi-san, since penetrating attacks aren''t even essential yet with my support, let''s take the ''Skin of the Snow Country''


    Are you sure?¡¡Oh no, I''m just being selfish....


    If you feel that this is absolutely necessary for the search, I would strongly ask you to do the same. I''d like you to keep ''Decoy'', but there''s no absolute rule for the others... Above all, I don''t think it''s a good idea to ask you to hold back when it''s a skill Igarashi-san wants to get on her own.


    Well, um ... well, I''ll take ''Decoy'' and ''Skin of the Snow Country'' then.


    While everyone was watching, Igarashi-san operated the license - and then.


    ''''........Did something change?¡¡I knew it wasn''t something that would make a visible difference.


    ''Yes, well it''s still Igarashi-san, but it''s got something of a style to it.


    ''I know you''re looking out for me by saying that. I was naive to think it would be so easy to get clean...I have to be sorry.


    ''Why don''t you check it out for yourself?¡¡And it''s better to see for yourself, Kyouka.


    After being told by Elitia, Igarashi-san heads to the restroom with a look of half-belief.


    ".........A warrior maiden (Valkyrie) standing on a snowy battlefield. So the ''Skin of the Snow Country'' is a skill that gives you that impression.


    As Suzuna commented, Igarashi-san was originally a beautiful woman, but she added a full-blown warrior girl feel to it, or rather, the charm of a fighting woman.


    The returning Igarashi-san has a disappointed look on her face. However, her skin looks toned up, or rather, white and glistening, as I see it. It''s not that it''s shiny.


    "After all, I don''t think you''ve changed much, but... what do you think, Rearward-kun?


    ''''Well, um ... Igarashi-san has always been beautiful, so she doesn''t change much.


    Well, it''s nice to know you care, but not as much as I expected. We''ll just have to hope that it will prevent the freeze and I''ll leave the skills to your rear end from now on.


    If she was not aware of it even though it was working, would the change in attraction be something that only the people around her could see? If that''s the case, Igarashi-san would be happy to know the usefulness of the skill when she prevented a freezing attack, as she said.


    From the text of ''Decoy'', it''s a great power when it''s effective against an enemy, but is it possible to get a skill that useful at level 3? I''d like to verify this with weak enemies - I''d feel a little sorry for Watadama if I saw him being attacked by his friends, for example.


    ''''Well Arihito, I''m sure you wouldn''t mind seeing the skills of a position like mine, but if you''d like, can you take a look at them later?''''


    ''It''s not that I''m unenthusiastic, but I think I''d be overwhelmed if I saw Elitia''s skills.


    ''Well well if you don''t mind, I want you to know that you''re the leader. I''m a little tired right now, so I''m sorry, but I need to rest.


    ''Yes, I''ll wake you up for dinner. Good night, Miss Ellie.


    Elitia was greeted by everyone and went to her room with a small wave of her hand. The room assignment is a combination of me and Suzuna, Igarashi-san and Theresia, Misaki and Elitia.


    ''''Isn''t your brother tired by now?¡¡Then I wish I could talk to you about it another day.


    ''Misaki-chan, I''ll ask you at night, why don''t you ask Aricht-san now?''


    Oh, really?¡¡Brother, which skill do you think is best for you?


    ''Well before you do that, you can sit beside me, but you don''t have to be so attached, do you?''


    Oh, my brother is embarrassed. Even if there''s an age difference between us, we''re not twice as far apart, does that mean that he''s aware of me too?


    Even though they''re not twice as far apart, a twenty-nine year old guy and a high schooler are a crime, no matter how you look at it.


    ''Well, I''ve been reincarnated, so it doesn''t matter, does it?''


    ''''Well that''s........we have to respect Aricht-san''s way of thinking. We''re still kids in your eyes, so...


    Misaki isn''t happy and Suzuna is kind of reserved. I''m not treating them as children, but it can be taken that way, and it''s a difficult problem to solve.


    ''I know Misaki is old enough to be interested in that sort of thing, but I don''t admire you making fun of someone as serious as you are, Rear,''


    ''I wasn''t thinking about anything bad, I simply wanted to say that if you were my brother, I wouldn''t mind getting attached to you so much. Do you understand?


    ''''Ah........Misaki-chan. Theresa-san is watching you too, so....


    ..........


    Theresa, who is present, looks at Misaki. As if she felt something in the pressure, Misaki took an appropriate distance from me with a poke.


    ''''Well, you see, this is my skill...''''


    Well, you finally hit the nail on the head. It''s good that you can read the atmosphere.


    Kyouka-san, you''re being too possessive of your brother just because you''re beautiful!


    The first thing you need to do is to take a look at the house. I''m going to take a look inside the mansion for a bit, Rear-kun, so take care of these kids.


    Yes, yes ... go ahead.


    Igarashi-san got up from her seat and walked out. As she walked with the clunking of her heeled boots, there was something that could be seen even behind her back, probably due to the fact that she had taken on the ''skin of the snow country''.


    ''''........She''s really beautiful, isn''t she? Big brother, how do you feel about it, frankly?


    ''If you ask me to be frank, all I can say is that she was a beautiful woman with a reputation in our company, and she was popular with the male employees...''


    ''''Arihito-san, it may be my nosiness, but please follow Kagamika-san. There are other party members in this mansion as well, so I think you''ll need a male escort.


    Yeah, is that right?


    That''s right - beautiful women are always a target. You''d think it would be safe in a mansion, but there might be women with that kind of taste.


    ''''Mi, Misaki-chan that''s not nice, no matter how much it costs, it''s disrespectful to the people who work here.


    For some reason, Misaki, Suzuna, and even Theresa are all in the air to let me go.


    If you''re going to say that much, I''ll just follow you. I don''t know what kind of face I should put on and say ''I''m here to escort you'' or something like that.

 47 Episode 46: Together

    Igarashi-san had heard that he had gone to look at the courtyard of the mansion, so he was actually going to go - but when he got down to the entrance hall, a strange man approached him.


    A young man with golden hair cut short and goggles on his head. I wonder if he''s about my age. He''s wearing a shirt and trousers that I saw in a clothing store, which are expensive in terms of their appearance. The fact that he''s in the mansion dressed like this means that he''s probably a resident of the other room.


    ''Hi, nice to meet you. Are you the new leader of the party that just arrived?


    Yes, my name is Arichto-Atobe. I''ll be staying at this accommodation for a while, so I''ll be looking forward to working with you.


    ''Mr. Atobe, I didn''t recognize you after all. We were the top party in the eighth district, but the pecking order changed just now, and we were second in the pecking order. I was wondering what kind of rising star has emerged and I''d love to talk to you.


    The contribution was greater than I expected, so I guess I''m in first place provisionally. We were lucky, and that was a big part of it.


    In fact, the fact that we''ve been able to defeat the named soldiers one after the other is largely due to an element of luck. The Titan Soldiers wouldn''t have been discovered without Misaki and Suzuna''s skills, and the fact that we were able to defeat them was in itself a stroke of luck.


    ''You''re humble for someone who''s running up the pecking order. But your abilities must be pretty good... are the party members strong enough for you?


    ''I''m still mostly just starting out, but I''m fortunate enough to have one level 9 member leading the party.


    When he hears that we''re on level 9, he looks interested. He doesn''t seem to be jealous that we''ve moved up the pecking order, but he seems to have a good-natured personality.


    ''Speaking of that level, is it Elitia Centrail, who is said to have recently come down to the Eighth Ward?¡¡How did you get me to join the party?


    ''In the labyrinth, I got together with the girls. And then....


    ''Oh, you don''t have to be respectful to me. I am Georg, leader of the Polar Star.


    Polestar?


    ''It''s the name of the party. We have a red dot in our group and she gave it to us. Doesn''t your party have a name?


    I hadn''t thought of that - I hadn''t thought that not only the ''White Night Brigade'' that Elitia belonged to, but that each and every one of the parties had a name attached to it.


    ''''I hadn''t even thought about it, so........it''s not. I didn''t know there was a custom of naming them, so I''ll discuss it with everyone in the party later.''''


    When his tone dropped, Georg clapped me on the shoulder and laughed. He has a plaster of some sort on his nose, but I wonder if he was injured in his search. I''m sure that he is a competent person, as he is the number one in the eighth district until just a few minutes ago, although his physique is close to mine and I can sense a slight nerdiness when I talk to him.


    By the way........is that beautiful woman who just passed by your party member?


    Oh, yeah. My name is Kyouka. After all, even non-Japanese people think you''re beautiful.


    A woman that pretty must be pretty hard to handle. But that''s not the point. What do you think?¡¡Why don''t we go somewhere nice as a sign of closeness? You''ve earned enough money to spend on fun, right?


    Speaking of fun....do you think there are places in the labyrinth country where we can play?


    Georg doesn''t say anything, but he grins and affirms it.


    I had been invited by a part-time buddy once, but I didn''t go because at the time I was saving money to qualify. It''s not that I wasn''t interested, but if I went now, I''d be under the severe scrutiny of my peers and the trust I''d built up would be cracked.


    ''Well, I suppose it''s just a matter of how you feel at the time, so let me know if you''re in the mood. I know a good place.


    Oh, yeah ... when I get a chance.


    Could it be that the explorers of the labyrinth country would rather go to the entertainment district with me - if that happens, I might have to go there eventually. At present it''s hard to go there, or perhaps almost impossible to go there.


    I''m not sure if you know him or not.¡¡You talk so well together.


    Igarashi-san. How long have you been hearing about this?


    ''I just got here, so I didn''t hear anything about it. I don''t want to look around on my own, so if you''d like to, you can follow me.


    What did Georg think, or maybe he thought he was being clever - he gave me a thumbs up so that only I could see him and left the mansion.


    ''Rear-kun, weren''t you consulting with everyone about their skills?¡¡No, you need to take a good look at him.


    While saying that, Igarashi-san looks vaguely happy. I wonder if she can somehow tell that I''ve been chasing her - it''s a little unsettling to think so.


    ''''I''m taking a break for now, and I''m going to continue the skills consultation later.


    Hmmm... Suzuna-chan can talk about it as much as she wants during the night.


    I won''t let you stay up late, so I''ll get right to the point.


    In fact, if Suzuna and I were to talk about skills together, what other topics would there be to talk about - I hope it wouldn''t be a reminder of the difference in generation sense (generation gap).


    ''Where have you been looking, Igarashi-san?''


    ''I was just looking at the scenery around me from the front door. Next time, I thought I''d take the doorway over there and go out into the courtyard.


    ''Oh, good. Let''s go then.


    Walking side by side with Igarashi-san in plainclothes - the maid is looking at me smilingly, mistaking me for a maid as much as she can, but Igarashi-san is completely unaware of it.


    The carpet in this corridor is very beautiful, it looks like a Persian carpet. Are you interested in that kind of thing, Mr. Higuchi?


    ''Yes, there''s a fair amount of that. Now that I''ve started earning money over here, I''d like to buy a fixed house sooner or later and have all the interiors I want.


    Can I have a pet then?¡¡I''ll make sure he''s trained and cared for himself.


    ''Of course it''s fine. Let''s have an animal of your choice, Igarashi-san.


    Igarashi-san and I still talk to each other more than I thought we would in my previous life. It''s a good thing to have a good time, I thought.


    ¡ô¡ó¡ô


    What came out for dinner was a kind of marsh crab doria called ''Bubble Crab'' and a shrimp soup called ''Mud Shrimp''.


    ''I thought it would be muddy because it''s called a swamp crab, but it was neatly prepped,''


    ''Yes, I know. I''ve never seen spices like that before, but I like the way they taste.


    The cream sauce, which was laden with rich, fluffy crab meat, went well with the rice cooked with spices. The food at the tavern was also delicious, but it was cooked in a wild way. In comparison, the food served at the mansion was more elegant. The food served in this house is more elegant than that, and Igarashi is in a good mood as he pours it into his mouth.


    It''s a good idea to have a good time with them, but if you''re looking for a good time with them, you''ll find that they''re not very good for you.


    ''Misaki, I don''t think you''ll grow up liking it,''


    Well, you''re taller than Ellie, aren''t you?


    "...I change my height from day to day. I''m just not feeling well today.


    Elitia said, but she didn''t seem to like herbs, and she separated the herbs in the shrimp soup from all the others. She doesn''t like vegetables either, and she meticulously sorted out all the things in the salad, like the peppers in the salad.


    ''Ellie-san, you don''t like vegetables?¡¡Shall I eat?


    ''''N-No, it''s fine, we''ll eat this all together later...''''


    I think you should eat only good food, so you don''t get stressed out. You get your nutrition from all kinds of things.


    Well then, can you just eat half of it?


    Elitia looks embarrassed before she warns Misaki, but she takes advantage of Suzuna''s kindness. That Suzuna also has too much doria, and it is still brought to Theresia - do sub-humans eat well, or is Theresia special?


    ''''.........hmm......''''


    This is one of the few times that Theresa, who doesn''t have a voice, can be as close to a voice as possible. Everyone seemed to notice and paid attention, a little surprised.


    ''Aricht, can''t you write with Theresa?''


    ''I don''t seem to be able to write or anything. I guess he sees and hears and understands, but he''s blocked from communicating his will in words.


    ''''I would like to hear Theresa''s voice. Because even with my skills, I can''t hear her voice.


    It means that even if you can sense Teresia''s emotional movements through psychic sensing, it doesn''t mean you can hear her as a voice.


    ''''.........''''


    Theresia looked at the food, then at Suzuna - and nodded coyly.


    ''''Ah ... you told me it''s good, didn''t you? I think so too, Theresia-san.''''


    ..........


    When we can communicate with each other at will, the bizarre appearance of the lizard mask no longer hinders communication. It wasn''t just for me, it was the same for everyone else.


    ''''Ah, yes. Arihito brother, there''s a bath in your room, do you want to go in first?


    I''ll take a bath later. It''s not a bad idea to be the first to take a bath, but I live alone and only take a shower in the morning.


    If I lived alone, I would have been like that too. The bath makes me sweat right away. Suzu is very patient, though.


    Since Misaki and Suzuna even go on a ski trip together, they must have had the opportunity to take a bath together. It''s quite fun to bathe with friends, isn''t it?


    It''s a good idea to have the same room, Theresa-san, so why don''t you come in with me? It takes a lot of time for the six of us to go in separately.


    ..........


    ''Te, Theresa. Since Igarashi-san has said as much, you can come in with me.


    She didn''t answer - I was harried, expecting her to shake her head, but she managed to nod her head.


    Is it just my imagination that she looks so lonely? Theresia''s eating speed slowed down subtly.


    The lizard''s mask also seems to be somewhat shunned. I''m not the only one who senses this, and Igarashi-san calls out to me with concern.


    ''''Theresa-san, do you perhaps want to go in alone?¡¡That''s just the way it is sometimes.


    ..........


    No, I mean do you want to go in with someone other than me?


    That''s when Theresa finally looked at me. My eyes meet the eyes of the lizard exactly and I can''t deflect them.


    I''m always indebted to you, so........that''s what I mean. Theresia-san, you seem to be very disciplined like that. It''s not too much to ask for the flow of a man''s back, but...


    Well I won''t stop you if you insist.


    ''No, no ... if anything, wouldn''t you prefer it, Theresa?''


    With everyone''s attention, Theresa gradually begins to turn red. Even Igarashi-san, who saw it, blushes as if she were caught in the act - would it be a full circle if I blushed too?


    ''Well that''s what you were worried about?''


    ''But of course I can''t make it easy for a man and a woman to take a bath together. But Theresa-san looks so lonely. If she adores you this much, I thought it couldn''t be helped...


    The blush on Theresia''s face gradually recedes. She stares at Igarashi-san - the emotions there are exactly the kind of subtleties of a maiden''s heart that I can''t read at all.


    ''''Ah........that''s right. Teresia-san, just wait for a moment now. Once we get something like a swimsuit, it won''t be as slutty to go in with you.


    ''Doesn''t that make us feel better about coming in?¡¡You can play in the bath with your brother Arihito...I''m embarrassed, as expected. And I''m not a b*tc*.


    ''''Can''t I just say that I''m equipped like a swimsuit?''''


    ''Bo, body armor is not a swimsuit. Besides, I consider bathing to be a different matter even if I get a swimsuit, so keep that in mind, Aricht.


    ''Oh. No, you don''t have to go in there with me...


    The problem is that Miss Theresa seems to miss you, so Mr. Rear has no right to object.


    I think Igarashi-san trusts too much in the idea of a swimsuit. For me, the difference between nakedness and a bathing suit is a perk, even if there is a difference in what I can see.


    Anyway, today we were divided into three teams, and I had to take a bath by myself. Let''s get into the Royal Suite''s bathroom at the end of the day to see what it''s like.

 48 Chapter 47: Night Talk

    There are many different types of otherworldly baths, and the Royal Suite''s bath is not a fixed bathtub, but a type with a separate bathtub.


    The shower is stored in a barrel of hot water, and you can turn on the faucet to get it out. The temperature was warmer than human skin, but better than too hot. It was much more convenient than the suite, and I was very happy with it.


    (Just because there are a lot of transplants doesn''t mean they can''t be modern technology warriors... well, yeah. I suppose if the technicians were transitioning, the technology itself wouldn''t be impossible to introduce.)


    I think about it while I soak in the hot tub. It''s nice to be able to soak without having to worry about it since it''s the last thing you''re going to do. After you get out of the bath, the maids will clean the house during the day. The maids have some skills that they can use for household chores, so it''s not as hard work as you might imagine, I was told.


    I''m not one of those people who can stay in the bath that long either, so I''ll be going up soon. Theresa, who had just come up, had turned bright red, and I probably regretted not telling Igarashi-san that she was prone to hot water burns. I heard that Igarashi-san noticed it right away, too, and poured some temperature-controlled water on her to carefully cool her down.


    If he returned to human from the subhuman era, would he no longer be susceptible to blisters? Or will the characteristics of the subhuman era remain to some extent? Either way, my mind is distracted by the need to find a clue to turn back to normal as soon as possible.


    (If I go to the temple in the fourth ward, I should be able to figure out how to restore the sub-humans.... Mrs. Orelus'' party that built this mansion has been wiped out in the labyrinth of the fourth ward. (The ''Corridor of Failure''........what kind of labyrinth is that?) that collapsed a party that could possess that awesome performance shield.


    I quickly wiped myself down and dried my hair as best I could. I thought I''d have to do it manually, but there was a ''Hot Air Seashell'', which is like a conch, and when I used it, hot air came out of the hole in the shell - not that hot, but it could be used as a hair dryer.


    By processing the magic stone, it replicates a civilization to some extent. This is probably also due to the ideas of the reincarnated people - I really can''t get over the person who developed the black ball in the living room, the ''Air Conditioning Ball'' (air conditioning ball).


    ¡ô ¡ó¡ô


    He casually takes a position behind Theresia, who was resting in the living room, and restores Theresia''s strength while chatting with Misaki, who says she''s not yet sleepy. Spoiling it reduces her strength a bit - the change in temperature is literally fatal to the Lizardman.


    When Theresia felt better, she went into the bedroom where Igarashi-san was. The only ones left in the living room are me and Misaki.


    ''''Huh.......A lot happened today too, really. I''m still so excited I can''t seem to sleep.''''


    ''You look sleepy for that, though. Well, you can sleep under the covers.


    ''Ellie-san is resting and I''m going to sleep quietly too. If not, though, I may have to visit Suzu.


    ''Purification'' is a calming experience, and it might help you sleep better. Even though I''m there too, I don''t mind sleeping in a bed together with other friends if you insist.


    "I''m going to stay home tomorrow........right?


    ''''There''s eight of us with Melissa and Sion, though, and I wouldn''t mind coming. The only thing I''m worried about is that Misaki is only level 2, so that means she''s not as strong as she should be.


    ''Then can''t I just stay out of the battle and follow Melissa and her behind?¡¡It''s like a detached force.


    I see, that''s one way to move. My support can get through if I turn around, so if the rear squad gets into a fight, I can turn around and support them. Depending on Melissa''s ability, should I have some people in the back who can do some close combat?


    My skills don''t seem to be of much use to anyone else...''''


    With a complicated look on her face, Misaki showed me the license she kept in the pocket of her nightgown.


    ¡ôSkills Acquired ¡ô.


    Drop Rate Increase: Chances of enemies dropping rare drops will increase slightly.


    Lucky dwarf: Your odds of finding a box after a battle will increase slightly.


    Skills you can acquire


    Dice Trick: You can roll the dice you specify.


    Russian Roulette 1: Halve the health of any opponent you hit, friend or foe.


    Poker Face: Make your emotions unreadable.


    Lucky Prediction 1: sense the direction of good things to come.


    Coin Toss: Have your allies guess the flip side of a coin, and a hit will increase your luck.


    Remaining skill points: 2


    (With the skills you can get at this point, you could already be a warrior in a casino... but it wouldn''t be a joke if they found out, and the body seems to have anti-cheating measures in place.)


    If you are a lucky gambler, "Russian Roulette 1" may not hit your teammates very often, but it is still a big risk.


    A safe choice would be "Fortune 1". It seems that Misaki willingly took a skill that has a positive effect on the eyes, so we already have some benefit from the drop rate increase and fortunate dwarfs.


    ''''Lucky Prediction 1'''' looks good, but I don''t think we need it right now. Can you give it one more level?


    ''Yes, I thought so too. I want to develop the skills that make me lucky! To the point where you discover a lot of money just by walking around.


    ''I don''t know if it''s a lot of money, but it sounds like you have some skills that you could pick up. It''s interesting to see how different people really are.


    ''Ehehe, I''m glad you enjoyed it. Well, I''m going to go back to my room. Good night.


    Yeah, good night.


    I hope Misaki gets some combat-related skills as well - does the gambler specialize in luck-related auxiliary skills that have a positive impact on the party? In that sense, though, I''m close to it, too.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    Back in the room, Suzuna turned on only the bedside light and sat on the bed, looking at her license.


    ''Good night, Suzuna,''


    ''Thank you for your help, Mr. Aricht. Um, can I have a quick look at it?


    ''Yeah, of course. Did you just watch Suzuna too?


    ''Yes, I was thinking to myself which one would be best. But I''m still confused.


    I stand beside Suzuna and ask her to show me her license - then she looks up at me and smiles.


    ''Um, since you''re standing, please sit down if you''d like. And I''m in a position to have Arihito-san instruct me.


    ''It''s not like I''m teaching you. Everyone''s new skills are new to me, so it''s a new skill for me, too.


    I sat down next to Suzuna and she held out a license that displayed a screen of skills in my direction.


    Skills Learned ¡ô.


    In the middle of all of us, cleansing and exorcism 1.


    Skills that can be acquired


    The Eight Verses 1: Shooting the bow according to the rules of archery multiplies the blow.


    The Demon Arrow: When you use the bow, the arrow will have the sacred attribute added to it.


    Misuse: Adds the sacred attribute to those who are immersed in the water with you.


    Spiritual Medium: Enables you to possess nearby spirits and interact with them.


    Pray: The success rate of the entire party will increase slightly.


    Salt: Apply salt to a set area to prevent demons from approaching.


    Remaining skill points: 2


    ''I see.......Suzuna learns her skills as a miko and her archery-type skills at the same time.


    ''As with the eight verses of the Shooting Law, ''mediumship'' is something I could never have done in my previous life even if I wanted to... so I''m curious to know what it''s like.


    ''You might be possessed by a bad spirit, but there might be times when you need it.


    When you meet the spirits of those who have lost their lives during your search, ask them for their regrets - or ask them to tell you about the mysteries of the labyrinth. It''s hard to say it''s absolutely useful, though, because it might not be that convenient.


    It seems to me that it''s better now to focus on the number of moves than on the eight verses of shooting. I don''t think shooting two at the same time or shooting wildly would be done in normal Kyudo, but it seems to exist as a skill.


    It''s a good idea to keep the ''Spiritual Medium'' as well as Suzuna''s wish. ''Purification'' seems to be useful when entering a labyrinth where the sacred attributes are effective, but I guess it''s still not essential.


    ''Yes, I see... thank you, Mr. Aricht.


    No. No. I think the Eight Verses is a strong skill, but you don''t need it now if you''re going to work with me. What''s important is the number of moves you can do.


    ''If you get the skill to shoot a lot of bows, you''ll be stronger if you take it.


    ''Yes. I think it''s going to be an awesome party when we have all the auxiliary skills as well as the attack.


    The talk of skills is shorter than I expected, and the topic of conversation is cut short, as I feared it would be. Well, everyone''s probably asleep by now and we''re going to get some rest too.


    Well let''s get some rest for tomorrow, shall we?


    "Yes, sir. Good night, Mr. Aricht.


    I go back to my bed. Then I close my eyes in the position on my back and try to sleep - and after a while, I feel Suzuna moving in the bed.


    ''''........Arihito-san, may I talk to you for a moment?''''


    Hmm?¡¡Yeah, you can ask me anything you want if it''s okay with me.


    ''Thank you. There''s something I wanted to ask you, Arihito-san...


    Suzuna asks me about my family and about my daily life before my reincarnation. I tell her vaguely that I''m a lifelong loner and that I used to work for a company.


    After she listened to me, she told me that she went to an all-girls school and that she and Misaki were together until middle school and then separated after high school.


    ''A year of high school... well, it was a lot of things to come, if you ask me.


    ''No, I don''t think it''s that bad that I''ve been reincarnated now. I was a little scared at first, but I also came to believe that things have a flow to them and that I shouldn''t go against it... and that''s why Ellie took me there.


    Calmly accepting that she had lost her life once, she decided that teaming up with Elitia would be for the better.


    No one else would be on the street after a reincarnation, and she tried to make her own way. Misaki had almost gone down a dangerous path once though.


    ''But after meeting Arihito-san, I began to think this way. That in going with the flow, there are times when someone with strong power can scoop you up.


    Scoop up ... I don''t know. Because of everyone else, we''re able to get through things like hardship. If you say so, then I''m probably scooping you up too.


    ''''........Because Arihito-san is that kind of person, even people like Ellie-san and Kagamika-san, who are independent, rely on her. I think that''s a very great thing.


    Well, I don''t know, Suzuna, but you''re not overpaying me, are you?¡¡It''s not that big of a deal.


    Even as she said this, Suzuna was looking at me with feverish eyes. But when she realized that she was leaning forward, she held her mouth and turned her head back to squirm.


    ''''Well forget about that, I know I''m not the only one. I know I''m a stiff and heavy character.


    ''It''s good to be serious. I''m unserious, so I admire people like that.


    For a moment, Suzuna didn''t answer. She fixed her black matted hair, which was a bit disheveled when she turned to the other side, with a modest hand - and then she looked up again and glanced at me.


    ''''...Are you insincere, Aricht-san?¡¡It doesn''t look like it.


    ''I, no I''m sure you''ll be drawn to me if I say this. Even on the bus, I thought there was a beautiful girl. Even when I saw her in the guild after her reincarnation, I was kind of curious about her.


    ''Oh, I see... I''ve seen you too, Aricht-san, but I just thought you looked a bit tired... I''m sorry...'' .....


    ''Don''t apologise, I was really tired. I was going to distract myself by skiing, but to tell you the truth, I''m not that good at it, and I''m a bad side freak.


    Suzuna chuckled as she said this. Fortunately, the air seemed to loosen up.


    ''If there''s a labyrinth that you have trouble navigating because of the snow, I''ll teach you how to ski, Aricht-san.


    ''It would be interesting to see a labyrinth like that, but no, it''s likely. Good luck with that.


    Yes ... good night, Mr. Aricht.


    Suzuna turns back again. I kind of watch her back - but then my eyelids get heavy and the sleepiness rapidly sets in.


    (Something ... I''m forgetting ... or maybe it''s my imagination ...)


    I think I saw a faint light in my bedroom, which was supposed to be dark - I lost consciousness before I could think deeply about what it was.


    That night I dreamed that someone was coming into bed with me in the middle of the night.


    The next morning, Suzuna, who was supposed to be in the room with me, was gone, and she was waiting in the living room, all ready and waiting for me - she didn''t tell me, blurting out the words vaguely, as to why she was up early.

 49 Episode 48 Stampede

    After everyone got up, I rang the bell and called Mr. Millet to bring the morning service to my room. The main dish was a bird-based demon egg dish called ''Sweet Bird'', with the same demon''s smoked meat on top. Both were quite tasty and suited all of our palates.


    The salad, which was said to be made from the stems of a plant-based demon called "goblin bush," had a watercress-like taste and texture, which wasn''t bad with the sweet and sour fruit dressing. The roots look like the face of a child demon, but if you disregard that, they''re said to be delicious with a turnip-like texture - although it didn''t show up this time.


    After finishing breakfast, I finish getting ready to go outside. All the maids, including Mirei-san, line up at the entrance to see me off - I feel like I''m the master of the mansion.


    ''''Well then, I''m off.''''


    Would you mind telling us what time you''ll be back?


    Um, I''d like to be back by 6:00 p.m.


    Very well. I''ll see to it that you''re still on time for dinner. Then have a good day.


    ""Have a good day!"


    Everyone was overwhelmed as the maids, who numbered a total of ten, chanted beautifully. I remember when I once went to a maid cafe for social studies - although the maids in this world had more of an atmosphere of a real job than the maids in this world.


    ¡ô¡ó¡ô


    Before bringing the runes and ore to the blacksmith''s shop, we stopped by the guild first.


    There was a piece of paper with a motto in red letters posted on the bulletin board, and the searchers had gathered in front of it and were buzzing about it.


    ''Isn''t Stampede going to have demons out there if we leave it alone?


    This is the wrong place for a nursery swamp. People have been neglecting it for too long.


    I weave my way through the crowd and check the posted content.


    --The number of demons defeated in the "Noon Wetlands" has dropped extremely low, and we have entered the stampede alert area. If you are level 3 or higher among the searchers, please help us defeat the demons. The rewards and contributions will be 30% more than usual. The person in charge: Louisa Falmer


    Louisa you sound like you''re in some kind of trouble.


    When it comes to the postings she sent out, I want to help as much as I can. The exam is tomorrow, so I have no problem heading to the ''Noon Marshes'' today.


    ''Aricht, what are we going to do?''


    Elitia will ask for instructions. Everyone else doesn''t seem to know much about the Stampede, so I guess we''ll have to find out for sure first.


    ''Elitia, what exactly is the Stampede?''


    The demons in the labyrinth can breed as living things, but the labyrinth itself can also generate them in order to maintain a permanent environment in the labyrinth. But on the other hand, if the number of demons increases too much, the labyrinth will force the demons out from the entrance of one level. The state in which the number of monsters increases abnormally is called ''stampede''.


    The entrance to the labyrinth appears to be just a staircase, but I knew that it was a transition on the way down. However, I didn''t know that demons could come out from inside.


    I was reminded of Ariadne by Igarashi-san''s words. The Hundred and Seventeenth Secret God--that is, the


    There are more than a hundred secret gods.


    It''s natural to think that the secret gods that lie there are closely related to the labyrinth. In other words, the agent of the labyrinth''s will.......no, Ariadne didn''t show any such pretense.)


    However, if all the labyrinths have hidden hierarchies with secret gods in them - finding a secret god other than Ariadne might give us a clue as to what the labyrinth is for.


    ''Good morning, Atobe-sama. I apologize for the disturbance.


    ''Good morning, Louisa. Something''s going wrong, isn''t it? Will you let us help you subdue the stampede?


    Louisa''s eyes widen. I''ve been surprising her more often than not, but as for me, I thought it was an obvious offer.


    ''''........Atobe-sama is about to run through this eighth district and yet she says such things without hesitation. How happy and grateful I am for that...


    Louisa wiped her tears with a handkerchief. That''s how severe the situation was - the duty and pressure of the guild''s staff when the stampede happened must have been considerable.


    There was no way to send explorers into a labyrinth where there were enemies that would set off nasty state disorders, and it was inevitable to some extent that only safe and easy to attack labyrinths would be explored. Even if you get a certain degree of strength, there will be many people who can''t leave Akebono''s field, where the view is good and easy to fight - I had no choice but to do so if I couldn''t find my friends either.


    ''''Well then, I''ll tell you the situation we currently know about, so let''s go to this room.......''''


    Louisa was about to lead us to the guild''s meeting room - that''s when it happened.


    ''''It''s a demon, a demon has come into town!¡¡Call the garrison!


    ''There''s a lot of them, and if you''re out in the open, take it easy and get inside the building... oooh!


    Outside the entrance to the guild, a non-human thing is flying - it attacks a person, and the seeker, attacked helplessly from the air, is wounded and falls down, fleeing into the guild. Louisa ran up to him and strained her voice stoutly as she looked at his condition.


    ''''Arrange for a healer (healer) at once!¡¡Everyone please calm down, the garrison will be there in a minute!


    ''''Louisa, you can''t do this!¡¡The guards are guarding the entrance to the ''Noon Marshes'' and it will take them a while to get over here!


    Oh no, so what do I do now?


    In order to calm the upset Louisa-san, I hesitated a bit, but I put my hand on her shoulder.


    ''''Huh.........A, Atobe-sama.......I''m sorry, I shouldn''t have been so distraught as a guild employee.......''''


    ''We can fight too. We''ve experienced flying demons, too, and you can leave it to us.........are you guys ready?


    When I turned around, I saw that they all already had their weapons at the ready. I don''t know what''s going on outside, but with all this commotion, the enemy''s numbers don''t seem to be enough for ten or twenty.


    I''m sorry to trouble you, Suzuna, but I need you to take the ''heaping salt'' skill. Louisa, do you have any salt?¡¡That would prevent the enemy from going after the guild.


    There are many explorers here who are level 1 to 2 and are not well equipped. If that''s the case, the guild building is a safe zone and we want to fight without any hindsight.


    ''''Salt I understand, I''ll bring it to you immediately. Atobe-sama, please keep this town........


    I''ll make sure you''re safe.


    The people I met in the Eighth Ward have really taken care of me. The only reason I can survive as an explorer is because of the kindness of everyone, including Louisa-san who gave me the mercenary ticket.


    ''''Aricht-san, the salt is ready!


    ''Yes!¡¡Elitia, drop the enemies nearby first!¡¡Then we''ll be out there in one fell swoop, too!


    Yes, sir!¡¡Miss Theresia and I will follow Ellie, so Misaki, be careful and come from behind!


    Yes I will follow as carefully as I can!


    Elitia takes the lead and runs out - the demon that was trying to get in through the open door was a strange demon whose entire body was covered in what looked like tentacles.


    (First, let''s see if I can use 1 even if I take ''Support Attack 2''... let''s see if I can use 1... let''s just make sure. (Activate ''Support Attack 1''........!


    "--Haah!


    ''Kishaaaaah!


    Elitia unleashes a slash ''slash ripper'' in the manner of an iaidoup while running. It''s a very good idea to be able to have a good time with your friends.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Elitia''s Slash Ripper activates and hits the Flying Doom for 11 damage.


    Defeat one Flying Doom


    The enemy had already been cut to pieces. The demon that was split in two - the Flying Doom - jumped into the building with the momentum it was about to bite, causing the young adventurer to scream, ''Heeeee''. When you look at the demon that fell to the floor, its divided upper and lower jaws are lined with sharp fangs, and it is covered in green blood - with a demon like this, no one wants to go to the noon swamp.


    But now that I''ve assisted Elitia, I''ve learned that I can change to ''Support Attack 1'' with just a reminder. I''d like to try ''Support Attack 2'' next, but for now I should prioritize sweeping the area rather than testing it.


    ''''Okay, people here, stay out!¡¡Leave it to a skilled searcher, because the damage will be minimal!


    The level 9 Elitia called out to them and was very convincing. The explorers, who were only up to level 3, all followed her instructions.


    After going outside, Suzuna heaps salt on the guild entrance and windows - while I''m doing so, a flying doom appears further above the standing buildings and swoops down one after another when it spots us. I snipe at the individuals coming at me with my ebony sling, but I can''t kill their momentum with a single blow--!


    d*mn it...!


    Rear, watch out!


    -Oh!


    Igarashi-san literally spears the descending Flying Doom with a cross spear, and Theresia blows it away with ''Windslash''.


    ''-- Suzuna, Misaki!¡¡You can take half a step in front of me, and then we''ll chase after it!


    ''Yes, Mr. Aricht!¡¡--Hey!


    Eat my dice!


    Suzuna''s arrow, and Misaki''s dice are slammed into a flying doom that tries to bounce back into the wall after being blown away - if 22 support damage is put in, he could finish it off without Elitia.


    ''Alright, I get it. These demons are probably the ones that were let out of the labyrinth by the Stampede which means they should be springing up from the entrance to the Noon Marshes. The guards should be holding that place, so we''ll go around separately.


    ""I understand!"


    These flying demons fly around in the sky over the entire area of the eighth district like they are their own. Accompanied by dozens of flying dooms, there is a mix of extremely colored, one-sized individuals.


    Probably ''named'' - we have to defeat him at all costs. We''ll help the townspeople and annihilate the enemy while increasing the safe zone with the heaping salt of Suzuna. Unexpectedly, a tumultuous day has begun.

 50 Episode 49: Wings Feast

    After I finished the first battle after leaving the guild, Elitia told me that when there are demons in the town, I can keep track of their location by displaying a map on my license. In the labyrinth, you can''t know the location of the demons unless you enter the search area, but in the town, you can know the location of the demons in the entire area. Due to privacy concerns, the locations of people other than party members are not shown.


    The total number of demons that have appeared in the town due to the Stampede is about fifty - about half of them are following the ''named''. The named are glowing as if they pulsate, and even the displays on the license feel like a disaster.


    As I look at the map, I notice something - a few demons are circling above Falma''s shop in the box store.


    (We have to sweep them out of the vicinity first. The largest number is in the east, where the mercenary agent''s office is located.......will the mercenaries go out and intercept them......?)


    The level 3 and above explorers were out there besides us, but in some cases we were stuck unable to engage them because the enemies moved at a whim. You can''t even shoot them down because they''re flying at an altitude that magic and normal projectile weapons can''t reach.


    (It''s hard to intercept them when they''re coming from the air, but you have to wait for them to attack you.......no. Wait.........maybe that skill.......)


    Using a ''backstand'' on a flying doom in the air - even if it was possible, it''s just suicide. What I came up with was that if you have the effect of making sure your arrows hit the target, then even if you can''t reach the range, you can still be assisted to some extent.


    However, the ''heaping salt'' was draining her magic power, although it was slight with each use. I''ve asked her to spread the salt on a regular basis to increase the area that demons can''t get to, so it''s not desirable to have it depleted even more in everyone else - then.


    ''''Elitia, is it safe to have the enemy attracted to you!


    No problem!¡¡I can''t take that different color in one hit, but I can take out the others no matter how many of them come!


    ''''Alright Igarashi-san, please use ''Decoy'' for Elitia!


    ''Alright my brave warrior soul, draw the fighting spirit of the fierce one ''Decoy''!


    Current Situation


    Kyoka activates "Decoy" ¡ú Target: Elitia


    Three "Flying Doom" and "Demi-harpy" change their targets to "Elitia".


    What kind of attacks are they going to make...?


    "Guys, we have a new enemy!¡¡''Watch out for it!''


    Current Situation


    Arihito activates ''Support Elevation 1'' and the party''s morale increases by 11.


    When I unconsciously called out to them, I realize - the morale boost should not be effective until 24 hours after the morale release, but now everyone''s morale has risen.


    (After one night... no.


    Flying Doom''s strength is such that it can be defeated by a level 3 party, so as long as you can catch and attack a flying opponent, it''s not too tough. That ''named'' would be weaker than the strongest enemies we''ve fought so far, but even with the excessive firepower, we''d still want to use the ''War Spirit'' to launch an all-out attack. It''s much better to do that than to let the fight drag on and risk someone being attacked.


    The ''decoys'' worked on the demons that were flying over the box store, and one after another Flying Doom swooped down the street a short distance from the store.


    ''''No matter how many of them come in, it''s the same ... too late!


    Elitia used her bare agility to evade the tackle of the mass of tentacles with ease. After evading two or three of them, Igarashi-san and Theresia, who were coming from behind, are evaded by Elitia, and with the same momentum, they crash to the ground and intercept the one that leapt up.


    (This place is still ''Support Attack 1''.......we should aim for stability with fixed damage.......!


    Here we go ... "Double Attack!


    Huh...!


    Two unseen blows from Cross Spear stabbed into Flying Doom. After the invisible attack continued with two consecutive blows, Suzuna''s arrow sticks out to stop it.


    The effect of ''Decoy'' continues, and Elitia, whose entire body is wrapped in a yellow light that looks like a warning color, draws the remaining two bodies tightly together - after the attack is avoided, it bounces from the floor to the wall, and the Flying Doom tries to bite it from above. But by that time, Elitia had her hand on her sword and was about to unleash a deadly blow.


    ''''--Fall away!


    With a single voice of spiritedness that is more emotional than usual, Elitia swings her sword out in succession while intermingling with the two approaching Flying Dooms.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Elitia activates "Rising Zapper".


    One level hit on Flying Doom A. Support damage 11


    The second level hit on Flying Doom B. Support damage 11


    Defeat two Flying Doom


    (Jumping up and attacking more than one, that''s a horrible body technique... no wait, there''s still Harpy... where the hell is he...)


    --Then a chill runs through me. There''s nothing wrong with remembering this feeling.


    Just as I expected, I hear a song coming from somewhere in the street - I don''t know what the words are, but as I listen, my consciousness is shaken and I''m reaping the benefits all at once.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Demi-harpy invokes the "Song of Sleep".


    Elitia, Kyouka, Suzuna and Misaki are sleeping.


    Uh..........back there, boy.......


    The song is..........


    My brother, my brother...


    "...everybody get a grip!¡¡You''ll die if you sleep here!


    I''m not joking, if we can''t locate Demi-harpy, even us - if he uses the Song of Sleep again, we will be annihilated without waking up.


    (The dangerous demon that makes us sleep........I didn''t think it was this guy.......what are we going to do, if we don''t do this.......!


    "--Peeeeeeeee!


    Current Situation


    Demi-harpy invokes "Call to Arms".


    Two "sweetbirds" respond to each other.


    --with a bird-like chirp, calling out other demons -- if we don''t do this, our sleeping companions will be harmed.


    (Can Theresa and I do this alone... even if I support Theresa, it''s bad if she comes around... dammit, if I''m strong enough individually, this won''t happen... ...)


    We hear the sound of wings from a distance - a bird-type demon. As soon as the two appeared from the sky and found us, they began to turn and sing as if they were chasing each other.


    Current Situation¡ô


    Two Sweetbirds invoke the "Winged Banquet".


    The attack and defense of winged demons have been temporarily increased.


    (I didn''t know the enemy was going to load up on support (buffs).......these guys aren''t like the demons we''ve seen before.......!


    I crave from the bottom of my heart for a way to wake up my sleeping companions - if only there was something in ''support'' to restore the state of affairs. I knew the hole in the party from the beginning, but I''ve come this far without finding a way to plug it.


    Being put to sleep was a direct result of death - I had to be prepared to prevent all the state abnormalities that would make me unable to act before they happened.


    ''''Kuaaah!''''


    Two sweetbirds are attacking - wrapped in green feathers and holding a flaming red tussock, which thrusts forward like a spear...!


    And it wasn''t us that the two animals were aiming at, it was Elitia with the ''Decoy'' still in effect.


    -- The only way to protect her at this distance is to transition with "Backstand" and take a stand. But if I did that, I would--.


    (.........as long as I don''t die, even if it''s only 1 strength......rather than letting Elitia die......!


    Theresia uses an accelerated dash, but I can''t get to Elitia. I activate ''Backstand'' and try to shield Elitia.


    -- Immediately after the transition, I see two birds approaching with a roaring wind noise. It was at that moment that I tried to protect Elitia, praying that even 1 of my physical strength would remain.


    ''''--Wow!


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates Backstand ¡ú Target: Elitia


    Theon''s "Covering" is activated ¡ú Target: Aricht


    Theon!


    The huge shadow that leaps out of the air comes between me and the enemy with a speed like lightning. And Sion, who has gained the effect of ''Support Defense 1'', is hit by the sweet bird''s collision - but.


    ''''Aaaaah!''''


    Current Situation


    Zion''s Tail Counter activates, hitting Sweet Bird A. Support damage 11


    Defeat one of the sweetbirds.


    One hit is all it takes - but the Sweet Bird is already one piece left. Even though it is flung off by the ''Support Defense 1'' barrier layered on top of Sion''s defense, it still flaps its wings in the air and tries to break away.


    But at that moment, another huge shadow flew out from the street where the box store is located.


    ''''Galluoosh!


    It was no longer a dog, the roar of a giant beast. Sion''s mother dog pounced on the sweet bird and finished it off with one punch of her paws.


    (Too awesome.........isn''t this dog the strongest vanguard in this eighth district.......?


    Lady Atobe, are you all right?


    Falma-san - yes, with the two Silverhounds, she would not be in danger..........................no.


    (If she gets hit by Demi-harpy''s state malfunction, even Zion and the others.......then I''ll have to do it......!


    ''Mr. Farma, I need a mate!¡¡I''ll get the last one!


    Mr. Atobe, which one of them is that one...?


    I don''t know the answer either - but it''s probably a blind spot on the roof. You''ll have to bet on that skill to get around there in an instant and catch it...!


    Even if you can''t see it, you can use it if you''re in a combat situation... please, let it be that way...!


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates Backstand ¡ú Target: Demi-harpy


    After lacking sensation for a moment, the next moment - I was standing behind a demon that looked like a girl, with arms turned into wings.


    ''''Peep...!


    After all, it''s on the roof. Without regard to the unbalanced scaffolding, I assemble with all my might with Demi-harpy.


    "--Theon!¡¡No, mom, I don''t care if it''s a dog!¡¡Take it!


    Wham!


    Peeeeeee...!


    Even I, who''s not a close combatant, can at least stop the demi-harpy''s wings from moving and fall - and.


    In the middle of my fall along with Demiharpy, Sion, who kicked the window frame of the building and jumped up, catches me brilliantly with his fur-covered back.


    ''''Whoa...!


    I landed on the ground with an impact and was thrown off Sion''s back - and yet I never let go of the demi-harpy that was struggling so badly.


    ''Oh my goodness........such a cute little thing, but you''ve embarrassed everyone. You''re a bad demon,


    Bleep.............................


    Demi-harpy suddenly became quiet - and that was not unreasonable. He was surrounded by Falma-san, Theon, his mother dog, and Theresia with her dagger at the ready.


    And on behalf of the representative, the one who visited Demiharpy to stop him was the mother dog who was angry at being attacked by Sion.


    ''''--Grrrrrrrr!


    It opened its huge mouth to threaten Demi-harpy, as if it could eat him in one bite. I could have been afraid of it, too, but Demiharpy really thought he was going to be eaten, so he stopped lashing out - or rather, he fainted from fear.


    ''Did you manage to get through........te, Theresa...?


    I pick myself up, careful to make sure Demi-harpy doesn''t wake up, and Theresa hugs me from behind. She''s trembling - I must have made her worried because I jumped down.


    ''I''m fine, Theon took it in, you know. I''m sorry I scared you, that was the only way I could think of. You can''t take him down just by coming at him from behind, you know.


    ..........


    Theresa shakes her head, not saying anything. ''There''s nothing to apologize for, I suppose,'' she says.


    ''''Atobe-sama, if the demons are in town then there is a stampede going on.


    ''Yes. Mr. Falma, this demon called Demi-harpy sings a song that puts people to sleep. It is dangerous if you don''t have a way to prevent them from sleeping, so please stay hidden in the shop. We will keep our enemies away from this neighborhood.


    "Atobe-sama, we have several accessories in the shop that prevent ''sleep'' caused by demon attacks. We were buying them in the shop when we found the same ones in duplicate...


    ...Really?


    ''If it were true, I would wholesale it to a specialty store, but I think it''s necessary now, so please take it with you. I''ll also get some of the restorative medicine to wake you up from your sleep from the nearby apothecary. Ashtarte, carry you all to the shop.


    We need to get into position once to fight ''Named'' and the group of demons. I worked with Theresia to carry Demiharpy, who was unconscious with his friends, on Ashtarte''s back. Demiharpy''s near-human appearance makes it hard to stop - I don''t have time to be so naive, but he''s not a threat as long as he can block the song.


    We were almost wiped out by this little harpy - it was a battle that showed us the horror of the state of affairs in a very real way. We''ll have to be far more cautious if we don''t want everyone to get hurt.


    Theresia looked worried and stayed with me the whole time. I''ve caused her to worry as well, so I''d like to keep the abandoned suicide attack as little as possible in the future.

 51 Episode 50 Interceptor Battle

    As they carried their friends into the box store, Ake and Plum came out of the stairs to the basement. I guess that means they were hiding out just in case.


    ''Mother, welcome back!¡¡....Huh?¡¡Everyone''s asleep.


    Atobe, big brother, are you alright?¡¡It''s a bit abrasive here. Plum, let me give you a pat on the back!


    Yeah, I''m sorry about that. It''s not that big of a deal.


    After being stunned by such recklessness.......you must be a bold man, Mr. Atobe.


    From the looks of me, it doesn''t look like I''m doing anything too big, does it? But it was only with Zion and the others that I could use that method, and I''m not going to do something reckless without thinking about it.


    ''''Yes, I''ve bandaged you up. Mom, can I give your brother some medicine?


    ''Oh no, I think potions are valuable, so...''


    No, there''s something called ''healing grass'' that is used to make potions. Even dried powder made from it can be used to heal shallow wounds. The drawback is that it''s hard to drink.


    ''''Oh, I see. But the potion itself is precious, so the ingredients...


    When I tried to ask, Farma put her index finger to her mouth. Does that mean I''m not going to say anything?


    The guild provides several kinds of medicines in the medicine chest at the townspeople''s homes. Some people redeem them, but we don''t use them and put them away, so... let me help you at least for now.


    Mr. Farma brought me a healing herbal powder on a piece of paper, along with some water. She said it was hard to drink, so I was prepared for it, but it was like Chinese medicine, spicy, but not that terrible of a taste.


    (Oh ... my strength has recovered. It''s a shallow wound, but it''s a relief to see it recover visibly.)


    Ha-ha, my brother looks bitter.


    Bitter''s the better part of it. That''s what these things do.


    Eik and Plum miss me, and I''m watching them take their medicine. I can''t borrow Ashtarte as a fighting force, considering Farma-san and the children - but if possible, I''d like to borrow Zion''s help.


    Farma-san, who had split up with Theresia and made everyone take the awareness pills, comes back here when she''s finished with the whole process. And just by looking at my face, she could tell what I was going to ask for.


    ''''Theon is still in Atobe-sama''s party. So, I thought of you guys as friends and was the first to notice that you came near us.


    ''Oh I''m sorry. I forgot to return it to Farma''s house.


    ''''No, because I had also asked you to take Zion with you. Rather, I am proud of the fact that this boy tried to protect Atobe-sama. Like Ashtarte, he has grown up to be a truly courageous guard dog.


    Falma-san strokes Sion''s head - even though she''s sitting up, her head is the same height as an adult''s, so when she tries to stroke him, Sion lowers his own head.


    ''''........I''ll let you take advantage of Sion''s help.


    ''''Silverhounds are often the vanguard of the party. They will be larger than humans and have more physical strength... so please don''t be shy. Please give them the same role that you would entrust them with if you added Sion to Atobe-sama''s party.


    If you ask me, I think Falma-san has a great deal of heart too. Even though she has retreated from the line of exploration, she has entered the labyrinth to retain her skills and maintain her level, so she must have plenty of experience in combat after all.


    ''''Hmm.......this place.......''''


    Farma''s store I''m sorry. We don''t think we''ve caused you any trouble.


    Elitia and Igarashi woke up. Misaki and Suzuna continued to wake up as well.


    ''''Ha.......... brother Arihito, be careful, a strange song...!


    Me and Theresa were the only ones who were lucky enough not to fall asleep. We managed to fight them off with the help of Zion and his mom''s dog, and there''s the one we caught.


    When I explain to them that the Song of Sleep is dangerous, they all look at the fainting demi-harpy with a nervous look on their faces. Many of the demons become quiet when their vision is taken away, so they are blindfolded and gagged, and their wings and feet are tied up - it''s dangerous if they don''t do that much, so they can''t loosen their restraints any more, although they look pitiful.


    ''Mother, is this winged girl a ''mamono''?''


    ''''Yes, I think it''s all right now, but don''t get too close. Atobe-sama, since you''ve been taken alive, do you intend to be put into the ''Demon Ranch''?


    Demon Farm...?


    It''s a place to keep the demons you train and bring to your side. It''s like a warehouse, and the demons you keep there can be called up with special summoning stones.


    I had never thought of capturing them alive before, but is it possible to have a demon on your side - if it''s a demon that has a special attack, there are places to use it.


    In order to find out how to use the ''Demon Farm'', shall we put Demiharpy into the farm? Dismantling it is a bit visually demanding.


    ''''By the way, what do the other explorers do when they defeat Demiharpy?''''


    Many two-legged demons, such as orcs, may attack humans and prey on them, but demi-harpy may deceive humans and feed on other demons, but they are not carnivores themselves, and their main food is grass and nuts. As a result, searchers do not defeat them like the enemy in their eyes, and often let them go with a little feathering or clawing.


    Even at that stage, it was already an irritating story for a child, but when Farma-san put her ear to mine, she told me, ''''Although it is possible to incapacitate them by making them unable to use their vocal cords, fighting demi-harpy is itself abhorrent because it is cruel.


    For demons that are difficult to defeat due to their appearance, there is also the option of sending them to the farm. When you want more strength, being able to summon demons will expand your tactics - in the future, when you fight demons, you''ll also consider whether or not to make them your friends.


    ''''There are many demons that can''t communicate with humans and their wills, so consider that only a small percentage of them can be your companions. The tentacle demons that were flying above us earlier, for example, can be seen as impossible to train. There may be some who have such skills, though.


    Yes, okay I''ve learned a lot. Farmer, the equipment that prevents you from falling asleep....


    This will be the accessory. It will be an earring, bracelet and pendant. Fortunately, many things can be found that prevent the effects of ''Sleep 1'', so we''ve been able to provide enough for a few people.


    ''Sleep 1'' - that is, there is also a higher level of sleep attack. We have to keep in mind that we won''t be able to prevent sleep for a long time to come, but that''s enough for this time.


    It''s also possible that the named Flying Doom could use a state defect. Thinking about that, I felt like asking just in case.


    ''''Excuse me, Falma-san. Do you have anything else to prevent the other state abnormalities?


    ''''Well this bowl metal is effective in preventing ''confusion''. Can I get this one for you as well?


    ''Can I borrow it, just in case? I don''t know what the enemy is going to do to me, so I need to be insured.


    ''That''s a good idea. Now, please take this one.


    ''Arihit, you should be equipped as our leader. Because I want you at the helm of us, and I want you to be on the board at all times.


    Following Elitia''s recommendation, I wear a bowl metal. The armored potsherd that protects my forehead - it''s designed so that it won''t come off when I wrap it around me, making me feel more secure in my defense.


    ''''Okay ... let''s keep an eye out for the demi-harpy and head out to defeat the ''named''


    ''Dear Atobe, ladies and gentlemen, may you have the best of luck.......are you sure you don''t want to take Ashtarte with you?


    ''As a precaution, it would be better for you to stay here as a guard dog. There are other searchers and mercenaries out there. If we join them, I''m sure we can fight them off.


    Good luck, brothers!


    Don''t get hurt, be careful!


    The kids cheer us on, and we get out again - the flying dooms that have been flying through the air recognize us and swoop down one by one.


    ''-- Everyone, let''s move forward, intercepting the enemy!¡¡Don''t take it easy!


    We must not forget to raise morale by applying support uplift. Elitia and Sion, who are leading the charge, reduce the number of enemies, and the individuals who still get through, Igarashi-san and Theresia bounce back - that''s where me, Suzuna, and Misaki''s indirect attack sticks.


    ''''Wow!''''


    ''That''s quite a feat ... good girl. We''ll work together!


    Elitia called out to Sion, who was running alongside us. The swarm of flying dooms descending from the skies above in front of us no longer posed a threat to us.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    After a few engagements, the total number of enemies has been reduced considerably. There are no more flying dooms that operate in groups of a few, leaving only a group of ''named'' ones.


    The morale has been building up through ''support uplift'' - but when we reached the square in front of ''Akebono''s Field''.


    ''''Rival-san.......Madoka!


    Brother you can''t come here!¡¡It''s a demon''s song, a demon''s song...!


    ''Aricht, stay behind the building!¡¡He''s going to attack you if you get in his line of sight.....ooooh!


    Rival-san shouted and held his shield upwards - what landed there was a heat beam like a laser.


    The demon that I encountered ¡ô


    ¡ï Death coming from the sky: level 5 in battle Drop: ?


    18 Flying Doom Drop: ?


    2 demi-harpy''s dropped: ?


    3 Sweetbirds Dropped: ?


    Flying Doom''s ''named'' - from the name, it''s coming to kill me completely. On top of overcoming Flying Doom''s weakness of not having a long-range attack, it also has a terrifying firepower, and so on, the foulness is good.


    ''''Goooooooo.......oh.......''''


    Mr. Rival, please step aside once!


    I''m sorry...


    What Rival-san was holding was the kite shield that her companion had - even if she borrowed it, she jumped out to attract the enemy''s attack. The power of the heat ray was tremendous, and without being able to reduce the impact, Rival-san''s strength was reduced.


    In the square, the injured sub-human mercenaries and the searchers are lying on the ground. Some of them had burns all over their bodies from the heat rays, but they are still breathing - but if the demons are not annihilated as soon as possible, some of them will lose their lives.


    ''''--That''s dangerous!


    Boom, my heart lurched. Madoka, who was in the shadows of the building, away from the burnt-out stalls, jumped out - to protect the fallen searcher from the flying doom that was attacking him from above.


    ''''Siong!''''


    Wow!


    Sion, who heard my orders, will ''cover'' Madoka - if it''s a Flying Doom body hit, you can reduce the damage to zero by ''Support Defense 1''.


    ''Stay behind the building!¡¡Elitia, can you attract an attack from ''him''!


    If I draw that guy in with a ''decoy'', you can make sure you finish him off when he comes down!


    ''Yeah, okay guys, watch out for the hot stray bullets!¡¡I don''t know if even my defenses can prevent that from happening!


    The ''death coming from the sky'' is slowly circling in the air, aiming at its next target. But Elitia was right, when the guy came down, he didn''t intend to let it escape into the air again.

 52 Episode 51: Blessing

    Sion activates his ''tail counter'' and flips the flying doom by waving his big tail like a whip. He then hid behind the building with Madoka - but the situation was still imminent.


    ''Rival, run!¡¡If you take any more, you''ll die!


    "I''m not going to die you run for your lives!¡¡He''s got me in his sights, and I can take one more shot!¡¡I''ll be right behind you, run!


    "You''re not even a shield knight, brother Rival, what are you talking about?


    Yeah, I''m a chopper... and that''s why I''m gonna have to cut him down...


    I understand that Rival-san is serious, but I have to say that risking your life here is, from my point of view, unnecessary.


    --I''m not going to be the only one who can do that. I can understand it too well - because if I were in the same position as Rival-san, I would choose that recklessness without hesitation.


    ''''--Eritia, can you avoid those heat rays!


    I got it!


    ''No I''m leaving with you!¡¡We can''t let such a large number of enemies rush in on you alone!


    ''Igarashi-san we''ll cover you from here!¡¡Just make sure you avoid the heat rays that that ''named'' is shooting at you!


    Copy that.


    As they run out, as if to say they were pulling on a limb, they hear the cries of the demi-harpy, which had been hiding in the roofs of the buildings around the square.


    (If they use the Song of Sleep now, Rival-san and his party... no... well, the Song of Sleep has to be sung above your head for it to have any range. (If they come out this way........!


    But Demi-harpy isn''t naive enough to appear in the sky without any preparations. The three sweetbirds that called out in response to the cries just now, after loading up on support with the ''Crazy Feast of Wings'', are charging towards us, two in a row - the other one is aiming at Rival-san, who has his shield at the ready and his vision is reduced. When Elitia sensed this, she turned to cover him.


    --The battle situation is moving in various places, and I''m approaching the limit of my ability to grasp everything and make instantaneous decisions. The moment I thought that, my vision seemed to expand all at once to the point where I could see all the way up to the sky.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Arihito''s Eagle''s Eye is activated, and his ability to grasp the situation is improved.


    I understand the ''death coming from the sky'' in the sky above me, as if I''m watching its current state up close and personal.


    After shooting the heat ray, a cooldown occurs. The entire body becomes incandescent and releases a heat ray, but afterwards the polarized tentacles that covered the spherical body remain red and red-hot - but it is thought that it takes about fifteen seconds to fire again, so there is no time left.


    And considering that they''ll ''rampage'' when their strength is reduced, they''ll have to strike with all their might and fall at once before their strength is reduced to half.


    ''''Theresa, just push back one of them first!¡¡We''ll take one of them down!


    "-Oh!


    Theresia slammed her wind slash into one of the two sweetbirds, knocking them back. A merciless arrow, dice, and sling of metal bullets pierce the head of the other one, which slips past it and tries to take aim at us in the rear guard. If all the projectile weapon holders cooperated together, we could manage to drop one of them.


    Theresia drew the enemy''s counterattack to the very edge and evaded it with ''Axel Dash''. When the enemy is unable to decelerate and slammed into the floor, I''m the only one to make a follow-up attack - the bow and Misaki, who isn''t used to attacking, isn''t ready to throw a projectile...!


    But then a chain flail flew in from behind - a chain flail with an iron ball at the end of a long chain. It knocked the Sweet Bird down with precision, buying Suzuna and Misaki time to chase it down.


    And then the demi-harpy and the others from the back started singing - as if they won if they put the Sweet Bird to sleep, even without the Sweet Bird as a shield.


    ''--I was naive. We''re used to staying up all night over here!


    "--Peep!


    Current Situation


    Demi-harpy invokes the "Song of Sleep".


    All of Alihit''s party is disabled by resistance


    I guess they didn''t expect the song to be nullified, but the harpy in the form of a girl turned into a startled expression all together - by that time, we had already finished preparing for the attack.


    ''''Everyone, shoot!''''


    Dice Attacks!


    Yah!


    -Oh!


    My sling and Misaki''s dice shoot into one demi-harpy - the demi-harpy takes 11 additional damage and loses its balance, wobbling and falling.


    Suzuna''s arrow shoots through the other wing, and the feathers scatter - and as the demi-harpy tries to soar again while losing altitude, Theresa leaps and windslashes the demi-harpy.


    The blown-up demi-harpy flaps its wings with the last of its strength and tries to stay on, but it runs out of power and falls straight down. Now there are no more troublesome enemies.


    Then we return to the shadows of the building and turn around. There was the person who had just covered us with a chain flail.


    ''Leila-san it''s good to see you''re safe.


    The flail user was Leila, the second-in-command of the mercenary agency. She had the appearance of a strong man, but her red hair was disheveled and stuck to her skin along with sweat, and her leather armor was broken in places.


    ''I''m sorry, the mercenary agency was destroyed by the enemy''s heat rays and it took me so long to check on your safety I don''t have much to show for it.


    Leila-san ran from behind, her eye patch was torn off and the eye underneath it was visible - not that it was damaged or anything, but her eye was blind and there was no light in it.


    ''''Leila-san, that eye...''''


    This one I fought a demon that took away my senses a long time ago. The sight itself was attacked and taken away. If I only had one eye left, I could fight to some extent.


    All right, we''ll fight together. Do you have evasive skills?¡¡If you don''t have that, now.......Igarashi-san!


    It''s okay, rear end!¡¡Three more times.... no, four more times........!


    Current Situation


    Death coming from the sky activates Raster Flame.


    Kyoka activates the Blink Step and avoids the Luster Flame.


    The very moment - the light that enveloped "Death Coming from the Sky" converges to a single point, and in the next moment, a ray of flame shoots through the place where Igarashi-san was. However, Igarashi, who created an alter ego to evade it, didn''t chase the flying doom that chased after her, but instead tried to evade it. She can''t use "Double Attack" and can''t make them knock back, so she understands the risk of not being able to defeat them in one hit.


    Before the Flying Doom, which was dodged by Igarashi-san, can gain altitude, Suzuna''s arrows fly, and the metal dice thrown by Misaki in one or two strikes, delivering no small amount of blows - but without the attack of the vanguard, she can''t finish it off in one hit. We can''t reduce the number of enemies.


    ''''If only the enemies would come all at once, we could round them up.......hassle.......!


    While Elitia said that, she made sure to drop the flying dooms that fell at different times. ''Slash Ripper'' and ''Rising Zapper'', both of which are one-hit kills, but if you can get more enemies into the range of the ''Blossom Blade'', you can reduce the number of enemies more efficiently. However, the enemies are attacking at two or three at a time, shifting their timing - as if they''re just wary of the existence of range attacks.


    ''''Miss, I''m at least a target........''''


    Just run!¡¡There are a lot of people who will be sad when you die!


    Okay, all right. Take care of the rest.... whoa!


    Mr. Rival showed his willpower - on his way to run into the shadows of the building across the square, where his companions were, he carried the fallen man up. He was carrying a super-heavy shield on his back.


    ''We''ll draw the enemy''s aim, so get out of here!


    "--I can withstand one more shot. One more shot would be........oh!


    Sion has Madoka covered - if he has Rival-san covered in this situation, Sion will be in deep trouble if he can''t use his supportive defense to prevent the heat rays.


    His head spins at high speed. There are nine Flying Dooms left, and the ''named'' are unharmed - and I realize something.


    ("Death coming from the sky" no longer shoots heat rays.......has his magic power run out? Then what was he aiming at--)


    -- at that moment I saw a mass of polarized tentacles that should have had no expression on their faces, but they did indeed seem to laugh.


    The remaining Flying Doom rushes towards Igarashi-san and Elitia. And the one that ''Death Coming from the Sky'' was aiming at was the fallen explorer - - Rival-san who was holding a person from the magic profession.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Death coming from the sky activates "Drinking the whole thing".


    Rival, fleeing with his shield on his back, is unaware of the threat from the sky. That a monster with a mouth so huge that it could swallow a human whole is descending with the intent to kill.


    Death coming from the sky - the name doesn''t just mean an attack from the sky by heat rays. Literally, he was a being that ''came from the sky'' and brought death.


    The calls in battle acted as ''support uplift 1'' and his morale was up to 99. And I could release my morale in just one more time.


    Even if I go behind Rival-san in the backstand, I''ll just get eaten up. Elitia has to drop five Flying Dooms with her Blossom Blade, and Igarashi-san goes around to evade - no one can reach Rival-san.


    Still, I want to save Rival-san. I can''t let that person who was so foolish and didn''t run away even though he knew he couldn''t win die.


    (Ariadne if you can hear me.


    The license responds to my will, and without even having to slide my finger, the desired screen is displayed - I get ''Other Assist''.


    ''''--Rival-san, I''m ''assisting'' you!


    I''m not going to be able to get a good idea of what to do with it.


    --I''m not going to be able to get it done with my "Supportive Defense 1". I''m not going to be able to get the best out of it.


    As if to rewrite that regret, the voice of that inorganic, self-denying girl - the voice of that inorganic, self-denying girl - resounded in my mind as if to heat and inspire me.


    ''My name is Ariadne. To the faithful and their allies, I give my blessing.''


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates ''Other Assist''.


    Aricht''s ''Supportive Defense 1'' is activated ¡ú Target: Rival


    Arihito requests temporary assistance from Ariadne, the "Kijin Ariadne" ¡ú Target: Rival


    Ariadne activates the Light Arm.


    If the defensive barrier was breached, Rival-san would be eaten by the entire shield - but it didn''t happen.


    ''''What........was that.......''''


    It was, shall we say, a giant hand. It''s like a giant''s hand that catches "death coming from the sky", one size larger than Rival''s.


    It''s not just a matter of time before you get to the point where you can get your hands on it.


    Only the mechanical giant''s, hands emerged from the empty space and protected Rival-san.


    Ariadne''s voice was heard and that giant''s hand appeared. It meant that Rival-san had been protected by the ''Blessing of the Secret God'' - and that the Secret God was still a thing of tremendous power.


    ''''What the hell is that.......a hand from the air.......''''


    "Brother Rival... thank God... stupid, you were about to be eaten!


    "I''m not sure I''m proud of him... but he''s not just any guy... Aricht... how far will you go... ...


    Once she gets down there, I''m not going to let her get away. I''ll order Sion to cover Igarashi-san and create enough room for her, Theresia, and Misaki to release their morale.


    ''I''m going to end this.......morale release, ''Soul Blink''!


    Huh...!


    I''m going to go!¡¡Morale release, ''Fortune Roll''!


    Current Situation


    Kyoka activates "Soul Blink" and all members of the party receive "Spirit of War".


    Theresa activates Triple Steel and all members of the party have the Triple Steal effect.


    Misaki activates the "Fortune Roll" and her next action is sure to succeed.


    "Scatter like a flower!¡¡"Blossom Blade!


    The giant''s hand flicks off "Death Coming from the Sky" - Elitia, who ran into it, rains down slashes with the war spirits.


    The Fortune Roll causes Steel to succeed on the first shot, and the damage from the slashes and the fixed damage are piled up continuously - a total of 24 levels, far more than 300 damage in total, together with the war spirits'' attacks. The "Death Coming from the Sky", which was lower level than the "Eagle-headed Titan Soldier", was drained of its strength in one fell swoop and fell to the ground, unable to float, and stopped moving.


    The Flying Doom that was chasing Igarashi-san around was defeated by the coordination of me, Suzuna, Sion, and Leila. If the number of attacks increased with the war spirit, the sweeping wasn''t difficult at all - I also found that when the war spirit was on Sion, it was very dependable.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Defeat one "Death Coming from the Sky".


    Killing 4 Flying Dooms.


    The demon is gone, and while I''m catching my breath, the war spirit disappears - looking at the license map, there is no longer any movement indicating a demon.


    ''We did it......... Really, it''s just you guys........


    ''Yes it looks like you managed to beat it. But it''s not over yet.


    We had to tend to everyone who was down - some of those who had been hit by the heat rays were seriously injured.


    We put off rejoicing in our victory and started the rescue operation. The garrison finally rushes in and carries the wounded away one by one.


    I approach Rival''s party, where four of us have gathered. When Rival-san saw me, he raised his arms and smiled.


    ''''Before I knew it, you were completely on the side of help. You''re a great guy, man.''''


    As for you, Mr. Rival I''m glad you''re safe.


    Rival-san chuckled and looked at his companions. The large man who had lent his shield to Rival-san, the archer woman, was safe, but the wizard man was unconscious - it was one of his friends that Rival-san had saved.


    ''Assuming these guys get narrowed down later, I''m sorry for the trouble I''ve caused Aricht as well... Also, let me thank you.


    ''We fought together to save the town, so no thanks are needed. But couldn''t you have escaped into the labyrinth?


    When I asked that question, one of Rival-san''s companions told me that when a stampede occurs, you can''t enter the labyrinth until you defeat the demons that appear in the town - I don''t know why, but that''s how it works.


    If you try to escape into the labyrinth without knowing it, you will make a mistake in your calculations. I decided to engrave it in my head as knowledge and try to turn to help with the rescue - and then.


    ''Melissa ... and Mr. Rykerton, too.


    ''''Thank you for protecting the town, Alihit-san.


    ''Can I take the named one apart?¡¡And other demons.


    Yes, please.


    Melissa is bathed in return blood that looks like Flying Doom''s and has a meat cleaver in her hand - which means that she and her son are capable of defeating Flying Doom, too.


    It''s good to know that the people I know are safe, but the damage to the town is too great. Looking at the walls of the square and buildings that have been scorched all over and filled with holes from the demon''s crash, I was wondering if we could help in any way to repair the damage.

 53 Episode 52: After the Battle

    According to Leila, the demons that appeared in the town due to the Stampede attacked the town''s inhabitants and destroyed buildings without any particular law.


    When Leila and her team learned of the stampede, they were about to intercept the mercenaries when they were attacked - unfortunately, the enemy was approaching from above, and as soon as they saw the sub-humans coming out of the mediation center, they shot at them and attacked the entire building! It was.


    They were now being housed in the guild by the guards and being treated by the healers. The sub-human whose entire body was scorched was said to have barely survived because the skills he possessed gave him a resistance to fire.


    I''m sure that if the battle had gone on a little longer, there would have been more deaths...I can''t say I''m safe, but I survived, Aricht, thanks to you guys. As someone who was also present, I will report your achievements to the guild.


    No, I''m not...


    ''Don''t be too humble, in fact, when you see it, there''s no doubt about your bravery and the success of your entire party.


    Leila has a high opinion of me when it comes to having Theresia as a companion. That appreciation is further enhanced.


    ''''But that unseen skill you had when you saved Rival...Aricht, can you summon it?


    ''Summoning ... sure, it might be close to that. Think of it as a defensive skill.


    ''Hmmm.... It''s called a party secret. I saw something similar once when I was in another ward as an explorer...


    After all, does that mean that there are other believers of the ''Secret God'' - or is it really a kind of summoning magic?


    However, it''s a living demon that is summoned using a summoning stone, and it''s not possible to summon only a hand to prevent an attack, like the ''guard arm'' mentioned earlier.


    ''''Leila-san, was it like........calling up a part of your body, something like a giant?''''


    ''No, he called up an earthen golem and used it as a shield. The golem can change its shape, so it should be able to change all of its compositions into the shape of a hand.


    ''Well........ Thank you, for telling me.


    It was different after all - the secret god is not so easily found or witnessed.


    Even if they applied for the ''blessing'' in front of everyone, they wouldn''t be able to easily detect Ariadne. Rival-san and the others also thought that the guard arm was a skill used by someone else.


    (But is a skill that can produce that kind of defensive performance a human being can use.......no. I''d like to think that my supportive defense will eventually go into that realm, but...)


    My companions are asking for a ''courier'' to arrange for the transportation of the demons we defeat. This time, we can ask Rykerton-san''s demolition shop for everything. Melissa had already used the cart we brought from the shop to carry the ''Death Coming from the Sky'' with Rykerton-san. It would be more gratifying if they could bring it all together in one place.


    ''''Then I''ll go check on the condition of the mercenaries. We''ll have to think about repairing the destroyed mediation house... or maybe we''ll have to rent a different property temporarily.


    ''If there''s anything I can do to help you, please let me know. I was hoping to be able to thank Leila for all the help she''s given me one day.


    Leila doesn''t answer right away, but looks at me intently. My impression of her as a strong Amazoness changed slightly when I saw her gesture of touching her ears while brushing up her red hair - how could she be embarrassed, a warrior who was wielding a chain-inflatable foil and struggling to fight.


    ''''........Do the people fighting you feel this sense of security?¡¡It''s like being wrapped up and protected from behind all the time...


    I don''t...well, I don''t know...


    After Leila-san entered the game, she stepped forward when she wielded a flail, so I put ''Other Assist'' on Leila-san to support her - so that''s how it feels, even with ''Support Attack 1''.


    ''''Huh........Nah, it''s nothing. That was just a lapse of mind, forget it. I''ll go this time, okay?


    Yes, yes ... thank you for your help, Miss Leila.


    Leila laughed and repaired the broken eye patch with a hand-held cord and put it back on before walking away. I wondered if she was embarrassed to show her uncharacteristic embarrassment.


    I looked around the square and noticed that Madoka was in the company of my friends. As I approached, Madoka slipped through the circle of friends and came over to me.


    ''''Thank you for saving me, brother Arihito... if you all hadn''t come, I''m sure I would have...''''


    Madoka is pale and trembling. She was attacked by that many groups of demons, it''s no wonder she was frightened.


    And the open air of the elementary weapon she was holding out was also destroyed by the heat rays, although it wasn''t a direct hit, some of the weapons were scattered by the heat rays.


    ''That weapon was a disaster. I think we''re going to run out of things to hand out to beginners from now on.''''


    ''''Ha, yes I can''t say for sure until I see what kind of weapon it was that was broken.


    The large number of ''+no'' weapons that come out of the black box are good enough for a beginner to use at first. Weapons are limited to the jobs that can be equipped depending on the type of weapon, and strong weapons may not be able to be held until the level is higher - although I haven''t encountered any weapons that I can''t equip so far.


    ''''Well it''s important to hand out weapons to beginners here. Madoka, why don''t you take on the role of our party''s resident merchant?¡¡If there''s some kind of union, I''m not asking you to force your way out of it, but...


    Are you sure you''re sure?¡¡I''m still at level 2....


    ''I''m still at level 2 too, Madoka. We''re going to get stronger together, okay?


    Misaki-san....


    ''''What, I just want to have a friend who is at the same level as me. Suzu is one level higher than you, and she''s already very active. I wish I was doing kendo or something.


    ''''I can barely keep up with Arihito and all of you.......so why don''t you try your hand at it, Madoka-chan?¡¡I''m sure it will be fun to be with you, Alihito.


    I had already solicited her, but she folded in more layers. Madoka was relieved and began to wipe her tears away as Igarashi handed her a handkerchief, as if she had just started to cry.


    ''''The truth is, there were times when I wanted to raise my level more and learn a lot of new skills. But... there were so many demons out there, and I couldn''t even get through the first labyrinth until the end. I thought I was really hopeless... so...


    ''You don''t have to give up, do you? By partying together and helping each other, you can move up to the top of any job. And I can''t do it alone, either.


    ........Brother Arihito is much stronger and better than me. Even when he sees those demons, he is not afraid to stand up to them at all...


    ''You''re certainly surprisingly unfazed. So I think you''ll be right to follow them. They''re all girls, but you haven''t done anything wrong, Rear.


    (I''m rather suspicious of the allegations that I''ve been misbehaving with everyone during the night... but if I just had a disgusting dream or something, I''d be self-destructing, and it''s hard to verify the truth.)


    I wonder if one day they will find an item that can record images of me while I am sleeping. Using a magic stone like the ''recording stone'' - it''s not impossible to do that in this labyrinth country.


    ''''Well Arihito, I was able to get this with ''Steele''.


    Elitia gives me a drop item from Death Coming from the Sky. It was something like a peach-colored magic stone.


    It was a beginner-level appraisal scroll that I received when I opened the black box at Falma''s shop. When I used it - I found out that it was a ''confusion stone''.


    (Demon stones often reflect the content of special attacks that demons have. (Either way, you were lucky.)


    The effect of confusion is that the target of the attack is no longer friend or foe. It''s similar to the situation that occurs in Elitia''s Berserk, but if more than one person is confused, you''ll be blinded - mutual destruction is inevitable.


    And it seems that by attaching a confusion stone to your weapon, you can use ''Hupnos'' type techniques. The magical stones can be attached or detached, and you can even attach multiple magical stones to a sling, so if I attach Confusion Stone and Poison Stone to my sling, I''ll be able to add a total of two status disorders.


    I wondered if Demi-harpy might have some kind of sleeping stone - but at first glance, the magic stone or something like that wasn''t attached to my forehead. Well, if they could be trained, tamed, and summoned, it would be possible to incorporate the ''Song of Sleep'' into their tactics.


    Since I didn''t incorporate Theresia and Elitia''s new skills this time, I''d like to put that to good use when it comes to testing as well.


    ''''Now that the injured have been transported safely, let''s go back to the guild for now.


    ''Yes, I know. We need to reassure Miss Louisa.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    When we returned to the guild, Louisa-san, who was busy checking the damage along with the other guild staff, spotted us and ran over.


    Then she bowed deeply. Both the guild staff and the searchers - they were showing their appreciation for us leaving this building and fighting the demons.


    Eventually, Louisa-san raised her face, and instead of her usual charming smile, she tightened her expression with dignity and said.


    ''''Atobe-sama and the others have saved this Eighth Ward from a crisis.


    ''I know it''s going to be tough going forward, but I''m glad we got through it. I''m praying for the injured people to get back to work as soon as possible.


    Even as I responded in this way, the reputation of the people around me was sizzling up against my intention of just dealing with the crisis at hand - it''s not good to be too humble, people will think I''m a persona. I''m not that fine of a person.


    Louisa-san''s tension, which had been tense all along, broke and she burst into tears. We''ve been able to take the pressure off of her to be in charge of dealing with the Stampede, and we''ve been able to take the pressure off of her. My friends are relieved, and I feel the same way.


    They walk up to Louisa and encourage her. Theresia, who lined up next to me, didn''t join the circle surrounding Ms. Louisa, probably because she was wearing a skull mask.


    Teresa''s mouth remains expressionless as she lines up beside me, but her lizard eyes are staring at me. She''s also relieved - and even a little shaken as she remembers that I jumped off the rooftop, along with Demiharpy.


    ''We''ve got to get stronger so we can fight more consistently. Me and everyone else.


    ..........


    Theresia nodded dully and put her hand on her chest. As if she wants you to draw on and utilize more of your strength than you have now.

 54 Episode 53: Skipping Class

    In the eighth district, about thirty buildings were damaged and the number of injured was forty-six, of which two were seriously injured.


    It is not unusual for stampede deaths to occur and the number of demons tends to increase due to being shunned by novice searchers, so they regularly invite higher-level searchers to sweep the swamp for demons. However, they entered the stampede area much earlier than expected, and this time the situation has occurred.


    The reason why the guards didn''t enter the labyrinth to aggressively defeat the demons was because they prioritized protecting the security of the town. They are not that large a group of people who must immediately rush in if there is a karma rising reaction, and their level is not very high. The captain of the eighth district''s guard was at level 5, and the other searchers were almost below that level.


    Hence, it was very difficult to raise the level - it should be very difficult to do so. We, who frequently encounter ''named'', are growing at a rate that is usually unthinkable.


    It''s not as if Elitia didn''t level up consecutively, but she had accumulated 5 experience bubbles - if we defeat two level 5 named ones, there''s a chance she too will level up. There''s no penalty for the loss of experience since I''m exploring without a break, but I''ll have to verify how much it will be reduced by resting eventually.


    Aside from that, I had everyone wait outside today, and as the leader, I reported the results of the battle to Louisa-san.


    The results of this search


    1,000 points for subduing the labyrinthine stampede.


    Aricht''s level is now 5. 50 points.


    Theresa''s level is now 5. 50 points.


    Kyouka''s level is now 4. 40 points.


    Suzuna''s level is now 4. 40 points.


    Misaki''s level is now 3. 20 points.


    Took out 32 Flying Dooms, 480 points.


    Took out 5 Sweetbirds, 80 points.


    Capture of 3 "Demi-harpy", 240 points


    1,600 points for defeating the bounty hunter Death Comes from the Sky.


    Party members'' confidence in each other has increased by 300 points.


    Total of 32 men rescued. 960 points.


    100 points for rescuing "Reval".


    100 points for rescuing Madoka.


    Searcher Contribution ??? 5060


    Eighth Ward All-Time Contributions Ranking 1


    Seventh Ward Contribution Ranking 332


    Checking the numbers with his monocle, Louisa breathes in admiration. I''ve been running around the town and defeated all the enemies in sight - but more than the contribution I''ve earned from that, I''ve been able to subdue Stampede and defeat the ''Death Coming from the Sky'' and rescue the wounded.


    ''Louisa-san, what do you mean by that, after all?''


    ''''Since Master Atobe has made a very significant contribution in a short period of time, the guild has incorporated you into the pecking order of the seventh district without examination. Congratulations, you''ll be able to use the Seventh District''s intermediate housing from the start.


    A mid-range house ... could you possibly rent a house?


    ''Yes, although it will be a terrace house. Many people choose to live in an apartment complex because they prefer the condo type.


    Yeah, well, we have different lifestyles.


    We''re going to live in a rented, rental-like house for the time being, so we''re not going to be able to sit down in a good place - but I''m sure we''ll find a place in a ward somewhere that we''d like to use as a base eventually.


    ''But I''ll miss being untested. I think a party called ''Polaris'' who is staying at the same place has an exam coming up, so I''d like to take it with them if possible.


    ''''The North Star........oh. If you''re those people, you''re going to start your examination in the Calling Forest early today. It seems they haven''t returned yet, but...


    ''So you didn''t see him in town. Do exams sometimes take a few days to complete?


    ''''Yes, from the seventh district, we will need to camp in the labyrinth, so we also train for that as well. There are also night raids by demons, and dealing with them is included in the test items.


    ''That sounds like a lot of things, good training. I''ll have to consult with my colleagues, but may I take the exam tomorrow as scheduled?


    ''''Yes, if you wish, we will of course prepare a test for you. I won''t be participating in the battle, but one guild saber will accompany you just in case.


    Then Georg and the others in "Arctic Star" will come back safely, no matter what happens. They have a lot of willpower, too, and they''re likely to come back after passing their tests with flying colors.


    ''''Well then, I have to go to a meeting about the restoration of the town, so I''ll have to excuse myself.


    ''I think it''s going to cost quite a bit of money, but if it''s too much of a burden, I''ll take it from me...''


    No, we have a fund made up of all the residents of the ward for this kind of thing. In principle, there is no need for you to personally contribute to the fund. All you need to do is give us your heart.


    ''''Well I''m a little relieved to hear that. The mercenary agency was half destroyed, so I thought it would be quite difficult to repair it. And the other buildings were also destroyed when we were fighting.


    ''''Even with this, the damage is on the small side. If the type of demon that ravages the ground comes out, it can cause tremendous damage, both in terms of human and physical damage... In order to prevent that from happening, the Stampede''s danger level must always be kept below a certain level.


    I felt Louisa-san''s demeanor was slowly softening, but today it seemed to be a stiff reception, probably because she feels responsible for the Stampede.


    ''They were demons that we found to be troublesome enemies too, and I think it''s inevitable to a certain extent that people would shy away from them. Can''t we block off something like the source of the demons?


    That''s exactly what the ''demonologists'' have only published the results of their research on some of the demons, but it''s hardly clear.


    ''''Then we''ll just have to deal with it when the danger level rises. Let us know, and since we''ve already taken good countermeasures, I think we can reduce the number of demons efficiently.


    "Once a stampede occurs, unless it''s left too long, it can take days before it happens again. That''s why we''re reviewing our demon sweeping schedule and hoping to prevent it from happening again.


    Perhaps there are labyrinths in other wards that are often shunned, such as The Noon Marshes, and the danger of stampede is heightened in labyrinths all over the place, and guild savers and defenders are forced to deal with it.


    The most frightening thing is if a labyrinth where even adventurers active in the upper wards would have trouble reducing the number of demons caused a stampede - this is the damage even in the eighth ward, so one mistake and it could be a disaster.


    Diligently dive into the labyrinths that match your abilities, fight the demons, and prevent stampede in each ward. This is also the mission of the searchers.


    But not all of them are industrious and can''t continue to fight demons with their lives.


    ''''........Do you find the labyrinth to be a very troublesome thing?''''


    ''To be honest, that''s part of it. It''s tough, it''s full of mystery, and if you''re not careful, it can cause a stampede. I don''t know what it is about this country that has gathered so many of those things.... That''s why I also want to run up the pecking order and learn more about things.


    ''Master Atobe you have very high aspirations. After all, it would be better for you to choose a better officer in charge than me, and one who doesn''t bring his own personal feelings to the table...


    -- After I defeated the eagle-headed giant soldier, I felt that she had become somewhat reserved with me ever since I reported the results.


    I had guessed the reason for this, but if she was misunderstanding me, then I had to clear it up.


    ''Miss Louisa. I''ve rarely been recognized or pampered by people in my previous life. So I thought it was a dream come true that Mr. Louisa was happy to see me, or that he thought I was promising and asked me if I had plans to get engaged. Of course, I know it just popped up in a momentum.


    "Well, that''s.........I was so surprised and upset by the amazing achievement that Atobe-sama has made, and I''m very sorry....... ...!


    To say we are dazzled by money is a poor way to put it, but we all want money, and we would also prefer to have as much as possible. It''s inevitable that almost anyone who is exposed to the monetary economy will do so.


    ''No, I''m glad I did. It would be a bit frustrating if there was someone else who was promising besides me, and Louisa fell in love with him when she was in charge of it, wouldn''t it?


    ''''That''s not true........not everyone says the same thing. It''s because Atobe-sama has treated me, a mere guild employee, and others with great care... and he is so humble that he doesn''t even realize how great a contribution he has made...


    ''''Well, um ... I''m not good at showing off my greatness. No matter how much the pecking order rises, I don''t think my baseline will change. If I become stronger or more famous, there may be some behaviors that are required of me, though.


    What are you reluctant to say while achieving accomplishments at such a rapid pace - it''s not surprising that you might say that.


    After all, Louisa-san is still the same as she was back then when she took care of me in a position where I didn''t know what to do, and she smiled kindly at me.


    ''''I think I''m finally beginning to understand a little bit more about the person called Atobe-sama.......I''m sure you won''t find such a profound heroine even if you look for one elsewhere.


    ''I''m not a hero. I''ll correct you on that but I''m happy when Louisa-san compliments me and I''m willing to do so. I''m thankful for my lack of confidence.


    ''''So may I continue to play the role of being surprised and admiring your search reports a lot?''''


    ''It doesn''t always work out, but I''ll do my best to make sure it does. Louisa, if you have time to spare after work, please come back to visit me. I know you''re busy today, and I know it''s going to be hard for you.


    I mean, that''s what I was trying to tell you. It''s a sad thing to be reserved and distant without permission just because I did what I could.


    But Louisa-san doesn''t nod her head immediately. She makes some kind of wistful face and asks timidly.


    Don''t you still notice that...?


    Well did you talk to the guys or something?


    ''''No, no........nah, if you haven''t noticed, I can''t reveal this to you on my own.......''''


    ''That being said, I''m curious. Oh, were you talking about me or something?¡¡I hope it''s not too bad.


    That''s not true either. Everyone trusts you so much, Mr. Atoobe... and the only thing I have to complain about is how... too pure you are...


    E....pure?¡¡Me?


    Could it be that he''s living with everyone else and doesn''t have any guilty thoughts, so he''s wondering if he has any male instincts?


    ''I''m sorry ... I''m sorry ... I don''t mean to sound thoughtful. I hope to be able to talk to you at some point, so could you give me a hold for now?


    ''Ha, yes. Let''s see, you have a secret from me about the time Louisa stayed with you. If it''s important, let me know when you''ve made up your mind.


    ''''Really, he''s... but you all have that in you...''''


    Louisa seemed to be very confused about something - she agreed to come to our room at Mrs. Orelus'' mansion after work today as well.


    Since we''ve been able to interact with her, I hope we can continue to be close to her, the officer in charge, along with our friends. That''s what I thought - but I remained curious about what ''hidden things'' she was sharing with her friends until I left the guild.

 55 Chapter 54 Merchant Group

    After finishing my report, I went to the medical center near the guild to check on Rival-san and the others. The man in the magician''s office said it would take about three days for him to return to work, but he was said to be non-life threatening.


    ''''I''m sorry, I''m sure Aricht is tired too, but I had to ask him to show up.


    ''It''s true, I''m always a little tired after a fight. It''s not as much of a burden on me when I have company.


    You''re a real piece of work. It''s only been three days since your debut and you''re already starting to look dignified. I know you don''t have much time left in this district, but it''s good to see a rookie like you. I hope you''ll come to District 8 once in a while, because I''ll miss you.


    Mr. Rival has met and seen off many rookies. If it was one of them that left a strong impression on him, it was nothing short of an honor.


    Thank you, Mr. Aricht. Thanks to you, we didn''t lose any of our guys.


    Brother Rival is our benefactor. He saved us when we were trapped in the maze in the first level.


    ''If it''s true, you should continue to hide in the labyrinth with ambition, get a good armor and aim for the top. That''s why, Arihito, you''re a dazzler to me. We''ll do what we can. Arihito, I know it may be a burden to say this, but let us trust our dreams to you.


    Okay, I''ll go as far as I can. I''ll go as far as I can. But I also think it''s always good to start dreaming again.


    Handing over the rescue of a novice to a backbencher and diving into the labyrinth again - every party has the freedom to make such a choice.


    ''''Well yes. Well what were you talking about as if you had given up. Arihito, you really are........


    ''''I, too, would like to be attacked by a strong enemy I haven''t seen yet. You''d think what you''re talking about, letting Rival use your shield, but...


    I was so scared that I couldn''t do anything to that hideously colored monster. But since I feel like I''m going to die inside if I keep losing I will struggle as miserably as I can.


    "I''m always a little bit nervous too. But even so, my friends are there for me, so I''m not running away, that''s all.


    Barriers that were unreachable by one person may be surpassed by working with a companion, or by someone in the party gaining new skills.


    The fact that the ''rearguard'' is so versatile in assisting my fellow party members is where I feel the possibilities of skills are limitless - but the skills of my fellow party members are also powerful, and I''ve been helped many times.


    I wonder if I will one day meet Rival-san and his friends in another ward with the sparkle in their eyes as explorers - who have regained their ambition. That''s another thing to look forward to as we live in this labyrinthine country. Because among the countless parties, the number of people you can get to know by chance is probably limited.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    We left Rival-san and the others and headed to the square in front of the guild. Then, Falma-san had brought Ashtarte with her, as if she had come to pick up Sion.


    ''''Ah........Thank you for your hard work, Atobe-sama. I would like to express my gratitude as one of the residents for saving the town.''''


    If you say so, I''m a resident too. We need peace in this town, you know.


    Falma-san chuckled elegantly and looked at Sion, who was sitting up and being stroked by Igarashi-san on the neck.


    ''''I understand how this boy feels through what happened today. ¡¡I will continue to be part of the party.


    ''What ... well, it''s not that bad, he''s such a fuzzy, big, cute dog, is it okay?''


    Bow.


    I don''t know why Igarashi-san is upset - I guess he was hoping that Sion would be happy to join him.


    I''ve been saved many times by ''covering'' too, and Sion can be counted on. Theresia doesn''t look scared anymore, and if I can get her to be the vanguard with Elitia, the party will be even more solid.


    ''''Thank you, Falma-san. With your words, will you let me take care of Sion.......no, will you allow me to officially join my party?


    ''Yes, with pleasure.


    Sion is sitting up and wagging his big tail fluffily - a leisurely movement, unlike when he does a tail counter.


    ''Ashtarte, Sion will come back with Atobe-sama, and he''ll be more respectable. Don''t worry and see him off.


    Ashtarte looked back at Mr. Farma quietly and then approached Zion. She then licked my child''s fur with a peroration and began grooming him.


    When he was done with that as well, Theon put his face to his mother''s chest once, and then gently pulled away. Ashtarte''s eyes narrowed and he came to me and made his way to the ground.


    ''It looks like that means nice to meet you. Master Atobe, could you please pet Ashtarte?¡¡So, that would be an approval.


    ''Yeah I''ll make sure Theon gets home safely. I''ll miss you, but I''ll come back to see you regularly.


    Ashtarte closed his eyes when I stroked his head - that was a sign of submission, or trust, for them.


    ''By the way, Farma, what is Ashtarte''s level?''


    Ashtarte is level 13. He''s usually an errand boy for the guild and goes to the more difficult labyrinths in the upper wards, so...


    Even though a level 9 Elitia is an unbeatable strength at the moment, what''s more than that - honestly, one of them seems to be able to maintain the security of the 8th district, but does that mean that the strong have a job to do?


    ''''I wonder if Sion will become that big when he reaches level 13 too...''''


    ''Haha, if levels and size had anything to do with it, Ellie, you''d be a lot bigger!


    ''Huh ... so I''m telling you, I''m not small. I''m well within your average height.


    Hearing the exchange between Igarashi and the others, Falma smiled again. She must be feeling a little lonely too, as she approached Sion and gently stroked his neck.


    ¡ô¡ó¡ô


    As the plaza in front of Akebono''s Field is being restored, Madoka will be clearing out her usual open-air stalls and stocking up in my newly rented warehouse to continue her activities as a merchant.


    When Madoka came to "Mrs. Orelus Manor" she was in awe of the gorgeous interior, but when I asked her what she could do as a merchant, she explained to me in the common room. We all sit down to listen to Madoka''s story over a cup of tea as she introduces herself.


    Taking off her turban, which she always wears, Madoka adjusts her slightly flattened black bob cut. All of the members wearing the headgear are taking it off now, but like Madoka, she said it''s hard to get a habit out of her hair.


    ''''It''s nice to meet you, but I''d like to greet you once again, although I was introduced to you by brother Arihito. My name is Madoka-Shinonogi.


    Everyone is going to be named one by one, too. Sion is not allowed in the mansion and is in a kennel for escort dogs - although I''ve heard that there are some quarters inside that are safe for dogs to enter.


    ''I chose the position of ''merchant'' and became a member of the ''Merchant''s Guild'', so I can contact shops in the Eighth Ward that are members of the Guild by license. I can search for a specific product when I need to find it, find the location of the workshop where I can have the materials processed, and check on their schedules.


    It''s just ... it''s like a merchant''s prerogative.


    It''s so convenient not to have to go to every single store.


    If possible, I''d like to see the rune installed with my own eyes, but can you give me a quote for processing or something?


    ''Yes, although it will take me a little while to get back to you. I can give you a quote from several of the same vendors.


    As far as this story goes, it''s as if only ''merchants'' have the privilege of being able to use online shopping. Whether there is one person in the party or not makes a big difference.


    ''''I can contact Melissa-san''s place as well, so I can ask her to process the materials of the demons that were defeated earlier. Since I need to authenticate the party leader, can I ask you to press here, brother Alihit-san?


    Hmmm... Oh that''s handy.


    Mr. Alihito-Atobe, report from the dismantling station


    32 pieces of flying doom. Material not available.


    When we dismantled the Flying Doom, we found two "sucker stones".


    5 sweetbirds, which can be turned into meat, weapons, and armor.


    Death From the Sky: 1 body, skin can be made into armor.


    The Red Box is found in the body of death coming from the sky.


    I thought there would be no way to process the flying doom of the tentacle mass, and I was right. Is it as bad as it looks if it can''t even be used for food? But since I killed a large number of them, the drop item ''sucking stone'' is out - from the name, could it possibly absorb a little bit of strength at the same time as the attack?


    It seems that Sweet Bird feathers can be used for arrows, so I have them processed into Suzuna''s arrows. I heard that I could make a hat out of feathers, so I decided to have that made as well.


    And the death that comes from the sky - after dropping the tentacles, the skin can be cleaned off, which can be used for armor, apparently. It seems that the contents of the red box are much less than the black box, but the box is a mass of romance, so I''m looking forward to opening it.


    ''''........The armor that can be made from that ''named'' is an armor that fits your body with a rubber-like texture......''''


    Well, if you see me there do you want me to wear it?¡¡I think Lady Armor is still good enough for you, Ellie''s approval.


    ''I think Kyouka''s armor will certainly be useful for a while, but it would be nice if someone could equip it, since armor with a name is rarely made. How about Teresia?


    ..........


    I didn''t know what kind of equipment it was, so Theresia just looked at me in silence. I wonder what would happen if I evolved from body armor to rubber armor - wouldn''t I finally lose my Lizardman-ness from the neck down?


    ''Well, we''ll have to wait and see how it performs. If you can make it into a piece of equipment, it''s better to have it done.


    ''Then I''ll send the order here. Which blacksmith would you like to use?


    I thought that if I was introduced to Louisa-san, she might be able to give me another hole in the wall, but for now, I looked through the names of the shops in line.


    ''''........The craftsmen here are the highest level? Level 7, the same as Falma-san.


    ''Then the supporters are stronger than us, the searchers...''


    There are different levels of craftsmen from 1 to 7, so I don''t think they''re all strong. If they want to improve their skills, they will inevitably be at a higher level.


    Since they''re not exploring and they''re just trying to support us, does that mean we''re getting first place in the pecking order in the 8th district? Either way, I would like to see the skills of people at a high level.


    ''''Well then, with the craftsmen here........wow, the bookings are amazing. Well, that''s the way it goes.


    ''All right, I''ll still try to find some contacts. Maybe I''ll ask my maid, Mr. Millet, later.


    The equipment that I asked Melissa to process will be delivered tomorrow morning. Since the magic stones can be installed in a short period of time, we''ll choose what we''ll use on the spot and ask her to do it.


    Since it''s still mid-afternoon, the rest of the day is free for each of us to do our own thing until dinner. I''ll take a nap, and then I''ll gather information about the blacksmith''s shop.

 56 Chapter 55: Reinforce yourself

    I woke up from my short nap and walked out of my bedroom to find Theresa waiting outside my door.


    ''You''ve been there the whole time?¡¡Theresa can take a break too, you know.


    Theresia shook her head and stared at me - I guess that means she wanted to wait until I woke up.


    Her magic power was a bit low as well, but Igarashi-san was using her skills to the limit, so she was even more fatigued. It would be nice if there was a way to recover her magic power quickly, but for now, potions were hard to come by, and sleeping in a high-class bedroom was the most effective way to do so.


    When I went to the living room, Elitia and the others were talking. When Suzuna notices me, she gets up from her seat and tries to greet me, but I restrain her before she can.


    ''No, you can stay seated. I''m going to go out for a bit, do you want me to get you something or something?


    It would be nice if there was a convenience store or something, but it''s not that convenient.


    The necessities of life are provided in the royal suite rooms. They replenish them every day.


    Women have more necessities than men - I had been disappointed in such things, but the problem of household items was naturally solved by the increase in the rank of the room.


    ''If you are missing something, just let me know and I can arrange it for you at any time.


    ''''Oh, the hundred gold coins each can be used freely as an allowance for each of you. There are still more than ten thousand of them, so if we have a large amount of money to spend, we should all agree on whether or not to spend them together.


    With 9500 gold coins from the juggernaut''s prize money and materials, plus the prize money from Death Coming from the Sky for 1600 coins, that alone was over 10,000 coins.


    I want to avoid a situation where I don''t have enough gold coins when I have a big expense, so I''m thinking of it as if half of the gold coins are party property and the rest are divided among individuals, but I want to be frugal in case of an emergency.


    ''''Wow........I think brother Alihit''s party has the most funds in the eighth district.


    ''In the Eighth Ward, yes, but we''re already seeing the Seventh Ward. And with the two red boxes we''ve got, I think we''ll have a few more depending on what''s in them.


    When Madoka-chan is around, she gets a discount when she buys things and a little more money when she sells them. It''s also more economical to sell the leftovers!


    The large amount of beginner weapons and armor that came out of the black box will have little impact on the sale price anyway, since the sale price is two or three pennies, but when selling high value items, if you can sell them for even 10% more, it will make a big difference. Although I think it''s important not to negotiate the price every time since we have to deal with the merchants, and only when it''s crucial.


    ''''Aricht, why don''t you look at everyone''s skills?¡¡And I think your skills are increasing, too.


    ''Oh, we''ll be fine later! If we ask you to do it all at once, your brother will have a hard time.


    Misaki and I were talking about going to ask her after dinner.


    You can look at them all at once, but you want to ponder and decide what skills to acquire, so you should take time for each of them.


    Speaking of which, Madoka joined the party, so I''m going to sleep alone - well, since I''m the only man, it''s natural to say that it''s natural.


    ''''........Are you going to visit each of us in Arihito''s room?¡¡If I leave you alone with Misaki now, I think Aricht is in danger.


    ''''That''s not true! Your brother prefers a girl like Suzu to me, and to top it off, he''s the one who wants to be stepped on by sister Kyouka.


    No, I don''t want to get stepped on but what kind of image are you looking at me for?


    Kyouka''s sister and her brother are very close, aren''t they? I don''t think it would ever happen that a big sister would bully her brother.


    I almost get a distant look in my eyes - even though Igarashi-san had a lot of things going on, she tormented me with a cotton ball for a long time, and it''s an undeniable fact that she was the so-called tundra, the kind of person who doesn''t have a tsundere delicacy.


    ''''Ah........Kyouka. What''s wrong, if you''re not feeling well, why don''t you take a little more rest?


    Igarashi-san, are you okay?


    Igarashi-san, who was coming out of the room, is exactly listening to Madoka''s remarks and is damaged. If she gets depressed every time she remembers the past in this way, it''s because she''s sorry for what she did to me - but since her pent-up energy has already gone down, that''s exactly why it''s like I''m torturing Igarashi-san Shake it off.


    I, no ... it''s nothing. It looks like you haven''t fully recovered your magic power yet.


    Even in this room, I need a night''s sleep to recover... hmmm... maybe I''m starting to get sleepy too...


    Ellie, do you want to sleep too?¡¡Suzu, do you want to take a nap?


    Misaki is also in good spirits since she hasn''t done anything to use her magic power, but Suzuna is also quite worn out from ''Minnaka'' and ''Heaping Salt''.


    That''s why they all went for a nap, leaving Igarashi and Theresia behind. Madoka also seems to use magic power when sending orders to remote areas through the license, and when I checked the reduction in the magic power of the party members, it had decreased by a quarter.


    ''''Igarashi-san, you should get some more rest, too.


    I''m sorry, Rear Admiral.


    ''I''m sorry to remind you of that. But I think Igarashi-san seems kind to Madoka right now. And she''s actually kind.


    Well, that''s not... it''s not enough to atone for your sins yet...


    After following my instructions so well and playing such a dangerous role, she still thinks it''s not enough.


    I should make sure to tell her my thoughts here so that it doesn''t lead to self-sacrifice.


    ''''If it wasn''t for Igarashi-san, I wouldn''t have made it this far. I don''t need to talk about atonement or anything like that anymore. If I fight with that kind of feeling, Igarashi-san might get seriously injured for me one day. If that happens, I won''t even be able to regret it.


    I''m sorry for being so impulsive. I keep making you feel bad about yourself...


    I''m sorry, no. I''m worried about you, but it''s not a bad feeling or anything.


    If I were in your position, I wouldn''t normally say that to myself.


    Well, well, sure...


    I don''t agree with Igarashi-san that it''s easy to let bygones be bygones, even if I''m good at it. Then what should we do?


    ''''..........''''


    Theresia, who was watching the situation intently, went behind Igarashi-san and put her hand on his shoulder, wondering what she thought.


    ''''Huh........Oh, you surprised me.


    ..........


    Theresia looks at me as if to say, "Is that so? As for me, I hadn''t thought that much about it, but she doesn''t have much of a decrease in magic power, so it seems to be a problem to have her accompany me.


    ''''Ah, yeah. And I''d like to see Teresia''s skills, too. I''ve accumulated enough new skills for two levels........Igarashi-san, it''s not a hassle. I don''t think Theresia is getting numb from watching it either.


    Well, have a good day....


    Hello?


    That''s why. I wanted to voluntarily ask you to apologize for what you did to your rear end...


    So, ''Good day'' is like some kind of embarrassing punishment game, but to be honest, I don''t feel bad about it - I don''t want to be misunderstood, but it''s not that I''m longing for a ''master'' position. It should only be as good as the world.


    ''''........Because I respect you, Rearward-kun. Even if you say that now, I don''t think it would be easy to trust you, but.......can I try my best until you believe me?


    ''I''ve been working hard enough already, and I''m sorry I couldn''t do more.


    ''But ... okay, fine. Then what I''m going to do now is something I''m going to do voluntarily. It''s not like I''m going to apologize or anything.


    Igarashi-san was so embarrassed that she was red to her ears. Theresia kept her hand on her shoulder, but quickly moved away and came over to us. Then she discreetly tugs on her sleeve to urge me to take a seat.


    ''............''


    ''Well ... ah, ah. Teresia, you want me to pick a skill here?


    Theresia nodded dully. Back to the seriousness of the matter, Igarashi-san went to the kitchen to make a cup of tea.


    In the meantime, he produced his license and displayed Teresia''s skills. Teresia, a former mercenary, doesn''t have a license, so I had to display it for her.


    ¡ô Disclosure of skills of a slave, "Theresia"¡ô


    Lizard Skin 1: Axel Dash


    Enhanced search 1, Vigilance 1, Silent walk.


    Skills that can be acquired


    Skill Level 2


    Shadow Step: evades and disorients the enemy while leaving an afterimage.


    Hide: Makes the enemy completely unaware of his presence until he attacks. Required Skill: Silent Walking


    Fingertip Technique 2: Remove keys and traps of moderate difficulty. Required skill: fingertip technique 1.


    Skill Level 1.


    Double Throw: Throw two throwing weapons at the same time.


    Assault Hit: Double your blows if you attack unnoticed by the enemy.


    Pick Pocket 1: You may be able to steal designated possessions without being noticed by your opponent.


    Rope Escape: allows you to escape from a captive situation.


    Fingertip Technique 1: Allows you to remove low difficulty locks and traps.


    Remaining Skill Points: 7


    ''You''ve got a whole bunch of offensive and auxiliary skills... ooh, double throws sound good.


    ..........


    I''ll take the double throw and assault hit because it looks like it could be used. And to safely leave after the assault hit, take the shadow step - if you''re going to take it so far, you''ll also want to "hide" which can be reliably connected to the assault hit, but you can get the fingertip jutsu 2, so you''ll learn it along with the 1. Or you could say.


    ''Can I leave the task of unlocking and disarming the traps to Theresia?


    ..........


    It seems that Theresia is interested in the skills for combat, but she nodded her head when I explained that she was already planning to acquire three. ''Hide'' is something we''ll revisit after the next level.


    ''I need to get a throwing weapon for the double throw. I want to keep my shortsword for close combat, so let''s find a weapon that isn''t too heavy to carry around at the same time.


    ..........


    With a throwing knife, once you''ve thrown out a few, you''re done, but Misaki also has almost disposable iron dice, so I can''t help but think that''s what throwing weapons are for. If there''s something with an effect that comes back to hand, if you strengthen it with magic stones and runes, Theresia''s instantaneous attack power is likely to increase considerably.


    ''''Well, me next........''''


    Display your skills on your license. It''s about time for her to look at Theresia''s skills and not show mine, because it''s not fair, so I decide to let her look.


    And my eyes widen - because there were a number of skills on display that are exactly what I wanted these things to be.


    Skills I''ve Learned¡ô.


    Supportive defense1 Supportive attack1 Supportive attack2 Supportive recovery1 Supportive uplift1


    Eagle''s Eye, Other Assist Backstand


    Skills that can be acquired


    Skill Level 2


    Supportive Defense 2: Put up a protective barrier equal to your defensive abilities on your companions in front of you.


    Tono Army General: The more companions in front of you, the more your abilities increase.


    Skill Level 1.


    Support Linkage 1: Activates a linkage technique on the companion in front of you.


    Support Magic 1: Apply a layer of magic to the companion in front of you at 50% magic consumption and power.


    Supporting Evasion 1: Activates an Absolute Evasion Strike on the companion in front of you on rare occasions.


    Call for Support 1: Summons the party nearby as back-up.


    Assist Charge 1: Distributes some magic to the companion in front of you.


    Rear Front: Spends 5 points of magic and has a fixed amount of visibility to the rear.


    Backdraft: Automatically counterattacks when attacked from behind.


    Remaining skill points: 3


    ..........


    Theresia silently pointed to the ''General of the Lord''s Army'' - the army of the Lord''s Army, in other words, is the decisive role of fleeing while dealing with the enemy''s attack at the back of the line when retreating. However, as a skill of the ''rear guard'', it overcomes the weakness of not being able to provide support to you.


    Of course, as originally meant, if my defenses are increased when escaping, I can play the role of protecting everyone - depending on how much my defenses are increased.


    Theresia seems to be advising me that I should take up the skill of defending myself. I''ve been pointing my finger at the same spot the whole time.


    ''I''m running out of skill points in earnest.......For now, I''m going to take the ''Assist Charge'' just in case. ''General of the Lord''s Army''........''


    There are many more skills I''d like to take than that. ''''Support Linkage 1'''' - if handled well, it could raise the attack power of the entire party.


    ''''.........''''


    Do you really think it''s necessary to take that much...?


    Kok, Theresia nods. When I didn''t choose, she nodded again - I can''t ignore the opinion very much, thinking of how discouraged Theresia, who can''t speak, would be if I chose another skill with this one.


    ''''........Okay, I get it. I know it''s not in the nature of the ''rear guard'' to put themselves first, but I''m sure I''d like to take it one day.


    Theresia says nothing, but pulls her fingers back and places her hands on her knees, kaaah, and her lizard mask turns red. I guess she''s refraining now from giving me her opinion on the skills.


    ''To be honest, I''ve always wanted at least one skill to strengthen me too. It wouldn''t do me any good if I didn''t have a companion, though. Having Theresia and everyone else in front of me makes me that much stronger.


    ''You have those skills...?¡¡Rear-kun really is a profession that gets stronger the further back you get.


    Igarashi-san, who was listening to the conversation, puts the teacup in front of me. Theresia doesn''t like hot, so she brought me a glass of stocked tea.


    ''''That''s right, Igarashi-san. I have some skills I just took that I want to try out, so can I ask you to stand with your back to me?


    Yeah, yeah ... that''s it?


    (Share your magic power with Igarashi-san........Assist Charge!


    Huh...!


    Magic power is released from my body and mixed with Igarashi-san''s magic power and amplified - my magic power is reduced by about a tenth of the total, and Igarashi-san has recovered about twice as much. There is a difference between me and Igarashi-san''s level, so the magic power value must be different, but it seems that the amount of recovery is greater than the magic power I consumed.


    The only thing that can make you feel better is that you''re not as tired as you used to be. Is this also a skill of Rearward-kun?


    ''''Yes, that''s right. I can now use my magic power to recover the vanguard''s magic power. Now, if I don''t have enough magic power to use the ''Blink Step'', I can still charge it up.


    ''''Well, you''ve thought that far ahead and taken the skill?¡¡Because I''m in danger...?


    ''Avoidance is important, you know. Besides, it''s good to see you still feeling better.


    Igarashi-san sat down across from us, trying to say something, but unable to speak.


    ''''Well since you''re this kind of person, Theresa-san, good luck with that. She doesn''t let you return the favor very often.


    ..........


    ''Yeah ... is that what Theresa is thinking, too?¡¡Or rather, don''t you and I have a better chance of communicating with Igarashi-san...?


    Teresa just looked back at me, who was upset, and nodded at each other with Igarashi-san. After all, I guess it''s true that there are things that can only be understood between women - a bit frustrating, but I didn''t feel bad for watching their harmonious air.

 57 Episode 56 Rune Maker

    I took Theresia with me to the waiting room of the maids who worked at the mansion. I was hoping to learn about the blacksmith''s shop if I knew anything about it--''''


    ''''........Huh?''''


    I knock on the door, but there is no answer. There''s a board on the wall outside the room that shows who the maid is who''s coming to work, but Millet-san is ''in the room''.


    ''''..........''''


    Do we go in?


    Perhaps it was because it was the same woman, but when Theresia knocked once more and found there was no answer, she boldly opened the door and walked into the room.


    ''''Kyah.......s-sorry, I just got startled. That lizard mask is Teresa-sama, isn''t it?


    ..........


    Sorry to pile on, but I was in the shower and I''ll be right back to change.


    The maids also sweat a lot since they have jobs that involve a lot of physical activity, and it''s possible that they take showers in the daytime, but if I had entered the room, I would have been in a lot of trouble.


    ''''...........''''


    Theresia comes over here and opens the door for us, like we can come in. Well, Miray-san just couldn''t answer, but she stayed in the room, so I guess I''d say the result was okay.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    As I waited with Theresia, Milay came out, dressed. Her light brown hair, which reached about shoulder length, was a little damp, as if she had dried it in a hurry, and she held it in her hands without wearing her headdress.


    ''''I''m very sorry, I have to shower several times a day...''''


    Oh, no, I''m sorry to have barged in here myself. I have a question for you, Mr. Millet.


    ''Yes, if it''s something I can answer for you. If there''s something I don''t understand, I can ask a colleague.


    The three of them sat together around a stylish table with cat legs. Even in the maid''s waiting room, it was no less of a grade than the other furniture in the mansion.


    ''Do you know a skilled blacksmith, Milay-san?¡¡I''d like to visit now if I could.


    If you''re a blacksmith, I have an acquaintance who fixes knives and such. If you would be so kind as to show me a map of your license?


    Yes, please.


    I pulled out my license and displayed a map of the Eighth Ward, and Mr. Millay came up beside me.


    He pointed to a point on the license as he peered from the side.


    ''From the central plaza, you''ll pass through to the west street, and there''s a workshop on the edge of the ''kuzakai'' around here.


    The borders of the boroughs... are you talking about this wall?


    ''''Yes, the entire labyrinth country is surrounded by an almost circular wall, and each ward is divided by a wall called ''ward boundary''. It''s divided in a clockwise direction into first and second, so the wall to the first ward is in the east direction. This one is thicker and more guarded than the one to the west.


    So even if you can surpass the barrier with your skills, if you don''t have the qualifications, you''ll be eliminated immediately?


    ''''I believe that''s true. First of all, it''s said that with any kind of transference magic, it''s impossible to cross the wall without going through the proper procedures. The dividing line is broken in the sky, but if you try to overcome it, you''ll be returned to your original location.


    The same is true of the system of flying to a room dedicated to opening boxes, but the Labyrinth Country makes use of ''transference'' in a variety of situations. It can be said that the current form wouldn''t be possible without transference.


    Even if you divide the first to the eighth district with walls, if the ceiling doesn''t cover it, you can move beyond the walls to the other districts depending on your skills. Even if you don''t have the skill to fly in the sky, it would be possible to climb a vertical wall, for example, if you use magic power - but I know from what Mirei-san just said that you can''t get over the wall that way. Probably not even by digging into the ground.


    But there is a ''hole'' in everything. There are exceptions, such as me, who might be in a position that is unique and have an unknown skill set to get behind the system. Go to the upper wards and conquer the difficult and rewarding labyrinth at a low level with the strength of your skills - personally, I think you should steadily level up and advance, but if you try to run up the pecking order as fast as you can, if you''re playing it safe, you won''t be able to outsmart your rivals and We''ll be there.


    (Strong job, high level... where such explorers are lounging around? (Is it because the competition in the upper wards is so fierce that such people rarely come down to the lower wards?


    There was a lot of noise about Elitia coming down to the eighth ward as something very unusual, so for the searchers who went to the upper ward once, there would be little benefit in returning to the lower ward. In fact, Elitia joined my party and has achieved great battle results, but her level has only risen by one.


    ''''Atobe-sama, if you don''t mind, can I show you to the workshop?''''


    ''Oh no no it''s okay, I''ve been given directions. May I ask the name of this workshop?


    The name is Mistral Workshop. The owner of the workshop wears full body armor at all times, so it is also called the ''Armor Workshop''. I''m sure you''ll be surprised at first, but please don''t be afraid of him because he''s a very gentle man.


    As was the case with Mr. Rykerton and Melissa, are most of the craftsmen a bit odd? No, don''t assume they are weird just because they always wear armor.


    I say hello to Milay-san and leave the mansion. Theresia was following closely behind me for a while, but I guess she noticed me on the way and caught up with me and lined up beside me.


    ''''...........''''


    The town''s still being repaired, so watch your step. You might want to watch your overhead too.


    The parts damaged by the demon attack are being repaired by people who seem to have skills in construction. I''m sure the town will be back to its original shape within a few days.


    ¡ô¡ó¡ô


    When I reached the place indicated on the map, I found a stone building with a sign that said ''Mistral Workshop''. The buildings in the town were built without much distance between them, but they were flanked on either side by waterways, perhaps because this was a workshop that used fire.


    When I rang the bell at the entrance, I heard the sound of heavy metal shoe footsteps, clank, clank.


    And when I opened the door - a figure in full body armor, a bit bigger than me, appeared.


    ''''Oh, you are not the one who has an appointment, are you? I am Steiner, the blacksmith of our workshop. What business do you have here today?''''


    The voice doesn''t come from inside the armor, but rather sounds like it''s echoing directly into your head - not the low voice you might imagine from its weighty armor, but a neutral, husky voice.


    ''''Ah, you are surprised to see me, aren''t you? I hope you don''t mind about this, we need to equip you with equipment processed with magic stones to prevent the heat from the furnace and to prevent the light from damaging your eyes.''''


    I see...


    In an ancient steel mill called Taraiba, they often lost the use of one eye in old age because they had to keep looking at the light from the furnace that heated the iron.


    No wonder they had to wear full body armor. As long as it has a heat blocking effect, it won''t be as steamy as it looks.


    ''''.........''''


    Hmmm... Teresa, what is it?


    Theresia is alerted behind Mr. Steiner - toward the room. Apparently, there''s someone inside.


    ''Your companion is a lizardman our guest has no discriminatory attitude towards sub-humans. Is it acceptable to take it that way?''''


    Yes, Theresa is my best friend.


    I answer without hesitation, and Theresa looks at me. She puts her hand on her chest and squeezes it tightly - I hope she can tell that I''m not lying about my feelings.


    ''That''s a great idea. It is my own wish that there will be as many people as possible who treat sub-humans without discrimination, even to sub-humans. Sir, may I ask your name?''''


    ''Oh I''m sorry, I''m sorry I''m late. My name is Arihito-Atobe.


    ''You must be Atobe, thank you. Once again, welcome to the Mistral Magic Blacksmithing Workshop. Then please come this way.''''


    Mr. Steiner opens the door wide and invites us in. The first thing we enter is a living room, which is apparently used by guests to wait for work to be done.


    As we are being led to the forge in the back, Steiner asks us unexpectedly, "By the way, what are you doing today?


    By the way, what can I do for you today?


    I was wondering if I could enhance the weapon with magic and ore. The rune slot and the process of fitting a rune into it...


    With a rune!


    A girl emerges from the forge, which seemed to be empty.


    The girl wears robes like a wizard and a hood - something different from a normal human being. She has flaxen hair and deep green eyes like a forest.


    I was going to let you use Steiner to serve us.''''


    Well, nice to meet you Mr. Steiner, who is this girl?


    I''m not a son. I''m just a big sister, even though I look like this. I see that you don''t seem to mind non-humans, so I may as well reveal myself to you. I am the master of the Mistral Magic Blacksmithing Workshop, Ceres-Mistral!


    The girl who takes off her hood with a bang - her ears are pointed, and they are called elf ears.


    ''''Those ears........I see, Celes-san is a race that originally existed in this world.''''


    "Mm-hmm, that''s right. The reincarnates are called elves, but because of the color of their eyes, they are called Jade People.


    Jade I see.


    We can take jobs that no reincarnation can choose. In my case, I''m a rune maker. I''m a rune maker, and I use runes to move my armor. The difference is that Steiner has an ego.


    ''''I am entrusted with the blacksmithing job because of my strength, even though I look like this. So the master is in charge of processing runes?


    Even when his identity is revealed, Steiner is unconcerned. If it''s not an iron golem, but a living armor, that means it doesn''t actually have any substance in it.


    It''s not just a matter of time before you find yourself in the same situation. Don''t do any mischief if you think there''s nothing in it.


    I''m just a moving armor, you know?


    That being said, I''m curious about what''s inside, but what exactly is in it? It''s not a good idea to pry too much into the doll that was given an ego by the rune - and since he seems to want to hide it, it''s not a good idea to pry.

 58 Episode 57: What shoots a black magic bullet

    When Celes-san comes in front of me, she looks at Theresa and me in turn and smiles happily - how friendly she is, but her face is so well-defined that she makes me a little nervous when she looks at me.


    ''But there are some interesting people, aren''t there? You hire sub-humans as mercenaries, but few want to take them along for the ride and they seem to be well-liked. He''s been in a position to protect Arithito ever since I came out.


    ..........


    ''Theresa, you don''t have to be wary of Celes-san... or should you be? Running a blacksmithing workshop with moving armor, it''s normal to think there''s something behind it.


    It''s all very true. If I were a suspicious person, I wouldn''t be able to reveal my secrets so easily. I took a liking to you, and we had a heart-to-heart talk, but that''s not a very nice thing to say.


    Touching her flaxen hair in a fine braid, the owner of the workshop, who looks like a girl, blurts out, "Sir, it''s very rare for your master to show himself.


    ''Sir, it''s very unusual for master to show himself. It''s understandable to be suspicious, but please, can you trust me? If you leave it to us, I promise you that we''ll do a better job than you deserve.


    Mr. Steiner puts his hand to his chest, like a knight in armor - apparently in a saluting posture.


    ''No, I''m not seriously doubting you. It''s just that a part of me wonders if it''s really okay for you to reveal that much of your secret.......can you really trust me so much, since we''ve never met?


    It''s not much of a secret. To put it bluntly, I like you. He''s always willing to walk around town with a subhuman, and they''re always looking out for each other. It''s not as common a sight as you might think.


    ''I didn''t really care about Theresa being a sub-human or anything like that from the beginning. I''m not sure I want to keep it that way, although I''d like to change it back.


    "...there''s nothing wonderful about it. Master, this man is.....


    I know the path is not easy, and I will not hesitate to help in any way I can. I know it''s not an easy road, and I will do everything I can to help you if you still want it. Now, sir, what kind of work would you like to see done in the workshop?


    I showed them the ores, magic stones and runes that I had.


    Hmmm, two ''Elmina Iron'', ''Poisonous Crystal Stone'', two ''Eye Stone'', ''Confusion Stone''... and this rune. That''s the rune of the Magia.


    Maguire what happens to it when you put it on?


    You can convert weapon attacks into magical attacks. It''s an effective way to deal with demons and the like that will painfully counterattack physical attacks, but the possibilities are even greater when combined with other runes. You''ll need a weapon with two or more slots, though.


    I guess the true essence of weapon enhancement with runes is when you can use multiple precious runes to combine them. But in the meantime, let''s have the demon runes attached to my sling. Igarashi-san''s weapon armor also has one slot each, though I hope to eventually fill in the holes.


    ''''This ebony sling, can I have the rune fitted to it?


    "Mm, good. We can incorporate up to three magic stones, do you want to put them all in?¡¡You''ll be able to make your opponent suffer anomalies with both physical and magical attacks.


    ''Yes, nice to meet you. What can I use the Elmina Iron for?


    It can be used to strengthen armor. It can also be used to strengthen weapons, but the best thing about Elmina Iron is that it''s light and strong.


    ''I see but I didn''t bring any of my companion''s armor with me, so what should I do?


    I''ll have to get a courier to bring it to you. As the leader of the party, you''ll be able to view your friends'' equipment under license. You are the leader of the party, you''ll be able to get a license for your friends'' equipment.


    ''Thank you. Are there any of these things that I should enhance?


    ''''Yes........wouldn''t it be nice if these girls'' equipment had a greater range of defensive strength through reinforcement?''''


    Igarashi-san, Theresia''s armor is strong enough, and it''s hard to see the changes even with the enhancements, but when it comes to Misaki and Suzuna''s armor, it seems to visibly increase their performance.


    I added a protector to Suzuna''s torso equipment to protect her chest to make it easier to shoot her bow, and I asked her to do the same for Misaki. It is said to be "+1", which will increase defense performance and reduce weight.


    ''''Well then, I''ll finish Atobe-sama''s weapons before the armor arrives.


    First, we need to get the rune to settle in the rune slot. When it comes to removing the rune, don''t force it off; leave it to the experts. If you''re good enough to get one of these, you won''t be in this sector for long.


    I''ll bring it in here if I can. I have a merchant in my group, so I''m sure you can request processing from a remote location.


    That''s very nice of you to say. Well, when you''ve got your hands on a valuable rune, call on me. It will be safer for you.


    Celes-san laughed at that, but her expression turned serious as she took my weapon and fitted the rune into the rune slot.


    ''O powerful letter, become one with the lifeless............Enchanting Runes!


    Current Situation


    Ceres activates the Enchantment Rune, which is a success.


    Ebony Sling" changes to "The one that shoots black magic bullets".


    ''''It''s totally different from the processing with the magic stone........''''


    It seems to have worked... a weapon with a rune attached to it is said to change the meaning of its existence. It''s fundamentally different from attaching a magical stone to a weapon.


    The next step is to embed the magic stone in the hilt. Next, I''m going to embed the magic stone in the hilt.


    With an unseen dexterity, Steiner activated the skill of ''Attaching Magic Stones'' and fitted three magic stones into the sling. Then he got an extra plus, "The one that shoots black magic bullets +3". It looks like it''s very strong, but the blows it delivers remain the same.


    Now, I can use ''Support Attack 2'' to add a status defect with everyone''s attacks. How effective it actually is, I want to verify it in the next exploration. Remember that the purple magic stone is poison, the peach color is confusion, and the black and white is stare - in other words, it''s a stun effect.


    ''Runes can be transferred to the stronger weapons when they are found. Demon runes are relatively plentiful, but you may only find one every three months in Sections 8 and 7. It will take a lot of luck and time to collect enough magical stones to compress them.


    ''Yes, thank you for telling me all this.


    ..........


    Theresia shows up with a shortsword. If that''s the case, let''s get a stun effect on the weapon.


    ''''Good for you, Theresia-san, you''ve come all this way with your master, but it would be sad if you didn''t have any gifts.


    .........


    Theresia is startled by a freak out and shakes her head. She seems to be very reserved - I''m well aware of her modesty, but I didn''t expect her to react like this.


    ''''...........''''


    ''Wow, I know. It''s a little different than a gift just to enhance Teresia''s equipment, right?


    ..........


    I thought I had followed up, but Theresa squirmed the opposite way. It seems to me that she wanted a gift, but she was embarrassed and was in a hurry.


    What are you talking about? A gift is a gift in any form. "What do you mean? A gift, in any form, is a gift.


    ..........


    I''m not sure if I''m being paranoid or not, but I''m sure I''m being paranoid.


    I''m not sure if that''s my favorite thing to say. "I suppose that''s what you mean by ''cherish'', Alihit. Your heart to heart with Theresa reminds me that the world is not all about salvation.


    ''''It''s been a long time since the master has liked a human being. Normally he leaves it up to me when we have a business meeting, but to see him speak so eloquently...''''


    When I''m in a good mood, I talk more, too. Now, when you''re done processing your equipment, I''ll deliver it to your quarters.


    When I write down the location of Mrs. Orelles'' mansion, Mr. Ceres exclaims in admiration. Her appearance still looks innocent, and I suddenly want to ask her - I choose my words carefully because I might be rude.


    ''''Um, Celes-san is now........''''


    I''m 115 years old this year, but I''ve ceased to exist at 15. It could have been longer, but when you live long enough, your memory gets fuzzy.


    ''''One hundred ... isn''t that already like immortality?''''


    ''Time is passing, no matter what species you are. Time passes, no matter what species you are. As you live, your soul and body become weaker and weaker, until you are stripped of your body and reborn in another. It is only that the cycle is longer for us than for other species.


    When I was reincarnated, I felt like I was full of life, even though I didn''t change my appearance from my previous body - that''s exactly what I felt, as if I was reborn. It could be because my soul was transferred to a new body.


    In the Labyrinth Country, the existence of the ''soul'' has been proven. Even if they died, it''s not the end of the world yet, it means they still have a chance to be resurrected.


    Some of the highest-ranking explorers even choose to reincarnate within the labyrinth," he said. It is said that their souls are also worn out, so they have a limit of about a thousand years to live. Therefore, our race is not the only one that can live longer. As long as you''re prepared, any race can do it.


    Hmm, I wonder. There are some people who are 150 years old and die of old age while they are young. If possible, you should have your blood before you die.


    Theresa stands in front of me and spreads her hands out to the side - is she protecting me? No, I don''t think Celes-san meant it that way either.


    ''Hmph.......don''t worry, I won''t think of such a thing in a day, no matter how much I like it. I''m sure Alihit can''t find a woman with such a young appearance.


    ''Well, um I''m sorry, I don''t know what to comment on...''


    You think I''m a child, don''t you? It''s a pleasure to tease a young man about his boredom.


    Ceres says, laughing with laughter. The gesture of laughing, with her mouth hidden by the sleeve of her robe, is bewitching, even if she looks like a girl - I guess it comes from the length of time she has lived.


    At that moment, the doorbell rings and Steiner-san responds. Apparently, he has been sent some armor to process. Suzuna and Misaki''s body armor was brought in.


    I''m sure you''ll find that they are all made for women. The first thing that comes to mind is the fact that it is a good idea to gather a group of friends as you desire, but restrain yourself from injuring the explorer''s life.


    ''I think I''m all female myself, but I''m not doing it for the sake of it... hey Theresa, aren''t you?


    ..........


    The master''s love of women is a problem. If you have a lot of resentment, just push him down. They say men don''t like ready-made facts.


    .........


    What a thing to say - Theresa turned bright red at once and walked out. And she is looking at me from behind the door.


    ''''Although Celes-sama is a person who is troubled in this way, please be broad-minded and patronizing. I will study your fees.''''


    Ms. Steiner said, tapping her own chest armor. It wasn''t going to be fatally awkward between her and Theresa, but there was no doubt that she would be shy and awkward in her behavior for a while.

 59 Episode 58: Tears of the Swordsman

    After processing, I thank Mr. Ceres and Mr. Steiner, and I''m on my way back to Mrs. Olerus Pavilion with Theresa - but on my way.


    ''--Hey, did you hear that?¡¡The guys from Polar Star are taking their exams right now.


    ''''I''m talking about the fact that it''s been hard to get people promoted since ''named'' started appearing in ''Calling Forest''. Are you okay with that?


    "We''re the top of the pecking order in the eighth district, we can''t afford not to take the test at some point, can we? I wonder if the day will come when we''ll be the top of the pecking order...


    Georg of the North Star knew from the license display that they had fallen off the top, but the other explorers still didn''t seem to know that the top had been replaced by us.


    ''It''s been ten years since we''ve been reincarnated? Time flies. I guess I''ll give up on the promotion and look for a wife in earnest.


    ''Let''s just try to be a little more uptight about it. It''s going to be different when you go to the upper wards in terms of income, life and all that. Even the top of the Eighth Ward is a world away from us.


    Having experienced various types of quarters in a short period of time, I know exactly how they feel. Most of all, though, I think we were blessed enough to be offered a place to sleep right from the start.


    But more importantly, there is one thing that caught my attention in what I just said. In the labyrinth where the "Polar Star ¡¶Polar Star¡·" is hiding in the promotion examinations, there is said to be a "named The fact that there is no information on what kind of demon it is specifically means that even if it appears and disappears, it is not able to bring back detailed information. Did the searchers who encountered it sacrifice themselves, or did they have no choice but to flee?


    Sometimes, like the juggernaut, an individual with an out-of-place strength would appear, like a mutation. But they were also the first in the eighth district''s pecking order, so they would be confident in their own abilities. To spear them would be an act that would hurt their pride.


    ''''..........''''


    Yeah, I''m sorry I was just thinking about something.


    The next thing I know I''m standing still. Theresia is looking at me with concern.


    If you lose your life in a battle against a demon, that''s it, and there are more things you can''t save. The reason why sub-humans are getting a role in the mercenary agency is because they are no longer able to choose how to live by their own will.


    It''s not that it doesn''t matter as long as they live. When he imagined that once Theresia had lost her life, he couldn''t help but feel resentful and helpless, even though he knew he couldn''t do anything about the past.


    I shouldn''t have the arrogant idea that I could help all the searchers. However, I want to help at least what I see. Otherwise, I feel that no matter how safely we do it and how successful we are, something is different.


    Georg from "Arctic Star" was a good-natured guy. I want the people who have gained a little acquaintance in this labyrinth city to survive forever - I can''t help but think that.


    ''....Good. I''m sorry, Theresa. I wanted to take the day off to prepare for tomorrow''s exam, but my plans have been moved up. When I get back, we''re going to dive only with those who are willing to go. I won''t be forced to do it on my own, you know.


    ..........


    Theresia nodded her head in a persistent nod. Then, after thinking for a bit, she takes my hand and squeezes it.


    That hand looks like it''s wearing a scaled thimble glove, but it''s not equipment - it''s part of my body as a lizardman.


    However, the warmth of human blood circulates in the white skin visible between those scales.


    ''''Yeah, yeah. When we return, I''ll ask Madoka to procure some throwing weapons. We need to make use of the new skills we''ve got.


    ..........


    ''Well, uh ... do you want to keep your hand intact?¡¡Isn''t that a little embarrassing?


    .....


    He seems to be worried about me and holds my hand to reassure me, but I''m starting to feel embarrassed because he''s been holding it for so long.


    Theresa hurriedly let go of my hand. She then turns her back to me and presses down on her lizard mask, but even from behind, I can see that it''s red.


    She looks back at me timidly. This time it''s my turn to reassure her, I tried to be natural and smiled, and the redness visibly went down, albeit a little.


    I''ve had it from the beginning, but there''s something naive about it.)


    In fact, I don''t know what kind of life Theresa had when she was a human, though. If the fundamentals of her personality haven''t changed just because she can''t speak, then maybe her personality itself hasn''t changed when she became a sub-human.


    But it doesn''t matter whether Theresa, who has returned to human form, remains the same or has changed significantly.


    ''''.........''''


    Oh, you''re all right. Let''s go then.


    Theresia nodded and walked side by side in silence, not making a sound of footsteps. Fewer and fewer people were surprised to see her, probably because they''d seen her with us so many times already, even when walking the streets.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    When I returned to my lodgings and asked Madoka for a throwing knife, she told me that a small knife of the "Small Dark" type would be a good choice. Since they are in high demand as weapons used by thieves, it''s difficult to get them in numbers, but I was able to buy a set of six knives for ten silver coins. Since I want to use them for the "Double Throw", I made them a multiple of two.


    In a game or something, you never worry about the weight of a throwing knife, but like arrow bullets, metal knives are not ridiculous in weight. A belt with a holder to hold the knife was also purchased, and Theresia quickly put it on to see how it felt on.


    Misaki and Suzuna''s reinforced armor was also delivered, so the two of them quickly changed into it while Madoka helped them put it on.


    The maid, Mirei-san, saw us coming back and made us a cup of tea, so I took a break with Elitia and Theresia. I heard that Igarashi-san was asleep, but she was going to wake up soon.


    Melissa seems to have taken a liking to Sion and is playing with him in the garden instead of going back to the demolition station. It may seem eccentric to obsess about dismantling demons, but I don''t think there are any bad people who like animals. Maybe it''s just my assumption.


    ''''It''s about time we explored in the seventh district rather than cautiously proceeding with our search in the eighth district, it will be more efficient and we''ll be able to promote at just the right time.


    ''I''d like to get up there in the shortest amount of time possible, considering Elitia''s companions, but it''s still going to take some time.


    ''''........The report of the ''Brilliant Monkey Prince'' that attacked our party has not yet reached the guild.


    The Marquis de la Salle is a monkey demon.


    The act of subjugating a person would not be something they would do without a high level of intelligence. The demons I''ve fought so far, even those that were bipedal like orcs, didn''t feel intelligent. But there was a possibility that some of the enemies would use trickery in the future.


    Demi-harpy also had the power to annihilate explorers if they fit the mold. Thinking about that, I recall that the three Harpies I captured were still sent to the Demon Farm. In order to incorporate the "Song of Sleep" into their tactics, they would need to visit the ranch once.


    ''''..........But if you make them subordinate, it means that they''re making use of the people they''ve defeated and keeping them alive. Elitia''s people may still be alive.


    That''s why Elitia is also trying to get back to the place where she was robbed of her friends once again.


    But being alive does not mean easy salvation. Elitia''s face is down and she grips her chest with every strand of her own golden hair.


    ''''........I will never forgive you.......I will never......kill you.......for such a terrible thing. How dare you........


    Elitia...!


    When it came to the battle, the reason why Elitia transformed her personality wasn''t just because she had a cursed sword.


    It was pure anger. The hatred for the demon - so much tyranny against his companions, Elitia saw it with his eyes.


    However, Suzuna, who had come out of the room, hugged Elitia, who was about to turn into a demon-like form, from behind without saying a word.


    ''''........You had a hard time, didn''t you? But it''s okay. I''ll be fine........''''


    ......................


    Clutching her hands around her tight hair, Suzuna untied and removed her fingers one by one. Beside her, Misaki, who was watching this with a somber face, tries to straighten Elitia''s hair with her hands and straighten it back to its original state.


    ''''Well if you do this, you''ll get a perm on your pigtails, right?¡¡That might be cute too, but I think Ellie-san would prefer it to be smooth and straight! Hey, your brother thinks so too, right?


    ''Yeah, I know. I don''t want to put it this way but I''m afraid that if I let my anger get the better of me, I''ll do something reckless. First, you need to think about protecting yourself. Body, mind, and all.


    ''Ellie, you are trying to hurt yourself. You can''t do that ... if you''re having a hard time, you''re going to have to ruffle my hair.


    Suzuna holds out her dark hair as she says this. Elitia lays her own hand on it and begins to cry, her shoulders shaking.


    ''''Phew...........I''m a child and I''m just so weak... and I didn''t know how to help him and I ran away but I didn''t do anything. I couldn''t give it to you........


    ''''Still, if you decide to go and help, do what you can. Even if even the higher level searchers are too troublesome to approach, we''ll definitely go again. We''re only able to win because of Elitia. Let''s show that monkey what human strength looks like.


    ...


    The men I''ve fought in the past were all vicious and would be eaten if I lost. But if we''re careful, we can win. We''re going to be safe, we''re going to be tough, and we''re going to do it as unscathed as possible.


    Elitia looks at me, wiping her bright red eyes. Eyes that don''t blame her, clinging to her - I want you to help me, she says with her whole body.


    A level 9 swordsman. Because she has gone through a number of shura situations, her despair couldn''t help but deepen when she saw a difficult enemy that she couldn''t win alone and couldn''t get help.


    With us now, we still can''t win. With everyone''s level at 10, or--even so, it might be reckless to challenge it with just one party.


    The more friends we have, the better, after all. Friends from the eighth ward who are aiming up as well, people fighting in the ward above - gathering people together to defeat the boss shouldn''t be against the rules or anything.


    ''''I''ll feel more comfortable with Suzu-chan holding me, but I''d like to have an adult''s inclusion here! Big brother, don''t get flustered like that, there, there, there...''''


    ''''No, no ... it''s just that, what, than me. Igarashi-san is more receptive than you are.


    What... what?¡¡Inclusion...?¡¡I can''t see the story.


    Igarashi-san, who has just woken up, is confused. When Elitia turns around and notices that her eyes are bright red, Igarashi-san looks at me. It''s not that she suspects that I made her cry, ''''What do you mean?'''' He seems to be wondering.


    ''Well I''m only kind of sure. Ellie, you don''t have to blame yourself. If you''re having a hard time, you can talk to your sister. She''s on a much lower level, but she''s got your life ahead of her.


    I will. Thank you.


    What... what?¡¡What''s wrong with me all of a sudden I don''t know what to do in this situation either.


    ''Please hold her in your arms, it''s the best thing for Ellie right now. And that''s what her brother says, too.


    Is that...?¡¡I don''t know if it''s right for me....


    While saying that, Igarashi listens to Misaki and gives Elitia a hug as she sits down.


    The bulge of the vertical sweater she loves to wear as loungewear, poking forward, is generously pressed against Elitia''s body. If Igarashi-san had been a dental hygienist, she would have gone through the treatment, though she had no particular ulterior motive.


    Really?¡¡Oh, but thank goodness you''re back to your usual Ellie.


    Elitia sat up. I thought I should take a little rest, but she came straight over here.


    Then she operates the license and hands it to me. On it, her skills were displayed.


    ''''Are you sure?''''


    ''It doesn''t matter what level you''re at or what you''ve been through. I''m part of the party and you should treat me like everyone else.


    ''Well I get it. As far as skills go, I may ask you to take this one, but basically you have to put your wishes ahead of mine.


    ''Yeah okay. But let me get as much input from Aricht as I can.


    The expression on Elitia''s face when she says that seems to indicate that she is afraid to look at her license display - that the skill of the ''Carse Blade'' is such a unique thing.


    ¡ôSkills learned ¡ô.


    Double Slash Slash Ripper Rising Zapper


    Blade Rondo Blossom Blade


    ArmorBreak, Parry, cut off one, cut back one.


    Air Raid Sonic Raid: Mastery of the Sword 2


    Berserk


    Skills that can be acquired


    Skill Level 3.


    Bloody Loa: information disclosure after acquisition and use


    Red Eye: acquisition and post-use disclosure


    Skill Level 2


    ¡ÁCross Slash: Powerful attack using weapons equipped in both hands. Required Skill: Double Weapon.


    ¡ÁDouble Weapon: Equipping a sword with your non-dominant arm will no longer reduce your attack power.


    ¡ÁHit and Away: After attacking, your evasion rate increases when receiving a counterattack. Increases the accuracy of indirect attacks against enemies.


    Skill Level 1


    ¡ÁPierce 1: When equipped with a stabbing sword, the attack will penetrate to the rear.


    ¡Áx Weapon Break: When equipped with a specific sword, aim at the opponent''s weapon to reduce its durability.


    ¡ÁMaintenance - You will be able to see the signs when equipment is broken and make emergency repairs if you have the necessary tools.


    ¡ÁThe experience and drop rate increases when you defeat the enemy leader.


    Remaining Skill Points: 3


    The skills she was showing me, and the skills I haven''t seen yet. I can see the performance of the skills I''ve already acquired, but first I''ll attempt to sort out the information I can get from this display in my own way.


    ¡ÁThe skills marked with an X are probably the skills of the ''Swordsman''. Now that I''ve become a curse blade, I can no longer obtain it.


    Without waving the precious skill points, it''s impossible to know the effect. Even so, Elitia acquired the ''Berserk'' with ¨‹ on it - why is that?


    ''''........The ''Mastery of the Sword 2'' is a skill that releases the power of the sword that has a hidden performance......I was made to draw out the power of this sword. That''s when ''Berserk'' was automatically acquired.


    Berserk is a skill enforced by the Scarlet Emperor''s Sword. It makes it impossible for the wearer to escape its spell.


    However, I believe ''Red Eye'' is also a unique skill of the Carth Blade, but it doesn''t have a ''¨‹'' on it.


    ''''Is the Blossom Blade a skill that you gained after becoming a Carth Blade?


    ''Yes. I used four skill points, but I took those of my own volition. The people in the brigade praised it, saying it was the power of the cursed sword... but I kept my eyes off of ''Berserk''.


    ...even though you know it would be a risk to do it as a fellow human being.


    ''''Yes I was in the ''research process''. The people in the brigade think that if I can handle the cursed weapon without risk, I can rise to the top of the labyrinth nation. They said that losing to ''Berserk'' was a problem of my mental weakness and that I might be able to overcome it if I grew up... but...


    While waiting for the ''might'', Elitia''s mind is worn out. She''s suffering from the possibility of hurting her companions itself.


    ''''Well Red Eye is probably a skill that doesn''t risk a curse. The Blossom Blade doesn''t have a mark on it either, so I think we can assume that. But there are a lot of other skills that I find fascinating. Maybe I''ll leave some skill points for when I''m back as a swordsman.


    No. I''ll keep the "Red Eye". I just want to be able to help the party in any way I can in case of an emergency.


    Well okay.


    ''Just stay away the first time you activate it, just in case... please.


    Everyone nodded. And Elitia acquired ''Red Eye'' of her own volition.


    ''''........I really should have taken this skill......''Hit and Away'' before I was cursed. Because if I did, Suzuna would have been able to give me experience more efficiently.


    Hit and away - if they were taking this, after Elitia attacked, Suzuna''s bow would be more accurate and easier to stay in place. Even with a two-man team, Suzuna''s training would have been more efficient.


    One benefit was that even if her job title changed, Elitia could still use the skills she had acquired when she was a swordsman. In other words, even if she returned from the Carth Blade to the Swordsman, she wouldn''t be unable to use the Blossom Blade anymore.


    ''''Well, now that Elie-san''s skill consultation is over, it''s my turn to talk to Suzu and I~''''


    ''I haven''t been there yet either. Shall we have the three of you join us?


    ''Well, I''m going to get right to it now... and I have one thing to discuss with you guys. I''ve decided that today is a day of rest and I want everyone to feel free to decide what to do about it.


    We are now going to infiltrate the ''Calling Forest''. When I explained the reason for this, no one told me I would be staying away.


    After resting, we''ll see if the ''support uplift'' is working. After making sure of that, we were to take our new skills with us and take on a new labyrinth.

 60 Episode 59 Skill Selection

    First, I asked to see Igarashi-san''s license. When I was about to get up from my seat, Igarashi-san hurriedly restrained me and brought it to me himself.


    ''You''re on the move all the time, Rear-kun, so you don''t have to be so careful.


    ''Yes, if you want, we can feed you food and stuff like that without you sitting down and not moving a bit, and you can even sleep with your brother if you want, right?


    ''''Well isn''t that just something Misaki-chan wants to do personally?''''


    Haha.


    I won''t deny it, and looking at Misaki''s carefree smile, it relieves my nerves about the ''Arctic Star'' thing, too. However, I can''t take it easy.


    ''''Utterly........young kids these days. I don''t know how serious they are.


    ''Talking like that, Kyouka''s sister looks like she wants to do something too! As a token of her gratitude.


    ''''Hey, come on. I''m the one who''s going to be angry with Igarashi-san, so that kind of agitation...


    ''''Well, well, that''s for sure. I''ve had a good rest, and I''m grateful... well, I mean, I always do...


    .........


    Igarashi-san turns behind me where she is sitting. I still wasn''t expecting what she was going to do, and I winced when she softly placed her hands on my shoulders and squeezed them gingerly.


    ''Well, don''t be so surprised. I thought your shoulders might be a bit stiff... and since they''re all girls, I''m sure you''re going to have a hard time keeping up with them.


    ''No, no that''s, well, not so much a hassle as a hassle, but...''


    Good, it''s not so much that it''s good - it''s not so much that it works quite well, but the way Igarashi-san touches me is gentle, and I can''t help but feel strange.


    ''''........It seems softer than I thought. Doesn''t it hurt when you massage it when it''s not stiff?


    No, no it''s working like normal.


    ''Well that''s good. Next time I''ll give you a light smack. How''s that?


    ''Well yeah, this one works better. Thank you........


    There''s a different kind of comfort in being given a tantrum and vibration. When I go to get my hair cut, there''s a place where I get a massage at the end of the day, and I''m getting closer and closer to that feeling.


    However, I can feel Igarashi-san working on me by the way she touches me, and I''m quite embarrassed when Misaki and Suzuna see me.


    ''Good for you, Arihito-san. I''ll have to think of something I can do for Arihito-san too...''''


    "Suzu-chan is very good at it too, though. She used to be very filial to her grandmother... I had my grandmother do it for me too, and it feels great.


    ''Oh, well no, I don''t need to spoil it too much because I''m indebted to everyone else too...''


    "...Is this spoiling it?¡¡That being said, I''m kind of uncomfortable with that... although once I start, I''ll do it until I''m satisfied.


    ........?


    Mr. Igarashi puts his elbow on my shoulder and gives me a vibration. Then what happens is that the pause becomes closer than when I''m doing it with my hands.


    "Shh, Suzu-chan, let''s not say that.


    A neck pillow?¡¡I didn''t hear much before that, but I''ve missed it.


    If it''s a neck pillow, I used to love it too, but it''s not that level of softness. It''s been hitting me all the time, so I can feel the unevenness of the lace part of the bra - although Igarashi-san is extremely calm, so I probably don''t notice it.


    ''We should do this side too. If you only have one side, it''s not balanced well.


    Is the idea that since it is a massage, it doesn''t matter if it hits you? That would be a bad idea to be aware of, so I try to let my mind go blank. While the soft elasticity is being pressed against me from the left and right alternately, I wonder in my fuzzy head if I still like the big one.


    If it was just me and Suzu, we couldn''t compete with her sister!¡¡What do I have to eat to get that much? Only for Moe, is milk still the answer?


    It seems to be a superstition that milk makes you grow up, and I heard that drinking too much soy milk is not good for you, so it''s best to let nature take its course.


    "Kyouka-sister, do you have a favorite drink?


    ''I''d like a cup of tea now. I''d like something refreshing with fruit juice but you don''t have tea, do you?


    ''Haha I''ll go ask if there''s anything close. In the meantime, please talk to me about your skills. You can''t flirt with them.


    Misaki-chan..........sorry, I''ll go with you.


    Misaki and Suzuna leave the table once they are taken away. There was a subtle silence, and I decided to follow up on Misaki''s random comments for now.


    ''''It''s not like we''re flirting or anything. Totally, he''s always........


    Does your shoulder feel better?¡¡Or do you want to continue for a bit longer?


    ''''Eh........ha, yes, it''s much easier. Igarashi-san is also standing, so please sit down.


    ''Yeah, yeah. Then this.....


    Pulling out the chair next to me, Igarashi-san sits down hesitantly and opens the skills section of the license and holds it out in front of me.


    Skills Learned¡ô


    Double Attack Thunderbolt


    Blink Step decoy doll, decoy.


    snow-covered skin


    Skills that can be acquired


    Skill Level 2


    The number of guarding beasts in your team improves your ability.


    Spinning Spear: When attacking, your blows will be strengthened by the amount of spears you spin.


    Skill Level 1.


    Aether Ice: Installs an icy aether.


    War Maiden''s Glossy Dance 1: When an enemy is of the opposite s*x, a low percentage of attacks will be canceled.


    Penetrating Strike 1: When equipped with a spear, some of the blows ignore the enemy''s defenses.


    Brave Mist: Removes fear from allies.


    Freeze Thorn: Freezes the enemy''s legs, slowing them down.


    Bullet Repellent 1: Makes enemies'' indirect attacks slightly harder to hit.


    Remaining skill points: 3


    The Valkyrie seems to be able to establish about three different roles.


    ''There''s so much I can do, I can''t decide which one to do... I need to practice my new skills so I can use them properly in a real battle.


    ''Yes. I think there are skills that can be used by one person to create combos, or rather, coordination (synergy). Can you do a double attack with Spinning Spear........?


    ''''I''d like to try that too, but a level 2 skill requires two points...''''


    What Igarashi-san was looking at passionately even as she spoke was the ''swarming wolf stance'' as she was a dog lover.


    This kind of skill seems to finally have a visible effect when you add escort beasts to the party to the maximum - after all, skills other than mine are often masked in numbers, or rather a rough representation.


    ''''Well, let''s take ''Swarming Stance'' and one of the others, shall we?''''''


    ''What ... are you sure?¡¡Wouldn''t it be so different if it was just Zion-chan?


    ''I think it''s effective if it always adds to your abilities, even if it''s just a little bit. Besides, I think it''s a good fit for Igarashi-san.


    "...Oh, thank you. Also, ''Aether Ice''?¡¡It would be more useful to take a skill that others don''t have, wouldn''t it?


    I don''t think we need to take that for now. ''Aether Fatty'' is a skill that summons a kind of ornament called ''Aether'' that responds to attribute attacks and such.


    We thought we had gone on vacation, but Elitia had come out to give us some advice. Misaki and Suzuna also came back and served us the herbal tea they brought with them.


    ''If it were me, I''d definitely take ''War Maiden''s Glossy Dance 1''. It''s going to boost my girl power.


    ''Is that how it works...?¡¡What kind of dance is the glossy dance? Is a valkyrie something you dance?


    Igarashi-san has a ''blink step'', so it''s no wonder, though. And there''s something in common between step and dance.


    If demons have a gender, it''s interesting that even powerful enemies can make a suki if they''re male.


    ''Kyouka sister, were you in the dance club or something?''


    ''Yeah, my freshman year of high school I moved to another club my sophomore year, so it was a short time.


    Everyone looks convinced as to why they moved the club - I feel like I would have liked to see Igarashi-san from the dance club as well as me.


    ''What do you think, Rearward-kun?¡¡I wonder if I should leave some points on the table. I''m hoping to get a ''penetration attack'' someday, too.


    ''Well I guess I''ll leave you with one point.


    Then I''ll take the ''swarming wolf stance''........oh. Hey, I feel like I''m getting some strength.


    At his current level, even the amount of increase due to a single escort beast might seem large. If that''s the case, it was the right decision to take a swarming wolf stance.


    ''''I''ll be next! I didn''t take the skill when I was level 2, so I have a lot of points!''''


    Skills Acquired


    Drop Rate Increase: Chances of enemies dropping rare drops will increase slightly.


    Lucky dwarf: Your odds of finding a box after a battle will increase slightly.


    Skills you can acquire


    Lucky Seven 1: A roll of two dice, totaling 7, has a positive effect.


    Magic Number 1: roll a number at random to each member of the party, and the one chosen as the winning number may force the others to do so only once.


    Dice Trick: The player will be able to roll the dice he or she has chosen.


    Russian Roulette 1: halve the health of any player you hit, friend or foe.


    Poker Face: Your opponent will no longer be able to read your emotions.


    Lucky Prediction 1: sense the direction of good things to come.


    Coin Toss: Have your teammates guess the flip side of a coin, and a hit will increase your luck.


    Bad Luck: Reduces enemy''s luck value a bit.


    Remaining skill points: 4


    Geez.........no matter how you look at it, there are some dangerous people in the mix.......


    ''Haha, there''s something interesting here. This magic.....


    Well, wait a minute. Wouldn''t it be nice to have this Lucky Seven or something?¡¡And Misaki always throws two dice.


    ''Yes - if you combine it with the dice trick, you could always do 7 or something like that.


    ''Using a skill, even one that doesn''t specifically say ''consumes magic,'' can wear out, and there''s a reuse (recast) time, so you might not be able to use it continuously.''


    Elitia hasn''t seen Misaki''s license, but she gives me advice as we speak.


    ''Rear-kun, what''s up?¡¡There''s something wrong with you, but...


    The magic number, this is obviously like a skilled version of the "King''s Game". If Misaki took this, there would be an accident.


    Then, can I take the above three and Bad Luck?¡¡I want to help everyone as much as I can!


    Well, I don''t mind, but don''t use this second skill only when it''s appropriate.


    ''It''s definitely useful! It''s such a fun skill... I''m glad I wrote gambler.


    ''Misaki, you look like you''re having so much fun I''m glad you got some good skills.


    ''Yeah, thanks Suz. I''m sure it will help you, Suzu, so look forward to it.


    (Well, for what it''s worth, he''s a good root... and if you don''t abuse it, the ''magic number'' is harmless.)


    I have to watch Misaki carefully to make sure she doesn''t let her mischievousness out. It''s not a king''s game kind of use, but it''s not a skill that''s only a problem because there are other uses for it.


    Finally, it''s Suzuna, who comes up beside me and shows me her license. Compared to the tumultuous Misaki, her new skill was a great comfort to me.

 61 Chapter 60: Monster Ranch

    Suzuna came over to the seat next to me and everyone else went back into the room to get ready to explore, as if they didn''t want to watch the whole time.


    Suzuna''s license includes the growing skill of being a priestess, which is exactly what Suzuna''s license is. As a profession in the labyrinth country, it seems to be a strong auxiliary aspect, after all.


    ¡ôSkills learned ¡ô.


    The purification of everyone.


    Spiritual Sensing 1


    Skills that can be acquired


    The arrow is shot upwards, hitting the enemy on a parabolic path.


    The Eight Verses 1: Shooting the bow as described in the rules of attack multiplies the blow.


    The Demon Arrow: When using the bow, the arrow will have the sacred attribute added to it.


    Cleansing: Adds the sacred attribute to those who are immersed in water with you.


    Prayer: The success rate of the entire party will increase slightly.


    Hand Water: Water drawn with your hands will be purified.


    Hand water: the water will be cleansed. Required Skills: Purification.


    Remaining skill points: 2


    Chouzu is the water you wash your hands with when you enter a shrine.


    ''Yes, it is. It''s amazing how clean the water becomes when you draw it... it''s like magic.


    ''It''s not what I originally meant, but it looks like it could be used to secure drinking water. But it seems to be a strong song shot too so I''m not sure about this one.


    You can take it for now, but all of them are useful, so you might want to take them as appropriate, just like the heaping salt. Now that I''ve figured out what skills are available, I''ll hold off for now.


    It would be best if I could get all of the skills, but I''ll never catch up unless the number of skills that increase with level eventually decreases, etc. Even if there is a way to gain skill points, even Elitia doesn''t seem to know about it, so it''s not as ostensibly known as the existence of the Secret God.


    ''''Rear-kun, we''re ready to go.


    I''m done with my checklist, too. Then I''m going to go get dressed.


    ''Suz, look at that. They''ve added some reinforcement to the chest. We''re getting a little closer to Kyouka''s sister and Ellie''s armor now, aren''t we?


    ''Gamblers only seem to be able to cover themselves lightly, so don''t continue to push yourself just because your armor is getting stronger. There''s a limit to how much I can cover.


    Okay, I''ll be careful.


    Elitia may be saying this with good intentions, but Misaki in her own right lacks a sense of urgency - she''s a little worried.


    ''''Are you sure you''re okay........?¡¡Don''t make me retire after I''ve come this far.


    ''''Ehehe I want to be with your brother, so I''ll do my best to be with you as much as possible.


    I was just saying how far he was serious, but everyone didn''t make fun of Misaki''s words and subtly blushed.


    ''''.........''''


    Well does that mean that Theresa feels the same way?


    ''So do we. I''m sure we''ll need to stay on as reserves, but I''d still rather fight with you than stay home.


    Having only chosen the War Maiden (Valkyrie), Igarashi wasn''t scared of fighting, even after all the battles she''s had to fight against strong enemies.


    I think I can understand why she can learn the ''Brave Mist'' which disarms the fear of her allies. The war maiden must be resistant to fear - if such a hidden ability existed, that''s exactly why there is still a great deal of potential lying dormant in each and every profession in the Labyrinth Country, though.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô.


    There are currently seven party members, and the guard dog Zion has been added to the search team. As for Melissa and Madoka, they will be asked to join the second party and stay in town.


    Even if you have one leader, you can increase the number of parties you can manage to a maximum of 16, so my license can show the members of the second party as well. Right now, I''m a 2-star adventurer, so 2 parties seems to be the limit.


    The knife Melissa is equipped with is a powerful melee weapon called ''Meat Slicing Knife (Butcher''s Knife)'', so I want to see how powerful it is, but I''ll leave it for this time.


    ''''Brother Alihit, everyone, I wish you good luck.


    ''''Well take me with you when you get a chance again. I''d like to dismantle it on site once in a while.


    With that said, Melissa had decided to stay with Madoka. It looks like she''s going to work at the Rykerton Demolition Station while we''re in the labyrinth.


    ''If you can hunt a rare demon, bring it back immediately.


    Yeah, sure. Say hello to Mr. Rykerton for me, too.


    The two of them saw us off and we headed to the Demon Farm. To get to the Demon Farm, just like the warehouse, we had to fly through a transition door.


    There was a sign for ''Ranch Information Center'' about five minutes'' walk from our quarters. The building was a bit cramped for everyone to enter the shop, so I decided to go in alone and ask everyone to go to the Calling Forest to complete the formalities and meet me there later.


    ''Hello, my name is Atobe,''


    I knocked on the door of the shop, and after a short pause I was greeted by an old man with white hair, but who looked magnificent. He was wearing a hat and a kind of leather tuna, and he was tucking in his beard.


    ''''Welcome, Mr. Atobe. My name is William Christensen, I''m the manager of the Seventeenth Demon Farm. Are you here to register the demi-harpy that you entrusted to me a moment ago for summoning?


    ''Yes, I''d like to sign up right away if possible, does it take a while?''


    ''''Demi-harpy is already submissive to Atobe-sama, therefore. As long as you have her wearing a costume that corresponds to the summoning stone, she can be summoned at any time. My granddaughter at the farm will explain the details to you. Well then, please follow me.


    Mr. William led me to the stairs to the basement - there is still a transition door at the end of the hall, but there seems to be only one place I can fly to from here.


    ''Due to the nature of the Demon Farm in the Labyrinth Country, it is necessary to supervise and guarantee the general life of the demons entrusted to our care. There will be no charge for the first week, but after that, we will charge for the actual cost.


    Yes, I understand. So the cost of having a demon take care of you will also change depending on the demon?


    ''''That''s true. The giant monsters need a dedicated space for them to live, and they need to be fed appropriately. If there are both males and females, they can breed, but they need to secure an adequate amount of space. Most of all, there are not many people who can subdue demons in District 8, so there is always space available at our farm.


    ''That''s good to hear. If you''re not pressuring me with the demons I''ve entrusted to you.


    Mr. William smiled somewhat happily when he heard my answer. I wondered why, and he told me why.


    ''When it comes to the cost, some of you still want the demon to be disposed of or released into the wild. If it is not a demon that has beneficial abilities when summoned, it would be useless to keep it. At that time, as much as possible, I''m allowed to take them in for research as a ''zoologist''. If possible, I want to see the demons alive and learn about their biology. That''s why I got permission to start the farm.


    ''So that''s what happened...''


    ''''It''s really rare to find someone who has the aptitude for a job that allows them to interact with demons in their first job choice, much less a ''demonslayer''. My grandson is one of them, and in the past, he used to join the party as an explorer and would bring back demons.


    ''So your grandson was an explorer too? Mr. William was also.....


    Yes, I''m ashamed to say that I didn''t achieve much, but I was hiding in the labyrinth day and night. However, all I did was investigate the ecology of demons.


    Mr. William chuckled, but I''m curious about the biology of it, too - but I guess that means it''s time to end the conversation, and he urged me to touch the transition door.


    ''Oh, William. I''ve already decided, but I''m going to let all three demi-harpy''s be summoned as summoning stones. With only one of them, it would be lonely to live on the farm.


    ''Oh those girls will be happy to know that. They were a little anxious about what would happen now.


    The way you talk about it, it means that you can communicate with demons - but I''ll ask the ''demon user''s'' grandson again about that.


    I open the door and pass through - and that''s the end of the transition. In front of me was an idyllic ranch landscape.


    I was already used to the dramatic change in scenery with the transition, but I didn''t know that the ranch was as I imagined it to be - and I looked up at the sky and noticed a strange feeling. The blue sky appears to be expanding, but that seems to be an illusion. I was able to notice it through the situation-grasping ability of the "Eagle''s Eye".


    The seemingly endless grasslands are also an illusion, and have a dead end. Rather, this space is a vast rectangular shaped ''room'' just like a warehouse.


    (That''s right ... if this were an open-air labyrinth, the demons would spring up. This place is just made to look like the open air, it''s a man-made underground space somewhere in labyrinth country).


    It may have been built with William''s personal funds, or it may have been a facility that originally existed.


    Either way, the feel of the earth on the ground is so natural, and the air you breathe in is so much clearer than the air in the town that you don''t feel like this is a man-made space.


    The cow-like demon that is kept inside the fence - if it is the ''swamp buffalo'' that I have heard of before? That cow is being fed by a girl who wears a hat that looks like a cow''s horn.


    She''s wearing a leather tupe like Mr. William''s, but I couldn''t help but notice ''that part''.


    (A cow''s tail growing out of it...?¡¡(Is it a decoration or something?)


    Eventually the girl notices me and comes over to me. Then she bows her head over the fence. I respond to her, and her smile turns into a very calm, gentle smile.


    Welcome, sir," she says, "I''m the caretaker of the ranch. I''m the caretaker of the ranch, my name is Millis.


    ''Hello, my name is Atobe. I''m here to register for a demi-harpy summoning.......


    They''ll be playing in the woods over there. You''ll have to wait a little while, it''s time to feed these kids.


    I was at a loss for words in front of the girl--Millis--because I was amazed at the overwhelming size of her breasts, which moved up and down in a big way with the slightest movement.


    I shouldn''t say that a cow girl has a cow, but that''s exactly what I would say. I let my gaze escape to the blue sky, trying to discourage myself from thinking such a foolish thing.


    ''Sorry for the wait, I was just about to give it to the last boy. Let''s go then.


    Millis puts down the bucket of fodder and shows me around.


    And I immediately notice - her tail is bobbing and weaving.


    ''Oh, I''m sorry, did I hit you?''


    No, no I mean, it''s just that I thought he looked like he had a tail.


    Grandpa didn''t tell you this yet. My father is a human, but my mother is a monster called the Minotaur.


    ...What?


    A moving tail accessory might be a normal part of the world, since there are magical tools - my expectations of such a thing were completely exceeded.


    ''My dad was a demon user, and he had a minotaur mother as his companion, and he was an explorer. And... well, it seems that a lot of things happened, and I was born.


    Yeah, well no, I''m surprised.


    I''m impressed with myself, too. But unlike their male counterparts, Minotaur women don''t look like cows. That''s why I don''t feel like a monster... Oh, I''m sorry, are you uncomfortable with people with horns?


    I thought it was a hat with horns, but the horns are its own, and apparently so is the tail. But except for that - the chest may have inherited the traits of a minotaur, too, but the rest of him is no different from a human.


    ''I have lizardmen among my people, too. So, like sub-humans, but I guess I''m half demon and half human... I don''t get weirdly defensive about people like that either.


    ''Oh thank you very much. Oh, I see, the lizardman....


    As we talked, we reached the woods. Millis let out a whistle, and the demi-harpy''s who were sitting on the tree trunks took off and came over to us.


    ''''..........''''


    The harpies look at me and look somewhat frightened. The individual who was threatened by Sion''s mother dog was pale and trembling - it seems that the fear of being eaten, the fear of being eaten, hasn''t gone away yet.


    ''''Oh I''m sorry, I guess I''m still scared because of what happened when we fought.


    I''ve been rather reckless........I guess it''s no good scaring them into following you too much. I don''t know.


    When humanoid demons are caught, they can be made into a freak show, or only the parts of them that can be used as materials are taken away, so I think that''s what they''re afraid of.


    I was thinking of training them and taming them to use them as summoned beasts - but if you think about it, the only purpose of this is to use them.


    If possible, I''d like to have them willingly lend me their strength. I can''t take so much time to build up trust with them, but I can tell them what I think.


    I gather my thoughts and stand in front of the demi-harpy''s. They look at me fearfully, though they are frightened.


    ''You guys have given me a hard time at times, and at first I thought I had no choice but to beat you. But I know it''s my ego, but I can''t easily kill a demon that looks like a human being, and I won''t do anything terrible to it. I promise that in the future. If I cancel my summoning contract, then I''ll send you back to where you were.


    Demi-harpy has differences in appearance between individuals. The demi-harpy we first encountered, and the demi-harpy I fell off the roof with, looked like it would fall in the middle if I were to compare the three of them to sisters.


    ''''Well do you understand what I''m saying?''''


    The individual who was seen as the most mature of the demi-harpies - the eldest daughter, if you will - nodded her head in a representative manner.


    The eldest girl was indescribably s*xy, with one eye hidden by her long brunette hair, and only one side of her hair hanging over her chest. She''s a demon, so it doesn''t help that she''s naked, but it''s surreal to see that neither she nor Miris cares at all if one of her breasts is visible.


    The second daughter has shoulder-length hair, her body is a little smaller than her eldest daughter''s, and her face is more innocent. The third daughter is even younger and has the appearance of a girl of ten or so years of age - as for her body shape, no matter how much of a demon she is, I don''t think she should stare at it, so I''ll spare you the confirmation.


    ''''If you have any other requests, you can say whatever you want. In return, though, you can help us.


    My second daughter shivered as she wrapped her third daughter in her wings, but she listened to me. The eldest daughter stepped in front of me, put her hand on my chest as if to represent me, and nodded her head in a dignified manner.


    ''''Alright then, the deal is done. When I summon you, you will mainly use the ''Sleeping Song''. Don''t miss the voice training.


    ....


    ....!


    The eldest daughter nods further. The second and third daughters also look somewhat surprised, and then all three of them bow to me.


    --As I watch them, I suddenly think.


    No words can be uttered, but communication of wills is not impossible. And the name ''Demi (Half)'' Harpy.


    (Don''t tell me.......are these kids sub-humans too?)


    Good for you, guys. Do you know what voice training is?¡¡We''re practicing our song. Don''t let me fall asleep then I''ll put on an accessory that corresponds to the summoning stone. Which one do you want, Atobe-san?


    The choices are collars, earrings, necklaces, bangles, and anklets - on the other hand, how about letting three people choose for you? When it comes to accessories, people have their own preferences, and it''s better to choose what they like.


    The eldest chose earrings, the second daughter chose a bracelet, and the third daughter chose anklets. All of them are made of silver metal, and the bracelet and anklet are made of leather where they touch the skin.


    ''''The summoning stone is here. This is the one that corresponds to the piercing, and this is the one for the bangles...''''


    The summoning stone wasn''t very large and was attached to a fitting and worked into a pendant shape, so I was allowed to wear it on the spot. The item''s information was displayed on the license, and it looked like this.


    ¡ôPendant of Summoning Stone, Three Demons ¡ô


    You can summon "Demi-harpy I".


    Summons "Demi-harpy II".


    Summons "Demi-harpy III".


    Slight improvement in evasion.


    When the contracted demon''s trust level increases, additional effects are released.


    (Is it also effective as an equipment item? How do you raise the trust level?


    Mr. Millis, can I ask you one question?


    You can call me Milis. I get embarrassed when you call me ''Mr.''. And you don''t have to be so formal.


    ''Oh, well... um, Miris. How do I increase the trustworthiness of a demon?


    ''There are many ways to do this, including giving gifts and working together for long periods of time. Different demons please different things, so we''ll have to wait and see what happens there.


    If that''s the case, first and foremost - I don''t know if they''ll like it, but I''d like to give them some equipment from me.


    When I talked to Harpy and the others about wanting to give them clothes or equipment that would cover their breasts, Miris replied that she would give them clothes that they could equip even if they had wings for now, so I left the ranch, leaving the price of the clothes behind and left the ranch.


    Now I could summon the summoned beast at any time. If I keep more trump cards, they''ll surely come alive later on - and with that thought in mind, I hurried to my companions.

 62 Episode 61: Forest of Calls

    After returning from the Demon Farm, I thanked Mr. William and headed to the entrance of the Forest of Calls.


    In front of the entrance of the labyrinth, there is an open space where adventurers meet up and plan their strategies, but around the large door covered with thick ivy that leads to the Calling Forest, there was no one to be seen except for us and Louisa who came to see me off.


    ''''Then, if you can obtain a contribution of 500 or more in this search, we will certify your permission to pass into the seventh district at that time. However, as I said last time, regardless of whether the test is passed or not, Atobe-sama''s party can be certified at any time. The contribution at the time of the Stampede is an achievement outside the labyrinth, and since it''s a special case, I haven''t finished calculating it yet, but if you include it, the cumulative contribution will exceed 10,000.


    ''I understand. I''ll come back safely so that I can be promoted without complaint.


    ''''Take care........there are some people who entered the search earlier, and they are in the middle of their exams, but if you see them, would you please give them a shout? They''re quite capable, but I''m a bit worried that they won''t be able to return for an entire day in the labyrinth of the eighth district.


    After all, Louisa-san was also concerned about the ''North Pole Star''. I told her that I would try to find her in the labyrinth if possible, and passed through the ivy-covered doorway.


    --I''m not going to be the only one. Louisa told me that the fog would clear if I went straight ahead, so we all walked together following that.


    It''s called a ''forest'', so the visibility is bad. Everyone, please be careful.


    Sion, who has an excellent sense of hearing and smell, leads the group, followed by Elitia and Igarashi-san behind them, with Theresia right in the middle, Suzuna, Misaki, and me in the back row.


    Thanks to the Eye of the Hawk, I''m able to get a bird''s eye view of our situation. Just because I''m at the back of the line doesn''t mean that I can''t grasp the situation at the front of the line.


    ''''.........Arihito-san, this labyrinth......seems more disturbing than the previous labyrinths.''''


    I''ve got a vague feeling that way too, but the vibe is that the demons could come out at any moment.


    Well, well, that has always been the case, but don''t be frightened! The way you say it, Suzu-chan, it''s like a tougher labyrinth than ever before.


    ''Uh, yeah I''m sorry, but I didn''t want to let my guard down.


    It seems that the labyrinth to dive in for the test changes each time, so it''s not impossible to wait until the task changes instead of diving into this eerie atmosphere of the forest. However, since the purpose is also to confirm the safety of the ''North Star'', I''ll not think about that.


    ''''Kyah...!


    ........Igarashi-san, what''s wrong?


    Igarashi-san, who was walking on the right side of the second row, screams. When I looked at her, I saw that she had stepped on a puddle because her feet were covered with grass, so she hadn''t noticed the puddle and stepped on it.


    ''Huh, you startled me I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to yell or anything.


    ''The atmosphere is the atmosphere, I can''t help it. If you look closely, there are puddles in places you have to be careful about splashing mud.


    Elitia cares for Igarashi-san and wipes the water on her feet. While thinking that she''s kind, I think - if there''s an unforeseen situation like the current one, I''ll fall into ''fear'' even if it''s only temporary, and my response to danger will be disrupted.


    ''Sorry, Igarashi-san. Can I ask you to take the ''Brave Mist''?¡¡And it''s safer to have a way to disarm the ''fear'' than to just inspire it with spunk.


    ''Yeah, yeah I get it. Well, it''s not only the demons that are frightening to searchers, it''s also the environment in which they come to their mental state...


    Igarashi-san manipulates the license - immediately after that, Sion reacts to ''something''.


    ''''--Bow!


    Yikes... but it''s okay. As long as you have this ........Brave Mist!


    Current Situation


    Kyoka activates "Brave Mist".


    It''s fine, aside from the fact that Igarashi-san quickly activated Brave Mist, since Sion doesn''t howl for nothing - as the skill literally says, something like vapor arises from her body with a tremendous force and envelops the party.


    ''''........The skill that turns Valkyrie''s sweat into mist.......?''''


    ''Eh, Ellie, don''t be so serious!¡¡Because this is magic shaped or something!


    ''Igarashi-san, it doesn''t matter, the enemy is coming!


    .....


    The next one to react was Theresa - we were speechless when we saw what came out of the dense forest to our left.


    ¡ôThe demon we encountered ¡ô


    FIRE TRENT: Level 4 In Combat Drop: ?


    Dirty Mash: Level 2 In Combat Drop: ?


    Dirty Mash: Level 2 In Combat Drop: ?


    The enemy was a tree demon, befitting a forest labyrinth. And it was a mushroom demon that seemed to be growing at the root of the tree.


    Fiery Trent moves its roots like legs and emerges from the shade of a mere tree - the nubs and hollows in the tree look like faces. It''s the kind of look you''d find in a foreign haunted house, the kind of look that would scare a child.


    But even if you can scare a child, there is no one in our party who would be scared - I thought.


    ''--Oh.........''


    Current Situation


    Feartrent activates "Terror Voice".


    Fear of "Elitia" and "Misaki".


    Kyoka''s Brave Mist resists the effects of fear.


    What...?


    What...?


    Elitia and Misaki fall into ''fear'' at the strange voice emitted by the tree demon - Trent - without warning, but they quickly regain their composure.


    (Even if you use it beforehand, it will still prevent you from abnormalities in your condition...!


    There was no need to generate something like vapor if it only worked when activated. So Brave Mist was a type of state recovery that could be used as an insurance policy.


    ''How dare you try to scare me with such a voice, even though you''re a tree.......!


    Elitia''s face is red and angry - she''s probably embarrassed to be ''terrified'' by an enemy''s special attack at this level, as she''s at a high level.


    ''''Hii........my body is shivering......but thanks to Kyouka-sister''s sweat, I''ve recovered!


    ''So, I''m telling you it''s not sweat... really, it''s just... oh my god!


    I think there may be more mystery in the position of Valkyrie than I thought, but I''m going to seal that thought off. Because image is an important thing to build up, and once you''re dismayed, it''s hard to regain the trust of women - although it''s best not to think about something that doesn''t make you nervous in the middle of battle.


    ''Grrrr...........Gah!


    ''Igarashi-san, Theresa!¡¡You two need to attack that mushroom-like fellow!


    Copy that!


    Trent, whose trunk isn''t very thick, but is lightly larger than a man''s height, is pounced on by a similarly built Theon, and two mushrooms (mushrooms) - a mycelium variant, or what looks like a hand and a foot - are growing -- to which Theresia and Igarashi-san each attacked.


    a€?--!


    Say, hey!


    You''re both ''supporting''¡¡Guys, let''s get into it!


    Current Situation


    Theresa makes a double throw and throws two small darks.


    The first level hits Dirty Mash A. Support damage 11


    Second level hit on Dirty Mash A. Support damage 11


    Kyouka launches the "Double Attack".


    The first level hits Dirty Mash B. Support damage 11


    Second level hits Dirty Mash B. Support damage 11


    Arihito activates ''Support Elevation 1'' and the party''s morale increases by 11.


    Two daggers (dark) released by Theresa stand out simultaneously on a mushroom (mushroom) human with no face or anything else, a thick white shaft and a huge, poisonous umbrella. Igarashi-san''s cross spear also entered beautifully - but.


    ''''--Wow!


    He interrupted his attack on Trent and Theon raised his voice in alarm. Hearing that, I warned Theresia and Igarashi-san before I could think.


    ''''--Both of you, pull back!


    Current Situation


    Physical Counter of "Dirty Mash A" ¡ú Activate "Disturbed Spores".


    Confusion in "Theresa".


    H..........?


    Reacting to the attack, the mushroom people that Theresia attacked scattered spores. When it was a mushroom demon, I should have been warned - that it had a special attack using spores.


    ''Guys, stop sucking on the spores!¡¡Suzuna, somehow drop me from a distance!


    Yes....!


    Current Situation


    Suzuna activates Minnichu for two consecutive hits.


    Suzuna''s attack ¡ú Hit Dirty Mash A. Support damage 11


    Kill one "Dirty Mash".


    Unable to withstand the second blow, Dirty Mash was pierced by an arrow, and the umbrella ripped open, leaving her motionless. But before Suzuna could take her turn for the second one, Theresa moved - it was Igarashi-san who attacked her in confusion.


    ''Kyouka, leave it to me!


    Ellie-san...!


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates ''Support and Defense 1'' ¡ú Target: Elitia


    Theresia attacks Elitia ¡ú no damage


    ''d*mn ... while I''m stopping you ... please, Aricht!


    Elitia flicks Theresia''s dagger with her sword. It was to both of them that she was applying ''supportive defense'' - Theresia is seriously attacking Elitia, and if they continue to strike each other, both of them may be injured.


    (What to do........how to recover the state''s anomaly......no, before that......!


    Theon, wait!


    Bow!


    When Dirty Mash is attacked by a physical attack, it may release spores as a counter - I won over the point where Sion was about to attack the remaining one, and I executed the ''non-physical means of attack'' I had just obtained.


    ''''Brother........!


    Misaki, who was about to throw the dice, looks over at me and yells in surprise. But I don''t have time to respond right now.


    -- the magic power that flooded out of my body converges between my thumb and forefinger. A magic power bullet, agglomerated to the same size as the sling''s bullet. I shot it out at the mushroom human who was about to attack Theresa and Elitia, who were crossing swords, from the side.


    ''''--Go!


    Current Situation


    Alihit invokes the "force shot".


    Hit by "Dirty Mash B


    Kill one "Dirty Mash".


    (Oh, come on........aren''t magic bullets like lasers.......?


    As he aims, he prevents the activation of the "Disordered Spores" and defeats it. Suzuna switches the target of the second arrow to Trent, while Sion and Igarashi-san try to take out the enemy''s target.


    A precursor to the attack - Trent was preparing to unleash a long-range attack while letting Mash and the others stall for time.


    With a rustle, Trent''s branches shook and the fruit he was wearing in large quantities swelled up. They''re probably trying to make it explode and send something flying.


    I''m going to be the one that fires the black magic bullets, and I''m going to fire a reminder to the black and white magic stone that activates the additional effect of ''stun'', and then I''m going to shoot at Trent.


    ''''d*mn...!


    Aricht-san...!


    I didn''t know that the depletion of magic power was accompanied by such a sense of fatigue - but if I can fire two rounds, then I''m good. Even now, with the speed of a magic bullet, we can break in before Trent attacks...!


    I''ll see you in time!


    Current Situation


    Alihit invokes the "Force Shoot Stun".


    Hit by a "fiery torrent".


    The "Fiery Trent" is stunned.


    Feartrent''s actions are suspended.


    Ohhhh...!


    With a groan, Trent, who was hit in the face by a magic bullet, stumbles back. While Igarashi-san and Sion, who saw it as an opportunity, move, I give Suzuna instructions.


    Theresia and Elitia, who are continuing to strike each other - they are stepping into the puddles of water at their feet every now and then, and splashes are rising. When I saw that, I had an idea.


    ''''-- Suzuna, ''hand water'' and ''water stain separation''!¡¡Clean up the puddle and pour it over Theresa!


    Yes, sir.


    If it is possible to recover the ''Confusion'' status abnormality, it is the only means the current party can take.


    ''''Sion-chan, let''s go.......ya!


    Wow!


    I''m not completely useless!


    Current Situation


    Zion activates "Power Rush".


    Hit Fiery Trent for 11 damage.


    Kyouka launches the "Double Attack".


    The first level hits the fiery torrent. Support damage 11.


    Second level hit on Fiery Trent. Support damage 11


    Misaki attacked Fiery Trent for support damage of 11


    Woah... woah... woah...!


    Sion''s trunk creaked under Sion''s body hit, and Igarashi''s spear and Misaki''s dice hit it.


    However, it''s resistant to physical attacks, or perhaps it doesn''t sink even if it''s subjected to concentrated fire up to this point.


    ''''--It was taken........Teresia-san, please come back to your senses.......!


    Suzuna scoops up the water at her feet - the murky water shines and turns clear, and she douses it directly at Theresa.


    ''''.........''''


    Current Situation


    Suzuna activates "Hand Water".


    Suzuna uses Water Stain Separation ¡ú Teresia''s Confusion is released


    Feartrent starts charging the Seed Explosion


    (From the name, it''s an attack that shoots out with seeds scattered all over the place... but I can make it...!


    Elitia runs past Theresia, who has returned to herself, activating the ''Sonic Raid'' and running past her - and.


    You''ll rot!


    Current Situation


    Elitia''s "Double Slash" is activated.


    The first level hits the fiery torrent. Support damage 11.


    Second level hit on Fiery Trent. Support damage 11


    Defeat one "Fiery Trent".


    A double slash and a branch like Feartrent''s arm is cut off - and then the fearful face disappears and stops moving as it returns to just a tree.


    ''Somehow, you made it through unscathed...''


    Wiping off the sap-stained sword, Elitia sheathed the Scarlet Imperial Sword. Igarashi patted his chest and Sion watched Trent to see if he moved, but when he finished checking, he turned to me and barked modestly, Bau.

 63 Episode 62: Despair and Hope

    ..........


    Theresia is still holding the dagger - something that seems to be on her mind. Even though she was confused, she would feel remorseful if she remembered that she had been slashing at her companion.


    ''Theresa, I don''t mind, so you should too. Because of things like this, you should try to throw your dagger (dirk) as far away as possible.


    ..........


    When Elitia calls out to her, Theresia doesn''t immediately nod her head. I don''t know how to take care of her at a time like this - even if I say something too sweet, with Theresia''s personality, she might become increasingly self-doubting.


    Despite my concerns, Suzuna approached Theresa and began to wipe her wet body with water.


    ''''I''m sorry, I splashed you with water... was it cold?''''


    ..........


    Theresia shook her head. Suzuna smiled and draped the towel over Theresia''s shoulders as it was.


    ''''Stay like this for a while, because if you stay wet it will cool you down.


    ''''Rear-kun, does Zhushuna have that kind of power?¡¡It''s like I can throw water on it and fix things.


    ''It wasn''t clearly labeled, so I wasn''t sure if it would help with the ''confusion''. I think it does have that effect on sanity, or something like that.


    When Suzu scooped up the water from the puddle, I wondered what was going to happen! It was like magic. I''d like to have something magical like that too.


    Misaki also has enough skills to have a magical effect, though. After all, the mystical scene I mentioned earlier is something to look at and yearn for, isn''t it?


    ''''Elitia, is this the first time you''ve fought a mushroom now?''''


    ''''Yes you''re lucky that I haven''t met you before. I didn''t even dive into this labyrinth when I was promoted... but there are more demons with habits than I ever imagined.


    Could it be that this is a demon unique to this labyrinth? It seems like mushrooms can grow anywhere - and we need to check the drop items first.


    I''ve been told that the fruit that Trent is wearing looks a lot like an apple. What do we do with it, Rearward, what do we do with it?


    ''Would you like to try an appraisal? I''ll try the "Elementary Appraisal Scrolls


    I took the apple from Igarashi-san and tried to appraise it - then.


    The apple of wit


    Eating one increases the maximum amount of magic power a little.


    A rare drop of "fiery torrent".


    (Oh...!¡¡That came out rather easily, Laird Drop. (I knew Misaki would be there to help you out in these areas.)


    If it''s a rare drop item, it''s going to be difficult to pick up this one for a target, but it''s a huge harvest. If I had a wizard-type companion, I would have made him eat it first thing - but when I was thinking about it, everyone was paying attention to me, as if they wanted to hear the results of the appraisal.


    It is said that if you eat this, the maximum value of your magic power is increased. Does anyone want to eat it?


    ''''Rear-kun has the skill of dividing magic power among the people in your party, so I think you should eat first. I''m sure you''re still tired and........that slingshot just now was amazing. You know how often the beam is shown in cartoons and such, it was just like that.


    "Did Igarashi-san see it that way too? I was a bit surprised too.......but the wear and tear is huge, so I can''t go on a wild goose chase.


    I think we can use it as a trump card. Really, I''m counting on you to have my back.


    In the way Elitia looks at me, there''s a natural trust in her eyes - to be relied upon by someone as strong as she is, it''s a fearful thing, but it''s still a proud feeling.


    ''''.........''''


    ...Teresa?


    Theresia, who was still being reserved, takes out an unused dagger and takes the apple from me and peels it.


    ''''Huh?¡¡Theresa, aren''t you good at peeling apples?


    It''s amazing, I can''t connect the skin like that.


    Not only were Misaki and Suzuna surprised, of course, but I was surprised too - I put the blade of the dagger against the apple and spun it around and peeled it off in a flash with a crisp, crunchy motion, splitting it on my hand and taking out the core. Then he broke it into six pieces and held out a slice to me.


    ''''..........''''


    ''Oh, thank you Theresa, you have some unexpected skills.


    Although I have a few thoughts about the fact that the fruit was put on by the demon we were fighting just now, it''s hard not to trust the appraisal, so I''ll eat it boldly here. It''s a good idea to be able to have a good idea of what you''re looking for.


    ''''Hmm........wow, it''s sweet. That''s not the apple I know, this is........!


    The crunch is similar to the old-fashioned apples, but the taste is very different. I thought they would be sour unless they had been bred, but the taste of the apples overturned that notion.


    ''It makes me want to eat an apple pie or something, just looking at it.


    You''re getting redder and redder, what''s going on?


    ''Miss Theresa I''m more embarrassed than I am watching you.


    I notice what Suzuna is going to say, and I notice it right after. Theresia holds out a handful of apples to me - higher than before.


    ''You''re in a hurry to get ahead of yourself, Aricht. Why don''t you take the plunge and eat it for yourself?


    ..........


    Okay, all right. Well, I''ll get on with it.


    This is not the time to get lost, so I ask Theresa to throw one apple after another into my mouth. I feel as if I''m being fed.


    And when you have finished eating all of them - the license shows that your ability has increased.


    Current Situation¡ô


    Arihito ate The Apple of Knowledge.


    Aricht''s maximum magic power rose.


    My mind was clear and my body was filled with power - and the amount that the maximum value had risen, my magic power had recovered. When I checked my condition, the blue bar indicating my magic power had returned by a fifth.


    ''''.........''''


    Oh, thank you ... that was pretty good.


    ''Miss Theresa, do you want to wash your hands because you''ve got apple juice on them?''


    Suzuna purifies the water again - this skill is too useful to imagine. It''s hard to believe that she scooped it out of a puddle, because it makes perfectly clear water.


    ''And for Zion-chan I think it''s better than drinking directly from a puddle.


    She also gives water to Sion, who is thirsty. Although Igarashi-san looked envious, this is the privilege of a "miko" who can use "hand water".


    The remaining item is the Dirty Mash, and the one that didn''t rupture the spores could be collected as is. According to my appraisal, it seems that Dirty Mash ruptures them to protect itself, but if it can cut them out without rupturing them, they can be used as material for medicine. The bag is not easily ruptured, except for when the mushrooms are in danger of bursting, so it would not be a problem to carry them around with you.


    It seems that the umbrellas and axes of the mushrooms themselves can be eaten, but we didn''t collect them this time - it takes a lot of courage to eat mushrooms that have arms and legs growing out of them.


    Okay, now that we''ve collected them, let''s continue our search.


    They re-formed their ranks again and moved forward. Trent and the others may have been small in number, but they didn''t encounter any enemies for a while after that.


    Perhaps the reason the investigation of this labyrinth hasn''t progressed is because the pace at which the demons are increasing is slow and there is less danger of stampede.


    (It could be that there''s not a lot of fruitfulness in it... but no matter how many ''apples of wit'' are said to appear, if the probability is too low, we''ll be wasting our time.)


    The license also comes with the ability to reverse engineer demons and their appearance locations based on what you drop. As for the demons that drop ability-enhancing items, you''ll need to remember that just in case.


    ''''Theon, it''s not safe to go too far ahead.


    At the sound of Elitia''s voice, he noticed that Theon was ahead of him. Sion went into the bushes on the side of the road a little further on and came out with something in his mouth.


    When Sion returned, what he brought in front of us was - goggles.


    (These goggles........Georg''s.......!


    Does that mean the person who dropped it is still around?


    Doesn''t this belong to the person you talked about in the hall of our quarters, Rearward?


    ''Elitia, you shouldn''t touch the goggles. It''s probably blood.


    Well yes. The owner of this thing is bleeding ... and that was a long time ago.


    There is one thing I can think of. Georg was wounded, and either a demon attacked him near here or something unforeseen happened and he dropped his goggles.


    ''Theon, can you trace the scent of the owner of these goggles?


    Theon understands what I''m saying, sniffs the goggles, and then starts walking again - his nose works, he checks his direction, and Theon walks into the trees on the side of the road.


    ''Let''s proceed with caution. Sion''s sense of smell can spot the enemy, even if his vision is poor.


    Yes, okay I''m sure there are marks of people passing through...


    That also sounds brand new but those goggles....


    The blood on the goggles had completely clotted. This meant that Georg had passed through here quite some time after he was injured.


    --and in the forest. Theon found a large tree that was noticeably larger than its surroundings and went around to the back of it.


    Georg was there -- with wounds all over his body, sitting with his head in his hands.


    ''Georg ... hey, get a grip!¡¡I''ll have you patched up in no time!


    You''re not the only one ... you''ve met ... well, you''re the one who''s in the Lady Orellus mansion ... gee, I don''t know. How have you been doing...?


    Georg''s eyes were unfocused and his voice was powerless. He was in such a predicament that he was in such a predicament that he had to flee for his life to get here.


    It''s a valuable potion, but I can''t say that. I took out a bottle of red liquid from my backpack and made Georg drink it - but even though the wounds on his body began to heal to some extent, his frustration didn''t diminish.


    With Suzuna at the party, the effect of the ''purification'' works, and Georg''s mental state improves slightly. Georg, whose eyes were unfocused at first, finally caught a decent sight of me - and suddenly covered his face.


    ''....What''s going on? Tell me, I might be able to help you.


    ''What ... what ... what ...?¡¡Even I don''t know how to do that...!


    Georg is in a state of depression. His own wounds are substantial - perhaps from the blows he received when his goggles were popped off, and he also had a wound on his forehead.


    ''Calm down,'' he said. The friends of the ''Arctic Star'' are still in this labyrinth, right? Were they captured by a demon, or........


    I wait for Georg to calm down. He lowers the arm that covered his face - trembling, Georg''s lips quiver and he tries to say something over and over again, but he can''t get the words out.


    ''''It''s okay. We''re here to take the test too. You''ll be helping the members of Polaris along the way. So don''t hold back.


    The reason Georg doesn''t easily ask for help is because he''s so conflicted that he can''t get his voice out of his throat, and he''s proud to be an explorer.


    But I can''t leave him trapped to this point, and I can''t leave just to pass the test. If I can help him, I want to help him, I think.


    ....and the monster grasses that feed on the power of the...


    All right I''ll be in the maze upstairs. Georg, you''re going to get out of here. Fortunately, there are few demons on the ground floor of this labyrinth. If we just think about escaping, we can get out safely.


    I''m not... I''m not the only one who''s going to run away...


    ''The wounded don''t need to think about it. Get out and trust us to wait for you. You may not feel safe, but it''s a lot better than sitting here shaking.


    When Elitia convinced him, Georg cowered and screamed. Misaki and Suzuna covered their mouths at the grief.


    How Georg was separated from his companions - just imagining it was painful.


    I thought I knew that the labyrinth was something that bared its fangs to explorers, that it was a place of no mercy. However, seeing Georg''s appearance, which can only be described as horrific, there is an opposite emotion that has arisen.


    An urge that was close to anger and heated his body to the point of burning.


    So please, stay alive........!


    Georg, you and your men will take care of things. You just think about surviving now, okay?


    Yes ... yes ... my friends ... please ...


    Once he voiced his emotions, the glint of reason returned to Georg''s eyes. This wouldn''t cause him to despair.


    Handing over the goggles, Georg grabbed them and started walking towards the exit. The potion was showing its effects and his footsteps were sure - this would be no problem.


    ''From what I''ve heard, you were attacked by a grass or some kind of demon. It suddenly appeared from underneath their feet and their party...


    Yeah. Probably still trapped. Georg barely escaped trouble, but he was never able to leave the labyrinth.


    We encountered it upstairs. There, presumably, is a ''named''


    A mysterious monster with little information - a monster that has rounded up the ''Arctic Star''. It''s an opponent that can''t be traced at all, but it must be found and defeated as soon as possible.


    "...Everyone, give me...


    Don''t ask me if you''ll follow me, Mr. Allito.


    ''I''ll follow Arihito-san. The ranks are allowed to walk in front of me, but that''s how I always feel.


    I''m the same way. If a very strong monster comes out and hurts you, you don''t have to worry about it. A party isn''t something that someone has to protect or be protected by, is it?


    --I realize that after being told that. I was getting more and more aware that I was being protected by everyone else, but on the contrary, I was protecting them with my rearguard skills.


    It''s still the same now. I almost wondered to myself whether it was okay to involve everyone in saving the ''North Pole Star''.


    ''''I''m sorry, I was drunk with myself. The only reason I''m helping you is because I want to. So I''d like you guys to tag along.


    ''Yes, of course. I don''t think we''re going to be ''forced'' to follow Arich''s policies anymore. Because I''m not....


    Ellie, we can talk later. Theon has found the demon, we''ll return fire!


    Okay, okay, okay!¡¡Kyouka, Theresa, let''s go!


    Theon jumped out onto the path he had been on - and when he did, a group of Feartrent and Dirty Mash were blocking the path that seemed to lead to the second floor, opposite to the direction Georg had gone, and the path that seemed to lead to the second floor.


    ''Kyouka sister, sweat ... not sweat ... but something that smells good, please!


    It''s called ''Brave Mist,'' remember that!


    Once you''ve dealt with an enemy, you can hit countermeasures. If he dropped Dirty Mash with a magic attack and blocked Fear Trent''s ''Fear'' attack with ''Brave Mist'', then he could easily defeat it as a level-appropriate demon.

 64 Episode 63: Vine Puppeteer

    One Feartrent and three Dirty Mash. I defeated them without a problem, and found a box tangled at the base of Trent''s body.


    It''s a wooden box - like a box that looks like a part of Trent''s body that has been altered. It''s big enough to carry around, so I let him touch the storage key to transfer it.


    ''That storage key is handy - I wish I could send a human too.


    ''''It would be impossible for an inanimate object and a living creature to have different transfer magic to deal with. Even if we can transfer safely, that doesn''t mean there won''t be accidents.


    The corpse of a demon can be transferred to the warehouse, but not if it is still alive. It is thought that the magic that corresponds to ''material transfer'' and ''summoning'' is different.


    ''''Eh.........then does that mean that transferring with a trap or something would be incredibly dangerous?''''


    ''Well that''s not to say there aren''t any. You don''t hear about it in the Eighth Ward, but in the ward I was in, people were inevitably losing their lives to poor quality traps.


    It looks like I should prioritize wielding Theresia''s ''Fingertip Technique'' as a countermeasure against the trap. Perhaps I could disarm the trap of the box I just picked up and open it - but for now, I''ll ask for the help of the boxmaker, Falma-san, as a rice cake maker.


    ''The only apples this Trent is wearing are small berries.


    ''''It''s rare, so that means it''s not easy to find. Thank you for looking for me, Igarashi-san.


    ''You sound like some kind of apple farmer, sorting apples in that cross spear.


    .....


    ''Oh, Ellie laughed... Ellie rarely smiles, so it feels like a win-win to be seen.


    What are you talking about? I have a normal laugh too. You''re right, Aricht.


    ''If Misaki''s joke makes me laugh, I feel like I could make you laugh too... and that''s it for the chit chat. Looks like the entrance to the second level is right over there.


    A pathway formed by the branches of two large trees organically intertwined. It looks like a scene straight out of a dark fantasy film.


    In our world, we could film a fantasy film in the same setting.


    ''''Oh, I wish I could have gone to see it at least once with my brother. Isn''t there anything like that in the Maze Country?


    There are some people who choose to be actors because of their profession. There are theatres where those explorers are doing it, but not movies, as expected. Not that there isn''t entertainment.


    All the exploring will rub off on my mind, so a break will be important. It''s not like I''m going to tell you that I''m coming out on a temporary basis today, when I was going to make it a rest day.


    Sion looks like he wants to go first, staring at the path to the second level - the fog is so thick that I can''t see what''s ahead.


    The demon that Georg and his party defeated is on the other side of it. I want to fight with my trump card, Morale Release, available, but my current morale is 66 - which means I''ve been in the labyrinth for about 30 minutes.


    (The current morale I can raise at one time is 11, 99 in 9 times... this is not very efficient. If I can raise 12 at a time, I can charge it up in 40 minutes. (Somehow, besides this chain grab, I''ve got to find equipment that enhances the skills that strengthen my allies).


    Or get some other way to boost morale. The fact that Elitia doesn''t know about it means that it would have to be a very rare tool or a rare profession to do so.


    If we can wait another 20 minutes to release morale, then it''s not too late - I think so, but remembering Georg''s appearance, we have to rescue the ''North Pole Star'' as soon as possible, even if it''s every minute.


    ''Alright, let''s proceed. We''ll be able to release our morale while we''re searching upstairs... until then, be very careful.


    Yes, all right. Zion, let''s go.


    Bau," Theon barked, advancing at the front of the pack. It''s a very good idea to have a good idea of what you''re looking for.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    When I went out to the second level, the air was more damp, or rather, more heavy than the first level.


    ''''Hiya........Bi, I was surprised. What is that eerie voice.........


    A strange voice, like a bird, like an animal I''ve never seen before, could be heard from the forest.


    There is nothing within the range of the ''eagle''s eye'' to see. There was no doubt that Georg and the others had passed through here, but there were no traces left behind, either.


    Sion cooed and sniffed, but still, there didn''t seem to be anything unusual at the moment.


    ''''There''s a path, at least... but if we leave it unattended for a long time, it''s going to be covered up with grass, making it more difficult to explore.


    Elitia proceeded to cut away the tall grass that seemed to be in the way of her progress with her sword. It''s regenerating fast, or maybe it''s showing signs of growing from where it was cut - after seeing the tree and mushroom demons, it''s kind of creepy to think that even mere grass might be an enemy.


    ''''Rear-kun, can I put some Brave Mist on you just in case?¡¡It would be dangerous if that tree from earlier came out of nowhere.


    ''''Yes, by all means. Since the magic consumption is so high there, it''s time to charge it up.


    Current Situation


    Kyoka activates Brave Mist.


    Arihito activates "Assist Charge" ¡ú Kyouka''s magic power is restored.


    Ah, Rearward-kun, I think magic is important too, so don''t recover so pompously.


    Oh, Suzu can think like that too. It seems to be a nice feeling.


    ''''That''s because... magic power is like the life force of the mind. When you recover, it''s only natural to feel better.


    Since Elitia followed up with me, I didn''t have to embarrass Igarashi-san - or perhaps the Assist Charge is increasing in confidence every time it''s activated?


    I imagine myself going around giving an assist charge to the woman I''m aiming at - how evil. Of course, assisted recovery should not be abused either, so abuse is not allowed.


    ''''Great, I want to share my magic power with my brother too. Then don''t pour so much magic power into it!¡¡I can do that.


    ''Rah meh. You''re all embarrassed, don''t make too many self-deprecating jokes.


    ''Haha, sorry. It''s just so creepy, I can''t relax if I''m not joking... Huh?


    Theon, who is in the lead, stops - a little further on, there is a place where the forest has opened up to become a square, and he looks at it and doesn''t move.


    ''BOW!''


    "...Theon, what''s there?¡¡Beyond.


    Even though Elitia in the second row called out to her, Sion kept her tail and ears up, not looking back and focusing her attention on the front.


    ''''........people.......that was.......''''


    A woman stands in the middle of a grassy square. Her hair is draped over her face and her expression is unreadable. Her hair is white, but I wonder if that''s her original constitution, or if she''s about the same age as Igarashi, or even younger.


    The woman approaches us. The equipment she is wearing is broken in places - but it doesn''t seem to be too traumatic.


    ''''Are you... a member of the ''North Star''?¡¡I''m glad you''re okay, but what happened to your people?


    The woman, her white hair reaching around her shoulders, finally looks up at the sound of Elitia''s voice. Her skin is pale, but when she looked at us, she showed a smile.


    She looks friendly, but also somewhat bewitching - I know it''s rude to describe her as such, but there''s something too lifeless about her, something unnatural about her.


    ''My people are doing well, my dear. They''re resting down the road, why don''t you guys come along?


    Well that''s good. I heard you were attacked by The Named One, but you managed to escape.


    Yes, nothing dangerous. My name is Sophie and it''s nice to meet you.


    ''I''m Elitia. I''m the vanguard at this party.


    --Elitia is talking, but not letting her guard down. I can see that she is trying to pull out her sword at any time.


    What Georg was saying and what she is saying don''t match up. It''s also strange that she''s so calm, even though she''s in danger of being wiped out.


    We met Georg on the first floor, he has already escaped from the labyrinth and you had better get out of there too. If there''s anything you need, we''ll help you with that.


    Escape...?¡¡I don''t think there''s any need to be in such a hurry to leave. Yes, since we can''t have the harvest after defeating the ''named'' alone, why don''t you guys take it too?


    The woman clasps her hands together and says. We defeated "Named" - I don''t think it''s impossible for a former first place party in the pecking order, and it''s possible that Georg just had to flee for a reason and it wasn''t as critical as he thinks it was.


    (-- even though his equipment was broken and he didn''t have a weapon?)


    Georg had mentioned, the red one from The Arctic Star. We hadn''t been told what her occupation was, but her leather light armor and other equipment suggested that she was a sifu, a rogue, or some sort of swordsman with an emphasis on body language.


    However, she has a sheath at her waist, but there is no weapon that should be there. The leather breastplate is heavily damaged and, perhaps as a first aid measure, grass is wrapped around her chest to hide her skin.


    ''''Well it''s not nice to hear this kind of thing after having a tough time fighting a powerful enemy. What kind of opponent was that named one?


    This is a question to be sure. The few pieces of information Georg gave me about ''named'', and if it seems to match it, I won''t have to question her.


    --A monstrous grass came out from underneath her feet and sucked the strength of her companions.


    (..........grass...?)


    Wow!


    Current Situation


    Zion''s "Danger Perception 1" is activated.


    Sensing the "puppet" status of "Sophie".


    Hey, everybody, get away from that man!¡¡"Don''t let up!


    No way...........


    The woman who called herself Sophie looks down again - a different, maddening smile appears on her mouth.


    ''''I want to know what kind of demon...?¡¡Then I''ll tell you. You will be ''feeders'' too...!


    The demon you encountered


    ¡ï Vine Grass Puppet Master: level 5 In Combat Drop: ?


    Sophie: Level 4 Puppet Drop:.


    Jake: Level 4 Puppet Drop: ?


    Mikhail: Level 4 Puppet Drop: ?


    Tyler: Level 4 Puppet Drop: ?


    Theon was alerted to the open space of the forest. The soil underneath its feet exploded up in several places, and the grass popped up with a force that seemed to impale the heavens. Elitia gulped when she saw it.


    ''''........My God......after all, the ''North Star''.......''''


    -- annihilated and controlled by demons. It was a scene that could only be considered so.


    Grass popped out of the ground, tangled together to form a cocoon like shape. Emerging from the middle of it were adventurers who had all dyed their hair white and had lost their vitality - probably the faces of the ''Arctic Star''. All of them have grass wrapped around their bodies - they are probably being manipulated by that thing to suck out their strength and at the same time become ''puppets''.


    ''''We need to increase the nourishment.......more, more, more, more...!


    The grass grows out of Sophie''s back, and the grass that had been wrapped around her body spreads and twists around her entire body at once - and the coiled grass turns into several light blue flowers.


    (If we defeat the main body, we can free the members of the Arctic Star... we can only fight with that in mind. But where is the main body........if it''s underground, how can I pull it out.......!


    You''ll be fed up with it, you f*cking dog!


    Current Situation


    Jake" activates "Power Strike".


    Alihit''s ''Support and Defense 1'' is activated ¡ú Target: Sion


    4 damage to Theon.


    Activate Theon''s Tail Counter ¡ú Jake is hit. Support damage 11


    Wow!


    Goooo...!


    The blow delivered by the level 4 Jake''s mace goes through to Sion - Sion''s level 4, so even if I put my supportive defense on him, he couldn''t get no damage.


    However, the counter blow is clearly bigger, and Jake blows up and rolls on the ground. Seeing this, but not flinching, a man who looks like a sorcerer named Mikhail and a man named Tyler, equipped with an axe, attack me.


    ''''How dare you do that to Sion-chan...!


    Kyouka, Theresa, wait!¡¡Aricht, these people........


    Can it still be saved? Or, if they are manipulated, will they ever return to normal?


    I can''t afford to be lenient about holding back and buying time against an opponent who cannot be unscathed, even with supportive defense.


    Either way, it''s too dangerous to put Suzuna in front of Jake and Tyler. (Is there any way........something.......!


    Current Situation


    Alihit''s Eagle''s Eye is activated, which detects the actions of the Puppet Master of Vine Grass.


    Then, in the midst of the circulating thoughts, Sophie''s behavior interrupts my consciousness.


    No - behind Sophie. The hostility of someone behind her is directed at Misaki...!


    Can you remember that I''m here too?


    Jump out of the way!


    I shouted as I tried to stifle the chill. It was right after everyone who followed my support jumped away from the spot.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation¡ô


    The Puppeteer of Vine Grass activates the Puppet Grass


    Kyahhh...!


    Mischief!


    Misaki tries to jump backwards, but she''s on her ass - and the grass pops out of the ground right in front of her. As Suzuna pulls Misaki further away from the grass, I quickly replace the magic bullet with a sling and release it.


    ''''Theresa, join us!


    Huh...!


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates a Force Shoot Stun and hits Puppet Grass E.


    Puppet Grass E" is stunned.


    Theresa invokes the "Double Throw


    Puppet Grass E hits the first level. Support damage 11


    Puppet Grass E hits the first level. Support damage 11


    Killing a Puppet Grass


    Vine Grass Puppet Master''s health has decreased.


    Shooting a sling at the grass demon didn''t help, but thanks to Theresia''s pursuit, I was able to take it down with support damage included.


    Fixed damage is still versatile, after all - and when I ran my eyes over the license display, I could see that the main body''s strength had been reduced.


    ''Would you like to join us...?¡¡Then you''ll be more powerful.


    Sorry to say........but I don''t accept advances from strangers.


    The freckled, short-haired young man named Mikhail shoots out a lightning magic while sending foam at the corners of his mouth - Igarashi-san avoids it with ''Blink Step'' and then unleashes the spear hilt and thrusts it.


    d*mn it....!


    There was no way to finish it, and even if Igarashi-san added or subtracted and attacked, she quickly recovered - it should have been a painful thrust, but the pain seemed to be erased in the puppet state.


    d*mn it...!


    Tyler swings the axe and brings it down on Elitia. She steps away from it, but doesn''t move to fight back. It''s probably because of the level difference between them, and the possibility of killing her.


    I''d like to think it''s because she''s being manipulated, but Elitia''s mental strength is clearly diminished by Tyler, who exposes his desires and howls and unleashes his axe with force. Just relative to each other, it will be an opponent that will take a lot of heartache.


    (As long as they''re in a puppet state, they can''t be stopped... if they repeatedly evade the puppet grass and hit it on the surface, one day... really?


    If you keep defeating the puppet grass, you can defeat the main body. If you bet on it, you''ll continue to endure the burden on the vanguard - even if you can''t see the end in sight.


    ''''Ahyahyahyahya!¡¡It''s beautiful to see him evade like that!


    "Kuu.........don''t say nasty things like that to me, d*mn it.......


    Igarashi-san''s magic power is slightly reduced due to the activation of the Blink Step -- and even though it''s being manipulated, Mikhail''s gaze is directed at Igarashi-san in her battle maiden equipment.


    --Without a sound, something ''snaps'' inside me. I''m only calm, I haven''t lost my reasoning.


    ''''Well I''ve never stared at it, even I''ve never stared at it. Didn''t they teach you that karma rises?


    What....?


    Arihito-san........you are angry......and I feel the same way.


    I know the members of the North Star are not bad, but I don''t want them to look at my people too much like that. Then what should I do - block Mikhail''s actions, that''s all I can do.


    "--Come on, Demi-harpy!


    Current Situation


    Arihito summons three "demi-harpy" creatures.


    I pulled out the summoning stone pendant around my neck and called out--then three magic circles arose around me, a pillar of light stood up, and demi-harpy and the others appeared in the middle of it.


    ''''Huh........Arihito, what on earth are you doing.......''''


    Elitia can afford to look back at us. But as for Tyler, he''s so bare of instinct that he can''t even look at her. If he still has any memories of what he just did, it''s going to be quite traumatic after he comes to his senses, but for now, we have to block his movements as well anyway.


    Current Situation


    Demi-harpy A" activates "Sleep Song".


    Demi-harpy B" and "Demi-harpy C" activate "Ring Singing".


    Jake," "Mikhail" and "Tyler" are sleeping.


    The effect of Sleeping Song is continued by the "Circle Singing".


    The demi-harpy and the others flap their wings and soar into the sky, and the three of them begin to sing together - this is the first time I''ve seen ''ring singing'', but as long as they''re singing incessantly like this, it''s unlikely that the three of them who are sleeping will wake up.


    ''''Such a move........Arihito, you really are a person.......''''


    ''Hah, hah but Sophie is still... why isn''t she sleeping?''


    Sophie is equipped with equipment that is resistant to sleep - no, no.


    When Sophie moved earlier, the license indicated that the "Puppeteer of the Vine Grass" had activated "Puppet Grass


    -- Sophie is more heavily influenced by the puppeteer''s main body than the other three.

 65 Episode 64 Guild Saver

    As if on behalf of the demon''s will, Sophie turns her fierce hostility towards us.


    I wanted to feed Georg first, but he wouldn''t come back and.......yes, he called you guys. That hot and bothered man with nothing but a sense of justice was an afterthought.


    Mrs. Georg is trying to help you and your friends.


    ''Kyouka, don''t get all hot!¡¡Sophie is just being controlled by a demon. If only the grass wrapped around that body could be reaped, it would be back to normal.......


    ''Hmph..................... What are you talking about?¡¡It''s such a wonderful thing to be nurtured. Now, let''s be one. Or will you guys listen to me if I take that man in first?


    The enemy has roots in the ground and can generate "puppet grass" from anywhere. When I remembered that, I went full speed ahead to find out what the best response would be.


    "--Rear-kun!


    Current Situation


    The Puppeteer of the Vine invokes ''Rampant Blooming'' ¡ú Target: Aricht.


    Around me, "Puppet grass" rose up in all directions. If I did that, I wouldn''t be able to escape, which is what the enemy seemed to be thinking.


    (Just as well........it''s a risk to be divided, but I''ve been wondering about Sophie''s "back".......!


    When Sophie found out that she was being controlled by a demon, where did the vine weeds that wrapped around her body originate from?


    --Yes, it should have been ''from her back''.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Arihito activates Backstand ¡ú Target: Sophie


    Eight Puppet Grasses activate "Marionette" ¡ú Target: None


    I activate my skills and transition behind Sophie. And I find a flower on her back, a different color than the rest of her.


    A white flower - I didn''t think that such a pure-looking flower was the body of a vicious demon.


    (After all, it was behind........if I aim for this one.......!


    Eat it!


    Current Situation


    Arihito activates ''Force Shoot'' ¡ú Target: ''Puppet Master of Vine Grass''


    Hit the Puppet Master of Vine Grass


    The Puppet Master of Vine Grass activates Emergency Leave.


    "--Gishaaaaaah!


    The magic bullets hit the white flower and the petals scattered - then a huge plant, which seems to be the main body of the puppet grass, appeared from the ground in the center of the square. The white flowers on Sophie''s back wither and die for some reason, then move to the body and bloom again.


    However, the puppet state has not yet been lifted. If you look at the back of Sophie, you can see puppet grass growing from the ground and twisting around her whole body - the original equipment already had lost its original form, and she was almost naked.


    d*mn... what power...!


    She teams up with Sophie from behind and stops moving - her puppet state has not yet been released. Maybe it''s because she''s being controlled by a demon, or maybe it''s because she''s strong to begin with, but it''s pretty tough to hold her down as she rages with all her might.


    ''''Everyone, attack the main body while you still can!


    Even if the support as the ''rear guard'' is blocked, it shouldn''t be an opponent that can''t be defeated with the concentrated fire of the party members centered on Elitia - if you just look at the level, it''s lower than the ''named'' we''ve encountered so far.


    ''''--I''ll eradicate them!


    ''Kyah........don''t stop at my feet, you coward!


    .........


    Whoa!


    With Elitia as the cutting captain, the four of them set up simultaneously - Rising Zapper, Double Attack, Double Throw, and Power Rush. Furthermore, Suzuna applies ''Minnaka'' and shoots arrows, aiming at the white flower, which is probably the weak point.


    ''''A little more........if I could just make one more attack.......!


    After performing ''Rising Zapper'', Elitia quickly connects to ''Blossom Blade'' - it''s a big move that requires tame, so it seems that she aimed to derive it from another move.


    ''''It''s always like that, but since I''m here too.......Lucky Seven!


    Misaki, who couldn''t join the general attack, throws two dice - the eyes that come up are invisible to me, but her strong luck activates the skill.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Misaki activates Lucky Seven and that''s it!


    The rare drop rate of "Puppet Master of Vine Grass" increased.


    Did it work?


    It''s okay, Misaki, it''s working!¡¡So stay back!


    If this was going to happen, I should have been a cheerleader!


    At the same time as Misaki pulls, Elitia unleashes her ''Blossom Blade'' and slams countless slashes into the rampaging plants.


    ''''--Disperse!


    Current Situation


    Elitia activates the Blossom Blade.


    Attack the Vine Puppet Master 12 times.


    "GISHAAHH...!


    The red sword flipped like a dance, and twelve slashes cut the vine grass puppeteer to pieces. With that final push, the nightmarish plant monster finally stopped moving and sank in front of us.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Defeat the Puppet Master of Vine Grass


    Sophie, Jake, Mikhail and Tyler''s puppet status has been lifted.


    .........


    Whoa ... look out! Oh, the grass is dead.........


    The grass that was wrapped around Sophie''s body begins to die at the same time as the main body dies - it falls apart in tatters. Even though it''s this situation, it''s not something I can look at directly, so I close my eyes.


    ''''.........hmm......''''


    Good, because it looks like you''ll be back on track when you get the body down.


    I look at the trees in the forest - how about hiding them with leaves? I''m sure he''d be offended if I actually said such a thing, so I picked up the equipment scattered about and asked everyone to try to hide it with it.


    ''If we tie this place up with a handkerchief, can''t we at least mend the appearance of the clothes?''


    I''d like to have a needle and thread for things like this and maybe some bandages.


    ''You''re going to bandage your whole body?¡¡They say samurai can be like that...


    I''ve been known to roll up my parchment and so on, so I can roll it up.


    While the four of them were saying ah-ha, I asked Sion to keep an eye on the surroundings to make sure the other three were still alive. All three of them are debilitated, but they seem to be in a life-threatening condition.


    ''''........''''


    Hmmm... what''s the matter?


    Theresia stands beside Mikhail and looks at me. Theresia clenches her fist and makes a gesture to drop it on Mikhail.


    ''You mean I''m not mad at that man?¡¡Well, it''s not like I was being manipulated... what?


    Theresa shook her head. What does it mean - does it mean that Mikhail, and Tyler, were hungry for women even if they weren''t being manipulated, or something like that? If a woman''s intuition could tell her such a thing, it couldn''t be easily denied.


    ''''Not all male explorers are the same.............but we must always think about protecting everyone. I don''t want my party mates to look at me that way just because I''m equipped to be more exposed.


    ..........


    Theresia lowers her fist and moves closer to me. And then she stares at me in silence - does that mean that Theresia is going to affirm my thoughts?


    ''Did you hear that, sister?¡¡Your brother says he''ll protect you.


    It''s more like I''m trying to protect you, or shield you, or maybe I''m just trying to be a shield.


    ''I don''t know if he was manipulated and his true nature came out, or if he was saying things that weren''t in his mind... but I guess there aren''t many people who are as calm as Arihito, after all.


    "Behind.........no, it''s a great relief to have Arihito-san near me. I shouldn''t rely on him, but really, he''s like a big brother...


    Everyone was probably relieved after the fierce battle, but it was an unsettling feeling to be praised for sounding so normal.


    ''''..........''''


    ''Yeah, I''ll have to check and see if anything has fallen out... Theon, what''s up?''


    Theon is sitting up and wagging his tail with a flap.


    (.........this........!


    When I got closer - after the ''Puppeteer of Vine Grass'' withered away, the ''Black Box'' had fallen.


    (For a long time, it was not defeated and was slowly increasing its victims... so the black box was generated just like the juggernaut. (So that''s what happened.)


    The members of the Arctic Star did not join those victims. Our party is also safe - since Theon has his back to us, the ''support recovery'' has been activated and now everyone has fully recovered.


    "Rear, you found something........oh, that box.......the ''black box''.......?


    It was a strong opponent, and unconfirmed, so it''s possible but it''s really upsetting to be in this party.


    Elitia smiles at me even as she says that. I''m the same way - the rare box that surprised Falma-san so much was obtained with hardly a pause. I''m both happy and surprised.


    (The black box - the one the juggernaut dropped contained the key to the hidden hierarchy. (If it had been in there this time too...)


    There is a hidden level in this labyrinth, and if you are able to enter it, you might find the ''parts'' Ariadne mentioned, or you might meet another secret god.


    After the rescue of the ''North Star'', I''ll have this black box opened. The unexpected discovery made my heart dance in my chest now.


    ''''Oh..... Come to think of it, you''ve been flying all along. Good job, come on down.


    I call for the demi-harpies, who were still in the air when the battle ended, and they land in front of me. The girls, who were naked, are now wearing clothes, so I don''t have to worry about where to look.


    The three girls, who are the smallest of the three, seem a little nervous, but although they are hiding behind the second girl, they don''t seem to be that scared of me.


    ''''Rear-kun, did you give these girls names?''''


    ''Well I don''t have a good sense of naming, so I''d like everyone to come up with a name if possible. Or do you have a name that was originally chosen?


    The eldest of the harpy girls shakes her head, shaking her long brunette hair. At the same time, her breasts, which aren''t wearing any underwear because she''s only wearing a thin piercing robe, shake loudly - I can''t say that about Mikhail, either, if he''s reacting to something like this.


    ''Since you''re a girl with wings, how about Asuka (Asuka)?''


    ''Asuka then, Yayoi (Yayoi) sounds good too. It''s a bit old-fashioned, though.


    If that''s the case, the other one would be Himiko........ Only one of them is named after a queen.


    In the twinkling of an eye, the name was decided upon - the three of us are cunning, or maybe it''s just the wisdom of Monju.


    Starting with Harpy, who seems to be the oldest, Himiko, Asuka and Yayoi. This one should be easy to learn.


    ''''Shall I ask Elitia to name another demon some other time?


    ''That''s a lot of responsibility to name them but I''ve been looking at them and if Aricht says so, I''ll think of something.


    Since Harpy''s ''Sleeping Song'' was very useful, I''d like to move with an eye toward capturing the demons that use special attacks in the future.


    ''''Hmm...?¡¡That was....


    I can hear the sound of group footsteps from the street leading to the first floor.


    At the front is a heavily armed female warrior holding a huge shield - I''ve seen the symbol in large on the shield before. That''s the imprint of the guild.


    She has short, greenish, smooth hair and wears a bowl of gold on her head. She looks a lot younger than I am, but her vibe is clearly that of a handcrafter.


    They are led by a female warrior, followed by three men and two women. They are wearing helmets that cover their faces and their expressions are not visible. In the stuffy atmosphere, my companions show a little nervousness.


    ''''........You guys are the ''North Star''?''''


    She said in a voice so small and whispery that it was unbecoming of her heavy equipment. That made me realize what was going on, somehow.


    ''No, we''re a different party. We just defeated the demon that attacked the ''North Pole Star''...What about you guys?


    We are guild sabers. We have just received word from our observers on the North Star that they are no longer able to continue their search. That''s why we''re here to help.


    During the promotion trials, the guild is monitored by the guild. But by the time the report was received and the Guild Saber arrived, it meant that we had finished the rescue.


    ''We appreciate you carrying out our mission on our behalf. If you apply to the Guild, you will receive a rescue reward. However, from now on, when rescuing a destroyed party, avoid meddling so that the mummies don''t turn into mummies. I want you to promise me that.


    ''That ... I''m sorry, but it depends. So I can''t make any promises.


    Yeah.


    I thought I would be offended, but the Guild Saber woman only replied briefly.


    ''''........In the Labyrinth Country, every party is in a position to compete with each other. It''s best not to forget that. Your first priority should be your party.


    ''I''ll keep that in mind. So, the members of the ''North Pole Star''....


    We''ll bring them back to town. We''ve got the men for that.


    In a casual manner, two of the guild sabers, who seem to be sorcerers, begin to draw a magic circle on the ground.


    Transitional magic - it''s very useful when you look at it this way. In the blink of an eye, the members of the North Star who were placed on the magic circle are shifting.


    I''m not going to be able to get it right.


    ''Thank you. I''m late to give my name, but my name is Atobe.


    "...Alihit-Atobe. Your name gets more attention than you think. My name is Seraphina. Serafina-Edelbert.


    Thrusting the large shield into the ground, the woman who called herself Seraphina removed her small right hand and held out her hand. When she squeezed it back, she smiled for the first time, showing a slight amount of emotion.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    Together with our friends, we were sent to the town with transfer magic - in the blink of an eye, we were back in the plaza in front of the entrance to the Forest of the Call.


    Perhaps Serafina''s party had arranged it, but people who looked like a rescue team sent by the guild were carrying the members of the Arctic Star away.


    ''''Arihito-san, it''s good that the guild savers have come.


    Yeah, that was a lot of help. And I wanted to get out of the house for once.


    You must have found a black box... if there is a hidden hierarchy in the Forest of the Calling...


    As Igarashi-san had thought of it, the key to the hidden hierarchy is probably in a black box.


    Her goal was to rescue Georg, but she unexpectedly had a reason to go to the deepest part of the Forest of the Calling. There are many troublesome demons, but if Misaki and Suzuna are there, we can certainly find the hidden staircase - although we will have to discuss with everyone again whether we should enter even considering the risk.


    ''''Well Arihito, the black box isn''t something you can aim for and come out of. Even if you keep hunting for a named one all the time, you won''t know if you''ll get it. But if we''ve gotten it this way, we''ve earned the right to enter the hidden hierarchy. And I don''t think we should give that up.


    ''''That means the grass monster just now isn''t a normal ''named'' one either. If you don''t drop the black box unless it''s named, which has caused a lot of damage... really, the God who created Ms. Ariadne has a mean streak.


    Igarashi says in a complicated way - juggernaut, vine grass puppeteer. The only thing they have in common is the damage they did before they were defeated.


    It is only because Georg and the others were destroyed that we got the black box. When I think about it, the existence of this box itself seems to be a karma thing.


    -- that''s why it can''t be wasted. There may be a way to go up to the seventh district first and grow up before coming back, but on the other hand, what you get at this stage can be used to attack the seventh district, and neither choice is wrong.


    ''''Arihito-san, Misaki-chan and I will find our way to the hidden hierarchy.


    ''That is, if there''s a key in the black box. But if you''re right, Ariadne, it seems like there''s a secret hierarchy of secrets in most of the labyrinths.


    You can go to the deepest part of all the labyrinths if you just give it time. But if you do that, forever, there''s a world you won''t be able to see. And there will be times when not all of the hidden hierarchies are unexplored places, someone has already entered them, and there is nothing to be found if you struggle to get in.


    If that''s the case, then our immediate policy is ''only aim for the hidden hierarchy of that labyrinth if we find a black box during our search'' - that''s fine.


    ''''Okay we''ve decided on a policy. First of all, I''m going to report to Louisa-san, so everyone go rest in your quarters. We''ll open the box tomorrow.


    Yes!


    Not only the other members, even Igarashi-san replies together - I know that she recognizes me as a leader, but she still doesn''t feel subtly comfortable.


    ''''.........''''


    What do you mean by ''follow me''?¡¡No, you can take the day off now.


    Theresia seems to want to follow things very badly - I wonder what''s going on? Do you have something on your mind?


    ''''........Could it be that you''re worried about Seraphina-san earlier?''''


    "...and...?


    I said it, thinking I was being self-conscious, but it was just a momentary boil. Theresia turned bright red and cowered in place, holding down her lizard mask.


    ''And in that vein, it would be rude not to shake her hand. It''s not like I had a special interest in her or anything.''


    ..........


    Theresa looks up at me as if to say, "Really? I hold out my hand to Theresia and make her stand up.


    The hand I''m holding is getting incredibly hot. Since she''s a lizardman who is vulnerable to heat, I can''t keep making her feel this way.


    ''''Well it looks like everyone''s been getting worked up about it. Let''s go with you, as usual.


    ..........


    Theresia regained her composure and nodded at me when the blush had settled.


    She walked beside me to the guild, placing her right hand on my chest, which I held, and her left hand on top of it, all the while looking precious.

 66 Episode 65: Puppeteers Obsession

    The guild is still crowded with explorers today. Me and Theresia are almost face-passed, and Louisa-san''s juniors show us to a private room at the far end of the room that we''ve been in before.


    We don''t have to wait for any amount of time before Louisa comes in and serves us tea. Then, as usual, I looked over the record of activities left on my license, using my monocle (a monocle) to look through it.


    ''''The names of these people........are the members of the ''Arctic Star'', aren''t they? To rescue them before the Guild Saber....


    The results of this search


    We''ve entered the first floor of the Calling Forest. 10 points.


    We''re in the Calling Forest, second floor. 10 points.


    Misaki''s level is now 4. 40 points.


    Defeated 2 Fiathrent, 80 points.


    100 points for killing 5 "Dirty Mash".


    Defeated the Puppet Master of Vine Grass, 1200 points.


    Party members'' confidence in each other has increased by 300 points.


    100 points for rescuing Georg.


    100 points for saving "Sophie".


    100 points for rescuing "Jake.


    100 points for rescuing Mikhail.


    100 points for saving "Tyler.


    50 points for bringing back a "Black Treasure Chest".


    Searcher Contribution ??? 2,290 points


    Eighth Ward All-Time Contributions Ranking 1


    Seventh Ward Contribution Ranking 294


    ''The contribution is unquestionable. Congratulations, Atobe''s party has been granted passage to the Seventh Ward. We will register the ''allotment'' on your license.


    The ticket?


    ''Yes, as you can see on the license screen, the permit that tells you which wards you can travel to is called an ''allotment''. If you don''t have a ticket, please be aware that if you enter a ward without a permit, you will be forcibly excluded.


    The way it works, you can''t infiltrate the top wards with skills beyond the wall, etc., I guess that''s how it works.


    I''m not sure there are any loopholes, but I can''t think of any at the moment. Breaking the rules would raise karma, and we wouldn''t want to be restrained if possible.


    ''You''ve contacted the Guild Saber, Louisa-san, and she''s contacted me. I met Seraphina-san in the labyrinth, though.


    ''''Yes, normally it''s not easy to be dispatched to the labyrinth in Ward 8, but this time it''s special. The girls were dispatched during the Stampede and stayed in the Eighth Ward.


    Does this mean that they are usually in the higher wards, rescuing searchers? If you''re that busy, you don''t have much opportunity to meet each other.


    You will be paid for your rescue.


    Thank you. Could you use that to pay for Georg and the others'' treatment?


    ''''Is that ... correct?¡¡I''m sure they, too, have some reserves for the cure.


    It''s just for the pleasure of sharing your quarters for a short time. I''d like to help you, if I can.


    Louisa-san looked a little confused. But I hoped that I could help Georg with something, even if it was called hypocrisy.


    I don''t know if I would be able to recover easily if I had to flee because of the manipulation of my party members by the puppet master of the vine grass.


    Even Georg was frightened and exhausted. It would be difficult to be an explorer again, to the point where one could tell just by looking at him.


    ''There''s also the fact that they were attacked by a demon, and that''s what we got. It''s not a fisherman''s gain but that''s why I want to do something. It''s not like we''re atoning for our sins, though.


    ''''You mean the ''black box''. It is indeed a precious treasure, but the demon who possesses it has attacked many searchers... the one who defeated it should be praised. It means that he or she has defeated the enemies of the many searchers who have experienced regret.


    It makes me feel better to hear that. Maybe my feelings were more sinking than I thought after seeing Georg''s party destroyed and messed up in tatters.


    If his friends were controlled by a demon and attacked. What if I couldn''t save them and could only escape? I would never want to have that thought.


    ''''I''m going to visit the ''North Star''. Louisa, when you''re ready to go to the Seventh Ward, will you celebrate with us again?


    ''Yes, sir. I hope that by that time, Atobe-sama will be feeling better.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    We headed to the medical station near the guild and headed to the sick room where Georg and the others were. The four male members were sharing a room, and all but Georg were still sleeping. It was said that the "Puppeteer of the Vine Grass" had sucked out their strength and they were in a state of extreme weakness.


    ''''........Aricht. You''ve come.


    I''m sure you''ll be able to find out more about this in the next few weeks.


    It''s a good thing. A little earlier, when we........


    If only I could go to the rescue. Before he could say that, Georg softly raised one hand to control it.


    ''After everyone else was killed by that grass monster, I was stuck on the second level for a while. You''re going to laugh I was too scared to move my legs. I could hear Sophie''s voice from the forest, manipulated the whole time. You''re going to have to feed, too, you know.


    ''''Well that was quite a vicious demon. If I didn''t have to take the test in a labyrinth with that thing in it, I might as well have gone somewhere else.


    ''''That''s right. But even if you avoid that labyrinth and go to the seventh district, it doesn''t mean that the same kind of demons won''t appear. If we avoid the ''weaknesses'', we''ll be stuck one day we weren''t qualified to go to the Seventh Ward yet.


    Georg didn''t mock himself, but was nonchalant. There was even a smile on his profile.


    ''To tell the truth, our party was already on the verge of breaking up. We had another companion besides Sophie - she was severely injured and retired as an explorer when we became number one in the pecking order. Mikhail and Tyler had taken a liking to her. You''ll laugh, it took four men to take two women and use that as motivation to explore.


    ''''Well that''s what happened. But even though you were being manipulated, I didn''t feel good about using color on our members.


    ''Well Mikhail and Tyler are both womanizers in different forms. If my friends have been rude, I apologize. I''m sorry.


    He says it jokingly, but Georg looks apologetic as if it were his own business.


    ''''Well it was Sophie who was manipulated in the first place. Then there was nothing we could do about it. If we let that guy die, it would have been the end of everything.


    But you''re safe. Then you can start again as many times as you want. It would be irresponsible to say that simply.


    ''No it''s not true. I''m grateful for the words ''give up'' right now, but it''s also the hardest thing I''ve ever heard. It''s still more helpful to have your encouragement.


    Like a retired comrade, we retreat from the searchers and turn to the supporters. That would be a way of life.


    I don''t necessarily think we should do that. But I can''t give them empty encouragement to "go for it," either. Still, I don''t want them to end up like this.


    You don''t have to push yourself too hard. It would be strange not to get stuck in a labyrinth like that all the time. I might look good, too, but there''s a lot of things I don''t feel like living in a fight.


    ...Even you, who defeated that monster, can''t you ever be afraid?


    Yes, I am. But I can''t say I''m afraid of being in front of my people.


    Georg laughed for the first time in a long time when he heard my answer. It was the same friendly smile he had when I met him in the inn.


    ''''Thank you so much, Aricht. After all that you''ve done for me, I''m sorry to say this, but there''s one more thing I need to ask of you.''''


    Georg was hesitant to continue. But with intent, he squeezed his voice out of his throat.


    ''I want you to go and visit Sophie. I''ll talk the healer through to the doctor.


    ...What''s wrong with her?


    I was able to help - or so I thought. But looking at Georg''s expression, I had no choice but to realize that it was only my optimistic imagination.


    ''If it''s Aricht who saved her... or maybe she''ll be heard.


    Georg.


    There was no more words to say to him now. What did it mean to be defeated by a demon? I still hadn''t been able to understand it with any real feeling.


    ¡ô¡ó¡ô


    Even though Georg introduced us to him, I wondered if it would be an easy visit, but when the healers at the medical station found out that we were the party that had defeated the Puppet Master of the Vine Grass, they showed us to Sophie''s hospital room.


    When we open the door, Sophie is in bed - her upper body is up, but her eyes are empty and she doesn''t react when we come in.


    ''Explorers whose consciousness has been hijacked by demons sometimes never fully recover. That''s how burdensome the act of coming into contact with a demon''s consciousness is for humans.


    The healer was an older woman, about the age of a mother and daughter to Sophie. Perhaps that was also the reason, but I could see that she was terribly distressed at the sight of Sophie.


    ''''........I thought that if I defeated the demon, then I would be freed. My thinking was naive.


    My chest felt tight and I couldn''t speak well.


    If only I had been able to help them sooner. But such tragic events are probably happening all over the labyrinth country that I just haven''t seen.


    ''''Is there anything I can do to help?''''


    ''''I can''t be sure. However, if your party has defeated the demon that manipulated her consciousness, it is possible.


    The possibility of... what does that...


    ''It''s still possible that she is being controlled by a demon. A plant demon may leave a ''seed'' behind. Fearfully, that seed may also retain consciousness, and for one purpose only: to use the host to accumulate nutrients for germination.


    The only purpose - that being said, I could imagine it.


    What would the demon think of the explorer who defeated him? There was no way they would think that if they were defeated, there was no way they had no choice.


    ''''Yes ... although it''s dangerous. If Sophie-san is approached by someone the demon sees as an enemy, there is a possibility that the demon''s seed will react.''''


    ''That''s... if it germinates, Sophie will be the one to do it this time...''


    ''It would have been nice if we had someone with the skills to safely extract the seeds from the body... but someone with medical skills is now in a higher ward as an explorer. And they will not readily comply with our request.


    ''....What''s going to happen to Sophie if she keeps going?


    ''The seeds will suck out the ''nutrients'' and someday ... if you let them germinate early enough, you''ll get away with it. And there''s a chance we could remove the seeds.


    That''s just a gamble, and the healer woman knows that. Still, she brought me here - to keep any chance of Sophie''s survival.


    ''All right. Could you leave me alone and leave the room, please? Perhaps the ''germination'' won''t happen in the presence of others.


    ''''I''m ... sorry. Even if you just rescued me, your act is a noble one. Forcing you to risk even more is not a good thing for a forward-thinking adventurer...


    ''No, don''t worry about it. I''m the one who struck the main body of the enemy first. Probably because I''m probably the one who''s most hostile to them.


    A terrific scream when he used the "Backstand" and shot the sling into the main body of the "Vine Grass Puppeteer".


    Even plants have intelligence if they''re demons. They must have remembered me well and are waiting for the time of revenge now.


    (.........I want to eliminate the risk as much as possible, but.... It''s not like I''m leaving Sophie to die here.)


    The healer woman was asked to step outside. But Theresia remained in the room.


    ''Theresia, the demons might not respond if I''m not around. Once you get out...


    She shakes her head. I think she understands the danger of what''s about to begin, and she''s trying to stay away from me.


    You don''t have to stay in the enemy''s favor. I''m sure it''s better if your friends are close by.


    All right. Theresa, stay where you are. If something happens to me, you''re going to have to go outside and get help.


    Theresia nodded her head in a persistent nod. I move closer to Sophie - shaking her white hair and she moves her face to look at me.


    Lifeless eyes. Can I really make her back to normal?


    The moment I thought that. Faster than I could perceive, Sophie''s hand moved and grabbed mine.


    (..................huh?


    A simple shirt worn by the patient. The vine grass that appears from its cuffs and twines itself around my hand.


    Pale lips spun the words. In the next moment, my vision is distorted and my consciousness is taken away.


    The next thing I knew, I was kneeling in the pitch black space where no light could reach, and I couldn''t move a single muscle.


    (Wha.........this grass......what is this......this place......is it the spiritual world.......?


    I couldn''t move because the vine grasses were wrapped around my whole body. The white thing that appeared in front of my eyes was the figure of Sophie, who was entangled in the vine grass and crucified, just like me.


    "Sophie...!


    I call out to them, but they don''t respond. Instead, the ivy that stretches around the area moves like a living thing, tangling together to create what looks like one giant bud in front of me.


    The bud opens in front of me - a white flower, the same as the main body of The Puppeteer of the Vine Grass. A girl emerges from the flower.


    A figure worthy of the expression "flower incarnate". It''s a figure that covers only part of the body with something like flower petals and looks at you with emotionless eyes - if you can call it plant-like.


    ''''You.........are you.......the true identity of the puppet master of the vine grass?''''


    "...By merging your consciousness with Sophie''s, I have formed ''this me''. By submitting you to this place, I bring you under my control.


    You can talk normally....I''ve never heard a demon talk before.


    ''Just shut up and let your nutrients be sucked out. Your spirit is quite worth sucking up, so I''ll keep you alive for a while. As long as it works well, you can use it for a long time.


    She has increased a lot - she looks like a girl around ten years old, but she''s a demon.


    ''''Well that one just now was painful. More than being chopped up with a sword, pierced with a spear, or shot with a bow, your attack was the most painful.


    Ggh...!


    The tangled grass tightens around his entire body with the force of a vise - it''s as if he''s being tightened up by a giant snake.


    ''Now ... accept my control. Or do you want to experience the pain of having your spirit crushed?¡¡There isn''t a creature that doesn''t break with that.


    (After all, it''s my spirit that''s under attack right now.......if I don''t free Sophie here, she won''t be able to return to normal......!


    We have no equipment and no friends who can ''support'' us. In this state, what can you do - if you think it''s naive to accept control and look for opportunities, that''s the end of a roll.


    ''''Quite........demons have an insidious way of doing things.......''''


    "So do men by any means. There were those who wanted to burn the whole forest down, and they said, "Do you know what it is to be burned alive? Do you know what it''s like to be burned alive?


    Well that''s just a guess. I wouldn''t choose to do it that way.


    "...Why are you laughing? I told you what would happen if your body was crushed. It''s not a threat.


    After being told, I realize - I''m smiling. My whole body is clenched up and I''m in intense pain, but still no whining comes to mind.


    ''If I do say so myself, I''m not only a hard quitter but I''m also very good at being skinny.


    "...then good. I''ll shatter one of your arms. Even if you regret it....


    --slow. So before the ''Vine Grass Puppet Master'' could say it.


    ''''---!


    What broke in front of me - that is.


    A naked woman partly covered in scales and with a lizard''s tail. Theresia, who couldn''t possibly be here, was kicking out at the vine grass puppet master.


    ''''Guh........!


    The vine grass puppeteer, even in the spirit world, can only exert his physical strength as he appears, and he stumbles back, unable to take Theresia''s kick.


    ''''Theresa... how did you get here...''''


    Thrusting my body into itself, tracing the connection of the ''mark''........


    Theresia, who was watching over me, voluntarily pierced the vine of the ''vine grass puppet master'' into herself, causing it to erode and enter the spirit world.


    On the back of Theresia''s neck, even in the form of her spirit body, there is a ''Slave Mark'' engraved on the back of her neck. It forms a solid bond with me - she must have traced this to come to my rescue here.


    ''''.........!


    Do you resist your spell and help the humans? You can''t even be a monster, and what can you do?


    Theresia turned her back to me. She was in spirit only form, and she was not wearing her characteristic skull mask.


    -- black hair that was long enough to hang around her neck. Even though she is protecting me, I almost lose consciousness at the sight of her, knowing that this is not the case.


    ''''The ''Unarmed One'' can''t defeat me. When I was drawn in here, you guys were bound to lose.


    A number of vine grasses stand up. In this space that was stagnant in the darkness, there was not a single place to escape - yet Theresia spread her arms and did not take a step back.


    ''''--Don''t interfere with me any longer!


    A whip of vine grass strikes Theresa. If it is struck down, it won''t be justified - but.


    That was if there was nothing to ''protect Theresa''.


    ''Theresa, ''support''!


    Huh...!


    I''m behind Theresa. Even if it''s a mental body, if the position is behind it, it''s ''rear guard''.


    The invisible wall plays the ''attack'' of the vine grass. If I had tried to restrain Theresa, my supportive defense would not have worked.


    I don''t know if they were aiming that far, but Theresia successfully guided the vine grass puppet master''s actions and made him ''attack''. Hence, it was the perfect and only opportunity that arose.


    ''--Please, Theresa!


    .................


    For the first time in a long time, I heard Theresia''s breathing. The kick that was delivered was strengthened by my ''Support Attack'' and ''Support Damage 11'' was added to the body technique by the mental body.


    ''''Kuu...!


    The vine grass puppeteer was blown away by the kick.


    It was only supposed to be a mere 11 damage - but for an enemy who would have thought it couldn''t possibly take damage, it was the blow that decided the game.


    The vine grass that had entwined me and Sophie with it withers away. Theresa quietly approaches the remaining puppeteer of the vine grass - the white haired girl.


    ''''.........''''


    The vine grass puppeteer didn''t twitch. It seemed to be extremely fragile to blows, just as her main body, the flower, was.


    The human form that the vine grass puppeteer had created by touching Sophie''s consciousness. It also looked like Sophie was a year younger than she was.


    I didn''t expect support attacks to be so effective. Even if the magic attack doesn''t get any support, it works for a ''direct attack by the spirit body'' - I don''t know if it will be useful in the future even if I get this kind of information.


    Thanks to Theresia''s arrival, I was able to escape the predicament. The vine grass that had been invading my arm is gone, and although it hurts a little bit, it''s not a problem.


    Sophie and the vine weed puppeteer''s bodies begin to glow and fade - and then disappear. All that''s left to do is pray that Sophie wakes up safely. Our mental bodies are beginning to fade as well.


    "Theresa. I''m so grateful you came to save me...


    I try to express my gratitude. Theresia hesitates a bit before looking back at me.


    ''............''


    In my fading vision, I did indeed see Theresa move her lips as if to say something.


    But before I could see her true face, my consciousness was pulled back to reality - and I found myself back in Sophie''s hospital room.


    Theresa''s hand was laying on top of Sophie''s grasping hand as she leaned forward from behind. Sophie is lying face down on the bed - she seems to be unconscious and I can''t be sure if she''s back to normal yet.


    ''Well thank you. I''m sorry I had to worry you.


    When I apologized, Theresa pulled her hand away - and just like that, she hugged me from behind.


    I was surprised, but strangely calm, and now I put my own hands on Theresa''s hands as she grabbed the clothes at my chest and held on to them.


    Thank God she was safe. Even without words, I thought she was telling me so.


    (.........hmm?)


    Suddenly, I see something in my vision that wasn''t there before I was drawn into the spiritual world, and I turn my attention to it - and then I see something.


    On the bed, something like a seed has fallen on the bed. I just passed out in the spirit world, which means that the Puppeteer of the Vine Grass is still alive.


    I''ll decide how this will be treated. You''re free to do that much. I had several ideas on what to do with this powerful enemy that had grown to the size of my hand.

 67 Episode 66: Dismantling yard and merchant

    I call the healer woman and tell her that I''ve freed Sophie from the demon and asked her to take a look at her condition.


    ''I can''t say for sure until I come out of my coma but I can say that my condition is better than it was earlier. Now that the demon seed has been removed, my self-healing facilitating skills are also responding.


    ''Good I''ll take the seeds I took out and take them home with me. Or do you want to use them for some research?


    ''''No, no.......I''m sorry to tell you this, but this facility doesn''t have any facilities for studying demons. If you can bring it to Atobe-sama, that would be the safest thing for us to do.


    If I bring it to the Demon Farm and make a contract with it, it will start to listen to me. In that case, the ''Puppet Master of Vine Grass'' might not appear anew - there''s a possibility that another individual might appear, but you should consider it as the time to do so.


    ''''You can rest assured that we won''t misuse these seeds,''''


    ''Yes, sir. Thank you for your time. Mr. Georg is asleep now, would you like to see him?


    No, just give him my regards when he wakes up.


    She was distraught earlier, but I wouldn''t force her to wake up if she said she was at rest. Although I would like to tell her about Sophie as soon as possible and reassure her.


    ''''Hmm........''''


    ''''Huh........So, Sophie, did you notice that?¡¡How do you feel?


    ''Sorry, I guess I was too noisy. Well, Sophie, take care of yourself....


    "...wait...


    As I''m about to leave with Theresa, Sophie stops me. She''s lying there, only her face turned towards us.


    It''s not hard to see that Georg and the other one are fighting for her - a face that makes me imagine that she was once a vivacious woman. But now, as soon as she looks at me, her eyes moisten and she says in a thin voice


    ''''I was dreaming ... sorry, I was dreaming ... tied to the grass ... but you ... .....


    Despite being bound in the spirit world, she still had a small amount of consciousness left in her. So I guess she understands that she was saved by me and Theresa.


    ''Well I hope you feel better soon. Everything, first things first.


    "Yes thank you. May I ask your name...?


    ''I''m Aricht-Atobe. Her name is Theresa.


    Sophie is more than a little surprised to see Theresia wearing a lizard mask. Because in the spirit world, Theresia was not wearing a mask.


    ''''........the sub-human, the curse......without it you would be so.......''''


    Before she could finish saying all that, Sophie had fallen asleep again. She was still debilitated, and it seemed that she was only temporarily conscious now.


    The healer woman, who was wiping the tears from her cheeks, checks on Sophie. I ask her again to take care of the rest and leave the hospital room.


    As I walked down the corridor of the medical center, I looked over at Theresa''s profile.


    I wondered what Sophie was going to say. If it was as I imagined - I think Sophie was trying to say what she felt when she saw Theresa''s true face without the mask.


    ''''...........''''


    Oh, yeah, yeah. You came to my rescue earlier. I was wondering why you weren''t wearing a mask.


    "...and...?


    Did you realize now - so much so that you were focused on defeating the vine grass puppet master?


    ''''..........''''


    ''Sophie seemed to be able to see, and I was behind her, so I felt like I''d missed out. No, I don''t think Theresa would be bothered if she wanted to see my true face but I don''t blame her if she thinks I''m half curious.


    Theresia shakes her head. If she was willing to be seen, there was nothing wrong with taking an interest.


    But with her with the mask off, it would be bad if she took a bath with him, no matter how much she wanted to do so.


    ''''.........''''


    ''Oh my God Te, Theresa, I''m fine. I don''t have a fever or anything.


    I have to be careful, because I seem to have a tendency to show my thoughts on my face, too. A worried Theresa touched my forehead and took my heat.


    ''............''


    It''s hot compared to me, Theresa insists. It''s probably hot compared to the cold lizard mask - but I couldn''t help but laugh at her for being so worried.


    And, I realized too late, Theresa has an injury on the back of her hand. It''s probably from stabbing the vine grass into her own hand to save me.


    ''Theresa, can you walk forward for a moment?''


    ..........


    Theresia follows my instructions. After a while, ''Support Recovery'' is activated and Theresia''s wounds are healed - when I let her check, the wounds are completely gone.


    ''Good, you''re clean now. If it leaves a mark...''''


    ..........


    Theresa shakes her head in silence. Seeing that, I think about what she''s trying to tell me - and.


    ''''I was under the mistaken impression that I could protect everything by myself. It''s only when someone else is in front of me that I can do something about the position.


    ..........


    Next, I shake my head and Theresa stops in mid-sentence. Then she walked ahead of me again, turned around and bent one arm.


    ''You think having me behind you makes you stronger?''


    ..........


    A chuckle and a nod is returned. Then he showed me his clean hands again.


    Even now, I''m grateful to Theresa enough to repeat the scene in my head when she came to help me. I can''t really say that I was able to see her brave enough to kick out naked, though.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    I walked into the simple workshop in the courtyard of Mrs. Orelus'' mansion and saw Melissa wearing a tuna.


    ''....Welcome back.


    Yeah, I''m home. I''ve arranged for the material to be transported, so can you process it for me?


    It''s already here. I''ve brought an axe and a saw to dismantle "Fiery Trent". I can take "Dirty Mash" apart with just a machete.


    Does Melissa''s occupation ''Demolition Shop'' mean that she can equip any weapon that can be used for demolition?


    But as always, the sight of a girl with bisque doll-like good looks smiling with a blade in her hand is indescribably powerful.


    What can you make out of this fiery torrent?


    ''''I can make a whole range of wooden equipment, and since it can be made into wood, it can be sold as is for a reasonable price. If you use it to modify the sling, you can even make it sound with a ''Terror Voice'' effect.


    Well, that''s a spooky one that''s certainly a strong one.


    ''''The other thing is that if you make it into headgear material, you can give it a ''soundproof 1'' effect. Because demons that attack you with sound also have sound resistance.


    Headgear. Can you give me one of those?


    As for the rest of the materials, they said they could make a couple of equipment, so I''ll show my companions a list of equipment that can be made later and ask them what they want.


    As we were talking, Madoka, who was at the back of the workshop, came out this way. I had asked her to look into one thing, and it seems that she got the result.


    ''''Thank you for your hard work, Arihito brother. I heard that you had a very difficult time this time, too.''''


    ''I''m not saying they''re unscathed, but all the members of the ''North Pole Star'' are safe. I''m glad we managed to get them out.


    You guys always help so many people. You have no idea how many people have been inspired by them and I have been inspired by them, too. I have to work hard.


    I''m embarrassed to say that but we''re only able to fight because of Madoka. I''m sorry to leave you to work in my absence today.


    ''Well, that''s not... please don''t hesitate to tell me anything you want, I always want to be able to help you and your brothers in any way I can.


    Thanks, keep up the good work. So, how did you find out?


    What I had asked Madoka to do--that was to investigate the Breaker Crystal, which I had obtained when I defeated the Juggernaut, but I still hadn''t figured out its use.


    A translucent crystal that glows dully in silver. Inside, there is some kind of pattern floating around - if you just look at it, it resembles a rune, but it''s not similar.


    ''''This is a material that has never been discovered before in the Eighth Ward. Something similar has been found in the higher wards, but they are not the same.''''


    What is so valuable what the hell is it for?


    It''s ... ''Unregistered''. There is no record of it being processed at all. The Merchant''s Guild doesn''t even know that the party in possession has used it for anything.


    However, it''s not the same as saying there is no information, because the license showed that they acquired the "Breaker Crystal".


    (The license may display more information than the guild knows.


    A question crossed my mind. The guide who gave me the license when I reincarnated said that I usually live in a labyrinth country - if that''s true, I''d like to ask him who made the license when I meet him. It doesn''t sound like they''ll be able to tell me easily.


    ''Anyway, he said he found out that he only knows the name. I guess that''s all the harvest I can take away.


    ''I''m sorry, I didn''t meet your expectations. I''m still not up to snuff....


    ''No, that''s a big help. Maybe there''s more we can do as we move up a level, but it''s nice enough at this point.


    Mr. Aricht.


    As Madoka pondered, he placed his hand on top of the merchant''s turban she was wearing and patted it with a plop. She was startled, but then she shyly huffed and held the turban down.


    ''....Is Atobe that good at stroking?


    No, no, I think that''s normal.


    ''Yes. Watching Madoka, I wondered if she was good at it.


    Melissa only replied briefly and really seemed to have just asked. Madoka turned red to her ears and looked speechless.


    ''''So... what can you process ''Dirty Mash'' into?''''''


    ''The white shaft is edible. If you break the umbrella part, sometimes there is a magic stone inside... You can''t use the limbs, and if you eat it, you will cause poisoning, so cut it off. Also, some individuals have patterns on the core, and those parts can be used to make medicine.


    Each of the six Dirty Mushrooms weighs about ten kilos. Since the shaft is edible, it can be sold for a certain amount of money. Five kilos of edible parts is enough for six bodies, but the price is not that high, and at least 30 kilos would only amount to 15 gold coins.


    However, when I asked Melissa to rustle up a dirty mash with an unbroken umbrella, I found a magic stone in the fourth body.


    ''''A ... confusion stone. It''s also on that sling, but if you collect ten of them and compress them, they will become runes.''''


    ''We have a long way to go ... well, we''ll get together sometime. So, what''s the use of the pattern on the core for medicine?


    When I asked, Melissa glanced at Madoka. Then she put her hands to her ears.


    ''Eh, eh ... why won''t you let me listen?''


    Covering Madoka''s puzzled ears tightly, Melissa looked at me - with just a slight blush on her cheeks, and said in a voice that I could barely hear.


    ''''... a tonic. My dad says they sell well to men.


    Nah, I see...


    So it''s not something that''s good for you or for nutritional uses, but for adult uses. I''d like to keep it if it''s something I can get my hands on, because even that kind of stuff might be useful for unexpected uses.


    I prayed that Melissa wouldn''t misunderstand me and asked her to check the core of each piece of dirty mash to see if there was a pattern on it.

 68 Episode 67: War Maiden and Swordsmans Trouble

    A tonic ingredient that is found at a frequency of 1 per 100 Dirty Mash. The fact that it was found after only 6 of them were killed may be thanks to Misaki.


    If you deliver the ingredients for the potion to the apothecary, you will receive a sample. Madoka arranged with the town''s apothecary, and as soon as the potion is ready, the tonic will arrive, but I can''t think of a particular use for it.


    I can''t think of any particular use for it. In any case, it seems peaceful to keep them in the warehouse until the time comes to use them.


    That was a close call, but I made it through. I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to worry you.


    ''You seem to be very cautious, so you wouldn''t have reacted unless you were alone with Aricht. But Theresa could have been fine in the same room...


    As Elitia listened to the story, she seemed to be imagining what had happened in Sophie''s hospital room.


    --The Puppet Master of the Vine Grass said of Theresia that she couldn''t even be a demon.


    The sub-human was the altered form of a human who lost his life in the labyrinth, Leila, the mercenary agent, had said. It is believed that when they are revived as sub-humans, the searchers gain the characteristics of demons. That''s why Theresia didn''t receive any warnings from the ''vine grass puppet master'' even if she was in the same room with me.


    Thanks to that characteristic, I was saved from a close call. Rather than being able to exploit an opening in the demon because I was a subhuman, Teresa''s courage in saving me by stabbing the vine grass into her own hands was more important.


    She didn''t take her seat, and today she''s still watching me at the edge of the room, but before I can call her, she comes over and takes her place at the table, just like everyone else.


    ''How are Misaki and Suzuna doing?''


    ''Those boys would have bathed together. And they were pretty dirty from fighting on the watery dirt.


    We could go in together if there were three of us each, but since it''s not worth it to have no one around when the rear boys come back, we thought we''d just have a chat and wait.


    ''''I was just talking about Aricht, though. I''m always with Theresa, but I wondered if she wouldn''t change the people she takes with her sometimes. I can do that too if I''m a bouncer.


    Elitia said while crossing her arms. Igarashi-san didn''t expect Elitia to reveal the contents of the conversation, or maybe she was miffed as she poured her tea into a strange place.


    It''s not that I don''t like the idea of being at home, but I don''t mind being at home. You don''t have to worry about it too much, I think the rear end is most comfortable with Theresa-san....


    I''d like to say that I''m sure - but that''s not to say I''m embarrassed or anything. Since I''m so embarrassed, Theresa is already red as if she''s boiled.


    ''''..........''''


    Does that mean you don''t mind the order?¡¡It''s not that... oh, you mean to say that Arihito picks someone to take.


    In fact, I think that''s what I want to tell her, but Theresia doesn''t nod in response to Elitia''s words.


    ''''I thought so, but does that mean you still want to follow Rear-kun?¡¡Backwards, how much you adore Theresa you know how much she loves you I thought I knew.


    ''''Well it''s quite something, since I''m even taking care of your bathing needs. And if Arihito didn''t invite you to do so, it means you did so voluntarily.


    ..........


    (For some reason you''re not shy when it comes to baths... or are you subtly red. Are you holding back because you can''t go in with them if they get too red?)


    If that''s the case, then I''m not too healthy. However, my conscience tells me that we shouldn''t bathe together as much as possible.


    What''s for dinner tonight?


    It''s a ''Marsh Ox'' steak. They say it''s not easy to find in a restaurant in town.


    ''I need to get lots of nutrients, because fighting makes me hungry. I''ve been working up an appetite lately.


    Elitia says, a little embarrassed. ''I think it''s still a growing season and I want everyone to always eat good food and stay healthy.


    ''''But first........the bath.......''''


    ''Igarashi-san and Elitia will go in with you next, right? Then I''ll be the last to go.


    ..........


    No....no. Look, Theresa, a man and a woman aren''t supposed to bathe together, basically.


    How will Theresa respond to Igarashi-san''s persuasion - my hopes that maybe she''ll listen to me honestly easily come up empty, and Theresa shakes her head.


    ''''A, I want to respect the relationship between Alihit and Theresa, but that''s the only problem we have, too, is that we''re not comfortable waiting. Do you understand that?


    ..........


    Theresia paused for a moment, then gave a small nod. Seeing that, Igarashi-san and Elitia looked relieved together.


    ''''Then you''ll go in with us today, apart from Rear-kun.......''''


    The reaction to the suggestion was quick and clear. Theresia shook her head to the side and Igarashi-san plopped down on the table, troubled.


    ''''Ah, um ... Igarashi-san, do you feel that much more comfortable with me and Theresia together?''''


    Oh, you know what? Don''t you think it''s too much to ask that kind of thing to your face?


    Well, wait a minute, both of you. Okay, I can''t force Theresa to act. If that''s the case, I''d like to take turns and see how things go... I trust Aricht, and I don''t think that''s going to happen, but if I can see it with my own eyes and feel safe, I won''t tell you about this anymore.


    ''Oh, yeah, because that would make Elitia feel better... what?¡¡What do you mean now...


    For some reason, Elitia got out of her seat. Then she looked back at us as she was about to go back to her room and said


    ''''Well Misaki and Suzuna are already coming up, though?


    ''Eh, Ellie, I''ve certainly thought about that, but if I really do, I''m not prepared to.......''


    ''It''s three women, and I know it''s embarrassing for Arihit but it''s just another way to keep everyone''s minds stable. Don''t feel bad about it.


    Elitia retreated into the room, and Igarashi-san hurriedly followed her.


    ''''Huh~ I feel refreshed. Brother, that was a nice hot water~


    Well are you all going in together?¡¡I''m sorry, Alihit-san, I''m sorry, Ellie was very concerned about Alihit-san and Theresa taking a bath together for some reason...


    The mental care of the party members is also important, but they could have necessarily been left without taking a bath together - but if it comes to this, it looks like we''ll have no choice but to be hungry.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    In the labyrinth country, "bathing suits" are usually sold. The public baths in town are like spas that can be used by both men and women, but there is no such thing as nudity, so people soak in the bathwater with their bathing clothes on.


    When Igarashi found it at the clothing store, he wasn''t sure what it was, but he bought it somehow, thinking that there might be a time when he would use it. In the lower level quarters, he said, he would need to use the public baths, so it would originally be a necessity for explorers who had just arrived in the Labyrinth Country.


    In the quarters of the Royal Suite, there are two bathing clothes. However, is it unexpected for four people to bathe together, or was there not enough for me?


    ''''........I feel like I should have bought those too and put them on.


    No, it''s okay we''re pushing ourselves and we can''t give you too much trouble, Rearward.


    ''Theresa, let''s get Aricht washed up quickly. How do you always wash them?


    ..........


    As for Elitia, it seems that if she puts me in the bathtub first, she will be relieved. That is certainly a reasonable point, but why isn''t there an option for me to wash myself?


    Igarashi-san. This situation is still strange. Normally, Igarashi-san would be the one to take the initiative and say no.


    ''And I can''t blame you. It''s not fair that Theresa is thanking you, Rearward, and we don''t do anything to thank you, because we want to thank you as much as you do.


    I thought that what Igarashi-san and Elitia were talking about was that they were worried that I would do something weird to Theresa or something like that - but apparently it''s not the same at all.


    ''Oh, I''ve come this far thanks to everyone else... it''s not like I''m thanking either of you or anything else. It''s embarrassing to say it this way, but I see it as something we always support each other for.


    I thought that I was just dressed with a towel wrapped around my waist, and it''s not cool to say this - I thought. Both Igarashi-san and Elitia looked impressed.


    I''m starting to understand that feeling a little better.


    He''s helping me more and more, and I can''t pay him back.


    ..........


    It''s not good to keep refraining from being told this much - I can understand that much, too.


    I''m actually happy too.


    I knew that if I said that, my future ''thanks'' would include flushing my back in the bath - but the bathing suit allowed me to stay calm to some extent, so I think it''s no longer an absolute no-no.


    ''Well then ... let''s get started.


    I''m going to flush you out first. I''ve got a little labyrinthine mud on me.


    ..........


    Theresia adjusts the hot water I''ve pumped into the tub to the right temperature and splashes it over my shoulder. Even though I put it on quietly, the water bounces off and splashes on the three people around me to some extent.


    --And as the three of them get to the stage of letting their bodies flow down, I realize a fatal oversight.


    Rear, you have to spread your hands out and wash them thoroughly between your fingers...


    "...Aricht, what''s wrong?¡¡My body is kind of stiff, though.


    No, no not really.


    ''Hmmm you don''t have to be so nervous. We''re fully clothed, you know.


    Would the three of them be able to finish this bathing time without realizing their current state of affairs? It would be safer if they could get something like a bathing suit sooner or later, so I''d like to get one if possible - and right now I had to let my thoughts escape.

 69 Episode 68: Eight peoples dormitory

    I was going to get out of the bath first and let Igarashi-san and the other three take their time, but they all didn''t take a long bath, but they all came up, reddened though they were.


    ''''Um ... well, Kyouka-sister, can I ask you what happened?¡¡I feel like I don''t need to ask, but I''m pretty sure I''ve made it s*xually explicit.


    "....what are you talking about? I wouldn''t do such a thing, I just wanted to show my appreciation for my daily work to Rearward-kun........


    Igarashi was greatly upset when he couldn''t take Misaki''s direct hit. Elitia was about to run off to her room when Suzuna gently pulled her sleeve to stop her.


    ''''Ah, um. If Kyouka-san is right, I won''t suspect anything. Ellie-san, please drink some water and take a break. It''s important to hydrate yourself after your bath.


    ''Yeah, yeah ... but ... but ... what a lack of attention on our part, I don''t know, I mean, we didn''t do anything wrong with Arihit, but I''m not comfortable right now with him around, so let me take the night off and reset it. Can I have it?


    Oh, is it possible that you thought you could get away with it by wearing clothes, but then you became embarrassed?¡¡All three of you are maidens - I can''t speak for others either.


    ..........


    Theresia is also embarrassed to be called a maiden. I would fan the three of them, who are turning bright red, if I had a fan.


    I can''t say that I have nothing to be ashamed of. For my part, I''m very sorry, but the three of us aren''t angry about the matter of our clothes showing through, and although it was very awkward, we''ve come to terms with the fact that it was an act of God.


    But my memory is imprinted with what I saw earlier. If I''m going to party with a woman, I must have the heart of a saint, but I''m not at all like that now.


    ''''........hmm?¡¡Whoa, what''s the matter, Suzuna, stare so long?


    No, no. Arihito-san, make sure you''re hydrated....


    ''Suzu said she was grateful to Arihito-san and wanted to flush her back. She even sighed a lot while she was waiting.


    Oh, no...


    We won''t be afraid of red lights if we all cross them together, right? I''d like to ask you to do something about that, Alihito-san.


    Oh, hey, what are you talking about...?


    Misaki didn''t explain, but retreated into her own bedroom. The remaining Suzuna, usually calm and collected, freaks out under my gaze and shakes her shoulders.


    ''''Well.........I''m just as grateful to Arihito-san as you all are, so I wanted to tell you how grateful I am for your daily work. It is. I''m not talking about baked rice cakes or anything like that...


    ''''Suzuna, you don''t have to be so reserved, Aricht understands. I haven''t known her that long either, but she let me shed my back.


    ''Well, well I was surprised, but I don''t think it''s a good idea for us to be too complacent as adults.


    You''re so calm... you were more shy at first, weren''t you?


    As for Igarashi-san, she seems to be the most embarrassed about the wetness of her clothes. That''s not surprising, she has large breasts, so the way the wet fabric sticks to her is also pithy - and it''s going to show on her face when I imagine it.


    ''....Does karma stop going up when you have a party?


    ''Igarashi-san, please don''t do this. I don''t want to get caught.


    ''So far, they haven''t reacted because they''ve both agreed to it but I don''t feel too good about the license they''re keeping an eye on me. We have to be careful.


    Elitia drinks a little glass of water and empties it. ''I guess it''s time to rest for today and get ready for tomorrow.


    ''Speaking of which, where are Melissa and Madoka?¡¡You''re staying here today, since you''re joining our party.


    ''Oh that too. We need to decide on a room assignment.


    After Elitia and Igarashi-san told me, I finally realize that I''m not the only one. Where are the girls now?


    Just as I was thinking that, there is a knock on the door. And then I hear a voice from outside.


    ''Brother Alihit, we''re back now. It''s Madoka. Melissa is with you.


    Yeah, you''re here. I''ll pick the lock now.


    I open the door and Madoka and Melissa come in. Apparently they were working on the demolition, so Melissa had taken care to bathe outside, and Madoka seemed to go along for the ride, removing the turban she always wears. Her bob cut dark hair was a little moist.


    ''You''ve been outside for a bath?¡¡Don''t hesitate to use this bathroom if you want.


    ''Ha, yes ... thank you, brother. But today, Melissa-san wanted to go home to take a bath, so I came to visit with her. I also had some things to do outside. I asked Zion-chan to come with me.


    ''I see. Has Theon gone back to the outhouse?


    "...a very nice girl. He''s strong, but he listens to me a lot.


    Melissa seems to be a dog lover too, and I can see a slight smile on her face. She''s wearing a private dress-type outfit instead of her usual tuna, and her hair, which is always a bit shaggy, is well combed - I wonder if Madoka took care of it after her bath.


    ''This is what I asked the apothecary to give me. It''s a tonic.


    I see. It''s easier to make than I thought. Thanks for the effort.


    ''No, this is what I do, and I''m happy to help.


    He thanked her and tried to let it slide for now, but there was no way Igarashi-san would have missed it.


    ''''Do you mean tonic tonic tonic or something like that?¡¡So there are things like drinkables in the labyrinth country.


    ''They say you can make it from a mushroom-type demon, but do you mean you could make it from dirty mash?¡¡With Misaki around, it looks like you got some rare material.


    Some mushrooms are poisonous, but some are good for your health, and that''s what we''ve extracted.


    Igarashi had been drinking nutritional drinks from time to time at work, and she was interested in them because she thought they were the same kind of thing.


    Melissa doesn''t say anything in particular - she seemed to have trouble saying it was a tonic earlier, so I thought it was something to be used in that direction, but that may not be the case.


    ''''Well then, if anyone is feeling tired, you can take it.


    ''What ... are you sure?¡¡But isn''t it valuable...


    If you want to hunt dirty mash, you can, so it''s not so precious that you can''t get it again. It might taste amazing, so I want someone else to taste it.


    ''Arithito but you''re right. If it tastes bad, you might not be able to use it when you should.


    If you have a companion who is tired from the day-to-day exploration, I hope it will help you recover. That would be better than keeping it for the rest of your life.


    Then I''m asking for a taste - the harvest in the labyrinth is common property, so everyone is entitled to experience the first bite. I''m not a hipster by any means.


    ''''It''s amber in color and looks delicious... but I wonder how it smells...''''


    ''Some things are hard to get over...''


    ''''Misaki-chan and the others might want to have a drink too, so let''s ask her later. Theresia-san seems....interested in...?


    ..........


    Theresa didn''t nod. She wasn''t going to let him drink if he didn''t feel like it, but when it came to this, everyone was so defensive that no one wanted to touch it.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    Afterwards, after everyone left the living room, I used the Elementary Appraisal Scroll to see what effect it had, and I got these results.


    ¡ôDirty Spirit ¡ô.


    If you drink it, you will be in a ''tonic'' state for a certain amount of time.


    There may be side effects when using it.


    (I''m glad I didn''t take it ... the risk is too great. What the hell are the side effects?)


    I know it''s dirty because it''s dirty mash, but when I say drink in "Spirit", I think it''s a drink.


    If it''s a drink where the colored core of the Dirty Mash is leached by soaking it in liquor or something like that, then it''s not a good idea to give it to minors. I haven''t checked if there is a concept of underage in the labyrinth country.


    The "tonic" itself is supposed to give you stamina or something like that, but trying out something that has side effects is indeed barbaric. I put the bottle of Dirty Spirit in the living room cupboard and returned to my bedroom.


    ''''Ah........Aricht-san, what was the result of your appraisal?''''


    It''s a very booze-y name, so minors shouldn''t drink it.


    Tonight she was sharing a room with Suzuna again, and she seemed to be sitting on her bed, thinking about something. It would be hard to move from one room to another every day by lottery, so she''d have to change rooms again tomorrow.


    ''Suzuna, are you sure you''ll be okay in the same room?''


    ''''Yes, I''m resting well and, well... I was wondering if it''s okay for me to share a room with you, Aricht-san... Misaki-chan can tell you lots of exciting stories.


    ''It''s better to be quiet, as expected, at least before bed. Even though it''s a lot of fun, Misaki''s topics of conversation tend to make fun of me.


    ''''Hmmm.......Misaki-chan, I always do that to people I like.


    It''s a common thing when you''re a kid, teasing for attention and all that. I don''t know if I should be happy about the fact that I''m the object of that to Misaki.


    ''Am I quiet when I sleep?¡¡I mean, if Suzuna is asleep, I don''t know.


    It''s very quiet. I don''t have to worry about breathing too loudly or anything...


    ''Don''t worry, I don''t hear anything. Well, I guess it''s okay, at least a little bit. I don''t want you bouncing off the covers or anything because you''re a bad sleeper.


    ''''Hmmm........Misaki-chan can be like that, so please tell her not to show her belly when you are in the room with her. Misaki-chan, she''ll listen to what you say, Aricht-san, she''ll listen to you honestly.


    If my roommate was sleeping on his or her stomach, what could I do - just gently put a blanket over him or her? Well, once I fall asleep, I''m a deep sleeper too, so it''s not often that I suddenly wake up in the middle of the night.


    ''.........oh, I''m sorry. I shouldn''t be doing this where Misaki-chan isn''t around.......like we''re talking about a rumor, right?


    ''I''m not saying anything bad about him, so that''s fine. When people say that he''s a bad sleeper, it''s just the way I imagine him to be on a daily basis.


    ''I don''t think I''d want to show Arihito-san too much embarrassment. Misaki, I really respect Aricht-san so....


    Oh, really...?¡¡Misaki''s always been on a roll, so I thought it would be a good idea to listen to her half of the story.


    Talking like this makes me wonder if he''s really the same age as Misaki. When I was in high school, I wasn''t as calm as Suzuna.


    ''I think everyone is comfortable with Arihito-san''s sense of distance that doesn''t allow him to get into people''s minds unnecessarily.......because I am too.


    ''I''m not that fastidious, though. Maybe I''m just slow.


    Oh...well, you''re aware of that....


    Hmm?¡¡Suzuna, what did you say?


    ''''Wha........nothing. I thought men like this were only in stories, but it''s really........amazing.......


    When you stare at me with a blush on your cheeks like that, you might misunderstand - but right now Suzuna doesn''t seem to be saying ''great'' in a very positive way.


    ''''........Ah. S-, I''m sorry, I''m sorry, I did something rude again.......


    ''No, I don''t mind. Anyway, I''m glad we''re getting to talk about things. If you have any thoughts too, Suzuna, you can always... hmm?


    The chest of drawers on Suzuna''s bedside table glowed a pale neon blue.


    It was Suzuna''s license. The light periodically intensified and weakened, as if to signal something.


    ''''This is........Aricht-san, can you take a look at it?''''


    ''Oh, yeah...''


    I got out of bed and asked to see the license for the Suzuna. There was a display on it that read.


    ¡ôNotice ¡ô.


    Ariadne requests Suzuna to use a medium.


    ''Is this ... a call from Ariadne?¡¡You''re asking me to use a ''medium'' in a place like this...


    "...not everything appears on the license, but so far I haven''t seen anything wrong, so I''m pretty sure this is what Ariadne asked for.


    I can contact Ariadne in the fourth layer of "Akebono''s Field" through the license - not to mention, there seems to be a reason why the other side is asking for a "spirit medium".


    I''m not going to question the indication of the license either, and if there''s some urgent requirement, it''s not a good idea to go through with it.

 70 Episode 69: Warning of the Secret God and Faith Value

    "Suzuna, I''m here for you, so you can try out the ''medium''.


    ''Thank you. I''m sure Mr. Ariadne is trying to tell us something.


    Suzuna dutifully bows her head to me and sits upright on the bed. Then, as she closes her eyes and begins to concentrate, a mysterious aura, or what should be called spiritual energy, envelops her body.


    Huh...!


    I chanted a small incantation, and at that moment - just like when I activated "Moon Reading", a pillar of blue light rises up to envelop Suzuna, just like when I activated "Moon Reading".


    However, what was decisively different from the "Moon Reading" was the presence of someone else behind Suzuna that wasn''t her.


    ''''........Is that the ''rear guard'' there? Since I''m not used to borrowing the miko''s vision yet, visibility is a problem. If I''m correct, I''d like you to respond.


    Yeah, it''s me. It''s me, Alihit.


    Suzuna''s hair changed color and her tone of voice became Ariadne''s. It was thought that Suzuna had used the ''spirit medium'' to bring down something like Ariadne''s spirit body into her own body.


    Ariadne''s eyes, which were asleep at the bottom of the labyrinth, did not have the light of emotion in them. It was the same when it inhabited Suzuna, and when she stared into the lifeless eyes, she couldn''t help but cringe.


    ''''Just to be sure, are you really Ariadne?''''


    ''The proof of this will appear in the appearance of the priestess and in the parts of her body. My spirit body will be able to interfere in this way, using the ''pledge tag'' of those with whom I have contracted as a marker. If the skill of ''mediumship'' is used, my ''divine crest'' will appear in this position.


    "...well, wait, you don''t have to show me!¡¡It''s Suzuna''s body, you have to respect her.


    Ariadne, lodged in Suzuna, tries to unbutton her nightgown to show her breasts - she suddenly unbuttoned it from the button at her chest so that the area between the two bulges is in view.


    Indeed, there was a glowing mark floating there. This is Ariadne''s ''divine pattern'' - a symmetrical geometric pattern, about the tip of an adult''s thumb in size.


    ''''........Humans have a sense of shame. Even in the ''spirit medium'' state, the priestess is aware of the situation. Thank you for stopping me, I think.


    Wow, okay you''d better keep that to yourself too.


    I understand. I''ll fix the problematic behavior. I have a learning mechanism, but I''m not very good at it. With repeated learning, a neural network is formed, similar to the neural circuits in the human brain.


    When talking to Ariadne, it doesn''t seem as if an advanced mechanical civilization has created her, not unlike the medieval landscape of the labyrinthine country.


    The discomfort is quite great as she speaks in a matter-of-fact manner, borrowing Suzuna''s body. But at first there was no light of emotion in her eyes, but I began to feel a little sparkle in them.


    I couldn''t help but become curious and stare into her eyes - and then Ariadne just so happens to look away.


    ''''........This is the feeling of embarrassment. Suzuna''s emotions are quite strong and chaste. However, as an exception to Ariadne........


    Ariadne is about to say and then stops midway through. Apparently Suzuna''s protests are intense. That''s natural, because she might say everything she''s thinking about.


    ''''........In exchange for continuing to respond to the request of the ''medium'', it has been agreed that I will not speak for her except when Suzuna wants me to.


    ''Yeah, that would be great so, Ariadne, do you have something to tell us?''


    Yes. I''m here to warn you about my newly acquired ''black box''.


    The fact that the license shows what you got means that it will be passed on to Ariadne.


    The black box I acquired from the vine grass puppeteer. It''s in the leather luggage compartment I carry around with me. When I took it out and showed it to her, Ariadne nodded.


    ''What''s so dangerous about this?¡¡There was a key to get to Ariadne''s place and a lot of treasure, or rather, gold coins and equipment and stuff like that, but...


    Ariadne shook her head. Then he pointed to the black box on my hand and said.


    ''''Sometimes the black box contains an ''armament''.


    Armament...?


    Yeah. Its official name is the Armored Attachment. I told you that we gods have parts. Essentially, the parts come in a black box. The parts I should have used were not included in the black box of the juggernaut, and there should have been a replacement in there. The "little crystal body


    When I was told that, it immediately hit me - the ''Breaker Crystal'' that Madoka had examined in detail, but in the end remained unidentified.


    ''''You mean this?¡¡I''m not quite sure what it''s for...


    ''''It''s the ''divine weapon control crystal'' that corresponds to the ''sword''. By attaching it to the armament, it becomes usable.


    Jingi, Soushou?


    You could call it an armament controller. An armament is a part equipped by a mysterious god ... in other words, it can be said to be a divine weapon. A divine weapon has a will, and has the will to act autonomously. And to prevent itself from being ''acquired'', it basically defends itself.


    You hear new words in succession and have a hard time organizing your mind - just in case this happens, you take out the notebook you bought from the storage box and write down the information you got from Ariadne.


    So that''s what it is.


    I affirm. All those present are at risk of being drawn into the battle.


    It would be better to have Falma-san get out of the box as soon as they opened it. And Misaki, or even Suzuna, might want to stay out of the battle.


    "My contractor, my unshakable ''rear guard''. As a blessing to you, I offer you one of the most effective ways to prevent the attack of the divine weapon.


    That mechanical arm a guard arm. Are you sure you''re going to be able to prevent it?


    Ariadne called herself discarded or out of place. Will she be able to prevent the attacks of the divine weapons that the secret gods equip - I want to believe it, but I can''t ask her to force herself to protect me.


    She seemed to be thinking about it for a while. She''s sitting upright on the bed, staring at me - even Ariadne has a thing for being troubled.


    ''If your faith value is sufficient, the damage that ''Guard Arm'' can reduce can be increased by that amount. For that reason, I would like your cooperation.


    ''Faith value what do we have to show that we have faith in the secret god, Ariadne, who gives us blessings?


    ''Yes. Faith is something that comes naturally when I give you blessings. It can also be obtained by establishing a strong ''trust'' with you. Faith is not consumed; the more it is increased, the stronger my blessings become.


    When Rival-san was attacked by ''Death Coming from the Sky'', Ariadne''s ''Guard Arm'' had successfully defended against it. It seems that even my supportive defense wasn''t able to prevent it, so it can be considered a pretty powerful defensive tool. If it could be further strengthened, the upper limit of the damage it could prevent would be even higher.


    But when it comes to strengthening trust, what are the methods? I''m not so skillful at talking as to be able to deepen trust just by having a conversation.


    ''''So we can assume that if we increase our faith value, we will be able to prevent divine weapon attacks?


    "...The way to do this is to have a priestess ''medium'' as a way of doing this. If I do what you will thank me for, my faith will naturally deepen. As part of this, the priestess inhabiting me will commune with you....


    ''''Huh........No, no, we can''t do something else. Even Suzuna didn''t ''medium'' Ariadne to do that kind of thing.


    But that way is the least time consuming. It will strengthen the trust between you and the priestess, and if you were to conceive, you could marry her.


    Oh, you know...


    Probably Suzuna is resisting things tremendously - if I were to follow Ariadne''s words, I would not only be despised for the rest of my life, but I would be hated for it.


    But the idea of a miko being embraced by a man for spreading teachings and such was a story from a time when she had nothing to do with it. A walking miko was a different story, and Suzuna wouldn''t have been a miko with that kind of awareness.


    ''And anyway I can''t be the leader of a party, even if it leads to strengthening the party.


    "Consent is granted and it''s nothing. If you say any more, you will be dismissed as a medium. We''ll build up our trust in what the priestesses will allow.


    (...wait...wait...) Does trust mean we should increase Ariadne''s trustworthiness?¡¡(Then...)


    ''Ariadne, how about this?¡¡Try sitting with your back to me.


    I understand ... I would like to question the logic behind this action.


    ''Try to wait a little longer. It should be triggered periodically.


    Current Situation


    Arihito''s Recovery 1 activates ¡ú Suzuna''s health is restored.


    "...?¡¡My body warmed up and my metabolism increased. What does that restorative behavior mean for you?


    From this display, it seems that activating ''Support Recovery'' on Suzuna does not increase Ariadne''s faith value.


    ''''I just used my skills to recover Suzuna. Recovery is an act of building trust. Is Ariadne''s mental body maintained by something like magic power?


    ''I affirm. The Spiritual Body of the Mystic God is composed of magical power.


    Well it''s going to take some time, but I guess that''s about it.


    I hold my hand over Ariadne''s back and remind her - if it''s an action that restores magic power, it might improve Ariadne''s confidence level.


    (Sharing my magic power with Ariadne... ''Assist Charge'')


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates Assist Charge ¡ú Suzuna''s magic power is restored.


    Ariadne possessing Suzuna has regained her magical power.


    The faith value of "Ariadne" increased.


    Hmm.....


    Unlike earlier, I saw a change in Ariadne''s appearance - Ariadne, who was omitting me, had a slight upturn in her cheeks.


    ''''........A skill that aids magic power. I didn''t think it would be such a direct, trusting means of building a relationship. Part of my mental body is currently composed of your magical power.


    ''Well, let''s give it some time and keep going a few times... the license also says that your faith value has increased. How much is this?


    I recommend you continue to improve the defense of the ''guard arm'' a few times.


    Ariadne turns her back to me again and flows her hair forward over her back - and when she does, the white nape of her neck is exposed and I can''t help but get upset.


    (What am I as an adult to think that way about a high school student... but it''s not like I''m doing anything shady. Let''s get rid of the evil thoughts and focus.)


    ''''There is a skill I possess that grants magic power. If I use it to restore Aricht''s magic power, the amount of recovery through ''assisted charging'' will of course increase. Therefore, if I simply recover it, I can build a permanent agency between me and Arihito.


    ''''That''s great.......If Ariadne gives everyone the recovered magic power, we can always fight the enemy with full recovery?


    Unfortunately, my magic grant can only be used by you, the contractor... hmm...


    Oh wow, sorry. Should I say no before I charge it?


    ''''There''s no need to say no. A miko''s body has very keen senses. It reduces sensitivity.


    Ariadne asked for a ''medium'' because she was trying to warn us - she''s a being who gives us blessings, so there''s nothing wrong with doing so, and I want to thank her for it.


    However, I hadn''t yet realized on this night what would happen if I raised my faith level while possessing Suzuna''s body.

 71 Episode 70 Energy Sink

    With Suzuna inhabiting Ariadne with ''Spiritual Medium'', she would perform ''Assist Charge'', have the charged magic power returned, and use ''Assist Charge'' again.


    Theoretically, this is how it should be done, but when it came to the stage of actually using Ariadne''s skills to get her to return the magic power, I was unexpectedly nervous.


    Ariadne''s ''Energy Sync'' skill allows the user of the skill and the subject to be in sync - in other words, the user of the skill and the subject''s magical power can be made equal.


    Using ''Assist Charge'' will reduce my magic power, but Ariadne will recover more than the amount of reduction. I''ll use the Energy Sink to compensate for the loss, and then use the Assist Charge again. In this way, the Energy Sync restores my magic power to the same amount each time, so I can repeat the process as many times as I want.


    I can do it, but - in order to activate the "Energy Sync", some part of my body has to touch it. Although I think it''s not a problem if you touch a bland place, but if you try to actually do it, I feel like no matter where you touch it, it''s going to be an impediment.


    ''''Ah, um........Arihito-san, I''m fine to touch anywhere, so please don''t worry about it.''''


    Ohhhh... Suzuna. Can you talk while you''re a ''medium'' if you want to?


    I''m surprised by the exaggeration - because Ariadne''s nonchalant tone just now has suddenly returned to her bare Suzuna.


    ''''Arihito-san is being very reserved, so I asked Ariadne-san to take over for me... it''s a very strange feeling.


    During The Spiritual Medium, it wasn''t that Suzuna couldn''t move of her own volition at all. However, when she had just been able to move her body on her own, Suzuna seemed to feel a little uncomfortable, and she seemed uncomfortable.


    ''Ah, ah ... it seems that if you increase your faith in Ariadne, you can increase your defenses.


    If we do that, we''ll have a better chance of preventing a strong attack ... let''s get as much faith as we can tonight.


    ''It would help me too if you could help me out. No, it would be more about the whole party than me.


    ''Yes, for the party ... one for all and all for one. Right?


    Suzuna says, unusually, in a joking manner. As much as I''m trying to protect everyone, the fact that she feels the same way about me is directly related to the solidity of the party.


    Fortunately, there''s no such thing as someone not getting along with someone else, and we''re all very close. But that''s where we should not take pride and forget to care, that''s what relationships are all about. Especially since I''m a man and everyone else is a woman, I have to be the most careful.


    ''''........Ah, um. I''m about to use the ''Energy Sink'', can you touch it?


    ''Ah, ah well, where would you like to be then? I''d appreciate it if you could direct me.


    She should be able to handle skin-to-skin contact without being strangely aware of it, but if it was a ticklish place for Suzuna, it was not good. I think we should knock on a stone bridge here.


    ''Anywhere on your back is fine for you to touch.


    Okay Okay, well I''ll see you around.


    He touches his hand to the area between his shoulder blades. Suzuna clasps her hands together as if she is praying - she is activating the ''Energy Sink''.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Suzuna is "substituting" for Ariadne''s "Energy Sync".


    Aricht and Suzuna''s magic power is balanced.


    ''''It''s.......warm. I can see my magic power transferring to Alihit-san, and then Alihit-san''s magic power coming back and becoming more even.


    ''I think if we could use this skill with more than one person, we could all have a certain amount of magic power, especially while compensating for the depleted party members.


    Suzuna replies to my reasoning by taking over for Ariadne once more.


    ''''I affirm. Right now, it can only be used against the leader, Arihito. However, the skills of the Secret God will be enhanced as the party grows. Once the total level of the party exceeds twenty, my skills will change to the second level.


    When Ariadne is able to leave the depths of the ''Akebono Field'', can she be asked to join the party? If so, she could exercise the skills she possesses on her own.


    ''''If we can collect the parts, we will be able to do such a thing.


    Nah, I see... you can get my point across even if you''re a medium.


    ''Affirmative ... no. I''m undecided on that. Humans have a tendency to keep their private time secret. I must not inform others of the thoughts of an arihito.


    ''Sure, it would be nice to have that... well, it''s nice to know that the idea is getting through, but I''m a little worried that you''ll be taken aback.


    ''I want to understand human emotions. To understand it better, after all, it is to have negotiations between men and women...


    So, you see, that''s the thing about...


    She could switch places with Suzuna at any time, and she''s heard the exchange. It''s a very good idea to be able to have a good time with them.


    ¡ô¡ó¡ô


    It seems that Ariadne''s faith level has a limit depending on the situation of the party, and at the moment I was able to raise it to 100.


    Whenever I repeated the ''Assist Charge'', I somehow felt that Ariadne''s gesture of looking behind me had changed - is she conscious of touching me?


    "Ariadne, are you okay?


    ...emotionally triggered. The influence of the possession...


    Hey, what''s up?¡¡Are you sick?


    "...no. It''s not. I can say that I and the miko are in perfect physical condition. We''re all good.


    Ariadne insists on putting her hands on her chest. Since there is no light in her eyes, I still feel like I''m going to be sucked in when she stares at me, or maybe it makes me feel strange.


    I wonder if I''ve been told ''I want to understand human beings'' for a long time now, so I''m feeling the same way. I hope that''s also tolerable, as a healthy man can''t help it.


    ''My faith level has increased. Now I can use my ''guard arm'' to protect you. By nature, it is even safer when you have a companion skilled in defense.


    ''I do not specialize in beast blessings. The best match is the ''humanoid warrior type'' and those with metal equipment.


    Then in our party, it would be Igarashi-san or Elitia - Elitia is an attack specialization, and Igarashi-san is safer to avoid than to receive.


    (Speaking of defense-specialized, metal equipment.......Serafina-san from Guild Saber is the same. (But she''s already pulled out of the 8th district?)


    ''All right, thanks for everything. Ariadne, I''m sure I''ll need your help soon, and I''ll look after you when I do.


    Duly noted. It is my pleasure to be able to communicate with you and to preserve the integrity of the circuitry.


    Current Situation


    Suzuna''s mediumship is released.


    Kakuen, and Ariadne suddenly nods. Is a medium supposed to run out after a certain amount of time?


    ''Suzuna, are you okay?''


    When I called out to her, Suzuna slowly opened her eyes and saw me in front of her - she flew backwards in a small way and held her mouth with both hands.


    ''Hey, what''s up?¡¡Sorry, I guess I''m surprised it was suddenly right in front of me.


    ''''Y-yeah I was watching in Ms. Ariadne and she said she was going to go to sleep once. .....


    Suzuna seems restless, constantly touching her ears and patting the bed.


    I don''t think she''s even aware of the fact that she and I are in a room together. After a while, Suzuna notices that I''m watching her and freaks out on the spot again.


    ''''Uh, well I''ll get you some water. I''ve been concentrating on this the whole time, so let''s take a break.


    "...... I''m going to go, Arihito-san, please make yourself comfortable..........


    Suzuna is always calm, but right now she is unusually flustered.


    She''s also a high school student, so I guess she can''t always be calm and collected in any situation. I understand that - if Misaki sees Suzuna now, she will surely misunderstand, so I hope she will somehow calm down by morning.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    I went to bed after rounding the top and woke up about thirty minutes before breakfast.


    I was told that we would have a choice for breakfast today, so I opted for a bacon sandwich made of wild boar meat. The meat was very soft and tender, dipped in fruit juice to remove the smell. Since it was freshly made, the juices flowed out of the sandwich when I bit into it.


    (But it tastes like pork ... and when you think of pork, you think of gingerbread. That taste that you can never get without soy sauce.......can''t I taste it again somehow?)


    ''It''s really nice to have fresh fish, even in labyrinth country.


    "Suzu-chan''s mother used to fry fish in the morning, didn''t she? My mom used to........hmm?¡¡Hey, Suzu, what''s up, you''re spacing out.


    ...Yes?


    Everyone was surprised to see Suzuna''s raw reply. I thought she was acting slightly strange since this morning, but I wonder if it wasn''t a good idea to stay up late.


    ''....Did you do something weird with Suzu-chan, big brother?


    I''m not gonna do it. What are you talking about?


    ''But for Suzuna to be this upset it''s only natural to think something''s wrong.


    Elitia pointed out that Madoka, the newcomer to the breakfast table, was fuming, and Melissa was gulping down a mouthful of chili beans.


    ''Oh, um ... you and your sisters, brother Alihit and all that ...''


    It''s not true..... You''re a serious person, so you have to think about that kind of thing, even in the future...


    ''''Sister Kyouka, you''re the most knowledgeable about your brother, after all. Ah, that''s right. I''ll have to ask your brother if he had an ex-girlfriend or not.


    ''I don''t think he''s there but I don''t know... he used to work with me a lot on his days off, and he didn''t get many calls at work to leave. Sh........


    ''So that''s what you''ve been looking at too Kyouka, I thought you were only looking at Arihito.


    Oh, no...


    Igarashi-san is troubled - I want to help her, but I feel like it''s kind of dumb to say ''I wasn''t seen that much''. In fact, the more power-harassed I am, the more she was quite concerned when I left her seat.


    ''''........more importantly. Rearward, is something wrong with Suzuna-chan?


    ''Yes, well I mean, I mean, I had Suzuna stay with me a little late last night.


    I''m going to go out with you and that means you''re going to have to go out with me.


    It''s time for you to pull yourself together, Misaki. You''re not making any progress.


    Elitia uses her powers to keep Misaki quiet. I''ve been wanting to talk to everyone about something important too, so I decided it was time to cut to the chase.


    ''I was going to tell you all about it, but I got a call from Ariadne last night. Using Suzuna''s skills, I can call on Ariadne''s spirit to talk to her.


    ''I''m surprised that happened so what did you talk about?''


    ''When you open a black box, parts of a secret god can come out of it. It will attack what you try to get....which means that when you have it opened at the box store, there is a chance of a battle.


    When I explained that, everyone turned serious. Even Suzuna, who had been above board a moment ago, returned to her normal state.


    ''In order to prevent that attack, I asked Suzuna to help me raise Ariadne''s level of faith last night. But if I say it''s safer to open the box after raising its level than to open it at this stage, it''s safer.


    ........well. If those parts are so strong........


    ''But it''s Ariadne-san''s parts. Then there''s a good chance that Ariadne-san''s power will prevent the attack. And I don''t think even she would suggest it if it was very dangerous.


    Elitia and Igarashi-san''s opinions, both of which are at odds with each other in my mind.


    Do I dare not risk it here and keep the box without opening it? Or do I open the black box, hoping that I''ll be able to get parts as well as magical equipment and other things from it?


    The guarantee that the guard arm will prevent damage...)


    "...I''m going to follow Arihito-san. I''ve already made up my mind to do so.


    ''Well I''m sorry to say it''s a bit of a heavy decision. I don''t think I would lose so much if I had Alihit around. The only reason I''ve been able to defeat demons that didn''t seem to be able to win in the past is because of Arihito.


    ..........


    Theresa looks at me in silence. She will follow me at all times, I suppose.


    It''s best to be cautious. But even though there''s a good chance of getting Ariadne''s parts, I have a feeling that there''s something different about putting it off to be safe.


    ''''Well I want to open the black box. It may be dangerous, but I know I''ll get a lot out of it.


    ''''Yeah, I get it. As we move up to the seventh district, the demons will become stronger, and if we can update one of our equipment at this time, we''ll be safer in the future.


    Elitia nods at me without a second thought. She''s not timid at all - no, she believes in this party.


    ''Rear-kun, shouldn''t you be able to use your morale release?¡¡It takes a lot of time to prepare, but I think it''s worth it.


    ''You can get your brother to tell you ten times to do your best. It''s kind of like a gymnasium, isn''t it?


    ''You can hear so much of Aricht-san''s voice...''


    ''Oh, yeah ... as usual. Suzuna, are you okay?


    ''''Yes ... it''s okay. I, for some reason, seem to be able to exert more strength today than usual........


    Suzuna is strangely more glamorous than usual - or rather, there''s something like an aura emanating from her body.


    Looking at the license, there is no particular state change. But I already know that there are a few elements that don''t show up on the license each time.


    (The assisted charge has increased my reliability...?¡¡(And if that''s the case... I''ve repeated myself rather a hell of a lot of times...)


    After all, Suzu-chan, doesn''t it suddenly feel like a chrysalis turning into a butterfly...?


    That sort of thing happens a lot when you''re old enough... If you''re responsible for your rear end, you''ll have to explain it to me when you share a room with me.


    ''No, no. I can''t try the same thing unless it''s Suzuna... and I don''t mean that in a weird way.


    The only time I can do an infinite loop of magic recovery is when Suzuna ''spirit mediums'' Ariadne.


    But even if that wasn''t the case, ''assisted recovery'' can be overly reliable while sleeping if you make one mistake - I felt like the skill to stop turning over was the most necessary for me, or rather this party, right now.

 72 Episode 71: The second black box

    If Melissa''s abilities could be seen, she could be asked to join the party, but she, along with Madoka, would basically prefer to work as a production worker.


    ''''Well if it''s processing I can do it too. Bring back some good materials.


    Brother, everyone, take care of yourselves...


    ''Yeah. Madoka, I''m sure we''ll get another large amount of weaponry and armor, so take care of that.


    Yes, I will negotiate with the union to get a good deal.


    The two of them saw us off and we left our quarters. Then, the seven of us, accompanied by Sion, headed for the box store.


    (.........hmm?¡¡(That was...)


    As I pass by the guild, I see a group in armor talking with Louisa-san.


    That''s the Guild Saber''s party. Since they are leaving the eighth district, does that mean they are greeting each other?


    ''''........Ah, Atobe-sama. You''re in a good place.''''


    Eh....it''s me?


    ''''Yes, the Guild Saber Seraphina came up to thank us again for rescuing the ''Arctic Star'' people yesterday.


    Serafina-san looked back at me while brushing back her smooth, greenish hair. She''s as beautiful as ever - but in front of Louisa-san and everyone else, I have to keep my face tight.


    ''She''s right, I went up to thank her again. I would like to present a ''Saber Ticket'' to your party. With these, a request for help will be sent through your license and you can ask for our help.


    Presented in front of me was a thin piece of metal, shaped like a rounded rectangular corner. Light blue metal - I don''t know what it''s made of.


    ''''Saber ticket.......this is a valuable thing.......''''


    "It''s made of a metal called ''Crisdite''. It can be thought of as a mercenary ticket, even higher level. The maximum level limit for mercenaries you can hire in this ward is five, and guild savers can only join with a minimum of eight.


    Level 8 and above - that story gives me an idea.


    If I can ask someone who is even or even stronger than Elitia to play the role of a shield - it''s only temporary, I want a member of the team with a little bit of defense to get past the first blow before I open the black box.


    ''Seraphina-san, may I ask you one question?


    No problem. We haven''t received any calls for help so far, and we have time to get back to headquarters.


    ''''Thank you. As far as that big shield is concerned, Seraphina-san is the vanguard of the party, or is she in charge of defending it?


    "I work for the ''Riot Soldiers''. Originally, a task force ... a group of people working to maintain public order, would that get across?


    A mobile infantryman... no way, a soldier...!¡¡(They say there are women in the military, but those people were reincarnated too...)


    This ''riot shield'' is used to prevent and even subdue enemy attacks. Since there are no firearms in this world, I use my staff (rod) as a weapon, but in the labyrinth country, my profession is dedicated to defense.


    The shield she carries has what looks like a peephole on it. It''s made of silvery metal and polished like a mirror - it''s a high quality equipment that would never be available in this 8th district.


    And since there was no modern equipment in the labyrinth country, I knew that it would look like a female knight. The rod I''m holding also has a weight attached to the tip, and it looks like it has considerable destructive power.


    ''''Thank you for telling me. I have a few things I need to discuss with you, can you wait for me?''''


    Yes, sir.


    Serafina-san waits for me and I head to my friends who were waiting behind me.


    "Rear, could it be that you''re thinking of asking that person to help you with something called ''Saber Ticket''?


    That''s very impressive, Igarashi-san. Since it''s such a big deal, I wanted to get someone with as much defense as possible to participate.


    ''How dangerous the first blow is... although I''d like to think that there''s nothing that even a guild saber can''t take. Theon isn''t well equipped, so it''s dangerous to have him take it with ''covering''.


    Sion sits up in a well-behaved position, and Suzuna pats him on the body. Elitia was right, even if he was an escort dog, he had to wear protective gear or he would worry when he was attacked.


    It''s a good thing that you can''t find anything more amazing than that armor around here. It''s definitely a big deal.


    ''''Well you move so lightly in that armor, it''s amazing...''''


    ..........


    They all agree. Theresia is also looking at Seraphina-san, but she doesn''t seem to be particularly alarmed or anything.


    I held out the saber ticket I received earlier to Seraphina, who was waiting in line by the wall of the guild so as not to interfere with the passage.


    ''''Serafina-san, if you are available, would you be willing to join our party from now on and witness the opening of the ''box''?''''


    ''''It''s ... it''s ... basically discouraged to show the opening of the box to anyone outside the party. Because the box is common property acquired by the party.


    ''That''s the thing ... if we open the box we found, there''s a good chance we''ll find an enemy. We desperately need to defeat it. It''s dangerous to ask for help to take on an unknown attack, so of course you can ask them to refuse.


    Serafina-san stares into my eyes - eyes so clear that I want to look away. This hair color and other things are probably not natural hair if you''re a reincarnation, but did it change to a fantastic color while living in the labyrinth country?


    ''If that''s the sort of thing you''re looking for, you don''t need a ticket. We are part of our mission, especially to assist promising rookies. The boxes themselves are so valuable that we regularly see people wiped out by box traps, though not as many as we would like. Those situations must be prevented whenever possible.


    ''.........Oh, thank you.......!¡¡But we have to pay the price for something. We can''t be the only ones getting special treatment....


    "It wasn''t just your deftness in rescuing the North Star. I''m told it''s not just your deftness in rescuing ''The North Pole,'' it''s also what you did that brought the patient back to consciousness in a medical center. Personally, I''m interested in what kind of explorer you are, so don''t hold back. Hence, there is no need to hold back.


    If possible, my skills as a ''rear guard'' should not be widely known.


    However, it''s hard to imagine that someone who has the idea of using my skills would be present at the opening of the box, knowing that it''s dangerous.


    ''''I''ll defer to your judgment in the end. I''m willing to help, even if it''s temporary if possible. I will never tell you about what I''m about to see. If you break your word, you can do as you please with me.


    Okay, all right. Please don''t make that threatening remark.


    ''Threatening ... I didn''t mean to do that. I''m merely offering to pay the price necessary to get credit.


    Like Ariadne, I think you''re treating your chastity too casually. What''s upsetting me too every time that happens, so I want to settle down in an age-appropriate manner.


    ''''...I think the Japanese tend not to like rugged women.


    ''That''s not true at all. Sure, my party is all thin on the line, but...


    ''Lady Seraphina, will you be accompanying your explorers?¡¡We''re scheduled to return in the evening, so we''d like to start moving at three o''clock this afternoon.


    A woman who seems to be in Ms. Serafina''s entourage advises her modestly. Serafina-san looks at the clock in the plaza - nine in the morning, there is still time to spare.


    ''''Uh ... again, please. Could you come with us, please?


    Copy that. I want you all to be on ''Neighborhood Watch''. I want each of you to respond to any requests from the guild.


    The five men and five women under Ms. Serafina''s command had been standing upright and immobile the entire time, but the moment they received the order, their expressions relaxed.


    Perhaps it is because although it is called ''police'', it means that they are practically free to act as they please. Serafina-san, who was the only one left, saluted her subordinates as they dispersed and saw them off.


    First of all, I''d like to put a ''support uplift'' on Serafina-san as well. It will take some time, but without it, it will have a big impact on the battle.


    It has been decided that we will be asked to cooperate, and our friends are coming over here. It''s going to be self-introduction time now.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    ''Well I can''t believe I found the second black box. I knew by the look on Lady Atobe''s face that it was possible.


    ''I''m afraid. This time, I''d like to ask Falma-san to make the transition as soon as we open the box because I think we''re going to have to fight.


    Falma thought she would be even more surprised, but she was calmer than I expected.


    ''You''ll know when a demon is coming out of the box when you''re disarming the trap. So I''ll let you know just before I open it.


    ''Well well then, nice to meet you.


    Very well. Eike, Plum, I need you to stay here for a bit.


    ''Yeah, okay!¡¡Brother Atobe, guys, take care of yourselves!


    I''ll be waiting for you here with your brother Ake!


    We were escorted by the children down the stairs to the basement to the transition door.


    Sion''s mother dog, Ashtarte, was not present. She''s level 13, and she said that she sometimes goes to the upper wards to work for the guild, so that''s probably why she''s out.


    ''''Well if you''re going to be the vanguard, I''ll tell you about the skill of attracting the enemy''s attention. I can use several skills to attract hostility the so-called hate. The one I often use against a single enemy is called ''Provoke''. If I am successful, the enemy''s attack will be directed at me first.


    I understand. Seraphina, I can assist you in battle from behind. Attack, increase your defense, etc....


    ''I had my morale boosted earlier but I''ve never had my morale boosted to the max.


    ''You know that if you raise your morale to the maximum, you can ''liberate your morale''... but I guess that means you don''t know what it''s like.


    Seraphina nodded her head in a dignified manner. It was only at the beginning that I thought of her as having a strict military temperament, but after she joined the party, her candor was on full display.


    ''''I don''t know if ''Morale Release'' is definitely suitable for combat... but I might use it as a trump card. Once you use it, it takes quite a bit of time to reuse it, so I can''t give it a test shot.


    ''If you don''t know what''s going to happen, you''re right, I''d consider it a last resort as far as use is concerned. Is that all right?


    After talking that far, Igarashi-san seemed to have something on her mind and came into the conversation.


    You," she said, "I don''t know who she''s talking about for a moment, so maybe we should call each other by our names.


    ''Oh yes I do. You can call me whatever you want to call me.


    ''Then I will call you Mister Atobe. Since you are the leader of the party, I should call you captain, though.


    ''''Come to think of it, that salute you gave earlier was really cool! Captain Arihito, I want to call you Captain too!


    How useful will Misaki''s skills as a gambler be in battle? Part of me is hoping for that, and the other part is hesitant about letting her, who is inevitably fragile in her defense, participate this time.


    ''''Misaki, this time, it''s as dangerous as it sounds...''''


    ''Atobe-sama, it''s at times like that that you should believe in the power of Zion. He will become stronger and stronger, just like his mother.


    BOW!


    ''Huh........could it be that you read the air that I was about to be left behind, Falma-san?¡¡Can I call you Mom?


    Hmmm... I''m very sensitive about such things.


    Farma-san, who put her finger to her lips and smiled like that - as one would think at a time like this, it didn''t look like her husband had become more lustrous after being away for so long.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    This time, the number displayed on the transition door was ''25''. As Farma had said before, the room used to open the box seemed to be an empty room that wasn''t being used by the other parties.


    After opening the door and passing through it, we emerge into a large room similar to the previous one. Falma-san takes up a position near the transition door so that we can quickly escape - we, too, prepared for the battle by forming up in formation.


    ¡ôCurrent Party ¡ô.


    1: Aricht *¡ô$¡õ Level 5


    2: Theresa Rogue, Level 5.


    3: Kyouka Valkyrie Level 4


    4: Elitia Carth Blade Level 9.


    5: Suzuna, Priestess, Level 4


    6: Misaki Gambler Level 4


    7: Theon Silverhound Level 4.


    8: Serafina Mobile Infantry, Level 11


    This is the full party of eight people. Serafina-san''s level is 11 - and with her large shield equipped, she definitely has the best defense in this party.


    Serafina-san at the front, Elitia and Igarashi-san in the second row. Teresia and Sion in the third row - Suzuna and Misaki are behind them, and I''m at the back of the line.


    ''''Well then, we''ll start unlocking the door. Ahhh........to be able to open such a difficult box again.......


    He''s still unnecessarily s*xy, but he''s out of position with me, so he doesn''t get hit by the s*x appeal. Right now, anyway, I have to focus on the moment the box opens.


    I hold my right hand over the box that Falma-san has placed on my left hand. And the unfolded, three-dimensional magic circle - the warding lock was even bigger and more complex than the previous black box.


    (What''s this........evil feeling........)


    ''This ... oh my God ... such a powerful force ... this has to go out. ........otherwise the box won''t open.......


    They''re coming!


    Pharma-san passes magic power through a maze-like three-dimensional magic circle - in the middle of that maze, like a red light.


    It is necessary to pass magic power through there, but it is blocked. In other words, there''s no other way for Pharma-san''s magic power to touch the red light - that moment.


    --The box, opened. Last time, a streak of blue light arose on the surface of the box and light flooded in - but.


    What pierced the area was a purple light. A violent light that sears into your vision flooded the large room - Falma-san sat there, trembling at the sight in front of her.


    ''''Farma-san, please get a grip!¡¡We''ll get through this place on our own!


    Huh...!


    We barely stand up, and Falma-san shifts into a transition. And the rampaging purple light settles down - and in our view, the sea of gold coins and armor that filled the area and the sea of gold coins and armor that was stored in a black box.


    Floating in the air, a single sword. A weapon with a silhouette like a Japanese sword, sprouting purple electricity, had appeared.


    -- Star Machine Sword (Intelligence Sword) Self Defense Activation (Awaken) --


    The demon you encountered


    ? Weapons of Intelligence In Combat Level 6 Drop: ?


    It''s not just floating - it''s moving up and down as if it''s shimmering.


    A thunderbolt runs around the sword, and with a lightning bolt, a killing spirit is released that seems to pierce my entire body. Even me, the rearmost guard, is reminded of death even before I fight.


    ''The black box........and inside it, the sword.......is that a katana.......?


    "--Seraphina, ''support''!¡¡Ariadne, please!


    In the blink of an eye, the sword floating in the air slashes at Seraphina-san in the front row as if she were alive.


    ''My name is Ariadne. To the faithful and their allies, I give my blessing.''''


    It''s my job.


    I can hear Seraphina-san''s voice - an invisible barrier from my ''support defense'' covers her shield, and in addition, instead of ''one arm'', a mechanical ''two arms'' appears in front of her and catches the attacking sword.


    This is the result of raising her faith value. It''s completely different from the last time she borrowed Ariadne''s power - this is an evolved ''guard arm''.


    (Please.........if you don''t survive this blow, it will be nothing......!


    Current Situation


    Aricht''s ''Support and Defense 1'' has been activated ¡ú Target: Seraphina


    Ariecht requests temporary support from Ariadne, the god of the machine, ¡ú Target: Seraphina


    Kijin Ariadne activates Guard Arm Twin.


    Seraphina activates the defensive stance.


    Seraphina activates "Aura Shield".


    ''? The Weapon of Intelligence activates the Tenchi Blades ¡ú Seraphina is hit


    From the upper level swing, a slash clad in lightning - and the guard arm takes the white blade. Even though the sword is stopped, the aftermath of the power unleashed remains and attacks Serafina-san who is holding her shield.


    ''''Ugh.........!


    Current Situation


    Tenchi Blades will be accompanied by Impact Aftermath, which will damage Seraphina.


    Seraphina activates "Counter" ¡ú "Seraphina" skill is activated immediately.


    (The damage has been mostly mitigated, but not unscathed....she can''t take it again and again in a row. No, she can''t just take it and be done with it.......!


    "--Haah!


    Current Situation


    Seraphina''s ''Shield Tackle'' is activated ¡ú ? Hit the Weapon of Intelligence for 11 damage.


    "It''s working... through a metal enemy...!


    I didn''t just receive it all - Seraphina-san pushed back as it was and flicked her sword away. I quickly put in ''Support Attack 1'' and confirm that the fixed damage has been dealt. She seems surprised, but I''m relieved as well - even though it went through the eagle-headed giant soldier, I wasn''t sure if I could strike the sword.


    After the sword was flung away, it spun around and turned around to face the original direction. However, it didn''t immediately attack him, but was floating in the air.


    I''ll explain later Seraphina, I''ll come back!


    I can make you do it too, so you''ll have to ease the burden...!


    ''Take it easy, sir!¡¡The power of the enemy''s attacks is extraordinary!


    Elitia and Igarashi-san move - Elitia would be able to keep up with the sword''s movements if she accelerated with her skills. Igarashi-san''s ''Blink Step'' can also contribute to disperse attacks, but the only choice is a short term battle.


    ''As before, you can still put damage in with the effects of my skills!¡¡We''ll attack when we have a chance...


    H..........?


    The next thing the sword aimed at was Elitia - Elitia instantly reacted and caught the sword with the ''Scarlet Emperor Sword''.


    ''''Kutu........!


    Kesa-slash, sweep, thrust - the sword''s movements seemed to flow, and Elitia was unable to cut back and turn to defend against it. Just receiving it was not judged as an attack, and she wasn''t able to put a fixed damage into the sword.


    (I have to interrupt quickly and create an opening... but I can''t use my flying tools. To make sure I hit it...)


    If I can make sure that I hit it with "Minnaka", I can hit that sword. But I still can''t break into the current slash.


    "--Elly, don''t run!


    Kyouka...!


    The one who moved beyond my expectations was Igarashi-san - her agility of movement was completely different from her until now.


    (I see, with the ''swarming wolf stance'' her ability has increased.......if it''s a blow, she might be able to break in.......!


    Yah!


    Current Situation


    Kyoka launches a double attack.


    ''? ''Weapons of Intelligence'' avoids the first step


    ''? Second level hit on "Weapon of Intelligence" for 11 damage.


    ''? The ''Weapon of Intelligence'' activates the ''Return Slash''


    Kyouka activates Blink Step and avoids a counterattack.


    Well, we just ducked... but how fast is that...?


    All of them barely take their distance from the sword once. It''s not just a physical attack, but the lightning that the sword is clad in is also clearly dangerous - it''s not good to get too close.


    Serafina-san also regains her stance and returns to the battle line. She was able to stop the first, sure-fire killing blow - but the enemy is moving too fast and it''s difficult to put in a cohesive amount of damage.


    (If I can get the enemy''s attention, I can get both Elitia''s Blossom Blade and our attacks in. We''ve got to stop them from moving at all costs...)


    The floating sword enters the attack stance again. At that time, Serafina-san activated the skill she had mentioned beforehand.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Seraphina activates "Provoke" ¡ú ? Hostility to "Seraphina" in "Weapons of Intelligence" has increased.


    Seraphina activates "Stance to Counterattack" and her counter success rate increases.


    Seraphina activates "Immovable Center of Gravity" ¡ú "Blowing Away" is disabled


    Seraphina activates "Overpowering March" ¡ú ? Interfering with the movement range of "Weapons of Intelligence


    "You are not going behind me. You have to stop at the ''front''...!


    ''-- Everyone, just like the first time, Mr. Seraphina gets it!¡¡If you stop the enemy''s attack, we''ll concentrate our fire on them!¡¡Igarashi-san, Theresa, Misaki!¡¡Morale release, please!


    Yes........let''s go, guys........Soulblink!


    .....


    Current Situation


    Kyoka activates "Soul Blink" and all members of the party receive "Spirit of War".


    Theresa activates Triple Steel and all members of the party have the Triple Steal effect.


    Misaki activates the "Fortune Roll" and her next action is sure to succeed.


    All of the war spirits appeared and their number of attacks doubled. Seraphina was surprised, but she soon figured out what was going on.


    This is going to be a battle at once.


    I watched the moment when the enemy''s sword moved like a shimmer - Seraphina-san received the attack and all of us turned to counterattack, never to miss that chance.

 73 Episode 72: Reversal

    There were eight party members and sixteen if you add the war spirits. With this number of people, if they applied a total attack, even if only fixed damage were to pass through, it would be one of the largest instantaneous firepower so far.


    ''''........Catch.......!


    As if in response to Seraphina-san''s words of using the skill to raise hostility, the sword pointed the face of the blade at her and began to spin furiously like a wheel.


    ''''Seraphina-san, please use the war spirit that just appeared well!¡¡It works as you will!


    War spirit this is my alter ego........then........!


    I have a hunch that if I had learned ''support coordination'' here, I would have expanded my tactics even further - but now I''m going to make use of what I have to get through this battle.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Seraphina activates "Aura Shield".


    Seraphina''s Spirit of War activates the Aura Shield by half.


    Enhance the effect of "Aura Shield".


    The War Spirit''s skills were half the performance of the main body. Even so, the light that enveloped Seraphina''s Riot Shield, combined with the shields of the war spirits that had activated their skills alongside each other, had greatly increased in strength.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    ''? Weapons of Will" activates "Wheeled Warfare".


    Wha...


    It''s not just a weapon - a weapon with a will that uses ''skills''.


    In the same way that the skills we use sometimes defy the laws of physics, the slashes that the sword delivers also exceed our common sense.


    (The whole - no, multiple attacks...!


    A sword that spins like a wheel shoots out slashes one after another like flying tools. Not only Serafina-san, but even Elitia and Igarashi-san, who are behind her, are attacked by the slashes with an arcing trajectory--but.


    ''''--I said I wouldn''t let them pass!


    Ariadne, please.


    Current Situation


    Seraphina activates the "Defense Force".


    Seraphina''s defense range has been extended.


    Ariecht requests temporary support from Ariadne, the god of the machine, ¡ú Target: Seraphina


    Ariadne activates Guard Arm.


    Aricht''s ''Support and Defense 1'' has been activated ¡ú Target: Seraphina


    The first level hits Seraphina ¡ú 0 damage


    The second level hits Seraphina.


    The third level hits Seraphina.


    The fourth level hits Seraphina.


    The very, immovable shield - a wall that nothing can pass through. Serafina-san''s shield instantly increases in area, blocking the slashes launched by the sword.


    The two guard arms stop the slashes one by one. And Serafina-san''s own shield catches the two slashes - but.


    ''''Seraphina........!


    Elitia cries out - the enemy''s attack didn''t end at the fourth level. Seraphina''s body tilted languidly as she was hit by the final blow. She still didn''t fall down, shaking out her hair and screaming.


    ''''I can''t go down........hahaha!


    Current Situation


    The fifth level hits the "Seraphina".


    Seraphina activates Fanatic, which increases her status.


    Seraphina activates "Shield Slam" ¡ú ? Hit the Weapon of Will for Fixed Damage 11


    ''? ''Weapons of Will'' stuns


    Seraphina''s health and magic power are restored.


    The blows from the shield with her full strength stop the rotation of the sword - Seraphina-san didn''t miss the momentary stall after she released the slash. Her strength recovers as much as she counterattacks, and her body shines faintly.


    The gap she created. That''s where we hit her with a series of attacks, shifting the timing slightly so that the attacks don''t clash. The first ones to cut in were Elitia and War Spirit, who accelerated in Sonic Raid. Following that, Igarashi-san followed with his spear at the ready. Furthermore, Sion, who was in the third row, followed next.


    ''''-- Shatter away!


    Huh...!


    Whoa!


    Current Situation


    Elitia activates the Blossom Blade.


    ''? 12 hits on Weapons of Will. Spirit of War adds 264 damage.


    Kyoka launches a double attack.


    ''? Double hit on Weapon of Will. Spirit of War''s supplemental attack does 44 damage.


    Theon" activates "Crossclaw".


    ''? Double hit on Weapon of Will. Spirit of War''s supplemental attack does 44 damage.


    Elitia''s health and magic power are restored.


    Kyouka''s health and magic power are restored.


    Theon''s health and magic power are restored.


    The sparks scattered, a series of raging blows - even when it was struck to the fullest extent, the sword was still alive and well. It deployed a film of light like a barrier and withstood it while being chipped away bit by bit.


    A total attack with the four remaining people - as I was about to give that order, something inexplicable and unpredictable anxiety flashed through my mind.


    ''''-- Suzuna, Misaki!


    Yes....!


    I could tell Theresia to throw the dagger as well. But she would have moved on her own without me telling her to - I sensed something beyond logic in not daring to attack her.


    Current Situation


    Misaki''s attack was a ? Hit a Weapon of Will for support damage of 11


    Suzuna activates Munchu for two consecutive hits.


    Suzuna''s attack was a ? Hit Weapons of Will twice for 22 damage.


    Misaki''s health and magic power are restored.


    Suzuna''s health and magic power are restored.


    That''s right, but it''s not very convincing.


    The arrows don''t reach........only Aricht-san''s power will work.......


    The ''support attack'' should be working - if you hit a sling, you can make an additional move of damage.


    (But........what''s this nasty feeling.......no way......!


    Current Situation


    ''? Emergency Evasion Action for ''Weapons of Will'' ¡ú ? Weapon of Will" status restored.


    ''? Weapon of Will activates Cage Bird.


    --The swords that were just being attacked suddenly split into several numbers and surround all of us in a circle.


    ''''Nah........''''


    Aricht, run!¡¡This attack is........!


    Current Situation


    Arihito''s Eye of the Hawk is activated ¡ú ? Perception of the main body of "Weapons of Will


    I''m at the very back of the group, and the horrendous murderous atmosphere that arises from further back.


    The weakness of the "rear guard". It''s vulnerable to a direct attack on me, who''s at the very back of the pack - even though I knew I had to take that countermeasure.


    Rear...!


    I hear Igarashi-san''s voice. I try to turn around as quickly as possible - I don''t have a decent way to prevent the enemy''s attack, is it possible to use the sling as a shield to avoid a fatal wound? It''s an attack that Serafina-san has piled up so many defensive skills, and with the help of Ariadne, she finally withstood the attack.


    (But........it''s still better than being stabbed to death from behind. I''ll take it from the front.......!


    Woooooooo...!


    I turn around and swing the sling backwards. Even if it''s not a decent defense, I will try to avoid dying, even if my arm is cut off.


    ''''Huh........!


    Theresia had foreseen this possibility.


    She was the only one in a position to protect me. She didn''t join the attack, but she drew back--


    (-- don''t come to me, Theresa!)


    I couldn''t let her die twice. So I reminded myself to stay away from her.


    Current Situation¡ô


    ''? ''Weapon of Will'' activates ''Meteor Thrust''


    The sword moves back slightly - as if a person is holding it up. Immediately after that, I was sure I saw it being thrust out.


    That movement ''slows down''.


    I twist and run away from the sword point that is approaching my body, the more it becomes possible to do so.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Arihito activates the "Lord''s General" and his status increases by the number of people in his party.


    d*mn it...!


    The blade of the sword cut thinly through the chest plate - a pain like fire. However, it avoided being pierced through the heart.


    ''''--!


    Current Situation


    Aricht evades damage.


    Theresia activates Wind Slash.


    ''? Hit by a Weapon of Will. Knocked back. Support damage 22


    Theresa''s health and magic power are restored.


    Theresia, who accelerated with the ''Accel Dash'', pushed the sword back - and without missing the moment when the sword dropped for a moment due to the wind pressure, I released a sling with all the strength I could muster.


    ''''--Oooh!


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates Force Shoot Stun.


    ''? Two hits on ''Weapons of Will''


    Aricht''s health and magic power are restored.


    ''? Defeat a Weapon of Will


    How could such force be generated - the sling was pulled with such force that it creaked, and the metal bullet that was launched made a sound as if it had been hit by a bullet when it hit the hilt of the sword.


    ''''Hah, hah... ouch...''''


    ...!


    Theresia rushes over - in hard leather armor, it''s like paper in front of this sword, and the armor on her chest is slashed clean through, with a single letter wound underneath it.


    "Rear Kun...!


    ''Arichto ... use a potion here. Suzuna, give me something to patch you up.


    Yes I can get you some homemade bandages but we need to get you to the medical center right away.


    I''m bleeding quite a bit, and I''m in pain, but I feel bad that everyone is too worried about me.


    The battle is over, the war spirit disappears - and I look at the license display to see what had happened to me.


    ''General of the Lord''s Army''. Thanks to the activation of this skill, I was able to follow the movements of the enemy that appeared behind me - and although I wasn''t unharmed, I was able to survive.


    (.........Thanks to Theresia''s encouragement to take this skill. If it wasn''t for this skill, I''d be a.......)


    If the number of war spirits also counted within the condition of ''the more people in the party, the greater the number of people, the greater the ability'' written in the description of ''General of the Hall Army''. Including my own war spirits, I would be the ''General of the Hall of Fame Army'' in a party of 16 people, and my ability would have improved.


    Serafina-san also received a blow, the bowl metal on her forehead was cracked and the chest armor of her armor was injured. However, perhaps she was able to recover from the effects of the ''Three Deprivations'', and there was no bleeding to be seen. I''m the same way - but even if I recovered, the bleeding didn''t stop instantly, the wound began to regenerate slowly and the pain eased.


    I feel like I''ve had my perceptions changed about this thing called slingshot.


    ''I can''t always produce this kind of power, but under the right conditions... but it was a close call. I''m sorry to ask Seraphina-san to play a dangerous role as well.


    Seraphina huffed and smiled. She didn''t look like she was forced to deal with a nuisance, and her smile was radiant to all intents and purposes. I had the impression that she didn''t smile much, so she looks very fresh.


    ''I would like to thank you too for such a valuable experience. How is it that such an enemy can lurk in a black box...''''


    Theon is keeping a watchful eye on the fallen sword. I approached the sword after getting first aid done.


    ¡ô? A Weapon of Will¡ô


    - The ''self-defense mechanism'' is dormant.


    I won''t know anything without appraising it - or I''ll have Ariadne take a look at it.


    That sword can be equipped even by me as a ''rearguard'', or it seems to suck on my hand when I grip the hilt. But since the sling is the main weapon, I should give it to Ariadne first - if this is her ''part'', perhaps Ariadne can regain some of her power.


    Looking at the piles of treasure scattered around her, and her friends who were relieved at their victory, she felt that she had finally done it.

 74 Chapter 73 Cong Yun

    However, I held the sword normally, but I feel like I was rash if it was a cursed piece of equipment - if Ariadne was right about this being an ''armament'', if it was dangerous just to hold it, they would have let me know in advance if it was dangerous, and I was actually okay with it. I don''t have a problem with it.


    ''Lord Atobe, the knapsack you brought here seems to be glowing...''


    What is it?


    The knapsack that I had let go of during the battle, but when I looked at it, it was emitting a blue light.


    ''''Oh, brother, even that sword is glowing, isn''t it dangerous?''''


    No I don''t feel any dangerous spirits. I''m sure nothing bad will happen.


    ..........


    Theresia is terribly worried about me, but Suzuna is right, I didn''t feel a bad omen, or even an ominous sign, as strange as it sounds.


    If you look closely, you can see an indentation in the hilt of the sword, which emits a faint blue light and envelops the entire sword - as if it were pulsating.


    (Blue, or light blue... or maybe it''s light blue... similar to the color of Ariadne''s hair... this is still indicative of her relationship with the secret god.)


    The one that shone inside the knapsack was the ''Breakthrough Crystal''. It''s not just a matter of time before you''ll be able to get your hands on a new one.


    "Does this mean I''m going to be able to fit that jewelry into the hole in the hilt...?


    "...Aricht, be careful. I trust Suzuna''s instincts too, but you never know what will happen.


    BOW!


    Igarashi-san, Elitia, and Sion are also watching over her. Serafina-san also seemed to be nervous about what was about to happen and kept her eyes on them the whole time.


    ''''........Atobe-dono, is it okay for me to be present at such an important occasion?''''


    ''We should be rather grateful to have Seraphina-san fight with us and be present until after the battle.


    ''Well if you say so. I''ll never tell you about it either. Now, as a member of this unit (party), let''s have a look.


    As soon as he picked up the breaker crystal, there was no pain, but sparks flew out without a sound.


    ''''Huh ... no, I''m fine. But this........this is going to be even more outrageous than I expected......!


    The Breaker Crystal is fitted into the hollow of the hilt. At that moment, a blue light ripples through the entire blade like a circuit, and its shape changes - from the appearance of a Japanese sword, the blade and the sword flange unfold, and its appearance changes dramatically.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    ''? Change the owner of "Weapons of Will" to "Aricht".


    ''? The first name in Weapons of Will turns out to be "Murakumo".


    --My name is Murakumo. I have authenticated Arihito as my master and he is now under the control of the secret god Ariadne.


    "....!


    The voice in my head was the same inorganic one as it was before I entered the fight - but I didn''t feel the will to eliminate us now.


    I had let go of the hilt of my sword - the sword would just float away and stop at nothing.


    Hearing Suzuna''s whispered voice, I make one inference.


    The sword wasn''t moving as if it were alive. Only the technique of spinning like a wheel would have been the sword moving on its own - but other than that, the movement like a skilled swordsman was made possible by the spirit body in the Murakumo.


    That spirit body rapidly formed a substance and appeared in front of us. A girl grasps the hilt of a sword and stares at us with inorganic eyes.


    She looks like a young Ariadne, and is clearly dressed in a foreign guise. She wears a suit that is far removed from the civilization seen in the labyrinthine country, a cybernetic, polymer-like material that sticks to her skin, and on her head she wears something like a headgear.


    ''You ... the will that resides in this sword. Are you saying that up until now, you''ve been keeping your figure invisible?


    Murakumo doesn''t move her mouth, just nods back. The voice that echoes in her head is probably hers, speaking to her in the same way as Ariadne''s, but she doesn''t seem to be making any actual sounds.


    ''Huh ... soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. Isn''t it kind of like a suit that looks like it could go into space by itself, somehow?¡¡This is.


    ''''It''s true ... but then again, it''s unbelievable that such a pretty girl could attack me so hard.


    Both Misaki and Igarashi are impressed. Even though she''s called cute, the girl - Murakumo - doesn''t move her expression at all.


    "I guess it''s called an image with mass. I couldn''t see it completely before, but...


    Murakumo doesn''t nod. Images are a little different, and I guess that means that she, as a spirit body, can switch between making herself visible and hiding, depending on her will.


    In my chest, I ask Ariadne a question - will her voice reach here?


    ''''I''m glad that you are safe. I was able to confirm just now that the ''Star Machine Sword'' has been added to my management. If my power has been of any use to you, I''m beyond excited.


    (Well it makes me happy to hear you say that much. It''s thanks to Ariadne''s blessing that we''ve survived.


    ''''When I blocked the Star Machine Sword''s strike with my hand, I felt that I was able to fight alongside you. I am grateful to have met a contractor like you.


    Compared to when we first met, I can feel the heat in Ariadne''s words - they''re bland, but they''ve definitely changed from what they were before.


    I wonder if it has something to do with the fact that I have increased my faith value, but either way, it''s good to know that our trusting relationship is steadily building.


    ''''........I received the recognition code. The Murakumo is also capable of being a part of me, but it can be equipped by an arihit that I recognize as its owner, or someone else can use it. Only a limited number of people can equip it, but it will probably be a powerful weapon that you won''t see when you get up to the Seventh Ward.''''


    (Well you don''t have to go deliver it as a part of Ariadne?)


    ''It''s only in your possession and under my control. I can summon Murakumo to my hand. With one more part, I can spread the effects of transference to the entire party. However, there are some drawbacks, such as the lack of equipment when transitioning.''''


    (That would be great in an emergency... hopefully it could be used where the scrolls don''t work.)


    ''''When you use the skills of a secret god, you will make a different theory of transference than if you allow those human skills to be used as tools. As a general rule, there is no environment in which they cannot be used.''''


    The more I talk to him, the more I feel like I''m getting more out of this one - I''m still glad I tried to open the box.


    As I finish my exchange with Ariadne, I notice that Murakumo is looking at me - a little bit of it is fading away.


    ''I have very little time to visualize it. My master, you should equip and transport me.


    Can you talk? Okay, can I just walk with it?


    I shouldn''t really say a word. A weapon should be a weapon.


    ........or is she cute......isn''t she actually a bit cute?


    Misaki, don''t be too careless with your hugs or anything.


    Wow, I know, but~.......I look like this, and I have a lot of maternal instincts.......


    ...When I met her like this, she was very pretty, wasn''t she?


    In sharp contrast to the fierce battle we had just witnessed, our atmosphere around the Murakumo is extremely peaceful. It''s a good thing we''re all on the same side now, so it''s good that everyone accepts us.


    The Murakumo finishes its visualization as it said and becomes invisible again. The sword that had been transformed has also returned to its original Japanese sword form - I asked Madoka to arrange a special scabbard for it, and I wonder if it would be a good idea to carry it on my back.


    ''Bau, bauh.''


    ''Zion-chan you''re great, you''re doing a great job, even though I didn''t say anything.


    Theon had added some of the larger equipment that was scattered about and brought it to me. Many of the items didn''t seem particularly magical, but there was a mix of things that I thought were this - I think I could update some of the equipment.


    And we spent the next two hours or so collecting and sorting through the treasure in the black box''s contents - five thousand five hundred gold coins, quite a bit of money if you include silver and copper coins, mixed in with some metal coins I''d never seen before.


    Some of them included equipment that must have been dropped by members of the Arctic Star. I got a few magic stones that I had never gotten before, as well as two runes.


    Since I was very indebted to Falma-san, I gave her about a hundred gold coins as a reward for success, in addition to the normal fee. I was going to give her more than that, but she said she had decided that even if she received it, that was the limit.


    ''''You can''t be bothered with any amount of money. Even if you are moved up to the seventh ward, there are always occasions when you will need it. Besides, a hundred gold coins is an excessive amount of money for our family... and it''s a shame that we have to accept a mere opening of a box.


    ''No, you did a dangerous box-opener for me. Thank you so much, Mr. Falma.


    ''No...I am the one who has been amazed since I met Atobe and the others. I always wish I could have had the same adventures you have had. But I''m happy enough just to hear your stories.


    We''re all embarrassed to have been told that much - I feel the same way.


    And today is the end of my days in District 8, which were so fulfilling.


    The relationships I''ve built up here will continue in District 7 and beyond. I greeted Falma again and headed to the guild with my friends - to invite Louisa, who had said she would drink with me after she had finished her work.

 75 Episode 74: The Gate

    It was still high in the sun when we left the box store, so we decided to have the ''courier'' carry the items that came out of the black box for now.


    As I waited for a while in the box store, the courier arranged by Falma-san came to visit me. He was an affable man about my age. He seemed to be Japanese.


    I''m not sure if he tailored it on purpose in the labyrinth country, or if he wore it when he was reincarnated, but he was dressed in what looked like a carrier''s work uniform. Well, I still have the suit I wore when I was reincarnated, and everyone seems to treasure the clothes they wore when they were reincarnated as valuable.


    ''''Hi, I''m from the courier ''Golden Cat Trading Company''. The client is Arihito-Atobe, who wants you to carry the disposed items that came out of the box. Are you sure?


    Yes, I''m Atobe.


    I''ve heard of you for a long time. The last time I worked with a newcomer, it was amazing. I''ve never seen an orc that big before.


    The transportation of the juggernaut was also handled by the ''Golden Cat Company''. It was a huge monster like a mountain, but they were still able to transport it, and they were truly professionals in transportation.


    ''''Oh, the valuables and things of value have been taken out. Will everything you have left behind be sold?''''


    ''''No, I''ll donate the elementary equipment and stuff like that. Even if we sell them, they won''t amount to much money, and I think they were originally dropped by a rookie explorer in an accident...


    ''''Oh that''s for sure. The labyrinth is dangerous, so even if you''re a courier, you can''t say it''s absolutely safe. I have specialized skills, so I''m confident that I can carry them even from very dangerous places, but...


    ''What........you''re moving up to the seventh ward?¡¡Well, congratulations!¡¡Of course, ''Golden Cat Business Association'' is open for business, although the person in charge will be replaced by someone higher level than me.


    I told him I''d be in his debt in the future and accepted his business card. His name is said to be Naomasa Sakai Sakai, which was written in Chinese characters as well - ''Naomasa Sakai''.


    ''Then I will carry it out as instructed. The commission is that we will dispose of the deformed coins and other items and use them to cover our expenses. We will return the surplus to the bank.


    Yes, nice to meet you.


    Mr. Sakai adjusted the hat he was wearing and walked down the stairs with a light step. Three or so people who looked like subordinates came in after him and followed Sakai-san.


    ''''Atobe-sama, if you don''t mind, could you continue to take Sion with you in the future?


    ''Eh........is it okay?¡¡We''ll be saved, but even as a guard for Farma and the others, Theon is very good...


    Mr. Farma smiled, and as he approached Ake and Plum, who were asleep in their chairs, tired of waiting, he stroked their heads gently and said


    ''Let the pretty ones travel, I say. Ashtarte, too, has become stronger from traveling with his master. I wanted to give Sion the same experience... if it is difficult for him, then I will live with him in this house, as Master Atobe said.


    ''I think that''s a very good thing too. But Theon is here and he''s helped us many times. I hope we can continue to explore together in the future if we can.


    ''Thank you. Hmmm........Sion seems to be happy too. It''s not very often that she flaps her tail like this.


    BOW!


    Sion was indeed flapping his tail while sitting up. I wonder how Igarashi-san, who is a dog lover, would react - and when I looked at her, she was already melted down.


    ''''Hah, that''s cute.......I want to mooch you. Zion-chan, you''re so fond of Rear-kun like that.......how can I get you to be fond of me too......


    "...I''d rather have a stuffed animal than a real animal...


    What did you say, Miss Ellie?


    Wha... it''s nothing. By the way, Aricht, what are you going to do now?¡¡There''s still some time before Seraphina joins the Guild Saber people, though.


    The girls have to return before dinner, I hear, so we have a few hours left. Speaking of what we can do in this time, what can we do - since it''s lunchtime, should we go somewhere to eat?


    ''''.........''''


    Gggghhhh, I hear something. We all look at each other, but I''m about to speak to Seraphina in the interim, and I realize that her stomach rumbles.


    She realizes that she can''t hide it and puts her hand on her stomach. The chest armor was quite thick, but the armor didn''t cover her abdomen, and the under armor she wore underneath was visible - it was probably a weight-saving device, but it was more than enough heavy equipment.


    This time, I didn''t bring my lunch with me, so, well....


    Seraphina, do you usually make your lunch?


    ''''Mm ... no, it''s peacetime, so let''s undo the stiff tone. It''s not a good idea to use portable food, so I make two meals a day by myself. The dormitory I use has a well-equipped kitchen.


    Perhaps it means that the military tone is only at work, or maybe Seraphina''s language suddenly softens.


    ''That said, though, it''s little more than breaking open a hard round of bread and sandwiching it with vegetables and smoked meat. When I can get my hands on cheese, even that kind of thing turns into a treat.


    ''Oh my goodness I love raclette. I''m not a big fan of strong cheeses.


    I''m looking forward to it a little bit because some of them can make Japanese food... but those cooks are very busy, aren''t they?


    Suzuna is a Japanese foodie, apparently. I don''t mind either way, but when I think back to my days of going to beef bowl restaurants, hamburger shops, and teishoku-ya, I get the sense that my body craves food that''s thick or junk anyway.


    Well, for now, I''ll just enjoy the taste of District 8. If possible, I''ll go to the seventh district tomorrow, because today is the day I''ll say goodbye to this city for a while.


    ''Well Arihito, let''s make sure we don''t have any unfinished business before we go. Hopefully we can say hello to some of the people who have helped us so far.


    I wonder how Elitia used to move to another ward before she went to the Fifth Ward.


    I''ve said it myself, and now that I''m leaving, I''m feeling emotional about the streets of the 8th ward. It hadn''t even been a week since I was reincarnated.


    ''''Well, well I don''t mean to sound like a big deal.


    ''Kyouka-san is right. Arihito-san, if everyone at the party is with you, I''m sure you won''t be lonely wherever you go.


    Suzuna says cheerfully. Misaki was also smiling shyly, not browning out now - the reason why these two opposites are so close is because they recognize each other''s mindset, I guess.


    It''s because Atobe-dono doesn''t have a deep relationship with any particular member of the party that the equilibrium has been maintained.


    ''''Haha...Seraphina-san, your tone is more fitting after all.


    ''I agree. If you act like a ladylike, you won''t be able to get into the spirit of the moment.


    In a way, Seraphina-san was the most profound person I''ve ever seen when her stomach was growling earlier - that kind of appearance is basically unseen and is going to be precious.


    ''It''s kind of like you''re already part of the party, Seraphina-san.


    ''''That''s right... but the level is a level apart. Besides, you''re a Guild Saber.


    ''There isn''t much difference between explorers and guild savers. You can belong if you meet the level, or you can leave if you declare a month in advance. I''ve been a guild saver for about two years now, and the more rare those who do, the more newcomers are replaced.


    I''m also curious about the structure of the Guild Saber organization, but I''ll ask about that during lunch as much as I can ask.


    ¡ô¡ó¡ô


    We walked into the town''s diner, sat around the table and ordered the menu as we wanted it.


    Me and Elitia asked for a grilled ''gunfish'', which is said to be quite difficult to deal with at about level 3. It is said to have horns like a tube on its head, and it shoots out compressed water bullets from there, but the meat is white meat and tender, and it is delicious without any habits. I was told that there is a labyrinth in the Seventh Ward that is inhabited by a higher level demon ''canon fish'' and is famous for killing the rear guard - that''s where you can get information.


    Igarashi-san was attracted to the story of cheese, and asked for pasta made with cheese made from buffalo milk. Serafina had the same menu as Igarashi-san, with Misaki sharing the seafood paella with Suzuna and Theresia. Sion is hungry for a whole roasted sweetbird, which the waiter cut into pieces and made it easier to eat.


    There are some demons we haven''t seen yet as ingredients, but they come from the three labyrinths in the Eighth Ward that we haven''t entered yet.


    Since most searchers take quite a few days to capture one or two labyrinths, and sometimes they still stop without being able to completely conquer them, the guild of the Labyrinth Country has a policy that says, ''It is not necessary to capture all the labyrinths, and the person who becomes the first in the pecking order of each ward must take the promotion test.


    According to Serafina, if you moved up to one higher ward, you would be able to get information about the labyrinths in the lower wards if you requested it. However, she said it''s one of the important sources of income for the guild, and the information fee isn''t cheap.


    ''The guild''s archives are set up in odd-numbered wards. If you ask the librarian, he will find the materials you need and bring them to you. I also use it whenever I have free time.


    Is that like a library?¡¡I''m not good at this because I have to be quiet, but Suzu can stay for hours!


    ''I like to read. I used to go to the school library a lot.


    I don''t hate books either, so I''d like to stop in at least once when I''m in the Seventh Ward. Listening to Serafina-san''s story, my mind naturally rises.


    ''''Atobe-dono, I wonder if this kind of talk is helpful...?''''


    ''''Yes, I''m looking forward to going to the seventh ward too. Come to think of it, Seraphina-san, at level 11, would the proper difficulty ward be the fourth ward or so?


    ''''It will be. Lord Atobe and the others are on average about two levels higher in the eighth ward stage. I believe Lord Elitia-dono has moved up to the fifth ward, but the explorers in the fifth ward are about level eight to nine.


    ''''When Seraphina-san holds up her shield, it''s so powerful that no attack can get through. Level 11........If we could become that strong too, it would be an amazing party.


    If we just want to live in safety, if we can turn Theresia back into a human and save Elitia''s friends, then we can live the rest of our lives without straining ourselves. Our current assets would be enough to live on for a few years of fun - in a way, for me before my reincarnation, not having to work would be a dream come true.


    However, stopping means that I won''t have the opportunity to help a party that was destroyed in the labyrinth like Georg and the others.


    We can at least help the party we see while we dive into the labyrinth to get a little higher. If we''re not good enough, both parties could be wiped out, so we should always have the ambition to try to get stronger.


    ''Someday, when I can catch up with Seraphina-san, I''ll be back... no. Before that, though, I may have to use my Saber Ticket. Will you fight with us again?


    Oh, rear-end-kun... that''s a bit too much heat for a guy you just met...?


    ''Well that''s not true it''s a warrior''s pride to have someone want to fight with you. I look forward to seeing you again, Lord Atobe, and everyone in the party.


    It''s probably a fate that I''m able to party here. I imagine that in the future she will join the party as the vanguard - but even if that doesn''t happen, I want to move forward tirelessly so that I can catch up with her one day.


    ¡ô ¡ó¡ô


    We reported to Louisa that we had opened the second of the black boxes and shared dinner with her before splitting up and heading back to our respective quarters.


    She was also going to be moving to Ward 7 as our officer in charge, so she was going to miss out, but that didn''t mean we were going to stay the night today. It was because he needed to get some of his things in order this evening.


    He had Madoka, who was waiting for him at the inn, appraise his armor, and if he could change his equipment, he would change it, but there was no equipment that could be replaced immediately due to the proximity of their performance. However, the harvest of magic stones was great - ''Shimmer Stone'', ''Earth Dragon Stone'' and ''Explosive Stone'' were newly obtained, and the range of attribute additions increased.


    ''''I''ve often heard of people preparing spare equipment and using equipment with different magic stones for each labyrinth.


    Yeah, we''ll do that. ''Yeah, I''ll rent a warehouse to store the equipment. We might as well get an equipment rack and organize it. Madoka, I''ll give you a budget, can you renovate the warehouse? We can do that when we get up to sector seven.


    Madoka is constantly dreading it, but I''m really glad she''s here. If I could, I''d let her do a lot of things she''d like to try, as if I were her sponsor.


    Melissa, who was watching such an exchange beside me, says with some envy.


    ''''Well the sooner I can be of use to you, the better. I haven''t done that much so far.''''


    ''''Well it''s hard to change members since Misaki''s skills are surprisingly useful.


    Oh, but I''m actually a frail girl, so I''m feeling a bit tired from all the adventures I''ve been having. What do you mean by kompy?


    ''I know it''s probably a nuance of being tired and troubled, but... well, you''re tired. Let''s take that into account and rotate it so that fatigue doesn''t build up.


    ''In that case, I can go with you. ''Demolition Man'' has some skills that can only be used while exploring, so I haven''t used them in a while.


    Although her tone is indifferent as usual, I can sense a lot of motivation in Melissa''s eyes, as if she still has a lot of energy left over from being away from home.


    (Rykerton-san, Farma-san. We will take care of your precious family, but we will come back safely. It''s going to be a long journey, but you can wait for me in peace.)


    What''s going on?¡¡You''ve got a strange look on your face, Rear-kun.


    ''Oh, no. When I go to the Seventh Ward, I thought I''d write a letter to all the people who''ve taken care of me...


    ''Well, then, let''s all split up and write together then. You don''t have to do that, I''m sure we can take care of you when you go over there.


    ''That''s true too I''m sorry, I''m suddenly feeling sentimental or something like that. I don''t know what a grown man can say about that, even to myself.


    Igarashi-san listened to me without being dumbfounded. Something about being looked at with such kind eyes makes me feel like I''m going to continue the futile conversation.


    ''''If you miss your brother, Theresa-san will sleep with you. Oh, Suzu-chan would be fine too, though.


    ''''Well that''s not true ... if you can get a room with Arihito-san, that would be nice, but if not, I think it''s unnatural.


    "...What?¡¡So Suzuna wouldn''t have been in a room with Aricht if she was with him, would she?¡¡It''s a bit early for cuddling, or maybe it''s just that Aricht is a man too...


    I feel like Elitia is subtly saying something awful, but it was the kind of thing that made me want to check with Suzuna to see what she really meant, too. It''s not that I''m eager to sleep with her, and I don''t think it''s possible - but when I was conflicted about it, as expected, or rather, Theresia was staring at me.


    ''''..........''''


    "...No. The bath is, well, it''s natural to take a bath with everyone else, and it''s more dangerous in some ways than sleeping together...


    ..........


    The silent pressure is passing off my good arguments. And for today, people aren''t giving me a helping hand.


    ''''Today is the last time I''ll be spending time in these quarters... and that''s saying something.


    ''If you go in with them and stop them again, that would bother Arihito too. Let''s just wait our turn quietly.


    What is this atmosphere.........does this mean that Theresa is the official back flusher for her brother?¡¡Why don''t we decide on Amida?


    ''Oh, um ... so wouldn''t that mean that me and Melissa could go in with your brother if we win?''


    "...?¡¡I''m sorry, I wasn''t listening to you.


    Melissa reacts to her name being called, but she''s in a daze, as if she''s been in her own world. The feeling of shame seems to be rare for her, but I wonder - is it rude to say that?


    Are you sure you want to take a bath with this old man? Theresa, you don''t want to get too hot.


    You''re too young to be an old man, brother.


    ''''Well a ten year age difference or so is still within the bounds of what is allowed.


    ''''Well I''ll have to check on Suzuna for a bit because she''s worried about something. Don''t you think Kyouka would agree?


    ''Well, um ... if you did something, Rearward-kun, I''m sure it''s hard to blame you because I''m sure you wouldn''t be aware of it.


    It''s true that I''m worried about Suzuna''s fluffy state as it is, but it doesn''t mean that she''s not above the battle, so it''s not like she needs to take urgent measures.


    ''''Arihito-san, please go get warmed up slowly.


    ''Oh, yeah I''ll be up as soon as I can, since it''s everyone''s turn.


    Theresia gets out of her seat and heads to the bathroom. She turns around and checks to see if I''m not going to run away - I can''t keep her waiting, so I head to get a change of clothes while everyone looks at me smiling.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    The next morning, after we finished getting ready early, we greeted Mirei and left the Orelus mansion that we had briefly taken care of.


    The maids lined up in the yard to see us off. Some of them were crying - are they that happy about our promotion, or are they worried about us?


    ''Ladies and gentlemen, please be sure to wake us up again at the mansion. We''ll always be here.


    Yeah, I''ll be there again. Thanks for everything, Mr. Millay.


    I shook their hands and promised to see them again with the people who had helped me.


    --And when I was about to walk out.


    I suppose I could leave the medical station now. Georg and his party come to the house from outside.


    Arihito you''re going...?


    Georg, Jake, Mikhail, and Tyler. And - controlled by the vine grass clown, there''s also Sophie.


    "Oh. Yeah, it''s nice to finally say hello. I had the courier deliver the equipment we found for the North Star. You can check it out when you get back to your room.


    You''re all that for me thank you. You saved our lives. Sophie also wanted to thank you ever since she woke up yesterday...


    The fragile woman whose eyes had been lightless on the bed was now firmly back to her eyes. Her hair, which had been completely white, had returned to a slight color - how could a recovery in physical condition have such an immediate effect on her hair color?


    She used to have chestnut-colored hair, and she was a beautiful woman with a subdued vibe that I could see the men at the party fighting over. When she stood in front of me, she was terribly nervous, but she still tried to tell me something.


    ''''....Thank you. If it wasn''t for you and your sub-human girlfriend, I''d be a........


    She seemed to remember that me and Theresa had fought our way into Sophie''s mental world.


    It seemed to be more than just saying you''re welcome, so I thought I should do something - I shook hands with Sophie as well as Millet-san.


    I''m glad you''re feeling better. I''m sure you''re going to have a lot of difficulties, but if we''re okay with it, I''m sure we can help you. Take care of yourself and do your best.


    ''''Yeah I''m hoping to take a break for a while and then resume my search. The pecking order has dropped a lot since we were wiped out, so we''ll all have to start over from our small, scattered quarters.


    ''''That guy''s a tough one but he was once the number one party in the pecking order in District 8. Georg, you were quite depressed, but you''re all right now.


    Georg''s goggles had been repaired and his injuries had healed. He was bleeding profusely, but the wound had begun to close up as soon as I gave him the potion, so he must have healed completely in this short time.


    ''I''m anxious to get another ''named'' like that,'' he said, ''but I don''t want to give up. But I knew I didn''t want to give up. It means that I''m going to be the first star in the labyrinth. But I don''t think they''re going to be able to do it.


    No, it''s not. No one knows what the future holds, you know.


    You know I used to think that Japanese salarymen were just dogs. But you''re not. You''re a samurai, Alihit. I''ve always wanted to be a samurai and a ninja.


    Georg asks me to shake his hand. So he realizes that I''m actually carrying a sword (Murakumo) on my back and whistles, Hugh.


    ''What, you''re really a ninja. No wonder you''re so strong.


    ''Maybe I could have written about that kind of profession. Surprisingly, I think I might have an aptitude for it.


    When I told the joke, Georg crinkled his face and laughed. Then we shook hands firmly and they cleared the way for us.


    ''''Well Alihit, you might want to pick a name for your party.¡¡Having a street name makes it easier for your name to reach other wards.


    ''Yeah, I''ll think about it. Okay, I''ll see you around.


    After the greetings, we left the Orelus Mansion. We walked out into the street, and until we couldn''t see the gate anymore, Mirei-san and the others out front, and the people from the ''North Pole Star'' saw us off.


    ¡ô¡ó


    The high wall that separates the wards is located on the west side of the eighth ward. In order to get past that wall to get to the seventh district, you have to go through the ''barrier''.


    There are some searchers returning from the seventh ward to the eighth ward, but the area near the gate is not that busy. We completed the formalities and waited until the iron doors, which were large enough to look up, opened on either side, and then we entered the passage to the seventh ward - when we did.


    There was a woman there who looked familiar. She was the one who was guiding me when I was reincarnated in the labyrinth country.


    ''''Well, I''m surprised that you''re qualified to go to the seventh district in such a short period of time. It''s definitely the fastest record since the Labyrinth Country began.


    She wears her purple hair in braided pigtails and a hat. Before, she was wearing a shirt and culottes, but today she''s wearing a jacket over the top. Apparently that''s the uniform worn by the Kanmon staff - I saw a woman dressed similarly outside before I entered this place.


    ''So you were the one who works here?''


    ''Yes. Oh, but when I say I work, I don''t mean I''m a subordinate, I have some authority in my own right. When I heard that you were qualified to go to the Seventh Ward, I was given the position of section chief here.


    She looked at our party, then smiled and accepted my license to operate it. Then the text ''Seventh Barrier Permitted'' appears. It seems that every time there are more barriers to pass through, the information is added to the license page.


    ''''But the eighth gate is only for beginners, a practice gate, so to speak. Even if you''re ranked first in the pecking order there, in the seventh ward.......oh, what, I was going to scare you, but you''ve already jumped up in the rankings. That''s a record-breaking contribution, you know.


    ''''As I recall, it''s ranked 294th at the moment. How many explorers are there in the Seventh Ward?


    ''Ten thousand people. We were ranked 294th among them, so we''re already at the top. You''ll be provided with housing that ranks not so different from the one you used in District 8.


    That''s something to be thankful for - once you get used to the comfort of the Orelus mansion, it''s hard to drop the rank of the inn.


    ''''Well I''d like to tell you a bit more, but we have a limited amount of time to open the gate.


    Okay, well, I guess we''ll just have to...


    ''Yes. It''s a clich¨¦, but I have to say it.


    The woman laughed in a mischievous tone and said as she raised her hand, like a guide, and urged him to proceed to the end of the aisle.


    ''Welcome, rookies. This is where the real beginning of the labyrinth country begins.

 76 Episode 75: Capturer and Stagnation

    The wall separating the eighth and seventh wards was thicker than I had imagined - but after walking to some extent, I felt a sudden blur in my vision and suddenly saw a light ahead.


    I don''t mind hiding it, but I don''t want you to distrust me, so I''ll explain it here.


    No, it''s just that I don''t feel comfortable with it.


    It''s true, it was pitch black for a long time and then suddenly there was a light. I was asking Ellie if this was a transference, but........what, what.......?


    The purple-haired woman, if you can call her a guide, makes a regretful face, saying she was told first. This flirtation that tends to take things in the direction of mischief has something in common with Misaki.


    ''Haha, why are people with large breasts so insensitive? They don''t have the energy to go to the finest of nerves to maintain their large parts, I''m sure.


    ''Nah.......why are we being shown around as well as Rear-kun, but you''re being nice to him and cold to us.......?


    ''I''m cold to you, not ''us''. I know about your preincarnation background, you know?¡¡You used to bully Arihito at work, didn''t you? I don''t forgive that kind of thing, but it''s something I can''t forgive. What do you think, do you think you''ll like me a bit?


    ''Oh, you know... no. You know, just be modest about disturbing our party. Igarashi-san has already apologized to me, I don''t mind.


    She didn''t seem to listen to me at all if I was using respectful language, so I voiced my opinion a little too strongly, something I don''t usually do, but I did.


    I thought she was going to be in a bad mood, but she looked into my face while she seemed to be enjoying herself - not that she was particularly wary, but when she suddenly closed the distance between us, I felt like I was beaten.


    ''''You''re kind, aren''t you, Arihito-kun? As a guide, I sincerely hope that you don''t lose that kindness in this labyrinthine country.


    ...What does that mean...


    ''I mean it as it is. If you''ve created something important, you have to protect it. But there''s no ''absolute safety'' in this labyrinthine country. That''s why this Seventh Ward is full of people.


    It was probably from the seventh ward, a sign that could be felt from the front - it was a completely different density than the eighth ward.


    ''''If we talk too much beforehand, it will lose its freshness. I''ll have that receptionist show me around and then we''ll start with that, shall we?


    Oh yes, yes of course.


    ''Don''t be so nervous, Louisa. I''ve been able to be a lot more of a seeker than ''the others''.


    I call out Louisa-san, who appears to be older than her - and Louisa-san seems to be hesitant to even open her mouth in front of her, too.


    ''''Oh, um... I don''t think I should be outspoken, but I''m still curious, so I''ll ask.''''


    Why would you do that?


    ''....You call Aricht so friendly, do you like him?


    When the younger members of the group, Misaki, Suzuna, and Elitia, asked one after another, the guide, who was a guide, said with a squeaky-clean smile, repositioning the hat she was wearing.


    ''That''s true for all of your party. We have the greatest respect for the party that has turned heads. Please keep running up, rookies.


    Wait a minute. Aren''t you gonna tell me your name?


    Our name is known, but we don''t know her name. That seemed to be an imbalance, to say the least.


    ''I''m sure we''ll see her again next time we go to the Sixth Ward. If so, I''d at least like to hear her name.''''


    You won''t be able to move my heart with that kind of logic.


    Even getting the name out of him is a high degree of difficulty - but when you say that, it''s human nature to be even more curious.


    ''''Then, shall I have you call me ''Yukari''? Arihito-kun, you''re wondering about my purple hair, aren''t you?


    The character purple can also be read as ''purple (Yukari)''. I''m no longer surprised that I know the kanji, but I''m wondering if it''s not a fake name.


    I don''t need to worry about my name right now. If you also pass the seventh district as fast as possible, I''ll reward you, Arihito-kun, for living up to my expectations.


    ''That one''s going to be fun I''ll just say that. I''ll thank you for the send-off.


    ''Yes, you''re welcome. I like that kind of discipline on your part.


    Wha...?


    After saying only speculative things until the end, the woman who calls herself ''Yukari'' goes back to the eighth ward - I guess she''s still transitioning, but the signs have suddenly disappeared.


    ''''.........''''


    Theresia turned back to look at Yukari, as if she was curious about her. But when I tapped her gently on the shoulder, she finally looked forward.


    ''Civil servants that''s an odd thing to say. There are people on the system side of the labyrinth country, or rather, the people who manage it. Louisa-san, is it different from the guild again?


    ''''Well, how should I put it.......the ''Administration Department'' that is monitoring this bulkhead is a high-level organization that guides the guild. Therefore, that person is also one of the people managing this labyrinth country.


    Why would such a person care about us, acting as a guide for the reincarnated, etc.?


    Does this mean that the only people who can serve as guides are the people who manage the labyrinth country? In any case, as long as we are still treated as rookies, it seems unlikely that Yukari will talk to us about the management department.


    ''''Ladies and gentlemen, I will now take you to the top guild in the seventh district.


    ''''Upper ... there are multiple guilds in the Seventh District?''''


    ''Yes. The Seventh Ward is the most populous of all the other wards.


    ''We''re talking about 10,000 people, but if there are three times as many explorers, does that mean there are three guilds?


    Igarashi-san said, and Louisa shook her head. All of us immediately make questioning faces, not understanding the meaning.


    ''''Ten thousand people are the number of people who are still exploring the labyrinth in order to move up to the higher wards. The other forty-two thousand people remain in this seventh ward.......If they don''t explore for a certain period of time, the contribution of the explorer will drop, but there are many people who have to increase their contribution a little and then drop back down again. They can be counted as the population of the entire labyrinth country, but they are not incorporated into the ''Seventh Ward Pecking Order''.


    That means that out of 10,000 active explorers, we''re 294th in the pecking order. But in the seventh district, there are forty-two thousand people whose ranks have been going up and down, and they have been excluded from the ranks.


    ''''Forty-two thousand ... so much so that it''s difficult to move up to the sixth district?


    ''''Yes. In the labyrinth of the seventh district, the demons will be even more powerful. In some cases, you won''t be able to conquer a single labyrinth, and you''ll have to go back and forth between the eighth and seventh wards, or make a living doing something other than exploring. If you keep doing that, your rankings will stagnate, and you won''t be able to take first place in the seventh district and go to the next one.


    There are too many people like that - we, too, will depend on the first battle with the demon to determine whether this ward will be a severe test.


    ''''Arihito, I''ve gone up to the fifth ward once, so I''ll leave the small examination of the demons to you. In time, if you analyze it, I''m sure we won''t be stuck.


    ''Thank you, Elitia. We''ll have to make sure our levels eventually catch up.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    You can live safely in the eighth district, too. However, it seems that if you rent accommodation in the seventh district, you can''t rent accommodation in the eighth district - if you buy a house, you can have a base in more than one district, but unless you open a black box like we did, the average explorer in the seventh district can''t buy a house.


    Compared to the eighth district, the city of the seventh district was densely populated with high-rise apartment buildings. The streets I passed on my way to the higher guilds were crowded with people, and there were plenty of entertainment shops that didn''t seem to be related to exploration - I looked at the entrance to the narrow alleyway I passed and saw a sign for a dodgy looking shop, but even if I knew what it was, I didn''t know what it was. I couldn''t be bothered to say anything.


    ''Well that''s a place that does naughty things, isn''t it?¡¡Signs, there wasn''t a whole lot of them...?


    ''It''s a store that''s licensed by the administration, and they have a lot of things for men and for women. I only came to the Seventh Ward once for training, so I don''t know what''s really going on.


    Louisa-san explains to me calmly, although she is a little red-faced. I think it would be better to keep the entertainment district away from the center of the city, but it''s so densely populated that it''s not even possible.


    --But as we pass through the district where people who have dropped out of the pecking order warfare live, and the street with the mid-level guild approaches, we see people talking in armor shops, buying food to bring to the labyrinth, bargaining for expensive potions from potion sellers, and people who seem to be avid seekers. You can now see it.


    ''''There are thirteen labyrinths in the Seventh District. Thanks to the sheer number of these labyrinths, the food and other products from the labyrinths are able to support such a large population. After all, the population is extremely large, so we have to buy some food from other wards.''''


    ''Thirteen ... is the labyrinth ever going to be crowded?¡¡Even though the interior of the labyrinth is indeed large, there are far too many people.


    ''''Yes, that''s why the lower guilds are handing out labyrinthine numbered tickets. The lower guilds are giving out numbered tickets to enter six of the thirteen labyrinths, and we can only allow up to a thousand people a day to enter.


    In other words, if the people in the lower guilds messed up, they would only be able to dive into the labyrinth once a week. So if they failed to explore, they wouldn''t be able to level up, and they would fall into a negative loop.


    No - does that still mean it''s better than risking death? We have a purpose, but if we don''t have an objective we really want to achieve, then there''s no reason to stick to exploring at the risk. I guess that''s not unusual.


    ''''.....''Explorers'' and ''stagnators''. ''''Explorers are distinguished like that. The eighth district still has a high ratio of attackers. But from the seventh district, you won''t be able to advance just because you''re prepared to fight demons.


    At Elitia''s words, I suddenly turned around and looked down the street where people were crowded around the lower guilds.


    I wouldn''t say that they had the eyes of a dead fish, but no one was resilient. Instead of directing their strong attention to the capture of the labyrinth, they were focused on something different.


    They were them, and they found value in living in the labyrinth country. I''m going to break down somewhere one day and think about stabilizing my life too - when I was about to think about it.


    ''We''ve skipped a grade so we can start with the higher guilds, right?¡¡Then you''ll have to work hard to make the most of that environment. It''s going to work out.


    ''Well I was surprised at the number of people who gave up, though I was surprised at the number of people who gave up, more than I expected. We can''t let that happen to us, you know.


    ''Mr. Arihit, if you are anxious you can share your worries with us. I will do whatever I can to help you, Mr. Aricht, and if it makes you feel better, and if it makes you feel better, like Ariadne said....


    Suzu!¡¡¡¡Onion!


    When you say "you" you don''t think I''d do that?


    I think they trust me in that regard, so I said it with confidence - but for some reason, they all look complicated.


    ''''Well I''d be lying if I said it wasn''t painful, but I''m the leader of this party, even if I were,''''


    ''Before you''re a man, you''re a leader...?¡¡Backwards, that''s an awesome decision.......wow, I get it. I''m going to try to be a Valkyrie before I''m a woman, too.


    Igarashi-san encourages us with a firm fist. This is how a steel pact, which was not supposed to be broken for a long time, was made between our party. Is it called a treaty against impure heteros*xual intercourse?


    ''''.........''''


    ''Oh, Theresa-san is a special exception and she''ll be fine. You''re a harmless creature who doesn''t think strange thoughts when you take a bath with him,


    Ehhhh........would you like to say that, Kyouka''s sister?


    ''I should say he''s a trustworthy man, not a harmless one. And I wouldn''t have to worry about spending a lot of time drinking in front of Master Atobe.


    Louisa will correct me, but I''m sure I''ll be treated harmlessly anyway. I''d like to continue to support them frequently so as not to lose their trustworthiness - but rather, I''d like to keep my words and actions clean and innocent.


    It''s not about that, it''s about how we''re going to capture the seventh district. After passing through the street with the mid-level guild, we can see the upper-level guild at the eastern end of the Seventh District. First of all, we want to take a look at the searchers who are close in rank to us here to get a feel for the atmosphere.

 77 Episode 76: A New Encounter

    The upper guilds in the seventh district were divided into three buildings. This was a measure to avoid congestion as it is difficult to deal with the 10,000 explorers who are the ''attackers'' in one building.


    The building we will be using is called the ''Green Building'' and as the name suggests, the roof is painted green. There are three floors, and each level has a room for guild officers and searchers to hold meetings, but we had access to the first floor. It is said that from the 1001st position in the hierarchy, you have to go up to the second floor, and from the 2001 position you have to go up to the third floor - although it seems that you can transfer to each floor in response to the adventurers'' requests.


    ''''If you can have the reception on the first floor, it would be a lot less hassle to move around.


    ''''My brother always reported to me alone, you know. It''s better for us if he comes home as soon as possible~


    "...hmm?¡¡I would have thought Misaki would have made some kind of mischief, but it''s rare that she didn''t.


    ''Oh, what''s the matter, you think I''m always being lax, don''t you?


    That''s the general idea, but it''s not true.


    You''re not telling me that...¡¡You''re hiding your embarrassment, aren''t you?¡¡You''re not an honest person, big brother.


    I guess I''m excited because I''m in a new ward - but to be honest, I don''t feel bad about it when I can be so innocent and friendly.


    ''''Please take care of Suzu-chan while I take a break, okay? Also, I thought it would be nice if you could leave me alone while you''re here.


    ''It would have been nice if the party could have been made up of more than nine people. Ellie, is there any reason why we shouldn''t?


    "A skill that works on ''people in the same party'' can only work on a maximum of eight people. But even if they can act together, against the ninth person and beyond, I don''t think Ariecht''s skills will be effective unless they can be used by designating an ''out-of-party'' person.


    Using ''Other Assist'' all the time against the ninth and onwards is too much of a drain on magic power. If there are members who don''t get my assistance, the danger will also increase, and basically, we should enter the labyrinth with up to eight people.


    ''''........But, I see. So it''s possible to think about diving with multiple parties? Louisa-san, have you seen quite a few examples like that until now?


    I ask Louisa for her opinion. She seemed nervous in her new office, but she smiled happily when I called out to her.


    ''''Yes, there are people who work together in multiple parties from Heisei, not to defeat powerful demons like the ''Juggernaut''. The larger ones are called ''alliances'' or ''brigades'' and exist as mutual aid organizations of explorers.


    Elitia was also originally a member of the ''White Night Brigade''. I wonder if we''ll ever join some organization in the future too.


    Or I could start it up myself - the current group of nine people, including me, and in some cases it could be even more.


    ''There are some parties from the Seventh Ward that head to the labyrinth jointly to reduce the risk of exploration. We won''t always work together, but just having a party that can cooperate in the same labyrinth will completely change the situation.


    ''Sometimes a party of higher rank will ask for something in return, but I think a party of equal rank can team up without that. The higher up the ward you go, the more important the interests are, and the harder it is to team up as equals, but...


    That''s probably why Elitia couldn''t rely on the help of other parties to help her friends - the idea that other parties would be willing to risk their lives to rescue her when not even members of her brigade would be able to do so is a It''s not easy.


    It''s certainly reassuring to have a party to work with. I don''t know if the North Star will be able to catch up with us, but if we can get to know other parties and build a friendly relationship with them, that would be great.


    (Getting information from other parties has been something I''ve rarely been able to do. If possible, it would be nice to have a member who is a good talker to join us...)


    Thinking that, I suddenly looked at Louisa-san. It was because it occurred to me that if she was a ''receptionist'', she would be excellent at talking.


    ''''Ah, um........a, Atobe-sama, your new workplace is right around the corner, and if this is a serious conversation, I''ll talk to you again after work......''''


    Oh no, I''m sorry. Did I really look at you that closely?


    ''Rear, you''ve been getting sharp eyes sometimes for a while now, haven''t you? Is it because of some skill?


    ''''I have a skill called ''Eye of the Hawk,'' which may have an effect on me, but... no, it''s scary if I''m usually glaring. I''ll be careful.


    I don''t know if it''s a single white point, but the most important thing to worry about when partying with the ladies is gaining their trust anyway. No matter how much I''m worried about Louisa-san''s skills, I shouldn''t be discouraged.


    ''''........I''m like the resident receptionist for Atobe and the others, so if you have any requests, there''s no need to refrain from doing so, right?


    We''re coming up together from the eighth district, you know.


    ''''Yes, I hope I can continue to do so in the future. Since we are a promising newcomer party, we have received priority permission from the guild.


    When you say priority permits, you''re saying that you''re going to put our duties first. I''m very grateful for that - because with a population as large as the Seventh Ward, the wait for a turn is going to be hard.


    ''''Then I will feel free to rely on you as an exclusive. I''m still a newcomer, but I think I understand the importance of time for searchers too.


    ''Yes, leave it to me. When you''re assigned exclusively, you''ll have access to the same accommodations, so I can live in the same place if there''s a room available for one person.


    Wow, that sounds great. In some cases, we can have meetings at night, too.


    ''Ha, yes I''m sure Mr. Atobe will continue to be very busy, so you can call on me at any time. I will add my contact information to your license as well.


    One of the most useful features of the license is probably this contact function. But not just anyone can use it, it requires a specific skill.


    "My profession as a ''receptionist'' has a few ''contact'' type skills. I can only communicate with the parties I''ve registered with, so I never registered a specific party before, but now that I''m exclusive, I don''t have a problem.


    ''Thank you. No, it makes me feel safer when I can get in touch with you.


    Yes, yes I''m the one... and... and... and... and...


    Does it mean that as a receptionist and explorer, I''ll be looking forward to working with you in the future?


    ''''........Sister Kyouka, don''t you think your brother is vicious sometimes?''''


    ''Well, that''s not... well, if they did the same thing to me, that''s fine...''


    Quite...?¡¡Kyouka, what''s fine?


    No, thanks a lot. Or, as they say in English, "belly well.


    It''s not English in my country, but...?


    In my previous life, I never had a woman ask me for my contact information, but now I hear there''s a demand for it. What are you saying at the same party, though?


    ¡ô ¡ô


    We entered the Green Pavilion and decided to wait in the lobby while Louisa-san went to arrange a room for us.


    ''''Compared to District 8, there are a lot of people with strong-looking equipment... I wonder if you can buy a spear like that somewhere?''''


    ''''The store-bought equipment is of better quality than the eighth ward, but it''s not as good as the stuff in the treasure chest or the stuff processed with materials available in the labyrinth. If it breaks, I''d be happy to replace it if it breaks... oh, but if the ''silver'' equipment is in stock, I''d be happy to buy it. It''s not very hard, but it can deal with enemies of the spirit system.


    Everyone listened intently to Elitia''s story about her experience. Since the topic of materials came up, I suddenly became curious.


    ''I heard that the saber ticket is made of a metal called ''Crisdite'', is this a metal that can be used in armor?¡¡No, I''m not going to cast the ticket and melt it.


    There are only a few workshops that have a furnace that can process it, but it''s said to be a better material than the high mithril I''m equipped with. It''s only found in some chunks of ore, but since it''s rare, it''s very valuable. It is wasted in weapons, which is why it is used in more widespread applications in the regions above. Glow Gold, Heaven Still, and these are still very valuable though.


    There are a number of metals that are worth more than gold - one of these days I''d like to equip myself with some kind of slingshot or armor that''s more than just high mithril.


    "Rear-kun, look... a large group of people over there, it looks like they''re the ones making the ''organization''.


    Well, it looks like it''s about 24 people, three parties.


    One of the party, a young man with gray hair, approached the women in front of the bulletin board in the lobby.


    ''Kaede, are you still talking about looking for a mate elsewhere?¡¡I told you that if you join our alliance, you''ll be pulled up to the Sixth Ward in turn.


    I''m telling you that if we can partner up with someone, we''ll find them ourselves. That''s why you''re in trouble, because you''re all on the ground floor of that labyrinth, and that''s why you''re in trouble.


    (That woman with the sword on her back and the other two are Japanese. I haven''t seen much of them since I entered the Seventh Ward...)


    ''Hey, don''t do that, maple. I''m sorry, we''ve decided to recruit people who can assemble themselves...


    ''''The most efficient way to earn a contribution is to join our alliance, and do a spring crush on the ground floor of that labyrinth. Then, as long as we pass the promotion test, Roland-san''s party will go up and the pecking order will be empty. With the repetition of that........


    I guess the image of spring-crushing is that we''re going to sack the demons every time they spring up - it would certainly be more stable if we could get ahead of them, but I get the impression that we''re too focused on efficiency.


    ''''I suppose that''s one way to do it, but we can''t pay you guys anything in return,''''


    The third woman is tanned and - what can I say - normally equipped with bikini armor, but I wonder if her defenses are okay. She is dressed as a former competitive swimmer or beach volleyball player.


    The fourth person was not Japanese, but a girl with striking blueish silver hair. It''s a leather case on her back - a distinctive shape, but is it a kind of club?


    ''My boss is that kind of person, so it can''t be helped. What''s wrong with that, if you can get up to the sixth ward just to go out for a drink once in a while?


    Haha.... that''s ridiculous. Do you think your leader doesn''t know how many girls in District 7 are crying?


    Well, wait a minute, maple. It''s not a good idea to pick a fight here.


    Ibuki but isn''t it frustrating, isn''t it? The labyrinth can''t be occupied by someone else.


    ''If your party is strong, though, you won''t have to choose the labyrinth. Well, our alliance will continue to hide in the Beach of the Falling Sun for another two weeks. Even if we ''accidentally'' monopolized the demons that spring up there, there would be no problem, right?


    Huh...!


    Somehow I understood the story--that girl''s party of maple has just come up to the higher guilds and cannot dive into the labyrinths with high difficulty.


    Among the labyrinths that searchers belonging to the higher guilds can go to, the ''alliance'' to which the gray-haired man belongs is occupying the place where they can earn the most efficient contribution and other benefits.


    In return for joining the alliance, he has to attend the alliance''s drinking party. However, the maple refuses to do so - it''s not hard to see why.


    Many women would be reluctant to just be poured a drink without a second thought. On the contrary, the fact that ''many women have been made to cry'' suggests the misogyny of a man named Rolando.


    ''Next time you change your mind, come to me from there. If you get my permission, I won''t have to introduce you to Mr. Roland... hahahahaha...!


    From the beginning, he probably didn''t expect to be able to recruit the maple trees this time. With the help of the organizational power of the "alliance" or something like that, that gray-haired man is trying to do as he pleases with them.


    ''''........I can''t allow it. To have an organization of people like that at the top of the Seventh Ward.......


    Igarashi-san is angry as if it were her own--and everyone else''s. Of course, I feel the same way.


    I''m not thinking of getting rid of the highest-ranking people, but I have great doubts about that approach.


    Then what to do - first we need to decide which labyrinth we''re going to go to. If it''s not the same labyrinth as the Alliance, then we don''t need to think about them, but if we are going to compete with the Alliance, then we need to think about how we are going to earn our contribution and how we are going to capture the labyrinth.


    If Maple and the other four are stumbling, are we in a situation where we can help them? We can only make an effective suggestion after we have established the groundwork.


    ''''Well what do we do now, Maple?''''


    "I don''t want to flatter them. I''d rather go back to the eighth ward and hone my skills, even if it takes me a long time to do so.


    ''''But ... when you''re a demon in the eighth district, your experience is less and the amount you drop is greater. You can''t get stronger forever if you''re thumping all the time.


    Ibuki, what do you want?¡¡Are you going to put up with them doing whatever they want to you?¡¡We definitely don''t like it, we''d bite our tongues if a guy touched us that we don''t approve of. I know, Ryoko.


    ''I''m not saying it''s set to happen I''d say.


    Ryoko is only 28 years old. Isn''t she a bit young to be called an aunt?


    The oldest tanned woman was twenty-eight years old, and the silver-haired girl was, by the looks of it, still in her teens. The girls, Kaede and Ibuki, must be about the same age. Misaki and Suzuna don''t look so far apart from each other.


    ''Thank you, Anna. It''s true that when I''m an explorer, maybe because I use my magic power, I feel like my skin tautness and such is better than it was before I reincarnated...''''


    Ryoko, your skin is important, but for now we have to decide what we''re going to do.


    That''s right... hmmm... ah...


    The short haired girl called Ibuki notices us in the same lobby.


    ''''........Those guys are newcomers, aren''t they?''''


    Uh-huh. Maybe ... it looks like you''re still new to this guild.


    Isn''t this ... an opportunity?¡¡It''s a party full of girls the guy in the back seems quiet.


    Do you want to negotiate?¡¡I generally agree with you. Because I don''t want to ask a man like Gray to do it for me.


    Gray with gray hair, I thought it was just as it was, but I found out the name of the guy from earlier. I''d like to give him a crack at it eventually, but that''s not why I''m exploring.


    As I was about to go near the bulletin board, the four maple trees walked towards me. The serious look in the eyes of the maple standing in the lead indicated that the story that was about to begin was very important to them - although it was likely to be the same for us.

 78 Episode 77: Joint Fighting Strategy

    Is the leader of the four of them the oldest one, Ryoko, or is it a girl named Kaede, who has come right up to my doorstep? While I was thinking about it, Louisa came back, but she guessed that me and Kaede were just about to start talking, so she walked towards Elitia and the others behind me.


    She carried a taiji-like sword on her back, but the shape of the hilt was subtly different from the Murakumo, which is a very good old Japanese sword. I''ve seen this shape before - coupled with her sporting-girl-like appearance, with her black hair pulled back in one piece, I can think of one name for her profession.


    You''re really nervous.


    "If the negotiations don''t go well here, it''s going to be quite difficult. Before, we were attacked by ''spiders'' and ''mantises'' on land after being monopolized by ''crabs'' and ''fish'' in the spring...


    ''''The structure of that labyrinth is just unreasonable. Why is the beach so small when it''s the ''Beach of the Falling Sun'' and the rest of the place is filled with demons that are a lot stronger than the rest?


    If there were a lot of seafood demons in that ''Ochiyang''s Beach'' labyrinth, then they might be on the table sooner or later. There was no hazards in the eighth district, but it wasn''t exactly seafood, so I''ll be able to enjoy a different taste - and it''s still too early to think about that.


    ''''Nice to meet you, my name is Arihito Atobe. I''ve come up to the Seventh Ward today.


    What, today?¡¡We.........not, we worked hard for about half a year since we came to the seventh district and finally rose to the top......


    ''But they said it was still very fast, but there''s an upside to that. Um, this one''s a maple and my name is Ibuki.


    Hey, you know, I''m trying to speak on your behalf. I''m not nervous. I just thought he seemed like a serious guy.


    I wonder if he uses the clothes available in the labyrinth country and dresses like a suit underneath his leather armor to give the impression of being stiff.


    ''''I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to appear unseemly. I''ve only just arrived and I''ve shown you the struggle.''''


    No, no ... there will always be competition among searchers.


    A woman named Ryoko comes in front of me - she''s wearing a fur cloak that looks like a boa coat, but it''s still bikini armor. It''s not cold in town, so she must be fine, but even if that''s the equipment she uses, it''s hard to look directly at it.


    ''I''m sorry, I''m an old man wandering around in this equipment. But this equipment, the one I can use in my profession, is surprisingly high in performance and I can''t let it go. Water resistance is quite high, and it also has an effect that accelerates your movements in the water and so on...''''


    Oh, really...


    You''re staring too hard just because some people have to be equipped like that.


    ''''Huh........Igarashi-san, that''s a misunderstanding. I''d rather not stare at it........


    As expected of a woman in a bikini, was I being too dogged? When I look back, everyone''s gaze hurts - after all, for me, the rear guard is more suitable than standing at the front.


    The four of them look at Igarashi-san''s appearance and look somewhat surprised. Eventually, the girl who was called Anna opened her mouth.


    ''''You look very beautiful and powerfully equipped. The maple also said that it''s time to get some armor, but is it of this kind of lineage?''''


    Hey. If we wore armor like your sister, we wouldn''t be insulted by the charlatan from earlier.


    ''Ellie''s right, it''s a piece of equipment that would work in the Seventh Ward. It''s called ''Lightsteel Lady Armor''.


    ''It''s nice that it feels like proper armour. If I could find something like that, I could change into it too...


    In fact, one of the Lady Armor was found in the black box in The Puppet Master of Vine Grass. I''m keeping it as a spare in case of an emergency, so I can''t offer it to you at the moment.


    I heard that if you bring in a lot of crab materials to the equipment workshop, they''ll make it for you. But for some reason those crabs aren''t taken at all.


    ''Excuse me, I''m sorry, but I had to overhear you earlier. The group the man from earlier belongs to has a monopoly on the hunting grounds.


    Yes, that''s right. We''re going to form a group with other explorers, and if you''re new to the higher guilds, you can join us....


    Ibuki swooped forward. She, too, was relatively lightly armed, but she wore leather gloves that covered her hands up to her elbows and steel-reinforced equipment on her legs. I wonder if it''s called leg armor - if she can release kicks with this, does that mean she''s a fighting profession?


    ''We''d like to see a good hunting ground first, if there''s a good hunting ground, too. Are the other labyrinths too tough to go to, having just arrived in the Seventh Ward?''''


    The demons in ''Beach of the Falling Sun'' can be dangerous if you''re not careful, but their movements are easy to read, so they''re safer than the demons in the other labyrinths. I was told that the materials are lean and can be sold at a high price, so I got a recommendation from the guild officer in charge, but when I actually went into the labyrinth, the others had it all to themselves, and I had to go outside during the previous exploration... ...


    ''I think they need to get out there to resupply too. Maybe it''s a large group of people, which means that some of the party is on the supply line?


    I didn''t see a party that would go that far in the eighth ward, so it''s hard to imagine - but looking at the reactions of the four maple trees, it seems to be just as I''ve reasoned.


    ''The crabs are said to be in a ''den'' about three times a day... but a group of people named Roland have been checking it out and keeping an eye on it. Each crab is worth about ten gold coins, but they monopolize the fifty crabs that spring up in a day, and most of their contributions are in Roland''s party that is stabbing the demons in the back...


    ''Wait. Can you tell me more than that when you''re ready to fight with us? We haven''t done anything yet, and it''s bad enough we''re only getting useful information.


    I''m sorry, I was in a hurry. I thought I could make a breakthrough if I teamed up with Arihito-san and the others, so I jumped at the chance.......selfishly, isn''t it?


    The maple looks victorious, but the fact that Rolando and the others are preventing him from attacking seems to have depressed him considerably. He shrugs his shoulders and shrinks back.


    ''''...Okay, I''ve made up my mind. It''s not like I''m going to be hostile to Roland''s group, but as far as entering the labyrinth, I guess I''m free to go. I''ll try to fight the demons that appear outside of where those crabs come out.


    It''s difficult to predict because the spider spits out poison and moves very fast. Our swords can''t get through because of their thick skin, and Ryoko''s attack seemed to get through because she had an attribute.


    ''The praying mantis is so big now I can''t live with the thought of being slashed by such a big scythe. We were chased and used the return scrolls. It was so much more powerful than the demons we were fighting up to the Middle Guild.


    From the look on Ryoko''s face, there is no doubt that she is a pretty strong opponent.


    ''But the spider seems to have the material Anna has been looking for all along. I wondered if we could somehow pull one of the spiders away from the other demons and defeat it once we defeat the crab and raise its level.


    "....a resilient, rigid yarn. That''s what I''m looking for. The weapons used in my profession are special, but I was told in the workshop that they can be made if you have the right materials, so I want to do something about it... The "sheep" demon can get materials that can be used for the same purpose, but the rate of occurrence of that one is very low, and I haven''t been able to see it for days, even after searching for it. I don''t.


    ''''I see. The people in the lower guilds say they need to wait their turn in the labyrinth, but how did the middle guilds fare?


    If possible, we could do a small check in the labyrinth that even a mid-tier guild could go to. After all, we''ve only just arrived in the seventh district.


    ''''We were hiding in the ''Sheep God''s Bed'' where the ''sheep'' come out of the second floor. There is no waiting list for the middle guilds, but everyone is afraid to go deep into the labyrinth, so they hang out on the first floor. We were also at the entrance on the second floor, and when it became dangerous, we would repeatedly turn back.


    ''''Well, do you want me to help you dive there? ''Outside of the occupied part of the "Beach of the Falling Sun", there will be some pretty strong enemies. I''d like to get a feel for diving with two parties in a safer place than that. After that, we''ll figure out how to counter the monopoly of Roland and the others.


    Kaede''s eyes widen. I check Igarashi-san next to me and everyone else''s intentions in turn.


    ''''Louisa, you don''t mean we have to dive into a difficult labyrinth if we skip a class, do you?''''


    ''''Yes, of course. ''The Beach of the Falling Sun is a three-star labyrinth, so Ellie-san and Lady Maple are qualified to dive it, but Lady Atobe hasn''t yet been qualified to enter the three-star labyrinth, so we''ll need you to add a little bit of contribution to the seventh district.''


    As I recall, Elitia said that the qualification to become a three star explorer was to earn a contribution of 10,000 in the seventh ward. The cumulative contribution is over 10,000, but I guess one of the requirements is to earn a contribution in the seventh ward.


    ''''If that''s the case, then we''ll still need to dive once into the ''Sheep God''s Bed'' or an affordable-looking labyrinth.


    If you team up with us, you might end up antagonizing the people who just came in. But you''ll still work with us?


    ''I''m sure over time they''ll move up to the Sixth Ward in turn. But we don''t want to be limping around here either.


    He rescues Elitia''s friend who is stranded in the labyrinth in the Fifth Ward - and also goes to the Great Temple in the Fourth Ward to restore Theresia from the subhuman.


    We don''t want to get swept up in the alliance of Roland and his friends, and we don''t want to be left stranded. The ''crab'' with such a large number of explorers fighting for it will be an effective way to earn money in order to get promoted, but even if we don''t have to worry about that alone, we will also look at capturing the other labyrinths.


    ''''Thank you, Aricht-san. The four of us, we hardly have any dexterity techniques or anything like that, we are all about attacks. If you''re still willing, I''d like to cooperate with you, but.......


    ''Nice to meet you too. Before we head out to the labyrinth, may I have one meeting with you?


    Yes, of course. We are maple trees (Acer mono) and Akiyama, you''re welcome.


    The maple offers to shake my hand. When she squeezed his hand back, she smiled very happily.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    Louisa took us to the meeting room after she finished greeting us for our assignment.


    There were twelve people and one dog in total, and Sion was given a plate of water to lick and drink. Ibuki and Anna were relieved to see that he was a dog person.


    ''Um, are you guys about the same grade as us, Kaede?''


    I''ve been talking with Ibuki about this for a while now. I''m in the kendo club and she''s in the karate club. Ryoko''s sister is a swimming instructor and Anna is a tennis player.


    Mmm, I feel like I have many daughters.


    ''Oh, well I''m the same age as you, so it would be a relief if you could at least call me your sister and not your daughter...''


    ''Really?¡¡I thought Kyouka-chan was just as good as the other kids. Huh, you''re a fellow sister then.


    Ryoko is twenty-eight years old, but she''s still one year younger than me. So this overwhelming s*xiness may be due to the difference in life experience.


    So far, we''ve been able to interact peacefully without any problems. However, the sub-human Theresa would take some time to get used to it - it was also a groundless fear.


    ''''Mr. Atobe''s party has a diverse group of members. It''s wonderful to be able to get to know the Lizardmen. Because we could hardly communicate with the people we used to hire as mercenaries.


    I feel bad about that. Theresa is somehow different from the people we hired. He''s a man, but sometimes I''ve seen him looking at me like he was prey, so I thought that if sub-humans didn''t have a ''servant''s mark'', they would be angry at the people they made to obey them.


    ''Well I decided to ask her to join the party because I worked well with Theresa from the beginning. She''s a good girl.


    ..........


    I said, hoping to assuage any feelings of defensiveness towards the sub-human, but Theresa, sitting next to me, was visibly turning red. Everyone else noticed the change and smiled in embarrassment.


    The fact that you say something embarrassing with a straight face, Arihito-san, surprises me. It''s not something you can do very often.


    I''m not embarrassed about it, I think it''s great... Oh, I was just wondering. We''re younger than you, and we''re going to be cooperating with you, so you don''t have to use honorific language. I think it''s nice when a grown man uses honorific language, but it''s too formal.


    ''If that''s what you mean, I''ll take you at your word. You seem to be particularly close to Kaede and Ibuki, but did you know them before your reincarnation?


    "We were reincarnated around the same time, so when we first entered the labyrinth, I called out to them in the square. It was very difficult at first, because maples are shy, despite their appearance.


    What are you talking about? Ibuki was more intimidated than me. He''s got a mean streak, but he''s as docile as a fawn.


    ''We met up with these girls in a labyrinth called The Noon Marshes. Until then, Anna and I were working together...


    ''I''m grateful for Ryoko. Without her, I wouldn''t be alive like this.


    Each explorer has a background that led them to this point - that''s natural, but there''s something about listening to them like this that makes you feel, or rather, reminds you naturally of your own past.


    We''ve been through a lot, haven''t we? I can''t thank you enough, Mr. Higuchi, for all that you''ve done so far...


    ''Yes, yes, yes, don''t try to create a world for the two of you! If you make out in front of people you''ve only just met, your distrust will swell. Explode in the rear!¡¡Like.


    ''Ummm, it''s nice to be young. Just looking at it reminds me of when I was young too.


    And that''s why........you''re twenty-nine years old, you know. He''s older than Ryoko-san.


    ''What...?¡¡Oh no, no, no.......I thought you were still old enough to be a freshman.


    It seems that Ryoko-san''s defenses are older - and this is not the time to analyze that side.


    ''''Then, although we are in the middle of meeting you all, let me start the procedure of entering the labyrinth. After you enter the ''Sheep God''s Hill'', your contributions will be calculated on a per-party basis. There will also be an addition for fighting together, but I''ll explain that one to you after we return.


    I wonder if Louisa, who comes into the conversation at this time, is checking Ryoko out - slightly - but I wonder if that''s overly self-conscious.


    The party I''m going to fight with appears on the license. While showing the screen to Theresia, who doesn''t have a license, I was allowed to check the levels of the maple trees.


    Party 1¡ô in co-op.


    Party name: The Four Seasons.


    1: Maples Level 5 Kendoist


    2: Ibuki Level 5 Karate Artist


    3: Anna Level 4 Tennis Player


    4: Ryoko Level 5 Swimming Instructo

 79 Episode 78 Prior Information

    Kaede Akiyama, Kasuga Ibuki, Anna Winters, and Ryoko Natsume. I heard that the name of the party, The Four Seasons, came from their last names.


    I wondered if they hadn''t noticed when we first teamed up with Ibuki and worked together for a while. When I met up with Anna and Ryoko, it was such a coincidence!¡¡And then...


    ''So Aricht and his party haven''t been named yet. It''s not on the license.


    Ibuki doesn''t particularly care to show us their licenses. Their licenses also seem to show us as a party in a co-op as well. I wonder if that would make my profession display weird or something.


    But the girls didn''t react particularly well. I don''t think there is anyone other than me who wrote ''rear guard'' and was accepted, but I wonder if they don''t care too much about other people''s professions.


    ''Are you perhaps unemployed, Arihito-kun?¡¡No, you have to get a real job.


    Well what does my profession look like?


    Party 1 in co-operation


    Party name: Unregistered


    1: Alihit Level 5: 0¡õ-x


    (Wrong indication again ... this one could be considered unprofessional.)


    Apparently the ''rear guard'' doesn''t show up properly when viewed under someone else''s license. I don''t know what the existence that selects the job of explorers in the labyrinth country is, but I guess that means I''ve put out a hope that''s out of line with the assumption of that existence - is that too much to think about?


    ''Brother Arihito is a profession that watches over everyone from the back. He is a very reliable leader, so please don''t call him unemployed. My sister Kyouka, if you bully your brother, she will stare at you with great force.


    ''I don''t mean to glare at you, but I was originally glaring at you, or rather I was glaring at you, but that was a long time ago.


    Oh ... uh ... well, maybe that''s what you mean?


    You are in a relationship, after all, aren''t you two? It''s like they''re in a relationship, you know.


    No, I mean, I used to work for the same company. I just happened to be involved in the same accident. For a lot of reasons, I got invited to Mr. Rear''s party.


    Igarashi-san calmly explains - she crosses her arms and glances at me, but I can''t help but remind her that there''s nothing wrong with that. The fact that she was originally a strict boss is not something that needs to be talked about now.


    In order to be able to use the hunting grounds of the occupied ''Fallen Leaves Beach'' or to secure other routes of attack, I''d like to get a sense of co-operation quickly first - and as I was thinking about it, Anna was staring at me. She''s quite petite, so it''s like she''s peeking at me from below.


    ''Watching from behind, does that mean you''re in a support position?''


    ''Yeah, you can think that. Tennis players are rearguard too, so they usually attack from behind with a serve or... no, you don''t have a racket.


    ''No, I have a racket. But trying to get a good racket is very difficult because the material is so precious. I''m using the first wood racket I got, but the material I use for the gut isn''t very good, so I can''t hit it as hard as I can.


    ''''Tennis serves and smashes are very powerful, so I think if we have good tools, it will improve our strength considerably. The other three of you also have a full range of sporting professions... but will the kendoka learn the skills to use a sword?


    When Elitia asked a question, the maple pulled the weapon on its back out of the bag and showed it to her.


    ''''Is this ... a wooden sword?''''


    I''m sure you can equip a sword made of steel, too. You can equip a sword made of iron, but really a shinai is the easiest to swing, so it would be nice if you could make one.


    So if a skill can increase damage, it doesn''t necessarily have to be a sword with a sharp cut. We have Misaki, who uses dice as a weapon, so I don''t think it''s useless at all if it doesn''t have killing power.


    And Ryoko, a swimming instructor who doesn''t even have a weapon - if it''s a labyrinth country, magic exists, so I wonder if she can use her special ability related to water.


    ''I can''t use my skills without water, so I always carry a water bottle with me. It would be best if the labyrinth had a watering hole...''''


    To tell the truth, ''Ochiyang Beach'' should be the place where Ryoko''s sister can make the most of her strength. She''s a very fast swimmer, too. She swims so much faster than we run as fast as we can.


    The swimmers in the labyrinth country aren''t just athletes - what an exciting story to tell about how much stronger they are in an underwater battle. No, daring to fight underwater against an aquatic demon is a situation I''d like to avoid as much as possible.


    ''''Arihito-san, the Four Seasons have conquered a labyrinth with a watery place, haven''t they?


    ''The water labyrinth is located in both the eighth and seventh districts, and the ''Bed of the Sheep God'' is a grassy field, but there are also water spots dotted around. Since I got to know my sister Ryoko, I''ve been picking out places with water to conquer. I was able to earn my contribution by doing things that others couldn''t, and that''s why I''ve made it this far...


    ''Karate is pretty strong, isn''t it? Well, I suppose there are many theories as to which martial art is stronger.


    It''s not just ordinary martial arts when you come to the Labyrinth, so surprising martial arts might be strong. I''ve heard that aikido''s air thrower can throw a very large enemy using magic power, and boxers can use magic power to send a punch flying. I can do the same thing.


    ''Does it emit something like a beam?¡¡Huh, that''s nice and romantic. I wanted to shoot it, too, since I was reincarnated, beam.


    There are often characters with flying tools in fighting games, and I''m sure many of us have imagined that if we mastered the martial arts, maybe we could produce them.


    There are actually martial artists who can actually use aura, or rather magic power as a flying tool - I naturally look at Ibuki with respect.


    ''''Oh, um... well... it''s not that great.


    What are you talking about? Ibuki''s ''wave tsuki'' is a great move that can be used as a deadly weapon. It has saved our lives many times.


    So that''s why it''s just a technique you can rely on because it can ignore the enemy''s defenses to some extent.


    The more I listen to them, the more I understand that these girls have fought so far with their personalities.


    ''''Brother, I was just wondering, if I could get Four Seasons-san to let me in for a little while, would you guys be able to explore together?''''


    ''Misaki, I thought you were taking a break?¡¡You don''t need to push yourself if you''re tired.


    After all, my skills are so important to have in a pinch, aren''t they?


    ''Well, that''s true. Without my support, you won''t be able to do any damage with your attacks, will you?


    ''''Ha ... that''s true too. I''m sorry, I''m just going to follow you and won''t bother you, so can you let me in?


    Misaki corrected her usual languid tone and straightened up to ask for help. Then the four of the maple trees readily agreed to the request with two replies.


    ''''If we explore with two parties, it won''t be so easy for the demons to get behind us, and I think we''ll be fine as long as they stay in the rear guard.


    We''ll make sure that Ibuki and I won''t let the enemy pass, so just back me up when you think it''s safe to do so.


    ''Yes, I''ll be careful!¡¡Big brother, cover me when you can afford it!


    Well, it''s not impossible to do. You have to try to get ahead of me.


    I''ll also take into account using ''Other Assist'' to support the maples. My skills can only be activated if I stand behind them anyway, so I have to be careful where I stand myself.


    ¡ô ¡ó¡ô


    I asked Louisa to write a letter of introduction to the Middle Guild and we headed to the labyrinth called ''The Sheep God''s Bed''.


    The square in front of the entrance of the labyrinth is located down south from the center of the Seventh Ward. The plaza is popular among the labyrinths that are guided in from the mid-tier guilds, and the plaza is filled with food stalls and the fragrant smell of roasting bread and meat.


    We lightly finished our stomachs at the stalls and bought some portable food and water.


    Madoka had ''Inventory 1'', which is an essential skill for a merchant to have, and she could store ''up to fifty tools'', regardless of weight or size, in the leather backpack she carried on her back. Even heavy water would not be a burden to carry if Madoka carried it with her.


    ''''Yes, with my ''Inventory 1'' skill, I can use the merchant''s special bag. With that, I can transfer it to the warehouse I use as a merchant, and I can retrieve it at any time. It''s limited to non-living things, though.


    ''''........The demons you defeat can be carried by the ''Demolition Shop'' skill. The dismantler also has the skills of a ''storehouse'' and can do the same thing as a merchant. They can''t send live ones, apparently because there''s a chance that they might be misused. If you want to send a demon to the farm, use special tools.


    Both of these skills are very useful, but there''s a drawback: it fills up one of their skills. However, Madoka and Melissa don''t hesitate to take them - it''s an essential skill for their profession.


    This has dramatically increased their convenience in searching. Up until now, you had to leave the things you couldn''t carry with you in the labyrinth, but those cases will almost certainly disappear.


    ''''Arihito-san, can I explain to you about the demons on one level beforehand?''''


    Are you sure?¡¡Isn''t information the lifeblood of the seeker?


    We''ve been offered to join forces with them, so I don''t feel comfortable doing this. Don''t hesitate to ask.


    Kaede said, and took out a notebook from the bag he was holding. And when he opened it, there was a picture of what looked like a demon and a note of what kind of enemy it was.


    (Is this........a mole?¡¡(You look like you''re wearing a helmet...)


    Don''t worry about the drawings, they''re not very good, they''re embarrassing.


    ''No, it''s great. I can actually feel you looking like this.


    Oh, I don''t know...


    The maple looks triumphant, but the gesture of embarrassment is innocent when she compliments me on my painting.


    --And as I''m having this exchange, Suzuna is staring at me and smiling cheerfully. It''s the same bright smile as always, but why do I feel a sense of power?


    ''Can I see it too?''


    Of course you can. We''re all in the loop.


    Thank you. Rear, come over here a bit more... ''Grand Mall'' is that your name?¡¡Is this something you''re wearing on your head?


    The hair on your head seems to have evolved so hard that it looks like a helmet. The hair on its head seems to have evolved into a very hard helmet-like shape. It thrusts up from underneath you, so if you hit it properly, you''ll be seriously injured, so just be careful of your feet. If you hit it a few times after it jumps out, it won''t be able to get back into the hole. It''s a bit pathetic, but if you hit anything other than its head, you can take it down.


    ''''But it took us about fifteen minutes to take them down but they don''t come out easily. But if you try to leave them alone, they will attack you firmly. Be careful, because they can also throw dirt muck at you. If you hit your helmet, it will ''reflect'' on you.


    Ryoko-san has a calm tone, so she doesn''t seem to be in much trouble, but fifteen minutes is not easy.


    However, I did come up with one strategy that I wanted to try. When you get the information in advance, it''s not bad to have a plan to make this move - it''s not a problem if everyone is safe and wins the battle at the last minute, but I also think we should stand around as safely as possible.

 80 Chapter 79: "Shepherd Gods Sleeping Bed" First Floor

    I continued to turn the pages of the maple notebook. There was a drawing of what looked like a beetle on it.


    ''This is a ''fake beetle''. This monster is like a large beetle, and if you approach it from the front, it will fly away, so we haven''t been able to defeat it yet. I heard that they attack indiscriminately during the breeding season because they need to store their nourishment and so on.


    Fearful.......let''s kill all those demons from afar with Suzu-chan''s arrows.


    ''''Even with Arihito-san''s sling, I guess I can attack him from a distance. But if you don''t dare to fight him, should I leave him alone...?


    Perhaps because I only saw it from a distance, the picture here is not written in detail. ''I couldn''t make out the shape as it flew away,'' the note said - I think it was maple writing, but the shape and size of the letters were neat, and I could tell she was meticulous.


    ''We''re up to the entrance on two levels - and when we get to the second floor, we''ll find a sheep-shaped demon. Actually, the material we use for the racket is the intestines of the sheep demon.


    ''Come to think of it, ''gut'' also means gut. I didn''t know that''s where the racket gut comes from, too.


    If the racket strings were originally made from processed intestines, then it makes sense that a racket could be made in the Maze Country. However, there will be very few users, so the only way to get a higher compatible racket is to make one.


    ''''If you want to dismantle it, leave it to me. I''ve done a lot of material processing for demons.


    ''''Thank you, there aren''t many artisans who can process the demon''s guts... if you just want to take the meat off, you can go to a butcher shop and they''ll do it for you.


    It sounds grotesque, but leather armor and the like are also made from tanned demon leather, and it''s not surprising that the racket is made from sheep''s intestines that have been processed into guts, since that''s the traditional process.


    ''I haven''t encountered that ''sheep'' yet, but I''ve heard they use lightning. What attribute attacks do you all have?


    ''''Igarashi-san can also use blitzes, and Theresia can do wind attribute attacks. I can also do the kind of attacks that can penetrate the enemy''s defenses, so I''ll try to make it work.


    Oh," the "Four Seasons" guys marveled. We''re finding a lot of magic stones, but if we''re unlucky, they might not be easy to find.


    I changed from the flame-attribute ''Blaze Shot'' to an ebony sling for its bare attack power, but I still want to have as many means of attribute attacks as possible. That way, my support will allow me to add all kinds of attributes to everyone''s attacks.


    (It''s time to put "Support Attacks 2" to full use. It should be stronger than "Support Attack 1" depending on how you use it... but with the current weapon, it can shoot state-defying bullets, but it can''t do attribute attacks.


    If you''re lucky enough to get an attribute attack stone such as a burning stone, you can incorporate it into your equipment, but I''d also like to try activating "Support Attack 2" with the weapons you have with the "Pyrotechnic Stone," "Dragon Stone" and "Explosive Stone". This time, I''m going to do a little research without changing equipment.


    And as I was thinking about the equipment, I finally remembered - the harvest from opening the black box was too big, and I haven''t even opened the two red boxes and the wooden box that Trent dropped.


    ''What''s going on?''¡¡Rear-guard. You look like you''ve done it.


    ''No, I was just missing something. I''ll put this task on hold for now and digest it as soon as I get back.


    Oh, he''s so cool, like he can do it. I''m just saying that I''m going to get serious tomorrow. Yikes!


    ''''Misaki''s going to be included in another party, even if it''s only temporary, so you''d better brace yourself a bit more...''''


    It''s so wonderful, when they brush your hair back and forth like that.


    It''s great, it''s like adolescence. I don''t know if I''ve ever had anyone do that to me before but I don''t remember any...


    I was going to warn them, but for some reason the Four Seasons people were looking at me with a blush on their faces. Was I dragged along by Misaki''s tone, and did I also act in a familiar manner towards a woman - I have to reflect on it very hard.


    ''''..........''''


    ...Teresa?


    Theresia stares at me, then puts her hand on her skullcap. I can''t stroke her head because of the hat - no, I don''t know if she wants me to - but I''m not sure she wants me to.


    ''Oh, c''mon. Arihito-san and the others, can we go on a day trip this time?¡¡There are a lot of parties from the Seventh Ward that dive into the labyrinth for multiple days.


    Yeah, for now.


    ''If you ever need any camping gear, I can carry it in my inventory. Please remember that, brother.


    If there is a reason to dive overnight, there will be various problems in life, such as a change of clothes - the women seem to be prepared for this to some extent, so no one seems to be opposed to it if it is necessary.


    ''''At the very least, a change of clothes is necessary~...don''t you think so too, Kyouka sister?


    ''Wow, if you ask me I don''t want to cover it up with perfume too much and I hope you can at least bathe in it.


    Thank goodness for the people who think like that. Sometimes, you know, people who don''t need to take a bath for days at a time.


    Is Elitia a bit of a germaphobe? But I don''t think the opportunity to bathe in the labyrinth is going to come easily. I''m not going to be the only one who''s been in the market for a while.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô.


    The entrance to the Bed of the Sheep God is shaped like a rock house. It was extremely bright on the other side, and the air around it changed as you passed through the rocky house, perhaps as a result of the transition.


    The first level of "Akebono''s Field" gives the impression of a plain with little difference in elevation, but this labyrinth is undulating like a hill, the sun is bright and the sky is blindingly blue. And there are places where purple flowers as well as grasses grow in clusters.


    ''It''s something like the lavender fields of Furano.


    ''Oh, I thought so too. I only went there once when I was a kid, so I have a vague recollection of it.


    I''m not sure if "scenic beauty" is the right word to describe the labyrinth, but I''m wondering now if this is one of the best parts of being an explorer. I''m grateful for this kind of bright labyrinth, as the atmosphere in the Calling Forest was eerie.


    I''m not sure what to do," he said, "What do you want to do, Alihito-san?¡¡Do you want to fight the demon first? But it''s not a demon that I can relax about.


    When everyone is out on the plain, Ibuki asks me about it. I answered after confirming that there are no demons in Teresia''s search range.


    ''''For now, let''s proceed towards the second level and return fire if we encounter an enemy.


    We have more experience. We''ll be the first to go.


    ''''Brother Arihito, I''ll be off then........Oh, Sion?¡¡No - Zion-chan is your brother''s group, so don''t follow me.


    The fact that Misaki is ahead of the rest of the party seems to be a concern for Sion, who is an ''escort dog''. Certainly, even for me, this is more reassuring.


    "Sion, if Misaki is targeted, can you ''cover'' her within an unreasonable range?


    Theon replied, "Bau," before leading the way and taking up an escort for Misaki. Even if I''m mixed in with the rest of the party, as long as I can position myself behind my companions, I can support them on the spur of the moment.


    In front of me, who is in the rear-most guard, are Suzuna, Madoka, and Melissa. Madoka is able to use a weapon called ''sasumata'', which is used to subdue the enemy rather than defeat them, but since she doesn''t yet have a skill dedicated to attacking, I decided to not push her and have her use the skill of ''evacuation'' to hide when the battle begins.


    After progressing for a while, Suzuna looks back at me and smiles. Perhaps as a leader I should tell her that it''s better to focus on the search, but I remind myself that I don''t have anything too rigid to say.


    ''What''s up?¡¡You seem to be in a good mood this morning.


    Yes, thanks to you. You have such a beautiful view, Alihit-san.


    ''Yeah, sure. As long as there are no demons, I''d just like to take a normal stroll around...


    Huh...!


    Teresia, who has activated ''Searching Expansion 1'', is the first to react. I thought that the search range was only slightly extended, but it was earlier than the maple trees ahead of me noticed.


    ''''Wha........what is this.......the ground is shaking......!


    Igarashi-san almost stepped on the tatara and activated ''Blink Step'' out of danger. Elitia was also prepared to activate ''Sonic Raid'' at any time.


    ''''--Everyone, ''Let''s get fired up!¡¡The enemy is under the ground, watch out!


    ''Support Uplift 1'' to keep the morale of my friends up. As we were told beforehand, something is coming towards us while bobbing and raising the ground.


    ''''--Oh no, the enemy is linked and a second one is coming too!


    What...?


    The demon you encountered


    Grand Mall A Level 5 Drop: ?


    Grand Mall B Level 5 Drop: ?


    Another ringing that shakes the ground overlaps - and. In front of us, one eye was on the maples, and the ground rose up to cross from the right, and a second one attacked our party.


    ''''--Gluooh-oh!


    d*mn it...!


    Elitia, ''support''!


    Current Situation


    Grand Maul B" attacks "Elitia".


    Aricht''s ''Support and Defense 1'' is activated ¡ú Target: ''Elitia''


    No damage to "Elitia".


    Grand Maul B hits Elitia with the Mad Blast


    Ouch...!


    It was penetrated - the enemy exceeded the 11 damage that can be mitigated by ''Support Defense 1'' - or the support attack didn''t work for the second stage of the attack.


    Ryoko said, the earth crush (mud blast). Depending on whether this was an attack that did more than 11 damage, or if the support defense didn''t work and 3 damage went through, the situation would be very different.


    We can calculate that the level multiplied by 10 is the approximate strength, so Elitia''s strength is about 90. There''s still room to spare, but even a single-digit damage would result in visible injuries in the form of scrapes and bruises.


    No, it''s better to ''block the attack'' from the start.......!)


    Don''t you dare run away!


    Elitia tries to fight back, but it looks like the mole has grinned and smiled viciously - the guy runs away and dives back into the ground.


    Ahead, the maple is boldly attracting the enemies who are diving underground in all directions - how can he move with such agility in his armor over his hakama, which is probably a rare armor in the labyrinth country?


    ''''Everyone stay back, we''ll draw them in!¡¡--Yeah!


    "-Gluoohhhh!


    While leaping through the soil, the mole, which is one size larger than a human and looks like a bear, swings its claws - but just when you think it''s going to hit, the maple moved backwards with its wooden sword at the ready, leaving an afterimage behind.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Maple Tree activates "Later on" ¡ú precedes "Grand Mall A".


    Maple Tree triggers a shout ¡ú Grand Mall A overwhelms


    Maple Tree activates Hikigote and hits Grand Mall A.


    Grand Maul A''s attack power has decreased.


    Goooooooooooo...!


    --Basin, there was a sound of a strike that seemed to pierce the blue sky. A fierce, beast-like voice that could not be considered a mole at all sounded, and the grand mole sagged wide open.


    ''''--I''ll take over, maple!


    Oh no, we''re not gonna make it in time.


    Current Situation


    Ibuki invokes the "tile splitter".


    Grand Maul A activates "Ground Diving" ¡ú nullifies the attack.


    Oh, we were so close...


    Get back, Ibuki!¡¡I''m going to take my next chance!


    The enemy''s evasion is too fast to put in a series of attacks, and the timing is too severe - Misaki is on the lookout for enemy attacks along with Sion so as not to get in the way.


    ''''Well, um... yeah, if it''s even slightly positive...!


    Current Situation


    Misaki activates the "Dice Trick".


    Misaki activates Lucky Seven and that''s it!


    The speed of "Grand Maul A" has decreased.


    ...don''t you think the enemy is slowing down a bit?


    The next time you come out, it will be better....


    Yes, sir.


    --Men who continue to move while diving in all directions. When you try to consider ''supporting'' the members on the other side, your concentration is raised one level.


    Current Situation¡ô


    Arihito''s Eagle''s Eye is activated, and his ability to grasp the situation is improved.


    (Okay, in this state, we can support the other party''s opportunity... but this one first...!


    Come on, Demi-harpy!


    Current Situation


    Arihito summons Himiko, Asuka and Yayoi.


    Himiko activates the "Sleep Song".


    Asuka and Yayoi activate the "Ring Singer".


    Grand Mole A" resists sleep.


    The "Grand Mall B" sleeps.


    The effect of Sleeping Song is continued by the "Circle Singing".


    Wha....what the hell, did Aricht-san call the demon...?


    ''Don''t worry, that harpy''s one of us!¡¡Don''t worry about it, just fight!


    The Harpies jumped up into the sky above and began to sing as they circled, but they couldn''t put either of them to sleep.


    ''-- Sink!


    ...!


    Let''s go!


    Please, Mr. Aricht, please!


    The demon in the ground that was about to attack us has fallen asleep and stopped moving - we all understood without saying a word that we had no choice but to drop it with an all-out attack here.


    (It''s risky to try here, but........how far can we go with ''Support Attack 2''.......!


    All four of us ''back up''!


    Imagining the scene of repeated chases against everyone''s attacks, I pull the sling - I could choose the method of attack to use for support at will.


    Current Situation¡ô


    Arihito activates ''Support Attack 2'' ¡ú Support: ''Force Shoot Stun''


    Elitia activates "Sonic Raid".


    Teresia activates Axel Dash.


    Elitia" activates "Double Slash".


    Kyoka launches a double attack.


    Theresa" activates "Wind Slash".


    Suzuna activates "Minnaka" ¡ú Two consecutive hits are required.


    Attack of the "Suzuna


    (It would be awesome to use ''support coordination'' with this series of attacks.......it''s a skill I want after all......!


    I imagined such a thing - but before that, the sight of "Supportive Attack 2" being activated was something I couldn''t even imagine.


    --I''m not going to be the only one who''s been in this situation. It''s as if the beam Misaki was talking about arose from nothing and was superimposed on her companion''s attack.


    Current Situation¡ô


    Grand Maul B" is hit seven times ¡ú "Support Attack 2" occurs seven times.


    A stun occurs in Grand Mall B four times.


    Goooooooo.........!


    Elitia slashes through with a two-step slash from the left, and then Igarashi thrusts two more spears from the front, while Theresia runs through with a wind slash from the right, and two of Suzuna''s arrows stick out in rapid succession. The demon''s sleep is released and it roars, but the stunned grand maul exposes its defenseless state.


    Elitia tries to cut back to put a stop to it - probably with the ''Blossom Blade'' to make sure it''s stopped. But that would diminish the meaning of her attempt to preserve her magic power.


    ''''--Melissa!


    Melissa, who was supposed to be near me, was taking a big step - with the knife swinging, she stepped towards the mole at once.


    ''''I can do it now.......break the ''helmet''.......!


    Current Situation


    Melissa activates Knife-wielding, which increases the probability of part destruction.


    Melissa activates Helmet Cracking ¡ú Grand Mall B part is destroyed


    The weaknesses of "Grand Mall B" are exposed


    Chase up with "Force Shoot Stun".


    Defeat one "Grand Maul".


    Guh..............................


    A huge kitchen knife is slammed down and the helmet-shaped part of the grand maul''s head is shattered - and that''s where my support attack hits.


    It seems that the "Demolition Shop" is skilled at aiming at specific parts of demons in battle. The reason for her success is that she has a weapon called the ''Butcher''s Knife'' which is quite strong as a level 3 weapon.

 81 Episode 80: A New Trump Card

    And another one - another mole, whose speed had been reduced by Misaki''s skills, now aimed at Sion and tried to attack him from the ground. However, Sion took aim at that moment and prepared himself.


    ''''--Ggaowow!


    How about a different kind of abnormality, this time with confusion?


    Current Situation


    Attack of "Grand Mall A


    Arihito activates ''Support Attack 2'' ¡ú Support: ''Force Shoot Confuse''


    Zion activates the Tail Counter ¡ú Grand Mall A is hit.


    Grand Maul A is disrupted by "Supportive Attack 2".


    Gga..........................


    The mole, which was dragged to the ground after receiving the tail that Sion unleashed in a somersault, moved differently than before - the ''confusion'' worked.


    ''''--Everyone, I''m going to make the most of the opportunity that Zion-chan has created for me!


    ""Yes!"


    After receiving a spirited cry from Ibuki, the four of them didn''t miss the opportunity to launch a series of attacks - starting with a strike from the maple tree.


    ''''Yaaaah!''''


    Let''s go!


    Current Situation


    The maple invokes the chi-kentai.


    Maple Tree attacks Grand Mall A. Critical


    Ryoko creates "Aquaball".


    Anna activates Aqua Flat Serve and hits Grand Mall A.


    "Galluo...!


    After the maple''s wooden sword strike was fully in, Anna tossed the water ball that Ryoko had created with the water from her water bottle and released her serve. As soon as the ball landed on the mole with a roar, a column of water was generated - the girls had such a combined technique.


    ''''I''ll take care of the rest.......!


    Oh, no, Ibuki!


    Current Situation


    The "Grand Mall A" is an emergency evasive action.


    Grand Mall A" activates "Jidanda".


    d*mn it...!


    It was the moment I thought I could defeat it if I just folded up at once. The mole suddenly began to rampage, but Ibuki, who had attacked, was unable to stop.


    ''Gahhhh!


    God...!


    If I don''t protect Ibuki with ''supportive defense'' - that was the moment I thought about it.


    --I suggest that attack is the best defense. Master, I want you to use me to attempt ''Supportive Attack 2''.


    The Murakumo on my back called out to me - before I could hesitate, I had pulled out the Murakumo and released it.


    ''''--Ibuki, ''support''!


    .....


    Current Situation


    Arihito activates Other Assist ¡ú Target: "Ibuki".


    Ibuki activates ''Wave Thrust''.


    Arihito requests temporary support from Ariadne.


    Arihito activates ''Support Attack 2'' ¡ú Support: ''Guard Blade: Tenchi Blades''


    Even though the mole shook the ground and slowed the attack, Ibuki, who had set it up first, slammed a blow into the mole a moment faster - and.


    As soon as I swung my sword down, the ground under the mole''s feet ''cracked''.


    The slash that occurred as if striking down from above the mole''s head gouged out even the ground - but the impact only penetrated, and the mole''s helmet-shaped head that changed into a helmet did not seem to crack.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Hit by "Grand Mall A".


    Guardblade: Tenchi-blade follows up with a follow-up attack from Guardblade: Tenchi-blade, which hits Grand Mall A.


    Defeat one "Grand Maul".


    Zuzun, the grand maul collapses on its back with a ground shaking.


    We did it....we did it...?


    Oh, I thought I was going to get hit... why is the ground cracking up like this...


    How rude of me to think that I might be unemployed...


    They must have defeated the Grand Maul before, but the four men of the Four Seasons seemed relieved that they had all been able to defeat it safely.


    And so are we. The scrape Elitia received was healed cleanly and completely after my ''Supportive Recovery 1'' worked - she smiled at me as she settled her sword and smiled at me.


    Rear...!


    Using ''Support Attack 2'', I could drain one attack skill''s worth of magic power and put a follow-up attack on everyone in the party. It''s good to know that - ''Heaven and Earth Blades'' is quite large in terms of attrition just by activating it once, and I feel like my consciousness is about to be taken away from me as my magic power is cut down.


    ''''Wha........''''


    "Oh, oh I''m sorry, Theresa. You''re always worrying me...


    ..........


    Theresia rushes over as quickly as she can and supports me as I almost fall. Madoka, who had been retreating, also ran over and checked my condition with a license, her eyes widened and she let out a blue potion.


    ''''Brother, if my magic power has decreased this much, I can''t hold on to my body no matter how much I have.......''''


    ''I''m sorry, I''ll be more careful in the future I guess I''d better use this sword as a trump card.


    It''s good that Murakumo suggested I use myself, but she didn''t seem to have calculated the wear and tear on me either, so I''m meek. It''s valuable, but I can''t turn my back on it, and I drank the blue potion Madoka gave me - after drinking half of it, my magic power is fully restored.


    (The maximum value of strength and magic power should be considered to be almost level x 10. My maximum magic power value is about 60, including the amount I ate the ''Kichi no Ringo''. (In other words, ''Other Assist'' and ''Force Shoot'' consumed 5 at a time, and ''Heaven and Earth Blade'' consumed about 20...)


    If you use the Support Attack 2, the attrition will be severe depending on the content of the technique. You may find "Support Attack 1" useful, but the addition of a status abnormality can give you an advantage in the battle situation, so it''s important to use it properly.


    The box is down!¡¡Mr. Alihit, the box, the box is down!


    ''It''s been a long time since I''ve seen a box come out of the box but this is something that you and your friends have the right to acquire. We''ve been so helpful.


    ''Oh no, since we''re here, please take it. If it has the equipment we want, then can we negotiate for it?


    The mole that the girls had defeated had a box, so of course I thought they could take it with them - but for some reason, all four of them were looking at me with eyes that looked at me in disbelief.


    ''''Ha, it''s a box?¡¡If you don''t use the equipment that comes out of the box, or magic stones, equipment doesn''t get better, right? All the other people would jump at you with a different color of their eyes.


    Hahaha........so do we. But the reason we were able to defeat the demon this time is because of Aricht-san and the others.


    ''If there''s anything you want on our end, let us negotiate with you. This time the harvest is yours, Mr. Aricht.


    The presence of Misaki, the gambler, makes the box easier to get out - it would be better to keep it a top secret. If that''s how valuable the box is, if Misaki''s ability is known, the other parties will be attacked by the pullout from the other parties.


    As for the distribution of the harvest, we''ll think about it after we bring it back. We don''t want to monopolize all of it either, so let''s consult with each other to decide on that.


    ''Thank you. Oh, I''m really embarrassed. I didn''t want to judge Atobe-san for being so quiet based on her appearance...


    At first, Ryoko called me "Arihito-kun," but perhaps because I''m older than her, she changed the term of endearment. I''m glad to hear that the battle has changed the way he refers to me.


    It''s a good thing that you have a masculine voice behind you, because it''s very encouraging. Thank you, Alihito-san.


    Oh, thank you very much, too, Mr. Aricht!


    ''....Is it fashionable to call Mr. Alihit many different names?


    I wonder why it''s Sensei, but I wonder if it''s because I broke the ground in support of Ibuki. The Murakumo''s power is high, and my attack power is not high, but I think I''ve been misunderstood - but I can''t correct it, as I can''t easily reveal information related to the secret gods.


    Anyway, I apply the key to the warehouse to the box and transfer it. As for the materials of the mole itself, after talking with the maple and others, this too will be sent to Melissa''s storeroom.


    The parts of the mole are intact, so we should be able to get some good material. The parts that were destroyed can''t be used as material, so we''ll have to be careful in the future.


    ''Melissa, you had some great nerve. Before Ellie and I could set it up again, thud!¡¡And he swung the knife down...


    ''Yeah, I''m surprised. I didn''t know a level 3 could have such an offensive power.


    It''s the knife. It''s what my father prepared for me to do to help my mother.


    Melissa''s mother is a sub-human, and she, too, has been exploring with other parties to break the curse. Or perhaps Mr. Rykerton had prepared a weapon for the search to save his wife himself.


    That will was passed on to Melissa. Neither Theresa nor Melissa''s mother could help but wish that they could return to their former ways as soon as possible.


    The demi-harpy''s magic power is not inexhaustible, so they have to return to the ranch to rest. The ''Fake Beetle'' has a higher level than the girls, so it would be dangerous if they were to be attacked in the air.


    ''''While I''m saying that..... That''s the ''Fake Beetle''?


    Oh.........the Grand Maul is over there too. If it comes to a fight, they won''t come over here like they did before.


    Well, let''s split up and fight... Misaki, can you come back here for once?


    ''Yes!¡¡I feel like I could be of some help!


    You really saved my life, Misaki. You can fight with us again.


    The friendship seems to be developing nicely due to the proximity of their ages. Misaki was grateful and embarrassed as she returned to us.


    ''''Rear-kun, since I have the ''Gunwolf Stance'', can I go with Sion this time?''''


    ''Yes, please take care of yourself. I''ll support you as much as I can. Let''s go for it, everyone.


    "Yes.


    If you shout too loudly, the demons will notice you, so we formed a circle with the two parties and shouted together at a reasonable volume. At the same time, we activated our support uplift to ensure that our morale would build up.


    We want to save our morale release until we fight the sheep demons at the second level - so far things are going well, so we want to keep our guard up and keep going.

 82 Episode 81: Contrary

    After defeating the two Grand Mauls, we carefully made our way through the battered, raised plains.


    On the hill in front of us on the right, there is a Grand Maul. In the sky in front of us, there is a single monster flying in the sky - I can get an accurate sense of distance thanks to the effect of the hawk''s eye, but it''s clearly not the size of the beetle I know.


    ''The Hercules Monarch is about how many centimeters long...''


    I blurted out, but Suzuna replied dutifully. Misaki and Elitia can hear it, too, and say to each of them as they look at the demon flying far in the air.


    ''It''s only called Hercules, wasn''t it about thirty centimeters long?''


    ''''........I think it was close to 20 centimeters at the most. That demon looks like it''s the size of a pea grain right now, but when it gets close.......it could be a lot bigger than us.......


    We''ve fought huge demons even bigger than ourselves before, and while the ''Fake Beetle'' is different in color from the beetles I know, the overall shape is very similar. What I''m curious about is that it has what looks like horns growing on the back side as well.


    It''s like a beetle, but not a beetle. (Doesn''t anything start with just observing them?


    ..........


    Theresia looked at the Four Seasons, Igarashi-san and Sion, who were approaching the Grand Mall from the right. Igarashi-san had consulted with Kaede and Ibuki in the vanguard, and was now in the middle guard position. Then, as I wondered what she would do, she generated a ''decoy doll'' and used the ''decoy'' to attract the attention of the grand maul and launched a general attack.


    ''''--Gahhhh!


    "--I got it!¡¡Now''s your chance!


    ''Let''s go, Ibuki............yaaaah!


    Huh!


    "Guys, I''m ''backing you up'' too!


    Activate ''Support Attack 2'' against the entire party of the separate team and add the ''Confusion'' condition that is known to be effective.


    Current Status¡ô


    Kyouka" activates "Decoy Doll".


    Kyoka activates Decoy ¡ú Decoy doll''s hostile value increases.


    Grand Maul" attacks "Decoy Doll".


    The maple tree activates "Suri-foot".


    Arihito activates ''Support Attack 2'' ¡ú Support: ''Hupnos Shoot''.


    Maple Tree activates Yan Fei and hits Grand Mall.


    Ibuki activates Crescent Moon Kick ¡ú Grand Maul is hit.


    Supportive Attack 2" occurs twice ¡ú "Grand Mall" is disrupted


    As long as they put in a state failure, the battlefield would be in their favor. In anticipation of being triggered by ''Jidanda'' while confused, Anna and Ryoko-san would earn damage with a long-range attack, avoid the confused mole''s counterattack, and Sion would hit the ''tail counter'' - this would allow them to win without danger! That''s right.


    Suzuna, we''re going in. Can you make it this far?


    ''I will try. O eight million gods, guide my arrows with the light of the sun wheel....


    The altitude and distance of the arrows are so great that they would not reach you even if you fired them normally. However, if the "mid-air" skill is explained, you can always hit up to two arrows regardless of distance.


    And to avoid wasting your first attack, you can use "Support Attack 2". It''s a good idea to have a good idea of what you''re looking for.


    --It''s a good idea to be able to use it as a tool to help you get the most out of it, but if you''re not skilled enough, it will take some time before you can use it again. As for the "Guard Arm", there is no limit to the number of times it can be used, but each time it is activated, it consumes magic power. Also, you can use the Guard Valiant, a higher level skill, once your party''s total level has reached 20. As for this, its true value cannot be realized without the ''Shield'' part and its equipper in the party.


    (''Guard Valiant''?


    If I had time, I would like to train in regards to attacking with the Star Machine Sword. Normally, I use a sling that allows me to attack without magic power and hone my sword skills for the occasion - I''ve found it very useful that the ''rear guard'' can equip weapons at close range and long range due to the nature of their skills.


    Right now, the first thing to do is to deal with the demon in front of us - the Four Seasons will join us once we defeat the mole, but if we can defeat it before then, there''s no need to say.


    Suzuna takes a deep breath and stops and takes her turn with the arrow. The strings make a crisp sound, and my eyes widen at the moment she releases the arrow in the tense air.


    ''''-- ''Hit me!


    ''Support''!


    If Suzuna''s ''Minnaka'' was used, two arrows in a row would become a must. In other words, if Suzuna activated ''Support Attack 2'' every time she fired an arrow, she could potentially add two types of status disorders.


    (The attrition is great but.......against an enemy you''ve never met before, you have to do everything you can to hit them......!


    Current Situation


    Suzuna activates "Minnaka" ¡ú Two consecutive hits are required.


    Arihito activates ''Support Attack 2'' ¡ú Support: Hupnos Shoot


    Suzuna" is "? Attacks ''out of range'' ¡ú hits for no damage


    Arihito activates ''Support Attack 2'' ¡ú Support: Poison Shoot


    Suzuna" is "? Attacking ''Out of Range Demon'' ¡ú Hit it


    Supportive Attack 2" occurs ¡ú "? ''Demons out of range'' poisoned.


    Suzuna''s arrow hits the ''Fake Beetle'' accurately at a distance where it is impossible to tell what would have happened if not for the ''Eagle''s Eye''.


    (The ''Confusion'' apparently missed... but the ''Poison'' of the second level went in...!


    I don''t know how much of a drain on my strength, but I''m hoping it will add up to something. Or, if it''s this far away, I could wait farther away until I''m weak--.


    They''re coming.


    ....!


    Something is different.


    I don''t even know what it is, but I - I regret with a chill running through my whole body that I should have confirmed the size and appearance of the enemy I saw with my ''hawk''s eye'' to the maple trees.


    The Demon I Encountered¡ô


    ¡ï Betrayal beetle level 6 Drop: ?


    We were able to hit the attack from a long distance, and before we could feel the advantage, we were faced with a giant beetle that was charging at us at speed like a comet.


    The current situation


    The antagonistic beetle activates the Screw Dive ¡ú Target: Theresa


    Boom, my heart pulses.


    My instincts appeal to me, warning me that I will die if I make the wrong decision. Along with the sensation of redness in front of my eyes, I don''t have time to breathe, and my brain circuits call out at a speed that seems to burn out.


    (-- Ariadne!)


    Current Situation


    Arihito requests temporary assistance from Ariadne, the god of the machine, ¡úTheresia


    Ariadne activates Guard Arm.


    In the blink of an eye, the massive body approaching was just like a heavy bomber. The ''it'' that tried to fall from a high altitude towards Theresia was slightly deflected from its trajectory and collided with the plains - and.


    ''''Kook...!


    The impact is enough to create a crater in the ground. I block the blast with my ''support defense'', but I can''t protect myself - but.


    ''''.........''''


    Standing in front of me, buckler at the ready, Theresia is protecting me. When the enemy''s aim was lost, Theresa gave priority to protecting me, above all else.


    Current Situation¡ô


    Screw dive" causes "gusts of wind".


    Aricht activates ''Support and Defense 1''.


    Elitia, Theresa, Suzuna, Misaki, and Melissa took no damage.


    An invisible wall generated by the ''supportive defense'' blocked the wind that was slamming into the earth and stones. And when the wind stopped, we saw the enemy''s figure again.


    It is standing on the ground with huge horns - even its legs are covered with a dull, shiny shell, with sharp claws. The heavily armed helmet beetle (beetle) used the full range of motion of its arms to stick its claws into the ground just in time to pull itself out.


    The helmet beetle spun vigorously and regained its stance. The fierce, horned, silvery beetle - its carapace radiated a metallic glow.


    ''''Oh, such a big hole........hehe......''''


    ''''I don''t think I would have encountered such a powerful demon in normal times... if that had happened, I''m sure there would have been casualties.


    Beside the surprised Misaki, a retreating Elitia says. The blood was draining from her profile, but she quickly regains her mind and pulls out the ''Scarlet Imperial Sword''.


    Supposedly, this demon is a ''Fake Beetle'' ''with a name''. Even if you check with the license, it shows a different name than the one you were expecting. I should have been more vigilant when it was listed as ''out of range demon''.


    ''''.........''''


    "...Theresa.


    Theresa gives a small shake of her head, as if she''s just seen what I''m thinking. Then she puts her hand on her chest - that''s what she means when she follows my instructions.


    ''Thank you for covering for me, Theresa. I''m so grateful for your help ... but to suddenly come across such a monster in the second round.


    ''Either we''ll try to see if we can do some damage with Arihito''s support, or we''ll avoid him since he''s not the one we''re supposed to be dealing with...''


    If we leave it like this, the people who come to the labyrinth will be fighting later. I don''t think it''s a good idea to leave the enemy in a fighting position and then run away.


    ''....Madoka, hide. I may be a liability, too, but ''part destruction'' can be useful against insect-type enemies. I want to aim at them somehow.


    I''ve been checking with my license from earlier to see if the other party can shave off the Grand Maul''s strength, but I''m only a few dozen seconds away.


    (I''ll let them have it so the enemy won''t pay attention to the other side - and then I''ll pin them down. Let''s try it with that...)


    ''Oh, um. Arihito-san, there''s something about the demon...


    Hmm...?


    When Suzuna asked me to look at it, I saw that the entire epidermis of the demon was purplish, and the eye at the base of the horn was also purple.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    The antagonist beetle has been poisoned.


    Poison attribute suicide attack against the antagonistic bugs ¡ú 10% of maximum strength


    I can hear a weak sound like a squeal from its jaws, which are less developed than its horns - I look at its figure and make one inference.


    ''''........heavily armored, but does it have a low upper limit of strength instead?


    ''Oh....''


    Miss Ellie, can you think of anything else?


    ''''........Until now, I''ve never had a situation where I''ve had to use poison to defeat an enemy. It''s said that demons with very hard defenses can actually be poisoned as their weak point, and once they''ve been poisoned, they can be defeated if you buy them time. That''s why a poison that lasts for a long time can be sold for a higher price than runes.


    I''m going to slowly reduce my strength with poison - a strategy I wouldn''t dare to take either, but against a beetle with such a huge body and heavy armor, there may indeed be no need to collide properly with it.


    ''''If you decide to do that, then everyone, leave the lord (shingari) to me.


    ''If you can scrape it off with poison, you should probably do so. I''ll play ''Sonic Raid'' on you and provoke you, so you all run first.


    ''Well, uh ... you can just stay in front of your brother, right?''


    ''''That''s right. Everyone, let''s go!


    ""Yes!"


    At the same time, as soon as the will is unified, only Elitia runs towards the enemy with such speed that it leaves an afterimage.


    ''''--I''ll cut through it...!


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates ''Support Attack 1''.


    Elitia activates "Slash Ripper".


    The antagonistic beetle activates the "Protect Shell".


    The antagonist beetle nullifies the attack.


    --I thought that such an enemy would appear one day. The armor as it looks prevents Elitia''s sword with the armor as it looks, and the special skill prevents even fixed damage.


    ''''Huh........Also, I can''t believe physics doesn''t work......!


    It''s all right. We can scrape it off with poison!¡¡Draw, Elitia!


    Copy that...


    "--Kishaaaaaa!


    Elitia dodges the attack and jumps back, accelerating with her skills to line up beside me, and when I give her a look, she goes further.


    The beetles, which are well over three meters tall, are chasing me at low altitude - but this is where my weapons and skills come in handy.


    "You''ll have to stop...!


    Current Situation


    Arihito activates the "Lord''s General" and his status increases by the number of people in his party.


    Arihito activates the Force Shoot Stun and hits the antagonist beetle.


    The Beetle of Treason is stunned.


    With the sound of a bullet being fired, the magic bullet from the black sling landed on the face of the beast.


    It is a very good idea to be able to have a good idea of what you''re looking for in a good deal of people. , falling to the spot and stopping while scraping the soil of the plains.


    Current Situation


    Counterattack action of the antagonistic beetle ¡ú Activate the Anti-Magic Shell.


    Magic Reflection" attribute is added to the armor of the "treacherous bugs".


    The antagonist beetle has been poisoned.


    What, eh, eh... my brother, what in the world was that...


    ''-The magic doesn''t work on him anymore!¡¡Anyway, we''re going to run and scrape it off with poison!


    Yes, Aricht-san...


    Huh...!


    It was fortunate that the target wouldn''t turn on Madoka, who was hiding - and that no other party would be hiding in this labyrinth. I''m not horrified if I''m there and my target misses it.


    -- and I turn around while running away and see Igarashi-san swinging his spear at the top of the distant hill, and Sion, who is preparing to match it.


    (-- ''Supporting''!)


    Let''s go, little Theon!


    Whoa!


    Ryoko-san!


    Yes.........


    Current Situation


    Arihito activates ''Support Attack 1'' and ''Other Assist''.


    Kyoka launches a double attack.


    Theon" activates "Wolf''s Rush".


    Grand Maul hits a total of six levels. Support damage 66


    Ryoko creates "Aquaball".


    Anna activates the Aqua Scud Serve and hits the Grand Maul.


    Defeat one "Grand Maul".


    Igarashi-san and Sion''s cooperative attack was received in all stages, and then Anna and Ryoko, who had been in the back, coordinated with each other to release a ball of water - different from before, the mole received a strong strike with a straight trajectory to the back of his head, and he fell forward as it was.


    The attempt to support the separate parties at key points has had some success - now it''s up to us to do our part.


    The poison added to the "Backstabbing Beetle" will cut off ten percent of its maximum strength in ten seconds. It''s a calculation that will allow you to defeat the bugs if you can escape for less than a minute and forty seconds, but when you''re just about to take a breath, the bugs'' movements change.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    The beetle in disobedience activates ''High Speed Metabolism''.


    The antagonist beetle has been removed.


    The Form of the antagonist beetle


    The poison is gone.


    "--Kishaaaaah!


    The beetle''s whole body turned fiery red, and many places of its armor shattered - no, in order to increase its speed to the limit, it chipped away at the waste of its own will.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Attack and agility of the treacherous beetle are increased. Defense is reduced for 100 seconds until death is imminent.


    (Probably could have defeated him in twenty seconds... and then quintupled it all at once...!


    The obsession with taking us along for the ride - the changing beetle''s appearance makes me shudder more than a little. The demons of the labyrinth country are still not making it easy at all.


    ''''-- Aricht-san!


    d*mn it...!


    Current Situation


    The antagonistic beetle activates the blast horn.


    Aricht evades. Additional damage from impact.


    If he hadn''t improved his abilities in "General of the Lord''s Army", he would have taken a direct hit - he reacts instantly with Suzuna''s warning, but the arm part of his suit is ripped open and he feels pain.


    You used the sound generated by vibrating the horns to attack. It''s a good thing no one was fleeing in front of me - the grasslands have been cleaved off in a straight line with an impact that I can''t see.


    (I don''t know if I''ll be able to dodge it next time.......there''s a limit to how much my friends can warn me on a hunch. What to do........what kind of moves.......!


    .....


    Teresa!


    Theresia releases a throwing dagger (dark) - a double throw. I reflexively try to support her and select ''Support Attack 1''.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Theresa" activates "Double Throw".


    The antagonist beetle activates the antler swatting action, which nullifies a throwing attack.


    One-level hit on the antagonistic beast. No damage. Support damage 11


    Geez...!


    For some reason, the enemy didn''t use his arms, but only waved his horns and bounced back at Theresia''s dagger. Then he received the second one that flew in at the wrong time and flinched slightly after taking fixed damage.


    (What........this uncomfortable feeling. The armor on his arms is still there, and yet he used his horns to protect them. Maybe it''s the hardness of those horns or maybe it''s just the fact that they''re so hard... or maybe it''s something. (There''s always something...)


    -- at that time I was thinking back to the beginning of this battle.


    What had happened when I activated ''Support Attack 2'' and made my first shot against Suzuna.


    The second shot hit the arrow I fired, and the poison was added. But - even though the attack was entered, the ''arrow'' that should have stabbed in, and even if it had slipped out, there was no ''arrow wound'' to be found.


    The name of the ''backbiting beetle''. It''s an arm that has developed but is never used for defense.


    If that''s because they can''t react in an instant. Why is that--.


    (The position where Suzuna''s arrow hit is right in front of him - the part we always thought was ''behind him'' is the front...!


    The area where Suzuna''s arrow hit and my ''Support Attack 2'' entered is behind the guy, which is invisible to us.


    If I can hit him there, he''ll sink - I don''t know how fast he''s moving now, but if I know his weakness, it''s worth aiming at.


    ''Elitia, the spot where Suzuna''s arrow hit should be behind him.


    Can you aim - before you can say that, the sparkle in Elitia''s eyes increased.


    ''''........I have to get someone to attract them. I can''t let you take that risk.''''


    ''''Well that''s why I''m going to leave it up to Elitia''s decision, too. I can continue to use my skills to put damage into it, you know. His horns won''t be able to take any attacks after the second level.


    That''s a good idea. But I don''t know what he''s going to do when he''s cornered. If we don''t take him down as soon as possible we will.


    Elitia smiles. It wasn''t tragic or despairing - it was a supple, powerful expression that was encouraging to watch.


    ''''I''ll draw him out. Arihito it will be hard, but don''t fall to the end.''''


    ''Yeah. We may have to pull out once this fight is over but we''ve got to win and finish our first co-op fight.


    Can a level 9 swordsman, which can be said to be substandard in the Seventh Ward, surpass the full strength released by a level 6 ''named''?


    I inhale deeply so that I don''t make a mistake in my final fill-in. Teresia, Suzuna, and even Misaki, who was barely able to escape, hold the dice with trembling hands.


    The other party rushes toward us - from behind the ''backstabbing beetle''. Elitia ran in front of the guy who had moved to spare the remaining time, carrying a scarlet sword and tossing her golden hair in front of him.

 83 Episode 82: The back of the back

    Let''s go, you idiot!


    The golden gale - even the speed at which she can run at a bare minimum is considerable, but Elitia emits a brave, or rather, fierce voice that doesn''t resemble her appearance, and activates her skills to accelerate further.


    (I guess it''s Elitia''s personality, but when it comes to battle, people change.......it''s like her fighting spirit is laid bare. It''s beyond reliable........)


    ''Elitia, ''support''!¡¡Guys, let''s get into it!


    ""Yes!"


    Current Situation


    Arihito activates ''Support Attack 2'' ¡ú Support: Force shot and stun


    Elitia activates "Sonic Raid".


    Arihito activates ''Support Elevation 1'' and the party''s morale increases by 11.


    (We won''t reach 100 morale in this battle. But we have to finish it!


    -- at that time, the "Backstabbing Beetle" with its armor removed spewed out blood-red steam from its entire body.


    This is not the kind of thing that affects the environment around it. It looks exactly like an internal combustion engine that is cutting down on life itself.


    ''''--Kishaaaaaaaa!


    Current Situation


    The treacherous beetle activates the "Backwater Battle".


    The treacherous beetle invokes the Razorhorn.


    It''s fast - even my ''Eagle''s Eye'' can barely follow it, and it moves so fast that it leaves a red afterimage.


    However, Elitia, who activated ''Sonic Raid'', draws the enemy''s attack to the very edge and strikes out. The remaining afterimage looks as if it was cut off from the head by the horn that the beetle swung down, and everyone in the party gasps for a moment - but I''m the only one who understands that Elitia has evaded, and that she has launched a counterattack.


    ''--Elly, he doesn''t have another 90 seconds!¡¡We''ll ''stop'' it whenever possible!


    Elitia turns to flank the enemy, but is pursued by a tremendous reaction. He jumped back a moment before the effect of the "Sonic Raid" wore off, and promptly activated the "Sonic Raid" in succession, launching a counterattack a moment later that an ordinary person would not be able to recognize as an opening.


    ''Stop!


    Current Situation


    Elitia activates the Blossom Blade.


    The first level hits the antagonist beetle.


    The second level hits the antagonist beetle.


    The third level hits the antagonist beetle.


    Gigi..................


    The stun doesn''t go in - the guy in his current state can''t get through to the guy in his current state? If he succeeds even once out of the twelve steps, another party approaching from behind the enemy could exploit the weakness in a perfect way.


    Elitia''s impatience and despondency were palpable. Her mental fragility has been felt by now - but there''s nothing to draw back or give up on.


    We, the party, all of us, are fighting together. That''s how we''ve always gotten through the crunch.


    ''We''ll cover you, Ellie, we''ll cover you!¡¡-- ''hit''!


    ''Lucky Seven'' from ''Dice Trick''!¡¡Cheaters!


    Huh...!


    Before the disobedient beetle popped the ''Blossom Blade'' and tried to fight back. Three people with long-range attacks, all in unison, make an all-out attack - using all the skills they have.


    (-- ''Support''!)


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates ''Support Attack 1''.


    Suzuna activates "Minnaka" ¡ú Two consecutive hits are required.


    Misaki activates the "Dice Trick".


    Misaki activates Lucky Seven and that''s it!


    The antagonist beetle''s immunity has been reduced.


    Theresa activates Double Throw and throws two small darks.


    The party''s throwing attacks hit four levels. No damage, support damage 44.


    The 6th level of Blossom Blade hits the target ¡ú The antagonist beetle is stunned.


    As soon as Misaki rolled the dice, the aura that covered the beetle''s surroundings seemed to fade - the damage from the support attack broke the guy''s stance, and shortly afterwards, a stun entered, stopping him as he plopped down to the ground.


    ''''Yes...!


    Melissa!


    Catch... that horn...!


    Current Situation


    Melissa activates Knife-wielding, which increases the probability of part destruction.


    Melissa activates Cutoff ¡ú The Antagonist Beetle drops material.


    ''GISHAAH...!


    When Melissa swings the giant knife out with both hands, the glowing beetle''s horns are cut off beautifully, and it flies through the air - and then sticks deep into the ground, as if to illustrate its sharpness.


    At the same time, the Four Seasons and Igarashi-san and the others reach a point where they can attack.


    --But I don''t end up just saying ''the enemy''s kryptonite is in the back'', I give one instruction to Igarashi-san, almost solely on a hunch.


    ''''--Igarashi-san, please feint once!


    Feint ... yeah, I get it!


    What, what is it...?


    ''Maples, let Mr. Aricht take care of it!¡¡I''m sure of it!


    In answer to Ibuki''s voice, the maple that was about to cut in delays the timing of the attack. And Igarashi-san quickly activated her ''Decoy Doll'' skill.


    It''s a very good idea to have a good time. Once you possess my magical power, rise up and become the vanguard that attracts the eyes of the devil!


    The doll (Hitogata) used to activate the decoy puppet (Hitogata) sucked in Igarashi-san''s magic power and grew to the same size as a human. And it was the moment when it approached the Kouji.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    The treacherous beetle invokes the Guillotine ¡ú Destroy the decoy doll.


    Yikes...!


    Igarashi-san screams in surprise - after all, it was good to be careful. The mud doll was cut in both directions by a giant pair of scissors that flew out of the back of the ''back-opposition beetle''.


    The beetle''s face is the ''back'' of the beetle, the beetle''s face is the ''back''. What is the real front - it was tucked into the shell and hid the scissors, but it was really a stag beetle-like monster.


    ''''Eeeeeeee.......what the hell was that.......!


    Oh my god, you scared me.........oh my god.......


    What looked like a beetle was a trap....really....


    A stag beetle...?¡¡That''s a very big pair of scissors...


    The Four Seasons are also shuddering - that''s what they are. If a human was caught between those scissors, they would not only be injured. It would probably be cut in half and killed instantly.


    But they can''t close the scissors and open them immediately, apparently. The ''Betrayal Koumushi'', which had sacrificed its defensive strength by lightening its armor, had no way to do so, and was subjected to the concentrated fire of Igarashi-san and the Four Seasons.


    ''''--Sion-chan, everyone, let''s go!


    Whoa!


    ""I understand!"


    Current Situation


    Kyoka activates the Blink Step.


    Kyoka launches a double attack and hits twice.


    Zion activates Wolf''s Rush and hits 4 times.


    Maple activates "Two-step Thrust" ¡ú Two hits


    Ibuki activates Tenpaku-tachi (Heavenly Eagle Legs) and hits twice.


    Anna activates "Jump Smash" and hits once.


    Ryoko" activates "Aquadolphin".


    Defeat one of the antagonistic bugs.


    Igarashi-san uses the ''Blink Step'' just in case, and acts as a cutter - the spear isn''t very powerful, but Sion continues to see a rush of claw attacks, the maple strikes a wooden sword thrust, and the leaping ibuki stomps on the stag''s head.


    When Anna sees that her enemy has been frightened, she leaps with her petite body in full force and slams her racket into the stag''s head - finally, Ryoko summons a dolphin made of water that is clearly bigger than the amount of water she had, and rushes at it.


    The Koumushi didn''t lose his will to fight until the end, and finally opened his scissors and tried to take someone out of the way - but before he could, he ran out of power and stopped moving.


    ''''........did you.......?''''


    ''....Wow!¡¡Awesome, so awesome!¡¡I can''t believe you can beat such a strong ''named''!


    The maple looked incredulous at first, but when he looked at the license and saw the indication that it was defeated, he finally felt the joy.


    Elitia was looking at the party on the other side, but she turned around and walked over to us.


    ''''Well you''ve managed to do your part. At first, I wasn''t sure what to expect.''''


    ''Well done. Well I''m sorry, I''m sorry for calling you ''Ellie'' on the spur of the moment, just because we were in the middle of a battle.


    No....that''s not what I''m saying...I don''t...care about...anything.


    Elitia says in a voice that says, "And others call me that, too," if you can hear it. Her face is quite red.


    ''''Well I don''t mind being called that if it''s Aricht. It''s a childhood nickname, though, so it''s embarrassing to be called that too often.''''


    Well then, I guess we should still call her Elitia, basically.


    ''What are you being so uptight about, meh. Ellie-san says it''s fine, so you should be proactive in calling her. Hey, Suzu-chan.


    ''Mi, Misaki-chan you''re going to get Ellie in trouble if you cheer her up like that.


    No, it''s fine. Thank you, Suzuna. But calling them is not....well, it''s not like it''s a free thing for Ariehito to do....what?


    Igarashi-san would have reflexively apologized here, but Elitia''s case was different again. Even though she was stubborn, there was something shio-like about her, or rather, somewhat fragile about her.


    Maybe it''s because she was lonely until she met Suzuna. She worries about things like if she is too strong and displeases me.


    I guess what I need to do is to settle down as a leader, as an elder. I need to work on getting Elitia to be more natural and comfortable with me.


    ''Well, at my disposal, then. You may call me Elly, if you like.


    I''m fine, but...


    Isn''t it always? Elitia mutters to herself. Misaki and Suzuna hear that, and Misaki and Suzuna look at each other and laugh - although Suzuna is reserved.


    ''''You''re so easy to tease people with, you know, you''re the one. Misaki, come to the back of the guild later.


    But your boss is your brother!


    ''Can the three of us talk again?¡¡I''d like to talk to Ellie again, and I''d like to talk to her again... about Mr. Aricht.


    Oh, I''m talking about me...?¡¡No, if you''re going to complain or something, I''d appreciate it if you''d be open to venting about it. Don''t be afraid to tell me how to improve your treatment, or party policies, or whatever...


    "...Huh. Nothing, I''m talking to you. You two, let''s collect the drops. It''s not a good idea to leave it up to Madoka and Melissa.


    Hi, Miss Ellie.


    I wonder if something good fell out. Mmm, these are the tracks of the killer!


    There is no such thing, but isn''t it unbecoming of a girl of her age to crawl on all fours to find a drop item? I can''t help but blush slightly as an older brother.


    When I was having trouble finding a place to look, Igarashi-san and Sion came over. Sion has done a very good job, so I pat his head and pat his back - he seems to be happy with the flapping of his fluffy tail.


    ''''The rear part of you reacts in that direction, but you''re basically like an ojizo.


    Huh.........Jizo?¡¡Do I look like Jizo?


    ''Yes, except when we''re fighting, it''s like you''re quietly watching over me. But it''s not like that''s the only thing that worries me...


    ..........


    Not only Igarashi-san, but also Theresa is looking at me - you don''t think she''s worried about me? And if so, what is it?


    ''Brother Arihito, come here!¡¡There''s the box again, the red one!


    The maple calls out to me happily. As expected, the black box didn''t come out of nowhere - I was a little hopeful that it might come out for this many enemies. Even though the box itself is valuable, it''s almost certain to come out when I defeat a named one, so my senses have been numbed.


    The only thing I can think of is a sheep demon, which is related to the name of the labyrinth called ''The Sheep God''s Bed''. If you can encounter that named one, or - that would involve a great deal of luck.


    (Misaki''s a fixed member, after all - I need to be able to protect her better. Right now, though, Theresia''s got me covered.)


    Without Misaki''s luck, your search efficiency will be greatly reduced. I don''t want to give up if I can''t get good armor, I want to equip them with armor with a plus. That can be said for the other members as well.


    ''''Sensei, good job!¡¡It''s all thanks to Dr. Alihit that it worked out so well for the first time we worked together!


    ''Kyouka and Theon also led us on. You have some excellent members in Mr. Alihit''s party.


    Ibuki and Anna were also excited, their cheeks flushed with excitement. The party had risen to the upper guild of the seventh ward, but I felt that their true faces were age appropriate.


    Ryoko-san who came from behind her--something about her attitude has changed even more compared to the past. She has always been a calm person, but she is even more graceful, or perhaps more reserved.


    ''They all have good offensive skills, don''t they? Ryoko-san was also amazing, like a wizard.


    ''Oh, well I once helped with a dolphin show. So I think I can learn some skills related to dolphins... Atobe, did you watch me?


    ''Yes, of course. That last one was you, Ryoko. It was a good look.


    Ibuki and Anna are also very nice, and they would love to give you and Atobe a little bit of a good night''s sleep... right?


    ''What?¡¡Apart from that story..........


    ''I did. We haven''t met the sheep demon we''re after yet, but now that we''ve defeated the big one, I thought it would be best to return to town... So, if you''d be so kind, how about a get-together...?


    Judging from Ibuki and Anna''s reactions, they hadn''t talked about it, but Ryoko smiled with a satisfied smile and put her hand on her cheek, making her face glow.


    ''Well, well I was thinking about going back once. Probably, we were able to make an exception to let the ''named'' who was out of range and unable to touch us, and we were able to reach the attackers. We were forced to catch an opponent that we normally wouldn''t engage, but we were forced to catch them. There''s a lot of wear and tear, so let''s go back and start again. We''ve surveyed the enemies on the first level, and I think we can make it to the second level next time without any attrition.


    I understand. Then I''ll ask Atobe and the others to distribute the drop items.


    ''Yes, I''ll make a list later, so if there''s something you want, just let me know. If we have duplicate requests, that''s where we''ll negotiate...


    "What are you talking about, brother Arihito? You defeated a man we couldn''t beat, so it''s all thanks to you guys. If you share the harvest with us, we won''t be able to thank you for that.


    If you''re willing to go that far, I''d feel free to use the materials to strengthen our party.


    In response to the fight, the Grand Maul''s head shell, claws, and fur are the same, but the ''Backstroke Beetle'' seems to be a mass of excellent materials all over its body.


    Melissa hugged the knife and shook and trembled. Then she crawled her tongue on the blade and held the knife up with an ecstatic face - she''s just trying to dismantle it, but what is this glossiness?


    ''''........Haha. I was about to dismantle it here. I should bring it home with me...?


    Can you take it apart to some extent here and send it to storage?


    ''It can be done. When you dismantle it right after you take it down, you''ll use a skill called ''Ikishime'', which keeps the meat and ingredients fresh. ''Named'' is delicious, so it might be amazing to try cooking it.


    Yeah, well I''ll see what I can do.


    Until now, I have not had the intention of mastering demon food to such an extent, but if there is meat that has special effects, I think I have to try it without being picky.


    ''''........Rearward-kun, wow, am I going to eat it too?''''


    ''No, no, I''m not going to force you. I suppose in some cases we''ll all eat together.


    ..........


    Theresia presses her stomach - cooing and just a tummy bug. She doesn''t seem to have a penchant for anything other than lizard-type foods, so she''s likely to eat this material with relish. I''m sure she''s trying to get me to eat something ghetto, but I want to get in the same boat and paddle out into the unknown ocean of flavors.


    ''''Brother Alihito, I finished collecting the drop items!


    ''Yeah, good job. Sorry Madoka, I couldn''t let you fight and I''ll have to figure out how to level you up.


    It''s okay, because the support staff will get some experience even if they are using the ''hide'' skill. Not all skills are like that, but some of them are included in a skill called ''combat participation judgment''.


    Are you sure?¡¡Then maybe Madoka is on the level, too.


    Oh yes, your license says you''re at level 3!


    I asked everyone to check, and Madoka and Melissa''s levels have gone up - we''ll have to wait for the others to level up until the next search.


    ''Alright, let''s pull up once.


    Yes. People don''t seem to have any objections. Even the people at the Four Seasons.


    It''s a small thing, but Igarashi-san replied with a ''yes'' instead of a ''yes'' - and then acted as if she was assisting me.


    ''''Well it really didn''t matter which one it was. The latter and me........


    What........did you say something, Igarashi-san?


    W-What''s wrong with that? Theresa, you take care of the rear, and keep an eye on the back.


    Igarashi-san leads the group that pulls up with Sion.


    ''''If you were going to say something like, ''If you could work with me, your position wouldn''t have mattered'' - that sounds like I''m thinking of something self-conscious, and it makes me feel embarrassed and uncomfortable.


    '' ''............''


    Teresia rubs my back, as if she''s concerned about my condition. That concern stings my heart, but I can''t keep indulging her.


    Since I was too old and bewildered to be bothered, I decided to make sure to tell Igarashi-san properly. How she felt while she was in The Four Seasons - how big she thought Igarashi-san''s presence was to my party.

 84 Episode 83: Treatment

    Once we escaped from the labyrinth, we took a break in the square where we came out. We didn''t encounter any demons on our way back, and we were able to get here without any problems.


    We didn''t encounter any demons on our way back, and we were able to get here on our own. I just got in a little while ago and now they''re already out.


    You got a bunch of girls here and you got a harem of them?


    ''Cowardly man, I can do better than that. Not just foraging, but at night too.


    A middle-aged adventurer with a mohawk (apparently there was one in the labyrinth country) head and a long haired guy with a mohawk (apparently there was one in the labyrinth country) who looks at the group of us and yells an inaudible yap and laughs at us with a crude joke and a gahaha.


    There were some in the Eighth Ward who would take novices on a quest in the name of teaching them, but I don''t think they were that vicious. There were some people who seemed to have tried to take the treasure from the side when they fought the juggernaut - but if you think about it, I''ve seen some bad guys, or rather unfriendly opponents in their own right.


    ''''........Those guys, do they want to die?''''


    ''''Wait, Ellie, that''s too low of a boiling point........''''


    ''Wow, I know, I know. But those guys said some bad things about Aricht...


    ''It makes me nervous when Ellie says it, because those people wouldn''t be able to deal with it. I wish I could say something to them too, but...


    ''Oh no, I don''t mind. They just don''t know how we came to be... hmm?


    The sign of Theresa, who was a little behind me, has suddenly disappeared. No way - in the next moment when I thought - I thought.


    ''''.........''''


    "Wow....What is this woman, when did she........


    You can''t mess with the garrison here, the garrison won''t be able to keep their mouths shut...


    Theresia, who had moved without any sign of her presence, was holding a throwing dagger (Small Dark) at the neck of the Mohawk man who had called me a ''coward''.


    Soooo, the blood in my body goes cold.


    It''s good to be told about myself, but I can''t stand to be told about my friends.


    In a moment, Theresia looks at me - I can tell what she''s thinking, even without words.


    You''re a cheeky little b*tc*, you know that?


    .....


    The long-haired man struck Theresa - which Theresa instantly reacted to with a buckler.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Aricht activates Support Attack 1 and Defense 1 ¡ú Target: Theresa


    Wells" attacks "Theresa" ¡ú no damage


    Karma in "Wells" is up.


    Theresa''s attack ¡ú Wells is hit. Support damage 11


    Guhooooo.....


    What Theresia unleashed was just a kick - but the impact of the fixed damage 11 carried at the same time seemed to be considerable, and the long-haired man stepped on the tatara and collapsed from his knees. Perhaps because he is not a close combat type of profession, his defense seems to be quite fragile.


    There''s no increase in karma - it means that if you fight back against the one who made the first move, it''s considered self-defense.


    ''''Teeeeeee........''''


    Stop it!


    It was when the companions were about to move to cover Theresia - a dignified female voice echoed in the square.


    ''''Gi........Guild Saber.......oh, oh, we''re nothing......''''


    --the one who appeared, of all things. Back at the Guild Saber''s headquarters, it was Seraphina, who I thought I would not be able to see for the time being.


    Today, she was acting alone, or she didn''t have her subordinates with her. However, she was wearing the Guild Saber armband, and just her presence made the air in the square tighten and tense.


    No, no, this subhuman threatened me with a dagger...


    You''re the one who spoke ill of us first. Just because we came out of the labyrinth together doesn''t mean we have any right to be called a harem or anything.


    "Geez ... shut the f*ck up, you little b*tc*!¡¡You wasted a lot of time noticing the color in front of a man, you.......huh?


    Seraphina''s anger intensified when she saw the man yelling at the maple tree. I''m angry too, but the intensity of her rage is so high on the level that I can''t help but flinch.


    ''''If you back off like this, we''ll let you off. Otherwise, I''ll have to beat your guts back in my own way...


    No, no, no, no, no....


    The man, who was crowded by Seraphina-san and grabbed by her chest, shamefully sat there, shamelessly sitting down. Looking at the men, she shrugged with a huff.


    ''''Why would they cause a quarrel outside of the labyrinth... it''s outrageous that those who only enter the labyrinth at a minimum would speak ill of those who are constantly searching.


    ''''Constantly exploring'''' - that''s a fact, and I thought I was diving too much in a row, but it seemed to be an unusual thing for other searchers to do, and I could feel the surprise around me.


    ''I am sorry, Atobe-dono, I am sorry. I don''t think this kind of forceful approach is your preferred method...''''


    ''No, not really. Now, even if there were penalties, I couldn''t keep quiet about it, so... I''m not a strong armed man, so Theresa saved me.


    ..........


    Theresa looks at me as if this is the right thing to do. No need to worry about that, I laugh. I can always be grateful to her.


    ''I''m sorry I''m such an ungrateful husband. I really wanted to beat the shit out of you myself.


    ..........


    Theresa shakes her head slowly. Then she bends her own arm to show me - she seems to be telling me that I''m more powerful than her, even though I''m not visibly bulging with a power hump.


    ''What have you done to offend Lord Atobe to such an extent?¡¡Then I''ll still have to beat my guts back....


    ''Yes, no, I think that''s enough. I don''t think you''ll be able to recover easily if you pass out like this, and I''ve felt somewhat better myself.


    I don''t forgive Theresa for being insulted, but it would be tough to pass out in public looking pathetic and not be able to get any treatment for her. Karma is up, too.


    Ms. Seraphina takes out her license and begins to operate it - she looks at it, wondering what she''s looking for, and she makes a bitter face.


    ''These men have had their share of quarrels before. It seems that the party has collapsed, you can no longer dive into the labyrinth, and you spend your days squandering your savings.


    If a long-time companion is missing, the balance of the party could be thrown off and it could be impossible to rebuild.


    I definitely don''t want to make the same mistake - every single person in this party has an indispensable role to play. Not only that, but it''s hard to get everyone to get along without a fatal disagreement in personality.


    ''''Mister Atobe, you don''t need to look like that. If you''re still in the seventh district, you can find your way back to being a decent explorer. There are educational facilities in the guild, and the rebirth of explorers is very active.


    ''''The guild is even involved in that sort of thing ... really, it''s all about everything in the labyrinth country.


    It is our duty to do so. Now that the original king has been disqualified, the Guild needs to assume the role of government in this country.


    The king''s forfeiture of power - the country called ''Labyrinth Country'' originally had a king, but now he was expelled from the First Ward, and the guild leader and the head of the temple are the supreme authority, Louisa said.


    ''''However, the guild''s ultimate goal is only the fulfillment of the labyrinth search, the training of searchers who can enter the super difficult labyrinth. A normal nation would look outside the walls that surround the country, not the labyrinth, so it would be different in that respect.


    ''Outside the walls ... yes. If you''re surrounded by walls, there must be a world outside, right?


    Like Igarashi-san, I didn''t think much of it either. If you enter the labyrinth, you can feel the vastness of the earth, you can see the sky high enough to pierce through, and you can see many natural environments - so you don''t have a constant sense of entrapment.


    ''Then I will order my men to take them in.


    ''''Oh I''m sorry Seraphina, I thought the Guild Saber''s headquarters were in a higher district.


    ''Yes, our headquarters are in the Fifth Ward. We received a request in the Seventh Ward branch and decided to stay there temporarily. Wards with large populations are always short on manpower...


    Due to the lack of manpower, Seraphina-san is patrolling alone - then would it be difficult to get her to join the party again?


    ''''........Atobe-dono, you''ve entered the ''Sheep God''s Bed''. There are flying beetle demons, and I used to struggle with them when I was a rookie.


    My little tinny hit a named arrow that was flying really high. We were in an uproar.


    One mistake and it wouldn''t be an injury, but the way Misaki said it, there wasn''t an ounce of tension. I was wondering if Serafina-san would laugh at me too--when I thought that.


    ''''The name, Tsuki........that, uh, super altitude flying beetle.......?''''


    ''''Oh, no, I guess I should say it was really lucky or not, but it turned out to be good. There was a guy called ''Backstabbing Beetle'', and we all worked together and managed to defeat him.


    I''m sure he''ll be surprised when I report it to the officer in charge.


    ''I think I surprise them every time. Louisa gets defensive at first when she sees Alito''s face when he comes back from his quest.


    Elitia is smiling - she''s always cool, so her smile feels precious. Suzuna also smiled happily at that.


    ''Thank you for the advice, I''ll try to report it carefully.


    ''It would be better. I''m very surprised myself and as with the last time, you seem to be guided by some kind of destiny.


    It''s hard to say that the person who is guiding that fate is our party''s lucky person, Misaki - no, it''s a big help to have her there.


    ''Fate has a nice ring to it - dramatic. Oh, I just remembered the drama I recorded... my brother, he always over-records and erases it.


    Another nostalgic story I''m sure people would be saddened to hear that.


    ''''Haha........you''re so kind, Aricht-sensei. We''ve already reminisced about our past lives a lot, so we''ve sorted out a lot better.


    Ibuki was talking about how he wanted okonomiyaki or octopus balls a while ago.


    Hey, don''t... don''t tell the teacher that, it''s embarrassing.


    Yes, even in another world, the food is delicious, but the feeling of missing Japanese food is always there somewhere. In my case, I want to eat Soba - I can''t resist the first bite I take after dunking a croquette in the warm dipping sauce at the station''s stand-up restaurant Soba.


    ''As for food, I can have the guild guide you to the restaurant of your choice. In the seventh district, the ingredients are from the labyrinth, but there are restaurants that serve French and Chinese food. If you''re willing, why not go there for a visit?


    When the names of the dishes I knew were mentioned, I reacted to them, too, to no small degree - but the greater reaction was from my friends.


    ''Huh, French food... no, I can''t get rid of Chinese food... ramen, fried rice, shu-mai... oh, what to do...'' .........


    Which one do you prefer, Mr. Aricht?


    Suzuna soothed Misaki''s troubled shoulder with a pat on the shoulder and asked for my opinion.


    ''I was just thinking about soba noodles. It''s not quite the same as Soba, but it looks like there''s going to be some ramen or some other type of noodle dish, so I''m thinking Chinese.


    ''We had pasta, but it would be nice to have more options for other noodles.


    As Igarashi says, if the taste is as close as possible to what we''re used to in Japan, whether it''s ramen or yakisoba, it will help to soothe the homesick feeling a little.


    ''Is that okay with Madoka and Melissa too?¡¡Let me know if there''s anything else you''d like to eat.


    ''Yes, I''m fine. The only thing I can''t eat is the tomatoes.


    ''''I''m also open to any restaurant that serves demon food. I''d really like to have the catch I caught today cooked but I''ll leave that for another time.


    The materials of the demons we defeated today are being sent to Melissa''s storeroom. However, is there any place for that full-body armored monster to eat - since the crab is also wearing an exoskeleton, is it surprisingly delicious? I''m sure you need courage to eat it.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô.


    We returned to the upper guild''s ''Green House''. It was late afternoon, and at this time of day, there were few searchers in sight, as if few people had business with the guild.


    ''''Brother Arihito, do you always report to everyone?¡¡Ryoko''s sister is representing us.


    ''We, too, have your rear end reporting back to us all the time. But since we had a joint search today, it''s probably best that we go together as two representatives.


    ''Yes. Igarashi-san, could you wait with the others?


    ''Yeah, I''ll be around, so call me when you''re done and........ Don''t get too carried away just because I''m with you two.


    ''''Ha.........yes, I''m very aware of that, so on that note.......''''


    You''re just giving me a little reminder. Don''t go back to acting like you used to, you''re making me nervous.


    I was pressed quite softly on the second arm. What is this, this frustrating skinship that even a high schooler doesn''t get to do very often?


    Everyone followed Igarashi-san, and Theresa, who remained until the end, comes over to me with a floppy walk - no, I don''t hear footsteps, but.......


    ''''..........''''


    Wha... what''s the matter?¡¡Theresa.


    I wonder if Igarashi-san''s actions bothered her, and Theresa touches herself where she touched her. And then he tries to confirm the touch - very embarrassed, but what the hell am I doing?


    ''.............


    ''''........Oh, oh. Igarashi-san just did it somehow, and it didn''t mean anything profound.......Teresia?


    Theresia suddenly starts running and chases after Igarashi-san and the others - she suddenly becomes embarrassed, and even from a distance, I can see that she is subtly reddening.


    ''''Wow.......what''s that, it''s so sweet and sour. My face is getting hot and bothered.


    ''I think I know what she''s trying to say, even though I haven''t said anything... it''s sad.


    What, what........is it sad or something?¡¡Not because you admire your teacher and want to touch her for some reason?


    Kaede, Anna, and Ibuki were whispering to each other - beside them, Ryoko seemed to be thinking about something, but she seemed to be able to separate herself from them and approached me.


    ''We''re both leaders. I don''t think we have any reservations about working together... what do you think, Atobe-san?


    If a woman full of adult charm, equipped with a swimsuit underneath her boa coat, were to say such a thing, on the contrary, a chore would arise from nothing.


    The loose, wavy hair that goes over her shoulders and her large eyes are somewhat cat-like - and this is not the time to check her appearance again. I know at the first meeting that she''s beautiful.


    ''''That''s right.......we''re both leaders. Ryoko-san is right.''''


    Oh no, Alihito was just smitten by Sister Ryoko''s scent.


    ''I have wheat skin in a bathing suit, why do men have a weakness for that kind of thing?


    ''Anyone can wear a swimsuit, so we can compete with Ryoko. I think they sold them in the Seventh Ward store...


    The three guys from The Four Seasons also walked out while talking - something about swimsuits or something, but I wonder if they thought I had a weakness for women''s swimsuits or something like that.


    (.........wait.......wait....


    ''Excuse me, you should have dressed more normally. Maybe it''s because of my profession, but it''s hard to find better equipment than this.


    Boa coats and the like are pretty rare equipment, aren''t they?


    ''''Ha, yes. In order to make the surface water-repellent treatment, I had to defeat the frog demon in the ''Noon Wetlands'' in District 8... I managed to defeat it, but I''m so bad at frogs that I can''t touch them to begin with. Still, it''s a good piece of equipment, so I can''t take it off.


    ''That was a tough one. Speaking of demons that can take waterproof material, we also fought a guy called ''Gaze Hound'', and even though he looks like a dog, he has the power to stun us with one eye...


    ''One eye ... such a demon?¡¡Mr. Atobe, tell us more about it.


    Her wheat skin gives the impression of being active, but Ryoko is usually very calm and relaxed, and there is something soothing about talking to her. Maybe it''s because we''re only one year apart in age.


    .........a, t, b, b, s, ma?


    I knew then that the cartoonish reaction of ''giggle'' was something that could happen in real life.


    Again, like a cartoon, I turned into a rusty tin doll when I ran out of oil and turned around in a lazy, cold sweat - and there was Louisa, holding a leather-bound file of documents as usual, smiling at me.


    ''''You''re Atobe-san''s ''staff member in charge'', aren''t you? Once again, I''m Ryoko Natsume, and I''ve had the pleasure of exploring ''with him'' today.


    "It is I who am in charge of Atobe-sama''s ''first day in the labyrinth country'', Louisa Falmer. Atoobe-sama and I have already reported to him ''many times'' after our search, ''together''.


    What would happen to me if I ran into Louisa-san and said, "You don''t have to dare to say it that way," what would happen to me - no matter which side you stand on, you''ll get a corner, then even if you''re called indecisive, I''ll choose to ''stand up for both''.


    "Ryoko-san and the rest of the party who have the same goal in mind were able to cooperate with each other, and that helped us tremendously today.


    No, no... we''re the ones who are always getting help from Atobe and the others...


    ''''Louisa-san, I know you''ve just arrived in the Seventh Ward and you''re busy with a lot of things, but can I report the results of your search as soon as possible? Since it''s a good report, I wanted to tell Louisa-san as soon as possible...


    ''Yes, yes of course, that''s why I''ve been waiting for you...''


    Somehow it''s safe - I think, and then I realize. This is called the eight-sided beauty, and if you look at it objectively, it''s probably not a very likable behavior.


    I need to become a more hard-boiled man so that I won''t be looked upon as a harem again. I want to be the kind of person who can put aside my weaknesses and not upset the harmony in a party with only women, and I want to be the kind of person who transcends selfishness.


    That is the "rear guard. When you think about it, I am the one who watches over the party members and must never touch them - is it just my imagination that I want to go off the path on the contrary?


    ''''Then, let me show you around. Atobe-sama, Natsume-sama, please come this way.


    Louisa-san, who has returned to the face of a good guild employee, walks with a good attitude - the guild employee''s uniform looks good today. I wonder if someone''s will is at work in the fact that the guild staff''s uniforms are tight skirts.


    ''''Atobe-san, you came to the higher level guild from the beginning, right? Excuse me, but the pecking order is...''''


    ''I''m 294th. I was able to make a good contribution in the Eighth Ward...


    What...?


    Ryoko stopped. Yes, I hadn''t told you the details of our pecking order yet.


    What rank would the Four Seasons be? If they had just risen to the top guild, would that mean they were between 2001 and 3000th place?


    ''''........Oh, um.


    It''s a secret between me and Atobe-sama. Whether I can share it with Natsume and the others will depend on the future.


    ''''Ha, yes........I''ll work hard with those girls to make Atobe-san trust me. I''ll be looking forward to working with you in the future........!


    Ryoko-san asked me to shake her hand, and she shook my hand - and for some reason Louisa took off her glasses and smiled at me.


    But I was somewhat sure of that. Just as Igarashi-san and Louisa-san became friends over a drink, I was sure that I would be able to break the ice with Ryoko-san.


    The art of living after my reincarnation will become if you do it, and it will become what it will be - you can''t start by being afraid.


    ''''...Atobe-sama, after I show you to your quarters today, may I have dinner with you?''''


    ''Oh, well then, we''ll be happy to join you and those girls were happy to have a friend and I''d like to talk to Louisa and all of you.


    The number of people at the dinner party was swelling to an unprecedentedly large number. I wondered if it was possible to book a Chinese restaurant for such a large number of people, I wondered absentmindedly, remembering the time I was the organizer of a year-end party.

 85 Episode 84: Nine Stars New

    With Ryoko-san, Louisa led me to the back of the first floor of the "Green House". There are doors on either side of the corridor; the one in front is just a wooden door, but the three at the back are made of a different material and are black in color.


    It was probably ebony, the same material as my sling. It seems that I can tell what it is made of from the beginner''s appraisal scroll, but I''m more concerned about the stone embedded in the door, which has a familiar shape.


    (Was this........some kind of constellation? But there are nine.......what does it mean?)


    This is the symbol of the land of the labyrinth. I''ve never been given a detailed explanation of its meaning, but...


    ''Do the upper echelons of the guild know...?''


    ''Yes, perhaps. I have been promoted to the staff of the Seventh Ward, but I don''t yet have enough authority to access the secrets. I have been given the position of librarian for the Guild''s archives here in the Seventh Ward, though.


    Come to think of it, Seraphina-san said before--that there is an archives in the odd-numbered ward.


    ''''Louisa-san, if possible, I''d like to visit that archives once...''''


    ''Yes, of course it''s fine. It will be when you''re off duty, but there are not many adventurers to take on at the moment, so I''m sure we''ll have time to show you around. What will you do, Ryoko-sama?


    If you''d like. We have a lot to learn about you, too.


    ''Some of the books in the archives are dedicated to individual professions, but I can give you permission to view almost all of them if you are in Master Atobe''s hierarchy. I can also give you access to confidential material.


    Louisa says with a smirk - but when I say ''confidential material'', I remember the words ''trade secrets'' and ''external secrets'' and get nervous.


    ''Then please go into your room. I''ll bring you some tea.


    Louisa opens the door and invites us in. Me and Ryoko-san are left alone, and she seems to be wondering where she should sit, her eyes sparkling at the antique looking table.


    ''Are you interested in this kind of furniture or something like that, Ryoko-san?''


    ''Well how did you know that?¡¡Yes, I''m a fan of old furniture. Even when I won first place in the pecking order in the Eighth Ward guild, I was allowed into a very atmospheric room... I''ve always wanted to have furniture like this when I have a house of my own one day.


    ''Oh, I didn''t realize that I''m not a fan of this sort of thing, but it''s certainly prestigious.


    I asked her lightly, and Ryoko-san answered me eloquently.


    Yes, the fact that they too have risen to the seventh district means that they have experienced first place in the eighth district''s rankings.


    Even such a capable person is struggling in the seventh district - or rather, they are blocked by the ''alliance''. It was good that they were able to meet up with the girls before they were stranded for too long.


    ''Oh, um. Can I ask you one question?¡¡Mr. Atobe is going to....


    Ryoko-san is in the middle of saying something, when there is a knock on the door with a bang. I get up from my seat and open the door, and Louisa-san comes in, puts her cup on the table and pours tea from the teapot.


    ''Thank you for your patience. Now, please report back to me as soon as possible. May I have a look at your license?


    Yes, nice to meet you.


    Nice to meet you.


    The license is presented on the table - and Louisa, looking how nervous she was, put her hand on her chest and breathed deeply, and then looked at the license through her one-sided glasses (monocle).


    ¡ô Results from this search ¡ô.


    We''re in the first floor of the Sheep God''s Bed. Ten points.


    Madoka''s level is now 3. 30 points.


    Melissa''s level is now 4. 40 points.


    100 points for defeating 2 "Grand Mauls".


    Defeated the antagonist beetle, 1800 points.


    25 points for sub party defeating a Grand Maul.


    Increased trust in party members 140 points


    Increased trust in sub-party members 200 points


    A total of 13 people conducted a joint search for 65 points.


    Searcher''s Contribution ??? 2410 points


    Seventh Ward Contribution Ranking 255


    ...?


    ''''Ha, yes. There was a giant beetle-like demon flying in the distance, and at first we thought it was a ''fake beetle''... but we didn''t think it had a name until it was approached, either.


    ''By license, the demons interfered from outside the range of detection................. I don''t think that such a thing is possible... even for an adventurer in the upper wards.


    ''It''s amazing ... we were just amazed to see it too. We were so embarrassed that we could barely keep up with them.


    ''So, Nutme-sama''s party mainly defeated two Grand Mauls. I think each of the members are up in the pecking order as well.


    Since the pecking order has moved up about 39 or so, is it safe to say that it has jumped up again? If so, there are still a lot of searchers between the group with the first in the pecking order as the leader.


    ''''How many contributions do we need to make in a single exploration to move up the pecking order from here? I need to know that as a criterion when deciding whether to retreat or not.''''


    Well.........even those searchers higher than Atobe''s are regularly searching and maintaining or adding to their contributions.......with 1,000, the pecking order will almost certainly go up......with 500, the status quo will probably be maintained.


    That means my pecking order has risen so far up the pecking order, which means it''s hard for most parties to even maintain their contributions without being negative.


    ''Our party was lined up from 2548th place to four, and now that we''ve been able to work with you, we''ve also received about 900 contributions for the amount we''ve beaten named. That moved us up the pecking order to #1983.


    ''''Congratulations. A thousand in one search is a very excellent performance in the seventh district. Atobe''s people make an even bigger contribution when various conditions mesh together but I think 2410 is an unbeatable result when we are still warming up our engines.


    During the Stampede, I was able to earn a figure of 5060, but that was a big deal because that was an emergency, so I was able to defeat a lot of demons. Normally, there''s never that high a concentration of demons, so as Louisa says, it would be hard to earn even 1000 contributions.


    That would be a lot of work.)


    And you can''t take out all the small fish and earn a contribution with the current density of demon population. A good hunting ground will attract people and some will try to monopolize it and compete for it.


    That said, there are reasons to be shunned in an overpopulated hunting ground. Even in this seventh district, there are many labyrinths that are shunned - many of the people who have been promoted from the eighth district will be stranded, so there are risks that we don''t know about yet.


    ''''........Louisa-san, I heard that the number one ranking in the current seventh ward''s pecking order has created something called an ''alliance'' to monopolize the hunting grounds. As a guild, how do you see that situation?


    ''''Did you ask for Atobe-sama too? We do not violate the guild''s rules regarding solicitation in the ground floor lobby, but if the solicitation is prolonged, the guards may monitor it. We have received complaints to the guild about a searcher named Grey who sometimes strongly urges people to join a party with a particularly large number of women.


    Gray - the gray-haired, man who was recruiting the ''Four Seasons''. Ryoko-san''s expression clearly clouds up when that name is mentioned.


    ''''........Those guys are the first place group in the seventh district, right? If they are promoted, will they all leave?''''


    ''I can''t reveal too much information about the other parties, but their activities affect all seekers who are aiming for first place, so I''ll explain as much as I can without being offensive. First of all, the name of their alliance is called ''Alliance for Freedom (Beyond Liberty)''. The leader is ''Rolando Voln'' and the deputy leader is a person named ''Daniela Voln''.


    ''Voln ... if you have the same last name, are those two family members?


    ''Yes, you are married. Mr. Rolando is in the ''Airborne Division'' (Airtroop) and Daniela is in the ''Doctor'' job.


    It didn''t matter what they wrote about their occupations when they entered the Labyrinth Country, they wouldn''t be accepted. That means they both had experience in a previous life or an apt occupation - if they were former paratroopers, their bodies would have been trained from the beginning.


    And a doctor - I had only seen a nurse (nurse) other than a teacher who was still a healer (healer), but it still confirmed that people of all backgrounds came to the labyrinth country.


    ''Mr. Rolando was able to get out of Ward 8 for a short time, but by the time he was first in the pecking order in Ward 7, he was ill and had to recuperate for a while. He had been recuperating for some time. His wife was treated and he recovered, but after two years of recuperation his ranking dropped to the bottom of the pecking order and he has just returned to the number one position. Despite the blank, I''m still at level 7, and I''m one of the best in District 7.


    ''''Even for someone so tough, it''s not easy to move up to the Sixth Ward.......''''


    ''''Yes.


    (Contributions notwithstanding ... level 6?)


    Ryoko-san seems to have noticed at the same time as me, and she looks at me as if she''s confused. Then she said to Louisa-san instead.


    ''Louisa-san, the ''named'' we encountered today had a level of 6... our party hasn''t been able to contribute much, but can we count it as a condition for promotion?''


    ''Yes, of course. It''s a good idea to have two more of them to congratulate you. Considering the difficulty of encountering and defeating a named person and the difficulty of defeating him or her, but I''m inclined to think that it would be better if it were you, Atobe.


    While we are concerned for our safety, Louisa-san tries to act stoutly, as if she doesn''t want us to see her anxiety.


    I don''t intend to rush or force myself to go up to the sixth ward. However, if the person called Roland is in a hurry to not encounter the ''named'' - that''s a bit worrisome.


    ''It could be thought of that way. After only Mr. Rolando''s party has moved up to the Sixth Ward, it would be possible to take turns moving up one party at a time, taking turns with the party that concentrates its contribution. That''s the way it''s often done.


    ''I learned a lot. I think we''re going to have to do something similar.


    "...Atobe-san, are you sure?¡¡We''ve only just met, and it would be very helpful if you would just cooperate and explore with us, but we can''t bother you that much...


    Ryoko is horrified and waves her hands in refrain. With that beat, the front of her boa coat opens up, and the swimming costume underneath - and when I look at it again, it''s a very uncool outfit.


    ''''Oh ... sorry.


    No, no, I''m not. I''m sorry as well.


    The buttons made of animal horn-like material that held the coat in place were fully opened. I used to fasten the front when I walked around town, but to quickly remove it indoors - what a surprisingly bold thing to do.


    Louisa is taking notes in her notebook, but what am I supposed to say? Every time I react to the swimsuit, I feel like I''m being misunderstood by the women around me.


    I fear that one of these days I''ll be in some kind of trouble, but it''s not like everyone is going to equip me with a bathing suit to show me how to do it. There is no room for water sports in the daily exploration. The name of the labyrinth called ''Beaches of the Falling Sun'', which seems to be suitable for swimwear, has been mentioned.


    ''''In that case, I should prepare a swimsuit too...''''


    .........A, Atobe-sama, did you hear me? I''m sorry, my God....


    Mr. Atobe, do you have any swimming experience?¡¡Well, if it''s okay with me, I do enjoy coaching, so...


    It''s a very tempting proposition, but if there was a watering hole in the labyrinth, would there be time to swim?


    --You can''t deny that you would swim if you could find a safe place to swim. It is certainly necessary to not only stoically dive into the labyrinth, but also to relax.


    However, if Louisa-san, Ryoko-san - and Igarashi-san, people who have trouble directing their gaze even when they''re normally dressed, were all in swimsuits, would I be able to stay calm?


    ''''Atube-sama.......what''s going on?¡¡That''s right, I''m a guild employee, but the problem with me coming with you on private business is that...


    ''Yes, no that''s not a problem at all. If you get a chance, I''d love to join you. Before I was reincarnated, I used to rent the gym''s pool to swim in to relax between jobs.


    I''ll also have to find something to replace the beat board........


    Why was there something oddly s*xy about them, even though they just seemed to be enjoying themselves? Louisa-san and Ryoko-san were laughing harmoniously now, wondering where the initial confrontational mood had gone, but now they were laughing at each other. I was optimistic that they would certainly get along if they talked, but I didn''t expect them to open up so quickly.


    ''''Well if you don''t mind, I''d be happy to join you when I get the chance.


    ''Ha, yes. By the way, Louisa, are there any labyrinths that require you to go underwater?


    ''Yes, thank you. But there are very few explorers who can enter the water, so there are still many untouched labyrinths. There are some people who specialize in those areas, though.


    I wonder if there is such a thing as a "diver". I''ve been dreaming of diving in Okinawa for a while now, and I''m intrigued by it as long as I''m prepared to go underwater.


    ¡ô ¡ó¡ô


    Louisa said she would join us at the dinner table after she finished her work, and once we parted, she told me about the "box store" in the Seventh Ward.


    There are three red boxes and two wooden boxes. The one we got in the eighth ward is exciting, but the new ward''s box is even more promising - considering the formidable nature of the ''Backstabbing Beetle'', it looks like it will contain one or two pieces of magical equipment.


    ''We rarely had a chance to open the box - and since it was just a regular box, we were told that any boxmaker could open it.


    There is a difference in the difficulty of opening the boxes as well. In District 8, we had a great boxmaker do it for us.


    We were jumping up and down with joy once we found it.......what came out of it was mostly money. One of the magic stones came out, and that''s how we were able to strengthen Kaede''s shoes.


    ''Heh, shoes........I see. So that powerful speed of stepping in was also the power of the magic stone attached to the shoes?


    While talking about this, I check the license display and head to the place where everyone is waiting for me - and then.


    The friends'' current location is a short walk from the ''Green Pavilion'', at a corner of a street lined with shops. It was labeled ''Boutique Corleone'' there. Sion doesn''t seem to be able to enter the store, and is sitting and staying in the store - when he sees me, he gives one small bark and wags his tail with a flap, so I pat his head.


    If it''s a boutique, does that mean people are shopping inside?


    ''''Oh I''m sorry, Atobe. I have something I want to buy as well, so I''m going to go do some shopping. Once I find those girls, I''ll do some quick shopping and return.


    Yes, go ahead and... hmm?


    I was going to wait at the front of the store, but a neutral figure who looked like a clerk at the back counter - he was wearing makeup but was probably a man - came out and spoke to me.


    ''Oh, come in. We have a men''s section, do you want to see it?¡¡I''ll coordinate with you so that you won''t be embarrassed wherever I put you.


    ''I''m sorry, no ... um, are you the clerk over here?


    ''Yes, that''s Corleone, the owner. Don''t worry, I''ve got a female clerk to take care of them. I''m only interested in dressing men up.


    ''Ha, ha ha I, well, I don''t really care much about dressing up so... oh no!


    He suddenly grabs me by the shoulders with a gasp. Since he has a very short haircut and his physique is completely male, it is quite scary to be pressed by Corleone-san.


    ''''Well the only thing you don''t know is yourself, right? Those girls are in trouble too.''''


    What are you talking about?


    It''s nothing. You have money, don''t you?¡¡I''ll sell you a suit similar to the one you have now. I''m glad you found someone to wear it, because in the labyrinth country, all people wear rugged armor or something. A man who can do it is a suit, don''t you think?


    He''s a dense person, but I unexpectedly came across a store that makes spares for the suits I''ve been coming to in one piece, without a change of clothes for a long time. I''m sure everyone else has bought all the clothes they need too, so I''ll take my word for it and let them make me a new suit.


    ''''Eh........Kyouka-san, what is that, you''re going to get a headache,''''


    ........Oh, I don''t speak too loudly. It''s not too different from Ibuki-chan, is it?


    ''''That''s not true, I''m no match for Kyouka-san, haha...''''


    ''It''s a distraction, so keep that kind of talk to a minimum. I can''t relax and choose.


    ''Like Ellie, you should use something that doesn''t inhibit your movement as much as possible. Maple, you shouldn''t choose anything too fancy.


    I''m not looking at anything flashy. I don''t show it to anyone....well, it''s true, right?


    ''Well I don''t mean to pick something that won''t inhibit you. Anna, don''t watch me too closely.


    As I walked into the suit fitting room, I could hear the conversation in the store from somewhere else. Even if I didn''t listen carefully, I could even hear the conversations of the other members.


    How about you, Suzu?


    ''I don''t know why, but I can''t wear regular underwear... oh, they sell stuff I can use properly. Good........


    Teresa do you want to wear it?¡¡No, it will be out of shape. But I wonder if it''s okay because this suit fits so well...


    ..........


    I shook my head, almost imagining the difference in what I could equip depending on my profession - and I shook my head. Then I put on my new tie, praying that I wouldn''t run into everyone when I left the fitting room.

 86 Episode 85: Hakoya in the 7th Ward

    Mr. Corleone is from Italy and used to work for an apparel brand before his reincarnation. I didn''t ask him in depth about how he was reincarnated, as there were many circumstances that made it difficult to talk about.


    He was smoking something called "Breathless Cigars," which is said to improve lung function when smoked, and he offered me one, but I politely declined it because I don''t smoke. He shrugged his shoulders and lit the cigar, letting a thin puff of smoke waft through the air.


    ''It''s been five years now, I guess, since I''ve been here. I started out as an explorer, but then my companion got married and decided to become a supporter. I liked the chaos of the district and the way the people in it breathed, so I decided to make a living here. Fortunately, I had a good job.


    Is being a ''tailor'' a valuable occupation in the Maze Country?


    ''There aren''t that many people who choose a clothing profession in itself. There are many people who write about a profession that they think they can fight for based on the premise of exploring the labyrinth. If you''re in a gun world, there''s a good chance you could choose ''gunner'', but there''s a pitfall there.


    The pitfalls... what do you mean?


    Guns are very valuable in the Maze Country. There are people in the profession of ''gunsmiths'', and there are things like guns that use magic.


    It''s going to be a lot of work if you choose a job that you can''t find a weapon you can use - do the guilds advise you to try to choose a job like that?


    ''What you''re using is a hunting slingshot. I can tell just by looking at it that it''s not just a weapon.


    I made a lot of modifications to it. I think we''ll keep it running for the time being.


    ''You''re carrying some kind of katana on your back too, can you use that too?¡¡I wonder if you''re an ''all-weapon''.


    Not really, but he can handle most of the weapons.


    ''Hmmm ... interesting job. But if that''s what you mean...


    Mr. Corleone pushed his cigar on the ashtray on the counter to extinguish the fire, then went into the back of the store and returned with a case made of shiny silver metal.


    ''Mr. Corleone, it''s...''


    It''s a magic gun that I used to use when I was on active duty. It came out of a box that came out of the box named, and I was allowed to use it. Guns are quite popular because they''re a versatile weapon that can be used in many professions.


    When he thought about it - and he was going to show it to me - Mr. Corleone held up one finger.


    ''The suit you bought me is not the finest one I can make. If you bring me some fine fiber and order a suit that I will want to use, I will give you this gun. Of course, I don''t care who equips it.


    ''''Is that...okay?¡¡I think it''s important to Mr. Corleone...


    It''s all right, I bought you an expensive suit that I make for you from a hobbyist. I''m sure the gun(s) will be happy to have you guys use it.


    I understand. It''s a high quality fiber.


    Yes. I''m tired of the clich¨¦ material, so bring me some good stuff... Oh, by the way, what''s your name?


    ''I''m sorry I''m late, my name is Arihito Atobe. Nice to meet you again.


    Well I guess I''ll let you call me by my real name instead of the name of the store.


    At the end, he tells me that ''Corleone'' is the name of the shop, not his own name - he''s often misunderstood, so he often passes it off as such until the end.


    ''My name is Luca Bernardi. You can tell me anything you want to know about clothes. Unlike witches, though, I can''t make a magical dress without materials.


    ''I''ll do my best to find some material that might answer Luke''s request. Thank you very much for your time today.


    Luka waves me off with a fluttering wave. When I walked outside, everyone who had finished shopping earlier and were waiting for me was using the key to the warehouse to transfer their clothes.


    ''''Thanks for your hard work, brother Arihito. Wow, I see you have a new suit.''''


    Good thing the store has a good selection. Did you buy a new suit to wash?¡¡You''ve got to be careful wearing the same thing all the time, it''s going to hurt faster.


    The manager told me the same thing, so I bought two dresses. It''s not good to spend too much money, but for now, I''m not having too much.


    Everyone else has been allowed to spend a hundred gold coins freely, but I guess it''s a sense of limited spending, but I''ve been spending around ten gold coins, and the data on the receipt appears on my license. Then, Igarashi-san was the only one who spent a little more.


    This is probably due to the influence of the difficulty I had in choosing underwear earlier - but it may simply be that what I want to buy is different for each individual.


    ''''I can only buy new equipment for normal equipment when I get stronger - but the other expenses are sober and large. Arihito brother, can you give me some pocket money?


    I don''t like the way you look up at me so why don''t you try gambling more with your signature.


    You starfish ants!


    ''The synonym for starfish isn''t really a starfish ant but Misaki, are you excited about shopping?


    ''''That''s already the thing, when I''m shopping with Kyouka''s sister, I''m constantly surprised and impressed. I can''t tell you what impressed me in front of your brother, though.


    The fact that they were listening to the girls must never be noticed by Igarashi-san.


    ''It''s a good thing it was before Rear-kun arrived, because Misaki-chan would say whatever came to her mind.


    ''Oh, no, you don''t?¡¡I think about a lot of things too. Hey, Suzu-chan.


    ''Eh ... um ... yeah. Do you think...?


    Yeah?


    Stop trying to force Suzuna to be on your side.


    Misaki''s tension finally calmed down after Elitia shoved her. What a balanced relationship these three have with each other.


    ''''It''s ... very lively.''''


    Do you have everything you need to buy, Melissa?


    When I asked, Melissa turned her big cat-like eyes to me and gave a small nod.


    ''Pretty good store. It''s rare to find a store that sells denim tuna.''


    ''I''m glad I have a turban for sale too. Um, brother, is it okay if I don''t buy Theresa''s clothes?¡¡At least we bought what we thought we''d need.


    ''I can wear it over the top, but he doesn''t seem to like that kind of equipment. I can''t take off the lizardman-specific equipment, and I think he doesn''t like the heat.


    That''s not to say that it can''t all come off, and I can''t remove my charming hat like the Erimaki Lizard, but when I take a bath, that leather equipment that sticks to my skin comes off with one touch - and when I think about it, I think I need underwear too! But he doesn''t show any signs of needing it. It''s just that with that equipment, it''s not a problem.


    ''''........Oh yeah, Melissa. I asked you to use the ''Camouflage Stone'' to make armor for me before, what happened to that?


    ''I made a prototype, but it didn''t work. The problem arises when the camouflage stone activates ''optical camouflage'' with its power.


    Problem...?


    "Solve that problem and you can put it to use. A suit with the function of a ''camouflage stone'' made from the skin of Death from the Sky.


    I didn''t realize that Melissa had thought so much about using the material that hadn''t been touched yet. I also need to think about using the material effectively, not just withholding it until the time is right.


    ''If I had to name it, it would be The Stealth Suit. I''ve got the front side done, but I need another special material to make the ''lining''.


    ''Well I get it. A ''lining'' would complete that suit, right?


    Theresia''s "Assault Hit" doubles her blows if she attacks unnoticed, but she hasn''t yet taken the "Hide" skill, so she hasn''t been able to use it effectively.


    However, if you can activate ''Active Stealth'' with a suit wearing ''Camouflage Stone'', you won''t need to get ''Hide'' and you''ll save skill points.


    Perhaps it''s because my name was mentioned, but Theresia comes over here in a flurry of flattery. She has some clothes that she bought for me - I''m happy to see that, as if it were my own.


    I''m happy for you, Theresa. Whether you wear it or not, the clothes are...hmm?


    Theresia pulled something out of the cloth bag she''d been given at the boutique - and I couldn''t help but look away when I saw it.


    ''No, no, Theresia. You can''t show that out in the open, you have to wait until you get to your quarters.


    ..........


    No wonder Igarashi-san was in a hurry to stop her. What Theresia produced was a striped swimsuit - I don''t need to think about why I would purchase a swimsuit, of all things.


    ''''I only had this one in stock.......Teresia seems to fit the size, so I decided to have her hold it first as a priority.


    ''''Arihito-san feels more comfortable that way too. Well, we often go in together....


    You mean when you say you''re going to take a bath?


    In other words, I wouldn''t be embarrassed to have Theresa flush my back if I was in a swimsuit. I can''t help but feel the heat on my face when I think she''s caring that much.


    ''''.........''''


    Men like this kind of thing, don''t they? But I''m talking about how I''m not ready to wear a swimsuit yet.


    "...what?¡¡I''d wear it if I had to, but right now you don''t need it.


    ''Well, I wonder why. We''re going to the ''box store'' next, Mr. Serious, Serious Rear.


    "I-Igarashi-san, what are you angry about...


    Better not to say anything now, they say the early bird gets the worm, right?


    ''''Oh, um... in this case, I think it''s ''silence is golden,'' Misaki-san.


    Misaki flicked her tongue out at Madoka''s modest point. ''''Tehepero,'''' she couldn''t help but remember what happened before her reincarnation - and this was not the time to be feeling emotional in a strange place.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    The box store in the Seventh Ward was located in a back alleyway from the street where the clothing store was located.


    There was a sign that read "Shichimu-an" in Chinese characters and had the symbol of a box on it. I wondered if the owner of the shop was Japanese.


    Excuse me, is anyone home?


    I called out after ringing the doorbell, and after a while, the door opened - and we were speechless when we saw the figure that came out from inside.


    He wears a helmet that looks like a beetle (beetle) and his entire body is covered with a metallic shell. It''s hard to tell if it''s a man or a woman from its stature - but if it''s a sub-human, then the owner of the store is separate.


    The beetle sub-human opened the door as it was and welcomed us inside. The interior is Japanese in style, and the snow cave lighting fixtures, which look like boboris, provide indirect lighting, creating a fantastic scene.


    Surrounded by the snow cave, a woman who looked like the owner of the shop was sitting on the tatami mats of about six tatami mats, holding a smoking pipe (kiseru) in her hand and wearing a kimono.


    Welcome, sir. I''m sorry for my appearance. I didn''t think anyone else would be coming in today.


    No, thank you for taking care of it yourself.


    ''''Oh, um ... excuse me, may I ask you one question? You guys.........


    The beetle sub-human standing there, not saying a word, escorting the female shopkeeper - a sub-human whose appearance was so foreign compared to the sub-humans he''d met before that even his friends were nervous.


    ''Despite his appearance like this, he''s my brother. My name is Takuma.......Takuma Asakura. My name is Shiori Asakura.


    ''So that''s what happened...''


    ''It was a long time ago, so we needn''t worry too much about it. This is how we can still live together, sisters and brothers, and that''s good enough for me... let''s talk about business instead of us.


    He pulls the embers of his kimono closer. Shiori-san stands up. Choosing this kind of equipment in the labyrinth country means that this kind of clothing is probably an aesthetic for her.


    You wear a suit too, but it''s the same thing. Life would be boring if you weren''t so particular about it.


    ''''Kimono ... there''s only so much sushi and templa, so you can find kimono craftsmen if you look for them...''''


    Isn''t that the kind of person who makes Suzu''s miko uniform?


    If so, would you be able to have my equipment made new, too?


    ''There''s going to come a time when it won''t be enough to strengthen the equipment we have now, because there will be a time when it won''t be enough. I suppose it could be something that comes out of the box.


    The equipment that comes out of the box was dropped by the searchers in the labyrinth. In other words, if there are other ''maidens'' besides Suzuna, it''s possible that the maiden''s clothes will come out of the box.


    --Thinking that, I realize.


    If this beetle subhuman - Takuma - became a subhuman after being attacked by the ''Backstabbing Beetle''. It''s possible that his possessions are in a red box.


    ''Excuse me, Shiori-san, but let me ask you one important question. Takuma-san was defeated by a demon in the labyrinth, and that''s how he turned into what he is now, isn''t it?


    ''Yeah I guess so. I didn''t go into the search with you, so I didn''t see the demons that attacked Takuma and the others.


    Rearward, you can''t be...


    Igarashi-san seemed to have come up with the same thing I did. Everyone else noticed, too, and looked at Takuma, who was standing there without saying a word.


    I showed Shiori the red box I brought out of the warehouse - marked so that she could see that I had gotten it from the Backstabbing Koumushi, and I showed it to her.


    Takuma turns to me. He''s looking at the red box - and seeing that, my guesses were confirmed.


    ''This box may have been dropped by the demon Takuma-san encountered. If Takuma-san''s belongings are inside, I will return them to you then. Because I think it would be best for you.


    No.... no... no... no... no... no... no...


    It''s still not a confirmed fact - but the possibility that a demon that flies above where no one can touch it and can only fight when it attacks from the other side, was attacking the other searchers cannot be denied.


    ''''I''ve always wanted to avenge them one day. My brother must be scolding me, I''m sure.......


    Well I don''t know about that. It''s not like the sub-humans won''t be able to talk again. And with that in mind, we continue our search.


    Lizardmen yes, and you....


    I don''t know what Shiori-san thought when she saw Theresia. But even with my poor persuasion, she didn''t blame herself any more.


    ''''The ''pawn shop'' keeps track of its customers'' pawned goods in boxes. Because of that relationship, I have the skills to open the boxes. It''s hard to open the ''black box'', but I can open the red one with great stability. The fee is free for you guys...


    ''No, let me pay you that part. And we won''t know if we''ve been avenging Takuma-san''s death until we see what''s in the box.


    ''''I know because I''ve been watching my brother for so long. I know that this box and my brother are somehow related.


    Having said that, Shiori-san ordered Takuma-san to carry the three red boxes and two wooden boxes we had brought in. Then he pulls the cord hanging from the ceiling and the hanging scroll on the wall winds up, revealing a hidden staircase behind it. That would lead to a door that would transition into a room to open the box.


    ''Come on, sir, this way please. Now we are going to see Shiori Asakura, the founder of Asakura-ya, open the box in five series.


    --even box stores are many things. I thought there weren''t many box stores that were more unique than Falma-san, but I''ve realized that I was apparently naive in my perception.

 87 Chapter 86: Bao Shanhua

    As was the case in Falma-san''s box store, the theory seemed to be that the transition door was built underground, and they descended a hidden staircase that appeared behind the hanging scroll.


    The transition door had a blue gemstone on it, and when Shiori-san put her hand on it, the number 27 appeared. Looking at it, Shiori-san takes out a fan from the right sleeve of her kimono and unfolds it, hiding her mouth as she looks at me.


    ''''........different from our age?''''


    ''Huh, sorry. I''m actually thinking about doing that all the time. It''s important to start everything with a form, don''t you think?


    ''Oh, I think I understand that! After I became a gambler, I thought I''d dress like one for now.


    What is a typical "rear guard" outfit? It''s a good thing that you''ve got a suit that you''re accustomed to wearing, and you''re wearing protective gear on top, but won''t rumors spread that you''re a searcher who can''t get rid of your businessman''s nature? Well, I don''t want to spread the word that I''m a ''rear guard'', so it''s not a problem even so.


    When I opened the door and entered, I found a room on the same scale as the one I had entered before, so high that the ceiling was obscured by it, and it was a very spacious space.


    Shiori spread out a large furoshiki and Takuma arranged boxes on top of it. There were three red boxes and three wooden boxes. Shiori stood behind them and pointed to the boxes with a fan.


    ''I know you are very busy, but I would like to share a few words with you. How do you all perceive the act of opening the boxes?


    ''''It''s not like it''s a barrier to getting the treasure... it''s not like you have to win and tighten the umbilical cord, but it''s a step you have to be careful about.


    ''Yes, there are dangers involved in opening the "box". Yes, there are risks involved in opening the box, but what happens if you can open it safely? The more difficult the box is, the more treasures it will yield, just like fireworks, don''t you think?


    She recalls the scene at the moment she opened the black box - the next thing she knew, the area was filled with magical armor and countless coins.


    The sight of treasure overflowing from the box, she calls it ''fireworks''.


    I could see why she talked about it by looking at how she opened the boxes.


    ''''A ''pawnbroker'' differs in quality from other boxmakers in that they have skills such as the ability to use the ''box'' to attack their enemies. Even a nondescript box can be used as a medium to explode and so on... There is a family of such skills that allow them to safely extract the treasure.


    Saying that, Shiori-san takes out a fan from the other sleeve as well. Does this fan also have an auxiliary effect of increasing the success rate of the skill?


    ''''Now then, ladies and gentlemen, although it is a shame to show you, please take a look at our eighteenth (OHAKO).


    Current Situation


    Shiori activates "Connoisseur 3".


    Appraise the trap of "Red Box A" ¡ú Success Trap: Summoning Demons Trap Level 3


    Appraise the trap of "Red Box B" ¡ú Success Trap: Fog of Sleep Trap Level 2


    Appraise the trap of "Red Box C" ¡ú Success Trap: Bomb Trap Level 2


    Appraise the trap of "Wooden Box A" ¡ú Success Trap: Poisonous arrows, Trap Level 1


    Appraise the trap of "Wooden Box B" ¡ú Success Trap: None


    The various traps that appear on the license all at once - all of them would be dangerous, but the ''bomb'' in particular seems to be lifeless if eaten properly. Since that''s a trap level 2, how dangerous is summoning demons a trap?


    However, Falma-san had talked about how he failed to open the black box and part of the town disappeared, so it could be said that these traps are still cute.


    Looking at how to disarm those traps, Shiori-san spread two fans at the same time and crossed her arms. At that moment, starting with the red box on the far left, they are each enveloped in a different brightly colored light - and.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô.


    Shiori activates Houzenka.


    Releasing level 3 or lower traps set in boxes within the range.


    Three "red boxes" opened.


    Two "wooden boxes" opened.


    Something like a glowing pattern emerges on the surface of the box, which peels away from the box with Shiori-san''s dancing movements and floats in the air.


    ''''........Beautiful.......''''


    I can hear Igarashi-san''s voice. Like fireworks that decorate the night sky, the patterns emit multicolored lights - red, blue, and yellow - and are sucked into Shiori-san''s fan, one by one.


    Then, Shiori-san bows her head in front of the box that has been removed from the trap. It seems that it''s safe to open it now.


    ''''In a situation like this, weren''t you supposed to throw a twist first?


    No, you''re not throwing it, you''re handing it to her like a normal person, not a geisha.


    ''I don''t care how you give it to me, but if you want to plug it in here, I''ll ask for an extra fee.


    ''Yeah, I''m just saying. It''s been a long time since I''ve seen such happy customers.


    Is everyone so worried about what''s in the box that they can''t see the dance? If so, I think it was a waste of time.


    It was a lovely dance, the kind of dance you would show in a parlor. I wonder if pawnshops have all the skills of a Japanese style.


    ''Have you ever seen Kyouka?¡¡This is the Japanese geisha...I''ve only seen pictures and movies, but I never thought I''d get to see the real thing.


    Elitia seems to be thrilled to have been shown a Japanese dance-like gesture in an unexpected place. I''m so impressed that I want to give her a twist, or rather a hearty tip.


    Arihito brother, Suzu-chan is also a shrine maiden, so they used to dance at the palace events. Holding bells and shamming them.


    Wow, that''s great... what''s that called Kagura dancing?


    ''Yes, I had the opportunity to dedicate a dance several times a year. It wasn''t as glamorous as Shiori''s, but it was slower and slower moving.


    ''Oh my god I didn''t think it was possible, but you''re a real miko. I''m interested in Kagura too, so if you ever learn those skills, I''d love to see you show me.


    Yes, yes I don''t know if I can learn those skills yet. If they come up, I''ll let you know.


    Shiori looks interested in Suzuna''s miko outfit again, perhaps because she has a preference for Japanese style. It''s good to have a friendly relationship, not just as a boxmaker and explorer.


    ''''Then it''s time for you to take a look at the contents of the box. If you need an appraisal scroll, please let me know.


    Thank you. Well, first of all, this red box it''s been a long time since I got it and opened it.


    ''We''ll have to open it often from now on. This first box you got...I think Misaki-chan found it and said it almost got taken away?


    ''Ha, I don''t feel alive even if I remember now................................Huh?¡¡I had a little money scattered near the box after I got caught in the trap and transitioned, so I thought that was what was in it.


    If you ask me, that''s what I said. And the bag that Misaki said she put the treasure in should have been retrieved by Elitia - but if that was the case, where did she get this first box?


    ''One thing Misaki-san is mistaken about........the traps set in the treasure chest may not come off even if they are trapped. But every time it''s trapped, some of the contents can come out.


    ''Oh, so that''s what happened. So you''re saying that this red box was collected along with that big oak?


    ''If that''s the case, you''ve done a very disciplined job... Elitia, what''s wrong?


    ''Well if you ask me, yes, I thought I''d missed something. I wasn''t really there to find the box at the party I used to be at, but I wasn''t really there to open it...


    There''s still a lot that Elitia doesn''t know about this thing called boxes and traps, either. There''s nothing wrong with that, and as long as you''ve joined my party, I think we can learn together.


    ''''I''d rather feel comfortable with the fact that there are things I don''t know. If Elitia knows everything, she''s going to be even more dependent on you than she is now.


    ''I don''t want to be dependent... because I have more to teach you than you do...''


    Elitia touched her golden pigtails and looked uncomfortable. Seeing that, Misaki seemed to want to tease her, but she weighed herself as the conversation stopped moving forward.


    ''''Ah.......Brother, I was looking at the records of the courier who carried the demon called ''Juggernaut'', and it also mentioned the box. Since the acquirer was Misaki-san, that means it was sent to your brother''s party''s warehouse.


    I see. Then it''s the box from ''Akebono''s Field''...


    ''I took down a cottontail and a dokuyari bee together and they came out. It''s not every day that a non-named demon drops something that doesn''t even have a name, so I was really surprised.


    Once the source was known, it was time to check the contents of the box. First of all, when I opened the box that Misaki obtained--.


    Opening the box ¡ô.


    Red Box A: Acquired from "Dockyard Bee


    What? anklet


    Poison Honey


    Stepping stones


    Elmina Iron


    Cotton lumps x 10


    ''Ooh ... oh, well, there was a little money in there, but come to think of it, it''s still in the bag, yes. I''ll return it to you properly, okay?


    I see, so the reason there''s no money in it is because it leaked when you failed to remove the trap.


    It''s like the box is alive and that means you gave me money for the disappointment prize.


    The transference trap is dangerous, but I''m glad it wasn''t another... bomb or poisoned arrow. I can''t face your family if anything happens to Misaki-chan.


    ''I''m sorry Suzu, I''m sorry I made you worry. But it''s okay, from now on I''m going to knock down a stone bridge with enough force to break it.


    It''s no different from the danger, but I want you to be very careful. I''ve had the experience of transferring in front of my own eyes, so I don''t think the same thing will happen again.


    "...Poison honey. A bottle of poison bee honey. Used to apply it to weapons.


    Melissa seems to know a lot about demon ingredients, perhaps because she sees a lot of material in her demolition shop. The purplish honey isn''t a very poisonous shade, but apparently it''s still poisonous.


    ''''The ''Poison Honey Pancakes'' cooked with the poisoner are very popular. I''ve only had them once when I was in District 8.


    It''s just a delicacy........Shiori-san has a lot of nerve.


    Yeah?¡¡It''s said that searchers who challenge places with many poisonous monsters train themselves to become accustomed to the poison by having professionals such as doctors and pharmacists manage them. I''ve heard that some people just can''t stand it.


    Not only the equipment, but also the food will make you resistant to the condition. That was a learning experience, but when it''s called ''Poison'', I still need to be prepared to say it. If possible, I''d like to prepare my resistance with equipment and other items as before.


    The unappraised items will be appraised together later, and the other item of concern is the ''jumping stone''. It seems to be a magical stone, but what effect does it have on me? I asked Madoka to look it up in the ''catalog'' of the license function that only merchants can use.


    I''ve heard that the ''Chohiseki'', when attached to a projectile weapon, will allow it to make a bouncing attack when it hits a wall. In the case of armor, for example, if you attach it to a shoe, you can jump higher.


    A bouncing attack ... bouncing bullets. That''s something I''d like to try. I''m afraid it''s going to be limited in its use.


    You know, you''re so bright-eyed like a little boy, but sometimes you take delight in unexpected things, don''t you, Rear-End?


    ''Innocent........would it be disrespectful to Aricht-san if I said that?


    ''It''s cool to have bullets bouncing around - my dice won''t fit the magic stones.


    Misaki was also interested in it, but there was certainly nothing in her weapon that the magic stone could be fitted with. It''s not an attacker, though, so it''s not essential right now.


    ''''Alright, then, next. This is the box you got from ''Death Coming from the Sky''.


    I put my hand on the box and open it. Then an intense light floods in, although weaker than the "Black Box", and my vision is completely taken away for a moment - and a treasure appears around me.

 88 Episode 87: Ajin and non-returnees

    After all, compared to the first red box acquired from the dokuyaribachi, the quantity and quality of the treasure that appeared was clearly higher than the first red box that was acquired from the dokuyaribachi.


    Opening the box ¡ô.


    Red Box B: Retrieved from "Death Coming from the Sky


    What? boots


    Fobidoun Scythe.


    Fire boxwood


    What? charm


    What? long, thin cloth


    Gold coins x 138


    Silver coins x 655


    Copper coins x 130


    Cannot be used money x 35


    As expected, the box I got from ''Named'' - it contains a number of equipment and a significant amount of money. Although experiencing the amount of treasure when you open the black box, it still feels like it''s a small amount, though.


    ''This is........a scythe?¡¡It''s kind of like how a reaper has it, but...


    What Igarashi-san was looking at was a weapon called ''Fobidoun Scythe'', which stood out among all the weapons that came out of the box.


    The fact that it has a ''*'' in its name means that it seems to be a special weapon. Is it correct to think that weapons also have ''named'' weapons?


    ''Wait, you should only touch it after you''ve appraised it. If it''s a cursed weapon, there''s a chance you won''t be able to let it go.


    Following Elitia''s warning, Igarashi-san left the scythe. I first tried to examine it with Madoka''s skill ''Appraisal Technique 1'', but I couldn''t completely appraise it, so Shiori-san allowed me to purchase the ''Intermediate Appraisal Scroll'' with 4 gold coins.


    ''''Excuse me, brother. I''m supposed to be helpful at a time like this...''''


    ''No, Madoka has been a great help to me with the scrolls and the unboxing discounts. ''Price bargaining'' has always helped me.


    ''''The market price for an intermediate appraisal scroll is five gold coins, but if Madoka-chan asks for it, I can''t refuse her. He''ll make a good merchant.


    ''Oh, thank you...''


    ''''Even at the clothing store just now, you gave me a discount just for Madoka-chan''s presence. Even if I try my best, it''s absolutely impossible.


    I was also in the body of Corleone''s service to me, but it seemed that I was able to get a discount, probably with the benefit of Madoka''s skills. And when he sold things, he could sell them at least ten percent more, but since this was ''Price Negotiation 1'', if it was more than 2, it would be completely unthinkable to shop without Madoka.


    ''''Alihit-san, let me appraise you then.


    Suzuna unfolded the scroll for me and read it - and then the license indicated a successful appraisal.


    *Fovidoun Sais¡ô


    When attacking, it absorbs some of the enemy''s health.


    When it is critical, a single hit can take down an enemy.


    You have to hold it in both hands.


    Fragile.


    Only one exists.


    ''This ... looks pretty useful in some situations, but it doesn''t look like it would be useful for everyday combat.


    I''m afraid Melissa is the only one who can equip you at the moment.


    ''''I''m interested in it, but I don''t think I need to switch it out for now because the ''meat-slicing knife'' has the ability to make it easier to destroy parts.''''


    So we''ll store it in storage until we have to use it.


    It''s cool to look at, though, because it''s so evil. If I could have used it, I would have.


    The problem is that it''s heavy, and you''ll have to sit down to carry it around and test its performance. It would be a shame if it broke after just a few attacks, though.


    (You can look at the description of the ability alone and find its usefulness... but there''s a lot of romance to be had, especially with the possibility of being able to do a critical one-hit kill.)


    Thinking, I pick up a pair of boots that look like leather - I''ve seen this metallic sheen before.


    I had Celes-san''s workshop use ''Elmina Iron'' to strengthen Suzuna and Misaki''s armor. In order not to spoil the appearance of their armor, I had them reinforce the inside with a thin sheet of steel, and these boots have the same kind of treatment.


    ''''Madoka, do you think these boots will be okay for ''Appraisal Technique 1''?''''


    Okay, yes, I''ll try.


    I hand Madoka the boots and ask her to appraise them. And it worked beautifully - I look at her as she happily holds out the boots to me, and I laugh too.


    I was just thinking that I would be grateful if I could exchange them for my current equipment. When I saw the information about the boots, I couldn''t help but let out a shout.


    ¡ôElminate Mount Boots +2¡ô


    Rarely disables enemy status attacks.


    Slightly reduces physical attacks.


    The performance of skills that strengthen your allies will be slightly improved.


    This is...


    ''Aricht, was it that good?''


    Yeah, it''s a performance-enhancing piece of equipment that strengthens everyone''s skills. I''ve been wanting to collect this strain.


    It''s designed for a man, and I think it suits your rear end very well.


    ''Oh, thank you. I didn''t wear these things much before.


    I don''t know how it was created and how this kind of ability was added, but I''m guessing it was used by male supporters like me.


    I''m not sure if it''s the same as the one I''m using, but I''m pretty sure it''s the one used by male supporters like me. I''m sure you''ll be able to find a way to make it work.


    As for the coins, I''m grateful for the change to make up for what I spent on clothing and other items. After collecting the coins scattered together with everyone else and gathering them into a bag, I look at Shiori and the beetle sub-human standing beside him - Takuma - in front of him as he tries to open the last box.


    ''''........please, sir.''''


    If Takuma was defeated by the Backstabbing Beetle - the contents of this box may contain something to show for it.


    While everyone is watching, I open the box - and.


    Opening the box


    Red Box C: Retrieved from "*The Beetle of Treason


    Ambivalents.


    The Gauntlet of Early Work


    What? web rag


    What? ring


    What? ring


    What appeared was a specially shaped spear-like weapon with blades on both sides. And a small hand-like armor - and more.


    I silently picked up a small metal circle that had fallen off. Another similar one was picked up by Theresa.


    I didn''t need to appraise it. The one we picked up was a ring - inside it was engraved with the letters of the labyrinth country.


    I give it to Shiori-san. She placed it in her palm and caressed it with her other hand as if she were lovingly caressing it, and tears spilled out of her eyes.


    ''I never said a word about that... after I came back as a sub-human like this, I was told that my brother had a fianc¨¦e...''


    The letters inscribed on it were probably Takuma''s or his fianc¨¦e''s name. The party they belonged to had been attacked by the ''Betrayal Beetle'' and their possessions were in a box.


    ''Let me give this ring back to your brother.


    ''....Thank you. I really didn''t do anything for my brothers...


    If you lose your life in the labyrinth, you can still come back as a sub-human - but not in all cases.


    Somewhere along the line, I knew that if I didn''t give up, I''d never lose a party member. Being shown the answer that this idea is a naive one in this way, I savor the feeling of wavering on my feet, not a little.


    Why do so many of the explorers in the Seventh District stall their search?


    Because they are afraid of dying. If they give up on advancing because of that, no one can blame them.


    ''''Aricht........''''


    You don''t want everyone to be worried, but you''re giving Elitia an anxious look. I muster up my energy and command myself - whatever it takes, don''t just look gloomy.


    But when I decide to do so. Takuma walks over and stands beside me.


    He silently holds out his hand. He just continues to stare at the rings as Shiori, who received them from Theresia, places them both on Takuma''s hand.


    He couldn''t find the words to put anything on them. Takuma returned as a sub-human, and his fianc¨¦e, who had been partying with him, did not return.


    How disappointing that would be. Any words of comfort would have no power now.


    ''''........I''ll send what came out of the box to the warehouse and I''ll check back later. Thank you so much, Shiori-san and Takuma-san, for your help.


    ''It is we who should be thanking you but I''m sorry, please leave my brother and I alone for now. .....


    Shiori-san said stoutly, but that was as far as she could go.


    She was about to break down crying, and Igarashi-san stepped forward to hug her.


    ''''I can only imagine what has happened but let me do this now. I can''t just walk out like this without doing anything.


    I look over at everyone with red eyes and nod. The others, except Igarashi-san, took my thoughts and headed for the transition door to get out.


    When I turned around before I finally walked through the door, Takuma was clutching his ring and looking up into the empty void. As if to say a prayer for the person he had lost.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    The takeaway from the box was great, but it was also an opportunity to test my resolve.


    After Shiori-san calmed down a bit, Igarashi-san came out as well - on the way to the Chinese restaurant I had promised the Four Seasons, Igarashi-san lined up next to me, walking at the back of the line.


    Theresia is next to me on the opposite side, walking in a heap. She was also showing some pretense of worrying me after what happened earlier.


    I''m sure that would be the same for any person.


    Georg from "Arctic Star" also said. He said that once Sophie was gone, that was the end of their party.


    Misaki and Madoka were walking in front of them, chatting and laughing about what was going on. Melissa is a little ahead of them with Sion, while Suzuna and Elitia are walking along, occasionally exchanging words with each other.


    I''m sure they all have more than a few thoughts. There''s probably even some hesitation - that''s why.


    ''''Although it may sound too green to say this. I''m going to protect you all.


    I knew that was something that absolutely had to be said. I can never allow someone to create a situation where they drop out of the game, and I can never allow that to happen to me.


    And I know that''s a difficult thing to do. Preparations are made and expectations are betrayed, and actions taken with good intentions create a predicament - I don''t want anyone to die, even if I know it''s a labyrinth.


    ''Shiori-san and the others also said they would help us if there was anything they could do. I don''t think it''s a good idea to monopolize the hunting grounds with a large group of people, or to forcefully recruit others, but I''m sure that joining forces with a lot of people is necessary in itself.


    ''''Yes........I agree with you. Igarashi-san is dependable, after all.


    What do you mean by that, you''re just being a jerk. What happened to your former self, who was always so calm no matter what?


    Igarashi-san is encouraging me. Thanks to that, my feelings that were on the verge of going off the deep end are slowly coming to the surface.


    ''''I''m glad you''re saying that you''ll protect everyone......... If it comes down to it, I''m going to protect Rearward-kun with my body. Even if that happens, you won''t have to feel too bad about it. I will protect you because I want to.


    That Igarashi-san would take my place - and without being overly surprised, I can accept it naturally now.


    It was just a misunderstanding, she didn''t really want to persecute me or anything. If she says she''s going to protect me, that''s probably what she really wants right now - although there''s a feeling that she''s still afraid to think so.


    ''''........Don''t be sad when I''m gone, or something like that. I can''t let Igarashi-san say that, can I?


    ''''Well, that''s... well, if that happens, then I''ll be happy with that, because my rear end is safe, but...''''


    It''s tempting to get angry, "What are you talking about? At the same time, I''m grateful - although it seems strange to think this now, but for me, the fact that I was Igarashi-san''s subordinate is a memory I can be proud of. It''s just that now, though.


    ''''.........''''


    ........for the sake of Theresa, you shouldn''t be so reckless, rear-end boy. Are you okay with the part that was hit by the monster earlier?


    ''Yes, I''ll be fine. Well do you want to be as prepared as possible so that we don''t fall into a predicament, or if we do, we can escape?


    ''That would be nice. If you can, don''t do too much to everyone''s heart.


    I''ve just reflected on the fact that I''ve caused them to worry, and everyone walking in front of me looks back at me to see what''s going on. It seems that they were listening to me in a batch - and I raise my hand to say, ''I''m sorry for worrying you.


    Everyone laughs at me, and then we see the store we want to go to. The Four Seasons guys hadn''t gone into the shop yet, and were waiting for us outside until the time Madoka had reserved for us.

 89 Chapter Eighty-Eight: Cool Tianlou Canteen

    It seems that there are several popular restaurants in the vicinity of the top guild of the seventh district, but there is only one Chinese restaurant that I saw, and there was a line of people waiting to get in without a reservation.


    That seems to be the name of this restaurant. When the Four Seasons team, who were waiting near the sign, saw us, they walked towards us.


    Oh, Alihito-sensei!¡¡Good, we''re almost to the appointment.


    Once back in their quarters, all four of the Four Seasons'' men had changed their clothes. Ibuki was wearing a pair of denim shorts and a strange shirt with a Chinese character pattern on it - Misaki, who noticed that, turned her back and shook her shoulders as if she had hit the nail on the head.


    ''See, I knew you were laughing at me.......I''m more embarrassed while I''m looking at you.


    No, that''s not true. The teacher doesn''t laugh at you. Didn''t the maple tree take a long time to dress up, as you say?


    What do you mean, it''s normal to get all dolled up just to eat, right?


    ''''I feel like ... Ryoko was in a hurry too, but let''s not mention it.


    Ryoko-san reported on her search with me, so I guess she had to hurry to change her clothes as well. The boa coat on top of the swimsuit would be too conspicuous, as expected.


    The camisole, cardigan and skirt are an orthodox combination, but there are few people walking around in the labyrinth country wearing such an outfit, and it looks fresh. In the maze country, there are more people walking around armed with normal clothes.


    ''Did Ryoko-san and the others shop at the Boutique Corleone?¡¡It''s nice, isn''t it, that shop''s clothes?


    Yes, it''s one of the most popular stores around here. Compared to the shops in the Eighth Ward, there''s a wider variety of clothes, and we were all very impressed when we first went there.


    "Well........I didn''t find that Ibuki-chan t-shirt that says ''Sincerity'' on it, but can I ask you where you bought it for reference?


    Misaki cuts in - by the way, Anna is wearing a t-shirt that says ''honest'' on it. I guess that means there are clothing stores like that, where the kanji look cool, so they designed it for now. Ibuki and Anna, who buy them, also have pretty good taste - I''m not averse to unusual T-shirts. I''m sure my friends won''t look at me delicately if I''m just going to wear it as my sleepwear.


    ''There''s a street vendor of clothes near the Intermediate Guild. It was cute, so I bought it with Anna. Do you want to buy some too, Misaki-san?


    Well, um, I think that kind of traditional coordination is good, but for this season''s mode, I''m thinking simple casual is good for me.


    ''If they sold clothes like that, I''d buy them too, but...''


    As long as you have the right materials, you can have the clothes made to order, so I''m sure you can coordinate them like Misaki-chan said.


    Both Elitia and Igarashi-san seem to have their own personal preferences when it comes to clothing. I don''t really care much about clothes, but I know that considering everyone''s sentiments, they''ll be happy to wear clothes they like.


    ''Kaede doesn''t like this kind of rough stuff, she likes it fluffy. She''s brave when she''s fighting, but she''s surprisingly maiden-like.


    This is a normal thing to do, don''t call me a virgin. It''s not like you''re different because your brother Arihito is here, you know?


    After you.


    Yes, I''ll take my leave then, if you''ll excuse me.


    A group of friends walk into the store, greeting the Four Seasons folks. There are a few seats out in front of the store as well, and you walk through the space between them and into the store - and then.


    ''''Ah, it''s those guys again. ''Alliance for Freedom'', they''re pretending to be.


    You got the whole place to yourself.¡¡I''m told the executives are drinking in a room full of female members, which is a perfectly good status.


    One of the customers waiting his turn, a young man with a warrior-type profession, is swearing along with his companions.


    Apparently, the store has clashed with the ''alliance'' of Gray and the others - they won''t be causally linked to the karma, but I''m still somewhat defensive about it.


    ''Our leader, Roland, wasn''t like that in the past either. I''m sure you''ll be happy to know that I''m not the only one who has changed since the fall in the pecking order.


    That''s why they''re so greedy after one fall. If they keep adding to their ranks at this rate, the entire Seventh Ward will be held in check for a long time.


    I don''t want to say anything bad about it because I''ve had Daniela-san treat me in the labyrinth before, but...


    ''Oh come on, Kasha.......you still think you''re not too far off from the ''Alliance'' executives'' offer.......''


    Don''t be silly, I wouldn''t give in to that soft man''s advances, even if it turned my whole world upside down. If karma hadn''t been raised, I''d have hit him.


    How Gray recruited a woman named Kasha - the Four Seasons people who are experiencing recruiting are making bitter faces.


    In the meantime, a clerk who noticed that we were newly in, came over to us apologetically.


    ''''Sir, we''re currently full, and you''ll have to wait for up to an hour or so...''''


    Oh, I''m sorry my name is Atobe and I have a room reserved for my guard dogs.


    I''m sorry, you must be Mr. Atobe, who has reserved a pet-friendly room for twelve people. I will show you around.


    A waiter in a uniform reminiscent of a Chinese dress, perhaps to create an atmosphere, led us to a private room. We were ushered into a room with a large round table and seated in order.


    We were seated in order. "Well then, may I have your drink order first?


    ''Yes. Um, the room next door seems to be pretty busy...


    Well, there are a lot of people here, and they''ve reserved a couple of rooms.


    The room next door, of all things - we''re a lot of people, too, so it''s not unreasonable to say that we''d be next to each other in a big room.


    Is everyone at the Four Seasons okay here?


    ''Thank you for your concern, Mr. Atobe but we''ll be fine.


    That''s right, we''ve come all this way, and it''s a shame to leave without thinking about them. Thank you for letting me use your private room, Madoka-chan.


    ''It seems that if there are more than ten of us, we''ll be in this room. Arihito told me to book early, so I slipped in and made it.


    "Rearward, you even managed the company''s drinking party in spite of your busy schedule...


    ''''.........Arihito is surprisingly social. I''ve never made a reservation like that or anything like that before...


    ''No, I''m not doing much of anything. With my Madoka license, I can always contact any store that''s in the merchant''s union.


    Even though I said that, for some reason, everyone was more impressed with my experience as the secretary of a drinking party. That sort of thing tends to be handled by employees who are easily approached by the higher-ups in the department as a role - and that''s just my position as I was assisting Igarashi-san.


    "Arihito brother, there''s a drink called ''Ryoutenro''s Special Lao Chu''. It seems to be available on the rocks and with water. What''s rock?


    ''If you like to drink, fine, but that''s the kind of stuff that burns your throat I''ll take oolong tea.


    And by barley wine, you mean beer. I wonder if "Cool Breeze Beer" is that kind of beer.


    ''It says that it makes you a little more resistant to wind attacks for a certain amount of time. So it sounds like it''s a little more expensive than regular beer.


    As Suzuna pointed out, there was a proviso at the bottom of the menu, stating that some food and drink had an added effect. However, it doesn''t mean that just drinking greatly affects the search, it seems to be just a bonus.


    ''Brother, do you not need to drink alcohol?¡¡Don''t worry about us, you can drink it!


    Igarashi-san and Ryoko-san are fidgeting with Misaki''s proposal. Apparently they want to have a drink.


    Well then, I''ll order this ''Cool Wind Beer''.


    ''I''m sorry I kind of prompted you. Can I get the same one?


    ''''Then I''ll have a ''Cool Wind Beer'' as well. I''ve had it once, and it''s a refreshing throat, and I can''t resist drinking it after I return from exploring...


    Ryoko-san seems to like drinking alcohol, and she puts her hand on her cheek and sings softly. I''m not particularly fond of beer, but it''s nice to have a drink after work once in a while.


    There are other drinks on the menu, such as ''Trent''s Apple Juice'', and we each choose our own. I ask Sion for something called ''Armour Goat''s Milk'' - I wonder if it''s a goat demon, since goths are goats.


    After ordering, we were chatting and laughing for a while when we heard a noisy voice coming from the corridor. Even though we are not on friendly terms with the ''Alliance for Freedom'', it''s no use being too blinkered.


    ''''Excuse me, I''m sorry I''m late.''''


    ''Thank you for your time, Louisa. I''m sure it''s not too late to order a drink.


    ''The three of us have decided to have a drink since Mr. Rear offered to have one. Would you like to do the same, Louisa?


    Well, I''ll take you up on your offer and we''ll go with the menu.


    Hearing the menu that Louisa-san called the waiter and ordered, both Igarashi-san and Igarashi-san rolled their eyes - it was because she asked for a lock of the ''Ryotenro Special Lao Chu'' without hesitation.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    We were allowed to make a toast, and while drinking and chatting for a while, we chose our food orders.


    Well I like spicy food, so I''ll ask.


    ''Are you okay, Melissa? I''d better have these ''soft milk beef noodles''...


    ''You''re asking for that, Madoka?¡¡Even just looking at the words on the menu, it looks kind of good, doesn''t it?


    Igarashi-san asks for ''Soft Milk Beef Noodles'' - no, so it doesn''t really matter. If Louisa and Ryoko reacted in the same way when they asked for it, they would think I was a helpless person.


    ''''This ''soft milk'' is written as milk that softens the body, right?


    ''Nah, I see.......flexibility. Well, that''s what I thought.


    "Rearward, your face is red, is it hot?¡¡It''s not like you''ve already gotten around to drinking or anything. Why don''t you drink some water?


    Excuse me. I''m not usually that drunk.


    They say your condition can change the way you get around alcohol, so it''s best to be careful.


    I wasn''t actually drunk, but Elitia suggested I drink some water. It tasted like something herbal and refreshing, and my mouth was refreshed. Is there something in it, even something like lemongrass?


    ''''.......What, what?¡¡Mr. Maple, Mr. Ibuki, stare at me so much.


    Well, well...I just thought it was a nice vibe...Kyouka-san''s concern for Arihito-san is so natural.


    Arihito-sensei, you''re going out with Kyouka-san, you know, I mean, you''re going out with her and...


    ''''What ... no, no, it''s not that, I mean, I worked for the same company before I was reincarnated and I''ve known them for a long time...''''


    You had a good trusting relationship with the company before your reincarnation.


    ''''Ugh ... well, that''s just ... I wasn''t a very complimentary boss either ...''''


    When Anna says this, Igarashi-san becomes weak. If I help her out here, she''ll still be suspicious of our friendship and it''ll be an endless loop. So, I''m going to change the subject here.


    ''''Has everyone decided what to order yet?''''


    ''Oh, yes, I''ll have this ''Sea Hummingbird Nest Soup''. And the Drunken Mud Shrimp........Drunken Shrimp?¡¡I''d like to try this too.


    I think we''ll use that one too. And this ''Shoronpo''.......is this ''Shoronpo'' pronounced Shoronpo?


    ''It says buns with meat and gelatin soup, so it must be true. I''m that and.....


    The Four Seasons people decide on the order. Elitia seems to be curious about the ''Ascending Dragon Treasure'' as well, and she''s talking about sharing it with Suzuna and Misaki.


    I showed the menu to Theresia, who was sitting next to me, and asked her to choose what she wanted - then.


    ''''..........''''


    ''You want to do the same thing with me?¡¡Teresia doesn''t seem to be enough, so maybe you should ask for a couple more.


    Theresia nodded persistently and chose the ''Fried Noodles with Six Vegetables and Roses in a Salted Sauce'' and ''Sweet Bird''s Round Grilled''. The latter was apparently eaten like Peking duck, and a picture of what kind of food was drawn on the menu.


    There was also a menu of rice dishes, and we were able to choose a menu according to everyone''s request. I''m also interested in what kind of seasoning it is.


    ¡ô¡ó¡ô


    Originally, soy sauce and most of the seasonings we know about did not exist in the Labyrinth Country, but thanks to the research and development of our predecessors, it has spread to some extent. To some extent, it''s a matter of reproduction.


    Strictly speaking, in the seventh district, we have not been able to reproduce the taste of the soy sauce as we imagine it, it''s something different, a different kind of flavor and aroma, but we enjoyed the food to the fullest - Melissa ate her extremely spicy noodles, and I and everyone else were stunned. It was taken away. Misaki, who tasted it, was in agony, so it wasn''t actually spicy.


    What I asked for was "five-meal fried rice" and "hot and spicy force-boiled noodles", a dish similar to ramen.


    It''s a soup similar to pork bones, but it is said to have the effect of slightly increasing muscle strength due to the effects of the demon bone broth and the broth taken from the meat.


    Theresia is eating silently next to me, and I smile at her appetite, as usual. Occasionally wiping her mouth and drinking, she is now carrying it to her mouth like a food fighter to the portion the other members couldn''t finish eating.


    ''''........hmm......''''


    I shouldn''t be watching people eat, but since I can only hear what seems to be Theresia''s voice at meals, I can''t help but pay attention to it.


    ''''Teresia-san, you have great style for eating so much........''''


    It''s all energy, I think. My metabolism is very high.


    ''I''m jealous, it''s really nice to be young... my kids are growing up, so they always eat sweets too.


    Ryoko, if you say something like that, it''s hard to ask for help...


    ''Don''t you have to ask for a maple tree?¡¡There''s one called ''Fried Sesame Cake with Two Color Red Bean Paste''.


    I''m not going in I''m full of bubbles.


    What did you say, Anna?¡¡Pompoms?


    I''m not hungry.


    I could definitely hear it too, but I wonder if Anna could actually be mischievous in spite of looking cool. But perhaps she was embarrassed to say it, but her face is slightly red.


    No, Anna isn''t the only one with a red face. Except for Melissa, everyone else has been hit by the air of the place - what a smell of alcohol, to say the least. It''s because it''s also used as a cooking liquor, but of course that''s not the only reason.


    ''...Atobe-sama, I''m sorry, may I have another drink, if you don''t mind?


    ''Louisa are you okay?¡¡This is going around quite a bit....


    I''m not a heavy drinker. I don''t drink heavily. I don''t get drunk at all.


    This is what people call being drunk to the point of being stoned, but even though Louisa-san is a strong person who likes to drink, was it still too strong?


    ''''It''s hot........isn''t it hot?¡¡This room.....


    No, no, Louisa, calm down and take off your clothes in the shop....


    Yes, sir.


    This kind of thing sometimes happens at the drinking table - no, as expected, it never happened before my reincarnation. It would be better to have Louisa-san moderate the amount of alcohol in the future.

 90 Episode 89: Inside of the Alliance

    Someone once told me to drink but not to be drunk, and I think that''s the most important adage of all. From the clothes that barely fit Louisa''s large breasts, I''d like to make a fine play for Igarashi-san to follow through on the fact that she tried to take them off a little bit and it was a big deal.


    Yes, I don''t feel sorry for him by any means. However, when you suddenly leave the crowded seat, you feel a sense of loneliness - I''ve become completely accustomed to my current environment.


    (I don''t dislike drinking, but I had more to worry about... I still need to be attentive, but I''m still more at ease than that.)


    I walk down the corridor to get a breeze outside for once, since it''s not like I''m waiting outside - and then I find a doorway to the garden, as the restaurant seems to have seating for dining with a view of the courtyard.


    I somehow get closer and immediately notice it. Just outside of the garden, someone is talking to each other. Apparently, two men are talking.


    ''How much longer does Rolando have to take the promotion exam?''


    ''''You said that in the next search, that guy''s cumulative contribution would clear the target value. I don''t know of any other explorer who''s saved this much from ''crab hunting'' alone.


    Eavesdropping is not a good thing, but it''s a valuable opportunity to learn the inner workings of the ''Alliance for Freedom (Beyond Liberty)'' - I try to make as little noise as possible and hold my breath while paying attention to my surroundings so that I can leave the place at any time.


    "Well, I suppose it''s a method... even if more than one ''crab'' springs up, as long as we have three parties watching for them, we can safely hunt them wherever they appear.


    ''And you''re still going to pull us all up after Rolando''s party goes up to the Sixth Ward?¡¡It would have been more efficient to search in the Sixth Ward.


    ''It was originally just Rolando and Daniela and her husband and wife, so it''s up to those two to decide what happens. But I don''t like the way that guy seems to be meddling in policy.


    Oh, Gray....he''s so good at getting in people''s faces that it''s not even a ''job''. He''s moved into the first party and he doesn''t tell us what''s going on. What the f*ck is going on?


    A man with a wild voice and a man with a skinhead and a tattoo on his shoulder, with an air of how rough he is. As far as the story goes, they belong to the second or lower of the multiple parties that make up the ''alliance''.


    The first thing that comes to mind is the fact that there are people everywhere who are good at walking in the world. But in his case, he has some skill....?


    The ''black clothes'' is a job for people like that, I suppose. I suppose that means you need to have a certain amount of prowess as well.


    Dressed in black - I imagine a strong man in a suit, but does that mean it''s an acceptable profession in the labyrinth country?


    ''''And yet what is it about the attitude of the female members who are spoken to by that guy that makes them soften?¡¡We''ve got a bunch of women at the same table today, and no one''s going to argue with that.


    "It''s that kind of work, but I can''t justify it by saying that I''m jealous of men. I''ll have to keep an eye on Gray''s behavior, but...


    I don''t know if Gray has those skills or if he''s just a skilled talker, but if his skills have any positive effect on hitting on women, that''s a problem. Listening to them, I can''t deny that line of thinking - I''m not going to let them get into a situation where they can pull out our members, but we need to be vigilant about contact from the other side.


    Be that as it may, I would like to take this opportunity to ask about their current situation. The ''Beach of the Falling Sun'' where the ''Alliance'' has monopolized the hunting grounds is a three-star labyrinth, so our contribution is still not enough for us to be able to enter it, but it will eventually be possible to break in, so we want to get information about it.


    ''''Well, whether you cry or laugh, we''ll reach our goal in the day after tomorrow at the earliest.


    Even though we''ve been overly cautious and safe, I''m surprised it took you so long to go from a single ''crab'' to a contribution of 60.


    "When you hunt for 50 ''crabs'', it leaves a few days for them to come back. Even though there are ''fish'', since we''ve been sitting there, they''ve not come near the beach since we started sitting there... that''s the good and bad of this strategy.


    Even a crab will cut off one of your fingers if you''re not careful. The spider and mantis are even more difficult to deal with than a spider or a mantis. Even a mole and a beetle can be sent to the medical center for a full recovery in ten days if you''re not careful.


    Moles lurking on the ground, flying beetles in the sky. We worked together to defeat the monsters we encountered, but they were certainly more than a little worn out with each battle.


    As everyone in the Four Seasons has said, the spider and mantis are quite troublesome demons. If there is an advantage to defeating them, it''s worth a shot, but when you hear that the Crab is easy to hunt, you might want to try fighting it first.


    However, there''s one thing that''s stuck in my mind. Were the labyrinths I''ve seen so raw and easy to use that such methods would work? It seemed that such an idea wasn''t absent from them either.


    ''''But........what guarantee do you have that you can reliably defeat the ''named'' of the promotion conditions?''''''


    There''s no such thing. ''''If you''ve been in the seventh district long enough, you''re bound to run into some names that you can beat by luck. Only those who grab them by luck or skill will be able to move up. We''ll be counted in the number of ''named'' kills just by being there, too. If we run away here, it won''t amount to anything.


    "That''s the guy, but yeah, I get it. Don''t look at me like that, I''m not getting off here either. If our party is on its own, we''ll never get to the Sixth Ward. The contribution of the handouts will earn you a lot of money........hmm?


    Time to wrap it up. Grey''s guy, you''re using Basel as an errand boy...


    (..........this is not good, if it continues like this, it will be caught from the front and back.......!


    Two men come into the hallway from the courtyard, and someone named Basel comes to call them from the room where the Alliance for Freedom is eating. I''m too focused on listening to them, so I can''t find a place to hide on the spur of the moment.


    --should we pass each other with the face of a chance encounter? When I thought about it, something unexpected happened.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Melissa activates the "Cat Petting Voice" ¡ú Cancel the actions of Rodney and Chen.


    Meow.


    What is it, cat?


    ''It''s a pet-friendly place for guards. Maybe another party is bringing them along.


    The attention of the two people who were about to come into the corridor from the courtyard is distracted - when I confirmed that Melissa was coming nearby with my license, it occurred to me that I had a skill that could be used for emergency escape.


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates Backstand ¡ú Target: Melissa


    After a momentary lapse in consciousness, the back of a girl with lightly pigmented hair pops into view. It seems that the ''Backstand'' was successful.


    ''''Huh ... I was surprised. I''m suddenly going out the back.''''


    Melissa turns around and says in a whisper - apparently she came with Anna to find me, but how did she know I was in trouble?


    ''I have just leveled up and acquired the skill of ''warfare eye''. That''s how I was able to see that Aricht-san was in a predicament.


    I guess that''s what you mean... ''tennis player'', so it''s like a skill to read the flow of a match.


    Anna nodded her head in a persistent way. Then we retreated to our own private rooms, watching from a distance as the members of the ''alliance'' joined us.


    ''Rear-kun, sorry to keep you waiting.......what''s the matter, you look like you''re sweating.


    ''What can I say, I''ve gone a little too deep, but... a member of the ''Alliance'' was standing around talking to me, and I wanted to get some information if I could.''


    ..........


    Teresia, who has completely finished the food on the table, walks over to me and wipes my sweat off my face. Since I''m not suited for something like espionage, I''d ask Theresia to do it if possible - but I don''t think it''s easy to make her do something like that because she''ll listen to any request I make.


    ''''..........''''


    What''s the matter?¡¡Theresa.


    I''m asking you to step aside. You can take me anywhere you want.


    Is that so...?


    Melissa can sense what Theresa is thinking more than everyone else - maybe it''s because Melissa has her mother''s blood, a sub-human, in her veins.


    That kind of restraint is what you might be told you don''t have to do.


    Theresia nodded her head in a persistent nod. Seeing that clear answer, everyone laughed as well.


    ...It can be frustrating to watch, shall we say.........................Hiccup.


    ''Louisa, you need to drink some more water I''m feeling much calmer, but I had a hard time earlier trying to take my clothes off anyway.


    ''''I think it''s time to open it up and let him rest. Louisa-san, are you in the guild staff dormitory?


    No I am in charge of Atube''s group and will be living with them in their quarters. .....


    It means you have a room in the same building as Louisa, right? I''m sorry, I know you''re still a little tipsy, but I''ll put a map on your license.


    Louisa-san was resting on a round chair, resting her upper body on Igarashi-san who was sitting next to her, but when I took my license, she managed to manipulate it to show me the location.


    And now, on your sweet terrace...


    "Sweet Terrace?


    ''Isn''t that the Terrace House kind of thing?¡¡I''ll have to go there to find out.


    If Misaki was right, then this is the type of property where the property is separated by a wall and the houses are arranged in the same shape.


    ''If you experience ''Mrs. Olerus Mansion'' in the Eighth Ward, the quarters in the Seventh Ward may seem a bit cramped, but if it''s a suite terrace, it''s quite spacious.


    Well, we''re the condo type, and we have two rooms for two people. We can all live together on the Sweet Terrace, can''t we?


    ''We have to work hard and try to get to the other quarters. Now that I''ve been able to work with Dr. Alihit and the others, we can move on.


    I''d like to visit you when I have time.


    Even though the Four Seasons'' faces are using a higher level guild, their quarters don''t seem to be on par with ours. I remember the days when the party members were just me, Theresia and Igarashi-san. Even back then, though, the room was more than enough room.


    ''''So...sorry to say that I just got you back, Rear-kun, but...''''


    Louisa, who had managed to get her head around the wheel a while ago, is still not going to make it.


    Well, I''ll carry it out myself. Louisa, would you mind?


    ...Yes~........


    Maybe you could get your brother to give you a piggyback ride or something, Louisa-san, you didn''t see this coming?


    Louisa-san wouldn''t think that way... would she?


    Wow, I don''t know if I''m the one to ask but by the looks of it, it looks like it''s really crushed. I think the drink was thicker than I thought.


    Igarashi-san is troubled when Suzuna asks her about it - Louisa-san, in fact, is completely deflated and says something muffled, but I can''t hear her well. From the looks of it, she appears to be normally drunk.


    ''''By the way ... ah, this looks fine.


    ''''I''m afraid I''m afraid... hmmm...''''


    While everyone is looking at me with something envious, I carry Louisa-san on my back - it''s not that heavy, but I can feel the texture of her arms around the back of my thighs and, most importantly, her back, which makes me feel like I''m going to stop moving.


    Ryoko, sister Ryoko you shouldn''t say things like that even if you think you are.


    Arihito-sensei, you''re a man after all.......and you lifted him up so lightly.


    ''It''s dependable. I understand why the maples call him ''brother.''


    Are you guys ready?¡¡Make sure you don''t forget anything or anything Madoka, I''m sorry, but can you take care of the bill for me?


    Yes, brother Aricht.


    I firmly carried Louisa-san and left the shop. The ''Alliance'' also said that they were going to close up, but I could still hear the buzz of activity, perhaps because of the extension - I should say that it''s a blessing that we didn''t get potted together.

 91 Episode 90: Sweet Terrace

    After leaving the ''Liantian Tower Restaurant'', the ''Four Seasons'' returned to their quarters. They promised to meet up with the higher guilds tomorrow to explore, so tomorrow''s destination would be the ''Bed of the Sheep God'' as well.


    As we headed further west from the Green House, the upper guild, it was a gradual uphill climb. Just like in the eighth district, the outer perimeter of the building is probably because it can be used as a large piece of land, and more and more mansion-type buildings with gardens are increasing - the largest and most luxurious single-family house with a guard is probably inhabited by a person named Rolando.


    Although it''s a drop in the bucket from such buildings, the ''sweet terrace'' type of accommodation we''re staying in is the same shape, with two-story houses separated by a wall. It has a front yard and a shed for guards, so I''ll let Sion use it.


    ''''If it''s Sion-chan, I think it''s okay to keep her indoors.......sorry, you can come inside if you get lonely.


    BOW!


    ''''Kyouka-san, you''re totally close to Sion-chan, aren''t you? We''re like sisters.


    Really?¡¡Suzuna, you always say things that make people happy...I''m a little squeamish.


    No, you''ll make your brother jealous. Besides, Suzu-chan is mine. Hey.


    Even though I was desperate at first, I won''t say that I didn''t leave Suzuna behind. I didn''t want to join up with Igarashi-san at first because I was worried about the ties I had when I was a company employee.


    ''''Well, it''s best that we all get along. I''m glad Madoka and Melissa seem to be getting to know each other, too.


    Yes, you''ve all been so good to me and I''ve thought about it about ten times today that I''m really glad my brother invited me to join him.


    ''''... me too. I can dismantle ''named'' again, and I can destroy parts and level up. I have to go exploring, because I can''t do anything new.


    Melissa''s facial expression doesn''t change much, but it''s safe to assume that she''s as happy as her words.


    --But looking at it this way, I thought, Melissa''s gestures are somewhat reminiscent of a cat. I decided to ask Melissa, who stayed behind as everyone else went into the quarters.


    ''Melissa, when you rescued me earlier, you were using an unusual skill...''


    ''Well I was going to discuss how to get the skills later today. But first, let me tell you something. My mother is a sub-human named ''Wah Cat''.


    ''Warcat that means you have the ability to be a cat.


    Yeah. But you don''t get to use all of your mother''s skills. Just a few.


    Is the physical strength to wield a huge knife, which is not commensurate with Melissa''s fine arms, partly due to the power of subhuman blood? The same is true for Theresia, but her physical abilities are clearly higher than girls of the same age - Elitia is more agile than them, so it''s likely that her physical abilities will also increase as her level increases.


    I''ve also been able to move more than when I first came to the Labyrinth Country, but I guess it''s still ''rear guard'', but I can''t do anything out of the ordinary except when the conditions are met. When the ''General of the Lord''s Army'' has its maximum effect, though, that''s exactly what I can do, I can move like it''s not my body.


    ''''You really helped me just now. It sounded like a real cat''s voice.''''


    The truth is, it seems to be a skill that catches the opponent off guard. If you succeed, your opponent will think the cat is somewhere and distract you. It can be understood by demons with hearing, but it''s easy to fail if the demon''s level is high enough.


    Well, I''m glad you could pull it off. If Melissa hadn''t shown up, I''d have had to take the fall for it.


    ...Arihito doesn''t seem to be good at that kind of thing. He can''t lie and doesn''t get it.


    ''Haha well, you''ve been called stupidly honest at times.


    It''s partly because I''ve always been easy to show my face. I used to admire Misaki''s ''poker face'' that I could remember from her profession.


    ''''Brother, it''s quite nice inside the house! If you don''t come quickly, I''ll decide on a room assignment on my own!


    Excuse me, Louisa, I''m sorry for standing here. Um, Louisa, does that mean you''ll be living in the same house as us?


    "...Don''t tell me we should go to another house because I''m not used to it and I''m lonely.......


    Wha.........I understand. We''ll discuss the room assignments with everyone....


    Good....good...


    A drunken Louisa didn''t know what to do - she was getting impatient as the piggybacking and hugging grew stronger and stronger.


    As we entered the house, the atmosphere of the interior was country, with carpets on the wooden floor, and the style of entry was the same as before, with dirt feet. A hallway led to the back of the building, with the living room on the front right, from which you could hear everyone''s voices.


    There was a counter kitchen in the living room, with a menu list and a visiting service that would cook meals for you in this kitchen if you asked for it. Of course, I can cook for myself, but it seems that I will basically be eating out.


    You have done a great job. Let him sleep on the couch for a while.


    All right. Louisa, how would you like to take a bath?


    ''I suppose I can do that later when I sober up. Or in the morning.


    After setting Louisa-san down and laying her down on the sofa, Igarashi-san puts the blanket she brought with her. This one doesn''t look like it''s going to wake up for a while - she doesn''t seem to be in a bad mood at the moment, so I think it''s safe to let her rest as it is.


    ''''Louisa-san, I wonder if she was as nervous as we were in her new ward to spend so much time drinking.


    ''If we''re going to be moving wards together from now on, maybe we should consider Louisa as part of the party... what do you think, Aricht?


    ''Sure. Well if she was nervous in her new ward, hopefully that will help ease her nerves. Hopefully she''ll be as relaxed as possible when she''s with us.


    Everyone seems to be worried about Louisa, and they all agree with me. Of course, everyone will be exhausted and tired after a lot of things from the first day in the new ward - I want them to have a good night''s rest tonight.


    ''Brother Aricht, there were three bedrooms upstairs. There are ten beds in all.


    ''You mean there''s a spare portion, or even a sub-member of the party. How is it divided up?


    One room with four beds and two rooms with three beds.


    Then, since there are nine of us, including Louisa, I wonder if it would be better for us to be divided into three people each. With me being the only man, it would be best if we had a small bedroom for one person, but it''s not going to work out the way I want it to.


    ''Shall we decide on Amida again this time?¡¡Or shall we raffle?


    ''When it comes to that sort of thing, you''re instantly energized you''re not up to something, are you?


    No, that''s not true - I''m not going to cheat on my room assignment. I want to be fair about such things.


    Oh, yeah I''m sorry, I''m sorry I doubted you. You''ll take care of Amida then.


    Okay. I''ll get you something to write about.


    Misaki went to find paper and pens and get ready for the Amida lottery. Then I was in the same room with Louisa-san and Theresa.


    ''''...........''''


    Soooo....


    Nice to meet you, both of you. Theresa, I''ll bring Miss Louisa up to your room later.


    Oh, my brother is trying to carry Louisa-san into the bedroom with two people!


    ''Don''t be so weird, Rearward-kun, I just want to give Louisa-san a break.


    Ah, um........Kyouka-sister, I''m looking forward to working with you.


    Nice to meet you.


    Igarashi was with Madoka and Melissa, and the other room was with Misaki, Susuna, and Elitia.


    ''''Come to think of it, Madoka and Melissa were on the level.


    ''Yes, um, if you''ll allow me to consult with you on which skills to take...''


    I''d appreciate it if you''d let me. I don''t have a handle on the skills of both of you yet.


    ''''All right. If there''s a skill you think Alihit should take, I''ll take it.


    While the other members are bathing first, we will have time to discuss Madoka and Melissa''s skills with them.


    The items I obtained from opening the boxes are in the warehouse, and I also need to ask Madoka to bring out what I need for tomorrow''s exploration. My day doesn''t look like it''s going to end yet until everything I need to do is done.

 92 Episode 91: Combat Skills and Craftsmanship

    The bath is a method of boiling water with a ''magic cauldron'', and in order to boil water, a certain amount of magic power must be charged to the magic stone that is the energy source of the cauldron. It was decided that if we rested for a night, a certain amount would be recovered, so we all decided to bear the burden a little at a time.


    In my case, I could recover magic power indefinitely if I combined ''Assist Charge'' and Ariadne''s ''Energy Sync'', but I didn''t take that method this time because it would make Suzuna, who was a ''spirit medium'', take up a lot of time.


    ''''..........Rear-kun, I''m going to be allowed to go in from now on, but please tell Theresia-san to put her swimsuit on properly.''''


    ''Well, well, I suppose Theresa can suddenly want to go in alone, too.


    ..........


    Theresia immediately shakes her head. Even though she expected it, she couldn''t help but chuckle at the bluntness of it.


    ''''I knew you''d want to be with Aricht.......I wonder what would happen if I talked to the people at the Four Seasons about this situation.


    ''Elitia, please don''t tell me what to say... Theresa is just... well... what''s the reason?''


    ''I think Theresa-san is always grateful to Arihito-san. And so am I.......so am I, Misaki.


    "Yeah, yeah........Suzu-chan, I''m involved in this too, but I can''t take a bath with my brother without wearing a swimsuit, as expected, it''s a snail''s eye sore!


    Misaki is holding her blushing cheeks as she seems to be really embarrassed, though she''s browning it out. I don''t think she''s quite trustworthy, though, as long as she''s wearing a bathing suit, she doesn''t mind.


    ''''Anyway, you''ll be wearing a swimsuit. I''ll do the same for you.


    ''No, no, Igarashi-san, that''s not quite...''


    You''ve been a great help to me, my brother, you''ve always been a great help to me...


    "...I don''t like baths. I''ll go in, but I want to make it quick.


    Madoka and Melissa are also willing to go in with me if I can get a swimsuit. It''s okay to say no once and for all, or rather, that should be the norm.


    ''You two, you don''t have to push yourself. In some cases it would be quicker to go in as a group of several people, but I basically think I should go in alone at the end of the... well, wait, Teresa. I''m not saying I don''t want to go in, you know...


    It would be nice to have someone else join the arhites, since I''d be embarrassed every time we were together.


    Ellie, are you a bit overprotective of your brother?¡¡She sounds more like a sissy than Kyouka''s sister.


    ''''Well, it''s not like I''m being overprotective or anything. It''s just that there''s one guy, so I thought it would be better to watch him so that he doesn''t get too weird... a, it''s not that I don''t trust Arihito, it''s just that I don''t think the average man can be so calm. .....


    That said, I think it''s not the same as everyone going in together on a rotating basis - everyone has a convincing look on their face at Elitia''s argument.


    I''m glad you''re willing to put in the work, Igarashi-san, but it''s okay outside of the bath.


    ''Eh ... well, well, that''s true, but ...''


    I''m happy for Igarashi-san''s feelings, but I wonder if there is a swimsuit that can cover up the large undulations that were so noticeable in the vertical sweater without any problems, even if it''s just a vertical sweater.


    Swimsuits seem to be a scarce commodity, so I''ll have to wait for them to come in, find and buy them, or make them. I can''t collect them myself, so I have to go with the flow and get them - only, while moving forward with the search. Then it''s going to be quite a long-winded story.


    I''m sure if you talk to Ryoko-san about it, she''ll be able to tell you where the swimsuits are sold, though. Big brother, what do you think of swimsuit competitions?


    ''Well, no matter what you say we''re going to have to put that on hold for now and go take a bath first.


    ''Eh, you could have told me that much. Suzu''s curious about it too, right?


    ''''........Arihito-san, do you like swimsuits like the one Ryoko-san was wearing?''''


    Well, well, like it or not, don''t make me answer that question.


    With that kind of answer, it''s like saying that a competitive swimsuit isn''t bad - but as expected, they all had a look on their face that they had something to think about. It''s not very easy to say, but if you can procure a swimsuit that suits each of you, it''s the best thing to do.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    Igarashi-san returned to her room once, and the first thing Suzuna and the other members of her room did was to take a bath.


    ''''Brother Arihito, thank you for your guidance!''''


    ''Yeah, nice to meet you too. Can you show me the skills acquisition screen as soon as possible?


    Madoka shows me how to operate the license - as she does every time, there is a mixture of anticipation and nervousness in the moment when she shows me a person''s skills.


    Skills Acquired ¡ô.


    Price Negotiation 1: Slightly reduce the price at the time of purchase and slightly increase the price at the time of sale.


    Appraisal Technique 1: Appraise unidentified tools. You can only appraise some of the tools.


    Item removal: select and remove tools from your inventory or from the warehouse.


    Hide: Disappear and hide, making you less of a target for enemies.


    Available Skills


    Inventory: Identify and control the goods in the warehouse.


    The Art of Arithmetic: when equipped with an arithmetic tool, perform calculations at high speed


    Paperwork 1: Transcribe information on paper and other documents


    Sales Technique 1: You will be able to make business negotiations easier.


    Bribery 1: Give your counterpart money or goods and have him or her accept your offer


    Carry a backpack, regardless of muscle strength.


    Remaining skill points: 2


    Ah ... ''Inventory'' is a skill I''ve always wanted. The people at the merchants'' union told me to keep it because it would be required.


    Being able to keep track of what''s inside is pretty important.


    ''I''m glad ... that''s what your brother said. I''ll miss you if I can''t be of service to you after you let me into the party.


    Madoka patted her chest in relief. ''I know that the position of ''merchant'' is more of a ''supporter'' orientation, but I''m sure that being at the party would be quite helpful.


    ''''Well, let''s take an ''inventory''.


    ''Ha, yes ... a little bit. When I was running a beginner''s stall in the Eighth Ward, I saved up my money and bought a big backpack, but I couldn''t carry it if I packed it all in, so I kept putting it away.


    It was said that Madoka used the warehouse key to store the goods in the warehouse, and then used her ''itemizing'' skills to take them out and put them on the stalls. He had written the list of goods himself.


    That would make ''Paperwork 1'' a useful skill as well, but when I asked her about that - I wondered about that area, and she shook her head.


    ''I think it''s a useful skill, since I can write the paperwork myself in time, but I think I''d prefer something else.


    ''''Well then, I''ll use my backpack for the sake of it. But if we have the ''itemized'' items, we don''t have to carry our stuff around... no, not really?


    ''''Putting out ''goods'' uses magic power. When we set up the stall, we would spend about two hours putting out the goods after we had a meal that would speed up the recovery of our magic power. It didn''t take us that long to close the stall, though, because we could use the key to the warehouse to transfer the items.


    It''s a useful skill, but it uses magic power - the maximum value of magic power increases as your level increases, so it''s easy to use the ''stocking stuffer'', but the ''baggage-taking'' is a useful skill for the time being.


    The "stocktaking" and "cartage" skills are useful for the time being.


    ''Yes it''s been a long time since I''ve taken a skill. I''m very happy.


    Many of Madoka''s skills are excellent, but he seemed to want to use a backpack, so I thought ''carrying a load'' was a good idea. The final deciding factor is still his feelings.


    ''''........Congratulations.''''


    Thank you, Melissa.


    As Madoka got her skills, Melissa, who had been waiting her turn, came over to us. She took a seat next to me and operated the license and placed it on the table.


    ''''Look....''''


    Skills Acquired


    Knife-wielding: Increases the attack power of edged weapons.


    Splitting the helmet: Attack the enemy''s head. This is more likely to cause part destruction.


    Cut off: Cut off horns, tails, and other parts of the body when you succeed.


    Dismantling Technique 1: Dismantle the target and cut it into parts.


    Create Magical Tools 1: Attach magical stones to equipment.


    Cat stroke: Cancels the target''s action if you succeed.


    Skills you can acquire


    Skill Level 2


    Scaling: When attacking a target, the enemy''s defense may be reduced. Required Skill: Cut off


    Hangman''s Cut: Attack by hanging the target up. The attacker is prone to local destruction. Required skill: Demolition Technique 1


    Scratch and Claw: Perform up to 8 consecutive combat attacks to inflict "bleeding". Required skill: Scratch


    Tool Creation 2: Perform a "synthesis" process using two or more different types of magical stones. Required skill: Magical Tool Creation 1


    Skill Level 1.


    Connoisseur 1: Assess the quality of demon ingredients.


    Cooking 1: Cooking will add an additional effect.


    Scratch: Perform two consecutive combat attacks to inflict "bleeding".


    Ambush: Attack unnoticed by the enemy. Easily becomes a critical strike.


    Spinning and Landing: Jump down from a height without being injured.


    Grooming: Restores systemic anomalies to the body.


    Remaining skill points: 4


    (The skills for fighting, dismantling demons, and putting magical stones on equipment... at level 4, you can take skill level 2. And is it a unique skill of "Warcat"?)


    What do you think?


    ''All of the combat and your specialized skills as a ''demolisher'' are interesting. Sounds like you''ve been pretty selective in taking them.


    ''''They told me that I should expect to not be able to re-shake my skill points, so I chose what I wanted to use and what I needed to use. I want to get better at handling knives.


    At this point in time, there are enough skills to bring out the performance of the ''Meat Slicing Knife (Butcher''s Knife)'', but there are some combat skills that seem even more powerful.


    However, until now, I''ve been asking Melissa to put magic stones on my equipment, so I''m not sure if I should ask her to take ''Magic Tool Creation 2'' first, or if I should ask the shop in the future.


    ''''........Hmm?¡¡This cooking skill is....


    ''I helped cook meals at home, so I can do some of the original work.


    One of the challenges of labyrinth exploration is eating when exploring a long maze. Inevitably, portable food and the like is tasteless and doesn''t have the same added benefits as when you eat in a store.


    ''''I like cooking, so I''d like to take ''Cooking 1''.


    ''''Then I guess it would be better to have a ''connoisseur'' as well. I think whether or not the meat of a demon is edible is also a ''quality'' thing.


    It''s important as a ''demolitionist'' to be able to understand the quality of the material.


    I wonder if that was Rykerton-san''s teaching - Melissa seemed to be thinking about something, but when she looked at me again, she gave a small nod.


    ''''I''d like to. But I''d like to save ''Magic Tool Creation 2'' if I can. Because my father wanted me to take it.


    ''Yeah, okay. Let''s keep the combat skills basically low key. I might get them when I have extra skill points, though.


    Melissa operates the license and gets ''Magic Tool Creation 2'', ''Connoisseur 1'', and ''Cooking 1'' - but she hesitates a bit.


    The one she was looking at was ''Grooming''. She was curious about that skill, which was probably unique to ''Warcat'', or rather, she seemed to want to take it if she could.


    ''''Well I don''t like to bathe myself. If I had this skill, I could groom Zion. Like a ''trimmer''.


    Well, that''s the thing I''m struggling with, isn''t it?


    ''It''ll be fine when we next level up. Me and Madoka don''t always work together, so it''s going to be a little while longer. With Alihit''s party, we could be level 5 someday.


    That being said, I think again - even those who have been in the role of ''supporters'' still have a desire for new skills.


    They check the skills and choose which ones to take. Because it is difficult to raise the level of the skill, the joy of that moment is greater than ever, and even I, who am not the one who is acquiring it, am excited just by watching it.


    ''Melissa, and Madoka, let''s make sure our levels are not too far apart. Even if they don''t have the skills for combat, there are plenty of ways to make up for it.


    My brother....


    "...and I want to ''groom'' Madoka. Because I think it could be used on humans too.


    I''m not that fluffy.........well, I''m not that fluffy.......well, I''m just a little bit hairy, but.......


    That''s why I''m a little convinced that he prefers to wear a turban - although when I say frizzy hair, it looks like his hair is just a little bouncy.


    ''It''s not all about strategy and choosing skills just for the sake of the party,'' I might get down on my knees and ask you to take some skills at some point, though. Will you laugh and forgive me then?


    ...me too. I''m good at getting down.


    Being a "warcat" and carrying the power of a cat in her body, Melissa is probably quite flexible. Imagine a cat pouncing on its prey from a prone position, and it''s a reliable one.


    I''ll have her equipped with ''Fobidoun Scythe'' and aim for a critical strike from ''ambush'' as a combatant - ''Sometimes you can take out an enemy in one hit'' is not ten percent, but when combined with Misaki''s morale release, it could be a must-have combo! .


    The next level should also get 3 skill points, so I want to get the ambush and grooming. In order to do that, it would be better to have them accompany me instead of the waiting group, after all - what a luxury to worry about, since Melissa has things she can do even if she waits.


    ''''Well it''s about time for everyone to get out of the bath, so next time you two should come in alone.


    Yes. Thank you, brother.


    Thank you.


    They thanked me and went back to their room to get a change of clothes. I also decided to go check on Louisa-san, who was sleeping, and Theresa, who was following her around.

 93 Episode 90: History of the receptionist

    I knocked on the bedroom door and Theresa opened it from inside. She had confirmed it when she brought Louisa-san in earlier, but there was enough room for a chest of drawers between the three beds, and the room was illuminated by the warm light of Kantera, which was lit by magic power.


    But is it correct to say that Louisa will continue to sleep with him in the future? It''s hard to imagine her using the same shape of the suite terrace alone, and I haven''t heard of her sharing it with other guild staff.


    The fact that Louisa-san, who is always firm, has been completely crushed, I wonder if she is also tired of being tired. When I think about it, I''d like to let her sleep slowly, but--''''


    ''''.........''''


    Theresia has already finished preparing for her bath. On her bed, there is a large towel to wipe her body and a cloth bag. Perhaps the contents of the bag are the swimsuit.


    "If I had prepared a bathing suit as well, there would be no more problems....eh?


    She shakes her head shakily. I think about what it''s intended to do, and I make an analogy without thinking about it.


    ''''Like ... you can''t go in there with a swimsuit on, so you shouldn''t wear it because you can''t get a fresh start?''''


    ..........


    I''m sure it''s the same for Theresa and I''m sorry about that, too. It''s not allowed to bathe with a man of my age. So far, I''ve made a special exception...


    To no avail, she doesn''t listen to me at all and hands me a towel for me. Then she turns behind me and discreetly pushes me - trying to lead me to the bathroom.


    ''Wow, okay. Louisa-san looks like she''s still asleep and if you were awake, I''d have you and Theresa come in with me.


    ..........


    ''Oh I''m sorry, Theresa. It''s not that I don''t want to go in with you, I know I''m being a bit old and pathetic, but...


    The force that Theresia pushes is getting stronger and stronger - she''s a lizardman for what it''s worth, and despite her small stature, her strength is so strong that she can''t resist at all. I didn''t expect to realize the weaknesses of the ''rear guard'' once again in this place.


    ''''Hmm...''''


    Te, Theresa. Can you give me a moment, because Louisa is having trouble sleeping.


    Theresa stops pushing and waits for me. I thankfully walk up to Louisa, who is sleeping on the bed, and I see her sleeping.


    ''''Ugh....''''


    Louisa''s face was turning red - was it that hard of a drink? I had two more glasses of the same stuff, but I figured it was pretty strong so I''d be fine, so I let her pace it out.


    But the bigger problem was - Louisa-san''s figure was extremely defenseless as she turned on her back and bounced off the blanket.


    (Oh, I thought........but this dress, if it doesn''t cover her chest more tightly, it''ll suddenly become dangerous.......


    I''m in danger right now, and I try to put the blanket over my mind without a care in the world. But Louisa seemed to be hot, and she stripped herself off again.


    Then she wriggled and turned her back to me. My back isn''t covered at all, but if I try to put a blanket on it again, I''ll probably peel it off myself. But if I left it like this, I might get cold in my sleep and catch a cold.


    Potions in general are consumed heavily in the higher wards and traded at a high price, so sobering potions and the like are not easily available. It wouldn''t be practical to have a healer (healer) come to your house at this time to treat you - then.


    ''Theresa, can you wait a moment? I''m afraid I''ll have to leave Miss Louisa like this.


    ..........


    Nodding curtly, Theresa sat down on her own bed. Then she watched to see what I was going to do.


    To be drunk to the point of obscuring consciousness, as I am now, is also considered to be no small amount of damage to the body. I can''t recover from the intoxication with my ''support'', but by recovering my strength, can''t I help Louisa-san to sober up?


    Louisa-san, who is not a party member, can also be the target of my skills now - yes, with ''Other Assist''.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Aricht activates ''Other Assist''.


    Arihito activates ''Support Recovery 1'' ¡ú Target: Louisa


    Since it''s once every 30 seconds, activate the skill and wait for a while - if your strength is at full strength, there is no indication that it has been restored. You can now verify if it''s possible that your stamina is decreasing due to intoxication.


    --But it was just when thirty seconds had passed. Louisa-san''s body, which is sleeping with her back to me, is covered by a pale green light.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô.


    Louisa''s strength has been restored.


    (....) You''re supposed to recover 5 points, but not all of them?¡¡(I didn''t know things were that bad...?


    Soooooooo.........


    My sleep becomes visibly calmer. When I just joined the company, I was forced to participate in a drinking contest once and it was a big deal, but I was reminded that drinking too much too quickly can be fatal.


    ''.........Louisa-san, next time let''s drink slowly and not too tightly.


    I know she won''t respond to me when I speak to her, but I asked Theresia to wait until her full strength is restored and continued to activate ''Supportive Recovery''. It takes time, but the good thing about my recovery skill is that it doesn''t drain a lot of magic power.


    ¡ô¡ó¡ô


    Although everyone who had taken a bath before me was very positive about it, everyone was still blushing about the matter of Theresa following me. It''s a shame for me too, but for some reason, Terezia doesn''t blush at all, only at times like this.


    I asked her to wait outside the changing room for a while, and I went in first. I don''t want to be too conscious of it, so I first try drawing hot water into the wooden bucket to check the extent of the hot water.


    "...a bit lukewarm, but just right?


    I pay attention to the temperature of the water because I have to avoid just a situation where Theresa gets upset. I don''t care too much if it''s hot or warm, so I don''t have a problem adjusting to Teresia.


    (Lizardmen seem like they''d be at the water''s edge or in a swamp...)


    We didn''t encounter the lizard demons that Theresa fought. I do wonder if they were inhabiting the labyrinth that we never set foot in.


    If there was a demon in possession of Teresia''s possessions and she was still alive and not defeated - but when you think of how Teresia felt when she was facing the demon that once took her life, it was probably a blessing that she didn''t encounter it.


    Or does Theresia want to take down the demon that defeated her with her own hands? Although I think I have come to understand her feelings to some extent, I can''t possibly realize everything.


    Even Theresa, the spirit body I saw when I fought the ''Vine Grass Puppet Master'', so to speak, had a lizard''s tail growing out of it. If you become a subhuman, even your mind will be affected by the demon - seeing that, I felt the need to hurry even more.


    At that moment, the bathroom door opened. I slapped my cheek, realizing that my face had turned grim.


    ''Theresa, you can put your swimsuit on properly by yourself...''


    ..........


    My words were cut off because my thoughts stopped when I saw Theresia''s figure.


    Her face is still obscured by a hood that looks like a stuffed lizard, but Theresia walks over to me, wearing a striped triangular swimsuit that I rarely saw in my previous life.


    Her body is covered in lizard scales, but the area of white skin is much larger than I expected, and even though she''s wearing a bikini, it''s hard to look at her. It''s a great improvement though, since she came in with nothing to wear at first.


    ..........


    Hmm?¡¡Oh, yeah ... you''re going to flush my back. I''m sorry every time.


    Theresia took the towel from me and lathered up the soap and rinsed her back. She didn''t have to say anything to me, she was using a lot of force and there was nothing wrong with letting her do it.


    I only had Theresia flush my back and arms, so I''ll take it from there. Theresia understands that and starts washing herself - she''s not sitting in a chair for some reason, she''s kneeling on the floor, but apparently it doesn''t hurt because her knees are covered in scales.


    I don''t want to look at her too much, so I start washing my own head. The order is always the opposite of what I usually do.


    It''s not like I have to follow a set routine by any means - when I thought about it.


    ''''........Hmm?¡¡Theresa, the door is now....


    Before you say, "Didn''t you open it?", I understand. That there was another person who came in besides me and Theresa.


    ''''Well Master Atobe. I''m sorry to show you how unseemly I was earlier.


    "--?


    All the vocabulary in my head is blown away. I know that Theresia wants to get in, but she and I are not yet in a relationship where we have a bath together - no, it usually takes ten thousand miles to progress to that point, and even then it should be normal to not mix baths for the rest of our lives.


    ''''Well........everyone had already come out of the bath and seemed to have gone back to their rooms, so.......if possible, there was also a discussion about the fact that besides Atobe-sama and Theresia-sama, one other person should bathe together. There was a lot going on and....


    As it was being explained to me, I somehow understood the situation. In other words, it''s the same thing as Igarashi-san and Elitia taking action to keep an eye on me, ''because I''m curious''.


    (I, no, would they still act like this...?)


    ''''Would it be better for the two of you?¡¡In that case, I''ll........


    ''No, no, I''m not going back now... well, I mean, what can I say... I''m just so glad that Luisa is feeling better...'' ...


    ''Yes. I think it was because Atoobe-sama took care of me...I feel sorry for myself, but I got worse than I thought I would. But I remember Atoobe-sama talking to me kindly earlier. After I woke up, my body felt better...


    That being said, I finally understand - that what I did had something to do with it as the reason she took such a bold step.


    (Because I ''supported recovery'' while she was asleep...?¡¡(It''s only a minute or so before he''s fully recovered...)


    ''Oh my God, I''m sorry, I was in the middle of washing my hair...''


    ''Yes, no, it''s fine. On the other hand, not being able to open your eyes probably looks better now...


    I can''t just be disconcerted by the fact that Theresia is also with me. Just because they''re sharing a room, I''m going to allow myself the situation of mixed bathing while being strictly careful not to turn my gaze on Louisa-san for today - and I''m just trying to divide it up.


    Louisa-san''s presence is gradually coming closer and moving behind me. I had no choice but to raise the white flag, saying that I couldn''t resist this trend.


    ''''Atube-sama, may I have a moment?¡¡I was really happy about what happened earlier, so...


    Louisa takes over in the middle and washes my head. But then the unexpected happened.


    The moment she held up her fingers and gave me a scalp massage, in no time at all, the tension eased and even the muscle fatigue in my body showed signs of recovery.


    "Louisa-san, this is.........


    ''Yes ... "Shiatsu". I''ve been using it to relieve my own fatigue... how do you like it?


    It''s just so comfortable, I''m not gonna lie, I think I''m gonna fall asleep...


    I can feel Louisa''s giggle. Before my reincarnation, I had seen her receiving a head spa in Bali on TV, and her skill - ''Shiatsu'' - was so outstanding that I wondered if it was like this.


    ''''Oh, um...I don''t mean to ask you this, but Louisa-san''s profession is...''''


    I''m retired now, so I''m keeping it a secret. I''m not a ''masseuse'' or anything like that.


    Even the joyful whispering is so pleasant that I feel like my consciousness is going to fly away, even though I''m still sitting down - or maybe it will fly away.


    Perhaps when I get out of the bath, I''ll be completely refreshed. In my dreaminess, I see Theresia approaching as well, but for some reason, she was fine when it was just me and her, but before I knew it, her skull mask had turned bright red.

 94 Episode 93: Innocent Merchant Warehouse Room

    Before becoming the guild''s ''receptionist'', Louisa-san''s real job was something else.


    Her ''Shiatsu'' has the effect of speeding up party members'' self-healing and improving their physical condition to help them sleep better. It''s not just the condition of "anxiety" but also "paralysis" that can be treated, so although there were times when it was done as a first aid measure during a search, she basically used it to help her return to her base to rest.


    -- although I have a faint memory of talking about it while receiving ''acupressure''. Like many people who fall asleep while being massaged, I couldn''t keep my consciousness, and I found myself flying out of the bath and into the living room.


    And at the entrance to the living room, Louisa-san keeps bowing to me in her bathrobe. I''m not sure if she always does this after a bath, or if she wears her hair tied up in a choushuuuu - a woman''s appearance like that looks very fresh, but it''s not the time to be dogged.


    I was never allowed to go into a... and even, oh, even a massage in the bath...


    ''''Le, Louisa, please lift your head. I haven''t done anything wrong, and I''m more than willing to thank you for it...


    I can''t use my skills to recover myself, so I hadn''t fully recovered from the amount I''d been drained by the ''backstand'', but thanks to Louisa-san''s help, my recovery was speeding up and I was completely full of energy.


    However, it seems that she gradually came to her senses during the process, and Louisa-san apologized incessantly after she left the bath. I remember that her guard in the bathroom was ironclad, so I''m rather relieved - but if she didn''t wear a bathing suit, I''d feel faint again, thinking that she was not wearing a bathing suit.


    (Well, if a bathing suit gets wet, too... is that a promise I won''t tell you? I''ll just have to be forgiven for being unconscious too...)


    ..........


    And Theresa is also still very red after getting out of the bath. My guess is that she was embarrassed when she saw me receiving ''acupressure'' from Louisa-san, or something like that.


    ''''........I''m always so impressed with Atobe-sama for having a promising future or something like that that that I keep repeating gibberish and so on.......It''s no wonder that she thinks I''m a calculating woman, you know, for something like this. .....


    ''''No.......I''m also grateful to have Louisa-san in charge of me exclusively, or I''m happy to be able to recover in my quarters like this. It''s just a matter of holding on to it, so don''t worry too much about it. I''m honestly happy that people think of me as having a promising future, because it wasn''t common before I was reborn. Now, please look up.


    I got up from my seat and urged Louisa to look up at me, as it was not a good idea to make her bow her head and sit herself down.


    I wonder if she uses different herbs than in Ward 8, and the soap smells good. It would be true to say that they all use the same stuff.


    At such a close distance, Louisa looked up and looked at me. I''m not sure if I''ll ever be able to find a solution to this problem, but I''m sure that I should be more attentive to her as an older woman, seeing as how she''s always been a capable woman, and she''s completely vulnerable.


    ''''........Atobe-sama.......''''


    And then you realize - this distance, and this atmosphere. I wonder if this isn''t what the world calls ''opportunity''.


    It''s not just the heat left over from the hot water. Louisa-san''s eyes are moist, and before her lips are about to spin her next words, I notice several gazes being directed at me.


    ''''Nah ... so I told you, these things are in poor taste, Misaki.


    ''Again~ It''s Ellie, isn''t it, who suggested we go see it because she was curious?


    ''Huh........what''s on your mind? There''s no way anything is going to happen to Louisa-san and Rearward-kun, we''re all worried about them.


    Ladies and gentlemen how long have you been watching this?


    Apparently Elitia, Misaki, and Igarashi-san were observing us - it would be counterintuitive to leave in a hurry, so I cleared my throat and kept an appropriate distance from Louisa-san while clearing my throat.


    ''''Nah, what can I say.......Louisa-san is also in the same room, so it was just like that, as long as we go in together with moderation, it''s okay.''''


    ''''Ha, yes........it''s just as Atobe-sama said. Until now, we weren''t exclusive, so I wasn''t able to use my skills, but from today onwards, I thought I would like to use them. Can you all take ''Shiatsu''?


    ''What ... that in the bath ... oh, Rearward, are you sure you''re okay?


    ''''Wow, I''ve never seen Kyouka''s sister so upset before. Suzu-chan is becoming a big brother-child lately too - I hope you''re glad it''s just the three of you.


    I''d like to say that Misaki was just being funny and not stirring things up too much, but it''s hard for me to get mad at a woman my sister''s age because of my personality.


    At the facility I took care of until I went out into the world, there were kids who were juniors, or ''younger kids'', and they called me ''big brother'' and ''big brother''. It''s a memory I''ll never forget, although it makes me feel choked up when I remember it.


    '' ''........What''s with the enlightened look on your face? If you look at me like that, I have no choice but to trust you.


    ''I was thinking of enlightenment or something from the past. Well, Louisa-san was wearing a bathing suit too, so it''s not that risqu¨¦.


    ''''I''m sorry... I''m fortunate that I have enough judgment left to think about such things... I''m embarrassed enough in my bathing suit...'''' ...


    Louisa pressed her flushed cheeks. And Teresia was also red, and Madoka came down from the second floor to break the air that seemed to be on an endless loop, wondering if there was something wrong after all.


    ''''Ah, um ... brother, why are sister Teresa and sister Louisa bright red?¡¡Oh, the bath was hot or something... it''s difficult to adjust the temperature of the water, isn''t it, the bath in the labyrinth country?


    It''s hard to explain it just because she''s out of the bath, but Madoka agreed with me. Considering her age, it''s too early to start imagining things about men and women, and I hope she''ll remain pure and mature.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    It was before bedtime, but everyone still had some energy left in them, so they decided to use the transition doors that were set up one by one in the area where the quarters were located and go to the warehouse to assign the equipment they had acquired.


    A member of the garrison was watching the hut where the transition doors were set up, albeit at a slight distance. Elitia told me that this was a measure to prevent them from breaking into other people''s warehouses.


    ''''It''s not impossible to have someone else transfer the tools to you so that your karma doesn''t go up, so.......Misaki would understand, though.


    ''Huh ... oh, don''t remind me, I still can''t sleep when I think about that time.


    It''s hard to know that we have to be careful not only about the demons in the labyrinth, but also about the same searchers, but we should at least take precautions to protect our friends.


    ''''Brother Alihit, this is where I put the things I got from the box earlier.


    The storage room was small compared to the room for opening boxes, but there was enough space to store the items obtained at this point in time. If I were to use an analogy, it would be about the size of a school classroom and about three meters high to the ceiling.


    The shelves were arranged along the walls to store what Madoka had put in, or what she could get her hands on. I decided to start by looking at the contents of the red box I got from the "Dockyard Bee".


    The first one, the anklet is appraised. An appraisal by Madoka''s skills revealed the details without any problems.


    ¡ôAnklet of Insect Repellent + 1 ¡ô


    It''s effective against insect-type demons.


    Preventing poison up to ''Poison 1''


    ''I see... I don''t know what ''effect'' is, but the effect of preventing ''Poison 1'' might be useful for something.


    Even ''Poison 1'' can be fatal when you''re low on energy. From ''Poison 2'', you''ll have to heal within a few hours or prolong your life while recovering... The sooner we can counter the poison, the better.


    According to Elitia''s advice, there will also be a labyrinth in which anti-poisoning measures will be mandatory - she has something called the ''Black Currant Charm'', which is effective like equipment just by carrying it around, and prevents up to ''Poison 2''. He said he could do it.


    ''This would be better equipped by a member of the team who is most likely to be attacked.


    ''What about the idea of putting it on Zion''s leg?¡¡And there''s not much we can equip.


    ''''Ah, yes. There are times when I''ll activate ''Covering'' and I''d like to do no damage if possible, but I''m sure it won''t be so easy in the future.


    After listening to the other members'' opinions, I decided to have Sion equipped with the anklet. I didn''t bring him to the warehouse, but he''s staying at the quarters with Louisa-san - they both looked lonely, so I had to get them home early.


    ''''This Poison Honey I''ll have to use it each time, but it looks like I can make a poison arrow.


    I think I can do it. You can apply it to the blade of your weapon with a brush. I think I''ve got enough for five arrows in one bottle.


    Okay, I''ll take it.


    Suzuna puts a vial of Poison Honey in her pouch. I think it can be applied to Teresia''s throwing dagger, Dirk, but since it''s difficult to apply poison and throw it on the spur of the moment, it''s supposed to be used in a battle that can be prepared in advance.


    The other thing is the ''jumping stone''. Either attach it to your flying tools or use it to increase your jumping power.......


    "Shouldn''t you use it as a weapon for your rear end?¡¡And it''s easiest to imagine the bullets jumping around the most.


    It''s going to be quite tricky to use but if you put it on Theresia''s shield, it might make it easier to play the enemy''s flying tools.


    ''''At the moment, I don''t have a clear idea of what it''s used for, so I think it''s a good idea to try it on a weapon. It''s a good idea to try it out on your weapon. If it doesn''t seem to be useful, you can take it home and think of other uses for it.


    Listening to that reliable commentary, it now seems even more likely that we should take a whole class of Elitia-sensei''s lessons before proceeding with the search - Elitia''s cheeks blushed with embarrassment as she realized that she was receiving everyone''s admiring gaze.


    ''''Well, even if you look at me like that.......you can just use my opinion as a reference.


    ''I''m really learning. I''d like to take Eritia''s opinion on how to take the skills as well.


    ''That''s a leader''s job. I''m the vanguard and it''s my job to protect you and cut in... you''ll need someone to lead you so that you can use the tactics in a real battle. Alihit has done that, and I think he''s capable of doing that.


    ''Well I get it. Well, since I''m at the back of the pack, I should be more aware of my command moves.


    ''''Big brother, I do come forward frequently, though. Your last-minute courage is amazing, and even if I had my brother''s skills, I would never be able to use them.


    "You''re doing this with a certain degree of certainty. When we were working together, he would tell me that if I couldn''t make it, I would never make it, and when I was on the edge, he would say, ''I''ll try to make it work...''


    If you''ve done some work, you''ll see what your capacity is. However, trying to make a filling blow when it looks like you can take down the demon with one more blow is no longer a calculation, because it''s no longer a situation where you have no choice but to do so.


    This last-minute choice could be fatal one day - we must not forget that both ''Backstand'' and ''Back Front'' have risks as trump cards.


    ''''I''ll have the ''jumping stone'' attached to my equipment. Melissa, can you do it?


    ''I can process two or three before I go to bed. More than four and you might not be as efficient.


    The fact that I can ask my party members to do the processing is very encouraging. Also, the magic stones that are not attached to my equipment are the ''shimmering stone'', ''explosive stone'', ''earth dragon stone'', ''fire boxing stone'', and the rest will be the ''confusion stone'' that is already attached to one of my equipment.


    ''''.........A lot of them. It''s rare for a party to leave so many of them unattached. They all jumped in and tried to put it on something right away.


    ''''Yes, every once in a while a weapon with a magic stone would come in, and it would sell out quickly.


    We''re going to take what we get and try to put it to use in the real world as soon as possible. Every time I can do one more thing, I''m going to be able to deal with more situations.


    Everyone nodded - by discussing everything like this, I feel that the entire party''s awareness and skill level will increase.


    As a result of discussing the uses of the remaining magic stones, a shimmering stone, which allows you to use the ''Mirage'' series of techniques to bewitch your enemies, was attached to Theresia''s shield, and an explosive stone, which allows you to use the ''Blast'' series of ranged attacks, was attached to Suzuna''s bow.

 95 Episode 94: Trump Cards and Risks

    Then I asked Madoka to look into the use of the "earth dragon stone" and after much consideration, I decided to attach it to Misaki''s armor.


    ''''Huh, is it okay to have me wear it too...?


    ''Misaki is currently essential to the party. She''s going to be able to hide when it''s inevitably dangerous, so put her to good use.


    It is said that the ''Earth Dragon Stone'', when attached to a weapon, can produce a ''drill'' series of attacks with a suicide attack against heavily armored enemies, but rather than that, I decided that the special effect of ''Mad Gilly'' when attached to armor could be used to help Misaki avoid emergencies.


    ''If that''s what my brother says, I''ll do my best to make effective use of it. By the way, what does this ''Mad Gilly'' mean?


    You''ll know what I mean when you use it. There are only a few occasions when you can use it, but when you do, I think it''s very effective.


    ''''I''m going to put the ''Confusion Stone'' on my armor to make it more resistant. The ''Fire Boxwood Stone'' should be attached to your anklet so that Zion can attack the attributes...


    ''''It''s better if the blows are dealt, even when there are enemies whose claws and fangs don''t work. Then let''s move on.


    The unappraised charms that came out of the box of "Death Coming from the Sky" - a bill-like object with letters that seems to belong to the Labyrinth Country, and a long, thin piece of cloth - are appraised by Madoka.


    ¡ô Grand Charm to ward off death + 1¡ô


    Prevents energy drains.


    Will be able to strike enemies in your spirit system.


    Unicorn Ribbon +1¡ô


    Reduces blows from magic.


    When a critical hit occurs, a portion of the blow will penetrate enemy defenses.


    Only women who meet the requirements can equip it.


    Eritia, when you say energy drain, what does it mean in the labyrinth country?


    It''s a life force siphoning attack. Demons in the spirit system often use it to attack me. It''s a technique called ''cold hand'' and the like. Some of them even suck up experience at the same time...


    ''''Wow, I''m not really afraid of spirits or anything like that. And if I do, I have ''Brave Mist'' to help me out.


    Igarashi-san seems to have a weakness for ghosts of any kind, when she says something strong without asking. It''s more than enough for her to know that she''s scared, though, even if she hides it.


    If that''s the case, would it be a good idea to have Suzuna hold a job that might be able to counter the spirit system? I looked at her and she returned my nod and accepted the bill.


    ''The ribbons are similar in color to the ones Ellie always wears, aren''t they?


    ''Yes ... and it has a very good effect. It''s not something you can aim for with a critical strike, but if you were to equip it and fight against the treacherous beetle, maybe you could have fought to your advantage. But there''s a condition, so it would be if I could wear it...


    Would you like me to tie it up for you, Miss Ellie?


    Suzuna offers and ties a ribbon in Elitia''s hair. It looks like she was able to equip it with no problem - and then she thinks about it, and comes up with the meaning of ''unicorn''.


    (Maybe that one that says if you''re not a virgin, you won''t forgive your heart...?¡¡(The fact that it''s only for women means... well, well, as long as you can equip it, that''s all that matters)


    ''''Brother, I''m sorry, it looks like the next piece of equipment can''t be appraised with ''Appraisal 1''.


    ''''Whoa, well okay, can you try it with the ''Intermediate Appraisal Scrolls''?''''


    ''Yes, I''ll try.......oh, it worked. I knew it would come in very handy if I could get ''Appraisal 2''.


    The rest of the equipment is unappraised, including the Ambivalents, the Gauntlet of Prompt Action, and the ragged rag. However, this ragged piece of equipment looks like something I''ve seen before.


    Madoka shows us the results of the appraisal displayed on the license - and then.


    ¡ôSpider Black Tights +3¡ô


    Increase in agility.


    Increased magic power limit.


    Reduces damage from enemies.


    Performance will be increased by the combination.


    Its performance is damaged.


    Ah..........Rearward, this, this is not good for education to equip someone else with it, but you know what I mean.......just read the air, okay?


    Wow, I know. I can''t equip it in the first place because it''s torn.


    ''But it seems to have such a nice effect on you that you want to equip it even if it''s torn?¡¡This is equipment for grown-up women - like sister Kyouka, or Louisa.


    Besides, this equipment came out of the box in the ''Backstabbing Beetle'', so that means.......


    I''m pretty sure it was someone''s equipment, but saying that would make it impossible to use any of the equipment that came out of the box. If you''re saying that it was someone''s equipment from Takuma''s party, I feel like I''d like to confirm it - but I feel like it''s surreal or unethical to show him the tights and ask him if he remembers this.


    ''Well I think you should be useful if you think of what comes out of the box as something you can get after you''ve avenged someone else. Otherwise, I can''t imagine anyone falling from their aspirations coming to light.


    Everyone is silent at Elitia''s words.


    The contents of the box are most likely those of an aspiring seeker. Maybe not all treasures are like that, but some, like that ring, are clearly relics.


    ''''In that case, these tights should still be used even if they''re torn.......''''


    No, no, I mean... I suppose you could let me use it after I''ve repaired it, but I can''t let Igarashi-san wear these things.


    ''''Nah........what are you taking seriously, Misaki-chan, it''s not just working people who wear tights.


    Since they''re tights, it would be difficult to mend them... but if you''re a specialist, can you do it if you have the right materials?


    Suzuna is seriously examining the torn tights. So I wondered if the ''spider'' in the name of the tights could be a clue.


    "''Spider'' ... could it be that the tights are made of a material derived from spider silk?


    ''''........I think that''s right. Unicorn ribbons are also made from unicorn material, so when the name of the equipment includes the name of a demon, it''s often made from demon material.


    Come to think of it, my ''Hard Ox Mail'' is also an armor made from materials from Marsh Ox. In other words, I think this means that the ''Spider'' can be made from the material from the ''Spider'' that I''ve already heard about.


    The racket and your suit are made from sheep material, and the tights are mended with spider material, so you have many goals ahead of you, Rearward.


    ''Yes, that''s a good goal (milestone). Let''s go through them one by one.


    Attack "The Sheep God''s Bed" as deep as possible, earn the contribution, and then go to "Beach of the Falling Sun". In this process, you can get all the materials you need. If we can get a magic gun from Corleone-san, we''ll be able to further strengthen our strength.


    ''''The rest are the gauntlets and.......this one has an unusual shape for a spear.


    The Gauntlet of Early Work is appraised by Madoka''s appraisal, and the Ambivalents is appraised by the intermediate appraisal scrolls - terrifyingly, the Ambivalents didn''t reveal all the details even in the intermediate appraisal.


    ¡ô *The Gauntlet of Quick Work*.


    The number of normal and skillful attacks will be increased in line with your agility.


    Damage received from enemies will be slightly increased.


    Your magic power will be slightly drained during normal attacks.


    Ambivalents


    You are also damaged when you attack with this weapon.


    Reduces the damage you receive from the enemy.


    The lower your strength is, the more damage you can inflict on your opponent.


    It has a hidden power.


    As long as neither of these is a risk, it''s a powerful piece of equipment - although Ambivalents is too much of a gamble to be used in battle.


    ''It''s a bit risky, but I think Eritia will be the one who can make the most of this gauntlet. I think he''s already equipped with a good small hand, so I''ll leave it up to you to decide if you want to change it.


    Are you sure it''s okay...?


    Elitia reacts that she didn''t expect her name to be mentioned. By looking at her, it is clear that this equipment is attractive to her.


    ''It seems that only people with a lot of magic power would find it difficult to use it effectively. If it''s a level 9 Elie, I think the benefits of the increased attack frequency would outweigh the disadvantages.''''


    ''''I think Suzuna and Theresia would be stronger as a party if they had more attacks too...''''


    ''''When the level goes up and everyone is able to allocate magic power with room to spare, then we might be able to switch people to equip them. But at the moment, the most reliable attacker is Elitia. If the Blossom Blade''s attack frequency is increased, I think there will be situations where we can push through with it.


    ''''Okay okay. As for the equipment, I''d like you all to be the priority but for now, I''ll let you use me to contribute as much as possible.


    Elitia hugs her small hand carefully to her chest - fortunately it''s not too big in size, and even her petite size seems to be able to wear it.


    This ''Ambivalents'' is dangerous to use at this point in time. Leave it in the warehouse and when the time comes to use it...''''


    Rearward, can I hold that for you, if you like?¡¡It''s shaped like a spear, and I''m sure I''m the only one who can equip it for the time being.


    But it''s dangerous.¡¡And when I attack, I don''t even know how much it will come back to me.


    It seems to be effective just by holding it, so even if you''re carrying it on your back, I''m sure you can ''reduce the blow'' and I''m also concerned about the ''hidden power''. Don''t worry, if I use it, I''ll listen to the instructions of the rear guard.


    There''s a part of her that doesn''t listen when I say this - but I also think it''s typical of her to think firmly about the party and dare to bring it up, knowing the risks involved.


    ''''........like before, no recklessly trying to protect us or anything like that.


    ''Yes, of course. I was in near-death pain at the time, too, and I wouldn''t push myself to do it if you asked me to.


    If you say so, I shouldn''t be overly worried about being overprotective. The weight of the "Ambivalents" is reasonable, but Igarashi-san doesn''t seem to mind, and when I tried it out, she was handling it as if it was lighter than the Cross Spear.


    ''''It''s light, but I somehow understand that it''s powerful when it''s used to strike the enemy... it''s an amazing spear...''''


    ''Kyouka, it''s not a cursed weapon, but be careful. The ''hidden power'' isn''t always a positive effect.


    ''''Yeah well if you''re just holding it, it''s not like your strength or magic power is decreasing. I''ll usually use the cross spear and keep this as a reserve weapon.


    ''Yes, please. Now that it''s late, let''s go back to our quarters and get some rest.


    ""Yes."


    Everyone''s replies were more complete than I expected, and I couldn''t help but laugh and the air was softened. What was surprising was that Melissa also responded normally, albeit in a nonchalant manner - I''d like to hear Theresa''s voice someday, but first, I''m going to give her the patience to get into bed properly about sleeping standing up to escort me around. I want to persuade them well.

 96 Episode 95: Morning scenery

    Theresia still didn''t let me see her sleeping, and when I woke up after falling asleep, she was about to wake me up.


    ''Good morning, Atobe-sama. I''m sorry, I have a morning meeting for the guild today, so I''ll let you out early.''''


    ''Ah ... oh, good morning, Louisa. Are you okay with your hangover or something?


    I''m not officially part of the party, so I would originally have to live in a different quarters...


    I guessed what Louisa-san was trying to say, and my sleep-deprived mind became clearer at once.


    To be honest, I''ve become addicted to her ''shiatsu''. It''s a good thing that you can''t get away from the fact that you can''t get away from the fact that you can''t get away from the fact that you can''t get away from the fact that you can''t get away from the fact that you can''t get away from the fact that you can''t get away from the fact that you can''t get away with it. Her physical and magical powers were both full, and she was able to fully recover even in her still unfamiliar bed.


    For such a reason, would it be too convenient for her to live in the same quarters - would it be too convenient? Just the fact that they were sleeping in the same room is an event that should normally be taken as a fortuitous occurrence.


    ''''........After all, it would be a nuisance, wouldn''t it? I received your special permission last night, but I''ll apply for a transfer to another accommodation.......


    ''No, it doesn''t bother me at all. In fact, if Louisa-san is going to continue to be in charge and move with you to the upper ward, then I think you''ll feel more comfortable living with her... well, you know.


    It still takes courage to say something as nuanced as ''let''s live in the dormitory together''. However, no one will be happy if she refrains from doing so, even though she herself has shown signs of wanting to do so.


    ''''As for the accommodation, if you''d like, you can use this house as is. I''m renting it from the guild, and it''s not for me to say.......


    ''No, no. Since your name is registered as the tenant of this house, Mr. Atobe''s name is registered in the house and as a general rule, we need your permission to live in this house.


    Well I''ll give you a pass. Will you stay, Miss Louisa?


    ...I, as the officer in charge, will do my best to be more helpful.


    Putting her hand on her chest, Louisa says, her eyes watering. When I''ve been talking to her lately, I''ve been in a good mood like this - but I shouldn''t forget that Theresa is here.


    ''''Oh, oh my.......Teresia-san, what''s wrong?¡¡I crawled into bed.


    ..........


    Only Theresa''s tail was sticking out of the blanket - I wondered if she was trying to stay out of the way. Now that was certainly too insensitive of me.


    ''Theresa, it''s time to go downstairs to start getting ready to eat. Can you wait until I get dressed?


    ..........


    Her tail twitched a little in response to the word "food". Seeing Teresia''s figure like that, Louisa-san seemed to smile.


    ''''Atobe-sama really understands Teresia-san''s feelings very well, doesn''t she?


    ''I''m hoping you''re right, Theresa, but have you been sleeping properly?¡¡After I go to bed, you have to go to bed yourself.


    ..........


    Theresia wriggled around in the blankets and turned around and looked at me with only her face. I don''t know if she slept or not - but there was something indescribably charming about that gesture, and I lost the urge to say anything wild.


    Come to think of it, I think someone came to bed in the middle of the night. However, Louisa-san had sobered up, and I don''t think the rest of her friends would do such a thing, so I guess she was dreaming, after all.


    ¡ô¡ó¡ô


    Louisa promised to have breakfast with us tomorrow, and she went to work early, as she had declared.


    On the street near our quarters, a grocery morning market is being held. I was told that the strongest members of the morning, led by Melissa, who had taken the ''Cooking 1'' skill, had come out to buy some things.


    When I came down with Theresa, there was the savory smell of baking bread.


    ''Good morning, Mr. Aricht,''


    Good morning. I had some freshly baked bread and I got some. Do you want three, Alihit?


    Suzna, wearing an apron, brings a pot of soup to the table. Melissa is in the kitchen, and as soon as she sees me, she puts the bread on a tray and comes out this way.


    ''''Oh it''s some kind of round bread, how nice.


    ''It looks hard, but I slice it up and eat it so the white inside is soft.''


    Melissa had brought a knife to cut the bread.


    Suzuna seems to be strong in the mornings and is quite healthy - or rather, Melissa, Suzuna and Madoka are strong in the mornings, but the others are weak across the board. In particular, Igarashi-san has low blood pressure, so it took her a while to get turned on in the morning.


    ''Kun Kun........I can smell the fragrant bread.......whew!¡¡Suzu is wearing an apron!


    Good morning, Misaki.


    Oh my gosh, having my brother and Suzu-chan on the apron together really brings out the new wife look in Suzu-chan, it''s like a real swastika.


    You''re just saying, what does that... what does that mean?


    Misaki laughed and cheated and looked into the kitchen to help, but when she came back with a look of realization, she took her seat.


    ''Why don''t you sit next to me, brother, since you''re dragging everyone down if you stand?''


    You''re not very good at housework... well, it''s what I imagined.


    I''ll get serious when my duty day comes. I''m going to rip off a really long wig.


    ''Misaki-chan, you didn''t sell any vegetables at the morning market that you could wiggle out of, did you?


    ''I see. That''s no good. Then I''ll show you my hamburger air removal technique instead. For some reason, it explodes when I cook it.


    I didn''t dare say that it would be better not to let Misaki cook. You should share in the housework as much as possible, and if you can''t do it, it''s better to teach you.


    ''When you''re on duty with me, you''ll start with the job of watching over the pots and pans.


    Just the two of you and your brother in a cooking lesson........you might say you want to eat Suzu-chan too.


    ''Well, well that''s a line I''m not likely to say at the moment.


    Before my reincarnation, I never had the opportunity to joke around with kids this old, except for the kids at the facility, so I don''t know how much of a joke it was.


    I can laugh at the idea that I wouldn''t say something like that, but I feel that with a girl my age, total denial is not a good idea. Is it too much to worry about?


    ''You can always say it with a sizzling face, big brother. The same goes for Suzu-chan, but I''m sure Kyouka''s sister is waiting for you too.


    What kind of character do you want me to be you know, stop playing around and help me serve you.


    Yes?


    When I manage to get out of the conversation, Misaki listens to me honestly. That alone makes me admire her when I think she''s actually a good kid.


    When I walked into the kitchen to help, Melissa was carving up what looked like a roast chicken. It seems to be served with a sauce made from the fruit Madoka is making in a pot.


    ''It''s delicious on a piece of bread. I''ve prepared this ''Laurie Leaf'' and some other vegetables to sandwich with if you like.


    I see... what''s the juice?


    "I grated ''iced carrots'' and mixed them with fruit juice. It turns out like a smoothie and tastes great.


    I moisten my throat with the juice offered to Madoka - looking at the license, I found that the ''freezing attribute value'' seems to increase slightly. It seems to help when I have a cold and a fever.


    (I suppose there''s something like ''Freezing Stone''.


    ''''Oh my brother, ''Ice Carrot'' is the name of a demon, is it okay?''''''


    ''''Hmm.......I see. It tastes like crisp carrot juice, and it''s delicious, so that''s not a problem.


    ''Alihit doesn''t have many likes and dislikes. My dad didn''t like vegetables, so I want him to learn from them.


    ''In case you''re wondering, celery is the only thing I''m not a bit good at. It''s fine to use it as a savory vegetable when making Western-style soups and such.


    ''Do you cook for yourself as well, brother Alihito?¡¡Grown men are amazing.


    What is the rate of working people living on their own to cook for themselves? I''m sure most of us have had some experience with cooking, if only occasionally.


    When I was thinking about that, a new display appeared on the license again - I can naturally tell just by having it, but I guess it''s the action of magic power.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Melissa activates Cook 1 ¡ú Aricht''s maximum health temporarily increases.


    ''Oh that''s great. It seems that when Melissa takes charge of the food, her abilities can be temporarily increased.


    "...All right. I love to cook, so I''ll try to participate every day.


    Thanks, Melissa. Basically, you''re on duty. Madoka''s great for helping me out, even though she''s not on duty today.


    .....


    I knew it, but Madoka is too healthy. She must have had a lot of trouble when she was a merchant in the eighth ward, but even so, she has no such thing as being world-weary.


    ''''This isn''t the time to make excuses about not sleeping well when everyone else is getting up early and working hard... we have to do something about it.


    ''Good morning, Igarashi-san. But when you were at the office, you were always perfect in the morning.


    ''Well, well, that''s just - I can''t show you how embarrassing it is to be a working man. Ellie seems to be sleeping the best so far. It''s good to hear that she hasn''t been sleeping well all night.


    If joining our party had softened Elitia''s heart, it was nothing short of delightful.


    Elitia was the last to wake up and looked shy, but when we laughed, she laughed as if she was caught in the act. It''s hard to loosen up once you''re out exploring, so I''d like to be at least as congenial as I am in my quarters.

 97 Chapter 96: Jumping

    After a short break after breakfast, we headed to the entrance of the "Bed of the Sheep God".


    On the way, we passed the members of the Alliance for Freedom, who were different from the men we saw yesterday. I had heard that the leaders of the Alliance would achieve their target contribution tomorrow, but would they still be diving into the ''Beach of the Falling Sun'' today?


    ''''They seem to be members of the lower part of the ''Alliance''. I could tell from the sign, but that''s the entrance to the ''Ochiyang Beach''.......I''m a bit curious.


    ''Aricht, were you on a hostile tour yesterday when you were out of the room?¡¡That''s a lot of nerve....


    ''It just happened, and eavesdropping is basically a bad idea. They said that the goal is to reach them tomorrow, not today. It''s going to take a lot for our members to dive every day without a break.


    ''We do that almost every day too, but my brother was feeling the most tired. But today, your skin seems to be glowing... ha!


    ''I had Louisa give me ''acupressure''. We''re going to live in the same quarters, so everyone can ask for it if they wish.


    Even when I looked in the mirror in the morning, I still thought I was looking good. Igarashi-san seemed to want to say something, but I wonder if ''under what circumstances the acupressure was given'' was still tricky.


    ''Well, well, it''s good to see that you seem to have gotten rid of your fatigue. Louisa-san was in a good mood too, and it looks like she was fine in the same room.


    ''It''s okay, Theresia-san is here too! Ms. Theresia is the conscience of our party.


    The person in question doesn''t realize that she''s being referred to, and she follows closely behind me to my left. The trust that she will not have a problem sharing a room with me seems to be gradually spreading among my friends. On the other hand, though, you could say that Theresa has become my supervisor.


    ''''Kyouka-sister seems to have severe shoulder stiffness, so why don''t you ask her to do it today?


    ''I thought you''d say that, but since I''ve been over here it''s not that bad. I knew that sitting and working all the time wasn''t the healthiest thing to do. It''s like swinging a spear is good for your health.


    I feel like just seeing the labyrinths of various environments while walking through them is very therapeutic. I feel like I''m exercising muscles that I don''t normally use when I''m fighting demons.


    ''I think Arihito-san looks so much better than when I first saw her. You looked so tired from the soul.


    How many of these people could have imagined partying with that tired businessman - I was the one who couldn''t imagine the situation right now the most.


    ''Tired from the soul... it''s all right now, isn''t it?


    ''Yes, I''m feeling much better. I''m about the most energetic of all of us.


    It''s kind of embarrassing when you say that, but I''m sure I''m in good spirits. I''m leading everyone - or rather, I''m following from behind, but as a leader, I think I should be more motivated than anyone else.


    ''''Ah, brother Arihito, good morning!


    ''Dr. Arihito, why don''t we set up a simple camp today?¡¡I''m going to look for ''sheep'' on two levels, but I''m not sure how long it''s going to take.


    Kaede and Ibuki seem to have slept well and are in good spirits. Anna is putting her hand over her mouth and stretching absent-mindedly, and Ryoko-san is still in a daze.


    ''''........Ah. I''m sorry, I was up early and making lunch, so I was a little fuzzy.


    Lyoko is our mother.


    Oh, you''re not so old as your mother, you know, and Atoobe must have laughed at you.


    I''m surprised there are so many parties that make lunches because portable food is so tasteless.


    We buy from a food truck, but we try to prepare our own breakfast and lunch. But when we come back from exploring, we mostly eat out.


    A lunchbox for lunch is fine, but if we were to camp, we''d need food that would last for the day. I also bought fuel for the night, as there was a lapse of time in the labyrinth - Madoka''s ''carrying'' was maximized, and the increased luggage could be carried without being a burden.


    Entering the interior of the labyrinth, the first level was still the same idyllic scene. I bypassed the part where I defeated the demon yesterday and moved out of sight of the flying faux beetle, avoiding the battle and reaching the entrance of the second level.


    As for party organization, I''ll have Madoka join the Four Seasons this time.


    Even if we become a separate party, there will be more opportunities to use ''Support Attacks'' on Igarashi-san and Sion, so the magic power consumption will be less than if we were to use ''Other Assist'' in succession. As we found out in the previous exploration, there will be situations where you need to support another party at key points, so using ''Other Assist'' continuously will probably cause you to run out of magic power.


    After advancing through the undulating grasslands for a while, two stone pillars stood atop a hill. Passing through the space between them, we transitioned to the two levels - the clouds were mindlessly flowing fast, and although the scenery didn''t change much, I felt a sense of tension from the moment I entered something.


    That was........


    ''.........Aricht, that''s the ''sheep'' fellowship!


    Anna shouts excitedly. We enter the second level and suddenly we encounter - a single large mass of cotton wool that looks like a cottonball. The difference is that it has what looks like horns growing out of it.


    ¡ô Encountered demon ¡ô.


    Stray Sheep A: Level 1 Vigilance Drop: ?


    Stray Sheep B: Level 1 Alert: ?


    Stray Sheep C: Level 1 Vigilance Drop: ?


    (Straysheep ... the lost sheep (Straysheep)?¡¡(What the hell is level 1...?)


    Arihito, they''re over there...


    Wait, isn''t that a little hard to fight?¡¡It''s kind of cute to look at.


    ''Ummm, yeah I don''t want to shoot that girl with a bow or anything either...''


    Misaki and Suzuna are hesitant to fight - but the Four Seasons are looking for sheep material to enhance Anna''s weapons.


    I can''t help but notice that they''re level 1 here. Watadama had a vicious look on his face, but this time Stray Sheep was dull-eyed and cuddly as a plush toy, even if I observed it with my ''hawk''s eye''.


    ''''Anna, is that the ''sheep'' that they say can be used to make a racket?''''''


    ''''No, the ''Stray Sheep'' will run away quickly. We''re talking about a higher level, the same strain of demons... I''ve been looking into ways to catch them, and I''ve prepared one of them.


    ''''Ah ... they''ve run away. Those kids are harmless, but it''s hard to get another demon to come out until the one you''re after comes out.


    Stray Sheep seems to have been eaten by other demons... I feel sorry for them, but that must be how the labyrinth ecosystem is built, right?


    Ibuki also seemed to have a weakness for cute things, and her expression was different from that of a brave karate fighter. Igarashi liked mofo, so he was relieved that he didn''t end up fighting.


    A low level demon means that the contribution you can get from defeating it is considered low, and if you can''t aim and trap it, then the efficiency of hunting it is also low.


    However, even with that, the ''sheep'' type demons are still worth aiming at, and the other parties appear to be far away.


    Then we have to find a place to set the trap so that it doesn''t cover the other parties. I want to focus on finding a place, but it doesn''t seem to be an easy task.


    Another demon appears in Teresia''s search range. A wolf-shaped demon that seems to be aiming at sheep in any way - Theon, who is out in front of the most, clears his throat in a threatening manner.


    The demon encountered


    Aerowolf A: Level 5 In Combat Drop: ?


    Aerowolf B: Level 5 In Combat Drop: ?


    Aerowolf C: Level 5 In Combat Drop: ?


    So sheep and wolves are the demons of the flock...


    ''There''s one that''s drawing our gaze, but there are two wolves that are bypassing the other side of the hill and approaching us. We, who have more men, will take on the two.


    Following Elitia''s suggestion, two parties of us intercepted the enemy. While we were preparing for the bypassing wolves, a howling wolf rushed towards the maple that was the vanguard of the Four Seasons.


    ''--Theon, ''Covering'' please!


    Whoa!


    At the same time as Aerowolf ran out, Sion was sprinting - just like last time, Igarashi-san and Sion would join the Four Seasons and balance it out. What''s good about doing so is that they can put ''Support Defense'' on Sion without depleting the magic power with ''Other Assist''.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Aricht activates ''Support and Defense 1'' ¡ú Target: ''Theon''


    Theon activates Covering ¡ú Target: Maple


    Aero Wolf A activates "Aero Charge" ¡ú Target: "Sion" No damage


    Thank you....!


    Wham!


    The defensive wall that arose in front of Sion completely reduced the damage to zero. The sheltered maple, and Igarashi-san, who was following Sion, matched the timing of the attack with Sion, who was going to counterattack.


    ''''--Sion!¡¡Try using the power of the ''fire boxwood''!


    ''Maple, let''s go with Zion!


    Copy that!


    My activated ''Eye of the Hawk'' catches the place where the wind surrounds the ducking Aero Wolf - seeing that, I remember that I can now do the same attribute attack on Sion, and quickly give him instructions.


    The anklet attached to Sion''s paw emits a red glow. And the claw strike unleashed leaves a red afterimage.


    ''''--Grrrrrrrrrr!


    Current Situation


    Theon activates Heat Claw ¡ú offsets Aero Wolf A''s Aero Shield. Support damage 12


    Kyoka launches a double attack.


    The first level hits Aero Wolf A. Support damage 12.


    The second level hit on Aero Wolf A. Support damage 12.


    The support effect was a little larger because of the ''Eluminate Mounted Boots'' equipped - however, even with the three levels of support damage enhanced by Sion and Igarashi-san''s continuous attacks, they couldn''t get to the point where they were able to defeat him.


    ''''One more push........!


    Maple, right.


    Ibuki warns from behind Kaede - the aero-wolf, which has been hit by a series of blows, does not fall, and its eyes have the glow of a hungry beast.


    But as if Kaede had read that it was going to happen, he crosses paths with the Aero-Wolf as he attempts a final counterattack.


    ''--Haah!


    Current Situation


    Arihito activates ''Support Attack 1'' and ''Other Assist''.


    Aero Wolf A" activates "Fang of the Road".


    Activate the maple tree to turn back ¡ú Counter to Aero Wolf A. Support damage 12


    Defeat one "Aero Wolf".


    A counter that allows the wolf to attack and then return it before it can receive it. It''s so fast that if you blink, you''ll miss it - it''s nothing short of brilliant.


    The two aero wolves, whose pincer attempts were so flippantly broken, still came toward you without running away.


    But--the blow that should be absolutely impossible for them to miss is delivered towards Theresa who dares to come forward from herself and cut the sky as hard as she can.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Theresa activates Mirage.


    The attack of "Aero Wolf B" failed.


    The attack of "Aero Wolf C" failed.


    Mirage" in "Theresia" is released.


    The circular shield inlaid with a shimmering stone created a mirage that blinded the enemy - it disappeared after being attacked twice, but Elitia never took a moment of confusion from the Aero Wolves who were scooped up by the attackers. I won''t miss it.


    And I''m going to put ''Support Attack 2'' on her attack - the one I''m going to try is an attack using the magic stone that I just installed.


    (The magic bullets that activated the effect of the ''Leaping Stone''.......I want to see what kind of trajectory it flies on......!


    Come to an end.


    Current Situation


    Arihito activates ''Support Attack 2'' ¡ú Support: ''Force Shoot Bounce''.


    Elitia activates Blade Rondo.


    Two-step hit on ''Aero Wolf B''.


    Two-step hit on "Aero Wolf C".


    The "Force Shoot" bounces off of "Support Attack 2".


    Force Shoot" bounces three times between "Aero Wolf B" and "Aero Wolf C".


    Defeat two "Aero Wolf".


    GAWN...!


    The sword dance performed by Elitia bounced off the flying Aerowolf - and the magic bullets that hit the two bodies bounced off and reflected several times between the two bodies.


    Everyone rolled their eyes as they looked at the two blown up Aerowulfs. That included me and Elitia.


    ''''What........this.......this......Aricht, what on earth did you do......?''''


    ''Huh?¡¡The wolf that looked so scary got whacked and flew away.


    Misaki seemed to see it that way, but I myself could barely grasp what the hell was going on - Elitia''s attack frequency was increased by the Gauntlet of Quick Work, and my magic bullets were piled on top of each other as a support attack for the amount of times she attacked. It ricocheted between the two demons that were in close proximity, dealing damage in succession.


    ''''Huh........''Bounce'' is more expendable than I thought.......''''


    ''Aricht-san........are you okay? That was an amazing move, but I guess you''d better be careful when using it for the first time.


    Suzuna, who was nearby, supports me as I wobble. I managed to regain my composure, but it''s true that Suzuna was right, I should have thought about the risk of the new magic stone a little more.


    ''''Brother Aricht, I''ll give you some potions.......!


    ''''It''s valuable and I''d like to save some money, but I''m sorry, can I have the magic potion?''''


    Madoka comes running up to me after I release ''hide'' and takes the potion out of the backpack I''m carrying and hands it to me. I''ve recovered quite well after just two sips, so I ask Madoka to keep the bottle for me.


    ''''........Oh, I see. Sorry, just me recovering. We''re all exhausted too.


    ''That''s all well and good but once you open the bottle, the potion deteriorates faster. It''s best not to leave any of it undrunk.


    What Elitia''s words meant - the potion I drank, everyone who was consumed by the current battle would drink it too.


    ''''Doh, please.......Elitia-san.


    ''''Wow, I wasn''t trying to urge you to do anything, but.......Kyouka, after you.


    ''Yeah, well, the double attack isn''t that much of a drain, so I think I''ll start with Ellie, who used the most powerful move.


    Well, well, don''t hold back. I think you should drink this because the demon might still be coming.


    Can I have one of those?¡¡Potions are hard to find, so I wanted to see how they taste.


    Everyone takes a sip of the potion after a cunning turn of events. I know that turning and drinking is necessary for recovery, but I can''t calm down watching them.


    ''''The last one goes to Sion-chan........hmmm, cute.


    Igarashi put the liquid from the potion on his hand and let Sion lick it. That made one bottle just empty, but he was going to take the bottle home and reuse it since it was precious.


    ''''Well, since I was able to observe my brother''s initial reaction, why don''t we find a place to camp?¡¡This shall be our camp!¡¡I wanted to say that once...


    ''What are you looking at, what are you looking at, Anna, after you set the trap and then camp out and watch for it or something like that?''


    ''Yes, sir. I''d like to locate a few trap locations and split up to monitor them, if you could help me?


    ''''If this labyrinth hasn''t been captured in its entirety, then maybe catching that ''Stray Sheep'' will give us what we need to conquer it... is a bit much to think about.


    Igarashi is humble, but there is a great deal of potential for this to happen. If that''s the case, we don''t want to waste our time with the Aero Wolves getting caught in a trap.


    But where should we set the trap to trap the desired sheep-type demon? When I thought that I had no choice but to search the entire second level for now, Theresia walked out.


    ''''.........''''


    Teresa, what''s wrong?


    Theresia doesn''t answer, waiting for us to follow her. I wonder if she senses, which we don''t understand, that she knows where we should set the trap.


    As we follow Theresa, who is leading, we see what looks like a spring beyond the hill - there have been few trees growing up to now, but only near that spring are trees with lush leaves.


    Surely there was something in that watering hole. The stray sheep that were bouncing near the spring disappear as soon as they notice us - they still look as lovely as ever, but that doesn''t mean we can''t be careful.


    Why is there a level 1 demon in this labyrinth? If I could solve that mystery, something would happen - I had a feeling that something would happen.

 98 Chapter 97: The Weak and the Strong

    We knew that the spring we could see from a distance was quite large, but when we got close enough to it, it was large enough that a person could normally swim in it. It was about a 50-meter pool.


    On the other side of the spring is a steep slope - more like a sheer cliff. Since it seems that you can reach the top of the cliff if you go around it from the left and right, you might want to check later to make sure there are no monsters.


    ''''This spring is so clear... I thought there might be water demons here, but the creatures themselves don''t seem to be here.''''


    ''Well if you can swim, I''ll go in and find out more about it.


    Igarashi-san and Ryoko-san approached the fountain as they consulted with each other. Earlier, there were three or four Stray Sheep near the spring, but they had escaped or hadn''t come out.


    There was a small forest by the spring, and Teresia and Theon approached it, but it still seemed to be empty.


    The area around the spring was white sand, and combined with the clear blue water, it looked like a resort somewhere in the world that I had only seen in pictures. I was not expecting to see this kind of scene in this labyrinth, which I had thought was full of grasslands, and it made me feel a little relaxed.


    ''''Arihito, I figured I shouldn''t let my mind wander... but this isn''t too much to ask.''''


    Even Elitia, who had been wary of her surroundings, decided that the current situation was safe and relaxed her tension. Suzuna, who was next to her, also smiled happily when she saw that.


    ''''There''s a labyrinth where you can see such beautiful scenery. I thought I''d have to save up and travel to see it when I grew up.''''


    ''Yeah, I guess so. If it''s too pretty, I''m afraid there''s some kind of trick in there... but so far it looks okay.


    ''For now,'' he said, ''you just have a cute little sheep. Oh, they''re looking for a wolf, too, though.


    The aero-wolf is a problematic enemy as long as you''re not caught off guard, and no other demons can be seen. Is the fact that there is a hierarchy where there are only wolves and sheep is also a feature of this labyrinth?


    But where are the higher species of Stray Sheep? There are not many of them, or even though the field of vision is open, there is no sign of them at all.


    ''''Anna, is this the right place to set the trap?''''


    ''According to the information I learned from my informant beforehand, if you set it up near this spring, a demon called ''Thunderhead'' can take hold of it during the night.


    The guy who makes lightning happen just to hear his name...


    The maple and ibuki are pretty much sitting on their haunches, as if they imagined what it would be like to be in a battle. My Igarashi-san also uses lightning, but I''m curious about how powerful it would be if it were to be used against the enemy.


    ''''I''ll take off my electrically charged equipment... or better yet, what''s a better way? We can set up a lightning rod and let the current flow through it. Anna, can you show me the trap?


    Anna takes one of the traps out of her inventory. It was a simple matter of setting a bait in a basket, and if you put your hand out, it would be caught.


    ''Originally, it was made to catch Stray Sheep. Other demons could be caught there, and the existence of the ''Thunderhead'' was confirmed.


    I see...


    I wonder if the trapper, Falma-san, is also able to make something like this? I had never thought about the fact that there are demons that can''t be seen unless you set a trap - I''m grateful to have this kind of experience.


    ''''I wonder if my ''Thunderbolt'' will make them recover if I use it?


    It''s possible. It would be wise not to dare to use the attributes the enemy seems to be good at.


    Uh, do you have a minute?¡¡Brother Alihit.


    Hmmm... what''s the matter?


    It seems that Misaki has something to talk about in private, so she declines everyone once and leaves and decides to ask them.


    ''Unusually, it sounds like a serious story...''


    ''''Pardon me, I can at least think of something serious. I''m sorry to the Four Seasons, but I don''t think my ''morale release'' thing should be spread too widely, so I thought we should discuss it together.


    That said, people would be wondering if I talked too long in private, so I turned back to them and raised my hand, as if it was nothing to talk about. Even the girls, who had been looking at us to see what was going on, responded with brightened expressions.


    ''Well, you don''t know if setting a trap is a surefire success, do you? But with my ''Fortune Roll'', I think it''s almost possible.


    ''Well, that''s the way it works. Surely that''s a good idea.


    I make an involuntary hand-clapping gesture. A friend once laughed at me for overreacting - but it still comes out of habit.


    ''Ehehe, thank you for the compliment. I''m also concerned that I don''t want my presence to fade - I''m like the person in charge of ministering at the dais these days.


    ''Another nostalgic metaphor... if Misaki were in the dais, she''d be talking to me quite often. You''ve always been a great help to me by being a mood-maker.


    Happy Birthday!¡¡I''m ready to give you a talk any time in the future!


    Misaki is more pleased than I thought she would be - this is probably because she was worried about being too talkative.


    If it''s going to be a sure thing, our mindset will change.


    I''ll leave that decision to my brother. I won''t tell you what my brother said about not telling you, and I''ve talked to everyone about it.


    Oh, really?¡¡When did we ever talk about that...


    Misaki holds up her index finger and pauses as if to say, ''Don''t tell anyone. If you do, you won''t be able to hear anything - although it''s the least of my worries.


    Theresia, who had continued to search for me with Sion, had returned in the meantime. She indicated the top of the cliff with her finger, and Sion also sat down and looked in that direction.


    ''You mean there''s a demon in here?¡¡I guess I''d better take it down?


    ..........


    ''If we''re going to set up camp around here, we''d better take it down. And, uh...rear, do you have a minute?


    What''s going on?


    When Igarashi-san called me back, I turned around and saw the members near the fountain, looking at Ryoko-san, who was about to step into the water alone.


    ''''........Ah. I''m sorry, Atobe-san. It''s beautiful water, but it''s dangerous to swim in it. And since we''re in a labyrinth, we don''t know what''s out there.


    Well I suppose I wouldn''t mind swimming a bit as long as the water quality is okay.


    If you love to swim and became a swimming instructor, this spring might be appealing to you.


    As long as you''re safe, it''s not a must stop. If you survey the water, you''ll find something new - although you''ll think about it. For the always calm Ryoko-san, the spiritual pillar of the Four Seasons, it seemed to be a bit of a bold move.


    I think a water quality study could be done this way.


    Ryoko reached inside her boa coat and quickly pulled out a small bottle. It looks like it''s meant to carry drinking water, but after drinking it with the party members and emptying it, he crouched down in the shallow end of the spring and drew water.


    ¡ô? A bottle (or two)


    A bottle of water from the "Bed of the Sheep God".


    I see... this is how water can be used in the ''Appraisal Scroll''?


    ''Yes, it is. It''s not impossible for me to draw water by hand and try to make an appraisal, but I''m pretty sure I can do this.


    ''Um, may I have the pleasure of appraising you?¡¡If we could appraise it with skill, we wouldn''t have to use a scroll.


    ''Yes, if you''d like, please. Mr. Atobe, may I ask you for a favor?


    I will. Madoka, take care of yourself.


    When Madoka received the bottle, she activated her ''appraisal'' skill, showing a little nervousness as everyone''s attention was on her.


    ¡ô A bottle of clean water ¡ô


    Clean water from the "Bed of Sheep".


    Does not affect your health.


    Easy to conduct electricity.


    Well, you can swim in it. You can use it for drinking water too.


    Well, we''ll have a little bit of that too. Do you want some ibuki?


    ''''I just drank a bottle of water, so if you can''t get it to tappan... oh, it''s so good...''''


    It sounds like a picnic, but furthermore we are now going to be camping here.


    (I hadn''t done it since I was a kid and didn''t get to do it until I was in the workforce... well, I didn''t have any outdoorsy friends who were willing to go camping with me.)


    ''Rearward, Anna wants to examine where to set the trap. I''ll have the licensee send me the map he drew for you.


    ''Yes, I''ll have a look too. I thought we''d have to wait quite a while until nightfall, but apparently we have a different sense of the passage of time since we came to this level.


    ''It''s going to be evening soon and if you''re going to erect a tent, I think it''s better to do it before dark.


    Suzuna says, looking at the flowing clouds. In some labyrinths, time passes quickly - not that I think it''s a quick change between morning and night, but it''s certainly not safe to act after dark.


    We keep an eye out for traps while keeping an eye out for enemy attacks during the night. We''ll have to split up into several tents, so I''ll have to take my place at the back of the others.


    I take out my license and look at the spring and Anna''s handwritten map with the surrounding terrain scrawled on it. I think there is one trap on the west side of the spring near the woods, one on the south side of the spring, and one on the east side of the spring. In order to keep an eye on it, I need to figure out where to set up my tent.


    There aren''t many other parties in this hierarchy, but they seem to be interested in seeing us near the fountain - well, they''re not hostile, but we don''t want to get into a situation where our key prey is in competition with them. If we''re trapped, though, I''m sure we have priority.


    ''Mr. Alihit, I''d like to hear your opinion. Where would you prefer to be?


    ''Let''s set one up in the woods near the fountain first, and then we can pick a place that Anna thinks is here and a place that we think is here.


    ''Yes, sir. I would prefer the front, where we can look out over the vicinity of the spring. It''s difficult to find a place to set up, since people might be wary if they realize we have a camp, but...


    ''The woods to the west are shielded, so if we can use that to our advantage... yeah, there''s some undulations to the east that could at least hide the tent from view from the trap location.


    ''From a higher vantage point, you can see a wider view, and you''d be better off keeping an eye on the cliff tops.


    The opinions were agreed upon - the Four Seasons will be on the east side of the fountain, Igarashi-san, Sion, Suzuna, Misaki, and Melissa will be stationed near the woods, and me, Theresia, Elitia, Elitia, and Madoka will be on the cliff.


    The presence of Elitia, the main member of the cliff top group, was meant to be my guard. Considering Madoka, I can feel safe with Elitia staying - a single blow could be fatal, so it''s better to be able to destroy the enemy with the first move.


    ''Guys, if we get into a battle, hopefully you''ll turn your backs to the cliff. That way, I can use my skills to assist you.


    Yes!


    Whoa!


    They all responded in unison, though they were speaking in different voices - Theon seemed to know what they meant, and barked out a reply, though his timing was delayed.


    ''Anna, can you wait a moment to set the trap? May I have a lecture on how to set it?


    ..........


    Teresa, can you do it?


    Theresia nods dully - apparently, the trap can be set. Just to be sure, Anna has explained to her, but it doesn''t seem to be a problem.


    ''''I wonder if ''rogue'' is a profession that can handle traps a bit too.


    ''There was a kind of skill to remove traps, so maybe the person who sets them can learn to set them as the level goes up. I think I''m better at it than most jobs, even if I don''t have the skills.


    Before long, the lecture on setting up the traps progressed to assembling the iron cage and then putting the bait inside.


    ''Here, we will put the meat in here. After setting the trap, if the demon tries to take this meat, the spring force will kick in and the cage will close, along with the teeth coated with the ''de-power'' poison.


    ..........


    "...?¡¡Miss Theresa, what is the matter with you?


    Theresa stopped moving when she saw the meat on the bone for the trap - I realized what was happening, took out my portable food and offered it to Theresa.


    ''It''s a tasty piece of meat, even from my point of view, but it''s meant to be used for trapping. Sorry it''s tasteless right now, but I''ll make a proper meal for you later, after we build the tent.


    Theresia still seemed to be unhappy with the meat, but when she took the portable food from me, she opened the package and began to eat it.


    ''''........hmm......''''


    That portable food bar isn''t too bad, though, since it''s seasoned dried meat that''s hardened with vegetables and nuts. The meat used in the trap is also of high quality in order to attract demons. I can understand why you''d want to eat it.


    It seems that when you put the meat in, the trap is completed, so Anna removes the trap once. I see, she herself has already used it several times and is familiar with it.


    "Anna, is that meat a favorite of ''Thunderhead''?


    ''That''s what I''ve heard. ''Thunderheads are fierce and carnivorous in nature. I''ve heard that he can turn around and eat any predator that attacks him.


    ''''Hi........I thought sheep were supposed to be quiet, but such a radical.......''''


    Are you going to eat the Aerowolf?¡¡Then it might be easier to catch the three bodies we caught earlier if we dismantled them and put the meat down.


    Melissa suggested, but if they ate the meat and escaped, it seemed to be effective to trap them and buy them time.


    The harvest from defeating the three Aerowolves was the material of the Aerowolf itself and the magic stone on the forehead of one of the three. After appraising it, it was called ''Whirlwind Stone'' - a light green crystal shaped like quartz, presumably to enable the use of the techniques used by the Aerowolf. The meat certainly had no use, so it couldn''t be used as fishing bait.


    ''''But well, I feel like it''s not good manners to leave the meat out in the field. If we don''t get trapped, we''ll consider that as a subsequent measure.


    ''All right. Kyouka looks amazing too, so I won''t take it apart this time. I might take the fur off when I get home.


    ''''It''s okay ... well, I just thought, even if you say wolf, it looks like a dog, so I don''t know if I should take it apart. You shouldn''t say that after you''ve killed it.


    It would probably be more gratifying to have demons look demonic and demonic in their moods - although, saying that, there might be some demons that look too scary. Watadama''s face was scary, too, but that much was cute from the demons of the Labyrinth Country as a whole.


    ''''If we feed a lot of aerowolves, wouldn''t we be able to make a large army of wolves or something?''''


    ''''It''s hard to get the demons to obey the conditions. For now, it''s just demi-harpy....


    I remind Misaki of this in reply. The seed of the main body of the "Puppeteer of Vine Grass" - I have to go to the ranch and make a contract with it. Because it''s a demon with a nasty ability, it will be very useful when it uses that ability against the enemy.


    ''''Anyway, if it''s a demon that uses Aero Wolf as its prey, we need to prepare ourselves well. Everyone, let''s ''brace yourselves''.


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates ''Support Elevation 1'' and the party''s morale increases by 12.


    Arihito activates "Recovery 1" and the party''s health is restored.


    It''s going to be a long day, so I''ll have to activate my support recovery periodically.)


    I had used ''Support Elevation'' several times before, so I had about 40 more morale numbers to go before I could release my morale. I used ''Support Elevation 1'' every time I was able to reuse it and prepared to activate Misaki''s ''Fortune Roll'' while we all prepared to camp for the night.

 99 Episode 98: The Inviting Fauns Messenger

    We finished pitching our tents at the three points as darkness was approaching.


    It seems that in the past there was a curious person who chose the job of ''camper'' and developed and marketed camping gear for camping in the labyrinth, which is still in widespread use today. Wattadama wool is similar to cotton and is a suitable material for tents, which is also the reason why the selling price of cotton tents never drops below a certain level. It is said that waterproof fibers can be obtained from the hairs of the "Gaze Hound" and are used to make tents.


    The members of the team, who were warned about the surroundings while the tent was being set up, destroyed a total of about six Aero Wolves. The "rear guard" can stay behind even at a distance, so they can cover their friends as they work - Ibuki, who was helping me set up the tent, said as I occasionally stood up and turned to face the direction of my friends, ''''Your back hurts when you sit down. I''ve been worried about it.


    I haven''t had to deal with any lack of exercise since I moved here, so I haven''t had any pain in my joints or back from sitting too much. Setting up camp was also fun - I hadn''t been camping since an outdoor activity I did with the guys at the facility back in the day, and I wasn''t sure if I''d remember the procedure, but luckily it came with an instruction manual, so I gradually remembered how to do it and it wasn''t too much trouble. Ta.


    Arihito-sensei is really like a teacher... I''ve never made a tent before, so I was worried that I wouldn''t be able to do it.


    I wasn''t sure I''d be able to make it either, it''s been so long since I''ve been out. There''s a lot of useful camping gear out there.


    Ibuki has the power to help with the tenting but I haven''t been of much help.


    Anna was shaken up, but her ability to attack from a long distance meant that she had the task of keeping an eye on the enemy around her to see if they were approaching, so she was able to do that, which helped a lot.


    ''Anna helped me quite a bit earlier because she was able to keep the enemy in check with her serve. Even though I''m used to fighting the AeroWolf by now, it''s still dangerous when they get too close.


    ''I can''t attack enemies at a distance either, and I can''t notice them when I''m working on them, so that helps. Thanks, Anna.


    ''''Well, I don''t want you to be so careful. Mr. Alihit and Ibuki are both too kind.


    Ibuki smiles happily at Anna''s embarrassment. It''s good to see that they''re on good terms.


    ''Well, now for the traps.......Anna, do you mind if we set one up for you?¡¡I think we can almost certainly make it work for a reason.


    ''''Is there ... a more skilled trap-setter in your party?


    ''No, I think Theresia has the aptitude, but she''s not a specialist. It''s a combination of skills that can increase the success rate of a trap for once.


    Is that what you call a combo?¡¡It''s nice, the combo - I''m embarrassed to say that when I get a combo with everyone else, I get an adrenaline rush too.


    It seems that since he was involved in martial arts, Ibuki seems to be the one who gets hot in battle. However, the word ''combo'' implies that he also enjoyed fighting games.


    "The combo that starts with the first attack of the maple tree is the basis of our fight.


    We''re also fortunate to have Elitia here. I think it''s possible to use the strategy of being on the receiving end and then trying to counterattack, depending on the members.


    ''I''m in charge if it''s uke... oh, not that kind of ''uke'', there are counters to martial arts, so that''s the one I''m in charge of.


    I see, so Ibuki is "acceptable" - I shouldn''t say this to a girl more than 10 years old, which is uncommon for a girl who is more than 10 years older than me. However, it is not hard to imagine that she is interested in such a field as well.


    ''''Huh........Ibuki sometimes says such things in a bland manner, which is bad for my heart.


    Don''t say I''ve got a potty mouth, I''m embarrassed in front of Dr. Aricht.


    ''Oh no, well, I specialize in covering you from behind too, so maybe it''s ''receiving''.


    ''........Oh, um, you''re actually on the offensive, aren''t you?¡¡I had an image of a slightly shady man like you...


    When I followed up, he ate me up in reverse - Anna is blushing and embarrassed as if it were her own, but how should I respond?


    ''Ibuki, you''re in trouble, brother Alihito. You need to secretly fantasize about that sort of thing.


    Oh, ka-maybe it''s a maple, but thank you...


    I would have preferred to pitch a tent myself. I would have liked to hear about your hobby, Alihito. He was so quick to pitch the tent.


    Thank you for your help, Mr. Atobe. I''m sorry you had to pitch our tent.


    No, it''s been a great help to me too, since we''ve been able to share the responsibility. It just so happens that there are four of us here, so why don''t you give it a try? If there are any problems, we''ll make some adjustments.


    I didn''t want them to set up wrong or anything, but they all went in and didn''t come out for a while. They seemed to be talking quietly inside, so it didn''t seem to be a problem.


    It''s very cozy........since we are here, can you come in too, Alihito-san?¡¡You should have your brother who built it for you to check it out.


    Wait ... maple, wouldn''t it be too stuffy if the teacher got in here?


    ''That''s another thing. We''ll just have to keep each other warm on a cold night.


    ''Well, that''s a bit...I''m wearing a very light change of clothes. I can''t show it to Atobe, no matter how many tents I''m in.


    Ryoko, it''s not at night, it''s just for a little while now. But my brother seems to be shy, he seems so serious.


    I don''t feel comfortable being talked about myself, so I turn my attention to how the other members are doing. It''s not that I''m not serious, but I shouldn''t feel too much like a leisure person if I''m invited to enter that tent.


    ''''Thank you for your hard work, Arihito-san. Thank you for helping me, even though you''re far away.''''


    ''Arictoo''s skills have a really wide range of reach... I wonder if the distance is unlimited if all you have to do is stay ''behind''


    It seems to work just fine within sightlines.


    Thanks to mastering the Eye of the Hawk, my field of vision has become much broader - indeed, it''s not enough to see to the edge of the labyrinth.


    The skills of the ''rear guard'' position are different from the general rear guard position, and can be said to be related to the concept of ''being behind'' itself. ''Backstand'' is something that goes behind the enemy, and although I haven''t acquired it yet, ''back front'' is considered to be a vigilance skill that keeps you from getting behind and always behind.


    ''It''s comforting to know that even when we''re moving apart like this, we can always benefit from your skills in the rear,''


    It''s true. I feel as if my brother is always behind me. It''s like there''s always an older brother in the background, not a spirit behind you or anything.


    BOW!


    Since Sion has a supportive effect on him as well, his confidence level is gradually increasing, and even without saying anything, he''s sitting in front of me and wagging his tail with a pat on the tail - when I stroke him under his chin, Sion''s eyes narrowed in a pleasant way.


    ''If you want Madoka to do it as well, ask Ariecht to do it for you. I''m sure he''ll do it for you.


    .....


    ''Do you want to pet Madoka too?


    Sion smells my shoes and gives me a sweet bite. I don''t feel bad about being missed, but it''s time to start worrying about the envious looks from Igarashi-san.


    ''''Arihito, it''s time to set a trap. It''s hard to see your hand when it''s completely dark.


    Yeah, okay. Now, let''s plant one in front of the fountain.


    I call out to the four people in the tent and receive one of the traps from Anna, who comes out. I ask Theresia to hide it in the grass at the front of the fountain and ask her to set it up - before I do.


    ''Don''t miss my precious showpiece.......morale release, ''Fortune Roll''.......!


    Misaki keeps the tone of her voice low and activates ''Morale Release'' - while everyone watches with bated breath, Theresia sets up the iron cage of the trap.


    ''''.........''''


    Current Situation


    Misaki activates the "Fortune Roll" and her next action is sure to succeed.


    Teresia sets up a box trap ¡ú Success


    The moment Theresia finished setting the trap, her body seemed to glow faintly - even the trap she set up itself.


    ''''Is this........Teresia-san, did you feel something different?''''


    When Misaki asked her, Theresa tilted her head slightly. She may have just set it up normally, but from us, it didn''t look like that.


    ''''Well that sounds promising. Just setting a normal trap shouldn''t be as bad as it is now.


    Oh, uh, brother, what did sister Misaki just do...


    It''s called ''morale release''. I think Madoka and Melissa can use it now, too. I don''t know if their ''morale release'' can be used in battle or not, but it could be a trump card, so save it for now.


    ''''All right. If you haven''t used it before you left the labyrinth, you can try it then...


    ''Sure, OK. If it''s the first time for both of you, I can''t wait to see what effect it has on you.


    If Theon is also able to ''release morale'', I''d like to see the effect once - if I can, I should use ''Other Assist'' to boost the morale of the ''Four Seasons'' as well, but I don''t have an inexhaustible supply of magic potions either, so I''m not going to do it this time I''m going to do that.


    Without potions, the recovery of magic power is quite slow - you can recover as much as you want by using ''Assist Charge'' and ''Energy Sync'', but that''s not something you can do at any time.


    ''''Well........let''s prepare for dinner. Among the camping equipment, there were some cooking utensils in there as well, are we going to use those?


    ''Yes, sir. Since we''re going to be here, I''d like to try out how much we can eat at the encampment.


    Where do you cook, brother?


    Since we''ll be using fire, we''ll have to choose a safe place - it would be nice to do it on the white sands by the spring, which would be tasteful, but I feel that if we let too much human presence in the area, it would diminish the point of setting a trap.


    "Shall we do it on the other side of that forest? If we are near the trap, we don''t want the demons to be wary of us and stop coming to us.


    This mission is all new to me - camping out and capturing a demon with a trap. I''m sure this experience will be used in the future, and I want to make it a success somehow.


    ¡ô¡ó¡ô


    The ''fire pit'' made by the blacksmiths using ore from the labyrinth was foldable and easy to set up, to say the least.


    The streets of the labyrinth country are reminiscent of the exotic medieval period, but the convenience of life has developed in some areas that are surprisingly well developed due to magic stones, magic tools, and the technology brought by the reincarnators. As for camping tools, it seems that they have been especially developed because almost all of the searchers need them.


    Speaking of fuel, what a solid fuel was sold. It''s not difficult to make if you have the knowledge, and it''s said to be possible to make it using materials produced in the labyrinth.


    ''''Haha, I miss this feeling. A small stove would come out for each of us, and we would gum up the meat in a small pot.


    We have rice bowls on this side of the world and rice.


    Misaki and Suzuna were happily talking as they waited for their dinner to be ready. It''s now completely dark, so I''m waiting for my dinner to be ready while I hold my sling and keep an eye on my surroundings.


    Sion and Theresia, who have a wide search range, are also keeping watch together. Every once in a while an Aero Wolf will appear in the distance, but there is no sign of it coming closer to us - you know it''s no longer an enemy even if you challenge it, but even so, carelessness is a great enemy.


    (If there was a way to camp safely without worrying about enemy attacks, I would enjoy camping more. As it stands, that''s not going to happen.)


    ..........


    ''Oh, I think we''re about to eat, so I''ll suspend my vigilance. Come on, Theresa.


    Theresa asks me to come over, and I beckon to her - she comes over here and looks at me as if I''m going to do something.


    ''I''ll take care of the vigil and you can take over when you''re done eating.


    ..........


    Theresia shakes her head, but she hears a squeaky little sound - apparently she''s quite hungry.


    ''Don''t be shy. I''ve got jerky to keep my hunger at bay. I should have given Teresia some of that... oh, yeah, you had it.


    ..........


    Teresia had, as it turned out, stored her jerky inside her bodysuit. I can''t help but be upset as she puts her hand into the slit that opens from her chest to her stomach.


    Then he offers me the jerky that he took out. It''s mildly disturbing to see her, who has always had an image of being hungry, give me food - is that an exaggeration?


    ''Are you sure?¡¡You can save it for later...


    ..........


    Okay, all right. Thanks, I''ll take it.


    Her expression is still the same. Her mouth, which is visible through the mask, remains almost a straight line.


    So I guess it''s my imagination that Theresia''s footsteps are light on her way to everyone''s place.


    (But........this jerky is a bit warm.......)


    I thought about saving it without eating it, but when I looked over, Theresa turned and looked at me - I felt a silent prompting, so I tore open the package and nibbled on the jerky.


    The meat was chewy, but warmed up and mindfully easy to eat. Theon returns and looks like he wants to eat too, so I decide to give him the portion I had originally. I honestly don''t know if it''s as Theresia wanted, but I want to eat the portion she gave me by myself.


    ''Kuhn........''


    What''s up?¡¡Zion.


    Since the sun set, the clouds have gradually become suspicious - the sky has become lightly cloudy, and the only light we can rely on is the light from the cantera set up near the fire pit.


    Appearing with thunderclouds, that''s pretty dangerous)


    We haven''t seen any lightning yet, but with so much black cloud cover, I''m worried about the rain. So far, no raindrops have fallen or anything like that, so I''d like them to stay put.


    "....BOW!


    Theon, who had his face in my boot, suddenly turns around and barks a single word. I look over to see what''s going on - a few people who had been watching us, as if lurking in the darkness of the night, "They''ve noticed! Hey! What do you think? I heard a panicked voice saying things like.


    A searcher who is aiming at the prey caught in a trap set by others and expects to be spared - if I''ve come to the seventh district, I should be able to get by without doing so. I can''t just leave it as it is, so I take Sion with me and head out to scout it out.


    As we headed to the hillside''s undulations a short distance away from the spring, three explorers who had been lurking in the grass emerged from themselves, probably because we were slowly approaching. A suit with grass pasted all over their bodies, the purpose of which was to assimilate the terrain - a ghillie suit, I guess.


    Three men of medium build, in their mid-twenties to thirtysomething. They looked restless, but they didn''t run away.


    ''''Uh ... what the hell are you guys doing?''''


    ''Uh ... well, let''s just say. All right?¡¡We were just ordered to come here and....


    A middle-aged man with a full beard, who seems to be the leader of the three of us, checks in with his friends. The weapons he carries include a machete-like weapon, a bow gun, and a thin spear, probably for throwing projectiles - they look like they''ve come to hunt demons.


    We''re members of Beyond Liberty. We''ve got our mark on you.


    ''Wait ... well, wait. You''re not allowed to say that, if that Grey guy finds out...


    "Who doesn''t think it''s a usurpation to accidentally find a ''trapped demon'' and for us to hunt it down by accident....... In any case, we''re the bad guys at this point. It''s better to negotiate to prevent that from happening than to get a rise in karma.


    A muscular man with a beard, a skinny man with binoculars in his hand, and a man wearing a helmet that looks like a rather sedate camouflage helmet. Of the three, the helmeted person is the chief strategist, or something like that.


    ''Are you suggesting we take advantage of our trap?¡¡I''d appreciate it if you could get out of my way.


    It''s hard for me to hear that. But we''re also at the end of the line, and if we''re told it''s a decision made by our superiors, we have no choice but to follow orders.


    ''Can we just see what kind of demon your prey is? I know that leaking information is the last thing an explorer wants to do...


    I''m not going to ask you for a favor that''s too good to be true... hey, don''t you think so?


    The skinny guy didn''t use the bowgun he carried to threaten us, and I don''t feel any hostility from them. But it is true that we do not want any information to be passed on to Gray.


    But as for their presence in this hierarchy, we can''t prohibit them. If I try to get rid of them and they are judged to have ''harmed other searchers'', there is a chance that my karma will be raised.


    ''''Guru........''''


    Look, look, you big, fat dog, get angry...


    ''No, Zion will listen to me, so don''t be afraid. Well, I understand what''s going on but if you''re saying you''re watching what we do, there''s nothing we can do to stop you from doing it.


    ''Well I thought that if you insisted on leaving, then that''s just as well. I''m glad you said that....


    The bearded man says reassuringly, but I''ll make one reminder.


    ''If possible, can you report back to me that ''we didn''t work out''? You don''t necessarily have to tell them exactly what happened, do you?


    "Okay, fine. We feel bad about reporting you guys for being stupidly honest, too. Thanks for letting us off the hook.


    You''re a... you''re pretty self-explanatory. You''re a good person. I can see it in your eyes.


    ''Hey, hey I''m sorry, I''m a good guy, I''m a good guy. We''ll never get in your way, and when we do, you can attack us for ''breaking the contract''. We''ll be the ones who get caught.


    The person with the beard operates his license - and when he does, he sees this display on it.


    ¡ôA pact with another party ¡ô.


    Do not interfere with the actions of Arithito''s Party.


    Do not interfere with the actions of the Four Seasons.


    Hmm?¡¡You guys haven''t named your party yet we''re operating under the name ''Triceratops'' for a change.


    I''m thinking of giving it to him. Is the name Triceratops because they''re a trio?


    ''I''m not sure what we''ll do if there are more than four of us, though. Alihit-san, if we say so, you have to be careful with the Grey of the ''Alliance''. Don''t tell him we said this.


    Although they are members of the ''Alliance for Freedom'', it seems that not all of the members who belong to it are necessarily monolithic.


    ''''........Ah, that''s right. Our party has a lot of women in it, so can I keep those binoculars?


    ''What?¡¡What are you talking about?¡¡I''m not peeking!


    Well, I can understand Aricht''s concern. I''ll ask you to keep it for me as a sign of your promise.


    Well, well, that guy has a point but please don''t break it because it''s a very valuable tool.


    Owl''s Scope¡ô


    Increases visibility.


    Makes it easier for your weapon to hit the target.


    See in the dark.


    You can detect heat signatures.


    (Is this like a thermoscope or...?¡¡(What does it look like?)


    The scope has a stand on it, and you can use it standing on the ground - this would require you to crawl on the ground, but you could handle the ranged weapon with both hands and take aim.


    ''We just need to be allowed to see what happens, that''s all. Take care of yourself.


    It''s kind of weird to say this, but you have a good time.


    The people of Triceratops seem to be struggling with the hierarchy within the alliance. That doesn''t mean they can''t completely let their guard down, but with the ''Eye of the Hawk'' skill and the ''Owl Scope'' they just received, they won''t be able to miss their movements.


    As soon as Theon released his threatening stance, the three of them felt relieved and hid in the grass again, getting down again. One thought occurred to me and I decided to ask them.


    ''Could it be that the three of you were saber-rattling buddies or something?


    There was no reply - and then the bearded man raised his hand with a thumbs up. So it''s still a common occurrence to team up with someone you''ve had a relationship with in a previous life.


    When we returned near the camp, everyone was dividing the food into plates and it smelled good.


    ''Whew ... rice cooked in a rice bowl!¡¡Look at that steam, brother!¡¡You don''t need a humidifier!


    ''I don''t think the steam from cooking rice has a steam effect but that''s as good as it gets.


    Melissa is stirring a pot on the fire pit. In it is a stew filled with a lumpy filling - no, this is that food I know very well.


    "....with the meat and vegetables I bought this morning, curry...? made.


    I heard that the market in the Seventh Ward sells spice mixes, and they can make food that is as close to curry as possible. The spices in the mix are limited to those available in the labyrinth, so it''s not quite the curry you remember, but the aroma is very close.


    ''Melissa said she heard about curry from her father and wanted to make it once.


    ''It''s not like the curry we used to make at home, but it tastes authentic and delicious. Come on in, Alihit-san.


    Yeah, thanks.


    Suzuna served the curry in a serving dish - I would have felt bad for the people of Triceratops if they had been able to see this kind of situation with binoculars.


    A few trees in the woods had been knocked down and there was a comfortable stump to sit on, so we sat there and brought the curry to our mouths. The flavor of the curry melted out of the meat and vegetables, and the spiciness of the curry stood up as I ate it, stimulating my appetite and making me feel like I was addicted to it.


    Madoka, who had brought me water, laughed at me as I ate in unison. She seems to have finished her portion already.


    ''Melissa-san''s curry is amazingly delicious. I devoured it like crazy.''''


    ''I didn''t know you could eat something so authentic. Thank goodness Madoka carried my gear for me.


    Well, it''s not... it''s the least I can do, so...


    Madoka seems to feel she has to contribute to the party, but I think she''s trying more than enough, and that should be communicated every time. It''s embarrassing to put into words, but if you don''t say it, it often doesn''t come across.


    ''You joined the party and you''re still helping me tremendously. Let''s keep up the good work.


    Yes..........yes.......


    I''m too old to be a sister, but I guess I''m not just barely a daughter either. In any case, although I''m nominally the leader of the party, the party members should only be equals, even if there is an age difference.


    ''''.........''''


    ''Whoa ... te, Theresa. I didn''t hear your footsteps, so I didn''t notice you.


    The spicy curry raises my body temperature - but that doesn''t stop Theresa from wanting to eat it, so I decided to go get some water, since the place has plenty of drinking water.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    After we finished eating, we split up into three tents, as we had decided beforehand.


    I''m outside the tents, looking through the ''owl scope'' from the top of the cliff to monitor the trap in front of the spring - but there''s no sign of a demon to be caught.


    (Even if I catch it, it won''t do me any good if it escapes... but maybe it''s the curry, but I don''t feel so sleepy.)


    I didn''t look at the license display, but Melissa has the ''Cooking 1'' skill, so eating the curry must have had some added effect.


    It''s good to see that my body is subtly hot, but it''s also good to see that my consciousness is clearer. I move my scope to the trap I set up east of the fountain.


    ''''Wha........?''''


    What I saw there was a scene that could only be described as impossible. On the east side of the fountain, where the tent was set up out of sight from the trap, Ryoko-san, who was supposed to be in the vicinity of the tent, was walking alone towards the fountain.


    Moreover, his footsteps were clearly strange. Wobbling, as if drawn in - there''s a stray sheep bouncing around in the corner of her gaze.


    ''''Arihito, it''s time to switch guards........''''


    ''Elitia, there''s something wrong with Mr. Ryoko!


    What the hell...!


    Elitia stands at the edge of the cliff, carrying her sword - she seems to be able to see Ryoko-san, but she can''t decide on an immediate course of action and looks to me for instructions with an impatient face.


    ''''I''ll shoot that ''Stray Sheep'' and stall it!¡¡Elitia and Theresa, see what''s going on and come down the cliff!¡¡Madoka is using her ''hide'' skills to wait until it''s safe to do so!


    Yeah, I get it!


    .....


    Yes, sir.


    Picking up the ebony sling--''The one that shoots black magic bullets'', I looked into the ''owl scope'' standing on the ground and aimed clearly.


    ''''-- Hit it!


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates the Force Shoot.


    Hit by Stray Sheep H


    Stray Sheep H" activates "Signal Flare".


    Defeat a Stray Sheep H


    Pygmy...!


    The magic bullet with all of its strength hits Stray Sheep - but that was the moment.


    With a cry, a light emanates from Straysheep''s entire body. I was dazzled by that flash of light, but in the Owl''s Scope, I could see Ryoko''s heat source reaction still walking towards the fountain.


    I finally realize what she''s trying to achieve. Ryoko-san is ''trying to get herself into a trap''.


    (The ''Fortune Roll'' didn''t work...no, no. Something unexpected is happening........!


    At all costs, we have to stop Ryoko-san before she gets her hands on the trap - there''s no way to stop her with a sniper, then there''s only one way.


    ''''--Just in time!


    Current Situation


    Arihito activates ''Backstand'' ¡ú Target: Ryoko


    With the flashes of light still not ceasing, I transitioned right behind Ryoko-san and teamed up with her from behind.


    ''Ryoko-san, get a grip!


    What.... what do I... what do I...


    Just in the nick of time, I was able to stop Ryoko-san - and she came to herself. The danger she was in earlier, when she was walking as if she was being manipulated, is gone.


    However, the situation has not improved at all. On the contrary, lightning flashes in the sky and thunderclaps roar in response to the flashes of lightning that Stray Sheep unleashed like a decapitation.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    The "Messenger of the Inviting Guardian" appears.


    Two "Thunderheads" appear.


    Woah...!


    Kyahhh...!


    Three lightning bolts ran from the sky - two of them striking near the traps they had set to the west and east of the fountain. Yes, that''s where I had set the lightning rod.


    And one lightning bolt was directly in front of us. After it strikes towards the spring and the energy of the lightning runs across the surface of the water, what comes is a moment of silence.


    The ground begins to shake. Something appears in the fountain where no figure had been visible until now, causing half of its massive body to rise to the surface.


    ''''Uhhhh.........What, what is that monster.......!


    The leader of ''Triceratops'' shouts out - I''m confused too, but hearing his voice, on the contrary, I''m able to calm down.


    If we only end up defeating Thunderhead and running away, there''s a chance that someone who tried to hunt sheep will encounter this monster again someday. But we don''t necessarily have the obligation to hunt. We don''t have to take the risk, but the harvest we get from ''named'' is huge and hard to get otherwise.


    ''''Ah, Atobe-san.......a demon that big, with us now.......''''


    "Indeed.........taking on the ''named'' that you''re encountering for the first time is an extremely dangerous thing if it''s true. If we''re going to run away, we should stick to running away from the start.......but since we''ve come this far, I want to do what I can.


    ''''........Yes, that''s right. If we run away from them here, we''ll have no choice but to flee even when a more powerful enemy comes out. That way, one day we''ll be stuck in a dead end.


    ''''Ryoko-san can use water-attribute magic, right? It may be effective, but just be careful not to get electrocuted.


    Ryoko-san nodded and looked at her friends with concern - but both Kaede and Ibuki were aware of their positions and were moving to get my support.


    Igarashi and the others are already ready for battle. Igarashi-san and the rest of the ''Thunderhead'' who appeared to the west, and the three remaining members of the ''Four Seasons'' to the east - and Elitia and Theresia - had also reached us.


    ''''I suppose it would be more profitable to take them out one by one, but.......apparently, that''s not going to happen.


    Countless "Stray Sheep" hiding in the grasslands gathered around the demon that emerged from the water - yes, the "Stray Sheep" was like an alter ego or an infant that the demon had released into this hierarchy to lure in food! .


    The figure, which is covered in Stray Sheep''s cotton wool, looks like a devil with a sheep''s head - with a body so huge you can look up at it. Although it is about the same size as the "Eagle-headed Giant Soldier", the murderous atmosphere emanating from its entire body is uncommon.


    Encountered Demon?


    Inviting Pastoralist Messenger Level 7 Drop: ?


    Thunderhead A Level 5 Drop: ?


    Thunderhead B Level 5 Drop: ?


    Herd of Stray Sheep


    "...ohhhhh........


    While emitting a sound that is not considered to be a living thing, and is not even a voice, the demon begins to move one step at a time, trying to get up from the spring.


    ''''Elitia, I''ll see what''s going on first, drawing it in so that the whole attack doesn''t fly at everyone... can you do that?''''


    Yeah, I''ll take care of it. I''ll go on a rampage with Theresa.


    ....


    Theresia readies her shield and prepares her dagger for throwing. At the same time as her companions began to engage, Elitia drew her sword and took the lead.


    ''''-- Decay........!


    In terms of uncanny sharpness in battle, Elitia is not defeated by the ''Messenger of the Pastoral God'' either.


    ''''Elitia, I''ll ''support'' you!


    "....oh...oh...oh...oh...oh!


    The ''Messenger of the Shepherd God'' lifted a thick arm covered in sheep''s cotton - the arm shone with lightning and turned black all at once.


    ''''--Eritia, don''t step in too deep yet!


    Huh...!


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates ''Support Attack 1''.


    The Messenger of the Inviting Pastor activates the Black Thunder Fist.


    Elitia" activates "Rising Zapper".


    Stray Sheep D is hit at first level. Support damage 12.


    The second level hits Stray Sheep E. The second level hits for 12 damage.


    Defeat a Stray Sheep D


    Elitia kicked the sandy soil and jumped up, releasing a cut-up - but that blow only shaved off a single "Stray Sheep" sticking to the surface of the "Messenger of the Pastoral God".


    The main body is not struck and does not even frighten. And then a fist covered in blackened lightning is released towards Elitia - but........


    ''''Kook........!


    Elitia-san...!


    ....!


    Theresia throws out a dagger - whereupon Ryoko-san also shoots out a dolphin formed by the water of the spring.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Arihito activates ''Support Attack 2'' ¡ú Support: ''Force Shoot Stun''


    Theresa makes a double throw and throws two small darks.


    The first level hits Stray Sheep R. Support damage is 12.


    The second level hits Stray Sheep N. The second level hits for 12 damage.


    Ryoko activates "Aqua Dolphin".


    A hit on the Messenger of the Inviting Guardian


    "--Oh...!


    Theresia''s dagger didn''t reach the main body of the ''Makishin''s Messenger'' and the ''Stray Sheep'' on the surface peeled off. Ryoko''s magic attack did not take any support damage, but it seemed to work slightly.


    However, the fists of the ''Messenger of the Makishin'' did not stop. Aiming vindictively at Elitia, the blow is finally swung out - but a moment before that.


    ''''--Stop!


    Current situation


    Aricht activates a Force Shoot Stun and hits the Messenger of the Inviting Pastor.


    Elitia activates the Air Raid


    Elitia avoids the Black Thunder Fist and deals range damage to Elitia.


    Ohhhh...!


    -Oh, my God!


    The magic bullet I fired landed on the enemy''s face, and the aim of my slightly unleashed fist was deflected. At that moment, Elitia activated her skills in the air and completely avoided the fist.


    However, the fist clad in lightning, even if the fist itself is avoided, will it cause damage to the surroundings, Elitia screams in pain.


    ''''Don''t worry.......this much is still.......!


    Elitia says so, but my heart jumps at the sight of the license - the decrease in the strength bar had reached nearly a quarter of its capacity.


    ''As long as we can hit the main body of the enemy, the attack will pass... we''ll cut down on the ''Stray Sheep'' as much as possible, Alihit!


    Okay...........


    Elitia hasn''t lost her will to fight. She was right, no matter how numerous ''Stray Sheep'' are, there is a limit.


    -- as if to mock our expectations. A clear smile appeared on the corner of the mouth of the "Messenger of the Inviting Pastor" who had no expression on his face for a long time.

 100 Episode 99: Kyokas Perspective Pleasure Horn

    The rear kun and his team are confronting a large demon that came out of the spring. And we, who had pitched our tents on the west side of the spring, when lightning struck the lightning rod that Rear-kun had set up near the trap we were monitoring, - when we realized that it was a demon, we immediately prepared for a fight.


    ''''Garlul........''''


    ''Wait, Sion-chan don''t attack yet. You might get electrocuted if you get too close.


    A demon with fuzzy body hair and curled horns, looking like a ''Stray Sheep'' grown up - although its face is not scary like Watadama''s, its black eyes certainly contain hostility towards us.


    ''''........gee.......''''


    ''Thunderhead'' smiles showing off his neatly lined teeth - and I''m sure those teeth aren''t for grazing. It looks like a carnivorous beast that is trying to eat us.


    ''''Huh... and I can at least throw dice from a distance...''''


    ''Kyouka-san, let''s go around so that Arihito-san''s position is behind us.


    Yes, well be very careful not to let the enemy go to the rear of you...


    Although ''Thunderhead'' is still crunching and wearing lightning all over its body, it doesn''t check our movements. We move according to Suzuna''s opinion while being cautious - on the way.


    ''''Kyaaaah...!


    Ellie-san...!


    Thinking that I shouldn''t take my eyes off ''Thunderhead'', I sense what''s going on in Suzuna-chan''s voice. The big demon''s attack was received by Elitia-san - but she was.


    ''''It''s alright.......this much is still.......!


    I can hear Ellie-san''s voice - I guess the reason she shouted so loudly despite the damage she was doing was to keep us from worrying.


    ''''We''re going to defeat the demons in front of us as soon as we can and join the rear kun!


    Yes........here we go!¡¡Arihito-san, ''''Please!''''


    Suzuna-chan trusts the rear kun behind her and says in a dignified voice. In the next moment, I had the sensation that Rear-kun was right behind Suzuna-chan, attacking me together.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Suzuna activates Minnichu for two consecutive hits.


    Arihito activates "Support Attack 2" ¡ú Support: Hupnos Shoot


    Suzuna attacks Thunderhead A. ¡úHit


    Supportive Attack 2" has occurred ¡ú "Thunderhead A" is confused


    Arihito activates ''Support Attack 2'' ¡ú Support: Force Shoot Stun


    Suzuna attacks Thunderhead A. ¡úHit


    Supportive Attack 2" occurs ¡ú "Thunderhead A" is stunned.


    Thunderhead A" is discharged ¡ú "Thunderhead A" charge level drops to 0


    Pygmy...!


    Both Suzuna-chan''s first arrow and the second one hit - when the second one hit, the electricity that ''Thunderhead'' was wearing on his body also disappeared.


    But at the same time as supporting us, Rear-kun has to support Elitia-san and Theresia-san, who are boldly cutting into a large monster.


    Ever since he was at the company, he was very good at handling several projects at the same time. I couldn''t help but rely on him because he knew which projects to ask about and answered them accurately - and I''m sorry to say that I remember that now.


    What I can and should do now is to play my role as a member of Mr. Rear''s party. To move forward, together with everyone else - to fight mindlessly.


    ''''Sion-chan, we''re going to set it up together!


    Whoa!


    I hold my cross spear at the ready and head towards the ''Thunderhead''. When Suzuna-chan''s bow hits me, I don''t miss the point where the lightning that the sheep wears disappears as it pops.


    After learning the ''Swarming Wolf Stance'', just by being in a party with Sion-chan, I was able to run faster than I ever thought I could before.


    ''''--Yeah!


    Current Situation


    Kyoka launches a double attack.


    Thunderhead A'' is hit twice. Support damage 24


    Theon" activates "Heat Claw".


    Thunderhead A" activates "Thermal Power" ¡ú "Thunderhead A" charge level increases to 1.


    Thunderhead A''s health has been restored.


    "--Pigaaaaaah!


    My spear attack did indeed get through - but when Sion-chan unleashed her claws along with the hot wind, ''Thunderhead'' didn''t even flinch and covered her whole body with beehive lightning.


    Igarashi-san!¡¡I''m sorry, please instruct Theon to attack without using the ''Firebox Grenade''!¡¡''Thunderhead'' probably has the property of ''converting heat into electricity''!


    I can hear Mr. Rear''s voice - what he''s doing is out of range and doesn''t show up on the license. But he''s watching closely and is aware of the situation.


    ''''--Geez...!


    A bolt of lightning runs between the two horns that grow from the "Thunderhead" head - but it doesn''t use it to attack. Conceivably, at Recharge Level 1, it still doesn''t use electricity to attack - but if you attack it with a spear, you could be electrocuted.


    My ''Thunderbolt'' can''t be used because it would surely have the opposite effect. I don''t know if I can endure a battle at once with my newly acquired spear ''Ambivalents'' - if the damage is returned to me when I attack and I am further electrocuted, I don''t know if I can withstand it.


    ''''Kyouka-san, I''ll wait for Arihito-san to cover me again and shoot an arrow at you!


    I''ll take the "Lucky Seven" before that.


    Current Situation


    Misaki activates "Lucky Seven".


    Thunderhead A''s resistance to anomalies is slightly lowered.


    The first thing that comes out of my mouth is an uncomfortable feeling that it''s not even a consolation prize... Could it be that I''m a bad luck day?


    They should be able to dissipate the enemy''s electricity!


    Kyouka-san, look out!


    I was relieved that I had found a breakthrough, and in that moment, I saw an unexpected sight.


    a€?--!


    Melissa.........?


    Melissa, who was waiting to see how Thunderhead A would come out, suddenly brandished a large kitchen knife and slashed at me - I was completely caught off guard, but I have a trump card that can be used in a situation like this: the Blink Step.


    After activating the skill and evading it, with a bang, a wind noise passes by, and the dirt is gouged out with the knives that were knocked down - there is no way Melissa-san would do such a thing for no reason.


    (Wait ... I''ve been hearing some sounds since a while ago. That big demon is making some........sound........?


    Cover your ears, people!¡¡Don''t listen to that noise...!


    Rear-kun is screaming frantically - but I couldn''t react instantly, and I heard more than a few sounds that I could hear.


    If I go back to the license display, I can see what was going on - and why Melissa-san was attacking me.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    The Messenger of the Inviting God of Pleasure activates the Horn of Pleasure, giving the woman a charmed state.


    Melissa, Ryoko, Maple and Anna are mesmerized. Morale is low.


    Melissa acts under the command of the Messenger of the Inviting Pastor ¡ú Attacked by Kyouka


    Kyouka activates Blink Step and avoids the attack.


    ("The Horn of Pleasure"........could that demon be some kind of natural enemy of female explorers.......?¡¡(But why is it that only some people....never succeed...?


    Melissa, you need to get a grip... ''Purify me, purify me''!


    Current Situation


    Suzuna activates Purify ¡ú Melissa''s mesmerized state is released


    ...I.....what the hell is going on right now...


    Suzu, lazy dog!¡¡Great, I''m not going to let us fight each other!


    "I''m sorry I''m in trouble...


    ''Don''t worry about it now, I don''t know any better than that, but since that sound didn''t work on us, I think the enemy is confused... now''s your chance!


    Bow!


    ''Thunderhead'' thought that the sound made by the ''Inviting Pastoral Messenger'' must have the power to kill us - but it didn''t work on us and we couldn''t make the next move.


    ''''Piggy...........................''''


    ''I know I sound kind of cute if it''s just my voice but I''m sorry. I have to hunt you down and add to our leader''s ranks.


    "--Piggyyyyy...!


    Thunderhead is about to attack with the electricity gathered in its head - but by this time, Suzuna has already activated her second "Minnaka" and nailed the arrow to her bow.

 101 Hundred words: dead line

    ¡ó ¡ó ¡ó Aricht''s point of view.


    After the ''Messenger of the Makishin'' grinned, a sound resounded in the area - an indescribable discomfort, as if the sound was sinking into your head.


    ''''What, this ... sound ... sweet ... unpleasant ...''''


    ..........


    Me, Elitia, and Theresia, when we heard the sound emitted by the ''Messenger of the Pastoral God'', it was nothing if not a little uncomfortable - but.


    I check the license display and experience another shiver.


    (This ability........I see, the one that didn''t show up until now......!


    -- I realized now that this sound was the reason why Ryoko-san had been drawn to it. This sound was already being used just to lure Ryoko-san. When she was staring vaguely in the direction of the fountain.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    The Messenger of the Inviting God of Pleasure activates the Horn of Pleasure, giving the woman a charmed state.


    Melissa, Ryoko, Maple, and Anna fascinate


    .........


    With a jolt, Ryoko-san''s body near me jumps unnaturally - and then she turns to me, and with a lifeless expression on her face, she tries to activate some kind of skill towards me.


    ''''Ryoko-san........!


    ''Aricht, let Theresa take care of it!¡¡Stop Ryoko''s movements first!


    (As for stopping them I don''t have any kind of distraction potion on me. "Stun" your fellow man no, you only attack your own people if you have no other way. Then what are you going to do, think about ... think about ...


    -Whoa!


    Current Situation


    Arihito activates Backstand ¡ú Target: Ryoko


    Canceled "Aqua Dolphin" in "Ryoko".


    I walked behind Ryoko-san and teamed up with her - I did the same thing earlier, but I didn''t know I''d have to resort to this method twice.


    ''''Huh........''''


    I''m sorry........now I have to do this.......


    I could clearly feel the drain on my magic power with a series of ''backstands''. However, I couldn''t think of any other possibility right now as a means of alerting myself.


    ''''--Ryoko-san, I''m going to ''get fired up''!


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates ''Other Assist''.


    Arihito activates ''Support Elevation 1'' ¡ú Ryoko''s morale increases by 12.


    Ugh....!


    Ryoko-san tries to escape from my restraints with a force unimaginable from her usual ladylike behavior - I''m sure that the other members who were subjected to the ''fascination'' have also attacked their friends.


    (None of them........I''m not going to let them do it.......!


    For a moment, Ryoko''s movements loosened up - no matter how much she trained on a regular basis, she couldn''t keep going on a rampage all the time. Without missing that opportunity, I called out to her with all my might.


    ''''--Please hold your temper!¡¡You''re not that weak!


    Current Situation


    Ryoko uses her morale to activate the "Morale Skill: Emergency Recovery" ¡ú Ryoko''s mesmerized state is released.


    There is a state abnormality that can be recovered by consuming morale - it was a gamble whether ''enchantment'' was included in it, but it seems to have gone as expected.


    I didn''t even have time to explain to Ryoko about "Enchantment". When I checked my license, I found out that I could safely break the ''mesmerizing'' state with Suzuna''s ''purification'' without consuming my morale.


    ''''--Oh........ooh.......!


    ''Aricht, watch out for stray bullets!¡¡He''s going to shoot something at you!


    After activating the ''Horn of Pleasure'', the ''Messenger of the Pastoral God'' didn''t show his next move for a while, but perhaps the number of people who were mesmerized by it was less than they thought, but there was no more smile on his face.


    ''''What........was that.......''''


    ''''Stray Sheep'''' was hit by a large demon lightning... no, no... that''s the demon''s attack...''''


    The black lightning that covered the surface of the "Messenger of the Pastoral God''s" body coated some of the "Stray Sheep" that were attached to it, and a number of black lightning spheres were generated - and.


    ''''--Oooh...!


    Current Situation


    The Messenger of the Inviting Herdsman transforms four Stray Sheep into Darkness Blitzes.


    You''re using it as a weapon... a level 1 Stray Sheep...!


    Before you can think, your spinal cord understands that these four black thunderbolts are being released to sweep all four of us away.


    The Stray Sheep, which used to leap across the grasslands, is now clothed in black lightning, aiming at us according to the will of the Messenger of the Pasture God. It''s difficult to evade - even if it changes into a Darkness Blitz, if it has a will as a living being.


    (Can we take it with "Supportive Defense 1" - no, we can''t bet on it. Our party doesn''t have an absolute defense like Seraphina-san''s right now.......but......!


    (-- Ariadne, please!


    "My name is Ariadne, and I give my blessing to the faithful and their allies. I give my blessing to the faithful and their allies.


    Current Situation


    Ariadne activates Guard Arm.


    Darkness Blitz A" hits "Guard Arm".


    Darkness Blitz B hits the guard arm.


    Darkness Blitz C hits the guard arm.


    Darkness Blitz D hits the guard arm.


    The "guard arm" is shorted.


    What...?


    Just as I had imagined, the Messenger of the Makishin shot out "Darkness Blitz" as if it were a guided missile - the "Guard Arm" that caught every single thing before it hit us shorted out with sparks.


    45 seconds until it can be used again after automatic repair.''''


    ''No, thank God we''ll take care of the rest, although I may have to ask for help again after I let him have 45 seconds...''


    ....in response to a contractor...


    Ariadne''s voice grew distant - until the ''Guard Arm'' that she had relied on as a trump card could be used again, it had to be surpassed at all costs.


    ''''Elitia, Theresia, please. Buy me a little time.''''


    Done........................


    Huh...!


    Theresia activates the ''Mirage'' with the power of the ''Shimmering Stone'' and draws the attack of the ''Pastor''s Messenger'' - and when she avoids it, Elitia tries to slash at the head of the empty ''Pastor''s Messenger''.


    ''''--Oooh!


    I''m going to whittle it down...!


    Current Situation


    Elitia activates Blade Rondo and hits 13 Stray Sheep.


    Elitia''s additional attack has been activated and nine Stray Sheep have been hit.


    Did you do it...?


    The effect of the ''Gauntlet of Quick Work'' in increasing the number of attacks was immense - the Stray Sheep that covered the ''Messenger of the Pastoral God''''s head like fur was blown away as if it was being cut off just like that.


    ''''Oooh........oooh.......!


    Current Situation


    The Messenger of the Inviting Shepherd activates the Shepherd''s Horn ¡ú Summons the Stray Sheep flock.


    The Messenger of the Pastoral God emits a different sound than before - that sound distorts the space around it, and countless stray sheep appear and cover the surface of the Messenger of the Pastoral God again.


    ''''.............unharmed......?''''


    (This is unreasonable........no, it''s been unreasonable enough in the past. There will always be a way.........!


    If you''re in the mood, I''ll just keep whittling it down...


    .....


    Elitia and Theresia work together again and challenge the ''Messenger of the Pastoral God'' - but.


    At a distance that should still be beyond the reach of its arms, the sheep-headed demon raises its hands. It''s as if it''s calling out to something that comes from the heavens - and it''s not.


    Suddenly, a different scene unfolds in front of my eyes.


    The friends who have fallen to the ground - and the demons who are leisurely approaching. Without any warning, such a scene is thrust into my consciousness.


    (What.........die......us........?)


    A moment''s delay in understanding the enemy''s actions, and what they mean, is enough to cause death. The only thing I chose to do was--shout, and one more thing.


    "Demi-harpy, come on!


    Current Situation


    Aricht summons three demi-harpy demigods.


    Aricht, what are you...


    Harpy and the others, get those three in the air!¡¡Quickly!


    Mr. Atobe, no!¡¡No, no, no!


    --!


    Elitia, Theresa, and Ryoko-san are held by Harpy and soar high. As high as possible, hoping so, I face the ''Messenger of the Makigami'' alone.


    I can''t escape - Demi-harpy doesn''t have the strength to withstand the load of two people. Even if I escaped to the sky, there is a possibility that they will switch their attacks to the ''Darkness Blitz'' that can aim at the air at that time.


    The two ''Thunderheads'' in the west and east cried out in response to the voice of the ''Messenger of the Pastoral God'', which grew in strength like a roar. Why they had two heads in tow - that is a given.


    There is a reason why there must be three of them. In order to follow the demon''s instincts and eat the searchers.


    "--Rearly-kun........!


    Arihito-sensei...


    You knew that. You knew that if you didn''t ''completely'' cut off the coordination of the three bodies, they would eventually come together to attack.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    The two "Thunderhead" and "Messenger of the Inviting God" are linked.


    The Inviting Pastor''s Messengers invoke the Siluanus Hammer of the Angry Pastor.


    Arithito is going to take out "Brace 1


    "Ughhhhhh...!


    The Messenger of the Inviting Pastor wears black lightning on both arms, catches the discharge from the two Thunderheads and increases its power, then slams the thunderbolt into the ground with a fist. The black lightning travels across the ground and causes damage to all the enemies in the vicinity - but the lightning aimed at Elitia and the other three can''t reach the girls in the air.


    (Just to be sure, I used my support defense.......but this doesn''t tell me anything about its effectiveness or anything else.......)


    The intense pain brought by the black lightning was unimaginable. It instantly traveled from my feet to my entire body, destroying it from the inside out - a sensation that felt as if my blood was being boiled.


    And yet, I was still alive. Because I was the ''rear guard'', I was far away from the enemy - I don''t know if that was a blessing.


    But I had no choice but to go to my knees. Before I fell, I looked at the other two parties - they were stopping the ''Thunderheads'' who were aiming to put the finishing touches on me.


    ''''No........Brother Arihito, you can''t die!¡¡Absolutely no...!


    The sheep I''ll never forgive you..................eat it!


    ''I''m going to attack my people until Aricht goes down... too much, too unworthy...!


    Current Situation


    The mesmerized state of "Maple" and "Anna" is released.


    ?Ibuki activates the Ten Eagle Legs


    Thunderhead B" has been hit twice.


    Anna" activates "Spinsmash".


    Thunderhead B" is hit.


    Maple activates Gyakusoku Ichimonji.


    Thunderhead B" is hit.


    How come.........how come I''m not falling down at all.......


    Maples, please don''t give up!¡¡Again.........


    Anna, look out..........


    ''Thunderhead'' flails and swings its horns - Ibuki can''t avoid it and screams in pain.


    ''''Arihit........Arihit, hold on.......stand up, stand up and run......!


    .........


    Elitia is screaming, and Theresa is screaming voicelessly.


    --run, we should shout. We should not continue to fight at the risk of being wiped out now.


    But the one who hasn''t given up is my master. I think it''s you.


    I hear voices. Murakumo - the sword I carry is calling to me.

 102 Episode 101: Rearguard Morale

    The next thing I know, I''m in a large, dark space. On my knees, I was facing the materialized Murakumo in front of me, facing the materialized Murakumo.


    ''''........It is said that just before death, a creature''s thought speed and physical abilities can increase instantaneously. They use that acceleration of their thoughts to conduct a conversation.


    Am I ... going to die?¡¡Was that a deadly attack earlier...?


    ''The master knows best. The demons in the labyrinth are all dangerous to searchers. And if they are level 7 special individuals, there''s a good chance that they will be wiped out with their current abilities.


    I chose to fight because I could still proceed with certainty, and because I had never been defeated by ''named'' before.


    The result is this - our attack didn''t get through, and I was easily trapped in a corner, letting the enemy''s powerful attacks get blindsided.


    ''My first priority is the survival of my master. I analyzed during the battle that it was possible to exploit the enemy''s weaknesses if I were to use my power.


    With that technique, it might be possible. But.....


    ''''Unless we clean out the ''Thunderhead'', the danger of total annihilation will continue... then. The other members of the group can be supported more powerfully than the Master has been.


    Can you do that... more than you''ve ever done before...?


    Murakumo nods. Then he comes up to me and bends down and looks into my face up close.


    ''''What, what...?''''


    ''''...Masters, and many lower level explorers, do not know the details of ''morale''. Those who have crossed several dead lines naturally gain knowledge of Morale.


    ''Dead line... that''s...''


    ''To be willing to risk your life to win. And ... to inspire your friends to win. The amount of morale raised by a master''s skills is indeed very large. However, it''s not that ''the master''s own'' morale hasn''t been raised at all throughout the labyrinth exploration. Rather.........


    It''s not like my life is on the line. It''s just that the ''rearguard'' is at the back of the party, but their first priority is to protect their friends.


    -- but Murakumo is right. Thus, driven to the brink of death, I saw something.


    "So you don''t have to give up yet. But it''s a question of whether I can stand up first.


    No problem. I will support the master. And there are several ways to restore the master. One of them is already in place.


    ''Supporting'' meant exactly what it said - Murakumo, the incarnation of the Star Machine Sword and the being who controlled the sword, materialized and appeared behind me.


    ''''I haven''t materialized for a long time, so I can maintain it for about five minutes. If you''re going to retreat, you''d better decide as soon as possible. Once targeted, the ''named'' will track relentlessly until the target leaves the hierarchy.


    That guy is horrible but I''d rather not be hounded again for a while after last time...


    I stand up with support - I can hear my friends'' voices. But I''m literally dying, and I can''t stretch my voice far enough.


    It was supposed to be the same as the predicament I was in - but. The very blessing of God, if you can call it a blessing, hope was left in an unexpected place.


    ''''-- Morale release, ''Effect Item''........!


    I can hear Madoka''s voice - the morale release of the ''merchant''. Its efficacy was as good as it reads.


    A ball of light appears in front of me. It was divided into a number of sparkles of light and was absorbed into my body - then.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Madoka activates the Effect Item ¡ú Target: Alihit''s party


    The effects of the intermediate complex recovery drug appeared in Aricht.


    Elitia has been given the effect of the Middle Strength Restoration Potion.


    Theresa has been given the Intermediate Mana Potion effect.


    During a battle, the effects of the selected item on the party members would manifest - that was the ''merchant'' morale release.


    Each party member could change the items they used, and even potions didn''t need to be consumed. This is truly a trump card, since it can compensate for the shortcomings of potions that were thought to be of little utility in battle.


    Igarashi-san and the others are also expressing the effects of the potion - they can''t recover the Four Seasons because of the designation of ''my party'', but that''s all we can do.


    ''''Huh, wow... isn''t this like recovery magic?¡¡Maybe Madoka-chan was an awesome kid even if she wasn''t....


    If this is it, Aricht-san, we can still fight!


    Rear, I''ll make sure he joins us!¡¡Just hold on a little longer!


    Everyone comes to life - Elitia and the others recover, and then they drop the demi-harpy and the others to the ground.


    ''''.........''''


    ''Aricht, I don''t know if this is the right time to tell you this but Theresa is looking at you like the Murakumo has taken your place.


    .....


    ''No, no, I don''t think Theresa would want to be called that... and let me put that on hold for now...!


    I put magic power into the sling shot and release a bullet - in order to distract the attention of the "Messenger of the Pastoral God" who noticed Madoka''s presence and tried to aim at it.


    Current Situation¡ô


    Aricht activates Force Shoot Hupnos.


    Stray Sheep A2


    Defeat one "Stray Sheep".


    Madoka" activates "Hide" ¡ú Madoka''s presence disappears.


    (It still doesn''t work... no, it''s just not hitting the main body. If we don''t want the Stray Sheep to be able to block the attack...)


    ''Alihit, I''ve noticed something when I look at that guy. When he plays defense, he focuses his ''Stray Sheep'' there, and the defenses elsewhere seem to be loose...


    What Elitia doesn''t want to say is that the movement to focus ''Stray Sheep'' so much is fast and smooth. But her eyes and the sharpness of her intuition are worthy of unconditional trust.


    ''''In other words, you want me to attack from multiple directions at the same time.


    ''Yes. But the enemy also has several attacks that can round up many opponents... ''create an opening for them'' and ''attack them all together''. If we can do that, we will surely...


    "...Atobe-san...I''m so glad...I''m so glad...I don''t know what I would do if something happened to Atobe-san... ...


    This wasn''t the time to cry, and instead of saying that, I laughed at Ryoko. I hadn''t reversed the formation yet, and I wasn''t sure I could laugh well.


    ''Thanks to Madoka, I managed to hold on in the front. It''s nice to be alive.


    ''''The person you''re calling yourself ... that''s not something to laugh about, so that''s not ...''''


    He''s too ballsy or too masterful. So we''re going to have to watch out for him and I''m sure Theresa feels the same way.


    ..........


    Theresia''s gaze was painful - she couldn''t help but be scolded. If Madoka hadn''t saved me, I would still be in a dying predicament.


    All of us are doing everything in our power to die. I don''t know if my ''deadly force'' is enough to ensure that this situation will be defeated - but just as Madoka has bet on one or two things.


    ''''If this doesn''t create an opportunity I''ll run away again as fast as I can. Let me take care of the Lord (shin-gari).


    ''Stupid you wouldn''t let them dress up so many times. People won''t leave you alone.


    I hope this move doesn''t happen and that this move will be the silver bullet that defeats that sheep-headed demon.


    "Don''t worry we have a goddess of luck. Her name is Ariadne.


    ''If Misaki asked you, you''d say it wasn''t me... but you''ve come up with something to do?


    ''Yeah. I don''t know what will happen, but it''s worth a try. Let''s go...!


    There is a world that can only be seen by those who have crossed the line of death. Where do we go when we pass through so many of them?


    It''s obvious. We will return Theresia to human form and save Elitia''s friends. To pave the way for the path that leads beyond that, I - no.


    We will have to become stronger. By making our powers resonate with each other.


    Morale release all-round mutual support!


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates Total Mutual Support. Time limit 120 seconds.


    The support range has been enhanced for the party of "Alihit" and the co-op party.


    Enhancements to individual party members'' skills are extended to all.


    The entire party is strengthened by the "Gunwolf Stance".


    The entire party is strengthened by "The Art of the Sword 2".


    The whole party is strengthened by "knife handling".


    The entire party is strengthened by the "drop rate increase".


    The whole party is strengthened by the "lucky dwarf".


    The entire party is strengthened by "The Art of Fighting" 1


    The entire party is strengthened by "The Art of Hitting 1".


    The whole party is strengthened by "footwork".


    The whole party is strengthened by the "routine".


    This is my liberation, my morale release, my "Total Mutual Support".


    Since the other members'' ''Morale Release'' were all powerful, I had high hopes for them.


    The ''Rear Guard'', a rear support position. The support that was one way from the rear guard to the vanguard is now possible in the opposite direction as well. The risk of ''I can''t receive support'', which is the difficulty my position had, can be completely solved, albeit under limited conditions - that''s not all.


    As the word ''reciprocal'' suggests, the supportive effects of the individuals in the party are extended to everyone. Although the time limit wasn''t long, it still seemed to be enough to break the current situation.


    The ''Footwork'' is Anna''s and the ''Routine'' is Ryoko-san''s........Now I can produce power that I can''t normally produce. (Concentration is also much higher...!


    And it''s not over yet.


    In addition to these constantly working enhancement effects, I can add my support - and I can further put Igarashi-san and Theresia''s morale release on top of it.


    "''--Pigaaaah!


    The enemy also realized that something had happened - ''Thunderhead'' let out a belligerent squeal and attacked the two parties - but.


    ''''With this.......we can go to the rear of the party right away.......!


    Wham!


    Yes....Misaki-chan, Melissa!


    I''d be happy to play the dice...


    I''ll get... that horn...!


    Current Situation


    Arihito activates ''Support Attack 2''. Support: Force Shoot Stun


    Misaki attacks Thunderhead A. ¡ú Thunderhead A is stunned.


    Aricht activates ''Support Attack 1''.


    Kyoka launches a double attack.


    Theon" activates "Wolf''s Rush".


    Thunderhead A hits a total of six levels. Support damage 72


    Suzuna''s attack. Support damage 12


    Melissa activates Cutoff ¡ú Thunderhead A drops an ingredient.


    Defeat one "Thunderhead".


    Okay.....


    The first stun of the first attack stopped the movement and all of us attacked together - the power of the bare attack enhanced by ''Mutual Support'' was also increased, and we were able to finish off the ''Thunderhead'' with great success. The reason why I chose ''Support Attack 1'' from the second attack was because it consumes very little magic power and 12 damage is still effective enough today.


    ''''Haha...!''''


    Kaede, Ibuki, and Anna also beat ''Thunderhead'' - since their number of moves were less than Igarashi-san and the others, I can see that they, as athlete-type professions, have quite a bit of offensive power themselves as well.


    ''''Yay.......we''re at the teacher''s place too.......!


    Yes ... to help Mr. Aricht in any way I can...!


    Brother Aricht, what do we do about it?


    The three of them are rushing in with wind-like speed - they were not unscathed, perhaps because they had fought each other while their fascination was in effect. Even so, the will to fight is as strong as ever.


    ''''Ryoko-san, can you join the general attack?''''


    Yes, of course. If I ran away from them, I wouldn''t be able to face them.


    It wouldn''t have been surprising if the "Triceratops" team had already escaped, but they were stuck outside the battle range. It''s just fortuitous that they weren''t hit by the black lightning earlier, but if we lose, they will be in danger too.


    ''''Arihito....no. Leader, please give me instructions. While Arihito''s ''morale release'' reinforcement continues.


    For a powerful effect alone, Elitia sees that there is a time limit - the opportunity to attack is limited.


    ''''--I''m going to fold in with a wave attack!¡¡First, I''m going to peel off the ''Stray Sheep'' instantly... Suzuna, use the power of the ''Explosive Stone''!¡¡All the other members who are capable of attacking remotely also fire their attacks at once, along with the ''war spirits''!¡¡The members of the proximity weaponry will then fold in order ... starting with Elitia first!


    ""Yes!"


    Suzuna turns the arrows, Misaki grabs the dice, Theresa grabs the dagger (dark) - and Ryoko calls the water dolphin, and Anna holds the racket.


    ''Morale release, ''Soul Blink''!


    .....


    -- "-- ''hit''!


    "--Oooh..........!


    Current Situation


    Kyoka activates Soul Blink and all members of the party receive the Spirit of War.


    Theresa activates Triple Steel and all members of the party receive the Triple Steal effect.


    Aricht activates ''Support Attack 1''.


    Suzuna activates Munchu for two consecutive hits.


    Suzuna and Spirit of War activate Blast Arrow, hitting a total of 16 Stray Sheep for a total of 192 support damage.


    Misaki attacks the Messenger of the Inviting Guardian.


    Suzuna''s health and magic power are restored.


    Misaki''s health and magic power are restored.


    Goooooo..........!


    I did... but no...


    Oh, wow, wow........Suzu''s arrows are exploding.......


    Next up, people!


    The power of the ''Explosive Stone'' creates a blast the moment the arrow lands, and the Stray Sheep bursts off while scorching - yet it still gushes out infinitely, so we can''t let them summon it once.


    ''''Theresia, aim at the part of the enemy''s defense that''s thinned out!


    .....


    Theresia, who had stepped in with an ''accelerated dash'', was flying in front of the enemy''s head using her enhanced physical abilities - and then she threw two daggers as she spun around and threw out two daggers. There, the attacks released by Anna and Ryoko-san also followed suit. With the addition of the war spirit''s moves, it''s as if it''s raining down attacks.


    The current situation¡ô


    Theresa activates Double Throw and throws two small darks.


    Double hit on the Messenger of the Inviting God. Support damage 48


    Ryoko and Spirit of War activate the Aqua Dolphin.


    Anna and Spirit of War activate Spin Serve.


    Theresa, Ryoko and Anna''s strength and magic power are restored.


    Goooooooo...!


    -Theresia, let''s get the ''mirage'' off the counterattack!


    .....


    Current Situation


    Theresia and the Spirit of War activate the Mirage and Axel Dash.


    The Inviting Makishin Messenger activates the Fist of Equalization ¡ú 4 times failed


    The ''Messenger of the Pastoral God'', who continued to receive a series of attacks, tried to furiously counterattack back - but the fist that was slammed into the ground as it plowed through the ground didn''t even hit a single blow, even if it targeted Theresia, who was close by.


    (Not only does it reduce the enemy''s hit rate with ''Mirage''.......Theresia keeps moving with ''Axel Dash'' in conjunction with the war spirit, guiding the attack so that it can be avoided......!


    -Yeah!


    Huh!


    Current Situation


    The maple and spirit of war activate the Soko-ken.


    Ibuki and Spirit of War activate the Wave Thrust, hitting two Stray Sheep for support damage of 24.


    Defeat two "Stray Sheep".


    The health and magic of Maple and Ibuki are restored.


    Shit......


    "--Gahhhhhh!


    Ibuki followed by the maple tree, but perhaps feeling threatened by the attack, the messenger of the herding god swung his arm to block Ibuki''s attack - a fist strike clad in radiant energy hit Stray Sheep, narrowly missing the main body. There is none.


    But that counterattack created an opening, and when the consciousness of the ''Messenger of the Makishin'' was attracted to the right side towards them, Igarashi-san unabashedly stepped in and led Sion and Melissa in an attack.


    ''''--I''ll definitely........defeat them all together.......!


    The one in Igarashi-san''s hand - it wasn''t a cross spear. It was the two-headed spear she wanted to carry as a trump card - the Ambivalents.

 103 Episode 102: Double-edged spear

    Yah!


    Igarashi-san!


    Kyouka, wait!¡¡That weapon.........!


    Current Situation


    Kyouka activates Double Attack ¡ú Double hit on the Messenger of the Inviting God.


    Damage to Kyouka is back-flowing through, damaging its armor.


    Kyouka''s strength and magic power are restored.


    ''Goooooooo........!


    d*mn it...!


    Igarashi''s strength is greatly reduced - the power of the ''Ambivalents'' is tremendous, and blue blood spray rises as the ''Stray Sheep'' defense sticks to the thin enemy''s arm. No matter how many blows they had dealt, they hadn''t been able to cause any obvious damage until now.


    But the damage that flowed back was also not something that could be seen very well. The armor of the Lady Armor that Igarashi-san was wearing popped off - even though her white skin was exposed, she was not frightened at all.


    ''''--Now!


    Wham!


    I''ll get them both...


    Current Situation


    The special effect of Ambivalents increases the attack power of Kyouka and spirit of war.


    Kyouka''s spirit activates a double attack ¡ú Two-step hit on the Messenger of the Inviting God


    Melissa and the War Spirit ride Theon and the War Spirit to use Ride On Wolf.


    Melissa and Spirit of War activate Cutoff ¡ú Messenger of the Inviting Pastor drops 2 materials.


    Melissa and the war spirit crossed each other in a crosshairs and wielded the ''Meat Slicing Knife'' and cut off the horn of the ''Makishin Messenger'' - the spear that Igarashi-san''s war spirit unleashed increased in power to the extent that she took damage and hit the left side of the ''Makishin Messenger''''s head, hitting it in the forehead. I made a big scratch that reaches all the way to the ground.


    (I see something on my forehead ... is that a weakness?¡¡(The Eye of the Hawk...)


    Was this - was this the plan that Igarashi-san had made? Dare to use ''Ambivalents'' to take the damage that flows backwards and let the war spirit attack after bringing out the true value of ''Ambivalents''. Furthermore, by placing Melissa and the war spirit on Sion and his war spirit, and simultaneously inserting ''Cut off'', he cuts off two horns of the ''Messenger of the Pastoral God'' at the same time -- this eliminates the possibility of being reversed by being used to charm or summon.


    --But. Because Igarashi-san''s blow was so powerful, one miscalculation occurred.


    ''''I........get over.......I saw blood, at least.......''''


    Elitia, get a grip!¡¡If Berserk goes off, we''ll be right behind you.¡¡I will never be afraid!


    ''Mr. Elitia, it''s all right!¡¡No matter what happens, I will surely bring you back...!


    Me and Suzuna''s voices arrived, and Elitia shook her head. After that, she wasn''t already there - ''Berserk'', and with her physical abilities enhanced by the support of her friends, she further activated the ''Sonic Raid''.


    ''''-- Scatter like a flower. ''Blossom Blade''...!


    A girl swordsman with golden hair and a war spirit following at the same speed as her, scattering blade petals on the battlefield - like a mad bloom.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Elitia and the Spirit of War activate the Blossom Blade.


    Seven Stray Sheep are hit. Twenty-five hits on the Messenger of the Inviting Herdsman. Support damage 300


    While receiving a rain of slashes, the ''Messenger of the Makishin'' still continues to stand - but he is finally pushed to one knee when he is pushed off.


    Thirty-two slashes - but that''s not the end of it. The rain of blades that rained down is reversed - by Eritia''s cutting back.


    ''''-- Soar!


    Current Situation


    Elitia and additional attacks by Elitia and the Spirit of War are activated.


    Elitia''s strength and magic power are restored.


    ''Goooooooo.........!


    The damage of the slash itself, enhanced by the support, and the support damage - yet the enemy still did not sink. However, Elitia didn''t pursue it deeply even with ''Berserk'' activated.


    ...!


    ''-- as a master''s sword, I am proud of your words. Leave the rest to us and step back.


    Murakumo puts his hand on my shoulder - I understand that I''m about to see ''her'' fight again now, and at the same time, I have an idea in my head of how I should move.


    If the Murakumo is right we must follow it now. We will beat him...!


    The trapped messenger of the herding gods wraps all the remaining Stray Sheep attached to his body in black lightning - abandoning his defenses and attempting a final counterattack.


    --This is why the Autoblade System is activated.


    Current Situation


    The Messenger of the Inviting Herdsman transforms 15 Stray Sheep into Darkness Blitz.


    The Murakumo invokes Kagotori.


    Lin, the sound of a bell sounded from somewhere - the sword figure split into eight parts and began to rotate around the enemy.


    Oh, okay, I''ll go in with the rest of the harpies.


    I instruct Demiharpy, who was circling in the sky while putting magic power into the sling - even if they turn into ''Darkness Blitz'', if they are equipped with the nature of a living thing, there is a chance that their specialty technique will be able to pass.


    ''''--Eat it!


    Current Situation


    Himiko activates the "Sleep Song".


    Asuka activates "Rinshou".


    Three "Darkness Blitzes" sleep.


    Aricht and the Spirit of War activate the Force Shoot Bounce.


    Force Shoot" is a ricochet between "Murakumo" and "Messenger of the Inviting God".


    Four Stray Sheep are hit. Six-step hits on the Messenger of the Inviting Pastor.


    It was just as Murakumo had said - all the swords that seemed to be splitting up in ''Kageno Bird'' had mass, and spun around the ''Messenger of the Makishin'' while bouncing off my bullets.


    It is no longer the messenger of the mascot who did not speak up. It just shines with vindictive eyes and tries to fight back - but.


    If you don''t choose the right answer, the caged bird can''t get out--


    Current Situation


    8 Darkness Blitzes attack Aricht''s party.


    Murakumo activates Meteor Tuki and hits the Messenger of the Inviting Makishin. Eight Darkness Blitzes cancel their actions.


    The Messenger of the Inviting Guardian activates Demon''s Blood.


    The recharge level of the Messenger of the Inviting Pastor rises to maximum.


    The Messenger of the Makishin, who tried to reap the Murakumo, who was altered in "Kagonotori", by shooting out "Darkness Blitz" indiscriminately, was struck a fatal blow with his sword by the Murakumo in the form of a girl who materialized behind him - but as a blue blood splash went up At the same time, the sheep-headed demon wears black lightning while its entire body heats up blue.


    It''s me who''s aiming at it - but the one in front of the enemy is ''the other me'' - the war spirit.


    ''''Ooooh...!


    The last harpy that didn''t join the song - I, who had jumped up into the sky holding onto ''Yayoi''''s legs, jumped down with the intention of jumping down and rushed into the forehead of ''Makishin''s Messenger'', who had lost his horns, with an eye to the forehead.


    (When Igarashi-san''s attack hit my head, it even wounded my forehead... no doubt about it. It was here that I really wanted to cover it up with ''Stray Sheep''.......!


    Come on, Murakumo!


    After finishing the attack, Murakumo appears in any place at my request, just like when I called for the ''guard arm'' - in my raised hand.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Aricht activates Tenchi-blade and hits the Messenger of the Inviting Makishin.


    The only technique I can perform with Murakumo is the one I''ve seen once - the sword that was swung down sticks out in the middle of my forehead.


    The huge body of the Messenger of the Pastoral God poked both knees in the shallow water. I jumped down from the top of my enemy''s three-meter high head, relying on my enhanced physical abilities.


    A large wave arises in the fountain - I endure the wave so that I don''t get knocked off my feet, and I look at the enemy again. I''m not going to be able to get the best out of it.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Defeat a messenger of the inviting herdsman.


    All of the "Darkness Blitz" disappeared.


    Total mutual support" by "Alihit" is cancelled.


    Arihito has been upgraded to 6th level


    Theresa" has been upgraded to 6th level


    Kyouka" has been upgraded to 5th level


    Suzuna has been upgraded to 5th level


    Misaki has been upgraded to 5th level


    Elitia has been upgraded to 10th level


    Melissa" has been upgraded to 5th level


    Theon" has been upgraded to 5th level.


    After the battle, Elitia''s Berserk is released.


    The Scarlet Sword Emperor''s slash count reaches 1,000. The unique skills of the Curse Blade are released.


    Everyone''s level is up - it was definitely that much of a struggle. Hopefully, Madoka, who is temporarily in the ''Four Seasons'', is also leveling up.


    However, a disturbing and harvesting indication regarding "The Scarlet Sword Emperor" has appeared on the license. Elitia is breathing roughly on her shoulder, perhaps because "Berserk" has only just been released, and she doesn''t notice the indication on the license.


    But for now, for now... oh my God!


    When I turned around to rejoice in my victory with everyone else, someone suddenly jumped into my chest - I wondered if the relief of having won made me act boldly.


    But the one who was hanging on to my chest and staring at me with moist eyes - was Igarashi-san, who had just shown his bravery by executing a tactic that could be called reckless, and showed his bravery.


    Igarashi-san........Oh, I''m very sorry for causing you concern, but right now, the situation is still very urgent.......


    What...?¡¡After all that recklessness, it''s not going to happen if you try to escape. I really thought that you were going to die, rear-guard........


    My armor is broken, exposing about half of my upper body - I don''t know if this is the kind of armor that''s broken, but it can''t be helped what it has become.


    But at this distance, without the inevitable circumstances of a bathroom, I could see a figure I shouldn''t be looking at, and - besides - something like a too-large wadama is hitting my chest.


    (Wah, watadama is rude... but there''s another analogy... and it''s not even a slime... what am I supposed to do...!


    Ehhhhhh!


    My twenty-five-year-old former boss let out a cute scream that would have been acceptable for an active college girl, and left me - at that moment, Ryoko-san took off her own boa coat and put it on Igarashi-san.


    ''''Well you didn''t see it, did you?


    What... why do you want to be a monk...?


    ''Because...I don''t think I''m going to be able to stay at the party unless I''m enlightened...oh my God, why is this broken...''


    In other words, I wasn''t aware that my armor was broken during the battle. I didn''t expect that to happen either, so I have to say that "Ambivalents" is a peaky weapon in many ways. Its power and risk are both immense.


    When my brother fell down, I woke up as if my head had been knocked off. ...


    ''''... me too. If I had come to my senses sooner, I wouldn''t have had to bother Ibuki.


    ''Haha I was surprised, but there are all kinds of demons out there. But why didn''t it work on me?


    I''m impressed by Ibuki''s boldness in not already caring if he has to fight his captivated comrades, but I''m also a little concerned that some members of the team certainly had the benefit of the Horn of Pleasure and others didn''t.


    The license display can be traced back to some extent. I looked at what happened around the time after the ''Horn of Pleasure'' was used - then.


    (..........so that''s what happened.......!)


    Status report


    Trustworthiness bonus for Theresia and Kyoka: Completely defends against Enchantment 4.


    Suzuna''s trustworthiness bonus ¡ú Completely defends against Charms 3


    Misaki, Elitia, and Madoka''s reliability bonus ¡ú Completely defends against Enchantment 2.


    Trustworthiness bonus for "Ibuki" and "Theon" ¡ú Completely defends against "Enchantment 1".


    Every time I give ''support'', my trust level increases - I didn''t expect that characteristic to come into effect here.


    But did the high level of trust in Ibuki, whom I had only just met, show in the way he called me ''Sensei''? I guess trustworthiness doesn''t equal likeability, but there''s something embarrassing about it - and since she''s a girl more than ten years older than me, I should simply be grateful for it. In a world where it''s not uncommon to be called an old man at the age of twenty-nine.


    (But........it''s divided into four stages, though.


    In any case, the stronger the relationship of trust, the stronger the ''fascination'' resistance becomes. I had a feeling that Ryoko-san had reviewed me quite a bit compared to our first meeting, but I guess trust isn''t built in a day. Melissa is the only party member who doesn''t have resistance, so I''m going to work hard to earn her trust.

 104 Episode 103: Homecoming Oath of the Secret Gods

    Arichto...!


    "Oh my God you''re Madoka too. I''m fine, thanks to Madoka''s use of the recovery potion.


    ''Good I didn''t know it would work like that but I still wanted to do something for my brother...''


    Madoka spills big tears in a raggedy way - it still seems unbearable to always take such a gentle child into a harsh battle.


    But for now, I have nothing but gratitude. Thanks to Madoka''s courage, I survived - it''s a great reminder that I, the leader of the group, have a tendency to go too deep just because I can get a big harvest.


    I''ll be cautious, but bold.......... I don''t think we don''t understand you at all, brother Arihito.


    The rush to protect you all is a frightening experience. But I have to admit, I''ve had the same thought. You''re the kind of man I''m counting on.


    ''Yea, no ... not only was it not dependable, but it almost killed me...''


    ''Already ... like that again. You''ve done a great thing, so you should be more poised. And.........


    There''s something about Ryoko-san that gives off an air of being my sister - even though I''m older than her.


    She still looked like she wanted to say something, but her expression softened as she looked at me in a huff.


    ''''.......Thank you. If it wasn''t for Arihito-san, I would have done something irreversible.


    If there''s any trouble, let''s support each other as we go along.


    We struggled, but our strategy of working together with the ''Four Seasons'' was a success. Until we move up to the Sixth District, we want to build a cooperative structure. Since we''ve teamed up to oppose the ''Alliance for Freedom'', we should work together as much as possible until we reach that goal.


    ''''The material that Anna was aiming for was from ''Thunderhead'', right? It looks like we can get some good material from the ''Messenger of the Pastoral God'' as well.


    ''''No, I''ve only heard that ''Thunderhead'' is good for gut material, so if you can just share that one with me.


    Yeah, I''ll do that. Then can you take one ''Thunderhead'' unit over there? I could have Melissa dismantle it for you, but what do you want to do?


    ''I heard that the workshop where the racquet is made can take it apart as well, so I''ll bring it to them. Melissa-san will be busy dismantling the big one too...


    Melissa is staring at the huge body of the ''Messenger of the Pastoral God'' with the giant knife she used in battle - with an ecstatic expression on her face.


    ''''........Do you think a demon that bleeds blue is blue when you slash it?''''


    ''Well, um ... well, I guess it''s only natural ... Melissa, can you transfer to the storage room?''


    I can get you in. I''m gonna need a few more guys to take it apart, so I''ll get my dad if I can.


    Rykerton-san would be able to come to the upper wards for his daughter - if he retired as an explorer and became a supporter, he would have some flexibility in moving between wards?


    ''''Brother, I don''t know if it''s because everyone''s luck was getting better or not, but there''s that thing in the ford that''s fallen down...''''


    When Misaki told me to look at it, I saw the black box dropped by the ''Messenger of the Pastoral God'' and half buried in the sand - I''m happy, but right now I''m more relieved to have survived and can''t really feel it.


    ''''It''s already become a regular occurrence.......but it''s actually extremely valuable, isn''t it?


    ''''With a box dropped by a demon like this, I guess we''d better be careful about traps. Shall I ask ''Shichimuan'' again?


    Yeah, that''s a good idea. Madoka, put it away in the storage room for now. We''ll all collect the materials that fall out of the ground that''s a hell of a lot of stray sheep.


    After recovering a few of them, I found out one thing - "Stray Sheep" and "Darkness Blitz" are, to my surprise, different individuals. Although "Stray Sheep" is also smaller than Watadama, it''s big enough for Madoka to barely hold it, so it looks like a lot of wool can be removed - I''m looking forward to seeing what properties it has, black and white. ''Thunderhead'' was luminescent, so I couldn''t tell, but the wool had a yellowish tinge to it.


    ''Bawp, bawp.''


    While I was collecting materials, Theon came over and barked a little, so I checked to see what was going on - and then the Triceratops were looking at me from a distance.


    ...


    Do you think they''re going to get out of their hips or...?


    You''re pathetic. On the contrary, you''re more pissed off than we thought.


    The person with the beard only looked up and said. He didn''t look pale or anything, but he looked unrealistic, as if he was dreaming about something.


    No, no, no... you don''t know what you''re doing?


    ''Normally you wouldn''t be able to do that even if you thought you could. To protect your friends, you''re the only one who doesn''t get caught by Harpy''s legs, and you''re the only one who doesn''t get caught by the demon''s attack... and then you rise and fall from there. It was the coolest thing ever. It was the most exciting thing I''ve had in a long time.


    The person in the camouflage helmet is still the same unassuming tone, but what they''re saying sounds like a rave - or maybe it''s rude to doubt it.


    It seems that being pissed off means ''it''s cool'' to them. Since I''m just fighting self-consciously, it''s surprising that I''d feel such an impression, but is it better than being thought of as uncool?


    ''''Fufu........I''ve finally calmed down.


    But, you know, we have the same pride in having come this far. I don''t want to get in the way of your fight and its outcome.


    ''We didn''t see anything. We''ll keep that demon a secret and we won''t divulge any information to Gray either. I don''t want to do anything to offend your mental image that''s about all we''ve been shown.


    ''I''d appreciate it if you would. If you insist on an ''alliance'', there may be situations where you will compete with us. At that time, let''s clash openly.


    Even if we clash, we''re just fighting for the pecking order. We have to be first, too, to move on - if the ''alliance'' is muddling along, we''ll overtake it, that''s about it.


    ''I think you guys will keep your word. I''m sorry to use this ''owl scope'', this ''owl scope'', I''m sorry to use your entrusted items, but it''s been a tremendous help.


    No. No. If it helped you, you can use it. The reason you guys didn''t run away is because you didn''t want to leave the demon unattended and turn into a ''stampede'' just in case, right?¡¡We want to thank you too, but....


    ''We''d never be able to beat that ''named''. You don''t have to do it, it''s like we''ve been living on that feeling for a while now. But your victory has given us hope. I don''t mean to sound pathetic, but we''re more motivated now than we''ve ever been.


    The bearded man''s eyes are shining - it seems to be true that he was inspired by us. But we can''t just take such a valuable item as it is.


    ''''Well then I''d like to buy it for an amount of money commensurate with its value. How about a thousand gold coins?


    ".........geez, geez. A thousand gold coins, it''s true that we don''t have to earn a lot of money, but you''re going to pop that amount?


    How many dangerous bridges are we crossing........you should hunt more cotton balls or something. Even though it''s not very tasty, there are still places in the 7th district where you can find demons like that.


    ''''We''re struggling a lot with one Grand Maul and it''s pretty hard to hunt it. That''s about fifty gold coins at best for a single one, so a thousand coins would be quite helpful.


    ''All right, we''ve got a deal. Let me know if you have anything in the future that you think we can use, and we might be able to put some color on it rather than sell it to a store.


    As for the gold, I''ll use the feature in Madoka''s license to have them transfer it to me. After the "Triceratops" people waved their hands and left, I went back to collecting the materials - almost ready to go home.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    The tent is taken down and we return to the city once - if we find the key from the ''black box'', we may return to this labyrinth.


    While walking at the back of the group, Igarashi-san''s back is still on my mind - as well as her use of "Ambivalents", but this time she never ceases to amaze me.


    ''''Everyone in the party has the same desire to contribute for the sake of the master. Just as I do.''''


    The Murakumo on his back speaks to me - he said a weapon should be a weapon and not a conversation, but I wonder if he''s become a little more talkative through this fight.


    ''''It''s only natural for me to be the master''s blade, since I am a part (part) of the machine god Ariadne.


    (Thank God for this one.) Both Ariadne and Murakumo are an integral part of our party.)


    ''''I''m sure Ariadne, the god of machines, can hear you. I''m just a part of her. I''ll leave the reply to her.


    Murakumo was careful, or maybe he made the signs fade away - and.


    Watching over us from that ''sanctuary'', her presence comes back. I was wondering if she was safe or not, since our conversation had been interrupted earlier.


    (Ariadne, thank you so much for your help. If possible, prepare to prevent a short circuit...)


    "...my susceptibility to electric shocks could have led to your death, the contractor.


    Like Igarashi-san and everyone else - Ariadne was also concerned about me.


    (I''m sorry for worrying you. But it seems that my ''morale release'' can only be activated like that for now.......I won''t incorporate it into my tactics, and from next time, I''ll take a safer measure......)


    "...if you protect your friends, I''ll protect you. So that everyone in the party can be protected. That should be the ideal of the Machine God''s blessing. I''ve learned once again.


    She''s not going to worry about me and be overprotective. She''s looking ahead - she''s trying to lead us in her own way.


    I just hope we find the shield armament soon. The Guard Valiant can overcome the weakness of the Guard Arm''s vulnerability to the blitz.


    (That''s all I can say, it''s a handout from heaven. Not something to say to God.)


    "...we are not omnipotent, we are not creators. We are not omnipotent, nor are we creators. Those who have a strong life can attract their destiny with a strong force.


    ''That''s where I want you to say that I will carve out my destiny. ''''With the help of me, the Star Machine Sword, and Ariadne, the god of machines.''''


    Ariadne and Murakumo are similar to each other, but if anything, Ariadne feels more sincere - not that there''s anything wrong with that, it''s their respective lovable personalities.


    ''''.........Love.......something that cannot be quantified. An emotion that Kishin cannot understand.''''


    ''What I feel for the master is not love, but attachment. I focus on how well I can fit the master as a weapon. I''d like to hear the Master''s self-evaluation this time.''


    (Well you two get a 120. I''m not quite there yet myself.)


    The two of them are silent - after all, does a score of 100 or higher not exist in this case, or will that be the reply?


    ''''I can''t evaluate you on a scale. I don''t think I''ll ever meet a better contractor than you.


    "I will obey the will of Ariadne, the god of the machine, and I will continue to be the master''s sword. I will continue to be the master''s sword.


    Ariadne''s presence is distant and Murakumo is silent too - while I''m unsure how to answer.


    ''''..........''''


    Theresa, who is a little ahead of me, is looking at me. I wonder what she''s thinking - she seems to sense that I''ve been talking to Ariadne and the others.


    She doesn''t say a word, but lines up beside me. It''s just that, even without words, I can tell that Theresa is concerned about me.


    ''I''m sorry for worrying you. Thanks for everything.


    ..........


    Even though I called out to her, Theresa didn''t turn to me. But as we walked, the mask of the lizard (lizard) was gradually turning a little red.

 105 Episode 104: Alliance Leader

    By the time we left the second level, it was already morning, and the sky was a pleasant blue sky. Everyone''s footsteps are light because of the fact that we won safely - but we can''t let our guard down.


    ''''Gullllllllllll!''''


    But before I could use the "General of the Lord''s Army", everyone quickly reversed their ranks and checked them with the long-range attacks of Suzuna, Anna and Ryoko, and then the close-combat staff launched a series of attacks. and sweeping.


    ''''I wonder how many Aero Wolves have been killed in total now.......I think they''ve accumulated quite a bit of material?


    Yes, the two parties have combined to take out twelve of them.


    Melissa uses her ''storage'' skill to recover the materials for the demons. Madoka is counting the number of defeats, but with twelve of them, they could be used for something.


    ''''Igarashi-san, there''s replacement armor in the storeroom, what do you want to do?¡¡If I can repair or modify it, though, I could consider fixing and using my current armor.


    The spare armor doesn''t come with ''light weight'' so it''s going to be slower to move... but it seems to have better protection.


    ''If you want to maintain your current speed, then modding would be a good idea. This time we got a lot of materials that we can use to process our armor, and we still have some extra magic stones and runes, so I think it would be good to take a period of time around here to get our equipment in order.


    Our goal is to move forward as soon as possible - but since Elitia, who has the most urgent situation, says it, we should take the thoughts put into it.


    The most important thing is to use the magic stones and runes as much as possible, or else they''re useless. It''s not good to have things that go unused while increasing.


    ''''Isn''t it about time we had a nice little magic stone that makes me, a gambler, dramatically stronger?¡¡I don''t feel like I could have contributed this time, you know?¡¡It''s kind of like ''Fortune Roll'' came off too.


    ''I don''t think so. If we set a trap there, it''s not going to be a ''Messenger of the Shepherd'' for sure... if that was the case, the people who tried to hunt ''Thunderhead'' before would have encountered it.


    ''Is that so...?¡¡If that''s what my brother says, I''m starting to feel that way. Ehehe, thank you very much.


    Besides that reasoning, I have an idea why the ''Messenger of the Pastoral God'' appeared.


    The "Horn of Pleasure" - it was a technique that targeted women and put them in a state of fascination. When there are more than a certain number of women in the party, the ''Messenger of the Pastor'' will appear. It could be something like that.


    ''''Aricht-san, um........''''


    Hmm, what do you need?


    Suzuna speaks to me in a reserved manner. Did she look difficult because she was thinking about it?


    -- or so it seems, Suzuna''s cheeks blushed a little, and as she slowed her pacing to line up beside me, she asked in a voice that the other members couldn''t hear. Although Theresia, who was right in front of me, would hear it.


    ''The enemy from earlier was the first to make an evil sound. So, Melissa-san was manipulated... but it seemed that some of the other members of the group, me, Kyouka-san, and the others didn''t seem to work, so that''s what bothered me... Arihito-san had a reason to Do you understand?


    ''Well ... er ... er, well, you know ...''


    The higher your trust level, the more resistant you are to the ''fascination'' that the enemy sets up for you. I know that, but there''s something subtly flippant about saying it as it is.


    It''s because everyone, including Suzuna, trusts me--doesn''t it sound like I''m making a very big mistake if I say that it''s because everyone trusts me--doesn''t it sound like I''m making a huge mistake?


    ''I have an inkling of what''s going on. Maybe that''s what it is...''''


    I wonder if the same indication was shown on Suzuna''s license. Since we''re in the middle of a battle, I''m assuming people don''t check the display or anything.


    ''Ring a bell.......what do you mean?


    Ha, yes ... well, it''s necessary, so I''m going to ''mediumize'' the mysterious goddess and send a lot of magic power to each other and Arihito-san ... well, that has nothing to do with it, does it?


    Well, well, I mean I think it''s more than a little related. But if Suzuna thinks that kind of thing is weird, then I guess I''d better choose another way to increase my faith value.


    If the combo of "Energy Sink" and "Assist Charge" will increase Suzuna''s faith value as well as her faith level, there is a concern about how to repeat it too much.


    The thing to respect above all is Suzuna''s thoughts. I''ve just given Ariadne a proper explanation and thought of other ways to do it - and then.


    Because I know, but still...


    It''s not hard to see why I''m so dull here. That the reason Suzuna is nervous is because she''s trying to say thank you.


    And the fact that she''s still being reserved after coming this far makes me reflect on the fact that it still takes time to build a relationship of trust. The ''trustworthiness'' seen as a number is not everything.


    I''m sure you''ll be able to find a way to prevent the status abnormality called ''fascination'' if the party is tightly united.


    ''''........I don''t think so.


    Maybe it''s because Suzuna mentioned her name, but Elitia, who was ahead of me, seems to have heard her - she leaves the front row to Sion and Igarashi-san, and then slips back to us. Rather than being angry, she seems to be somehow embarrassed.


    ''''Well when you''re ahead of me, what you''re talking about behind me sometimes bothers me?


    ''Excuse me, Elitia. It''s bad manners to talk about this kind of thing unless you''re also in the presence of Elitia.


    ''Hey, I don''t know what we were talking about, and there''s no need to set up so many manners, but...''


    ''Well, well, even though it''s an exploration until we get home, you guys from the ''Four Seasons'' are here too. I think it''s nice to have a picnic once in a while.


    ..........


    Even Theresia, the middle guard, seems to be listening to the conversation while walking not too far away from us.


    I don''t know what kind of stories she''s interested in, but she''s always listening and understands.


    It''s just that her sensibilities seem to be a little different from what I think of girls this age - and there''s still most of what I don''t know about Theresa, either.


    ''I hope to be able to talk to Theresia-san as soon as possible.


    ''Well yes. I''d like to talk to Theresa too.


    ''What do you think your brother speaks like, Theresa?¡¡I am, you know, surprisingly calm.


    I''m not so sure about that.


    I imagine what it will be like when I can hear Theresa''s voice one day, but it''s not yet formed by my poor imagination.


    ''''..........''''


    Looking at the way he fights, one would think he had an active personality, but that''s not necessarily the case.


    The thought that if there was someone who knew Theresa before she became a subhuman - the thought suddenly passed through my mind.


    Where did she come from, was she a reincarnation, or was she originally a resident of the Labyrinth Country?


    ''''I heard that the leader of the ''Alliance'' is planning to fulfill the contribution to move up to the Sixth Ward in tomorrow''s search... but the number of ''named'' defeats still doesn''t meet the requirements, right?


    ''Yeah, that''s what the members of the ''Alliance'' said.


    ''''We don''t need to follow the same method as the ''Alliance'' to meet the conditions for moving up to the Sixth Ward. But as far as ''named'' is concerned, it''s really a matter of luck, so if we''re not good at it, we''ll be stranded for months... If the ''alliance'' knows the conditions for the appearance of the named, it''s conceivable that if they can''t defeat us, we''ll defeat them. Since it''s such an organization, we''ll be at a reasonable risk, but...


    There have been two cases in the past where they had to fight with ''named'' objects discovered by other parties without choice. Redface and Juggernaut.


    Maybe the reason they were scouting us is because they wanted information on the ''named'' ones too.


    ''I suppose that''s part of the reconnaissance. In the meantime, we should try to gather information in town when we get back, too.


    Isn''t there an informant in town?¡¡The manager of the clothing store seemed to be from that type of person, though.


    ''Misaki-chan, that sounds a bit rude...''


    Suzuna chided Misaki, but I couldn''t say for sure because I was thinking the same thing. Mr. Corleone doesn''t seem like a very uptight person - when he brought the gun in a silver case, it was like a scene out of a gangster movie.


    ''I''ll just spend a few days processing equipment or so - maybe I''ll spend some time in town gathering information.


    ''Oh!¡¡Kyouka, now you can go for a shoulder massage!


    ''''What... what in the world are you talking about?¡¡People are walking around with serious caution... right, Zion-chan?


    BOW!


    Igarashi-san, who says her body is lighter since she became a "war maiden," probably doesn''t need a massage - but if she wanted one, she could ask Louisa to do it for her.


    Even on her day off, she''s still moving in some way, but as a former company employee, the sound of the word is too soothing. I''m sure everyone is exhausted from the continual search, and I want them to be sufficiently refreshed.


    ¡ô¡ó¡ô


    Hmmm........I feel like my work is done. What is this sense of freedom?


    ''I''ve been nervous the whole time. Sigh, I want to go straight to bed without taking a bath...


    ''''Me too.


    When they came out to the plaza outside the labyrinth, the maple and ibuki stretched out wide. Anna looked tired and held her mouth and yawned, while Ryoko-san looked embarrassed at the three of them.


    ''Excuse me, this girl Tachi.......she switches off too quickly.


    ''No, I know how you feel.


    ''Ah ... wow ... me ... that''s right, if I walked around town in a bathing suit like this, people would think I was a strange person.


    ''''Well well this may be a bit of a mismatch, but please put on my suit. As long as you give it back to me when we meet again, I''ll be fine.


    ''''Are you sure?¡¡Sorry, everything...


    ''I''m the one who''s sorry I borrowed your precious boa coat and I''d like to thank you for something else.


    When Igarashi-san thanked her, Ryoko-san looked at me for some reason. Then she smiled and closed the front of Igarashi-san''s boa coat more tightly.


    ''''I''d be happy to join you again, exploring or otherwise. I''ll be happy to return this coat to you any time you want.


    Thank you, Ryoko.


    ''''No I''m the one who should be thanking you. Atobe-san, may I?


    I drape the suit I''ve been carrying without wearing it over Ryoko''s shoulders. This is still a suit on top and a swimming suit underneath, but it''s still an outstanding outfit.


    I have a lot of work on your suit, even on my sister Ryoko...


    ''There''s an extra sleeve - if I wore it, it would look like a swinging sleeve.


    ''Thank you, Mr. Atobe. I''ll take good care of it, wash it clean and return it to you.


    I was about to tell them that it was fine as it was, and then I realized that there was a problem with that. In the meantime, the ''Four Seasons'' went back to their quarters.


    ''''If your brother''s suit is a strong piece of equipment, it''s going to be hard to take it off.


    ''No way, but the suit itself doesn''t have any special effects.


    ''I feel like walking around in a man''s suit would attract attention in a different way...''


    So why didn''t Kyouka just put a suit on?


    ''''Well, that''s a bit of a stretch for me, but I''d have to go through a lot of steps...''''


    "If I wear my suit, Igarashi-san will be very sloppy. That wouldn''t fulfill the purpose.....¡¡What''s going on, guys?


    I don''t know why he''s giving me a subtle look - did I say something strange? The problem is that Igarashi-san''s armor is broken, and it should be a matter of natural concern that my suit would be dangerous because it would be too open at the collar.


    ''''Brother, since I''m in urgent need of one, could you leave the spare suit with me?''''


    What''s the use of a sudden need for........you don''t think Misaki''s equipment is broken too?


    ''No, no, no, that''s not true. Everyone says it''s necessary, too.


    ''Oh, you know what ... don''t take the conversation in a strange direction all of a sudden. We can talk about the suit later, I''m going to go report to the guild.


    Elitia dismissed the conversation with a snap and took the initiative to walk towards the upper guild. We followed suit and began to move.


    ''''Igarashi-san, do you want to stop at a clothing store on the way?''''


    ''Yeah, well it would be nice to have Madoka-chan take your clothes out of storage, but you can only change in the changing room, so it would be nice if you could.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    Igarashi-san took off his armor once and changed into his clothes. After that, we turned our feet to the upper guild - and then.


    When we entered the ground floor lobby of the "Green Pavilion", a silver-haired man walked over to us with a woman - the woman was probably heavy, and her belly was a little bigger.


    ''I''m sorry, Rolando. At such an important time...''''


    ''Don''t worry about anything, this is all a gift from God. Let us take care of the rest.


    (Roland.........Roland-Vorn. The leader of the ''Alliance for Freedom'', as Louisa said...)


    From the looks of it, Roland seems to be of an age approaching mature age, but the woman with him - probably Roland''s wife - appears to be much younger than he is.


    Her name was Daniela, as I recall. She has an exotic vibe to her, and she snuggles up to Roland. They noticed us and looked at the members in turn, starting with Elitia, before reaching me at the back of the line.


    We stepped forward to say hello here. Roland didn''t show any particular movement of emotion, as if he hadn''t been informed about us by the members of the ''Alliance''.


    ''''Well that''s a face I don''t see.


    ''Nice to meet you. I''ve been with this guild since yesterday, I''m Aricht-Atobe.


    I know what''s going on over there, but they don''t know us. If Gray hasn''t reported anything to Roland, then he has an agenda.


    ''I''m Roland-Vorn. I''m number one in the pecking order of the Seventh Ward and leader of the Alliance for Freedom.


    ''I''m Daniela-Vorn. I''m part of Rolando''s party.


    Is it a rule among them not to say ''wife'' when they''re acting as a party? Daniela leaves Roland''s side and looks at us with guarded eyes.


    ''A nice middle uncle and a beautiful, wheat-skinned woman... you''re a picture perfect couple!


    Misaki-chan........don''t say that, she''ll hear you.......


    Misaki and Suzuna talking behind her - Roland raised his eyebrows slightly at the sight of them, but Daniela, surprisingly, gave him a kind smile.


    ''I thought you were some kind of soldier or mercenary. How can an amateur come up to this point in good shape? Luckily, you''ve managed to gather a bunch of excellent ''job'' guys.


    We''ve managed to get this far by working together with our friends. I think we''ve had some luck, for sure.


    "If you are aware of this, don''t think you can just climb to the top in the future. This is not a world where you can get by on luck alone.


    ''....What are you talking about, Roland? You''re lecturing someone you''ve never met before again.


    Mmm.....but I''ll tell you what...


    Rolando still looked like he wanted to say something, but Daniela stopped him. Apparently, it''s not the balance of the relationship that I thought it would be - his wife is in a stronger position than he is.


    ''I''m sorry, he''s always like this. Is it Alihit-san, or is it Atobe-san?


    Both are fine. My last name is Atobe and my first name is Alito.


    ''''So, Mr. Aricht, then. I''m sorry, I have a monopoly on the best hunting grounds mediated by the higher guilds at the moment, but it''s only temporary. Please don''t be too offended.


    I guess it''s not a mistake to say that they seem to be kind - but I guess that means there''s a difference between that and this. Daniela-san proudly professes that they have a monopoly on the hunting grounds.


    ''''Well don''t feel bad. Luck alone won''t get you up to the upper wards.


    ''''No........we''d like to see what ''Ochiyang''s Beach'' is like, too, but.... Because we could go up in other ways.


    Yeah. Well then, let''s just say it''s a big help to us. Convenient, you might say.


    You''ve always said that if everyone can make it up to the Sixth Ward in one piece, there''s nothing better than that, as you''ve always said. That''s what we owe our lives to.


    Rolando scratched his head skinny-headedly, pushed by his wife''s momentum.


    --but when he looked at me again. His eyes were never those of someone who was formless in front of his wife.


    ''We all have our own reasons for moving up. If you guys had come a little earlier, I would have invited you to join our organization...


    ''We''ll see what we can do, we''ll make it work. Don''t worry about that.


    If we stomped our feet, we''d be the first to go - I thought that, but I didn''t think I should say anything needlessly provocative.


    ''I know I''m saying this, but he''s also a man who would only spend all his time drinking and women if he wasn''t in a fight. He doesn''t have the right to preach to people. I''ve managed to catch the reins for you, so you girls can rest easy.


    ''What are you talking about ... you''re not a good listener. Don''t talk to me like I''m a middle aged delinquent.


    "Well Mr. Roland, please don''t be offended if I have to ask you something. I''ve heard that Mr. Rolando and your organization''s man, Gray, are making the female explorers cry.


    What ... is this guy for real?¡¡Grey''s guy, what are you doing without my knowledge...


    ''That''s why I told you, you shouldn''t leave the soliciting to chance. I''ll talk to everyone about it.


    (That''s what I mean ... Gray was abusing his position. If Mr. Rolando was not involved in Gray''s actions, this should tighten things up once.)


    If we continue to let Gray act as he pleases, there is a possibility of interference at some point in the future. It was a good opportunity to talk to Mr. and Mrs. Voln here.


    ''I''m sorry if Gray has caused you any trouble. I''ll let him know.


    Well then, let''s keep up the good work for each other. When we move up to the Sixth Ward, we won''t see each other so much.


    After the two of them walked out, I exhaled heavily - the exchange wasn''t as hostile as I thought it would be, but they were still competitors.


    ''Atove-sama ... ah, good. You were talking to them about something, so I was wondering when I could call on you...''


    Louisa seemed to have seen our exchange and was horrified. Indeed, he would wonder what was going on, since it was suddenly me and Mr. and Mrs. Voln talking to each other.


    ''''I was just greeting them for a moment. Louisa, may I report to you as soon as possible?


    Yes my heart is already starting to race, but........


    I wonder how much this report will surprise Louisa - I''m looking forward to thinking about it. I could tell by the looks on their faces that they were all thinking the same thing.

 106 Episode 105 Check

    Once we parted from everyone in the lobby, I headed to the back of the first floor of the Green Hall with Louisa.


    We were led to the black door as usual. Louisa invited me into the room and left before returning to make a cup of tea.


    ''''Thank you for your patience,''''


    I''m sorry, I''m always bothering you.


    No, please don''t be shy. Would you like to catch your breath?


    ''I don''t want to keep everyone waiting too long, so I''ll just have a little ... oh, it''s good. It''s different from the tea we''ve had before.


    ''It''s a tea from a plant from the labyrinth called ''Assam Leaf'', which is similar to tea. It was unidentified at first, but someone with knowledge of black tea registered an identifying name and gave it this name. The actual plant is said to be quite different from the tea tree, though.


    It''s almost a tea in color and taste, and as I''m drinking it, I''m getting clear-headed - I thought, "This is it," and took out my license.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation¡ô


    Aricht ingested the ingredients of Assam leaf, and the tension level decreased.


    ''Oh great. It''s a relaxing tea, isn''t it?


    I can''t show the effect in numbers, but my shoulders are relaxed and I feel better. It could be that I just came out of the labyrinth, but I''m even starting to feel sleepy.


    ''''Hmmm.......Atobe-sama, you don''t have to put up with me. You are very tired, aren''t you?


    I''m sorry, I''m sorry...


    Would you like to accept the report for now and check back later?


    ''Don''t worry, I''m going to do what I have to do and then I''ll take my time...........so please do.


    ''Yes. To tell you the truth, my heart always seems to jump out of my chest in surprise, so I made this tea to calm myself down.


    Louisa says shyly, but that''s exactly what she''s going to do, there''s no holding back. It''s better to be able to report back to each other in a relaxed manner, of course.


    Then let''s see what we have achieved this time.


    I showed Louisa-san, who had prepared her monocle, a license displaying the results of her search. Then again, Louisa-san almost raised her voice at some items on the way.


    The results of this search


    We''re in the second floor of Bed of the Lambs, 20 points.


    The level of "Elitia" has been raised to 10. 100 points.


    Aricht''s level is now 6. 60 points.


    Level of "Theresa" is now 6. 60 points.


    Theon''s level is up to 6. 60 points.


    Kyouka''s level has been raised to 5. 50 points


    Suzuna''s level is now 5. 50 points.


    Misaki''s level is now 5. 50 points.


    Melissa''s level is now 4. 50 points.


    Madoka''s level is now 4. 40 points.


    Killed 10 "Aero Wolf", 350 points.


    Eliminated 48 Stray Sheep, 240 points.


    Eliminated 16 Darkness Blitzes, 640 points.


    Defeated the Messenger of the Inviting Herdsman, 2400 points.


    Sub party takes out 2 Aero Wolf, 35 points.


    The trust of party members has increased by 160 points.


    Increased trust in sub-party members 180 points


    A total of 13 people conducted a joint search for 65 points.


    50 points for bringing back a "Black Treasure Chest".


    Searcher''s Contribution ??? 4,660 points


    Seventh Ward Contribution Ranking 55


    Atobe-sama and the others are really........really amazing.......


    I can only scratch my cheeks in front of Louisa-san, who looks like she can do nothing but admire me.


    ''''You mean that royal move to go to the upper ward........?


    ''Yes, I''m still a little short in terms of the contributions I''ve made since I''ve been in the Seventh Ward... but still, to have a total of over 7,000 in just two days, I think that''s a new record for a rookie (rookie) to date.''


    Because we were able to jump from the eighth district to the top guild in the seventh district, we were able to dive into a difficult labyrinth and get results--even though we are hiding in a labyrinth under the jurisdiction of a mid-tier guild, the labyrinth in the seventh district that is the easiest to earn a contribution from. I don''t think that''s why.


    (The only thing more efficient than this is "Beaches of the Falling Sun"... or the party leader has to make 20,000 in contributions in a month, so the "alliance" is going to try to make money by monopolizing a good hunting ground.)


    I can understand, but I can''t affirm it unconditionally. Roland-san said he wasn''t involved, but Gray is exploiting the situation of monopolizing the hunting grounds.


    ''''Our cumulative contribution is over ten thousand, and we''ve dived into the labyrinth twice in the Seventh Ward. Did we qualify to enter the ''three star'' labyrinth?


    ''''Yes, congratulations. Now you can enter all the labyrinths in the Seventh Ward.


    Louisa manipulates my license and shows me a screen that shows that I''m eligible for ''3 stars''.


    ''My next goal is to have 20,000 cumulative contributions within a month and one more ''named'' above level 6. I''ll do my best to achieve this somehow.


    We''re going to get up to the upper ward as quickly as possible and reach our immediate goal, the fifth ward. As of now, we''ve come in almost the shortest amount of time, so we can''t keep stamping our feet - but.


    ''''Atube-sama.......I believe that this search has also produced the most amazing results. However, even if you look back on your search achievements so far, your rest days are very low, and in contrast, the number of powerful demons you have defeated, such as the ''named'', is outstanding, even among the newcomers who have recently come to prominence. If it''s you Atobe-sama, I believe you can maintain a high level of performance without too much haste.


    Even for me, it was something I was aware of. Even if you unexpectedly encounter a strong demon, one strategy is to only gather information in the first round and challenge it several times to defeat it, and if you don''t want to lose your party members, it''s a natural choice to take. Every time I''ve encountered them, I''ve defeated them with a determined effort, but I can understand why they''re worrying Louisa-san.


    ''''Louisa-san''s right.......we want to move up the pecking order as quickly as possible. But we also want to make sure that we don''t let that be the only thing on our minds.


    ''''Good........I''m sorry for being so obtuse. I gave up the explorer''s path early on and switched to guild staff, so I''m not really in a position to give opinions to promising party members like you.......


    ''If I said that, it would mean that the great people can say whatever they want. Louisa''s opinion is helpful, and I''d appreciate any advice you can give me in the future.


    I don''t want to say that I''m in a hurry, but I''ll at least take a break after I finish a big job. It''s something about learning what a good leader is after becoming a leader, but I don''t want my policies to take up too much of my party members'' free time.


    ''''Then........I will continue to tell you if I have a few thoughts on the matter. But ''you should take a break'' is not advice, it''s just a worrying thought. I''m sorry.


    No, it''s just that it''s nice to know that there''s someone out there who cares about you.


    I am sure that not only I, but also the people I have met in Ward 8 are concerned about you, Mr. Atobe. If you want to let them know about your activities, we can send you a letter via the messenger. As long as you have a ''special agreement'' with us, we will be able to keep you informed of the situation through the license.


    What do you mean by "special contract"?¡¡Sorry, I''ve never heard of it before.


    ''We pay our supporters a contract fee, and we can sign a contract with several perks, including the ability to request travel when they move to another ward. However, you can only have one party in the ''special contract slot''. It is the guild''s policy to give priority to work in the district where the residence and shops are located.


    It would certainly be hard to contract with many parties and go from one ward to another. A skilled craftsman is likely to earn more money as the work increases, but there will be a lot of work to take on in the shop, so I can''t decide whether it''s good or bad to have a single special contract slot.


    ''I see........thank you, I understand about the ''special contract''. On a different note, Louisa-san, is there a craftsman in Ward 7 who can open the black box?


    ''''I was here not long ago, but I''ve left the Seventh Ward now. He was invited by one of his old party members to return as an explorer for a while, and his apprentice has now taken over as the owner.


    In order to open the black box stably, you need the ''Fingertip Technique 4'' skill and an accessory that increases the success rate of the trap removal. In particular, I have never seen anyone with the "Fingertip Technique 4" skill with a number higher than "3", so both Falma-san who had it and the craftsman from District 7 who is currently away are very valuable human resources.


    Shiori said he couldn''t even open the black box, so it looks like we''ll have to ask Falma-san for help at this point.


    ''''The box maker in District 8 is an excellent person, would you like to ask him again?


    ''''Well, I''m going to take a little preparation time before the next search, so I''m going to go down to Ward 8 once.


    ''''It is possible to contact shops in different wards through the guild and ask them to travel to you. Of course, it would depend on the other party''s schedule.


    If it''s Madoka, she''s part of the merchant''s union, so if she''s in the same union, there''s a possibility that she can get in touch with Falma-san. But if Louisa-san can get in touch with me, should I ask her to do so here?


    Like Farma-san, there are people I wanted to ask to work with again. Celes-san from Mistral Magic Blacksmithing Workshop - I want to ask her, the ''Rune Maker'', to do some processing with the runes and so on.


    ''''Louisa-san, sorry to trouble you, but can I ask you to contact more than one person?


    ''Yes, of course. It will take a little while for me to hear back from them, so if you can write down the name of the person you''d like to ask to travel with you, I''ll be able to let you know the results when I get home... Oh, will you still be eating out for dinner today?


    Louisa is in the same house, so we''d better match whether we''ll have dinner at home or outside. Before that, though, we''ll have to think about what we''ll do for lunch.


    ''''I''ll discuss it with everyone. I''m sure you''ll want to have a good rest when you get back to your lodgings, and it''s not easy to cook for yourself afterwards when you wake up.


    It''s easy to take advantage of Melissa''s ''cooking'' skills, but housework is based on sharing - but if you think about it, the mansion with the maids was the quarters in Ward 8, so are there explorers who hire help and ask them to do housework?


    My first step as an explorer started with hiring the mercenary Theresa, so hiring people is not a problem in itself - and I shouldn''t get too worked up about it. If the nine members of the party work together, there''s no problem with housekeeping at present.


    ''''Atobe-sama, how would you like to have a separate housekeeper for the single-family quarters?


    ''Oh, I''m just thinking about that right now I''m sure the members can share it, but I''d appreciate it if I could ask you to clean up when I''m away.


    ''''I''ll make arrangements to ask the ''guild maids'' if there are any openings for them. They''ll be strictly disciplined, and you can rest assured that they''ll be able to leave your home to us when you''re away.


    Guild Maids - are there many other divisions besides the Guild Saber? Well, it''s not something that''s urgent. It''s something to think about if it''s going to be an even larger group than it is now.


    ''''Indeed, it would be nice to have some assistance with household chores.


    ''''Yes, be my guest. There is a fee based on the nature of the work you do, but 80% of it is subsidized by the guild. It''s a system that allows you to concentrate on your search without worrying about it.


    When you come back from exploring, the quarters are always clean and clean, and the bed-making is perfect - I wonder if that''s the case. Just imagining it makes my heart richer because it''s very different from the house I returned to just to sleep in during my days as a company employee.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô.


    I asked Louisa to contact Falma and the people at the Mistral Workshop and I walked out. Then everyone who had been waiting for me to pass the time nearby returned.


    ''Good job, Rear-kun. After all, you defeated a strong demon, so your contribution is amazing... our ranks have gone up a lot, and we were all very happy.


    ''I''m in the pecking order of the fifth ward, so earning a contribution in the seventh ward doesn''t fluctuate much. Did Alihit get into double digits?


    ''Yeah, I see you''re ranked 55th. It''s still a lot of money to make at one time, so I guess that means it''s pretty high on the list when we''re talking about recent cumulative contributions.


    Louisa told me that the number of people in the ''Alliance'' is 24, so it''s possible that a significant number of people in the ''Alliance'', including Rolando-san, or all of them are above me. Even so, I was already able to come to a position where I could be aware of my promotion to the Sixth Ward - I need about 13,000 more contributions to earn in the Seventh Ward, so I still need to dive into the labyrinth a few more times, while trying not to take too much time off and lower my contribution level.


    However, I also think that there are fewer parties that are earning contributions for the sixth ward than expected - Yukari said that when she came to the seventh ward, ''the beginning of the real labyrinth country'', but that''s because the conditions for promotion are much stricter than the eighth ward, and the demons are stronger than the eighth ward. Was he suggesting that this was the case?


    ''............


    Hey Theresa, how....


    I was about to ask her what was wrong when Theresa came over to me without a footstep. I heard a fairly distinct and distinct sound of hunger.


    I''m sorry, I made you wait too long. That''s right, even though the passage of time is different from outside, it''s like we''ve been fighting all night.


    Theresa is staring at me, but it''s probably an affirmation. She holds her stomach, which is visible through the slit in her bodysuit, mindfully.


    ''Would you like an early lunch, brother?¡¡Today, I''m going to take a bath after returning to my dormitory and then do a full course, so I think eating too much food is the enemy of dieting.


    ''Well, you should probably eat as well as you can. There''s no shortage of opportunities to exercise, and at Misaki''s age, there''s not much to worry about...


    ''Not really - girls are creatures who always want to lose a hundred grams of weight.


    ''I have to eat these days or I''ll fall right off... and so will you, Ellie.


    ''''I suppose it''s because Kyouka and I are in close quarters positions. Teresia''s ''accelerated dash'' also uses a lot of energy, since she''s actually moving, even though she''s accelerating with the skill, I''m sure she uses a lot of energy.


    I now know why I have the impression that Theresia is always hungry - it''s natural if you think about it, if you run around in battle that much.


    ''''Brother Arihito, this is the place near here where you can eat with Sion-chan, too.


    BOW!


    Madoka comes in with Sion and shows us her license. There are several shops near the Green Pavilion, which are ''Labyrinth Country Cuisine'', ''Thai Cuisine'' and ''Light Food'' shops.


    ''''Thai food ... seems to use all sorts of herbs, but I wonder if they have them in the Labyrinth Country.


    It seems the shop is open after noon and is more of a night business.


    ''''.........Labyrinthian cuisine. I want to try what the Seventh Ward staple is like. I can teach my dad about it.


    ''Oh, and if Mr. Rykerton is coming, I''d like to show him a good place to go. Well, let''s try this place, then.


    We went with him and headed in the south direction from the "Green House". When we came to the place indicated on the map, we saw a sign on the street that said ''Seven Fragrant Temples''.

 107 Episode 106 Craftsmen

    We looked at the brunch menu on the board outside and everyone happily talked about it and decided what to eat. I decided to order the "saut¨¦ed soldier moose with spices".


    Apparently a moose is a deer. Terezia is also interested, so we decide to order the same thing. I tell her that it''s not enough for her, so she can choose a couple more items.


    "Brother, is this ''shield crab in a spicy sauce'' perhaps...


    "Probably a crab that the ''alliance'' says has a monopoly on hunting grounds. It seems the demand for food is high.


    ''I''m interested in what they say is the highlight of the menu, but if we could hunt it ourselves, it would probably taste even better as a celebration then.''


    Igarashi-san is right. Once the monopoly is dissolved, everyone can hunt and eat the ''crab'' by themselves - it will be better to eat then.


    ''We can also capture the other labyrinths to earn the required contribution. It''s no longer the case that the ''Four Seasons'' are stuck in a conquest, and we could dare not interfere with the ''Alliance'' monopoly, but...


    ''Right. Part of it is wise to avoid complications... but even if the way the alliance does things isn''t against the rules, there''s no reason for other searchers to follow it. And the right to hunt ''crabs'' isn''t inherently anyone''s right.


    They are in great demand as food and materials and are easy to defeat. There are naturally many explorers who want to hunt such demons, and it''s highly likely that there are people who are second-guessing and smoldering due to the ''Alliance''''s monopoly.


    ''''As I''m sure everyone saw, the leader of the ''Alliance'' wasn''t completely uncommunicative. When we can dive into the ''Beach of the Falling Sun'', I''ll see how the ''Crab'' is actually dominated, and if there''s enough room for other searchers to get in at all, I''ll try to negotiate again. Maybe get them to break up the hunt for a few hours.


    ''''It''s not just the ''Four Seasons'', the guild is even aware of the problem, so they''re probably just monitoring the appearance of the ''crabs'' for twenty-four hours now...''''''


    Is there a reason why he - Rolando - would want to move up to the sixth ward even to that extent? The experience of dropping to the bottom of the pecking order in District Seven once seems to have something to do with it.


    ''In any case, we need to keep the party strong. From now on, I''d like to think about the pace of our search, as well as the pace of our search, to be around two days off per week.''''


    ''That sounds like a great idea, but I''m not sure what I''d do with a whole day off.


    I guess we''ll go shopping and just hang out. Oh, Ellie, didn''t you say there''s a theater too?


    ''Yes, I know. I think it''s quite a spectacle to see, because there are people with professional experience on the stage too.


    Elitia recommends it to Misaki, but she doesn''t give off the air that she wants to go.


    If you turn your attention to entertainment, you won''t feel sorry for your companions who were captured by the ''Brilliant Sarukou'' - is that what you''re thinking about?


    ''''For the time being, I think we should use our time off for the future. For the time being, I think we should use our time off for the future, because we can find all kinds of fun things to do in our daily lives.


    ''Yeah, I never get tired of just observing my brother. I might even chase him around on my days off for whatever reason.


    ''Well, well old man it''s sad to say to myself, but isn''t it fun to observe a good old man slouching?


    Bawp, bawp.


    There''s something about this Zion barking that seems to affirm the way I spend my day off - or perhaps it''s something about wanting me to take a walk or something.


    ''''...........''''


    Like Zion-chan, Theresa-san seems to have no problem spending her time that way.


    ''Well that''s fine with me too. I like to sleep.


    I think it''s good for all of you to go home and relax.


    ''Yeah, I''d like to make sure I spend my time that way, too. That said, I''m sure I''ll be moving around a lot, for whatever reason, but you guys should think about how you spend your time, too.


    ''Yes, all right. I''ll be ready to leave whenever you are, so give me a shout if you need me to accompany you.


    ''Oh, yes. Why don''t we get a schedule board so we can write down where we''re going and what we''re going to do when we go separate ways?


    Everyone agrees with Misaki''s opinion. All I remember on the company''s whiteboard is the memory of writing ''I''ll be coming to work'' even on my day off - and Igarashi-san remembered that, too, and she smiled bitterly, a little apologetically.


    ¡ô¡ó¡ô


    After finishing our meal, we decided to return to our quarters to rest for a while - then we found a familiar figure in front of the quarters.


    A small girl wearing a robe like a wizard - though she''s older than me, since she''s a long-lived tribe from the labyrinth country.


    You have been gone for some time. I flew over because I was asked by my master to make a business trip, so I decided to close up shop for the afternoon.


    ''Master has always been concerned about Master Atobe. Oh, you remember me, don''t you?


    Yes, of course. I''m sorry to call you on such short notice, Mr. Ceres, Mr. Steiner. And Ms. Farma.


    Mr. Steiner was still wearing the same heavy armor, and Ms. Farma was also wearing an apron outside the shop. I hadn''t seen them for a few days, but their unchanged appearance made me miss them very much.


    ''''Atobe-sama, I''m glad to see that you''ve continued to do well after that. It''s been a long time since I''ve been to the Seventh Ward, but the atmosphere seems to have changed a bit.''''


    ''Well, Mr. Falma has been here before when he was on active duty.


    ''''Yes, when I was adventuring with my husband and his party I don''t know about the wards ahead, but I can guide you to this ward to some extent. However, I was called in on business, so my stay is limited.


    Well, we are in a very limited time frame, so we have to finish the job. Depending on the conditions, I may be able to make your stay flexible.


    That condition would be to make the ''special contract'' that I was talking about with Louisa-san earlier? However, since it''s not a good idea to talk about that early after having them come, I''d like to ask them to do some work first.


    As for the magic stones and runes, we need to think about which one to wear after we get new equipment. Then, the order would be after the dismantling by Melissa is finished, and after we confirm whether the equipment can be made with the demon materials--''''


    ''''........Ah.


    Melissa makes a small noise. Then, a man is about to come up the slope leading to a section of terrace houses - it''s Mr. Rykerton.


    ''Hey, long time no see. Good, you didn''t have to get lost to come here.


    Well you called me up on short notice, was the store okay?


    ''Yeah, no problem. I''ve finished the work I got in by noon.


    It looked like Melissa was mainly dismantling the demons, but I could tell that Ms. Rykerton''s skills were pretty good, too. So Melissa asks for support - and Mr. Rykerton seems quite happy to be called out by his daughter.


    ''Mr. Rykerton, if you came through the bulkhead passageway, it must have been pretty hard to get through.


    ''''I was allowed to use the guild''s transition door, so I was able to come here much faster than if I had walked. Even so, you live in a nice place... you''re always in a bloody place, so the air in the high-class residential area feels refreshing.


    ''''I miss the air in the store. I feel like I was a bit drawn to Arihito, though.


    When I first saw it, I was definitely freaked out, but that''s not the case now. I''m sure I''ve gained my nerve, or perhaps I''ve gained my courage.


    We came here using the guild''s transitional door through Louisa''s introduction.


    ''Yes, me too. The kids and my mother saw me off my mother told me to do it right. The kids said hello to Zion and everyone else.


    Sion, who has not seen his original master, Farma-san, in a long time, is sitting up and wagging his tail - but since I''m looking at him too, he might be a bit reserved.


    ''''Sion-chan, it''s been a while, so why don''t you go ahead and do it?¡¡I''m so happy it''s coming out of my tail.


    BOW!


    Sion replies and walks over to Falma-san. She bends down and starts stroking Sion''s body, head, etc. - Igarashi-san is relieved, but I can feel a little bit of it too.


    ''''Her fur is very nice, and I can see that she''s being taken care of very well... thank you, gentlemen.


    No, it''s Theon who has helped me. He listens well, and he''s very brave.


    ''''I''m glad to hear that and I''m sure she''s happy to hear that.......Theon, you must continue to listen to Atobe-sama well.


    Falma-san left Sion with a bit of a sense of remorse after she was happy to see him again for a moment.


    ''''The reason you called me here this time is because of the black box.......''''


    The black box.........I knew the last time I saw you, you probably got that rune from a rare box. What kind of monster are you guys fighting against...?


    There was one member who was lucky. That, and a lot of other things that happened, I had a lot of opportunities to fight ''named''...


    It is said that luck is not the only explanation for this, even though the conditions for their appearance are not known and there are still named ones that have not been seen yet. It is said that some of them come from the other side and attack the seekers, but it is said that even encountering one of them in a month is considered to be a strong stroke of luck.


    ''Master, I understand your surprise, but our job is to make good equipment for Master Atobe and the others. If you have the Black Box, you might find some great materials and equipment in it.


    "Hmmm... it''s true, we can''t help but admire each other. Ariecht, if you have summoned me, then you have obtained a new rune, haven''t you?


    Celes-san goes around behind me and looks at Murakumo with interest - I can''t talk about Ariadne or Murakumo easily, but Celes-san and the others seem to have no problem talking about it when the time is right.


    What an extraordinary creature. I have never seen a more beautiful katana in my life.


    ''''This sword is not being considered for enhancement at the moment, but if it''s possible I might ask for it. And as for the runes, I''ve found two new ones so far, and I was hoping to use them to strengthen my equipment if possible.


    What do you mean?


    Celes-san changed into something unsettling, but I wanted to learn what kind of runes I was looking for first, so I used the nearby transfer door to lead him to the storage room - and then.


    The two runes found in the black box containing the Murakumo, two runes that were kept in the storage room as they were, and an unused magic stone - when Celes-san saw them, she began to tremble in a rut.


    ''''........what a waste........''''


    Oh my God!


    Celes turned around vigorously, and then she stormed over to me. It was so sudden and unexpected that I couldn''t keep up with the situation either.


    It''s too good to be left lying around in a warehouse, and it''s going to be haunted!


    Oh, I thought so too, but I guess it was too good to be true.


    Well, it''s not hard to see why. There''s only one RuneMaker in the Seventh Ward, and he must be booked with a lot of work. If the runes are found as infrequently as in District 8, you would have more time than I do.


    ''Yes, master. If Atobe-sama is willing to be our patron, why don''t you make a ''special agreement'' with him? Then we can be entrusted with their rune processing and equipment processing for a long time. Yeah, yeah, that would be great!


    Mr. Steiner says a little excitedly, as if he has come up with a good idea. It is certainly a great help to us if you do so - although it depends on what you think, Celes.


    I''ve forgotten about the ''special contract'' for a long time. But yes, that''s the way it works. When I heard that you had already moved to the Seventh Ward, I didn''t know if I''d ever see you again. Does this mean that you will continue to be a client of mine after you come here?


    Celes-san says a little jokingly - the flaxen-haired ''Jade People (Jade)'', she was as innocent as the girl herself in her mischievous expression, even though she had lived far longer than I had, even though she had lived far longer than I had.


    I thought that my connection with the people of the Eighth Ward would fade the more I went to the upper wards. However, with the help of the ''special agreement'', that was never the case.


    ''I was hoping to ask you to do the same.


    ''Yes, it''s nice to meet you too. Oh I''m glad I came right away to be able to open the ''black box'' again.......


    Mr. Farma is ecstatic - he''s still terrific and glamorous as ever. And if you look at her too much, the gaze of your friends stings.


    Mr. Rykerton has already gone to the ''storage room'' with Melissa to start dismantling it. Of course, I''d like to talk about the ''special agreement'' with him later as well - if the frame isn''t already filled.


    ''Come to think of it, Leila from the mercenary agent''s office seems to be worried about you guys too. She just came to the guild to inquire about your situation. Maybe you''ll hear from him soon.


    ''Well thank you for letting me know. Theresia, you may hear from Leila.


    ..........


    Theresia nodded her head in a persistent nod - she hadn''t lost her connection with Leila-san, who was also the benefactor who had brought her and me together. I want to thank Celes-san for teaching me about Leila-san, and I want to thank her again.


    I wonder if Rival-san is still rescuing new explorers in Akebono''s Plain. I thought I would ask Louisa again about them and the others in the Arctic Star. It''s a good thing to hear that they are doing well, because it will encourage us to do our best.

 108 Episode 107: Mountain of Treasure

    Calling in artisans from other wards is routine, and something called a rental workshop has been set up so that the work can be done. I asked Madoka to make arrangements and rent a workshop near our quarters and have Ceres and his team get ready to work on the project.


    Since there is a lot of work to be done, the first step is to decide on the order. Deciding on the use of the demon''s materials would be a good idea after opening the black box and checking the contents first.


    ''''Falma-san, may I ask you to open the box as soon as possible?


    ''Yes, sir. Mr. Atobe, have you been using the box store since you came to the Seventh Ward?¡¡I''d like to borrow your transition door and move to the box-opening room, please...


    I had several boxes opened at a shop called ''Nanmuan''. Then I''ll ask the owner there.


    ''Oh my goodness what a quaint name for a restaurant. It''s nice to know more people in my industry, thank you for introducing me.


    Since Falma-san is also on board, I asked Madoka to get in touch with Shiori-san from ''Naname-an''.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    When we visited "Nanamu-an", Shiori wanted to observe the opening of the black box, and her brother Takuma was also present.


    She said, "I''ve heard of Farma Artur many times from customers. She''s a housewife and yet she''s a terrific trapper...


    ''''Oh my goodness, that''s a bit embarrassing. Shiori-san, what is that kimono called........where can I get one?


    I bought this from a draper. He used to have a shop in one of the upper wards, but he used to run a shop at the big market in the seventh ward, which is held several times a year.


    ''If you''d like, if you could call me when that ''big market'' is open again... oh, I mustn''t use your call for personal use...''


    ''Oh, um, if you go through the process of going through the merchants'' association, you can send the things you buy to another ward.


    Oh, really?¡¡I''m embarrassed that I''ve been running a shop in labyrinth country for so long and I''m an adult and I don''t know more about it than you do.


    Madoka seems to always be trying to help others in what she can do - it''s impressive to watch. She seems to shy away from going into conversations with other adults, but she is bold enough to do so. Even when he was setting up a stall by himself, he didn''t seem to be afraid of dealing with adults.


    While thinking about this, I went down the stairs behind the hanging scroll and passed through the transition door. The number displayed on the door was ''35'' - it is said that a room dedicated to box-opening is randomly assigned, but again, the difference between this room and the others is not apparent at first glance. The white stone floor is vaguely glowing and provides a clear view, and even if you look up, you can''t see the ceiling and it is blocked by darkness on the way.


    ''It''s still a strange space - it''s so big and bright with no lights.


    The damage caused by the accident when the "Black Box" trap is activated is said to be tremendous, so even if it''s underneath the labyrinth country, it''s still considered to be a very deep place. Or, in some way, whatever happens in this space, measures have been taken to prevent it from affecting the outside world.


    ''''Arihito, what if the ''parts'' of the Secret God come out like before?¡¡You can''t have the same tactics you had before without Seraphina.


    Elitia''s concerns are valid. It was only because of Serafina-san''s defense that she was able to beat Murakumo, so if an opponent with a comparable offensive power comes out with the current formation, there is a chance that there will be injuries.


    Not only would they be injured, but if they were unlucky, they would lose their lives with a single blow. Just because you''ve been safe so far, you don''t want to ruin everything with a single slackness - there.


    ''''Shiori-san, if I use ''Connoisseur 3'', can I check the black box trap with certainty?''''''


    ''Yes. If you''re not ''unlocking'' the trap, just checking the contents of the trap, there''s no risk.


    ''''Great........Shiori-san has such a high ''connoisseurship''. I specialize in disarming traps, so my connoisseurship stops at one.


    It seems to have a different use than Melissa''s "Connoisseurship 1", so even if the skill has the same name, I wonder if it''s a skill with the same name, the effect differs depending on the type of job. It''s not often that they have the same name, though.


    ''''It was difficult to get the skill to disarm traps... I decided to allocate points to ''Connoisseur'' because I didn''t think I''d have a chance to advance to the next level for the time being.


    ''So that''s right I couldn''t raise my level of ''connoisseurship'' and I went in the direction of ensuring that I succeeded in disarming the trap. So the same store has different tendencies.


    If I know what the trap is in advance, I''ll put off opening it if there are demons, or I''ll call on those who participated in opening the box before.


    ''Yes, okay. Well then I''m a little embarrassed to be in front of Ms. Farma. I''ll let you evaluate the trap.


    Putting the black box on the floor, Shiori shidely took out a fan from her kimono sleeve and activated the skill with a dancing hand gesture.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Shiori activates "Connoisseur 3".


    Black Box" trap appraisal ¡ú Success Trap: Transmigration team Transmigration destination: ? 3 Star Treasure Palace


    The Treasure Palace...?


    ''''The transfer trap itself is sometimes set up in a wooden box or a red box... but the destination has a different name than a normal labyrinth. This is the first time I''ve ever seen a name like ''Treasure Palace'' displayed.


    It seems that neither Shiori-san nor Falma-san had seen the trap this time - but only Elitia understood the meaning of the display.


    I''ve heard that if you don''t have the ''Return'' scroll, you won''t be able to escape, but I''ve heard that sometimes you can find more treasure than the contents of the box.


    ''''........That''s a big risk. If there''s a demon in the ''Treasure Palace'' and it''s so strong that it can''t even do a small check, whether we''ll be able to escape safely...


    ''You''ve opened the black box in the past, and you''ve been saved by what you''ve gotten. Rather than leave it alone, maybe we should take a look inside... No, I can see why your rearguard says we should take safety measures, so we''ll have to talk about it together.


    I can say that being transported to another labyrinth in a transfer is very much a trap. But sometimes you don''t know without daring to cut into it - as was the case with Ariadne''s encounter with Ariadne.


    ''Three stars would be about the same as the labyrinth we''ve been allowed to enter. I don''t know how the number of stars is determined, but if you go in properly prepared, it''s not as toothless as it could be, is it?


    ''I agree. How about making equipment, taking new skills and then transitioning... I think it''s dangerous to deliberately fall into a trap, but you''ll still get a lot out of it.


    Misaki and Suzuna are both positive about it. It''s an adventure to enter a different labyrinth than normal with the first move that allows you to enter a 3-star labyrinth, but if the assumption is that you''ll escape as soon as you''re in danger, I''d like to sneak in if I can.


    ''''In the process of removing the ''warding lock'', we can remove the removed trap separately but... would you like to do that?¡¡That way, we can safely remove everything inside except the trap.


    Farma-san nodded and held her hand over the black box - and when she did, the magic circle spread out, and the warding lock appeared like a hologram. The last time the warding lock was shaped like a cube, but this time it was shaped like an octahedron.


    The ward locks are woven together in a three-dimensional maze - the ''unlocking'' is to pass the magic power through it. The housewife-like Ms. Farma has managed to do something that we could never imitate, and I can''t help but marvel at the gap between the two every time.


    It''s the first time in a long time that I''ve had to do such a difficult job, so I''ll be polite and let you finish it. !


    I''m going to see what this rumored box-opener can do.


    While Shiori-san turned her eyes seriously, Falma-san passed her magic power through the maze of the magic circle - a one-shot maze that couldn''t be mistaken even a little bit, and Falma-san masterfully conquered it with enthusiastic gestures.


    ¡ô¡ó¡ô


    We watched with sweaty hands as Farma-san unlocked the box, but the moment the box was opened, the overflowing light stole our vision - and the sight of gold coins and equipment scattered all over the floor made us all share in the joy.


    Falma''s ''unlocking'' lasted for about fifteen minutes, so she was drenched in sweat as she continued to concentrate during that time, and now she was being cared for by Shiori. Everyone tried to help, but Shiori-san said she was impressed and wouldn''t listen, and she was kneeling on Falma-san''s lap, her eyes watering.


    ''''Huh... haha... sorry it took so long... if I can keep opening such a difficult box, one day I''ll be able to do the ''fingertip technique'' again. Let''s see if we can raise the...


    ''''Yes I''m sure Miss Farma can do it. I will continue to work hard enough from now on to be able to step in her shadow.


    I noticed that Shiori''s respect for Falma-san has deepened quite a bit, but does that mean she was impressed by the fact that they are in the same line of work?


    ''''It''s gold and silver treasures zakuza!¡¡And there''s a lot of women''s equipment... er, that''s what this is all about... isn''t it...?


    ''Well ... the ''inviting pastoral messenger'' was of such a nature as to target female explorers.


    ''What''s in the box won''t be questioned as to its origin. If you care too much about it, you won''t be able to use anything you can get in the labyrinth.


    ''''Oh, if I had something I could use, I would use it. To say that I''m quite grateful for this sum of money alone would be quite gratifying would be an understatement...


    If this money was also raked from the labyrinth''s hierarchy - the more sacrifices made before it was defeated, the more the searcher who opened the box would gain. After opening the box so many times, I can''t help but think that this is karma.


    ''Rear-kun, what do you think?¡¡Why don''t we start by collecting some things that we can use?


    ''Yes, please. Mr. Falma, I wonder what happened to the trap you removed.


    ''The magic tool that fell over there is the one that was separated after the trap was removed. As for how to activate it, an appraisal will give you more details, if you look at it.


    Farma-san raised her upper body and pointed to the location of the magic tool. I approached the magic tool while trying to avoid stepping on the gold coins that were spread out at my feet as much as possible.


    ''''Madoka, may I ask you to appraise it?''''


    ''Yes, I was prepared to ask for it,''


    As I said, Madoka held it close to me while collecting the gold coins into a bag. I carefully pick up the magic tool - a palm-sized, crystal ball inside a metal frame - and hand it to Madoka.


    ¡ô Trap Cube [Transition Formation] ¡ô


    If you use it, you''ll be able to use [Trap: Transmigration Formation Transmigration destination: ? You can install [Treasure Palace].


    You can only use it once.


    (Installation........you mean you can set up a transition camp?¡¡(I can''t install it in the rented quarters, and I''ll have to talk to Louisa about where to install it...)


    ''Thank you, Madoka. Now I know what this is all about.


    You''re welcome. It''s an incredibly beautiful tool, like a clear glass thing with a magic circle floating inside it.


    If this wasn''t an instrumentalized version of a trap, it could be an ornament to decorate a room. Whatever it is, it''s definitely of special value.


    However, separating the traps seems to be a burden on Farma-san, and she''s more tired than before - I thought there would be a use for the traps if they were instrumentalized in the future as well, but it seems like it''s best not to think about it as much as possible.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    The fact that we found many equipment that women can use was just a crossover considering the composition of my party.


    However, I thought it would be lucky if I could find two or three pieces of equipment that could be used to replace the current equipment - but it was also lucky if I could find two or three. I found more usable equipment than I expected.


    ''''A ''magic card'' is such a weapon for me! Was there such a profession as a magician?''''


    ''I''m sure you''re right, we found a silk hat too and since there''s no one else who wants to equip it, let''s keep it for now. Or do you want to try it on, Mr. Rear?¡¡It looks surprisingly good on you, though.


    ''''No, no ... it''s not balanced with the other equipment. The special effects are also........Huh?


    Spider-silkhat +2¡ô


    The success rate of the magician''s skill has increased.


    The magician''s maximum magic power has increased.


    Depending on the combination, the performance increases.


    Once again, there are many effects attached to it. Currently, there are no members that should be equipped with it, but there are a few things that I''m interested in.


    Sometimes a versatile effect is attached to it, but this one seems to be exclusive to ''magicians''.


    I see. It would be nice if they could be converted to other professions, but it doesn''t look like they would be dressed for battle, even if they were a set.


    I wonder if ''Spider'' is a set of torn tights I got before... and ''The Magician'' sounds like a costume for a show or something.


    Igarashi-san says with a wry smile, but if it''s going to have a powerful effect, there''s a chance that someone will equip it when the set is complete.


    ''''If I equip just a silk hat and tights... ah, I know, I''m indeed an embarrassed damsel, so please don''t react like that seriously pulling it off, it stings, it stings.


    ''Even if we equip it, it''s only when we have it, and it''s useless if it''s only for ''magicians''. For that matter, did you have any other equipment that you could use?


    ''It''s hard to find stronger equipment for me... there''s only a limited number of accessories I can wear. But I''ve found something that works for everyone but me.


    As Elitia said, numerous equipment was found, but somehow none of the magic stones and runes are missing - does that mean they can be found if you enter the ''Treasure Palace''?


    ''''I didn''t expect to find ''miko'' equipment... and it seems to have some special effects attached to it.


    ''''I had some equipment to put on my head, and I found a weapon with a star on it for Zion-chan. It doesn''t have any dangerous effects on it, and now we can be more active.


    "One!


    Sion is barking happily - he hasn''t equipped it yet, but Igarashi-san''s clawed cuirass is probably the equipment for Sion. After appraising the whole thing, it was decided to adopt the following equipment as new equipment.


    New Equipment for Kyouka ¡ô.


    Glow gold circlet +2


    Protective Necklace


    New Equipment of Misaki


    Butt leather cape + 1


    Steel Magic Card +2


    New Equipment for Suzuna


    Silk shaman''s cloth +2


    Leather Archer''s Glove + 1


    New Equipment of Theon


    Beastie Crawl.


    Hound Leather Vest + 1


    New Equipment of Madoka


    Merchant glass +2


    New Equipment for Melissa


    Light steel apron + 1


    It is also worth noting that a new material equipment called ''Glow Gold'' that I had heard about came out, but since I found a necklace that makes equipment less likely to be destroyed, I asked Igarashi-san, who has been destroyed many times, to wear it - ''a little'' destroyed! It''s just that it''s harder to get rid of them.


    I wished I had my own equipment, but perhaps it''s because the "Messenger of the Shepherd" didn''t thoroughly target male searchers, but unfortunately I couldn''t find one. However, if I could get the ''Magic Gun'' to be given away by Corleone-san, there is a possibility that I could update the weapon.


    ''''.........''''


    And let''s not forget Terezia''s equipment. Among the several weapons found, there is one thing that Theresia could use, and I also found armor.


    ¡ôTerezia ¡ô


    Eluminate shortsword +3


    Light shade skinny suit +2


    ''''Well Mr. Rear, I''m sure you can change your equipment to something different except for the ones that Theresa-san can''t remove, but those things like those tight-fitting full body tights... that''s a bit of a problem, isn''t it?''''


    ''No, no, I don''t want to equip it as is. This suit has the property of being ''light-impermeable''. Then I thought we could use ''camouflage stone'' as the lining of the suit...


    The person who originally had the equipment probably wore something over it too. Maybe he was a ''stuntman'' or a ''diver'' or something.


    Elitia is right, the fabric is indeed too thin and shows off my body line if I wear it as is. I''m not without that much consideration either, so if I couldn''t use it as a lining, I''d have to put it in the warehouse.


    ''''.........''''


    Yeah, let''s take the magic stone off the sword you''re using and put it back on a new one. Is that okay, Theresia?


    When I asked Theresia, who was looking at the shortsword with ''Wind Agate'' inlaid into it, she nodded her head in reply. The new sword is also a "shortsword", but perhaps because the material is made of Elmina iron and is "+3", it looks stronger than the same shape - there are also two slots to put the magic stone in, so it''s one more than before.


    And there are 7583 gold coins, 5874 silver coins, and 6960 copper coins - although I no longer have enough money to spend, but the weight is tremendous, so I decided to ask the bank to send it to me. As for the equipment that has no use, I''ll ask a ''courier'' to dispose of it.


    Shiori was in awe, perhaps because it was the first time he had seen the ''black box'' open. Falma-san seems to have rested and recovered, and she works us up.


    ''Thank you for your hard work, gentlemen. I pray that what we found this time will help you in your search.


    ''Thank you, Ms. Farma. About the fee, may I offer you more than the usual rate?


    No, since we have no use for the past rewards we would like to save them for our children.


    ''''I even bought some rare tools from another party for a thousand gold coins, so I''m getting more than that, so I''d like to pay you two thousand...''''


    ''Well Master Atobe, do you think that two thousand gold coins is an amount of money that our family could live with for how many years?¡¡No, if I take that much from you, I''ll be too lazy to do anything about it.


    She says so, but I''m sure that even if I paid such an amount of money, she would continue to show her children - Ake and Plum - what a fine mother she is.


    I''d like to continue to ask Mr. Farma to open boxes for me, and I want to pay him well. However, last time it was a hundred, and again, they only received up to two hundred.


    "Master Atobe, I''m afraid I''m afraid to ask you for this much, but may I ask you for one favor?


    Yes, you can say whatever you want.


    Falma-san and Shiori look at each other and laugh. The two of them seemed to be talking about something while they were resting.


    ''''Well I took the duration of my stay in two days just to be sure, so I''m going to spend tomorrow in the seventh ward as well. We''re going to buy some souvenirs for the kids tomorrow, but we haven''t decided where we''re going to stay today yet...


    At the end of the day, she wanted to have a ''sleepover'' in our quarters - everyone said OK without a second thought, and I was prepared to sleep on the couch if there weren''t enough beds to go around.

 109 Episode 108: Magic Gun

    Falma said that she was going to talk to Cioli at the box store, and she was going to pick him up again when she returned to her quarters.


    Our next stop was the boutique Corleone. The manager, Luca-san, was just finishing up with the other customers when he saw me and winked at me.


    I thought it would take longer," he says, "but as expected, you are a rising star. Or did you just work so hard to meet me?


    Partly because of that, but also because of a lot of things that went well. It''s a credit to the party that fought with us and to the hard work of everyone.


    ''You sound like you''re made of humility again. Alito doesn''t betray his image.


    I can get carried away too, but what we must always remember is the awareness that our war effort was earned through cooperation.


    ''''Well can you get the other kids to look at the store''s merchandise and just come over to Aricht?¡¡It''s not big enough to fit all of us.


    ''If that''s the case, the one you couldn''t buy the last time you were here... ah, I guess swimwear doesn''t come in very often after all.


    It''s all a matter of timing, isn''t it? Let''s buy more of what we need without wasting any money.


    While chiding Misaki, Igarashi-san looked at me and nodded. After confirming that, Luka-san led me to the back of the store.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    The interior of the boutique was bright and easy to navigate, but the room that Luka said he uses for his business meetings was lit only faintly by indirect lighting. There was a hint of musk in the air, but I wondered if this was something Luka had been particular about.


    He thinks it''s a room used for secret talks. People are surprised at first. The waiters are used to it, though, so they just sit here and drink tea while chatting.


    It''s not........it''s definitely an atmosphere. It''s got a great sense of style, it''s like something out of a noir movie.


    Luka doesn''t answer my metaphor with a vague smile. But really, it doesn''t seem like he''s trying to drag me into the underworld or anything like that. As long as you have ''karma'', you can''t work bad things so much, so it''s not surprising.


    The original was taken out of here, that magic gun. It''s called a hidden safe.


    The stuffed antlered deer-like demon on the wall was a switch for a hidden contraption. When Luka-san put her hand inside the mouth of the taxidermy, the picture hanging on the wall slowly slid to the side, and beyond it was a safe.


    Magic tools are handy, because they can do all kinds of things that you can''t do without electricity.


    It''s kind of exciting to have a contraption like this in my house.


    Oh, you know what?¡¡Childishness is something we should never forget, no matter how old we get.


    I turned the dial on the safe and opened it, and inside it was the silver attache case that I had been shown before. I also took out my license and displayed the proof of defeat of the ''sheep demons'' that Luka-san had mentioned that could yield the fine fiber.


    Luka-san moved the contraption once more to put the picture back in place and put the attache case on the table, then sat down facing me and combined his hands. This makes me nervous, if I do something I didn''t expect, I''m going to get a quick shot at him.


    ''Well Alihit, did you get what I asked for?''


    ''We''re in the process of dismantling them, but we should be able to bring in the materials within a day or two. Can these demon materials be used to make a suit?


    Looking at the types of demons and the number of demons defeated displayed on the license, Luka-san''s eyes widened. Then, he let out a shaky breath and picked up the cigar on the table and tried to light it - looking at me, he smiled and stopped his hand.


    ''I''m surprised ... I didn''t expect you to live up to my expectations so much. I''d say the wool fiber, or wool, is one of the best you can get in the Seventh Ward.


    ''Thank goodness ... for sure, I''ll be using wool as a material for my suit. It''s going to shrink if I don''t take it to the cleaners.


    ''All clothes will be damaged to some extent. If you take care of it, its life span can be extended as long as you care for it, but I''m sure that you guys will go to the next ward in a surprisingly short period of time. As long as I''m allowed to take care of my clothes, I''ll do the best I can.


    I shopped at a clothing store in the eighth district, and I don''t think there are many craftsmen I would have met who are so strangely well-matched with each other, or who are willing to talk to me about various things, and who are willing to make clothes for me, as Ruka is. It''s a strange thing to meet someone who is willing to talk to me and make clothes for me.


    ''I believe you are already under contract with someone else, but if there are still slots available, would you be willing to let me sign an exclusive contract with them? I would like to consult with you not only on suit maintenance, but also on everyone''s clothing needs.


    It''s not out of the question to favor a shop that once made a suit for you. Luka-san makes an indescribable face - although she''s puzzled, it doesn''t seem to mean she dismisses it from the start.


    ''''Well that''s true. I can''t give you the strength of the equipment without actually seeing the material, but right now my apprentice is making the clothes, so I can work on Arihito''s suit. I''ll finish it in a week, and then you can evaluate my work again?


    ''A week ... that''s amazing, although a suit is going to take more than a month to make.


    The only thing we can do about it is to use our years of expertise. You can find them in the stores, but even armor other than suits can''t be mass-produced. There''s a lot of shoddy equipment out there, so I''m not saying that you should cherish a simple leather armor or buckler.


    Each piece of weapon armor is made by artisans - and when I think about it, I wish the large amount of surplus armor that comes out of the box could find its owner if possible.


    ''''First of all, I''ll use the fibers of the ''Thunderhead'' as a lining, so I''m sure it will be lightning resistant. And this ''Darkness Blitz'' - it''s extremely rare, but it''s dyed from the start, so it''s perfect for the outer surface of a suit. Normally I would dye the fibers of Stray Sheep, but the color is completely different.


    ''I see ... my current suit isn''t too uncomfortable to wear, but it doesn''t have any one special effect, so it would be nice to have some effect.


    The breathability of wool is a problem, so I''ll counteract that with the material I have on hand. Particularly since Alihit wears protective gear over his suit, and it''s best to think of the suit as a sort of armor underneath his armor (gambeson).


    Luka''s eyes sparkled as he began to talk about the specifics of the suit - as I said, don''t forget your childlike nature.


    ''''You think ... a nice grown man can get carried away?''''


    ''No, I''m happy that they put so much passion into making my suit. I wore a suit every day before my reincarnation, but I''d never really put that much thought into a single suit, so it''s really refreshing.


    I''m grateful to hear you say that. I usually make ready-to-wear clothes and rarely have the opportunity to make a one-of-a-kind dress like this.


    The clothing in the store alone is a sufficient assortment, but as a designer, that may not be enough for you - and as I was thinking about it, Luka-san opened the attache case, perhaps indicating that the conversation had been settled.


    Inside was a gun made of dull, shiny black metal - but its construction was very different from the gun used with ammunition.


    ''You may think this is costly when you hear it. You see the place where the magic stone fits in here?¡¡If we can equip this magic gun, we can ''load'' and unleash the power of the magic stone.


    ''''Loaded........I see. But how would that be different from doing a special attack with a weapon equipped with a magic stone?


    Luka smiled as if she had noticed a good point, and picked up a transparent magic stone that was in her attach¨¦ case.


    ''''Arihito, how do you think this thing called a magic stone is made?''''


    ''It seems to be spawned from the labyrinth, so I thought it was generated in the labyrinth and then the demon would have it in a box or attached to some part of its body.


    ''Yes, but that''s a little different. It seems that when skills are used in the labyrinth, the energy seems to dissipate and accumulate. For example, the labyrinths that use many water-based skills, whether they are allies or enemies, produce a lot of water-based magical stones. I heard that there are deposits of magical stones, but they are made on a completely different principle than jewelry deposits.


    I just thought it was interesting and listened to him, and he laughed at my reaction.


    ''''What a pompous attempt at erudition, but this is information that can be looked up by going to the guild''s archives.


    ''You said there was a museum in the Seventh Ward. I haven''t been able to get there yet...''''


    ''It''s not that you can''t get any more information at all in Ward 7 than Ward 6, though. It can be a frustrating experience because the archives will limit your access depending on what ward you''re going to, and it can be frustrating. Some people get in there, but I would only recommend going there when you need it... and that''s about all I''m going to say about derailing.


    ''''No, it''s very helpful. So, those magic stones....


    Luka-san hands me a magic stone. I can see what looks like a white haze inside the transparent stone - the haze appears to be subtly shimmering when I stare at it.


    It''s a so-called non-attribute magical stone without any attributes like fire or wind. Sometimes in the labyrinth there is a level where there are demons that only attack without an attribute, and this kind of magical stone is produced according to the level of the demon. This is called ''white crystal stone'' which has the lowest grade, but you can check the details on the license.


    White crystal stone [3]


    You can only use it if you have the "Magical Stone Manipulation 2" skill.


    You can charge a magic skill of skill level 1.


    Charging the same skill multiple times increases its power.


    It will be destroyed when the number of charges is used up.


    If you know what it''s worth, feel free to use it. I want to make sure that any explorer I like will live long enough to be able to do so.


    Luka tries to act cheerful, but she can''t hide it and her voice is tinged with melancholy.


    Supporters come into contact with many searchers - some of them may even lose their lives. In fact, the supporters may have more opportunities to touch people''s lives and deaths than the searchers.


    ''''If you want the White Crystal Stone, find a labyrinth with conditions like the one Atashi just mentioned. Or you should get acquainted with the magic stone merchant. Because of the high demand for the stone, it is often sold in other wards.


    The potion is in demand in the district above, so it''s expensive and hard to find... right?


    When the word "potion" was mentioned, Luka-san looked away for a brief moment, so briefly that he could suddenly overlook it if he had to.


    ''''Well I''ll tell you one thing. If you find yourself in a predicament, avoid using any means that might resonate later on.


    ''Yes, of course I''d like to say yes. I tend to be reckless when I''m turned on, apparently, so I have to be careful.


    It''s good to have a fighting spirit. It''s good that you have a fighting spirit, and I''m sure there''s no such thing as an arihito who would be reckless with the desire for fame.


    What he was trying to tell me during the time we were both talking - I think I finally understood that now.


    This magic gun is the one that Luka-san used when he was in active service. If I use it, it means I''m taking over his will.


    ¡ôLight Mithril Revolver +3¡ô


    You can attach "magic stones" and "load" or "fire".


    You can load the magic stone that can be used in "Magical Stones Control 2".


    Barrel cooldown time is slightly reduced.


    Durability recovers slightly over time.


    Made with the skills of a gunsmith.


    The gun itself complements the skill of ''Magic Stone Manipulation 2'' - I am amazed at how advanced the person in the ''Gunsmith'' position who made it has the skill.


    ''If you ''load'' that magic gun with a common magic stone and ''fire'' it, the power of the blow is higher than attaching a magic stone to the weapon and activating a special attack. And if you use the White Crystal Stone well, there are more situations where you can break the deadlock. If you have some leftover magical stones, try them out first. Because once you fire a magical stone, it can be damaged.


    Is that what you mean when you say the cost is high? It''s risky, but it''s a reliable trump card, isn''t it?


    Yes, keep it in your pocket and it will help you. Sometimes I miss the smell of lead bullets and gunpowder smoke, but I don''t know...


    I''m jokingly saying that, but it seems that his background before he was reincarnated is not just a simple one - and I''ll just let my imagination run wild.


    Now Luka-san is an excellent tailor, and now I''m going to be the one to evaluate his work. I can''t help but expect that whatever suit is finished, it will probably be too good for me to wear.


    ''I''ll be sure to hang my gun in the inside pocket of the suit so it won''t stand out. A man should always have the scent of danger on him.


    I wonder if that image would really suit me, but if I don''t explain it beforehand, my friends will be surprised by it.


    If I''m going to use the magic gun as a trump card, I''ll continue to use the sling in the future. I want to make the most of the characteristics of the ''rear guard'', which does not require any equipment.


    ''''........By the way, Arihito, did you notice that I''ve used that gun in this room for a reason?''''


    At the end of the day, Luka reveals the seed - how did he open the hole in the wall where the safe is hidden?


    If that not-so-small hole was caused by this gun. I had a feeling that if I could bring out the performance, this gun would definitely help me in future battles.

 110 Episode 109: Meeting at the workshop

    I had just left the Boutique Corleone when I spotted a party of three men who looked familiar. Three of the "Triceratops".


    When they spotted me, their leader, a bearded man, raised his hand in the air without effort.


    ''Aricht, those men...''


    Well, I''ll just go say hi. I''d like to know what the Alliance is up to.


    The other side seems to want to talk too, and only the leader comes over to us. When he looks at me, he shrugs and chuckles.


    You don''t seem to be in good spirits, what''s going on?


    We had it coming, but the Alliance leadership said they would fire us if we didn''t tell them about you. Our leader tolerated us, but I didn''t want to have to do the dirty work again, so I left.


    ...I see. I''m sorry.


    ''No, don''t apologize. It''s just that when you''re a group of three men from the beginning, they treat you strangely badly. I wouldn''t have joined if I''d known it was that kind of organization.


    When I hear such stories, I can only think of one executive who told them to leave.


    ''''I''ve met this guy Gray once, but it''s strange that he''s an executive when all he can build up is a bad impression...''''


    He''s a good talker... he''s not the best fighter in the alliance, but he''s stronger than us and more shrewd than us. You too, take care of yourself.


    Yeah, thanks. What are you going to do now?


    ''For a while, I''m going to hunt down demons that I can defeat and do it steadily. I''m going to try out the unpopular labyrinths as well. And thanks to the binoculars you bought me, I don''t have to live without them.


    He laughs as he shows them the bag of gold coins. Still, he says they don''t slack off and work hard at their searcher''s business - I like those people.


    ''''Yeah, well I had something I wanted to tell you. Today, the leader of the ''alliance'' will reach his contribution goal. Also, other party leaders will be working hard to increase their contributions, but today is the last day that the leader will directly lead and earn contributions.


    ''Well I''m a little curious to see how you operated.


    It''s not a very flattering practice, so I can''t show you. It''s just a matter of shutting out all parties except the Alliance and keeping a group eye on the few points where the demons are coming out. Still, it''s safe, and it''s the most efficient way to make money for the day in the Seventh Ward. I''ve heard that if we do too much of this, we might lose the assessment of ''Crab''s'' contribution, though.


    Does this mean that no matter how efficient it is, it''s not a good idea to keep defeating demons in the same pattern? Even if you gain experience with such a literal ''frame-up'' technique, it seems to me that the situation you can deal with will be narrower.


    ''Well, I know it''s not a good idea to speak ill of the organization I''ve been in. It''s not hard to see why Mr. Rolando chose to take the safe way out and go to the Sixth Ward, given his background.


    ''I heard once that you were sick and dropped to the bottom of the Seventh Ward...''


    Yeah.........and that''s where the obsession comes from. We''re not in a position to give you any advice, but please don''t let yourself be retired for a long time.


    Yeah, I''ll keep that in mind.


    Those last words carried weight. I wish them well, too - I''d say we''re waving our sleeves at each other, but even with the slightest contact, it''s a significant encounter.


    Everyone who had been watching them walk over to us - Misaki seems to be having some fun.


    ''''Brother, you look so reluctant when you''re talking to other guys, don''t you?''''


    ''Mi, Misaki-chan that would mean that Aricht-san usually...''


    ''We were talking about something serious, and I was just trying to keep my mind off the normal stuff. Doesn''t look good on me?


    ''No, not really. I''m sure you''ve always been good at dealing with people you don''t know. I was even the one who was the shyest person in the room.


    I don''t........Igarashi-san was always imposing, too, wasn''t she?


    When Igarashi-san praises me, there are still moments when I wish she had praised me before my reincarnation, but I''m more embarrassed than that.


    ''''.........''''


    Here you are, Theresa. Can''t you get hungry?


    ..........


    Theresa doesn''t answer, she just brings me the hem of my suit. This - you mean that you were worried about me because I went to talk to her alone.


    ''''I''m not really worried about what would happen if the guys asked me to do something, like what if Arihito went to cover them or something, but I''m sure I''ll get those calls sooner or later.


    The way Elitia said it, it''s like she said she thought so - apparently she was in the same frame of mind as Theresa.


    ''Don''t worry, I''m not going to leave the party,''


    There''s no other ''rear guard'' person as good as you. We have to keep the rumors from spreading too much.......do those guys from earlier seem to be okay?


    Igarashi-san lowered her voice so that the people around her wouldn''t hear, so I followed suit. Misaki put her index finger to her lips, as if she meant to be quiet.


    ''They said they left the ''alliance'' for not reporting us. So I don''t think they got the message about me.


    They''re so disciplined I wonder if that''s what they thought of your rear end.


    ''I think everyone will be moved when they see Arihito-san at that time. My heart breaks just thinking about it, too...


    Suzuna, are you okay?¡¡Why don''t you have a healer (healer) take a look at it?


    ''Wow, Ellie, you''re even purer than I thought!


    Hm........Mm, I don''t think it''s right to connect it to something like that just because it hurts in the chest?


    Misaki and Elitia are arguing, or rather jostling with each other, but all I can do is scratch my nose as an adult.


    ''''To be looked up to by both men and women, you must have been a leader after all.


    ''''Well, um ... Igarashi-san, I''d appreciate it if you could be moderately strict with me.


    Why?¡¡I''m just saying what I think.


    Have we already passed the stage of distant praise or something like that? Madoka, who is with Sion, seemed to want to say something, but when I looked at her, she looked away shyly for some reason.


    ''We all want to talk to your brother,''


    You don''t have to hold back on anything, though. Madoka, can you get in touch with Melissa for me? I''m fine with the prospect, I''d appreciate it if she could see a list of materials.


    ''Yes, yes I''ve actually been waiting to talk to you about that too!


    By ''too'', does that mean that there are other things to talk about? But Madoka is as earnest as ever and showed me the list of demon materials that Melissa had sent her.


    It seems that Melissa and Rykerton-san will also leave the dismantling station once and come to the rental workshop where Celes and the others are. Since the demon materials are also used to process equipment, it would be better to have a meeting together.


    ¡ô¡ó¡ô


    When we came to the rental workshop, which was a few minutes'' walk from the inn, Celes and Steiner had already finished getting ready to work, and Melissa and Rykerton were sitting down to drink tea.


    ''We''ve been waiting for you, Aricht. We''ve been waiting for you, Aricht," he said, "but we''re just now getting the workshop ready for you to use.


    ''Master, it''s not polite to stand with a cup of tea in your hand.


    Celes-san always takes off the hood she wears. She was from a labyrinthine country, and she was still a race that seemed to be from another world - close to the image I had of an elf. Her ears are long and she looks younger or younger than her actual age.


    She said she didn''t usually show herself in front of her guests. Still, she felt grateful again for coming to a different ward.


    ''''Exactly, how dare you put away the magic stone without using it. You guys........mm?¡¡What is that look on your face? You''re going to get out of shape for trying to lecture me.


    ''Thank you so much. Thanks to Ceres and the others for coming, we''ll be able to decide what to do with the materials we had left over.


    When we thanked him again, everyone also bowed together - Celes-san looked a little embarrassed, but she jumped on Steiner''s hand as a foothold and sat on his shoulder, gaining height and looking down at us.


    ''Mmmm, it''s not bitter... and I just wanted to say it once.


    ''Master has been concerned about you since Atobe-sama and the others went to the Seventh Ward. The truth is, it was a crossover that he called me. And to be nominated as an exclusive, I''m a craftsman.''''


    The guests have been insulted by my appearance and frightened by Steiner. That doesn''t make us any more pleasant to work with, well, not that there weren''t any potential seekers.


    Someone as good as Mr. Ceres, who has been alive for over a hundred years, expects me to be there. Thinking about that, I wondered if there was a reason why he was opening a shop in the eighth ward, where few runes would be brought in.


    ''Excuse me, I was wondering one thing.......why did Celes-san and the others live in the Eighth Ward?''


    I''d like to say that you''ve found a nice place to live, but there''s no particular reason for it. After I retired as an explorer, I went from place to place to find a good place to live. It''s just that the area around the workshop is quiet and the nearby waterways are beautiful.


    Celes-san was also an explorer - she was from the Labyrinth Country, and as a ''Jade People (Jade)'', she was obligated to become an explorer just like us? I was curious, but I didn''t think I could ask her anything more in-depth than that right now.


    ''''Well........the magic stone you guys have in your possession. You can''t leave them on your old armor?¡¡It''s better to think of ways to use it and not leave it behind, because it will increase your strength. It''s better to use it whenever possible.


    ''''Yes, Melissa has acquired the skill to synthesize magic stones, so I''d like to try synthesis as well.


    ''There are some things I can synthesize and some things I can''t. Right now I can only synthesize once, as long as I can pick two and synthesize ... let me know if there''s one that looks good.


    "I didn''t take ''Magical Tool Creation 2''. Instead, if you collect the same kind of magical stones, you can perform the ''rune generation'' function... but you''ll only need ten, so it won''t be easy to collect them.


    As expected, ten magic stones of the same kind is--when I was thinking, Melissa brought out a bag of something. It contains something that looks like a rumbling stone.


    ''''Well when I was dismantling the demons, I found a few demon stones.


    ''Thanks, Melissa. That''s quite a lot....


    When the enemy uses magic, the source of power is often magical stones. Of course, it''s not uncommon for Atobe''s people to defeat many demons.


    Rykerton-san shows me the list of magic stones in the bag. There are more than ten of them - but it''s too soon to turn them into runes with a quick decision.


    More importantly, it wasn''t just the magic stones that were found, but also the runes. Although I can''t understand the effect of this just by looking at it, it seems to lead to an increase in strength.


    The magic stones and runes found this time


    1 x 1 Fierce Wind Stone found in the Aerowolf


    Rune of change ¡Á1 ¡ï Found in the beetle of disobedience


    Found in 18 stray sheep from elastic stone


    Discovered in Thunderhead


    12 Darkness Blitz


    Hibiki no Rune ¡Á1 *Discovered by the inviting herdsman''s messenger


    Hmmm, ''resilient stone'' and ''black bullet stone'' are used to attach to bullets. These kinds of things cannot be compressed into runes.


    ''''Actually, I got a weapon called a ''magic gun,'' and the bullets for it are called magic stones, so it would be great if I could use it.


    What the hell...?¡¡Magic guns can only be made by a "gunsmith". I never thought I''d meet anyone who had one...


    Mr. Ceres is shaking with a wow - he seems more surprised than impressed. I placed a silver attache case on the table and showed the gun inside to Celes-san.


    ''''This is........''''


    I''m sure you''re asking if you can strengthen it, but I''m sure you''ve never used it yet. It''s not easy to find the kind of metal that can strengthen it, so it''s best to keep it for now. Let''s leave it as it is for now.


    ''''I''m a metalworking expert, so I think I can strengthen it without any problems. But as master says, it''s complete as it is, so I think it''s best to go unmodified until we can find the materials we need to strengthen it.''''


    Yes, it would help if we could strengthen it in the future.


    I''ll have to try it out first, but ''elastic stones'' would be a good place to try it out since there are so many of them. It''s likely to be the first thing we''ll use in our next exploration.


    Then, let''s talk about making armor from demon materials.


    Yes, please. Melissa, how far along is the demolition process?


    ''The big one will take until tomorrow, but we have an idea of how to dismantle it. I''ll suggest some materials we can use.


    ''''There are signs that the ''Backstabbing Beetle'' has removed its outer skin in the process, but it still has the largest shell left, so it can be used as material for a large shield.


    Teresia uses the circular shield (tajee), but currently no member of the party uses the large shield. However, if the use of the shield is limited, it might be a good idea to make a large shield and keep it in stock - if a shield user joins the party, I can ask them to equip it at that time.


    Speaking of shield users, Seraphina-san, but it would be difficult to get her to join my party. There''s also the Guild Saber''s mission.


    ''''It''s not uncommon for even strong demons to be able to convert only part of them into armor... Aricht, what do you do with the horns of the ''Backstroke Beetle'' that Melissa cut off?


    ''Yeah, I hope it''s good for something but it''s a bit strange that you could cut off even the hardest parts in combat.


    ''''These horns are probably the parts of the body that can only be cut in battle. The composition of a demon''s body sometimes changes after it is defeated, so it cannot be processed. That''s why they can''t be processed, but the horn that I cut off remains in a state where it can be processed.


    Rykerton-san explains it to us, but there is a lot of mystery in the nature of demons. Since the part that can be processed is part of it, let''s decide how to use it.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    The entire party reviewed and decided on what to do with each material.


    ¡ôAero Wolf''s materials ¡ô


    Use Suzuna''s ashtray''s bow ¡ú Use Fang to add an attack strength increase to +1.


    Suzuna''s Silk Shaman''s Closet +2 -> Use fur to add speed boost to enhance to +3


    Theon''s Hound Leather Vest +1 ¡ú Use fur to add speed increase, enhance to +2


    Material of Grand Mall


    Making a two-handed hammer "Hammerhead" using the "head shell".


    Making "Maul Knuckle" with "Claw x 2".


    Materials for the treacherous bugs


    Theresa''s Eluminate Shortsword + 3" ¡ú Use the "Horn" to upgrade to the Eluminate Razor Sword + 4.


    Create the Great Shield of Mirror Armor using the shell.


    Stray Sheep''s Material¡ô


    Kyouka''s Light Steel Lady Armor +3 -> Use Wool to add a little breath resistance to enhance it to +4


    Misaki''s Bat Leather Cloak +1 ¡ú Use wool to add a little breath resistance +2


    Madoka''s cotton turban ¡ú Use "wool" to add "a little breath resistance" to enhance it to "+1".


    Material of Thunderhead


    Kyouka''s Ermineated Cross Spear ¡ú Add "Lightning Attack Enhancement" by using "Lightning Horn" to enhance "Lightning Attack" to "+1".


    Melissa''s Denim Overalls ¡ú Use wool to add medium lightning resistance to enhance it to +1.


    Darkness Blitz material¡ô


    Elitia''s Unicorn Ribbon +1 ¡ú Add "Darkness Resistance 1" to Elitia''s Unicorn Ribbon ¡ú Use "Wool" to add "Darkness Resistance 1" to strengthen it to "+2".


    Arictoo''s Eluminate Mounted Boots +2 -> Use Wool to add 1 Darkness Resistance (+3)


    A messenger of the inviting herdsman


    Arihito''s Hard Oxmail +2 -> Use Black Hair to add Medium Darkness Resistance to strengthen it to +3.


    Elitia''s High Mithril Nightmare +4 ¡ú Use Black Hair to add Medium Darkness Resistance to strengthen it to +5.


    Produced "Flute of the God of Magi" from "Kakkaku".


    Created "Unwonderful Charm" from "Claws".


    Materials limit which armaments can be strengthened to a certain extent, so it''s not possible to concentrate on strengthening one armament or another. For this reason, we decided to take a stance of strengthening where we could. For materials that have a certain amount of material that can be made when processed, we''ll have them made even if they don''t have a specific use.


    As for the sheep-based demons, I''m going to have the material distributed to my suit as well. I''ll need a large amount of wool, but I''ve also received permission from everyone.


    "I didn''t realize that they were so well equipped in the seventh district.......You guys found another box, didn''t you?


    ''Yes, I was lucky enough to defeat the ''named'' demon.


    ''''There must be someone in Atobe-sama''s party who seems to have been born under a lucky star... or maybe it''s not just luck. I''m wondering how they usually explore.''''


    Mr. Steiner is dressed in heavy armor, but his tone is as lively as a boy''s. He is not a "middle man", but is actually quite young. You may be told that there is no ''inside man'', but in fact, he may be quite young.


    It''s the processing of demon materials, so we will be working together with you. Do you plan to use the equipment to be enhanced today?


    No, I haven''t made up my mind at the moment.


    "It''s going to take some time to work on it, so when you''re ready, I''ll need your equipment.


    I wondered if it would be a few days before I would actually use the enhanced equipment - when I was thinking about it, Celes-san held up one finger.


    ''Tomorrow,''


    What ... uh ... tomorrow?


    I''ll finish the work and deliver it to you tonight. It''s not difficult to do, since you''ll be using your skills, as long as you can manage your magic. You''re right, Steiner.


    ''It''s best to avoid guzzling manna potions whenever possible. Potions are useful, but they seem to have side effects if you use them too much.''


    I''d like to tell you that I won''t use such a cheap product, but I''ve heard that it has side effects regardless of the quality of the potion. It''s not all bad, but I''m not sure I''d like to try it.


    Instead, I used ''Assist Charge'' on Celes-san and thought that if I used the potion to recover - I remember when I was high from drinking too many nutritional drinks. To me, the nutrition drink was definitely a potion.


    ''''Rear-kun, what''s going on?''''


    Oh, no, no, nothing... no, I was just reminiscing about the old days.


    Oh....is it possible that what happened at that time...?


    Come to think of it, I recall that Mr. Igarashi once gave me an energy drink. When I told my colleagues, they were envious for some reason that the beautiful section chief would give me an energy drink - I wonder what kind of imaginative wings he was fluttering around in.


    ''....Aricht, I''ll make you a suit for Theresa too. It''s a leather suit made from the leather of Death Coming from the Sky. I won''t change the design that much, but I think the performance will be much better.


    ''Yeah, please. I think using the ''Light Shade Skinny Suit'' as a lining would solve the problem of transparency when using the ''Camouflage Stone''.


    ''I agree. But the idea was never in my mind. I''ve always admired Alihit''s imagination.


    I don''t know if it will work without trying it out, but I''d like to hope for the best. However, the first time you try ''Optical Camouflage (Active Stealth)'', I''d like to leave it in the quarters just in case.


    The rest is just a matter of how you use the magic stones and runes. It''s going to be another long day.


    The magic stones on my old equipment, the magic stones and runes that were lying in the warehouse - and the ones I just got this time.


    There are numerous combinations of armor and magic stones. Although the option of combining them has increased, I''d like to think about putting all the stones on someone''s equipment for the time being - it''s hard to put them on and off every time, so it would be good not to change the stable magic stones.


    ''''It''s great if one person can equip several attribute magic stones, but it''s also better if everyone can do an attribute attack one at a time, so that''s a problem.


    If Elitia can also change swords, then she can put a magic stone on it - but if her sword technique strikes the weakest attribute, it would definitely be quite powerful.


    ''''So we can''t synthesize special attack magic stones at the moment. Even the attributes can only be synthesized with each other, only those that are compatible with each other...''''


    Once you make a composite, you can''t undo it, so it''s a problem. I''d like to synthesize only what I can get from the duplex, though.


    Wouldn''t the ''Fiery Wind Stone'' and the ''Explosive Stone'' look awesome when combined in some way?


    ''''The ''Life Stones'' will increase your strength.......there are two of them, so if you can synthesize them and equip them for Arihito-san.......''''


    I appreciate Suzuna''s concern, but the members who should increase their strength would basically be the vanguard. Synthesis is good, but I think it would be better if the most vanguard Elitia and Igarashi-san could use it.


    ''''Brother Arihito, I have purchased the materials for the parts of the equipment that couldn''t be used, as you instructed. The valuation is about this much.


    The report that Madoka came out with showed 5300 gold coins. Spending the usable part of the money and the rest being this is a gesture or something - sooner or later, I''ll probably have accumulated the funds to buy a house when I notice it.


    When I checked the total amount of gold coins to date, it was 28354. Converting the silver and copper coins into gold coins, it''s about 30,000 pieces. Strengthening the equipment is the top priority, but I want to use it effectively where I can.

 111 Episode 110: A New Magic Stone

    As for the magic stones, unless you concentrate on defeating specific monsters and collecting them, it''s unlikely that you''ll get more than one of the same ones.


    However, since we agreed that we wanted to try combining them, we decided to look into a combination that would be effective.


    ''''If we synthesize the ''Explosive Stone'' and the ''Sucker Stone'', I wonder if it''s possible to recover while attacking a lot of enemies...''''


    ''I think you can have some idea of whether it will work as well as you think it will if you look at the description.


    As Elitia told me, I''ll look into it - and this is what I found.


    ¡ôExplosive Stone ¡ô


    Deals explosive blows to a group of enemies.


    sucking stone¡ô


    When attached to a weapon, it absorbs some of the physical attributes of an attacked enemy.


    Hmm?¡¡Suzu-chan''s arrows have an explosive attribute, so does that mean they''re not physical attacks?


    ''Looks like ... well I may only be able to recover from the arrow that hit me. Besides, since I''m behind you, I don''t think it''s a high priority.


    I think you always want to keep your strength at maximum, but Suzuna has given me her opinion on the organization of the party. Unlike my ''support recovery'', it seems to be a means of immediate recovery, so that''s exactly what anyone can use.


    ''''Elitia-san has a lot of attacks so... oh, you can''t put a magic stone on that weapon, can you?


    ''''Well it would be nice if you could recover from an enemy attack at once with a high number of attacks. We can''t incorporate that into our current situation.


    Then naturally, I would like the other vanguards, Sion and Igarashi-san, to wear them, but Igarashi-san has some things that he should wear first.


    I thought that the current equipment is already sufficient for you guys. You can use fire, wind and lightning attacks, and Aricht can also perform an anomaly attack. Then, since you don''t need the magic stones in your old equipment for now, why don''t you combine them?


    ''''Yes, that sounds good. Then I''ll synthesize the ''burning stone'' on my previous sling and the ''wind agate'' on Theresa''s sword.


    Hmm, fire and wind go well together. Wind attacks are generally popular with explorers because it keeps them at a distance.


    The "Double Throw" with the dagger (dark) can be used to attack from a distance, but since Theresia''s shortsword is strengthened to a "Razor Sword", I think it''s good to have a way to keep your distance from the enemy after attacking. Even if the enemy can''t communicate with fire, you can probably blow them away with the wind, and if the fire can get through, you could produce great power.


    ''''Melissa, can you ask for these two magic stones?''''


    I asked Madoka to take out the sling I was equipped with first from the warehouse. I asked her to grasp the contents of the warehouse with her ''inventory'' and take it out with her ''item removal'' - thanks to that, I was able to grasp all the other magic stones and equipment right here.


    ''''Well I''ll try it. It''s my first time, so stay away for a bit. It might explode.


    Don''t worry, if there''s an accident, I can stop it with my power. The Runemaker isn''t just a rune-synthetic engineer.


    ''''I''ve never heard of a magic stone combining failure, so I think it''s fine. There aren''t many people who can generate magic tools, though.''''


    Melissa didn''t seem to be seriously worried either, and flicked her tongue out in a small way - a cat-like gesture for a warcat only. Apparently that was a rare joke.


    ''''....''Wind Agate'' and ''Burning Stone''. The two powers become one.


    Current Situation


    Melissa activates ''Magical Tool Creation 2'' ¡ú Combustion Stone and Wind Agate are combined.


    Generate a "Blue Flame Stone".


    Melissa held her hand over the magic stone on the table and chanted an incantation that would only be known to those with the skill, and the two stones glowed and fused into one - and a new magic stone, blue in color, was born.


    ''''It''s ... done.''''


    Oh my God that''s a blue flame in the stone.


    It''s really, really magical Miss Melissa, are you okay?


    I wonder if it''s quite draining just to synthesize one, Suzuna holds Melissa''s forehead with her handkerchief. Looking at the license, Melissa''s magic power is considerably less than Madoka who used ''Item Dispensing'', and the size of the magic power consumption can be seen.


    ''''........I''m a bit tired, but it''s okay. Dismantling and processing won''t reduce your magic power.''''


    ''I didn''t know my child had mastered these skills... it''s just how children grow up without their parents seeing them.


    While Rykerton-san is thrilled, Melissa says something small to Suzuna - ''Thank you'', I guess. Misaki and Elitia are also looking at it with a smile.


    ''''I''ll wear that new magic stone on Theresia''s new sword. What do we do with the other magic stones?¡¡And as for the runes, you should use them if you can.


    ''Yes, sir. Well, then, time is limited, so let''s proceed quickly with our review.


    Basically, I''m not going to remove the magic stones from the equipment I''m still using. When I allocated the leftover magic stones and newly acquired magic stones - this is what happened.


    Change the equipment of the magic stone.


    Kyoka''s Ermineated Cross Spear with the Thunder Yellow Ball


    Theion''s Beastie Claw with a "sucking stone


    Hound''s Leather Vest in Theon with a Life Stone


    Theresa''s Ermineite Razor Sword with Blue Flame Stone and Eye Stone.


    - The "?" in "Theresa". Leather Suit" with "Camouflage Stone


    Elitia''s "Gauntlet of Quick Work" with the "Life Stone


    The "Bursting Stone" in Suzuna''s Toneriko''s Bow has been changed to "Bursting Stone".


    Misaki''s Steel Magic Card with Burst Stone


    Melissa''s Denim Overalls with Confusion Stone


    Anyway, Igarashi asked her to specialize in lightning - there is a synergy between skills and magical stones, and if she can use Thunderbolt, the power of the techniques activated by Thunderbolt will be increased.


    The combination of Sion''s "Life Stone" and "Absorbing Stone" will increase your maximum stamina, and then absorb it when you attack. There is a "sucking stone" left over, but we don''t have a weapon to wear it, so we''ll give it a miss.


    As for Theresa, it''s exactly what we had planned for her. Stun is useful in all aspects of the game, and depending on the opponent, you can use Azure Stones to attack their weaknesses.


    A stone that adds a status abnormality to armor will change its effect, making it resistant to the enemy''s status abnormality. I decided to have Melissa, who has a great deal of power in one hit, have her have confusion resistance just in case.


    And - like the fact that I exchanged the magic stone attached to Suzuna''s bow for a ''fierce wind stone'', thanks to the fact that Misaki''s ''Steel Magic Card'' has the property of ''returning to your hand after throwing a projectile'', I was able to put the ''Explosive Stone'' on the card! I was able to.


    ''Are you sure you want to...?¡¡If you let me use this stuff, I''ll go on a rampage, won''t I?


    Watch out for the remaining magic, because it''s fatal if you fall down from exhaustion.


    ''Yes, I know!¡¡I should be able to handle it, even if I have to use it once!


    Madoka will be resting on her next quest. Her contribution to the battle against the "Messenger of the Inviting Pastoral God" is immeasurable, but having her hide in the middle of the battle just for that reason is fraught with danger.


    Even if you don''t know their position, the enemy will mercilessly unleash an attack that engulfs the entire surrounding area.


    I''d like to stay here for a while as soon as Arihito recognizes me as his personal craftsman. Madoka, we''ll join you.


    Nice to meet you, Miss Celes.


    You really do treat me like I''m older than you are, don''t you?


    Everyone who had been worried about leaving Madoka in the city was relieved, as she already seemed to be doing well.


    ''If we can form multiple parties, we can all enter the labyrinth, but there will be labyrinths with ''entry restrictions'', so we can''t get too used to a lot of people, because sometimes even a party of eight people can''t get in, and sometimes there''s a six-person limit.''


    Certain demons have an area that only those who meet certain conditions are prevented from entering. Such demons have a fixed number of individuals and do not stampede.


    In other words, stampede is most likely to occur when ordinary searchers can infiltrate the guild without any problems, but the demons inside are difficult to defeat, and so they are avoided.


    The guild is also trying to prevent stampede, but they are lacking in resources. That''s why we have no choice but to rely on the autonomy of the searcher.


    They call it autonomy and I think - we didn''t end up in the "Noon Marshes" that caused the stampede in the eighth ward. This is because the demons have disappeared from the labyrinth that caused the stampede, and until they return to their original state, it will be impossible to enter for a while.


    But eventually, I''m sure we''ll have to visit the Noon Marshes again. For now, though I''d prefer to move on, because somewhere in the labyrinth of Ward 8 there might be a clue to Theresa''s past.


    If he could turn her back from a sub-human to a human - but still, there''s a feeling that it would be cruel to remind her of how she became a sub-human by asking about her past.


    ''Don''t be unreasonable, Arihito. We don''t have to try to solve everything ourselves.


    ''Yes though I often run into situations that are hard to overlook.


    The heart that thinks it cannot be overlooked is the strength and danger of your people. It may sound heavy to say this, but I''ve just fired off a warning that I''d like you to see what lies beyond the labyrinth that I was unable to see. The runes you carry with you are all very peculiar. You''d better judge carefully whether or not to use them.


    The rune that came out of the black box that contained the Murakumo, and the rune that I got this time, for a total of four. It was something with these characteristics.


    ¡ô Rune of Tumble ¡ô


    You can activate the Alternate Body, which adds half of your magic power to your maximum strength value.


    Rune of Emptiness


    Makes the enemy ''angry'', but adds a weakness. Cannot be duplicated.


    Rune of Exchange


    You can spend your magic power to form equipment and ''refurbish'' it.


    Hibiki no Rune¡ô


    Sound attacks and skill effects can be enhanced.


    They may be powerful if you can master them, but there are limited situations where you can use them all. And there''s a hurdle to overcome when using runes: "It''s not easy to find a rune slot.


    ''''Rune slots aren''t easy to find open... does anyone have any equipment that''s available?''''


    ''''There''s an open slot in Kyouka''s armor. Why don''t you put a ''conversion'' rune on it in case your equipment breaks?


    Well, that''s.......I think I''ll be fine since I''m wearing my ''protective necklace''.......


    ''''It doesn''t matter if you''re a twenty-five year old or not, in a pinch, we''ll transform into magical equipment!


    Oh, you know it''s not like I''m a magical girl or anything.


    Misaki''s ability to come up with ideas is impressive at times like this - is that what it means to convert to equipment made with magic power? It seems to me that the same thing as the original equipment will just be formed.


    ''''Then........the ''conversion'' rune is for Igarashi-san. Let''s wear the ''False'' rune on Misaki''s card.


    Pissing off demons is kind of my kind of thing to do, but I''d hate it if they didn''t protect me, you know?


    Would you like me to keep the other runes until I can find a place to use them?


    The "Tumble" rune will definitely come into play when you find a steadfast shield. The ''echo'' rune depends on the effect of the ''Horn of the Gods'' - or you can use it when your companions learn to use sound.


    Then put these two together.


    Current Situation


    Ceres activates the Enchantment Rune, which is a success.


    Lightsteel Lady Armor +4" has been replaced by "Variable Cross +4".


    Steel Magic Card +3" changes to "Clown Demon Card +3".


    Well... it''s kind of like you can see the pattern through the card, isn''t it?


    ''My equipment doesn''t look that different... but I wonder if it will change when it takes effect?


    The magic stone just fits into the hole, but the runes blend into the armor and blend in with it, and they''re friendly - the changes are hard to convey at first glance, but it''s probably because they have the kind of abilities you can''t get with a magic stone that give them a unique name.


    It''s time for the craftsmen to get to work. We''ll go on with our work, you should rest for now. We''ll get on with our work, so you might as well get some rest.


    Celes-san''s advice is most valid - we decided to take her word for it and return to our quarters until we ate in the evening.


    ¡ô ¡ó¡ô


    My dreaming was neither good nor bad. He said that he often had strange dreams when he napped, but as a matter of course, he dreamed of fighting the ''Messenger of the Sheep God'' - naturally, since life and death were at stake, but he would like to have more peaceful dreams.


    ''''..........''''


    I''m sorry I was having a bad nightmare, man.


    I woke up to find Theresa standing by my bed in the setting sun streaming in through the window.


    ''Did Theresa sleep well?''


    I ask, and I get a persistent nod. If that''s the case, it''s a relief. I''m sorry if I''ve been awake for a long time worrying you.


    When I went downstairs to the first floor of the terrace house, my friends were also getting up. When we were ready to go out, we headed to the restaurant we had researched beforehand. It''s a short walk from the inn, and it''s close to the upper guild.


    Falma-san, Louisa-san, Celes-san and the rest of the artisan team joined us, and it was quite a large group - we thought it would be good to have a restaurant unique to the seventh district, so we decided on a restaurant with grilled lamb meat.


    ''''We also invited Shiori-san to join us, but she said she''s not good at noisy places...''''


    It would be nice to have a quiet place to eat, but when there''s a lot of people, it gets pretty crowded.


    ''She told me to have fun too. We''re in the same business, so we got to talking about a lot of things, and we talked all evening.


    Mr. Farma is in a good mood, but he still seems to be concerned about the children, and stops to look at them when he sees them. Since it''s almost dark, though, it''s almost all adults going through town.


    ''''Oh, Rear-kun, the people from The Four Seasons are here too.


    I didn''t expect to see more people here - maple and ibuki, who were looking for a store, noticed us and came over, waving their hands.


    It''s just like Ryoko said, Ariehito and his brothers might be around here.


    ''Since we''re going out for dinner, you were the one who said it was better to be lively, weren''t you, Kaede?¡¡Besides, Ibuki-chan was on board too.


    Oh, well, let''s not get hung up on details. Doctor, may I join you?


    If this is refused, Ryoko is going to run to alcohol, so I''d love it from me.


    Anna bows her head with a smile. It''s a good way to relieve stress, so I''d like to have a taste for it as well.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    When we entered the meat-nabe restaurant, Ordo''s Diner, we ordered our drinks first and waited for everyone to turn in. Since no one seems to have noticed the meaning of the restaurant''s name, I won''t mention it either. I hadn''t thought too much about it when I looked it up beforehand - wasn''t an ordo like the harem that the chief of a nomadic tribe has?


    ''''Sheep''s milk liquor.......it''s called kefir, right? This is the first time I''ve had it.''''


    Yes, it''s my first time.


    ''I''ve had it at a Mongolian restaurant before. It was quite peculiar, but this one seems to be easy to drink.


    Why aren''t you drinking this ''necromantic wine''? It''s a spirit wine that restores your magical energy.


    ''Master, when you get back, you''re working, so don''t drink it. I''m tea too.....you don''t listen to me.


    All right. I won''t be crushed by a few drinks.


    I wondered how Steiner-san was going to drink - and I was convinced that he was prepared with a straw that seemed to be made from the stem of a plant, and I understood.


    ''''Atobe-sama, when you all have your drinks ready...''''


    Thanks so much to all of you from the Eighth Ward, keep up the good work!¡¡So, cheers!


    ""Cheers!"


    "''Kanpai!


    Whoa!


    ..........


    It''s almost like a cheer that echoes through the large room. But no matter how many times you do the toast, there''s something embarrassing about it.


    ''''Well........I''m sorry Igarashi-san, will you let me rotate the toast from now on?''''


    You''re still a little tight in the shoulder, Mr. Rear, aren''t you? Miss Theresa is worried about you.


    Theresa gets up from her seat and gently places her hand on the back of my chair. Does she look so unreliable - can you tell she''s embarrassed?


    There''s no reason to be nervous now, in front of your closest friends.


    ''This is all about personality....I''m not very good at getting ahead of myself.


    Master Atobe, excuse me for interrupting, but may I ask for a glass?


    Louisa holds out a glass - which is also embarrassing, but we match the glass with all of them, not just her. Teresia also brought a glass with a fruit-flavored milk wine poured in it, which she says has skipped most of the alcohol, so she matches it with her knuckles. Madoka, who is only thirteen years old, also asked for the same thing as Theresia.


    ''Thank you for your hard work today, brother Alihit. Until you call on us again, we''re doing our best in our own way, so you can always tell us.''''


    Yeah, I''m sure we''ll have a chance to fight together again. I''ll look after you then.


    ''Thanks to Alihit and his team, we have a new racket. It''s a racket that can attack with lightning.


    I''m glad we got what we wanted. I''d like to see what kind of attack you have once.


    After Kaede and Anna, Ryoko-san and Ibuki came in. Ryoko-san looked at Celes and then at Falma-san - they laughed at each other for a while and then looked at me.


    ''''No, no ... Falma-san is the owner of the box store that I took care of in the eighth ward. This time, I asked him to come to the seventh ward to open the box.......


    I thought for sure that Aricht-san had made another ''acquaintance''...


    Oh, you know, Aricht-sensei likes older women better...


    What are you talking about, Ibuki, you''re not drinking the wrong kind of alcohol, are you?


    Just as I''m trying to decide how to answer Ibuki, Farma-san gets up from his seat and comes over.


    ''Atobe-sama is a regular customer of mine. When my husband comes back, I would love to introduce him to you. He''s also been a big help to me with my dog, Zion.


    When the meaning of the word ''master'' permeated the air, Ryoko-san and Ibuki looked relieved.


    I guess they were curious about the relationship between Falma-san and me, but her response was calm and relaxed, giving a sense of maturity.


    ''I''m sorry too, I just got caught up in the moment... again, may I introduce myself?''


    Yes, of course. My name is Farma Artur. I specialize in box-opening, and I hope you all get a chance to bring it to me.


    Falma-san and Celes-san and the members who had never met before introduced themselves. Mr. Steiner was still surprised by everyone, but Celes-san reassured him by revealing the ''inside man''.


    ''''Atobe-sama, the meat has been cooked just right, so I''ll take it.


    Since there are a lot of people, there are four pots and pans for grilling meat on the big table, and Theresa and Melissa are munching on one of the pots. Seeing this, everyone took a piece of meat and began to eat it as they saw fit.


    I had the impression that lamb had a bit of a peculiarity to it, but it had no peculiarities at all, probably due to its good preparation, and everyone had a better reaction to it than I expected.


    ''''How juicy........haha. When that ''Stray Sheep'' girl grows up, will she turn into this little sheep?


    No, this is not demon meat. This is a different kind of mutton. The reason why the food situation in the labyrinth country is reasonably stable is because our supporters have formed a cooperative and are engaged in cattle breeding and farming. Particularly in this seventh district, maintaining food production has become an important issue... foodstuffs brought back from the maze are not enough.


    I''m depositing my trained demons on a demon farm, but you''re also suggesting that there''s a farm for a different purpose - aside from eggs, the presence of fresh dairy products suggests that there''s a dairy farm going on.


    ''So it''s not just the bounty of the labyrinth that sustains this meal, but also the power of people.......I''ll take it.


    Let''s eat.


    It seems to suit Suzuna and Elitia''s palates, and their food is progressing. Igarashi-san was also eating, but she glanced at me.


    ''''Rear-kun, eat a lot of food and build up your strength...''''


    ''Brother, I''ll take your meat. Would you like a refill on your drink?


    Oh, yeah. Well, I guess I''ll ask.


    When Igarashi-san was about to say it, Madoka, who had come over here before I knew it, would take care of it. If this is the case, I guess I won''t be grilling the meat myself. It''s not that I want to be a barbecue inquisitor, but that makes me a little sad.


    ''''........tah, we have to build up our strength. We have to eat well too. Are you eating properly, Madoka-chan?


    ''Yes, I''m full just to be able to dine with you all!


    You are not well bred, so eat up a lot. You don''t eat much, do you?


    ''Meat is a protein, so I try to eat a lot of it to build up my body,''


    We just had a kendo club, but Anna didn''t know if she was going to be a pro, so I''ve been eating to build the muscles I needed for a long time.


    I thought she was going to hit the strongest serve imaginable from her small body, but I didn''t know she was that promising - Anna surprisingly gave me a peace sign back when she realized she was getting a lot of attention.


    ''Theresa, you''re not just eating meat, you''re also eating vegetables...''


    ..........


    Theresa always seems to eat so well, it makes me happy to see her.


    Suzuna was enjoying watching Theresa eat. It is said that some people are soothed by watching a girl who eats a lot, and I understand that this is what they mean.


    ''''Ah, Rear-kun. There''s a lot of other dishes...''''


    Mmm, this soup has a nice taste to it. Try a sip.


    These spit-roasts are also very savory and delicious. Would you like to try one?


    ''''Oh my........Atobe-sama, you look a little hot. Sweat on your forehead........


    When Igarashi-san was about to say something, Celes-san, Louisa-san, and Falma-san continued to attack - and take care of her.


    ''Kyouka-san, I understand your feelings. But you shouldn''t be in a hurry, in a situation like this.


    Oh, I''m not in a hurry, but........are you a little drunk, Ryoko-san?


    ''Yes, just a few. For now ... how are you doing, Kyouka?


    My mind goes back to the time when Louisa got drunk when she saw Ryoko, her wheat skin upturned, holding a bottle of liquor in her hand - I can''t let it go on like this, drinking is fun, but not spending it is a healthy way to be a member of society.


    I must say, with a heavy heart, this is a healthy way to be a working man. I''ve been thinking about this for a while now, and I''m sure there are some members who are not ready to drink alcohol yet, so I''m going to have to restrain myself as an adult.


    I''m not sure you can do that, Kyoka.


    Yes, yes but I usually have a taste for it.


    ''Come to think of it, you didn''t see Master Igarashi getting drunk because I was the only one who was embarrassed to show you.


    Since you''re here, how about some more drinks?¡¡There are times when I would like to talk to you, Igarashi-sama, over a few drinks.


    It''s not just when she opens the box, Falma-san''s mood is uplifted even when she''s drinking, and her gestures are glossy to see. Igarashi-san was also swallowed by the air, or perhaps she was indebted to him, so it seems hard to refuse - I didn''t expect to see her break off on her own.


    ''I''ll just have one more drink, since it''s my first drink, and I don''t want it to go around as much as I thought it would.


    You should drink it, Ryoko. We''ll take care of it.


    ''You''re not making me sound like I''m a sober person, Maples.


    When I thought I was going to be involved in it too, of course Falma-san poured me a refill - I couldn''t ask the younger members for help, so it looks like I''ll have to get through this place on my own.

 112 Episode 111: Alliance Miscalculation Skill Examination

    Gradually the liquor is poured in and everyone''s spirits are lifted - the youngest members join in with the adults'' conversations and start chatting with each other, and it''s a good thing that it''s so lively.


    The first thing to do is to ask yourself, "Hey, hey, did you have a boyfriend, Arihito?


    It''s a topic that tends to come up at these types of seats, but Kaede is here to ask about it. She knows that she and Igarashi-san were boss and subordinate, but if that''s the case, does that mean she had someone else to talk to?


    ''''You never had that kind of thing happen in your work life...'''' sounds like an excuse to say that, doesn''t it?


    No, that''s not true at all. People who work hard are pretty cool, aren''t they?


    As someone who is aware that I was what the world calls a ''company man'', I thought that all I did was work = I had a reputation as a boring person. If Kaede had seen me actually working, he would have thought it was hard to be a businessman.


    ''Atobe-sama, you are wearing something called a suit.......was this your uniform at your last job?


    ''I wore a suit, but we were free to dress as we pleased. There were many employees who came to work in plain clothes.


    Farma, who was born in a labyrinthine country, seemed to be curious about what I was wearing, so she sat down next to me and asked me some questions. I loosened my tie a while after the meal started, but he seemed to be curious about how the tie was wrapped, so he put his hand to his cheek and observed.


    ''There are many different types of clothing in the Labyrinth Country, so it''s accepted that Atobe-san''s suit is like that.


    "Well, your rear end isn''t as bad as I thought. Ryoko-san, your swimsuit is your battle gear....


    You have a fair complexion that would look great in a bathing suit. But you''ll have to be careful not to break it.


    ''''For me, if my armor is destroyed, I''m in danger of being killed. You have to be careful not to break it by accident.''''


    Now everyone would have liked to see what was in Mr. Steiner''s armor, but no one actually said it. There are some secrets that people are not allowed to hear.


    In the meantime, Louisa-san and Anna, who had left their seats, came back. I''ll be allowed to leave my seat once - Theresa had almost emptied the meat pot, but she stopped eating and got up from her seat to follow me.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    It''s not polite to leave the table in the middle of a meal, but I''ve had too much to drink anyway. Many of the same guests seem to be in the same boat, and some of them are out in the hallway.


    ''''........wait, Theresa.


    ..........


    I didn''t notice it from a distance because of the faint lighting, but I took a closer look at the figure coming out of another large room and belatedly noticed it.


    Rolando - the leader of the ''Alliance'' - walks to the end of the shop with a man with grey hair. There''s no doubt about it, it''s Gray.


    I''m surprised that he had chosen the same restaurant as the ''Alliance'' again, but I guess that means that when it''s a restaurant that can accommodate a large number of people, the choices are limited.


    It''s not a good idea to stand and listen repeatedly, but even if I didn''t listen particularly closely, I could hear Roland-san and Gray''s voices rising in frustration.


    ''We shouldn''t have been any different from yesterday. We ambushed and hunted the ''crabs''.......but what''s going on today? Why did they suddenly stop coming out........d*mn it...!


    Oh, calm down, Mr. Rolando. It didn''t work out today, but there''s always something you can do.


    A lot of things?¡¡Then tell me, do you have a way to make the demons that have stopped coming out spring up?


    Roland-san''s contribution earning, which he said would end today, ended up failing because of an unexpected situation - demons acting in an unplanned manner seems to be a story that''s not going to go away.


    And Gray says he knows what to do when the demons stop appearing. From around the corner of the corridor they were in, I heard a voice that sounded good at it from around the corner.


    "I heard that the ''summoner'', a rare job that only a few people have in the labyrinth country, can make a ''demon call'' that summons the demons nearby. If you use it in a place where crabs are found, you should be able to pull out the crabs that are stuck there.


    ...How do you get that stuff?


    It''s my own route. I have a reputation for going to fences.


    ''Humph I was wondering what you were doing while you weren''t participating in the hunt. You didn''t think I didn''t know that you were doing something in the back streets?


    No, no, no, no, no, Mr. Rolando, I wasn''t just slacking off, I swear.


    I could sense the unusual spirit in Mr. Rolando''s voice, but Gray flinched, but kept his voice half-smiling.


    ''''Oh well. Can you procure that ''demon call sign'' thing for the desired number?


    Of course, of course I''ll do it. It''s just a matter of getting this guy out of the way.


    I guess "this guy" is the price for the money - I heard a heavy clink of coins. Did he give them a bag of gold coins?


    ''Tomorrow, no doubt, we''ll accomplish our objective. If things go well this time...''''


    ''I hope you''ll nominate me as your next leader. He won''t make it look bad.


    "...there are other members who have contributed from the beginning. I can''t give you special treatment as a midway participant. However, I will tell everyone about your accomplishments.


    Mr. Rolando finishes his story and leaves. The rest of the gray is about to come out in full view of us, so we hide in the shadows - and then.


    "You can''t do anything yourself, but you can lecture me all you want...Rotor. Your time is over once you retire, you''re done...!


    When he raised his voice to poison her, Gray punched the wall. But then he switched his expression, smiled thinly as usual, and went back to their room.


    Gray is not so much a two-faced man as he is a man trying to hide his true feelings and become. I don''t mean to deny the ways of others, but they don''t seem to be compatible with me.


    ''''..........''''


    ''I''m sorry to keep you company, Theresa. Now that I''ve got a good drunkenness to talk about I guess we should get back to it.


    Theresia nodded her head in a persistent way. The skill of ''Rogue'', ''Silent Walking'', is activated without saying a word, and yet I can barely feel any signs of it. There aren''t many people who would be to her right if she made them act covertly.


    ''''.........''''


    ''''Yeah, I''ll explain to everyone what I just heard. I''m a little concerned about the ''alliance'' movement, so tomorrow I want to see what the enemy situation is, or rather, the situation of our rivals.


    I don''t know if that''s what Theresia wants to hear, but she gets what I''m saying, and she nods her head in a perky way. If I can do two things, a nod and a shake of the head, it''s not that much of a hindrance to communication - but I think about it again and again.


    He wants to hear Theresa''s ''opinion'' in her voice.


    ¡ô ¡ó¡ô


    As expected, Ryoko got drunk and faltered, so I walked the Four Seasons guys back to their quarters.


    Since Falma will be staying the night today, I decided to sleep in the living room on the first floor. The sofas provided are intended for such purposes, and the springs are resilient enough to allow you to lie down and sleep.


    ''''I''d like Aricht to be the one to rest, though, so you can switch places with my bed.


    ''I appreciate that, but I''m not sure I''d let a girl sleep on the couch.


    In the living room is Elitia, who has just come out of the bath. In her hand is a license - she and I are going to be choosing a new skill from now on.


    ''''.......Do you think it''s not a good idea to not reveal your skills to everyone yet?''''


    ''''Well it''s more like I''m the only one being shown about Elitia''s skills, which might not be balanced. It would be better if we could all meet together at some point, but I think it would be better after the sword curse is lifted.


    Elitia wants to discuss this with us individually because she avoids showing people her skills as a ''Carth Blade''.


    But her skills have saved us a lot of times. People won''t be afraid of Elitia''s skills if they find out about them.


    ''''I''m ashamed of myself for saying that all the time it''s like I think too much of myself as a tragic person. They call me the ''Death Sword'' and say that I''m afraid of them...


    ''''Even if ''Berserk'' is activated, Eritia hasn''t attacked us once before. We''re able to suppress the bad parts of the ''Scarlet Emperor''s Sword''. It would be better if I could defeat the enemy without activating it, but I trust Elitia''s power, even with the risky aspects. Maybe that''s what a party is all about.


    ''''Thank you. Talking to Arihito makes me feel better so I''m sorry for giving you so much trouble.


    She couldn''t let go of the cursed sword when fighting, but only in non-combat situations. Before bedtime, Elitia seemed to feel safe there as well - although she still seemed to be a little concerned about the sword that was left upstairs.


    Elitia approaches me sitting on the couch and shows me her license. On it, new skills were displayed.


    A new skill that Elitia can learn ¡ô.


    Skill Level 3.


    Scarlet Dance: When you activate the Red Eye, you will expend magic power to launch a series of attacks. Each attack increases in power and decreases your defense.


    Skill Level 2


    ¡ÁPierce 2: Increases the range and attack frequency of a stabbing attack. Required Skill: Pierce 1


    ¡ÁWreckless Raid: Jump into distant enemies to interfere with their actions.


    ¡ÁBlade Aura: When you kill an enemy with your sword, the sword aura accumulates.


    Remaining Skill Points: 4


    Even though there are four more skills that can be learned, most of them are swordsman skills that cannot be acquired with the ''Carth Blade''. However, there is one skill that can be taken as a ''Carth Blade''.


    ''''Starting at level 10, you''ll be able to get four skill points.


    ''''Oh well I didn''t realize that until now. It means that level 10 is the end of the line.


    ''Perhaps so. But it''s a shame that you can''t take some of the skills I''m interested in when there are so many swordsman''s skills, not just the ones out here.


    ''That''s something I''ve thought many times myself. At the very least, I think I could have taken the skills to get around as a swordsman but the truth is I''m better at the stabbing sword (rapier).


    She can get a ''Double Weapon'' that allows her to do two swords, so if it''s no longer a ''Carse Blade'', it could change the way she fights. So she could even use a different type of sword to do two swords.


    ''''I hope that even after the Curse of the ''Scarlet Emperor Sword'' is lifted, I can still use it as a powerful weapon.


    ''Well in The Brigade, they said it''s because it''s a cursed weapon that it''s strong. I never had the idea of breaking the curse in the beginning, but maybe...


    It''s possible. No, there''s always something.


    Well, we''d never get started if we didn''t give up in the first place.


    Elitia''s expression softened. Then she pointed to the one skill she had no choice in.


    ''''The ''Scarlet Dance'' I''ll save this one for you. It might be a trump card.


    ''''........Elitia, how is ''Red Eye'' supposed to be activated?''''''


    When I ask her about it, Elitia seems to have a bit of difficulty answering. After all, the ''Carth Blade'' skill must have some risk, even if it doesn''t have a ''¨‹'' mark to indicate a curse.


    ''''Unlike ''Berserk,'' ''Red Eye'' doesn''t have the disadvantage of making an indiscriminate attack. It''s just........something that ''activates when I bleed''.


    ''''That''s.........''''


    It would be too dangerous to try to use such a skill to aim for. But Elitia was still smiling even as she spoke of the risk.


    ''''Any swordsman can get hurt, you know. Besides, even Kyouka used ''Ambivalents'', which makes you stronger the more your strength decreases.''


    ''''........That was truly amazing courage. Igarashi-san is the kind of person who can act like that at a crucial moment. But.........


    So does Arihito. He doesn''t hesitate to do dangerous things for everyone. We want to do everything we can to prevent him from doing so easily. If I were prepared, I''d have made up my mind a long time ago.


    I can''t force you to do it too many times - my moonlighting line about not being able to do it too many times - was seen by Elitia.


    I couldn''t help but chuckle at the preemptive move. Eventually, Elitia makes a huffy face and puts her hand over her mouth.


    ''''........I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to sound like a sermon. I know I''m being saved by Arihito, but I was worried.......''''


    ''No, no, I knew it was dangerous too, so I''m glad you''re alive...''


    Really ... you''re the ''rear guard'' and you''re ahead of everyone else when it counts.


    The expression on Elitia''s face as she said this was that of a girl of her age from time to time. No matter how strong she was, she shouldn''t worry too much about a fourteen-year-old girl.


    ''''Um, even though it''s a skills meeting, isn''t it a nice atmosphere?''''


    ''''It''s not like I''m in a good mood or anything I was just talking to you like a normal person. Arihito, I''ll save the skills as I said before. Good night.


    Yeah, good night. Misaki, Suzuna, I''m sorry for the wait.


    ''No, no, I told Misaki to wait until you called me, but... well... this is what happened.


    ''We''re all sitting upright in our rooms waiting for my brother to call us.¡¡That''s the part, you have to keep to the allotted time. Me and Suzu together, double the time, please!


    Considering the waiting list, it would be better to meet with all of us to decide on the skills, but as it stands now, the flow of deciding is established through individual interviews. Misaki sits right next to me without any particular reservation, and Suzuna sits on the opposite side of the table - Misaki is too close to me, so I want her to learn from Suzuna''s appropriate distance.


    ''Arihito-san, it''s going to take me until late, is that okay?''


    ''We should be done by the end of the night. I know it''s going to be hard for all of you to wait late, but...


    ''Everyone else is talking to Mr. Farma. They''re talking about your brother, too.


    ''''Well, I mean it''s something I can''t talk about when Aricht-san is around, but it''s not a weird thing. Falma-san says she''s curious about it, so I just wanted to say a few things...


    It''s the most frustrating explanation, but I''m sorry to ask Suzuna any more than I already have. What in the world is the kind of talk that can only happen when I''m not around - and this is not the time to imagine it.


    ''''There are still a number of people waiting for me, so I''d like to decide without worrying too much.


    Yeah, I''ll have to decide sooner rather than later so that Aricht-san can get some rest.


    I think they said it would take twice as long since there were two of us, but they probably took everyone else into consideration. After the two of us gave them a look, Misaki produced the license first, so we decided to politely let them look at it.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    Then we spent the next hour or so reviewing the skills, leaving Theresa for the last time.


    ''Thank you, brother!¡¡I''ll see you tomorrow!


    Good night. I''ll take a nap too and get back to work.


    ''I think we''ll go to the labyrinth tomorrow when Ceres finishes the equipment. Should Melissa rest with Madoka this time?


    "...I will. But if you see another big one, save it for me.


    Exploring right after the demolition process was too much for Melissa to bear. Although she said she was going to take a break, she had a purpose for moving - she could pretend she hadn''t seen it and rest, but she couldn''t relax if she was worried about it all day.


    Something unexpected happened for the ''alliance'' and they were stranded. There seems to be a way to get out of the situation, but there is a question of whether it will go the way they want it to.


    After Melissa and Madoka return to the bedroom, they decide to go to Theon, who is outside. It seems that guard dogs take skills voluntarily, so I don''t have a choice.


    (Are you asleep already?)


    I had told him that he was going to choose a skill, but he didn''t show up when his turn came. The license location indicator shows the house, so I wonder if he''s already resting in a room somewhere.

 113 Episode 112: New Skills A Little Premonition

    Once outside, Theon, who had been sleeping halfway across the yard with his body in the doghouse, opens his eyes and looks at me.


    ''Sorry, did I wake you up?''


    ...cunn.


    What''s wrong with your voice? That''s unusual.


    Theon makes a sweet sound, so I move closer and stroke his head. Sion licks the back of my hand as she rubs her cheek against my hand herself.


    Right.........


    BOW!


    ''Hmmm... no?¡¡Will you continue to follow us?


    There was no way I could understand what I was saying, but when I spoke to him, Sion would stare at me, so it seemed like he was getting a little bit of it.


    Thinking back, Sion was also able to prevent me from being charmed by the trust bonus. In other words, he''s pretty much missed me.


    ''''Well then, it''s time to go to sleep. Will you show me your new skills in battle?''''


    Theon would only lick his hand mindlessly when he heard it. But he''s a smart dog - and a silverhound, so he''ll use his new skills when he needs to use them.


    He went back inside the house and decided to take a bath before going to bed. I get ready to get dressed, head to the bathroom and somehow cover the front with a towel and open the door, and I look up to the heavens, more than satisfied that Theresa hadn''t shown up before.


    ''................''


    ''Te, Theresa I''m not going to run away anymore, so I''m not going to be hiding that perfectly out of sight and out of mind.


    So that''s the kind of relationship you had with Lady Atobe and Miss Theresa, isn''t it?


    Theresa at the front gate, and then at the back gate - I could tell by her voice who it was, but I was strangely afraid to turn around.


    ''Don''t be so shy, you don''t have to be, because from my point of view, Atobe-sama is like a brother to me.


    In fact, it''s possible that I''m older than Farma-san, and it doesn''t change the fact that we shouldn''t run into each other in these situations.


    ''''Ah........Farma-san, what are you doing?''''


    Yes, I wanted to thank you, Mr. Atobe, for your continued patronage...


    ''Atobe-sama, Falma-san has been drinking. We should respect Atobe-sama''s wishes, but since Falma-san is married........


    This time, Igarashi-san and Louisa-san will play the role of stopper and take Falma-san with them. If that''s my intention, I''m inclined to make an unconditional apology if I ever meet Farma-san''s husband anyway. I can''t say that there''s no problem since he just looked at my back.


    ''''..........''''


    That''s a tough one... cohon. Teresia, let''s make sure we don''t stay in the bath too long.


    Theresa nodded dully and brought a chair over and poked her knee behind it. Apparently, she wants me to sit down.


    ''''..........''''


    I''d like to hear what exactly Theresia is thinking right now - I think it''s too bold, once again, to say that you can go in with her if you''re in a swimsuit. That can be said for Igarashi-san and Elitia as well.


    ¡ô¡ó¡ô


    Even a single change in the temperature of the bathtub would be a matter of life and death for Theresa, so I had her soak carefully. Thinking about what happens when you spill, I can''t help but be overprotective, even if I am.


    ''''Theresa, I''m sorry to say this after the bath, but can you choose a skill and then take a break?


    ..........


    Theresia doesn''t have a license, so I need to get the skill for her. I pour a glass of water and let her get some water, while I sit on the couch and start examining the skills - Theresia stands behind the couch and watches from there.


    ''You''re going to watch from there?¡¡Don''t be afraid to sit down, okay?


    ..........


    I know it''s not easy to listen to me when I say that, so I won''t be pushy about it.


    I display Teresia''s skills on my license. Then I find something I''m curious about, and I''m about to ask Theresia for her opinion - quickly, a hand reaches over my shoulder and points to the license screen.


    ''............''


    ''''Huh ... you mean you''re curious about those skills?''''


    Theresa''s face is very close to mine as she leans in from behind. Her eyes are hidden and her mouth doesn''t reveal any emotion, but she nods back at my question.


    It seemed more and more strange to me that Theresia''s criteria for judging this state of affairs were fine, even if she refrained from sitting on the same couch - and with that in mind, I began to examine my new skills. I''ll have to choose my own skills later as well.


    ¡ô ¡ó¡ô


    The next morning, Farma helped me prepare breakfast to thank me for staying the night. The next morning, Farma helped me prepare breakfast, which consisted of bread, bacon, soup, and salad.


    At the breakfast table, I talked to Falma about signing an exclusive contract with her, and she replied with a resounding yes. From now on, I will ask her to open the Black Box whenever I need to.


    Farma-san even prepared a lunch for Celes and the others in the workshop. We see her off outside the quarters as she uses the guild''s transfer door to return home.


    ''''I wish you all the best of luck. Please tell us your stories again.


    ''Thank you so much, Falma. Please give my regards to Aik and Plum.


    ''Yes. Lady Atobe, and.....


    She looks like she wants to tell us something. I look at everyone, but for some reason they don''t want to face me.


    "........Even though we are divided between the first and second floors, everyone said, ''Atobe-sama is always watching over us. Truly, he''s adored.


    ''Eh....''


    I slept on the first floor for no apparent reason - was I supposed to be ''behind'' in terms of my position with everyone upstairs?


    ''''Last night was like going back to when I was an explorer, and it was a very enjoyable evening. I hope you all continue to be good friends with Atobe-sama.


    I mean, I''m sure they''re getting better and better, but that''s not all.......


    You said you''d never tell me but you''re a mischievous man.


    Igarashi-san is flustered, and Louisa-san is laughing, though she is confused. Madoka, Misaki and Suzuna''s faces are also red for some reason - seeing them, Falma-san smiled with satisfaction.


    ''''Then, you can always call on ''Artur''s Shop'' again.


    Finally, he bows supplely and walks away, and Farma-san walks away. We''re ready to go out too, so we decided to just leave.


    Did you sleep well last night?


    Yes, yes I slept pretty well, but.... Perhaps you were talking in your sleep?


    No, no, it''s very quiet...


    ''Oh brother, you can''t lead Suzu away!¡¡She''s really pure, you know!


    ''Oh, well I was so sleepy I couldn''t remember much, and I was wondering if I was being rude to your brother in any way...''


    Igarashi-san asks me with a sense of probing, but as for me, I can only say it was a restful sleep - but I''m curious about what Falma-san was saying.


    ''''.........''''


    Well, it feels like... Teresa, what is the...


    Theresia flattens and touches my arm. I guess that means I shouldn''t care - and even then, my skull mask is subtly reddening.


    ''Be that as it may... Aricht, you''re going to check on the ''alliance'', right?''


    ''Yeah, I think I''m going to change into my new gear. I just got a call from Madoka to tell me that Ceres and the others have completed their work.


    Let''s brace ourselves.


    As Igarashi-san said, you will most likely encounter a ''spider'' or a ''mantis'' or one of them. If I just scouted them out, I would be able to avoid the battle, but I would also want the opportunity to try out new equipment and skills, so there was no need to avoid the battle thoroughly.


    Until I head to the workshop where Celes and the others are waiting, I''ll review my newly acquired skills.


    When I thought about how I could make use of these, no small amount of anticipation filled my heart.


    Kyouka''s new skills ¡ô


    Skill Level 2


    Lightning Rage: Adds the lightning attribute to the attack, causing additional attacks to randomly engulf the surrounding area. Required Skill: Thunderbolt


    Spearman''s Blessing: Disables enemy piercing attacks when activated.


    Skill Level 1


    Evade Step: Your evasion rate increases as you continue to evade enemy attacks. Required Skill: Blink Step


    Throwing 1: Throws a spear to attack. Hit ratio is higher than normal throwing.


    Remaining skill points 3 -> 0.


    New Skills of Theresa


    Skill Level 2


    Hyde Viper: A unique skill of subhumans. If you attack while hidden, you can stop your opponent in their tracks.


    Pick Pocket 2: You may be able to steal multiple items from an opponent without their knowledge. Required skill: Pick Pocket 1


    Release Trap: Activate the trap without touching it. Can involve others. Required Skill: Trap Detection 1


    Skill Level 1.


    Trap Sensing 1: You may notice when a trap is nearby.


    Remaining skill points 3 to 0.


    New Skills of Elitia


    Skill Level 3.


    Scarlet Dance: The Scarlet Dance uses magic to unleash a series of attacks when activating Red Eye. Each attack increases in power and decreases defense.


    Remaining Skill Points: 4 to 1


    New Skills of Suzuna


    Skill Level 2


    Exorcism 2: Effective against immortal demons. Required skill: Exorcism 1


    Miko Dance: Draws the opponent''s attention to the dance. Evasion rate increases.


    Skill Level 1.


    Archery 8 Section 1: Shooting the bow according to the rules of archery multiplies the blow.


    Seiton: Allows you to use a musical instrument as a weapon.


    Spirit of the Word: Contain letters and temporarily add sacred attributes to the weapon.


    Remaining skill points 3 to 1.


    Misaki''s New Skills


    Skill Level 2


    Surrender: Reduces the demon''s hostility and makes it easier to retreat. You will not be able to fight again until you escape from the labyrinth.


    Extra Turn: Allows a designated party member to take a single action on behalf of you.


    Skill Level 1.


    Fake Hand - Can cancel an enemy''s next attack by tricking the opponent into thinking it is a threat.


    Small Vet: Share your health and magic with others during battle. You will recover twice as much after a victory.


    Remaining skill points: 3 to 2.


    New Skills of Madoka


    Skill Level 2


    Barter: Detect unwanted items that your opponent has that may benefit your party and negotiate an exchange.


    Cart Attack: When equipped with a cart, deal a blow to your opponent in proportion to the amount of cargo you have. Required skill: Cart.


    Skill Level 1.


    Carts - You can equip a cart.


    Bargains: You can negotiate for items excluded from the store.


    Remaining skill points 4 to 2


    New Skills of Melissa


    Skill Level 2


    Bone Crusher: Attacks with an additional blow attribute, regardless of weapon. This is more damaging than a normal attack.


    Loud Voice: Produces a threatening voice to deter opponents and damage their magic.


    Skill Level 1


    Catwalk: Crosses over extremely narrow platforms.


    Claw Sharpening: Increases attack power with claws. Elevated statuses will be restored.


    Remaining skill points: 3


    In conclusion, there were many skills that I felt were useful or possible, so I could not make an immediate decision to acquire them at this time. I acquired the skills marked with a circle, but other skills are on hold. It''s also a luxury to have so many skills to choose from that you can''t decide.


    Igarashi-san is beginning to specialize as an attacker after Elitia. Teresia is now able to counter traps related to traps and has a role unique to Rogue.


    As for Suzuna, Misaki, and Madoka, there are several effects that are unlikely to be replaced by others due to their special profession. Since we have a limited number of skill points, it was decided to take the plunge and acquire all but the ones we wanted to prioritize when the need arose.


    Melissa intends to prioritize the skills related to her work as a ''demolitionist'', but since they weren''t included in this new skill, I asked her to save ''Disorderly Scratching''. That overwhelming number of hands will greatly improve her instantaneous striking power when she joins the battle team.


    And as for what skills I took - as an example, I concluded that I would choose them as needed. I only took ''Support Cooperation 1'' unconditionally since I''ve been curious about it for a long time.


    ¡ôAlihito''s New Skills ¡ô


    Skill Level 2


    Support and Control 1: Have the companion in front of you accurately attack your target. Required skill: Support Coordination 1


    Backslips: You can move faster than the opponent in front of you for a short period of time.


    Back Order: If you are short on magic, you can activate a skill by sharing it with your friends.


    Skill Level 1


    Support Linkage 1: Activate a linkage move on the companion in front of you.


    Back Pass: Parry an attack to the rear. You can only perform this move if there is a target behind you.


    Remaining Skill Points 3 to 2


    As you can imagine, ''backpass'' is hard to employ as an emergency evasion as well - although I can guess that it''s a powerful skill. Basically, you shouldn''t create a situation where I''m at the back of the party and someone else is behind me. If it''s an enemy, fine, but I need to avoid being pinned down itself.


    And all of the skills at skill level 2 are hard to beat. I decided to take the skill that I needed first since I could imagine all three being useful.


    ''''I''m nervous about taking it on the spur of the moment when I need it! My hidden power...!¡¡Can I do something like that?


    "I don''t want to come across too many situations where Misaki''s ''Surrender'' is useful, but it must be an incredibly useful skill. And ''Extra Turn''.


    I can take both if I go up one more level. Then I''ll be able to find another skill that looks good. Haha, but it''s really cool, isn''t it, Suzu-chan, that you can fight with an instrument?


    With the ''Horn of the Pasture God'' in hand, it would be good to have someone who could equip it in the future when some sort of musical instrument is available. When I suggested this, Suzuna agreed.


    ''I''ve been practicing several instruments for the dedication of the Kagura, so I think I can use the flute as well. I don''t know how I can help you, but.......


    ''I suppose it''s possible that they could attack with sound. The Messenger of the God of Shepherd has been attacking me like that.


    ''I''ve seen a few people who use their instruments as weapons, and they''ve done some special effects with their tone. If you don''t have any performance-related skills, I''m sure the effect will be just as good as the instrument performs.


    According to Elitia''s story, there are professions such as ''guitarist'' and ''bard'', both of which have a small number of people. It''s a very rare occupation for a maiden to be able to equip a musical instrument.


    ''Igarashi-san, you''re becoming quite specialized in your attacks, but........''


    If I can get my hands on the ''EVADE STEP'', I''ll be able to stay in front and keep fighting. With the Blink Step, you can''t dodge a series of attacks.


    ''Yes, yes but there''s no need to stick to the enemy. We have the ''Thunderbolt''.


    Don''t worry about it, I''m not going to go after you too hard.


    Igarashi-san laughs at that and walks ahead, but I am still worried about her. It''s because although the ''war maiden'' can also handle the avant-garde, I don''t think she''s a specialist in the avant-garde.


    ''''.........''''


    BOW!


    Well I guess I''m a little too anxious.


    Teresia and Sion also played the role of the vanguard. Since there are a total of four of them, Igarashi-san alone will not be too prominent.


    ''''Hey, good morning. I managed to finish it as promised.''''


    In front of the rental workshop, Mr. Steiner is waving his hand. I wonder if Mr. Ceres is tired and resting - I would like to say sincerely that he is tired more than anything else, thank you for your work.

 114 Episode 113: New Equipment The Beach of the Sunset, One Level

    We enter the rental workshop and everyone goes into the women''s fitting room to change clothes. It''s nice to know that such considerations have been made in advance for a mixed gender party.


    While the congenial voices of the women can be heard in the fitting room, I put on the Hard Oxmail and the Elminate Mounted Boots, which are reinforced with materials. You can now have "Darkness Resistance" and "Darkness Resistance 1", but whether they are useful depends on who you are fighting.


    How do you feel, Atobe-sama? How is the equipment finished?


    ''Yes, I think it''s great. It feels more comfortable than ever........really, thank you for finishing it in one night. Mr. Steiner, I hope you get some rest today.


    ''I''m a rugged armor, as you can see, so I''ll be fine as long as I don''t sleep for the night.


    You were asleep a moment ago and now you''re the only one who''s awake. You''re a very alert assistant.


    Celes, who had been sleeping in her sleeping bag, wakes up with her mouth agape. And just then Melissa came to the workshop. She must have been busy dismantling it until midnight, but she doesn''t feel tired.


    ''''Good morning. I had dinner with my dad and drove him to the guild''s transition door. Are my equipment ready too, Arihito?


    Yeah, everyone''s getting dressed, so you can go.


    As I sent it off, Theresia was the first to finish changing out of her clothes. The appearance of the equipment hasn''t changed that much, but this suit should be different from the previous ones.


    ¡ô¡ïHyde and Seek +2¡ô


    A leather suit made from the material of Death Comes from the Sky.


    Reinforced with the material from the Light Shade Skinny Suit +2.


    Includes the camouflage stone.


    If you miss your target, you will go undetected for a set amount of time, even in combat.


    Noise generated by actions will be reduced.


    Improve your movement ability.


    Acquire "Light Attribute Resistance 1".


    ?You will be able to acquire "Defense Decline Resistance 1".


    You can''t compare this to the previous leather suits - and even though it''s made from materials, it has a star rating. The same is true of the "Horn of the Sheep God", but equipment made from "named" materials can have a star attached to it.


    In other words, the equipment with a star that you can get in the labyrinth may have been made by someone in the past with a named material.


    ''''This was made in cooperation with Melissa-san and Rykerton-san. I''m the only one who has the skills to combine the equipment with each other. Master and I sewed the lining together.


    Thank you again for the perfect job you did in one night, including that task.


    When I bowed my head again, Steiner put his hand on the head of his armor and was embarrassed, and Celes, in her nightgown, turned her head back to her chest with an ahem.


    It''s a craftsman''s way of life.


    ''''Your master is pretty much drained of his magical power, you still need to get some rest.


    You can barely move your armor by now, can you?


    ''''I''m sorry that you two are tired, but I just want to make one point... about the exclusive contract, if I may ask you again.


    Celes-san and Steiner-san look at each other. Then they turn to me at the same time and nod - they are breathing perfectly and I can''t help but laugh.


    It''s a good thing that I''m not the only one. As of today, I am your resident workshop...


    ''''........What, what?¡¡''Oh, um, master?''


    Kiara is that your real name, Mr. Steiner?


    You''re signing a contract with me and you keep not telling me your real name. Kiara is not of my kind, but she is from my side.


    Steiner-san seems to be shocked that her real name was revealed, and she looks like she''s trembling despite the fact that she''s in large armor.


    ''''Ugh........oh, no, it''s not that I don''t want Atobe-sama to ever know my name or anything. It''s just that........''''


    You gave me your name in good faith when you signed the contract. You may continue to call me Steiner. I''m sorry to tell you this.


    ''I wouldn''t feel comfortable if I didn''t call you by what I think is a good name. Keep up the good work, Mr. Steiner.


    "Uh-huh ... thank you, Lady Atobe.


    I shook hands with Mr. Steiner, who was dressed in rugged armor. I continued to shake hands with Mr. Ceres as well - the contract will be concluded if both parties confirm their intentions, even verbally, and recorded on the license.


    "Yes, good job. I''m satisfied........... I''m feeling sleepy again after the relief.


    Then, Atobe-sama, we''re going to rest again. I''ll stay with Madoka-san and the others until we return to the eighth ward.''''


    ''Yes, take care of Madoka and Melissa, please.


    Ceres and the others go into the rental workshop''s nap area. Perhaps it''s because Melissa has arrived, but it''s going to take the ladies a bit longer to change.


    ''''.........''''


    Even with your new equipment, Theresa seems to have a good handle on it.


    I say this with trust, but Theresia tilts her head slightly.


    In a moment of wondering what that means - Theresia''s body suddenly seemed to ''melt'' into the air.


    ''''.........Te, Theresia, what.......oh my God!


    It''s so brief that you can blink and miss it - the suit Theresa is wearing is literally ''transparent''.


    An image that seems to reduce opacity to zero in an instant. After the silhouette of the ''Light Shade Skinny Suit'' that seems to stick to her entire body is visible, it becomes completely transparent in less than a second.


    ''It worked.....................right? But.........


    Unlike the Shimmering Stone, which dazzles the eyes of the enemy, it is so assimilated into the landscape that it''s impossible to tell where it is, even if you look hard enough. This is the ability of the ''Camouflage Stone'' - the potential of the ''Rogue'', which has the advantage of covert action, is likely to be brought out even more.


    ''''.........''''


    Hmmm...Theresa?¡¡Where.....


    I call out to him, as if the presence in front of me had somehow moved. But I have no idea where I am.


    I''m so completely transparent that I''m afraid I won''t be able to return. There''s something romantic about optical camouflage, but when you look at it like this, it''s also terrifying - and that''s where I thought it was.


    With a tap, the right elbow of the suit is pinched. When I turned around, that''s where Theresia deactivated her invisibility - she must have decided on her own, as her magic power seems to be draining.


    If you go far enough away with them in use, it''s going to be hard to find them.


    ..........


    Theresa shakes her head. Then she grabbed the sleeve of my suit with both hands tightly.


    ''Well you''re worrying again. Seems to be a bad habit of mine.


    ..........


    This time she doesn''t nod or shake her head. I can''t help but laugh, as it seems to be her indication that she can''t deny her worry.


    ''Here you go, brother!¡¡My new equipment looks very nice!


    The excited Misaki comes in with a bounce in her step - everyone comes out of the fitting room one by one, too. There were no problems at all with the size or anything else, and everyone was a little shy, but they all showed me their new equipment on.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    The labyrinth located at the northwest end of the seventh district. I''m sure you''ll find a lot of people in the room, but I''m sure you''ll also find a lot of people in the room.


    I''m not sure if the other explorers are holding back or just watching before the alliance. As I thought about that, I noticed that Seraphina and another woman were there. From the vibe I saw, they seemed to be guild savers like Serafina-san.


    ''''Good morning, Seraphina-san,''''


    Good morning, Mr. Atobe.


    ''''Ah, this person.......you''ve talked to Seraphina-senior before, haven''t you? It''s nice to meet you, I''m a member of senior Seraphina''s unit, my name is Adeline.


    ''It''s nice to meet you too, I''m Alihito-Atobe. It''s nice to meet you.


    Adeline-san held out her right hand as she greeted me and we shook hands. Just because she calls Seraphina-san her senior, she is a little smaller than her and looks younger than her - she has brown skin, but that in itself doesn''t make her stand out, since people from various countries in the labyrinth country.


    He wears his reddish-brown hair down to his shoulders, and his hair is partly in a thin braid. If he was a reincarnation, he was originally involved in a shooting sport or maybe he was carrying a large bowgun on his back.


    ''''Atobe-dono, are you going to enter this labyrinth now?''''


    Yes, I intend to.


    So......... No, we have no intention of interfering with your actions. We, too, are on a mission, and we have come to check out the situation in this labyrinth.


    ''Seniors, would you like to enlist your help?¡¡And with a group as large as the Alliance for Freedom, there are limits to what we can investigate on our own.


    Seraphina looks thoughtful at Adeline''s suggestion. I don''t know what the girls are going to do, but I wonder if the actions of the ''alliance'' are in question.


    ''''Relying on the power of Atobe-dono and the others at this point is a form of negligence. As a general rule, we must carry out our mission alone.


    ''If there''s anything I can do to help you when we''re around, don''t hesitate to let me know. Seraphina has helped me many times.


    That''s right, they''re each other''s problem. You''re always too stiff, aren''t you, sir?


    ...Don''t get carried away just because Lord Atobe is on your side.


    Adeline stiffened her back in fear when Seraphina-san nailed her. However, it seems that she listened to my proposal.


    ''''Then........I''ll try my best not to interfere with you as much as possible. If it becomes absolutely necessary, may I ask Atobe-dono and the others to cooperate?


    Of course. Well, we''ll dive after you and you two take care of yourselves.


    ''''I''m nervous because this is my first mission in the labyrinth with a buddy in a long time. If Seraphina-senpai was in the vanguard, I''d be mostly unharmed.


    In the absence of the other members of the squad, only two people can dive into the labyrinth - after all, both Seraphina-san and Adeline-san have the power to distinguish themselves from the explorers of the seventh district.


    The two of us will enter the labyrinth later, so the seven of us will be the first to pass through the rocky entrance and descend the long downhill slope - there is a sense of transition on the way, and the air around us has changed completely.


    Unmistakable, the scent of the tide is unmistakable. Inside the labyrinth, there is the sea - but it wasn''t as soon as we entered the labyrinth that we could see the sea.


    We are on a short grassy plain. The cave crag we passed is right in the middle of it, and a little further on is a rock wall that rises almost vertically. It seems to be a natural obstacle, lined with huge, curiously shaped boulders that look like stalactites growing upside down from heaven and earth.


    It smells like the ocean, but I can''t see the ocean beyond those rocks.


    BOW!


    Theon said he''s over there too. What do you think, Rear-guard?¡¡There''s a place we could pass through, we could get to the other side, but... oh...


    I notice it at about the same time as Igarashi-san. There''s a place where there''s a gap in the rock that could be slipped through, but near it, I can see the searchers. They are part of the searchers we saw earlier who look like the ''alliance''.


    ''You''re not just watching for the demons to come out - give me the toll!¡¡I''m sure they''ll say that.


    ''You won''t be able to do that because it will raise your karma, but if you try to force your way through it and get your hands on it, it could raise our karma.


    ''''I''m sure the people of the ''alliance'' have their own circumstances... but if they won''t let us through, should we avoid a conflict now?''''''


    If we give up on going beyond the rock wall, as Suzuna says, and explore the grassland side, the Alliance may see us fighting from a distance.


    Considering that Grey had ''Triceratops'' scouting us out, it''s highly likely that the other side is marking us - if Grey is rooting around for all of us.


    ''Though we shouldn''t be willing to show them our hand. The grasslands are undulating, and there are some trees, so there is a chance of a battle out of sight from the other side. At that time, we''ll fight as carefully and steadfastly as we have in the past.


    ''And sometimes you have to be bold, right? My explosive card is going to be on fire!


    ''''I think using the power of the ''Explosive Stone'' should be done at the right time. Just be careful not to run out of magic power.


    Okay, I''ll be careful.


    Misaki was still buoyed by her new equipment, and she was somewhat worried that she would really be okay with it, but she shouldn''t say anything to slow down her momentum too much.


    Seraphina and the others who had infiltrated later looked at the members of the alliance near the path of the rock wall and breathed in a huff.


    ''''Atobe-dono, if you''re saying that we can''t move because they''re blocking our way, then we''ll negotiate...''''


    ''''Hmm, it''s hard to get through like that. We''d have to push someone with a bigger body to get through, and even we as guild savers could be penalized for doing so.


    I''m not saying I''m going to push you away. I''m just trying to convince you to let it pass, and I don''t see the problem with that.


    Oh, senpai I''m just rushing in, you know.


    Seraphina-san left Adeline-san behind and approached the people of the ''alliance'' alone. Then, the one who approached from the other side as well was Daniela-san, who was participating in the operation with her heavy body.


    ''''I''m Daniela-Vorn, I''m the deputy leader of the ''Alliance for Freedom''. What brings you Guild Savers here?


    "We have received several reports of you occupying the hunting grounds. There are no rules against such behavior, but we have come to ask you to open your hunting grounds to as many searchers as possible.


    Serafina-san''s tone is calm itself, but it''s powerful enough to be pushed. Daniela-san still didn''t take a step back and smiled.


    ''''The seventh district is said to be a ''foot-cutting'' district, and not many searchers are able to go up to the sixth district. Still, we chose this method because we haven''t given up our ambition. I hope you understand that about that.


    ''We understand those intentions. But if we move up to the Sixth Ward this way, will we be able to settle and work in the Sixth Ward? And if we don''t find a safe way to hunt again, won''t some of our members be stuck?


    There would be a way to qualify to go to the sixth ward and then return to the previous ward when necessary. However, it was also possible that they would not be able to cope with the labyrinth of the Sixth Ward as a result of continuing to hunt in a formulaic manner.


    However, the alliance also seemed to have considered that possibility. Both Daniela and the alliance members behind her seemed to find Seraphina''s words painful to hear.


    ''We have our own place to aim for as explorers. No one should be able to argue that it''s wrong to go up to the Sixth Ward in safety. If we die or become sub-humans, we can''t get it back. If you make a bet and one of your members loses his or her life, no one is going to guarantee it. Isn''t that right?


    I understand. But as for your actions, they are also an infringement on the free will of other searchers. Please be aware of that.


    Yes. I know it can take up to a month to get rid of him at the earliest.


    The members of the alliance laughed, probably because they were able to talk back somewhat with that reply. Serafina-san didn''t get angry, she just turned on her heel.


    ''''........The guild won''t easily conduct a review of the contribution rate when defeating demons, it''s not set in stone for a month, but the revision won''t take place during the time they''re here.''''


    ''I won''t be able to increase my contribution in the same way they did, though, and no other party will be able to do so. That''s a bit complicated, but... what do you think, senior?


    ''We are only doing our duty. By ''monitoring the alliance'' we will provide a check on their actions of ''monitoring the other party''.


    Seraphina-san means that she will prevent the Alliance from interfering in our actions. Just because she''s willing to stay here instead of explicitly putting us on her shoulders, the ''alliance'' won''t be able to probe us either.


    ''''Thank you, Seraphina,''''


    There is a possibility that demons may come here, so we will fight back. I think it''s possible that two people can handle it, so Atobe-dono and the others are free to act as they please.........


    Everyone in the party also bids Seraphina a farewell and walks towards the meadow. Across the rolling terrain, there is a sparsely wooded vantage point.


    ''Hare?¡¡Brother, there are some white flowers growing in spots.


    ...What is it with the flowers?


    Misaki and Suzuna are right, there are a number of what looks like white flowers in the meadow. Elitia makes Sion wait and looks back at us - I guess she wants to discuss how to respond.


    ''''Let''s put some distance between us and let me guess what it is. I''m sorry if it''s just a flower, but...''''


    How about bringing my ''decoy doll'' closer?


    ''Oh, that''s a great idea. Igarashi-san, please.


    Igarashi took the doll out of the pouch and placed it on the ground. Then she began to chant the incantation.


    O mud puppet born of the earth! Once born of my magic, rise up and become the vanguard that attracts the eye of the devil.


    The mud doll sucks in Igarashi-san''s magic and grows as big as a human. And slowly, it approaches the white flower - nothing happens.


    Once again, it approaches the white flower. What appears to be white is something like cotton, like a cotton flower or something.


    ''I wonder if this could be used as a material...''


    ''There''s a lot of them, let''s pick a few. I''d rather fight a demon and do some minor research than collect materials.


    We split up to collect some cotton. I don''t know what they can be used for, but there''s no need to be alarmed for now.


    --I was just about to be reassured. Teresia is about to approach one of the flowers when I stop her.


    ''Teresia, what''s wrong?''


    ..........


    I somehow guessed by her gaze and I took out my license. Then I saw something other than an indication of the availability of "Pure White Cotton" on it.


    Current Situation


    Theresia''s "Trap 1" activates, and then the trap is found.


    Hey guys, look out for that. Theresa has found a trap.


    A trap in the middle of a grassy field?


    Are you saying that it was set up to blend in with this white flower...?


    Elitia and Igarashi-san look at the white flowers growing out of Teresia''s gaze.


    (What should we do........attack it? (No, if it''s from a distance, can we make it strike blankly with the ''release trap''?


    ''Okay let''s use Theresa''s new skill to trigger the trap. If we''re far enough away we shouldn''t get involved.


    ''''Wow, that''s kind of exciting.......who set this trap?''''


    I suspect a demon set it up. There doesn''t seem to be any reason for the ''alliance'' to come all the way over here.


    ''If it''s a demon, maybe it''s setting up a trap to ambush us...''


    After forming up, Theresia held her hand over the trap in front - what appeared to be a white flower. And it was the next moment.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Theresa" activates "Release Trap".


    The Spider''s Web, set up by Arachnephilia, is activated.


    Wow...!


    With a rumbling of the earth, the footing shook - what spread all at once on the ground around the white flowers was a pattern like a huge spider web.


    ''''Heehee........What is this.......what is this......!


    The pit had been dug and then covered with a spider''s web and then covered with grass and dirt to disguise it - the camouflage was perfect, probably due to some special skill. If we had been caught, we would have been caught in the ground collapse without a trace.


    And that''s not the end of it. Several sharp, claw-like things popped up in the center of the nest, biting towards the center of the nest at a furious pace.


    ''''That''s the ''Arachnephilia''...the demon that was called the ''Spider''.......!


    Finally realizing that he had struck out, the demon that had been lurking at the bottom of the pit appeared. Just as Elitia had said, the figure was a huge spider itself, so huge that it could easily swallow at least one human.

 115 Episode 114 Support Cooperation

    The demon you encountered


    Alachnephilia level 6 in combat?


    As if the thread it spat out itself didn''t restrict its actions, the demon that popped out through the spider''s web landed in front of the pit. Then, it pointed several compound eyes on what seemed to be a shell-covered head at you.


    ''''Gi...........''''


    It has no name, yet it has this huge body and majesty. The concept of ''ordinary demon'' itself is no longer meaningful - the pressure it feels is incomparable to the pressure felt around ''Grand Mole''.


    There is a huge bump on the back of its body that makes it look like a spider or a scorpion - I can''t imagine what kind of significant part it is at the moment.


    ''''Rather than a spider, it looks like some kind of fuzzy, hairy robot...''''


    ''There are a lot of hard enemies in the Seventh Ward... but if you''ve got an arihit...''


    I''ll make my first move from a distance!¡¡Guys, ''Let''s brace up and go!''


    ""Yes!"


    I''m going to use "Support Elevation 1" to boost morale while I load my magic gun with "Elasticity Stone". "Supportive Attack 2.


    I''d like to check with a single attack first to see if it''s likely to be powerful enough to be used with a


    "-- Hit me!


    Current Situation


    Arihito loads the "magic gun" with "elastic stone".


    Arihito fires the Soft Bullet, hitting Arachnophilia with a concussion.


    The gun is raised and the trigger is pulled. The firing iron is struck, and the power of the loaded magic stone is released from the barrel of the gun - the light, which has been spun, hits the spider''s head with a roar, and explodes with a loud sound.


    ''''--Geeeeee...!


    The impact of the impact when it landed seemed to resonate not only on the surface, but also inside, as if it was a characteristic of the ''elastic stone''. When I ran my eyes over the license, there was an added ''concussion'' as I thought - the vibration was transmitted to the inside.


    After shooting it, the magic stone is ejected like an empty shell casing and is unlikely to be able to be reused. However, if it''s this powerful, it''s well worth using the magic gun depending on the battle situation.


    ''Yeah ... let''s go, Zion-chan!


    Wham!


    Current Situation


    Kyoka activates Gunwolf Stance ¡ú Kyoka''s and Sion''s abilities increase.


    Elitia activates "Sonic Raid".


    Zion activates "Battle Howl" and the vanguard''s attack power increases.


    With Sion''s new skill, the attack power of the three vanguards will increase - and.


    "-- ''Chain support'' ... ''front line''!


    Skill level 1 - from that number, I thought it was just to improve the blows after everyone else attacked in succession.


    ''''Huh........This.......rear end-kun''s instructions......?''''


    Theon will break them down and we''ll shove them in...!


    I don''t have a grasp of all the skills that Sion has. But - together with Sion''s skills, I can think of a ''linkage'' that produces great destructive power.


    ''''--Wow!


    Scrape...!


    Current Situation


    Arihito activates ''Support Link 1'' and ''Support Attack 1''.


    Theon activates Shoulder Impact ¡ú Arachnephilia is hit.


    Elitia''s "Armor Break" ¡ú defense strength reduced, second level linked move


    The first blow - Sion wraps his body in magic and hits the spider with a powerful body blow from his shoulder.


    ''''Geez...!


    Elitia, who followed from behind, unleashes a gutting thrust. An ''armor break'' that strikes the enemy''s armor - a further follow-up strike when Sion loses his stance and his defensive strength is reduced. But it''s not over yet.


    ''''--Kyoka!


    Current Situation


    Kyouka''s "Spiral Thunder" ¡ú gives an electric shock.


    Linking Technique: "Impact Break Spiral" Supporting damage 36, Additional damage 12


    What is carried out in layers is Igarashi-san''s thrust - the thrust with the power of the ''Thunder Yellow Ball'', ''Spiral Thunder''.


    Current Situation


    Arachnephilia is disabled.


    A fully charged, tatara-stepping spider - it looked like another shot was added to the support damage for three more shots.


    How could the battle carry on so advantageously? Suzuna, who was preparing to attack by activating the "Eight Verses of Projection", also asks me if I want to release my stance or not with a glance.


    I want to completely defeat them as is. Next, we, the rear guard, will coordinate a long-range attack...


    You mustn''t let yourself be distracted, Mr. Atobe!¡¡That spider.........!


    What ... because it''s not moving at all anymore, is it?


    What I heard was Serafina-san''s voice - a position where we could see our party, but it was still quite far away. The fact that she could still warn us means that Serafina-san had experience in combat with ''spiders''.


    Get away from the spiders, all of you!


    Elitia and the others, who had been coordinated, were about to attack again - as if they were waiting for it, the spider''s compound eyes shone.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Arachnephilia activates "Pretend to be dead" ¡ú Electric shock and concussion released


    Arachnephilia" activates "Web Spinner".


    Wha...


    A huge needle, just as a spider would, jumps out of the center of its body and sticks to the ground. In the next moment, the spider softly floats its grounded feet and begins to spin furiously - spitting out white threads.


    ''''Kuch...!


    Caw!


    Yikes...!


    Avoiding the danger of involving the vanguard, the rear guard inevitably has no choice but to shift the timing - a counterattack that forcefully interrupts them. There''s no way to avoid it after you see the needle sticking out of the spider''s body.


    ''''Eh, wait........oh, brother, what should I do.......!


    Aricht-san, the enemy is here...


    Current Situation


    Kyouka, Elitia, and Theon are in captivity.


    Activate Form Change for Arachneophilia and change its form to Arachne Mage.


    What is that........spider-man...?


    The part of the spider''s body that looked like a bump on its torso was just a round mimic of its body, and was shaped like the upper body of a human itself.


    It looked like a mage wearing a hooded robe - if you looked at it with the Eye of the Hawk, you could see that the part that looked like a garment was the same as the hairs that covered the surface of the spider.


    ''''Atove-dono...!


    Seraphina-san rushes over to us - even if she''s going to join us, if we wait for her to do so, our once-captured members will be attacked.


    Untie me with this string, you son of a b*tc*!


    "Elitia-san, no, if you touch her, she''s getting more and more entangled.......


    The only way to unravel the thread - if you can''t physically cut it, then you have to use something else. Even if we use a magic stone, what would be appropriate?


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    The "Arachne Mage" begins chanting magic.


    The human part of the spider has a purple light in its hands - I couldn''t hear it as a voice, but if I looked at it with my ''hawk''s eye'', I could see that its mouth was moving. It''s chanting some kind of spell.


    The magic gun, the sling, Suzuna''s bow, Misaki''s card - none of the attacks can be guaranteed to be fast enough to interrupt the chanting. Even so, we had no choice but to shoot at the tornado, and that was when we all tried to get ready.


    (Teresia.........!)


    The unseen Theresa is waiting for my instructions. I can see it even if I can''t see it - if she''s ''ahead of me''.


    "--Tereziah, ''support''!


    Current Situation


    Arihito activates ''Support Attack 2'' ¡ú Support: ''Force Shoot Stun''


    Theresa" is activating "Active Stealth".


    Theresa activates "Assault Hit" ¡ú Double the attack power against the Arachne Mage.


    Theresa activates Azure Slash ¡ú Active Stealth is released.


    Theresia used her own judgement to activate ''Active Stealth'', the ability of ''Camouflage Stone'', and went behind the enemy''s back - ''Assault Hit'' while unnoticed, she used her new weapon to perform ''Assault Hit''.


    The horn used by the treacherous beetle to perform the technique called "Razor Horn". Theresia''s sword, which has been modified by incorporating the horn, reacts to the power of the "Blue Flame Stone" and emits a blue light.


    ''''.........''''


    "--Kier...!


    Even from my position, I could see Theresia''s slash, which was circling behind the spider - a blue light flashed, and the human-shaped part of the ''spider'' let out a scream-like voice and broke its stance in front of me greatly.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Destruction of a part of the "Arachne Mage


    Magical Combustion of the Arachne Mage Knockback Small


    Supportive Attack 2" occurs ¡ú "Arachne Mage" is stunned and action is cancelled.


    Amazing.........Theresa-san, you''re getting so much stronger.......


    Teresa, evade!¡¡The counterattack is coming!


    Huh...!


    Current Situation


    The "Arachne Mage" activates the "Spirals of Vengeance" ¡ú The skill can be activated immediately.


    The "Arachne Mage" activates the "Web Spinner".


    Theresa activates Mirage and Shadow Step.


    Theresa" avoids "Web Spinner".


    Wavering, Theresia''s figure wavered - instead of continuing to use the ''Active Stealth'' that was deactivated at the moment of the attack, Theresia cleverly combined an evasion system skill to draw the enemy''s attention and make them spit out a string and evade.


    If Theresia becomes completely invisible to the enemy, the bound Elitia and others may be targeted. However, Teresia also can''t hold her magic power if she uses her skills in succession - but.


    ''''Now it''s our turn........Suzuna, Misaki!


    "Yes!


    Suzuna has finished her preliminary movements for the "Eight Verses of Projection". Misaki is also fully motivated - that''s perfectly fine for now.


    Combining the attack skills of the ''Three Rearguard'', another coordinated technique occurs. By the time the enemy, who had been distracted by Theresia, finally noticed our move, it was already too late.


    --!


    The human half of the spider''s human form spread out its hands - I could see its mouth moving again with the Eye of the Hawk, but before the spell could take effect, I had already pulled the trigger of the magic gun.


    Current Situation


    Arihito activates "Support Linkage 1".


    Arihito activates ''Support Attack 2'' ¡ú Support: ''Soft Bullet''


    Arihito fires the Soft Bullet, hitting the Arachne Mage with a concussion, first level of support.


    Suzuna activates Storm Arrow and hits the Arachne Mage.


    Misaki activates the Blast Card and hits the Arachne Mage. Fainting. The Arachne Mage drops a material.


    The spider staggered as my bullets landed on the human part of the spider, and Suzuna''s arrow covered with a fierce wind pierced its body, and the strong wind slowed the enemy''s movement as it got entangled in it - then, as if it was a bad idea, Misaki''s card landed on it, and the spider was enveloped in the blast! It was.


    ''Geez..........''


    Current Situation


    Bullet Storm Blast'' ¡ú hit on the ''Arachne Mage'' and extend the fainting state


    Just as the third step is hit, an additional blow from a coordinated technique is delivered, and the spider stops moving completely - with a bang, the power is removed from its legs and its body flattens to the ground.


    The robe-like part that covered its human form is blown off, exposing the skin underneath it. I try to dismiss it as a demon, but I still can''t bring myself to actively stop it when it looks as close to human as Demiharpy does. Elitia also has her sword at the ready, but she was waiting for my decision.


    ''''Maybe I can''t always be merciful just because I have a part of me that only looks like a human, but...''''


    Yes, I think it''s a good idea to capture them. Even after you send the material to the farm, you can still get it if you want to.


    ''Aren''t big spiders scary to the people on the farm?¡¡Mmm, but this part is like a woman... oh, I''m in a lot of trouble...


    I''m holding a washcloth, so I''ll go hide it for you.


    ''Wait a minute, there could be skin poisoning. My shoes have ''Poison Resistance 2'', so I think I''ll be fine for riding in shoes.


    Elitia takes the hand towel from Suzuna and jumps on top of the spider, covering the chest of the humanoid part - and I can''t watch.


    ''Rear-kun, what do we do?¡¡You know, like a demi-harpy song to put them to sleep...


    ''''That would also be difficult to do for a long time, considering Harpy''s magical power. With this strength, it''s worrisome to have Demi-Harpy keep an eye on us.......


    I guess I''ll just have to leave them at the Demon Farm for once - just as I was thinking that, Serafina-san, who had been watching us fight, came over to us in a reserved manner.

 116 Episode 115: Those who come from Rinkai

    ''No, no, it''s outrageous. Thank you for keeping an eye on us.


    ''''No, no........we have not received such words. Since then, we have again applied to the people of the ''alliance'' to inspect the sandy beach, but after all, what we can do in the present situation is only a recommendation against the monopolistic behavior of the hunting grounds........


    ''''I got kicked out of the gate again because today is an important day for the ''alliance''. Truly, the Guild Saber is now formless, I guess.


    Adeline, who came after us, shrugged her shoulders. It will probably be the same if we go there, but there''s no point in leaving the labyrinth like this.


    ''''........Oh, won''t this spider be stopped?''''


    Yes, I''d like to capture it if I could but I was thinking about getting out of the labyrinth for now.


    ''You can use the ''capture rope'' to keep them safely restrained. It takes some skill to use it, though.


    ''Oh no, I don''t have one. I''ve caught Harpy with a regular rope before. Sorry for being uninformed.


    ''''Adeline, refrain from chit-chatting during your mission. Lord Atobe, may I use the ''capture rope'' to restrain the ''Arachne Mage''? She will probably be unconscious for a few hours, but she will gradually regenerate.


    I''d appreciate it if you would, I''m sorry.


    ''Yes, sir, Captain Seraphina. I''ll do my best, please don''t be so upset.


    They call him captain when he''s hush-hush, not senior. Adeline-san took out a rope from her pouch-shaped inventory and restrained the spider in the blink of an eye - it seems she used a skill called ''rope binding''.


    ''''Assuming we retrieve the ''spider'' as soon as possible, what do we do now.......''''


    ''Do you want to try to get to the side of the beach somehow, Aricht?¡¡Maybe try to find a loophole so that the ''alliance'' doesn''t notice...


    ''That''s it, but if you''re willing to use any method you could ask Demi-harpy to take you out of the sky or something.


    Igarashi-san pointed to the sky. It just occurred to me, too, when I was thinking about demi-harpy - I can''t see from below how high the rock wall is, but I think a winged harpy could jump over it.


    ''Spiders'' are also very good at climbing walls, so if I could train them, I might be able to get them to ride and climb a near-vertical wall. Right now we have to use other methods or negotiate with the ''alliance'' to get through.


    ''''I''m sorry, if only I had a little more negotiating skills...''''


    ''''No, the ''alliance'' isn''t violating any rules, so that''s not an option. But hunting ''crabs'' isn''t the only reason to come to this labyrinth. I think I''ve gotten some response from defeating the ''spider''. Because I went through that process, I think I can somewhat disprove the idea of defeating a demon by fitting it into a certain pattern...


    I can''t expect them to listen to this kind of persuasion just because we''ve done well. It''s hard to talk to them if they think we only want to hunt ''crabs'' too.


    ''No, well it''s an afterthought, to be honest.


    My brother is hiding his embarrassment and that''s pretty cute too, isn''t it, Suzu-chan?


    BOW!


    Despite Suzuna''s panic at Misaki''s recklessness, Sion barks in a good mood. Is she agreeing with Misaki - is that too much to think about?


    ''''Seraphina-senpai, we can''t just stare at the ''alliance'' and leave like this either. Why don''t we use my skills to check out what''s going on over there?


    But to interfere too much with the actions of the searchers...


    Basically, yes, but there are exceptions. But there''s an exception. In this case, I think we can apply it. Even if it''s misguided, the basic principle of Guild Savers is ''assume all possibilities to prevent a crisis from happening.''


    At Adeline''s persuasion, Seraphina turned around and looked at the rock wall. Then she closed her eyes and took a breath, and faced her junior once again.


    ''''Well I get it. Adeline, can you probe (search) the movements of the ''Alliance'' leader?


    It''s no problem. That''s my profession, the realm of the ''hunter''. Then let''s detour from there and move out of sight of the ''alliance''. It''s better if the straight line distance from the rock wall is as close as possible.


    Adeline-san led the way and moved - and as she moved to a certain position, she set the bowgun she was carrying on the ground with the direction of fire pointed up the rock wall.


    ''Well please stay back for a moment.


    Adeline turns the handle on the handle of her bowgun - and the string is pulled with a snap. It''s a tension that would be difficult to achieve with human power.


    It''s not just a matter of time before you get a chance to see it. It''s a good idea to have a moment of life and become an obedient messenger...!


    Current Situation


    Adeline activates Arrow Familiar and generates an Arrow of the Devil.


    Adeline activates the Search Arrow and fires the arrow of the messenger.


    Adeline-san puts magic power into the bowgun''s arrows and fires them into the sky - where they seem to stall at a certain height, the arrows fly as if they''ve grown wings and rise even higher.


    ''''It''s an amazingly high rock wall.......although I managed to get over it. Maybe it''s the nature of the labyrinth, but from below, it looks like it''s infinitely high, but it''s actually about five hundred meters.''''


    ''Adeline, how is the ''Alliance'' doing now?¡¡The target demon and...


    When Serafina-san asks, Adeline-san puts it to her mouth.


    Mr. Seraphina, what the hell is going on?


    When I asked, Adeline showed me her license. There was a display of what the ''Alliance'' was doing behind the rock wall, as seen by the ''Messenger''s Arrow''.


    ¡ôThe messenger''s report ¡ô


    Gray uses the Demon Call Button.


    Gray uses the Demon Call Button.


    Gray uses the Demon Call Button. It''s successful. A Ghost Scissors appears.


    Rolando''s party defeats a Ghost Scissors


    Gray uses the Demon Call Button.


    Gray uses the Demon Call Button.


    Gray uses the Demon Call Button.


    It''s like a... it''s like a... it''s like a demon...


    '' ... forcing them out and continuing to hunt. Don''t wait until it appears naturally.


    ''''Senpai, this ''ghost''.... the instructor said that hunting immortal demons without countermeasures should be avoided in principle... it''s not good to continue like this after all...'''' ...!


    It''s a good idea to have a good idea of what that countermeasure is, but it''s true that if you defeat dozens of demons with names like ''ghosts'', you may not feel like you''re being haunted. I don''t know if ''haunting'' exists in the labyrinth country, but since there are professions like ''priestesses'' that have skills related to spirits, it''s not impossible to talk about it.


    Everyone in the party is also speechless when they see Adeline''s license. The ''Ghost Scissors'' that only one appeared - perhaps the demon called ''Crab'' was defeated immediately, and even now the display of using the ''call sign'' and the occasional demon appearing and being hunted is repeated.


    From the information we''ve gotten, they should have started using the ''call sign'' today. If they have been able to make demons appear with tools, then the number they have hunted is considerable...


    Look, Rearward, look!¡¡I''m getting a different display now...!


    -- at that time I feel a chill in my blood that I''ve never felt before.


    ''''What is this........ouch.......my head is about to crack open.......''''


    Suzu-chan?


    It wasn''t just me, but everyone else must have felt the same sensation - Suzuna was particularly sensitive, pale with bloodlust, and her hair on her cheeks was wet with sweat.


    Bawp, bawp!¡¡Grrrr.....


    ..........


    Theon barked at the rock wall and Theresa looked in the same direction.


    I then saw the sweat trickling down Theresia''s cheeks. She''s the same as Suzuna, and she''s sensing the signs of a threat.


    "A demon........trying to take revenge on his defeated comrades.......?


    Elitia and Igarashi-san were staring at Adeline''s license with their eyes wide open - I also shook off the sick feeling of vomiting and looked at the display with only my energy.


    ¡ôReport of the messenger ¡ô.


    Rolando''s party defeats a Ghost Scissors


    Ghost Scissors" activates "The Resentment of Myoikai".


    An unidentified demon appears.


    ''? Activate the "Bubble Laser".


    What...?


    Adeline-san raised her voice and the display of her license automatically switched over. It displayed that the messenger created in ''Arrow Familia'' had been destroyed.


    ''''What in the world is happening.......this, this disgusting feeling......is it because an ''unidentified demon'' has appeared.......?''''''


    ''''Perhaps.........with a name. The ''alliance'' used the ''call sign'' and defeated one type of demon in excess, thus fulfilling the special conditions for appearing.......


    Seraphina answered Igarashi-san''s question. The fact that it was an unforeseen situation was no different for the two guild savers.


    ''''Senpai, contact everyone in the squad........!


    I hereby conclude that as of this hour, the requirements for interference with the Alliance for Freedom have been met. Adeline, escape from the labyrinth and report the situation. I''ll head out to check on the unidentified demon.


    Adeline-san tries to say something, but swallows her words when she sees Seraphina-san''s expression.


    ''''........I understand. But Captain Seraphina, alone........''''


    Serafina-san looks at me. Even though she has talked about it beforehand, due to her nature, it would be decisive to ask for her cooperation - but this is not the time to get lost.


    ''''Me and a member who can leave quickly when we go over there will go check on the situation. The members of the ''alliance'' that are blocking the way, we have the means to jump over them.


    ...please, Master Atobe.


    Considering the number of demi-harpy''s, there are three people, including me, who can go over there. Theon is too big for his body, so we''ll have to wait for him, but there are two more.


    ''Arihito, I think I can manage to get out of there with my skills. Take Theresia and Kyouka with you.


    Yeah, okay. Igarashi-san, could you do me a favor? Teresia too you don''t have to take it easy.


    ..........


    Theresia shook her head - does that mean she''s not overwhelmed? Igarashi-san smiled at that and returned a nod of approval.


    ''Me and Misaki-chan will also go with Sion on the path to the beach. Even if we can''t get through, we might be able to reach our skills.


    ''''What a mess the ''alliance'' people are making while I''m saying that.......''''


    Misaki was right, the ''alliance'' is in some kind of trouble - it seems that the other members are stopping Daniela from going over there.


    ''Let me go, I can fight too!¡¡Rolando, that man is going to fight!


    ''Calm down, Mr. Rolando, don''t come because I''m confident I can do it, that''s what he''s saying!


    The young male members of the ''Alliance'' raise their voices. They didn''t notice that we were approaching - Elitia, who was ahead of us, penetrated the gap in the ''alliance'' that wasn''t focused on blocking the road and accelerated further.


    ''''I''m sorry, Atobe-dono, I''m asking you to take the lead!¡¡I''ll definitely catch up with you!


    I understand!


    It seems that Serafina-san is planning to make a final attempt to persuade the ''alliance''. As I run after Elitia, I take out the summoning stone pendant, grab it and shout.


    ''''--Come on, Demiharpy!


    Current Situation


    Arihito summons three "demi-harpy" creatures.


    "....oh, come on, the ''man in the suit'' party...!


    Just stand there. Don''t make a move.


    Current Situation


    Elitia activates "Sonic Raid".


    The very moment - no one can follow Elitia''s movements. Elitia runs through the seven members of the alliance with unseen speed.


    The large man who was blocking the path leading to the sandy beach reacted belatedly, and by the time he looked up, Elitia had just kicked the rock wall on either side, triangulating and somersaulting.


    ''''........What?''''


    The explorers of the Seventh Ward, who have never seen Elitia''s movements before, can''t even keep up with perception - when they hear the voice of a large, somewhat nervous man, me, Theresa, and Igarashi-san are carried by Demi-Harpy to pass further above Elitia, and I was.


    ''Oh, you guys...!


    The man who had stopped Daniela also raised his voice, but there was no time to be bothered. We passed through a gap in the warped rock wall - the smell of the tide was certainly flowing from the sandy beach in front of us.


    But that wasn''t all. The sandy beach, which was probably originally all white - although still a long way away, we could see a red pattern applied to the area where Roland-san and his party were located.


    ''''With the attack just now, those people also........''''


    Either we''re involved or we''re targeted... either way, we''re in no shape to fight...!


    The sandy beach was split in two, with a vertical gash in the rock wall at the end of it. The attack when something in the sea shot down Adeline-san''s arrow - it had caused damage to the members of the ''Alliance'' to the extent that it was nothing short of horrific.


    ''''You choose distorted methods, which leads to distortions...!


    Eritia!


    If Demi-harpy is attacked, she will probably lose her life in one hit. I can''t ask them to use the Song of Sleep, so I release the summons and follow Theresia and Igarashi-san to follow Eritia - even with Eritia''s speed, which activated the ''Sonic Raid'', there''s still a distance to where Roland and the others are.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Arihito''s Eagle''s Eye is activated, and his ability to grasp the situation is improved.


    Even at this distance I can see it - a dozen or so crabs as big as a human, with only one scissors greatly developed, have been knocked down, and there is a gaping hole in the sandy soil near them. This was probably the demon''s den that the ''Alliance'' had monopolized.


    Near the hole, there is the figure of Roland-san, holding what looks like a military sword (saber) in his hand. Gray is sitting back and looking at the sea - looking out of his gaze, he sees a monster that floats on the surface of the sea, a monster that is dozens of times larger than the other crabs.


    ¡ôThe monster encountered ¡ô.


    The Merciless Decapitation Level 8 Resistance Variation Terrain Effect: Fear Drop?


    Why are you... I''m not supposed to be afraid...


    .....


    Elitia wasn''t fortunate enough to be affected by ''Fear'', but Igarashi-san and Theresia were affected, and she lost her will to fight and almost stalled - but.


    ''Igarashi-san, ''Brave Mist'' please!


    Igarashi noticed the reason for the strange change and quickly regained his composure. She could choose to consume her morale and recover it, but it was better to use her skills to preserve her morale.


    ''''Teresia-san, Rear-kun, stay close to me........!


    Current Situation


    Kyouka activates Brave Mist ¡ú Kyouka''s and Theresa''s fear state is released.


    Once you use ''Brave Mist'', the state of resistance against ''fear'' will last. However, the fact that most of the ''alliance'' is stuck means that there are few people with ''fear'' resistance and they don''t have a way to disarm it.


    Rolando-san, the only one who is not in a state of ''fear'', does not look back at his companions. He is confronted with a giant crab that has emerged from the sea - I think it comes with the name ''Ghost Scissors'', but its shape is far from the same.


    The left shears are abnormally developed, but the right shears are not shaped like scissors - they are shaped like a sickle. Did the right scissors develop as a weapon to be used differently to compensate for the gap when attacking with the too large left scissors?


    The enemy hasn''t even landed yet, but Rolando-san''s party has been destroyed by a single long-range strike. Five people were wounded, and although Gray and another seemed to have escaped a direct hit, there was no longer any will to fight left.


    ''''You guys run!¡¡Thomas, just give me one chance to set it up!


    I don''t want to mess with that monster!


    But Mr. Rolando said something and started to run. As Gray shouted, he saw another member of the group, Thomas, who was only slightly injured, use some kind of skill.


    ''--Whoosh!


    Current Situation


    Thomas activates the Reuter Plate, and the elastic floor appears for a certain amount of time.


    Rolando" invokes "Sky High".


    The sky is cold and blue. Mr. Rolando jumps up to an incredible height with a spirited cry that echoes across the sandy beach - it must be one of their must-win combinations. Using his skills to gain a foothold in the sand regardless, Mr. Rolando strengthens his jumping ability and jumps up to attack directly above the enemy.


    Airborne Division (Airtroop) - I heard from Louisa-san, Rolando-san''s profession. It was something that specialized in attacking from the air, even in the labyrinth country.


    ''''--Wait!¡¡If you miss that blow...!


    Elitia''s cries didn''t reach her. Gray was surprised that Elitia was even approaching, and he retreated inching backwards on the sand, finally running away. Half-crazed, screaming.


    ''''Uhhhh, ahhh!


    That guy..........he......left Roland and the others........


    I''m sure that I have no right to assist in that blow - but I still couldn''t leave him alone to challenge a demon with a body tens of times bigger than his own.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Aricht activates Other Assist ¡ú Target: Roland


    Arihito activates ''Support Attack 2'' ¡ú Support: ''Force Shoot Stun''.


    Rolando" activates "Vapor Dive".


    I thought about passing fixed damage against that huge body. But most of all, I thought I should increase the chances of Roland-san being able to leave after I put in the attack.


    At the edge of his vision in the Eye of the Hawk, he could see Gray using the Scroll of Return and shifting his entire fallen comrade. The remaining person named Thomas also tried to escape, but perhaps he was out of the range of the scroll, and his attempt was unsuccessful.


    ''''--crash!


    Leaving a trail of white airplane clouds in the blue sky, Mr. Rolando tries to drive his saber into the head of the giant crab. The crab seemed unable to respond to the attack directly above - but it was.


    The huge body of the crab, which showed half its body from the surface of the sea and still seemed to be restricted in its movement by the white waves at the edge of the waves, was ''seen through'' like a ghost without warning.


    ''''--Roland-san!


    Current Situation


    The Ruthless Decapitation activates Phantom Drift ¡ú Resistance Change: Physical Disables, Speed Increases


    The Ruthless Decapitation Disables Vapor Dive


    As if to mock every prediction, Rolando''s attack cuts through the sky. As he landed on the surface of the sea, a column of water stood high in the air around Mr. Roland, with a bash.


    The sound of his heart thumping in the air sounded awfully slow.


    Elitia, Igarashi-san, and myself are shouting - in an unvoiced voice.


    Rolando-san tries to swing his saber at the giant crab that has turned behind him. However, faster than the blade can reach it, the crab''s left shears, but the right sickle-shaped part of the crab flashes and cleaves Mr. Roland-san away.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    The Ruthless Decapitation activates the Soul-Snatching Scythe and hits Roland.


    Without a voice, Mr. Rolando collapses to the spot. There was no blood splatter or anything else going up - but I could see it.


    The scythe wielded by the giant crab did not give Mr. Rolando a physical slash. It just ''went through'' and took something away from Mr. Rolando.


    I look at the license and feel my heart freeze. If this display is true, Rolando-san--.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô.


    Roland" loses his soul.


    "...what is this...why is this...


    Come on, rear end, get a grip!¡¡If we don''t, we''re going to have to.......!


    Kyouka, Theresa, get out of the way now!¡¡This demon is too dangerous........!


    Elitia doesn''t back down and tries to take on the giant crab - no, she understands the dangers of keeping her distance from the demon and tries to draw attention to herself.


    That''s not all. Why he doesn''t run away is because Elitia can''t abandon him, even in a party that seems to be unfriendly and rivalrous.


    Mr. Rolando can''t be saved anymore - my rational self says that he should split up and run away.


    But what if it wasn''t so?


    The blue-white light that has escaped from Roland-san''s body is floating around the giant crab, as if to confirm the possibility of a tiny bit that has flashed in my mind - but.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    The Ruthless Decapitation activates Soul Tentacle ¡ú Capturing the soul of Roland.


    The anemon-like tentacles that extended from the crab''s back caught the light. The demon that harvested and captured the soul of the searcher - it seemed to be taking revenge for the continued hunting of its own kind.


    However, seeing the wandering soul being captured suggests one possibility at the same time - Rolando-san''s soul is not lost.


    ''''--Eritia, your opponent''s resistance has changed to ''physical invalidation''!¡¡The blows can only go through with my support, but can you manage to attract them!


    I''ll hold it for a few minutes but I can''t let a crab lick it.................


    Along with a reliable reply, Elitia activates the ''Sonic Raid''. The attack that swings down the giant scissors strikes out, and a dust cloud rises up - and.


    ''''Atobe-dono, please retreat from here!¡¡That demon can''t be defeated with our current strength!


    ''Brother, please tell me if there''s anything I can do for you!


    "Mr. Aricht, you can''t go after it too far that monster is dangerous!


    Whoa!


    The ''alliance'' was upset, and I guess I''ve achieved persuasion because of the ''alliance''''s upset, Seraphina-san and everyone else are also running towards us.


    ''''The enemy has long-range attacks too!¡¡If you have any warning, avoid the side anyway!¡¡You look like that and you move fast, you can''t take too much distance!


    "[I understand]


    Seraphina-san will get in front of us and take a defensive stance - this formation can support everyone in the vanguard while reducing the risk of being targeted by giant crabs.


    ''Leader, answer me!¡¡Leader!¡¡.........d*mn it!


    Thomas, a man named Thomas, is also trying to rescue Mr. Rolando, instead of running away without him. His soul may be in captivity, but as long as his body is safe - he hopes so, but he can''t always save himself.


    Even so, if you run away without doing anything, you will surely regret it. Even if the ''alliance'' brought this on themselves, that doesn''t mean that they have to die.


    ''''Let''s rescue the two members of the ''Alliance'' and get out of here.......Seraphina-san, let''s focus on just that.


    Mr. Atobe... how far do you think you are going to...


    ''I think I''m being silly myself. Still, I''m not........


    My brother''s not an idiot, you know?


    ''You''re right, Misaki. Arihito-san, our feelings are the same. If we all work together, we''ll get home safely...!


    The two of them should be scared too - and yet they didn''t run away. Seraphina didn''t say anything more, and she looked forward and held up her large shield.


    I will protect you and no attacker will be able to get behind you...!


    The crab swings the giant shears again. When Elitia pulled it back and avoided it, Theresia and Igarashi-san started to move - now they were focused on that one thing, supporting the girls.

 117 Episode 116: Deadline on the beach

    There seemed to be another den on the sandy beach where the ''crabs'' came out, but they saw Mr. Roland and his party destroyed in the distance, and then they couldn''t move at all.


    ''You must flee!¡¡You don''t have to force yourself to join us!


    As Serafina-san strikes up her voice, the party to my left rear finally moves and uses the scroll to make the transition. Now it''s only my party, my party, and Roland-san and Thomas, who are still lying in the shallow water, who are on the beach.


    The giant crabs are constantly moving their eyes and paying attention to other targets while Elitia is avoiding their attacks - the person named Thomas seems to be a proximity occupation, but it''s not likely to be able to be attacked by the giant crabs, judging by his armor.


    ''Kyouka, Theresa, keep your distance so you don''t get caught up!


    ...!


    The swinging and cleaving of the Giant Crab Shears - a terrifyingly wide range of attacks, Elitia avoids them from an unbelievable distance, and Igarashi-san and Theresia are evading them just in time. The "Blink Step" and "Accel Raid" are used at key points, but without such skills, it''s not an attack that can be avoided very well.


    What should we do - we shouldn''t get too close, but we still need to close the distance to make it easier for the members of the vanguard to break away.


    ''Misaki, Suzuna, follow Seraphina''s instructions to get behind us. Don''t just take the ''bubble laser'' attack. And don''t get too far forward, Zion.


    ''''Ha, hai.......I''ll take care of it as best I can!


    ''''I''m going to play ''Everybody in'' while I''m at it. I''ll be sure to guess...


    Bawl........................


    Suzuna put a prayer in the arrow she carried. She''s still too far away to use Misaki''s ''Lucky Seven'', so she takes out her dice but keeps her grip on them as she runs. Theon responds faithfully, but he snarls as he sees the vanguard evade the attack.


    (Even if it''s just a foot in the sand. Without the skills of acceleration and evasion, you can''t get close enough to them properly.......they''re really nasty opponents......)


    Turn around and look at me.


    Looking at Elitia''s movements, I''ll decide which support is best - if I''m going to attack and draw the enemy''s attention to me, no damage is meaningless.


    ''''--Eritia, ''support''!


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates ''Support Attack 1''.


    Attack of the Ruthless Decapitation ¡ú Elitia avoids it.


    Elitia activates the Slash Back command. ¡ú Hit the Merciless Decapitation Platform for no damage. Support damage 12


    Elitia''s additional attack has been activated, hitting the Merciless Decapitation Platform. No damage. Support damage 12


    When you avoid the enemy''s attack, you can quickly counterattack with "Cut Back". When that blow was delivered to the crab shears, Elitia''s sword blade seemed to have slipped through without a response, but the invisible blade created by ''Support Attack 1'' left a slash mark on the shears.


    ''''It passed........after all, if only Aricht had been there...!


    As long as the blows go through, we can take them down - if we can keep chipping away at them little by little.


    But that was only if the enemy continued to receive the attack and if it was possible for us to continue to evade it.


    ''Theresa-san, get away from ''it''!


    ...!


    Teresiak!


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates ''Support and Defense 1'' ¡ú Targets: ''Theresa'' and ''Kyouka''.


    The Ruthless Decapitation activates Necrobreak.


    Ghost Scissors F explodes, hitting Theresa and Kyouka. Ruthless Decapitation absorbs energy.


    d*mn it...!


    .....


    The heart jumped - it was almost impossible to get past the 10 damage reduction of ''Support Defense 1''. But even though Theresia was flying backwards with her shield up and Igarashi-san was also in a defensive stance, she was unable to prevent the explosion caused by one of the ''Ghost Scissors''.


    ''''All three of you, you''re in danger!¡¡Don''t go near the remains of the other ''Ghost Scissors''!


    I don''t mean to get too close, but there are so many of them.


    I didn''t know that what the ''Alliance'' did would lead to such a situation - this ''named'' is still the embodiment of the grudge of the defeated ''crab''.


    Not only does the corpse blast cause damage, but it also restores his strength. Seeing the wounds on the scissors disappear, Elitia shouted in anger.


    ''''How dare you two........!


    Elitia went out to fight back without hesitation - but the one who stopped her was Igarashi-san, who didn''t take a step back despite her wounds.


    ''''You did it.......now it''s our turn!


    Current Situation


    Kyoka activates Thunderbolt and hits the Ruthless Decapitator.


    The thunderbolt released from Igarashi-san''s protruding spear instantly rushed through the mid-range spacing, hitting the giant crab in a half-transparent state. The blow is slight, but the magic attack certainly gets through - the crab, which is charged and fires sparks with a bee, seems to have stopped moving for a moment.


    We''re almost ready to join the battle line. If we showered them with a coordinated attack that folded in a magic attack, we could strike no small amount of blows - Eritia had also decided that.


    ''''Aricht, coordinate........''''


    But it was impossible not to notice. The fact that the eyes of ''Crab'', who should have been electrocuted, were directed at ''us'' instead of the three vanguards.


    ''''-- Everyone, let''s spread out!¡¡Seraphina, please get away from ''where you are'' too!


    Mr. Atobe...!


    The ''Bubble Laser'' is coming - that''s what I thought - and when I see the giant crab''s legs being pushed forcefully into the sand, I realize that my prediction was off.


    (What was that... something glowing...)


    When I realized what the glowing thing was. The giant crab''s body shone and materialized - at the same time, the giant body made an unexpected movement.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    The Ruthless Decapitation materializes ¡ú Magic is disabled.


    The Ruthless Decapitation uses the skills of Roland.


    The Ruthless Decapitation invokes the Sky High


    "Don''t.......don''t......that''s......that''s the leader''s........!


    Why did he reap and capture Mr. Roland''s soul? The answer was - because that giant crab could use the skills of a soul-capturing seeker.


    I can hear Thomas screaming. The crab is lower than Mr. Roland, but it jumps up to a height that is unimaginable from its massive body.


    There''s nothing you can do about that mass if someone else is targeted. Once the ''Vapor Dive'' is activated, it''s already--''''


    I won''t let them hurt anyone else...!


    Current Situation


    Seraphina activates Provoke ¡ú Ruthless Decapitation''s hostility to Seraphina increases.


    Seraphina activates the defensive stance.


    Seraphina activates "Aura Shield".


    She should have known - she would choose that method.


    However, after being easily penetrated by ''Support Defense 1'', I couldn''t imagine that she would be able to stay safe even if I relied on Seraphina-san''s defense and supported her.


    Then I''ll choose. The only way I can think of that will keep anyone from being attacked is--.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Aricht activates Backstand ¡ú Target: The Merciless Decapitation


    Consecutive consciousness is missing for a moment - the next thing I know, I''m spinning further behind the crab as it leaps into the air.


    Savoring the sensation of falling and bloodlust, I bounced the black sling with all my strength and shot out a bullet - I didn''t know if it would get through, but I still had to bet on it.


    ''''--Go!


    Current Situation


    Arihito activates the Hupnoshoot... ¡úHit the Ruthless Decapitation!


    Current Situation


    Ruthless Decapitation activates Vapor Dive ¡ú Target: Unknown


    The skills used in the confusion were used to swoop down towards the waves, with no target set on anyone on the ground. I was separated from the distance in one fell swoop, and I couldn''t take back Roland-san''s soul.


    I''m left in the air - if I don''t, I''ll be slammed onto the beach.


    (Backstand........can''t be used in this position.......think, how can I........


    Wow!


    Theon...!


    Sion runs in and jumps and catches me - but if I land like this, I don''t know if Sion will be able to support the weight of the two of us.


    But the impact that I had expected did not come.


    ''''Oooh...!


    The elasticity of the sand catches me, and I bounce wide and roll straight onto the sand. Sion dexterously spun around once in the air and landed on his feet.


    ''''Are you alright........?


    The skill of creating a resilient floor - a skill that Mr. Rolando used when he flew - Thomas used it for us.


    The giant crab that was accelerated by the "Vapor Dive" and plunged into the waves while sticking out the scissors, unlike Roland-san, was not unscathed from its weight and was still confused - but..........................


    (See through again........resistance changes.......!


    Current Situation


    The Ruthless Decapitation is damaged by the fall.


    The Ruthless Decapitation activates Phantom Drift ¡ú Resistance Change: physical disablement, speed increase, confusion release


    The resistance changes at a dizzying pace, and at the same time heals the state abnormality - with our party right now, we can''t seize the chance to strike a decisive blow at this rate.


    ''''Both of you, get behind me...!


    Serafina-san tries to protect Suzuna and Misaki. As the name implies, the giant crab doesn''t hesitate to directly aim at the less defensive members of the group and set up a scythe - with the current speed of the giant crab, the targeted members can''t avoid it.


    If I can buy a little time, I might be able to get away, with Sion carrying Roland-san and aiming for the only avenue. But I knew I shouldn''t take a single blow.


    The scythe that took Mr. Rolando''s soul. That one had indeed passed through Rolando-san''s body - without hurting her.


    A shield that only prevented a physical attack would probably penetrate it. Serafina-san might have skills that would counteract it, but if not, it would increase the casualties.


    (Think ... before he moves ... there''s got to be something, I''m sure ...!


    The giant crab begins to move - that nightmarish scene is about to be repeated once again.


    ''''Kook........!


    The giant crab doesn''t aim at Ms. Seraphina - instead of going around to flank them, the crab tries to go around to the back with unseen speed.


    What happened to Ms. Rolando is about to happen to my people. I can''t accept that, I can''t admit it.


    Anything, any way I can do it. If I can save these girls - as if to respond to such a thought, a nostalgic feeling rises up from the depths of my chest.


    (This... yes, we still have...!)


    --Licht Aricht. Contractor, you need my help.


    Ariadne!


    Current Situation


    Ariadne activates Guard Arm.


    The Ruthless Decapitation activates the Soul-Killing Scythe.


    Kyahhh...!


    Misaki-chan...!


    Sensing the danger to the party, Ariadne called out to me - and so I was able to activate the ''Guard Arm''.


    Ariadne''s power caused the Guard Arm to appear, and it changed the trajectory of the giant crab''s wielding sickle. The scythe passed over Misaki and the others'' heads, creating a brief but decisive respite.


    ''''--Misaki!¡¡Use ''those skills''!


    .........oh my god, whatever........


    The skills that I didn''t take and preserved. I believe in the results of the ''hidden power'' that Misaki mentioned, and I shout out - because that''s the only possibility left to get over this predicament.

 118 Chapter One Hundred Seventh: Retreat

    Misaki takes out a ''Steel Card'' - the card has a front and a back, and the numbers are written on the front side, just like a normal playing card.


    ''I''m going to put the odds on this card........!


    Current Situation


    Misaki activates "Fake Hand".


    The action of the "Merciless Decapitation" is cancelled.


    It''s a bluff used by gamblers - as long as you can make the enemy think that ''something is going to happen'', that''s all that matters.


    '' "It stopped.........!


    Suzuna screams in surprise - the giant crab, which quickly raised the large shears, did indeed stop moving, watching Misaki''s gestures.


    ''''--Kara-no-oh!


    Current Situation


    Misaki has acquired the Surrender skill.


    The will to fight in The Merciless Decapitation is diminished.


    Misaki listened to my instructions and went further - I remember talking to her as we discussed the skill.


    --This skill is going to be a trump card to save the party from its predicament. But the problem is that it requires two skill points.


    --Then I''ll have my mind ready to use it on the spur of the moment. If you can use it perfectly when you want to use it, will you praise me?


    At exactly the right time, Misaki did it beautifully. But even with a slow movement, the giant crab''s scissors were swung down - right after the ''Surrender'' was activated, its power was reduced to less than half of its normal level.


    ''''--This time, I''m going to take it.......!


    Seraphina, ''We''re here to help!


    Current Situation


    Seraphina activates the "Defense Force".


    Seraphina''s defense range has been extended.


    Aricht activates Other Assist ¡ú Target: Seraphina


    Aricht activates ''Support and Defense 1'' ¡ú Target: Seraphina


    Ruthless Decapitation''s ranged attack hits Seraphina for no damage.


    The shears swung down were several times more massive than Seraphina-san''s - she caught it with the large shield she held up, and suppressed the aftermath of the vibrations running on the sandy ground by expanding her defensive range.


    ''''Wha.......from here......let me push in!


    Me too.....


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates ''Support Attack 2'' ¡ú Support: ''Force Shoot Hupnos''.


    Seraphina activates the Shield Slam and hits the Ruthless Decapitation.


    Suzuna activates Storm Arrow and hits the Ruthless Decapitation.


    Supportive Attack 2'' occurs twice ¡ú ''Ruthless Decapitation'' is confused


    ".........Gwalalalaalaalaalaalaalaalaala.......!


    Serafina-san held her shield and tackled the enemy, and a large pair of scissors was launched, creating an opening - when Suzuna shot an arrow at it, the enemy let out a scream-like voice, unlike before.


    ''''Ki, it''s working........Suzu-chan, that''s amazing......!


    Seraphina''s defense, and counter - and Suzuna''s arrow got through to the giant crab, and it looked like she had a chance to take it down as it was.


    ''Both of you, retreat!¡¡I''ll take care of things here!


    No..........they''re still.........


    Suzuna shouts out to control Seraphina. I felt an unearthly presence enveloping the giant crab as I ran, kicking the sandy ground.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    The Ruthless Decapitation materializes ¡ú Magic is disabled.


    The special action of "Ruthless Decapitation" ¡ú Activate "Create Golem".


    Eight "Sand Scissors" are summoned.


    The sand is in the shape of a crab... even this...!


    The souls that emerged from the wreckage of the giant crab companions - the ''Ghost Scissors'' that were hunted countless times on this sandy beach - gathered sand and formed the shape of the original crab.


    ''''Just like that...!


    Elitia, who is ahead of me, slashes boldly at the sand crab, which is bigger than me. I slide my eyes to the license - there it is.


    ¡ôThe demon I encountered ¡ô


    Sand Scissors A: Level 6 Vigilance Physical Disabled Drop: ?


    An opponent that cannot be passed by mere attack. However, Elitia has no intention of conserving her strength. In a situation where a momentary stoppage would be fatal, there is no choice but to use an added or subtracted technique - then.


    (Elitia, ''support''........!


    Return to the sand where you were born. "Blossomblade!


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates ''Support Attack 1''.


    Elitia activates the Blossom Blade.


    Sand Scissors A hits 12 levels with no damage.


    Activate Elitia''s additional attack and hit Sand Scissors 8 times. No damage. Support damage 96


    Defeat one "Sand Scissors".


    Receiving an unnoticeable slash, the sand crab explodes - the fact that ''Support Attack 1'' still works is the result of Elitia''s overwhelming number of attacks (tamamono).


    ''''Even though the sword itself didn''t have any response, it was ''slashed''....


    ''Guys, normal attacks don''t work on crabs made of sand!¡¡Get out of the way!


    ''Well, even so, the road is blocked......... no, no, I''m dizzy trying to ''surrender''....


    Misaki-chan, hold on.......we''re almost there.......


    At this rate, Sion, who has been running with Roland-san''s body on his back, will also be blocked on the road - Thomas-san is also unable to move because he is blocked in his path.


    (The giant crab''s confusion has been lifted, but the will to fight should still be down.......please, don''t shoot the ''bubble laser'' at me.......!


    "-- Come again, Demi-harpy!


    Current Situation


    Aricht summons three demi-harpy demigods.


    Himiko and Asuka, you take care of Thomas and Igarashi-san!¡¡Yayoi, sing ''Sleeping Song'' for me!


    Rear...


    ''I''m fine!¡¡I will definitely get away with it, so please go ahead, Igarashi-san!


    Oh, you''re a demon hunter... but don''t die, you in the suit!¡¡If you''re dead, nothing will happen to you!


    I have no intention of dying - Igarashi-san followed my instructions, but he''ll give me one of his sermons after he leaves. He wondered why he was putting himself off.


    It''s because I wasn''t the only one left. It''s because I know that "She (Theresa)" won''t run away without me and will stay behind by any means necessary.


    The current situation


    Yayoi activates Sleep Song ¡ú Sand Scissors E and Sand Scissors F sleep


    I heard you.¡¡(If it can be understood even if it''s made of sand, it doesn''t seem to only affect the sense of hearing...)


    In the meantime........come on, Aricht-san, Theresa-san, come on....


    We''ll be fine!¡¡Everyone just think about running to the other side now!


    She doesn''t look okay, but.........big brother......


    I had to run as far away from the giant crab as possible, but the ''Sand Scissors'' were carefully blocking my path. The crab emerges from the sand in front of me and attacks me, swinging her scissors at me.


    But she''s still there - she''s moving to ''the position I want her to be in'', even without giving me instructions.


    ''''--Tereziah!


    Huh...!


    Current Situation


    Sand Scissors D activates the Club Hammer.


    Theresa" is activating "Active Stealth".


    Theresa activates "Assault Hit" and doubles her attack power against Sand Scissors D.


    Theresia activates Azure Slash ¡ú Knockback Collapse of Active Stealth


    Destroy a part of Sand Scissors D. ¡ú Sand Scissors D drops a material.


    Aricht activates a Force Shoot Stun ¡ú Sand Scissors D stuns.


    One attack isn''t enough to take them down with just the two of us.


    If it''s the power of the magic stone on Theresia''s sword, it''s not a physical attack, so we''re able to deliver the blows. Without escaping the opening created by the stun, we hit a series of blows again.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Aricht activates ''Support Attack 1''.


    Theresa activates Double Throw. ¡ú Sand Scissors D hits two levels. No damage. 24 support damage.


    Theresa activates Azure Slash and hits Sand Scissors D.


    Defeat a Sand Scissors D


    I could beat him........but we shouldn''t be draining our magic power at this pace.......!


    .....


    Theresa, hold on!


    ...!


    Although the power of the ¡ºBlue Flame Stone¡» was extremely high, the drain on her magic power was too great instead. She supported her body that made her legs tangle as she tried to run and used the ''Assist Charge''.


    ''''.........''''


    Don''t worry about it, I''ll still be fine...!


    The remaining obstacle is a giant crab whose battle spirit is returning to the battle cry lowered by ''Surrender'' - Theresa has recovered enough magic power to use ''Axel Dash'', but if she swings the too large shears, it will be difficult to avoid it.


    You can use ''Backstand'' on members who have already escaped. However, we can''t leave her until we reach Teresia together too.


    ''''--Yayoi, take care of Teresia!


    Huh...!


    ''I''m the last!¡¡Otherwise, what''s the ''rear guard''!


    I don''t know if the persuasion came through. I call for Yayoi, who has finished the "Song of Sleep", to carry Theresa - she reaches out her hand, but I choose to run on my feet.


    ''Atobe-dono.......I can''t let someone like you die.......!


    Seraphina!


    Current Situation


    The will to fight in The Merciless Decapitation is restored.


    Seraphina activates the defensive stance.


    Seraphina activates "Aura Shield".


    Ruthless Decapitation''s attack ¡ú Seraphina is hit.


    Serafina-san launches the attack of the ''Merciless Decapitation''. If you catch a large shear like a block of rock, several times larger than yourself, you won''t be able to get away unharmed by the impact - yet she still looked at me with eyes that only had a fighting spirit.


    ''Lord Atobe, I''ll buy you some time!¡¡You are someone who must survive.........!


    Are you going to continue to take the attack and get the enemy''s attention? However, if I do so, the sand crabs that are still left may go after Seraphina-san.


    If I can fly ''backstand'' behind my friends who have already escaped, I''ll be able to save myself - but.


    I have to save Ms. Seraphina, who attracted the enemy''s attack to keep me alive, at all costs.


    ''''I won''t let anyone else.......in front of me.......ever again...!


    Once Elitia got away safely, before she came back and still ended up in front of The Merciless Decapitation.

 119 Chapter One Hundred and Eighteen: The Collapse of the Alliance

    The giant crab pushes the shears back on Serafina-san and jerks backwards. The mass of the scissors that bounced back dragged it down - it was too big and couldn''t control the weight of the scissors itself.


    But the weight didn''t seem to self-destruct. The giant crab''s joints creak up, but it holds on like a claw in the sand, and is ready to launch a counterattack.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    The Ruthless Decapitation begins to charge the Guillotine.


    Seraphina activates Fudo no Hibi (Breath of Immobility), which increases the counter probability.


    Seraphina activates Niou-stand ¡ú Knockback against Seraphina is nullified.


    The scissors were slowly raised - a sharpened, pure killing spirit that was different from the first attack. Even in the face of it, Seraphina-san did not waver.


    ''''Come........I will never move from here.......!


    Seraphina-san''s level is 3 more than the giant crab - yet, the blow of the scissors (scissors) exceeded her defense.


    Something like black magical power rises from the giant crab''s entire body. Before it could completely cover the scissors, I heard a whispering voice from close by.


    I hear the voice - the sword on my back. The Murakumo is speaking to me.


    ''''- The blade of resentment can''t hurt me. Master, you can call my name.''''


    "I''ll help you. They may be able to repair my arm, but they can''t replace you.


    I have no choice but to believe those reliable words for now. I put my hand on my sword and then activate my skills.


    ''Let''s go........Ariadne, Murakumo!


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates Backstand ¡ú Target: Seraphina


    Seraphina, join us!


    Yes.........yes, sir.......


    I have more to do before I''m surprised. Grateful for that hesitant decision, I watched as two mechanical arms appeared in front of Seraphina-san.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Aricht''s ''Support and Defense 1'' has been activated ¡ú Target: Seraphina


    Ariecht requests temporary support from Ariadne, the god of the machine, ¡ú Target: Seraphina


    Ariadne activates Guard Arm.


    Seraphina activates "Aura Shield".


    The Ruthless Decapitation activates the Guillotine ¡ú Guard Arm reduces its power.


    The scissors clad in magic power are swung down at a speed that makes it impossible to feel the resistance of air at all and is barely visible - the two "guard arms" catch it as if it were pinched with precision that does not deviate to the slightest degree, reducing its power.


    "I''m going to get........caught...........................


    Current Situation


    Seraphina activates Shieldpally ¡ú Guillotine is disabled. Ruthless Decapitation temporarily stops action.


    With Serafina-san''s skills, the giant crab exposes itself completely defenseless - but this means that if it escapes, it will be pursued.


    ''''--The guard arm is damaged. I advise the party to retreat.


    I''m sorry... but this is the only blow...!


    Current Situation


    Arihito activates the "Lord''s General" and his status increases by the number of people in his party.


    Arihito activates Meteor Strike.


    The moment I perform this technique, I feel the sensation that the Murakumo is holding my hand from behind. The moment you perform this technique, you feel the hand of the Murakumo from behind, and your body stops being your own, and you become one with the Murakumo.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Broken parts of the Ruthless Decapitation ¡ú Attack power reduced, defense power lowered.


    The moment the magic power of the scissors swung down disappears, the thrust is unleashed and at the same time, the Murakumo leaves my hand and thrusts into the scissors with a purple light, creating a large crack.


    Just like when Suzuna''s arrow hits, the giant crab makes a sound - and I realize that I''m not the only one. Suzuna''s arrow is sticking out of the end of the giant crab''s mouth, and that''s one of its weaknesses.


    ''What a ... crack in that solid shell ...''


    Seraphina, while you''re at it........!


    I call out to Seraphina-san, who is stunned, and I retreat with her.


    ''''--Alihitto, still behind........!


    (..........what a persistence.......!


    The giant crab, with its giant scissors raised, chased after me without a care in the world. In response to its movement, even the surviving ''Sand Scissors'' are raising their scissors.


    But we jump in and run into the path between the rock walls. The giant crab finally stopped chasing and watched us with its eyes, but it didn''t pursue us any further.


    Roland-san''s soul that was captured in "Soul Tentacle" - its sparkle has not yet been lost. However, I don''t know how long the body separated from the soul will last.


    Daniela, you can''t!¡¡If you''re so distracted, you''re pregnant........


    ........no.......!


    Theon, who had escaped first - seeing Roland-san on his back, Daniela shook off her fellow woman to get to her.


    Looking around, she saw Gray''s figure at a slight distance. He must have come back to check on her after escaping using the Scroll of Return.


    However, he didn''t speak to his companions, and to Daniela-san, and when he realized that I was watching him, the corners of his mouth twisted into a smile and he turned away from the scene.


    I couldn''t bring myself to chase after him and question him now. I was the only one who noticed Gray''s presence, and no one else was paying attention.


    No one else was able to say a word. Even the members of the ''Alliance'' who were able to escape safely were all in a state of self-destruction.


    I approached Sion and looked at Roland-san.


    He looks as if he is asleep. The sensation of breathing was extremely long, and even though he was alive, his skin was pale and showed no signs of waking up from his sleep.


    ''''We will take him to the medical station. Thank you so much for your cooperation, Lord Atobe. Adeline should have made arrangements to transport the ''Arachne Mage'' that she had captured to the farm. I will tell her to come up to report later.


    ''Mr. Seraphina that demon is....


    As if the sandy beach were its own, the giant crab turns its back on us - and when it has made some progress, it suddenly disappears from sight.


    ''Named'' continues to aim at the first person it encounters. If you''re not a member of Roland-san''s party, you won''t be able to attack again - but there''s a chance that the enemy will remember us once we''ve engaged them, too.


    ''''That demon appeared under extremely special conditions. Compared to the normal level 8 ''named'', the abilities it has are extremely dangerous. We only used it once this time, but theoretically, it''s a golem-making magic, and it could theoretically be able to create as many golems as the ''Ghost Scissors'' were hunted... If that happens, it would be difficult for even our Guild Saber Squad to defeat it.


    However, if the demons that appeared were left unbeaten, a stampede would eventually occur. Seraphina-san knew that and continued to speak regretfully.


    ''''I''ll ask the Guild Saber Headquarters for backup. We can''t leave that demon alone like this.''''


    ...How many days does that support take to come?


    ''It could be as early as three days ... or as long as a week if it takes longer. Originally, ''named'' is recommended to be defeated by the party that encounters it. The management of the safety of each district is left to the searchers in the relevant district... so backup is not considered an urgent task except after the stampede has occurred.


    -- so when they encounter a ''named'' that they just can''t win, the searcher has no choice but to flee. Then the stampede happens and many people get involved.


    The Guild Saber is not an organization whose main purpose is to protect searchers. So it''s a group to maintain a distance between us and the searchers, to monitor and maintain order - but Serafina-san tried to help us, even if she joined the battle herself.


    The leader of the ''Alliance'' ... Rolando Voln, by his own choice, made the ''named'' emerge and then challenged them to a fight, which they lost. This is not a tragedy, but something that happens everywhere in the Maze Country. Lord Atobe, please understand that.


    Seraphina''s men enter the labyrinth and transition with Rolando and Daniela - perhaps they sent them to the medical center.


    When the remaining members of the alliance finally get moving, they begin to discuss something. It seemed to be about the future after Roland-san was gone.


    ''''You guys, could you at least say something........''''


    "I''m sorry, but we''re in no shape to talk right now. I thank you guys for your help and I''m sorry for hogging the hunting ground.


    Their hearts were on the verge of breaking - it was not unreasonable if they were aware that their actions had brought about this result.


    ''Arihito let''s go outside for once.


    I''m sorry, my friend. My judgment is...


    "...you''re about to have a baby, and your father...that''s not...


    I didn''t want him to wake up. Unable to say that much, Igarashi-san took a shaky breath and turned his back on me.


    I was repulsed by what the ''alliance'' was doing, and even now, I have no sympathy for what they did.


    I should have put the safety of my people above all else. If Misaki and Suzuna hadn''t come, we wouldn''t have bought ourselves time to escape - but the girls wouldn''t have stayed safe if they were attacked by that crab.


    It was not the right decision for a leader. It''s not something that can be apologized for - as I was thinking that, someone pinched me on the cheek.


    ''''I.........Igarashi-san.......?


    ''''Well I understand how you feel, Rear-sister, but I''m telling you to take care of yourself above all else. I''ve been wanting to try out the ''Ibeid Step'' for a while now.


    Preferably with a safer demon........


    No demon is safe, okay?¡¡If your brother is behind you, Zubba bang!¡¡I could do that.


    ''''I don''t think Arihito-san''s decision is something you would normally make... but I don''t think it''s wrong. Because I hope that as many people as possible who have also transitioned to the Labyrinth Country will be alive.


    Suzuna is right, we usually can''t - or shouldn''t - do this. Because the most important thing is to move on safely with your friends.


    ''''Well I thought I was doing something stupid, too. If you''re going to apologize, then I need to apologize too.


    BOW!


    ..........


    Zion was barking little and wagging his tail with a flap. Theresia touched my arm and stroked me soothingly.


    ''So ... you think your rear end isn''t done yet, don''t you?


    Igarashi-san says - as if he can tell by looking at my face.


    ''''........Roland-san''s soul has been captured. I believe that if that state of affairs continues, Roland-san will indeed die. But........


    ''We have no righteousness to help you it''s easy to say that. We''ve got one last shot at it, and if we''re prepared, we''ll win. That''s not to say we''re reckless.


    A fighting spirit burns in Elitia''s eyes. Yes - the promotion condition of defeating three of the ''named'' can be fulfilled if you are able to defeat the ''merciless decapitation''.


    If you''ve fought them once, you can take countermeasures. If we can''t do everything possible, we shouldn''t challenge them again - that''s the prerequisite for anything.


    ''It''s frustrating for us, too, if we keep getting beaten. We haven''t been able to use all of our attack methods yet...


    ''''I feel like I can play an active role as well... like I''m scared, like I want to show you the best part here...''''


    Misaki-chan, what did you come up with?


    In the face of such a powerful enemy, my friends are thinking about how to win. It''s a presumptuous idea that I''m defending them - I''m reminded of that now, and I''m prompted to reflect on it.


    ''What do you think, Aricht?¡¡I think that''s the surest way to ensure that you''ll be able to put together a plan.


    "........... I''m thinking ...


    Elitia asked me for my opinion, and based on everyone''s equipment and skills that I know, I''m going to come up with a few strategies - to stick to our ideas and move forward.

 120 Episode 119: White Explorer

    We leave the "Beach of the Falling Sun" and go out to the plaza in front of the labyrinth. Then, you can hear the other parties who saw Rolando-san and Daniela-san being carried away talking in a pitying manner.


    ''''The leader of the ''Alliance'' was hit, isn''t it that guy from the example?''''''


    Yeah, they came over here with their whole unit and left one of us behind in sector seven...


    People don''t always follow you around. You left a little something for me, and I don''t appreciate it.


    The unit - does that mean that before Roland-san''s reincarnation, he was in the army or something, as the profession of ''Airborne Division'' suggests?


    It''s no wonder that there are many searchers who have an antipathy towards the ''alliance''. It seems that if you don''t pass through that sandy beach, you won''t be able to descend to the second level, and until the ''named'' is defeated, it''s virtually impossible to enter the ''Ochiyang Beach''.


    The remaining members of the ''alliance'' belatedly emerged from the labyrinth, but no one seemed to have the energy to even say a word. When the person named Thomas saw us, he bowed his head, but he didn''t speak to us, but instead headed quickly towards the upper guild - he would be heading to the medical center in that direction.


    (.........hmm?)


    It''s not another party, nor is it a guild saber - a white haired figure wearing something like sunglasses, which is rare in the labyrinth country, is looking at us.


    Seeing the figure wearing a white cloak, Elitia stops in her tracks. When she was about to call out to her as she stood there dumbfounded, Elitia burst back, and let out a small voice.


    ''''........of the Byakuya Brigade.......why are you here.......?''''


    You think that''s him?


    Whaaaaa........here it comes.......can you hide behind me, Suzu?


    Oh, no, I''m not ready for this either...


    It was hard to tell by the white cloak that hid his body shape, but the person who approached us was a woman. Underneath the cloak, she wore leather-based armor, but it looked like it was of a different quality than anything we''d ever gotten before.


    As she came up to Elitia, she raised her hand in a frightened manner.


    ''Hey, it''s been a while, Ellie. I''m glad to see you''re doing well.''


    Her appearance gave me the impression that she was no ordinary person, but she greeted Elitia in a more friendly manner than I could have imagined.


    ''''What are you doing here?¡¡Why are you here...


    The Commander asked me to run an errand down to the lower section. I heard there were some interesting things happening on the way.


    "...not a funny situation. One person.....


    It''s rare in this district to find a demon that can pull out your soul. It''s not fair to tell them to take countermeasures... you should have run away as soon as they came out.


    I''m aware of what happened - where you were watching from, or you guessed it when you saw Mr. Roland and the others being carried.


    ''''Is that all you''re trying to say?''''


    ''Yeah, for now. But still, I think we should get a few more good guys together.¡¡Some of the girls are in professions like Iroko, and then they''ll just drag you down. ''Miko'' is a halfway house, and didn''t the guy in that suit write ''salaryman'' or something?¡¡It won''t help you in the long run...


    ''You can say whatever you like about me. But don''t say anything about my people. Because if you say it again, I won''t be able to forgive you.


    The white-haired woman kept her mouth shut when Elitia controlled her. Then she bowed her head with surprising candor.


    ''That was out of line, I apologize. But Ellie is mistaken. We haven''t abandoned her in any way. I''m sure she was ready for it, too. When the time comes for you to drag yourself down, then...


    ...you can''t even remember my name. I don''t forget.........


    That''s how heartless you can be towards someone who was your friend. The white haired woman didn''t really seem to remember the name of the friend Elitia was hoping to help.


    However, without seeming to be offended, the white haired woman starts clapping her hands - heartily enjoying herself.


    ''Haha... haha. I wholeheartedly admire that about Ellie. Even though her level is low, she''s brave when it comes to fighting, she steps deeper than anyone else and doesn''t complain when she gets hurt. I couldn''t possibly do that. I can''t very well remember every single useless name.


    But it''s not like he''s a badass...!


    ''''Yes, Ruly. If only the boy had found the right equipment, he might have survived a little longer. I''m so sorry.


    .........


    Elitia still thinks that her best friend - Luury - is still alive. Even though she was in denial about it, she couldn''t immediately refute it.


    Hope doesn''t always exist. The longer we continue to explore, the longer we may have to divide it up like that to get by - but still.


    ''Will you stop me from going any further? You''re hurting my people right now and I can''t let that go by.


    "...Aricht...


    Just going forward and facing it, the pressure was overwhelming - was Elitia in an organization with such an opponent, and was she still facing it?


    ''''Well I guess I''ve said too much again. And it doesn''t look like he''s just a ''businessman'' he has eyes like a hawk, not a dog''s eye.


    ''''Don''t do anything to Arihito!¡¡Cyrone.........!


    Syrone - that''s her name? She moves closer to me and looks up at me and then away again.


    ''If I survive and see you next, can I ''test'' you?''


    '' ... no. Whatever that ''test'' is, I''ll refrain from it.


    ''Yeah. It sounds interesting, but... well, if you''re really going to want it, you''re going to catch it any way you can...


    Before she can finish, two people interrupt her from the side. It''s Igarashi and then Theresa.


    ''You''re headhunting a leader, is that how you get your people together?¡¡Unfortunately, Mr. Rear end is indispensable to our party. Can you find someone else?


    ..........


    Igarashi-san piqued, and Theresia stood with her hands outstretched. I''m happy for the two of them, but the situation of having two women protecting her is indescribably unsettling - and this is not the time to think about it.


    ''Good explorers move on to the party that suits them best. Even if it''s not us, if you become famous, you may even get scouted.......of course, right?¡¡It''s not a game.


    ''We''re going to keep going. We''re not going to play around.


    Yeah. So, I guess we''ll just say hello for now.


    The white-haired woman - Silone - didn''t bite off more than that. She walked away with her back to us, turned around once and waved, but Elitia didn''t respond to that.


    ''Ellie, you were at a tough party! With someone like that, I always feel so nervous, or maybe my shoulders get stiff.''''


    ''''I........I need to work harder. I have to stop people from talking to me like that....


    ''Suzuna doesn''t have to worry about anything, ''maiden'' is an amazing profession. She thinks they''re the best party ever... and she rarely compliments anyone but her own party members.


    ''It looks pretty strong, but I''d like to catch up to that level eventually, even if it takes a while. Then I won''t have anything to complain about.


    It''s not as if I don''t think anything of it after being told so much of what to do. But there''s no point in getting angry, so I should probably direct that energy to something else.


    ''''Elitia-san, how high is that person''s level?''''


    ''I was 12 when I left The Brigade, so maybe it''s a little higher now.


    ''''12........So that means the level is gradually becoming harder and harder to raise, and if you''re at that level in the 5th district, that''s what you''re going to do.


    ''If you can take out an enemy stronger than you, your experience won''t slow down so much. But it''s not that easy... even at the level of the brigade, a member can get seriously injured, and then you have to stand around to maintain your experience.


    If you take a break from exploring, your experience will go down. We also have to avoid serious injuries that would cause us to rest for a long time - although I think it''s unlikely that such a situation would occur because the ''support recovery'' would close the wound.


    Once the conversation was settled, we decided to head to the upper guild. We need to report on what happened in ''The Beach of the Falling Sun'' and calculate our contribution once.


    ''''Ah........Atobe-san!¡¡Thank God you''re still here!


    Adeline-san finds us and comes running. She reported that she had left ''Arachne Mage'' at my contracted demon farm.

 121 Chapter One Hundred and Twenty: Restriction

    Adeline-san told me that she had made a tentative contract with the Demon Ranch on my behalf, and then she gave me the summoning stone corresponding to the ''Arachne Mage''.


    ''''I''ve left it at the Seventeenth Demon Ranch, William-san''s place. Since it''s a ranch that has a deal with Atobe-san, the Guild Saber has the authority to obtain information........oh, I''m sorry. It wasn''t good to look at it without permission, was it?


    ''No, it''s no problem at all, as it''s a necessary part of the process. I''m sorry to have bothered you as well.


    After saying that, Adeline-san bows her head and puts her hand on her chest and breathes. Thus, when I look at her face again up close, I can see that it''s not a tan, it''s originally a brown skin. She said her occupation was ''hunter'', but she might be from a tribe that hunts.


    The first thing that comes to mind is the fact that you have been able to return safely, even though you requested assistance from us. I knew you were safe when I met with the captain earlier, but when I saw you all, I was really relieved.


    ''''We''re safe, but the ''alliance'' suffered a lot of damage. So I can''t just be happy about it........


    ''Rescuing searchers in distress is not uncommonly difficult even for Guild Savers. The captain was willing to go alone, even though the situation was not punishable for retreating, but the captain was willing to go alone. He''s that kind of person.


    Adeline-san has seen Seraphina up close and personal, and she probably knows her character well. On top of that, she also knows that she can''t stop her.


    ''''To all of you, thank you again. I will never forget the debt you owe our captain for helping us.


    With a deep bow of her head, Adeline-san remained still. I hadn''t witnessed the most salute so far in a long time.


    ''''Because Seraphina-san has saved me a few times. Besides, fighting strong demons is something I''ve done in the past.


    ...Normally you can''t say that. Because they are your competition.


    ''If they beat an opponent they can''t beat, they can move up to the sixth district without question. That''s also my intention........if we wait for ''named'', we''ll be at a standstill.


    We''ve encountered ''named'' in almost every search - so I guess we don''t really mind taking the long way around.


    Even so, it''s never better to be quicker than every minute. The person called Ruury is still alive - if you believe that, then the time spent in the labyrinth, being held captive by demons, must end as soon as possible. Because Elitia might still be hiding and crying, except in front of our eyes.


    I''m a bit jealous.


    ''''No, no I''m a ''rearguard'' so I can only be useful in the back...''''


    No, trusting someone with your back and standing in line are two different things. It''s a different level of trust, I guess.


    Supporting Seraphina may indeed have increased her trustworthiness, but it''s a slight change compared to her partymates. However, Adeline-san doesn''t seem to think so.


    ''''Oh, please don''t tell my seniors. You''ll get a snide remark that you talk too much.''''


    ''Don''t worry, I''m a tight-lipped person. Please give my regards to Seraphina.


    ''''Well I have to report to Guild Saber Headquarters, so I''ll be back in about an hour or two. Captain Seraphina may have something to say to you, so can I have a license to contact you?


    I don''t think the ''Saber Ticket'' is to be used for contacting her, so it would be helpful for us if we could prepare other ways to contact her.


    After having Adeline-san ready to be contacted, I saw her off and headed to the higher level guild. On the way there, Elitia came alongside me.


    ''Aricht, you received the summoning stone, right?¡¡There''s a limited number of them you can wear, but you can add them to your pendant.


    Hmm, okay. Well, I''ll add it to the list as soon as I can.


    Summoner''s Pendant, Four Demons


    You can summon "Demi-harpy I".


    Summons "Demi-harpy II".


    Summons "Demi-harpy III".


    Summons the "Arachne Mage".


    Slight improvement in evasion.


    Wind Resistance 1" is now available.


    If the contracted monster''s trust level increases, additional effects will be released.


    It''s been a while since I''ve seen information on the "Summoning Stone Pendant", and one new "additional effect" has been released. It seems that demons can increase their confidence level just by summoning them.


    I wonder what effect will be released when the trustworthiness of the "Arachne Mage" is increased. The more summoned stones you have, the more additional abilities you have, so capturing demons is one of the choices you''ll have to make in the future.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô.


    When I arrived at the upper guild''s ''Green Hall'', I was led to the back of the first floor. I entered the same room as before, a door room with nine stones inlaid like constellations, and after waiting for a while, Louisa-san entered - she came running, her shoulders were up and down and she was breathing heavily.


    ''''Haha, haha........A, Atobe-sama, you''re safe.......''''


    Louisa-san already knows what happened on the "Beach of the Falling Sun" - I guessed that, so I stood up and greeted her.


    ''As you can see, me and my friends are all safe. Thank you for your concern.


    "....Good to hear that the people of the Alliance for Freedom suffered greatly from the demons.......Atobe-sama and the others joined in the rescue. The guild saber reported that...


    Then you''ll be able to tell about Roland-san. Louisa-san''s eyes are moistening with tears - I can tell that she''s sincerely happy that we''ve come back.


    ''''........I''m sorry, I''m so distraught. This kind of thing makes me a disqualified guild employee.


    I''m the one who''s worried about you. I came here to report on my search once, but before I do, may I ask you one question?


    With that, Louisa-san seemed to know what she was going to ask. The words didn''t seem to come out easily, and after holding her chest and calming her breath, she said with a divine look on her face.


    ''''The ''Alliance'' has five members of the central party seriously injured.......The leader, a person named Roland, is currently in a ''lethal coma''.


    "Lethality, coma... it''s...


    "........a condition that could be certified as death at any time.


    Even the medical center cannot help Mr. Rolando recover.


    In the state of being drained of his soul, he still couldn''t live for long - and now that he had confirmed that, the words didn''t come out easily.


    ''''It''s possible that the people of the ''Alliance'' will enter the labyrinth for rescue. But even if they don''t, it''s ... it''s up to the survivors.


    Louisa is telling the rules as they are. Even with that alone, she''s kind-hearted and has cut herself off.


    ''''........I''m sorry for making you say such painful things.


    What happens in the labyrinth is the responsibility of each party, and no matter what happens, the other parties are not obligated to intervene.


    There is no obligation. If you run away without help, it''s a choice that should be affirmed in the first place, to survive with your party members.


    ''''Still, there are searchers who will try to help. Like Atobe-sama and the others.......that choice is also something that the guild appreciates as something to be celebrated and valued.


    Louisa, who had been looking pensive for a long time, suddenly smiled.


    I didn''t do it because I wanted to receive praise. Still, I''m sincerely glad that Louisa-san said that.


    ''''I''m sure the guild will notify you separately about this matter. Together with your participation in the suppression of the ''Stampede'' and the rescue of the ''Arctic Star'' person, the upper echelons of the guild have shown strong interest in the activities of Lady Atobe, so I''m sure it will be good news...''''


    The top ranks of the guild have the impression that they are somehow above the clouds, but.... It''s a bit frightening to get our fledgling friends interested in us.


    That''s how remarkable your activities are, Mr. Atobe. Every time I report to you, I feel as proud as if it were my own.


    Louisa-san said and put her hands on her chest and warped them slightly - when the rich undulations are emphasized, my face gets hot, thinking that I''m young too.


    ''Well then, I''ll move on to my report. I will look at your license.


    We took our seats face to face across the table. After handing over the license, Louisa slid her fingertips over the controls and displayed the results of the search.


    ¡ô Results from this search ¡ô


    We have a breach on the first floor of the Sunset Beach. 20 points.


    120 points for capturing an Arachne Mage.


    Saved the Alliance for Freedom. 480 points.


    Withdrew from the Ruthless Decapitation. - 20 points


    40 points for engaging the Merciless Decapitation for a period of time.


    Increased trust among party members 35 points


    Trust in "Seraphina" has increased by 30 points.


    Trust in "Roland" has increased by 10 points


    A total of nine people conducted a joint search for 45 points.


    Searcher''s Contribution ??? 760 points


    Seventh Ward Contribution Ranking 45


    There were more contributions than I had expected - the largest contribution was the item that said they had rescued the ''Alliance to Freedom''.


    ''The demon was captured and then rescued........''


    ''Yes. So your contribution in the rescue is quite high... what is the basis for calculating this?


    You calculate 20 points per person in the target group for the rescue. The Alliance had a total of 24 members, so that''s 480 points.


    The larger the target you rescue, the greater the contribution. And after all, the ''named'' has to be defeated to get a large contribution - just by engaging, it''s about 50 points less than the 50 points per ''Grand Mall'' unit.


    ''''There are other criteria for calculating contribution to ''rescue''. Since it may apply again this time........as a system, I will explain it to you. Since that''s what the guild stipulates.


    What other criteria for calculation...?


    If you are formally asked to take out a demon that another party or organization has failed to take out, a system called ''Substitute Compensation'' will be applied if you take out the demon for them.


    Louisa took out her license and opened a screen where she could draw freely and explained it to me while drawing a diagram with her finger.


    ''For example, let''s say a demon causes a party of explorers to lose a party of explorers... that party will be penalized with a very large number of negative contributions. The more a demon survives, the stronger it becomes, so as a guild we have to assess it harshly.


    The more explorers they defeat, the more powerful they become - it''s not hard to see why. This may also be the reason why ''named'' demons have an unusual physical strength for their level.


    I''m not sure if it''s a good idea, but I think it''s a good idea. Then, when the other searcher successfully defeats the monster, the lost party''s contribution will be counted in the evaluation of the successful defeat.


    I don''t know how much the penalty will be, but in some cases, you may get a greater contribution than if you beat ''named'' - that''s what I mean.


    That''s not the only thing the ''substitute compensation'' covers, but you can also get personal and property compensation. It''s rarely used in practice because of the limited circumstances in which it applies.


    ''I understand. I''ll keep in mind that such a system exists.


    The system of ''substitute compensation'' suggests one possibility - if we formally accept the ''Alliance'' request and defeat the ''Merciless Decapitation'', we can fulfill the conditions to go to the sixth district as quickly as possible.


    But in order to do that, I need to meet with Daniela-san. With us, who were almost hostile to each other, are you going to talk to us - if we can''t even meet, the conversation will end there.


    ''''........Atobe-sama. As long as possible........no. If it''s possible.......


    ''I want Louisa to keep looking at me, too. It may be a bit shameful, but that''s how I feel.


    ''.........A, Atobe-sama........


    We came all the way from the eighth to the seventh arrondissement together. It would be sad to say that we split up in the middle of the day or change the person in charge...Louisa?


    As she spoke, the clothes Louisa was wearing with her shoulders out of place and she tugged on them to reposition them. Did I say something that would make her shoulders stiffen?


    I didn''t mean to say that lightly.


    Louisa-san looks angry as she takes off her one-sided glasses and panics that she has to apologize. Seeing my reaction like that, she still seems to be angry - but it was different.


    ''''........I think I know what Atobe-sama will think after talking to you so far.


    I''m sorry, Louisa but you still told me.


    ''Yes to tell you the truth, I am very concerned. Therefore, I will now ask you to join me for dinner tonight as well.


    I thought it was her own way of saying a prayer for my safety. So I felt a little embarrassed by the little finger that Louisa held out to me, but I linked my own little fingers together - swearing that I wouldn''t make a mistake in this promise.

 122 Episode 121 Trust

    After I finished my report, I went out to the lobby to join my friends who were waiting for me outside. And the sight of deja vu gives me some headache.


    ''What are you talking about?''¡¡What kind of authority do you have to make up for lost members?


    The one that Elitia pointed her sharp words at - a man with gray hair and dressed in black. It was Gray from the Alliance for Freedom.


    ''''Elitia Centrail. When I see a talented explorer like you ''dropping out'', I usually call out to any party. I thought I might have seen you before, too.


    ''''Well I haven''t heard anything about that. If you can''t afford to recruit, why don''t you try to help your leaders?


    When the word ''drop out'' was mentioned, Elitia clearly showed a killing intent - but she didn''t question the meaning of it, as if she realized it was a provocation.


    Gray described Elitia''s activity in our party as ''dropping out''. After all, it seems to be an incompatible partner with us, from the root.


    ''I''m the leader of that party, young lady. And my former leader Rolando thinks very highly of my work. He said he would give me the leadership if anything happened to him.


    --The second I heard that, Theresa looked at me.


    He (Gray) is lying. It was obvious, but no matter what kind of stand he took, it really seemed that Gray had taken the position of the leader of the ''Alliance'' - the remaining members at the entrance of the ''Green House''.


    ''''........I''m sure the ''Alliance'' has Roland-san''s wife, right? I wonder what the reason is that she won''t be taking over the leadership.


    I hadn''t heard Igarashi-san''s voice this cold in a long time. There were times when the temperature of my voice would visibly drop when my business partner was being unfair, or when he made a joke that sounded like s*xual harassment.


    He was seriously angry - and Gray gave a drawn-out laugh in the face of his power. He cupped his hand to his slackened tie, but was that a habit he had when he was upset?


    ''I''m sorry to hear that, Daniela, but the man was due to retire soon. She was rushed to the medical center with her former leader earlier, but she was ... you know what I mean.¡¡As a couple, that kind of thing can happen at any time. The leader is a can''t help it, but we didn''t blame them and their wife for their lack of planning. It''s unfortunate that this happened, but ''it''s inevitable'', right?


    That was something I was a little concerned about, too. When we were about to move up to the sixth ward, Daniela-san had accompanied Roland-san with her heavy body.


    However, under the current circumstances, it seemed as if Gray had been swooped into the position of leader because of Mr. Daniela''s inability to make a strong statement.


    ''The ''man in the suit'' doesn''t seem to be doing anything from the looks of it, he''s just following behind. We have more jobs than that party, and we can organize the first party with you as the ace. And if you do that, don''t you think your goal of being known as the "Death Sword" will come true sooner than later?


    Gray looks around the circle to the rest of the party, not just Elitia, as if to say he''s made a good speech. Misaki is smiling affectionately, but she''s got a die in her hand - she''s angry enough to want to smash it, but she''s barely holding back.


    I''m the same way, but when I get past the anger, on the contrary, the emotion is nothing. If I have something to say, I can let him say it all he wants. If it''s been decided from the beginning that you will never allow that to happen.


    Now, let''s raise hope again. We, the ''Alliance for Freedom'', will take a bit of a detour, but we will certainly choose to move up to the sixth ward and go further. There are six new members to be recruited... for now, all of you here now, why don''t you join us?


    I think I''m gaining confidence as we talk, and I think I''m ready to finish it off in a mess.


    Then I realize - why is Gray so confident?


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô.


    Grey" activates "Trickster" ¡ú Grey''s skill activation is hidden


    On the streets, everyone only activates the skill when they really need it.


    But what if there is a skill that ''hides the fact that it is being activated''. There could be a danger that the person in front of you using the skill with an innocent look on their face and not even notice it.


    -- but I was able to detect its activation. This is because "that skill" did not miss the slight discomfort shown by Gray.


    Current Situation¡ô


    Arihito activates Eye of the Hawk ¡ú Grey''s skill is not covered up.


    Gray activates the "Gentle Parfum" to improve the impression of the opposite s*x.


    Gray" activates "Negotiation" ¡ú Success rate of negotiation increases.


    The Black Clothes sometimes requires a skill to recruit the cast of the shop. That''s what Gray was given by his arrival in the Maze Country.


    But I never imagined an ounce of what could happen if.


    Gray holds out his right hand to Elitia. He smiles like a good-natured young man, almost expecting to succeed - but.


    ''Unfortunately, I can''t duplicate the teamwork of the ''Alliance'' people. Can you hit on someone else?


    "...oh, hey!¡¡Well, wait, at least one person........!


    Elitia looks back at me and smiles. And everyone realizes that I''m there - to no one else, Gray''s skills hadn''t manifested their effects.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Judging the trustworthiness of Aricht''s party ¡ú "Negotiation" is disabled


    First of all, Elitia walked past Gray and out of the ''Green Pavilion'' with the members of the alliance by her side. After that, the other members followed in rapid succession.


    ''''I''ll tell you one thing, don''t use your colors on the members of the ''Four Seasons'' anymore. They won''t like you if you''re persistent.


    What the hell...


    ''''There are still a lot of members of the ''Alliance'', don''t you think?


    ''We will continue to have a competitive relationship as explorers, but I wish you all the best.


    Igarashi nails it, and Misaki jokingly brushes off the solicitation. Suzuna bows her head politely, but doesn''t look back at Gray as he tries to follow her.


    When she finally passes by Gray, she assumes, but she still blocks the path and makes a causal connection - she''s no longer anything but a Thug.


    ''I don''t have to tell you, do I?¡¡You don''t deserve the sword of death, do you? You''ll tell me, won''t you?¡¡They want me to move to ''The Alliance''.


    He doesn''t know what''s going on and says whatever he wants - but that''s how attractive my party members are to Gray.


    I don''t want to be a bad person. I''ll give you enough money to live in this ward even if you''re left alone. What''s a thousand gold pieces worth?


    ''Is that money hard earned?¡¡Well, even if I did, I don''t think I''d take it.


    "...what?¡¡Don''t you know what you''re talking about, old man?


    You''re quite annoyed that you couldn''t pull my guys off, but for us, it''s not right to be pissed off about that.


    The members of Triceratops were much more decent people than you. To me, it doesn''t sound like Mr. Rolando was making the woman in Ward Seven cry either.


    It''s not a good time.


    The moment I was about to raise my voice for threats - I was relieved that ''she'' had stepped up.


    ''''..........''''


    Theresia is standing behind Grey. When Grey realizes this, he begins to slump and break out in a cold sweat and raises his hands to see what he''s thinking about.


    ''Ya, you''re going to do it... if you do me here, you''ll be in prison...''


    ''I have no intention of doing so. The fact that you''ve transitioned with an injured comrade is understandable... but if you''re going to get more unreasonably involved, we have an idea.


    "...you''re watching me, aren''t you? You''re just standing there, all cocky and shrewd and you''re all pimping out with the sword of death and the girls, aren''t you?¡¡Don''t preach to me like that.


    ''Maybe so. I''ve never been this unworthy, not even before I was reincarnated.


    Preaching to others is not my thing, and I don''t want to talk about it in a way that could be taken as such. I don''t see the point in spending any more time talking, and I walk past Gray.


    ''''Well, I''m not done talking........hi.......!


    It''s up to us to decide if it''s over or not - and we don''t have to say it out loud.


    Surprised by Theresia, who just turned around, Gray sat there in surprise. With that, he''s the new leader of the organization that was running at the top of the seventh district, so I can''t imagine what''s to come.


    I walked with Theresa. She was following a little behind me, but eventually she quickened her steps and came alongside me.


    ''''--I''m not going to let this go on!¡¡I''ll look forward to seeing you guys fail!


    What do the members of the alliance think of the abomination that Gray shows - all we can tell at present is that it''s not a good look.


    Thomas is among the members in the lineup. He himself realizes that Gray lied to him to become the leader, and for some reason, he''s probably not revealing the truth.


    There are some things I would like to hear from him, but right now it seems difficult to do so. That''s what I thought, but as soon as I got outside, only Mr. Thomas came running after me.


    He was prepared for what Gray might say to him later, but he still chased after him. With that in mind, it was impossible not to listen to him.


    ''''Well I know that I have no right to say this. I''ll apologize for Gray''s rudeness from me and then I''ll ask you to do something for me.


    What do you want me to do for you?


    ''I''d like you to meet Daniela-san. She was the deputy leader of the ''alliance'', so she has the authority to be the leader instead of Roland-san in the system. Gray being the leader is just a temporary thing. But if that guy urges Daniela-san to transfer it to him, he''ll be the official leader in the near future... but...


    Mr. Rolando is still alive. Mr. Thomas hasn''t given up, but he can''t move the alliance to enter the "Beach of the Falling Sun" either - that''s what he''s saying.


    Everyone shows by their attitude that they have no objection. Thomas gives us the number of the hospital room that Daniela has entered, and we head to the medical station.

 123 Episode 122 Request

    When we requested a visit from the receptionist at the medical office, Daniela was still conscious and accepted to see us.


    The patient is still in need of rest, so we will not allow more than two people to visit him at a time," she said. You will not talk to the patient in a way that will excite him, and then....


    The nurse woman showed us to the hospital room while explaining the precautions. We were limited to two people, so Igarashi-san and I were to meet with Daniela-san.


    We make everyone at the party wait in the waiting area and enter room 305 where Daniela-san is. Daniela-san was lying on the bed, and as we entered the room, she slowly raised herself up, supported by the nurse.


    After the nurse leaves, when Daniela-san looks at us - without any effort - she smiles at us. Her appearance was so fragile that it was hard to believe that she was the same person as she was when she was competing with Serafina-san.


    ''If you''d like, you can sit down. It''s not like I''m going to be a big deal, but...''''


    No, no, not at all... thank you for your concern.


    Igarashi-san brings me a small chair (stool) for visitors. Daniela ties her hair into a single knot and changes into simple clothes for the hospital room.


    ''Please keep me warm so I don''t get cold in my stomach,''


    Thank you. I''m distraught, but she''s fine I''m sorry, I''m sorry I made you look uncomfortable. And I''m also uncomfortable...


    ...There was definitely a feeling of why we had to go that far. With a group as large as yours, there must have been other ways to do it.


    Daniela-san seems to have a hard time with the position of her body on the bed, so she sits back on the edge of the bed with Igarashi-san''s assistance.


    ''''........Why did we take that method? Is that what you came to ask?


    ''Yes, sir. After you tell us that, we would like to make a suggestion. We must respect Daniela''s wishes, so we have no intention of forcing her to do anything. I just feel that we need to talk to each other to satisfy ourselves.


    I can''t help but feel hesitant about mentioning Rolando, who is said to be in a ''lethal coma'', right away. But I can''t procrastinate, either.


    I found myself gripping the knees of my trousers tighter and tighter. Igarashi-san notices this and continues to speak instead.


    ''We want to defeat that demon.


    No....no....


    ''I don''t think the way the ''Alliance'' people did it was fair. You may wonder why we feel that way.... But we also have an incentive to promote ourselves as quickly as possible.


    If you don''t know more about our situation, you might think that''s enough of a reason to take a risk and fight the ''merciless decapitation''.


    Daniela-san remained downcast. However, the silence did not last long.


    ''''........Roland.......my husband originally came to this labyrinthine country with his friends. Before he was reincarnated, he was in the army of a country and was in the air force. He said that six of us reincarnated together, and with his experience in the army, he was able to move up to the seventh ward very quickly.


    If he had been in an environment that tested his physical abilities and judgment before he was born, we could imagine that he would be quick to adapt after his reincarnation.


    However, Rolando-san had failed once in the Seventh Ward - and that''s also how Daniela told us.


    ''It was two years ago that Rolando''s party came first in the pecking order in District Seven. However, Rolando was wounded when he covered for a member of his party, which led to the plague. That disease, given to him by an unidentified ''named'', has no effective treatment even now... he was very lucky. He was treated by a healer (healer) sent from the Great Temple in the Fourth Ward, and he survived.


    Daniela was a physician at the medical center at the time. She became a ''supporter'' early on and was in charge of treating Rolando and exchanging words with him, she said.


    "...Rolando was bedridden when he regained consciousness and it took six months for him to get up. In the meantime, his companions went up to the Sixth Ward. His companions left word and message for Rolando.


    --See you again sometime in the higher ranks. Sergeant Rolando Voln.


    ''That''s it Mr. Roland, I wish you well in your recovery...''


    ''I think that was part of the feeling. But they didn''t want to wait a month for Rolando to contribute to the party. Just like Roland always said, ''Don''t hesitate to cut him off if he becomes a liability''... even though it''s very difficult for Roland, who became a level one while he was recuperating, to make it on his own.


    That''s why you were there to support us. So that''s what happened.


    Daniela nodded. Her level had also dropped to 2 once she retired, but she had returned to being an explorer to follow Roland-san back to Ward 8 to regain her intuition.


    ''At first... there were times when I felt repugnant that he was only thinking about catching up with his friends, even though I had connected with his life. I wanted to admonish him, so I went along with him with the intention of meddling... but by the time my companions had gradually increased in number and I was able to explore in the Seventh District once again, I remembered how I felt when I was an explorer too. There was a time when I too wanted to solve the mysteries of the labyrinth country with my friends.


    The mystery of the labyrinth country - not that I can tell you from the guild to solve it. But it''s something I''ve always felt, too.


    There is something profoundly secret in this country. Ever since I met Ariadne in the hidden hierarchy of Akebono''s Field, that thought has always been there.


    ''''But........it was when I returned to the upper guilds of the Seventh District. Roland remembered something from the past. He had nightmares that seemed to plunge him into the depths of darkness every night, and he was getting weaker and weaker. Still, I just couldn''t give up trying to get to where my former friends were.


    The ''Alliance'' then turned to the ''Beaches of the Falling Sun'' as a safe place to hunt to earn a contribution.


    ''''Roland had to go through so much pain. So we wanted to be tolerated for taking this approach. I knew that I would be blamed and marginalized, and I was trying to reopen it... I knew that it was shameful, so I acted badly in response to the Guild Saber''s persuasion.


    However, relying too much on ''Crab'' to make a contribution led to an unexpected situation. Now that it has come to that, it can''t be said that she regrets it, but it''s inevitable to blame her now.


    The ''Alliance'' was an organization of up to 27 members, but now it''s down to 18. I''ve been stuck on that too.


    ''''Why did you decide to remove the five injured people from the ''alliance''?¡¡It seems unnatural for you, Mr. Rolando''s wife, to agree to this, but...


    ''''.......Under the current circumstances, I can''t fulfill my responsibilities as deputy leader of the ''Alliance''. That''s why I decided to leave the policy to the person who will continue to lead the ''alliance'' from now on.


    --I still have to tell you.


    Gray would have orchestrated the replacement of the people with the real authority of the ''alliance''. That it was brought about by his injustice.


    ''''Well Gray has asked you to give up your position of leadership, hasn''t he?


    ''No, no ... he is trusted by Rolando, and he''s done well in this mission ... so far, and he''s done well enough to be recognized by the rest of the team ...'' ...


    It''s not supposed to be. I listened to Mr. Rolando and Gray talking about it. Mr. Rolando''s policy was to consider the contributions of members from the early days rather than Gray, who joined later in life. I believe you heard that, Daniela, too, didn''t you?


    What I''m talking about right now is just inference. However, it wasn''t necessarily off the mark, and Daniela-san seemed to have an idea of what I was talking about.


    ''''.........So.......but.......he who procured the ''call sign'' this time has a lot of achievements......''''


    ''''It''s true that the ''call sign'' was one way to satisfy the ''alliance'' policy so far. But the fact that he used the ''call mark'' to force the demons to appear was also the cause of this time. And the person who tried to fight with Roland-san to the end should be Thomas-san... he''s not convinced of the current situation where Gray might be the leader.


    ''Then I think we need to talk about it again... so why was he (Gray) talking with the body that he was already the leader?


    Mr. Igarashi questions - Daniela is confused and uncomfortable to say something that would further confuse her, but she has no choice but to tell the facts as they are.


    If it''s physical evidence, it exists. I was careful not to let ''that indication'' flow until I came here - I took out the license and showed the relevant part to Daniela-san.


    "....tricks, star.......skills, concealed.......


    ''This is the method Gray used to improve his position in the ''alliance''. He activated the skills that gave him an advantage in every negotiation without the others noticing. This is a record of the time he used the skill when he was trying to pull our party members out.


    ''My God...me, Roland, and the rest of the team...all the people who have helped the ''alliance'' in the past, this way...''


    There was a phase where Gray was moved to do what he wanted. When it was shown in a way that couldn''t be any better, Daniela-san cringed with her head in her hands.


    ''Because you''re a rear kun, you were able to notice what Gray did. Using such a despicable method.......I can''t forgive you.......!


    ''I''m surprised that such a skill exists, too. I thought the skills of explorers were basically for use in combat or to help their fellow explorers.


    That''s the only way to get ahead - and even if it''s such a job title, you can still make use of your skills without abusing them. But Gray did not choose that path.


    ''From now on, you will not have to visit Gray alone. When he comes to the medical center, he may try to use his skills to get permission to visit you. However, if Daniela refuses, it should be difficult for him to come here. That won''t be enough to stop Gray from doing that, so I''ll do something about it.


    ''''Please ... to the extent possible. I didn''t think I could say no to him if he asked me to give up the leadership position again. If that is also the effect of his skills, I can''t help it if he doesn''t realize that he is using them.


    ''''You could denounce it in front of the members of the ''alliance'' but.......Rear, what are you going to do?''''


    Even if Gray reveals what he did and his position in the ''alliance'' deteriorates, he may try to get back into the other searchers.


    It''s a risk to leave Gray in a situation where he can move freely now - but if he''s going to try something, it could be a stake in the opposite direction.


    ''''For now, our priority is to defeat that ''named'' Daniela-san, even if we were able to defeat ''Named'', the contribution lost by the ''Alliance'' would still disappear under the current circumstances. If you have the authority as deputy leader, could you please make a ''request'' to us?


    ''''But ... but ... Rolando is already ... even if we defeat that demon now, he''s not ...''''


    Tears run down Daniela-san''s cheeks. The tears poured out endlessly and couldn''t be stopped, she covered her face and began to cry - Igarashi took her hand and hugged Daniela.


    ''I can help. Mr. Rearward saw that big crab catch Mr. Roland''s soul. If you can get it back, I''m sure you can...


    ''''It may be difficult to believe in something we don''t know well yet. But the time until we rescue Roland-san is already limited, and only we and the members of the ''alliance'', who have engaged once, have any chance of encountering that monster. The only ones who have a realistic chance of defeating it are us.


    Elitia has a high level, but the others are level 6 at maximum - can we beat a level 8 ''named'' with us?


    But we know very well that level doesn''t determine everything. I''m sure that we can break through the difficult situation by not doing ''any means necessary'' but by ''using all the means we have''.


    With a face wet with tears, Daniela-san looks at me as if clinging to me. The only thing I can do is not make a face that says I''m going to make a hard choice - just laugh.


    ''I want my parents to be there to welcome that child with open arms. I don''t know if I was - I don''t know if I was - but I don''t think anyone would have been happy that I was born.


    Igarashi-san pulled away from Daniela-san. Daniela-san bowed her head deeply and then, while shuffling heavily, she still said.


    ''''Please........defeat that demon.


    Yes I promise. We''ll take the request and defeat that demon. Whatever happens in the process, it will be an event that involves the defeat of the demon.


    ''Our leader seems to want to say that even if we can get Roland-san''s soul back, it''s still a business matter........ In other words, as I said before, we have a motive to fight, too. It''s not about self-sacrifice to help others or anything like that.


    Igarashi-san tries to lighten Daniela''s heart as much as possible. As for me, I don''t want to cause you any heartache, so I want you to wait for me with a quiet mind - otherwise it would be meaningless.


    Daniela knew how to make a ''request''. She operated the license that was placed on the bedside chest and I indicated my intention to ''accept the request'' and formally concluded the request.


    That''s a difficult promise to make, to be honest, but Igarashi-san shook hands with Daniela-san.


    I had already thought of a few ways to defeat that giant crab.


    I will definitely return here before half a day passes - everyone is safe.


    Request currently being carried out¡ô


    Request from the Alliance for Freedom: Defeating the Ruthless Decapitation

 124 Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Three: The Great Shield

    When we went down to the first floor of the medical center and walked through the lobby, we received a call from Adeline-san through the license - Seraphina-san had finished reporting to the Guild Saber headquarters as a troop leader, but she wanted to talk with us.


    ''''Even so, big brother and sister Kyouka, you two looked like ''buddies'' when you were walking together! It was so good that Suzu and I were jealous of each other.


    ''Yah, I wasn''t talking about grilled rice cakes...I was talking about whether you two were like that when you were working together. Misaki-chan already?


    ''Well, um ... when I was at the office, I used to pull him around ... or rather ... now, you know, like Theresa, I think it would be nice to follow him around a bit behind.


    ..........


    Theresia seems to be looking pompous - she doesn''t seem to have imagined that Igarashi-san is referring to her behavior. It never occurred to me either.


    ''It would be fun to work with Arihito...I thought for a minute that it would be fun to work with him. The first time I saw Arihito, he looked tired, so I knew it was going to be tough.


    ''That''s what people said to me when I was just reincarnated. It''s kind of strange that you''re in better spirits now.


    I do feel like I''m living my life to the fullest every day. If you had asked me if I wanted to live like this when I was at work, I wouldn''t have said yes.


    Sion put his face close to her feet to see if he understood the meaning of Igarashi-san''s words. Igarashi-san patted Sion''s head and smiled.


    ''''The scenery in the labyrinth isn''t all suffocating and scary either.


    Saying that, Igarashi-san looks at me. From my point of view, there''s no way that she wouldn''t think that she doesn''t have a sense of urgency when it comes to a fight, as she doesn''t hesitate to make serious decisions.


    ''Kyouka, you''re trying to encourage Arihito. And also us.


    ''They all didn''t deny me the idea of fighting that demon again. For that, I''d like to thank...


    ''If my brother says so, I''ll follow you to the ends of the earth.......is that a bit inappropriate in this case?


    "Misaki-chan, I feel like you''re becoming more and more attached to Rear-kun... was there anything that could make you that close?


    ''Well, that''s not... that was necessary, and Aricht-san had no choice but to... oh, no, no, it''s not, it''s really not a weird thing... ...


    Suzuna''s panic is probably because she remembers what happened when she raised Ariadne''s faith value. As for me, I certainly had nothing to be guilty of, so I can''t help but laugh - but would it be considered a problem just because I have a secret to the other members?


    ''''..........''''


    It was Theresia who turned to follow up in this situation. She reached out her hand and popped my shoulder, turned to everyone and shook her head slowly.


    ''''Well Theresa, does that mean it''s okay because there''s nothing going on?¡¡If that''s what Theresa says, I guess we can believe it.


    ''We''re gradually learning to recognize Theresa-san''s gestures alone, aren''t we? We''re not quite as good as her brother, though.


    I can look at everyone smiling at me--Theresia, as far as I can tell, her lizard mask was subtly reddening, probably due to her getting too close to me.


    ''Are you embarrassed just because you patted me on the shoulder, Theresia?¡¡Huh, it''s not true at all that you don''t have a heart, Ajin-san.


    ..........


    Theresa doesn''t shake her head at that. When she quickly moves away from me, she presses down on her mask - and the redness gradually fades. Does that mean it can dissipate some heat?


    ''There''s more than one reason for us to rush ahead. So we''ll have to work hard.


    May the time of the lifting of the sub-human curse come sooner, even if it''s only for a minute or a second. We will never lose sight of - the reason why we must not stop.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô.


    Seraphina-san and Adeline-san were waiting for us in front of the ''Green Pavilion''.


    ''''I''m sorry, Atobe-dono.


    ''''No, we''re fine. We were just about to get ready to head to ''The Beach of the Falling Sun'' again.


    Seraphina and the others widened their eyes - but Seraphina quickly regained her composure and looked at me with eyes that held a quiet light.


    ''''........Atobe-dono. If it is possible, could you use the ''Saber Ticket''?


    ''''Se-senpai.......It''s a violation of regulations to ask the guild saber to use the ticket from their side. If you do that, there will be some sort of punishment for my senior...


    ''''I know. But the only way for me to enter the labyrinth with Atobe and the others under the current circumstances is to do so... The guild saber is in a position to forbid entry to the Beach of the Falling Sun and restrict traffic. The only exception to this is if you are asked to join the fight by a searcher who has the right of passage.


    As a guild saver, Seraphina-san is in a position to regulate the intrusion into the dangerous situation of the ''Beach of the Falling Sun'', and at the same time, she is bound to that rule - that''s what it means.


    ''''Having faced that demon, I think I understand the threat it poses. The more people who have experience in fighting, the better.......I know that such an idea is an imposition. Still, I.....


    "...Even if you didn''t use that ticket, Seraphina-san saved us. With that you want to participate in the tournament, there''s no reason to say no.


    ''.........Mister Atobe, then........


    ''If you mean that it''s a violation of regulations, then I really shouldn''t ask you to do it. But I''d like you to participate if you can... that''s what I really want.


    Ms. Serafina looks at Adeline. Adeline-san seemed to try to stop her at first, but when Seraphina-san stared at her, she looked away as if she couldn''t bear it.


    ''''Ah, already........you know, seniors don''t listen when you start saying things. So you say you''ll leave me alone and ask me to take care of the rest.


    ''''Well it''s just like that Adeline, you know me so well. We''ve only been working together for so long.


    ''So even if you say that at a time like that... haha. I want to follow you too, but I also have to deal with everyone else. I think I understand those things.......I''ve always been a buddy.


    Adeline''s words conveyed her deep respect for Seraphina. And that you are truly worried about her.


    Still, the way our party fights will be different if Serafina-san is not there. It was the same when we fought Murakumo - her defense was the starting point, and we had many chances to fight back.


    ''''Adeline-san, we are........''''


    ''I know. I''ve shown you and your team that you''re a promising party and that you''re capable of it. So I believe you.


    I am sure there is much more to say than the amount of words I want to say. However, Adeline-san seemed to be trying not to let me take up too much time.


    ''Captain Seraphina, I will be acting alone for the time being due to personal reasons.


    Thank you. I''ll contact you upon my return from the maze.


    Yes, sir. Captain, ladies and gentlemen, please have good luck.


    Adeline-san saluted and bowed to us before walking away. After looking away from her back, I asked Serafina-san to show me how to use the Saber Ticket.


    ''This ticket is made of a special metal that acts as a magic tool. Could you hold it in your hand and remind me to call for help?


    I take out the ''Saber Ticket'' made of light blue metal and remind myself as Serafina-san told me to do - and then.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation¡ô


    Arihito uses the "Saber Ticket" to ask Seraphina to join the fight.


    Seraphina" joins "Aricht''s" party


    There are now eight members of the party - we''re already at capacity, but we have one more member we''d like to have join.


    Even if you split into two parties, you can still support another party. However, this time, as long as the enemy has means of transportation such as ''Phantom Drift'' and ''Sky High'', it''s too dangerous to ask Madoka to join the party in order to use the ''Effect Item'' - I asked her to stay in a safe place! The Law.


    ''Lord Atobe, gentlemen, for the second time, please join us.


    And there''s something I want to make sure about Serafina-san as well - what kind of attack can her shield prevent? After greeting her again, I stop Serafina-san who is about to head to the entrance of the labyrinth.


    ''''Serafina-san, I''m sorry to take up your time, but may I have a strategy meeting?''''


    ''''I''m sorry. I volunteered to participate in the war, and yet I acted without permission....


    ''Let''s go back to our quarters, Arihito. There''s still time to get back to your quarters.


    We''ll take Elitia''s suggestion and head to our quarters. We need to tell Madoka that we''re going out to explore again, and we need to get Melissa to join the mission.


    ¡ô ¡ó¡ô


    We called Madoka and Melissa from our quarters and moved to the warehouse we were contracted to work in.


    Madoka had refurbished the warehouse, and tables and chairs had been brought in for us to hold our meetings. I asked Madoka if we could discuss the equipment we were bringing into the labyrinth while discussing it - she was already in close contact with the merchant''s union in the Seventh Ward, and she quickly redecorated the place.


    ''''You''re going into the labyrinth once again brother, is there anything I can do for you?


    ''It''s going to be a pretty intense battle this time. We''ll have an opportunity to raise Madoka''s level at some point, but for today, stand by. Don''t worry, we''ll be back.


    ''Ha, yes I understand. Celes and the others will be there, so we''ll all be waiting together.


    Madoka can''t hide her anxiety - she''s sorry, but at the same time, she''s glad that Celes and the others are here. If I had to make them wait alone, I might have asked them to stay in the guild with Louisa-san.


    Everyone takes their seats except me. Madoka had also procured a black board and white ink for the meeting, so I decided to let her use it to explain.


    ''''Then I''d like to begin the strategy meeting. One of its major features is that when you launch a physical attack on it, its attacks will slip through, and its magic attacks will be effective. So if you make a magic attack there, it will return to its original state. I want you to figure that out first.


    ''Oh, you didn''t know that was going to happen?¡¡I knew it was transparent and all that, but...


    ''After Suzuna-chan shot ''Storm Arrow'', I''m pretty sure the enemy materialized... that''s the kind of law you had in mind.


    As a rearguard, I can observe the changes in the demons from the position where I''ve pulled back the most. That''s my role to play, so I''ll continue to try to understand the situation.


    ''''I mainly do physical attacks, so in order to deliver an effective blow, I''ll have to attack them while they''re materializing.......''''


    ''Yes ... and I want to include a coordinated attack if possible. What we need to do there is to create a situation where ''physical attacks can pass'' and at the same time ''not be counterattacked''. If we force it and get the big scissors swung around, the vanguard could be destroyed in one fell swoop.


    One way to make this possible is that when the enemy materializes and attacks me, I will receive it and bounce back.


    Serafina suggests that - but I have one concern.


    ''''I think that''s certainly valid. However, the ''Giant Crab'' has other means of attack. Two in particular, the ''Bubble Laser'' and the ''Soul-Killing Scythe'' are particularly dangerous. Serafina-san, I believe those two are magical attacks, can you receive them with your shield, Serafina-san?


    ''''........My ''Aura Shield'' is a skill that reduces damage, both physical and magical. However, the performance of the shield is severely biased towards physical defense. I don''t think it can even halve the damage of magic-like attacks.


    Because I thought that there was such a possibility, I tried to avoid a situation where Serafina-san would try to receive the ''soul-killing scythe''.


    However, it doesn''t mean that Serafina-san will not be able to play the role of a shield for the vanguard - we have one shield that may have a higher defense against magic than the shield she uses.


    ''Madoka, what shelf do you keep the shield you made from the shell of the Beetle of Disobedience before?


    ''Yes, it''s in the armour rack. It''s a very large shield, so I put it on a cart...


    ''Will you show me? I train myself to handle large shields on a regular basis.


    Serafina-san got up from her seat and was led by Madoka to where the desired shield was located. She held a shield as big as her own height and let out a small surprised cry - as I expected, fortunately, the ''Great Shield of Mirror Armor'' seemed to have a performance that lived up to my expectations.

 125 Episode 124: Deadly Scythe

    It was hard to believe that the original was made from the shell of a giant beetle, but it had been worked as a shield using metal, and it had a refined beauty.


    ''''To think that such a shield was obtained in the Seventh Ward... was this made from ''named'' material?''''''


    ''Yes, I had the artisans at the Mistral Workshop work with the materials of the demons we encountered in the labyrinth called The Sheep God''s Bed,''


    Seraphina refuses to say a word to us and then props up the large shield she always uses against the wall and lifts the Great Shield of Mirror Armor with both hands.


    ¡ôThe Great Shield of Mirror Armor¡ô


    Reduces damage from physical attacks.


    Reduces damage from magic attacks.


    When activating the shield skill, the magic defense value will be greatly increased.


    May reflect magic attacks. Decreases the power of attacks.


    May reflect breath attacks. Will reduce the power of breath attacks.


    Can use the "Attack of the Gods" skill.


    As well as the performance as a shield, it can also activate the movement system skill to corner the enemy, which is probably a characteristic of the "Treacherous Insects".


    However, it''s important for Seraphina-san to use it. It would often be better than the shields I''ve been using - I thought.


    ''''There aren''t that many people with jobs that can use the ''Great Shield'', and it requires large materials, so the opportunities for obtaining it are limited... I think the shield Seraphina is using is also very valuable...''''


    ''In the eighth district, there are some large shields for sale, such as the wooden ones for beginners. However, I was also unable to renew my shield until I moved up to the sixth district, and I had quite a hard time doing so. By working together with my friends, I was barely able to get out of the way.


    Seraphina was also an explorer before she became a guild saver. I''m curious about how the party was doing before, but I don''t ask because my time is limited now.


    ''''Seraphina-san, do you think you can use that shield?


    ''''Yes, my physical defense is a bit lower than the shield I have, but I think I can make up for it with my skills. The ''Shield Parry'' will take almost no damage as long as it succeeds.....Are you sure?¡¡To lend me such a valuable shield....


    ''''This is also part of the strategy. The more attacks Seraphina-san can handle, the less damage she can cause. It''s not okay for someone in the role of ''shield'' to get injured.


    ''''Thank you very much. I''ll bet on this shield and I''ll make sure I fulfill the role I''ve been given.


    Serafina-san replaces the equipment and deposits the ''Shield of the Trembling Tower +3'' she is using in the warehouse. It''s a shield with the effect of ''muscle strength increase'' that reduces the burden of operation, but since it''s extremely heavy, it''s apparently no different in ease of handling than the ''Great Shield of Mirror Armor''.


    "Although the power of ''Shield Slam'' and the like is reduced, I think the role I''m expected to play is to use ''blocking'' as a starting point to create opportunities, so I don''t see any problems with it.


    After being told something close to what I had in mind beforehand, there''s nothing more to say - I already know this from fighting with her, but it''s a great thing to be able to rely on her to join the party and be instantly active.


    ''Rear-kun, you have to determine whether the enemy is in a state of physical or magical effect, and then make an appropriate attack. I think it''s better to be able to do that as reliably as possible...''''


    ''''Well.......and we need to take measures against the ''Create Golem''. I hope it doesn''t continue to use its summoning skills on its own while it''s left unattended.


    Some of the ''named'' demons would not engage in hostile activity if they didn''t have a target. The Giant Crab stopped tracking and disappeared when we retreated. It probably won''t reappear if the target doesn''t get too close.


    The sight of the sandy beach being filled with ''Sand Scissors'' is not horrifying, but if Seraphina-san is right, there is no danger of that.


    However, the ''Scorching Monkey Duke'' that Elitia''s best friend was captured by is still operating in the labyrinth with the captured searchers in tow - the possibility that the intelligent and powerful demon will use the same tricks as humans to intercept the party once they retreat is high.


    ''''The ''giant crabs'' will eventually make more friends in the ''Create Golem'' once the battle begins. We''ll have to be careful with the ''necrobreak''.


    ''''The number of ''Ghost Scissors'' hunted won''t be able to be counted in a hundred... You need the souls of the ''Ghost Scissors'' to use the ''Create Golem'', but we can consider it almost unlimited. We need to settle this in the short term before we add too many.


    The Giant Crab''s movements are not always fast, and it has a reserve motion when attacking. However, after activating Phantom Drift, he can move his long legs at high speed, and when he turns, he rolls up the sand like a drift so that he doesn''t stall much.


    However, if it''s a bullshit move, it won''t be a fight if you''re weak. Elitia, Igarashi-san, and Theresia have the means to evade, but me, Misaki, Suzuna, and Melissa don''t have such means - so there''s one possible countermeasure.


    ''Demi-harpy.......Aricht, that''s what you mean.


    Yeah. And one member who can move fast in the sand is Theon. He''s fast to begin with, but Sion has a ''speed increase'' effect on his armor, so it seems that the poor foothold doesn''t matter anymore.


    BOW!


    Enhancing the ''Hound Leather Vest'' will take effect at the last minute - it''s possible that other equipment is also having an effect without realizing it.


    ''''Well leader, if I''m going to be in charge of destroying any part of the enemy, I''d better be able to move fast. It would be nice if I could ride Zion and move.


    ''Oh, Melissa calls my brother Leader. Leader, can I go pick some flowers before we carry out our plan?


    ''We''ll get to that later ... important, but please be moderate in your remarks that diminish the tension.


    It''s hardly ever mentioned in the labyrinth, but I guess people just try not to say it - and that''s something to worry about later.


    Melissa was using the ''Ride on Wolf'' skill by riding Zion, and I have no problem with the combination. Considering the role she would be asked to play, it would be best to have her team up with Sion, who has more instantaneous power than Demiharpy.


    We''ll use the power of ''Demi-harpy'' to position ourselves in such a way that the enemy''s attacks can''t reach us. Against attacks to the sky........


    ''Bubble Lasers'', I think I can get them to refrain from using them by using the ''Provoke'' to increase their hostility and draw their attention to the ground.


    ''''I''m sorry, Seraphina. I asked you to take the most risky role.


    ''''No, that''s the raison d''¨ºtre of my position so please don''t be too reserved. With the vanguard working together, we can disperse the attacks and reduce the danger to each and every one of you.


    ''''Yeah, leave that to me I''ll draw them in as much as I can.


    ''I think it''s possible that when it''s that big, it doesn''t work very well if you don''t attack the area of weakness.


    ''I''m going to take a new skill on that one. I think I can use it to concentrate on a targeted location... one of the weaknesses is the mouth of the ''crab'', but there are other possible locations as well. The crack I used the ''Murakumo'' to put in his scissors. I''d like to think it''s brittle there, but.......


    It''s getting harder and harder to get enough power to kill an enemy with just the fixed damage from Support Attack 1.


    It maximizes the power of individual attacks that are not displayed as numbers. However, we don''t just aim to defeat them by striking them - only this time.


    It''s also important to aim for the weakest point whenever possible. There''s another battle strategy I can try this time because I can prepare in advance.


    ''''What........Eritia-san, do you know what your rear end is thinking?''''


    Elitia must have thought about it from the moment she obtained that one.


    There is no rule that only enemies can use the "instant death attack". This one should also aim if possible - there is a risk that a valuable weapon might be destroyed, but this time we will definitely go for the win.


    ''''Phobidoun Scythe.......There are many demons that are resistant to instant death, so it''s not a strategy that can be used all the time. It may go through to ''Ruthless Decapitation'' when physical attacks are effective. I don''t think the chances of ''sometimes taking down an enemy during a critical strike'' are that high to begin with... but we have Misaki.


    ''''Huh........here comes the big wave of a lifetime for me.......!¡¡Brother, if all goes well, give me a break and some fun!


    ''There''s something mixed up with being in too much of a hurry but I''m inclined to agree with you on that. And Madoka-chan, it can be boring at times when you''re always staying and working.


    ''''Wow, I........I''m just glad if you all come back safe and sound. But just a little....


    "...Elitia, can I have a moment?


    ''Yes we''re all trying to work together to move on in a way that we wouldn''t otherwise. So it must be lonely not to have a happy event.


    Misaki seemed to have meant it as a joke, but she was confused by the positive reception - but she seemed happy. Madoka is the same way, and I guess she still misses being away from home.


    ''''I''ll equip the ''Fobidoun Scythe''... and you can tell me what to do.


    Misaki''s morale release "Fortune Roll", which ensures that her next action is successful. After activating it, Melissa''s first action - activating a critical attack with her normal attack.


    If the effect of ''Fortune Roll'' is brought to bear on the part of ''defeating the enemy at a critical strike,'' then theoretically, a strong enemy like that jumping heavy tank could be defeated with a single blow.


    It''s because of this kind of party that they''re called ''rising stars''.


    Everyone looks at each other and smiles shyly at Seraphina''s compliments. I also sincerely think--I''m glad that we were able to put together a party with these members.


    The precautionary measures have been taken. We re-equipped ourselves and Madoka left the warehouse and headed together to the entrance of the labyrinth.


    ''''.........''''


    ... uh ... that''s okay. Thank you, Miss Theresa.


    Teresia, perhaps sensing that Madoka is nervous, flattens her arms around her two arms. While looking at it, I think - I''ll definitely get over this critical moment.

 126 Episode 125: Rain and Sunset

    We return to the "Beach of the Falling Sun" again. Other explorers have been banned from infiltrating and passing through, but we, who had engaged the demons that were on alert, were not stopped when we tried to enter.


    ''''Everyone, please be careful and do your best........!


    ''Yeah, thanks for coming to see me off. Take care of yourself when you get back to your quarters, Madoka.


    Yes, you''ll be fine.


    Everyone gathered around her to see Madoka, who was a little tearful. They each shouted encouragement to her and told her again that she would return safely.


    ''Captain Seraphina herself is going to dive into the labyrinth.......if we can help, too, if it''s true.......''


    ''''No you could be penalized if you join the party in person, with the restrictions on entry laid down like this one. Don''t worry about me, I want you all here to fulfill your duties.


    ''Yes, sir. Please come back with a big heart. Regardless of what the higher-ups decide, we''re proud of our captain.


    ''Yes. I''m really sorry for not being able to set up a seat at the table with everyone else as well,


    It was clear from their interactions that Serafina-san was well-liked in the unit.


    ''Rear, do you think that if Seraphina-san was your boss, you would have felt comfortable working with her...?''


    ''No, no, not that much... I''m sorry to say that I''ve asked you to join the strategy meeting, but I''ve been thinking for a bit about whether it''s really a good idea.


    ''I know the Guild Savers would love for you to stay, Seraphina but she''s been a part of our party. For that, we should be grateful.


    ''''Yes. And the saber ticket was really going to be collected immediately, but he said ''when the mission is successfully completed''...


    How can I repay her for what she has done for me? Thinking about that is also something I should do after I return safely.


    And then I notice - one of the guild saber squad members is unable to speak to me while trying to say something to Seraphina-san.


    ''Um, excuse me. How can I help you?


    Ah, um..... There is one thing I would like to report to the captain....


    Report...?


    Serafina-san notices and comes over to us as well. The female member of the squad straightened her back and spoke to me as well as Serafina-san.


    ''''I just received a call.......Considering the urgency of the situation, it has been decided that a ''Third Lieutenant Santo Ryuui'' will be dispatched from the Guild Saber Headquarters. He''s scheduled to arrive after his mission in the sixth district, but we''re expecting it to take a few days.


    To go out against a Level 8 ''named'', is he still taking the stagnation of the Seventh District itself very seriously?


    We''ve heard it''s been a problem for some time, so I think this is probably an opportunity to intervene.


    The problem in the seventh district - from the word "stagnation", I''m guessing it''s about the number of searchers who have given up on going up to the sixth district.


    The time limit is about ten hours away - there is no choice but to wait until the last minute in the hope that ''Third Class Dragon Lieutenant'' will arrive significantly earlier than expected.


    ''''Well thank you for the report. Is there anything else you''d like me to tell you?''''


    ''''Yes, yes actually it seems that some of you have entered the labyrinth before we fully put in place the traffic restrictions. My apologies.


    All right, then. As soon as we encounter you in the labyrinth, I advise you to escape. You haven''t seen what it looks like.


    Did you come back to the labyrinth right after you spoke in the "Green House"?¡¡(To get back at us.)


    ''Didn''t that mean they were headed to the labyrinth as a group?


    ''Ha, yes I heard there was only one of them. He entered from the opposite side, where we hadn''t yet been deployed, and was about to disappear into the entrance of the labyrinth when the troops noticed him.


    A squad member answers Elitia''s question. He somehow escaped the pursuit of a high level guild saber and entered the labyrinth - after all, I can''t think of anyone else who would go that far.


    ''''It won''t be easy to find them even if we look for them.......we have to be vigilant.


    ''''Yeah. If they do anything after we win, I''m not going to be distracted after we defeat the ''giant crab''.


    I don''t know if I''d be reckless enough to do anything in this situation... no, I would if it were him.


    ''''There are Guild Saber people outside, so you can''t get away with doing something bad, can you?¡¡And we''ll have Mr. Seraphina at the party.


    I think Misaki is right too, but it''s possible that they could use a method that doesn''t raise karma like Bergen and the others - and I can''t just get ready for it.


    ''''.........Atobe-dono, do you have any idea who the intruder is?


    ''I can''t say for sure, but I think it''s possible. It''s a situation where one of our ''allies'' doesn''t think too well of us.


    Well I have something to say to that person. I''d like to think you wouldn''t do anything unthinking.


    Gray had completely lost the will to fight in the face of the ''Merciless Decapitation''. It''s hard to imagine him daring to go out to the beach and try to drag us along.


    ''''........Surely he can''t pass through that rock wall path. He must know that the demon spirits hunted on the sandy beach hate him the most.


    If Suzuna, who can sense the presence of spirits, says so, then her opinion is reliable. If Gray has a conscience, he would understand that what he did was also a factor in the appearance of the ''merciless decapitation''.


    ''Either way, we''re going to do what we can. Let''s all take care of ourselves.


    ""Yes!"


    As we began to walk, the ranks naturally formed. Seraphina-san, who is going to the front of the line, paid a little attention to the back just as she was about to enter the labyrinth - when I turned around, I saw that the squad members who were on guard were all together in salute.


    ''''Not at all I''m telling you not to do that kind of thing outside of duty, sir.


    That''s what Seraphina said, but she was smiling. Everyone seems to have tightened up as well, and each of them had a good look on their faces - none of them are afraid to move on.


    ¡ô ¡ó¡ô


    The time inside the labyrinth is out of sync with the time outside - what we saw was the sky and the plains that were tinted with the colors of sunset.


    First, we checked the safety of our surroundings and prepared to use ''morale release''. It would take a maximum of forty-five minutes, but since the morale had been raised throughout the first infiltration, the morale of the entire party could be raised to 100 in thirty minutes.


    ''''Alright this is the last time. Everyone ready?


    Current Situation


    Arihito activates ''Support Elevation 1'' and the party''s morale increases by 10.


    ''''Every time you say a word to Lord Atobe, morale... I''ve heard that cheering-up skills can be possessed by professionals...''''


    When your brother cheers you on, your energy is strangely high and your motivation is 110%!¡¡That''s about as far as it gets.


    ''''Misaki-chan, that only seems to add up to a bit...''''


    The benefit you get with high morale is great, so it''s always better to keep it at 100 - but if you use support uplift in the same place without interrupting the battle, the morale increase seems to be reduced. The equipment compensation should have raised it by 12, but in the end it only raised it by 10.


    In any case, I''m now ready to go. I summoned "Demi-harpy" and asked her to carry me, Misaki, and Suzuna - they pinned our bodies between their legs, but despite their slender appearance, they were as strong as an eagle or something, holding us firmly in place.


    ''''To train (tame) a demi-harpy and turn it into a fighting force like this... The diversity of tactics used by Atobe-dono''s party is something that other parties will want to take a look at as well.


    ''Demons are hard to level up and expensive to keep, so only a party with enough funds would train (tame) humanoid demons.


    ''Capturing them without knocking them down is also very difficult. Even if you use a skill to stun it, you can still strike a blow at the same time and take it down.


    I remember when I fell with Demiharpy and was caught by Theon - and Ashtarte, Theon''s mother dog. Without her threats, they would not have been able to capture Demiharpy.


    ''''But........Rear-kun, it looks like a girl with feathers is crabbing you with her feet.......''''


    ''We''re like that too, so I promise not to say that! And please tell me it''s not a crab, but an eagle now.


    ''It''s before the crab fight... hmm. It''s nice to have Misaki around and not have to be nervous.


    Elitia was like a taut thread to the point that her morale rose, but her shoulders seemed to relax moderately.


    Melissa straddles the Sion with the "Fobidoun Sais" on her back and makes a final check of the arrangements before entering.


    ''''It''s also conceivable that they will be targeted with the ''Bubble Laser'' right after they enter.


    ''Then I''ll ''blink step'' and...''


    ''There''s a chance that a pure magic attack won''t be subject to the ''blink step'' evasion. I think I would be able to react to being shot at...


    ''No. Given the performance of the new shield, you can leave it to me.


    The fighting spirit seems to rise from Seraphina''s entire body - if she says she''s okay, I can trust her to take care of it.


    Beyond the pathway between the rock walls, the backlighting makes it impossible to see. If Serafina-san can reliably receive the enemy''s attacks, we can avoid being blindsided and shot down right after the raid.


    ''''I''ll apply my ''fear'' avoidance skill. ''Brave Mist''!


    "Thank you, Kyouka-dono........then I''ll go.......


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates ''Support and Defense 1'' ¡ú Target: Seraphina


    Kyoka activates Brave Mist.


    Seraphina activates the defensive stance.


    Seraphina activates "Rage Rage Forward" and her movement speed increases during defense.


    "--Haah!


    With a shield bigger than her own body at the ready, Seraphina-san marches forward at an unbelievable speed - and ahead of her, a huge figure suddenly emerges like a ghost.


    The demon she encountered ¡ô.


    The Merciless Decapitation Level 8 Resistance Variation Terrain Effect: Fear Drop?


    I''ll take... my shield...!


    Current Situation


    Seraphina activates Provoke ¡ú Ruthless Decapitation''s hostility to Seraphina increases.


    Seraphina''s body was enveloped in a pale light. Using all the skills she had, and at the moment of exiting the narrow path, the giant crab spewed out a high-pressure stream of water with the power to gouge the rock wall, as if to intercept the intruder.


    ''''..........Gwalla la la la la.......!


    Current Situation


    Seraphina activates "Aura Shield".


    Great Shield of Mirrored Armor''s special effect is activated.


    Seraphina activates the "Defense Force".


    Ruthless Decapitation activates the Bubble Laser ¡ú Seraphina is hit for no damage.


    Seraphina-san''s shield seemed to grow larger for a moment - the attack that had decimated Roland-san''s party was stifled by her shield, and the splashed water poured down like rain.


    ''''--Let''s go, guys!


    What...!


    ....!


    Elitia, Igarashi-san, and Theresia run through - Seraphina-san continues to advance with more ''raging advances'' and maintains her position in the vanguard.


    ''We''re going too........! Himiko, please!


    Please, Asuka!


    Let''s go, Yayoi-chan!


    We''re going to...


    Whoa!


    The demi-harpies flap their wings with all their might and fly out into the sky above the sandy beach at the same time as Zion runs on the ground in the pouring drizzle.


    -- a view that takes your breath away for a moment. If I hadn''t come here in battle, I would have stared at it wordlessly.


    A vast white sandy beach, separated from the plain by a high rock wall. Bathed in the setting sun as it set on the horizon, The Merciless Decapitator held up a huge pair of scissors.

 127 Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Sixth: Good Opportunity

    Just like in the first fight, the physical attacks will pass through in a materialized state at first - but they won''t let you get close to it easily.


    Instead of Seraphina-san''s increased magical defense, she can''t completely block the attack by that giant shears - once Elitia accelerates and moves forward once, the target of the ''*Ruthless Decapitation'' is Seraphina-san and the provoked (Provoke) It will be two of Elitia.


    ''--I''m going to disperse, Kyouka, Theresa!


    Copy that!


    Current Situation


    Elitia activates "Sonic Raid".


    Attack of the Ruthless Decapitation ¡ú Elitia avoids it.


    Elitia pulls back and avoids the large shears that were swung down like a kesa-slash - in the curling dust, Theresia and Igarashi-san are positioned at a distance where they can put in a counter.


    (Can I put in ''Stun'' or ''Confusion'' here and put in Melissa''s instant death attack................................nah!


    Current Situation


    Activate the special action of the Ruthless Decapitation ¡ú Activate the Ghost Body.


    (-- Can you change your resistance outside of ''Phantom Drift''........!


    The expectation of being able to put in an instant death attack in the first move, or the prospect of striking in conjunction with Elitia, is removed.


    -- but it doesn''t change the fact that a gap has been created. I don''t know if it will work in its current non-entity state, but I''ll use my newly acquired skills to get here.


    (''Supportive Control (Control Target)''........!


    Current Situation


    Alihit''s Eagle''s Eye detects the weakness of the Ruthless Decapitation


    Arihito activates ''Support and Control 1'' and can guide party members to their targets.


    (I knew it........that scar you put on the Murakumo is also a weakness.......!


    "--Teresa, Igarashi-san!¡¡We''ll work together with magic attacks!


    "..........


    I''m going for a state malfunction - confusion once it''s through. The ''Sand Scissors'' has a stun through it, but it doesn''t matter which one, as long as it can slow down the action.


    "-- ''Support Linkage'' (Chain Support)... ''Shooting Point Linkage'' (Shooting Cross)!


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates ''Support Attack 2'' ¡ú Support: ''Force Shoot Hupnos''.


    Theresa" is activating "Active Stealth".


    Arihito activates Force Shoot Hupnos and hits the Ruthless Decapitation.


    Theresa activates "Assault Hit" ¡ú Double the attack power against "Ruthless Decapitation".


    Theresa activates Azure Slash and releases Active Stealth.


    Kyouka activates Spiral Thunder and gives an electric shock.


    Support Attack 2 occurs twice ¡ú Ruthless Decapitation resists confusion.


    The coordinated move "Force Azure Spiral" ¡ú "Ruthless Decapitation" is confusing


    The magic bullets released from the air by drawing a black sling from the air, only aiming at a single point - the giant crab''s figure was difficult to see, but after detecting the weakness with the Eye of the Hawk, it was not an element that interfered with his aim.


    The giant crab''s movement stopped for a moment as it landed just as it was about to raise its scissors.


    ''''Huh........!


    Yah!


    At that moment, Theresia slashes with her blue flaming sword, and then Igarashi-san thrusts at her with a lightning-covered cross spear.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    The shell of the Ruthless Decapitation is broken ¡ú defense strength is reduced.


    Gwalalaala...!


    You broke the scissors.


    Elitia screams out - the crack in the shears widens, and when the shears can no longer support their own weight, they split in one fell swoop, leaving about half of them destroyed - the part that cracked and fell materialized, and the tips of the shears It sticks to the sand.


    (With the magic attack coming through, he dealt a big blow........last time, he would have materialized here. However, he may not ''fit the pattern''........!


    Arichto...!


    Brother, I think it''s now...!


    Not yet!


    Current Situation


    The Ruthless Decapitation activates Phantom Drift.


    After all........he knows that I''ve brought a weapon with instantaneous death effects.......


    "Melissa, just ''wait'' until you can guess for sure!


    Okay...........


    The giant crab''s two eyes move erratically - one eye into the air, the other eye into the ground.


    ''''Beep...!


    Immediately after, Demi-harpy lets out a small, screeching voice - I felt an unspeakable chill, and I shouted at my instincts.


    ''''--Everyone, disperse!¡¡Misaki, Suzuna, retreat with all your might!


    Yes!


    Yes, yes...!


    Current Situation


    The Ruthless Decapitation invokes the Sky High


    The Ruthless Decapitation activates Typhoon ¡ú Range attack with wind


    WOOHOO...!


    He saw us in the air as a threat - and as soon as the giant crab jumped up, a violent wind rolled out of its body.


    ''''Kyaaaah...!


    Bullshit.........how many moves does he have........


    The demi-harpy can hold out to keep us from dropping, but the wind generated by the giant crab wounds our skin - the suit is ripped open, and it''s obvious from the thinly blotted blood that our companions have been wounded, too.


    A spot on the crab''s back glowed - this wind-induced attack must have also stolen Roland-san''s skills. I regret if I could have grasped all of Roland-san''s skills beforehand, but even if I did know, it would be difficult to completely avoid it since I chose to keep my distance in the air.


    ''''--Pi, bleep........''''


    Himiko, can you still fly?


    "...beep!


    A reply that seems to be choking off energy - the giant crab falls straight down, as if it can''t continue the two skills in the air. However, the non-corporealized crab doesn''t take the impact of the landing at all.


    ''Misaki, Suzuna, are you alright!


    ''Yes, yes ... thanks to your warning, I managed to ...''


    Mu Mu-yuu.........she''s in a cone rubbing state, her eyes are dizzy........


    I should have taken a position behind the two of them even in the air - even now I''m going to get behind them and activate the support recovery.


    ''''That''s fast... but that''s still not enough to reach them...!


    Current Situation


    Elitia activates "Sonic Raid".


    The Ruthless Decapitation activates the Soul-Killing Scythe ¡ú Elitia avoids it.


    The Ruthless Decapitation activates the Soul-Killing Scythe ¡ú Elitia avoids it.


    The targeted Elitia continues to avoid the onslaught of giant crabs that constantly turn to the side and attack - if you''re going to activate ''Cut Back'', you can use ''Support Attack 1'' to put some blows in, but right now there''s no room to interrupt.


    As long as we can get our physical attacks to pass... what do we do?


    I hadn''t been able to decide until this scene which one I should choose - the two irreversible choices could have an impact on the later strategy.


    However, I can''t afford to say such a thing - ''Ruthless Decapitation'' finally set its target on Theresa and Igarashi-san, and began to aim at them as well.


    ''''Kuchu...!


    --!


    Current Situation


    Theresa activates Mirage and Shadow Step.


    Kyoka activates ''Ibaid Step''.


    The Ruthless Decapitation activates the Soul-Killing Scythe ¡ú Theresia avoids it.


    Ruthless Decapitation activates the Soul-Killing Scythe ¡ú Kyouka avoids it.


    Kyouka''s evasion rate has increased.


    ''Theresa-dono, Kyouka-dono........!


    The three of them do their best to disperse the enemy''s attention in order to avoid concentrating the attack on Seraphina-san, who is playing the role of a shield - but they are so busy keeping up with the enemy''s speed that they can''t find a way to counterattack. Even though they try to provide support from the air, the giant crab keeps moving into a position that constantly engulfs someone in the vanguard.


    ''Fast... but I can still dodge...!


    Igarashi-san''s movements were also accelerating - I could see her confidence growing.


    It was at that moment when she thought she could continue to evade the situation forever.


    ''Kyouka, it''s dangerous...!


    Igarashi-san!


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates ''Support and Defense 1'' ¡ú Target: Kyouka


    Ruthless Decapitation activates Necrobreak ¡ú Kyouka is hit


    Yikes...!


    .................


    Current Situation


    Kyoka''s "Variable Cross +4" is damaged.


    The remains of the ''Sand Scissors'', which were nearly weathered and became almost invisible, were unfortunately at close range of Igarashi-san, and they exploded while emitting magical light.


    Even the effect of the ''Necklace of Protection'' preventing the destruction of equipment was not enough to defend against it - half of Igarashi-san''s armor was blown off, and she herself took damage.


    ''''How dare you........!


    Mr. Elitia, no!


    Current Situation


    The Ruthless Decapitation activates the Soul-Killing Scythe ¡ú Elitia avoids it.


    Eritia, who was on the verge of becoming enraged, is controlled by Igarashi-san - Eritia doesn''t take the last step, but leaps backwards to avoid the sickle.


    --!


    "Kyouka!


    Teresia and Elitia moved to save Igarashi-san - before the giant crab could poke her, Seraphina-san stood there.


    ''''--Gwala-la-la-la-la...!


    Mr. Atobe, I need help!


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates ''Support and Defense 1'' ¡ú Target: Seraphina


    Seraphina activates Fudo no Hibi (Breath of Immobility), which increases the counter probability.


    Seraphina activates Niou-stand ¡ú Knockback against Seraphina is nullified.


    Seraphina activates "Aura Shield".


    Great Shield of Mirrored Armor''s special effect is activated.


    The Ruthless Decapitation activates the Soul-Killing Scythe.


    My heart stopped - I guessed the ''scythe'' that slipped through Roland-san''s defenses to be a magical attack, but there was no chance of it being off.


    The scythe is swung out towards Serafina-san''s shield - there''s no turning back now.


    And the moment the scythe touches the shield, a completely different kind of impact than when matter collides with each other - the giant crab''s scythe is flicked off with a sound.


    ''''--Haah!


    Current Situation


    Seraphina activates Shield Paley ¡ú Sickle of the Soul is disabled. The Ruthless Decapitation is temporarily disabled.


    Yes......


    Great.........Seraphina, that scythe.......!


    The defence of the rise and fall from a tight spot will create a ''starting point'' for a counterattack.


    Both Igarashi-san and Theresa, who took the damage, are ready to attack - and Melissa should be aiming at us. It''s possible to come around from here, the opportunity of a thousand times.

 128 Episode 127: Red Flower

    Coordination starting from Seraphina-san''s defense - just before I was about to give that instruction, I saw Igarashi-san put her hand on the damaged armor.


    Miss Theresa, please!


    Igarashi-san strains her voice - Theresia runs with her sword to put in the ''second step'' of cooperation, following from Seraphina-san.


    ''''Suzuna, get the ''Word Spirit''!


    Yes!


    A reply without hesitation - in response to Suzuna''s willingness to acquire a new skill, the license she possesses shines forth.


    ''''-- O divine character who vanquishes the wicked, let your power dwell here!


    Current Situation


    Suzuna activates Spirit of the Word ¡ú Sacred attribute added to Aricht''s weapon


    White letters floated up on the black sling that he held up.


    I stared at the sacred attribute as being effective against the giant crab in its current state of physical invalidation - it has the name of ''Ghost Scissors'' and uses a technique that is named ''Phantom''.


    Is it good or bad? If the reading that it will materialize if you strike a large blow while in a state where only magic attacks are understood is off, then you have no choice but to fight without relying on instant death attacks.


    (Can you be able to produce a threatening power with magical attacks that you haven''t used as your mainstay until now.......we have no choice but to do it.......!


    ''Chain Support Coordination''... ''Defensive Origin Coordination'' (Defensive Line)!


    Huh...!


    Current Situation


    Arihito activates ''Support Attack 2'' ¡ú Support: ''Force Shoot Stun''.


    Theresa activates Azure Slash and hits the Ruthless Decapitation.


    Theresia went for the weak spot even without instructions - once she used ''supportive control'', each of them knew where it would be effective.


    The giant crab burns up in blue flames - even more frightened from the suspension of action, and then a knockback occurs and he steps back.


    Igarashi-san has already closed the gap between us to get the third step in. That''s where I finally realized what she was trying to do.


    ''''-- ''Magical Conversion (Aetherial Form)!


    Current Situation


    Kyouka activates ''Equipment Change''.


    Kyouka''s weapon has been changed to "Ambivalents".


    Kyouka''s armor changes to Aetherial state ¡ú performance recovery speed increase magic defense increase


    Transformation....


    Igarashi-san probably didn''t expect it to work like that, but the magic power made up for the broken part of the equipment, and also added a feather-like thing on the back.


    A two-headed spear that increases in power to the extent that it takes damage. Wielding the spear, it is an attack with magical properties that can be delivered no matter which spear she uses.


    ''''Gush...............Lightning Rage!


    Current Situation


    Kyouka activates Lightning Rage ¡ú hits Lightning Rage ¡ú hits Ruthless Decapitation.


    Lightning Rage''s additional attack ¡ú Triple hit on the Ruthless Decapitation.


    Supportive Attack 2 occurs five times ¡ú Ruthless Decapitation is stunned.


    Shield Azure Rage'' ¡ú ''Shield Azure Rage'' ¡ú ''Ruthless Decapitation'' stun extension Weak attack


    A giant crab surrounded by blue flames. Igarashi-san stepped deep into the back of the room and thrust his spear into its mouth - lightning bursts out, but since there are no enemies around, all of the chase that should be spreading out is targeted at the giant crab, and the power rises even more.


    If you use Igarashi-san''s "Spirit of War", your instantaneous blows will go up, but with "Support Linkage 1", you can only connect up to three people''s linkages - rather than just increasing the number of moves, you wanted to aim for the maximum number of hits with linkages.


    And all of them would see the results. The scenery on the other side, which had been visible through the giant crab''s transparency, disappears - the view on the other side is no longer visible.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    The Ruthless Decapitation materializes -> Magic is disabled.


    Wrapped in blue flames, the giant crab that had been stunned even more finally materializes.


    ''''.........Gwalala la la la.......!


    I still have plenty of strength left - as if to claim that, the giant crab raises its broken claws and scythe - but.


    ''--Now, Misaki, Melissa!


    "Melissa, please...!¡¡Morale release, ''Fortune Roll''!


    Current Situation


    Misaki activates the "Fortune Roll" and her next action is sure to succeed.


    Where is Melissa - at least not on the front side of the giant crab.


    But Seraphina''s gaze told her where Melissa was. She had been waiting for a long time - acquiring and activating the ''Ambush'' skill.


    ''''--I''ll finish it........!


    Current Situation


    Melissa''s attack ¡ú Ambush effect is triggered and hits the Merciless Decapitation


    critical


    From the air, I could barely see Melissa, who was circling behind the giant crab, wielding a miserable shaped scythe - Fobidoun Scythe.


    Time seemed to have stopped. A prayerful moment passed to see if the instant death effect would be activated or not, and then--.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    The special effect of "Fobidoun Scythe" is activated.


    The Ruthless Decapitation is a one-shot death effect.


    Defeat one "Ruthless Decapitation".


    "--Gwa....la la la la la....


    The giant crab that had raged so fiercely sinks - with an earth-shattering sound, its long legs lose their strength and its huge body collapses.


    ''''I did it........I did it, brother!


    I can hear Misaki''s delighted voice - Igarashi-san and Theresa look back and look up at me.


    But me and some of them had noticed.


    I didn''t want to admit it--that the fight would still go on even after we succeeded in this operation.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    The Ruthless Decapitation activates Lean Carnate.


    The Ruthless Decapitator reincarnates as The Ruthless Funeral Paramedic


    It appeared in front of the motionless giant crab as if summoned.


    It was like an incarnation of a giant crab, clothed in the shell of a giant crab. It''s size is incomparably smaller than the giant crab - its strength probably surpasses that of the giant crab.


    Encountered Demon¡ô


    Merciless Burialer Level 9 Drop: ?


    Aricht-san.........that was........


    They''re coming!


    He didn''t give it a reprieve, and he was on the move. He flashed the blade equipped on the outside of the shell that covered his arms and aimed at Theresa, who was closest to him.


    ''''--!


    I won''t let you.


    Elithiat!


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates ''Support and Defense 1'' ¡ú Target: ''Elitia''


    Attack of the Merciless Sender ¡ú Elitia defends


    Covering up for the unresponsive Theresia, Elitia is attacked with her sword. Even though her body size is not that different, Elitia is pushed back - and.


    He would have tried to counterattack back with a ''cut back'', and a moment before that, the enemy had flashed an arm on a different side.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    The Merciless Funeral Home invokes the Phantom Blade ¡ú Elitia is hit.


    Whaaa...!


    Faster than Elitia, the enemy delivered a second blow - which meant that none of his companions could follow his movements.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    The Merciless Savior activates Excursion ¡ú Kyoka avoids it.


    That''s fast.........


    With a single swing of his arm, the enemy can deliver a slash to a distant opponent - it looks like he just cut the sky, but the range is much longer than it looks.


    The reason Igarashi-san was able to dodge is due to the effect of the ''Blink Step'' - even so, if he was a moment late in using it, he would have been caught.


    Even though she knew that she would be targeted next, Theresia didn''t pull back and held her sword and shield. However, she knew that she would not be able to deal with that demon, which was faster than Eritia.


    ''''--Ariadne, please!


    ...!


    Current Situation


    Arihito requests temporary support from Ariadne, the god of the machine, ¡ú Target: Theresa


    Ariadne activates Guard Arm.


    The Merciless Funeral Home invokes the Phantom Blade.


    Teresia is hit.


    Ariadne would respond to the request - but even after confirming that it was received by the ''guard arm'', the enemy did not stop.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Aricht activates ''Support and Defense 1'' ¡ú Target: ''Theresa''


    Attack of the Merciless Funeral Home -> Theresa is hit.


    Huh...!


    Unable to catch the cleaving blow with her shield, Theresa''s body floats up and is sent flying - rolling down the beach, on the beach.


    She can''t scream or even go down to the ground to save herself. Because I know that if I am distraught, people will lose their lives.


    No more.........


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates ''Support and Defense 1'' ¡ú Target: Seraphina


    Seraphina activates Provoke ¡ú The Hostility of the Merciless Funeral Home to Seraphina increases.


    Seraphina activates "Immovable Breathing".


    Great Shield of Mirrored Armor''s special effect is activated.


    The Merciless Sender activates the Phantom Blade ¡ú Seraphina is hit.


    The Merciless Sender activates the Phantom Blade ¡ú Seraphina is hit.


    The enemy''s attack interval is too fast, and the ''Guard Arm'' does not respond to her request again. Even Serafina-san couldn''t reduce the power of a blow to zero, but she didn''t try to step back from the spot with the effect of the ''Immovable Breath''.


    ''''--No, Seraphina-san!


    Suzuna shouted - she, and all of us, understood. That Serafina-san is trying to buy time, even if it means risking her life.


    "Suzuna, it''s ''everybody in''!¡¡I can hit him with that skill set!


    Yes....!


    Current Situation


    Suzuna activates Munchu for two consecutive hits.


    Arihito activates ''Support Attack 2'' ¡ú Support: ''Force Shoot Stun''.


    Suzuna activates Storm Arrow and hits the Merciless Savior.


    No stun, no slowing down... but...!


    The enemy that had been attacking Seraphina-san in succession, and once they are wary of Suzuna''s attacks, they take their distance - but they are still within the range of the long-range slash ''Excursion''


    --even Melissa, the lowest level of the members.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    The Merciless Funeral Home invokes Excursion.


    Without even looking back, the demon, wearing a crab shell, swung his right hand backwards.


    Melissa and Theon had no way to avoid it. After successfully executing the instant death attack, I should have instructed the girls to disengage - before they were targeted.


    All sound will be lost. There is no way to break into that attack - we can''t surpass an opponent that Elitia can''t follow with our speed.


    But it was always that way.


    Elitia was faster than anyone else - she always saved us from our predicament with her sword.


    ''''--Haah!


    Current Situation


    Elitia activates Red Eye.


    Elitia activates Slash Ripper and hits the Merciless Savior.


    A red lingering shadow runs and the enemy is blown away - I can barely imagine from the situation that he was slashed from the side.


    ''''Eritia-san........!


    Elitia''s eyes are dyed red, and something like a red aura rises from her entire body - completely different from when she used only ''Berserk''.


    The demon''s armor is gouged out - and yet he still stands up without losing his will to fight.


    (-- Master, there''s not long enough time for Elitia to maintain that state.


    I can hear Murakumo''s voice. She''s right, we have to settle this matter as soon as possible.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    The Merciless Funeral Home invokes Create Golem.


    16 "Sand Scissors" were summoned.


    The demon spreads his arms out. And looking at the ''Sand Scissors'' created here and there on the beach, I realized that the enemy also thinks the same way - they never intend to be defeated. The enemy also thinks the same as we do - that they never intend to be defeated.

 129 Episode 128 Total War

    Each one of the Sand Scissors is also level 6 - the same level as the Arachne Mage. It''s a very good idea to be able to have the same thing in your life.


    There are still moves left to be made. We haven''t used all of our attack methods yet.


    ''''--Melissa, Theon, you did a great job!¡¡We have to get through the siege and keep our distance!


    I''m not ready to...


    Wham...!


    Melissa was still trying to aim for an instant death attack - but when she was targeted again, Elitia wouldn''t be able to stop her again and again. Theon knew that better than she did.


    The ''Funeral Service Provider'' sees Elitia as a threat, while directing its killing intent in all directions. It''s not likely that the demi-harpy and others in the air will be frightened and will not be able to get any closer, but they will be prepared for the emergency.


    --and before Elitia and the ''Funeralist'' can cut loose.


    ''Morale release, ''Soul Blink''!


    .....


    Current Situation


    Kyoka activates "Soul Blink" and all members of the party receive "Spirit of War".


    Theresa activates Triple Steel and all members of the party receive the Triple Steal effect.


    The war spirits are not added until Demiharpy, but with the exception of Sion, who is in the second party due to the number of members, they are strengthened by the skills of Igarashi-san and Theresia.


    --That also meant that Elitia, who had increased her abilities by leaps and bounds in ''Red Eye'', had the attack power of two people.


    ''''--Haah!


    Elitia is the opening of the battle. The two remnants of the golden-haired swordsman, the two remnants of the golden-haired swordsman flesh out the demon--.


    ''''We''re going too.......Suzuna, take care of the ''horn''!¡¡Can Misaki still make it!


    Hey, I think I can handle it, but.........I can at least get us out of here....


    While Misaki answers, Suzuna takes out a horn. The flute was cut out of a large horn and was shaped like a flute-like horizontal flute - the two priestesses held the flute at the same time.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Arihito activates ''Support Attack 2'' ¡úDarkness Bullet


    Elitia and the Spirit of War activate the Blossom Blade.


    The Merciless Funeral Home invokes "Blocking".


    From the first move, he unleashes his greatest technique - the slash that had reached 16 levels in "Berserk" is beyond the limit. But unbelievably, the enemy receives Eritia''s onslaught head-on with the blades on both arms.


    ''''--Sharpen........!


    In the midst of the fierce cutting battle, Suzuna''s whistle lights up - the ''Sand Scissors'' who had begun to move, and the ''Sand Scissors'' stilled as soon as the sound of her whistle began.


    And I had already pulled the trigger of my magic gun - to support the ''sound attack'' by Suzuna with another bullet.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Suzuna activates Spirit of the Word ¡ú Sacred attribute added to Suzuna''s weapon


    Suzuna and her spirit of war are hit by the Horn of the God of Shepherding''s Horn ¡ú 10 Sand Scissors are hit. The Merciless Sender is disabled.


    Support Attack 2" is activated, and 10 Sand Scissors are hit.


    Support Attack 2" is activated against the additional attack of the spirit of war ¡ú 10 Sand Scissors are hit.


    Defeat 10 "Sand Scissors".


    Aricht and Suzuna''s health and magic power are restored.


    The sound wave with the sacred attribute added strikes the Sand Scissors, stalling them, and the black lightning from the bullets of the Dark Ammunition Stone chases them back - ''Support Attack 2'' is not a double attack even if the war spirit is present, but the support is applied to Suzuna''s war spirit, and the The black lightning was showered on the ''Sand Scissors'' twice.


    ''''Soooooooo... isn''t that too amazing, that combination...?


    I didn''t expect it to work this well either - I couldn''t get through to the ''Merciless Funeral Makers'' because of their tolerance for sound, but ten crabs returned to the sand, and some of them left what looked like magical stones.


    And Igarashi-san and the others on the ground also fought back against the ''Sand Scissors'' that were coming for them, and with the help of ''Lightning Rage'' and ''Double Throw'', including the war spirits, and my support, all of the summoned crabs instantly returned to the sand.


    However, the fierce battle between Elitia and the Funeral Bearer was still going on. The ''Funeral Service Provider'' had surpassed the two ''Blossom Blades'' by Elitia and the War Spirit - the situation I feared would happen when Elitia was about to unleash her third technique.


    ''''Ah..........''''


    With a gakun, the strength from Elitia''s body is released. The wear and tear was too much in the state of activating ''Red Eye'' - her magic power is being depleted.


    ''''Elitia-san........!


    Current Situation


    The Merciless Sender activates the Revenge Blade, which increases the attack power by the number of times it is defended.


    I''ll make it.


    ''--Aah!


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates Assist Charge ¡ú Elitia''s magic power is restored.


    Elitia and the Spirit of War activate Rising Zapper ¡ú *Ruthless Slaughterer is disabled by Blocking Critical


    Activate Elitia''s Unicorn Ribbon special effect.


    Elitia and the Spirit of War''s additional attack is triggered, hitting the Merciless Sender.


    Supportive Attack 2 occurs four times, hitting the Merciless Funeral Home.


    Elitia and Aricht''s health and magic power are restored.


    --!


    It is not a good idea to have a good idea of what to expect when you are in a position to make a decision.


    I''m not going to be able to say that I''m not going to be able to get it right.


    I''m sure you''ll be able to find out what''s going on. Elitia, who recovered greatly from the effects of the "Triple Steel", tries to push it further - but.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    The Merciless Funeral Home invokes Jet Slaughter ¡ú Targets: "Kyoka" and "Theresa".


    What...?


    Instead of Elitia in front of him, he points one arm at Igarashi-san and the other at Theresa, and shoots out his armor with a blade.


    That obsession to take even one person on the road. The blow fired by a level 9 ''named'' could be a fatal blow to any of us - but.


    It''s as if "she" had read the attack and was there with her great shield at the ready.


    ''O faithful, now is the time to give strength to your ally. Call upon the armor of the Star Machine God to strengthen your shield.''''


    I can hear Ariadne''s voice - yes, she was saying that.


    When your total level exceeds 20, you can use the ''Guard Variant'', she said.


    ''''--Please support me, Ariadne!


    Current Situation


    Arihit" requests temporary support from "Ariadne".


    Ariadne activates ''Guard Valiant'' ¡ú Target: ''Seraphina'' and ''Seraphina''s War Spirit''


    It wasn''t a ''guard arm'', but a new Ariadne blessing - it was something that strengthened the members who held the shield.


    Serafina-san had accepted the changes that happened to her shield in front of her eyes as it was.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Seraphina activates "Aura Shield".


    Seraphina''s Spirit of War activates the Aura Shield by half.


    Great Shield of Mirrored Armor''s special effect is activated.


    Seraphina activates Bodyguard ¡ú Target: Theresa


    Seraphina''s Spirit of War activates Bodyguard ¡ú Target: Kyouka


    Jet Thrower hits Seraphina and the spirit of war ¡ú Activate Guard Valiant''s special effect to reflect physical attacks.


    A reflex attack on the Merciless Sender hits two levels.


    Gas..........!


    The two armor shot out by the ''funeral sender'' is flung off by the large shield - no, it reflects with the same momentum.


    "Not only to protect........this shield.......


    Serafina-san marvels - a shield that can return an enemy''s physical attack as it is. I could tell that it was a threat to the ''Funeralist'' by looking at the armor that had been gouged out by the clash of armor.


    The war spirit has not yet disappeared. All of the demons that were summoned were defeated - and with the armor no longer complete, the ''Funeralist'' still confronted Elitia.


    ''''.........I''ll end it.......!


    Current Situation


    Elitia and the Spirit of War activate the Blossom Blade.


    The Merciless Sender activates Life in Death.


    The Merciless Funeral Home invokes "Blocking".


    The trajectory of the red slashes left behind by Elitia and the war spirit is like a flower blooming madly - the enemy continues to receive and handle it from the front.


    The attack as well as the defense would originally be head and should be head and shoulders above the ''named'' that appears in this ward''s labyrinth.


    However, we were a party and the enemy was not.


    Even if you demonstrate how invincible your defense is in front of you, your reaction to the ''behind'' is delayed--that one moment can be fatal to the enemy.


    ''''--I''ve been waiting.......all along.......!


    Current Situation


    Melissa and the spirit of war activate an ambush.


    Melissa and the Spirit of War ride Theon and use the Ride On Wolf.


    Attack of the "Melissa" and the War Spirit


    Melissa and the War Spirit had been waiting for this opportunity - there was no way they weren''t scared, but they tried to take advantage of the possibility.


    ''''Melissa........!


    Elitia raises her voice. I know - even after anticipating that possibility, I still support Melissa''s decision.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Hit twice on the Merciless Mortuary Critical


    The "Fobidoun Scythe" is damaged.


    Melissa''s and Theon''s strength and magic power are restored.


    H..........?


    Instant death attacks don''t always succeed. That''s why I had to aim after applying the ''Fortune Roll'' or I wouldn''t have incorporated it as a tactic.


    (But I have nothing to regret. That position is ''behind him''........!


    Murakumo, come here!


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates Backstand ¡ú Target: Melissa


    Arihito and the spirit of war activate Meteor Strike.


    Thanks to Melissa''s presence there, I was able to use ''Backstand'' - not ''right behind'' the enemy, but at a distance where I could instantly close the gap with ''Meteor Thrust'' - thanks to Melissa''s presence there.


    The guy is unable to respond to the attacks from behind, and that too from the left and right, and he receives them without being able to respond. Even so, I can only say that the shell, to the extent that the surface can be scraped off, is of tremendous hardness.


    But the gap created there, Elitia doesn''t miss and stuffs it in - with that technique.


    And I''m going to play the role of the ''rear guard'' as well. In order to support the last move, I once again used the last magic power to activate the skill.


    ''''-- Scatter, Red Flower. ''''Blossom Blade!''''


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates Backstand ¡ú Target: Elitia


    Arihito activates ''Support Attack 2'' ¡ú Support: ''Tenchi Blades''.


    Elitia and the Spirit of War activate the Blossom Blade.


    Attack power increased due to the Scarlet Dance effect.


    The Merciless Sender is hit at 24 levels. War Spirit Add-on Attack


    Elitia and the Spirit of War''s additional attack is triggered, hitting the Merciless Sender.


    Reach the limit of "Support Attack 2".


    Elitia and Aricht''s health and magic power are restored.


    Oh....oh...oh...oh...oh!


    A red slash, it is a red flower. With each swing that is carved like a dance, Elitia throws away her defenses and only sharpened the power of her sword.


    With each strike, Murakumo''s slashes are showered on her, and the combined number of attacks is close to a hundred. The enemy, who was launched into the air at the first tenth step, continued to be slashed - when the shell finally shattered and fell without a bounce on the beach, it did not rise again.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Defeat a "Merciless Funeral Bearer".


    Melissa" has been upgraded to 6th level


    Get a "Doubtfulness Stone".


    ''Hah, hah...''


    ''You did it, Elitia.............What is it?


    "--Igarashi-san, please wait!¡¡Now Elitia is...!


    Even after the battle was over, the ''Red Eye'' was not deactivated. That also meant that the effect of ''Berserk'', which attacks indiscriminately, was continuing - but.


    ''''Eritia-san, it''s alright now.......we''ve won.


    Without fear, Suzuna gets down on the beach and hugs Elitia. At first Elitia seemed to be in pain, but when Suzuna stroked her back, the red magic that surrounded her body calmed down.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Elitia''s Berserk and Red Eye are released.


    Elitia''s ability is temporarily reduced.


    Suzuna...?


    ''Thank God........Elitia. Really.........


    ''''I''m sorry, I''m having trouble with my body... can you give me a shoulder?''''


    ''I''ll be there for that!¡¡I don''t have time to play an explosive card and I''ve got plenty of energy to spare!


    Misaki and Suzuna support Elitia. I ask Harpy to retrieve the stone on the giant crab''s shell - that stone, which is supposed to contain Roland-san''s soul, should bring him back to life.


    The giant crab, and the material of the "Funeralist" will be sent to Melissa''s storeroom. I checked the ''funeral party'' up close, but there was no humanoid demon inside the shell - only the soul of the giant crab was believed to be moving in this shell armor.


    ''As a master''s sword, I can''t say that I have been able to make full use of its performance. I have to bring out the best of my master''s skills...''''


    The Murakumo in its back sheath appeals to me regretfully. I think that perception is half correct and half not.


    (My skills and the performance of my sword.......both still have room to grow. We''re still in the seventh district, we can''t afford to have our growth stop here.)


    Murakumo hasn''t responded for a while - he seems to be thinking about something. Or maybe he''s consulting with Ariadne.


    ''''Arihito your growth is remarkable. But even if you fight this many enemies, you won''t be able to increase your level in one go. The fact that the skills that can be acquired at each level are useful, and the fact that you have Eritia as your main fighting force, is partly to blame.''''


    (Did you hear me, Ariadne you''re right, I didn''t level up. I guess it''s not very often that you get 80% of your experience to the next level in a few battles.)


    The difference in level between you and Elitia makes it hard to get experience in - the reason I wasn''t aware of that before is that you have a lot of experience before the correction, I guess.


    However, there''s no way we''re going to have Elitia come off just before we defeat the enemy. I think our party is fine with this step. However, I don''t want to face an opponent who can be killed if I make a mistake for a while - if there is not even a time limit, I want to hit the stone bridge and cross it.


    ''''I don''t know if Aricht would want to.


    I do think about the things Ariadne says - we encounter ''named'' and special situations far too often.


    One of them was a box left behind by the ''funeral person'' that had an appearance I had never seen before - not a black box, but a ''white box'' with some kind of pattern painted on the surface.


    Theresia brings it to me. As long as the threat of the ''black box'' trap is known, I can''t try to unlock it - I''ve found something that even Falma-san doesn''t know if she can open or not.


    ''''Rear-kun, that box is...''''


    ''''Since I thought the black box was the most valuable, I can''t open it now because I''m not sure how to react to this... or because of the risk of traps. I''d like to discuss this with Falma-san once later.


    ''''Yeah, well... if you try to force it open and fail, we were talking about how the ''black box'' would be in trouble if there was a trap set up for it too...''''


    Igarashi-san also remembers what Farma-san said, and she tries to hug her own body. The armor of magic power created with the rune of ''“Q'' is still alive and well, but what happens when her magic power runs out - I''ll think about that when I can''t follow through with ''Assist Charge''. I couldn''t use it very much during the battle, but if my magic power, which I recovered with ''Triple Steel'', diminishes again, I can use the mana potion to restore it.


    As I was talking about this, Serafina-san comes over to me. Her shield had returned to its original form after the strengthening by ''Guard Variant'' was released.

 130 Episode 129: "Co-op"

    ''Lord Atobe you are brilliant. All of your people have not only strength, but courage and compassion in all of you. I salute you from the bottom of my heart.


    You, Seraphina, were the one who supported me at the critical point in the battle.


    ''''It is because of this shield. Otherwise, the shield would have failed to do its job... the shield will be returned to you after it is serviced.


    ''Oh, no. If you like it, Seraphina, you can keep that shield. We don''t have any members to equip it yet, and there may be times when we need your help again.


    ''My brother is actively soliciting................I want to be invited like that too.


    ''It would certainly be reassuring to have Seraphina-san join us. But the Guild Saber mission is important to me as well. It would be a great honor just to be able to fight with you like this sometimes.


    I don''t mean to be a solicitor - when I say that, that''s a little different from what I really mean. The range of tactics you can choose from is completely different when Seraphina-san is around and when she''s not.


    But I can''t say it''s too much to ask. Since they have helped me enough so far, I should probably wait a while before using the ''Saber Ticket''.


    ''''We''ll be stronger too, so as not to be too lenient with Seraphina-san. So please let me join you again sometime, somewhere.


    ''''What do you mean.......you are the embodiment of Lord Atobe and the others. That a party''s strength is not all about its level.


    Serafina-san told me, and I''m convinced that it''s true - everyone at the party laughed at me.


    ''Most of all, Arihito is contributing more than his level. Compared to him, I still have a lot of work to do.''''


    ''''Oh no...Elitia-san, you are too humble to say such a thing after such an incredible attack.


    ''''It was ... cool. I can''t do it like Elitia, but I admire it.


    What''s the matter with you all of a sudden, it''s not cool, it''s not...


    Even Melissa praises her, so Elitia is blushing and embarrassed. No one is ever not happy to be praised for their fighting skills.


    ''''Atobe-dono, whenever you are close to your appointment, please call me. It''s not a shy thing to do, I''m here because I want to be.


    Thank you, Miss Seraphina.


    I shook hands with Ms. Serafina on behalf of the party. Serafina-san''s hand, which she removed from my small hand, was large for a woman, but it felt smaller than I expected.


    ''Even though we still have plenty of time to spare, we can''t leave Ms. Rolando the way she is for long. Let''s go, Mr. Rear.


    Yes but there''s one thing that bothers me.


    Someone who claims to have been in this labyrinth long before we did. And if it was Gray, he''d be waiting for a chance to make a move.


    -- but he wouldn''t do such a foolish thing. I had good reason to think so, but once we were through the passage between the rock walls, I had no choice but to hold my head up.


    ''It''s finally over - the bastard in the suit, and the women. After fighting that monster, you should be in shambles by now...!


    A cave to get out of the labyrinth. The one standing on the path to it is Gray - and he has a number of huge demons behind him.


    ''''I can''t believe you''d go that far. Are you trying to crush us with ''blame''?


    Oh, my God........three such huge mantis force.......


    ''How did you bring me to ''Arachnephilia''.......how did you bring me here.......!


    The demon you encountered


    Ocean Mantis 3, level 6, in combat, drop: ?


    3 Arachnephilia 3, level 6 in combat Drop: Blacknet


    ''''........You brought the demons that you collected using the call sign to this point. For that amount of time, you must have the skills to attribute hostility to others.


    "Hahaha, I''ll tell you before I put you in the hospital. I''ve got the ability to counteract hostility. Look at them, they''re in the vicinity and they''re not shooting at me.


    I see - and I agree. If you''re willing to talk that much yourself, there were other things I wanted to ask.


    "What are you going to do after you attack us here?


    I can''t tell you that much. I just happen to be here, okay?¡¡And you guys just get attacked by demons by accident. Getting attacked by a horde of demons when you''re exhausted is just bad luck... hahahahaha!


    I could see what you were going to do, and I dared to ask - of course, you''re going to bring back the evidence of defeating the ''merciless decapitation'' and take credit for it.


    ''Well you''re mistaken about some things. But we''re not nice enough to tell you that, either.


    ''You misunderstood?¡¡Does the Sword of Death mean that a demon of this magnitude can be easily defeated?¡¡Don''t push yourself, you can''t even walk without being supported, can you?


    Elitia was miffed, but she didn''t seem to want to talk back anymore. I agree with you - now we''ll just have to show this guy the results.


    Now, let me go with the high ground. You''ll do what you''re paid for, demons...!


    The three vanguard mantises, which had turned hostile as soon as they saw us, try to move in unison. Serafina-san takes a position in the vanguard, resting Elitia in a safe place, and we try to return fire - but.


    Something I, and Gray, never imagined would happen at all. The three vanguards were attacked ''from behind'' all at once.


    ''''Geez...!


    "Kisshhhh!


    One of them was engulfed in flames as glowing letters appeared at their feet - the other one was hit with a vigorous mass of light, and the last one was greatly frightened by two bullets.


    ''''Aricht, boys, you are still safe!


    Arihito, my brother.........everyone.......


    Current Situation


    Ceres activates Fire Text and hits Ocean Mantis A.


    Takuma activates the "Air Armor Bullet" ¡ú "Ocean Mantis B" is hit.


    Luka activates "Double Action" and hits "Ocean Mantis C" in two steps.


    The people who were in the labyrinth, which was supposed to be forbidden to pass, were unexpected people - Celes, Takuma and Shiori, carried by Steiner-san. And even Luka-san, who held a small magic gun in both hands.


    ''''Madoka.......you brought everyone here.......!


    ''''No, when I was in the workshop with Celes-san, you all said that one by one... because you wanted to help Aricht-san...''''


    ''I''m going to have to watch my brother fight but it''s been a long time since he''s tried to make a move on me. I''m sorry, I''m sorry for getting my tea in.


    "And in the unlikely event that Alihit doesn''t come to pick up the suit, I don''t want him to. I''ll show you that if you''re trained, your ''supporters'' won''t be that low, either.


    ''''Atobe-sama, we''ve decided to become Atobe-sama''s ''co-operative party'' and we''re in!¡¡It''s going to take a little while to defeat the demon, but just wait a little longer!''''


    Gray can''t swallow the situation and can''t do anything about the vanguard that''s trying to head to Celes-san and her party instead of us - all that''s left is ''Arachnephilia'' and the others.


    ''''Ku, spiders ... do them!¡¡Your enemies are over there, don''t make a mistake!


    I thought it was possible - but I heard it was better to make it visible to Grey.


    ''--Come on, ''Arachne Mage!


    Current Situation


    Aricht summons the Arachne Mage.


    Grasping the summoning stone pendant and summoning the Arachne Mage - Grey, who saw it, sat back on the spot, just as he did when he saw the ''Merciless Decapitation''.


    ''''Well, demonslayer.......You even tamed the ''spider''.......''''


    ''Arachne Mage'' speaks something to ''Arachne Filia'' and the others - they don''t hear it as a sound, but ''Arachne Filia'' and the others seem to have heard it, and they walk away to the grassland without doing anything.


    Gray was torn and didn''t even come towards us - he stood up while almost falling down and tried to escape out of the labyrinth.


    ''''Kut........it''s been too long since I''ve been away from my senses after all.......!


    "--Hey!


    ''''The ''praying mantis'' is essentially the strongest category of demon in the seventh district.......it''s not a simple matter.......!


    Ceres-san and the other five are fighting a good battle, but they are not going to win easily. Igarashi-san and Theresa have already started running - Melissa rides Sion and goes around to avoid turning in front of the enemy, wielding the ''Meat Slicing Knife (Butcher''s Knife)'' that she has changed hands with to take a chance.


    ''''I''m getting yakier too.......in the past, I would have let you go to heaven with two shots.......!


    Luka-san may have metal in his boots, or he is kicking and receiving a mantis sickle with the sole of his foot - his fighting style in his suit may have been influenced by a famous footworker, after all.


    Volunteers from other parties to join the fight


    The party of "Ceres" has applied for a co-operative fight.


    "-Oh!


    Takuma, who is a master of martial arts, unleashes a palm bottom with a powerful step and breaks the stance of the mantis - whereupon Igarashi-san and Theresia try to make a follow-up attack.


    ''''--Rearly-kun, please!


    Huh...!


    I accepted Celes-san and the others'' application - I raised my hand and shouted, thanking Celes-san and the others for coming to join us.


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates Total Mutual Support. Time limit 120 seconds.


    The support range has been enhanced for the party of "Alihit" and the co-op party.


    Enhancements to individual party members'' skills are extended to all.


    The entire party is strengthened by the "Gunwolf Stance".


    The entire party is strengthened by "The Art of the Sword 2".


    The whole party is strengthened by "knife handling".


    The entire party is strengthened by the "drop rate increase".


    The whole party is strengthened by the "lucky dwarf".


    The entire party is strengthened by "Magical Mastery 2".


    The entire party is strengthened by "Fist Fighting 2".


    The entire party is strengthened by "Butoh-jutsu 1".


    The entire party is strengthened by "Armor Combat 1".


    The entire party is enhanced by Haute Couture


    The entire party is strengthened by "Assassination Technique 2".


    What.... what is this...


    The skill of enhancement... this is what Master Atobe...?


    ...!


    Sharing everyone''s enhanced skills, ''mutual support''. The one who benefited most from it this time was Takuma - many skills were apparently adapted to his fighting style.


    But my companions were not defeated either. Igarashi-san takes the stance of ''Lightning Rage'' and Theresia takes the stance of ''Azure Slash''.


    ''''Let''s go, Theresia-san!


    Huh...!


    "--Igarashi-san, Theresa!¡¡"I support you!


    Without hesitation, I load the dark bullet stone into my magic gun and shoot. Luka-san, who noticed it even at a distance, whistles - and Serafina-san, as the second line, sets up a body hit on the ''mantis'' while holding her shield.


    ''''--Haah!


    "Oh........you are beyond brave. Steiner, you are not to be outdone!


    "Wow, I can''t really say I''m not much of a fighter, can I?


    ''Big brother, we can go too, whenever you want!


    ''''You need to give me timing instructions, Mr. Aricht........!


    ''Yeah let''s go, you two!¡¡''Support Coordination (Chain Support)'' and ''Rear Line''!


    Misaki''s Blast Card, Suzuna''s Storm Arrow and my Force Shoot Bounce are shot at the three courageous mantis. The three praying mantises that had already been drained of their strength by the coordinated attack, strengthened by the mutual support of the entirety, sank to the earth at the same time.


    Current Status¡ô


    Defeat the 3 "Ocean Mantis".


    The ''Vanguard'' was defeated, but what happened to Gray - I knew from my ''Eagle''s Eye'' that he hadn''t escaped.


    ''''What, I''m late in coming... but it looks like we''ve stalled the dumbass.


    The four members of the "Four Seasons" who have transferred in afterwards are blocking Gray''s path as soon as possible.


    ''Oops I knew you were like that. Raising your hand is a hoot.


    The maple tree blocks the path, and Gray tries to take a bite - but Ibuki easily blocks him, and he can''t move forward or backward.


    ''Why don''t you give up?¡¡What you did here is probably bad.


    Yes you need to get your shit together and stop thinking about all the bad things.


    Shut up... oh, I am...


    Don''t do it, Gray!


    Gray doesn''t respond to Anna and Ryoko-san''s persuasion, but takes something out and slams it on the ground - it''s a smoke screen.


    ''''Move.....gah........ah...!


    However, Gray didn''t get away with it, and after the smoke screen cleared - a man in armor with an eye patch grabbed Gray''s chest and fished it up with one hand.


    ''Hey! Greetings. What are you doing here, you little bastard?


    Khosrow, you can''t do anything but knock him out.


    Yes, sir, Master Kuzelka.


    I haven''t seen a woman in black armor yet in the labyrinth country - did she choose a profession such as ''knight'', or is it just that her equipment is like that? I can''t discern that much yet.


    Seraphina''s eyes widened and her name was mentioned - she was told that the support from the Guild Saber Headquarters should arrive in a few days, but she was already here. It seemed to mean that there was something unforeseen, even for her in the position of ''Third Dragon Lieutenant''.


    The woman called Kuserka had flowing silver hair. Her age was not apparent at first glance, but she looked to be the same as Serafina, or slightly older.


    ''You must be Lieutenant Seraphina Edelbert. I apologize for the inaccuracy of the information.......As this one was a matter that was long pending in the upper echelons, the order was given to take precedence over the mission in the Sixth District. As a result, our arrival has been postponed.


    I understand the situation. They, Alihito-Atobe and his party, have defeated the Named Victims. I am sorry to the Third Dragon Lieutenant, but our Guild Saber''s emergency mission is already complete.


    After receiving Serafina-san''s report, Third Lieutenant Kuzelka looks at me - a woman with a calm demeanor, but I could see the impenetrable sharpness in her eyes when she looks at me.


    She conquers the man named Khosrow, and Gray is finally lowered to the ground - but he''s completely stretched out. One look at Gray''s figure and she did not change her expression at all.


    ''''We''ve already received several reports about his conduct to the Guild. Based on this eyewitness testimony, we will scrutinize the license''s record of behavior and rule on whether or not his deeds can be charged with a crime at headquarters.


    "Well, he''s probably guilty. I''m sure the instructor at the training center will be worth beating up on............................oops, sorry.


    With a glance at Kuserka, Khosrow cowered his shoulders. ''''For the ''demon slouching'', forcible recruiting, and concealment of skill use that Gray has been doing, he will now be formally punished.


    ''Considering what he did, it seems lenient, but.......I wonder if going to the training camp is like an imprisonment?''


    Igarashi-san was quite angry, so he felt the ruling was lenient. I consider Gray''s affairs out of my hands now, and I want to leave it entirely to the guild.


    ''''Phew........it''s a tough job. But as expected of you, Aricht, I''m getting strength just by talking to you. What skill is that?


    ''''Your master should do a little more magical rehabilitation, it wasn''t very powerful at all.''''


    ..........


    ''Takuma is often a mercenary on the quest, so it''s a good thing he''s not losing his skills.


    "I didn''t know so many ''supporters'' in Alihit.......he didn''t just invite me to be his ''exclusive''. What a joke. Your clients are so well-liked, and I''m as proud of them as I am of myself.


    Despite the fact that it was the first time they had fought together, the five of them were quite a combination, including Shiori-san - Madoka, who had brought us, had used ''hide'' just in case, but she handed out potions to everyone as soon as the fight was over.


    ''Thank goodness my brother, I really think I''m going to get injured this time...''


    ''Sorry to worry you, Madoka. As you can see, everyone''s fine.......and Elitia is okay?


    ''Yeah, the drop in status seems to be reversing slowly. It''s still a bit low, but it should be back to normal in a few hours. And thanks to Theresia''s morale release, I''ve regained enough of my strength.


    Triple Steel has the advantage of drop-grabbing, but the health and magic recovery part is still the biggest benefit. It''s not uncommon for them to be able to recover almost completely after a battle, which works well with Soulblink.


    The next time you call us, we can''t wait for you to call us when you can. I''m afraid that Alihito and the others are going to move up to the sixth ward.


    ''...Let me show you once the racket I made thanks to the Arhites.


    Anna showed them the racket she had brought with her but hadn''t used, and she was smiling - Ryoko-san and Ibuki were smiling when they saw it.


    ''The only time Anna makes this kind of face is in front of her teacher, right?


    ''Atobe-san, if you have time, that''s fine. We''ll do our best and catch up with the Sixth Ward as soon as we can.


    It''s a great encouragement to have a party that is moving to a similarly higher ward. I''m hopeful that there will be another opportunity for co-op eventually.


    ''Four Seasons,'' and after Ceres and the others have transitioned ahead of us. I''ll let even Khosrow-san go first, and only Kuzelka-san will remain - and.


    Alihit Atobe. I want to talk to you once. Could you and Lieutenant Seraphina come to the higher guild later on?


    Ms. Cuselka gave us a serious look - which suggested that what she was talking about meant a lot to us.

 131 Episode 130: Two Names

    We left the Beach of the Falling Sun and hurried to the medical station - if we could find the Soul Jailstone where Roland''s soul was trapped, he would surely regain consciousness.


    When I asked the receptionist for an interview with Roland-san, the receptionist gave me permission to see him more smoothly than I expected.


    The hospital knew from the doctor''s examination that Roland-san was in a ''lethal coma'' and that the cause was the loss of his soul, and Daniela had told the hospital that she had asked us to help her get his soul back.


    We went up the stairs and hurried to the treatment room where Roland-san was staying. The nurse who was showing us around still seemed unrealistic.


    ''''When ''soul loss'' happens, we often can''t defeat the demon that caused it in time and we can''t get our souls back. When that happens, they are more likely to change into subhumans than when they are usually defeated in the labyrinth...


    ''Oh, I see. So, in this room....


    There was a possibility that Mr. Rolando could turn into a subhuman - perhaps that was why he was housed in a treatment room that was closed off by a heavy door in the medical station.


    ''We''ve been expecting you, Mr. Atobe. Miss Daniela has told me about you.


    The man who is a doctor is a little older than me, I would say, and it''s a little unsettling to be feared by such a person for the first time - and this is not the time to be thinking about it.


    ''''But I didn''t expect you to come back to your souls that day... I salute you on behalf of the Seventh Ward First Medical Center for your dedication.


    The doctor man and the nurse all bowed together - I can''t underestimate the feeling, but it''s not a situation where they''re thanking me yet. If Roland-san doesn''t revive him, it''s meaningless.


    ''''Doctor, Roland-san''s condition is........''''


    The Lethal Coma remains unchanged. I have only seen three patients recover from ''soul loss'' in ten years. I apologize for my lack of experience.


    ''No, it''s very encouraging if you''ve experienced it three times. What can I do with this stone?


    The doctor''s eyes widened as he took out the soul prison stone - and almost reached out his hand and pulled it back in the middle.


    I will need to purify it with the sacred attributes, so I will make arrangements immediately.


    Suzuna, do you think you can purify this stone with ''Chouzu''?


    Suzuna comes over and takes the soul prison stone in her hand - a black, murky pattern floats on the surface, making it look like Roland''s soul is being held in restraints.


    She asks the nurse to fetch a bottle of water, and Suzuna activates the ''hand water'' - and then the entire glass bottle glows very slightly.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Suzuna activates "Hand Water".


    Release the "defilement" of the "Doubt" of the "Spiritual Dungeon Stone" ¡ú Change to "Spiritual Haku Stone".


    When Suzuna takes the water in her hand and drips it onto the ''soul prison stone'' I''m holding, the murkiness of the stone disappears - does that mean this is its true form, or does it change its form into a stone that emits a crystal clear light?


    I have the door to the treatment room opened and approach Roland-san, who is lying on the treatment table. His chest doesn''t rise and fall at all, and he doesn''t seem to be breathing - but he''s still alive.


    ''....Mr. Rolando. Mr. Daniela and your unborn child are waiting for you.


    His companions watch on without saying a word. When he brings the glowing stone closer to Roland-san, as if in response, his body also begins to glow faintly - and.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Arihito uses the Kahakuishi ¡ú Target: Roland


    Roland''s lethal coma has been restored.


    The spirit stone leaves my hand and increases in brilliance - the stone, which could have been touched as a substance, is transformed into the light itself, which cannot be touched, and is sucked into his body.


    When he challenged The Merciless Decapitation to death, Mr. Rolando was saying something to his friends.


    His time had stopped there - but it began to move again.


    Eventually, his eyes opened thinly and Mr. Rolando turned to me.


    ''''.........Aricht.......Atobe......you, me.......?''''


    ''We took down that demon at Daniela''s request. That''s all there is to it.


    ''You''re talking to me like that again... was your rear end such a hard man?


    ''I didn''t mean to help you, how twee! I''ve already said it, Mr. Rolando, it was your brother and his merry band of friends who saved you!


    Misaki comes out and says - I thought to Mr. Roland that Misaki''s tension would be too out of place right now.


    He laughs, the corners of his mouth hanging up a bit. Then he closes his eyes and takes a long breath.


    ''Complete defeat, rookie. No, I don''t think that''s common sense for you guys.


    Mr. Rolando coughed and the doctors rushed over to him. He had only just regained consciousness, and even talking a little bit seemed to have taken a toll on him.


    ''Roland-san I''m so glad you''re recovering. But even if you recover from the ''lethal coma'', you still need rehabilitation. We will support (support) you, so let''s work together until you recover.


    For him, it was the second time - once with an illness, and now he had stomped his way up to the Sixth Ward, where he was almost ready to move up to the Sixth Ward.


    Daniela also said that once, after being sick and left behind by his friends, Mr. Rolando had had nightmares. It''s hard to imagine how painful it must have been to be wounded that badly and still stand up.


    But Rolando-san''s eyes hadn''t lost their strength yet. There wasn''t an ounce of resignation in his expression.


    ''''........This time has taught me a lesson. I can''t drag the ''alliance'' down, so I''ll have to start over again from nothing. Still, apparently I''m a lot less willing to give up than I thought I was.


    ''Mr. Rolando, to have nothing...isn''t that a luxury?


    As I say it, Daniela comes into the treatment room - she stops with her eyes wide open when she realizes that Ms. Rolando is awake.


    ...Daniela.


    Roland.......................


    When Mr. Rolando calls his name, Daniela clings to him - all his friends are crying as they get it, and I want to look up at the sky.


    ''.............''


    "...What the hell, Theresa. Are you worried about me?


    There''s no nod of affirmation, but Theresa is still pinching the sleeve of my clothes. I wonder if she''s worried because she''s suddenly looking up or something.


    ''Good ... really ... if you die, I, I ...''


    ''''Well I always thought he was dead too. Apparently, he wasn''t the Grim Reaper in the suit, but the other way around.


    The Grim Reaper in a suit - there was a foreign movie about that. I wonder if some people see me and make those associations. Is it a joke on Mr. Roland, and not a place to read too much into it?


    Theresa still seemed concerned, so I moved closer and said in a low voice, so that only she could hear me.


    ''When you''re growing up, it''s a bit like crying in public, isn''t it?


    ..........


    As I was thinking about whether I got the message across properly - the mouth visible through Theresia''s mask moves as if in a huff, and she takes a step backwards.


    (Hmm.........te, Teresa.......?)


    It''s not the mask, but Theresa''s face underneath it that''s turning red. Maybe it''s because I carelessly spoke into her ear - or maybe it''s just that this reaction is too delicate.


    ''''........Arihito, let''s leave the couple alone for now.


    ''''Oh, isn''t Ellie-san''s eyes bright red too! I''m breaking down in tears too, but I''m full of humanity because of my appearance.


    ''Misaki-chan, use my handkerchief. If you go out there like that, you''ll get worried.


    ''....Suzuna is crying too. I don''t cry easily, so I''m a little jealous.


    ''I''m really glad... good... oh, brother, I didn''t do anything to get you to do it like that...


    ''Madoka was so helpful in bringing Ceres and the others to me. Can you at least let me do this?


    You shouldn''t pat a girl''s head unless it''s a very good case, but in Madoka''s case, she''s the youngest and it''s over her turban, so she should be tolerated.


    ''''Oh, thank you, brother.......''''


    ''Well if I was just a little smaller I''d be ... nope, nothing.''


    ..........


    ''Rear-kun, it would be unfair to differentiate between the kids in the party. As a leader, I think it''s a good idea to find a balance.


    ''That''s what you said, Kyouka sister too... oh, it''s so noisy, let''s leave for now.


    Everyone was leaving the treatment room - Mr. and Mrs. Voln were all embarrassed when they realized that they had been crying when they were seen to themselves.


    ''Thank you so much, Mr. Atobe, for your help. We will definitely thank you for your request through the guild.''''


    No, let them not worry too much about that...


    ''Hmm ... well maybe you don''t know?¡¡If you get a request from another party, the guild may reward you when you accomplish it. I don''t know how much it''s worth for helping me, but you might get something for it. Of course, we''d like to thank you as well.


    If it''s that kind of system, I''m interested in what kind of reward will be given - will I receive it when I report my search to Louisa-san?


    ''''Then I will thankfully accept it. Please be well, both of you. Roland-san, I know it may be difficult for you, but.......


    ''Yeah, I''ll be fine. And so is my wife because I can''t be a pathetic father to my new family.


    Mr. Rolando laughs with Daniela. It''s the kind of smile that makes you think that this couple has nothing to worry about.


    ''Mr. Atobe, if you need help with a doctor, you can always contact our clinic.


    I understand. I''d like to have a physical once in a while, with the whole party.


    I say hello and leave the clinic with my friends outside - and I see a familiar group of people in the lobby. A member of the Alliance for Freedom.


    We''ve heard all about it. I really don''t know how to thank you for helping our leader.


    Mr. Thomas is also very impressed and his eyes are watering. He must have known Mr. Rolando for a long time, and I could tell he was expressing his sincere thanks.


    ''If you were able to come right away, then you were always ready to gather here.


    ''Oh no one could be normal knowing that the leader ... well Roland was going to be like that. I thought some parties would leave the alliance, but for now, except for Gray being taken into custody by the Guild Saber, no one has quit and stayed. After hearing about the situation from the three members of Triceratops, we''ve decided that we won''t be returning to the Alliance, but we''ll work together.


    ''That''s good to hear. I think it''s encouraging for Mr. Rolando that the ''Alliance'' is still here.


    Even the members who hadn''t yet spoken to us bowed to us.


    There were twists and turns that led to a clash with the ''alliance'', but the Grey that had been setting us up for conflict is now gone. I wish we had time to have a heart-to-heart talk, but we have a way to go, and they have things to do now.


    I''ll see you again somewhere. Please take care of the ''Alliance'' and be safe.


    I said hello and walked out of the clinic - just before I did, I heard a voice from behind me.


    ''Thank you!¡¡You were the best looking man in the suit!


    ''Thank you for helping our leader!¡¡I love you!


    Mr. Atobe!¡¡I want to be an explorer like you!


    From the rugged men to the young female members of the group, they speak to me enthusiastically - I''m embarrassed, but I don''t feel bad about having them say that.


    ''''Well I feel like your rear end is getting bigger and bigger and bigger, don''t you?


    If I don''t, I might end up with two names. I hope it''s a better name than mine.


    Hmm, two names.... though I think they already call him "Man in the Suit".


    Igarashi-san and Elitia both look happy. I think how blessed they are to be able to smile like this even after fighting such a strong enemy and going through the death line.


    I find Serafina-san a short walk away from the clinic. It seems that she has come to pick us up in order to lead us to Third Lieutenant Kuzelka''s place - she''s not wearing her usual armor, but a guild saber''s uniform, perhaps a military uniform.


    ''''Atobe-dono, Rolando-dono...''''


    Yes, thanks to you, he''s regained consciousness. I think he''s going to be okay.


    That''s good to hear. I don''t know what would have happened if it weren''t for Lady Atobe and the others... but we guild savers must continue to train ourselves even harder.


    A demon that even a guild saber can''t deal with - a high ranking squad member could probably deal with it, but I can imagine that such personnel are stationed in a high ranking ward.


    However, we were able to defeat such a monster. How was that evaluated by the Guild Headquarters and Guild Saber? It''s safe to say that the story of Third Lieutenant Kuzelka''s story is closely related to that.


    ''''Then........I will now take you to Third Dragon Lieutenant Kuzelka. Mister Atobe, would you be willing to accompany me as the party''s representative?


    All right. Guys, I''ll be back as soon as I''m done, so we''re free to go from here.


    I think I''ll go back to my quarters and get some rest. Lunch will be a little late, but we''ll wait until the rear end comes back. Will you guys be okay with that?


    Igarashi-san leads the other members back to the lodgings - seeing them like this, it''s like a group of teachers and students, albeit smiling.


    ''''.........''''


    And then Theresa walked over to us in a floppy manner. Igarashi-san and the others laughed as well, as that was unavoidable.


    ''''I''m sorry, Theresia has been like my escort ever since we first met...''''


    Seraphina-san laughed - and it''s not that surprising, but I''ve seen her as a strict military officer, so I feel a gap.


    What...?


    ''No. Atobe-dono, are you not tired of moving in rapid succession after your search for the labyrinth? If so, I will carry you on my back.


    No, no, I''m not that tired, so don''t worry about it.


    ''Well Adeline and others say that my back is stable and comfortable to ride on, etc.


    I''ve heard that in the military, there is training that involves traveling long distances with a large load on your back, but will they carry me in the same sense - even though they are ''rear guard'', it''s not really a substitute for a backpack, so I''ll politely decline here.

 132 Chapter One Hundred and 31st Chapter: Honorary Title

    When we entered the ''Green Hall'' of the Upper Guild, we were taken to the back of the first floor as usual, but instead of the door room with the nine stars on it, we were taken to another place.


    There is a door without a doorknob and with a jeweled door - Seraphina took a ring out of the pouch and pointed it at the jewel.


    A thin streak of light emitted from the ring and hit the jewel on the door - and then the jewel began to glow, and the entire door moved with a bang behind the wall and slid open to the side.


    (Like the hierarchy Ariadne was in, there are places in the labyrinth country that use mechanical devices. Are there any connections between them...?)


    Each of the guilds in each district has its own floor for guild savers to use. Third Lieutenant Kuzelka is in that area now please proceed with caution and watch your step.


    Leading behind the door was a staircase that led down into the spiral basement. There are no lights, but the stairs themselves are faintly lit, and if you proceed with care in your step, you won''t feel any danger.


    After advancing for a while, I felt a shifting sensation - Teresa noticed it too, and she pinched the hem of my clothes.


    ''''It''s okay, you won''t have to worry about anything.''''


    ..........


    ''''When I first joined Guild Saber, I too was confused by these tricks.


    If I hadn''t gotten involved with the Guild Saber, I would never have known there was such a facility in the Guild building. When you think about it, we''re still a rare experience, even among the newbies (rookies).


    Eventually we see a door at the end of the spiral staircase, and Seraphina uses her ring to open the door.


    I don''t know if this is the basement of the guild or if we''re transitioning to another place - I don''t know, but it''s a completely different scene than the buildings above ground.


    There are no seams in the walls at all, and the floor is still made of a similar material to the one Ariadne was in. It looks like something you would see in a spaceship in a science fiction movie, like a more rigid version of linoleum.


    The lights, placed evenly on the left and right walls, emit a light blue light. Other Guild Saber members walk in from the other side and exchange a salute with Seraphina as they pass by.


    At the end of the corridor is the man I met in The Beach of the Falling Sun, who was with Kuzelka-san, at the end of the corridor. When he notices us, he raises his hand lightly - he seems to be someone who behaves in a frank manner, just as I got the impression from the way he speaks and other things.


    ''''Good work. Mr. Cuselka is inside, but could you wait just a little while?


    ''Yes, sir. Will Master Khosrow Ryuji participate in the interview?


    No, I''m just the conduit. Let me in, I''ll sell you some oil around the corner. And you''re a lot cooler than I am, Lieutenant Seraphina.


    ''''I''ve always spoken this way. Besides, I joined the Guild Saber much later than Lord Khosrow''s Dragon Sergeant.


    From what I''ve heard, ''dragon sergeant'' seems to refer to the rank of guild saber. I wonder if it has the same connotation as ''Sergeant''.


    Mr. Khosrow was laughing at Seraphina''s honesty, but when he saw me, he looked at me as if he was looking at something very interesting.


    ''Yo, young man. You may be called a "man in a suit", but you have a lot of equipment other than a suit, too.


    When I first saw him, I thought he was older, given the fact that he had a lot of hair and was turning gray, but Mr. Khosrow was just about to reach his forties or not. He might even be younger than Rival-san.


    ''''My name is Arihito Atobe, if I may,''''


    ''I''m Josh Khosrow. His rank is that of Dragon Sergeant, as you may have heard, and he is the assistant to Third Lieutenant Kuzelka. Remember me as a doddering old man with a long way to go, even at my age.


    Lord Khosrow.


    ''Oops, don''t say anything to Mr. Atobe. At my age, a man''s life is more interesting when he''s mysterious.


    He is an aloof person, but from what I''ve seen of Mr. Seraphina, he is not at all what he describes himself to be.


    It could be that he hasn''t been promoted because of the circumstances, like Rolando-san. However, it''s not something you can ask that much root and branch when you first meet him.


    "This man Gray is awaiting sentencing. The biggest crime is that he tried to give you a monster on you. There are other crimes, but he has a very specific skill set, a cloaking ability that doesn''t respond to most searcher licenses. Some of the guild sabers are capable of disabling these skills, but I can''t keep an eye on them, so I''ll probably have to impose a periodic skills lockdown. Then there''s the retraining, but our demon instructor will take care of this guy. You''ll get to see a badass with a tag turn into a true human being in six months, man.


    Well I guess as long as you don''t abuse your skills, I guess.


    It''s not a good idea to be a s*x offender when it comes to the owner of a skill that can be dangerous if misused. In fact, when you consider the amount of profit gained from the misuse and the trouble you spread around, it''s easy to say that you shouldn''t use such skills. Considering the number of women we made cry, I think it''s worth throwing them in jail for a few years.


    The four of the Four Seasons were in danger as it was - in that sense, it was good that they came to the Seventh Ward in the fastest period of time possible.


    ''Whoa ... looks like we''re ready to go. You two, I''ll see you around again somewhere.


    Yes, thank you, Mr. Khosrow.


    Mr. Khosrow walked away from the door. On the way, he approached the other male members of the squad and talked to them about going for a drink - I guess it''s because they''ve come to Ward 7.


    Serafina-san knocks on the door before opening it. Then Kuserka-san, who was wearing a different color uniform than Serafina-san, stood up from her seat and greeted her.


    ''''Lieutenant Serafina and Alihit Atobe-dono, both of you have turned yourself in.


    ''Thank you for your time. Sorry to keep you waiting.


    No, it was nice to talk to Mr. Khosrow and hear about the Gray situation and so on.


    Why I had to wait for a bit - I had a vague idea of that when I saw Kuserka-san, but I didn''t dare to say it.


    ''''..........''''


    Theresia is tugging on her sleeve as if to check me - I don''t have anything in mind to be guilty of. Ms. Cuselka had probably just bathed and looked like she had just gotten dressed. There was a faint scent of soap to support my guess, but it would be a bit insensitive to point that out.


    ''''Well then, over here.


    I hesitated for a moment, probably thinking I should tell him that I was out of hot water, but I don''t think I''m particularly obligated to do so - it was an unexpected turn of events, and I''m subtly uncomfortable with it.


    We sit down at the table for the interview. Theresia stood around my right rear, Serafina-san sat next to me, and Cuselka-san sat across from me.


    Without the black armor, the ladylike atmosphere comes to the fore and makes her look like a different person. However, I can''t be nervous for my age, so I''m going to change my mind here.


    ''''First of all, let me introduce myself again. I am Kuzelka, a person with the rank of Third Dragon Lieutenant in the Guild Saber. The two of you are Alihit Atobe-dono and Theresia-dono, if that is correct?


    Yes, I''m sure.


    ..........


    ''Good answer, sir. As for Lady Theresa ... no, let''s put that matter aside for now.


    What do you think about Teresia being a subhuman? I''m curious, but I''ll listen to Kuzelka-san first.


    ''''You don''t need to always wear the rank of Third Dragon Lieutenant, so you can only call me by my name.


    ''Ha, yes I''ll call you Mr. Kuserka. Does the ''dragon'' part have any origin in it?


    ''''I heard it was named after the party of the people who founded the Guild Saber. ''''Dragons'''' are extremely powerful demons, and are said to be completely different in rank from other demons... It is also the philosophy of Guild Saber to have the power to resist such dangerous demons.


    As far as the story goes, it seems that Third Lieutenant Kuzelka has never encountered a demon similar to a ''dragon'' either.


    The ''named'' that he had seen so far was also strong enough to be nightmarish, but if he was told that they were different in rank from it, he could no longer imagine it at all.


    ''''I''m sorry for threatening you, the ''true dragons'' are small in number, and only the ''sub-dragon species'' have been recorded to appear in the labyrinths of the wards around here, so you can rest assured.''''''


    ''No I imagined for a moment what would happen if we encountered them and combat was inevitable. We should always have a way of getting away, right?


    ''If you escape the labyrinth without doing anything, your contribution will be reduced. If you only pay attention to that point, leaving would be one tactic. The strength of the party is how far you can bite off more than you can chew when you decide it''s dangerous...


    Ms. Cuselka spoke and then looked at me as if she noticed something. I didn''t know what that reaction meant until I heard the rest of her words.


    ''It would be rude to talk to Atobe-dono and the others like this now. Looking at your records so far, I have confirmed that you have continued to promote at an astonishing rate and that you have defeated all the ''named'' that you have encountered. The guild''s upper echelon has a special appreciation for this achievement.


    A special appreciation - there are people looking at what we''ve been dutifully going through, and


    I''m evaluating against it.


    I think we should be honestly happy about it, but I don''t think we can just get carried away. It is undeniable that being expected of us is a responsibility.


    I mean, evaluation is....


    ''First of all, this is a suggestion as a possibility. Mr. Atobe, do you intend to enlist in the Guild Saber? Of course, it''s not just Mr. Atobe, it''s everyone in the party.


    Ms. Cuselka looks straight at me and says - she''s seriously recruiting us.


    When I first saw the Guild Saber, it felt like a group of experienced and strong explorers who had chosen to protect people. I had never imagined that I, still a rookie explorer, would join.


    But I had my answer. I sympathized with the Guild Saber''s mission, but right now I had other things to do.


    Serafina-san looked at me, but she must have known what I would do beforehand, and she smiled faintly.


    ''I feel it''s a great honor to have you anticipate us. And so I know it''s not right for me to respond like this, but as for your invitation to join the Guild Saber, let me decline.


    ''''........I understand. It is unfortunate, but joining the Guild Saber after less than a month of being an explorer yet will limit your possibilities. Besides, most of you do not belong to any organization and your goal is to move up the pecking order, so you will not be shy about refusing to be recruited.


    I''m grateful to hear that. We have two big goals, and I''d like to focus on achieving them first.


    I hadn''t talked to Seraphina-san about it yet, so she looks at me - I look at Seraphina-san at the same time, so our eyes meet.


    Lieutenant Seraphina is on record as having fought alongside Lord Atobe''s party on several occasions, but there''s still a lot you don''t know.


    ''''I''m sorry. I have cooperated with Atoobe''s party, and this time I have asked for their support, but I have only been in contact with them for a very short time.


    ''''In that short period of time, we ended up defeating the ''named'' together... Normally, you need to work together for a long period of time to increase your party''s skill level. It seems that Atobe-dono''s party is structured in such a way that it can bring out the abilities of its members even in a short period of time.


    (Does that mean Kuzelka-san doesn''t have a grasp on my skills either...?)


    Does that mean that I won''t be able to find out about an individual explorer''s individual abilities unless I have to? That means I can continue to keep my skills a secret as long as my karma doesn''t go up and I don''t get caught - I have to be very careful.


    ''Lord Atobe, does that great goal involve the Lord Elitia Centrail, who is a member of your party?


    -- After all, the fact that Elitia came down from the fifth ward and was in our party was noticed by the Guild Saber.


    Could we use this opportunity to ask for their help in saving Elitia''s friend? If they were able to do that, Elitia wouldn''t go back to the Eighth Ward to look for her friends. Even though I knew that, I still wanted to ask.


    ''''Elitia and I have a party from the Eighth Ward, by fate. We wanted to help her friend who was left behind in the labyrinth of the Fifth Ward....


    ''''........As for your friend Elitia-dono''s friend, we have no choice but to answer that it is difficult to rescue him at present. As for that labyrinth, we have given up on interfering in that labyrinth from the second level onwards, even in the hands of the Guild Saber. We''ve managed to prevent the Stampede from happening, but we''ve fallen into a special case where there''s a lot of risk about defeating the ''named''.


    If they could prevent the Stampede, the Guild Savers were on a mission - they couldn''t risk it and go so far as to help a captive.


    Elitia looked for her friends to help her friend - she couldn''t find them in the Sixth Ward, or even the Seventh Ward, and she came down to the Eighth Ward.


    We would eventually make it up to Ward Five. But if we just follow the order, the chances of being rescued seem to be slowly diminishing.


    ''''..........Mr. Kuzelka, is it possible for you to let us go to the fifth ward, even temporarily?


    Even though you guys are strong now, you''re still in the fifth district........


    ''''Yes ... I know it''s dangerous. Still, considering how painful it is to be captured by demons in the labyrinth, I want to save you as soon as possible.


    Mr. Cuselka said nothing, quietly closing his eyes. Then, after pondering, she took out her license and did some manipulation.


    ''Right now, I can''t measure it so that Lord Atobe and the others can get to the Fifth Ward... but I can offer you one way to get there.


    W.........is it true.......that...?


    ''''Yes, sir. The Guild Saber superiors have decided to award you the honorary title of ''Encouraged Seeker'' even if you do not belong to the Guild Saber.


    Encouragement... for what we do?


    Nodding back, Cuselka urges me to look at the license - and I do.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Honorary title "Encouraged Searcher" is awarded to the party of "Aricht".


    Your party may be called upon to assist in guild-saber missions. Whether or not to accept the request is optional, but if you do, you will be paid and your ''honor value'' will be added to the guild''s payroll. Please ask the guild staff to explain this later.


    Even if you have a title, you don''t necessarily have to respond to requests for cooperation, so there is no particular risk. But since it''s us, it''s hard to think of receiving a request and refusing it, but it won''t be a frequent request either.


    ''''Does that mean we can work with the Guild Saber without having to formally join?


    ''''If you think of it that way. Since we Guild Savers have limited manpower, there will inevitably be times when we will want to ask for help from the searchers. You have made a tremendous contribution in the Stampede suppression of the Eighth District, and if that happens in the future, we will be able to issue rewards from the Guild Saber in a more explicit manner.


    I''m satisfied with what I heard, so I''ll try to explain it to my friends later - but I haven''t yet heard the "method" that Kuserka-san says.


    ''''So, the way to get to the Fifth Ward is...''''


    If you have that title, you may be summoned to the ''two lower wards''. In very rare cases, it is possible that Atobe and the others will be asked to help with an assignment in the Fifth Ward.


    By cooperating with guild saber missions in the higher wards, you will be allowed to stay in the ward where you were called up, temporarily - Kuzelka explained that to me.


    Although the time limit is limited, he said, they can enter the labyrinth within the Fifth Ward as long as they are staying in the Fifth Ward. It''s one of the rewards for ''Encouraged Explorers'' who help in a dangerous mission - although it''s a risk, they can skip a class and take on the labyrinth in the upper ward.


    (I don''t know when they''ll be called up, but it''s possible they''ll get their chance before they''re promoted to the fifth ward. If you can raise your level as high as possible by then it shouldn''t be a foolhardy attempt.)


    And this story also ties into another purpose.


    --The Great Temple in the Fourth Ward. We may be able to get to that place early on, where they say they can figure out how to restore Teresia from the sub-human.


    I look at Theresia, who is standing behind me. She looks back at me, but I can''t see any emotion in her mouth.


    ''''........Lord Atobe. What do you think you want to do with that sub-human girl?


    Kuserka-san''s voice seems to have lowered the temperature - I face her again, feeling a creeping sensation.


    ''Trying to turn sub-humans back into humans is an act of perverting reason. Because sub-humans are beings who lost their lives once and were resurrected.


    She knows something. How to turn a sub-human back into a human - and that it''s not easy.


    ''''I''m not ...''''


    Mr. Cuselka looked at me with eyes that didn''t miss an inch of wavering and waited for an answer.

 133 Episode 132: Traces of Ajin

    There is a way to turn Theresia back into a human. If it were an easy way, Mr. Rykerton''s wife, who claims to be a subhuman, would not have to continue as an explorer for a long time.


    But no matter how difficult it was, she wouldn''t give up before she knew how. When I look at Theresia, she looks back at me too - her determination grows even stronger when I see her face peeking out of that emotionless mask.


    ''''Well this kind of answer may not be in line with Kuserka-san''s intentions, but...'''' I, for one, want to hear Theresa''s voice.


    Mr. Kuserka''s expression does not move. I feel a sense of deja vu at this lack of emotional ups and downs.


    But right now, it''s more about telling you what I think. That I want to turn Theresia back into a human, and that my feelings will never waver.


    ''When she first joined our party as a mercenary and I found out that she couldn''t talk, I thought that''s what sub-humans are like. But these women are human. They say they don''t have a heart, but we know they''re left in good standing.


    ..........


    Theresa stands beside me. It was like she was trying to protect me instead of holding back.


    Kuzelka-san drops her gaze when she sees that figure. What she''s thinking - I can''t read it from her expression.


    ''''........The Great Temple was originally an organization that was responsible for ruling the country, along with the royal family of the Labyrinth Country. Even now that the royal family has declined, the High Priest of the Great Temple still maintains equal authority with the Guild, even though its power has been reduced.


    I don''t know.... I''m not familiar with the political situation or anything like that. I''m sorry, I think you should at least learn about the country you came from.


    It''s times like these that one should probably use the archives that are said to be in the odd ward, but it''s difficult to visit them when you''re constantly working as an explorer.


    ''''No, the explorers in the wards around here will rarely hear of such a thing. I think many of them don''t even know about the existence of the Great Temple... although sometimes a healer (healer) is sent from the Great Temple when a person is too seriously injured to be treated in a medical center, so they might learn about it.''''


    ...Is it impossible for a healer (healer) to turn a sub-human back into a human?


    We still don''t know how the demons in the labyrinth reappear after a certain amount of time, but it is said that if human lives are lost, the labyrinth may cause the same kind of phenomena as in the case of reappearing demons. However, it is said that if human life is lost, the labyrinth may cause the same phenomenon as when demons reappear. Sub-humans are human beings regenerated by the labyrinth... in other words, ''healing'' has been done.


    --Demons do not speak. Sub-humans are beings that have been revived by the same principles as demons.


    Still, they are not like demons. If they were the same as demons, they would show hostility to searchers. Teresia, Takuma, and the sub-humans hired as mercenaries seen in the city, all listen to instructions.


    ''And ... even after the ''separation ritual'' imposed by the Great Temple, the sub-humans will continue to have proof that they were sub-humans. Just as I once was.


    Huh...!


    There is a momentary delay in understanding Ms. Kuserka''s words. In the meantime, she sits up.


    ''''What, what........''''


    ''''I''m sorry to disappoint you. This is the proof that I was a subhuman.


    It had to be stopped - and even if I thought it was, it was difficult to stop what she was doing of her own volition now.


    With her back to me, Kuzelka peels off her military uniform and shows me her back. A wolf-like demon pattern was drawn on her white skin, which looked bright even under the not-so-strong light, like a tattoo.


    ''....It took a lot of sacrifice for me to become a human again. Lord Atobe, would Lord Theresa be willing for you to risk so much?


    It''s...


    It''s not something I should say without listening to my peers that my resolve won''t change at any risk. No matter how much I think everyone shares the same feelings as me.


    ''Suppose we go to the Great Temple and find a way to turn Lord Theresa back into a human. Can you make the choice to give up when it is a very dangerous method?¡¡Even with the current party, we are still able to conduct explorations with Lord Theresia. Even so........


    On the contrary, it gives me hope.


    ...like me, that''s a buy-in.


    Kuserka said and put his military uniform back on. And when she looked back, her expression still remained the same.


    ''''I........have not yet fulfilled the duties of a person who has returned to human. Thus, I am also saying things I shouldn''t say to you as a guild saver. Your accomplishments are remarkable and you are here to continue to encourage them.


    ''The duty of a returned human I don''t know what that means. If someone in the party has a purpose that must be fulfilled, I''ll figure out a way to accomplish it. Elitia''s and Theresa''s are equally important objectives. It''s an unexpected honor to be recognized for my achievements as an explorer along with that.


    When she warned me, I thought about the fact that the Guild Saber wasn''t comfortable with our purpose. But as we talked, I realized that wasn''t the case.


    To turn Theresia back into a human, it''s not just a matter of getting to the Great Temple. It would be a grueling ordeal beyond my imagination - ''It required a lot of sacrifice,'' Kuzelka''s words were hardly a lie to dissuade me.


    ''''Making achievements as an explorer... it''s a necessary process for you to reach your goal, isn''t it...''''


    ''''Ha, yes. Perhaps being an explorer should be the first thing you do when you come to the Maze Country, though.


    ''''........I think I have a little bit of an understanding of why that person thinks of Atobe-dono as special. Your perspective is different from that of many other explorers. What kind of experience would it take for him to develop a spirituality like yours before his reincarnation?


    I''m a hapless businessman. But I had a feeling that I would do everything I was given to do in terms of work. Now I''m doing what I want to do.


    I don''t know who ''that person'' is, but that''s probably something they haven''t told me yet either. And even if I said ''businessman'', I was not sure if I would be able to get through to Kuzelka-san - but I was not sure.


    She smiled faintly. I couldn''t help but look at her, wondering if that expression could ever come off.


    ''''You can''t understand, since someone who claims to have no cling to himself would be called a rising star in the labyrinth country.


    ''''Nova........I''ve been told several times that it was only a joke, but I took it as a joke. No way, even the upper echelons of the Guild Saber.......


    No, only some people use those words. No, no, I don''t think he would want to be here to tell us.


    Some of the people we''ve met so far have described us as ''novae''. Among them, the one who might be related to the Guild Saber - who led us to the Labyrinth Country, Yukari is the first one I can think of.


    Could you please keep the fact that I showed you the ''magic mark'' on my back out of your mouth?


    ''Yes, because of course it''s something that you''ve shown me you''re prepared to do.


    I don''t let it slip away easily. That''s just as well - that''s what I thought.


    ''''Do I need to correct the impression that I''m a naive person?


    ''''S-Sorry, that was an odd way to say you showed me... but I don''t know how to say it...''''


    Kuserka''s cheeks are a little red. I didn''t seem to be fazed by it for a moment or two, but I guess that was my assumption as well.


    ''''I don''t think it''s worth mentioning that you showed me my ''magic mark''. Atobe-dono, when I can turn Theresa-dono back into a human, she might even appear on her back.


    I knew it was - Mr. Cuselka didn''t mean to say that what we were trying to do was folly.


    I knew very well that it would be difficult. Nevertheless, I would definitely turn Theresa back into a human.


    ''''I will also gather information about your friend, Elitia-dono, on my end. I am like your administrative officer as an ''Encouragement Seeker''. I may contact you, but I hope to exchange information with you through Lieutenant Seraphina as well.


    "...''Lieutenant'' isn''t ''Second Lieutenant'', is it? I think that''s a bit of a peculiar way of assigning the rank.


    ''Normal Guild Saber members can only rise to the rank of ''Captain''. I can''t answer your question about the meaning of ''dragon'', but please consider it a special duty. When Lieutenant Seraphina changes to ''dragon rank'', it will be from the same rank as me, Third Lieutenant Dragon.


    ''''I see.......Seraphina-san must be of a fairly high rank at such a young age.


    ''She seems to have been promoted quickly because of her leadership qualities. Personally, I think it''s surprising that she would be under the command of Lord Atobe.


    Serafina-san''s great shield at level 11 has a defensive power that was originally not available in the seventh district. It''s something that should be considered fortuitous once again, even from our point of view.


    ''''Well then, that''s all I have to say for now. Please pass on my best wishes to the guild staff.


    ''Thank you for teaching me so much. Once again, I''m sobered up.


    ''''.......Me too. I look forward to your continued success after you all move up to the Sixth Ward. Or will there be a few more things to do in the Seventh Ward?


    I will discuss with my colleagues what to do. Now, if you''ll excuse me.


    I get up from my seat and quit the room. When I bowed my head before closing the door, I saw Kuserka-san also bowing towards me.


    ¡ô¡ó¡ô


    As it was, I requested an interview with Louisa-san and waited in the back room on the first floor of the ''Green House'' that I had used before.


    "Theresa, there was someone who returned from subhuman to human. It wasn''t just a rumor.


    ..........


    Ms. Kuserka''s presence gave us hope, but we also got a warning from her.


    Sacrifices were made for her to become human again - the implications are heavy and I''m not optimistic.


    ''We''re all safe, and we''re going to put Theresa back together. We''ll save Elitia''s friends, too. I won''t let anyone call that a naive idea.


    Theresia walks up to me and quickly reaches out to me - and touches my chest.


    I stroke it to calm her, and Theresia looks up at me without saying a word.


    ''''I''m ... sorry. You seem to be reassuring yourself by telling Theresa........


    Theresia pulls back once. And this time, she tries to reach for my head - when I bend down a little, Theresia stands tall and pats my head.


    ''............''


    --It''s not that the sub-human doesn''t have a heart, after all. It''s not just that my skills are the only thing that can increase her trustworthiness, but Takuma also had a will that her sister, Shiori, could sense.


    Then there was a knock on the door and Theresia retracted her hand. Louisa-san, who entered the room, smiled when she saw us.


    ''''Atube-sama I''ve heard your story. I heard that you succeeded in rescuing Rolando-san with flying colors.''''


    ''Yes, it was a pretty tough demon, but we all pulled together. Our supporters came to our aid as well, although we ended up with a pretty large group.


    ''Well I see. I would have wanted to run over if I had the strength to fight too. Shouldn''t the guild staff be allowed to say such things.......


    ''''I''m happy just for the feeling. Because when it comes to demons above level 6, it''s quite dangerous.


    I think Louisa-san is a logistical-oriented occupation like me, so the skills I can use in combat will be limited. If it''s possible to raise the level, I''m interested in the possibilities that Louisa-san''s profession has - and I want to restrain myself from going in that direction when I think about the skills.


    Since you all are fighting that dangerous demon together... if we''re going up the wards together, I''m hoping that I can contribute something with my skills as well.


    ''''The fact that Madoka''s new skills remain unlearned is also a concern, so when Madoka''s level is raised, maybe Louisa-san could accompany her... and of course we''ll make sure she''s safe.


    ''''There''s something called the ''Training Labyrinth'' designated by the guild, so there''s a way to use it. It''s used to maintain the level of guild savers and garrison, so other than me as a staff member, you can''t enter it without a special title.


    Speaking of titles, I have one that Kuserka gave me earlier. Wouldn''t that allow me to use something called the training labyrinth?


    ''''Louisa-san, I was talking with Third Lieutenant Kuserka in the basement of the guild just now, and it was then that I received this title.


    Calling up the license title screen, he placed it on the table and showed it to Louisa-san. Louisa-san stared at it using her usual one-sided glasses and blinked with a flick of her eye.


    ''''Encouragement Seeker''''.......Sorry, I''ve only seen it in the manual a long time ago, so I don''t know much about it either. This title is given to a special party that has been approved by the Guild Saber. They should be authorized to use it in regards to the training labyrinth as well.


    ''''Oh, that''s good to hear. It may be a little while yet, but when we raise the level of those members who are not able to participate in the battle, would you be willing to join us, Louisa-san?


    Okay, yes. If it''s okay with you all.......but is it okay? Atobe-sama, with this title, you can use the guild''s recreational area. There are many special cases, so please don''t let other explorers know too much about it.


    Louisa says, putting her index finger to her lips. It''s a gesture that shows how charming or pleased she is with me.


    ''''Then I''ll let you calculate your contribution.


    Yes, please.


    The results of this search


    Melissa''s level is now 6. 60 points.


    Eliminated 16 Sand Scissors, 960 points.


    Defeated 2 "Ocean Mantis" for 120 points.


    Three of the Arachneophilias have been withdrawn. 30 points.


    Recaptured Roland''s dungeon stone. 300 points.


    3200 points for defeating the bounty leader, the Merciless Decapitation.


    3600 points for defeating a merciless slaughterer.


    Sub party defeats an Ocean Mantis. 30 points


    The trust of party members has increased by 60 points.


    Increased sub-party trust 25 points


    A total of nine people conducted a joint search for 45 points.


    10 points for fighting with the party in Ceres.


    100 points for bringing back a "White Treasure Chest".


    Searcher''s Contribution ??? 8540 points


    Seventh Ward Contribution Ranking 1


    The named who appeared in succession, the value of their contribution was still considerable.


    ''''Congratulations, Atobe-sama. First place in the pecking order in the seventh district, and the total of four ''named'' defeats in the seventh district is also a record.


    The ''Alliance'' that was ranked first in the pecking order temporarily withdrew, allowing us to become first in the rankings.


    It seems that getting first place is not part of the requirements for promotion to the sixth district, but by fulfilling the conditions of ''defeating three named bodies in the seventh district'' and ''reaching 20,000 points of leader contribution in one month'', we can usually get first place as well.


    The reason why only the ''Merciless Decapitation'' had a bounty attached to it was because it caused so much damage that it was banned from entering the labyrinth as soon as it appeared. The bounty of one thousand and six hundred gold coins was paid out, so I''ll have it transferred to the bank.


    ''''At the moment, Atobe-sama''s contribution since entering the Seventh Ward is just under 18,000. To this figure, I will add a special contribution to this figure.


    Does this mean I get a separate contribution for rescuing Roland-san?


    ''Yes, you received a request from the ''Alliance for Freedom'' and you have accomplished it. Depending on the nature of the request, the guild also translates contributions for others as ''contributions''. Stampede suppression in the Eighth District is also included as a special achievement. I apologize for the delay in calculating it.


    The contribution for subduing the Stampede was calculated as 1,000 points, but it was said that activities outside the labyrinth would be calculated separately.


    ''Cases of demons appearing in the city should not happen outside of Stampede, and those searchers who voluntarily participated in the suppression will be given an equivalent value of contribution in any ward. If we include Atobe-sama''s recently raised results in the calculation.......


    Party Greatness Rating


    1,000 points for helping to defend the city''s 8th arrondissement.


    500 points for helping to capture Gray.


    3,500 points for executing the request to kill the Ruthless Decapitation.


    Special Contribution 5000


    Honor value +5


    The expression "feat" may seem ostentatious, but more than that - I can''t help but be surprised when I see the numbers lined up.


    ''''I was also rated three hundred points for retrieving Rolando-san''s ''Soul Prison Stone'', but the special contribution of the request achievement is more than ten times that...?


    ''Yes. The Alliance for Freedom loses 2,000 points of contribution as a penalty for failing to defeat Named. It''s a very heavy burden, but since ''named'' will cause stampede if someone doesn''t defeat it sooner or later, the searcher who discovers it should defeat it in principle. Since Lady Atobe received the request from Daniela, the ''substitute compensation'' will be applied, and in addition to the two thousand points, a separate assessment of Roland''s rescue will be made for one thousand and five hundred points, making the total value this way.


    Roland-san said he didn''t know how much he would be appreciated for helping him, but the guild encouraged cooperation between explorers more than he had imagined, and he thought it was worthwhile about the lives of explorers.


    The reason why one after another reincarnation was being sent to the Labyrinth Country was to prepare replacements for those who lost their lives in the search - there was a little bit of a black idea like that, but this time, it was dismissed to some extent.


    ''Wanting to save all searchers is an ideal that no guild can achieve. That is why we have the utmost respect for the actions of Atobe-sama.


    ''''Oh, thank you, Louisa-san. With this special contribution added up, I think we''ve met the requirements to move up to the sixth ward...?


    ''Yes. These contributions will not be cancelled unless they cause major problems, and they will be added as the same figure in the wards above. The base figure starts at five thousand, so if thirty thousand contributions are required for promotion, then twenty-five thousand is all that is required.


    In other words, the party with the highest number of ''feats'' accomplished will be that much better for promotion.


    Other than earning contributions through exploration, doing what you can, if you can, could be a shortcut to promotion in the end.


    ''''Atobe-sama''s contribution is well over 20,000. Congratulations, you can always move up to the sixth ward.


    Louisa smiles and says - it''s short for the number of days, but there''s also a sense that it''s finally happening, perhaps because we''ve spent so much time in density. The feeling of accomplishment belatedly creeps in, and I laugh with Louisa-san.


    But when the ''merciless funeral service'' appeared and I saw its power, I knew that we had to strengthen ourselves more before we could move on, or we were going to get caught in the middle somewhere.


    ''I''ve promised everyone that we''ll have a day off. I''m eager to move forward right away, but I want to consider what we can do to strengthen the party and make sure we''re fully prepared before we go.


    ''''Humph.......Actually, since you were going to be taking a day off, I have also submitted a paid application to the guild. Since I''m exclusive to Atobe-sama, my general duties are few and far between, so I was accepted.


    ''That''s good to hear Mr. Louisa, once you''ve had a chance to stretch your wings slowly.


    ''''If you could get Atobe-sama to take a day off with you, I''m sure you would all... wow, I''d be relieved, too...''''


    Even after my reincarnation, they still worry about me working too hard - Louisa-san blushed and refrained from doing so, but she was still concerned about me. I''d like to return that feeling, though.


    ''''Apparently, I seem to have a habit of spending my time doing things I can do in the city rather than resting even on my days off... I know it''s not good to not be able to switch between the two.


    An unexpected suggestion - after you''ve finished checking the materials you''ve obtained and so on, take a rest at a retreat site. That might make everyone in the party happy.


    Looking at Theresia, she tipped her charming lizard mask slightly, as if she hadn''t imagined what a retreat site would be like.

 134 Episode 133: Temporary unity harvest

    Before I left the room after the interview, I remembered something I wanted to ask Louisa.


    ''Mr. Louisa, this white box,'' she said, ''can you introduce me to a craftsman who can open it as well as the black box? Can you introduce me to a craftsman who can open it in the same way as the black box?


    ''''I''m sorry, too. I did see a white box and an indication in the evaluation section. This is the first time I''ve seen such an indication........


    When I show her the white box, Louisa-san puts both hands to her bright red cheeks. It''s just that I missed touching the ''white box'' because I was talking to the point value, so I''m not that embarrassed about it.


    ''''There are no supporters who have any skills above ''Fingertip Technique 4'' that Falma-san has. You can try to unlock a wooden box with ''Fingertip Technique 1'', a red box with ''Fingertip Technique 2'', and a black box with ''Fingertip Technique 3'', but Farma-san makes sure that you can unlock the black box almost without fail by leaving room in your skill level. If a white box is more difficult to unlock than a black box, then unlocking it with Fingertip Technique 4 is a risk... The Guild does not recommend forcing such boxes open.


    So you''re saying that it''s practically impossible to open...


    That being said, it''s human nature to be curious about what''s inside, but even in "The Black Box," it was said that if you fail to unlock the box, there will be great damage, so you can''t cross a dangerous bridge. I don''t want to think about being wiped out by the box''s trap, even though I''ve fought the demon and survived.


    One way is to have Falma-san try to unlock the box after using Misaki''s Fortune Roll, but it''s difficult to take Falma-san into the labyrinth, and there''s also the problem of whether she can challenge it in the first place.


    ''We''ll just have to ask someone who knows about the white box...?''


    ''Umm ... well ... yes ...''


    Louisa-san puts her hand on her cheek and thinks about it. I''m sure she''ll be troubled if she asks me suddenly, but even for me, I want to get a clue somehow.


    ''Yes, Celes-san might know about it. She had a shop in the eighth ward, but she''s the one who originally came down from a higher ward.''''


    ''I see ... okay, I''ll ask Mr. Celes. Thank you, Louisa-san.


    ''No, I couldn''t help you right away... I''ll limit the time I spend on my regular duties and learn to teach you many things in the future.


    Even now, just being able to have an interview with her without having to wait is enough to help me. I got up from my seat and shook hands with Louisa-san, then she saw me off and left the ''Green House''.


    ¡ô¡ó¡ô


    Back at the quarters, the dining room was lined with freshly prepared food, as Melissa had come up with a menu on her way home and bought some ingredients.


    ''Welcome back, Rear-kun. I was hoping to be a little late, but I''m glad you came back at just the right time.


    ''Big brother, could we not have gone out to dinner?¡¡I did buy some delicious-looking sake, though. Look, it''s a first-class sake, Dwarf Koroshi!


    Misaki, wearing an apron, brings out a bottle that seems to contain alcohol and shows it to me. There was an age-old label on it, depicting a muscular dwarf-like dwarf-like dwarf.


    I''ll take it gratefully, but it''s still high in the sky, so I won''t drink it. And I''m not that much of a drinker.


    What?¡¡Nah, I just bought some stuff knowing that they would say that. Now you have a secret weapon for the night, Suzu-chan!


    Well, I''m not sure I''d use alcohol for that kind of thing...


    Hand-watering is a skill in which water drawn by hand is purified, but alcohol is also purified.


    Will it go into the We won''t know that until we try it.


    ''What''s bothering you Aricht, Suzuna is a serious person, so keep those jokes to a minimum.


    I''m sorry. I''ll try not to be an a**h*le.


    I think it would be better for Alihito to be a little lighter. She is a good cook, though, isn''t she?


    Melissa, who has the skill of ''Cooking 1'', seems to have made lunch as the mainstay and she comes out of the kitchen. She transferred a stewed dish from a large frying pan she was holding to a platter that was placed in the center of the table - a seafood dish that reminded me of the Mediterranean breeze.


    ''''It has a kind of Italian feel to it... are recipes like this widespread in the labyrinth country?''''


    ''''Because ... some of the people who reincarnate are knowledgeable about many different kinds of food. Some of them are cooks. A popular occupation for many parties that can do half combat and half support......my dad said.


    When I was thinking about the fact that ''demolition shop'' also has skills related to cooking, I wondered if it was a chef-type occupation in a larger group - and Madoka also came over here with a pot.


    It seems to be Zion''s meal, and she tries to go out the doorway.


    You can buy food for escort dogs, but at our house, Farma-san taught me to give them meat and vegetable dumplings and other foods that have been cooked to match the seasoning to the dogs.


    ''Madoka, would you mind if I went to feed them?¡¡Zion did a great job of it, too.


    ''Yes, if that''s what your brother says. I''m sure Zion will be happy to hear that.


    Madoka hands me the pot with a big smile on her face - she''ll be waiting for me in the garden shed, and when I walk out with the pot, Theon is sitting outside the door, waiting for me.


    He''s huffing and puffing with his tongue, but I wonder if this was a sign that it was hot - the ''Silverhound'' seems to be more acclimatized to the cold weather, and his fur is bushy and quite long. Maybe because their natural habitat is to live outdoors, their hair seems to grow back to some extent on its own without human intervention, but you might want to give them a little care.


    When I put the cooled meat dumplings into the rice dish, Sion begins to eat them at an amazing rate with a gafu gafu. It must mean that he was using quite a bit of energy in that much of the battle.


    ''''........Sion, is it hot?¡¡Maybe I should trim the hair for you.


    Bow.


    To keep the food from flying off, Theon licks the area around his mouth before responding. If she is wagging her tail, does that mean she wants me to trim her?


    She also said that if she gets Melissa''s skill ''Grooming'', she can do something like ''Trimmer'' - but since Melissa likes Sion, should she have her get it as she wishes?


    I''d like to have a meeting with Melissa later on about getting the skill, as she''s leveled up.


    After finishing the meal, I vaguely thought of taking a look at Sion''s mouth and checking for cavities. I''ve taken care of big dogs in the past, and the health of their mouths is important - and although I haven''t taken special care of them, they are healthy.


    All right, you''re gonna be fine. I''ll even brush your teeth next time.


    ...Kuhn.


    I don''t know what I''m going to do, but I guess he guessed that he was going to do something to me, and Sion''s ears hang down. When I patted his body to cheer him up, his ears gradually stood up again.


    I used to have........well, no, I used to have.......some kind of dog at a shelter a long time ago. I don''t really like any of the animals, but I do know a bit about dogs...


    I don''t know how long she''s been watching him, but Igarashi-san came out of the doorway and sat down in front of Sion and patted his head. Sion was nuzzling Igarashi-san as well, and began wagging his tail with a flap.


    ''''You once said you wanted to get a dog when you were still new to the Labyrinth Country. It''s a house that the guild lends me, but when I came to, I realized that I''ve already come true...


    ''Yes, I remember that too. Was it when you moved into Mrs. Orells'' house?


    As I stood up, Igarashi-san looked up at me, smiling. The gesture of her hair over her ears seemed to accentuate her ladylike nature.


    ''''But Sion-chan has to go back to Falma-san''s house someday, doesn''t she? When I think of that, I''m still going to miss her... although I know that would be selfish.


    ''''Yes but there''s also Sion''s mother at Falma-san''s place.


    BOW!


    It''s hard to gauge what that reply means, because I don''t know the language of dogs - Sion is in such a good mood that he''s happy to be petted, or maybe it''s because he''s eaten, or maybe he wants to go for a walk.


    ''It would be nice if we could keep Zion''s kids too... how quick it is to think about sitting somewhere else.


    If that''s the case someday, I''d love for you to be part of our family.


    Yes, my family.... Is that the kind of thing that you would say to your family?


    ''''Eh... ah, no, I mean, family isn''t because you and Igarashi-san are seen as husband and wife or anything like that...''''


    Does that mean you don''t want to be with me...?


    Well, that''s not a problem at all, it''s not like I don''t like it or anything.


    I can at least understand that even the word "fearful" is not appropriate for this occasion. However, when it comes to being seen as a married couple, again, that''s it - and as I was turning my head with all my might, I saw Igarashi-san laughing.


    ''''........Igarashi-san, you can''t do something like that, I''m really weak.''''


    I still feel weak when pressured, or rather, Igarashi-san remains a weakness for me. That doesn''t mean it''s all bad though.


    ''''Hmph.......sorry. In a situation like this, I thought it would be polite to stay angry.


    Well, I''m afraid that''s part of the deal, but it''s heartbreaking.


    ''When you''re dealing with the rear, everyone seems to be pushing you even if it''s not me. Suzuna-chan isn''t that type of person, so she''ll be more comfortable, right?


    ''The pace is close, or something like that. But I don''t feel comfortable with anyone in the party.


    Well... the most uncomfortable part of the day is just when you''re with me.


    That''s not the case at all - no, if you mean in terms of comparison, I''m sure I''m the most nervous of all the party members.


    ''''I''m sure you''ll get in trouble with your rear end if you''re constantly self-deprecating like that, so it''s time for you to.......''''


    I was just about to go back inside the house. Sion moved - towards Igarashi-san in front of me.


    ''''........Eh?''''


    Igarashi-san, who had changed clothes after returning to her lodgings, was wearing a skirt about knee length - for a moment I didn''t understand what had happened, but Sion was poking her head into Igarashi-san''s skirt as she was bending over, and Sion was poking her head into her skirt.


    I''m of the opinion that a dog that''s friendly to people is likely to get all kinds of skin in the game.


    I couldn''t read about this behavior at all - does the silver hound have a propensity to peer into dark places?


    You can''t dive in there!


    Uh, you go over there, Mr. Rear, and you go over there!¡¡Try not to look at this one!


    Yes, sir.


    I was checked by a half-teary-eyed and impatient Igarashi-san, and I tried to retreat into the house - and then I saw Misaki, Melissa and Madoka looking at me through the doorway.


    ''Wow ... something interesting is going on here?¡¡Isn''t it kind of cute that Kyouka''s sister is in such a hurry?


    "...I want you to eat it before it gets cold.


    ''''Sion-chan, you look like you''re having a lot of fun.......you''re really taking to your sister Kyouka, aren''t you? I''m jealous.


    Igarashi-san wanted to tell the female members not to look at me but to help me - I''m going to have to be careful in the future when I bend over in front of Sion in my skirt. And as I entered the house with a calm demeanor, Suzuna and Elitia pointed out the redness of my face.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    After a late lunch and helping to clean up, it was time for after-dinner tea. Ms. Ceres took her saucer and elegantly tipped her cup.


    Mr. Steiner was eating in the other room, so he may have taken off his armor at the time, but the opportunity to be shown inside was unlikely to present itself in the foreseeable future. He was back to normal now, standing in reserve behind Celes.


    I''m sure you would like to finish your formalities before you take a day off, Alihito. Do we have any work to do?


    Before we go, I wanted to ask you one question, Mr. Celes - this ''white box'' - have you ever seen it?


    A white box is placed on the table. Then Celes received a glove from Mr. Steiner, put it on, took out a magnifying glass with the appearance of a magic tool and began to observe.


    I''ve heard about the existence of the white box itself. I''m sure you''ll be able to find out more about this in the future. Hmm.........


    Mr. Celes, do you have any idea what''s going on?


    I am familiar with the secrets of this country and the lore. As a Jadeite, I am well acquainted with the lore and secrets of this country, more so than you are. This box is sealed with the Logos runes. In order to open it, you must fulfill the conditions indicated by the runes.


    Mr. Ceres nodded. Then, after setting the saucer and cup down, he touched the brim of the large triangular hat and straightened its position.


    ''This box will still be easy to open... though that''s an optimistic expectation. It says that you are to fight a strong opponent while in possession of this, which I believe it does. Other people may have a different interpretation.


    ''No, I believe in that interpretation thank you very much. So, for the time being, we can continue our search with this in our possession?


    I''m sorry, but I''m not quite up to speed on the interpretation of the Chinese characters. It is tempting to improve at times like this, but it''s not easy to do so. But it''s not easy to improve.


    ''''Master, when you went to the labyrinth after Atobe-sama and the others, you looked very contented. Don''t you want to come back as an explorer as well as a supporter?''''


    Celes said, Celes put his hat on tightly and deeply.


    I couldn''t stand still, that''s all. I couldn''t stand still, that''s all. I was not able to stay, that''s all. I should have been able to stay.


    ''No, Celes and the others came and helped me a lot. Is that fire magic a skill of a rune maker?¡¡It looked pretty powerful.


    I''m sure you''re not alone. But Takuma and Luka, whose abilities were strengthened by your skills, were more successful.


    ''Thanks to Atobe-sama''s skills, Master''s magic was a little stronger too.


    I''m not sure if this is a good idea. It''s a very good idea to have a good idea of what you''re looking for.


    It''s not a good idea to be able to have a good time. For making me feel like that........


    ''What.........Celes, did I do something.......?


    Hiding her face with the brim of her hat, Celes looks at me. While holding her hand over her chest to suppress the throbbing of her heart.


    ''The party you''re at makes me want to explore again... I''ve started to fidget in waiting. What will you do?


    ''''Well, um that''s the thing. I want to raise the level of Madoka and Louisa-san, who are less likely to participate in battle, accordingly. If you''re asking Celes-san and the others to participate in that as well.......


    You sure about that?¡¡I can use less magic than I could in my day, and I don''t have the skills to increase my power anymore.¡¡By the way, I''m at level 4, despite all your pretensions about Steiner and the like, but I''m at level 3.


    ''''It can''t be helped. Just to maintain this level, the two of us had to search very hard... weren''t those days a precious memory for us?


    The two of them are in some kind of dispute - the better they get along, the more they are, I guess.


    ''''...Hon. Excuse me, that was disgraceful in front of Atobe-sama.


    ''Haha ... no, not really. But I''m a little chickened out that he came at that level. The level of Takuma in the vanguard looked high, so I''m glad he''s there.


    It''s a good idea to have a good idea of what you want to do with it. Arihito is by nature suited to be a leader.


    We''re all in free time now, but I''ve come to see what they''re talking about, and Misaki is waving her hand in the distance - I guess she''s teasing me for being shy.


    ''''Then I''ll take our leader''s word for it and let us go to the labyrinth when we get a chance.


    "It''s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Atobe.


    When the conversation was settled, I asked Madoka to come over and ask her about the status of the material I had asked the ''courier'' to bring in.


    ''We can''t fit into the warehouse we''re currently renting, so we''ve rented a new storage facility to put the large crab material in... is it safe?''


    ''''Oh, we should also have a special storage room for large demon materials. By storeroom, I mean that crab...


    ''Yes, I had Rykerton look at it, and it looks like there are parts of it that can be eaten. The shell and legs are too big to be used for building material, but I heard that only some of them might be used for equipment.


    That ghostly, translucent crab as a foodstuff - what a strange thing to say, but the fact that I''m curious when it''s called a ''named'' crab is a sign that I''ve adapted to the labyrinthine country, too.


    ''What about that ''funeral person''?¡¡It was like a shell inside, but...


    ''Well, um........Rykerton-san said something like ''Samurai Mail''. It seems that the shell that envelops the entire body is made like the armor worn by a samurai, and if you have the right physique, you can equip it as is. This is in the warehouse, but they asked me to appraise it before equipping it. Also, I''m dropping runes as a drop item.


    Madoka gives me a firm send-off, which is very helpful - I have to tell her not to take it too far, as it would take courage just to look at it when it''s that huge crab, and the shell of a funeral person, so I have to tell her not to take it too far.


    ''The crab, which is made of sand, had eight drop items instead of the material left behind when we defeated it. The three mantises were turned to stone before the courier who arranged for them to be brought back, so only the Scythe and the Wings were removed. Also, two magic stones were removed.


    ''Too perfect to say anything else. Thank you so much for your work, Madoka.


    ''''Yes...I can only do this much...Also, I got a call from a bargain shop, so I think I can bid on it if I submit a purchase request today.


    I marvel at how much more capable this kid really is. It''s my turn to worry about doing too much work, and it''s my turn to think the opposite.


    ''All right, let''s see what goods you have later. Madoka has been working very hard, so take a break and take it easy. If there''s anything you want, just let me know and that''s all you''ll get.


    ''''Oh, no...I can''t...I can''t have your brother say that much...''''


    ''Madoka, didn''t you want a cart of magic tools?¡¡Those things come in handy.


    ''A cart would suit Madoka''s skills. Maybe I should buy one.


    Are you sure you want to...?


    ''Yeah. Depending on the price, I''d like to think that things aren''t too expensive to buy...


    ''''Well, uh ... it''s about 1,200 gold coins ... that''s very expensive ...''''


    Madoka, who is in complete charge of our financial management, seems to me that we can put all our faith in this attitude of frugality. I bought ''Owl''s Scope'' with a thousand gold coins, but he didn''t say anything about it, so I should continue to think carefully on my own and make sure I spend my money on what I need.


    ¡ô ¡ó¡ô.


    I told him I had no problem with the price and that I was going to go out and buy a cart next time. It''s an expensive purchase, so it will be important to see it in person.


    The giant crab is still being dismantled, so we''ll make sure we have all the materials we know we can currently use and what we''ve obtained.


    ¡ôAlihito-Atobe-sama, report from the dismantling station, primary ¡ô.


    Collect 2 sickle blades from "Ocean Mantis".


    4 pieces of transparent wings from "Ocean Mantis


    When Ocean Mantis was dismantled, we found two Blade-Slashstones.


    From The Merciless Burialer to ? I found "Kote


    From The Merciless Burialer to ? I found "The Helmet".


    From The Merciless Burialer to ? Discover "Armor".


    From The Merciless Burialer to ? Discover "shin guards".


    Newly acquired items from this search


    Drop an Operation Stone from Sand Scissors.


    ?" from "Sand Scissors". Drop 1 ''bracelet-like thing''


    ?" from "Sand Scissors". Drop 6 "Rusty Metal Chunks".


    A "Fighting Rune" is dropped from "The Merciless Burialer".


    Along with the materials, unappraised equipment has been found from "The Merciless Funeral Manger" - this may or may not mean that all of that shell of full body armor is treated as equipment.


    There are other items that need to be appraised that have been dropped, so ask Madoka for the ones that can be appraised with ''Appraisal Technique 1''. The other items can be appraised with ''Intermediate Appraisal Scroll''?


    Hmmm........I''ll have to decide on where to process this while observing the materials in the workshop.


    ''''Mr. Ceres, the materials of the demons that you defeated in the co-combat are entitled to a share of the materials, as well as Ceres and the others.


    We don''t have to share the money since we will be processing it. Luka, Takuma and Shiori don''t mind. Shiori said he wanted to drink once before Alihito and the others went to the Sixth Ward, so that would be a good way to repay him.


    Of course we''ll be there, too, of course," Celes said happily - Takuma will be brought by Shiori, and I''d like to ask Luka to join us later.


    Today''s dinner table is going to be lively again. With that in mind, I called out to everyone to move to the workshop.

 135 Episode 134: Kenki Transparent Wings

    We moved to the rental workshop and began meeting to discuss the use of the materials.


    ''Madoka, can you get the demon materials out first?''


    Okay, I''ll just put them on this table.


    Madoka''s ''item removal'' is explained as a skill to get things out of the warehouse, but it seems to apply to the storage room as well.


    When I suddenly became curious and told her about it, Celes-san held a short staff, perhaps the one she uses to use magic, as if it were an instructional stick or something, and started talking like a teacher.


    ''Because the explanation of the license is not absolute. Events that have not previously been observed by the guild cannot be accurately labeled, and there are cases where some of the skills and equipment effects can be expanded upon. In the case of hidden powers, they cannot be displayed until they have been fully appraised.


    ''Dr. Ceres, I only have a vague idea of what I''m talking about, but my brother knows what he''s talking about, so it seems to be okay!


    ''I thought it would be a holiday after I did what I had to do, but then I started to feel like it was before summer vacation... Brother, shall we have a beach volleyball match?¡¡Or is that a beach flag?


    ''I wonder if the retreat is a beach I''ve only just been to the ocean, but it''s going to feel like a resort when there are no demons out there.


    All of the competitions Misaki chooses to compete in are so heavy that she''s going to have sore muscles the next day, but Louisa is there for her when that happens - and she''s off too, so she has to refrain from asking for acupressure.


    Let''s talk about it, but it''s the main material. The sharp blade on the stand is cut so neatly that it''s hard to believe it''s from a mantis.


    You can use the blade to strengthen weapons and also use it on your hands to make slashes. It is also used to strengthen attacks against insects, and in some cases, it can double up on insects.


    Mr. Steiner also tried not to touch the blade, even though it was a small metal hand. The sharpness of the blade even has a kind of bewitching feeling to it - is it an exaggeration?


    ''''-- Master, that idea is not a mistake.''''


    I''ve put the Murakumo, which I always carry on my back, up on the weapon stand now, but even from there, I can hear the voice normally - everyone can''t hear it, and it seems to be talking to me alone.


    (No mistake, you mean ''Sickle Blade'' is different from normal materials?)


    ''''The sickle blade has a power in it that a master would call demonic energy. To me, it might be more appropriate to call it sword qi. By absorbing sword qi, I can gain new abilities without having to forge it.''''


    Since Murakumo is a part of the ''Secret God'', it can''t be strengthened in the same way as a normal weapon - its current power is sufficient, but I had a feeling that if it could be strengthened, it would be more useful as a trump card.


    He pondered whether he should reveal the Murakumo to Celes-san and the others, but the girls wouldn''t have to worry about telling him about it.


    ''Celes-san, Steiner-san. I have a sword, but it seems to be able to absorb the power of the ''sickle blade''.


    ''''Eh........you mean it''s an ''Aetherial'' weapon?''''


    Mr. Steiner, not Mr. Ceres, was surprised. And after asking for my permission, he took the Murakumo in its sheath.


    It''s not just a katana, but I didn''t expect it to be an aetherial.......spirit weapon. Arihito, do you mean to say that the spirit body in your katana taught you something about yourself?


    ''Ha, yes. Mr. Ceres, what''s Aetherial...?


    In this country, the Aether is vaguely defined as a medium that has some unseen power. Some call it traces of divine intervention in the world, something we cannot easily touch.


    I could only vaguely understand it, and while Igarashi-san and Suzuna were listening with interest, the other members had question marks on their heads.


    And Elitia - she was looking at the ''Scarlet Imperial Sword'' on the weapon stand.


    ''''........The weapon of ¡¶Aetherial¡· has its own will?''''


    ''''I''ve never seen it before, so it seems that just because I thought it was an Aetherian weapon, according to Atobe-sama, I wouldn''t recognize it by looking at it.


    ''''Well thank you, for telling me.


    ''''Oh, I heard that if you absorb one, you can get the ''Scythe Blade'' ability. Steiner-san, what else could you use it for?


    You can use it to make short swords or to strengthen your existing weapons. You can even make a sickle out of it by attaching the handle.


    First of all, decide on the use of the ''Scythe Blade'' - people don''t seem to have an image of how the equipment will become stronger. Even if you say it will become stronger against insect-type demons, it doesn''t necessarily mean that demons of that lineage will appear for sure, so it would be better to focus on improving the attack power itself.


    ''''Then while I''m thinking about it, let''s see some other materials.


    ''''Yes, this will be ''Perforated Wings''... oh...''''


    Madoka grabs the key to the warehouse and uses the ''item removal'' skill to take out things, but it also seems to consume magic power - when I look at the license, the blue bar indicating magic power is reduced by about 30%. This seems to have made me dizzy trying to use the skill.


    ''''Madoka, since you''re using your magic power in the ''item sale'', you''d better recover.


    ''''Yes, yes ... but I''m fine. You can''t be tired like this.........


    You should take it easy and give yourself plenty of time because I can use my skills to increase your magic.


    I got up from my seat and went behind Madoka. Then I put my hand over her back and activated the skill.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Arihito activates "Assist Charge" ¡ú Madoka''s magic power is restored.


    Oh... there are those with such auxiliary skills, but I didn''t know Aricht was a user.


    ''''Madoka-san''s magic power limit is still low, so it looks like there''s still room for Atobe-sama even if we split it up by skill.''''


    Steiner-san is right, there''s still plenty of room in my magic power bar. I even had my magic power maximum increase after eating the "Apple of Knowledge", so my magic power is more than simply level 6 multiplied by 10 - it seems to be a value like 70 or 80 as a sense, so maybe my profession has a lot of magic power maximum increase per level! It could be.


    ''''Speaking of the magic power limit, the ''Spider-Silk Hat'' was an equipment that increased magic power...''''


    ''''Oh my brother, by the way, I received a call from William-san from the Demon Farm. ''''Arachne Mage'''' was making spider webs, and I warned him to be conservative as he made several, but when he did so, he put the webs together and made them look like a ball of yarn.''''


    ''So, I see you found "Blacknet" in the drop-offs.


    Elitia says, looking at the license. The companions are also checking the display carefully after the battle and so on - although Misaki and Melissa had a look on their faces that they had just noticed.


    ''''Ha........brother, you were waiting for the materials to fix those tights with a long neck......?''''


    ''I thought you''d say that, but all I''m saying is that I''m curious about what happens when you have the right combination of equipment. And it would help if they were useful equipment.


    ''I wonder if the silk hat and tights alone will give you some abilities...?¡¡Sounds like it''s worth a try.


    The black tights look great on Kyouka''s sister. She''s got a mature charm that can''t be contained, and the black tights remind me of Kyouka''s sister.


    ''''Wha... I don''t wear net tights... after all, I use dice and cards, so Misaki-chan seems to fit the image of a ''magician''.''''''


    The two people who are pushing each other - although Misaki says so, but looking at that situation, it seems that they are not in a hurry.


    It''s a good idea to have a good idea of what you''re looking for. If you miss that, it may be difficult to get a complete set of equipment.


    "Well, I''ll use my black net ball of yarn to mend your tights. I may look like this, but I''m pretty good with my hands.


    Nice to meet you, Mr. Steiner.


    When the conversation was over, Madoka used her "item" and took out a chunk of transparent glass-like material - this seems to be the "transparent wing of Ocean Mantis", but it doesn''t feel like a wing as much as I had expected.


    ''''With this glass-like material, isn''t it the kind of material you''d use for armor?


    Yes, that''s how it looks. But this material is quite popular for use in armaments.


    Under Celes-san''s direction, Steiner-san walked over and touched the ''translucent wing'', which was like a plate glass about two meters high and thick - and then. It was more resilient than I had expected, and the whole thing curved under Steiner''s fingers.


    I''m sure you''ll be pleased to know that it''s a very strong material that won''t break even if you''re hit by a strong impact. It could bounce back unscathed from a collision with a Watadama, and after all, this is the material of a level 6 demon. If you use it in your armor, it will provide you with adequate protection.


    ''''Amazing.......it''s like a clear crystal and yet it''s so soft......it''s strange.......''''


    Suzuna seems to have been intrigued and is looking at four of the ''translucent wings'' lined up against the wall.


    I''m not sure if it''s because they''re demons from the labyrinth with the sea, but they''re also water resistant. To you guys, it''s better to call it waterproof.


    Can you fit it into any equipment?


    Elitia shows interest - because the opportunity to enhance her equipment is valuable to her at a higher level.


    ''''Well I don''t like to be too transparent.''''


    Can you see through it?¡¡Just because it''s a transparent material doesn''t mean that...


    Don''t worry. We''ll just change the materials in key places and put them on the back. Well, depending on my aesthetic sense, I may make some adjustments to the design.


    Celes-san seems to be having fun - at first, I''ll try to use ''Transparent Wings'' where I can use it too.


    ¡ô Material of Ocean Mantis ¡ô.


    Arictoo''s Murakumo ¡ú Acquire skills with the Scythe Blade


    Theon''s Beast Crawl +1 ¡ú Use the Sickleblade to add an Insect Suicide Attack and Slash Enhancement 1 to strengthen it to +2.


    Use Suzuna''s Silk Shaman''s Closet +3 ¡ú Add 1 water resistance and 1 shock absorption with the use of Clearwing.


    Use Theresia''s Hyde and Seek +2 ¡ú Add 1 Water Resistance and 1 Shock Reduction to strengthen it to +4.


    Kyouka''s Variable Cross +4 ¡ú Repair with the Clearwing. Add 1 water resistance and 1 shock absorption to strengthen it to +6.


    Elitia''s High Mithril Nightmare +4 ¡ú Use Clearwing to add Water Resistance 1 and Impact Reduction 1 to strengthen it to +6.


    Hmm, that''s it. As you can see, the open wing is big, so using two pieces will be enough. Do you need to use the extra?


    ''I see.......but I''d like to go with this for now. Misaki and Melissa don''t seem to be very good at being transparent.


    ''''That makes Suzu-chan and the others seem to be good at it, but... oh, Suzu-chan''s very obvious like a boiled crab...!


    Suzuna seems to be able to divide up such areas - well, since it''s Celes-san, she won''t process it in such a way that it''s so revealing.


    ''''Hmm.......this material is quite.......Steiner, I would like to go with this kind of finish.


    "Master, sometimes you have bold ideas that we can''t imitate... maybe it''s because you''re older than you look.


    I think I heard something, but I''ll let it slide. I''m an open-minded person.


    Mr. Celes let out a sharp voice and Mr. Steiner freaked out. Ms. Ceres called herself a ''big sister'' and also said she was one hundred and fifteen years old, as I recall, but her figure looks about the same age as Madoka. However, it seems that age is still a sensitive issue for women.


    Next is the magic stone. The Bladed Zanseki is a magic stone that adds a slashing effect to attacks. It''s a magical slash that is generated by magic, and it can cut things that cannot be cut physically.


    ''It would be nice if we could strengthen your sling so that you have more magic stones to put on it. You could also put them on Melissa''s demolition knife.


    ''And the control stone. You can use it to make living and inanimate objects that are hit only for a very short period of time to do what you want them to do. There are a lot of monsters that are resistant to this, but if they''re molded, they''re very powerful.


    If that''s the case, it might be a good idea to replace it with the ''Confusion Stone'' on the sling and see which one is more useful. Both are special attacks in the system that interfere with the opponent''s actions, so it wouldn''t be a bad idea.


    Maybe we should consider combining them with Melissa''s skills so that we can have more special attacks - but if we combine them, we can''t separate them, so it''s a problem.


    ''''Finally, I''ll have to appraise you guys. You''d better be very careful about your equipment.''''


    Apparently, if the equipment is cursed, it can be cursed just by touching it for appraisal purposes. Whether you use the scrolls or the ''appraisal technique'' skill, it''s important to avoid touching them directly.


    Changing the equipment of the magic stone ¡ô


    Melissa''s Steel Knife with a Blade-Slashing Stone


    Confusion Stones" in "Things That Unleash Black Magic Bullets" in "Aricht" have been changed to "Operation Stones".


    Zion''s Hound''s Leather Vest with Confusion Stone


    In order to prevent Sion, who may be left in charge of the foremost guard, from becoming confused, he adds a confusion stone to his armor to add resistance to it.


    Then, Madoka carefully takes out the things that need to be appraised by Madoka in the ''Item Dispatch''. The shell of the ''funeral person'' that was about to move - the full body armor like a warrior and the things that the sand crabs had dropped were laid out on the cloth on the floor.


    "I feel some kind of familiarity with you, but... oh, it''s not like I''m cursed or anything.


    Once again, there''s something horrifying to look at - the equipment left behind by the highest level named I''ve ever fought.


    It looks cursed to look at, but if there''s something that can be used for just a part of it, there''s no way to shy away from it. Madoka tried ''Appraisal Technique 1'' and failed, so I decided to receive the Intermediate Appraisal Scroll from her and attempt an appraisal.

 136 Episode 135: Sand Lizard Silver Sand

    First, I''m going to try to appraise the ''bangle-like thing'' that had been found as a drop item from the ''Sand Scissors'' - this one succeeded with Madoka''s ''Appraisal Technique 1'' without any problems.


    ¡ô¡ïDessert Rose ¡ô


    The gemstone ''Desert Rose'' is built into this item.


    Special Effect: Sand Fiend - Increases blows dealt to corresponding fiends and reduces damage from enemies.


    Sand" attacks will be available when equipped.


    Physical Defense" is slightly improved.


    Slightly increased "Magic Defense".


    ?Some improvement in "Agility".


    It''s rare to find ornaments with such high performance - they have abilities that I wanted before fighting in "Beach of the Fallen Sun", but that''s just the way it is. There will be more sandy areas in the future, and it''s not an ability that is a loss to have on it.


    ''''Ha, if you look closely, this is a stone in the shape of a rose. It looked like a lump of sand, but when I paid it off, it''s sparkling.


    It''s called a desert rose, so it must be something that can be found in the sand. It''s amazing that something of this shape can be created naturally........should someone who can only wear light clothing wear it?


    It''s something that can benefit anyone who equips it, so I''m not sure. Will the members of the vanguard equip it and reduce the damage as much as possible - I''m thinking.


    ''''..........''''


    Hmm?¡¡Theresa, what''s going on?


    You might want to touch it.¡¡What do you think?


    I also felt the same way as Elitia, so I handed the bracelet to Theresia - and then.


    ''''Huh........Te, Theresia-san''s pattern.......!


    Theresia''s equipped ''Hyde and Seek'' and ''Chameleon''s Boots'' reacted.


    It becomes the color of sand - is this what is called a protective color?


    ''I wonder if it''s because I touched ''Desert Rose'' that it''s the color of sand...''


    ''With Theresia-san''s equipment, would that be the case? Or is it because you''re Theresia-san........which is it?


    Elitia and Suzuna twisted their necks, but in the case of ''optical camouflage'', it''s possible that Terezia has the ability to change from her original to a protective color, since she blends into the landscape. After a while, Theresia returned to her original color.


    ''If she''s reacting to the gemstone, then there may be other changes besides the color. Aricht, why don''t you take a look at Theresa''s skills?


    ''Ha, yes. Um.....


    I''ll operate the license and display Theresa''s skills--and then.


    Disclosure of Skills of a Slave¡ô.


    S Mode Change: Sandclad Benefited by the power of sand. While active, it consumes magic. Can be activated by special equipment.


    S-mode ... change?


    ''Mmm ... does it really say that?¡¡That ''S'' refers to a special skill among those that can be used depending on the equipment. Even if you search for it, it''s not easy to find.


    If "S" means something like "Special", then it''s a skill called "Mode Change: Sandclad".


    It''s a bit of an abstraction, and it''s hard to tell what effect it has until you try it out in battle, but it''s worth a try. But it''s worth using it when you get a chance.


    ''''If that''s the case, it sounds like Theresia-san should equip it.


    Yes, I''d like to test the effectiveness of my skills for once.


    Since everyone is in agreement, I''m going to ask Theresia to use "Desert Rose". As if she herself knew that it was something to wear on her wrist, she passed it through her left wrist.


    ''''..........''''


    Yeah, they look good on you. We''ll have to try your skills some other time.


    Theresia is staring at me - and looking at the others. It''s a gesture that looks like she''s taking care of herself.


    ''Kyouka-sister has samurai armor, so you don''t have to be shy about it!


    ........Oh, you know what? My armor is broken, but I can still use it if I repair it.


    Even if a piece of equipment is strong, if it''s cursed, it can''t be used. Seeing the strength of the ''Scarlet Emperor''s Sword'' and the risks associated with it, it''s inevitable to think that way.


    However, without the skills of the ''Curse Blade'', we wouldn''t have been able to win. This equipment that has a disconcerting hint of how disconcerting it is might also be utilized in some cases - although I do think that there might be a situation where it could be utilized in some cases - but just looking at it is enough to make a cold sweat run down my back, and I feel a chill just by being placed on it.


    It''s time for the next one. Take care of yourself, Arihito.


    Madoka couldn''t even get close to the equipment left behind by the ''funeral sender'' for appraisal purposes - she was in a state of ''fear'', so I had her release it with Igarashi-san''s ''Brave Mist''.


    If I didn''t have Brave Mist, I wouldn''t be able to approach it without a care in the world. I held up my hand to avoid touching it and used the intermediate appraisal scroll that Madoka had arranged for me, and the appraisal results appeared on my license.


    ¡ô *Night Crab Armor ¡ô.


    Gives nearby allies and enemies a status abnormality of fear.


    You are under a curse.


    It has hidden powers.


    After all, if you don''t equip it, you won''t know the details. It''s even attached to an effect that won''t even become an ornament as it is.


    ''''Well I wonder if the rest of the equipment is cursed at this rate.


    This is something that has to be evaluated before we can understand, because demons are a mysterious thing. It''s a rare case where a whole body is considered to be a piece of equipment.


    As Celes-san said, I''ll try to appraise the other three as well - then.


    ¡ôNinou''s helmet ¡ô


    Head State Protection: Prevents head-related abnormalities.


    You are under a curse.


    It has a hidden power.


    The Demon''s Paw


    Special Effect: Slash Attribute: Increases blows against enemies who are weak in the slash attribute.


    Increases the limit of the "Equipment Weight".


    This will slightly enhance physical defense.


    If a part of the body is successfully destroyed, you will receive an additional blow.


    If your strength is reduced beyond a certain point, you will be in a state of "fighting spirit.


    Prajna''s Shin Armor


    Special Effect: Human Type: Increased damage to humanoid enemies.


    Speed" is improved.


    Magic Defence" is slightly enhanced.


    The "Indirect Defense" is slightly enhanced.


    The ability to "leap by ship" will now be available.


    The performance of the skill to strengthen your allies will be improved.


    When I appraised the helmet, I thought it was all cursed after all - however, there was no indication of ''cursed'' on the armor of the arms and legs.


    ''''I didn''t expect your entire body to be equipped with ''starred'' equipment... I can understand that strength.


    Elitia marveled. If all of this equipment had enhanced abilities, then the humanoid demon needed to pay attention to the equipment as well as the level.


    But it seems to be a strong performance no matter who equips it, so I''m not sure what to do.)


    I''m already equipped with boots that can enhance my support skills. It might be a good idea to have someone who doesn''t have a full range of other foot equipment to wear them - I thought.


    ''''This ''small hand'' can be equipped by a warrior-type person and Melissa-san. ''''The ''shin guards'' can only be equipped by Elitia-san, sister Kyouka, and brother Aricht.''''


    ''Then the shin guards would be better used by an arihit. It seems to be a design (design) for men.


    I''m inclined to think that performance should be more important than design, but it seems to be an important issue for the ladies. Of course, I''m a little concerned about it too.


    It''s not a good balance to have a Valkyrie at the top and a warrior at the bottom. Basically, I prefer equipment that harmonizes well.


    I see........I''m new to the idea of equipping a suit with a warrior, but I guess it''s unavoidable in order to strengthen the war effort.


    In your world, there is a protective gear called ''Legace'' which is used in clashing competitions, isn''t there? You can even modify it to look like that. It''s also possible to combine the armor with the original boots in this combination.


    ''If the same effect is attached to it, the effect can become stronger when you can synthesize it. If you are able to make it infinitely strong, everyone will become invincible. For example, if you have duplicate effects that make you more powerful, the stronger effect will be based on the one you have and will be slightly strengthened.


    The combinations that can be synthesized are themselves limited, and you can''t synthesize anything. Steiner''s level was lower than when he was active, but he could choose which skills he would lose when he went down, so he still had the ''Equipment Synthesis 2'' skill he had acquired at level 5.


    ''''Then can I have you synthesize these shin guards and my boots?


    ''''Oh, that''s right. We''re out of stock right now, so I need to stock up on metal to use as a glue for the synthesis we''re having a hard time getting around.


    I don''t know if it will come out, but it may be obtained by casting and melting down a rusty piece of metal. Can I give it a try, Alihit?¡¡You don''t have any other use for it.


    Yes, nice to meet you.


    In the rental workshop, there is a small furnace-like object that Steiner-san has brought in, which looks like a small furnace. If it''s a magic tool, does that mean that you can refine metal without having to spend a lot of time preparing it - everyone is watching with interest.


    ''''Then let''s begin. ''''O furnace of fire brought by the god of the labyrinth, Ceres Mistral prays to thee...''''


    Putting the ''rusty metal lump'' into the furnace and chanting as if to call out to it - quite a bit of magic is used, or perhaps sweat beaded on Celes-san''s forehead. Mr. Steiner wiped it with a handkerchief and watched from the side as an assistant.


    However, even if I put one or two into the furnace, I didn''t get the desired metal - ''Elmina iron'' may also have its uses, but right now it''s an outlier treatment.


    ''Yes, Master. We''re all praying too, and if only one of them would come out...''


    I put the last one in the furnace, and Celes-san chants a spell - they''re all praying for me, so I close my eyes and pray that I can get a ''hit'' - and then.


    Extracted Metal¡ô.


    Elmina Iron" x 4


    Grow Gold" x 1


    Silver Sand" ¡Á 1


    Hmmm... I was just going to get a ritual to ward off evil if I couldn''t use six of them.


    ''Mr. Ceres, is this ''brass sand'' the material you use to synthesize?''


    The sand is a collection of tiny pieces of metal. When used in synthesis, this material can be used to create an affinity between equipment.


    Teresia''s "Triple Steel" allowed me to take the drop item from the "Sand Scissors", but otherwise, what are the odds of getting the "Rusty Piece of Metal" - this is why Teresia''s morale release when defeating a powerful enemy. We want to make sure that we use the


    "Strengthening it with ''Grow Gold'' will give you either ''Light Attribute Enhancement 1'' or ''Light Attribute Resistance 1'', but you can also use it to fix Kyouka''s circlet when it''s damaged. As it stands now, there might not be a problem keeping it.


    If the ''Silver Sand'' is so valuable, I think it would be a shame to use it right away...


    "I understand, but I don''t think there''s any way to keep the Prajapati in the storeroom. This equipment suits you well, as you strengthen your allies. As far as I''m concerned, you should leave it to me.


    ''I don''t know what it''s going to be like for Mr. Rear to ''jump eight boats,'' but I think it''s good to be able to move lightly. What do you guys think?


    Igarashi-san asks for an opinion - everyone agrees, but Misaki raises her hand in a reserved manner.


    ''''We''re stronger when you''re behind us, aren''t we, brother? If that effect goes up as well, wouldn''t the pounding feeling get stronger with each and every time...?


    ''''Well that''s... it''s making everyone stronger, so it''s easy to increase your ''trustworthiness'', isn''t it?''''''


    The party''s trust in healers and vanguard members who can stop enemy attacks is easily increased. They use their skills directly to protect their friends. They use their skills directly to protect their comrades. Alihit is the leader of the group and also supports them, so his trustworthiness will be especially high.


    ..........


    Theresia looks at me as if she agrees with Celes-san. I''m a ''rearguard'', so I can''t do anything without my friends. I believe that this is why the trustworthiness of the party members is easily increased, but is it still special compared to other support positions?


    I''m not sure if this is unique compared to other supporters. To put it bluntly, the higher the level, the more trustworthy the person is. There are times when a high level of trust can get you out of a difficult situation, so it''s better to deepen that trust as much as possible.


    ''Ah, a more serious return than I thought. When you say it that way, it sounds like I''m the only one thinking about chickens! It''s an amazing feeling of security to have your brother behind you, even when you''re asleep, you can''t help but wake up because you''re worried about him.


    ''''........Misaki-chan, if you''re going to wake up in the middle of the night, I''ll let you sleep with me next time. Lack of sleep is your skin''s worst enemy.


    ''''I''m sorry, Aricht-san, I''m sorry to keep it a secret from you all, but I want you to continue to sleep peacefully and get tired...'''' ...


    Oh, yeah, I''m sleeping pretty well. What''s up, guys?¡¡Your face is all red.


    I lit the furnace when I was refining it, but it''s not that hot inside. Theresia hasn''t turned too red either, but she can''t help but look away when she meets my gaze.


    (Also, while my skills are sleeping...?¡¡No, there''s nothing like that these days. (Maybe I''m sleeping too deeply... or maybe I''m not supposed to...)


    Even Melissa and Madoka looked away from me, so I was indeed concerned. Ceres smirked at us, but then looked at Steiner as if she had an idea.


    It would be a good idea to rent a place to stay before returning to District 8. The cot in the workshop is very hard, so it''s time for a soft bed.


    ''Yes, master. I''ll get out of the way of Master Atobe and the others, if that''s okay with you?


    Yeah, that''s fine. Okay, guys, let''s take a free pass from here.


    ""Yes."


    Yes, sir.


    ..........


    Everyone gave their respective replies and left their seats. It''s a good thing that you''re not going to have to worry about being away from everyone else, or else you''ll be walking back to your quarters with everyone else.


    I''m sure you''re not the only one. You don''t have to think only about the hard things, but it''s fine to have them by your side all the time.


    ''We do things together all day, every day. Sometimes I think it''s necessary to give Theresa some freedom,


    You have a point, though. That girl is most comfortable with you, isn''t she?


    ''''Everyone does, but they''re patient. On our days off, we end up fighting over Atobe-sama.


    I''m not sure it''s that far, but it''s hard to say when I see Melissa and Madoka waving at me before I leave the workshop.


    The future of this party depends on the worthiness of Arihito. You can''t be too mean to torment him. Now Steiner, let''s get to work.


    "Sic ''em, master.


    If they are acting to create a sense of dignity, Steiner seems to be creating the image of an unidentified armor as well, and the two of them may be very similar to each other.


    I say hello and leave the rental workshop. It''s the first time in a long time that I''ve been on my own - let''s not wander around too much and get the necessary business done.

 137 Episode 136: Clothing Store and Pawn Shop White Dark Leap

    I left the workshop and headed to the boutique Corleone - the shop seemed to be thriving today. A boy clerk was paying the bill, and another female clerk was just finishing serving customers.


    ''Excuse me, is the owner, Luca-san, here?''


    Ah, I understand you ordered a custom-made suit, right, Mr. Atobe? The owner of the store is busy making suits at a nearby workshop, so if you''d like to order one, I''m happy to take care of it for you.


    If that''s the case, it''s hard to force them out - but they might think about it if you want to have dinner with them.


    ''''Oh, what a surprise, Aricht. I''m glad I came to check out the shop, it''s great to see you here.


    ''''Oh, Luka you were just right. I''m sorry, you were asked to go back to work on the suit as soon as you returned from the labyrinth.


    It''s okay, you''re here to pick up your things. A sewing kit to use my skills, you can''t start forgetting them. Lauro, can you go and get it for me?


    Yes, brother Luke!


    If you look closely, you''ll see a boy who looks a lot like Luka - Luka strokes his own cheek and looks a little embarrassed.


    It''s my brother. When he grows up, he''s going to end up like me, so growing up can be cruel.


    ''That''s not true, I could tell just by looking at you, Lauro, that you adored Mr. Luke.


    Yeah?¡¡Well, I''m glad you grew up healthy when you were reincarnated, though... how nice to talk about the old days in the high light of day.


    I wonder how long ago Luka and the others were reincarnated, and under what circumstances they were all reincarnated together as siblings - will I ever hear about it one day?


    ''Susannah, I''m sorry I''m away. Are your new clothes selling well?


    ''Yes, the tunic came out quickly, and I''d like to make some more when the shop goes up...''


    "Don''t take it too hard, you work too hard. You should sleep well at night when you''re making great clothes.


    Thank you, manager.


    As they were talking, Mr. Lauro came back and handed Mr. Luka a tool. Mr. Luka took it and patted his older brother''s head with a nudge.


    ''So, Aricht. It''s still some time before the suit is finished, what''s going on?¡¡If you''re just thanking me for what I did earlier, I had a good time too, so don''t worry about it.


    ''I was wondering if you''d like to join us for dinner today. If you''re talking about a family reunion, I can''t let it get watered down.


    ''Brother, I''ll be fine. Go on, I''ll stay here with the others.


    I heard that Luka and the others live with the shopkeepers as well as the brothers - the Corleone family reminds me more and more of that foreign film.


    ''Well, I''ll take you up on your offer. What time do we meet?


    Well, I''m thinking about 7pm. Luka, do you have a place you''d like to go?


    ''''Well since it''s Alihit''s thing, it seems to attract quite a few people besides party members. There''s a Belgian restaurant near here, have you been there?


    No, I haven''t been there yet.


    I have a menu that I think the girls would like, so let''s go there. It''s my favorite place, so I''ll make a reservation for you before I return to the workshop. Can we have a room for 20 people?¡¡If there are more than ten of us, that''s the only room we have.


    Yes, by all means.


    After all, people who live in the Seventh Ward know the store well - I manipulated my license to display a map of the Seventh Ward and wrote down the location for Luka to tell me where it was. As for the time, it might be a little back and forth, but we made a promise that it would be at seven o''clock in the evening, and I left the store.


    ¡ô ¡ó¡ô


    Leaving the Boutique Corleone and going into the back alley, I visited ''Nanamu-an''.


    ''''Hello my dear Atobe-sama, you''re here. How are you all doing?


    ''''Yes, thanks to.......both Shiori-san and Takuma-san for their help in The Beach of the Falling Sun.


    ''I could hardly do anything about it, but I''m glad Takuma seemed to be able to help. Since I got back, as usual, but this is the first time I''ve ever seen Takuma show his will like that.


    Did he sense that we were in danger - is that a peculiarly subhuman instinct? I don''t know, but it is certain that Takuma-san played an important role in defeating the mantis.


    ''''.........''''


    ''Takuma seems to welcome you too. ''You''re remembering exactly how Lady Atobe found the ring.''


    I''m glad I found it. Is there such a thing as coincidence?


    Shiori covered her mouth with a fan and smiled. Then, as if he noticed something, he reached into his sleeve and took out another fan.


    ''When Atobe-sama and the others eventually move up to the Sixth Ward, I wanted to send them a parting gift, though it''s not much, but I wanted to send them a parting gift. There will be a ''miko'' girl in your party.


    Is this fan for Suzuna?


    ''Yes. I think the ''miko'' will learn the skills of dancing, so a fan will enhance the effect of the dance. Would you be willing to accept it?


    ''Okay, I''ll give it to Suzuna. Thank you, Shiori.


    Not only did he come to me in a difficult situation, but he even thought about a parting gift - and Shiori had even thought about Suzuna''s skills.


    When I run a pawn shop, many customers want me to take their pawned grasses straight to the store," she said. They don''t often bring in treasures that come in the Black Box, but there may be some items that could be of use to you, Atobe-sama.


    ''''I''m curious about that... yes, our party''s Madoka is a ''merchant'', so if Shiori-san is a member of the merchant''s union, I''m sure we can contact her.


    ''When you get a good one in, you can let Madoka know. ''''I''ll let Madoka-chan know when it''s good. We can send the goods to another district through the union and it would take a lot of work to go out and sign a ''special agreement'' to let them know the goods are coming in...


    ''''Ah yes, that''s the way it works. If you can let me make a ''special agreement'' with Shiori-san''s shop as well, it would be a great help.


    If you don''t, you might apply for a ''special contract'' with all the shops you''ve taken care of, but there''s no particular problem. You can''t apply for a special contract if there are no slots available, so even if you meet a shop that you want to sign an exclusive contract with, you may not be able to do so, but that''s the time to do it.


    ''''........At first, Atobe-sama seemed like a naive person, but she''s quite a person.


    I thought it would be sad to leave the store that had taken care of me and that was it if I went to a different ward. So I was happy to hear about the ''special contract''.


    ''Hmmm I''m sorry, I''m happy for saying mean things to you too. This is why my brother is so worried about me being single. I don''t say anything, but I kind of get it.


    ..........


    Takuma stood like a statue - Shiori smiled, fixed the collar of his kimono, and looked at me again.


    ''''........How old was Atobe-sama?¡¡I thought I was older than you.


    I''m twenty-nine. I''m old enough to be called an uncle around Misaki.


    Hmmm........I don''t think you''re ready to be an uncle, Atobe-sama.


    It is a little reassuring to hear you say so, but I think that I am old enough to be asked to settle down in various ways anyway. Even if you don''t call me an uncle, I want to be seen as a full-fledged adult.


    It''s a good thing that you''re an older brother than me.....


    The idea was that Farma-san looks at me like a brother, so it was okay to shed her back - but I wonder how it will change in her when she finds out that I''m older than her in age.


    I don''t think it''s very often that Falma-san stays in our quarters, so I''ll make sure to explain it to her when the right situation arises again. I''m not sure whether that''s a good idea or a bad one, but I don''t know for sure at present either.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    Shiori and the others decided to come too, so I told them where and when the shop was, and we walked out.


    ''''Ya. Did I say Alihit?¡¡The leader of Ellie''s party.


    As I was about to walk out of the back street to the front, I was approached - the one who was leaning back against the wall of the building was a woman wearing a white cloak.


    ''''You''re...I believe you''re Shirone, right? What are you doing here?


    ''I figured it would be boring to just look at Ellie''s face and leave. Can we talk for a minute?


    Once again, he looks older than Misaki and Suzuna, but he doesn''t have the vibe of an adult.


    He has the eyes of a child who still has a penchant for mischief - shoulder-length white hair under the hood and golden eyes. But what lies behind those eyes is eerily bottomless.


    ''I''m afraid you want to talk to me all of a sudden. I can''t afford to take a detour either.''


    Are you still mad at me?¡¡I know, I know, that was a bit unimpressive earlier. But it can''t be helped, you have to teach the dreamy Ellie about reality, she''ll die one day.


    I wondered if he was going to apologize, but after all, there is nothing but malice in his words. Since he says it with an innocent smile, I still don''t think he can let Elitia meet him easily.


    I''m not going to let Elitia die. Besides, her goal is also our goal.


    ''Thanks to Alihit, Ellie seems to have brightened up a lot. I''m sure you''ll be able to find out more about this in the future. I''m sure you''ll be able to find out more about this as well.


    Well, isn''t the Commander a family member of Elitia''s?


    ''Yes, Elitia''s brother. His father is there too, but since his reincarnation, he follows his brother''s policy of being a meritocrat. That''s how things can get distorted after coming to the labyrinth country, when you reincarnate with your family or something like that.


    He uttered the word ''distorted'' with heartfelt enjoyment - Sirone didn''t have malicious intentions only for Elitia.


    Once I realized that, I felt it was rash to take the provocation. Because even for me to get angry, Syrone would just be amused.


    ''''One day, when we get to the ward where the ''brigade'' is, we''ll still accomplish our objective without thinking about it. That''s all I can say now.


    ''Kuhn ... do you think you''re losing if you take the invitation?¡¡I like people with that kind of pride. I think the Commander does too.


    ''''Well it''s not in very good taste to think you can see people''s minds like that.


    ''I''m sorry, I''m sorry. I just assumed that if you didn''t get mad at me there, you had no chance. It''s a pass, Alihit.


    What''s the point of passing - is it that you''re recruiting me to the ''White Night Brigade''?


    ''It''s not easy for someone like Arihito to move to another party. But we''ve pulled people like that out of the air. The maximum number of members is thirty, and now Ellie and two others are out, so we have twenty-seven. So we need three people - two vanguards and a rearguard. I can''t say I have two more, but Arihito would be a regular soon...


    ''Unfortunately, I''m not moving my party. You''ll find someone else.


    Cyrone laughs, shaking her shoulders, as if she had expected the answer - and.


    She moves closer to me, then whispers to me in a small voice as we pass each other.


    ''Think about it before the next time you see me, okay? If you change your mind, you can always come see me.


    I haven''t given up at all - Shirone is so obsessed with me that I wonder why she''s there.


    When I turn around, I can''t see Cyrone anywhere anymore, already. And before I knew it, there was a piece of paper in my hand.


    (When........what the hell did I do.......?)


    The piece of paper bore the address of the quarters that Syrone was supposedly using, and the name of the building. I had no idea when it was held - there was no indication that he used the skill, nor did the license show it.


    What if he used the same concealment skills as Gray? Or was he unable to notice it due to the difference in abilities due to the difference in levels?


    ''''Ah........Brother Arihito!¡¡Sister Ryoko, brother Aricht is here!


    Sensei.........you''re here too, aren''t you? We heard about you when we met you earlier in the labyrinth, so we came to Nanmuan.


    The maple and ibuki are coming towards us from the direction where Shirone left off. Ryoko-san and Anna also showed up from behind them.


    ''Hey guys, that''s odd... thank you for helping me out earlier.


    Well, it''s just a shame you arrived after all of us were done.


    ''Grey''s been captured, hasn''t he?¡¡Thank goodness I was walking around town and people like Gray''s friends approached me and it was a bit difficult. My Ryoko sister''s so calm, I''d worry if I let my eyes go.


    No, that''s not true........I''m an adult and I won''t go along with you just because you force me a little.


    "...Aricht, what''s wrong?¡¡You look a little pale, but...


    Anna says as she looks up at me - she reaches out her hand as if to measure the heat, and a pitter-patter, cool hand touches my forehead.


    ''Oh, oh no ... did you guys not pass the lady in the white cloak?''


    ''Yes, that''s where it sounded like you were laughing, but did you know my brother Arihito?¡¡I guess it''s a good thing I didn''t say hello.


    ''No, that''s okay. I don''t even know him well we''re not exactly friendly, to be honest.


    You can warn the four members of the Four Seasons to stay away from Cyrone -- but telling them to be careful when he hasn''t done anything yet will only make them feel uneasy.


    -- but it''s more dangerous to say nothing at all. On second thought, I decided to choose my words carefully.


    ''That woman in the white cloak, Elitia and I used to explore in the same group, but we didn''t have a great relationship. But we didn''t have much of a relationship... for me, I don''t want to get too close to Elitia right now.


    As soon as he reunites with Elitia, he is more than a little resentful of the person who provokes him and says things that will gouge his wounds. But to avoid it because it''s acrimonious is just postponing the problem. We have to solve it eventually, but we have to think carefully about how to do it.


    ''If brother Alihit says so, we should be careful too.


    If they''re fighting, it''s hard to make up right away...


    ''''...Can a relationship change if there''s an opportunity to do so? Although it''s the right way to behave yourself that you don''t dare to meet someone you don''t fit in with,


    There''s still a lot I don''t see about Elitia''s relationship with the brigade. Instead of trying to interfere, it would be best to listen to Elitia when she wants to talk.


    But when it comes to Silone, I can''t just wait passively. It''s obvious from her attitude that the other side is trying to do something - because she''s probably still staying in this ward for a reason.


    ''Sorry, I''m sorry, I''m sorry for worrying you... but on a different note, Ryoko-san, do you have any plans for the evening?''


    Are you planning to...¡¡I''m going to buy and cook my own meals with these kids, but if Aricht-san insists.......


    Ryoko, I don''t think so. If you were to ask her out, wouldn''t it be all of us?


    Yeah, you''re right. Good, I thought you were just going on a date with Ryoko.


    ''''Well Aricht, Ryoko is not immune, so it would be helpful if you could take that into account.


    No, no, no, no...


    I told them that I would invite Celes and the others to join us for dinner and asked again if they would be willing to come - and they replied with a resounding yes.

 138 Episode 137: A lively feast

    Back at the quarters, some of us were resting in our rooms - after a good night''s sleep, we took a quick soak in the hot water and got ready for a change of clothes and other things before we went out.


    When we went outside, the area was dark and the city was lit up. When I went to the Belgian restaurant, Leuven''s Wind, there was a waiting list outside - I guess the reason why the restaurants in the labyrinth country are almost always full every time is because everyone is mainly eating out.


    There are three tables with seating for eight people, and we sit down at first, separated at random, with an eye to getting out of our seats later. Theresia was standing behind me, so I let her sit next to me, and Luka sat next to me next to the opposite side. For some reason he winked at me, but I''ll take that as a joke in his own way.


    I''m not sure why you''ve chosen me and not Arictoo, but since I''m an elder, I''ll take the lead. So, cheers!


    Cheers.


    BOW!


    This time Sion was able to enter the restaurant as well, so he ordered a dish for the escort dogs. In front of the first bone meat that came out, Sion was left in charge of Igarashi-san, but after the toast, the ban was lifted and he took a bite.


    ''Cheers, Arihito. I''m honestly glad to have the opportunity to drink like this.


    Me too, Mr. Luke. You''ve been a big help to me, too.


    The beer in the glass is a dark black color - the darker it is, the stronger it is, apparently - and I decide to order the first one that Ruka-san recommends.


    Shiori says he doesn''t normally drink beer, but he''s sitting across the table from me, drinking a brownish-brown beer. He said it was popular with women, and several others were ordering the same thing.


    Hmmm.........puh-uh. I don''t like beer, but this is easy to drink.


    ''Master is always drinking herbal liqueurs. He says it has to be strong to get drunk.''


    Steiner only drinks tea and juice. It''s about time we all had a drink as adults. But now that you''ve invited me to join you, I don''t mind.


    Celes-san looks satisfied as Shiori-san, sitting next to her, pours me a refill, making my cheeks rise to the top. My law-abiding spirit subtly warns me that I''m drunk with a girlish appearance, but if I said that to her, a full-fledged adult, she''d be angry with me.


    ''''Good job, Rear-kun. This restaurant has a very nice atmosphere, and the food looks good too.


    The meat pate served as an hors d''oeuvre was served on grilled black bread, which was also delicious and went well with the beer. The potatoes were also different from the ones served as an accompaniment at the table in the past, with a crispy, crunchy texture that was irresistible. I also ordered the Belgian croquettes, so I was looking forward to seeing them on the menu.


    Kyouka, you go to your brother''s place like that," she said. What happened to your promise to play the potato game with us?


    ''Oh, I don''t think you should do that because it''s hot.¡¡And I''ve never heard of a potato game before.


    ''Or a game of sausage?¡¡Oh, I look like I''m a bit drunk, don''t I? I don''t have to drink a lot, so I''m totally fine.


    ''Oh, yeah Misaki, don''t get too excited.


    Even though there was no age limit in the labyrinth country, I still felt like Misaki and Suzuna would be okay with them drinking alcohol. Melissa was also drinking beer normally, and Madoka next to her was drinking apple juice.


    ''''..........''''


    Teresia also asks for something called ''White Beer'', the same as Misaki''s, probably because strong alcohol raises her body temperature. Still, it''s already turning slightly red, so maybe she''s weak to alcohol as a whole - it''s best to watch it carefully.


    ''Atobe-sama, may I pour you a drink?''


    ''I don''t usually drink much. It''s special in times like this... Takuma''s got a weak constitution for alcohol now, but I like to drink in moderation.


    Takuma wears a beetle mask, but unlike Teresia, it is covered up to her mouth. However, when drinking, the mouth part was open, revealing a human mouth underneath it - I''m impressed by the variety of equipment unique to sub-humans.


    Just as the beetles (beetles) feed mainly on sap, their diet is said to consist mainly of sugary nectar, but they still have a strong body and seem to be able to take in a good amount of nutrition.


    ''I''m glad we''re at a place that serves sweetened drinks, because my brother is happy to be there.


    That''s good to hear. Yeah, but it looks like the booze is spinning.


    He seems to be enjoying himself more than usual. Maybe it''s just my family''s favouritism.


    I''ll put Theresa''s needs ahead of my own for now, but if Takuma can be turned back into a human too, I''ll tell you when I know the details of how. Maybe we can help you then.


    ''What, your brother''s so popular that time to talk to him is getting precious, isn''t it?


    Umm, well I think I''m going to give this place to my sister Ryoko, she''s been waiting for it for a long time.


    ''You don''t have to worry about your sister, it''s best for everyone to do what they want.


    Yes. As for me, I''ve reached the point where I feel at ease just looking at Atobe-sama.


    Ryoko and Louisa are laughing at each other, "Hey. As for me, I wish we could talk normally - but as I was thinking - this time Anna came over, and after making sure I didn''t need more drinks yet, she stabbed me with a mini fork of potatoes and offered them to me.


    ''''Well it looks like you''re ready to drink, so how about this one?


    Oh, yeah. Thank you.


    I''m sorry to say no, so I ask her to let me eat, but I''m subtly embarrassed because Anna is staring at me. Anna looks at Madoka, who has been watching the situation, as if to say please - this wave attack, or rather, how far this chain of drinking and feeding will continue.


    ''''Oh, brother.......me too, can I?''''


    ''Alihit, here comes the beer stew for the main course. Let''s play a game of guess what meat we''re using. If you guess, Alihit must take a sip of absinthe.


    Luka offers Madoka a dish that the waiter at the restaurant has brought to her for me to eat. Even though it''s called beer stew, it''s the color of a stew - the alcohol may have gone away while it''s stewing, but it''s soft enough that a fork can easily stick in it.


    ''Oh brother, ahhhh........''


    ''Oh, um...''


    I can put the meat in my mouth just as I''m told. This - a familiar taste of beef that I''ve had in my mouth a few times.


    ''Is this marsh buffalo (marsh ox) meat?''


    That''s sharp. Yes, by the seventh ward, if I say beef, it''s going to be that breed. There are some ferocious people in the upper wards who want to eat the cow demon (minotaur), but it''s still a bit awkward to eat a demon that stands and walks on two legs.


    ''Luka, since Aricht was right, won''t you drink it, my lord?


    ''Oh, I''ve been noticed I''m no match for Celes. Alihit, this is my way of life. Watch and learn.


    Luka-san drank the liquor that was brought to her, which was in a small metal cup - probably a very strong liquor - and drank it down in one gulp after catching her breath.


    ''Oh my God I feel like I''m on fire all over. The absinthe here, you see, is a liqueur made from the herbs used to make potions. If you drink it when you have enough energy, it can temporarily increase your maximum strength. Well, it''s bitter and spicy and tastes amazing, so it''s only meant to be drunk for punishment.


    ''Maximum strength I''d like to take it if that''s what you''re talking about.


    "Will you be back to normal by the time we go into the maze?¡¡Luke isn''t trying to add to your road trip either.


    ''Well, well, Aricht says he''s interested in it. Why don''t you try to play with someone else again?¡¡Because this isn''t the kind of thing you''d willingly drink.


    Luka-san pours water from the pitcher and sips it - it must be very bitter, it''s certainly going to hurt to sip it out of curiosity.


    Brother, don''t think you can beat me at a game. I''m playing with these dice!


    ''Misaki-chan, if you lose, you''ll have to drink a strong drink... are you sure?''


    ''Oh, Suzu is taking her brother''s side like she''s breathing!¡¡You''re more of a big brother than a friendship, after all, to deny me even the only thing I''m good at!


    No, it''s not that, it''s just that if you get drunk, it''ll be a disaster.


    You don''t want to get a hangover on your day off tomorrow.


    When Elitia advises Misaki, Misaki looks at Elitia''s hand - she hasn''t been drinking alcohol, it''s just normal juice.


    ''''Wha, what........?¡¡Wow, I don''t like drinking as much as I would like to...


    ''Would you like to join the game, Ellie?¡¡It''s okay, I won''t cheat or anything. You just roll two dice and guess whether the total is an odd or even number.


    I wonder if that kind of betting is something young kids know about today...?


    ''Well, well it''s a simple rule that you''ll probably see in a game or something. Even if I win, you don''t have to force yourself to drink it, Misaki.


    ''''Fufu, I have a willpower too, so you don''t have to worry about that. If I lose a match, I''ll get down on my knees naked or whatever, that''s my way of life!


    Misaki chose the occupation of ''gambler'', so she is either hot on the game to begin with, or she is just getting excited by the atmosphere of the place - without thinking too much about it, it''s probably both.


    Oh, um, sensei, when I do something bad, can you at least forgive me for my spats...?


    ''If I''m up to a spat too... no, it''s only if I don''t have to do the hey-tah. Forget what you just said.


    ''''Atobe-san did something so extreme........no, no, those things are also important to tighten up the party, I''m sure. I understand, I''ll join the game.


    ''I didn''t. That was just Misaki saying it with gusto, so don''t worry.


    "...Good. I thought you were doing that before I joined the party.


    That''s not true........your brother would never do such a thing. I believe in you!


    I was subtly worried about Melissa and Madoka, but I''m glad that they managed to trust me. As for Misaki, who tended to slip up, I wanted to somehow win the game and urge her to weigh herself - but sadly, I didn''t feel like I could beat the gambler in my day job at all.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Alihit uses the Absinthe of Life ¡ú Alihit''s maximum health level increases for a certain amount of time. Drunkenness


    Luka uses ''Absinthe of Life'' ¡úLuka''s maximum health level increases for a certain period of time and he becomes drunk.


    Misaki uses ''Absinthe of Life'' ¡ú Misaki''s maximum vitality increases for a certain amount of time.


    Ryoko will use the ''Absinthe of Life'' ¡ú Ryoko''s maximum health level will increase for a certain period of time and she will become intoxicated


    Ceres uses the Absinthe of Life ¡ú All of Ceres'' abilities increase, intoxication, restrictions relaxed.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    ''A, Aricht you''ve taken care of me I had a great time today. Invite me again let''s do something a little lighter this time...


    ''Ha, yes I had fun today too. Lauro-kun, I asked you to take care of Luca-san.


    "Yes, I''ll bring you home properly. Oh, no, brother, you''re going the other way. You''re going the other way.


    Luka-san, who had gotten sober, was picked up by the shopkeeper who lived with her and her brother, and escorted back home.


    Misaki and Ryoko were not the only ones who participated in the dice game, but several others as well - Shiori and Celes had played the game and Celes had lost, but she seemed to be drinking on a regular basis this time, and Misaki only took a sip It wasn''t there, but I drank it all, even though it was a small bowl, it looked delicious.


    ''''Master, you really like to drink, don''t you? I hope Atobe-sama won''t call you a wimp.''


    It''s called a monkey in the land of the Arihites, I''ve heard that before. It''s been a long time since I''ve been this drunk. It feels good.........


    Oh ... watch out. Mr. Celes, are you okay?


    The footing supported Ms. Ceres, who was wobbling on her feet - her body was extremely light. Celes-san was protecting not her body, but the triangular hat.


    I''m sorry, you can''t show your elders that you''re not a good sport if you fall down. Steiner, if you can, carry me back to my quarters.


    ''''I was hoping you would say that. Oh, Ryoko-san is being carried by Sion, isn''t she?''


    ''''I''m sorry....I''ve always been a failure at drinking....I''ve always been a failure at drinking.... ...


    Ryoko-san is in a wobbly state, and Sion is carrying her on her back. As for me, I''m carrying Misaki on my back, but I''m also drunk, so I may have someone else take over sooner or later - I''m hoping to get to my quarters somehow.


    ''Looking at Ryoko-san, it''s hard to believe it''s someone else''s problem... I''m sure I would have ended up like this if I''d stayed in the game.


    Today, Louisa-san had refrained from drinking and hadn''t had much except for the first drink. It seems that, like Elitia, she is preparing for tomorrow.


    ''''I was hoping to get Seraphina-san to join us, but she couldn''t make it today. What do you want to do tomorrow, Rear-kun?¡¡Shall we talk to him before he goes to the sanatorium?


    Yeah, I''ll do that. Now, let''s go back to the dorm.


    ''I''m going to have to leave you here, since my house is in the other direction. Thank you all so much. I''ve had a great time.


    ''If I get another chance, I''d love to join you. Take care on your way home.


    Yeah, good night.


    Shiori-san bowed her head deeply and returned to ''Shichimuan'' with Takuma. Steiner-san with Celes-san on her shoulders was already walking ahead of us, so we followed - Teresa tried to support Misaki''s body from behind, perhaps to help me - but she didn''t want to do so.


    ..........


    Huh, I''m the only one who can get Theresa to listen to me, my brother. Could you please tell her not to use her ass?


    ''It was a miscalculation that Shiori-san was so strong in the game. Misaki shouldn''t have challenged you or anything.


    Well, because if my brother had one, I''d like to have one too, wouldn''t I?


    ...me too...


    See, Suzu-chan seemed to be thinking the same thing. It''s not just me, you know.


    ''Suzuna seems a little drunk too I hope Misaki isn''t drunk on purpose or something.


    Misaki reacts to Elitia''s words with a "giggle" - could it be that she is a figurehead?


    That''s going to make Theresa-san want to punish you, too. Misaki-chan, you''re such a bastard!


    ''But you have to do that much to get the doctor to do this... Oh, I don''t drink a lot of alcohol on purpose.


    ''''Well you all have a lot on your minds. I just thought it was good food and drink. It was a place that should have appealed more to Arihito, wasn''t it?


    ''Appeal ... Anna, what are you going to do to your brother?''


    ''''Well, I don''t think about that at all. I''m just a child in the eyes of Arihito, so there''s a sadness in being seen as taller than I am.


    Looking at the amicable talking faces, it occurred to me - would everyone in ''Four Seasons'' be interested in a recreational center?


    According to Louisa-san, we can go to another party if we have an introduction, so I asked the maples and others, and they were willing to join us.


    A brief respite from the search. If that continues tomorrow, it feels like a long rest - but I want to be well rested for the future, and I want to head to my next objective with full energy.


    The first thing I want to work on is the ''Trap Cube'' that came out of the black box I got when I defeated the ''Inviting Pastor''s Messenger'' - a tool that allows me to set up a transition formation that leads to the Treasure Palace.


    I''ve been putting it off, but if it''s the equivalent of a three star labyrinth, we should have enough ability to capture it now.


    ''''Already.......your eyes change color so quickly like that. ''''Rearward, I don''t mean to say this, but when you''re resting, think about resting properly.''''


    Okay, yes I''m sorry, I didn''t see that coming.


    ''Arihito is so focused when he thinks about the labyrinth that I''m beginning to understand. You''ll want to talk to me about what you''re thinking about, though.


    I explain to Igarashi-san and Elitia what I was thinking about - sooner or later, ''Assisted Recovery'' is activated and the members walking in front of me are sobered up. I didn''t forget to use ''Other Assist'' so that Ryoko-san''s ''drunkenness'' state would recover quickly.

 139 Episode 138: Bargain Fog Rune

    When they get home, everyone seems to be still in the heat of the banquet, and they all go back to their rooms to continue their conversations, and those who are tired take a break.


    ''I had to stop by on my own accord, but I wonder if it''s all right...?


    The four members of the "Four Seasons" have also come to our quarters because they''re not ready to leave.


    ''''Ummm... no, don''t bite... Atobe, that''s a beat board...''''


    I''m not a swimming school kid, so I don''t bite on such things - but Ryoko-san seems to be having a strange dream.


    "Sorry teacher, I didn''t mean to interrupt you suddenly....


    Ryoko thought she might not be able to meet you until you all went to the Sixth Ward, so she was very happy to have you here.


    I don''t want to show it, but Anna is really happy too. Of course I am, too.


    ''I had a good time too. I know what you''re going through Ryoko I''m a little spooked from drinking the strong stuff too.


    I have the feeling that I get a little fussy when I get drunk, so I think I must weigh myself. That said, I guess I''m as drunk as the world.


    ''Kaede and the others, why don''t you let Ryoko-san sleep in your bed?¡¡We don''t sleep yet, so the bed is empty!


    Are you sure?¡¡We weren''t supposed to stay so long...


    ''Haha no, I''m sobered up a lot. You can probably rest better than on the couch, and I can carry you if I''m okay with it.


    The effect of ''assisted recovery'' seems to cure ''intoxication'' if you give it time, so Ryoko-san must be recovering quite well. I''ve been using the "Other Assist" and I''m feeling tired, but I''m sure I''ll recover after a night''s sleep.


    ¡ô¡ó¡ô


    We need to look at the bargains and decide if we want to buy them today. Everyone was in the bath even before we left, but several members of the group who wanted to go back in headed to the bathroom with me - Madoka remembers the bargain and comes over to me before she gets in the bath.


    ''Thanks for your help, brother. Um, about the bargain I was telling you about........


    ''Yeah, I was going to call on you too. Can you show me what kind of goods you have in store?


    ''''Yes, um, we haven''t received the items we''re asking for yet, but... oh...!


    What''s up?¡¡It''s a bargain, and I guess they bought it early.


    ''Yes, no ... one of the things I asked for came in at dinner time. I wanted to give it to your brother as a gift...


    Madoka shows me the license in a cursory manner. She looks somewhat embarrassed - but I can see why when I look at the items displayed.


    A list of bargains coming in ¡ô.


    Silk tie + 1


    Light leather bodysuit +3


    Silent bracelet + 1


    Monk Ankh.


    Tie ... you''ve been looking for this for me?


    When I ask her, Madoka tries to hide her face by pulling on her turban - of course she can''t hide it, but even her ears are red.


    ''No, no I''ll be honest, I''m terribly flattered.


    ''''Ha, yes. Does the fact that you have something like this mean that there are other people in suits besides your brother?


    I don''t know how it came to be, but the "Silk Tie +1" had a defense-enhancing effect attached to it, so it''s probably better suited for exploration than the current tie. There is a picture attached of what kind of tie it is, but it doesn''t seem to be an obstacle to wearing it at all.


    ''''........Oh, the exhibitor is Luka-san. Did you exhibit it after the dinner party?


    ''So that''s what he saw in me... when it comes to clothes, he''s a professional after all.


    It seems like it would be good to sell them face to face, but I wonder if they dared to take this form because of Madoka - in any case, since the price is also reasonable at fifteen gold coins, I''m going to buy them with an immediate decision.


    Looking at the rest of the assortment, it seems that equipment that comes out of a black box is still hard to find on display. However, there is one piece of equipment with a star - is there some reason for it?


    ''Let''s take a look at them one by one........body suits?¡¡What was this one about?


    Light leather bodysuit + 3¡ô


    Physical Defense" is slightly improved.


    Magic Defense" slightly improved.


    Agility will be slightly improved.


    Depending on the combination, the performance will increase.


    Hmm....I mean, it''s a pretty intricate design, but this...


    Celes-san said that if you don''t get it while you''re in the seventh district, it will be difficult to get it later on, but I think this is one of the ''Sorcerer''s Equipment Sets''.


    ''''Oh, um........sorry, I was talking about the equipment that would become stronger in combination, so I was making a request for it, hoping that it would all be available. It seems to have been in a thrift store in the seventh district, well, the shape is the shape, so it seems to have been left behind without being bought.


    The silk hat, bodysuit, and black tights - I can see why Igarashi-san refrained from wearing them, it''s quite a combination that''s hard to comment on.


    ''''Misaki-san''s cloak was also included in the set, so now we have four of them. I heard that four or more activates the combination effect.


    ''''If that''s the case, I should have Misaki try it out once... no, this bodysuit is indeed a tough one to wear, even if you value its performance.


    Brother, Madoka, Madoka?


    Misaki-san, you scared me...!


    Nuh-uh, Misaki peeks out from behind the couch. Even though she was concentrating on the bargain, she was quite good at distracting the attention from going behind her without being noticed at all.


    ''Gossiping while people are taking a bath makes me nervous - is this a bargain?¡¡I''m excited just by the sound of a bargain... hmmm?


    Misaki looked at the bodysuit pictured on the license and cleared her throat in some way.


    ''''........I thought this was called a bodycon?''''


    ''Well, well, I wouldn''t call it that now. It wouldn''t work in a labyrinth country.


    It''s not that I don''t understand you, I''m just saying that you look too confident wearing this!¡¡I''m already angry, I''m going to go hide your sister Kyouka''s change of clothes and replace it with a bodysuit!


    Oh, easy. Misaki, this is a combination piece of equipment. I''m not going to force it, but if it works well, someone else can equip it.


    ''I think it looks good on you, Misaki-san, you''re already wearing one of the combination cloaks and it looks great on you...''


    ''''A mouth that says that kind of thing........haha, I can''t be mad at Madoka-chan, can I? It can''t be helped, if your brother says that much, I''ll try it on for you at least once.


    ''There''s no need to push yourself, you know. But I might ask you to equip them again if it looks like you''ll need it.


    ''Well, well, if you''re so sure, big brother?¡¡I wouldn''t say absolutely not, would you?


    While Misaki was doing something worthwhile, Elitia and Suzuna came up from the bath and came over to us.


    ''What are you playing at, Misaki you must be in trouble Aricht.


    ''''Misaki, what were you looking at?¡¡........ah......


    Even to Suzuna, the bodysuit seems to look like an extreme piece of equipment, and she draws back with a red face.


    ''''........I think it''s important that you don''t shy away from equipping yourself if you need to.''''


    I''ll equip you if you need it, sir.¡¡If you say that, Suzu-chan''s miko costume is going to be made of lots of transparent material and become transparent.


    ''''........I''m sure Celes-san and Steiner-san will take care of you.......right......?


    Well, yeah, well you shouldn''t get too defensive about it.


    I feel like it''s those two guys that are not to be underestimated, but I don''t think they''re going to modify the design to something that can''t be equipped. They are people I can put my full trust in in that area.


    ''''We''ll try the effects of this equipment combination as soon as it arrives, but next........the ''Silent Sound Bracelet''?


    Silent Bracelet + 1¡ô


    Reduces sounds generated by actions, making it harder to be detected.


    Skills that are activated when the enemy is not aware of them will be enhanced.


    All four of the people here reacted in some kind of surprise or panic as soon as they heard the name of the ''Bracelet of Silence''.


    ''Yes, you''re right - we don''t think that we want it either, do we?


    ''Eritia-san, Misaki, if you look at me like that, Aricht-san........''


    ''Suzuna, what is it about this equipment that bothers you?


    The three of us go upstairs together. I look over at Madoka and she''s still in a hurry, but I have to check on the last bargain for now.


    *Friar''s Ankh*.


    When you perform a health or magic recovery action against another player, your magic power recovers slightly.


    If you are running low on magic when using a skill, your health will be used instead.


    If you are hit by a fatal blow, there is a low chance you will have some energy left over to withstand it.


    If you are ''near death'', you gain additional experience.


    It seems that ankh is a supplementary equipment that works just like charms, just by having it.


    ''''........I wonder why it was put up for sale when it seems to have some use.


    ''They failed to capture the labyrinth, so they needed funds to rebuild. Since it has a star, the listing price is high, and the right to buy came around after seeing the budget we offered.


    Whether or not you buy it, I think the amount of money you can pay out itself will increase your options, but for now, I''ve asked Madoka to cap it at 2,000 gold coins.


    This ankh is 1,500 gold coins - considering the effect, I don''t think it''s expensive.


    (Every time my ''support recovery'' is activated, my magic power is restored. It looks like I''ll rarely run out of gas due to running out of magic power.......)


    Withstanding a lethal blow is not something that can be easily expected as long as it''s a probable effect, but using ''Fortune Roll'' will definitely turn into a performance that can withstand an attack once.


    ''''Alright, I''ll buy this too. Once I order it, how long will it be before it arrives?


    ''It will be delivered the next day, since the items are in the same ward. To prevent them from being monopolized, the bargains are different for each district and the purchase rights are equally distributed. Unless you are a ''merchant'' or a shopkeeper, you don''t have the skills for ''bargains'', so the number of people who can buy these products is limited.


    If that''s the case, there doesn''t seem to be a problem with buying everything on the list. The merchants'' union has thought of a system to support the searchers so that there is no injustice - I wanted to thank them again for that.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô.


    Two thousand ninety-five gold coins, that''s the amount of money I paid this time. The current balance is about 28,000 gold coins, but in some cases, I have a feeling that this amount of money is not something that can be afforded.


    It''s important to have a plan, rather than working on the assumption that you can acquire a large amount of money from the black box. I look at the treasurer''s book handed to me by Madoka and think about it - the cost of food is inexpensive compared to the income that can be earned, and infrastructure costs such as utilities are covered by the guild quarters, so it''s helpful to not have to be so conscious of daily expenses.


    ''''..........''''


    ''Well, um ... yeah, does it bother you that I don''t take a bath?''


    Theresia looks at me as if she''s going to sleep like this. It''s true that I too get hot after a drink, so I want to freshen up.


    As I head to the bathroom, Theresia follows closely behind. It''s as if she''s trying not to let me go - she knows, as expected, that I''m refraining from entering with her.


    As usual, I take off my clothes with my back to Theresa and step into the bathroom after confirming that she has entered - and then.


    ''''........hmm?''''


    The steam in the bathroom was awfully thick, and some letters were floating at my feet. Even though the bathroom was large, there was a large armor sitting in the corner that I couldn''t ignore, and I almost shouted out.


    ''''Master will get seriously angry with Atobe-sama one day if he does this too...?''''


    Steiner''s voice - not the voice that seemed to be echoing in the armor, but the voice that came from behind the steam.


    ''''........If you''ve been in with Theresa on a regular basis, there won''t be much of a problem. It''s been a long time since I''ve used my powers in the labyrinth and my restrictions have loosened.


    As I was about to go outside, there was a rustling sound of water across the steam, and someone in a silhouette I hadn''t seen before stood up.


    It must be Celes-san there, but she''s taller than Celes-san - and the voice itself sounds somehow more mature. It''s not like it''s echoing because it''s a bathroom or anything.


    ''You have nothing to worry about, Lord. This is the power of the runes don''t ever look back. Theresa, how do you usually bathe with Arichaut?


    ..........


    It''s too straightforward to speculate, but it seemed to me that Celes-san had even used her skills as a ''runemaker'' to make the steam in the bath thicker and invited me into the bathroom without me noticing.


    It''s a good thing that you''re not the only one who''s been in the bath. I''m sure you''ll be able to find out what happened. I''m sure he''s not the type of person who would want to be naked with his party members.


    ''Oh, I''m not... well, I mean, I''m not so much a naked person as I am a naked person, but...''


    Hence our presence here. Steiner has to wash his armor, and although the runes will keep it from rusting, it will be a problem if it stays on.


    Well, don''t say that, Master I''m not going to get out of the tub.


    You don''t have much patience, as you always say a woman has guts. You have the guts to pull yourself together, don''t you, Aricht? But don''t you prefer a partner who can pull you along?


    Ta, that may be one aspect of it, but...


    His back is swept away as he speaks to me - after all, Ceres-san''s height is bigger than usual, if not more mature.


    It''s a good idea to be able to have a look at it," he said, "don''t worry about my appearance, I''m still far from being age appropriate. If you''d like to see this kind of girl, I don''t mind having you look at me, but it doesn''t particularly diminish my appearance.


    From Celes-san''s point of view, I''m still a youngster, such as myself, and a twenty-nine year old from the perspective of a hundred and fifteen year old might be treated as a boy, even if it might not be. But I want to be a full-fledged adult in my consciousness - I still can''t turn around. I shouldn''t even look directly at the figure of Celes-san reflected in the mirror.


    ''''.........You are so disciplined. I can see why the daughters of your party love you so much. Do you understand what women think when they see that kind of attitude?


    I''m not allowed to answer anything about it, and it''s called violating the rules against everyone else, even if it''s selfishly imagined.


    Well, I''ve asked for permission from Louisa and Kyouka. If they''re willing to do that, I''ll have no problem slipping my hand down your back. Thank you for your efforts, Alihit.


    In other words, the two of them know that Celes-san is here - maybe even if they don''t, they have a sense of trust that it won''t be weird because Theresa is here.


    ''''..........''''


    The mist must be good for the Lizardman''s skin, it''s so lustrous and smooth and young. Your skin drains water.


    Master, if you relax, Master Atobe will catch a cold.


    "Huh... that''s good?¡¡When you''re done washing up, Steiner, you''re going to have an arihit in your bathtub.


    I''m not that bad........I''m a skilled diver, so I''ll be fine, but I''m going to get sweaty.


    Mr. Steiner said that he had the skills of a wand that could fall into the water with his armor on, like a wand that would not fall.


    In the end, even though they were together in the bath, they didn''t see Steiner-san and didn''t even look at Celes-san properly, but they went up first.


    ''''..........''''


    After we are alone, I think as I start to flush Theresa''s back. She''s glad they didn''t see her wash her tail.

 140 Chapter One Hundred and Ninth Chapter: Fantasy Island

    It was my first holiday since I came to the Labyrinth Country. Melissa had gotten up early as usual to make breakfast, and I was allowed to help her.


    The Four Seasons were surprised and disappointed that breakfast was served, but they were relieved to see that the food tasted fine, even if I helped. When someone with Cooking 1 skills gives cooking instructions, there is no difference in the effectiveness of the finished product, even with an assistant - but when everyone else woke up, I was told to stay put, as I only get meal duty once a week. Sheesh. That being said, I can''t relax if I don''t do anything.


    After breakfast, the ''Four Seasons'' will return to their quarters for a short break, and will meet at the ''Green House'' before noon.


    ¡ô¡ó¡ô


    It was when we were in the lobby of the ''Green Building'', the meeting place - Seraphina-san and Adeline-san entered the building later and came over here.


    ''''Good morning, Atobe-dono.......I''m sorry, I''m sorry for calling you out on your vacation.''''


    ''''Senior, it really was just as you said, Third Lieutenant. Well then, I''ll stay here........


    ''Didn''t you say earlier that you''d follow me if I left you behind?¡¡There''s no point in getting embarrassed all of a sudden.


    Private Adeline, by order of Lieutenant Seraphina, I am pleased to accompany you on your vacation!


    I''ve been meaning to give you a shout-out and it''s been a pleasure meeting you here.


    Um, did Seraphina and the others know that we were going to a sanatorium?


    ''Yes, we have been notified by Third Lieutenant Kuzelka. He said that if we too had no other duties, he would allow us to participate...


    Cuselka-san, who seemed to be a stern person, gave Serafina-san and the others instructions for leave - it''s hard to imagine, but I shouldn''t make up my mind based on first impressions either.


    It''s going to be more and more lively.


    It''s a small island-shaped labyrinth called ''Small Island of Illusion''. It''s a scenic spot, so besides playing on the sandy beach, you can also enjoy walking around the island.


    ''''Senpai, I''ve brought my swimsuit with me. I''ll just use the clothes we use for underwater training, right?


    ''Ummm ... if you''re prepared, there''s no problem. Excuse me, it''s not a problem for us.


    ''If there''s anything I''m missing, please don''t hesitate to let me know. I hope you have a great day.


    Igarashi-san greeted Seraphina, and everyone else followed suit. Sion waited relaxed in a prone position until our exchange was over.


    ¡ô¡ó¡ô


    From the transfer station near the "Green House" we were transferred to the "Small Island of Illusion". There is a transition door inside a small building, and by operating the door, you can change your destination - Louisa operates it for us, and after opening the door, we proceed for a while in total darkness and find the door again.


    On the other side of it, there was a sandy beach with soft sunshine.


    One of the Guild managed recreational facilities, the ''Small Island of Illusion''. This is a labyrinth with a low level of danger and a ''safe designation'', and the living demons are trained and bred in several parts of the island. For this reason, the number of them is not too great and stampede is not likely to occur.


    The accommodation is a water hotel, built by a craftsman - I never imagined before my reincarnation that I would come to a place like this foreign resort.


    Misaki thought she was going to be more excited, but she was so overwhelmed that she could only seem to be surprised. Igarashi-san also looked happy to see - or rather, there wasn''t a single member who wasn''t happy.


    We can only accommodate a limited number of people at a time. There are two rooms for four, four for three, and two for two. Over there is the caretaker''s house. In order to maintain the environment of the island, we have six guild staff staying there.


    Louisa, you''re like a guide. I really feel like I''m on a trip.


    One night is a great trip for me and I can''t wait to run on the sand... it''ll feel so good to run on this white, silky sand!


    ''We''ve got a beach volleyball court set up I wonder if it''s popular with the people who come here.


    If you just take it slow, you''ll get sick. I think it''s good to exercise in moderation.


    Ryoko is already taking off her boa coat, probably because the weather is warm. I don''t think I should see it, but the gesture of fixing the bite came into view and I unintentionally missed my gaze to the blue sky and sea.


    ''''I can''t help it guys... how tough is it to say that to your rear end?


    Well, Master Atobe is the epitome of simplicity and strength, and he''s far removed from worldly feelings.


    Igarashi-san and Seraphina-san are hitting it off - I think the only way to survive in the future is to become a saint.


    ''Arihito, you just put on the suit as it is... although it''s a relief in a way.


    ''I brought a change of clothes with me, though. It''s a bit of a shame we didn''t get swimsuits, but as long as we don''t swim, we''re good to go... and then again, I''m surprised you guys have enough swimsuits for everyone.


    As I found out when we got to the point of leaving, Madoka had arranged for swimsuits for the shortage and made sure we had enough for everyone. I didn''t see what it was like, but I guess I may or may not get to see it.


    ''Atobe-sama, how would you like your room assignment?''


    ''I''d appreciate it if I could have a room for two people by myself. Everyone else is free to have their own room assignment....


    ..........


    Theresa asked why she was alone in a room with two people.


    Melissa''s translation stabs me in the chest. Surely there shouldn''t be any problems with the two of us sleeping together in a room for two people - if nothing happens.


    ''''.........''''


    That''s when Theresa suddenly shook her head - the ears of the lizard''s hood bobbed and weaved. Then it turned red as I looked at it, and ran off.


    ''''I''m sorry, that wasn''t my fault.''''


    ''Oh, oh no Theresa, don''t go too far!


    Then Theresia, who had run down the beach, stopped at the water''s edge - apparently, she doesn''t like salt water.


    "Rear-kun, we''ll discuss and decide on Teresia-san''s room. Can we meet on the beach after we change?


    ''Yes. I''m sorry, Igarashi-san, but I''ll take care of Theresa for you.


    Igarashi-san, Louisa-san, Ryoko-san, Serafina-san, and a lot of adults, so they''re running things themselves without me having to say anything.


    I decided to go to the room I''m going to use for once and leave my stuff in there. I''ve brought a weapon with me, but it doesn''t seem to be a situation where I''ll be using it - although when it''s said that this place is also a labyrinth, I also think it''s a good idea to be careful.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô.


    When I went to the water hotel, I met a staff member who was making the bed and asked if there was any way to rent a bathing suit, I was able to purchase a half-pants type bathing suit called "Frogman''s Pants". I was able to buy a pair of "frogman''s pants", a type of half-pants, for five gold coins for every purchase, and apparently the sale of the swimsuit is also a source of revenue for the guild on this small island.


    However, I ended up wearing a shirt and trousers over my bathing suit - because I felt it was not very delicately dressed to go out in front of the ladies.


    There is a palm tree-like forest adjacent to the beach, where some people rest on wooden sunbeds placed in the shade, while others work on beach volleyball.


    ''Let''s go ... that''s it!


    We''re playing a mini-game with me and Ryoko''s team against Elitia and Melissa, two very athletic people. I pick up Elitia''s serve while diving in - even the suit doesn''t hinder my movements that much.


    ''''Ryoko-san........!


    Nice toss, Mr. Atobe!


    Ryoko uses her light footwork, even in the sand, to spike out of my toss. Melissa, who is in the enemy''s rearguard, spins and receives it - just like a cat, and the crowd cheers as they watch.


    ''Go ahead, Ellie!¡¡It''s like tearing the space between your brother and Ryoko-san!


    "What are you talking about...?


    Elitia''s legs tangled as Misaki cheered, but as expected, she returned the toss without falling. Then Ryoko-san flew to the block.


    ''''--Ryoko-san, ''I''ll support you!


    It looked like it was out of reach, but with a bang, a wall of ''Supportive Defense 1'' occurred and the ball went back over there.


    ''Nice block!''


    Yes, I''m the one who''s nice, Mr. Atobe!


    ''Wow my brother''s cheering even in the ballet... what''s that all about?''


    ''When you''re on a team with a teacher, that''s what makes you stronger, I''m sure.


    As expected, I''m not sure about the rules, but it seems that beach volleyball in the labyrinth country can use skills as long as it''s not dangerous. If the enemy''s attack is subject to ''Support Defense 1'', you won''t lose first - but Melissa''s solid defense is not easy to break.


    ''''That''s not enough to be sweet........''''


    Come on, Arihito.


    Elitia''s quick attack from Melissa''s toss - a truly lightning-fast attack. However, I, who activated the ''Eye of the Hawk'', was able to grasp the two attacks and their trajectories.


    ''''--Ryoko-san!


    Yes....!


    And ''Support Linkage 1'' - using my toss as a starting point, a counterattack pattern is constructed by having Ryoko-san link up the second stage.


    ''''Huh........!


    The ball slipped past Elitia and fell in a position where Melissa couldn''t react either. Ryoko-san had too much momentum and landed on her ass after landing.


    ''''Kyah........''''


    Are you okay, Ryoko-san.......what''s the matter with you two...?


    Aside from Melissa, Elitia is puffing out her cheeks - does this mean she''s angry?


    ''''Well, well, it''s a match, so I can''t blame you. Aricht, you''ll team up with me later too, right?


    "...I''d like to team up with you. It''s a little frustrating to be treated so well.


    ''No, no I''ve been thinking it''s time for me to stop using my skills too.


    ''''I''m using ''Sonic Raid'' too, so I don''t think it''s okay. I don''t think it''s a good idea to use too much magic, but as long as it''s enough to recover in one night.


    ''Well, well, you two. Can we come in soon, too?¡¡Brother, I''m starting to get a little tired.


    ''Well that''s it then, you guys can go in the other court.


    Elitia seems to have been totally lit up - she must like sports in general.


    ''Elitia-san, be careful not to slip your swimsuit off, you''re moving pretty hard.''


    Yeah, well thank you, I''ll be careful.


    Elitia is wearing a red, white and blue, striped bikini - she''s wearing a light garment over it, probably because it''s so revealing. She was definitely moving so hard that her waistband was loose, and Melissa noticed and tied it back on.


    ''Not really. All bathing suits are the same I get sunburned easily.


    Melissa was wearing a half-suit type swimsuit with a shirt on top. I''ve always had the impression that cats don''t like to swim, but apparently she''s not particularly bad at it.


    What I found out from watching her was that perhaps because there were only a few swimsuits themselves on the market, everyone was choosing from what they could get rather than wearing what they wanted.


    ''And yet........what is Kyouka getting away with? You have a style that looks great in that swimsuit, you should be confident.


    ''''Well I wouldn''t dare to go out in public in that. Louisa is quite something, too.


    ''Those guys ... well, okay, we''ll go check on them after the ballet. And I''m interested in a walk in the woods, too.


    Hey, why don''t we just take turns having fun?


    ''Well, can I practice once?¡¡I''ve never done ballet before in class.


    Ibuki hits a jump serve it''s amazing.


    The next match started and Melissa picked up Ibuki''s serve beautifully and Elitia hit an attack. I watched it happen and called out my support.


    ''''--Eritia, ''Nice attack''!


    ''Elitia-san, you''re a picture-perfect tsundere!


    ''We''re just cheering for you... but one word from Arihito-san, and my heart goes out to you...''


    When you call out to them, ''Support Elevation 1'' is activated - I don''t think there''s any need to raise morale here, but it''s not like there''s any inconvenience in raising it, is it?


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Arihito activates ''Support Elevation 1'' and the party''s morale increases by 10.


    Right now, he didn''t have the ''Light Steel Chain Grab'' and the ''Eluminate Mounted Boots'' equipped, so the amount of morale increase was small. Still, he had called out to them many times during the match, so his morale had risen by about twenty.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    I walked to the hut where the guild staff who manage the island are said to be located once, so I decided to take a look at the hut - and when I did, I found a fenced off area.


    "''Coral Pigo'' breeding ground........


    This is probably where they keep track of the demons that go out to the island. When I think of coral, I think of coral, but I''ve never heard of ''Pigo''.


    Igarashi-san is taking Sion with her and staring at him from outside the fence - Adeline-san is also with her.


    ''''Ah, Atobe-san...Kyouka-san, Atobe-san is here.


    ''Hold on, I can''t take my eyes off you right now...''


    Adeline-san bids me goodbye, and I greet her lightly. I came up next to Igarashi-san and looked inside the fence - inside was the figure of a fluffy bird-like creature that waddled around on two legs.


    ''''Wow ... it looks like a stuffed animal. Pigo was a penguin-like creature?


    They''re really cute....I wonder if these kids can''t be kept on a farm...


    ''I don''t know about that, but it says ''petting allowed'' and I''m sure they''ll let you touch it if you ask.


    ''What... are you sure?¡¡Then ask the staff....


    Igarashi-san looked at me for the first time then - I didn''t think much of it from the side, but from the front, I really couldn''t find a place to look.


    ''''Oh... oh, I''m sorry, Rear-kun, I was too busy looking at these kids...''''


    I''m sorry. I''m the one who...


    ''Atobe-san is like a bee drawn to a flower, so I can''t blame her. It''s a good thing that I was able to see it even though I''m a woman. The captain of our company is also great, but his swimsuit has a high level of defense.


    Adeline-san is also becoming much more talkative, perhaps because she''s becoming more open due to her vacation or because Seraphina-san is not there. When you come to the labyrinth country, the expression is not more or less revealing in a swimsuit, but more or less defensive - and I think about that in the morning to distract myself from Igarashi-san.


    She wore a vertical ribbed sweater in the winter at work, and employees had once told her that she was emphasizing her breasts, or that she understood her weapons and was aiming for them, but it was clear from looking at Ms. Igarashi now that she was completely off the mark.


    ''Even so, Kyouka-san choosing such a bold swimsuit... I knew it was just because of Atobe-san''s presence...''


    I wanted to trade with Louisa, but I had to choose this one... I couldn''t not wear it just because I was embarrassed by what Madoka-chan had prepared for me.


    ''''Wha........okay, I won''t joke about it anymore, it''s close, it''s close, Kyouka-san.


    I want to learn from Adeline-san, and I want to make sure I never say anything careless. Igarashi-san rarely comes close to me - even at that distance, I have to say that she''s just a tyrant with her chest hitting me.


    It''s time for Adeline-san to leave - Igarashi-san finally seemed to calm down after adjusting her pareo to cover her waist, and looked at me from the front.


    ''''........It''s so typical of you, Rear-kun, to wear a suit even at a resort.''''


    I hear there are insurance investigators out there who wear suits even in the desert.


    ''Hmmm........is that a movie or something?¡¡Or maybe it''s a comic book.


    I missed movies, comics, and everything else - it was a new discovery that people can get by without such entertainment. I''d like to tell my friends who said they''d die without the internet that it''s not so surprising.


    There is a sort of network formed in labyrinthine countries through licenses, so they haven''t felt that inconvenient. If I couldn''t get in touch with someone at a distance, I would have been stranded in information transmission and my search efficiency would have dropped significantly.


    ''If it''s Rear-kun, I can stay calm...''


    Eh....


    ''Nah, it''s nothing. Zion-chan has been quiet enough not to startle those girls, so let''s ask her if she can show them now.


    Igarashi-san seemed to hide from me after she changed, but I guess that means she''s getting used to it. Either way, I''ll have to be careful not to look directly at her as much as my karma rises, so I''ll have to be careful.

 141 Episode 140: The waterside of the forest

    The guild staff woman who is a keeper opens the fence of the keeper''s house and lets us through. As she feeds us, she tells us about the biology of the coral pigeon.


    This ''coral pigo'' is an animal that is very similar to the so-called penguin. They have a fence that goes all the way to the ocean, so they can''t swim out.


    With a rough explanation that only a reincarnated person can give, I''m convinced that it''s still a penguin.


    "They like to eat ''sword trout'' and the like as food, but they also eat shrimp, crabs and seaweed. And as the name implies, they have a habit of eating hard things like coral.


    When Igarashi threw a small Sword Trout into the sea, Coral Pigo, which was in the water, jumped out and caught it with great dexterity.


    I''ve heard that penguins eat rocks. Why are they doing that?


    ''There are many theories, but there''s a reason why ''coral pigo'' eat hard stuff. They produce magical stones in their own bodies and sometimes lay them like eggs.


    ''''That''s great.......do you have a specific magic stone you want to generate?


    It depends on the food they are fed, so most of them produce ''tidal water stones'' at the breeding grounds. You can buy them as a souvenir. Would you like to buy one?


    So can I buy one?


    Tidal Water Stone


    A magic stone that produces salty water.


    You can buy a "tidal water stone" with ten gold coins - it''s not that there are so many of them, but they only produce magic stones once a week.


    It is said that besides the tidal water stone, different breeding methods produce different magic stones - I was uncontrollably curious to see what kind of magic stones they produce.


    ''''Is it possible for ordinary explorers to raise ''Coral Pigo''?


    "We often get inquiries, but there are certain conditions that must be met in order to keep ''Coral Pigo'' docile, and we need to encounter ''named'' ''Coral Pigo''. As you know, ''Named'' is not easy to encounter...


    ''Thank you, if that''s what you mean, I''ll look forward to seeing you here.


    Yes, you''ll have a good time with your companions.


    The staff had just returned to the management office when Igarashi-san, who had just finished feeding them, came over to us - a group of white feather-covered pigos, about the size of knees and below, followed behind Igarashi-san like baby birds.


    ''I think they''re adults now, but they''re so cute with their peepers. Even if people say these are demons, I wouldn''t be able to fight them if I met them in the labyrinth.''''


    ''I''ve seen demons like Watadama that are so powerful when you look closely at them... so it''s comforting to see these demons.


    Pigo and his friends are flirting with Theon lying on the sandy beach - an idyllic scene that soothes my heart.


    When the time comes for me to retire, I hope to live on an island like this one. I know it''s too soon to tell, but this island is one of the most paradise places I''ve ever known.


    Thank you for asking if we can''t keep her. I keep talking to Rearward-kun about what I want to keep...


    ''When you said penguins that lay eggs and magic stones, I thought they''d be good to keep on the farm. It seems you have to meet a ''named'' to keep them well.


    ''Do you mean to say that they found these kids ''named'' on this island before?¡¡If you''ve done it, I''m sure it could come up again.


    I don''t think we''ll be able to find him while we''re here, but there''s always the possibility that we might be able to find him if we do.


    We''re chatting and laughing, but based on our previous tendencies, I think there''s a good chance we''ll encounter ''named''.


    I didn''t expect the recreation center we use on vacation to be a labyrinth either, so there are moments of relaxation, but also moments of adventure. I wonder why this island is called ''The Small Island of Illusion'' - I''d like to join the members who are strolling around and see a bit of the island''s scenery. Of course, I''m sure this place has already been explored to its fullest.


    ''''Igarashi-san, would you like to have some more fun?''''


    ''Well but if you play around too much, you''ll get emotional. Everyone, I''ll come back to see you when I get another day off.


    Igarashi-san stroked the heads of all the pigo''s gathered at her feet and left the keep with me. I heard peepers and chirping like chickens, and Igarashi-san seemed to be pulling back - any animal that lovable would feel the same way.


    ¡ô¡ó¡ô


    The forest that occupies most of the island has a walking path set up in it. Water seemed to be coming from deep in the forest, and the water was flowing - not so much a small river as a sloping gravel path covered in a thin layer of water.


    Sion seemed to want to drink the water, so I took the appraisal scroll out of the pouch and appraised it - it was fresh water with a low mineral content, apparently suitable for drinking. Now that it''s safe, we take a break while Theon drinks the water.


    It''s a mysterious place with many large trees. There aren''t so many living things here, and it''s quiet...


    It''s called ''The Small Island of Illusion''. There are traces of wood cut out of the island, but they stopped developing it right away... Maybe because they decided to use it as a recreational center.


    I wonder if that''s why. The fact that you can see the map means that it looks like they''ve gone through everything, but...


    When we came to this island, our license allowed us to view the map. It seems it''s because it''s a labyrinth that''s under the control of the guild.


    ''''Ah........Brother, thank you for your help!


    ''It was just as well, Lady Atobe. I was with Lady Theresa earlier, but I found a small spring deep in the forest. Now Lady Theresa is waiting for me near the spring.


    Rear, since we''re going to be here, I''m going to find some people to help us explore the forest.


    ........Igarashi-san, are you still curious about it?


    I laugh and ask her, and she laughs shyly too - that''s what I mean when I ask her to look for ''Coral Pigo'' ''with a name''.


    ''Of course I won''t go deep and if I can''t find it, I''ll just focus on resting.''


    ''You have an interesting story to tell. Is there anything I can do to help?


    If you''re looking for something, I''ll do my best with the ''Merchant Glass'' your brother gave me!


    Serafina and Madoka are on board as well. I told them about ''Coral Pigo'' and told them that I wanted to look for ''named'' on the island.


    ¡ô ¡ó¡ô


    I know it''s not something you can find if you look for it, but it''s a recreational activity that''s separated from the rest of the day until dinner time, so I asked everyone to join in.


    Louisa likes to rest with Melissa on the sunbed, as it''s less likely to get sunburned. Melissa also likes to sunbathe, and is getting sleepy as she takes a break from moving around.


    The weather was just right, neither hot nor cold, and we saw the occasional creature, and thankfully there were no mosquitoes. Everyone is strolling around in swimsuits, so it helps not to have to worry about insect bites.


    ''''...But you''ve gone far enough back.''''


    I came alone to look for Theresia, but I couldn''t see her easily, so I couldn''t help myself. The same is true of Seraphina, who went back and forth between the spring and the entrance to the forest where Terezia is said to be located, but Madoka has surprisingly good stamina, too - I''m surprised I don''t get tired of it myself, but I guess the higher the level, the higher the upper limit of stamina will be.


    We''re getting closer and closer to the source of the stream, and the water volume is increasing to the point where we can call it a creek. The trail was cut off, so we continued on through the forest - and then.


    --The sound of water could be heard from the end of the path.


    I carefully scramble through the leafy branches that block my path. Then I see a gaping hole in the forest and a clear spring as wide as a swimming pool.


    And I notice - the ''chameleon boots'' that Theresa took off are placed in line by the spring.


    ''--Theresia!


    There was no way that this could be true, that something had happened to Theresa - and yet I couldn''t help but call her name.


    Instantly, a wave arises in the fountain - and with a bang, something pops out of the water.


    "..........


    Tele.....gia?


    Standing in front of her was unmistakably Theresia - she had been wearing boots earlier, but it seems that she had taken them off to swim in the fountain.


    Her black hair, peeking out from inside the hood of her lizard, was wet and dripping with water. I started to see her in her bathing suit in the bathroom, but when I see her again in this way, I get a different impression - the location of the spring in this forest makes her look mysterious.


    ''''........''''


    Theresia shakes her body with a shake. That doesn''t completely cut off the water, though.


    The water flew over here as well, but I didn''t pay much attention to it. The water temperature wasn''t low, and it seemed to be just the right temperature for swimming.


    ''''..........''''


    Oh, yeah. I''m fine, even if I''m a little wet Teresa, are you sure you don''t need to wipe yourself?


    I hand Theresia the towel I had with me in case I had to swim. Theresia puts the towel inside the hood to get some water, but she seems to be fine with just a simple wipe down and hands it back to me.


    ''''..........''''


    Hey, what''s up?¡¡You seem to be holding back on something...


    Since we''ve been working together for a long time, it would be good to separate from each other once in a while - I wonder if she sensed that I was thinking that way too.


    ''It''s very clear water... this certainly makes me want to swim in it.''


    ..........


    Theresia looks towards the spring and quickly raises her right hand and points to it. She points to the far end of the spring - although it''s clear, you can''t see all the way to the bottom.


    ''Have you found anything in this spring?


    Nodding with a chuckle, Theresa tried to go into the water again. However, she stopped and turned around and held out her right hand to me.


    ''''Well are you going to tell me what you found, too?''''


    I nodded again. Then I wouldn''t be able to keep my clothes on either.


    I hope I won''t be surprised when the others come in like I was when I found Theresa''s boots - and I leave my undressed clothes on a large rock that was nearby.


    ''''..........''''


    Oh, this. They had a swimsuit sale at the waterfront hotel. It was nice to have it on, just in case.


    Theresia is staring at me - uncomfortable as if she''s being observed, but I think she has an average figure with no particular features.


    If I had to say so, I''ve been gaining muscle mass mindlessly since I came to the Labyrinth Country. It''s probably because of the battle with the demons, it''s been trained somewhat.


    ''''.........''''


    Well, let''s go in and do some prep work and then I''ll be in trouble with Theresa if I get a cramp in my leg.


    Theresa shakes her head with a shake - and begins to do some preparatory exercises with me. I bend and stretch my legs as if I''m going to watch.


    ''Theresia was still swimming now, so I''m sure she''ll be fine, but you''re going to keep me company.


    ..........


    Theresia didn''t answer, but followed my lead and did a forward bend and upper body bend - and I realized that this move was subtly dangerous when I was wearing my swimsuit. There''s a gap in the swimsuit, and depending on the angle, it might be visible.


    ''Looks like it''s safe now, let''s go in then.''


    I get the part of the water far from my heart used to the temperature of the water first - cooler, but just right to get in.


    Theresia enters the water quietly with a thump. It''s time for me to follow her lead and enter the spring - but the sand at the bottom of the water slips and I lose my balance in the process.


    ''''Whoa...!


    .....


    I thought it was okay because it wasn''t that deep - but as soon as I fell into the water, I knew that Theresia was trying to help me.


    ''''Huh ... ah, sorry Theresia ... you were careless.''''


    ..........


    After propping me up and making sure I could stand up properly, Theresa gently pulled away. When I looked underwater, Theresia was standing up with her legs wrapped around me - I wondered if it was instinctual, or if she had experience swimming like this.


    ''''...........''''


    ''Don''t worry, it''s not like I can''t swim. Can you take me to what Theresa found?


    Theresa nodded - and then proceeded to breaststroke to the back of the fountain. I followed with a face-up crawl.


    It''s risky to swim in a place where a demon might appear, but so far there''s no sign of a demon. With Theresia''s ''Searching Extension 1'', I''m sure I''ll be able to spot them early on if they appear nearby.


    When we came to the back of the spring, Theresia looks back at us.


    ''''..........''''


    You mean down here?¡¡Diving.....


    Should I have asked Ryoko-san, who is a good swimmer, to accompany me - but she also said that she would take a break with Louisa-san after she left the ballet, and if she was taking a nap, it was bad enough to wake her up.


    ''''Well okay, let''s dive in then.


    Theresa nods, takes a deep breath and goes into the water - I follow suit.


    I couldn''t open my eyes at first, but I ventured to open them. There is light in the water, and it looks bright blue - I take Theresia''s hand and we move through the crystal clear water.


    I roll my tongue at the idea that Lizardmen are such good swimmers, but I manage to move my legs like fins to keep up with her.


    (....................!)


    So is the fact that the spring is deeper than I thought - I didn''t think it was this deep when I saw it from the shore. You''d have to go under to find out this in person.


    And at the bottom of the water, there is an area where the sand has been removed, as Teresia had been examining it earlier.


    There is something at the bottom of this spring. But the area that can be investigated in one dive is very limited, and before you can examine any amount of it, you won''t be able to hold your breath.


    (This, drowning here is indeed........can I return.......!


    (....!


    Noticing my condition, Theresa pulls my hand and goes up into the water. But absently, when the surface of the water is so close, my consciousness fades away.

 142 Episode 141: Night Exploration

    --something, I hear a voice.


    It''s not like I''m in heaven or anything, but it''s a familiar voice, and I feel a sense of relief that it''s apparently alive.


    ''''.........Brother, Brother Aricht!''''


    Brother, get a grip!¡¡If my brother is gone, I''ll go with you, too!


    Mr. Aricht, Mr. Aricht... please wake up... oh...!


    I open my eyes thinly - and Suzuna, who was right beside me, drapes herself over me.


    ''''Good... good, Arihito-san...''''


    "I''m sorry I misjudged my chances and I ran out of breath before I could get to the surface from the dive...


    I can feel the relief of everyone around me as I barely make a sound - you never know what will happen underwater. It seems that we have dived too deep from the beginning, as diving takes some getting used to.


    ''''........Thank God......I didn''t know what was going to happen......''''


    Really Aricht, don''t make me worry too much.


    I can hear Igarashi-san and Elitia''s voices. Suzuna calmed down after a while and looked up at me - wiping her tears and smiling at me while wiping her reddened eyes with a shy smile.


    ''''Hmm.......Where is Teresa.......?


    ''What?¡¡When we came here, my brother was the only one who was here. I was worried because my brother was laid out there, and he didn''t seem to be injured, and he seemed to be sleeping, so I was worried...


    So, that means that I was still just distantly conscious, and my breathing was still strong.


    Theresa, were you going to call for help?


    ..........


    Theresia seems to be nearby, and she appears from behind a tree - but when I look at her, she pulls back in a hurry.


    ''''...?¡¡I don''t know what''s wrong with you, Miss Theresa.


    Aricht, are you feeling better than that?¡¡Do you know our names?


    Yeah, no problem. I''m sorry, I''m sorry to worry you...


    ''''I was really ... worried. Atobe-san, I have to get used to the ''diving'' of the labyrinth country, little by little.


    Ryoko-san and Louisa-san come in - I tried to get up, but for some reason the two of them put me to sleep again.


    ''''Well, um ... you mean it''s not like a normal dive?''''


    ''Yes, sir. So it''s not that Mr. Atobe has gone reckless, it''s just that he needs my skills as an instructor of diving...


    ''There is an aptitude for diving, and Theresa seems to have it. There is no license or other indication of how well we are used to diving. I''m told that if you have the skill of ''diving,'' you won''t drown as long as you can with that skill.


    Ryoko-san and Louisa-san talk to me from both sides of me - their tone of voice sounds like a teacher chiding a student, which makes me a little embarrassed.


    In other words, if you suddenly dive too deep, you could drown regardless of whether you can hold your breath or not, that''s what you''re talking about - a dangerous place to be. And thank goodness Theresa had an aptitude for diving.


    The members here are all of us except Melissa, Sion, Seraphina-san and Adeline-san. It seems that they split up and were looking for us - if we don''t meet up with the other members later.


    ''''Brother, you were swimming in this spring. Did you find anything?


    ''Ah yes there is something at the bottom of the fountain. Theresa found it and informed me. But if I want to find out what it is, I can''t do it in one dive.


    If there''s something, if it''s dangerous, I shouldn''t touch it - but I don''t think it''s a trap if it''s not caught by Theresia''s ''Trap Sensing 1''.


    --that''s when an idea came to mind. Suzuna seemed to realize that at the same time.


    ''Aricht-san, if there''s anything in this fountain.......''


    ''Oh, yes. Maybe Suzuna''s ''morale release'' will tell us something.


    ''''So.........you need my help too, brother......?''''


    You don''t have to say it in a thoughtful way, though I certainly think it''s necessary.


    Elitia nails him, and Misaki flicks her tongue out.


    In the third level of "Akebono''s Field", the linkage connecting "Fortune Roll" to "Tsukiyomi", which found the transition floor leading to the hidden hierarchy. That would be useful here as well.


    (Is it possible that the reason "Named" no longer appears on this island has something to do with what''s at the bottom of the fountain...?


    I''m sure someone with ''diving'' skills has been here before, but if you''re hidden by the sand at the bottom of the water and didn''t notice what''s there - there are secrets on this island that have yet to be discovered.


    ''Rear-kun, Melissa is preparing a meal with the staff, so let''s go back for a moment, shall we?


    ''Well then guys, let''s pull up for once.


    As everyone else takes off back down the forest path, Theresa is still hiding and hasn''t come out - I go around the hidden tree and peek at her, and she looks at me with a look of horror.


    ''I''m sorry for worrying you, Theresa. "I''m sorry for worrying you, Theresa, but it seems like the diving process is going to be fine once you get used to it.


    ..........


    Don''t worry, I''m fine, as you can see I''m fine.......Teresa?


    At that moment, Theresa''s lips moved as if she were saying something - but she couldn''t hear it as a sound.


    If I could read lips, perhaps I would be able to understand the words without being able to speak? I think so, but with my lips trembling slightly, it seems difficult to interpret them as words.


    ''''..........''''


    Hmm, what''s the matter?¡¡Something''s turning red.


    .........


    Theresia has flopped off and run off - it''s good to see her fine, but she seems to be acting a little strange, so I''m worried about her.


    For now, I collect the clothes I left behind and I decide to go back to the beach too. Then I start walking and I notice - my cheeks and chest area are wet.


    I''m not sure if it''s just a matter of time before I''ll be able to get a good look at it.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô.


    Speaking of sandy beaches, barbecue seems to be the same in the labyrinth country, and we enjoyed ourselves immensely, grilling fresh seafood and meat to our heart''s content on the magic stove.


    Maybe it''s because lunch was a little late, or maybe it''s because we took a short break to clean up after the meal, and the sky has already begun to turn the color of sunset - is it the sun that is setting on the horizon? Or is it an otherworldly star that plays a similar role to the sun?


    ''Something like that in the forest - that''s interesting.


    ''I knew Atobe-san''s party had something to offer. To discover something new in a guild retreat that has been used for so long.


    I told Seraphina and Adeline about the situation and told them that I was considering whether to investigate the spring.


    ''''If you mean underwater, I can''t dive with my shield, so...''''


    ''If that''s the case, I''d stay home with my senior. It''s like I''m running out of time to go when my seniors can''t go.


    I don''t think so, but even if there is little chance of a battle, we need to think about it just in case. Please prepare your formation and equipment carefully, Mr. Atobe.


    Thank you, Miss Seraphina.


    Seraphina and her friends are going back to their rooms. The girls are using a double room, so it''s next to the room I''m using.


    It''s a risk to have to dive in a swimsuit, but the sling won''t rust, so I''ll be able to bring it in. There are various restrictions on party members'' equipment as well, such as the fact that the armor is almost useless - the ones made of ''steel'' can rust, so Misaki''s weapons are only dice, and so on.


    ''''Brother, you''re cheering me up until the barbecue.......I''m already fully motivated!


    ''Thank you, Mr. Aricht. We''re ready to go on our end.


    I''m ready to get everyone''s morale up to maximum, not just Misaki and Suzuna. I''ve decided to have Madoka and Louisa-san stand by with Seraphina and the other two - if she''s here, I can contact her by license.


    ¡ôCurrent Party ¡ô.


    1: Arihito ¡Á¡ï* Level 6


    2: Theresa Rogue, Level 6.


    3: Kyouka Valkyrie Level 5


    4: Elitia Carth Blade Level 10.


    5: Misaki Gambler Level 5


    6: Suzuna, Priestess, Level 5.


    7: Theon Silverhound Level 6.


    8: Melissa, Demolition Shop, Level 6.


    Standby Member 1: Madoka, Merchant, Level 4


    Standby Member 2: Louisa Guild Staff Level 4


    Party in Combat


    Party name: The Four Seasons.


    1: Maples Level 5 Kendoist


    2: Ibuki Level 5 Karate Artist


    3: Anna Level 5 Tennis Player


    4: Ryoko Level 5 Swimming Instructor


    Party name: Guild Saber Unit 53


    1: Seraphina Mobile Infantry, Level 11


    2: Adeline, Hunter, Level 8.


    The Four Seasons team wanted to come with us, so they agreed to come with us. If they use Ryoko-san''s skill ''Lecture'', they will be in the same state as having the ''Diving 1'' skill for a certain amount of time, so the risk of drowning will be eliminated.


    ''But it''s getting dark already...''


    ''But it''s still light after dark. Maybe the moonlight is enough for you... or maybe it''s dark in the woods.


    On this island, it''s never dark at night. One of the staff members told us that the island is popular as a recreational center because it''s open day and night.


    Serafina is right, with this view, there''s no particular danger underfoot. Rather, the fantastic landscape of this island seems to stand out at night - some of the plants in the forest emit a faint light, and the firefly-like light is fluffy and wavering.


    ''Be careful out there, folks,''


    ''We''ll be waiting for you as we talk. I''ll rest at lunch and have some energy left.


    I''ll be home as soon as I can. Okay, you two, I''m off.


    We said our departure greetings and we headed for the forest. It was well-lit in the forest, and it wasn''t difficult to get to the spring we were looking for.


    --But the spring looks different than it does in the daytime. The white sand at the bottom of the water emits light as the moonlight hits the spring.


    It''s beautiful...I never thought it would look like this at night...


    Igarashi-san is gazing at her - she''s wearing a swimsuit and sandals and a rented harpoon, a rather gaping piece of equipment, but for once they''re all similar since they don''t have a choice.


    Then, I''ll get ready to dive. It will take longer to catch your breath, but please do not push yourself too hard.


    Current Situation


    Ryoko activates "Lecture: Diving 1" ¡úTarget: "Party of Arihito" and "Four Seasons


    Arihito activates the Other Assist ¡ú Target: Ryoko


    Arihito activates "Assist Charge" ¡ú Lyoko''s magic power is restored.


    ''''Oh, thank you very much Mr. Atobe. Great, I used a lot of magic, but I''m recovering at once.


    No, don''t worry about it. It''s because of Ryoko-san''s skills that I can dive.


    And after using ''Assist Charge'', the ''Monk''s Ankh'' hanging around my neck with a string attached to it glowed, and my magic power recovered a bit. This is helpful - about a third of the magic power I supplied to Ryoko-san was returned to me.


    I take a sip of the mana potion to recover my magic power to the maximum, just in case. Then we all entered the water - the entire fountain was luminescent, so everyone was able to enter without much hesitation.


    It''s a fun nighttime recreational activity, and there''s no scary feeling of testing your mettle.


    ''This spring is filled with a clean air. There don''t seem to be any demons here, but...


    That may not lead to the discovery of ''named'', but I''d like to unravel the secrets of the spring first.


    ''''We''re going to dive in around here, but don''t take it too hard, guys.


    First, Ryoko and Theresia lead me down, and then I follow - the first time I dove the first time it felt like a long time, but the second time I got to the place I wanted to go without getting out of breath, probably because of my ''Diving 1'' skills.


    She looked at Misaki first, and she responded with a circle of her thumb and forefinger. Suzuna nodded as if to say that Suzuna is always good - and.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Misaki activates the "Fortune Roll" and her next action is sure to succeed.


    Suzuna activates "Tsukuyomi" ¡ú Success


    ....?


    Suzuna''s body is enveloped in a pale light - a divine figure, as if she is collecting the moonlight that falls on the spring.


    Then she holds her hand to the bottom of the water, which is now buried in the sand and can''t see anything - and five places on the bottom of the water shine in response to Suzuna.


    We split up and tried digging in those areas - and what we found was a round, marble-like stone that looked as if it had been embedded by someone''s hands.


    (What can I do with this - nothing happens just by touching it. Is there something in this position, or do we not meet the requirements now... hmm?)


    As I think about it, I get a tap on my shoulder - it''s Igarashi. At the destination she indicates, Suzuna continues to hold up her hand towards the stone at the bottom of the water.


    (Suzuna you know what to do? Can the power of "Moon Reading" go that far...?)


    A light shoots out of Suzuna''s hand and runs through the water. She shines the light on one stone, then the next - and so she draws a figure of some kind.


    A pentagram - the moment it is completed. A trail of light emerges in a circle, surrounding the star.


    ''The forced transition is about to begin. Believers, it is better to avoid complete dispersion.''


    I don''t know if I heard it in the water - but I followed Ariadne''s warning and took someone''s hand that was nearby to avoid being split up.


    ¡ô¡ó¡ô


    My eyes were covered with light, and after a moment of levitation - I had been sent away into a forest somewhere.


    ''''Huh.........A, brother Aricht. What happened to you, over there...?


    ''Excuse me, Aricht I reflexively grabbed Aricht''s hand...''


    BOW!


    The maple, Anna, Theon - and me. Sion must have been close to me because he was swimming in from the back of the boat.


    I look up the location of the other companions on the license, but it only shows ''Small Island of Illusion, Level 1''. However, when I displayed the map, I couldn''t believe my eyes - we were supposed to be in an as-yet-unidentified area, far away from the island we were on a moment ago.


    ''....That was a trick to transfer. And this is a different island than the one we were on earlier.


    A different island........oh, that''s what it is?


    "So.........this labyrinth was a vast labyrinth in the form of islands scattered throughout the sea. I''m sure they would have explored it by ship or other means, so they couldn''t come to this island unless they were transferred...


    I support Anna''s reasoning as well - fortunately, the environment isn''t that different from the first island, and we have visibility in the forest.


    ''If that''s the case, then I guess that means everyone''s been sent somewhere on this island too. I don''t want to call out loudly.......if there are demons there, it would be dangerous.


    Well, let''s look around carefully. If it looks like it''s hard to find everyone else no, you know that they''re likely to be here for some reason.


    Really?¡¡Brother, you have a great sixth sense, don''t you, we don''t understand it at all.


    Theon''s sense of smell doesn''t seem to be working since he came out of the water too, but it will kick in soon.


    Sion knew not to shout loudly, and he didn''t bark, but instead shook his body with a buzzing motion to get rid of the water.


    Kaede pulled out the wooden sword that was strapped to her back and dispelled the water. Anna''s racket seems to be waterproofed and seems to work fine - my sling is also fine, but I''ll drain it just in case.


    ''Brother, if the demons come out, should we re-group the party?''


    ''Let''s do that shall we, guys, stay in front of me if you can. I''d appreciate it if you''d be aware of the ranks.


    Then I''ll try to stay ahead of Ariecht.


    I think we should be in the front row with Theon.


    In the formation with Sion and maple as the vanguard, Anna as the middle guard, and me as the rear guard, we are advancing through the forest - there are two directions in which we can vaguely feel our companions are there, but both of them are in the direction that seems to be deep in the forest.


    "You can''t find out the direction from the position of the stars... right?


    We don''t know if the sun is coming up from the east and in any case it''s transitioned, so we don''t know the direction.


    No, if the licence says so, we''re moving northwest now.


    Wow, that''s a handy feature. You don''t need a compass.


    ''''Once again, I think that this license is the best of the Guild''s technology...''''


    As Anna was about to say, Sion, who was ahead of us, walked a little faster and looked back at us. It seems that he has found something.


    When I catch up with Sion, I see some large depression at my feet - a huge trench with three branches.


    ''''Could these be....footprints?''''


    It''s so big.


    ''It is very similar in shape to the footprints of ''Coral Pigo''. But it is many times larger ... if there is an individual with a length in proportion to this one...


    The ''named'' is somewhere on this island - I decided to look through the ''owl scope'' that I had carried with my weapon and check the area I could see.


    ''.........There''s a little bit of open space ahead. Looks like the watering hole is near there too.


    Could it be that the demons are using it as a watering hole?


    ''Let''s proceed with caution. Either way, we''ll need to explore the island to get back to our original location.


    If push comes to shove, I''ve got the Scroll of Return, so let''s take it easy.


    The scrolls can be used even when wet - in the old days they were ruined if they were submerged in water, but the ones that are now in widespread use are designed to prevent such accidents from occurring.


    The only thing we have with us is a wooden sword. We only have a wooden sword with us...


    ''Our preparations have been a little too relaxed...''


    ''I''m the one who wants to bang on a stone bridge... is this situation too adventurous for me?


    I could have just enjoyed my vacation and left this labyrinth, but the fact that I didn''t is now nothing short of an occupational hazard - it seems that the ''explorer'' can''t get out of the day off, either.


    I stood at the position where Sion was and looked through the ''Owl Scope'' that I had carried with me - I made sure it was waterproof, but I was able to use it as it was without any problems.


    ''''........hmm?''''


    I felt as if something large had crossed my vision. However, even if I moved the scope around, I couldn''t see anything.


    ''''Brother Arihito, I saw something...?''''


    Yeah I knew there was something up ahead.


    It''s a little scary, but I can''t help but think of it as something to look forward to... is it inappropriate?


    Anna says refrainedly - she always speaks in a restrained manner that is inappropriate for her age, but it means that she is also curious for her age.


    ''It''s not inappropriate. It''s certainly better to have fun than to fear those things... though when you''re fighting so hard, there''s often no room for it.


    That''s right. I''m glad I followed my brother''s lead. Beach volleyball is fine, but it''s also fun to get blown off to strange places and explore together.


    ''''If you make it home safely, it will be a pleasant memory. I''ll brace myself from here on out.


    Anna grips the racket - the ball was tied to the racket with a string, but she removes the ball for use.


    ''Are you sure you''re okay with one ball?''


    ''Yes, I can activate the skill a few times and hit it and it won''t break.


    Anna''s ball comes back to her hand, so she can play one. It''s really magical tennis.


    I''ve seen them once, so I''m still expecting them to be a force to be reckoned with - even if it''s going to be a battle, ideally after they meet up with their friends, but for that, we''ll have to get through the square a little further on.


    ''''Sion, if the enemy comes out, we''ll have to wait and see first. It''s not safe to rush in, you know.


    Zion waves his tail in place of a reply and leads us forward. It''s hard to walk in a ditch of giant footprints - if we''re not careful about our footing, we''re likely to kick and stumble.


    Eventually the forest breaks off and we come to a meadow by the river. It would be easier to find them if my companions would come this way too.


    The place looks like something out of a hunting game.


    Maybe you''re all just down that path we''ll have to go through here.


    "Phew!


    He tried to reply without squealing, and Theon made a noise that sounded like a sneeze. He''s really smart - although I couldn''t help but smile at the same time as I was impressed.


    But from here on out, Anna is also right to brace herself. We''re about to go out into the meadow - and on our way forward.


    ....What is it.......is there a shadow over there?


    Hmm...?


    There is a gaping shadow in the meadow. It shouldn''t have been there a moment ago - a chill runs down my spine.


    ''''--Kueeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!


    With a deafening, bird-like cry, something fell - it was using its ability to keep its shadow from being reflected on the ground while it was in the sky. It recognized us as its target and fell with its appearance.


    ''Theon, get back!


    Gullllll...!


    "Kyah...!


    The giant body lands on the ground with a thud - the ground trembles and maple and Anna scream.


    ¡ô Encountered demons ¡ô


    Treasure Wings Dancing in the Snowfield Level 8 Alert, Ice Disabled Drop: ?


    ...Is this the owner of the.......footprints.......?


    The ''named'' ones that have come out so far, even Watadama''s, were vicious to look at.


    However, the monster that fell in front of our eyes was about three meters long, but it still retained the loveliness of the Coral Pigo.

 143 Episode 142: Snowstorm

    "Kuh-uh, kuh-uh.


    Doesn''t it look like I''m saying something...?


    Probably saying, ''How did you get this far, brave man and dog?''


    Is that so...?


    Anna is calmly observing the demon - since that''s what she says, she may be surprisingly on target.


    ''''Bawp, bawp!''''


    ''Lord of the Island, if you disobey my master, you will be hurt.''


    Yeah, that''s what you might say, but won''t that be taken as a threat to your business?


    The giant penguin and the big dog - neither of them may have a theatrical tone when translating their cries, but what they''re saying seems to be mostly correct.


    The evidence of this is that Zion and Penguin - or is it treasure wings, if you follow the license display - are in a state of flux. It seems that a fight is inevitable.


    ''''--Everyone, come on!


    Kuehze...!


    Current Situation


    Treasured Wings that Dance on the Snowfield activates Silver World ¡ú Terrain effect changes to Frozen Earth.


    The giant penguin jumps up in a small leap and lands on its feet, spreading its wings horizontally with great vigor.


    ''''Brother........the penguin is freezing from underneath its feet.......!


    From the environment of this island, I thought it was a demon that prefers a warm climate - but that expectation was completely betrayed.


    The feathers covering the body of "Coralpigo''s" "named" "Treasure Wings Dancing in the Snow Field" were designed to respond to the environmental changes when it activated its abilities.


    ''''Bawp, bawp!''''


    Zion seems to be resistant to cold weather, but the cold air emitted from the penguins is starting to lower the ambient temperature and everyone''s breath is starting to turn white - if they don''t, they''ll lose their body heat and their body movements will slow down.


    ''''It seems we have no choice but to settle this matter in a short time...''''


    ''Or you can stick around until everyone else is here. They''re on a higher level and ''named'' they''re ''named'' they can be deadly with just one hit.


    The only thing that can be said for this is that even though he looks like that, his beak is sharp, so you have to stand around and make sure you don''t hit him properly.


    I have some understanding of Maple and Anna''s fighting style - the problem is that even if you try to get close, the ground around you is changing to ''frozen earth'', so if you run in, you could get your footing.


    ''''Kueh, kueh.......''''


    The ''Treasure Wings'' that cries low as if to provoke you - once you form this field, it''s just like saying that it''s ours.


    ''''--Galluff........!


    Current Situation


    Theon" activates "Heat Claw".


    Sion activates the power of the Fireboxstone attached to the Insect Repellent Anklet at his own discretion - and then the frozen ground beneath Sion''s feet melts and steam rises.


    (--Does it work, Theon...!


    Even with just a lookout, Sion was aware of my intentions - I''ll make the first move while my opponent is still showing some room. If it''s difficult, I''ll consider retreating, but I want to do what I can.


    ''''--Michael, get on Theon!


    I understand...


    Sion runs without slipping on the frozen soil, and with Maple on his back, he runs straight into the ''Treasure Wing'' - the enemy''s reaction, who didn''t anticipate his speed, is delayed, and Maple, in the meantime, readies himself and grabs his wooden sword.


    I readied my sling and tried a new magic stone - the ''manipulation stone'' that I had just installed.


    ''''--Yaah!¡¡I''m going to save mine and eat it!


    ''Chain support'' ... ''front line''!


    Current Situation


    Theon activates the Battle Howl and Hound''s Gallop ¡ú the vanguard''s attack power increases.


    The maple tree invokes the call.


    Aricht activates ''Support Linkage 1'' and ''Support Attack 2: Force Shoot Dolls''.


    Theon activates Heat Claw and hits Treasure Wings on the Snowfield.


    The maple activates the Shippourai Knife.


    Support Attack 2'' occurs twice ¡ú accumulate the operation value of ''Wings of Treasure in the Snowfield''.


    The linked move "Red Hot Lightning" hits the "Wings of Treasure in the Snow Field".


    Quaahhhh...!


    The first move was beautifully coordinated - at the same time as Sion ran through while unleashing his claws, the mounted maple shot the wooden sword with unstoppable speed.


    It seems that the ''control stone'' is something that is effective by hitting it repeatedly rather than in a single blow. Then the power of the ''force shot'' is only added, and its power is lower than ''support attack 1'' - after all, the power of the sling is lower than Murakumo''s attack, and it lacks decisiveness.


    ''''--Anna, we''re going to push in again too!


    Okay....here we go!


    Anna tossed the ball and swung a racket modified with the material of ''Thunderhead'' - perhaps activating a special ability, the racket seemed to be covered in lightning when she swung it.


    ''''Support Linkage (Chain Support), Rear Guard (Rear Line)!''''


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates ''Support Linkage 1'' and ''Support Attack 2: Force Shoot Stun''.


    Anna activates Thunder Shot and hits the Wings of Treasure in the Snowfield.


    Arihito activates Force Shoot Stun and hits the Wings of Treasure in the Snow Field.


    Activate the coordinated move, "Force Thunder" ¡ú "Wings of Treasure" hits the snow field.


    Kuehze...!


    Yay...........!


    Anna puts her response into words. The special attack by her racket is not only a lightning-attribute blow, but also has the additional effect of electric shock - a very useful means of attack in safely defeating the enemy.


    ''''Brother, one more time like this...!


    "--Wait, maple!¡¡We need to get some distance between us for once!


    Huh...!


    Some of the feathers covering the body of Treasure Wings stand up in reverse and change color to blue - they are suddenly cornered and have recognized that we are an enemy that should not be caught off guard.


    The feathers that changed to blue now begin to turn white in places - the moisture in the atmosphere freezes and covers the entire body of the ''Treasure Wing'' like armor.


    ''''Arihitto...!


    "-kay!


    When you remember the evil signs, there is only one decision you can take - ''take all the safe measures you can''.


    (Just in time........!)


    Current Situation


    Treasure Wing activates Snow-covered Banner.


    Zion" activates "Back Step".


    Aricht activates Backstand ¡ú Target: Theon


    Treasure Wing activates Frozen Pain.


    ''''Treasure Wings'''' chirped high, and the air around the area felt tense - immediately after that, ice flew out of the frozen ground one after another.


    ''''........Brother Arihito, are you alright!


    Oh, it''s okay........the enemy used the frozen ground to attack us.......we''re at a disadvantage fighting on the frozen part of the ground........


    As soon as he could, he held Anna, who was nearby, and used ''Backstand'' - and then went behind Sion, who was out of the enemy''s attack range.


    A moment''s delay would not have been justified by the icy spikes sticking out of the ground. It wasn''t so much that he would be skewered, but if he was injured in his leg, he wouldn''t be able to fight.


    ''''A, Arihito it''s okay now, the rest is on your own........''''


    ''Oh, everyone stay out of range of the enemy''s attack!¡¡I''ll check on him!


    Brother, oh no!¡¡If you leave me alone...!


    ''As you can see, if it comes down to it, I''m capable of emergency evasion... and with this scaffolding, we''ll have to aim from a distance!


    I start to run - bypassing the unfrozen part of the road and going around the side of the ''treasure wing'' behind the ice spikes.


    (Should I run away rather than continue to fight... no, everyone''s presence is getting closer. In the meantime, I''ll check his hand...!


    Cu.....!


    Current Situation


    Aricht loads the Darkness Bullet into the magic gun.


    Attack of the "Arithito


    Takarazuka Tsubasa activates Winged Parry ¡ú Darkness Bullet cannot be nullified.


    The Wings of Treasure in the Snowfield is hit. Weak point attack.


    Quaahhhh...!


    The ''Treasure Wings'' with its wings sharply swung out, but it seems that the technique could only prevent physical attacks. The bullets from the magic gun are not physical attacks, but magical attacks - that''s why they couldn''t be nullified, or maybe that''s why they were electrocuted and their movements were slowed down.


    If me and Anna take turns attacking it while giving it an electric shock state, we can maintain the advantageous situation. If Igarashi-san joins us, we can also exploit the weaknesses in ''Lightning Rage''.


    (But........maybe it''s because it''s an attack that wasn''t what we expected, but you seem to be upset about something.......no, this isn''t the time to be thinking naively.......!


    Even if the enemy is covered with ice spines all over the surface, there must be a way for them to attack us - their bellies are covered with ice armor, so they could slide over like a sled, and so on. However, it doesn''t move as you can imagine, which is the tricky thing about the demons of the labyrinth country.


    ''''Hue....................''''


    The breath leaking from the beak sounded like a whistle, probably because it was being electrocuted. However, it remained unguardedly hostile to us - and that was the moment when the sound of the beak sounded high and clear.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Treasure Wing activates Snow Powder to destroy Ice Spikes.


    Ice Sculpture" is activated by "Wings of Treasure in the Snow Field" ¡ú "Ice Bird Warrior" summons 3 "Ice Bird Archer" summons 3 "Ice Bird Archer".


    Huh...!


    The spikes of ice shattered in an instant, turning into powdery snow and closing off their vision. The snow then turned into a shape similar to ''Coral Pigo'' and formed a line in front of the ''Treasure Wings''.


    ¡ôThe Demon Encountered ¡ô


    Three "Ice Statue Bird Warriors", level 6, in combat, dropped: ?


    The Ice Bird Archer, 3 pieces, level 6, in combat, dropped: ?


    (Three in the vanguard, three in the middle row.......and the ''treasure wings'' in the back row. There''s no doubt about it, they''re in a formation...!


    A technique of the same quality as the "Create Golem" used by the "Merciless Decapitation" - an ability that you can create by yourself, even without the presence of crony demons. After using it, they form a formation just like the searchers - the enemy also understands the effectiveness of forming a formation.


    "Oh no, brother........!


    Aricht...!


    Wow!


    Current Situation


    Zion activates Covering ¡ú Target: "Aricht


    The three "Ice Bird Warriors" activate the "Jet Toboggan".


    Theon activates the Tail Counter ¡ú Two Ice Statue Bird Soldiers are hit. Cancel the action.


    Aricht activates ''Support and Defense 1'' ¡ú Target: Theon


    The Ice Bird Warrior C''s Jet Toboggan hits Theon.


    Caw...!


    Theon!


    The ''Pigo'' made of snow slides with its belly on the ground and rushes in - only the last one, which is off-timed, scrapes through Sion''s counter and collides with it.


    ''''--Grrrrrr...!


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates ''Support Attack 1''.


    Theon activates Heat Claw and hits the Ice Bird Warrior C. It has a weakness of 10 damage.


    Defeat one "Ice Statue Bird Soldier".


    Sion landed while being bounced off, and immediately pounced on him with his claws red-hot, and cleaved off - the effect was immense against the ice statue, and it melted and tore through him.


    ''''Gawd........''''


    Are you all right, Theon...


    "Woof.


    Sion''s body is covered in abrasions, but while confronting him, ''Supportive Recovery 1'' is activated and heals - but it''s still not a complete recovery.


    ''''Peeeeeeeeeeeeeee!''''


    While the remaining two of the vanguard are out of position, the three in the middle guard hold their bows - arrows are generated by magic, and the ice arrows aim at me and Sion.


    ''''--Brother, we too........!


    I''m coming with you....


    The ice spines have been crushed, allowing Kaede to attack - whereupon Anna also breathes and tosses the ball.


    ''Kaede, Anna, ''support''!


    Current Situation


    Arihito activates ''Support Link 1'' and ''Support Attack 2'' ¡ú Support: ''Force Shoot Bounce''.


    The maple tree triggers a shouting match.


    The maple invokes the Ichinotai Sword and hits the Ice Bird Archer A.


    Anna activates Thunder Shot and hits the Ice Bird Archer B.


    Connected Move "Fast Thunder" ¡ú Three "Ice Bird Archers" are hit.


    Support Attack 2" occurs twice, hitting 3 "Ice Bird Archers" and "Wings of Treasure in the Snowfield".


    What the hell...?


    Thanks to Kaede and Anna, the firing of the arrows by the bird archers was blocked - but only the heat claw was able to provide a decisive strike, and the treasured wings tried to counterattack Kaede, who was cutting into them.


    ''''Kueeeeeeee!''''


    Kyaaaah...!


    Ariadne!


    Current Situation


    Arihito requests temporary support from Ariadne, the god of the machine, ¡úTarget: maple tree


    Ariadne activates Guard Arm.


    Takarazuka Tsubasa activates the Flipper Edge.


    The arm of the machine that appeared in front of the maple tree, received a blow from the sharp wings of the "Treasure Wings" - the flipper, and the two sides are fighting each other.


    "Kueh........kueh........!


    What is this, what''s this... my arm is protecting me, like a robot...


    Did Ariecht...?


    Yeah, he''s on our side...


    With Ariadne''s power, we get a chance to re-partition - Maple retreats once, and ''Treasure Wings'' pushes the ''Guard Arm'' away, but he can''t follow up and breathes on his shoulder.


    ''''Nah, what''s the matter, it seems like I''m tired... can I push through this...?''''


    "-Kueh!


    As if to deny the words of the maple, the ''Treasure Wings'' cries out - and five ice statues line up in front of the ''Treasure Wings''.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Treasure Wing activates Deadly Wing formation.


    Don''t..........that was.......!


    Current Situation


    Anna activates the War Council''s Eye of the Spot ¡ú Prediction of Treasure Wings'' next action: very dangerous


    Along with Anna''s warning, I also sensed - the ''Treasure Wings'' are about to abandon their defenses and launch some kind of attack in order to ensure that we are killed.


    Even if their appearance and gestures are different from other demons and give them a sense of humanity, demons are still demons. They won''t stop at any means to defeat the searchers.


    (Even if........what is this feeling.......)


    Can I really take him down? Sion was wounded and now, while still facing the unknown attack, hesitation arises.


    The ''Coral Pigo'' seen in the breeding ground. The ''named'' found on this island, no longer seen, and the ''named''


    --Kindred is not seen on this island, and they summoned their companions through the snow as a medium.


    Originally, he was living with the ''Coral Pigo'', wasn''t he? If that was the case, he was on this island, separated from his own people for some reason.


    ''''--You can''t go to your friends!¡¡We can take you there!


    ..............


    The ''Treasure Wing'' cries out in a small voice, as if it has already made up its mind. Along with the five ice statues, he himself is covered by the ice - and turns into a giant bird.


    ''''Brother, no!¡¡If they charge into it like that, everyone will be killed...!


    The maple shouts - it''s not a good idea for the ''rear guard'' to rush in, but this is the only way to stop that attack. I''m going to be able to turn back with a "backstand" - but if I can''t cancel it with that, I''ll allow the ice bird''s assault to engulf a very wide area.


    After all, I''m keenly aware of the fact that it''s only a ''rearguard'' if everyone is there. If only we could buy a little more time - but there was no time left to formulate an alternative tactic.

 144 Episode 143: Warm rain

    Rear-end man!


    Huh...!


    Just before activating "Backstand", I did indeed hear - her voice.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Kyoka activates Thunderbolt and hits the Wings of Treasure in the Snowfield.


    Teresia activates Axel Dash.


    From the forest behind us, Igarashi-san and Theresia fly out of the forest - Igarashi-san''s ''Thunderbolt'' runs through space and is showered on the ''Treasure Wings'' that are turning into a giant ice bird.


    The ''electric shock'' delays the completion of the ice bird for a moment - but that moment created a reprieve for the next attack.


    ''That''s the one with the name ''Coral Pigo''.......we can stop that one.......!


    Igarashi-san grasped the situation without saying anything - but the moisture in the air froze again, and the bird-shaped ice blocks grew larger and larger.


    ''''--Atobe-san, guys!


    Hey, you!


    Ryoko and Ibuki arrived there. Theresia is closing the gap between them while going around.


    The side that Ryoko-san came from is close to the river - that means she can use ''that skill''.


    ''''--Ryoko-san, please shoot ''Aquadolphin'' on that guy!


    What the hell...!


    .....


    And the instructions are conveyed to Theresia in a way that I can understand - I believe they are conveyed. Just before launching an attack, she activates her morale release and aims for a coordinated technique.


    ''''-- ''Support Linkage (Chain Support)''... ''Magic Originating Linkage (Magic Cross)''!


    Current Situation


    Theresa activates Triple Steel and all members of the party have the Triple Steal effect.


    Aricht activates ''Other Assist''.


    Aricht activates ''Support Linkage 1'' and ''Support Attack 2: Force Shoot Dolls''.


    Ryoko activates the Aquadolphin and hits the Wings of Treasure in the Snow Field.


    Theresa activates Azure Slash and hits the Wings of Treasure in the Snowfield.


    Azure Dolphin" ¡ú "Warm Rain" will occur. "Ice Armor" of "Wings of Treasure in the Snowfield" will be released.


    Defeat two "Ice Bird Warriors".


    Defeat the three "Ice Bird Archers".


    Support Attacks 2" occurs twice ¡ú Accumulate the value of "Wings of Treasure in the Snow Field" to attempt to use it.


    The health and magic of Teresia and Alito are restored.


    Quaahhhh...!


    After the water dolphin created by Ryoko-san from the river water hit the ''Treasure Wing'', Theresia activated the power of the ''Blue Flame Stone'' and swung out a blue-white glowing shortsword. The amount of heat turned the water dolphin into a rain of warm water in an instant.


    The one who jumps into it - Ibuki. The fist is slammed into the ice armor that still covers the body of ''Treasure Wing''.


    ''''--Haah!


    Current Situation


    Ibuki activates Rocksmashing ¡ú Hit the Wings of Treasure in the Snow Field. Part of the damage is absorbed. Ice Armor is completely released.


    All the ice covering his body shattered - ''Treasure Wings'' took a step or two backwards, poking at his buttocks and not moving.


    ''''Kuh, kueh........''''


    The "Treasure Wing" had a final fighting spirit in its dull eyes, but it was unable to stand up. And then, as if admitting defeat, she nodded and stopped moving.


    ''''Hah, hah.......Se-Sensei.......I.......''''


    ''Yeah well thank you for coming. You all but can''t wait to put a stop to it.


    The steam from Theresia and Ryoko''s coordinated techniques still filled the area. Everyone has become soaked, but now is not the time to worry about it.


    ''''Huh........oh, big penguin.......!


    ''Thank goodness you''re all safe. I''m sorry for the delay in getting there.


    You''re so good, Aricht you''re in complete command despite the change in members.


    Misaki, Suzuna, and Elitia also came over, and everyone who had transitioned - ''Support Recovery 1'' was activated once again on Sion in front of me, and the wounds healed even more. After stroking Sion''s head as she licked my hand with a perop, I approached the ''treasure wings''.


    ''''Ah, Rear-kun.......is it safe to approach?''''


    ''''Yes........I was testing the performance of the ''manipulation stone'' in the current battle. You have to apply it many times, and I don''t think it works on everyone, but it seems to be able to negotiate with this demon to ''manipulate''... or rather, use it.


    Well, is it possible to do something like that, like a magician.......that''s a normal thing to do?


    I think ''Demon Master'' is a profession where you always fight with demons, but there aren''t many reincarnated people who would choose that all of a sudden.


    We''ve already captured "Demi-harpy" and other demons and made them our friends. As long as the conditions are met, it would be possible for any party to bring a demon into the fold.


    ''''Well guys, did you find any other demons while walking around this island?''''


    ''Come to think of it I hadn''t seen you at all before you came here.


    ''We didn''t see it either, it was pretty far away from us, so it was hard to get here, but...''


    Here, here, too. Didn''t you teachers see anything else but this monster?


    Igarashi, Misaki, and Ibuki each answer - they were dispersed to four different locations on the island and didn''t see a single one before they came here. It is unlikely that any demons other than the ''Treasure Wings'' are on this island.


    I''m sure you''ll be pleased to know that for some reason, this ''named'' is the only one to appear on this island, and the island where our lodgings are located has only ''Coralpigeon'' in it. So I think that''s why ''named'' was no longer seen on the island over there.


    ''The guild didn''t know that there was an island across the sea... if that''s what you mean, it''s a reliable theory.


    Elitia also approaches ''Treasure Wings'' - I can see that ''Treasure Wings'' is trembling, as if she is aware of the power of the sword she has.


    ''''That........if I can. I don''t want to defeat this demon, I want to take it out of here. I''d like to let them meet my friends........


    .........Brother, you were thinking that far into the fight. We were already thinking that if we didn''t kill him, he''d get us killed...


    ''I ... wasn''t able to keep my cool either. I wanted to show Arihit the power of my new racket...


    ''''No, we couldn''t use the power of the ''control stone'' without fighting... and this ''named'' also recognized us as the enemy. Regardless of the circumstances of this ''named'', we''re in this situation now because of everyone''s hard work.


    I didn''t expect to be able to capture or join them easily either, so I''ll correct that. It wasn''t an opponent that could be that dexterous and tame, and I had chosen an attack that seemed as effective as possible.


    In fact, the ''Treasure Wings'' are not shallowly wounded. So whether they will listen to us or not is a bad bet for the minute - it''s not surprising that people think they can''t listen to us.


    "...you''re going to have to come with us. We''ll get you to where your friends are, one way or another. You''ll have to stay quiet after that, though.


    I opened my eyes a little bit and the Wings of Treasure stared at me. I''m sure you''ll be able to find a way to make it work for you.


    ''...........................


    Current Situation


    The hostility of "Wings of Treasure in the Snowfield" disappears.


    .........Did she just reply to me........?


    Well, I guess so...


    ''If that''s the case, I''ve got a lot of scars to heal!¡¡Your feathers are getting fluffy all over the place!


    ''Demons sometimes don''t have the right potions, so we need to get them back to the island where they came from and heal them quickly...''


    Treating an opponent who had been fighting to the death until now. Even though that was the case, the people in Four Seasons didn''t complain - Maple seemed to be turning back and wiping her eyes, and the other three were also in tears.


    It''s not just about fighting and defeating demons, it''s okay to do this. I attempt to use ''Other Assist'' to recover the strength of ''Treasure Wings''.


    ''''Huh... oops... wow, sorry, Theresia. Looks like I used too much magic power.


    ..........


    I wish you could feed him a lot of "Kichi no Ringo".......I saw a few of them growing just now.


    Oh, really?


    I heard that they rushed over here because they didn''t have time to pick apples, but everyone had found their own fruit-bearing trees - and they''re going to get them while I recover my "treasure wings".


    Current Situation¡ô


    Get a copy of Goryoku no Walnut


    Acquisition of two "resourcefulness apples".


    Acquire a copy of the Grapes of Agility


    Acquire two "freezing stones".


    Acquire one "snow crystal".


    Acquisition of one "White Hair of Treasure Wings".


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    I''m sure you''ll be able to find a lot more information on this topic.


    I''m not sure if it''s because of the fact that I''ve been in the same situation as you.


    It was fortunate that he didn''t have to dive underwater or use the combination of ''Fortune Roll'' and ''Moon Reading''. There was a way to use the ''Scroll of Return'', but it was also the fact that I wanted to find a way to return without relying on the scroll somehow.


    When I returned, the guild staff was still awake and stunned by the sight of the "Wings of Treasure" first, but when I explained the situation, they led me to the "Coral Pigeon" breeding ground.


    As I told you when you came to lunch, in order for you to make him listen to you, you need this White Hair of the Winged Pogo," he said. I didn''t expect you to go and get it today...


    "Kuh.


    And since they brought this ''named'' back with them, the entire staff almost had to sit through it. I''m amazed at the appearance of these ''rookies''........


    The woman on the guild staff was very impressed. She was the same age as Louisa who rushed over, so they exchanged greetings when they saw each other.


    ''''So, how did you encounter ''Treasure Wings''...''''''


    Thinking about the guild staff on this island, I need to explain to them about the ''Treasure Wings'' since a ''named'' might appear on this side of the island this time.


    That''s what I thought - the woman on the staff raised a finger and laughed.


    ''''To the searchers, such information is as important as a treasure. The guild will not ask for it unconditionally. It is our policy to ask you to provide us with any information that may lead to the ''Stampede''.


    ''''Well I see. It''s like you''re leaving with some kind of secret, and I''m not sure that''s a good thing.


    ''''If you ever come to this ''Small Island of Illusion'' again, why don''t you continue your search... No, this is essentially a ''retreat center'', so you shouldn''t say that.


    The staff woman said that and opened the door to the ''Coral Pigo'' breeding ground.


    Yeah, you can go.


    When I called out to ''Treasure Wings'', I walked slowly with my big body - I almost grabbed at the entrance, but I barely managed to get through.


    ''''Peeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!''''


    I could hear the cries of the "Coral Pigo" birds from inside the breeding ground. It was a cry of surprise and joy, which even I, who don''t understand the language of birds, could understand.


    Puzzled, the Winged Owl looks at the coral pigeons that surround and cohabitate him. It was as if the parent birds were playing with their children, and it was as if the ''Coral Pigo''s'' were rejoicing at the reunion with their stray friends.


    "Whaaaa.......look at that, brother, from the big penguin''s eyes, something like a jewel.......!


    "The tears of ''Treasure Wings Dancing on Snowfields'' turn into a gem called ''Snowdrop''. I hear it''s a very rare thing to see them shed...


    Well it''s a good thing you brought him home. Stay here and be good to your friends.


    ''Yes I do. I''m sure you''ll be happy here.


    Igarashi-san looked a little disappointed, but he turned away from the group of ''Treasure Wings'' and ''Pigo'' instead of approaching them.


    ''''It''s going to be tough with the big ones coming in all of a sudden, but if there''s anything we can do to help, we''ll help.


    ''''No, it''s part of the guild''s business.......oh?


    When I was about to leave the place after asking for the rest - ''Treasure Wings'' walked towards us.


    ''''Kueh, kueh.''''


    .... does that mean you want to follow me?


    "f*ck.


    Wouldn''t it be lonely to say that he finally met his friends and they were following him? That''s what I thought, but it seems that ''Treasure Wing''''s feelings are firm.


    ''''If you recognize Atobe-sama as your master, if it''s possible, I think it would be possible for you to keep him at the ranch that Atobe-sama has contracted with.


    But will you be okay with being away from your people?


    If that''s the case.......then Atobe-sama who has the ''White Hair of the Treasure Wing'' can keep the ''Coral Pigo''.


    But then, this time, I''d have to separate ''Coral Pigo'' from the herd - or so I thought.


    ''Beep.''


    Beep.


    The two ''Coral Pigo'' come over here after the ''Treasure Wings''. They turned back to the flock and waved their wings like a hand.


    ''''Well these kids really amaze me sometimes, they''re companionable and clever in their own way.''''


    ''Well ... yes. I wouldn''t miss going to the ranch if I had some company, would I?


    ''Kuh-uh.''


    Treasure Wings chirped happily - and Pigo and the others jumped into the feathers of Treasure Wings and climbed on top of its head.


    ''From today, the three of us will live together. We''ve got other friends, but try not to fight with each other.


    "Kuh!


    Treasure Wings" is completely healthy and is listening to me very well. If this is the case, there won''t be any problem leaving it at the Demon Farm.


    Sigh. I''m the worst at this kind of thing. I get so sick of it that I start crying like I have hay fever, don''t I?


    Are you all right...?¡¡The staff will laugh at you if you cry so much?


    Not only Misaki, but everyone is crying in tears - if we had defeated ''Treasure Wings'' like that, we wouldn''t have been able to see this kind of scene.


    After everyone has calmed down a bit, Louisa-san comes over here. She seemed to be refreshed enough, but her eyes were still a little red.


    ''''Atobe-sama, everyone, thank you for your hard work. For not being able to accompany you, I wish I could express my appreciation for your daily work in some way...''''


    Thank you. I''m sorry to have kept you waiting as well.


    ''I thought that Lord Atobe would be fine, but I also wanted to have a shield that could be used in any environment. I was unable to be of any help at a time like this...


    ''It took us a while to meet up with Arihit, so we still don''t really know what happened. Can you tell me, Alihit?


    ''''Ah. As soon as I was sent away, I ran into ''Treasure Wings'', so I fought with Theon, Kaede, and Anna who were sent away with me...


    I decided to talk to the waiting members about the battle with the Treasure Wing, as well as the transferable device at the bottom of the spring.


    We head to the waterfront cottage that doubles as a dining room for the large number of people who have come to the sanatorium at one time. From the lighted cottage, Madoka and Adeline came out to meet me.

 145 Chapter One Hundred and Forty Four: Naming

    After our overnight vacation in "Small Island of Illusion" was over, we greeted the guild staff and left the island.


    First, we headed to the Demon Farm - if we changed the destination of the transition door, we could move directly from the floating island to the Demon Farm.


    William-san, who was managing it, seemed to be in the middle of collecting the ''Arachne Mage'' net right now. Since he could collect them regularly, this was to cover the cost of maintaining the ranch, so he was having the excess sold to the market.


    ''''Oh, Atobe-sama!¡¡It''s been a long time, and the newly entrusted demon you have entrusted to me is in good health. I hope that you have summoned them from time to time and that they are active.


    ''Thank you for your help, William. As a matter of fact, I''d like to leave another demon in your care.


    "Kuh.


    Lightly twice as tall as I am, the ''treasure wings'' come forward. William-san was impressed with his eyes - Arachne Mage is also large, but will it be a burden to keep all the big demons?


    ''''This........is this a ''named'' demon of the ''Pigo'' lineage? I never thought the day would come when I would be in charge of ''named'' demons at this ranch...


    Is it possible to keep them on this farm?¡¡They are demons that live on an island surrounded by the sea, so I think it''s a question of whether they can adapt to their environment.


    ''''This ranch also has an area where you can buy aquatic demons. Even demons that need a watering hole can be kept without any stress... although if the demon needs seawater, you''ll have to rent a dedicated ranch for it.


    Since we met in the woods, I don''t think seawater is essential but I would appreciate it if you could let me know if you need it.


    I hope the same bird-type demons can get along with the demi-harpy and the others.


    The Harpies are perched in a nearby tree and are looking at us - the Treasure Wings are looking at us too, but from the expression on ''Demi-Harpy''s'' face, they seem to be at the interested stage right now.


    ''Then I''ll put them in the fence with the watering hole over there. This race produces magical stones depending on the diet you give them, but for now, is a standard diet acceptable?


    ''''Yes, please do that. I''d certainly be happy to get the magic stone, but that''s not why I brought it here.


    ''''I see........because he''s a popular demon among women. Atobe-sama really thinks about everyone in the party very well.


    ''Whew, fluffy!¡¡I''ll be back to see you, big penguin!


    ''Misaki-chan, amazing........to be so bold.......''


    ''Really I wish I could, but it''s hard to do when you''re growing up.


    Misaki doesn''t hesitate to hug ''Treasure Wings'' and enjoy the softness of the feathers - although ''Treasure Wings'' seems to be in trouble with ''Coral Pigo'' for cheering her up. Suzuna and Igarashi-san also seem to want to hug her, but not as boldly as Misaki.


    As we were talking, Miris-san, who we''ve seen before, came over here. She was dressed in a shirt and overalls, a straw hat and a hoe, just like a farm girl.


    Welcome, Mr. Atobe. We were just feeding Himiko and the others, but they all flew away when Atoobe arrived.


    It''s been a while, Mr. Millis. These kids are new to you today.


    "Kuh.


    "Ahh~.......I can''t believe that you would entrust me with your "Pigo" friends. These kids won''t miss you unless the owner meets the conditions of their care~


    I heard that Mr. Millis-san''s endings grow when he sees something pretty - and more importantly, I wanted to ask him about it. But before I could ask, Millis-san asked me.


    ''''What should I do with this girl''s name? I''m sure she''ll be happy if you give it to ''Arachne Mage'' as well.


    Well guys, do you have any ideas?


    It''s ''Wings of Treasure on Snowfields'' so... ''Snow''?


    ''Oh, that''s nice - straightforward is better than an unusual name. It''s white, so it suits me well.


    ''I think it''s good, too. You''ve got feathers as white as snow.


    "f*ck.


    Misaki and Elitia agreed with Igarashi''s opinion, and we decided on "Snow" as the name of "Takara Tsubasa". The other name is "Arachne Mage", but it''s difficult to give it a wizardly name with a spider feel, so after much discussion, we settled on "May" as a straightforward name.


    The Coral Pigo that followed Snow was a male and a female, so we decided on the names Penta and Lupe. It''s a cute sounding name, but it''s also a very ''merchant'' name.


    ''Mr. Miris, I just want to check one thing: what do the seeds of The Puppeteer of Vine Grass look like?''


    ''Oh ... I''m sorry, but it''s actually sprouting, and the vines are starting to grow out of the twin leaves. We have a ''contract'' in place, so I don''t think there''s any danger, but I forgot to send you an observation log.


    ''Oh no, it''s not a problem if there''s no danger. Thanks for telling me.


    ''No, to say I''m sorry is another thing... the first new vine that emerged during the growing process was made of an amazingly strong fibrous material. We thought we could use it for something, so we saved it.


    I suppose the tougher the vine grows, the tougher the vine becomes, but you mean the fiber is strong enough to break that common sense - certainly, it could be used for something.


    ''If possible, could you bring it back to me? I''m going to ask the craftsman if it''s possible to bring it back and see what it can be used for.


    Yes, by all means. Good, if you hadn''t asked Master Atobe about it, I would have forgotten about it.


    Miris-san laughing with relief - William-san was laughing and stroking his beard, but as for me, I''m glad that he reported it properly.


    ¡ô¡ó¡ô


    After returning to the transition station near the "Green House", everyone in the "Four Seasons" went back to their quarters - everyone was bidding farewell, but it wouldn''t be the last time.


    ''''Atobe-san, everyone had a really good time. I''ve made the best memories since I came to the Maze Country.


    I was happy to play with the teachers. I thought they were all going to go to the Sixth Ward by now...


    ''''It was great to show you all the racquets we made thanks to you. I''ll always remember fighting with Alihit, too.


    But still, they would be estranged from each other after they went to the upper wards. Everyone in The Four Seasons seemed to weigh in on that more heavily.


    "...guys, we''ll do what we can. I want to meet my brother and everyone else with pride once more.


    Kaede said, but he seemed to know that his voice had no power. When he noticed this, he made a huffy face and waved his hand with a patter.


    ''Hey, what the heck, I''m getting a little quiet, aren''t I? You will definitely catch up with them, so you won''t have to wait so long to see them again...


    ''Yeah, we''re waiting too. It''s the first time since I''ve been in the Labyrinth Country that I''ve been able to get along with the rest of the party so well.


    ''I''ll see you around. If you go to another ward, we''ll be....


    Following Igarashi-san, Suzuna steps in front of Kaede. Kaede huffed and smiled and held out her hand - the two shook hands firmly with their right hands.


    ''Thank you. I haven''t been able to call us friends yet, Suzuna-chan hasn''t shown me the part where you let yourself go, but...''''


    That''s why we''ll always do it again, just like this time... right, guys?


    ''''Yes. I have a lot of things I want to talk about with Kyouka and Louisa... and Seraphina... as adults.


    Me too. Ryoko-dono, I am sure that you will be able to fulfill the conditions for promotion as well. If not, we''ll meet again when we meet again.


    We have to move on as fast as we can. But we must not be too hasty and wear out our bodies and minds.


    This was a great time for us all to share together. It''s the fastest way to move forward again - that''s our ''fastest''.


    ¡ô ¡ó¡ô


    After returning to the inn, Rykerton-san sent me a report on the dismantling of the ''Decapitation''. However, further modification of the armor would require a number of days, so I put it on hold for now.


    Ceres and the others have finished all the processing that I asked them to do. I also received a modified version of the Hannya no Shinshi-Heit, just like Legace.


    The other members are also trying on the armor that has been modified with ''Perforated Wings'' and so on - it is said that some of it has become transparent, but of course, everyone was relieved to hear that it was not designed to be embarrassing when walking around town.


    It''s the best moment for me when someone says that to me. I''m so glad I''m a craftsman.


    As for Arihito, I''m sure he''ll bring something back with him, even though it''s a vacation, but I didn''t expect him to show up.


    Excuse me, I have a few things I need you to look at... okay?


    Very well, some of them may be ready to use. The longer it takes, the more you''ll be stranded.


    I took out the materials one by one from the pouch I had put them in - Celes-san and Steiner-san both had question marks in their heads no matter which one they took out.


    ¡ôNewly acquired materials ¡ô.


    Live young vine x 1


    Freeze stone x 2


    Snow Crystal x 1


    The ''White Hair of the Treasure Wing'' seems to be able to get it from Snow when it grows back, but for now, there''s only one, so I can''t let it go.


    ''Hey, what is this vine.......part of a demon?¡¡It''s not moving now, but it''s certainly alive, this one.


    ''''The plant-based ''named'' that I fought before left a seed behind. I was contracted to grow them at a demon farm...


    I see..... There are materials that can only be obtained from plant-based demons at each stage of growth. Just like the life force is concentrated in the shoots of a medicinal herb.


    ''These vines seem to be very strong. It also has excellent elasticity when pulled... it''s a bit short for a bow, so it would fit the sling that Atobe-sama has.


    "And I thought you had gone to the place where you needed a bathing suit, but why the Snow Crystal?


    Well, as a matter of fact, it''s...


    I''ll tell Celes and others about the events that took place on the Isle of Illusion.


    "You are truly a bunch of curious people, solving riddles at the guild''s sanctuary.


    ''Oh, I mean ... with the way it looked, I think Ceres and the others could go.


    You sent him to stay at home knowing that? I''m not going to blame you for not being able to do that, because I know that Ariehito will take you there someday.


    I''m sorry. Next time I visit, I''ll make sure I don''t ask for a job.


    ''''Yeah, it''s okay - we''re experiencing a lot of new things thanks to Atobe-sama.


    However, the two of you look disappointed as well - it''s difficult for the searcher and the supporter to schedule their time off when their roles are different, but since you''ve been assigned to us, we''d like to take advantage of the opportunity to refresh ourselves.


    But now that you''ve been assigned to me, I''d like to take the opportunity to give you all a chance to refresh yourself. If you''re not a leader with a playful spirit, the girls will be bored out of their minds.


    ''No, no I''m afraid I''m going to bore you with this stiffness.


    It means you can have a serious boss and a flexible one at the same time. Just like your master.


    ''''You won''t be able to get paid for all this flattery....I''m a partner in this business. And what are you going to do about the magical stone?¡¡I can now put a magic stone on your shoe, so let''s put one on. If that''s all, it won''t take long.


    ''''Then........could you change the Sling''s ''Leaping Stone'' to ''Ice Stone''? The power of this magic stone is effective, but I want to try out the new attribute attack as well.


    I''ll put the "Freezing Stone" on the sling and the extra "Confusion Stone" on the shin guards. You''ll have no trouble with your confusion resistance.


    I''m sure the snow crystals have many uses, but I''ll hold off on that since it will take some time to process them.


    I''ve told them I''m going to the Treasure Palace today, so I''ve decided to have them change the strings on my sling, which won''t take long, and have them wear the ''Ice Stone''.


    The one that shoots black magic bullets +4


    Increased attack power when critical.


    Hit Rate" is enhanced.


    Range" is enhanced.


    Magic Bullet" is now possible to fire.


    Vine Weed Bullet available


    ? Eye stone is attached.


    Stem stone is attached.


    The Dewdrop Stone is attached.


    Hannya no shin pad modification +3¡ô


    Rarely disables enemy status attack. (Revised)


    Reduces physical attacks slightly. (Revised)


    Special Effect: Human Type: Increased damage to humanoid enemies.


    Speed" is improved.


    Magic Defence" is slightly enhanced.


    The "Indirect Defense" is slightly enhanced.


    The ability to "leap by ship" will now be available.


    The performance of the skill to strengthen allies will be improved. (Revised)


    Hmmm, very nice work. I don''t know what a "Vine Weed Bullet" is, but you must try it when you get a chance. It won''t slow you down.


    Yes, thank you.


    ''''I''ve never seen foot equipment as strong as these shin guards before... but I wonder if the people in the district above have this kind of equipment as a matter of course.


    It''s said that in the provinces above, armor that possesses a unique skill can be sold for an unbelievably high price. Depending on the effectiveness of the leap by the boat, the value of this armor could be immeasurable.


    That''s how valuable the opportunity to get something that valuable is - the important thing is not to get it and feel comfortable, but to make the most of it.


    After putting on the shin guards, Misaki comes out of the fitting room. It''s a very good idea to have a good idea of what you''re looking for. It''s a good idea to have them equipped whenever you feel like it, because we don''t want to force them.


    ''''Oh please don''t look at me, please don''t look at me. Even if it becomes stronger than the current equipment, why don''t you equip it, but even maidens have their own set of circumstances, you know.


    ''It''s a pretty eye-catching piece of equipment, so you have to be brave. I suppose it would be safer to equip it, though.


    ''Oh, I knew it. But I''ve never worn net tights before, you know?¡¡Only an adult woman like Kyouka''s sister should wear that kind of thing.


    ''You sound like Igarashi-san when you say that.......oh, Igarashi-san.


    Eww...!


    Misaki is surprised by the momentum of jumping up and down and pretends to be sitting in a chair and having tea with Celes-san - rather suspicious, and Igarashi-san is watching her. The other members of the group, who had been changing clothes, followed suit.


    Igarashi-san, Theresia, Suzuna, and Elitia - the armor with built-in translucent wings is now see-through in places, but it doesn''t reveal significantly more skin or anything like that. Everyone seems to feel comfortable wearing it as well.


    ''''........Misaki-chan, what''s going on?''''


    ''Oh no, we were just talking about how it takes a lot of courage to wear new equipment yet.


    ''''It''s a bit more mature, but it''s an amazing piece of equipment. I think Misaki would look good in it.


    ''Oh, you say whatever you want. Even if that thing works great, I won''t give it away, I haven''t worn it yet.


    Misaki says with her mouth agape - Igarashi-san looks at it and smiles in annoyance, then looks at me again. The feeling of being checked from top to bottom is unsettling.


    ''''It fits your suit better than I thought it would, those shin pads.


    Igarashi-san and everyone else looks good in it. It''s a bit strange to say that ''Impact Reduction 1'' was made because of that.


    I think it''s a great material. If they find an upwardly compatible one they''ll replace it but it won''t interfere with the design.


    While you were saying that, Ellie, you were worried about being able to see through it a bit!


    ''Seriously, I was just anxious until I saw you... nothing wrong with that, right?


    When I said that, Elitia spun around - and when I saw her back, I froze in place.


    "That''s quite a good job. Steiner has done a fine job.


    ''''Haha........Master decided on the design. I just followed the design.


    Elitia''s armor should have covered her back normally as well, but only the part of her back where she used the ''translucent wings'' was visible - I was surprised because I didn''t expect that to be the case, but that kind of clothing is common, so it should be fine. It''s strange that she didn''t notice it, but she seemed to be nervous when she was equipping it.


    Well, well you''ll just have to use it when you''re ready.


    I cringed a little as Melissa, whose expression was always the same, smiled at the knife. Is liking knives a problematic preference - as long as the use is not a dangerous one? It''s a bit of a difficult question for me.


    ''Well, now that you''ve changed into your new gear, let''s get going.


    ''''Big brother, since Zion is off today, aren''t you short on vanguard?''''


    I asked Seraphina to come with me yesterday, so I''ll pick her up.


    Sion was wounded by the ''Ice Statue'' attack, so even though he''s fully recovered, I made it a rest day just in case. Madoka is also in her quarters, and I have asked her to negotiate with the building materials shop to take back the materials from ''Decapitation'' that can''t be used for equipment, but I''m asking her to do the rest on her own. I''m sure there''s no problem trusting her judgment.


    I''ve told Serafina-san of my intention to challenge the "Treasure Palace" and she has agreed to accompany me. I''m sure you''ll be able to find out what''s going on in the world.


    ''''Well then, shall we visit your quarters at noon?''''


    ''''After that, I''m going to go back to the shop in Ward 8 to check on the situation. If you need anything else, call me and I''ll come right over.''''


    Celes and the others must be worried about the workshop soon. For them, ''home'' is still that place in the eighth district.


    It''s time for us to have a base of operations, not just a temporary lodging, but a base where we can put down roots--until we feel that now is the right time, we''ll take on the search in front of us.

 146 Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Fifth Chapter: Treasure Palace

    Serafina came to me when I left the lending workshop and joined me there - she continues to be equipped with the ''Great Shield of Mirror Armor''. I returned the ¡ºShaking Tower Shield+3¡» to her, but she seems to have it stashed away in her warehouse now.


    Serafina told me that the guild recommends using a special room when transferring to the Treasure Palace using the Trap Cube.


    On our way to the transfer station near the ''Green Pavilion'' to get to that room, we saw the four members of the ''Four Seasons'' - we quickly lost them because of the distance, but they seemed to be on their way to the labyrinth.


    ''''Seraphina-san, do you know what''s beyond that place?''''


    ''''Yes, there is an entrance to the ''Primary Color Plateau''. It''s a labyrinth where the demons that appear in the seventh district have a habit of appearing in the maze, but at the first level, I think you''ll be able to hunt consistently.


    ''I see ... well if that''s the case, I guess I don''t have to worry about it.


    I''m sure Ryoko and the others won''t do anything rash, but if you''re worried about it, do you want to come with me?


    Wouldn''t you be put off by it if you changed your plans and went with him?


    Both Igarashi-san''s and Misaki''s opinions are reasonable - more than that, it would be rude for them to worry too much. They are also searchers who have built up a track record.


    ''Ryoko and the others are doing their best... we have to do our best, too.


    ''Yeah, right. Let''s keep our heads up.


    In response to Elitia''s words, we walk away. While we move, I decide to talk to Melissa about her skills.


    ''Melissa, while we''re at it, I''d like to discuss some new skills...''


    Okay, fine. You can always tell me if you want to, but don''t worry about it.


    Melissa pulls out a license from her apron pocket and shows me how to operate it.


    ¡ôSkills Acquired ¡ô.


    Cut off the headset, catcall, ambush


    Knifing, dismantling techniques1 Cooking1 Connoisseur1


    Magic Tool Creation 2


    Skills that can be acquired


    Skill Level 2


    Through a thousand pieces of paper: Ignore the target''s defense and attack. Limited to weapons used


    Moonsault - Launches an attack that is easier to hit against airborne enemies.


    Scaling: When attacking a target, the enemy''s defense may be reduced. Required Skill: Cut off


    Hangman''s Cut: Attack by hanging the target up. The attacker is prone to local destruction. Required skill: Demolition Technique 1


    Scratch and Claw: Perform up to 8 consecutive combat attacks to inflict "bleeding". Required skill: Scratch


    Bone Crusher: Attacks with an additional blow attribute, regardless of weapon. This is more damaging than a normal attack.


    Loud Voice: Make a threatening voice to check your opponent and damage their magic.


    Dismantling Technique 2: Your dismantling skills will be improved and the types of materials you can acquire will increase.


    Skill Level 1.


    Silent Mu: Reduces the target''s hostility to you.


    Thorn Out: Destroys the "thorns" that occur in the terrain.


    Cat Language Comprehension: You will be able to understand the language of cats and cat-type demons.


    Scratch: Performs 2 consecutive attacks and inflicts "bleeding".


    Spinning and Landing: Will not injure you if you jump from high places.


    Grooming: Restores systemic anomalies to the body.


    Catwalk: Crosses over extremely narrow spaces.


    Claw Sharpening: Increases attack power with claws. Elevated status abnormalities will be restored.


    Remaining skill points: 5


    Melissa has a wide range of options, probably because she learns the occupational origin of ''demolition shop'' and the skill of ''warcat'', which is derived from her race.


    ''''You were talking about taking ''Grooming'', so let''s take that first.


    ''All right. And since I''m a ''demolition man'', I need ''Demolition Techniques 2''.


    Melissa''s hope is that there''s no other way to go, so there are only 2 skill points left - ''Through a Thousand Pieces'' seems to require a sharp, sharp weapon, so I can''t use it even if I take it now.


    ''Cat Language Comprehension'' seems to be immensely effective in some cases, but ''Moonsault'', ''Silent Mew'', ''Thorn-Out'', and the offensive skills may also be useful in some cases.


    New Skills of Melissa


    Dismantling technology 2


    Grooming


    ''I''ll just get these two and then I''ll take the rest when I need them. Because all of the combat skills are hard to match.


    ''''I wish I could take them all, but I don''t want to keep them and not use them.


    It''s not easy to make last-minute decisions and acquire skills, but it gives you options in a tight spot. However, taking it beforehand can be advantageous, so it''s a difficult thing to do.


    When we''ve finished examining the skills, we arrive at the transfer station and Seraphina controls where the door goes. We then enter a large, brightly lit room, similar to the one we use to open the box, but without the lights.


    I take out a trap cube and place it on the floor and have everyone stand around it. Then I activate the trap cube - just by reminding myself of it, the crystal ball in the cube''s metal frame begins to glow, and something similar to the feeling I always get when I transition comes.


    Whenever I transitioned, I felt like I was ''drifting in one direction''. But now there''s a strange floating feeling of not being able to determine the direction.


    ''''-- The destination of the transition is fluctuating. Causal law interference........reacting to the blessing on the contractor.......''''


    "Master, where we are headed is different than usual. Use my power when it should come.


    Ariadne and Murakumo are talking to us - our friends haven''t noticed yet. That the destination of the "Trap Cube" is not the normal Treasure Palace, but that it has been ''rewritten'' to a different place in response to us making a contract with Ariadne.


    ¡ô¡ó¡ô


    ...This is the Treasure Palace...?


    ''Wait ... are you sure about that?¡¡Because this place is....


    It was similar to that hierarchy that Ariadne was in - not a natural labyrinth, but a place that looked like it had been built by someone else, but never seemed to be built by human hands.


    The walls, floors and other structures were similar, but what was different was that it was much brighter than that place. When I looked up, there was no roof - I wondered if the one blue color I could see there was the sky. There is something fictional about the landscape.


    ''''Oh, brother.......there''s some very rusty money, but this........''''


    What kind of process did you use to get here? Did they use the ''Trap Cube'' just like us - there was a completely weathered white bone left at the end of the large room we were in.


    There was no equipment in sight. Is it in the ''box'' held by the being that could be considered the master of this hierarchy, as it had been until now - the wreckage was not one, but an indication that at least one party had been wiped out in the past.


    ''''This space........seems like things are weathering faster than outside.


    ''I wonder if time moves differently the longer we spend in here the more time outside passes, or...''


    If the time outside flows as much as the time that flowed in this space, if we don''t leave this place in a hurry, it''s possible that some days will pass if we don''t spend a few hours here. I hope that''s not the case, but we knew from the beginning that time flows differently inside the labyrinth than outside.


    ''Anyway, we''ll have to move on or we won''t start...''


    ''Yes, yes. Let''s proceed with caution.


    ..........


    If anything, I''d like to think that she''ll be caught by one of Theresia''s search and trap detection - she''s in the middle guard, but she should be able to detect more than Seraphina-san in the vanguard.


    ''''Brother, is that... cloud you see behind the wall?''''


    The side walls of the passageway have wide spaced slit-like gaps, so no air seems to be able to get in from the outside, but you can see the view beyond.


    ''''Clouds........it looks like. I can''t help but compare it to common sense now........but a huge box-shaped maze is floating in the sky. Is it such a place, or is the view beyond an illusion...?


    ''But........it''s very similar to the place where Ariadne was. And just like that place, the wandering soul....


    I knew it was something that would stay in place.


    Igarashi-san, who has a fearful streak, shakes her body when she hears Suzuna''s story. I''m not exactly good at it either, but when I think of the regret of the searchers who lost their lives here, I feel the urge to clasp my hands together and pray, just like Suzuna did.


    Eventually, we arrive at a room that is even larger than the place we transitioned to - after a series of inorganic landscapes, the room is clearly different.


    ''''This........is there ivy all over the room.......?''''


    Igarashi wondered why the surface of what appeared to be ''ivy'' had dried up and become hard as stone.


    The winding ivy spread out from the center of the room and ran down to the floor and the walls - only this room had a ceiling, and the ivy ran all the way up to it, tangled and netted together. The slits in the walls were also blocked by thorns, and the light that was leaking out was shining into the room in multiple streaks.


    ''''Is that........a.......gear......no, a wheel......?''''


    There''s a lot of ivy tangled up in there, and it looks like a stone, but...


    ''If we want to move on, we''ll have to do something about the ivy that''s blocking the passage over there. We''ll have to try and cut it down with the help of the arihit.


    ''Elitia, wait a minute. There''s something in this room....


    When I called out to her - Elitia''s shoes stepped on the dry ivy on the floor.


    ''''Huh........!


    Instantly, a breathtaking light fills my vision. Although the color is different from the one I saw before, this light----


    --|Intelligence Tram Awakening, which activates the self-defense mechanism from this--.


    (--The ''parts'' of the secret god........was that what it was all about.......!


    Ariadne''s warning that we heard when we were transferring. It was something along the lines of, "Because we have a contract with the Secret God, the place we are transferring to has been changed.


    --A place where those who have made a contract with the Secret God may be invited to when they use the ''Trap Cube''. It wasn''t hard to imagine that what was there was related to the Secret God.


    ''''Everyone, get away from the ivy under your feet!¡¡That''s.........!


    The dry surface of the ivy shattered, revealing a blinding green.


    Yes - it wasn''t tangled in the wheel and spread out. This ivy and wheel were beings that moved with their own will.


    The demon that I encountered ¡ô.


    ? Wheel of Will In Combat Level 8 Lightning Disabled Drop: ?


    Some of the ivy that had been spreading across the floor peeled off and gathered towards the center of the room - the wheel.


    And then the surface of the wheel cracked, and out of it appeared - a black wheel. On the axle that connects the two wheels, there is a part of the axle that can be ridden by a person.


    The one that appeared there was a female figure that resembled a being that embodied the will of the spider - a chariot driven by the queen who received the crown of thorns.


    I am the car of the star that drives in the sky. I am the car of the star that drives the sky, and I will test those who stand before me.


    We''re coming, Mr. Atobe!


    Current Situation


    ''? Wheel of Will activates Royal Thorn ¡ú Physical Absorption


    The thorny ivy covered the enemy''s surroundings - like a protective barrier. The spirit body standing leisurely in the middle of it seemed to look at me and laugh.


    ''''--Everyone, don''t touch it with a normal attack!¡¡Right now, only magic other than lightning will work!


    But then... but then...!


    Either Misaki''s card will roll you into a blast, or Suzuna''s Blazing Wind - both of which are both physical and magical, and will be absorbed if you hit them properly.


    Probably because the power of the magic surpasses the physical attacks, it''s possible that they can gradually reduce their strength. However, it won''t be so naive as to be able to defeat it with that - we have to disable that ivy somehow.


    ''Those who avenge the crown of thorns will writhe and dance in their agony - they will wither away.''


    You don''t want me to...


    Current Situation


    ''? The Wheel of Will activates "Dancing Rose".


    Aricht activates Force Shoot Freeze ¡ú ? Hit the Wheel of Will. Interferes with the action.


    In between the thorny barrier, I aimed at the main body of the enemy - it was the right thing to do to employ the ''Ice Stone''. If I didn''t have it, the only pure magic attack I could release was the ''Force Shoot'', which would have been insufficient in power.


    ''''--No, not yet...!


    But what I didn''t realize - the enemy, who looked frightened, had forced me to resume the move I was about to release.


    ''''--Gentlemen, avoid!


    Current Situation


    ''? Wheel of Will activates the property of Crown of Arrogance ¡ú prevents skill interruption


    Aricht activates Support and Defense 1 ¡ú Target: Everyone in the party


    ''? The Wheel of Will activates "Dancing Rose".


    Kyoka activates the Blink Step.


    Elitia activates "Sonic Raid".


    Teresia activates Axel Dash.


    Instead of the thorns that were used as a barrier, the remaining thorns that were transmitted to the floor and walls move like living things - and instantly entangle the legs of the members who don''t have evasion skills.


    ''''Kuu...!


    ''Kyah....


    No, no, no, not my legs, my legs...!


    Huh...!


    Current Situation


    Seraphina, Suzuna, Misaki, and Melissa are legally bound and blood sucking.


    A restraining attack that ''Supportive Defense 1'' can''t prevent...!


    I''m not a jack-of-all-trades - I knew that, but I was overconfident in my skills.


    If I''m caught here too, my chances of winning are infinitely more remote. I can hear Ariadne and Murakumo''s voices - but the first choice is.


    ''''--Please........!


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates "The Boat Jump".


    I''m not going to be able to get away from the slow coming thorns.


    But Hannya''s shin guards overturned that perception. I''m not going to be able to get away with it, but I''m going to follow it.


    The shin guards emit light and I "fly again" in the air. I can control my posture in the air as if I am not my own body - like the warrior from whom the legend of the boat jump originated.


    Arichto, run!¡¡If you use those skills, you''ll run out of magic!


    As Elitia warned, the ''Eight Boat Flying'' clearly cut down on its magic power with each flight.


    As long as the enemy absorbs the physical attacks, they will receive the threat of ''Dancing Rose'' many times. Should I aim to interfere with the "Eye Stone" - but even if I stun it, it will still use an ability that will force me to complete the skill.


    The enemy is a plant and a wheel - a combined demon with metal parts. Those two weaknesses, we--.


    I took out the magic stone that I kept in my suit''s inner pocket. I took out the magic stone I got from the island of illusion - the tidal water stone created by Coralpigo.

 147 Chapter One Hundred and Forty Sixth: Weakness

    Behind the spirit body driving the wheel, from above, I held a magic gun loaded with ''tidal water stone''.


    ''''--!''''


    Current Situation


    Aricht loads the Tide Bullet into the magic gun.


    Attack of the "Arithito


    ''? Hit the ''Wheel of Will'' -> ? ''Wheel of Will'' weakened, rusty state


    With a recoil, a bullet is released - when the power drawn from the magic stone lands on the spirit body standing in the car seat, a ball of water instantly swells up and bounces down on it.


    ''''This is........something that shouldn''t be in this space.......salt dissolved, water......''''


    Normally, a mere sprinkling of salt water would not kill a plant in an instant. But salt damage will harm and eventually kill many plants.


    --In this space where matter weathering is fast, the effects of saltwater would occur faster than in the outside world.


    ''''--Dono Atobe!


    "Those who avenge themselves on this crown of thorns will be punished for their crimes...


    Current Situation


    ''? The Wheel of Will activates "Rose Javelin".


    Aricht activates Backstand. Target: Seraphina.


    Monk''s Ankh''s effect has been activated, which converts physical strength into magical power.


    While slowing down my movement, she counterattacks back while transforming the thorns into spears - I recognize Seraphina-san in my vision as ''in front of me'' and shift behind her to avoid her.


    ''''--gahaha...!


    Lady Atobe you are a man of the rear guard and yet you would do something so reckless...


    ''Idata... haha, they finally let me go... it''s a bit of a joke... sucking a girl''s blood...''


    Thank you, Aricht-san.........


    My friends who had been entangled in the thorns are freed - as I run my eyes over the license.


    Current Situation


    Seraphina, Suzuna, Misaki and Melissa''s foot restraints and bloodsucking have been released.


    ''? Wheel of Will has become rusty, attack power reduced, speed reduced, physics absorption lifted, lightning vulnerability


    Aricht, we can attack now........


    No, no, wait...!


    Current Situation


    ''? The Wheel of Will activates Iron Maiden ¡ú Blood Sucking changes the form and releases the rust state


    The four men who were caught by the thorns had received ''blood sucking'' - their blood turned the thorns red.


    ''''-- Offering the blood of the maiden, the crown of thorns will regain its brilliance.''''


    The thorns that turned red powered the wheel - the wheel that began to turn was covered in a pale light, and the rust disappeared as it flaked off. A normal wheel wouldn''t be able to be restored to its original state even after stripping off the rust, but it looked like it had been completely restored.


    (If that wheel is a ''part'', does that mean it''s alive with a will... and can be restored...?


    Oh, is that color... or is that our...?


    At Misaki''s words, Elitia''s expression shades - if you slash the thorns now with your sword, there''s a chance that you''ll be bathed in return blood.


    Elitia....


    He recalls Elitia''s words, "I''m not a murderer. Even now, Elitia hasn''t completely gotten over the events that happened in the past.


    ''''Just as long as I don''t get blood back... but if I do...''''


    ''I''ll connect you to Miss Elitia. At all costs.


    Suzuna.


    Elitia and Suzuna exchange glances. There is a risk, but we still have to have Elitia take on the role of attacker.


    ''''Eventually the wheel will begin to turn. The thorny trials of the thorny road will make people flounder - they will be impatient.''''


    They''re coming!


    Current Situation


    ''? The Wheel of Will activates the Aura Spike, which increases physical attack power and increases attack range.


    The two wheels are covered in light - not just reinforcement, the light becomes a needle-like shape, a physical force that lifts the wheels and the seat up.


    Evade or have Serafina-san take it - but the moment the wheel starts to turn, I felt that the attack was something I shouldn''t have to take.


    ''--Mr. Serafina, please evade!


    H..........?


    Current Situation


    ''? The Wheel with a Will invokes ''Trackless Overrunning''


    It was in the blink of an eye - the thorns embedded in the walls of the room rapidly expanded and contracted, drawing the wheel that was in the center of the room.


    ''''Kook...!


    Woah...!


    The two people who were on the track of the attack were me and Seraphina-san - both of them avoided the attack as they threw themselves to the side. The wheel glides through the air and continues to run up the wall.


    ''The crown of thorns looks down on those who are being tested.''


    Misaki, Suzuna!


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates ''Support and Defense 1''.


    ''? The ''Wheel of Will'' destroys the terrain


    Rain of Rubble hits Misaki and Suzuna with no damage.


    Kyahhh...!


    Misaki-chan, Suzuna-chan!


    It''s okay, it''s not..........


    The thorns of light that cover the wheel pierce the stone ceiling, and the spirit body standing on the wheel seat looks down at us - a red thorn stretches out and tries to join with one of the thorns that traveled across the room.


    (It''s not just the spinning of the wheel... it''s those thorns that make high-speed travel possible...!


    Suzuna!¡¡Go for those red thorns!


    "Yes, sir!¡¡''Hit''.........!


    To precisely shoot through the red thorns and sew them to the ceiling, Suzuna''s ''Minnaka'' is a powerful tool - that strike can also be incorporated as the first strike of the ''Support Linkage''.


    ''''Fall........!


    Current Situation


    Aricht is "Support Link 1" and "Support Attack 1".


    Elitia activates "Sonic Raid".


    Suzuna activates Munchu for two consecutive hits.


    Suzuna activates Storm Arrow ¡ú ? Hit the Wheel of Will. Slowing down, blocking action, first level of coordination.


    Elitia activates "Rising Zapper" ¡ú ? Hit the ''Wheel of Will''


    Elitia''s additional attack is triggered ¡ú ? Hit the ''Wheel of Will''


    Suzuna''s arrows pierce the red thorns, and the wind that rolls up impedes the movement of the wheel - the slash that Elitia unleashed while jumping up is superimposed on it.


    ''''--Me too...!


    And it''s not over yet - Melissa runs in with her ''Butcher''s Knife'' at the ready and connects with more coordinated techniques.


    Against an enemy hanging from the ceiling, jumping and attacking normally would only enter shallowly. However, among Melissa''s skills that she didn''t acquire, there is one that is powerful against the air - yes, ''Moonsault''.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Melissa activates "Moonsault" ¡ú ? Hit by the Wheel of Will. Defenses down.


    Linking Technique "Storm Rising Moon" ¡ú Support Damage 56, Additional Damage 18, Cumulative Speed Decrease


    I used "Support Attack 1" to thread the blows through the metallic wheel, just as I did with the Murakumo - the attempt worked better than I expected.


    "Where the wheel goes ... outside forces and the storm will block the path of the wheel.


    Heeee........oh, it''s coming down........


    "--Haah!


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates ''Support and Defense 1'' ¡ú Target: Seraphina


    Seraphina activates the defensive stance.


    Seraphina activates the "Defense Force".


    Seraphina''s defense range has been extended, and her movement speed has been increased while defending.


    Seraphina activates "Rage Rage Forward" and her movement speed increases during defense.


    In order to prevent her companions from being caught in the fall, Serafina-san rushed forward, extending the defensive range of her shield, and hit the falling enemy bodily - she kept going and pushed the enemy to the edge of the wall.


    ''''--Seraphina-san, stay back!


    .....


    Igarashi-san, Theresa........Misaki, please!


    Yeah, I''ll do it...


    Current Situation


    Arihito activates ''Support Link 1'' and ''Support Attack 1''.


    Kyouka activates Lightning Rage ¡ú ? Hit the Wheel of Will with a Wheel of Will.


    Additional Attack of "Lightning Rage" ¡ú ? Wheel of Will hits three levels.


    Theresa activates Azure Slash ¡ú "? A hit on the Wheel of Will. Knockback small, magic burn second level


    Misaki activates the Blast Card ¡ú ? Hit the ''Wheel of Will''


    The coordinated move "Lightning Azure Blast" deals 42 support damage and 14 additional damage.


    ''''Support Attack 1'''' is ineffective up to the lightning chase that occurs in ''''Lightning Rage'''' - but it''s certainly a response to putting three linkages in a row.


    "Yah, I wanted to do it...!


    Don''t let it get to you, Misaki!


    Elitia issues a warning - the enemy that had been hiding behind the blast had already turned towards us.


    The source of power, too. At the same time as the spirit body says that, the wheel is covered in lightning - and lightning runs through the ivy that is spread across the room.


    "Everybody behind me...!


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates ''Support and Defense 1'' ¡ú Target: Seraphina


    Seraphina activates "Aura Shield".


    Great Shield of Mirrored Armor''s special effect is activated.


    Seraphina activates the "Defense Force".


    ''? The Wheel of Will activates the Thundering Supper. Target: Seraphina. Counter with accumulated lightning blows.


    ''? Release the slowdown of Wheel of Will from lightning counter


    Seraphina-san...!


    It''s okay.........it''s all right.......no problem....


    We see how strong Seraphina-san''s shield is against magical attacks - she completely blocked the powerful electric blasts that came through the thorns and protected us as we jumped behind her.


    ''''No, I was going to ask for it too so.......and look. It looks like there''s a recoil on the main body at the same time as the counterattack just now.


    "...they''re going to use their last ounce of strength to defeat us. If we don''t advance to this stage, we won''t be able to defeat them.......they''re coming.......!


    Current Situation


    ''? ''Wheel of Will'' activates ''Wheel of Fate'' ¡ú ''? The ''Wheel of Will'' releases power


    "...the crown of thorns has done its work. The wheel turns, the stars spin.


    Current Situation


    ''? ''Wheel of Will'' activates ''Endless Loop'' ¡ú ''? The Wheel of Will stops spending magic power.


    ''? ''Wheel of Will'' activates ''Thorny Tracks''


    ''? The Wheel of Will activates ''Endless Violation'' ¡ú ''? ''Wheel of Will'' launches an indiscriminate attack


    The thorns were also weapons, and seemed to need them to accelerate - but they were only a provisional way to see if we were worthy of the ''test''.


    The Wheel was deemed worthy of us showing our true strength. But it showed that the enemy''s attack, which was about to begin, would be incomparable.


    No one was able to make a sound. The thorns that stretched throughout the room turned into a path for the ''wheel'' to run - running in all directions at super speed, regardless of the walls, floor and ceiling.


    ''''Don''t.......this is.......!


    Neither Elitia''s speed nor Suzuna''s ''Minnaka'' can aim at them - if they can''t stop their movements, they will all be attacked eventually.


    ''''If they come this way, we can''t hold them back...!


    Come.....!


    Igarashi-san!


    Current Situation


    Kyoka activates "Decoy" ¡ú Target: "Kyoka


    Kyoka activates ''Ibaid Step''.


    ''? Wheel of Will attack ¡ú Kyoka avoids it


    Kyouka''s evasion rate has increased.


    I haven''t..........


    Igarashi uses the "decoy" on himself and attracts the enemy''s attacks - even if he avoids it once, the "wheel" runs towards Igarashi in succession and hits him with his body.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    ''? Wheel of Will attack ¡ú Kyoka avoids it


    Kyouka''s evasion rate has increased.


    ''? Wheel of Will attack ¡ú Kyoka avoids it


    Kyouka''s evasion rate has increased.


    Igarashi-san........every time I evade, I move more and more.......this is the ''Ibaid Step''.......!


    I won''t let them hurt you...!


    Current Situation


    ''? Wheel of Will attack ¡ú Kyoka avoids it


    Kyouka''s evasion rate has increased.


    ''? Wheel of Will attack ¡ú Kyoka avoids it


    Kyouka''s evasion rate has increased.


    Kyouka, no!¡¡Those skills.........!


    I''m not... yet...!


    --a skill that increases the rate of evasion the more you continue to evade. But that''s not a promise of ''absolute evasion''.


    And every time you evade, Igarashi-san''s magic power is decreasing. He won''t have it the next time - if that''s the case.


    ''''--Use the ''Blink Step'', Igarashi-san!


    Huh...!


    Current Situation


    Kyouka''s magic power decreased. "Ibaid Step" unlocked.


    Arihito activates "Assist Charge" ¡ú Kyouka''s magic power is restored.


    ''? Attack of the ''Wheel of Will''


    Kyouka activates Blink Step and avoids the attack.


    ''Igarashi-san, please use the ''blink step'' one more time!


    Aricht, what are you...


    ''''--Everyone, if Igarashi-san evades, attack the place as I instructed!


    Current Situation


    Arihito''s Eagle''s Eye is activated, and his ability to grasp the situation is improved.


    (Concentrate........I''ve already seen his trajectory many times. The next path he will take to aim at Igarashi-san is........!


    ''-- Master, you can use my power. The wheel is now abandoning its defenses to go on the offensive. My slash should be effective.


    I can hear Murakumo''s voice - I gripped the sword on my back to strike the biggest blow at the only and momentary opportunity that came my way.


    ''Please ... just one more time ...!


    Current Situation


    ''? Attack of the ''Wheel of Will''


    Kyouka activates Blink Step and avoids the attack.


    I''m here!


    hit!


    Current Situation


    Arihito activates ''Support and Control 1'' and can guide party members to their targets.


    Arihito activates ''Support Linkage 1'' and ''Support Attack 2: Tenchi Blades''.


    Suzuna activates Storm Arrow ¡ú ? Hit the Wheel of Will. Slow down.


    It was the second arrow by Suzuna''s ''Minnaka'' - that point where Suzuna''s ''Minnaka'' passed by the place where Igarashi-san was, ran through the wall, ran through the ceiling and struck again.


    The arrows Suzuna had fired into the place where no one should have been there, had successfully caught the ''wheel''.

 148 One Hundred and Forty-Seventh Chapter: North Heaven

    Go ahead and bloom ... ''Blossomblade''!


    Current Situation


    Elitia activates the Blossom Blade ¡ú ? Twelve-dan hit on the Wheel of Will.


    Elitia''s additional attack is triggered ¡ú ? A six-step hit on "Wheels with a Will


    I''ll be next........


    Huh...!


    Current Situation


    Misaki activates the Blast Card ¡ú ? Wheel of Will hits the Wheel of Will.


    Theresia activates Azure Slash ¡ú ? A hit on the Wheel of Will. Knockback small, magic burn 4th level


    "....the power to stop the ...wheels of destiny...


    Me too.....


    Theresia''s attack created wind pressure, and the enemy was pushed - beyond that, the waiting Melissa was holding a huge demolition knife.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Melissa activates Cutoff ¡ú Ambush effect is activated. A hit on the Wheel of Will Critical.


    Huh...!


    You can''t cut the metal wheel, gagin, and the blade of the knife is played back - but the position that Melissa is in is still the ''enemy''s blind spot''. And that is also the time for Murakumo to kill.


    ''''-- just like my secret god''s ability to protect its contractors. I too will grow together with my masters. What cannot be cut, will eventually be gone.''''


    Murakumo''s shape changes - it''s not just my magical power, Ariadne''s power is flowing in to unleash Murakumo''s power.


    ''Through the Contractor''s body, I and the Star Machine Sword are connected. In accordance with the synchronization between me and the contractor, I will release the second stage--''''


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates Backstand ¡ú Target: Melissa


    Murakumo activates the Hokuten Six Star Impulse ¡ú ? The Wheel of Will hits with a 6th step.


    Breakthrough of the limit of "Support Attack 2" Tenchi Blades 28 times


    I activate "Backstand" and go behind Melissa. In the next moment, she received the Murakumo that I was holding in my hand, which materialized - and performed a technique that I had never seen before.


    ''''-- Only with the power of a master can I do this. My own ''Heaven and Earth Blade'' accelerates my technique.


    Current Situation


    The "Northern Heavenly 6 Stars" and the "Heaven and Earth Blades" 6-dan resonate with each other.


    The linked move "Wind Flower Solemnity Slayer, Six Star Tenchi" ¡ú ''? Accumulative slowdown in Wheel of Will cumulative Knockback small Magic Burn


    "The crown of the northern heavens the forgotten god of mystery...


    Even with this barrage of blows, the wheel still moved - as if to say that it couldn''t stop.


    ''.........I will end it. I will stop it.........!


    Current Situation


    Seraphina activates "Provoke".


    Aricht activates ''Support and Defense 1'' ¡ú Target: Seraphina


    Seraphina activates Niou-stand ¡ú Knockback against Seraphina is nullified.


    Seraphina activates the defensive stance.


    Seraphina activates "Aura Shield".


    Great Shield of Mirrored Armor''s special effect is activated.


    ''? Wheel of Will attack ¡ú hit Seraphina


    ''Ugh......................!


    Serafina-san catches the assault of the wheel with her shield - even if she uses her skills to not back down, she is still going to be pushed down.


    She receives it through - as if ''stopping the wheel'' is the proof of victory.


    ''''Seraphina-san........!


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates ''Support Attack 1''.


    Seraphina activates Fanatic, which increases her status.


    Seraphina activates ''Shield Parry'' ¡ú ''? ''Wheel of Will'' temporarily suspended in action


    Seraphina activates "Shield Slam" ¡ú ? Wheel of Will hits for 14 damage.


    ''? Defeat a Wheel of Will


    The wheel that was supposed to stop, which continued to turn with infinite magical power - stopped.


    ''''Hah, hah........''''


    Ms. Seraphina breathes on her shoulder - they all do their deadly best and no words come out immediately.


    The spike-shaped light that covered the wheel is gone. Even if you try to get closer, there''s no sign of it starting to move.


    ¡ô? Wheel of Will¡ô


    The "Self-Defense Mechanism" is dormant.


    The spirit body that was driving the wheel has disappeared, but it must be residing in this wheel itself. Once again, it''s quite large for a wheel - its diameter is as tall as my height.


    The materialized Murakumo, holding out the sword it carried to me - and then walking towards me, it disappeared when I almost touched it.


    ''''I''m going to get some sleep. Master, this place leads to the place where the secret god ... Ariadne is.


    ''This is.........Murakumo, what does that mean.......''


    Before she could answer my question, Murakumo also seemed to have fallen asleep - her newly performed technique must have been a consuming one herself.


    ''Those who have received the blessing of the secret gods are invited to the place where the parts of the secret gods sleep. I have never gained a believer, and I could not have foreseen that such a thing would happen.''''


    Ariadne speaks to me as she replaces Murakumo. Her tone is casual, but her voice sounds powerless - she''s probably apologizing for it.


    Then I have no choice but to say that I don''t have to. I''m not going to be able to say that I''m not going to be able to do that.


    There is a reaction of armament control near there. If you discover it, you can interfere with the wheel and free the passage sealed with thorns. It can be destroyed, but I recommend keeping the wheel under control rather than leaving it unattended.''''


    Okay, I''ll see what I can do. All of you take a break from this, please.


    Yes ... Aricht, where are you going?


    ''''It looks like there''s some kind of Breakthrough Crystal that I used when I made the Murakumo spiders my friends around here. If you use it, you can get rid of the thorns that are blocking the way.


    ''Then let''s all split up and look for it. Ah.........


    Igarashi-san, who has walked over here, suddenly loses her balance - she seems to be in a bit of a daze after overusing her magic power that much.


    ''''Please rest, Igarashi-san, you''ve done your best to attract the enemy.


    I managed to do my job.


    ''You''re pushing it a little too hard it''s not a skill you can reliably avoid. I was able to pull off a hit, and Kyouka seems to be very athletic to begin with, so I was able to dodge it.


    Igarashi caught me and supported her body, and she barely stood on her own. I get behind her and activate ''Assist Charge'' once more - after taking a sip of the mana potion, as my own magic power is also in danger.


    ''''Wha........oh, thank you.


    ''''This is my role as well, so don''t worry about it. I may ask you to take on the role of attracting the enemy''s attacks again in the future... although I would like to find a safer way to do it, if possible.


    ''Thank you. We''re all in danger, so don''t worry too much about it.


    "My brother was behind me when I found out, so I managed to stay safe, but...


    If it weren''t for Mr. Aricht, I think we would have been trapped in the rubble.


    Depending on your positioning, you can stay in a position that is considered ''behind'', so even if the formation is disrupted, your support skills will not be neutralized. However, it was a good experience when the enemy moves upwards, as in this case - it is necessary to understand the situation in three dimensions.


    ''''Igarashi-san and the depleted members of the team should rest. Is Theresia okay?


    ..........


    ''Hmm does that mean you''re okay with the mana potion?¡¡All right.


    Since I''m looking at the potion I have, I give it to Theresia. Using the ''Assist Charge'' restores my magic power as well, but there''s no need to consider that much right now.


    ''''.........hmm......''''


    Theresia takes a sip of the potion. She doesn''t let the bad taste show on her face - or so she thought, but she stuck her tongue out in a small way for a moment.


    ''''........bitter?''''


    .....


    Theresia shook her head. Did she think that denying her taste was something she shouldn''t do - or is it that all sub-humans are like that? It might be a patronizing thing to do, but I think it''s the former.


    ''''Haha, big brother, really... if it were me, I''d have to be pretty bold to do it, wouldn''t I?


    ''''Although there is a drain on magic power, the fact that you all have hardly lost any strength shows the uniqueness of Lord Atobe''s party... of course, that''s great.


    ''....Seraphina''s strength is at its lowest point. ''''Yes.''''


    ''''Thanks, but I have the potions as well, so that''s not a problem. The problem with these potions is that I can barely afford to drink them in the middle of battle.


    Serafina-san takes out the potion she carried with her as she said - but the bottle has been broken by the impact of the battle.


    Well, I''ll take you up on your offer.


    While blushing a little, Seraphina-san received the potion again from Melissa and drank it - indeed, the fact that everyone is almost unharmed by this is an unexpected result after a battle with a strong enemy that was not expected.


    ¡ô¡ó¡ô


    Once I passed by, the weathered wreckage of a searcher - in it, I found a buried stone.


    ¡ôRenzhensheng ¡ô


    We don''t have all the details, including the purpose of use.


    Invalid appraisal


    It''s not the same name, ''Breaker Crystal'' - but you can tell just by looking at it that it''s of the same quality. The shape itself is similar, with the only difference being the slight difference in color.


    Everything is still just a guess, but among the party that came here before us, there were people who had the ''Divine Weapon Control Crystal''. And the ''Wheel'' put them to the test - they lost their lives.


    The things that made the God of Secrets, and the ''parts'' - the speculation surrounding those things would sometimes play with the searchers and take their lives. Or they can give them great power in exchange for trials and payoffs.


    Either way, because we''ve survived, we''re able to get a little closer to the hidden gods - the secrets related to Ariadne. Until we eventually come to some truth, we must survive at all costs.


    The ''Divine Weapon Manipulation Crystal'' that doesn''t accept appraisals, doesn''t show any details in the license, and even the guild hasn''t been able to fully grasp it. We''re already out of bounds with normal searchers. We should be careful not to spread that information unnecessarily and stand around.


    After returning to the room with the wheel, I told everyone that I had found the "cheap jerseys," and then I put it in the hollow on the surface of the wheel - and then.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    ''? Change the owner of "Wheel of Will" to "Aricht".


    ''? The first title of The Wheel of Will turns out to be "Alfeca".


    Alphecca that''s the name of the wheel.


    ''She looked like a princess or a queen but I wonder if she''ll come out again when she materializes, like Murakumo-san.


    ''Master Atobe, the thorns are moving and it looks like we can move on.


    Brother, I was looking for this room in the rubble...


    The ''black box'' was dropped. What does this mean...?


    It''s certainly a tricky thing to get the "Black Box" trap released and the "Trap Cube" removed - and then the "Black Box" is obtained again at the destination of the transition.


    The fact that there are almost no items left behind from those who were defeated by the Wheel here suggests that they are contained in this Black Box.


    The reason why the ''Ren Zheng Crystal'' did not enter the ''Black Box'' - could it be that the divine Artifact Manipulation Crystal would never enter the box in the same level as the place where the ''Wheel'' was located?


    ''''The ''Armament'' is hoping to be found by the one who made a contract with the Secret God... although it''s a contradiction in terms to give it a trial. Perhaps that''s what it''s all about.


    ''If you want me, you can beat me, right? Is it a rule that you have to be strong to be accepted?


    ''Well I think we have that much power. Without the ''Murakumo'', I think we would have had a difficult time winning, too.


    In order to get an armament, you will need other armaments. The more you collect, the easier it will not be to obtain new armaments. I think once again that they won''t let you choose the easy way.


    I''m gonna have to get out of here anyway you guys wanna go?


    We made our way to the passage where the thorny blockade was lifted. The wheel, which recognized me as its owner, faded from sight a bit before I had time to think about how to carry it, and then it was gone.


    ''Armament can be called to me. I can also etherize it and accompany it as a spirit body........and Murakumo. I would like you to come to me once. From that space, I can connect the transference to my source.''''


    I can transition to Ariadne - for the first time in a long time, I can see her in action. I was able to speak using Suzuna''s ''medium'', but I thought it would be quite a while before I could travel to the eighth ward, so being able to transfer is a great help.


    I tell everyone that Ariadne is calling me. I also want to bring in the members who haven''t met her yet - she''s always been there to help us, our guardian goddess.

 149 Episode 148: Maple Perspective Temptation

    The primary color plateau - a place in the labyrinth of the seventh district that the guild introduced to us that even the four of us could capture it.


    I couldn''t imagine what kind of place it was just by the name, but from what I had seen before my reincarnation, it looked like the reddish-brown wasteland of Australia or the highlands of the Andes, and I thought that the ''primary colors'' in this case meant the colors of nature.


    Let''s go, Anna-chan, let''s go!


    Yes....!


    Current Situation


    Ryoko activates Bubble Spread, hitting the Mudcrawler at three levels.


    Anna activates Thunder Shot ¡ú Mad Crowler is hit by an electric shock.


    Ryoko uses the water in the puddle to create several large water beads and hits the caterpillar that covers its body with mud. I heard that this caterpillar, despite its cute appearance, has a hard time attacking a party that can''t attack with water because it can''t attack if its body is covered with mud.


    After sprinkling water on the caterpillar, electricity goes through it easily, and the caterpillar gets electrocuted so much that you can see what looks like a bone inside for a moment. I think normal caterpillars don''t have bones, but the bones in their heads are very solid, and I could see that the poisonous needles in their tails have bones going through them too.


    "--Piggyyyy!


    Yah!


    Current Situation


    Activate the shouting call from the maple tree ¡ú Overpower the mudcrawler. Cancel the action.


    The maple invokes the chi-kentai.


    Maple activates Yan Fei ¡ú Mudcrawler is hit.


    Ibuki activates the Crescent Moon Kick and hits the Mad Crowler.


    Defeat one "Mudcrawler".


    After Uchi strikes and runs through, Ibuki delivers the final blow during the zanshin.


    ''''Piggyyyy........''''


    The basic idea is to beat them without letting them fight back, said the person who put me in his party when we were still new to the labyrinth country.


    Now, those people are stuck in the eighth ward. He said it''s not unusual for people to lose their minds once they''ve been defeated by a demon and run away, so we had no choice but to accept the dissolution of the party.


    Not wanting to give up yet, I fought Watadama alone and waited for him to find a friend.


    That''s how I met Ibuki - without much pause, I also met Ryoko''s sister and Anna.


    ''Hmmm... if I can just beat one of them, I''ll be fine, but this caterpillar doesn''t have that much to contribute.


    ''''Materials are cheap, and after all, efficient demons have been hunted in preference.


    ''Well, we''ll just have to take it steadily. ''Named'' was with the teachers, so we''ve defeated two of them... and if we can defeat one more, we''ll have the conditions for that one.


    Our situation has changed a lot since we met with Brother Arihito and the others.


    Since we came to the 7th District, we couldn''t find anything with a name, and the "Beach of the Rakuyang", which was supposed to be efficient, was monopolized, and there were lots of other competitors, and there were times when the demons were snatched up right in front of us.


    There were times when they would talk about how it might be a year before they could move up from the seventh district, or something like that. We thought that the most important thing was to survive.


    "....maple tree?


    ''Well maple, I''m a bit preoccupied today but is that enough of an exploration for you to get back to the city?


    I''m sorry, I was just thinking. I won''t let my mind wander when it comes to a fight.


    ''........were you thinking about the Arhites?


    Anna doesn''t hesitate to tell me in these situations. It would be easier for us if she told us, but I don''t think it''s good to rely on her all the time. She may be an adult, but she''s the youngest in our group.


    I wonder if we will be able to catch up with her as we did until we met her brothers. There are people who work hard in their own way and move up to the upper wards, but...


    Well that''s just the way it is. We can''t have the teachers set the pace for us and we''ll just have to do our best to catch up with them in our own way.


    "....the chance of finding a ''named'' is a matter of luck. The ''named'' whose condition is found is the one that is hunted by all searchers.


    Whether or not we''ll get our turn is unclear. The Named One was defeated once, but will come back again. The interval between them can be a week or a month.


    If we were unlucky, we wouldn''t be able to hunt the third one with a name for a long time, and if we didn''t try hard enough, we wouldn''t be able to reach 20,000 contributions in a month.


    As for the 20,000 contribution, we''ll just have to keep at it. If I''m able to hunt monsters like this, then I should be able to earn 700 contributions a day.


    The truth is, that''s just because I know I need to defeat more demons than I can stand. If you don''t become that strong, you won''t be qualified to move up to the sixth district.


    I can''t help but think that the guild doesn''t want everyone to move up to the 6th district. If I faced that, I would feel dizzy.


    But while I was with my brother, I didn''t think about it at all.


    I was always excited, and when I was with my brothers, I was able to do my best even though I was fighting a monster-like demon.


    Hey... is there something you''re stuck on?


    A pair of sunglasses that you don''t usually see on the street. And a beautiful girl wearing a white cloak over it, and before we knew it, she was looking at us.


    (This person........before, brother Aricht-san told me to be careful.......)


    The white hair is whiter than silver, and from the weapons to the armor, many of them are white, so I thought he was particular about the white color. It''s a great piece of equipment that you couldn''t find in the 7th district. I wondered what such a person was doing in a place like this all by himself.


    I was just watching him stopping the attack, but he attacked it with water and lightning, and the other two played the role of attackers and packed it in tightly. If that''s the case, they should be able to play in the sixth division.


    --He said it incredibly simply, as if it were a matter of course.


    We weren''t good at all, and I thought we had to work harder and harder.


    But - the truth is, I did.


    If my brother had been there, we would have made a difference. I thought that we, along with my brothers, had the right to move up to the sixth ward.


    I''m not jealous of them. It''s just that even if we promised to meet again in the upper wards, I was worried that we wouldn''t be able to keep our promise.


    The conditions for moving up to the sixth ward are difficult, and we''re not ready...


    ''''As long as you can hunt the ''named'', the conditions will be easier to meet. If you can kill a level 5 ''Mudcrawler'' normally, the contribution requirement can be met if you work hard. The less popular demons aren''t adjusted for contribution, so the contribution is 50 per one, no matter how much you hunt them.


    Whether it''s a week away or a month away - even if it''s a lot further.


    The longer we delay in catching up with our brothers, the more our existence becomes a thing of the past.


    You''re getting along with other parties, and you''re getting bigger and bigger, and we''re just a party that we fought with in the past.


    I know that we will never be forgotten. But if we can''t catch up with them, it''s the same as being forgotten.


    But if you can''t catch up with them, it''s the same as being forgotten. Do you know anything about the conditions for getting your name on the list or anything like that........


    Ibuki, no, you can''t, it''s not polite to ask that question because it''s very important information.


    Ibuki asks the white woman what she thought of us. Anna says it''s no good - we know how both of us feel.


    Her brother told her to be careful, but we''ve all come to expect this person to be careful. We''ve all been expecting him to help us," she says.


    Ever since Ryoko joined us, she''s been the one who decides what we do.


    She was unable to say anything. She''s looking at the white woman with a reproachful look in her eyes.


    For once, we thought we should say something instead of Ryoko. I thought that there are things you can''t say because you''re an adult.


    If you think that we are qualified, if you know how to meet the ''named'' person, please tell us. Could you tell me?


    ...Maple Tree.


    In Ryoko''s voice, I didn''t sense any blaming power in her sister''s voice.


    The white woman laughed with a very innocent face, as if she was waiting for those words.


    I''ll say it again, I think everyone deserves to go to the sixth ward. So I''m going to give you some advice.

 150 Episode 149: Temporary Return

    At the back of the room where we fought the Wheel, we walked through the open corridor - not a single wreckage is in sight, unlike the one that brought us here.


    There is only one person who has made it this far. Who built such a labyrinth and for what purpose? I don''t want to think that it only exists to slaughter the searchers.


    Elitia, who was ahead of me, stops at the entrance of the room. In the center of the circular room, there is a transition floor similar to the one we came to here.


    ''''If we transition from here, we can return home, right...?''''


    ''Perhaps so, but once we get to Ariadne''s. They say they can change the destination of this transition bed to Ariadne''s.


    ''It''s just a place with ''parts'', so it must have something to do with a secret god.


    ''I''ve looked into what''s bothering me, but I wonder if there''s still some secrets...''


    ''As for the spirits that are lost, I had to do an ''exorcism''. At the very least, we wanted to appease them...


    Suzuna looks behind her. I can''t see anything, but Suzuna can see it - the spirits of those who lost their lives fighting the Wheel.


    I look back and close my eyes. Then I at least say a prayer.


    I know that this is not an unusual thing in the land of the labyrinth. Still, if I had gotten there sooner, there may have been people I could have met while I was still alive.


    That prayer is not in vain.


    No one said a word, but we all prayed. And then the floor beneath our feet shone and we shifted - to that sanctuary.


    ¡ô ¡ó¡ô


    --When I opened my eyes, we were in the room where Ariadne''s "Covenant" was placed.


    Previously, we didn''t get to look around the entire room, but this room had been set up with a camp for transitioning.


    However, Ariadne was able to transfer to one level of the labyrinth by simply holding out her hand to us. This transfer using this formation is considered to be a different and special kind of transfer.


    ''''........I can use the magic of ''return''. It is of the same quality as the Scroll of Return, and from here, I can only transfer it to the entrance of the Field of Dawn.


    It''s not a voice that echoes in my head.


    Ariadne, who had been lying on the Ark of the Covenant, was raising her body. However, she seemed to only be able to move her upper body, and poked her hand at the edge of the Ark of the Covenant, but she was unable to stand up.


    ''''Huh........Ariadne-san!


    Igarashi-san runs up to Ariadne. He climbed up the steps and held out his hand to Ariadne in the Ark of the Covenant - but Ariadne did not take his hand.


    ''''........With the two ''parts'' in place, the operating range has increased.


    Ariadne said that once the ''parts'' were in place, he would be able to operate outside for a certain amount of time. The fact that she got the ''wheel'' means that only the upper half of her body could move.


    ''''This room ... and this girl ...''''


    I tell Seraphina and Melissa about Ariadne. That ''Guard Arm'' has been summoned with the help of Ariadne - and that we have made a contract here and have received the blessing of Ariadne, the secret god.


    You guys are in touch with the hidden parts of the labyrinth country that even the guild has not been able to grasp.


    ''I''m sorry I haven''t been able to tell you more about it until now. Seraphina-san has asked me to participate in the battle against Ariadne''s ''parts'' twice. Other than that, I owe you countless times... that''s why I wanted to tell you.


    Seraphina didn''t answer right away. She just looked at us and closed her eyes - and breathed deeply.


    ''''I am humbled by the news of such an important matter. I thought that it would be enough for me to be in a position to assist you. But now I wonder if it is safe to assume that I am a member of your party.


    I''m glad you told me too. I''ll have to teach Madoka a thing or two.


    ''Yeah, I''ll bring him back eventually. I thought it would be hard to get back to the Eighth Ward, but now, Ariadne, I guess that''s not the case anymore.


    Ariadne said - if we can replenish the power of the sanctuary by offering offerings, we can set up a transition floor outside that leads to the sanctuary.


    ''''I''m late in my opportunity to tell you. That the offering is not only the material the ''faith'' itself. Now that the Faith Value has risen, the scope of my ability to interfere with the outside world has expanded. It is now possible for me to work on the outside transition camp and change my destination to the ''sanctuary''.


    Does that mean I can come here anytime?¡¡Brother, isn''t it exciting, like a secret base?


    You cannot use it without permission, as it converts your ''faith value'' into an interference power when changing your transition destination. It only needs to come to me on the necessary occasions.


    What Ariadne is using her skills to power - that would be the ''faith value''. If that''s the case, then we need to raise it as much as possible.


    If Suzuna''s ''Spiritual Medium'' can also raise her faith value, then I think I can use her power, but will her ''faith value'' increase even if she does ''Assist Charge'' directly? Now that I''ve been able to wake up my upper body, I can try it - and then I realized now that I''ve been thinking about it.


    ''''Yeah, well, even if you say God, you should still wear clothes...''''


    "....clothes can also be generated by supplementing the ''parts''. I don''t need them now.


    Even so, what about the fact that her breasts are only hidden by her long hair - while Ariadne lies in the covenant chest again, wondering what to do with it.


    ''The ''silver wheel'' will repair itself for a little while. As soon as it regenerates its functions, I will pass it on to Ariadne.


    ''The silver wheel ... Ariadne, that wheel ...''


    I''m sure it wasn''t silver. Before saying so, Ariadne closes her eyes - perhaps because she''s not yet used to moving her body?


    ''Oh I understand. Ariadne, I''m glad you came to see me once. Get some rest.


    ..........


    Ariadne does not answer. Only her lips move - and at the same time, the transition begins again.


    When I opened my eyes again, we were in a familiar place. It''s the transfer station near the ''Green Pavilion'' in the seventh district.


    I open the door and go outside. Since the time is midday, I think about stopping by the Green House once and greeting Louisa-san.


    ''''Atove-dono.....Look. As I thought, the days were passing quickly in that treasure palace.''''


    The way he says days implies that time is passing in days, not hours. Serafina-san bought a simple version of a newspaper or something like that sold nearby, and she shows me the date.


    --It''s already been several days since we transitioned to the labyrinth the ''wheel'' was in.


    ''''--Atobe-sama.......Thank goodness you''re back.......!


    Louisa-san comes out of the Green Pavilion and runs towards us. The fact that we hadn''t returned for a few days was one thing, but her panic seemed to be unusual.


    ''''Hah, hah I''m sorry, I saw you from the guild''s office, so I came out in a hurry...''''


    ''I''m sorry for worrying you, we had a bit of an unexpected thing happen to us and I think we worried Madoka and the others too. The girls......


    ''It''s all right. Celes and the others have returned, and since I was resting in the same room as Madoka-sama, we all said that they would surely come back just because they were behind schedule.


    When you go into the labyrinth, even if you plan to return that day, it may take you more days than you planned - you need to keep that in mind. I need to apologize to Madoka and the others later.


    ''''But more importantly, I''m sorry to say that you have just returned, but there is one thing I would like to discuss with you.


    ''The time we experienced in the labyrinth is less than half a day, so it''s not a problem. What''s going on?


    ''That''s why... since yesterday, I was approached by a colleague who told me that the ''Four Seasons'' have not come out of the labyrinth. They said that the girls were working on a no-pressure policy and that they hadn''t been staying overnight in the labyrinth unless they had planned to do so in advance...


    -- A memory that seems only a few hours ago to me passes through my mind.


    I saw the four members of the ''Four Seasons'' heading to the labyrinth - we didn''t call out to the girls because we were also moving to transition with the ''Trap Cube''.


    ''Louisa-san, is the labyrinth that the four of you were going to is the ''Primary Color Plateau''?


    ''''Ha, yes I''ve heard that. He said that they had made some progress in the attack, and yesterday he said that they expected to be able to enter the second level. He said that the first level was so vast that it took him some time to find the entrance to the second level, but when he finally got in.......


    The girls were making good progress in their attack. However, an unexpected event occurred on the second level - or for some reason, they were camping on the second level.


    The fact that they had communicated their plans in advance made it unlikely that they had plans to encamp. But otherwise, it would mean that something had happened to the girls.


    ''''I''m sorry, the guild savers can''t go out unless they can clearly confirm the situation that requires rescue... Adeline-san is now the acting captain of the fifty-threeth unit, and has begun the post-mortem investigation of the ''Ochuyang Beach''.


    ''Thank you for informing me. I''ve told my men to carry out their duties in my absence if they receive orders from the command center. Adeline would be aware of what happened at the ''Beach of the Falling Sun'' and I don''t think it would be a problem.


    Serafina-san is also concerned about the troops, but she says she''s going to accompany us - she''s thinking about the possibility of a situation where the ''Four Seasons'' won''t return, just in case.


    ''I''m sorry, guys, but we''re going to continue on to the ''Primary Colours Plateau''. It''s like a pretty big labyrinth, so those of you who are fatigued, take a break and don''t strain yourself.


    Bow!


    Zion-chan, Madoka-chan too...!


    Madoka comes over here on Zion - when I look at Louisa, she pulls out her license and smiles at me. It means she was contacting us when she saw us.


    ''''Brother, gentlemen.......Thank God.......!


    Madoka, I''m sorry I''m worried about you.


    ''No, it''s fine. I just want my brothers to be safe and that''s all that matters...


    Madoka wipes her tears away with the handkerchief she was holding. Everyone gathered around Madoka and Theon, rejoicing - but they couldn''t stay that way for long.


    ''This time we want to go with a member who has the skills to move faster. We''ll be back as soon as possible.


    ''Wow, I get it. Even if I ran as fast as I could, I wouldn''t be able to keep up with Ellie and Theresa''s super dash at all.


    ''''I.......have a ''swarming wolf stance'', so I can run faster with Zion-chan around.


    ''I won''t slow you down either, even with my shield at the ready if necessary. I would be happy to accompany you.


    My speed may be the lowest of the members in this group - but by using ''eight boat jumps'' at key points, obstacles should not be a problem.


    Current Party


    1: Arihito ¡Á¡ï* Level 6


    2: Theresa Rogue, Level 6.


    3: Kyouka Valkyrie Level 5


    4: Elitia Carth Blade Level 10.


    5: Theon Guardhound Level 5.


    6: Melissa, Demolition Shop, Level 6.


    7: Serafina Mobile Infantry, Level 11


    Standby Member 1: Misaki Gambler, Level 5


    Standby Member 2: Suzuna, Maiden, Level 5


    Standby Member 3: Madoka, Merchant, Level 4


    Standby Member 4: Louisa Guild Staff Level 4


    Brother, take care of yourself... and the next time you come back, we''ll all...


    ''I''m going to take a bath with my brother!¡¡Also, no sleeping on the ground floor!


    ''Mi, Misaki-chan there''s a time and place for that sort of thing now...''


    The ''Four Seasons'' folks......................


    Yes, we''ll be back. Everyone, let''s go!


    We start running - to the entrance of the labyrinth that leads to the "Plateau of Primary Colors".


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    The primary color plateau - it was a labyrinth with large puddles of water and sparse green leafy trees growing in places in the reddish-brown wilderness.


    The demon that I encountered ¡ô


    Mad Crowler A: Level 5 Vigilance Drop: ?


    Mudcrawler B: Level 5 Vigilance Drop: ?


    Bluff Frog: Level 5 Vigilance Drop: ?


    "Piggyyyy!


    Seeing us advancing furiously, a caterpillar spits a string at us - but it doesn''t get into the attack range and we just keep running.


    ''There are traces of a few demons killed... but I don''t know if everyone in the ''Four Seasons'' killed this one...!


    ''Let''s get to the second level entrance.......this labyrinth, how big it is.......!


    .........


    ''''I was able to get some information in advance, but there is no mistake in this direction. If we hurry, I''m sure we''ll be able to find those girls...!


    Are you going to carry it on your back, Arihito?¡¡I have some power in my own right.


    It''s okay........I have some skills like that........


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates "The Boat Jump".


    With each leap, he crosses from ship to ship - a movement that is approximately impossible with his own physical abilities, but as long as he wears the ''Hannya no shin pad'', he can move without any discomfort.


    (Still........this labyrinth is huge.


    Even without the monopoly of the Alliance, essentially, you always have to choose a labyrinth to avoid overlapping targets for the hunt. That''s why ''The Four Seasons'' chose this labyrinth.


    If there is less competition for searchers, the chances of encountering ''named'' will increase. If the ''named'' of this labyrinth''s second tier hasn''t been hunted yet, it''s possible to encounter them - but generally speaking, it''s only ''possible''.


    These women are brave searchers. At the same time, I thought they believed in the most cautious search possible - why did these women extend their hunting trip to the second level of the labyrinth, where just moving around would rob them of their strength?


    ''''They were in a hurry.......that''s what it was about. The girls had a reason to proceed. That is not to be blamed.


    ''Yeah I know. Maybe what we''re doing could be called meddling. We shouldn''t even think about being overprotective or anything so conceited.


    It''s okay.....because I''m worried about you....and if you don''t hold back, you''ll regret it....


    Wow!


    Theon spoke more eloquently than my poor words - with his brave cry.


    When I was about to run out of magic power, I sipped the mana potion. I thought I had been trying not to drink excessively, but I had already used up another bottle.

 151 Episode 150: Trap

    The entrance to the second level was marked by a huge rock. It was a primitive shrine-like artifact built from huge rocks - and once you walked through it, the scene around you changed completely.


    It would have been two hours from the entrance of the labyrinth to this point - we hardly saw any other searchers. It must be a labyrinth that is usually almost abandoned because the number of demons appearing in it is low and stampede is hard to occur.


    --But as soon as we entered the second level, we noticed something strange.


    ''''Is this........a lump of mud with an arm on it?''''


    "....looks like it has a face. They''re pouring water on the mud doll demon ... softening it up and knocking it down.


    Igarashi-san and Melissa examine the demon that was left fallen and abandoned - Theresia hasn''t responded to anything, so there''s no danger unless it''s a trap that can''t be detected by ''Trap Detection 1''.


    There is no change in the terrain, with large puddles of water in places. What did change was that there was an unnaturally sheer wall of some sort that blocked the view.


    This kind of terrain was not that surprising since we saw it in "The Beach of the Falling Sun". What is more worrisome is that none of the demons that were defeated have been recovered by the ''couriers''.


    ''''Water-using skills.......Ryoko and the others were fighting here a few hours ago.......''''


    ...This is.........


    There are traces in the forehead of the mud doll, as if something had been fitted in it.


    A little further on, I can also find a toppled mud doll - there is also a hole in its forehead that looks like something as big as a magic stone could go in there as well.


    (I only collected the magic stone and proceeded........is that what happened.......)


    There is a gap between them, but they are taking down the mud dolls they found in turn. What does this mean - and is there a demon that all individuals have a magic stone?


    What is it that they are collecting? What is the purpose of collecting them - did you just collect them by accident?


    ''''..........Aricht........hmm, I heard something......''''


    --Let go of me and let me go........give me back.......!


    Anna-chan.........?


    Huh...!


    Igarashi-san raises her voice - Theresa starts to run and they all follow.


    There''s no longer time to think about it. If we don''t get there as quickly as possible - the voices sounded like they were reverberating through the entire area from the other side, of the towering rock wall in front of us.


    Even as we ran, we saw a number of mud dolls - I''m sure they were level 5 or 6 demons, but there were a few that were defeated in an alien way, mixed in with what appeared to be the ''Four Seasons'' working together to defeat them.


    The wreckage was shredded by a blade. If the ''Four Seasons'' had only dealt just enough blows to bring it down, the wreckage clearly looked like it had been hit with an overwhelming amount of power.


    An attack power that is incomparable to the explorers of the Seventh Ward we''ve seen -- there''s only one person I can think of who has it.


    --Think about it before the next time we meet.


    --If you change your mind, you can always come see me.


    Anna!


    I went around at full speed behind the wall that was blocking my view.


    There was - with Anna, cornered against the wall, clutching her racket with both hands.


    There was a huge mud doll there, so huge that you could look up and see her raising her fist.


    ''Anna, don''t run!''


    Elitia uses ''Sonic Raid'' to accelerate - and then tries to unleash a big move without question.


    ''''--Don''t........don''t attack, guys.......!


    Huh...!


    At Anna''s shrill cry, I finally realized.


    ¡ôThe Demon I Encountered¡ô


    Three-sided cursed mud giant level 9 water absorption lightning absorption in battle Drop: ?


    Current Situation


    The Three-Faced Cursed Mud Giant binds Maple, Ibuki and Ryoko.


    Elitia" stops activating "Rising Zapper".


    Aricht activates ''Support and Defense 1'' ¡ú Target: ''Elitia''


    The attack of the three-sided cursed mud giant hits Elitia.


    d*mn it...!


    --when we realized what Anna meant by "return", all we could think of was that we wouldn''t attack the three restrained men. Elitia gets hit by the giant''s fist -- but she does a somersault in the air and lands, immediately holding her sword up.


    ''''........I didn''t know there was a demon of such a bad nature.......''''


    A mud giant, composed of something similar to the mud dolls we''ve seen so far. Embedded in its chest are a maple, ibuki and Ryoko-san - the mud is raised in the shape of the body, but only the face is out.


    ''''Ugh ... ah ...''''


    Anna... everyone run...


    Maples, Ibuki... and you guys... you''ll be able to help us...


    Anger urges up - I can''t help but scream, but screaming in a rage won''t help the three of them.


    (-- If I strike a blow without hurting the three of them... where is his weakness...!


    Current Situation


    Arihito activates Eye of the Hawk ¡úDefeats the weakness of the three-sided cursed mud giant.


    The head of the mud giant - there is no distinct head, but there is a raised area - where three strange masks of different colors and expressions are embedded.


    The light blue and yellow masks are luminous - only the red mask is not glowing.


    I glanced at the license and guessed what the colors meant.


    (The light blue is labeled as water and the yellow is labeled as lightning - both of which are disabled.


    Theresa, that red mask...!


    Attack the red mask with the flaming ''Azure Slash''. Activate "Support Control 1" to aim accurately - and repeat 1 or 2 of "Support Attack".


    After it succeeds, you will decide whether to chase or defend based on the enemy''s reaction.


    Trying to give instructions up to that point, I - I couldn''t put it into words until the end.


    ''''--Thanks for coming up here. But hey, we''re out of here.


    White.


    Where was he lurking - was he waiting for this moment?


    No, no. Longer than that, Sirone''s plotting had begun long ago.


    The current situation


    The condition of the Magic Marking is fulfilled when Shirohane touches Arihito.


    Shirone''s scroll effect is limited to Alihit.


    Shirone uses the Scroll of the Return ¡ú Alihito transfers


    Anna, everyone at the party, looks back at me - and their eyes widen.


    Irresistibly, the world in front of me is distant. And a moment later, I''m looking once more at the scene I saw two hours ago at the entrance to the Plateau of Primary Colors.


    I check the license. The information written there indicated that Syrone had used her skills to separate me from the party and transfer me alone.


    I start running - I can''t afford to spend even a little time thinking about it.


    A level 9 ''named'' that had exceptional strength in the Seventh Ward - the ''Merciless Funeral Manger''. If a ''Named'' with the same level appeared, this labyrinth would have been considered more dangerous.


    Perhaps Silone had information on the ''named'' in this labyrinth. I don''t know if it was obtained when I attacked it as a member of the ''Byakuya Brigade'' or not.


    Knowing that they were related to me and the ''Four Seasons'', Shirone led them to the ''Named''. Or maybe he even helped them to fulfill the conditions of their appearance. That it wasn''t just about watching, is shown by the mud doll that was destroyed by a force alien to the four of them.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô.


    Aricht activates "The Boat Jump".


    Choose a way to go as fast as possible and leap continuously, no matter the height difference. If you run out of magic, you use another mana potion - but.


    My body rejects the liquid that tried to pass down my throat. I lose control of my posture and am thrown to the reddish-brown ground, tumbling down the hill.


    ''''Ha............''''


    Current Situation


    Monk''s Ankh''s effect has been activated, which converts physical strength into magical power.


    (Already ... you''re that worn out. I''ve got to get back as fast as I can...)


    I start running again. But my legs are heavier as lead than the first time I ran through.


    The "Mudcrawlers" who should have been able to shake it off are blocking the way. If you can''t use the ''eight boat jump'', you can''t jump over them and ignore them.


    ''''--Piggyyyy!


    A squeal calls out to the other individuals. The next thing I know, I''m surrounded by demons, slowly but surely, by demons.


    How did this happen? There''s one answer - that I sensed that Shirone had bad intentions, but didn''t investigate what happened when she touched me. Perhaps that was a condition for activating the skill of ''Magic Marking''.


    And the other thing. That I said I would fight with the ''Four Seasons'' and see you in the Upper Ward again.


    Even if the feeling wasn''t false, he shouldn''t have said anything that would hurry the girls up.


    -- but more than that. Right now, I just can''t help myself, standing still in the mud like this.


    ''''I can''t end it........here......!


    If there''s a way for me, the "rear guard," to break through after being surrounded by them, the only way is to ask for the help of the "Murakumo".


    If you''re running out of magic power, you can turn your strength into magic power. Now that my magic power is exhausted, even if I''m going to cut down my life with every skill I use, I''ll--''''


    "Contractor. If you try to protect your friends, I will fulfill that wish.


    "...Ariadne... can you get me to transfer to the others...?


    ''I can''t do that. But I can take you there.


    I will run through this wilderness and return to my friends who are fighting that mud giant. Ariadne says that she will give me a way to make that possible.


    ''''I beg you........to help me. Ariadne.........!


    "The unshakable rear guard. "An unshakable rearguard, the faithful guard, whose faith will guide you on the path of light, with silver wheels.


    Current Situation


    Alihit" requests support from "Ariadne".


    Ariadne" summons "Silver Wheel".


    "In the name of my God, I will guide the contractor. I am Alphecca incarnate of the silver wheel.


    ''Arianrhod the silver wheel.........''


    The silver wheels materialize on either side of me. I''m seated in the seat constructed between them - the materialized Alphecca pulls me up.


    ''Master just sit down. We''ll get there in the blink of an eye.''


    Ariadne and Murakumo don''t say anything - but they are waiting for my words with Alfeca.


    ''--run at full speed, Alfeca!


    "As you wish.


    Current Situation


    Ariadne converts the faith value of Alihit into magic.


    Alphecca activates Endless Loop ¡ú Alphecca''s magic consumption stops.


    Alphecca activates the Rose Spike, which absorbs health and magic upon attack.


    Alphecca activates Floating. Ignores obstacles and height difference.


    The Mad Crowlers, who were crawling up to them, jumped at them all at once - but the wheels that began to move did not attract them.


    "--piggyyyy!


    Current Situation


    Alphecca''s attack ¡ú Three Mudcrawlers are hit.


    Rose Spike''s effect is activated, and Arihito''s strength and magic power are restored.


    The moment the demons were blown away by the wheel reinforced by ''Rose Spike'' - the moment I blew away a distance that I had never seen before, I felt my body filled with power.


    My body, which had been unable to accept the mana potion due to my continuous use of it, is filled with magical power. The spirit body driving the wheel next to me looked at me - its expression was almost too transparent to see, but it seemed to confirm my condition and smiled.


    ''It is my duty to heal the passengers. I will send them off in perfect condition.''''


    Oh please. That would be really helpful...!


    As he floats up, Alfeca glides through the air and runs along the highs and lows. Although it''s not as fast as the instantaneous speed of the ''Sonic Raid'', it continues to advance at high speed - much faster than when it moved the first time.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    The mud giants raise their fists and slam down - their reach is long and their range is wide.


    If that''s all you have to do, you can just try to avoid it. However, there was a clear reason for not being able to take distance or escape.


    ''''Gulp..........''''


    Sion, who had bravely attacked me, was unable to move due to the mud that the mud giants had showered on him, depriving him of his physical freedom - Seraphina had stood around to protect Sion.


    ''''--If you''re going to aim at me, let me be.......!


    Current Situation


    The three-sided cursed mud giant activates Mud Fist ¡ú Elitia avoids it.


    The three-sided cursed mud giant activates the Mud Cage, which strengthens the restraints on Maples, Ibuki and Ryoko.


    The mud giant crashes his fist into the ground and then tries to take the three of them even deeper with the splattered mud. Each time the three of them are caught, their strength is sucked out of them.


    ''''-- Cowards........let the three of you go.......!


    Current Situation


    Elitia activates Blade Roll and hits the three-sided cursed mud giant.


    The three-sided cursed mud giant activates "Destroy Armor" ¡ú The three-sided cursed mud giant destroys damaged armor and restores durability.


    (Even if you only scrape off the surface, they''ll smear you with mud again and restore your armor... you can''t destroy it without hitting a weak point...!


    What Arihito was trying to say - surely the mud giant''s weakness is the three masks on the raised part of its head. However, if you aim with the Blossom Blade, you could engulf the three that are captured in the chest area.


    My attacks aren''t aimed at one precise spot. It is most effective when Arihito supports me in striking any place and in any way to deliver an effective blow.


    But now that we don''t have an arihit, we have to get through it ourselves. Once we show up, Shirone will be watching us for a long time - if we don''t survive, we won''t be able to make her pay for what she''s done.


    ''Look, Ellie, we''ll be back!¡¡If you can''t use it, I can use that sword for you!


    You are making such a provocation, knowing that I cannot let go of the cursed sword.


    Current Situation


    The three-sided cursed mud giant activates Mud Fist ¡ú Elitia avoids it.


    The three-sided cursed mud giant activates the Muddy Mud Rope, which slows Elitia down.


    Shit...........!


    "--Haah!


    Current Situation


    Three Cursed Mud Giant activates Mud Fist.


    Seraphina activates Shieldpally ¡ú Mud Fist is disabled. The three-sided cursed mud giant temporarily stops acting.


    The cursed three-sided mud giant activates Mud Rain.


    d*mn it...!


    Seraphina!


    Current Situation


    The Cursed Mud Giant with Three Sides activates the Mud Invitation.


    Teresia activates Axel Dash.


    Theresa activates Double Throw and throws two small darks.


    3-Sided Cursed Mud Giant" is hit by a double-decker for no damage.


    Melissa activates Helmet Cracking ¡ú hits the cursed three-sided mud giant for no damage.


    Kyouka activates a double attack and hits the cursed three-sided mud giant for no damage.


    If this is the case, Seraphina will be restrained - the three of them attack to stop it. However, all of their attacks are unable to give an effective hit.


    ''''Wha........!


    I can''t stop..........


    I knew that mask... but how do I get my attack to work?


    If that glowing mask shows the enemy''s attribute resistance, then the red mask with the light extinguished - probably fire is the weak point. If Celes was there, I could attack with ''Fire Text''. But that''s just something that isn''t there.


    An explorer should have as many attributes as possible. But Theresia has a flame attribute attack - even though she''s ready, the enemy won''t let her easily exploit her weaknesses either.


    ''''........!


    Teresiak!


    Current Situation


    The Cursed Mud Giant with Three Sides activates Mud Rain ¡ú mud on Theresia.


    Theresa activates Azure Slash and hits the cursed three-sided mud giant for no damage.


    The Cursed Mud Giant with Three Sides activates the Mud Lure ¡ú Theresa is bound.


    Huh...!


    The mud giant changes its target from Seraphina to Theresa. Grabbed by the giant''s hands, Theresia struggles to escape.


    Instead of rescuing the three of them, she was able to capture more of her friends. Even if she could breathe at first, if she used the ''mud cage'' on top of each other, she would be completely buried inside the mud giant.


    If I did that - I would let them die. Also, right in front of me, without being able to do anything.


    Elitia-san, no!


    I stare at the blade of my sword. If I bathe in blood, that abominable skill will be activated - and I will forget myself.


    If I can defeat the mud giant, so be it. Because even if the attack can''t be understood, there should be nothing that the ''Sword of Death'' can''t defeat.


    ''''I''m sorry.......I was so weak.......''''


    -Whoosh!


    When I was about to press my fingertips to the blade - I was.


    The voice I had been waiting for all along. I was sure I heard his voice, the one I believed would come.

 152 Episode 151 "Silver Wheel"

    I plunged into two layers and kept running without stopping - and the sight I saw was the worst, but not the worst of the bottom.


    The mud giants are holding Theresa captive. The first and foremost priority is - to free her.


    ''We''re going to charge in like this - is there any way we can blow that giant''s arms off?


    "Burning off all the current magic in one fell swoop, and then charging forward at top speed.


    Yeah I''m asking for your help...


    "As you wish.


    The mud giant turns toward us - and the wheel floats up and accelerates through the momentary gap that was created.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation¡ô


    Alphecca activates Aura Spike.


    Alfeca activates Vanishing Burst... ¡ú Speed up... Breaks the limit... Adds Remaining Shadows...


    Alphecca activates the Silver Trajectory and hits the three-sided cursed mud giant.


    Destroy the parts of the three-sided cursed mud giant ¡ú The three-sided cursed mud giant drops materials.


    After a blink of an eye, I was in the air.


    Looking back, I saw a silvery light left in the air we flew through.


    The right arm of the mud giant''s right arm is shattered - the hand that had caught Theresa loosens and she immediately escapes - but the enemy still has his left arm.


    ''--Tereziah, aim at that red mask with your sword!


    With normal attacks, it''s difficult to aim at masks that are high up - but with this method.


    ''''.........''''


    Go!


    Current Situation


    Arihito activates ''Support and Control 1'' and can guide party members to their targets.


    Theresa activates the Azure Weapon and adds the flame attribute to the Eluminate Razor Sword.


    Theresa activates Double Throw. She throws the Eluminate Razor Sword and Small Dark.


    Theresia''s sword, which was given the flame attribute by the power of the "Blue Flame Stone", ran through the air while the sword blade emitted blue light - and stood against the red mask on the mud giant''s head.


    Current Situation


    3-Sided Cursed Mud Giant'' has a weakness of 2 hits.


    A blow changes the battlefield - the mud giant stumbles, loses his balance and pokes his left hand.


    ''''What are you doing.... you guys have to lose...''''


    ''Silone, you can''t do what you want ... we''ll never ...!


    Elitia shouts - how much her voice, her fighting spirit, has inspired us.


    ''--Igarashi-san, Anna!


    "Yes!


    Water and lightning - it''s not that the skills of the ''Four Seasons'' are not understood by the mud giants. It''s just that they couldn''t respond to the changes in their weaknesses if they didn''t have the Flame.


    (There''s nothing wrong with that. We can definitely get it back...!


    The red mask is crushed and the light in the yellow mask disappears. The attribute that can be understood now is - ''lightning''.


    Current Situation


    Anna activates Thunder Shot and hits the three-sided cursed mud giant.


    Kyoka activates Lightning Rage and hits the three-sided cursed mud giant.


    Lightning Rage''s additional attack ¡ú Triple hit on the cursed three-sided mud giant. Weak special effects, weak attribute changes, cumulative damage reduction.


    The yellow mask is destroyed by two lightning attacks - and finally, the light blue mask.


    ''''Ugh.........''''


    Ryoko, who can attack with the water attribute, is suffering from being trapped inside the mud giant.


    ''''If I buy another ''Tidal Water Stone'' - no, if I can''t do that, I''ll think of other measures.


    ''''-- Master, what constitutes that giant?''''


    Alphecca asks. A giant made of mud - is that a clue to what is going on?


    (Mud ... made of mud. An effective attack against mud is....)


    ''It is not an attack. It is providence. What sucks strength from the mud and grows from it is what it is.


    "I am the crown of thorns. "I have a crown of thorns, a chariot of warriors, and the power to control the vine...!


    Then..........


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates Vine Chute and hits the three-sided cursed giant.


    Ryoko is bound by the vine grass ¡ú released by the mud


    The level of the three-sided cursed mud giant has dropped by 1.


    The material of The Clown of the Vine Grass - the vine grass itself was released from the sling, which was strung with the "living young vine".


    It thrusts up and dives into the surface of the mud with ease - Alphecca rips Ryoko''s body out of the mud''s restraints by reeling in the vine grass.


    In that moment, the mud giant is weakened. It had increased in strength by taking in the explorers, and had reached a level of strength that was inappropriate for this labyrinth.


    ''''--Ryoko-san!¡¡Aim for the last mask with a water attack!


    I knew it wasn''t something I would let them do instantly after being released - but if I wasn''t careful, there was a chance that someone could be caught again.


    ''''Don''t........let go of my people.......!


    Current Situation


    Ryoko" activates "Aqua Dolphin".


    Hit the Cursed Mud Giant on three sides.


    The last mask is destroyed - I continue to fire two ''Vine shots, and Alfeca reels it in. Furthermore, the mud giant, whose level dropped by two levels, was reduced to about two-thirds of its initial size.


    ''''Lies.......that''s not.......that''s not possible......''''


    I''m not lying.


    ''--No!


    Syrone shouts - the margin for the mud giants never expecting to lose is finally shattered because they never thought they would lose.


    ''''Elitia ... ''Support!''


    Go ahead and bloom ... ''Blossomblade''!


    Current Situation


    Arihito activates ''Support Attack 2'' ¡ú Support: ''Vine Shoot''


    Elitia activates the Blossom Blade and hits the three-sided cursed mud giant with a twelve-level hit.


    Elitia''s additional attack has been triggered, hitting the cursed three-sided mud giant at eight levels.


    Activate Elitia''s Unicorn Ribbon special effect ¡ú Upon critical hit, a portion of the blow will penetrate the enemy''s defense.


    Support Attack 2 occurs 20 times ¡ú The cursed three-sided mud giant is completely bound by the vine grass.


    Destroy Shirone''s Spell of Manipulation ¡ú Shirone will receive a reflection of the blows received by the three-sided cursed mud giant.


    Defeat the three-sided cursed mud giant.


    Elitia waved her sword and danced - the vine grass that occurred each time tangled the mud giant and took away its freedom.


    Elitia put her sword away and turned her back on what had been a mud giant. The vine grasses were tangled together to cover the mud, making it look like a giant object.


    ''''--Silonet!


    Elitia''s attack should indeed have been fired at the mud giant. However, Silone''s cloak was torn off and wounds were all over her body, as if she had received the ''Blossom Blade'' in her body. The sheath that housed the twin swords also broke and fell to the ground, but she didn''t even have the strength left to pick it up.


    ''''Kuch...!


    She wobbles and uses her skills to regain her strength and runs away. She wanted to go further into the labyrinth, alone.


    ''''........What she did is against the rules of the guild. All the wards will share the information with her and she''ll be caught somewhere.


    Elitia says with her eyes down. It''s not easy for me to say that I can understand her feelings - but.


    ''''Even with such a high level of explorers, you never know what will happen if you deal with a group of demons. If you can use the ''Scroll of Return'' as well and you don''t.......


    "...I don''t know. I don''t know what Shirone is thinking. The former wasn''t the kind of person who would do something so malicious and deceitful to people like that.


    There''s no easy answer to what we should do. The first thing we need to do now is to get everyone in The Four Seasons back to the city.


    Kaede and Ibuki were being cared for by Igarashi and Melissa respectively, but they still seemed to be in a daze. However, they were each able to clasp back the hand of the person who had interceded for them - they were all safe and alive.


    ''Thank you, Sion-chan... for trying to protect us...''


    BOW!


    Sion, who had been stuck in the mud and couldn''t move, was also able to move after Ryoko-san poured water on him to wash away the mud - fortunately, he didn''t seem to be injured.


    ''''.........''''


    Theresia retrieves the sword that was sticking out of the mud giant and comes over to me.


    ''You did a good job.......Teresia. I''m sorry, guys, too.


    ''I never imagined I''d be apologizing...I never imagined I''d come home on a silver wheel.


    Elitia says with a chuckle. She''s covered in mud too - but it doesn''t matter, they''re my best friends.


    Everyone is relieved and laughing - but I couldn''t have gotten here on my own, and I would have been stuck at the end of my magic.


    I want to thank the ''silver wheel'' for guiding me and my friends who believed and waited for me again. Georg from "The North Star" said that even if one of us is missing, we won''t be able to walk, and I feel the same way.


    We keep going without losing anything, and we must. I want to continue to keep it the same, that''s my vow.


    Seraphina was looking in the direction Shirone was headed, but she''s coming this way. First she gave us a word of thanks for our labor.


    ''''I even admire the bond between you guys.


    ''When Silone used his special skills on me, I didn''t see it coming. I have to be more careful, once again, I think I need to be more careful.


    Seraphina nodded and smiled serenely. However, there is still something left to talk about.


    Why did she do this when she knew she owed a great deal of karma.......


    ''''Perhaps. Any action that would make a demon go after another seeker will not raise karma unless it is proven... but this time there are many adventurers and physical evidence left over. From my license, I have also contacted the Guild Saber Headquarters. Sirone Kuznoha is being arranged as a target for capture as of now.


    Syrone was no longer able to return to the ''Brigade''. Did she escape the pursuit of the Guild Saber and disappear once to get out of this labyrinth, or--''''


    ''''I''m sorry, but what happened to everyone in the ''Four Seasons''? Can you tell me what Sirone did to them?


    I ask Anna, who had escaped the mud giant''s capture. She looks at her companions - the maple, who was being cared for by Igarashi-san, barely got up and said.


    ''Our ... it''s our fault.


    ''Not at all.......we all agreed on that. Sirone didn''t think we could defeat that ''Mud Giant'' but she kept her promise to tell us about the ''named''. I''m really sorry, Atobe-san. You always helped me out, and caused me trouble again when I was about to go to the sixth ward...


    Tears run down Ryoko''s cheeks. Even Ibuki, who was resting his head on Melissa''s lap, covered his eyes with his arms - not to show his tears.


    ''I''m sorry, Sensei ... us, us, and everyone else ... again, together ...''


    There is nothing to apologize for. They worked hard to catch up with us as quickly as possible, to get to the next ward. If you were reckless for that, there was only one thing to say.


    ''Thank you. You all worked so hard for us to explore with us again... if you feel that way, then we''ll do our best.


    I think it would be great to have a relationship where we could support each other instead of having to compete with the other parties that we usually have to compete with.


    Igarashi is right. Theresia put her hand on Anna''s shoulder, who was crying quietly, and soothed her with a plop - Melissa lent her handkerchief to Ibuki, who was crying like a child, and stroked her to soothe her.


    ''''We are also responsible for Shirone-san''s affairs, having accepted the invitation. But.........


    ''''........Elitia. Sirone doesn''t just turn bad intentions on the other searchers. If that''s the case, does that mean there''s a reason for his current actions?


    It''s...


    Even if I asked Elitia, I know it would be difficult to answer. Still, I could tell from her expression that she was lost - what we should do against Silone, who entered the depths of the labyrinth alone with no weapons, and what we should do about it.


    ''I ... I know I''m being naive. But we can''t just leave them alone. When I was sent to the entrance of the labyrinth, there was definitely anger towards Shilone. But going to the depths of the labyrinth alone I don''t think letting it go is the same as making her pay for her sins.


    ...Alihit.


    I set everyone in the Four Seasons up for a trap, that''s a fact, and it''s unforgivable.


    But the people of the Four Seasons don''t appreciate the fact that they are leaving Cyrone alone. Then I will respect their feelings.


    ''''Well... maybe you have confidence that you can handle it all by yourself, but if you don''t have a party together, you won''t be able to deal with anything unexpected.


    My companions agreed with Igarashi''s words. Theon also gave a small bark, indicating his willingness to accompany me.


    ''''Seraphina-san, may I ask you to take care of everyone in the ''Four Seasons''?


    ''''Understood. Now, I''ll leave once with the ''Scroll of Return'' to report to Guild Saber Headquarters................................Take care of yourself.


    The maple tree, too, is spilling tears, raggedly - I''m honestly touched by that genuine gratitude, too.


    It was such a fierce battle.


    ''''It''s because of The Wheel. They made us struggle when we were the enemy, but that power is really reliable when you have it on your side.


    ''Master is distracted by the star wheel. I will try to contribute more.''''


    "Weapons and wheels serve different purposes. We can only enhance each other by resonating with each other.


    The embodied Murakumo and the seat on the wheel - Alfeca, who appeared on the palanquin, talked with each other. While looking at the scene, Seraphina said.


    ''''The ''silver wheel'' - how far will it go with Atobe-dono and the others on board? I, too, would like to witness it from the side.


    I decide which members of the team will ride in the carseat to follow Syrone. When the three of us are barely able to ride together, Theresia gets on my lap because of her contribution in the battle, and Elitia and Melissa hold onto the back of the carseat and stand on it.


    ''''..........''''


    Theresia fought so bravely and now she''s behaving on my lap - I''m embarrassed, but I can''t let that happen.


    ''''........Master, signal for us to leave.''''


    Yeah. I''m going after Cyrone we''re going, Alfeca.


    As you wish.


    The wheels begin to turn slowly. The Four Seasons and Seraphina saw us off, and we headed for the three levels of the "Primary Color Plateau".

 153 Chapter One Hundred and Fifty Two Chapters: Stop Water

    It seems that the mud doll-like enemies we saw before coming here were defeated in order to make the Mud Giants appear.


    I''m sure you''ll be able to find out what''s going on in the world, and you''ll be able to find out what''s going on in the world.


    I''m sure you''ll be able to find out what''s going on in the world, and I''m sure you''ll be able to find out what''s going on in the world, and I''m sure you''ll be able to find out what''s going on in the world, and I''m sure you''ll be able to find out what''s going on in the world. It''s not clear at present if it''s the kind of demon that can be controlled by the ''Mud Giant'' or not.


    ''''Aricht, isn''t your level up because you fought the ''Mud Giant''?''''''


    ''Yeah, let''s check it out ... me, Theresa, and Igarashi-san are on the level.


    Even though it was unforeseen, it''s a shame in terms of experience that the entire party couldn''t come together to defeat the ''Mud Giants''. It''s possible that the Four Seasons could have been leveled up as well - even though they struggled, they were all safe in the end.


    ¡ôCurrent Party ¡ô.


    1: Alihit ¡ô¡Á¡õ# Level 7


    2: Theresa Rogue, Level 7.


    3: Kyouka Valkyrie Level 6


    4: Elitia Carth Blade Level 10.


    5: Theon Silverhound Level 6.


    6: Melissa, Demolition Shop, Level 6.


    The experience of ''named'' is still large even for non-leveled members, and the ball-like display of experience on the license shows that even high-level Elitia has accumulated about 5. 10 seems to raise the level, but since Theon and Melissa have also accumulated quite a bit at once, leveling up is not far away That''s right.


    ''Normally, after the adventure was over, you would check your leveling up when you reported to the guild.


    ''It''s up while we''re exploring, but I want to take my time thinking about my skills, so that''s basically what I''m going to do.


    ''Let''s keep in mind that there are more skills we can take. Thank you for telling me, Elitia.


    ''''It''s times like these, but it''s also exciting to see people raise the bar,''''


    Melissa seems to be starting to be interested in humans as well as rare demons - is that too much to say? As for me, Melissa has a lot of skills that she can take, so I''m looking forward to seeing her level up. Of course, I''m thinking about all of them.


    ''''And yet, it''s really wide open...''''


    Rearward, are you sure you want to keep going straight?


    ''Yes, I can vaguely tell the direction Silone went, or maybe it''s because he used his skills earlier.


    Marking, a skill that allowed me to activate the effects of the ''Scroll of Return'' limited to me alone. I don''t know how long it will last after it''s activated, or if it''s permanent, but I can vaguely see the direction that the master of the mark, Shirone, was headed.


    (I''d appreciate it if the effect wore off in time, like until I got out of the labyrinth...)


    It could be that I ask for a release when I meet Cyrone. I don''t know if I''m in a state to talk to her properly, but that''s why I can''t leave her alone.


    Right now, I''m thinking about getting out of the second layer. The primary color plateau is still very vast, layer by layer - there are many similar terrains, and the fact that it''s hard to tell how far we''re going adds to the perception that it''s large.


    It''s not just the mud giants we were fighting against, the second level terrain is full of pond-sized puddles and salamander-like demons.


    The demons we encountered¡ô


    Slow Salamander A: Level 6, friendly, resistance unknown, drop: ?


    Slow Salamander B: Level 7 Sleeping Resistance Unknown Drop: ?


    The length of its body, including its long tail, looks to be nearly two meters long, and it has a branch-like sense of touch, but I wonder if it will use that to attack me in some way - the way it looks at me with its face out of the puddle is quite charming.


    ''''It''s a time like this, but you''re kind of a laid-back demon... you have a plush face...''''


    ''I know it looks cute, but that kind of demon will become active and attack you if it''s stimulated from the outside, or if it rains.


    ''You know a lot about this, Ellie... well, if that''s the case, you can''t let your guard down.


    "''Slow'' could mean an attack that would slow down the opponent. It could also mean ''throwing (slow)'', though.


    .........


    Theresia on her knees reacts - an angry looking ''Slow Salamander'' is waiting in the path between the ponds, which she inevitably has to get out of ahead of her - and the path between the ponds.


    ''That guy... something in his mouth...''


    I think it''s the twin swords that Shirone had in her possession.


    Melissa guessed that, and I agreed with her. It sounds pretty, but we can''t let our guard down, as Elitia said.


    There''s no indication that Syrone has been captured, her presence of mind hasn''t been interrupted here. If she had engaged and fled here, why did she choose to drop her weapons and run away at a high level?


    When the ''Mud Giant'' was defeated, the damage from Elitia''s ''Blossom Blade'' was displayed as ''feedback'' to Sirone as well. Although Sirone was able to control the Mud Giant, it seems that there was a risk that the damage would bounce back to Sirone when he destroyed the target he controlled.


    ''''Shirone had taken quite a bit of damage... in her current state, she couldn''t defeat this demon even with the level difference?


    You''ve lost your weapon and you''re still trying to go deep...


    Elitia seems to have mixed feelings about this. What Sirone is doing is, objectively speaking, nothing short of suicidal.


    ''''........Syrone attacked and turned the demons into a hostile state. Since that she''s out of the search range, she''s going to come after us.......!


    There''s still plenty of distance to spare, but with Alphecca''s running speed, he''ll soon be close to the enemy. I wondered if I could resort to using ''Aura Spike'' or some other type of body strike, but Alpheka''s spirit body, whose expression was translucent and I couldn''t see it clearly, seemed to be hesitating in some way.


    ''''What''s the matter?''''¡¡Alphecca. Could it be that you''re not good with that type of demon or something...?


    "There are advantages and disadvantages. We''re resistant to magic, but we''re not perfect.


    Murakumo speaks to me on behalf of Alphecca. In other words, you are not good at the attacks used by the ''Slow Salamander''.


    ''''Even if you do become dysregulated, the skill to remove the dysregulation requires the blood of an unholy maiden, so it cannot be abused.''''


    You should also be able to use ''Rose Javelin'' and the like as a long-range attack, but the reason why you don''t do so is because you are a bitter demon?


    I''m not going to force the "armament" that doesn''t have the same emotions as people to give orders. It''s a good idea to think of the two ''armament'' members as part of the party, and their weaknesses should be mutually compensated for.


    ''''Igarashi-san, let''s set them up with a long-range attack!


    Copy that!


    Ahhhh!


    Igarashi-san rides Zion and looks as heroic as a female knight. Combined with the white and silver armor, it''s nothing short of picturesque.


    The demon that I encountered¡ô


    Slow Salamander D: Level 7 Hostile Resistance Unknown Drop: ?¡¡Possessions: heavens stilettos +4


    Slow Salamander E: Level 7 Hostile Resistance Unknown Drop; ?¡¡Possessions: * Bloodsucker + 3


    One by one, Syrone''s twin swords are held by another ''Salamander'' - they are wrapped tightly in their long tails and seem to be able to swing and attack.


    ''''--As I thought, this kind of attack........is also extremely troublesome.......''''


    The ''salamanders'' turned a tactile sort of thing towards us. And before we set up, they did ''something'' from a distance still.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation¡ô


    Aricht activates Eye of the Hawk.


    Slow Salamander D activates "Breathing to Stop Water" ¡ú Target: Medium Range


    Slow Salamander E activates "Breathing to Stop Water" ¡ú Target: Medium Range


    The attack was invisible - no, it was extremely difficult to see and extremely difficult to discern the range of the attack, to the point where it was finally slightly visible with the ''hawk''s eye''.


    There was only one thing I could do - even if I didn''t know what they were going to do to me, I would just use my sling shot to aim at a different one than Igarashi-san''s target (target), that''s all.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Aricht activates the Force Shoot Freeze.


    Kyoka activates Thunderbolt.


    Stop Breathing hits ¡ú Alphecca, Melissa and Elitia slowed down and Theresia disabled.


    Stop Breathing'' hits ¡ú ''Sion'' and ''Kyouka'' slowed down


    Respiratory Deactivation" resonates ¡ú "Slow Down" level 2


    Kyoka''s "Thunderbolt" activation is delayed.


    Woah...!


    H..........?


    (What''s this technique.......it doesn''t even look good and the effect is too powerful.......!


    Alphecca and Sion slow down significantly at the same time - Teresa and I, who didn''t ''slow down'', are thrown into the air due to inertia, but I activate the ''eight boat jump'' in the air, pick up Teresa and manage to land on a foothold.


    I didn''t think that having Theresia on my lap would be a blessing in this way - whether it was due to the equipment''s resistance or her own trait, she blocked the ''Salamander'' technique.


    Igarashi-san''s ''Thunderbolt'' revealed its effects, and before she could run through the space, she stopped with a barrage of lightning bolts. It means that even my skills are made to ''slow down''


    -- but my skills have not been cancelled. The magic bullets filled with the power of the ''ice stone'' fired by the sling hit the head of one of the ''salamanders''.


    ''''........gee.........''''


    Current Situation


    Force Shoot Freeze'' hits ''Slow Salamander D''. Weak attack, freeze


    The tactile sensation of the ¡ºSalamander¡»''s head is wonderfully frozen - the damage didn''t seem to be small, but it''s still hard to make a decisive strike without using support damage.


    (Even so, it''s too nasty an attack... it doesn''t make you unable to move, but if it hits you, it reduces your speed by several percent...!


    What ... this ... is ... moving ... slowly ...


    This.... attack... this... hierarchy...


    Even Igarashi-san and Elitia''s speech has slowed down - slowing down doesn''t just mean slowing down their movements, it seems to literally slow everything down.


    The two ''Slow Salamander'' techniques resonate with each other, increasing the effect of the state anomaly. If it had been one piece each, they wouldn''t have been made to slow down as much as they did.


    It seems that Sirone had no choice but to throw his weapons and run away in order to escape the range of this technique. It was fortunate in hindsight that this ''Salamander'' didn''t interrupt the fight with the ''Mud Giant''.


    ''''........Gui......''''


    Qua.........


    We can only hear a slight cry, but it''s clearly killing us. The ''Salamander'' in its frozen state is unable to move, but the other ''Salamander'' opens its large mouth to threaten us, and then crawls over to us. It''s not quite as fast as the Komodo Dragon, but its movement speed was faster than I had expected.


    ''''From the enemy''s.......attack range, I''ll pull back.........''''


    It''s a good thing that he has such a powerful conditional disorder, so he wanted to avoid it as much as possible - however, he had exhausted his magic power with Vanishing Burst and was able to activate Floating, which makes him float in the air. There was not. Even if I ran on foot, I would have been unable to avoid encountering the two ''Salamanders'' here.


    In that case, there was no choice but to fight. It would also mean recovering Sirone''s weapons.


    Theresa, I need you to do me a favor and stay in front of me as close as possible. Otherwise, that ''slowing down'' could work on me as well.


    ..........


    Theresia nodded with a persistent nod and held up her ''Razor Sword'' and ''Circular Shield (Tajae)''. While hoping that everyone''s state anomaly will be lifted over time, the two of us aim to defeat it - I prepared a sling to strike the first blow to the approaching ''Salamander''.

 154 Chapter One Hundred and Fifty-third Chapter: Shui Jing Sanjiao Fish

    While slipping and crawling, the ''Salamander'' opens its mouth towards us - not a slowing down attack, but a ball of water floats up from the surrounding puddle.


    ''''--I''ll let you!


    .........


    Current Situation


    Slow Salamander E activates Aqua Elemental ¡ú Aqua Elemental A begins an automatic attack.


    Aricht activates the Force Shoot Freeze and hits Slow Salamander E. He attacks weakly and freezes.


    Huh...!


    Quot...!


    The "Salamander" technique finishes activating before my attack can land - the floating ball of water seems to be pulsating with a thump, thump, thump.


    I didn''t know that a demon that isn''t ''named'' or even normally inhabited has such a wide variety of attacks - there''s no point in whining, the only people who can move properly right now are me and Theresia.


    Theresia holds up her shield - and looks at me behind her for a moment. That''s all it takes to tell me what she''s going to do.


    "Please, Theresa, please!


    "--Hey!


    Theresia rushes towards the ''Aqua Elemental''. The ball of water pulsates loudly, spewing water like a jet at a furious speed towards Theresia - but.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    AQUA ELEMENTAL activates ''Play of Water''.


    Theresa activates Mirage and Shadow Step.


    Teresia avoids Water Play, 6 steps away.


    Theresia''s figure, which wavered as if melting into the air, appears to be altered in several ways - the jet water flow released by the ''Aqua Elemental'' appears to have been hit and only penetrates the afterimage.


    (Theresia you''re not just avoiding it. Even to prevent the stray bullet from hitting me........!


    Current Situation


    Aricht and Theresa''s reliability bonus ¡ú "Evasion-Linked" is activated.


    Theresia moves into a position to guide the enemy''s attack, and a stream of water is released to avoid me in the rear - even though I''m in the middle of this onslaught, I don''t feel in any danger at all.


    I can''t miss this opportunity. I''m going to work with Theresa and try to end the game at once.


    Freeze!


    .....


    Current Situation


    Arihito activates the Force Shoot Freeze and hits Aqua Elemental A. It''s a weak attack and freezes.


    Theresa activates Azure Slash and hits Aqua Elemental A. It freezes, killing her with a single shot.


    After the enemy was frozen by the power of the "Ice Stone", Theresia flashed the "Eluminate Razor Sword", which was covered in blue flames. The ''Aqua Elemental'' that was cut in both directions instantly evaporated and disappeared.


    ''''--Kua........!


    One of the ''Slow Salamanders'', whose frozen state has been lifted, is approaching us - if they activate ''Breathing to Stop Water'', I won''t be able to get Theresia to cover for me in my current position, and I''ll also become ''slowed down'' and out of power.


    (If it''s a water-dwelling demon, it can probably get through.......one or two, let''s try it.......!


    -Tereziah, ''peak strike'' please!


    ...!


    Current Situation


    Arihito activates ''Support Attack 2'' ¡ú Support: ''Vine Shoot''


    Theresa attacks Slow Salamander D


    Slow Salamander D is restrained by Vine Grass


    Freeze" of "Slow Salamander E" is released.


    The moment Theresia applied her weapon, the vine grass that was generated tangled around the ''Salamander'' and took away its freedom.


    Before the other one moves to attack, Theresia has even gotten around to the back of it - the game has been decided.


    ''''Huh........!


    Current Situation


    Theresa activates "Assault Hit" and doubles her attack power against "Slow Salamander E".


    Theresia weakly attacks Slow Salamander E.


    Slow Salamander D is restrained by Vine Grass


    "...kuh....


    Having attacked from the frozen enemy''s blind spot, Theresia''s attack power has been doubled - perhaps judging that it would be a fatal blow, Theresia didn''t dare to hit the attack properly, but struck it with the hilt. Then ''Vine Weed'' is activated, and he succeeds in restraining it without knocking it down as aimed.


    The two-meter-long prickly fish-like demon was lifted up, entangled in the vine grass, and struggled to move its legs rudely. Even a demon with vicious abilities is helpless in this situation.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    The "slowdown" of "Alphecca", "Melissa", "Elitia", "Kyouka", and "Zion" was cancelled.


    Haha, it''s back to normal at last... thank you, Mr. Rear, Miss Theresa.


    I feel like I''m moving so fast when things suddenly become normal.


    ''Really, well that''s the last thing I want to fight for a profession that values speed.


    Melissa and Elitia on Alphecca and Igarashi-san on Sion are catching up to me.


    ''''........Although the master''s decision is absolute, in my opinion, I support defeating them.''''


    ''That''s what I thought too until halfway through, but this ability might come in handy somewhere. And I don''t have to beat you to find out what you''ve got.


    ''Yes, that''s right. Dismantling a plush demon like this...


    ''''The tail is so tasty that it is sometimes found in District 7. If you make the skin into armor, it gives you ''water attribute resistance'' and you can even make the head part into a fighting weapon.


    Humans are so tough - and it''s not like I, who''ve been benefiting from demon materials, is thinking about it now.


    ''''.......Oh?¡¡Rear-kun, the demon seems to be........concerned about Miss Theresa.


    What...?


    If you look closely at the ''Slow Salamander''''s movements, it appears to be trembling in a small way after being caught. What those little eyes were capturing was Theresia.


    ''''Theresia is a ''Lizard Man'' this demon is a ''Salamander''. Could it be that she''s wary of the ''Lizard'' or something.......


    Qua...


    The salamanders purr together, as if Elitia''s guess was correct. Theresia just looks at the salamander quietly - no, she''s licking her lips, so maybe she thinks it looks delicious.


    I don''t know if she''ll succeed, but if that''s the case, there''s room for ''negotiation''.


    ''Don''t worry, I''m not going to eat them. We''ll give you a safe place to live and you can come with us later, okay?


    "...........


    Current Situation


    The hostility of "Slow Salamander D" and "Slow Salamander E" is gone.


    I didn''t get a response, but it seems that they agreed. After releasing the "Vine Grass Bullet" and releasing the "Salamanders" and the others, they didn''t run away, but were quietly looking at us.


    (Hmm?¡¡(This is...)


    When Theresia defeated the ''Aqua Elemental'', there was a small light blue crystal-like object that fell down. When I picked them up, I found that they were smaller than magic stones, but they could be used for something.


    ''''Ah........Rear-kun, there''s something attached to the tails of these kids. Is it a magic stone?


    And Silone''s weapon...neither of them are damaged, although they have some sticky stuff on them.


    Since it looks like mucus covered Salamander''s skin..........Melissa, does it look like he''s not poisoned?


    ''None. When I cook, I use salt to remove the slime.


    Theresia''s stomach rumbled a little in response to the word "food". As Melissa pulled out some dried meat from her tuna pocket and handed it to her, Theresa gulped it down.


    ''When we find Silone, let''s go home and have something good to eat.


    ..........


    Theresia nodded her head persistently. Perhaps it''s because I used the "Slow Salamander", but the individuals who showed up from the puddles and antagonized me have disappeared - it seems that my choice not to defeat them was successful.


    Current Situation¡ô


    Acquire a "stagnant stone".


    Get a copy of Water Crystal


    Get one "Sticky Heaven Stilettos +4".


    Get one copy of "Sticky * Blood Soccer +3

 155 Chapter One Hundred and Fifth Chapter: Green Butterfly

    As we began to ride Alfeca again on the path through the puddles, the landscape around us suddenly began to change.


    ''This feeling ... it seems to be shifting.


    It''s a little surprising when you don''t have any landmarks or anything to show for it... and then all of a sudden there''s a fog.


    Igarashi-san, who is riding alongside Sion, says with a slightly nervous look on his face. I wish it was an enemy attack instead of a transfer, but since this is the only direction we can go after Shirone''s footsteps, we have no choice but to proceed with all our might.


    After a while, the fog begins to fade - it was daylight on the second level, but nightfall is falling on the third level. This was the first time that time had changed significantly after moving through the levels, and everyone was surprised.


    The three levels of the ''Primary Color Plateau''. A vast wasteland that was so vast that it was impossible to see what lay ahead, with several oddly shaped large rocks, sparsely covered with greenery. This scene had some resemblance in my memory.


    The Guiana Highlands, an unexplored region in South America. It was daytime when I saw it on film, but I wondered if that place would look just like this at night.


    Large rocks were lined up to form a path, like a row of columns. If you look further left and right, you''ll see a sheer rock face - a canyon-like terrain.


    ''''I wonder what kind of demon lives in a place like this...''''


    Elitia leans in behind me, probably because of the limited visibility in the dark. The pigtails touch my cheek and tickle me slightly, but Elitia doesn''t seem to mind, so I don''t say anything.


    ''I''m a night owl, I can see in the dark,''


    ..........


    It seems that Melissa can see well in the dark, perhaps because she has inherited the abilities of the ''warcat''. Theresia seems to be able to see as well, but I wonder what her vision through the skull mask looks like - is it like a night vision scope, or does it look like normal daylight?


    ''Sion seems to be able to see well, too. I wonder if he''s following my scent... can you guys follow me back a bit?


    "Woof.


    As Igarashi-san said, Sion proceeded with his nose in a place that seemed to be empty. Will he be able to follow the footprints and so on?


    I proceed cautiously while being wary of my surroundings. I can''t see a bit more clearly either - the moment I think about it.


    The current situation


    Arihito''s Eagle''s Eye is activated, and his ability to grasp the situation is improved.


    With the exception of owls and other nocturnal species, birds are under the impression that they are blind at night, but apparently not so much. We couldn''t see as far as we could in the daytime, but we were able to get a clear view at once.


    As far as the surrounding terrain is concerned, the only thing that moves is a small creature. There was no sign of a demon, but I couldn''t find any sign of Shirone either.


    ''''.......Wait. Theon''s appearance is........


    Sion stops at a certain spot and cowers in place, circling around as if in trouble. Igarashi-san gets down and talks to Sion, but he doesn''t move any more.


    ''''Sion-chan, what''s wrong?¡¡Are you saying that Sirone''s trail is broken here?


    Kuhn.


    Theon also looks confused, licking Igarashi-san''s proffered hand and getting into a prone position. When we catch up with them too, we get off of Alfeca and pay attention to our surroundings to see what''s going on.


    Melissa crawls to the ground and starts looking for clues - and after a moment she stands up and gives a small shake of her head.


    ''The faint footprints that were left are broken. No signs of leaping or anything like that.


    Looking at the trees growing in the area and the oddly shaped rocks that were cut almost vertically, he couldn''t even see any signs that Sirone had come this far. But Theon had certainly followed the scent of Silone to this point.


    For that matter, it looks as if he just disappeared here out of nowhere. (Or....)


    ...It''s like a godsend. Maybe he was caught by a flying demon or something...?


    Igarashi-san says while looking up at the sky - a black and white night sky with a light haze and a hazy moon. The monochrome sky, which does not look like a plateau of primary colors, feels less real than the usual labyrinth, and more like a fairy tale world.


    ''''It''s hard to imagine that a searcher of Shirone''s level would be caught without a way to accomplish it, but judging by the circumstances, it''s possible,''''


    ''''Yeah well if we''ve been kidnapped by a flying demon, we have to find it quickly. But we''ll have to search a pretty large area.


    If you can''t even narrow down the direction you''re looking for, you could be stepping on a completely futile footing.


    And another possibility - it could be that Shirone herself has disappeared herself and is in hiding in order to avoid being tracked.


    It may not be impossible for him to travel to one level with the return scrolls and get out through the gap. If that''s the case, should we also think about escaping rather than searching this unknowable labyrinth in the dark?


    Something small fluttered across my vision.


    Under the black-and-white night sky, "it" appeared in front of us. A lone, blue butterfly--.


    The demon we encountered¡ô


    ? Blue Butterflies H: Level 3 Neutral Unrecognized Resistance Drop: ?


    This little butterfly is a demon...?


    Neutral........that means it''s like a demon that''s not hostile.


    Looking at the license display, these butterflies seem to be quite numerous in the vicinity. However, they just flutter around us, and there''s no sign of them doing anything.


    ''''........just to be sure, do you want to try to take them down?¡¡If Cyrone had met this demon, there''s a chance he might have some clues.


    ''''No, you can''t attack them. Neutral demons will have their karma rise if you attack them from us.


    ''Really?¡¡Karma isn''t something that only goes up when you break the guild''s rules....


    Butterflies don''t come close to us. As advised by Elitia, attacking something that shows no signs of attacking us at all would normally be considered a bad act.


    --But the number of blue butterflies flying around the area is increasing by one or two.


    And for some reason, the butterflies that began to increase in number gathered around Elitia, who told them not to kill the butterflies.


    ''''Elie-san, you''d better get away from this place. No matter how harmless they are, if they''re demons, there might be some danger...''''


    It was when Igarashi-san was about to call out to her.


    ''''........Elitia?''''


    "...I''m not...


    "--Warn the contractor. ...to warn the contractor that the demons appearing in the vicinity


    Elitia mutters something. At the same time, Ariadne warns me - before it all reaches my ears.


    ''''.........No.......I''m not a murderer.......!


    Eritia!


    Current Situation


    ''? Blue Butterfly H activates Guilty Feel ¡ú Target: "Elitia


    Elitia activates Slash Ripper and Blue Butterfly H avoids it.


    Eritia attacks neutral demons ¡ú Eritia''s karma increases.


    The demon that was displayed as neutral did something to Elitia - that was all she could think of.


    After telling her not to attack, she herself pulled out her ''Scarlet Imperial Sword'' and slashed at the butterflies that fluttered around her. The attack seemed to have hit, but her sword was cutting through the sky.


    ''''--Eritia, get a grip!¡¡This demon is bad, let''s get out of here for once!


    No ... no ... it''s too late ... I ...


    What is happening to Elitia? She holds her head as if in pain, and the blue butterflies flit around the area in increasing numbers as she watches, as if to accuse her.


    ''''Rear Kun, the fog is coming from over there...!


    .....


    "Contractor is advised to leave the company temporarily. If you do everything in your power to leave now, you can get away from that fog...


    Alphecca warned - but Elitia, surrounded by blue butterflies, didn''t hear us, or she just stood there and fell into self-destruction.


    ''Eritia, we''re getting out!¡¡Elitia!


    Isn''t that right........?


    Igarashi-san is aware that Elitia''s karma has risen, and he stops himself from trying to attack the blue butterfly.


    If you attack from us, your karma will rise, but the enemy will do something to you - it was too naive to think that such unreasonableness was not something that would happen easily.


    If we were to lose our attention, the labyrinth would change its look in an instant and try to eat the searchers. Elitia''s companions probably fell victim to it as well - if only.


    (We will definitely all get through this........!


    ''-Silone was probably consumed by that fog!¡¡If we could bring him back, we''d have no choice but to go to the same place!


    ''Yes ... well ... We have to prepare ourselves too........before that.......oh, Ellie-san!


    Igarashi-san brushes aside the butterflies and rushes over to Elitia. Elitia is distraught at one point, but in response to Igarashi-san''s voice, she lowers her raised sword with no effort.


    The fog that fills my vision is just around the corner. I abandon the idea of using the ''Scroll of Return'' and face the rushing fog.


    I''m not going to be able to say that I''m not going to be able to do anything about it. You have probably hit the bull''s eye on what you seek in that fog.


    ''Yeah I hope you''re right. We''re still in the situation we''re going to turn the tide, I promise.


    "As you wish.


    We hear Alphecca''s voice. We hide in the shadow of that body - just before the fog pushes in, Igarashi-san, holding Elitia, just barely jumped into the place where we are.


    The number of butterflies flying with the fog had increased to a vastly greater number than before - they didn''t come close to Elitia, and after the fog covered the area, they flew up into the sky.


    From the shadow of Alphecca, I watched the butterflies that filled the sky, creating a giant shadow puppet. Countless butterflies gathered together and changed into a single giant butterfly - as if they were a single life form from the beginning.


    The demon I encountered¡ô


    ¡î Pity Phantom Winged Butterfly Level 8 Special Resistance Drop: ?

 156 Episode 155: Sirones Perspective Solitude

    ''Hah, hah...''


    I kept running and reached the third level of the labyrinth. The time changed rapidly to night, and any sign of the prickly fish demon that had been following me ceased.


    The terrain was like a canyon, sandwiched between high rock walls on either side. There were oddly shaped rocks in places, and I approached one of them and leaned against it, resting my back.


    After I joined the ''Brigade'', it was natural for me to have a party.


    It was just back to the time before I joined the group. The party I belonged to was destroyed, and at one point I was thrown out, and at another time I was tricked into being thrown away as a stone.


    That''s what living in a labyrinthine country is all about. If you don''t take advantage of your friends and try to get to the top, even if it means cutting them down, you''ll have to compromise and rut somewhere and settle in a ward that''s within safe reach of exploration.


    Even if you don''t aim for a higher ward, even if you can''t move up the pecking order, if you can find a group of people who can help you live a peaceful life - it''s been a long time since I''ve imagined such a sweet thing.


    As long as I could contribute, there was a place for me in the brigade. The leader of the brigade had acknowledged my existence.


    But to get to where the brigade was going now, they didn''t need me. Even when I was a twin swordsman, I couldn''t use the twin-sword type ''color name equipment''.


    I have nothing more to offer. I knew, even I knew that I was clinging to my current place of miserable, unrewarding efforts and expecting warmth.


    The Commander never changes his criteria once he''s made up his mind. He didn''t even listen to his sister''s (Ellie) wishes, and he doesn''t see any more value in me, who had no blood ties or usefulness to offer.


    ''There is no role for you to play in remaining here,''


    The ultimatum handed down to me by the leader of the brigade. The last opportunity given to me was to leave the brigade and retrieve Elitia''s sword.


    No one but Elitia could use that sword. Nevertheless, the Commander told me to retrieve the sword alone. That meant that even if it wasn''t Elitia, as long as someone else could use the sword, that was fine.


    Elitia hasn''t given up on rescuing Ruury, who was trapped in The Burning Monkey Duke. However, the members of the brigade were not allowed to help her.


    Alone, Elitia may be just as lost as I am. Having heard rumors about her being called the ''Sword of Death'' and being evaded by the explorers, I had only assumed that she would be alone too.


    --when I found Elitia in the seventh ward. When I heard that she was acting in a party, I couldn''t accept my feelings right away.


    ''''I tried so hard to stay in the brigade, but even though I tried so hard, I''m alone...''''


    The deputy commander of the brigade was concerned about me. But even for the deputy commander, the commander''s decision was absolute.


    The other comrades realized that I would eventually be removed from the brigade due to the unlikelihood of finding another twin-sword type ''color name equipment'', so they only had minimal conversations with me.


    Elitia was rebelling against the brigade''s policy of using cursed weapons to gain an advantage. And yet, she couldn''t refuse to use the sword given to her by the Commander - she was chosen. I changed to a profession I had never seen before and gained strength above my level.


    It was too much, it was unreasonable. There was something I couldn''t get, even if I wanted it, and Elitia took it with her, but she gave it away from me, looking like she was the only one in the tragedy.


    ''''It''s not fair ... it''s not fair, Ellie ... even I ... I''m .........


    It messes with my head. When I saw the party of Ellie and the others'' acquaintances enter this labyrinth, and then followed them - when I met the ''golem'' type demons, I had come up with a plan to break up Ellie''s party.


    At the time, I thought it would work. The ''planting'' I was doing against Ariehito was also successful, he didn''t come back, and the ''Four Seasons'' had to retire as an explorer - and Ariehito, who picked up ''poor Elitia'', must have felt responsible for it and broke down, and Elitia, unable to give up on rescuing Ruilly, will be alone again.


    Then surely I will be able to bring Elitia back. If I complete the task of retrieving the Scarlet Imperial Sword, the time I can stay with the brigade will be extended.


    --and yet.


    And yet, Aricht came back. With unbelievable speed, as if doing so was the norm, he had saved the party from being destroyed. Without taking a single casualty - I don''t understand half of what he was doing in the fight.


    What I do know is that despite his supportive profession, he is the keystone of the party, combining a terrifying calmness to analyze the situation with a terrifying calmness to inspire his friends.


    ''''We will never let Elitia die.''''


    Without hesitation, Aricht said. The leader of any party wouldn''t be able to say, ''I''ll never let her die'' if she knew how cruel the labyrinth was.


    ''''And her goal is our goal, too.''''


    How can you say that much? Elitia''s purpose should be behind a tremendously high wall, even for Aricht.


    The labyrinth is something to dive into at the risk of your life. No one would want to dive for someone else''s purpose if it were not for their own benefit.


    Even the Guild Sabers are under the control of the Guild organization for a purpose. They couldn''t in principle cooperate with the general party outside of their own mission - and yet, some of the Guild Sabers were personally cooperating with Aricht and the others.


    I don''t know. He should have only spent only a few days in the labyrinth country, which would make him a rookie.


    Elitia put her full trust in Aricht, he had turned the impossible into possible and would surely continue to go on without stopping.


    The strength leaves his body. You won''t even know where you stand.


    --Eritia, I can''t help but be envious of her.


    ''''Well what''s the difference between you and me?¡¡Why am I....


    I know what I''m doing. That I made my choice and I deserved it. I chose a way to bring people down for myself and put myself in a position to be judged by the law.


    I can''t just leave the labyrinth and not have anyone notice me. My karma has been greatly increased by the fact that I put a demon on that party, and I''m now in a position to be arranged in any ward.


    Until my karma is reduced to zero, I will be bound by the guild saber. My level will be lowered and my contribution will be lost - I won''t even be able to enter the fifth ward unless I''m a member of the brigade.


    ''''........It''s all gone. Oh no........I didn''t want it to happen again....


    I can''t help but whine, even though I know it''s a vain thing to do. Self-loathing floods my mind as I remember myself when I provoked Arikhit.


    Even if I had been able to bring Alihit back, I would still be worthless to the Commander.


    I knew it, but I was clinging to a future that never was. There was nothing else I could do, but I couldn''t even turn myself in to the Guild Saber.


    --Then, with a flutter, a blue thing crossed the edge of my vision.


    ''''A........butterfly......such a small butterfly, a demon.......?''''


    The demon you encountered


    ? Blue Butterflies A: Level 3 Neutral Unrecognized Resistant Drop: ?


    Not all of the demons in the labyrinth are necessarily hostile to the searchers. Some demons are neutral, and some species can communicate with each other at will.


    This butterfly has not been identified by the guild. The blue butterfly is an unidentified name, indicating that either we still haven''t figured out who it is or someone hasn''t defeated it and brought back the material.


    If I had come here when I was at a lower level, I might have been interested. But for me now, and for the brigade, there is little benefit that a level 3 demon brings - unless it is ''named''.


    I''m still thinking about the brigade. I feel like I''m still a part of the brigade until the commander tells me in no uncertain terms to leave. I hate myself for that.


    I can''t go on deeper into the labyrinth and return to the brigade even if I survive. I didn''t bring Elitia back, I lost my weapon and raised my karma enough to cause trouble if I didn''t leave the brigade.


    ''''-- She was not chosen as a weapon. At that point, unfortunately, we had no choice but to leave her in this ward.''''


    W.........Commander........?


    From somewhere, I hear a voice. The voice of the Commander, who couldn''t possibly be here - calm yet icy cold, and just listening to it is enough to draw your consciousness to it strongly.


    There can''t be a Commander here. This is an illusion of something - but the voice I hear is the very voice of the Commander, and it stirs my mind.


    ''I don''t call it faithful to the way things are in Silone. It''s just that the experience of being abandoned once has given rise to an obsession with me. I''m not special to Syrone, and I''m sure she is too.''


    --I couldn''t be calm. I couldn''t ignore the voice, even though I knew it was either an illusion or a demon attack.


    It was the very thing that I myself had always feared was ''what the Commander might really think''.


    ''''You''re going to cut her off after she even changed her profession and tried to serve the brigade?''''


    Now I hear another voice. A woman who joined the brigade after me and is now an integral part of both the brigade and the leader of the brigade - the deputy leader, Agnes.


    ''''Even if you can''t use a cursed weapon, you''re still enough of an explorer--''''


    ''''Even if you can play an active role, it''s still within the scope of an ordinary person. In order to break into those monsters, you need to have enough power to make sure you don''t fall outside of the eight members of your party. The possibility of Sirone obtaining that power is infinitesimally low in the current situation.''''


    Stop it.


    There are more butterflies. I couldn''t think of anything else, as I realized what that number meant - from only one butterfly to two now - and I couldn''t think of anything else.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    ''? Blue Butterfly A activates ''Guilty Feel'' ¡ú Target: ''Shirone''


    "The members are supposed to be replaced. "It''s not like Cyrone expected to be here forever--


    Huh...!


    Current Situation


    Shirone activates the Demon Slayer. Two "blue butterflies" are hit.


    ''? Kill two "blue butterflies".


    Shirone attacks a neutral demon ¡ú Shirone''s karma increases.


    One of the spells affixed to the inside of the cloak was activated as I pulled it out - the magic blade that was generated cut through the fluttering butterflies without missing a beat.


    Even if the Commander thought so, I didn''t want to hear it. It was the last thing I wanted to hear.


    There was no doubt that this butterfly was making me hear it. The skill of ''Guilty Feel'' makes me hear the words I least want to hear in the voice of the person I least want said.


    -- as if it was inviting an attack against me.


    ''''........Do you want to blame me so much?¡¡You don''t know anything about it, and you say it''s my fault!


    The emotions become uncontrollable. Butterflies that I should have knocked down fly from one to the next, increasing in number to fill my vision in the blink of an eye.


    The echoing voices mingle in my head. The voice of the Commander, the Vice Commander''s voice - even the Vice Commander who has been paying attention to me, doesn''t offer an opinion that conflicts with the Commander. That''s because he thinks it''s no use cutting me off at the end of the line.


    I know that''s not true. Agnes-san was seriously worried about me - she was, she should have been.


    ''''........If it''s the Commander''s decision, I will try to get the members to understand.''''


    I''m sure that''s what he''ll say, and he''ll soon forget about me. Even during Loury''s time, Vice Commander Agnes never once said that he was going to send the second unit to rescue him.


    ''''I''m the stupidest person you''ll ever meet.


    I knew that if I denied Elitia''s attempts to help Luury, I could stay by the Commander''s side. I laughed at that girl who was trying so hard.


    I think Elitia, who was able to meet Aricht, thought of me like this.


    --pity me for pretending to be oblivious to my own pity.


    ''You''re the only one who hadn''t noticed, Syrone. You''re the only one who hasn''t noticed, Cyrone.


    Current Situation


    Shirone activates the annihilation mark and hits 16 blue butterflies.


    Shirone attacks a neutral demon ¡ú Shirone''s karma increases.


    ''? Blue Butterflies" forming a cluster


    One "Winged Butterfly of Pity" appears.


    Before I knew it, I was engulfed in a thick fog. I could only see the butterfly in front of me, and I didn''t realize that the fog was approaching soundlessly.


    -- and as I looked up at the sky, I saw a huge butterfly floating with its wings flickering.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô.


    Pity Winged Butterfly activates Redemption Pain ¡ú Target: Shirone


    White''s karmic damage. White''s karma is reduced.


    ''Aaaaah.......................!


    My whole body is in intense pain. I roll to the ground and pant in pain, unable to maintain consciousness.


    It was taken with me all at once - the amount of time I had taken down the ''blue butterfly'' and elevated my karma, I received a huge recoil. Even though I know it, there''s nothing I can do about it.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Pity Winged Butterfly activates Tranquility of Innocent ¡ú Terrain Effect: Karma gradually decreases.


    Pity Winged Butterfly activates the Cocoon of Imprisonment ¡ú Target: Shirone


    That giant butterfly''s karma is also up - but he''s trying to lower it himself. Its behavior was as if it was creating order for itself.


    There was a rumor among the searchers for a time.


    There was a demon that would appear in front of a guilty seeker. The seeker attacked by the demon would not return from the labyrinth.


    The members of the brigade also denied that the demon would judge the sin instead of the human - there was no such thing.


    A technique that takes away so much strength that karma rises. And the white thread that was spat at me when I couldn''t move took away my physical freedom.


    If this is the punishment inflicted on me, I must accept it.


    I couldn''t trust the Commander or the Vice Commander.


    I knew the blue butterflies were just showing me a trick, but I let my emotions get the better of me and used the spell. If I hadn''t done that, I wouldn''t have had to experience this kind of pain.


    (...) ...It''s over. I''m done........)


    I get tangled up in threads and can''t see anything. The fog that covered the area is fading - I''m being taken away, somewhere.


    The last thing that passes through my mind is the image of Aricht.


    His companions must have been dazzled by his appearance on the wheel to help, and I''m sure they thought he was dazzling.


    It was so far away from me.


    There was something there that I had longed for for a long time.


    The state of the present


    The "white" is transformed into a separate space.


    Winged Wing disables swarm formation.

 157 Chapter One Hundred and Fifty Sixth Chapter: Remembrance

    ''Miss Ellie, calm down!¡¡Ellie-san.........!


    Elitia grabs her sword and tries to jump out of the way, unable to hide behind Alfeca''s shadow. Igarashi-san joins her from behind, and Melissa cooperates to barely stop her, but Elitia still watches the butterflies flying around her.


    ''''Elitia, what the hell........''''


    I gulped when I saw the look on her face. It wasn''t hostility or anger that was there.


    --Elitia''s lips trembled and she was frightened.


    ''''No........that''s not how.......neither Arihito nor Suzuna would be scared of me......''''


    The license shows that "Blue Butterfly" used a skill called "Guilty Feel". It doesn''t even show what happened to Elitia - I know it''s a terrible thing, but I have no choice but to ask her.


    ''I''ve never been afraid of Elitia, I''ve never been afraid of her. And there''s absolutely no way that''s going to change now.


    "...I know...but the truth is...


    Elitia doesn''t look at me, but instead turns her back to me, with Igarashi-san holding her in his arms.


    ''Maybe it''s hard to just say the words, but believe me, I want you to believe me. I''m not afraid of Elitia. If you lie to me, then........


    "Beyond that, the less said the better. "Contractor, consider carefully the events leading up to this point.


    The vision of Alphecca, the incarnation of the wheel, appears on the palanquin - and advises me.


    That meant that she attacked a neutral enemy, and her karma went up...)


    ''That butterfly is inviting the explorers to raise their karma... perhaps they have the ability to engage in karma.


    Then why is Ellie the only one...?


    The other members didn''t attack that butterfly on their own. Why is the butterfly targeting only Elitia and not using ''Guilty Feel'' on us - is it a coincidence or is there a solid reason?


    ''''........Because I have committed a crime.


    Elitia, please calm down. You''re a dead man if you keep this up.


    Melissa''s voice was unassuming as usual, but she clearly articulated her fears. Even so, Elitia''s consciousness was still trapped in the blue butterfly.


    ''''........I have to understand before the enemy sets something up for me. Elitia........That blue butterfly has used the skill called ''Guilty Feel''. What the hell happened to Elitia?


    ''You don''t have to talk about it if it''s hard for you but if you do, I''ll do my best to help you. I may not have the strength to do it myself.


    In response to Igarashi-san''s speech, Elitia relaxes from her hand holding the sword. And without looking back at me, she said in a small voice.


    Because........I heard everyone''s voice.......


    --who could stay calm after being told that?


    Even though the blue butterfly used the skill on Elitia, her karma did not go up. It was different from saying that he used the ''Trickster'' to cover up the activation of the skill like Gray did.


    ''''........You mean you only stimulated the guilt (guilty feel)? That doesn''t raise your karma, that''s just sophistry.


    Rear....


    We all do. We can live in relationships where we can only see one side of another person and still try to believe in them, so we can live.


    We are truly afraid of Elitia. If you take advantage of such a weakness and make them attack you - if you call it karma (karma).


    "Fine ... if that''s the rule, I''ll go along with it.


    Karma is the embodiment of the laws that the explorers of the labyrinth nation abide by. If you go up, you will be bound by the Guild Saber and receive some sort of penalty.


    Sirone had encountered that butterfly while his karma was up, and then cut off his tracks. In other words, it would be dangerous for Elitia to fight with her karma raised. He should first think about leaving this place once - but.


    ''I cannot escape from this fog until I can lift it in some way. And I can''t move the wheel ... if I do, I''ll touch that butterfly.''


    ''Yeah, we''ll take care of it here. That big butterfly wasn''t labeled as ''neutral'', so it''s not like we can''t attack it...


    Mr. Ellie?


    Current Situation


    - "Elitia" is "? Attack on "Blue Butterfly W


    Jumping out from behind Alfeca, Elitia tries to slash at the blue butterfly - I can''t let him raise his karma any more.


    ''''--Eritia, don''t take me up on my invitation!


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates ''Support Exaltation 1'' ¡ú Elitia''s morale increases by 13.


    Elitia uses its morale to recover from "Confusion".


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates ''Support Recovery 1'' ¡ú Elitia''s health is restored.


    I activate ''Support Recovery 1'' in the hope that it will make me feel a little better - I was fortunate that I was able to stay on with my morale consumption, but I also wanted to reassure Elitia as much as possible.


    ''Me and everyone else will never hurt Elitia. Trust me.........!


    I ... I ... I''m not going to doubt it again either ... but ... but ...


    "-Rearly-kun, we have to do something to bring that butterfly down.......or else we won''t even be able to bring Sirone back, let alone us.......!


    ''Pity Phantom Winged Butterfly'' is not labeled as neutral. However, when I attacked it, I couldn''t shake the suspicion that my karma would go up by ignoring it, now that I''ve done so.


    (What happens if karma goes up I can''t even take a gamble if it''s a deadly one. If I can''t be sure I can launch an attack on him ... or is it something else?¡¡How to attack without raising karma........)


    "Rearward, what is that big butterfly doing...!


    Current Situation


    Pity Winged Butterfly activates Clear Tentacles ¡ú Target: Elitia


    The wings of the Winged Butterfly float in the sky, bathed in moonlight, emitting a faint light. In the next moment, I felt an unspeakable chill and screamed.


    Elitia, run away!


    H..........?


    Elitia tries to fly backwards as soon as my voice reaches her - but she can''t get there in time.


    A swarm of blue butterflies leaves Elitia and an invisible violence strikes her.


    ''Wahhhhhhhh!


    Theon..........


    Current Situation


    Sion activates Covering ¡ú Target: Elitia


    Aricht activates ''Support and Defense 1'' ¡ú Target: Theon


    Theon is hit by the Invisible Tentacle, damaging the Hound''s Leather Vest.


    Caw...!


    Sion-chan...!


    Unable to mitigate the damage with ''Supportive Defense'', Sion is flung off - 30% of his total strength is taken away. Even the armor on his body was partially broken.


    On top of being able to attack on the ground from that altitude, it''s almost impossible to see in this fog - the only thing that was barely visible in the ''hawk''s eye'' was the outline of a huge, transparent arm-like shape.


    ''''Grrrr...!


    Theon, retreat!¡¡Everyone be careful, those butterflies will attack you at long range and you can barely see them.......!


    "They only attack the enemy and we can''t do anything...?¡¡That''s against the rules...!


    Igarashi-san is indignant - I feel exactly the same way. No matter what they do, their karma doesn''t go up, and if we were to go up, even if we were able to defeat the ''Phantom Winged Butterfly'', our members'' karma would still be in an elevated state.


    However, I slide my eyes to the display of the license and I understand.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    The karma of "Winged Butterfly of Pity" has increased.


    Pity Winged Butterfly activates Tranquility of Innocent ¡ú Terrain Effect: Karma gradually decreases.


    As Sion ''covered'' the attack aimed at Elitia, the karma of the ''phantom winged butterfly'' rose. Immediately after that, the situation of the ''Phantom Winged Butterfly'' changes again - it emits a sound like a high frequency, which gradually becomes smaller and less audible.


    ''''........What''s happening?''''


    ''The enemy also raised his karma when he attacked Zion. They''re trying to bring it down.


    ''It''s not good for that butterfly if his karma stays up...?


    If Melissa was right, it might be possible to block the action by raising the karma of ''Phantom Winged Butterfly''.


    If Elitia''s elevated karma would also be lowered by the terrain effect, then the blue butterfly would no longer use ''Guilty Feelings'' - it wasn''t going to happen.


    ''''.........No.......Aricht isn''t afraid of me.......no........'''' ...


    Current Situation


    ''? Blue Butterfly D activates Guilty Feel ¡ú Target: "Elitia


    --Is Elitia''s karma not fully down, or does ''Guilty Feel'' have nothing to do with karma?


    What I have to do now is.......!


    There''s only one way to make the attack reach the "phantom winged butterfly" floating at that altitude. It''s a big risk, but we have to save Elitia as soon as possible - that''s why.


    "Sorry guys I''m going to have to be a little reckless. When that butterfly gets down to altitude, point it there...!


    Rear-end man!


    Huh...!


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates Backstand ¡ú Target: Winged Butterfly of Pity


    My consciousness was momentarily interrupted and the landscape changed - I was thrown out of gravity and I was behind the ''phantom winged butterfly''.


    (Murakumo........can''t get out now.......!


    "Warn the master. Striking a major blow against this demon is a risk.


    There''s only a limited amount of time when I can pull the Murakumo out - even when she doesn''t recommend it herself, which means I can''t ask for help.


    Even so, I must go and do the maximum damage possible on my own, to the extent possible. In order to lower the altitude of ''Phantom Winged Butterfly'' as much as possible.


    ''''--Fall!


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates the Force Shoot Freeze.


    Pity Winged Butterfly activates Flare Division and changes the target of Aricht''s attack.


    - "Force Shoot Freeze" is "? Three Blue Butterflies are hit. A weakness attack, freezing.


    ''? Defeats 3 Blue Butterflies. Aricht''s karma increases.


    d*mn it...!


    The body of the Winged Winged Butterflies disappears as if it were shaking, and then moves - the ice magic bullets that are released shoot through the blue butterflies as if they were substitutes for the Winged Winged Butterflies.


    But now that we''ve risen to this altitude, we can''t go down to the ground for free - because ''Backstand'' is one of the skills I have that consumes a lot of magic power, and I can''t shoot it for nothing.


    (I just got it, but I''ll have to use my magic gun to shoot the ''Stagnation Stone''... no, there''s a chance that it will deflect my aim again... no, there''s no way to do it now... ...!


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates "The Boat Jump".


    I leap in the air to get some distance from the ''Phantom Winged Butterfly''. If I leap again just before falling, I should be able to descend unharmed.


    -- but I let gravity take over as I fall. I''m sure you''ll be able to find a way to make it work.


    The current situation¡ô


    Pity Winged Butterfly activates Redemption Pain ¡ú Targets: "Aricht" and "Elitia".


    Aricht and Elitia take damage based on their karma, and their karma is reduced.


    Ughhhh...!


    "--Aahhhhh...!


    A pain that felt like my whole body was being torn apart - not only me, but also Elitia''s screams on the ground were heard.


    (Oh no, I''m unconscious.......if I don''t, I''ll hit the ground......!


    Wow!


    How many times have I been saved by Sion like this - Sion catches me as I jump in and barely escapes colliding with the ground.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation¡ô


    Monk''s Ankh''s effect is activated ¡ú Avoid a fatal blow and add experience at the point of death.


    The amulet that was hanging around my neck like a pendant - the ''Monk''s Ankh'' - felt as if it was emitting a soft heat. I had apparently been saved just in the nick of time by Sion and this amulet.


    (But if I take even one more blow.......I don''t think the effect of the ''Ankh'' that is activated by probability will work twice in a row.


    Come on, Rearward, answer me!¡¡Rear-kun.........!


    It''s okay........it''s okay......he''s alive, Igarashi-san.......!


    "...I didn''t look okay at all. I thought my heart was going to stop beating...


    "Arihito, pull back, please........don''t go near that monster.......


    Elitia''s damage is less than mine - considering the upper limit of her physical strength, Elitia has considerably more than me, but even so, her damage is shallow compared to me who was dying.


    That''s because I, who had killed the three "Blue Butterflies", had a greater increase in karma than Eritia, who had just tried to attack.


    (As soon as I was damaged by ''Redemption Pain'', my karma dropped... but if it''s as I expected...)


    Arihito, the butterfly... get away from the butterfly, now!


    Blue butterflies are gathering around to blame me for hurting their friends.


    Gallulu...!


    ''Theon, wait!¡¡Don''t attack!


    Sion was very close to activating the Fire Boxstone attached to the Beastly Crow, but Sion stopped short of activating it. If this raised Theon''s karma as well, the situation would be even more confusing.


    However, not being able to touch the ''Blue Butterfly'' meant that I, who was in the current state of ''ever rising karma'', would be the target of the butterfly''s skill.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    ''? Blue Butterfly'' activates ''Guilty Feel'' ¡ú Target: ''Aricht''


    Even if you listen carefully, you can''t hear the fluttering of a butterfly''s wings like someone else''s voice.


    It''s a long time ago - no, it''s not.


    That sound, similar to a voice left in an old memory, makes the ripples born in the fountain of consciousness grow without limit.

 158 Episode 157: Voice of the Labyrinth

    In my fuzzy consciousness, I was looking at the white ceiling.


    I hadn''t been able to remember it for a long time. I had forgotten - no, I just couldn''t remember anymore.


    ''--I wonder why your relatives didn''t try to take him in.


    ''It was unavoidable. His mother''s family is wealthy, and the story is that she ran off with his father.


    "So it must have been a shame to leave your little one behind.


    My parents died when I was a kid and I was all alone.


    I''ve decided to think of myself as a ''lifelong loner'', but that''s not really true.


    None of my relatives took me in. Maybe it was just good that they actually took me in and didn''t make me limp around among my relatives.


    But sometimes I felt that. No matter how friendly they treated me, the adults at the facility sometimes showed their inner feelings in their attitude.


    -- words that were swallowed up, I would imagine, could go something like this.


    ''I heard you were in a hurry to get this kid to the hospital and you had an accident.''


    ''''The other driver was slightly injured and Mr. Manned was almost unharmed. It''s called trauma, but I wonder how you''ll feel when you wake up.


    I don''t want to hear it - and even if I did, I''ve always pretended not to hear it.


    Growing up, being integrated into the cogs of society, working mindlessly, I could forget that feeling. I had finally stopped reminding myself of it, but the wounds were being gouged out relentlessly.


    ''''--poor.''''


    "I wish you hadn''t been born. Then his parents would have...


    I know.


    The teachers at the facility never once said that to me.


    I feel hurt by these visions because I''m weak.


    I caused the loss of my parents. If I hadn''t rushed out of the car that day, I wouldn''t have been alone.


    --But still.


    The last thing I saw in the back seat of that wrecked car was.


    The Current Situation¡ô.


    Pity Winged Butterfly activates Cocoon of Imprisonment ¡ú Target: ''Alihito''.


    A white thing falls from the sky - it was the thread spit out by the "Phantom Winged Butterfly". When I jumped back to avoid getting Sion involved, I was entangled in the thread.


    I can hear Igarashi-san''s voice. Zion''s barking too - but I have to yell at him to stay away. I can''t get everyone involved, besides.


    The ways of the "Phantom Winged Butterfly" are completely unacceptable to me. I don''t accept the sophistry of tormenting people with guilt, and then trying to get them to be neutral.


    The ''Phantom Winged Butterfly'' clearly has a hostile intent to dislodge the explorers. It''s not surprising that some of them would lose their lives with the skill of striking a blow according to their karma.


    If Syrone had followed the same path, I thought some of the things I could see by being trapped in this thread - and I actually saw ''it''.


    A break in space was created to take me in as I began to be trapped in the cocoon. What I saw beyond that was Shirone, who was wrapped up in the thread and deprived of her physical freedom.


    ''''-- If you shouldn''t have been born, then you can be reborn again. As one swallowed by the labyrinth and born from the labyrinth.''''


    The voice was no longer blaming me. It was a gentle voice, as if it would be easier if I could just get wrapped up in the thread and give it all up.


    It was like my mother''s voice, which I''d already forgotten - but it was completely different.


    Neither the white thread trying to reel me in nor the madness of the blue butterflies stops - but the voice I hear doesn''t reach deep into my chest.


    ''''Neither the guilt nor the desire to atone can be decided by anyone else...!


    Current Situation


    Arihito''s party''s trustworthiness bonus ¡ú Disables "Guilty Feel".


    Rear...


    Arihito...


    We should never let guilt get in the way of getting stuck. We''re a party - if one of us gets stuck, we''re involved in the whole thing.


    (I couldn''t have used it if I hadn''t been cornered to this point... to pull Shirone back from the other side. I can do that now...!


    Before coming here, I was in a tight spot many times. I ran through the labyrinth alone, surrounded by demons, battled the ''Three-Sided Mud Giant'', and was driven to the brink of death by the ''Phantom Winged Butterfly'' attack.


    My morale is so high that I don''t even need to check it. The only way to gain the power to move even if you tear off the strings - that''s the only way.


    ''''-- ''Total Mutual Support [All-Around Rain Force]!


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates Total Mutual Support. Time limit 120 seconds.


    Enhancements to individual party members'' skills are extended to all.


    The entire party is strengthened by the "Gunwolf Stance".


    The entire party is strengthened by "The Art of the Sword 2".


    The whole party is strengthened by "knife handling".


    The whole party is strengthened by "Crown of Arrogance".


    Alphecca''s ''Arrogant Crowning'' - the property of preventing the interruption of skills - antagonizes - and defeats - the binding of the threads spat out by the ''Phantom Winged Butterfly''.


    ''''--Whoosh!


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates Vine Chute.


    Shirone is "bound" by the "vine grass".


    He reeled in the silone with the vine grass and pulled it out in one go - barely pulling out the silone that was tangled in the threads before the rift in space closed.


    ''''........Totally, recklessly. To rescue someone who was trapped in a different space with a spur of the moment tact,''''


    ''Ahhhhh Alphecca, keep Syrone safe. That butterfly has to be defeated. I need everyone''s help.


    She approached Elitia, who was clinging to the sword stuck in the ground. Tears were spilling from her eyes.


    Even if that butterfly is pitying us for our sins, I don''t think reincarnation will make it any easier. So I hold out my right hand to Elitia.


    ''''I........did something called the ''Sword of Death'' before I left the brigade and met you guys. The truth is........I''m not qualified to say that I want to gather my friends.......


    I''ve got the qualifications!


    Current Situation


    Suzuna activates "Tsukuyomi" ¡ú Success


    The secret skill of the Winged Butterfly of Pity, "The Cage of the Innocents" is discovered.


    -- It was a dignified voice that seemed to penetrate the fog.


    The moonlight that had been blocked by the fog fell on the ''phantom winged butterfly'' - and the scales that were released from the butterfly''s wings showed that this fog had some kind of power to it.


    (When we encountered the blue butterfly, we were already in the ''cage''... Eritia was able to raise her karma without attacking. That was exactly what showed us that this situation was unnaturally created........!


    Details of the skills you''ve uncovered


    Blameless Cage: The terrain effect "Blameless" is generated within the reach of the "Scale Powder". Karma is increased by all hostile actions against the seeker''s demons. Escape from the terrain is blocked until the user is incapacitated.


    (The license judges the explorer''s actions and raises karma....that''s where the demons can get involved.


    "Suzu-chan, your brothers are in this fog, aren''t they...?


    ''''Yeah... it''s the only thing we can do from the outside right now... Aricht-san, Eritia-san, please don''t lose!¡¡We''re here too!''


    Misaki and Suzuna - it''s not just the two of them. Someone who brought them here seems to be with them too.


    ''Contractor, can you find a way? Do you need my help?


    ''Oh it''s okay. I can see the way........the enemy is not ''outside the rules''. They were just ''twisting the rules''.


    Rearward, what does that mean...?


    ''''Igarashi-san, you took the ''Skin of the Snow Country'' skill, right? Are there any other new ice-attribute skills that have come up?


    ''''Yeah, well in addition to ''Decoy Doll'' you have to take ''Aether Ice'', but there''s a skill called ''Frost Armor'' at skill level 2.


    New Skills of Kyouka


    Skill Level 2


    Frost Armor: Reflects blows with an icy attribute. The effect is also given to dolls, golems, etc. created by the searcher.


    Igarashi-san will learn the skills of the lightning and ice systems - as long as I don''t know how many times I''ll get the chance, I want to use all the attack methods I can use. The time limit for releasing morale has somehow been extended, so the effects will continue somewhat even after he finishes giving the instructions. If you can make an effective attack during that time, the momentum should be in our favor.


    ''''Igarashi-san, we''re going to be using all of our skill points at once, but may I ask you to take ''Frost Armor''? If we don''t attack actively and let the enemy set up their own attack, we should be able to prevent the rise in karma.


    If I go up, I''ll be prepared for that. If both you and Ellie-san have experienced the same pain, I won''t be afraid of it either.


    "...Aricht, what do I have to do?


    Melissa seemed to be concerned that she wasn''t able to join the battle, and she asked me as if it was now or never. She looked cool, but there was a definite fighting spirit in her eyes.


    ''''If the ''Cage of Innocents'' is ever deactivated, aim for part destruction. If not, don''t force yourself, because a deadly counter will come.


    Okay.


    Once I jumped into the land of death, I saw something - the weakness of the Blue Butterfly that filled this place.


    If you attack the "blue butterfly" target, your karma will rise and you will be hit hard by the "pain of redemption". If you''re not sure about this, then you''ll want to make a technicality out of it, but there is one way to block the blue butterfly''s movement without raising its karma.


    If the enemy has been using terrain effects to unilaterally raise our karma, we will also use terrain effects. If we can create terrain effects that exploit the butterfly''s weaknesses - if we can do that, we should be able to create an advantageous situation without raising our karma.

 159 Episode 158: Permafrost and dust

    ''Igarashi-san, please apply ''decoy'' to the ''decoy doll'' and use your new skills further. Theresia, cover Igarashi-san.


    Yeah, okay....


    .....


    It was Igarashi-san and Theresia who took the lead - before they could act, I took out the pendant around my neck with Ankh.


    ''''--Come on, Snow, Penta, Rupee!


    Current Situation


    Aricht summons Snow, Penta and Rupee.


    Snow" activates "Silver World" ¡ú Terrain effect changes to "Frozen Ground".


    Penta and Rupee activate Ice Dance ¡ú Silver World effect strengthened.


    ''''Well ... butterflies are vulnerable to low temperatures. Even if they get stuck in this extremely low temperature, it''s still due to the terrain effect.''''


    So, karma doesn''t rise - it''s a gamble, but it''s unreasonable to say that only the enemy benefits from generating terrain effects and not karma.


    That unreasonableness, on the contrary, is the kryptonite point we need to poke at. We have no choice but to believe it now.


    ''Peep, peep!''


    Snow spreads his white wings, penta and rupee bouncing around them. The ground freezes from under its feet, and the freezing area spreads all at once - the temperature drops so rapidly that our breath turns white.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    ''? The Blue Butterflies are dormant under the influence of the frozen ground.


    Pity Winged Butterflies'' ability decreased due to the effects of Frozen Ground.


    Karma doesn''t go up - the effects of the ''frozen earth'' were not considered our offensive actions. Although we won the big bet, we still can''t attack at will.


    (The terrain effect of the "Blamewoman" has not yet been lifted, but the amount of scale dust that the butterflies scattered has been drastically reduced. All that remains now is to stop the scales of the main body of "Phantom Winged Butterflies"...!


    Current Situation


    Kyouka''s "Snow Country Skin" is activated.


    At the very edge of the effect time of the morale release, the auxiliary effect Igarashi-san activated, ''Skin of the Snow Country'', is shared with Theresia - Igarashi-san activates the ''Decoy Doll'' skill to invite the ''Phantom Winged Butterfly''.


    ''''Let''s go........!


    --!


    Current Situation


    The Winged Butterfly activates the Forbidden Tentacle and attacks indiscriminately within the area.


    Theresa activates Mirage and Shadow Step.


    Kyoka activates ''Ibaid Step''.


    In order to invite the "decoy puppets" to attack, they have to avoid all the attacks directed at them - Igarashi-san and Theresia continue to avoid the onslaught of the invisible arm.


    (Continuous attacks with the "Invisible Tentacles"........there''s no guarantee that they won''t come at us with that......!


    Ariadne!


    "Blessings upon you, my believer. "Let the arm of the god of war serve as a shield.


    Current Situation


    Arihito requests temporary support from Ariadne.


    Ariadne activates Guard Arm.


    Forbidden Tentacle hits the Guard Arm.


    Forbidden Tentacle hits the Guard Arm.


    Forbidden Tentacle hits the Guard Arm.


    Each and every one of the ''transparent tentacles'' that would receive an enormous blow if eaten properly was received by a mechanical arm that appeared from an empty space - a head-to-head match with the ''tentacles'' that tried to grab us indiscriminately, and successfully protected us.


    ''''Ariadne, I owe you a favor...!


    It''s amazing........to be able to catch an attack like this.......


    ''If it''s not a blitz, I can still take it instead for a while. But half of our durability has been removed.


    How brave Theon is for protecting Elitia from such an attack - I too must get a trump card defense method, not ''Support Defense 1''.


    But what you should think about now is defeating the winged butterfly in front of you. In the cryogenic space created by the "Treasure Wing," ice crystals sparkle in the cryogenic space - and.


    The current situation


    Kyouka" avoids "Forbidden Tentacles".


    Kyouka''s evasion rate has increased.


    Theresa" avoids "Forbidden Tentacles".


    Pity Pterygote''s frostbite progresses ¡ú Pity Pterygote''s ability decreases.


    The two people acting as the vanguard continue to evade the relentlessly attacking ''tentacles'' - and at the moment the attack breaks off, Igarashi-san takes out a doll that serves as a medium for the decoy doll.


    ''O brave warrior soul, draw the fighting spirit of the fierce one... ''Decoy''!


    Current Situation


    Kyouka" activates "Decoy Doll".


    Kyoka activates Decoy ¡ú Decoy doll''s hostile value increases.


    --all that''s left is to apply the ''Frost Armor'' to the ''Decoy Doll''. However, Igarashi-san''s magic power is on the verge of running out. This is because her magic power continues to decrease even during the duration of the effect of ''Ebedstep''.


    ''''Wha........we can''t go down yet.......!


    -- Igarashi-san, ''I support you!


    Current Situation


    Arihito activates "Assist Charge" ¡ú Kyouka''s magic power is restored.


    Kyoka activates Frost Armor ¡ú Target: Decoy Doll


    The cold air envelops the ''decoy doll'' generated by Igarashi-san - however, even if the ''decoy'' is covered, it doesn''t necessarily mean that the enemy will definitely attack the decoy.


    ''''Theresa-san...!


    -Oh!


    --The last one to pack up was Theresia. They were trying to draw the invisible tentacles to their limits and evade them.


    If you are late, even for a moment, the tentacles will catch you. I''m going to use all my evasive skills and let the decoy puppets attack while I avoid them.


    Current Situation¡ô


    Theresa activates "Mode Change: Sandclad".


    Theresia activates Mirage and is strengthened by Sandclad ¡ú Sand Dust Shadow.


    Forbidden Tentacle''s combined attack ¡ú Activate Deadgrasper. Instant death effect when hit.


    Teresiak!


    Oh my God... at the last minute, that was...


    Current Situation


    Dead Grasper hits Theresa''s Sand Doll ¡ú Destroy Theresa''s Sand Doll


    Almost invisible ''tentacles'' appeared around Theresia and tried to crush her - but what was crushed was only a fake one made of sand.


    (This hierarchy originally had sand covering the surface of the wasteland, with sand puddles in places... Teresia decided that she could use the power of the ''Desert Rose'' she was equipped with...!


    Just as I imagined, Theresa emerges from another place through the still-frozen sand. It''s changing to a protective color of sand - this unearthly movement is truly ninja-like.


    And as we look up, the wings of the Phantom Winged Butterfly, which had been gradually losing altitude due to the extremely low temperature, freeze with a sound that can reach this point.


    The "Dead Glasper" had destroyed Igarashi-san''s "decoy doll" along with Theresa''s sand doll.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Dead Grasper" hits "Decoy Doll" ¡ú "Pity Witch" is reflected by "Frost Armor".


    Pity Winged Butterfly freezes. Resists Instant Death. Terrain Effect: Blamewoman is released.


    The enemy''s full-throated attack was reflected by the Frost Armor - the weakness of the Winged Butterfly''s ice attribute. It''s not just a matter of time before you get to the point where you''ll be able to get your hands on it.


    Igarashi''s karma did not rise even if the counter with the decoy doll succeeded, and the enemy was dealt a great blow. The ''Phantom Winged Butterfly'' gradually lowered its altitude and descended to a height that could be reached with a leap.


    ''''-- Melissa, Elitia!¡¡"I support you!


    There was no way to miss this opportunity. Melissa ran on Sion, and Elitia followed her speed using only her own skills.


    ...!


    At this time, Igarashi-san and Theresia''s morale will also be at its maximum - if that happens, we can use that coordination.


    ''''Let me decide with this.......!


    Hah!


    Current Situation


    Kyoka activates "Soul Blink" and all members of the party receive "Spirit of War".


    Theresa activates Triple Steel and all members of the party have the Triple Steal effect.


    Arihito activates ''Support Link 1'' and ''Support Attack 1''.


    Kyouka and Senrei activate Lightning Rage ¡ú hits Pity Winged Butterfly.


    Lightning Rage''s additional attack ¡ú hit the Winged Winged Butterfly at the sixth level. Support damage 78


    Theresa and Spirit of War activate Azure Slash and hit Pity Winged Butterfly.


    Kyouka, Theresa and Aricht''s health and magic power are restored.


    Igarashi-san''s cross spear wears an electric shock, and even after attacking once, the lightning strike follows - Theresia releases a slash with blue flames and breaks away.


    ''''--Drop those antennae...!


    Ahhhhhh!


    Current Situation


    Theon activates the Battle Howl and Hound''s Gallop ¡ú the vanguard''s attack power increases.


    Melissa and War Spirit ride Theon and War Spirit and use Ride On Wolf.


    Melissa and Spirit of War activate Knife-wielding, which increases the probability of part destruction.


    Melissa and Spirit of War activate Cutoff ¡ú Pity Winged Butterfly drops material.


    Activate the effect of Kote of the Fighting Demon and deliver an additional blow of "No Push" for supporting damage 26.


    Theon activates Heat Claw. ¡úPassionate Winged Butterfly hits the fourth level of the coordinated attack.


    The tranquility of the innocent is lifted.


    Theon, Melissa and Arictoo''s health and magic power are restored.


    Melissa and her war spirit simultaneously draw out the ''Meat Slicing Knife (Butcher''s Knife)'' and cut off the antennae of the ''Phantom Winged Butterfly''. Another remaining terrain effect disappears with this - and.


    You can also find a number of other things to consider when you''re trying to make a living.


    ''''........................Blossom Blade!


    Current Situation


    Pity Winged Butterfly activates Butterfly''s Dream.


    Elitia and the Spirit of War activate the Blossom Blade.


    Hits the Winged Butterfly with a 24-degree hit. 5th Linkage Technique: 312 damage


    Activate Elitia''s additional attack ¡ú 16-level hit to Pity Winged Butterfly. Support damage 208


    The linked move "Blue Thunder Zanka" ¡ú damage added to the linkage is 238


    Butterfly Dream" was interrupted.


    Melissa and Elitia''s health and magic power are restored.


    Defeat a Winged Butterfly of Pity.


    The ''¡îPity''s Phantom Winged Butterfly'' seemed to have tried some kind of resistance at the end - but Elitia''s slash blocked its activation and the ''Phantom Winged Butterfly'' finally stopped its movement.


    ''''Hah, hah.......''''


    Mr. Ellie, everybody...!


    ''Whoa!¡¡Hey, there''s some kind of big butterfly........did you run into ''named'' again?


    As soon as the fog clears, Suzuna and Misaki come running - Suzuna hugs Elitia and Misaki rolls her eyes at the sight of the ''Phantom Winged Butterfly''.


    Snow and the others, who were keeping the ''frozen earth'' intact with the three of them, deactivate their abilities when they see that the fight is over. Snow got on his butt and Penta and Lupe got on Snow''s head, only peeking out of his feathers.


    ''I''m always amazed at the skills of Aricht. The next thing I know, I find myself moving behind the enemy.


    ''As a rearguard, though, I probably shouldn''t be too disruptive. There''s a lot of things you can go behind the enemy and see.


    ''''I''ve never heard of such a rearguard either. However, the role of finding the enemy''s weaknesses may be more typical of the rear guard.


    ''''Alphecca has been materializing for a long time. If each part has a different role and the magic power required to maintain the materialization is different, I feel it''s a bit unfair.''''


    The Murakumo on your back appeals to you - does that mean you have something to complain about because you didn''t take her help this time?


    ''I''m sure I''ll be borrowing Murakumo''s power soon too. I wanted to choose a way to make sure I could do some damage this time.


    ''''Master''s decision on that is correct. That butterfly has the ability to reduce physical attacks. The ice attribute and the blows generated by the Master''s assistance contributed greatly to this.''''


    Even if resistance isn''t displayed, there is still a very high level of defense - after all, if your companions can become stronger and increase their number of moves, ''Support Attack 1'' will be a skill for life.


    ''''Ah........Oh, brother, this guy.......''''


    I notice Syrone, who is lying on top of Misaki. The fact that Misaki and Suzuna are here, who were supposed to be waiting outside the labyrinth, means that they must have met Serafina-san on the way and asked her what''s going on.


    Serafina-san has escaped the Four Seasons and is outside the labyrinth. If there was someone other than her who could deliver Misaki and Suzuna here - I thought about that possibility, but I didn''t think I was really right.


    Because that person should be at the Guild Saber''s headquarters.

 160 Episode 159: Percussion Amber

    "...Mr. Kuserka, Mr. Khosrow.


    A silver-haired woman in black armor. And her assistant, a man wearing an eye patch. Why did these two men go to this place--''''


    ''''I''m sorry that I couldn''t participate in the competition. Since the two men from Atobe-dono''s party were about to follow us into the labyrinth, we had to accompany them here.


    ''Apparently, you''ve been dealing with some nastier demons than I imagined. You guys may know this, but there are several types of ''named'' demons. I''m sure you''re aware of the fact that there are two types of named demons: the one called the "black star" and the one like this one, which is called the "sky star".


    The ''sky star''...?


    I couldn''t take a closer look at the license during the battle - when I looked at it again, the star indicating that it was named ''Pity Phantom Winged Butterfly'' was a ''Star''.


    ''''It is said that being named ''Sky Star'' gives the explorer a special qualification for defeating it itself. It may not be immediately clear how it will affect them, but it shouldn''t be a bad thing.


    ''''So.........is that so? We defeated that demon in order to bring back the searcher named Shirone who went down to this layer alone.


    Yeah the guild saber is supposed to interrogate the guy with the karma raised. We''ll have to take custody of that explorer called Shirone, but...


    What Sirone did to the Four Seasons must be atoned for. I and my friends were of the same opinion about that.


    ''''When Syrone wakes up, can I ask her to give me this weapon? We recovered the one she dropped in the middle of the labyrinth.


    I''m sorry to hear that, but we can''t take care of him. As of now, Sirone''s custody is under compulsory detention for exceeding the stipulated karma. We''ll take care of the items you''re wearing now, but if you want to return the items found by Atobe''s party, you''ll need to negotiate directly with them. It may be a bit of a stretch, but there is no provision for the obligation to return a detainee''s equipment.


    The equipment of a searcher whose karma has been raised is not a crime to take with you - a system that could be abused, but since it is not easy to intentionally raise the karma of others, it''s more of a way to remove power from the person whose karma has been raised It''s a rule.


    "...Khosrow, if you insist, Lord Atobe, there is no problem in keeping it,


    ''No, if that''s the case, we have it. And since it was stolen by a demon, it can''t be used as is.


    "Whoa, they''re covered in mucus.......were they those guys from the second level?¡¡For that, why didn''t you set us up for it?


    When I showed him Syrone''s weapon, Mr. Khosrow made a face as if he was bemused. The mucus of the ''Slow Salamander'' seems to be difficult for him, even though he could be said to be a strong fighter of the past.


    ''''I have breath. I might as well give him some medicine since he''s losing his strength.


    Melissa looks at the situation, trying not to touch the threads wrapped around Sirone''s body. Suzuna looked at me as if asking for permission, and I nodded - when Suzuna dribbled the potion into her mouth, Silone, who didn''t respond at first, eventually quivered on her lips and swallowed the liquid in her mouth.


    ''I have received a report from Lieutenant Seraphina as to how it happened. Lord Atobe was in an adversarial relationship, so to speak, with Lord Shirone. Nevertheless, you made these choices.


    ''''Yes, sir. Syrone has put our close party in a tight spot. That''s not something I can forgive, but I couldn''t leave her alone after seeing her head to the back of the labyrinth on her own. I can''t deny it when people say I''m being naive.


    Mr. Khosrow scratches his cheek a little awkwardly. I wonder how he will perceive our actions - such worries were unfounded.


    ''''Normally, it wouldn''t be surprising if we abandoned them. No, it''s not the same as abandoning them, but... you have to be a pretty dumbass to be worried about the life of someone who''s turned against you.


    ''Well I agree with you myself. If you''re a leader, you should be putting the safety of your people above all else.


    ''But I''m following you because that''s the kind of leader you are. I have feelings for you, Sirone, but you''ll have to make amends for that other than the fact that your life is in danger.


    Everyone nodded at Igarashi-san''s words. I don''t think I should take too much advantage of their generosity, but it always saves me when everyone laughs at me.


    ''''........This thread is material. Can I peel it off?¡¡''Blade-Zangshi'' reinforced the ''Steel Knife'' so it can cut cleanly.


    Yeah, that''s fine with me, but if your equipment is damaged, you can wrap it up in this one.


    Wow, an uncle''s coat is a bit of a mixed bag... oh, it''s nothing.


    I know you''re trying to tell me I stink like an old man, but unfortunately, I''m a neat freak.


    Hoslow-san was not offended by Misaki''s flippant remarks, but he smiled bitterly as he was still too young to be called ''uncle''.


    ''''Well my Third Lieutenant, it''s time to get down to business.


    ''Yes, sir. I am sorry, Mr. Atobe, after the terrible battle. I have come to discuss with you directly.


    ''''Although I wasn''t able to help you in your fight against that big butterfly, I''ve had a good look at Atobe-kun''s party''s abilities. He was first in the pecking order in the seventh district, and I don''t think he will stagnate so much when he goes to the sixth district.


    --Here, you''re coming. I could guess what was going to be said in the course of the conversation.


    With the title of ''Encouraged Explorers'', we are now in a position where we can be asked to cooperate with guild savers.


    Our destination for that request is two wards above our current one - that includes the wards that Elitia was in.


    ''''Currently, the Stampede''s threat level is increasing in the labyrinth of the fifth ward. This is due to a certain type of demon that has increased its population beyond the guild''s expectations.


    We''re not in town yet, but we''ll be over the barricades tomorrow. I don''t need help from the higher wards but I''m going to need you guys, who are the strongest in the Seventh Ward, to help me out as well. Of course, you can say no, so why don''t you spend the night thinking about it?


    You can go up to the sixth ward, and you can go to the fifth ward - but that means that the demons will also be greatly strengthened.


    It''s a risk. But in order to help Elitia''s friends as soon as possible, this request is an opportunity we can''t afford to miss.


    ''We will be heading for the Fifth Ward early tomorrow morning. If you are willing to comply with the request, please come to the Guild Saber Headquarters where we met last time.


    All right. I''ll discuss it with my colleagues and decide what to do.


    ''''That''s good. If you achieve results in the fifth district, you may not need to steadily attack the sixth district... but even if you have the ability to defeat enemies above your level, that doesn''t mean you''re ''safe''. The secret to longevity is to gradually increase the strength of the demons you are dealing with.


    ''''Khosrow, it would be rude to advise them on such things. They are the fastest people to ever pass through the beginner''s section of the labyrinth country.


    The fastest of all time - I don''t really feel it, but looking back, I''m having a dense day.


    ''''That''s why I also think we should preserve it. But I''m not naive enough to grow up in a greenhouse and be strong, that''s what labyrinth countries are for.


    "...I think I know that, too. ''All of us'' moving on, and that''s what I value most.


    Mr. Cuselka didn''t say anything, just nodded back. Then, after removing the thread, Khosrow-san finished removing the thread and carrying the cloaked Silone with ease.


    I''ll have a courier bring in the winged butterflies. I''ve managed to send the antennae to the storeroom.


    Oh, please, Melissa, I''m sorry.


    ''When Madoka isn''t around, I''ll take her place. She''s working hard out there, so I''ll do my best.


    Melissa always seems to be unassuming, but little by little we are beginning to see the thicker side of her friendship and the heat she keeps inside.


    Elitia has been looking down ever since she heard Kuserka''s approach. She finally looked up as Suzuna called out to her.


    ''''Elitia, we''ll figure out what to do in the future when we return to our quarters.


    "...yeah. I''m sorry, I''m all about myself...


    ''That''s not true. Mr. Ellie has the best of intentions....


    We''re almost there. But the truth is, we have to go up from the sixth ward in order and become stronger - because it is the ''named'' of the fifth ward that is capturing Elitia''s friends.


    However, just as we are now being called upon to prepare for the Stampede, it is recognized that our abilities can be used against the demons of the Fifth Ward.


    We''ll confirm everyone''s intentions and then decide whether or not to go to the Fifth District. It''s all about that.


    After the extremely low temperature created by Snow receded, the blue butterfly began to fly again. But now that the ''Phantom Winged Butterfly'' was defeated, they were not even judged to be demons.


    Theresia reached out her hand in the air. It''s the only thing that can make you feel better about yourself.


    What did the "Phantom Winged Butterfly of Pity" pity? Why was it using a white thread to capture the explorer and keep him in a different space?


    If it was the voice of the Winged Butterfly, it was trying to reincarnate the guilty seeker. If that''s how Theresa had also become a subhuman--''''


    ''''..........''''


    Hmm........this.......


    What Theresia brought was something like a ''blue butterfly'' trapped inside a clear stone - like a fossilized amber.


    ''''Well you''ve found it. It''s a beautiful stone.''''


    ..........


    Teresia nodded persistently. It''s not that I don''t like the idea of having a good time, but the fact that I''m not going to be able to get a good deal more than I''d like to.


    The current situation¡ô


    Acquired one "Amber of the Blue Butterfly".

 161 Episode 160 Decision Reunion

    Take the two ''Slow Salamanders'' out when you go through the second level. From there, he used the ''Scroll of Return'' to escape out of the labyrinth.


    Syrone was taken to the Guild Saber Headquarters. Kuzelka-san saluted towards us and left with Khosrow-san.


    ''''Brother, everyone.......I''m glad you''re safe.......!


    Madoka rushed over to us to see if she had been waiting for us. As I approached her, who was in tears, Igarashi-san smiled softly at her.


    ''''So that''s the end of the story.......but that''s not really the case. For now, I''d like to take a break with the whole party for now.''''


    ''Yes, how will you eat?¡¡I''ll get it for you in a minute.


    It''s almost dusk, and preparations for dinner had begun at a nearby house. It''s only been a few hours since we entered the "primary color plateau", but we suddenly became aware of our hunger, and it seems that everyone else is the same.


    I''m not sure if asking for a caterer at the inn today is a good idea. There are some restaurants I''d like to go to, but tomorrow we may have to change quarters.''''


    ''Yes, you can make a reservation and the ''couriers'' will deliver it to you. Then I''ll ask the restaurant for about three different dishes.


    Oh, well, I''ve been there before and it was delicious, so I''d like to try ''Ryotenro Shokudo'' and ''Leuven''s Wind'' and some pasta and pizza.


    Misaki was scribbling the names of the stores she had been to in her notebook, wondering when she had procured them. Everyone seems to have no objection, but Melissa raises her hand.


    ''''Well it''s not good enough to just have store-bought food, so I''ll make the pasta and pizza. My dad taught me how to make them.


    ''I could help you with that kind of cooking. I''m making great progress with Melissa''s direction, and I''ll be your assistant again today.


    Let me help you with that, too, since I was outside this time.


    ''''Suzu-chan, when you say that, I haven''t been able to do anything about it, but... why was Suzu-chan the only one with a lot of morale built up?''''


    It certainly bothers me, but I guess that''s how strong the connection between Elitia and Suzuna is - and for some reason, Suzuna is staring at me.


    ''Suzuna, what''s wrong?''


    ........... I''m sorry, I only did it because it was necessary, Aricht-san........


    Well, well, well?¡¡Suzu-chan, maybe you''re more motivated now that you''ve become friends with your brother.


    Misaki, we''ll talk about it over there....


    Suzuna had the audacity to cover Misaki''s mouth with her hand and take her away. Is it possible that me and Suzuna''s trustworthiness has something to do with the rise in morale - no, I don''t think that anyone''s trustworthiness is outstanding compared to the other members.


    ''''I think me and Theresia-san''s morale has risen a lot too...''''


    ..........


    ''''Well I''m having a hard time getting morale up. Maybe I need to be more motivated.


    ''Oh, I don''t know.......brother, you know, how''s my morale?¡¡Is it easy to rise?


    Madoka has activated the morale release "Effect Item" before, but Melissa didn''t even activate it when her morale was at maximum. Her morale gradually declines when she leaves the labyrinth, so I''d love to see the effect when she can use it next.


    ''''Ah........er, yeah. Theresia-san is embarrassed, so let''s talk about the morale boosting method another time, shall we?


    ''Yes. I''m probably harder to raise than Kyouka-san. I''m going to do my best to help you cook to increase your brother''s credibility!


    If cooking raises your trustworthiness, then the cooks of the labyrinth country must have garnered a great deal of trust.


    In my case, every time I support them, my trust level increases, and although it has become a mysterious profession, I''m still glad I chose the ''rear guard'' position. This is because the party''s trust in me has deepened, and I''ve gotten through many a tight spot.


    ''''........kohon. Don''t think too much about the trustworthiness of the party, Backbu-kun. If you think about it seriously from now on, everyone else will be in trouble.


    ''Well I know trustworthiness is important, but to think deeply about it?''


    I thought I was going to ask casually, but Igarashi-san smiled vaguely and left first with everyone else.


    Teresia is also red as a boiled octopus from earlier, so it''s somewhat difficult to line up next to her. It''s a hardcore occupational disease to be the last guard on the way home as well.


    ¡ô ¡ó¡ô


    I called out to Louisa, who was working at the Green House, and was about to report back to her, but since it was already time to get off work, we decided to wait until we returned to our quarters.


    I''m sorry to leave the cooking to everyone else, but I promised to help again another time, and faced Louisa-san across the table in the living room of the terrace house.


    ''''First of all, I''m glad that we have successfully completed our search again. I heard that you also rescued other searchers in the ''Primary Color Plateau''.


    There''s a lot of things, for a reason, Louisa, but did you hear about that too?


    ''I heard that a person named Shirone Kuznoha, who worked in the same group as Elitia, was interfering with you. His actions against everyone in the ''Four Seasons'' are a serious violation of the regulations. Mr. Shilone will be sentenced and then re-educated.


    I heard that Grey will be re-educated as well, but I wonder if the rehabilitation will work. Khosrow said that he would ''become a true human being'', so it seems that he will receive some pretty strict guidance.


    ''''First of all, before that, about what happened in the ''Small Island of Illusion''.......that labyrinth is considered a sanatorium, and there are very few people who make achievements to which their contributions can be added. However, since Atobe-sama''s party has left a lot of achievements, we will count them.


    The results of the last search


    We have entered the unexplored territories of Small Island of Illusion. 100 points.


    Captured 1 "Wings of Treasure in the Snowfield" for 240 points.


    Increased trust among party members 35 points


    Trust in "Seraphina" has increased by 10 points.


    Adeline''s credibility has increased by 10 points


    Ryoko''s credibility has increased by 10 points


    Trust in "Maple" has increased by 10 points


    Trust in "Ibuki" has increased by 10 points


    Trust in "Anna" has increased by 10 points.


    A total of 15 people conducted a joint search for 75 points


    Searcher''s Contribution ??? 510 points


    As for the ''Ice Statue'' summoned by the ''Treasure Wings'', it seems that no contribution points were added to it even if it was defeated. I didn''t expect the contribution itself to go in, so I''m grateful for this point as well.


    However, Louisa-san is looking at my license with a difficult face - that expression, which is following the string of letters with her one-sided glasses (monocle), looks somewhat sad.


    ''''Ah... this, you see, is probably due to the fact that we worked together when we moved to another island. My skills also helped me recover from my fatigue.


    ''''Recovering from fatigue.......Atobe-sama can use such a skill, can''t you? I''m a guild employee, so I don''t have the opportunity to have you use those skills, so it can''t be helped.


    Smiling, Louisa-san laughs, but something impulsively makes me want to apologize. Should I make up some reason for this, or should I let Louisa-san experience ''Supportive Recovery 1'' to reduce the fatigue in her eyes, shoulders and back caused by office work?


    ''Louisa-san looks like she''s going to be really stiff in the shoulders - she''s been a big help to me, so if it''s okay with me, I''ll give her a massage anytime.


    "Misaki-sama I''m fine, I''m not that tired...


    Misaki comes out of the kitchen in her apron and goes behind Louisa and starts rubbing her shoulders. She seems to be quite good at massaging, and she''s doing a pretty good job of it - she gets distracted quickly when she thinks she''s helping with the dishes.


    ''''Misaki-chan, Melissa-san wants to ask for pizza toppings...''''


    Oh, yes!¡¡Because when it comes to putting cheese on top, there''s no one better than me!


    Don''t put too much on there, because there''s a lot of other stuff on the menu.


    Sister Kyouka, don''t worry about it~. We work out all morning and all night long.


    Yo, about the night Misaki, I''m in danger, so you need to tone it down a bit.


    Elitia gives Misaki a gentle chop. Misaki is flipping her tongue out and being silly, but I wonder if she''s also exercising at night, or is she throwing pillows without my knowledge.


    ''''........Mi, Misaki-sama is always cheerful and a party mood-maker, isn''t she?''''


    Sometimes the bad moods can be too much, but I think that lightness is certainly essential.


    ''Huh, brother, didn''t you just praise me!¡¡Is it my imagination!


    ''Misaki, if you can''t concentrate, I''ll top it for you.


    Oh, there''s a salami made of some mysterious meat...!


    It''s no mystery. It''s all about the meat from the Angry Boar.


    I''ve had a sandwich with ''Wild Boa'' bacon before, so it seems that ''Boa'' type demon meat is treated similarly to pork in the Maze Country.


    ''''Well ... sorry for the buzz, but ... Can I report on the exploration of the ''Primary Color Plateau'' as well?


    The results of the last search


    We''re in the third floor of the primary color plateau. 30 points.


    Two Slow Salamanders captured, 240 points.


    3600 points for defeating a three-sided cursed mud giant.


    Eliminated a Winged Butterfly of Pity. 3200 points.


    Increased trust among party members 25 points


    100 points for rescuing Ryoko.


    100 points for rescuing the maple tree.


    100 points for rescuing Ibuki.


    100 points for saving "Anna".


    10 points for fighting with Ryoko''s party.


    100 points for rescuing "Shirone.


    500 points for delivering "Shirone" to the guild saber.


    Aricht''s level is now 7. 70 points.


    Theresa''s level is now 7. 70 points.


    Kyouka''s level is now 6. 60 points.


    Melissa''s level is now 7. 70 points.


    Searcher Contribution ??? 8375 points


    Seventh Ward All-Time Contributions Ranking 1


    Sixth Ward Contribution Ranking 1176


    It seems that the amount of contribution for defeating the ''blue butterflies'' doesn''t add up, but it still exceeded 8,000 points - defeating two ''named'' bodies in succession was significant.


    ''''This is........Atobe-sama, did you also defeat the ''named'' when you rescued the ''Four Seasons'' people and the one called Shirone?''''''


    ''''Yes, two levels and one on the third level... everyone in the Four Seasons had been captured by the demons, and we couldn''t free Shirone without defeating the demons.


    ''''Oh really, even though I always prepare my mind for this when I receive Atobe-sama''s report. I felt like I was going to lose consciousness again. Truly reckless.......no, I guess this isn''t reckless anymore, Atobe-sama.


    Louisa takes off her single pair of glasses. Then she held her upturned cheeks in embarrassment, then smiled at me with a little moisture in her eyes.


    ''''Congratulations, Atobe-sama. Even if you earned your contribution at the stage of being in the seventh district, it will only be reflected in the sixth district''s explorer rankings as a reference record... but even so, being ranked 1180th out of the 8,000 people in the sixth district means that you can still use the top guild from the beginning, and I am.


    If you go to the sixth ward, the initial pecking order is not low. However, depending on the number of searchers trying to get up to the fifth ward, the competition will be higher - after all, it''s a breakthrough shortcut to be able to go to the fifth ward at this stage.


    ''''Well Louisa-san, there''s something I want to talk to you about later.


    ''''Yes, we have been notified by Guild Saber Headquarters. You have received a request for help from the Fifth Ward.


    It''s two upper wards, and there''s a danger of Stampede - even though we''re only helping to defend the city, the opponents we''re fighting will rapidly increase in strength compared to the seventh ward.


    Even so, Louisa-san listened to the news calmly. She must have known from the time we became ''Encouragement Searchers'' that there was a possibility of going to a higher-ranking ward temporarily.


    ''''Perhaps it would be less dangerous to go forward one step at a time. But I could tell that Atobe-sama and the others wanted to get to the fifth ward as soon as possible, since I could tell from the eighth ward that they wanted to get to the fifth ward as soon as possible.


    Mr. Louisa.


    ''''I will go with you to the Fifth District. Although I won''t be able to participate in the battle, as Atobe-sama''s personal assistant, I would like to see what you do in the Fifth District.


    Can our power work against the demons of the fifth district? If we can get through, we can reach it - the chance to save Elitia''s best friend will come much sooner than we imagined.


    ''''We''re going to discuss and decide whether or not to go to the Fifth Ward.


    ''''Isn''t your feelings already the same as everyone else''s? If you Atobe-sama are able to continue to defeat the ''named'' demons in the seventh district, then your power will also work against the normal demons in the fifth district.


    Louisa''s encouragement had reached everyone in the kitchen. I don''t need to check again, but the feeling is the same for all of us.


    ''If we''ve come this far, we''ll just have to take advantage of the opportunity... we have to help Elitia-san''s friends as soon as possible.


    ''''Well it was only a short while ago. In the beginning when I first met Elitia-san, I thought it would be much longer before I could go to the Fifth Ward.


    ''I''m not much of a fighter at all, but I''m not afraid to go anywhere with my brothers. Oh, I don''t mean it in a bad way, so don''t worry about it, brother.


    I''m not saying that this group is not afraid to take any chances. We always keep the tension alive when we''re fighting demons.


    "...thank you, guys.


    But Elitia, who has actually experienced it, understands better than we do - the dangers of a party trying to move up to the Sixth Ward to fight in the Fifth Ward.


    ''Kuserka-san said the convocation is tomorrow. We should have a good meal and a good night''s rest today, too.


    As Igarashi-san said, the doorbell of the terrace house rang. Madoka went out to deal with it, and the ''couriers'' brought the food from ''Ryotenro Diner'' and ''Leuven''s Wind'' into the living room.


    At the same time, Celes-san and Steiner-san, who were in the rental workshop, and - ''Four Seasons'', Seraphina-san and Adeline-san, who had finished their treatment at the medical center, also come in.


    It''s always a lively party here.


    ''''I said that, and the master was worried about it all the time. So when I came in front of the house, everyone was here...''


    Celes-san, who was on Steiner-san''s shoulder, pouted in embarrassment.


    ''''Well these girls would very much like to see Lord Atobe and the others off.


    ''''Fortunately, there were very few injuries from the battle with the ''Mud Giants''... so rather than wait until tomorrow, they wanted to see Atobe-san and everyone''s faces today, so I came with them. Captain Seraphina said that we shouldn''t make any noise, though.


    The four members of The Four Seasons didn''t say anything for a while when they walked into the house. I get up from the couch and greet the girls - I wonder what I should say to them, too.


    I''m glad we''re both okay. We''ll go on ahead, but everyone is fine too - I guess that''s fine, but it''s not the word that feels right. While I''m thinking about that.


    ''''........Atobe-san.......''''


    Younger...!


    Brother...!


    Arihito.....


    The four of them all run up to me in unison - I felt like I was about to be hugged, but they all stop a step in front of me and look at each other and smile shyly.


    ''''Haha........oh no, we''re breathing perfectly even at times like this, Uchi.


    Oh, I just wanted to thank you, sir. Unlike the maples.


    ''''Well I don''t think it would be a bad idea to at least give him a hug, considering what happened when Aricht came to help us.


    ''That''s true, but we shouldn''t do anything that would take Atobe-san away from you. That''s right, Kyouka-san, Louisa-san.


    ''Oh, you don''t have to worry about me. I''m sure you don''t feel bad about being liked by everyone, either, Mr. Higuchi.


    ''If you say so, Kyouka-sama, then I''ll just say that I agree with you. It''s good to see you again, gentlemen.


    Louisa stands up from her seat and shakes hands with the four members of The Four Seasons. Everyone who has finished preparing the food also comes out and becomes congenial at once.


    Serafina-san comes over here and bids us farewell. For some reason, Adeline-san is clenching her fist tightly behind her, I wonder if she is encouraging Seraphina-san.


    ''''Lord Atobe, I will accompany you when you go to the fifth district. I have a special order from Third Lieutenant Kuzelka to accompany you if there is a phase where I can be of assistance.


    ''''Thank you, that helps. I''ve always thought that when you''re fighting an enemy in the Fifth Ward, it''s a matter of how you get past the first attack (first contact).


    Seraphina-san puts her hand to her chest - she''s in the military uniform of a guild saber, but I guess she usually wears it when she''s not wearing her armor. Adeline-san is in rough clothes, so it seems that she is free to dress when she is off duty.

 162 Chapter One Hundred and Sixty One: Decorations Outing at Night

    Serafina puts her hand to her chest - I guess it''s a greeting when she joins again.


    ''Lieutenant Serafina Edelbert, I am prepared to accept the first blow with all my might.


    ''Yes, thank you. We have a lot of members who are lower level than you, Seraphina, but we''ll do our best not to drag you down.


    ''I really admire your humility, even though we''ve worked together a lot already... oh, and when you say admire, do you mean it''s a bit over the top?


    ''''Well Adeline, you''re unnecessarily devaluing your reputation for mischief at the most important part.


    ''''Haha, the captain is embarrassed. We''ve known each other for a long time, but it wasn''t until I met Atobe and the others that he started to look like this.


    Adeline-san had been so much of a joke up to that point, but she suddenly made a mysterious face and put her hand on my shoulder. What''s going on, the air in the place gets tense, but--


    ''''Please take care of the captain. I''m sure Atobe-san will be able to leave it to you.


    What do you mean........you''re going to cause trouble for Atobe-dono if you talk like that.......


    Nah, it works really well when you''re serious sometimes, doesn''t it? Don''t you think so, Misaki?


    ''Huh, well, I''m sure it''s true, or maybe it works for my brother...''


    ''Today, you know, I just wanted to say hello to the people that our captain is in charge of, and at the same time, I would like you to know this Adeline. At the same time, I''d like you to be in the know about this Adeline. It''s ex post facto, but that''s okay, captain.


    The momentum was indisputable - but everyone knew that.


    Adeline-san knows that she won''t be able to see Seraphina-san for a while. So, I thought that he was going to spare us the remnants - I thought.


    ''''Atobe-dono, our troops are also providing logistical support, but since we''re heading to the fifth district there''s no need to worry about Adeline.


    ''Please pull me back a bit more - I''ve been looking forward to the real feelings you''re going to tell me and all that stuff because of times like these.


    ''''Well brother, I just realized that you and Adeline seem to be on the same page.


    Misaki makes a statement that doesn''t sound serious, but everyone seemed to agree. Adeline-san doesn''t seem to be unconcerned - I''ll just drop it without a hitch that a friendship can develop like this.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    The medicinal soup, a limited menu item at the Liantian Rou Restaurant, was so delicious that monks were said to jump over the walls to drink it. Because the ingredients were taken from the rare demons inhabiting each of the Seventh District''s labyrinths, which had a low occurrence rate, it was said that they could only eat it once a month.


    ''''I''m sure any saint would get burned if they were forced to eat something like that.


    ''Master, you were exaggerating about how one drink wasn''t enough.


    Celes and Steiner were in the living room now, and everyone headed to the nearby bathhouse because there were so many of them. It''s a spa to relieve the fatigue of the searchers, and I''ll be going there later.


    I''ll have to wait for the next opportunity to see if it''s too good to be true. You''ll have to wait until the next time.¡¡But if we leave tomorrow morning, we can only process a limited number of them.


    ''''If you want to replace the magic stones and runes, it won''t take long. If you want to process the materials to make equipment, I''d say two or three.''''


    ''''Then ... what can you put on Suzuna''s ''Horn of the Pasture God''?''''''


    You can add a magic stone and a rune to it. If you''ve tried using the horn in a real battle, then it''s probably a good idea to wear the ''Hibiki'' rune.


    If it''s possible to attach a magic stone as well as a rune, I''ll have Suzuna''s horn attached to the ''Stagnation Stone''. The addition of the power of the "stagnation" to the ranged attack by sound will have a powerful effect. There''s an ice-cold stone left over, but I''ll hold off on using it to load the magic gun.


    The remaining runes are the "Tumble" rune, which adds half of your magic power to your maximum strength, and the "Fight" rune dropped by the "Merciless Burialer".


    The "Tumble" rune is the one I want Seraphina to use because of its effectiveness - if we can find other equipment with a rune slot, there will be room for consideration again.


    And the ''Fighting'' rune, but from my appraisal, it''s an ability like this.


    The Rune of Fighting ¡ô.


    You can activate ''Lone Struggle'' which increases your ability to fight in close quarters according to the number of party members who are unable to fight.


    The ''Fight'' rune is difficult to use when you consider the risks involved. The fact that your companions are unable to fight means that they are on the verge of death. This rune could be used to save your friends.


    Well I''ll give it some thought.


    If I were to wear it, it would be Elitia, who has a high level of strength, or Sion, who has a high level of strength, or Serafina-san - neither Elitia nor Sion has any armor with a rune slot. I need to ask again about Seraphina-san.


    ''''And as for the materials that can be used for processing, my God, you have more than one fruit that can increase your ability value?


    ''It''s hard to find a use for something as valuable as this. Can they be used for some kind of material?


    It is recommended that you use this kind of tool to increase its effectiveness even among high level searchers. If you find a high level pharmacist, it would be a good idea to bring him/her to you. They can make a more effective medicine out of the fruit.


    ''I see ... then I''ll save it for now.


    ''The other materials you got will be good to use for accessories.


    Candidate materials that can be used for processing


    Snowdrop x 1


    Snow Crystal x 1


    water crystals x 1


    Blue Butterfly Amber x 1


    ''If that''s the case, I guess I''d better ask everyone what they''d like to spend it on.


    Hmm. I''m sure everyone wants one of these things, and since we don''t have enough for this one, it would be a good idea to give it to him or her as a gift when you find it again.


    ''''Oh, well women like beautiful things. It wasn''t delirious to think of them only as equipment.


    "As expected of master, when it comes to the subtleties of human relationships, age is of the essence.....


    Age is not a problem for our kind. No, Alihit.


    Yes, yes....


    When I met Celes and her friends in the bathhouse, I couldn''t see them clearly due to the steam, but they looked a lot more grown up than the girl they were now. But I still haven''t been able to ask what that was all about.


    ''Well, let''s meet up with everyone in the baths and ask them what they want, shall we?


    Change of equipment of magic stones and runes


    Attach the Hibiki no Rune and Stagnation Stone to the Reverberation Horn ¡ú Changed to "Reverberation of the Makishin + 1


    Equipment processing


    Kyoka obtains Snowdrop Earrings


    Suzuna obtains the Snow Crystal Pendant


    Elitia obtains the Pendant of the Water Spirit Crystal


    Theresa" gets the "Butterfly Ring".


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    I went to the spa after everyone else, and after the baths we all gathered in the lobby that had been turned into a tavern, so I got to discuss the skills there.


    ¡ôNew skills that can be acquired by Arihito ¡ô


    Skill Level 2


    Assist Doll: Strengthens the golems created by your allies in front of you.


    Backdoor: Enables you to acquire enemy information at all times when retreating. Required Skill: Backstand


    Escape Anchor: Activating the "Lord Commander" greatly increases your movement speed. Required Skill: "Lord Commander".


    Skill Level 1.


    - Support Front 1: Knock back an enemy when an ally in front of you is attacked.


    Remaining skill points 3 Not obtained.


    New Skills of Kyouka


    Skill Level 2


    Frost Armor: Reflects blows with the ice attribute. The effect is also given to dolls and golems created by the seeker. Required Skill: Aether Ice


    Bravely Song Improves everyone''s attack power and morale. Release your allies'' fear. Required skill: Brave Mist


    Skill Level 1.


    Aether Ice: Set up ice attribute ether.


    Remaining skill points 3 to 0.


    New skills that can be acquired by Theresa


    Skill Level 2


    Trap Detection 2: Gain the special vision to see through traps. Required skill: Trap Detection 1


    Anti-Body: Suppresses poison and other disabling conditions at a certain rate, and increases attack power and speed for a certain amount of time.


    Weapon Bite: Responds to enemy weapon attacks and captures their weapons on success.


    Skill Level 1


    Evasion ability increases when equipped with a specific shield.


    Remaining skill points: 3 to 2.


    Skills Melissa can acquire


    Skill Level 2


    Ikizukuri: Causes a certain percentage of fish demons that have decreased in stamina to die with a single blow.


    Cat Step: Increases your evasion rate. When you successfully evade a cat step, you may grant your opponent a charm. Required Skill: Catwalk


    Skill Level 1.


    Toxicity: Identify if the food you eat is poisonous. The effects of the poison are reduced.


    Remaining skill points: 3 to 1.


    In addition to the new skills that you can take as you level up, there are many other skills that you haven''t been able to take because you don''t have enough skill points to get them. Considering that I''ll take it when I need it, I''ll have to hold off on all but the ones that will certainly prove useful.


    I''d love to take Theresia''s ''Trap Sensing 2'', but I didn''t take either of those now because ''Anti-Body'' also requires 2 skill points. Weapon Bite" is not beneficial unless a demon with a weapon appears, but I decided to take "Passing Away" because it is a skill that suits Terezia, who uses a circular shield, and it costs 1 point.


    The Four Seasons wanted to stay the night, and there was a problem of not having enough beds, but the Four Seasons brought in a sleeping bag that they used to use, and the upstairs bedroom was like a house camp. I am.


    I was slumped on the couch amidst everyone''s hushed voices, and before I knew it, I was deeply asleep. When I open my eyes again, it''s still late at night, and as my eyes adjust to the dark room, I see Theresa sitting on the couch without a blanket, asleep.


    I lay Theresa back down on the couch and put the blanket over her. I thought I was going to wake her up, but she seemed to be sleeping deeply today - with a ring with a ''blue butterfly amber'' on it in her hand.


    ''''........Soooo.......''''


    I could hear him breathing softly in his sleep, his chest rising and falling at fairly long intervals, but faintly. The movement is so small that at first glance it seems like he''s not breathing, so I watched him for a while with concern.


    (...isn''t it good to watch her sleep in a dark room?)


    I left the living room so as not to make a sound and thought about taking a breath - then I went out the door and met Igarashi-san in her pajamas.


    ''''Igarashi-san, what''s up with you at this hour?''''


    ''Rear, thank goodness you looked like you were sleeping well, so I didn''t want to wake you up. I think Ellie and Suzuna are out of the house.


    Elitia and Suzuna.... okay, I''ll take a closer look.


    Yes, please. I''d love to go with you, but I''m dressed like this.


    Igarashi-san is wearing a cardigan over her nightgown and looks a little chilly. It''s summer weather during the day, but it gets a little cold at night, which is the climate in the 7th district these days.


    ''''Well it will be a little chilly in just those clothes. Do you want to put this on?


    ''''Ah...Igarashi-san must be cold too, so I''m fine...''''


    I tried to refrain from doing so, but I was forced to put on Igarashi-san''s cardigan. It smells so good, but I can''t really talk about it.


    ''''Your shoulders are pretty broad, Rear-kun... but I''m glad I made the larger size.


    Oh, thank you. Well, I''m off then.


    Yeah, have a safe trip.


    Igarashi-san sees me off and we walk out of the terrace house. With a license, it''s easy to find out where they are - it''s a park in a residential area, about a five-minute walk away.


    In a city in a labyrinthine country, there are only a few places with trees. The park seemed to have been planted and built after the fact, so that you could see as much greenery as possible in the stone city.


    The streetlights of the magician''s tools only faintly illuminated the surroundings, but it was enough to find them sitting in front of a monument set up in the park.

 163 Episode 162 Memory Companion

    ''''Well Ellie, are we still not on the right level?''''


    I hear Suzuna''s voice and I stop in my tracks. I''m not sure if I should talk to the two of them now - depending on what they''re talking about, it could be that they don''t want me to hear it.


    If that''s the case, what I''m hearing here is not right. But I couldn''t just walk away.


    ''''I have to go to the sixth ward, dive into the labyrinth, get a little stronger... and then aim for the fifth ward, or else I''ll be in danger, right?


    "...I could go back to the Fifth Ward on my own. But I couldn''t do it on my own so I sought out my friends.


    ''Then, now that we can all go to the Fifth Ward, there''s no point in getting lost...''


    ''I know ... I know. I''m terribly happy about that... but...


    Elitia is lost - I thought it was still a long way off until now, because the time when we''re all going to move up to the Fifth Ward has come sooner than I expected.


    It''s a bigger risk than going to the Fifth Ward by following the normal procedure. We''re being called to the Fifth Ward because we''re preparing for a situation that requires a little bit of strength - the Stampede.


    ''I''ve never been able to fight the demons of the Fifth Ward properly. There were several parties in the brigade, and I was in the third party... When I was attacked by the ''Blazing Monkey Duke'', I was level 8 and not strong enough to come to the fifth district. My brother was the leader of the group and it was an organization that my father had set up, so they only let me stay put.


    ''''.........You said that you were attacked by a demon called ''Brilliant Monkey Duke'', right? At that time, you were participating in the search.......how was that possible?


    And yet, only that day........at the place where the informant told me the cadre was located, the ''monkey douche'' made a surprise attack.......


    --The demons make up the organization, which is led by the Duke of Monkey. And the Duke of Monkey has the cunning to deceive the searchers.


    Elitia was caught by surprise by the Duke and lost her friends. It''s no wonder that I remember the emotions I felt when I got to the stage where I could go to the fifth ward.


    Even when I was separated from my friends by Shirone, I couldn''t help but feel a sense of resignation, even if only for a moment. If I wasn''t in time, if my friends couldn''t defeat the ''Mud Giants'' in my absence - I don''t even want to imagine that.


    "The Brigade didn''t set out to fight the Marauders. It was to obtain the cursed weapon held by the explorers captured by the Duke of Monkeys. When the second party reached their goal, the leader ordered us to retreat. But no help came to us as we were fighting the Monkey Duke.


    The ''Alliance'' method was to keep other searchers out of efficient hunting grounds. That''s one method, and I can''t deny it all, but I fundamentally disagree with the ''Byakuya Brigade''s'' method.


    ''''........Was it originally decided not to send out a rescue?''''


    Suzuna didn''t seem to want to hear it either. Although her voice trembled, she still looked straight at Elitia and asked her a question.


    ''''........At first, my brother also tried to cooperate with me to capture the labyrinth. He began to prioritize getting to the upper wards by any means possible, and getting stronger for it. I gathered only those who could agree with that policy and the ''Brigade'' became what it is today.


    ''''So... if you''ve reached your goal, you''re saying that it''s okay for your friends to drop out...?


    At first, I thought she was upset by the ruthlessness of the ''brigade''. However, the emotion in Suzuna''s voice was not the only emotion in her voice.


    ''''I think the other parties should be free to decide what policies they want to follow. I know it''s out of line for me to complain... but...


    ''''Well it was the first party that was supposed to be dealing with ''Sarukou''. Since we are part of the brigade, we really have to take the same risk. So, at that time, no one strongly opposed the leader of the group, nor did anyone leave the group. Even the opinions that came from a few people who wanted to save Rulie from being captured by the ''monkey douche'' were not a force to be reckoned with for the entire brigade.


    Elitia couldn''t give up. How did she feel when the organization she belonged to decided not to help her best friend - just imagining it filled her chest with anger and regret.


    If they had been taken by surprise by the ''Monkey Duke'', the ranks would have been in disarray and the party would have been in disarray. However, only one person was caught.


    Elitia''s body trembled as she tried to say the reason for this. To stop that trembling, she grabbed her arm tightly.


    But........she had a ''morale release'' to save the party when they were in a tight spot.


    --Morale Release ''Salvation Hand (Salvation)''. Use your physical strength to damage the enemy and transfer your friends to the entrance of the hierarchy.


    We........found ourselves fleeing from the ''monkey bars''. Ruly was nowhere to be found.......I was about to go looking for him, but the Commander.......


    Elitia was knocked unconscious by her brother''s hand, and the next time she woke up, she was in a room in the mansion that the ''Brigade'' was using as their quarters, her voice trembling as she said.


    ''''If I was stronger, I wouldn''t have let Ruilly use the ''Morale Release''... if I could stop him, if I could play the role of the vanguard... if I could use the ''Scarlet Emperor''s Sword'' better...


    Elitia burst into tears and spoke of her regrets. Suzuna hugs Elitia and doesn''t say anything for a while.


    There are some things I just can''t understand. But maybe it''s a difference in thinking.


    If it was the first or second party of the brigade, there was a possibility that they could have saved Ruury. Is it because they cut it off without challenging it - because they considered themselves lucky that they didn''t clash with the ''Monkey Duke''?


    But no matter what the circumstances, my conclusion is still the same.


    Elitia and Suzuna, who had come down to the Eighth Ward to look for their friends, met and joined us.


    We still don''t know everything about what happened to Elitia. Still, her purpose became a goal to be weighed from the moment she joined the party.


    We''ve been saved by Elitia. So we will help Elitia, and that will not change no matter what.


    ''''........Aricht-san.


    .........


    I came out under the light of the streetlight. They noticed me and looked at me.


    ''I heard you two were out and I came looking for you. We got to talk to you on the way out, too.


    ''''.......I''m sorry. Even though everyone agreed with me........considering the strength of the demons in the Fifth Ward, I still.......


    ''''It''s too early to go to the fifth district now....... Surely the fight will be easier if you get stronger in the sixth district and go to the fifth district.


    Mr. Aricht....


    We go to the fifth district without worrying or anything else, only looking at the positive aspects.


    It''s one of the choices to do so in fighting a strong enemy - but that''s not the kind of word Elitia is looking for right now.


    ''''But like Elitia, we''ve been teaming up with a high level Seraphina-san to fight. The fact that we were able to defeat a level 9 ''named''........''Funeralist'' means that we can fight normal demons of a bit higher level as well, in my opinion.


    "...it''s...


    ''''I''d like to hear how high the demons in the Fifth Ward are. I''m not going to get upset just by looking at the numbers, though.


    ''''It varies from one labyrinth to the next, but it''s about level 11. The ''Blazing Monkey Duke'' was level 12. But I don''t think we should be overconfident the longer ''The Monkey Duke'' is alive, the longer he''s alive.


    The appearance of a level 9 ''named'' in the seventh ward was still an exceptional event that could not normally happen.


    That''s why - because he struggled in this ward, going to the fifth ward would not be completely reckless.


    ''''I might be able to skip level ten and fight eleven demons... I might barely be able to defeat one of them, but it doesn''t look like I can''t be a force to be reckoned with.


    ''It''s all right, Elitia. If we all work together, I''m sure...


    Yeah, yeah, what''s the point in worrying about that now?


    -- I hear a voice from behind me and turn around. Then Misaki, who had been following me for some time, came out from behind the lamppost where I was earlier.


    ''I''m sorry, Rear-kun we all came together because we were still worried about you.''


    "Woof.


    ''''Well my level hasn''t caught up to Elitia, but I''ll try not to drag my feet.


    ..........


    Igarashi-san, Sion, Melissa, and Teresia are also coming together - the last ones to come out were Madoka and Seraphina-san.


    ''''Ah, um........I can''t fight, but if you all are going to the Fifth Ward, I want to go with you......!


    ''''In terms of level, I''m finally able to cross over to the demons in the fifth district... but I think that with this party, I can contribute enough for the title of ''Encouraged Explorer''.''''''


    Elitia''s eyes shake. But before the tears can flow, she covers her face.


    And the next time she looks up, the sparkle in her eyes that we know so well has been restored.


    ''''Well thank you. If we can all go to the Fifth Ward together, that would make me most happy.


    Yeah. Come with me, Elitia.


    I hold out my right hand and Elitia pulls my hand away and stands up. Suzuna stands up with her and looks at me with a little moisture in her eyes.


    ''Thank you for coming to find me, Aricht-san, gentlemen.


    ''Moo, you''ll have to take me with you in that case. I''m in the same big brother-child alliance as Ellie and Suzu.


    ''Misaki-chan has a tendency to make fun of you like that... nah, she must have slept a lot, so she must have left you behind.


    ''Not really, for tomorrow it''s already today, but I thought it would be hard to fall asleep, and I slept soundly.


    It may be true that she couldn''t fall asleep until the middle of the night, but after all, she''s always been a great help to me with her mood swings.


    ''''Well this isn''t the time to cry. I''ll cry only after I''ve saved my friends.


    Melissa calls out to Elitia. Elitia smiled and then said


    ''''Yes, Melissa is right you have to fight to the best of your ability no matter what mission you are given. Otherwise, there would be no point in being called in, right?


    ''Well if you decide to do that, it''s time to get back. We''ve still got some time before morning, so we should get as much rest as possible.


    Everyone took off back to their quarters. Just as I was about to go too, the ones who entered the park from the other direction - Steiner-san in his armor and Celes-san on his shoulder.


    The process is done, Alihit, and we''re just about to go to bed. If you are called upon while you are in the Fifth Ward, we can go to the Fifth Ward as well.


    ''''I''m just saying that I''d love to have you here. You can get good ore in District 5, so you can strengthen your equipment.


    ''Thanks, both of you. When your permission to stay is granted, and if there''s anything you''d like to discuss with me about your equipment, I''d love to hear from you.


    I was told that Corleone will have a suit made for you, but you must receive it when it is completed. Don''t take any chances. This is the first time you''ve been called up in an emergency, so your priority is to survive.


    I nod back. Survival is my top priority - everything else is beyond that.

 164 Episode 163: Sword Dance Scorpion

    Early in the morning - just as she was getting ready to leave her quarters after an early breakfast, Serafina-san received a call from the Guild Saber Headquarters.


    The stampede in the fifth district had started earlier than expected. The Guild Saber unit of the Fifth District, the title-holder searchers who had been called in, and the explorers of the Fifth District were already in charge of dealing with the situation.


    When I entered the ''Green Hall'' and went to the Guild Saber Headquarters, Kuzelka-san, Khosrow-san and the Guild Saber Unit members were waiting for me.


    ''''Thank you for responding to our call for help. A battle has already taken place in the city of District 5, so I will explain the situation.''''


    This is the reason for the stampede this time is the ''Calm Sea of Sand''...Although this labyrinth is a unit every few months, the population tends to increase due to the demon''s biology. When they come into town, all hands will be on hand to deal with them, but the average party below level 10 will only be able to defeat one of them.


    Khoselka''s assistant, Khoselka-san''s assistant, explains it to me instead. An average level of 10--a party that is definitely stronger than us if you just look at the level alone, and a demon that would struggle even against one of them.


    That, and the fact that it''s a stampede means that the demons will be moving all over the city. The defenders must also spread out their forces, and it''s difficult to always fight back with an advantageous situation.


    ''''However, even if you take them one by one, they will certainly be an effective battle result. The stampede will stop once the enemy''s ''named'' is destroyed, but if the ''named'' is working together with its cronies, a struggle is inevitable. It''s going to be a tough battle, but I want you to be aware of the fact that you should try to split up the demons as much as possible, and if the rest of the party is struggling, I want you to think about joining them.


    All right, I''ll keep my eyes open for anything that comes my way.


    ''''Well I''m not a boss and I''m not a boss, so when you reply so honestly, I mean........''''


    ''Hosslow, this is no time to be shy. Keep the tension up.


    Yes, sir.


    I thought I responded normally, but Khosrow-san''s response is favorable. I wonder if the explorers who are called in from other wards are nervous or something, and their replies are stiff.


    ''''Well that''s a good point about you, Rearward-kun, but it''s not fair for me to say that.


    What''s wrong, Igarashi-san?


    No, no....really. I was going to say, "Since you''ve come all this way, let''s do our best.


    ''Wow, that sounds totally different to me, doesn''t it?


    ''''Misaki-chan.......don''t be too agitated like that.......''''


    I''m sure I would have preferred it as well, but I''m not surprised that Lord Khosrow has a soft spot for Lord Atobe.


    Serafina-san had no hesitation in saying such things, and she said it with a straight face - she would be more embarrassed in such cases. Khosrow-san also scratched her cheeks as she walked.


    ''''There are some non-combat personnel in Atobe-dono''s party, aren''t there? After the transfer, you will be asked to stay inside the Guild Saber headquarters in the fifth district as is.''''


    ''Thank you for your consideration of my companions. I suppose we''ll just have to fight as instructed at first?


    ''''Oh ... if it''s difficult to defeat them, there''s no need to push it. The searchers are not obligated to subdue the stampede, but there are parties that will willingly fight the demons. It''s not necessarily a disadvantage in terms of strength.


    It''s the same as when the Stampede happened in the Eighth Ward - there are many people who are prepared to fight demons in the labyrinth, but won''t willingly fight demons that come into the city, even if they''re prepared to fight them. That''s probably because they don''t absolutely have to participate in subduing them, and it''s customary to wait and see what happens.


    But just as the explorers dive into the labyrinth with as much safety as possible, the guild savers are also looking for as much strength as possible. That''s why they called out to us.


    ''''........I''ll tell Atobe-dono and the others. There is a district in the fifth district where a corridor has been formed to hunt down demons in case powerful demons come into the city.


    ''Third Lieutenant Kuzelka, it''s not yet time for them to...''


    ''''It''s not fast. Demons cornered in the Corridor may use vehicle weapons such as the Impulse Car or special weapons planted in the city itself to attack. If you decide to use these weapons, ask a nearby guild saver for advice, if possible. If your guild saber uses a weapon, please evacuate the area to avoid getting involved.


    ''''Leave the role of driving the ''named'' into the ''corridor'' to us guild savers. But if we ever need your help we''ll take care of that for you.


    Mr. Khosrow bows his head - it''s a good sign that he''s not calling us decorous because we have a title.


    ''''This time, up to two charms that grant ''Poison Resistance 3'' will be given to the party participating in the suppression. Please consult with me to decide which members to equip.


    Speaking of poison in the sand, it''s the scorpions. Well, the scorpions of the labyrinth are monsters several times bigger than humans.


    ''Hee........Scorpions......scorpions, are there a lot of those things in town.......?


    ''They hide in the sand, which makes it difficult to reduce their populations. The same can be said of the flying demons.


    It''s a scorpion demon, and it uses a powerful poison - it may use a long-range attack, but the priority is to counter the vanguard''s poisoning. I give one of the charms to Seraphina-san and consult with her about the other one and ask Sion to wear it. It''s because Sion, the escort dog, can go out to ''cover'' at will.


    All members, follow me.


    ""Ha!"


    As Kuserka-san walks out of the room, Khosrow and his troopers follow. Adeline-san and the others said they''d be coming later to provide logistical support, but they''re already armed, and they line up to see us off ahead of them.


    There are several doors in the hall at the end of the corridor. When Kuzelka-san holds her hand over one of them, a crystal embedded in the wall beside the door displays ''5'' in the labyrinth country''s notation, and the door opens.


    Is the Guild Saber Headquarters connected to all the districts - if so, do Kuzelka-san and the others ever go to the fourth district and beyond?


    After walking inside the transfer door for a while, the air changes - Cuselka-san, who is leading us, opens the door, and we emerge into a different place, similar to but different from the headquarters of the Seventh District. Then, the Guild Saber Squadron member who was waiting for me rushed over.


    ''''Third Lieutenant Kuzelka, as I have informed you, there was a stampede earlier today!¡¡The number of demons that have appeared so far is 134, and the current number of demons defeated is 13, and the battle line is spreading from the entrance to the ''Calm Sand Sea'' to the entire Fifth District!


    Yes, sir. We''ll check out the battle plan and join the front line. Our unit and a party of explorers will join the fight, and we''ll provide logistical support as soon as the rest of the squad arrives later.


    ''Yes, sir!¡¡Report to Furet 3rd Class at once...


    I''d like to inform you that there are several demons in the eastern sector moving at high speed!¡¡We are directing non-combatants to the waiting area, but the evacuation is not yet complete!


    There must be a lot of searchers in the fifth district as well, but only 13 of the 134 were defeated - if that''s the case after a few hours since the stampede occurred, it would take a lot of time just to defeat one of them.


    ''''East of the fifth district - that''s the area where many of the supporters'' residences are located. ''''Captain Kuzelka, what do we do now?''''


    We must hurry. Lord Atobe, I''ll share the map with you. I should have given it to you beforehand, but the system only allows me to disclose it after I arrive in the Fifth Ward... I''m sorry.


    ''No, it would be helpful enough if you could tell me now.


    I like to see a man of principle, I do. Come with us, Mr. Atobe. I want to buy some time for our supporters in town and for those who can''t fight, to get out.


    ''I understand. Madoka will be waiting here, and I''ll come for you as soon as we''re done subduing.


    Yes..........brother, I''m sorry, ladies and gentlemen, watch out.......


    The Guild Saber Headquarters in the fifth district also seemed to be built underground, just like the seventh district. I ran through the corridors and up the stairs - there was a sense of transition in the middle, and I flew to the building on the ground.


    ''''-- Atobe-dono, everyone, please stop!


    We should have gone out to the inside of the guild building - I thought there was no need to be wary of demon attacks here yet, but I was naive in my thinking.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Deathstalker G" activates "Poison Blaster".


    When I was about to go up the stairs and into the corridor, Kuserka-san stopped - something passed through the corridor at a furious pace.


    If you don''t want to muck up your equipment, don''t touch what they spit out.


    ''Khosrow, I''ll get it. While I draw the enemy''s fire, you guys can come out too.


    I can''t let you go alone, sir. Leave the rough stuff to my subordinates..........you ain''t listening to me!


    Current Situation


    Kuserka activates Galm Drive, which greatly increases speed and evasion rate.


    Hot Rod activates Battlecry, which increases the party''s attack and defense power.


    Hosslow activates Burst Dash.


    (e.g. "I''ll be back")


    "--Mr. Kuzelka, Mr. Khosrow, ''I support you''!


    I run out into the aisle and see Kuzelka-san and Khosrow-san ahead of me and the demons that have invaded the entrance of the building.


    The demon I encountered ¡ô


    Deathstalker G Level 11 Enemy Versus Poison Disabled Attribute Reduction Drop: ?


    A huge scorpion with a body about three times the size of an adult, covered with armor-like armor all over its body - its tail tries to take aim at Kuserka-san, who is running at high speed.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Arihito activates Other Assist ¡ú Target: Kuzelka and Khosrow.


    Aricht activates ''Support and Defense 1'' ¡ú Targets: ''Kuzelka'' and ''Khosrow''.


    Arihito activates ''Support Attack 2'' ¡ú Support: ''Force Shoot Stun''.


    Deathstalker G activates "Poison Blaster" ¡ú Target: "Kuzelka


    Kuserka activates Spin Defend ¡ú Disables Poison Blaster


    Huh...!


    Kuzelka-san spun her sword and misted the poisonous liquid released from the scorpion''s tail like a jet stream - a defensive skill that consumes magic power, not just received by the sword.


    ''''--Hosslow!


    Current Situation


    Hosslow activates Power Charge and hits Deathstalker G. Confused, knockback in progress, stunned.


    Ooh-la-la!


    "--Geeeeeeeee!


    At the same time as Kuzelka-san flies to the side, Khosrow-san furiously tackles him and blows the giant scorpion wide open.


    ''''This additional effect........is it Atobe-kun''s skill.......!


    I''m going to push you all out of here in one fell swoop.


    Huh...!


    Elitia and Theresia jumped out and unleashed ''Slash Ripper'' and ''Azure Slash'' - ''Azure Slash'' has an attribute on it, so the attack can barely get through, but the aim is to get the enemy out of the building for knockback.


    ''Elitia, Theresia, ''Support''!


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates ''Support Attack 1''.


    Elitia activates "Slash Ripper" ¡ú Target: "Deathstalker G


    Theresa activates Azure Slash. Target: "Deathstalker G".


    Death Stalker G changes to Makatsu no Stance. Confusion and stun are removed. Defense against the front is increased. Defense against the back is reduced.


    The counter of "Deathstalker G" is activated.


    What did you do.........if I attacked them like this.......


    "-- in the Fifth Ward and above, attack ''when you can be sure to attack''.


    Current Situation


    Kuzelka activates Active Feint ¡ú Target: "Deathstalker G


    Counter for "Deathstalker G" ¡ú Target: "Kuzelka


    Kuzelka activates Ryusha no Chimney and avoids the Deathstalker G counter by doubling her attack power when counterattacking.


    What...?


    --!


    The ''Death Stalker'' that was about to counterattack against Elitia and Theresia changed its target to Kuzelka-san and unleashed the needle in her tail - she drew the enemy''s aim to her at that timing and tried to evade it.


    ''''Captain, please leave some for yourself........!


    -follow them, Khosrow.


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates Other Assist and Support Attack 1 ¡ú Target: Kuzelka and Khoselu


    Kuzelka activates Sword Rain, which hits Deathstalker G at 12 levels and deals double damage of 156%.


    Slash Ripper hits Deathstalker G. Support damage 13


    Activate Elitia''s additional attack and hit Deathstalker G. Support damage 13


    Azure Slash hits Deathstalker G. Knockback small, magic burning


    Hosslow activates Burst Shoulder and hits Deathstalker G. He leaves the battlefield and takes 13 damage.


    The speed of Kuzelka-san''s technique was just like flowing - the slash that she had poured down with the silver sword pierced the ''Death Stalker'' like rain and shaved off its armor.


    When Elitia and Theresia''s stance collapsed due to the attacks of Elitia and Theresia that followed, Khosrow-san blew it wide open with a slow-acting, but immensely powerful shoulder bludgeon. It''s not in the dimension of a knockback, it makes him leave this battlefield temporarily.


    ''''--Atobe-kun, I haven''t finished him off yet!¡¡We''ll take care of this, and you''ll head east!


    ''We''ll be there in a minute!¡¡If you run into a ''named'', please don''t force it!


    ''Depending on the circumstances we may not be able to say that we''ll do it our way!¡¡Let''s go, guys!


    Yes!


    I run out of the guild entrance and head east. Explorers and guild savers are engaged in the mix - the walls of the building have been melted by ''Poison Blaster'' and the cobblestones have been turned up by the scorpion''s tail stinger sticking out.


    Some didn''t realize that the scorpion had taken the ''Demon Scorpion Stance'' and were blown away by the counter, but soon after, the ''Death Stalker'' was hit by a concentrated fire from a distance and a smoke screen went up. However, the attribute reduction did not make it an effective hit, and the scorpion that leapt out of the smoke began to rage again.


    ''''Geeeeeeee...!


    I couldn''t answer Misaki''s question as she asked me breathlessly while running, but I couldn''t answer it right away.


    The Eighth Ward''s ''Stampede'' also had some epic phases, but it was too different in dimension. Each and every one of the giant scorpions possessed high breakthrough and defensive power, equipped with close and long-range attacks, and would not sink easily even with the total attack of a party of eight people.


    ''''--You guys head to the street over there!¡¡If we don''t, we''re going to get into an area with a lot of non-combatants!


    ''''I understand!¡¡Good luck to you all!


    Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...


    With this position, you can support them in passing - with ''Other Assist''.


    (Those two men and one woman........will it work.......!


    Current Situation


    Arihito activates Other Assist ¡ú Targets: Marcus, Genji, and Lies.


    Arihito activates ''Support Attack 2'' ¡ú Support: ''Force Shoot Stun''.


    Arihito activates "Support Linkage 1".


    Marcus activates Hammer Swing ¡ú Deathstalker 22 is hit.


    Genji activates Katae Hei-Tsuki Ni-ren¡úDeath Stalker 22 hits a second level. Hardening time extended.


    Reigns activates Delay Snipe ¡ú hits Deathstalker 22. Delay nullified, hardening time extended, third level of coordinated move.


    Extension of rigidity of the "Hammer Hitting Delay" technique


    "GISHAAH...!


    The skin-headed guild saber swung his war hammer (warhammer) and clicked up the scorpion''s scissors, and the swordsman with the straight sword slammed in a double thrust, followed by a crossbow bolt. Unable to resist, the scorpion stepped on the tatara, spilling venom from his mouth.


    ''Oops!¡¡Hey, I don''t know what it is, but it''s like a special move.......wow......!


    ''Someone was just passing by and helping us out...!¡¡Thank you!


    Anyway, here''s your chance we''re gonna fold.


    They could have increased the damage as well, but the stun effect was extended and the ''Death Stalker'' stopped moving. Furthermore, other party members other than Marcus and the other three attacked and gave them a state anomaly, and it was beginning to look like they were going to win.


    ''''Atove-dono, you did a great job. I didn''t expect you to succeed in assisting them in this short time...''''


    Yes, I knew the stun would work.


    However, ''Other Assist'' consumes a lot of magic power - it''s not easy to drink a potion while running. In the future, in some cases, you may need to acquire the ''Back Order'' skill and share your magic power with your friends.


    I look down at the map of the fifth district displayed on my license - I can see a red dot in front of me, is this the demon that is heading to the non-combatant district? It''s moving so fast that I can''t believe my eyes, but sometimes it stops because it''s engaging or attacking the residents.


    ''We will be close to them soon, what is your strategy?


    ''If you can see them from a distance, I or Suzuna will manage to stun them with me or Suzuna''s attack before the ''Poison Blaster'' flies at them. After that, the vanguard will attack as usual, but if the enemy takes the ''Demon Scorpion Stance'', Seraphina should attack with her shield. That way you can get behind them while preventing a counter. That stance will solidify the forward defenses, but the rear defenses seem to be stretched thin.


    Yes, sir....


    We haven''t seen all the means of attack of the ''Death Stalker'' demon yet. Even if we find an effective tactic, we can''t be caught completely off guard - not only do we need to achieve results in the fifth district, but we all need to be safe.

 165 Chapter One Hundred and Sixty-Four Chapter: Strong Enemy

    Theresia, who is ahead of us, reacts to something as she turns the corner of the building ahead of us. She''s activating ''Searching Extension 1'', and she''s noticed the enemy before anyone else among us.


    ''''........!


    Teresiak!


    If he got ahead of them, he would be a target for the ''Poison Blaster''. Still, that didn''t stop Theresa - she had found someone caught in the collapse of a house caused by the battle and unable to escape. A middle-aged man is lying on the ground defending his daughter.


    I see with my "hawk eyes" that there is no easy escape, but from my position, I still can''t see the enemy. At the back of the building, which is a barrier, to the left - Theresa is looking not at the ground, but above. The scorpion is stuck high on the wall.


    No, if I try to cover for that father and son, I might not be able to avoid them, even with my skills. But there has to be........something........!


    ''- Suzuna, play the horn!¡¡Use the power of the magic stone!


    Yes!


    Suzuna replies in a well-passed voice and blows the side whistle she took out - and.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation¡ô


    Suzuna activates The Sound of Prodigal Time. Target: Mid-range hit on Deathstalker L. Lower speed.


    Teresia activates Axel Dash.


    Elitia activates "Sonic Raid".


    Deathstalker L activates Poison Blaster ¡ú Teresia avoids it.


    Zion" activates "Emergency Extraction" ¡ú Target: "Cart" and "Fran".


    Turn around, Scorpion.


    .........


    Bawp, bawp!


    Theresia and Elitia step forward to attract the enemy''s attack, while Theon rescues and moves the father and son - the "Poison Blaster" released afterwards is made easier to avoid by the "Stagnation Stone" effect, and Theresia can avoid it without the evasion skill. But the special attack by the ''Stagnation Stone'' is too powerful.


    But the special attack by the Stagnation Stone is too powerful. The expectation that there was a commensurate risk was unexpectedly correct.


    ''''Ah..........''''


    Suzu-chan!


    Misaki supports Suzuna, who is on the verge of collapse. The magic power is extremely depleted - she was able to break through this predicament, but she understands that she can only use it once unless the maximum value of her magic power is increased.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Deathstalker L''s "slowdown" is released.


    Deathstalker L activates "Triangle Jump" ¡ú Target: "Theresa


    The effect of slowing down won''t last if the tone ceases - the scorpion, whose speed has been restored, continues to attack Theresia after she has avoided the attack completely.


    There are no special actions or anything else. Just ''fast''.


    Teresia has not even been able to hold up her shield. Even Serafina-san can''t intervene - then, even if she were to cut off her trump card here.


    ''''--Aliadonne!


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates ''Support and Defense 1'' ¡ú Target: ''Theresa''


    Arihito requests temporary support from Ariadne, the god of the machine, ¡ú Target: Theresa


    Ariadne activates Guard Arm.


    Deathstalker L activates "Scissor Crime" ¡ú Target: "Theresa


    Hit Theresa: damage reduction and prevent equipment destruction.


    Huh...!


    The ''Guard Arm'' did indeed stop the scorpion''s scissors - but even though the two arms appeared, only one side of the scissors was able to stop it.


    ''''Ugh..........!


    --This is the Fifth Ward. This is a level 11 demon.


    Twisted by overwhelming force. That time in front of unreasonable violence--the feelings of despair in front of Red Face come back.


    "--Big brother, hold on!


    Huh...!


    Misaki''s voice brought me back to myself. The "Guard Arm" is not an absolute defense, you knew that - to save Theresa as fast as possible, even for a moment.


    Stun to stop the enemy''s movement. The sooner we can break the restraints on the scissors, the sooner we can save Theresa.


    Let go of her....monster...!


    ''--Yeah!


    Lady Theresa you need to........now!


    Elitia, Igarashi-san and Seraphina set up at the same time. They can''t coordinate, if the range of the attack is wide enough, it will involve Teresia. Stun with a series of attacks, that''s the only option.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Arihito activates ''Support Attack 2'' ¡ú Support: ''Force Shoot Stun''.


    Elitia activates Armor Break and hits Deathstalker L. Defense is reduced.


    Activate Elitia''s additional attack and hit Deathstalker L. Extend the rigidity of the attack.


    Kyouka activates Double Attack ¡ú Death Stalker L hits a second level.


    Seraphina activates the Shield Slam and hits Deathstalker L. Hardness is extended.


    "-Geeeeeeeeee...!


    Current Situation


    Death Stalker L changes to Makatsu no Stance. Unstunned. Defense against the front is increased. Defense against the back is decreased.


    Deathstalker L" continues to bind "Theresa". Damage to Theresa.


    Ah..........!


    -- a sensation that makes my heart beat extremely slow.


    From Theresa''s mouth, looking back at me through my colorless vision, unable to escape the scorpion''s shears.


    Red blood flows.


    There is no room for a moment. I will do what I can to protect Theresa, and I will do what I can to make that happen.


    Master. I''m with you to save my daughter, the loyalist.


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates Backstand ¡ú Target: Theresa


    Murakumo activates the Hokuten Six Star Drive and hits Deathstalker L at the sixth level.


    "GISHAAHH...!


    It is not me who drew the sword from my back and released the technique - the embodied Murakumo.


    The drawn-out sword absorbs my magic power, and together with her own magic power, she unleashes an unnoticeable thrust - just like piercing a star in the night sky.


    But the frontal attack doesn''t frighten me, and the scorpion''s tail stinger moves at a speed that makes it impossible to see.


    I shout. I don''t need to hear the voice, ''she'' will do it for sure.


    Current Situation¡ô


    Counter" in "Deathstalker L" ¡ú Target: "Aricht


    Arihit" requests temporary support from "Ariadne".


    Aricht activates Backstand ¡ú Target: Deathstalker L


    He picked up the Murakumo''s hilt and went behind the scorpion with her. There was no guarantee that it would be able to avoid the attack with certainty. The scorpion''s movements are fast, and it would be able to react instantly and thrust its stinger backwards.


    But - in front of the scorpion is Seraphina-san. Her skill ''Provoke'' attracts the scorpion''s hostility and nails it forward.


    ''''--Haah!


    Seraphina''s one voice echoes - and I ask Ariadne for her blessing.


    ''Bless the faithful - armour of the star god, be a shield against all.


    Current Situation


    Seraphina activates the defensive stance.


    Seraphina activates "Aura Shield".


    Ariadne activates ''Guard Valiant'' ¡ú Target: Seraphina


    Deathstalker L activates Heartbreak ¡ú Seraphina is hit. Physical Attack Reflection


    "--Gishaaaaaah...!


    The sound of a deafening collision - the scorpion''s tail, which moved at an unseen speed, was bounced off Seraphina-san''s shield and stabbed into the wall of the building while its stinger broke off and spun around.


    ''''Master, now........!


    Please, Murakumo!


    While the scorpion was attacking Seraphina-san, Murakumo was slightly in front of me. There are up to eight party members, but ''my equipment'', Murakumo, is also a target for support.


    ''''--Go!


    Current Situation


    Arihito activates ''Support Attack 2'' ¡ú Support: ''Force Shoot Stun''.


    Murakumo activates Meteor Tuki and hits Deathstalker L. Stun


    Deathstalker L" releases "Theresa".


    Theresa''s armor is broken.


    Huh...!


    "--aaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!


    The scorpion scissors restraining Theresia loosened the scorpion''s scissors - immediately after, Sion ran in and rescued Theresia.


    ''''--Sion-chan!


    Master, fall back!


    Current Situation


    Deathstalker L activates the Poisonous Fog of Delusion ¡ú Theon and Murakumo are hit by the poison.


    Huh...!


    The scorpion shoots out a poisonous fog from all over its body - a vindictive thing that is still trying to cause damage to us even after being cornered.


    ''''--Bow!


    ''I''m resistant to poison. I wouldn''t want to be exposed to an acid stronger than this, but it doesn''t eat away at me like this.


    Having Sion hold the Poison Resistance Charm works - Sion carries Theresa to a safe zone with ''Emergency Removal'' right after covering Theresa with ''Covering''. I''m going to be able to activate "Support Recovery 1" on its back. I''m sure it''s a relief, but I wanted to restore Theresa''s strength to as much as possible.


    ''''Gui........Gui........''''


    I''m not going to let you get away with this.


    We''re going to.......come on, Kyouka!


    Ew!


    Before Elitia and Igarashi-san can fold up, Melissa doesn''t miss this opportunity and runs in with the ''Meat Slicing Knife'' and flashes a huge blade.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Melissa activates Knife-wielding, which increases the probability of part destruction.


    Melissa activates Cutoff ¡ú Deathstalker L drops an ingredient.


    Activate the "Kote of the Fighting Demon" effect and deliver an additional "no-pressure" blow.


    Elitia activates Slash Ripper and hits Deathstalker L


    Elitia''s additional attack is activated and hits Deathstalker L


    Kyoka launches a double attack and hits Deathstalker L in the second level.


    Death Stalker L activates Nitroblad ¡ú Death Stalker L''s near-death state is cleared and his strength slightly recovered.


    Death Stalker L activates Fugue of Death Force.


    Melissa''s blade enters between the shells, and the scorpion''s tail is cut off halfway through - and the scorpion doesn''t sink, even though Elitia and Igarashi throw a series of blows at it, and it tries to escape from the scene. Melissa quickly transfers the clipped tails to the warehouse and tries to chase them down, but the scorpions are too fast to escape.


    I can''t let you go. We need to stop as many as we can!


    Current Situation


    Suzuna activates Minnichu for two consecutive hits.


    Suzuna activates Storm Arrow and hits Deathstalker L


    Suzuna''s attack ¡ú Deathstalker L hits the target


    The characteristic of Suzuna''s ''Everybody in the middle'' - ''It will always hit you''. It didn''t matter what kind of speed the enemy was running away with.


    ''''Wha........''''


    Suzu-chan...!


    The magical power consumption of ''Storm Arrow'' is not small. Misaki supported Suzuna, who was about to fall again - but her attack stopped the scorpion in its tracks. Even if you can reduce the attribute attacks, you can''t ignore the wind pressure and move.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Deathstalker L" activates "Nitroblad" ¡ú Unable to activate


    The skill of recovering strength from a near-death state doesn''t seem to be able to be used in succession either. I hold up my sling to support Elitia and Igarashi-san who came forward.


    ''''--Gi...........................!


    With a creaking sound, the scorpion swings the scissors toward the heavens.


    -- At the same time, the air around the area changes. Beyond the roofs of the buildings, several pillars of light stand out, and the "Death Stalker" we were fighting for is also surrounded by light.


    The current situation


    Eight Death Stalkers activate Sacrifice.


    Deathstalker L is disabled. Summons The Calamity.


    --The sky, distorts.


    As if crawling out of the void, a huge body covered in dull armor falls.


    It crushes the ''Death Stalker'' that had been looking up at the heavens as if in prayer, and its protruding legs crush the cobblestones to support its overwhelming weight.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    The Calamity activates the Queen''s Praise, which absorbs 8 souls from the Deathstalker.


    All of The Calamity''s abilities have been enhanced, and special skills can be activated.


    The seven lights that shot up into the sky fell one after another like meteors and were absorbed by the giant scorpions. The trampled scorpions also turned into particles of light and were sucked in.


    ''''I''m eating my soul.......into power.......''''


    That''s Fifth Ward with a name...!


    The dull-colored armor changes to white. With the name "Death Stalker" - it was exactly an existence that had both the majesty of a heavy tank and the demeanor of a nobleman.


    The Demon I Encountered


    ¡ï The Calamity Level 12 Instant Death Resistance All Attribute Resistance Drop: ?


    -Choh..........!


    A high and crystal clear sound - as the name of the skill suggests, that demon is probably the ''Queen'' of Scorpions.


    Misaki screams - the scorpion''s tail needle, which had been a threat to even one scorpion, splits into nine. Each one of them is thin and doesn''t appear to be used in a similar way to the ''Death Stalker''.


    ''''I warn the contractor. Keep as much distance as possible from the demons in front of you and behind the shielding--''''


    The urgency in Ariadne''s voice, which is always tenuous in color of emotion, is filled with urgency.


    A sensation of lowered body temperature. The white scorpion''s body takes on a faint light, and its power gathers in its tail.


    ''''--Atobe-dono, this place is........''''


    No, we must all hide in the shadows!¡¡Anywhere!


    When I control Seraphina-san, Elitia and Igarashi-san, who were about to launch an attack, also react - all of their friends can hear me. Even Sion, who was carrying Teresia on her back, is still in time.


    Light gathers on the nine tail spikes of the white scorpion. With both scissors raised, the Scorpion Queen raises both scissors and tries to unleash the evil power gathered in her body.


    ''''--Contractor. You alone, my.........''''


    Ariadne''s will is conveyed. If we let this attack shoot, we won''t be safe.


    ''''--Everyone must flee!¡¡I''ll take it...!


    Ms. Seraphina does not run away. She doesn''t try to escape - that''s because there''s a sign of the inhabitants far behind her, on the straight line that connects her to the white scorpion.


    I should have known, if a widespread attack gets the whole party involved, there will come a time when I won''t be able to protect them alone.


    (No, not yet ... think about it if you don''t want to regret it. Do what you can........!


    Preventing The Calamity''s attack from hitting, and not letting Seraphina-san die. For that reason, I took a chance on one possibility.

 166 Episode 165: The Second Shield

    -Whoosh!


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates Backstand. Target: Seraphina


    Mr. Atobe...!


    "--Seraphina-san, please let me ''protect'' you too...!


    Okay.....


    Current Situation


    Arihito obtains "Supportive Defense 2". Spend 2 skill points.


    Arihito activates ''Support and Defense 2'' ¡ú Support: ''Defense Force'' and ''Aura Shield''.


    A skill that protects my companions with a protective wall that reflects my defense ability -- ''Support Defense 2''.


    It can be said that my own normal defense ability is rather low, but by putting my hand on Seraphina-san''s handle, I myself am also protected by her defense ability--if that is the case.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    The Calamity activates Stingray ¡ú Target: Indiscriminate and omnidirectional


    Stingray hits Seraphina to reduce damage.


    An intense heat ray shot from the white scorpion''s tail in every direction. Serafina-san''s shield and the other shield that was duplicated and deployed by my skills doubled up to prevent it - the flashes of light spread out, and Serafina-san received the attack all the while taking a step back.


    ''''Kuch...!


    Are you all right, Miss Seraphina?


    Yes, as for you, Mr. Atobe, but....


    The heat rays are being released indiscriminately - the heat rays that hit the buildings are blowing up the stone walls and making large holes in them. If such a series of attacks were fired, the shape of the city itself would change.


    ''''Rear-kun, Seraphina-san.......Thank goodness we''re both safe.......!


    If Aricht hadn''t chosen that method, I don''t think it would have been prevented... after all, you are...


    The reason why he was able to deploy a more powerful defensive wall than ''Support Defense 1'' was because he was able to ''borrow'' Seraphina''s defensive ability to double his defensive strength. In addition to the defensive power that Serafina-san had when she set up her large shield, the defensive range was extended by the effect of ''Defense Force'', and ''Aura Shield'' was able to prevent heat.


    ''''Huh........''''


    Mr. Atobe........as I thought, my magic power is being drained.......


    Due to the acquisition of "Support Defense 2", "Back Order" cannot be acquired now. The only way to recover is with Intermediate Mana Potion, and there''s a limit to how much you can continue to use it.


    (However, with the power of Monk''s Ankh, you can turn your strength into magical power. However, with the presence of the Stingray, you can''t approach it carelessly.......what do you do.......!


    Current Situation


    The Calamity overheats. Stingray cools down until it can be used again.


    The Calamity activates the Annihilation Armor of Death ¡ú The Calamity changes to melee combat form.


    After shooting "Stingray", it changes its form to protect itself - the white outer shell, which was even graceful, changes to black, and the shape of the scissors changes to look like a spear.


    (Theresia is wounded and Suzuna has very little magic power left... Can our party alone be able to fight that monster properly...)


    Aricht, get everyone out of here!¡¡I''ll buy you some time!


    Elitia''s voice rang out. Elitia has plenty of strength and magic left in her, but I can''t affirm that decision.


    ''''Even if we retreat once, it''s with all of us!¡¡Elitia, you can''t....


    I just don''t want to see you get hurt anymore, anyone.


    Mr. Elitia!


    Current Situation


    Elitia activates "Sonic Raid".


    Elitia activates the Air Raid.


    Aricht activates ''Support and Defense 1''.


    The Calamity''s attack ¡ú Elitia is hit.


    Just an attack. It''s not a technique of any kind, pure speed, catches Elitia.


    Red splashes scatter. But it showed Elitia''s resolve.


    ''''--Aaaaah!


    Elitia''s own blood triggered ''Berserk'' and her eyes turned red - ''Red Eye'' was activated.


    While listening to her terrific voice, there was only one thing I could do.


    ''''Elitia.......I will support you.......!


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates ''Support Attack 1''.


    Elitia activates the Blossom Blade.


    Attack power increased due to the Scarlet Dance effect.


    The Calamity hits 24 levels for 312 damage.


    Activate Elitia''s additional attack and hit 16 levels for supporting damage of 192.


    The Calamity activates Immortal Nobility and halves the damage.


    Ooh....!


    How do you know... that it''s not working?


    It doesn''t falter, and it takes all the slashes - not that there''s no damage, it''s not that there''s no damage, but it''s recovering when it does.


    The wounds on the armor are disappearing. Even Elitia''s attacks, which had always been able to break out of the predicament, couldn''t stop ''The Calamity'' from moving in any way.


    ''''Eritia, run!¡¡We need to reposition ourselves once!


    I''m not going to..........


    Current Situation


    The Calamity activates the Javelin Digger.


    The Calamity'''' closes in on Elitia while thrusting its arms, which have changed into spear-like shapes, as if it were plowing the cobblestones - even in the face of the bulldozer-like rush, Elitia does not retreat.


    ''''--!


    Current Situation


    Teresia activates Axel Dash.


    Theresa" activates "Active Stealth".


    It was then that she jumped out of the way - Teresia, who should have been injured. She pushes Elitia from the side, and she, too, instantly accelerates to escape from the direction in which ''The Calamity'' is traveling, simultaneously activating her suit''s abilities to blend into the surrounding landscape.


    Even if The Calamity is no longer in front of you, it doesn''t care if there''s nothing left, it''s still charging towards the building - if it crashes, it will probably collapse, which must be prevented.


    From Misaki''s position, I can attack from the side without getting caught up in the rush of ''The Calamity'' - I hope and give her support.


    (Misaki is equipped with ''The Clown''s Demon Card''... yes, that''s it...!


    Please be sure and get my card.


    Current Situation


    Arihito activates ''Support Attack 2'' ¡ú Support: ''Force Shoot Stun''.


    Misaki activates Joker of Ice.


    The metal card that Misaki threw out seemed to glow with blue light for a moment.


    The ''Clown''s Demon Card'' with the ''Rune of Emptiness'' attached to it, which became a weapon with a unique name. Its special ability - it makes the attacker angry and adds one weakness to the attacker.


    ''''--Halt!


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates the Force Shoot Freeze and hits The Calamity.


    Ooh... ooh... ooh...!


    ''The Calamity''''s legs freeze for a moment - but still can''t completely kill the momentum, and the vibration is transmitted to the ground as it crashes into the building.


    ¡ô Current Situation ¡ô


    The Calamity activates Steam Mist, which reduces the time it takes to unfreeze The Calamity and extends Stingray''s cooling time.


    The Calamity activates the Absolute Realm and strikes enemies within a certain distance first.


    ''The Calamity'' will release thermal vapors from his entire body. He''s going to melt the ice on his own - the risk of shortening the cooling time of "The Stingray" is gone, but he''ll be back in action soon. His arms aren''t frozen, and if he gets close enough, he''ll certainly strike first with his spear-like arms.


    (Every time ''Support Recovery'' is activated, the effect of ''Monk''s Ankh'' restores a little magic power... but we haven''t gotten to the point of converting our strength into magic power yet. (What we should do now is...)


    I have to..........


    ''--Mr. Elitia, we''ve all come here!¡¡It doesn''t make sense if we don''t all go from here as well.......so.......


    .....


    Suzuna''s voice reaches Elitia, who was about to cut into The Calamity.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Red Eye" of "Elitia" is released.


    The ''Red Eye'', which continues to consume physical and magical power while it is activated, is lifted - the light of sanity returns to Elitia''s eyes, which seemed to burn red. But as long as ''Berserk'' is activated, it''s unlikely to be able to suppress the impulse for long.


    (The blows of the ice attribute also recover quickly........if the ''Gradual Recovery'' of the ''Immortal Noble'' changes according to the maximum strength.......we can''t defeat it with the attacks we have alone.


    The words "retreat" pass through my mind. They don''t want us to take down ''Named''.


    But while we are retreating, The Calamity, just as its name suggests, will be doing damage to the city. It''s the role we''re asked to play, to buy as much time as possible.


    Instructions are given to Seraphina''s license - immediately afterwards. A huge spear-like object - a car with an impulse horn - appears from the west direction. A huge horse wearing armor is leading the car with two horses between the impulse horns, and the one holding the reins of the car is Khosrow-san. Beside him was Mr. Kuserka and another figure.


    A purple-haired woman wearing a military cap and military-like equipment - probably a member of the Guild Saber.


    ''''Atobe-kun, I''m sorry.......lead him to the back of the ''corridor'' like this!¡¡We''ll drive this impulse car in from behind!


    ''Khosrow, they''re pretty worn out too. We''ll take care of that here....


    ''''Unfortunately, Third Lieutenant Third Dragon, with this impulse car, if he leaps and evades us, that''s it. But if they were in a state of engagement right now, we can draw them to us...


    ''Third Lieutenant Kuzelka, using the facilities at the back of the ''corridor'', they will not be driven to the end of the line. Leave it to me to decide when to operate the weapon, that''s why I accompanied you.


    "Nayuta-dono I understand, please do not hesitate to ask for help. Lady Atobe, can you hear me!


    ''Yes, I can hear you!¡¡But a corridor is.........


    The ''The Calamity'' has turned its attention to Khosrow and the others - I''m not at all horrified to think that if they were in a state where they could shoot the ''Stingray'' with this.


    ''''Atobe-dono, a single structure around here forms a ''corridor''... if we can guide the enemy to the back of this area, we can move them to the location of the special weapons prepared for the city!


    If that''s the case...!


    Some thoughts. A companion suitable for fleeing while attracting the enemy will guide ''The Calamity'' - but after seeing that attack and speed, there is no choice but to leave it to Igarashi-san and the members of the vanguard who have the skills to continuously evade it.


    We, before........)


    ''''When I fought the ''Backstabbing Beetle'' - I used the ''General of the Lord''s Army'' and was able to enhance my abilities due to my position at the back of the party when escaping.


    ''This is not an escape, this is a move to victory. Master, do you need my power?''''


    I can hear Alphecca''s voice - with Alphecca''s speed, there''s a good chance that she can be guided into the ''Corridor'' without being overtaken by ''The Calamity''.


    However, ''Stingray'' is like a ray of light, and its speed is not something from which it can escape. As far as I can see, it also has tracking capabilities, and it won''t be possible to avoid it by simply going off the straight line.


    ''''Seraphina-san, can you lend me your strength again? There is a risk of being attacked by him while guiding us. At that time........


    Seraphina-san nodded without a second thought. I would have been aware that I was being reckless, and I would have let it show on my face - but she still had no hesitation.

 167 Chapter One Hundred and Sixth Chapter: The Corridor

    ''Use my shield as often as you wish. That''s what I''m here for.


    I nod. Theresa, who had been blending into the landscape, appears and appears beside me - she, too, is still going to fight.


    ''Brother, you''re not going to tell me that I should just run away, are you?


    ''Mr. Aricht, Ellie will be fine. I''ll be right there with you.


    Elitia is in no condition to say anything - but she''s not going to point that sword at her friends.


    ''Alright everyone, I know we''re overboard, but I want you to get on board the Alfeca. Me and Mr. Seraphina will have Sion carry you over and then we''ll follow.


    "...Rearward...


    ''''Don''t worry, Igarashi-san. We don''t have any more time.......let''s take out that ''named'' and end this stampede.


    "In the name of my God, I will guide the contractor. I am Alphecca incarnate of the silver wheel.


    After Alphecca appears and his friends get in, they start riding - towards the ''Corridor''.


    Me and Seraphina-san also ride on the back of Theon. We have to ride backwards to protect everyone from ''The Calamity'' that''s chasing us - but as soon as we ride, we won''t feel any instability and will be able to balance ourselves perfectly.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Seraphina activates "Ride On Wolf".


    ''''Ride on Wolf'''' it is a skill that can be used when riding a guard dog. As long as I use it, it seems that Atobe-dono can ride consistently.


    ''I see ... thank you, Theon. Will you run as fast as you can from now on?


    Bow!


    Big brother, Kuzelka and the others are going to catch up with you!


    Okay everybody go!


    Alphecca starts to run - and so does Sion. Seraphina-san in front of me made a sharp, piercing voice at the moment the ice that froze ''The Calamity''''s legs popped off.


    ''''The Calamity''''.......look at me!


    Current Situation


    The freeze on *The Calamity has been lifted


    Seraphina activates Provoke ¡ú The Calamity''s hostility to Seraphina increases.


    Holy shit....!


    ''The Calamity'' lifted its spear-like arms and pursued us furiously - its speed was so great that it chased after Sion, who had started running at full speed and never left at all.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    The Calamity''s attack -> Theon avoids it.


    The Calamity''s attack -> Theon avoids it.


    Each time he swings his arm down like a spear, Theon kicks the ground as hard as he can to avoid it. The stone floor shatters and flies away, and he is once again closed in on the distance and relentlessly pursued.


    ''''--Sion-chan!


    Igarashi-san shouted - I turned around, looked at the direction of Sion''s progress and noticed. The "Corridor" is turning at a right angle.


    If you try to turn that corner, stalling is inevitable. As if it had read that it could catch that moment, The Calamity stops its attack.


    You can''t use "Morale Release" when I''m not taking any damage. I have no choice but to use Supportive Defense 2 and my shield to prevent it - that was the moment I thought about it.


    I''m not going to be able to get it right. It''s a good thing that you''re not the only one.


    Current Situation


    Alfeca activates "Vanishing Burst".


    Theon activates Gunwolf Pursuit ¡ú Follow the speed of Alphecca and accelerate.


    Kyoka''s Gunwolf Stance activates a mutual effect ¡ú Sion accelerates


    Ahhhhhh!


    It''s a good idea to be able to have a good idea of what you''re going to be doing.


    The impulse car chasing from the rear of "The Calamity" is also chasing after it around the almost right-angle curve - it has already formed a pincer attack, but it still has to move on.


    ''''Well, the other side is turning at a right angle again, but.......isn''t this going to be a dead end.......?


    I''m fine!¡¡The person who can operate the interceptor weapon is on board the impulse vehicle that is chasing us........!


    If I could just get away with it - but I knew that this idea was naive.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    The Stingray from *The Calamity can be fired again.


    Light begins to gather again on the nine tails of The Calamity.


    ''''Lord Atobe........''''


    ''Mr Seraphina, I will prevent that from happening. Let me use that shield again.


    Seraphina turned around and looked at me. She doesn''t say a word, but pulls my hand away and lets me hold it on the handle of my own poised shield.


    ''What you want to protect is also what I want to protect. You make me think that...!


    Ooh... ooh... ooh... ooh...!


    The high-pitched, echoing sound of the Scorpion Queen - but if you''re a queen, you''re here, too. Because the embodied figure of Alphecca is the queen crowned with thorns.


    I turn the corner at a right angle once again - Misaki is right, if I continue like this, I will run into the wall of the building. In other words, there are interceptor weapons at that location.


    "My back, I leave it to my master.


    "Now, let''s take one more look at that mighty shield with our secret gods...!


    A dazzling light emanates from the nine tails of The Calamity. At that moment, I saw the figure of a praying girl in that labyrinthine ''Sanctuary''.


    ''''I''ll receive it...!


    What "The Calamity" is aiming at is neither Alphecca nor Mr. Serafina.


    Undoubtedly, I - I am the enemy to be defeated, and I am bathed in all of the killing energy that the nine tails are headed for.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Arihito activates the "Lord''s General" and his status increases by the number of people in his party.


    *The Calamity activates Stingray ¡ú Target: All bullets "Aricht


    Into the sky, hollow, and around the side. The nine tails aim at me with no way to escape.


    ''--Contractor. I admonish you for your recklessness, and I am proud of your courage.


    I know that my friends are hoping for our safety. We''re safe--that thought makes the ''shield'' that Seraphina-san and I make stronger.


    ''''Whoa!


    Current Situation


    Ariadne activates ''Guard Valiant'' ¡ú Target: ''Ariadne''


    Arihito activates ''Support and Defense 2'' ¡ú Support: ''Defense Force'' and ''Aura Shield''.


    The skill enhancement by "Lord Commander" "Aura Shield" -> "Aura Scutum


    With the "General of the Lord''s Army" activated, I set up my shield with Seraphina and borrow the power of her skills.


    The light bullets fired by The Calamity collide with the invisible defensive wall by "Support Defense 2" that was then deployed - and.


    The Current Situation¡ô


    Aricht and Seraphina have 9-step reflections on Stingray.


    Enhance the power of reflexes with Aurascum


    The nine light bullets were unable to break the defensive wall created by ''Support Defense 2'' and were bounced back - shot into the rushing ''The Calamity''.


    ''''--Geez..........!


    The robust shell was pierced by a reflective bullet that was more powerful than the light bullets it fired itself - ''The Calamity'' clearly slowed down for the first time at that moment.


    ''''--Both of you, prepare for impact!


    At the sound of Kuserka''s voice, the impulse car pulled by the giant horse crashes into The Calamity - The Calamity, which was still standing even after being hit by the giant horse, is even more shocked, and zuzu, and moves forward. --It was that moment.


    Now is the time...!¡¡Lord Kuserka!


    "Hosslow!


    "Yes, sir, Third Dragon.........


    Mr. Khoselka literally ''threw'' Mr. Khoselka - at the same time, Mr. Khoselka, who leapt at the same time, jumped onto the building on the right side of The Calamity with an unnoticeable speed and put his hand on the lever set up about three stories high.


    ''''--Don''t fall!


    Current Situation


    The Calamity falls into a pit


    The floor of the place that was uneventful when we passed through crumbled at once when ''The Calamity'' got on it - and then.


    ''--Let go!


    Current Situation


    Nayuta activates the Release Trap and fires the Anti-Monster''s Chain Cannon.


    Six hits on The Calamity, no success with the chains.


    Ooh.........ooh........!


    It''s not good enough!¡¡Mr. Nayuta, the other weapon...!


    ''''........The ''release trap'' cannot be used continuously by one person.......''''


    You can''t do it... or he''ll come after you...


    Current Situation


    The Calamity activates the Homing Needle ¡ú Target: Kuzelka


    Kuserka activates the Shadow Step.


    Kuserka avoids the Homing Needle. The Calamity resists the illusion.


    d*mn it...!


    The weapon is also equipped on the left side wall - ''The Calamity'' is towing Kuserka-san, who tried to move to launch it, from inside the pit.


    (My companions, the ones who can move instantly to that height are Elitia and Theon... no, no. You don''t necessarily have to move.......)


    I''m well aware of the skills Nayuta and Kuzelka used.


    --Yes. Both are skills that Theresia can use. Even the higher level guild saber ranks are making good use of the skills that Theresa is learning at the moment.


    And before I could say anything else, Theresia was down from Alfeca and looking up at the left side wall of The Calamity. A wounded figure, but still standing on her own feet.


    (It was always that way.) Theresia didn''t run away in the face of any enemy........and neither did we all. That''s why we''re moving on...!


    Theresa understood that Nayuta had used the ''release trap''. Even if I didn''t say anything or look at the license.

 168 Episode 167: Ice Prison

    I''m proud to be the first to party with her in this labyrinthine country.


    "--Theresia,


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates Backstand ¡ú Target: Theresa


    ''Support''!


    .....


    Current Situation


    Theresa activates the Release Trap and fires the Anti-Monster Chain Cannon.


    Arihito activates ''Support Attack 2''. Support: ''Heaven and Earth Blade'' Lack of magic power


    Monk''s Ankh''s effect has been activated, which converts physical strength into magical power.


    Stop!


    Theresia''s skills triggered the weapons planted in The Corridor. Huge spears chained together and fired one after another, falling on The Calamity.


    It''s not possible to use any more magic power to reduce the lives of the master. But don''t underestimate the blade of ''The Star Machine Sword''...!


    Current Situation


    The Calamity is hit at six levels, the chain binding is successful, and the armor is destroyed at one level.


    Murakumo''s voice could be heard, and after the spear pierced ''The Calamity'' with six strokes, the chasing ''Heaven and Earth Blade'' was slammed into it.


    The voice changes - ''The Calamity'' is definitely being hit by the blows. The armor that was so solidly armored only cracks at the point where it was hit by the chain spear and the six consecutive blows of the ''Heaven and Earth Blade''.


    ''''--Atobe-dono!


    Ms. Cuselka calls me - even in a situation like this, she''s disciplined to no end.


    ''''........''''


    It''s okay ... there''s a last minute trump card ... Ariadne ... hah!


    Current Situation


    Ariadne converts the faith value of Alihit into magic.


    "--Haah!


    Elitia and Igarashi-san jump out - and Melissa too.


    ''The Calamity'', which is in a state of complete restraint, tries to put up a final resistance - but the glow of magic power did not dwell in the tail pin that had just fired ''Stingray''.


    ''''Support Linkage (Chain Support)........Pincer Linkage (Twin Fire)!


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates Other Assist ¡ú Target: Kuzelka and Nayuta.


    Arihito activates ''Support Link 1'' and ''Support Attack 2''. Support: ''Force Shoot Freeze''


    Kyoka activates Double Attack ¡ú Double hit on The Calamity!


    Kuzelka activates Sword Rain, which hits The Calamity at 12th level.


    Nayuta activates "Dancing Whip" ¡ú Eight levels hit on "The Calamity" Third level of coordinated moves.


    Melissa activates Knife-wielding, which increases the probability of part destruction.


    Melissa activates Cutoff ¡ú The Calamity drops an ingredient.


    Activate the "Kote of the Fighting Demon" effect and deliver an additional "no-pressure" blow.


    Gui...........


    The attack that pours down without a moment''s pause - the one who carries the end of it.


    Elitia brandishing a crimson sword while her red eyes shine, is the strongest attacker (attacker) among us.


    ''''-- The frozen ice flower. Blossom Blade........!


    Current Situation


    Elitia activates Red Eye.


    Attack power increased due to the Scarlet Dance effect.


    Elitia activates the Blossom Blade, which hits The Calamity at 24th level.


    Elitia''s additional attack will occur, hitting *The Calamity at the 6th level.


    The linked move "Zanka Ranbu, May Rain "Samidare"" ¡ú The Calamity''s area of destruction has been added.


    Break through the limit of "Support Attack 2". 54 "Force Shoot Freeze" attacks.


    Elitia lets slashes pour down like flower petals - the freezing attribute takes effect as a crack appears in the armor of ''The Calamity'' and the air in the area is cooled all at once.


    ''............................


    ''The Calamity'' froze and scrambled to its feet, but soon it was trapped in a huge block of ice and completely unable to move.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    The Calamity freezes in three stages. Turns into a state of "ice prison.


    The Calamity is unable to fight due to its ice prison status.


    The Death Stalker, under the leadership of The Calamity, loses its will to fight.


    The voices of the people engaged in battle and the sounds of destruction that could be heard from afar came to a halt. The loss of the leadership role of ''The Calamity'' seemed to have affected the ''Death Stalkers'' as well.


    ''''.........''''


    Theresia ministers to me - her ''supportive recovery'' worked while she was waiting behind me, and her wounds were recovering better than before.


    ''Ah ... we won. We.........


    "--Big brother........I thought we were done for........!


    The first one to jump in was Misaki - because she used the power of The Clown''s Demon Card, there''s no doubt that a breakthrough was made to defeat The Calamity. Even if she hugged me from the side with all her might, for once, I''ll take it with indulgence.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation¡ô


    Elitia''s Berserk and Red Eye are released.


    Elitia''s ability is temporarily reduced.


    .....


    Ellie-san...!


    ''....Good job. Elitia is dependable, after all.


    Igarashi-san and Melissa run over to support Elitia, who almost lost her balance and fell down.


    ''''........so much.......everyone......hurt.......''''


    Mr. Ellie...?


    Concerned about Elitia''s condition, Suzuna tried to approach her. Before she could do so, Theresia even came to Elitia''s front from herself.


    ''''........Theresia.......''''


    ..........


    Theresia popped Elitia''s shoulder.


    I''m sure you''ll be able to find a way to make it work.


    ''''You ... are much stronger than I am. You will always be by Arich''s side, protecting him and everyone else....


    Theresia doesn''t say anything. It''s impossible to capture any emotion from the mouth peeking out of the mask.


    However, she is thinking about Elitia. As if to show that, Theresia grasps back Elitia''s hand with both hands.


    ''''Ku...........................''''


    Elitia cries as she buries her face in her clenched hands.


    They could win - no one was missing. But they couldn''t finish the fight without getting hurt.


    They skipped the sixth ward and came to the fifth ward. With the help of the Guild Saber, we used the weapons prepared in the city to stop the enemy''s movements and finally defeated them - but the pit was unable to be used twice due to the dropping of ''The Calamity'', and the walls and floor of the ''Corridor'' were destroyed.


    ''''Brother, the box is down!


    So even if you''ve frozen it, you''ve still defeated it. Near the pit, there was a black box that fell near the pit - Misaki picks it up.


    ''''It''s a big win, but we didn''t defeat it alone this time. Let''s talk to Kuserka and the others and decide what to do about it.


    Yes, sir. Oh, she''s coming to get me.


    Khosrow-san gets out of the impulse car, and Kuzelka-san and another person - I hear his license says he''s Nayuta-san - also come over here.


    ''Mr. Atobe, we are going to take out the rest of the ''Death Stalkers''. You have done a great job, but the attrition must be very great as well.


    ''My name is Nayuta Houjou, Third Lieutenant Nayuta Houjou, I am with the Guild Saber Unit in District 5. I will guide you to a safe place where you can avoid engagement.


    ''''Yes, thank you. I''d like to participate in the subduing until the end, but I''m certainly quite worn out...


    Nayuta looks at Theresa after greeting her, and then looks at her. She must have noticed that she used the same skills as herself, after all.


    ''I alone could not activate two weapons at the same time... I would not have been able to stop ''The Calamity'' if she hadn''t lent me her power. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.


    ''I''m sure Theresa will be pleased to hear that. Very brave, and I''m very proud of her.


    Nayuta nods and holds out her right hand to me. When I shake her hand, she smiles softly - she looks younger than me, but she''s a much calmer woman.


    ''''........Elitia-dono. Your weapons should be handled with the right conditions.


    ''''Ellie-san is fine. This sword has been protecting us all along.......it may be a horrible weapon, but it can be handled well.......!


    I''m just following the sword - I don''t think of it that way, either. Suzuna thought the same thing, and said to Cuselka-san.


    Cuselka-san put her hand on the hilt of her sword and seemed to think about something - she bowed her head to Elitia and then said.


    ''I have made a one-sided decision, a kind of advice. You guys have won battles like this before and have come this far. As for the defeat of ''The Calamity'', it is also to your credit.


    ''This ''named'' is completely frozen... it''s not like it''s going to suddenly start moving when it unravels, but what do you do?¡¡If this ''ice prison'' is a conditional anomaly, it shouldn''t be able to melt even if you leave it alone.


    ''We used interceptor weapons, and we didn''t take them out on our own. As for this black box as well, can we discuss how to distribute it?


    The frozen "The Calamity" is also a great harvest of material. The black box, of course - or so I thought, but Kuserka shook her head.


    And she gives a smile that she rarely shows. I didn''t expect her to have such a soft expression - although after just a moment, she quickly reverts to her normal, guileless gaze.


    ''''I''ve achieved so much warfare in the first few hours of coming to the Fifth District. Even among the ''Encouraged Searchers'', this kind of precedent should never have been set before. You should be proud of yourself and be proud of yourself. I feel that way too, if I may be so presumptuous.


    ''It''s exciting to see a black box for the first time in a long time, but that one should be yours, Atobe. Feel free to take it with you.


    Well I''ll take it then. We''re going to have a whole storeroom full of them.


    Melissa looks at me - Cuselka nods and Khoselka gives her a thumbs up, so it seems that she doesn''t need to be shy. When I nodded, Melissa let the frozen ''The Calamity'' touch the key to the storage room and transferred it to her.


    ''''If all ''Death Stalkers'' have been weakened by defeating ''The Calamity'', then even if others defeat them, their contribution will be added to Atobe-dono''s party at a certain value. It will be calculated in the evaluation after the battle, so please be aware of that.......then. Let''s go, Khosrow.


    Yes, sir. Come on, Atoobe, let''s have a drink or two sometime. I''d like to have a heart-to-heart talk with you.


    With that, Khoselka got into the impulse car with Khoselka and turned the body of the car on the spot, changed directions and left the corridor.


    ''''Master, let''s carry everyone to a safe place. O brave wolf, do you still have the strength to carry your friends?''''


    BOW!


    You did a good job of carrying us around earlier. You really helped me, Theon.


    As he approaches Sion, Sion sits up on his own - Igarashi-san comes over and strokes his fur. On the way back, it seems good to have Sion carry Igarashi-san and Serafina-san on the way back - if it happens, Serafina-san''s shield will prevent the demons from attacking her.


    ''Then, Atobe-dono I will make sure that my position appears on the license map. Please follow me as I will give you the lead. Ha!


    Current Situation


    Nayuta activates "Rope Action".


    Nayuta throws the clawed rope around her waist and leaps - she looks like an aerial acrobat in a circus as she throws the rope away again and again and then flies away.


    He used a whip, so I thought he might be of that sort, but he was a circus type of person...?


    A whip at the circus ... yes, they use whips in the lion shows.


    ''I''ve met Nayuta-dono before, but before his reincarnation he was in a circus troupe. As you may have guessed, Lord Misaki.


    As we talk, we begin to move, too. Theresia has climbed into my lap herself - not a mistake because she needs supportive recovery, but there''s something a little uncomfortable about the armor now that it''s broken. My suit is damaged and my shoulders are in a state of great disrepair.


    ''''.........''''


    It''s in this state that Theresia tries to look back at me carelessly. I''m also worried about whether her bodysuit ''Hyde and Seek'' can be repaired - and I''m almost seeing parts of her that I shouldn''t be looking at, so much so that I have to avert my thoughts.


    ''Oh, we shouldn''t move too much. Yes, it might be a bit hot, but...''


    He took off his suit and let Theresa put it on. I should have done so earlier since I had this move.


    ''''..........''''


    "Hmmm........Teresia-san, your suit is still too big for your rear end, isn''t it?


    Kyouka-sister is also bold in her equipment, so I''d like her to wear a suit if possible!


    ''''Oh, no...I don''t see why I should be embarrassed now...''''


    Mr. Aricht, do you think Mr. Theresa''s clothes can be mended?


    Suzuna asks me with concern. As I was thinking about whether to ask the craftsmen in the fifth ward or - as I was thinking about it, Madoka, who was still at the Guild Saber''s base, sent me a message using her license as Alfeca began to run.


    ''Brother Alihit, the Guild Saber contacted me to let me know that you all are safe. I''m really, really relieved. I heard that Theresia-san has been injured, I hope she''s okay.''''


    I guess that means Kuserka-san contacted me while I was moving. While thanking her for her consideration, I open the next message.


    ''''Due to the results of this battle, I will be able to stay in the fifth ward for a while. Once this permission is granted, they will be able to call craftsmen from other wards.''''


    If that''s the case, I''ll ask Celes and Steiner to come over - if possible, could I ask Luca from the Boutique Corleone to come over when the suit is finished? As for the box, I''d like to ask Mr. Farma to do it, but I''m not sure if it''s possible because of your children.


    More than that. What do you mean by permission to stay in the Fifth Ward?


    ''Elitia, we''ll talk later. It''s time for you to go and help your friend.


    Yes, but for now we all need to get some rest. But for now you all get some rest. Theresa, really...


    ..........


    Her friends were taken from her, and she left her brigade - called the Sword of Death.


    Elitia refused to give up, she tried to save her friends, a friend of hers named Ruilly. Together with us, she got here.


    Still, she''s not happy about it. We don''t even know if we''ve been given permission to take on the labyrinth of the fifth district yet - the labyrinth is graded in the form of stars, and we''re still only allowed to explore it up to three stars.


    ''We''ve defeated the named ones.......I''m sure we can even enter the labyrinth of the fifth district. Let''s definitely bring back Ellie''s friends.


    Thank you, Kyoka.


    Elitia''s feelings haven''t changed. But I can tell by looking at them that they are wavering.


    Memories of the time when you once lost your friends. You''ll be able to see that you''ll be able to get the most out of the game.


    I want to calm Elitia''s mind, if only a little. Even if she thought that, she couldn''t find the words to speak to her, as she seemed to be looking somewhat far away.

 169 Episode 168 Brigade

    Nayuta led us to the medical station and while everyone was being treated, we received the news of the stampede suppression.


    We were in the lobby and we were greeted by Adeline-san who came to report to us. She told us that she had participated in the logistical support and that she had participated in the sweep of the ''Death Stalker''.


    ''''Captain Seraphina, I''m reporting to you again!¡¡The stampede in the 5-star labyrinth of The Sea of Calm has been subdued!¡¡The highest achievement is, of course, Ato........


    ''A, Miss Adeline. Not too loudly we all worked together to subdue it.


    ''''I''m sorry, I''m sorry, that was too good to be true, I...''''


    "Adeline, how are Third Lieutenant Kuzelka and Lord Khosrow?


    ''''Right now, you''re being patrolled by the main guild saber unit in the Fifth Ward and the post-clearing patrol. It will take some time to return, so I have been instructed to escort you all to your quarters. It will be a freestanding room for the Encouragement Searchers, if that''s alright with you?


    ''Yes, that would be very helpful. My companion is being treated, could you show him around afterwards?


    Theresia and Elitia are being treated for their injuries, but fortunately no wounds were left behind. Suzuna also had her magic power restored and she felt much better.


    ''''After Atobe and the others defeated the ''Named'', the ''Death Stalker'' counterattack weakened and the searchers in the fifth ward joined the sweep. In the end, a total of five hundred people ended up participating in the battle. Well, it''s not without motive that we can maintain our contribution if we make even one attack without hiding in the labyrinth.


    ''''I see... but since it''s that demon, I can understand why it''s hard for those who have come to the fifth ward to get their hands on it.


    ''''The Sea of Sand at Calm is considered a dangerous labyrinth because it''s often taken by surprise by ''Death Stalkers'' who dive into the sand. Even if you''re in the Fifth Ward, it''s probably the first time you''ve seen them. If you''ve been in the Fifth Ward for a long time, you''ll see them even if you don''t want to when the Stampede occurs.


    In a labyrinthine country, we have to live with the threat of the Stampede to some extent. Not everyone will have to fight, but it''s better to have the means to defend yourself.


    Those who act as supporters will find it difficult to maintain their levels and battle instincts. Then, as much as possible, the explorers should participate in the suppression of the situation - and that''s something we can''t force others to do, either. We should have a policy of participating as much as is reasonably possible.


    ''''But even so........it''s really unheard of for an Encouraged Searcher to have the highest battle results of ''Stampede'' suppression. The Guild Saber Headquarters in the Fifth District must be in a tizzy.


    Oh, really...


    ''''Ah........Don''t worry, we won''t suddenly be asked by the Guild Saber to do more dangerous missions or anything like that. It''s just that the main purpose of searchers is to explore the labyrinth as they see fit.


    ''Thank you, Miss Adeline,''


    Is it alright for all of us in Atobe-dono''s party to be eight people?


    Serafina-san has received a special order to join the party, so the official number of people at the moment is eight - and just then Madoka brought Celes-san and Steiner-san to me.


    It''s a good thing that you''re safe, Aricht. I never thought that she would be attacked to the point of destroying her equipment.


    "I have a body of armor and I''d like to take over for you if I could.


    Can we use your rental workshop?


    ''''Yes, there is a vacancy in the workshop near the quarters. Mr. Atobe, what are you going to do after your stay in Ward 5 is over?


    ''We have a labyrinth we''d like to visit if we could. That''s partly why we''ve been asked to do this.


    I''ll have to get confirmation from Louisa-san about that as well. Considering the circumstances, I can''t take it easy to ask for permission, and as soon as I''m ready, I want to enter the labyrinth where the Blazing Monkey Marquis is located.


    However, if you have to meet the conditions to enter, then you should weigh yourself for breaking the rules openly. Considering Elitia''s feelings, there is also the desire to do so as soon as possible - a dilemma, but now that we''ve finally come to this point, we have to keep our cool.


    As we were talking, Theresia, Elitia and Suzuna, who had finished their treatment, came out - along with Igarashi-san, Misaki and Melissa, who were accompanying them.


    ''Teresia, is your wound okay?''


    ..........


    ''Well that''s good. I''ll have Ceres and the others fix your equipment, too.


    Theresa nodded her head and touched the jacket she was wearing. I wonder if she''s going to give it back to me - as I look at it.


    ''''.........''''


    Hmm?¡¡Teresa...?


    Theresia is staring at me. I don''t mind if she still wants to borrow it, but it''s a little chilly in the Fifth Ward - that''s why I should lend it to Theresia. But is my jacket okay, or should I buy something in town that I can wear?


    ''Oh, you''re right?¡¡Big brother, do you feel like you don''t understand Theresa''s damsel in distress?


    ''''Mi, Misaki-chan, I don''t want to be cheering like that.......I think Theresa-san would be embarrassed.......''''


    "...I''m beginning to understand Theresa more and more. You don''t have to say anything, what you see doesn''t lie.


    .....


    It''s true that the lizard''s mask is red - but I finally realized that I was thinking about it. Theresia thinks she''ll have to return the jacket, but I wonder if that means she still wants to keep it. It''s chilly, but in this case - no, I''m embarrassed to think about it.


    ''Teresia, you don''t have to worry about the jacket...''


    .........


    But it''s all right, all right, all right... just get me back to my quarters.


    ..........


    Theresia nodded persistently. Misaki is right, I don''t seem to be capable of guessing a lot of things either.


    At that moment, other explorers who have come out of the lobby to receive treatment show up. A group of people wearing a white based cloak - a woman with flaxen hair in braids seems to be leading them.


    ''''Huh........''''


    ''Miss Ellie, how can I help you?¡¡Do you know...?


    Elitia''s eyes widened as she looked at the group of white cloaks. And I''m guessing - they''re the ''White Night Brigade''.


    In total, there are fourteen people - about two parties'' worth of people. At a glance, it''s hard to tell if any of the members are carrying cursed weapons like Elitia.


    ''''Elitia.......are they the ''White Night Brigade''?''''''


    ...Yes. That was the second party and the third party ... the Stampede subdued, and they were in on it too.


    ''You''re involved in those kinds of activities it''s not exactly what I had in mind. I don''t want you to have too many preconceptions.


    The leader of the "Byakuya Brigade" -- Elitia''s brother. If the members of the ''Brigade'' are here, then he is probably in this fifth district as well.


    The first party of the brigade did not participate in the Stampede''s suppression. Maybe they didn''t feel the need to join the battle, or maybe it was their principle of not meddling in the defense of the city. I don''t know the circumstances, but I felt it was surprising that a part of the ''brigade'' had joined the battle earlier, as Igarashi-san said.


    ''''Let''s........go.''''


    Eritia says before asking what should be done here against the ''Brigade''. After all, it was a powerless voice that couldn''t hide the fact that she was thinking about it.


    ''''Ah, ah ... okay. Can you guys move?''''


    ''Oh, brother.......Suzu is still a little worn out.......''


    ''It''s okay, Misaki. Don''t worry about it, it''s all....oh....


    ''Horn'' and ''Stagnation Stone'' - this combination was powerful, but the depletion of magic power was too intense. It seems that once your magic power is depleted, even if you are able to recover, you still need a full-fledged rest.


    I support the wobbly Suzuna. Suzuna loses consciousness for a moment, but she soon regains consciousness and her cheeks are stained with annoyance as she looks at me.


    ''''I''m sorry.......I''m constantly bothering Aricht-san.......''''


    ''''I''m the one who shouldn''t have let him do something reckless if he was going to use his magic power like that. I''ll use the combination of the ''Horn'' and the ''Stagnation Stone'' when I''m a bit stronger.


    ''Yes but let me use it if I feel I need it.


    Suzuna is using ''Minnaka'' after blowing her horn, with her magic power not recovering much. As she said, she will not hesitate to use a skill that has a high level of attrition if necessary - then what I should be thinking about is how to increase the maximum amount of magic power or reduce the attrition.


    ''''Bawp.''''


    ''''Sion-chan I''m sorry, Sion-chan fought so hard, and I''m so tired...''''


    Sion, who has been waiting in a corner of the lobby with good manners, comes over to us and puts Suzuna on her back. Sion walks slowly and unshakably, as if he were working on Suzuna - he has a really gentle nature.


    Elitia sees this and smiles. She''s worried about Suzuna, but her mind is probably occupied with her best friend who is trapped.


    If we were able to defeat ''The Calamity'', I''d like to think that fighting ''The Blazing Monkey Marquis'' is not reckless - but it''s clear from Elitia''s condition that ''The Monkey Marquis'' is more powerful than ''The Calamity''.


    As I think about it, we pass by ''The Brigade''. Some of its members showed their surprise when they saw Elitia''s appearance.


    ''Hey, hey, they came back so early? Are those guys useful?¡¡You can''t talk about a bunch of random mere mortals.


    ''Souga, they deserve to come to the Fifth Ward too. We shouldn''t be conceited that we''re better than them.


    ''''Oh, oh my bad Mr. Agnes. But the fact that Elitia is back here means that the Commander....


    ''''I''ll report to the Commander myself. Elitia....


    The woman, called Agnes, calls out to Elitia. Elitia stops and just gives a small bow and walks away.


    My companions also don''t want to leave Elitia alone, so Adeline-san leads me out of the medical center. The members of the ''Brigade'' showed interest in me, who was the last one left, too.


    ''I heard that Elitia used to be active in your group. And why she left the ''Brigade''.


    ''''Well. So Ellie is still trying to help Loury.


    Calling Elitia ''Ellie'' in response to me made her mind waver.


    It''s not that the members of the ''Brigade'' don''t think about Elitia at all. The person called Agnes clearly cares about Elitia - it would be too perceptive indeed to think of it as a pose.


    ''''Since I am one of those who abandoned Luury, I''m not qualified to have any opinion on the matter. You must despise us, too.


    If we don''t make our positions clear to each other, there are only so many words we can exchange. I know I shouldn''t talk to them too much without Elitia, either.


    Still, I wanted to say one thing. What we''re here for now.


    ''I''m not ... no. We listened to Elitia and we wanted to help her best friend. That''s all.


    ''''Are you really going to go to that labyrinth for that?¡¡Even the Guild Saber says that it''s a good idea to leave the ''monkey lord'' alone. It''s a demon that isn''t recommended to be defeated.


    ''I''m sure you guys also took on the labyrinth with the ''monkey marquis'' for a purpose. I don''t know if what we gained in that way was worth leaving our friends behind. However, we made a different decision than the ''Brigade''.......If Elitia believes in it, we believe in it too. That even if time has passed, Ruury will still be alive.


    ''''.........What kind of optimist would be able to get here with just that kind of wishful thinking? Let me tell you, the ''Monkey Prince'' is a demon that everyone in the fifth district just passes by. It''s only people with a reasonable motive to mess with them.


    The three-eyed man called Souga says, glaring at me. I''m sure he is a skilled warrior with a battle-axe on his back and a well-trained muscular body, but he says that he shouldn''t be dealing with the Marquis de l''Amour.


    I''m not sure what the trouble is with the ''Marquis de l''Amour''. May I ask that?


    I ask, and Souga is about to say something, but Agnes controls him.


    The Marquis of the Cautious Monkey, also known as the Marquis of the Demon Monkey, is the strongest and longest surviving demon in District 5. They build forts with their followers in the Red Chamber of the Red Chamber of the Fiery Heavens at the second level of the labyrinth. They have their own territory in the labyrinth...their nature is worthy of special mention among the demons. Because it is like a ''demon king'' so to speak.


    The Demon King - is he that much of a demon? She says that it''s a different dimension than before.


    ''''Well you can''t win against the ''Monkey King'' with you guys. Even if you go, you''ll only lose your friends again. If you still want to go, I won''t stop you, though.


    Souga''s appearance - with his short hair upside down, dyed gold and black, and piercing - at first impressions, I thought he was aggressive, but that''s not all he seems to be.


    But even if he thought he was giving advice, he couldn''t accept the way he said it, as if the outcome was predetermined for him. We came here because we believed--that Luury is still alive and that we can save her.

 170 Episode 169 Forest Diner

    ...I don''t mean to scare you away or anything. I''m not denying that we underestimated the Monkey King. But, as long as you guys made it this far without making any major mistakes, I won''t say anything bad about it. I don''t want you to mess with the Marquess.


    The ''Byakuya Brigade'' tries to strengthen its strength even with a cursed weapon in its hands. He who is a member of it - Souga says so much.


    Elitia also knows the fearfulness of the ''Monkey Prince'' - and she is kind-hearted to the core. That''s why her mind has wandered to this point.


    However, I can''t just play it safe and end up not even seeing the ''Marquis de l''Ape''.


    ''''It''s a bit of a relief to hear what you have to say here. I thought most of the ''Brigade'' were in agreement that they would cut off their friends if necessary. I thought we''d have to clash at some point with a group of people who were willing to go that far for something... because even in the Seventh Ward, there was some competition.


    ''Don''t be so easily bonded. We''re here for our own purposes, and we''re here for the sake of being able to cut ourselves off if we have to. I haven''t forgotten about "that guy" either, but if I hadn''t seen Elitia, I would have forgotten it sooner or later. That''s about it.


    ''Souga, you are getting too emotional. I''m sorry, I apologize on his behalf. I know it''s too late to ask, but your name is...


    ''I am Atobe. Alihit = Atobe.


    "Alihit-Atobe I''m Agnes-Fieh, the deputy commander of the ''White Night Brigade''. We will be moving to the next ward in the near future, but before we do, I''d like to meet with Elitia once...


    I want to talk to Elitia. It looked as if she was about to say so, but Agnes looked at her companions and didn''t say a word about it.


    ''We''ll protect her. We''ve been protected more often than not, though. The party is a holding pattern.


    Brother, we''re going to lose you if you don''t come soon.


    Misaki comes back and calls to me. I raise my hand to comply and turn to walk out.


    ''''If you''re going to enter the Red Tower of the Flaming Sky, you''d better gather enough information beforehand. This is a map to the place we explored.......will you accept it?


    Oh, hey, Mr. Agnes, how can you go so far...


    ''This is the least I can do. I''m not asking you to forgive me I''m just....


    There are many different people in the brigade. Agnes took out her license and sent the information on the map to my license - the map was interrupted in the middle of the second level.


    ''Thank you. And one other thing I''ll tell you - we''ve met Cyrone. She is being held in prison in the Seventh Ward for her karma raising act.


    ''''Silone........she did something to Elitia.......''''


    ''I still haven''t heard what she had in mind. Someday, I would like to talk to your Commander in person. I hope so.


    I was still at a low level, and I thought I would only be insulted by the members of the brigade if I said that - but their expressions didn''t change. Although Souga has a puzzled look on his face, wondering what to say.


    ''''Well it looks like I was wrong about the randomly gathered riffraff, so I apologize. But, you know, if you don''t produce results, there''s no point in talking about it. In order to do what you want to do, you need a certain amount of power.


    ''I think that''s true. Strength is necessary, and the power of Eritia''s sword has helped us as well. I always think we need to be stronger.


    ''Well tch. That Elitia guy, you hit the jackpot.


    Souga seemed to say a small, ''ain''t you a bone-headed bastard?'' - hearing that, the young female member slapped Souga on the back.


    ''''So ... what the hell are you doing!


    ''''Your throwaway lines are lame, if you were listening to me just now. I kept my mouth shut for you, Agnes, but you can''t act like you''re representing us.


    ''''Shut up. The Commander has been tense lately, and he wants me to talk all I want once in a while.


    Of the two parties in the brigade, some of them bailed to me and walked away. Each and every one of them may be an elite group, but I knew that they too were only ''explorers'' and not outlaws who only followed their own rules.


    Why was it that even they couldn''t choose to help Ruilly? Is it because the ''Brilliant Sark Marquis'' is such a demon that it is called the ''Demon King'' -?


    Even with a brigade as large as ours, we didn''t defeat the Marquis de l''Ape and capture the labyrinth. Can our party be able to capture it on its own - we''ll just achieve that goal of saving Ruilly and escape. We have to explore that possibility as well.


    If Loury - I''m not going to think about that now. She''s alive, and I''m going to assume all that.


    What we need to do is face the formidability of the Fifth Ward Labyrinth. And then we have to bounce it back.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô.


    There were upper, middle, and lower guilds in the fifth district as well, and it was the middle guild building that we visited when we transitioned from the seventh district.


    After leaving the medical center, we went back to the Middle Guild to meet up with Louisa-san. The Middle Guild is also known as the "Forest Diner" and serves as a large dining hall. Perhaps because the building was damaged by the Stampede, people who seemed to be the city''s cooks also came and served food to the people who had gathered there.


    We were not in the busy dining hall, but in a private room that doubled as a meeting room, as we were recognized as the "Most Valuable Person" in Stampede suppression.


    The material of the building seems to be of a higher strength than that of the Seventh Ward, but the atmosphere of the interior itself remains the same. There was a table carved out of what looked like black marble, and as we all took our seats and waited, a woman dressed in what appeared to be a cook walked in.


    She''s probably a reincarnation of the same as us - her reddish hair is tied up and tucked into a cocked hat, but a tuft of braided hair hanging down gives her a somewhat exotic look.


    ''I''m Maria Millers, the ''cook'' who will be in charge of this table today. Thank you so much for subduing the Stampede today, I really appreciate your efforts.


    She bowed her head deeply, though in a matter-of-fact tone, and carried the wagon she had been carrying down the hallway into the room. A dish with a lid like a metal dome - quite large, but what on earth is it made of?


    ''''Is this.........could this be the scorpion that I knocked over earlier.......?''''


    Misaki says warily, and Igarashi-san freaks out too - I''m ready to eat almost anything as long as the taste isn''t a problem, but scorpions are still a hurdle to overcome.


    Maria doesn''t say anything, but takes off the metal lid - and there''s more of what looks like an earthen dome in it.


    ''''Is this........steamed rock salt, right?''''


    Goodbye. I steamed it up with lots of specialty ingredients from Fifth Ward.


    Louisa''s prediction was correct. A dome of salt, not dirt - and when you use a tool to break it down, it''s filled with more seaweed-like wrapping inside. Without spreading it out, Maria takes it out to everyone''s plates and bows. Apparently, it means you can eat it.


    ''''Is this........is this okay, isn''t it a very high class dish.......''''


    ..........


    Oh, my God, Miss Theresa, that''s so bold...!


    As if Theresia couldn''t wait to cut through the seaweed with her knife - and inside she found abalone like shellfish, meat and vegetables.


    The vegetables are placed on the shellfish meat and Theresia brings it to her mouth - the moment her white throat moves and she swallows, Theresia looks at the plate in front of her in surprise. Although the mask doesn''t allow her to see her eyes.


    ''''.........''''


    Theresia looks at me. I''ve never seen such a reaction - I think Theresia has a family history when it comes to eating, but I didn''t expect her to rave about it.


    ''Really, it''s that good?¡¡Then let''s all try it........let''s have it.


    Hmm..........hmm.......!


    The meat is steamed with salt, but the salt is just perfect, it will come apart in your mouth and melt...!


    It''s delicious and it warms you up from the inside out.


    Hearing Suzuna''s words, it occurred to me - when I look at the license, Suzuna''s magic power is recovering at a faster rate.


    So the mana potion will have side effects if you take too much of it, but if it''s cooking, it''s not a problem. And it also means that the food was prepared with Suzuna''s condition in mind.


    ''I was contacted by the medical office and we have cooked a dish to help you recover. Please take your time and enjoy today and we will bring the next dish to you when you call for it.


    ''Thank you, it''s really good. I''m looking forward to the other dishes.


    ''That would be great. I''ve brought you some drinks as an aperitif, but there are other drinks available on request.


    It''s a state of affairs that is just as perfect as it could be, and it makes me feel as if there is a fine dining restaurant in the guild. No, that''s exactly what it is, isn''t it?


    The cooks are limited to a limited number of people in their respective wards so Maria''s cooking is truly amazing.


    I''d like to be taught a lesson if I could.


    Melissa also has cooking skills, so she was intrigued by this cooking method. Although eating at home is also relaxing, but sometimes this kind of luxury would be good - and in the labyrinth country, the body is the capital, so basically, though the food I want to eat at that time is a priority.


    Even after taking a seat, Elitia kept an unflattering look on her face for a long time, but when she realized that Suzuna sitting next to her was worried about her, she brought the food to her mouth.


    ''''It''s.......very tasty. There''s still a lot of dishes in the Labyrinth Country that I don''t know about.''''


    Mr. Elitia....


    ''It''s okay I''ve been thinking about it for a while. I know I shouldn''t be in a hurry myself.


    Elitia smiles, but I still know that''s just to keep us from worrying about her.


    She looks fragile from the time she''s been fighting The Calamity. Still, I can''t speak of easy encouragement.


    ''Louisa, will we ever be able to enter the labyrinth of the Fifth Ward?


    ''''The ''special contribution'' will be added to this case, so adding that value and the contribution in Stampede Suppression... still, we still won''t get permission to explore the 5-star labyrinth immediately. If you''re Atobe, you can still apply for it at the moment, but there''s no guarantee that permission will be granted...


    We''re both helped by the guild system, but we''re also bound by it. The need to qualify to enter the high difficulty labyrinth would be a measure to reduce the number of explorers who drop out.


    ''''At a stage where we haven''t obtained a four-star permit, five stars might be difficult... but can we ask you to apply for it?''''


    ''Yes, of course I intend to. Elitia you and how hard you all worked to come to this ward. I''ve seen that myself. But I do have one concern.


    Concern...?


    Louisa looks down at the glass of alcohol. I could tell by the expression on her face that she was trying to say something difficult to say.


    ''''The Guild Saber Unit of the Fifth Ward views it as a venerable thing that Kuzelka-san and Khosrow-san of the Seventh Ward Resident Unit and Atobe-sama''s contributions to this suppression were significant.


    We were called in and we all worked so hard........


    Is it because the troops in the Seventh District are considered better than those in the Fifth District...?


    I guessed in my own way, and Louisa-san nodded. Serafina-san didn''t say anything, but her expression was stern.


    ''''We are considering awarding Atobe-sama one higher title of ''Encouraged Seeker''. I believe that the Fifth District Guild Saber Force Headquarters will undergo some kind of change from the current structure... but I believe that Third Lieutenant Kuzelka will contact you about this as soon as he decides.


    I understand. For our part, I''d like to think we''ve made a small contribution.


    I think everyone has a sense of mensuration and pride, but I don''t want to get involved in such conflicts as much as possible - not to mention in a situation where we are competing for contributions.


    ''''It will take some time, but I will make a request for permission to explore the five-star labyrinth to be granted, even if it is only temporarily.


    ''Please do. If you''re saying it''s too difficult, we''ll move to accomplish the requirements.


    Well, I guess that''s the end of the story.......let''s talk about it when we get back to our quarters. Since it''s a special dish, we have to taste it and eat it.


    Everyone agreed when Igarashi-san said it - Elitia was smiling a bit, and it would be important to eat and cheer her up.


    After the rock salt steaming, Maria brought the white fish wrapped in a pie crust and baked, along with soup, salad and fruit, all of which were perfect. Theresia was sheltering her slightly injured arm, so I, sitting next to her, would assist with the food - I hope this injury heals as quickly as possible.

 171 Episode 170 Medallion

    After the dishes were served in a row, there was only one last thing left to do: dessert for after dinner. There were three desserts to choose from, but one on the menu called ''Robust White Peach Millefeuille'' caught my eye.


    ''''Maria-san, is this made from a fruit that increases your ability value?''''


    Yes, we''re serving a special guest.


    If that''s the case, why not choose mille-feuille?¡¡The other desserts are "Rest in Peace" or, um... "Passion"?¡¡And it says.


    ''Hey, I''m not so sure about the passion... it seems to energize me, but I''m just so blind at night...''


    ''''Kyouka-san, you can''t do that, not in front of Arihito-san.......''''


    ''Aren''t you sleeping well, Igarashi-san?¡¡Then maybe this ''Milk Bavarois for Restful Sleep'' is the way to go.


    I don''t know why I was pissed off - well, it''s true that desserts are important to women, so I shouldn''t be the one to make the decision on my own.


    ''''Louisa-san had better up her defenses too, because I''m sure she''ll be worried about men''s eyes.


    ''''Nah........Misaki. I don''t really admire you for saying things like that....


    No, no.......I''m used to it. It''s not good to worry too much about it, so I try to wear the clothes I want to wear.


    ''''Well I hope my armor looks proportional to my defenses.


    Igarashi-san and Louisa-san sigh at the same time. Looking at the two of them, there is someone who chuckles - surprisingly, it''s Maria, the cook.


    ''''I recommend the ''Strudel of Passion'' to you two. Since it''s a dessert with alcohol in it.


    ''Oh, well I guess I''ll get a good night''s sleep then...''


    Right, so can we go there, please?


    The use of alcohol seemed to be to Louisa''s liking, and it was a quick decision - Igarashi-san seemed to want to do the same, but we talked about sharing it with Louisa-san, and we decided to order the "Robust White Peach Millefeuille".


    I''m not averse to alcohol either, but I don''t think I''d like it any more than an aperitif. I don''t know what a pastry called "strudel" is, but I don''t think it''s laden with so much liquor, so I don''t have to worry about it.


    ''Madoka-chan, do you want to come up the stairs of adulthood with us?''


    ''''Oh ... yea, yea, it''s still too early for a boozy dessert, so I''ll have a millefeuille.


    "...I''m curious what ''passion'' is, but I''ll take millefeuille too. I want to make the defense tighter.


    BOW!


    The members participating in the battle seem to basically ask for ''Robust White Peach Millefeuille'' - the principle is strange, but it''s useful to be able to become somewhat stronger just by eating it.


    ''''Theon needs to brush his teeth to avoid cavities.


    We have something called a "mastic branch" for guard dogs. If you can chew this one like gum.


    They are really caring - Maria resigns from the room once she confirms her dessert order.


    Celes and Steiner have also joined the meal, but they are reserved and less verbal because they are craftsmen - but the girls are also tipsy from the aperitif and feel better.


    ''Aricht, why don''t you have that girl cook the fruit for you?¡¡You may be able to enhance the effects of the fruit faster than you can find a pharmacist.


    ''I''ll ask him later if I can ask him. I''m sure we''ll have to wait until another day to actually ask.


    ''''I''m wondering what I''m going to do with my defenses any more, so maybe I should have an adventure once in a while.


    I''m not much of a drinker, but I like to be taller than I am on these occasions. You are an unworthy disciple.


    ''Master''s not strong enough, or is it okay to take it?¡¡I guess.


    Geez..... You''re not saying anything to Ariehito, are you?


    I''ll assume that these exchanges are also a sign of good friendships. But what exactly is the ''unnecessary thing'' - I wonder if it has something to do with the fact that Celes-san looked so big behind the fumes of hot water in the bathroom before.


    ''Aricht, you should not pry too deeply into a woman''s age and background. Do you understand?


    Yes, yes....


    Once I''m nailed down like that, I can''t pursue it in depth. I can feel the pressure from Igarashi-san and Louisa-san as well, so I''ll be quiet here. I''m sure that Igarashi-san is younger and so is Louisa-san, who has a very ladylike appearance.


    ¡ô¡ó¡ô


    Adeline was having dinner with her troop mates, so she met up with them as they were leaving the guild and was shown to their quarters. On the way there, she told me the information she got from the Guild Saber unit after the Stampede was suppressed.


    ''''That ''named'' was like a queen, strengthened by being offered the souls of her own kind. If it had absorbed more souls, it might have gotten out of hand. In that respect, the fact that the front was spread out over a wide area of the Fifth Ward from early on, and the fact that the number of Death Stalkers defeated by the time The Calamity was defeated was not large enough to make it work. The analysis team said.


    ''''I see........I think there was a stampede last time too, due to the nature of that demon. What kind of fight did it cause then?


    As if expecting to be asked about it, Adeline took out what looked like a leather-bound notebook. She seems to have borrowed the records from the Fifth Ward Guild Saber.


    ''''Well... the last Stampede occurred a year ago, but the Fifth Ward commander at the time was wounded in a battle with ''The Calamity'' and couldn''t subdue it for three days before help arrived from the higher wards. At that time, the commander of the Fifth District was replaced, so even if we were able to suppress it in one day, he must have felt responsible for not being able to lead his own unit.


    Three days... if you try to take down ''named'' without trapping them, I guess that means they''ll run away like the other scorpions.


    ''''For such a demon to come to this ward and defeat it in a few hours... that''s surprising, and the guild savers in the fifth ward, too.


    The more I hear you talk about it, the more I realize that even though it was necessary, it had a huge impact on the people around us.


    What the Guild Saber Unit in the Fifth District thinks of us. Depending on that, it will have a bearing on whether or not we''ll be granted permission to explore the Red Tower of the Flaming Sky - if that''s the case.


    We should go and greet them while we''re at it. As I think about this, two guild savers walk in from across the evening-darkened street. They are Nayuta-san and a man who appears to be a bit shady.


    ''''Huh........Dylan Third Class Dragon Colonel-dono.......why are you here......?''''


    This is a bit unexpected, or is it some kind of...notice...or...?


    Adeline-san and Seraphina-san straighten their backs. The man in military uniform named Dylan comes up to me - he''s not so different in height from me, and I guess he''s about the same age.


    ''I see... you''re Atobe. I''d heard about you, but being a rookie once every few decades means you were serious about it too. Well, I''m surprised.


    Hi, nice to meet you...


    ''Don''t be so cocky, I''m a guild saber by title too, but I used to be an explorer. No, I really wasn''t amused. I had a feeling they''d do something for me when Courselka and Josh-san came, though.


    I don''t feel like Frank, or even much of a military man - would it be rude to say that. He''s kind of a relaxed person, for better or worse.


    ''Well, you know, Josh, you know...''


    ''Yeah, I guess you could tell him as Sergeant Khosrow Ryuji. He uses his family name as the registered name of his license.


    Does this Dylan person mean that he is an old acquaintance of Mr. Kuserka and Mr. Khosrow? And he knows about their abilities - it''s not as if he knows about his subordinates because he''s a superior officer, but rather as if he''s fought with them before.


    ''Commander Dylan, I saw them lead ''The Calamity'' into the corridor and make a great contribution in defeating them... no. It should be seen that they took the initiative in defeating it.


    When Nayuta advises, Dylan-san - Commander Dylan returns a nod. Then he took out something he had in his pocket and held it out to me.


    ''One thing I''d like to apologize to you guys for... some of you claiming that you were dogmatic about your great achievement. It''s vital that we defeat the ''named'', so no matter what the circumstances are, I should be the first to pay my compliments and congratulate you guys for fighting... I''m really, really sorry.


    No, no. We weren''t spoken to directly.


    ''''That''s true, I must urge you to reflect on those who say such things. You have received the Most Meritorious Service Award as the defeater of The Calamity.......and it has been decided to recognize you as ''Specially Selected Explorers'', a title above ''Encouraged Explorers''. Will you accept it?


    The Magisterial Medallion of Magistite


    The title of "Specially Selected Searcher" certified by the guild will be proven.


    Your magic power limit will be increased.


    You have a hidden power.


    This is....


    It''s called a title medal. Just by having it, it works well as equipment. Think of it as a kind of talisman, and I hope you''ll keep it.


    A medal made of a metal I''ve never seen before, engraved with the Guild Saber''s coat of arms. It''s not too big to carry around, so I''ll keep it in my suit''s inner pocket.

 172 Episode 171: Scarlet Forest

    Mr. Dylan seemed to have more to tell us than just handing over the medallion.


    ''I believe you''ve already been notified, but from now on you will be allowed to stay in the Fifth Ward for seven days by special exception. You have the right to go to the Sixth District, but please consider your visit to the Fifth District as a special case and only by request. I understand that this is an outrageous thing to say to the most meritorious person in Stampede suppression. But rules are rules.


    Seven days - a week. In those days, we have to help Luury.


    ''We need permission to enter the five-star labyrinth, sir. I''ve discussed this with Louisa, but Commander Dylan, if you have the authority to give us that permission...


    Mr. Dylan shook his head. ''The rules are the rules - that''s what the Guild Saber''s position is.


    ''''You guys will get a special contribution from Stampede Suppression. If you add that value to the contribution figure you raised in District Five, you''ll have permission in a few days. I''ve already fulfilled the requirement of defeating the ''named'' in the fifth district.


    A few days...


    The sooner the better. As soon as we''re in position, as soon as we''re ready - then.


    If only we could get Commander Dylan to sign off on our presence here.


    ...Aricht.


    He pulls back his sleeve and looks back. Elitia shakes her head - as if to admonish me.


    ''You have the ability. It''s an exceptional power as a party you can develop it and go on as far as you want. Eventually, you will officially go further through the Fifth Ward. With faster steps than any other party.


    Yes.


    ''I understand that Herr Atobe, Czerka, Khoselka, Khosrow and the others will be staying with us for a few days. They said that if they needed anything in the meantime, they could always contact me.


    ''I understand. Thank you for telling me.


    Commander Dylan and Nayuta walk away. Elitia lets go of my sleeve and smiles - it doesn''t look like she''s in a hollow spirit.


    ''I''m terribly happy for Aricht''s feelings... but we shouldn''t be in too much of a hurry. I know because I''ve seen ''The Monkey Prince''. If you push it too far, someone else will........so.......


    ..........


    Theresia approached Elitia - as if she was not worried. But Elitia shook her head.


    ''If everyone isn''t safe, then it''s useless.......so. If we can get stronger and come here in turn from the sixth ward.......''''


    ''''No ... we could fight in the Fifth Ward. If we were able to defeat the ''Death Stalker'', then it shouldn''t mean that we wouldn''t be able to work at all in the labyrinth of the Fifth Ward. There might be labyrinths where he could dive with three stars. There''s also a way to level up there.


    ''I think I''d be better off that way, too, since I need to make a contribution in the Fifth Ward. I''m one step closer and I''ll probably regret it if I spend the last seven days in another ward.


    After receiving Igarashi-san''s words, Elitia still hesitated - but eventually, she nodded quietly.


    She continues to be conflicted. The desire to help Ruury more than anyone else, and the desire not to hurt her friends - but that''s not something that Elitia is alone in holding.


    ''''We should be able to gain some experience here in the Fifth District. Our level is probably about the lowest in the Fifth Ward right now... if we only have to raise one level, we''ll probably fight in this ward faster than in the Sixth Ward.


    ''''Alright then. I''ll also try to gather some information about a suitable labyrinth to level up in the Fifth Ward.


    Elitia said, trying to walk not in the direction of her quarters, but to a busy street with one street.


    ''''Elitia, it''s better to rest well now. From the fight earlier, you also got injured........


    Elitia turns to call her back, but she doesn''t stop. Controlling her friends who try to follow her, she says - with a smile.


    ''I''m not sure I''ll be able to return to my quarters yet, because I''m feeling too upset to rest any time soon. Don''t worry about your injuries I''ll be back before it''s too late.


    As long as the time period is limited, the time we can devote to gathering information is also limited. I think I should respect Elitia''s decision, but I''m still concerned about her condition.


    ''''........Elitia-san has experience of being in the Fifth Ward, right? She might know more about this ward than I do.


    ''Well ... yes. We''ll go back to our quarters and wait for you to return.


    Elitia is no longer visible around the corner of the alley.


    As soon as possible - I can understand that feeling. But that''s why I have to remain calm. I have to believe now that Elitia understands that, too.


    ¡ô ¡ô.


    When I first came to the Fifth Ward, I was part of the third party of the ''White Night Brigade'' and entered the labyrinth called ''Mysterious Lakeside''.


    That labyrinth is not the easiest in the Fifth District. But even I, who was level 7, was able to participate in the battle and rose to level 8.


    At that time, Lurie was with me. She healed my wounded wounds with her healing skills.


    --Ellie, I''m sorry. I''m sorry I hurt you like this and my recovery was so slow...


    --That''s not true. I have to work as hard as I can to become a swordsman that people can rely on.


    --I still rely on Ellie. I''ve been like that since the first time we met.


    Loury used a skill called ''Heel Wind'' to heal my wounds. The wind gently wrapped around my body and healed my wounds - Loury''s skill was like magic.


    Many reincarnated people want to choose such a profession because they want to use magic. But only a small percentage had the aptitude for it, and it was said that very few people were able to become ''healers'' who could also do magical things in the profession that could heal.


    However, his brother - the Commander did not try to heal his own wounds with the skills of a lurie.


    I don''t know why my brother did that. He had said that the profession of ''healer'' was useful to the brigade, but even in places where he could borrow Ruury''s help, he would use potions to heal.


    Ever since my brother changed, I don''t know what he was thinking. He wasn''t that close to me even before his reincarnation - but he wasn''t the kind of person who wouldn''t listen to other people''s ideas at all, like he is now.


    --Is Elitia a ''swordsman''? On balance, I would have been happy to have her follow me to the rear guard position.


    Maybe the signs were there from the beginning. My brother began to try to make everything around him do what he wanted in order to capture the labyrinth - after my father, who was the leader, was injured and my brother became the leader of the group, my father, who used to admonish my brother, was less and less likely to give his opinion.


    I could barely keep up with everyone else. My level was always lower than the party''s average, and I was dragging my feet - in order to change that situation, my brother gave me the Scarlet Imperial Sword.


    --If I could use it, I might be able to contribute regardless of my level. Even if I couldn''t use it, I''ll give it at least one more chance.


    --Even if you''re a poorly made sister, it would be nice if you could be of some help.


    .........


    I knew that my brother didn''t feel it was worth it to have me in the party.


    When I was able to equip the ''Scarlet Emperor''s Sword'', my brother''s eyes lit up like a boy''s and he was happy. I felt ashamed of myself for flattering my brother to make a place for me - yet.


    To be able to stay in the brigade. I was glad to be able to stay away from Lurie.


    (..........I''m the same as Shirone. I have no right to blame that girl.)


    I was just lucky. I was swept away by the Scarlet Emperor''s Sword, and even though I knew it was a dangerous power - I used it many times and relied on it.


    If it wasn''t for Suzuna, I might have hurt one of my friends.


    Suzuna was there to stop me - and the fact that we were all able to come to this Fifth Ward together was really nothing but a miracle.


    I don''t want to lose it. I don''t want one person to get hurt.


    But trying to help Lurie is forcing my friends to hurt. I knew that, but now I was even more scared as I fought the demons in the Fifth Ward.


    This party can go a long way. Avoiding the labyrinths that even guild savers wouldn''t touch is something the others take for granted.


    My wish may cause everyone''s dreams to cease.


    --I want to make Theresa human again. That''s what Arihit wants most, and I want to make that happen for sure.


    I alone can enter the five-star labyrinth. I didn''t tell that to Arihito and the others.


    I had qualified when I was in the Brigade. As an individual without a party, I can dive into the labyrinth without raising karma for breaking the rules.


    I know she''s alive. We all believed that - and I want to believe it, too.


    But the labyrinth has never been kind to us.


    That''s why I have to face it before everyone else. At that time, I couldn''t save Luury, but I was alone.


    I can picture everyone''s faces in my mind. I know I''m making them worry, and I can''t get rid of my childishness forever, and I can''t act like I don''t want everyone to worry about me.


    ''''Well I''ll be right back. So, just for a minute...


    The path to the entrance of the labyrinth seemed terribly nostalgic, and his legs trembled.


    Even after the sun had set, the lights of the streetlights were still twinkling in the area. The guild sabers didn''t encourage people to approach, and that permeated the searchers, and there were few people in sight.


    A round pillar of red metal. If you dive between them and descend the stone stairs - that''s the ''Red Tower of the Flaming Sky''.


    I stand in the light of the flickering flames of the streetlights. Only my own heart is present, and it beats painfully.


    ''''-- Utterly a bad idea,''''


    I come to myself as I hear a man talking from nearby. The two searchers are talking about the ''Red Chamber of the Flaming Sky''.


    ''''An explorer who is subordinated to a demon will be recognized as a demon after a certain period of time. Well, that may be the case according to the guild''s regulations, but.......


    --that was one of the least likely possibilities he wanted to consider.


    If the explorer became a sub-human and ever attacked a person, they would be subject to defeat. That meant that they would be considered a demon.


    But there was another thing that was a rule in the guild.


    If a seeker is followed by a demon and turns against another seeker - the license will determine that the seeker who sided with the demon is also a demon.


    You can''t blame them for that, since they are relentlessly trying to kill you. But if you''re trying to get that equipment from a controlled seeker...


    And all this in the middle of the night when people don''t see you. You''re doing the same thing in the night as a burglar or something...


    ''What you just said ... is it true?¡¡The people who were talking about such things entered this labyrinth...?


    What the hell, how long have you been listening to this?


    The two men are surprised that I was right behind them, not realizing that I was right behind them - but I can''t be bothered with that, and I corner one of the men who was talking to me.


    ''Were there any ''healers'' among those manipulated seekers?¡¡Please, answer me!


    No, no... there''s not much information out there, but I''m sure most of the people in this district know that the ''monkey lord'' has the searchers under his thumb.


    Hey..... Don''t tell me this sword is from the Byakuya Brigade...


    ''''Ah, ah ... I see. I''ve heard that even in that "Byakuya Brigade" they gave up on the complete attack and withdrew. If someone was caught at that time, they might have already been treated as a demon and killed...


    I start to run - before I can run through the red pillars, I hear men behind me calling out to me, but I don''t care.


    After the shifting sensation, I see trees with fiery red leaves spread out in front of me - through this forest, there is a fort built by the Monkey King on two levels.


    The unique feature of this labyrinth is that it is free of demons other than those belonging to the Marquis de los Muertos. There is no Stampede, so guild savers will not consider it a dangerous labyrinth.


    If you''re qualified, you''re free to explore, and anything that happens is at the party''s own risk.


    A high level party could conquer this labyrinth - and yet, the ''Monkey Marquis'' has survived for a long time. It''s a ''named'' that should be targeted for its harvest, knowing the risks involved.


    The reason for this is that the force of the "Marquis de l''Aristocrat" includes a searcher - a human being - in its war chest.


    (If I activate ''Red Eye'' at my level, I''m sure I can keep up with ''The Monkey Prince''''s moves. If my friends are targeted I might get hurt again, just like in The Calamity. (But if it''s just me.......)


    We''ll find Loury. And take him out of the labyrinth - if only we could do that.


    Even if he''s being controlled, there is surely a way to free him. If I''ve come this far, I''ll make sure to bring Loury back with me.


    (If Loury is found by another seeker, he''ll try to kill me... Loury, the ''healer'', is an important healer, so even his rearguard equipment was valuable. (Even if it couldn''t be used well by others, it was still highly valuable in the market)


    .....


    Current Situation


    Elitia activates "Sonic Raid".


    I don''t want to regret it anymore. To lose someone I care about in front of me.


    To abandon Rulie, who has been abandoned, and to abandon him again - absolutely, I can''t.

 173 Episode 172: Fortress of the Demon Monkey Monkey Face

    We run through the red metal columns and transition to two levels. The time changes - the sky is pitch black, but it''s bright in front of me.


    ".........this......wasn''t like this before.......


    The Monkey Prince''s fort occupied a large area on two levels. However, he would not have found it if he hadn''t entered the two levels and searched for a while.


    The outer walls of that fort could already be seen after a short walk. It was illuminated by the orange light in the red-burning forest.


    (That party... good, we caught up with them...)


    Hey... you heard the man.


    "The equipment is the same as it was when I was captured, or even better... what, isn''t joining the ''Marquis of Monkeys'' better than being a normal explorer?


    It''s called self-defense.


    They say things that I can''t bear to hear, and then they laugh. If these people find Lurie - I don''t even want to think about it.


    Hiding behind a tree to avoid being noticed, I follow the party of four.


    In the labyrinth, a river runs through it - the Marquis de l''Ape''s fort is built across the bridge and beyond. It seems that different forts were built on the west and east sides of the river.


    The Marquis Monkey is a very cunning demon that has taken us by surprise. I''m not going to be able to get a good idea of what I''m looking for, so I''m going to be able to allocate my increased strength to the new fort so that it won''t be easy to identify my location.


    ''''Isn''t this fort bigger than I''ve been told?''''


    It''s like trying to build a country in a maze.


    But he''s just a monkey. Look, there''s a trick that opens the gates to the fort. You may think you''re hiding something, but you can''t fool my eyes.


    I''m sure they went in here. Now, let''s help those who are under the control of the demon.


    (Hiding ... really...?)


    I move the gate mechanism and the men enter the fort. I''m sure they''re using their skills to keep an eye out for the area, but I still can''t shake the feeling of disgust.


    There''s a reason why it''s so easy for them to get in. I have to go and find out if the figure they saw was Loury or someone else - even if it''s dangerous, I have to go and find out.


    ''Hey, I know you''re in there!¡¡Stop hiding and come out!


    ''Fool, if you scream that loud, the other demons will notice.


    The gates of the fort begin to close once more - I have no choice but to slip in as the men turn their attention to the interior of the fort. I lower myself and barely make it inside the gate, which is made of wooden stakes.


    The men are in the square just past the gate. Before they notice me, I hide behind several stone statues placed in the square.


    --then a voice like a scream went up.


    There''s a weird pattern on the ground behind me... ooooh!


    Current Situation


    The Blazing Monkey King activates Purgatory Barrier. Terrain Effect: No Escape, High Heat


    --The color of that, the color of the flames that burned as red as blood.


    How could I forget it? The symbol of the devil to me, shown to me in my dreams many times.


    The demon that I encountered ¡ô.


    ¡ï Cauterizing Monkey Marquis Level 12 Flame Resistance Drop: ?


    The Monkey Prince''s Household and Martial Artist Level 11 Drop: ?


    Monkey Hou''s Attendants, Dancers, Level 11 Drop: ?


    The Monkey Prince''s Household and Terrainist Level 11 Drop: ?


    Searchers wearing black equipment and strange monkey masks - and the one who appeared in the back of the room.


    "Oh, shit, that guy''s not good...!


    "d*mn, she used that dancer as bait to catch us....


    The Scroll of the Return is not working!¡¡How did you get into this...!


    It''s getting hotter and hotter.......we''ll be steamed if we don''t do something about it.......


    Boys, look out for the front they''re coming!


    What...?


    Current Situation


    The Blazing Monkey King activates his War Drum. The attack power and speed of the Marauder''s Guru''s Attendants increase.


    The Shining Monkey invokes Horizon Loa ¡ú The Gulfs are stunned


    Elitia activates "Sonic Raid".


    The Monkey King''s Household Dancers invoke Bewitching Dance ¡úGulf and Kazan mesmerize Gid and Regan resist the mesmerization.


    The Monkey King''s Family Martial Artist activates Fierce Tiger Strike ¡ú Guido is hit by a knockback.


    The Monkey King''s Military and Terrainer activates Partial Collapse ¡ú Regan is disabled


    Ooohhhh...!


    The man with the curved sword, who was the leader of the group, is blown away by the blow - I can''t even get in to help him, and I''m covered in his blood as he''s blown away.


    In an instant, the four of us are unable to fight. The person named Garf and Kazan no longer even has the will to fight, and approaches his fallen comrades - he is trying to bring them all into the fold.


    The reason why few seekers approach the "Monkey Prince" was obvious. It wasn''t just demons that were frightening to the searchers - how much danger was involved in fighting other searchers.


    ''''........I''ll end it here. It has to end.


    Current Situation


    Elitia activates Berserk.


    Elitia activates Red Eye.


    Attack power increased due to the Scarlet Dance effect.


    I''ve been waiting for this moment since the day you took it all away from me...!


    I wonder how many people this demon has been tormenting. I wonder what the friends of these manipulated people are feeling - even me.


    ''''Gaggle-geeks.......!


    A big monkey, several times larger than a man. He looks at me as a small thing - he puts his servants in front of him and uses them as a shield, as if he doesn''t have to deal with them himself.


    I don''t want to fight them. The only thing I''m after is the ''Monkey Prince''.


    As long as I can do that, I don''t need anything else. I don''t care if I lose all of them - just the Ruilly.


    "Gaggle-gya........


    ...Don''t laugh.


    I know better than most that I am a fool.


    But you have all walked with me to this point for me. They never laughed at me.


    -- that''s why. I''ll come home with you, Louie.


    If you can, I hope you''ll forgive me for being a fool again.


    ''''--Wow...!


    Current Situation


    Elitia activates "Sonic Raid".


    Scarlet Dance effect activates ¡ú Elitia gains Red Shadow and further decreases health.


    The Monkey King''s Family Martial Artist activates the Gale Rotating Kick and hits Elitia''s Red Shadow for no damage.


    Dancers of the Monkey King''s Household and Dancers invoke Enketsu-Throwing Blade to hit Elitia''s Red Shadow for no damage.


    After Squall'' is activated by ''Marquis Monkey''s Attendants, Terrainist''. Terrain Effect: Muddy


    Elitia activates the Air Raid.


    I avoid all of the attacks that are released at high speed, using only my senses. All of them are sucked into the remnants of my creation - I don''t stop even if they turn the ground into mud. With the skill of the Air Raid, I leap and make the final acceleration.


    Above the head of the Monkey King. His eyes widen, he is astonished, and his fangs are bared - I swing my sword out while spinning.


    ''''...........Hah!


    Current Situation


    Elitia activates the Blossom Blade.


    Attack power increased due to the Scarlet Dance effect.


    A 24-step hit on The Cautious Monkey


    Elitia''s additional attack hits eight levels on the Cautious Monkey King


    "Geez..........!


    If only Alihit had lent his strength from behind. This attack could have been more powerful - but not powerful enough.


    I will repeat until the ''Monkey Prince'' is defeated. Avoiding all attacks and only aiming at the enemy that should be defeated - I will continue to scatter the blade petals.


    "Fall...!


    As the "dancer" unleashes a kick, the blade planted in the shoe flies out - it can''t reach me either.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    The Monkey Prince''s Attendants Dancers activate Dancicule and hit Elitia''s Red Shadow for no damage.


    The Scarlet Dance activates a series of attacks.


    Elitia activates the Blossom Blade.


    Attack power increased due to the Scarlet Dance effect.


    A 24-step hit on The Cautious Monkey


    Elitia''s additional attack hits eight levels on the Cautious Monkey King


    ''Aaaaahhhh...!


    Current Situation


    The Monkey King''s Family Martial Artist activates Fierce Tiger Shuang Palms ¡ú Elitia''s Red Shadow is hit for no damage.


    The Scarlet Dance activates a series of attacks.


    Elitia activates the Blossom Blade.


    Attack power increased due to the Scarlet Dance effect.


    A 24-step hit on The Cautious Monkey


    Elitia''s additional attack hits eight levels on the Cautious Monkey King


    G..............................


    The Monkey King loses his balance - to the ground, to his knees.


    One more hit is all it takes. One more time - but. As soon as I was conscious of using the "Blossom Blade", my eyes darkened in front of me.


    I can''t activate it as it is, I switch to another technique. Even so, you can defeat it.


    Even though it''s one more blow.


    --even though it was supposed to be.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    The "Shadow Warrior" of the "Cautious Monkey" is released and changed to "Evil Monkey".


    The figure of the demon in front of me changes. From a monkey marquis with red body hair to a demon with black body hair - and its body also becomes smaller.


    I don''t know what happened. I was definitely fighting with the Marquis de Saroo - and yet.


    The opponent that I had showered with the ''Blossom Blade'' three times was laughing, blood bubbling from his mouth, as if he had done his job.


    And then I realize. Knowing that it was very late.


    A wall of fire engulfed the square. With the back of it, the newly appeared demon and - standing beside it, that person.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Ruilly activates "Open Woon''s" ¡ú Target: "Elitia


    Elitia" is bleeding.


    Ahhhh.........!


    I shouldn''t have received a single wound. The wound I received from the attack of The Calamity hurts - the wound, is open.


    This, the attack. The kind-hearted Ruilly was always hesitant to use it - the only method of attack that ''The Healer'' can use.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Ruilly activates Heelwind ¡ú Target: "Prisoner''s Demon Monkey".


    I fly backwards, not wanting to be attacked by the ''family members''. In the meantime, the black monkey demon that was injured is recovering.


    I miss it. But now I can only feel sad.


    Perhaps the real ''monkey marquis''. He is with a demon that is supposed to be an enemy to us, and he is using his power for the sake of the demon - unmistakably.


    We don''t even know what kind of face Loury has. He wears a monkey mask and a black leather cloak of sorts - but he is holding it in his hands. It was a wand, the healer''s equipment that I knew, and that Ruilly always used, the wand.


    Loury points the wand at me. If he uses "Open Woon''s" once more, I''ll--.


    I''m afraid of my best friend''s attack. It''s as if he''s going to take pity on me.


    The "Cautious Monkey King" suppressed Loury with a smile - with the corners of his mouth raised.


    This was nothing more than an act to show me that the Marquis de los Muertos was controlling him.


    ''''I won''t forgive........I won''t forgive, I won''t forgive, I won''t forgive......I will never forgive......!


    I couldn''t defeat even the counterfeit Monkey Prince by myself. Even if the wounds don''t completely heal, the monkeys that can move will still come over here with their three dependents.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation¡ô


    Elitia''s health and magic power remaining is reduced.


    Elitia''s Berserk and Red Eye are released.


    The red-tinted vision returns.


    The violent power that had filled my body and the same amount of loss is no longer felt. All that is left is the leaden and motionless body and the Scarlet Emperor''s Sword, which feels terribly heavy.


    I become distant from consciousness. The pain of the wounds opened by the power of the Lurie increases in intensity.


    Finally, the emotions that filled me.


    To my friends, I must say. And to Loury, who I couldn''t save.


    "I''m sorry. I ... nothing ...


    If the Marquis de l''Ape is going to make me follow him - the last thing I need to do is to do it.


    I put my strength into my hand that holds the hilt of the sword. Ever since I was chosen for this sword, I''ve been lost for a long time.


    But at least in the end. To never point the sword at the arhites - by myself.


    And yet, my hand didn''t move.


    I''m sure you''ll be able to find a way to make it work.


    --I''m not going to be able to get out of it. The lost sensation returns.


    And the first thing we heard was his voice - the one that always gave us strength from behind.

 174 Episode 173: Escape from the Dead Land Claw Marks

    It''s not over... yet... it''s not over...!


    Alihit came to me. Everyone else, too - even though I was on my own.


    The sound of Alfeca''s wheels. Someone jumped down and ran up to me - it was Kyouka who supported me from behind.


    "...I''m sorry. Everyone ... run ... and ... well, the demon ...


    My consciousness is broken. The warmth of Kyouka, who seems to be wrapped up in me - and the restorative power of Arihito, who heals me even though we are apart.


    I can only pray now. That everyone will be safe, that they will escape from this fort.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô.


    I knew that Elitia might end up in the ''Red Tower of the Flaming Sky''.


    Through Kuserka-san and Khoselka-san, he was able to obtain permission to enter the 5-star labyrinth, even if it was only temporarily - explorers with the title may be allowed to enter the labyrinth without qualifications under a special exception. The fact that Elitia entered the labyrinth on her own was the only condition for entering the scope of that special exception.


    Entering the second level, I had Elitia''s current location scouted by Adeline''s ''Messenger''s Arrow'' and rushed in with the help of Alphecca - the closed gates of the fort were broken with ''Support Attack 1'' with fixed damage, but in order to enter, the ''Purgatory Barrier'' The silver wheel has to be defeated.


    "Master, the silver wheel cannot be blocked by fire. I will break through it.


    One of Alphecca''s skills, ''Silver Trajectory'', has the power to break through obstacles due to terrain effects - and after passing through the flames, we found Elitia standing alone in front of the ''Marquis of Monkeys''.


    The four of us who were able to plunge into the fort were Igarashi-san, Theresia, Seraphina, and me, who were on board the Alphecca - even when escaping, we had to break the barrier with the ''Silver Trail''.


    But that''s only after we''ve shaken off the enemy''s pursuit. Before Igarashi-san can get Elitia on board Alfeca, the searchers wearing monkey masks - the ''Marquis Monkey''s Attendants'' - will target us.


    ''''--Haah!


    Ariadne, we need backup!


    "In the name of the God of Secrets, I give my blessing to the guardian of the shield.


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates ''Support and Defense 1''.


    Seraphina activates "Aura Shield".


    The Monkey King''s Military and Martial Artist activates the Shivering Air Wave, hitting Seraphina.


    The Monkey King''s Attendants Dancers activate Dancicule and Guard Arm defends against it for no damage.


    d*mn it...!


    Seraphina-san...!


    Atobe-dono, we need your help............................


    I can at least cover you... hey!


    Current Situation


    Arihito activates ''Support Attack 2'' ¡ú Support: ''Force Shoot Stun''.


    Seraphina activates ''Shield Slam'' and hits the Marauder''s Attendants.


    Kyouka activates Thunderbolt. ¡úThe Monkey King''s Attendants hit Dancers.


    Serafina-san pushes the ''martial artist'' away with her shield - Igarashi-san holds Elitia in her arms while using her lightning strike skill with only one hand to check the ''dancer''.


    But the other one - the ''terrainist'' is trying to use some skills. My gut tells me that this will work against us.


    "--I won''t let him!


    Current Situation


    The Military and Terrainist of the Monkey King is preparing to activate the Sand and Gravel Zone.


    Aricht activates the Force Shoot Freeze.


    Hit, freeze, and cancel the action.


    If you just look at the name of the skill, it''s something like changing the state of the ground - if I say so myself, this is now close to magic. The hair color of the "Terrainer" is still the color of the people of the Labyrinth Country.


    "A little more........rear-end-kun!


    I jumped down from Alphecca and carried Elitia, who Igarashi-san was able to carry, and let her get in - Theresia has avoided the attack of the ''fighter'' who has regained her stance and is drawing her attention. However, perhaps due to the difference in levels, even though she can evade, she is being pushed.


    ''Teresia, come back!¡¡We can''t use the return scrolls here, we have to get out of the gate!


    Huh...!


    "Rearward, the Demon Monkeys are attacking us... no, no, the Thunderbolt can''t reach us!


    At a distance that cannot be checked, the ''Prison Demon Monkey'' was given one of the huge gold rods that the ''Monkey Marquis'' was carrying on his back - and swung at him to throw it.


    ''''--Gah!


    "Master, that demon is after.....


    If the "Silver Wheel" is destroyed, we won''t be able to escape.


    Knowing this, the Demon Monkeys have been aiming at Alphecca. There''s only one way to prevent that huge weapon.


    ''''--Haah!


    "Seraphina, ''I support you!¡¡Ariadne, please!


    "Armored of the star god, be a shield against all attacks.


    Current Situation


    Seraphina activates the defensive stance.


    Seraphina activates "Aura Shield".


    Seraphina activates the "Defense Force".


    Arihito activates ''Support and Defense 2'' ¡ú Support: ''Aura Shield'' and ''Defense Force''.


    Ariadne activates ''Guard Valiant'' ¡ú Target: Seraphina


    Jail Graduate''s Demon Monkey activates the Siege Projectile and hits Seraphina.


    Reflex attack on the Demon Monkey is a hit.


    "Geez...!


    The mass, which was even bigger than Seraphina-san''s great shield, collided with a violent sound - even if the defensive barrier created by my ''Supportive Defense 2'' was breached, Seraphina-san''s shield successfully played back the ''Demon Monkey''''s golden rod.


    However, that was only a distraction.


    From the beginning, the ''Monkey Prince'' had been using the ''Demon Monkey'' as a decoy to ensure that the weapons he threw would hit him.


    ''''--Goooooooooooo!


    Current Situation


    The Shining Monkey King activates Projectile Throwing... ¡ú Alphecca is hit, restrained and skill is sealed.


    The iron ball thrown by the Monkey King was chained to the iron ball - it became entangled in the body of Alphecca and she was unable to move.


    ''''So this is your aim........cunning.......''''


    "Alphecca, I''ll break the chains now...!


    What should I do with such a big chain... no... no... it''s dragging...!


    The physical strength of the Sarou Hou Hounsel moves the body of the Alphecca that Elitia and Igarashi-san are riding on with one arm. You can also have a look at the following tips to help you get the most out of this article


    ''''.........Master I cannot unmanifest myself now.''''


    "Alphecca don''t give up!¡¡I''ll help you!


    In the face of the overwhelming power of the Marquis de l''Arquette, the embodied Alphecca speaks in fear.


    ''''I only need a single blow. It''s a good thing that you''re not the only one.


    I can hear Murakumo''s voice. I pull out ''her'' as if being manipulated - the sword blade is pulsating and shining like a light.


    ''--Contractor''s critical situation is confirmed. Approval to use the Star Machine Sword. Ten seconds left to activate the device. Disconnection Target: Protected Steel''


    ''''Ten seconds left........Igarashi-san, please set up the ''Marquis of Monkeys'' with me!


    ''''Yeah ... yea ... yea!


    Just once, if you can stun them - even if you can''t reach ten seconds, you can buy a little time.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Arihito activates ''Support Attack 2'' ¡ú Support: ''Force Shoot Stun''.


    The Shining Monkey King activates Demon''s Hand.


    Kyouka activates Thunderbolt ¡ú The Shining Monkey defends against a stun.


    Aricht activates Force Shoot Stun ¡ú Shake the Monkey King defends against the stun.


    He popped it off... with a hand covered in magic...!


    "--gagginggggagging!


    The "Monkey Prince" scoffs at it - as if it''s useless to do anything.


    This demon is mocking the searchers. He enjoys tormenting and toying with them.


    Elitia was scarred in her mind because she had met the ''monkey marquis''. There are many other victims - even though they can never be defeated.


    Our attacks can''t reach the demon known as the ''Demon King''.


    ''''Rear-kun........''''


    I''m not done. It''s not over yet...!


    I''ll hold up my magic gun - I always have.


    I believe "she" is there. That''s what we''ve always done - and that''s why.


    "Theresa, I have your back!


    Current Situation


    Arihito activates ''Support Attack 2'' ¡ú Support: ''Freeze Bullet''.


    Theresa activates "Assault Hit". ¡ú Double the attack power against the Shining Monkey.


    Theresa activates the Butterfly Dance and increases the number of attacks.


    Theresa attacks the Shining Monkey King and hits it four times.


    Freeze Barret" occurs four times, weak point attack, two levels of freezing


    During this melee, Theresa had disappeared from the scene and gone behind the "Monkey Marquis


    --A blue butterfly takes flight. The slash that Theresia fired from the dead center of the "Marquis de la Saru" breaks through the thick fur, causing blood to splatter.


    ''''Goooooooo.........!


    The "Monkey Hou" let out a roar of agony. A complete surprise attack - even if there is a difference in levels, the attack will still be able to get through. And moreover, if you can strike the attribute of the weak point.


    ''''--Gahhh..........!


    It is very rare that they are struck by a blow, or perhaps the demon monkeys and their relatives are stuck in the middle of the road, so the Marquis de los Muertos shake off their arms and give the order to attack.


    It''s not a good idea. It''s time.


    "--Contractor, thank you for your cooperation. Activate the Star Machine Blade-- deactivate arm device limiters.


    Current Situation


    Ariadne" summons "Guard Arm".


    Ariadne uses the Murakumo to activate the skill. Tenchi Blade, Zan Iron.


    The arm of the machine god that had previously appeared to protect us - the moment it tried to grip the Murakumo that had left my hand.


    The Murakumo changes into a size that matches the giant mechanical arm. And then, with the exact same swordsmanship as the embodied Murakumo, he swung and unleashed the Tenchi Blade.


    Current Situation


    Tenchi-blade Zan-Tetsu hits Purgatory Chain ¡ú Purgatory Chain is destroyed. Alfeca''s restraints are released.


    We''re getting out of here!


    .....


    Theresia runs up to me using the ''Axel Dash''. I reach out my hand to pull her up - but.


    ''''--Gah!


    I''m not going to be able to say that I''m not going to be able to do that. I''m not going to be able to say that I''m not going to be able to do anything about it.


    ''''--Tereziah!


    Current Situation


    The Caceraceracer Monkey activates the Curse Erosion and hits Theresa.


    The Blazing Monkey King begins to overwrite Slave Stamp.


    Huh...!


    Pulling up, Theresia voiced her anguish.


    The "Monkey Prince" has done something to Theresa. I begin to run, and on top of Alphecca, apart from the hair on Theresa''s neck - I check what''s there.


    (This is the Slave Mark the Monkey King interfered with it.


    On the back of Theresia''s neck, what looked like a large bruise was emerging.


    If the override of the ''Slave Mark'' was completed at this point, Theresia would also be made subordinate to the ''Monkey Prince''.


    ''''Master........''''


    Alphecca appeals to him to hesitate to escape. If we escape at this point, Theresa - but now we must retreat.


    a€?--Take off at full speed, Alphecca.


    Yes, sir.


    Current Situation


    Alfeca activates Vanishing Burst... ¡ú Speed up... Breaks the limit... Adds Remaining Shadows...


    Alphecca activates Silver Trails ¡ú Passes through Purgatory Barrier


    We break through the blazing flames and make our way out of the fort.


    Current Situation¡ô


    Ruilly activates Heel Wind.


    Ruilly activates Purification ¡ú Target: The Shining Monkey King


    On the verge of being out of the scope of my license, I saw the name. Elitia''s best friend, Luury - she''s curing the ''Monkey Marquis''.


    ''''Aricht I''m sorry I said I was with you all...''''


    Elitia regains consciousness in Igarashi-san''s arms. Tears flowed from her eyes and trickled down her cheeks incessantly.


    ''There''s nothing to blame yourself for. But then again, that''s what I knew.


    The only thing I can think of is that I''m not going to be able to get away with it.


    "I''ll be back and I owe the ''Marquis of the Monkey'' a huge debt of gratitude. I have to get that back.


    ..........


    Before Theresa''s Mark of Servitude is completely rewritten. We will defeat the Marquis of Monkeys before it completely rewrites the seal of servitude.


    The first battle with the Marquis de Saroo ended bitterly.


    But there is a quiet determination, not just anger. We have to put an end to the tragedy started by the Marquis de Saru.


    I clasp my hand tightly and Theresa lays her hand on mine.


    The curse she has received will be undone.


    You have seven days to stay. In that limited time, we''ll get it all back.


    As I left the fort decorated with burning flames, I thought about the time I would be back here again.

 175 Episode 174: Thaw

    As we passed from the second level of the Red Chamber of the Blazing Sky to the first, we passed between the vermillion-painted pillars, which reminded me of the torii gate of a shrine.


    The landscape changes with the sensation of shifting. A forest lined with trees so huge that you can''t see the tops of them even if you look up - the fact that the leaves of the red trees are always dancing and not piled up around them is probably due to the unique environment inside the labyrinth.


    ''''........Ellie-san.


    Even when Igarashi-san calls out to her, Elitia doesn''t respond. At the back of the car seat, she was still holding on to Igarashi-san, looking vacantly at him.


    Her best friend who had been taken away from her by ''Sarukou'' was still alive. Even though it was a joyous occasion in itself, they couldn''t meet again in the way they had hoped.


    ''''That scene is probably one of the reasons why the ''Monkey Duke'' has remained undefeated. If one was a high-ranking adventurer, it was not impossible to defeat the ''monkey lord''. However, if the captured and controlled adventurers are used as shields, they can be...''''


    The same searchers, not demons, but the same searchers - humans, must be defeated. It''s also a group that can be called a party of one, who will use their skills to the fullest extent, seeing us as a complete enemy.


    Serafina-san''s bitter expression shows that even the Guild Saber can''t handle this situation.


    We''ve already experienced the scene where demons try to manipulate the searchers. I''m sure you''ll be able to find out what''s going on in the future.


    You can resist the charm if you''re prepared, but we don''t know the specifics of the monkey clover''s ability. I''m sure that if there was a reason for the masks worn by the explorers, it would be to destroy the masks - but I''m not sure that would work.


    The "monkey mask" is different from the masks worn by sub-humans. I''m not sure what that is, or if I can get just one of them - but if I can''t remove it safely, it''s useless.


    (If there was someone who was trying to bring back the manipulated explorers, just like Elitia, if they were gathering more information about the ''monkey douche'' than us, or... or... but if there was such a person, would we be able to find that person in the remaining days to come? ........?


    With today as day one, there are six days left. I''ll think about applying for an extension as a special case, but the prospect of being able to extend the ''skipping class'' that was granted as a mere exception is unlikely.


    ''''Rear-kun, I know you have a lot on your mind, but can you let us hear about it?¡¡Hopefully we can have something positive to talk about...


    Igarashi-san is also feeling a little depressed after seeing how difficult the situation is this time. Thinking about it all by myself at a time like this will only make everyone uneasy.


    ''''I''ll talk to everyone when I get back, but let me clear my head here for once.


    Serafina-san, Igarashi-san, and Theresia nod - even though Theresia is probably the most anxious, she is saved by her stubbornness, and at the same time, she warns me of my own inadequacy.


    The last ''Curse Erosion'' used by the ''Monkey Duke'' gradually overwrites the servant''s mark on the back of Theresia''s neck - it''s still only changing shape around the edges, but Theresia''s pain must not be less, and her body always had heat in it.


    ''On the second level, I didn''t see any monkey-shaped demons other than the ''Monkey Duke'' and another one. It doesn''t necessarily mean that there aren''t any demons like the ones that the normal named ones have in tow, but since their numbers don''t increase endlessly, does that mean that they won''t cause stampede even if they are left alone?


    ''It is conceivable. I don''t know much about this labyrinth either, but demons that act in an organized manner may play games with the explorer''s side. They try to prolong the time until they are defeated as long as possible by setting traps and building bases. Some castles built by demons may exist in a labyrinth, making them difficult to capture.


    If the two-tiered fort was built by the ''Monkey Duke'' and his subordinate demons, they would have a certain amount of masonry skills - how did they learn it, or was it instinctual?


    If he had that kind of intelligence, it was inevitable that he would plot to prevent himself from being defeated. And the Monkey Duke''s ability to enslave searchers is at the core of that ploy.


    The captured explorer is the perfect shield for the Duke of Monkeys. And it''s probably not just the searchers we saw that are all of them.


    ''''........Why are there two levels? If there''s another demon on the third level, wouldn''t that cause a stampede?


    When Igarashi-san told me, I thought that the stampede so far seemed to be caused by ''Certain Named'' and the normal individuals of it. ''''Death coming from the sky'''' and ''''The Calamity'''', a type of demon that was difficult to defeat and easy to increase in number.


    ''''Let''s find out as much as we can about the ''Red Tower of the Flaming Sky''. That way, we might be able to find out what it is.


    There''s an archive in District 5. If you have the title of ''Specially Selected Searcher'', you''ll be granted permission to view it.


    I had heard that there was an archives in the odd-numbered wards, but I hadn''t had time to go out there until now. I hope I can find valid information - if it seems to be in the literature about the ability of the ''Monkey Duke'' to subjugate others, I don''t think it''s something that would be difficult to defeat.


    ''''I''m ... sorry ... I ... I can''t do anything about it, and now I''m all alone again ...''''


    ...Elitia.


    The tears trickle down Elitia''s cheeks again.


    What could I say at a time like this? It''s not even a temporary consolation that it''s okay because Elitia is safe.


    There''s a reason why you went alone, Elie-san, isn''t there?


    .........


    Serafina-san lowered her eyes and shook her head - that meant that the people who were being controlled by the ''Monkey Duke'' would not be judged as searchers.


    ''''........They were judged as demons by the license. The explorers'' subordinate status to the ''Monkey Duke'' would have been considered not to be naturally lifted.


    If you see that reality, even those who tried to save the manipulated searchers will find it difficult to maintain their will to fight.


    --And so the Red Chamber of the Flaming Sky has been abandoned. The reason being that there is no threat to the town even if left alone, and that they don''t feel there is any reason to take down the ''monkey douche'' to the point of taking a human life.


    We need to break that ''unbreakable state'' in principle. If defeating ''The Monkey Duke'' will release our subordination, then we need to defeat only ''The Monkey Duke'' and his subordinate demons.


    You can say it out loud, but there is still no glimmer of hope. Even if you go head to head, you will fight a superior opponent and win against difficult conditions - without losing anyone.


    ''''..........''''


    Theresa listens intently in my arms, but she pretends to look at me behind me.


    There''s no excuse that I wasn''t expecting it. It was only because Theresia went behind the monkey douche that we were able to get out safely.


    We wouldn''t have made it this far without anyone else. That''s why, even if we were to challenge the monkey douche, we wanted to challenge the monkey douche with all of us qualified, not in a situation where it was ''because Elitia broke in on her own''.


    ''''Elitia-dono, you came to the Fifth Ward once, and because you belonged to the ''White Night Brigade'', you were qualified to explore the Five Star Maze. It would be enough for you to tell me now as to why you acted alone, even if you had to keep it a secret from the party. But you have done something very reckless. Shouldn''t you have trusted the party that has been going through all these difficulties with you more...?


    "...I don''t want to see you guys get hurt anymore, I''m selfish and I''m selfish again... ...someone else''s...


    Elitia has always fought on the front lines, bravely fighting demons.


    At times, she has challenged huge demons tens of times larger than herself, as if she were cutting down on her own life, and then she saved us.


    --because she didn''t want to lose it again.


    But even if that were the case. It seemed to me that we were too far away from Elitia''s side.


    At the same time, I was deeply disgusted with myself for not trying to enter deeply into her situation and only thinking it was right.


    I''m the Sword of Death........I shouldn''t really be with anyone anymore. Everyone else is actually afraid of me too...


    I should have known full well.


    The vision that ''Phantom Winged Butterfly'' showed me was the one I least wanted to see. Elitia was also showing her emotions as a result of the nightmare she was being shown.


    And in the battle with The Calamity, the party was injured. Seeing this, Elitia has one thing to think about.


    Knowing this, I put on a knowing face and left Elitia alone.


    ''''........Listen, Elitia.


    .....


    We''re going to balance the party as adults so that no one hates us.


    You''ll be able to get to the point where you can''t get over it with all these pretenses.


    --It''s never too late to do that. It''s a good thing that you''re able to get the most out of your time with us.


    So, if I were to hurt her, if I were to hurt her as much as I did, I would have to say it.


    ''If Elitia thought there was such a thing as ''true'', then our trust was at the top of the list. It''s my fault for making it so. If there were things that Elitia didn''t want to say, that was fine with me, and I hoped that one day she would tell me. I tried to keep thinking that, even though that someday was already here.


    ...Alihit.


    Rear....


    For a moment, Igarashi-san seemed unsure if she should stop me.


    Even in front of her, I tried to remain a "good employee" and "good subordinate".


    That''s the right way to be a cog, and even now, I can''t completely deny it. An organization needs people who are not afraid to speak their mind, and that is how it maintains harmony.


    But to just try to be a ''good person'' when it comes to one''s own and one''s friends'' lives or deaths.


    --I''m a big, irrepressible idiot once I''ve chosen to do that.


    ''Eritia that sword. I want you to tell me all about what has happened so far. You can talk about it in front of everyone, you can choose to do that yourself.


    ''I believe that everyone in the party is important to me. It doesn''t matter when you joined, I don''t want Seraphina to get hurt if possible, and if she has any problems, I''ll do my best to figure out how to fix them. But Elitia seems to be taking a step back for things she hasn''t told us yet. If we don''t get that wall down, we''re going to be stuck eventually.


    Everyone has a wall in their mind.


    We keep our distance and don''t want people to step in any more, and we don''t let them enter any more.


    But that also means that you can''t enter them, either.


    No matter how much Elitia seems to be getting to know Suzuna, Misaki and the rest of her friends, she''s not really laughing.


    ''''........I''m in a profession that I can''t fight alone. That''s why I met Theresia at the mercenary agency, and I was able to get a handle on the fact that I might be able to do well in the labyrinth country. But if it was the three of us, Teresa and Igarashi-san, we wouldn''t have gotten this far. When I saw the combination of Elitia''s skill set and my own, I was really impressed. I didn''t know this was going to happen. That with the addition of Suzuna and Misaki, we could go on without stopping.


    Elitia''s eyes are still vacant. But I believe that its ears are reaching me, and I continue to speak.


    ''No matter how strong the enemy is, there is definitely a way to defeat it. In order to fulfill that condition, no one must be left out. We''ve been saved by Elitia many times. Let me say it again and again until it gets through. Theresia jumped into that danger because she wanted to save Elitia. What I couldn''t do, Theresia did what I couldn''t do it wasn''t a matter of logic anymore, I did it because I wanted to. It''s simply that simple.


    But if you''re going to let Theresa be manipulated by this scheming monkey...


    ''I won''t let that happen. But for that to happen, we all need to be strong. I''m acutely aware that we''ve come this far too soon, but it''s much better late than never.


    All the time, Elitia has been fighting for Ruury, thinking about her situation and what she is going through.


    Can a searcher trapped by a demon really be alive? While I held that concern more than anyone else, I came here with more faith in the survival of my best friend than anyone else.


    Just as I believe that I can return Theresa back from her sub-human form.


    ''''Well Luury is alive, Elitia. Elitia had the courage to see her.


    ......................


    Elitia''s eyes wavered.


    ''So run with us to the end. Until we save Loury, and ever since we saved him. We will not be left behind again. You won''t get away with it again, Elitia.


    .....


    Tears poured out of her eyes as the light returned, once more. Elitia covered her face, shook out her mangled hair, and cried aloud.


    Igarashi-san just hugged the crying Elitia.


    Only now - but I don''t deserve it yet.


    ''''..........''''


    ...Teresa?


    Theresa, who was in my arms, raised her body. I thought she was going to get off of Alphecca, but she didn''t.


    She put her hand on my head and stroked - and touched the one that was running down my cheek.


    ''.............''


    Theresia''s lips moved, but no sound was spun.


    She touched her fingers to her own lips, as she would have, as she wiped a tear from my cheek.


    I don''t know what she had in mind when she did. I swallowed my embarrassment and everything else and just touched Theresa''s lizard mask and didn''t say anything for a while.

 176 Episode 175: Joint Fight Again

    When we followed Elitia into the ''Red Tower of the Flaming Sky'', we consulted with Kouzelka and Khosrow.


    We received a request for assistance as ''Encouraging Explorers'' and came to the Fifth Ward. It''s also because we wanted to consult with the two guild savers who accompanied us up to this point when making important decisions - they gladly responded to our summons even though it was already late after they had finished their post-stampede rounds of the town! It was.


    So you have found Lady Elitia, just as you said you would? I''m glad to hear that you are safe.


    ''Thank you. But I still find that we need to prepare as much as possible to capture this labyrinth.


    Mr. Khosrow is listening to me with his arms crossed - his expression is more stern than ever.


    ''''I''ve beaten a level 12 named in this fifth district. Atobe-kun, your strength has reached a level that can be used here. However, the ''Marquis Monkey'' is a long-lived demon that is extremely dangerous.......because of its cunning. What''s most troublesome is that the ''Marquis Monkey'' will lead his subordinates in an organized movement.


    He''s been active in this labyrinth country much longer than we have, or so we thought.


    Mr. Khosrow knows about the Red Chamber of the Flaming Heavens and the Marquis de l''Ape," he said. But when he looked at me expectantly, he chuckled and shook his head.


    ''''Unfortunately, the information you just gave me is what I''ve found out since I came here. There are some old acquaintances in this ward, you know.''


    "When you received the Medallion from Commander Dylan, you said you knew both of them...


    Yeah, that''s right. I was an instructor when he was a young man. Oh, I repeat, I''m not so much of an uncle as I''d like to be. It may look ugly on the outside, but...


    Mr. Khosrow has always had a beard, and shaving it off would certainly change his impression. However, it''s hard to imagine him being younger than me at thirty years old, so maybe he''s about the same age as me.


    ''There was a time when me and Third Class Dylan Dragon Commander Dylan served under Khosrow as his instructor.


    Well, a lot of things have led us here. Mr. Atobe, we can stay as long as you guys are in this ward. What do you need help with?


    ''''Yes and no. I don''t want the two Guild Sabers to help me with the personal matters of the party...


    ''If there''s something you want to accomplish in a limited period of time, you should take advantage of whatever is available to you. And guild savers don''t always wait for instructions from above, even on holidays. To say they''re different from active explorers would be an understatement, but the fundamentals of the game haven''t changed. I want to lend a helping hand to those who challenge the labyrinth with a purpose... no, I want to repay the huge debt I owe them this time.


    We are indebted to you for our participation in the Stampede suppression - Khosrow-san told me so. Kuzelka-san nodded quietly and took over the words.


    ''''I think Lord Atobe has seen and understood how I and Khosrow will fight, too. And we, too, have witnessed Lord Atobe''s skills and command, and we understand with a sense of realization that he has outstanding abilities even among explorers in the same level range.


    ''That''s why I''m hoping it won''t be something that gives you guys pause. We and the rest of the people who live in the labyrinth country will always have hope in a strong seeker. If you guys can do something to help you move on, that''s a nice thing to wish for.


    "...Mr. Kuserka, Mr. Khosrow.


    The two of them are far more skilled than us, and have lived in the labyrinth country for a long time.


    We had hoped to catch up with them someday, and they were distant. The two of them are holding out their hands to us.


    I''m sure you''ll be able to find out more about this. Let''s give the guy who''s pretending to be a demon king with searchers in tow a shot at us.


    ''''Demons only live according to their instincts. However, there are certainly some that turn their malice against the explorers... If you guys can get ahead by defeating the ''Brilliant Monkey Prince'', I''d like to help you do that. Not as a Guild Saber, but as an individual.


    Well, well, you''re not on your own, and I''m with you... whoa!


    Perhaps Cuselka''s way of saying ''individual'' bothered him, Khoselka interrupted him - but with an unnoticeable quickness, Cuselka''s hand sword was pointed at Khoselka.


    ''''........You were the one who said that familiarity would impair your judgment, Khosrow. Besides, it''s also your bad habit to let your mind down and make gaffes.


    ''Oh, I''ll have to remind you again...''


    Even though Kuserka drew her sword, Khoselka-san remained frozen - the fact that there is no way out to this point means that in the past they were in the position of instructor and pupil, but after all, it seems that the situation is completely reversed now.


    ''''........I want you to pretend that what you just heard never happened. The rest of the story is up to you, Third Lieutenant Kuzelka.


    ''''We are now going to be assigned to the Guild Saber as a raiding party on normal duties. We can move freely until the date of our return to the Seventh District, so if you need anything, please call for help. On my end, I will make sure that we have the manpower in place in case we need more than one party for the operation in the Red Chamber of the Flaming Sky.


    ''''Huh........Oh, thank you.


    ''''When you get to this point, each party will be very cautious about making a move. It''s going to be hard to keep up with the other party''s objectives... although if our intentions are aligned, we may be able to build a co-operative system.


    If you go back to the same spot in the Marquess of the Monkeys fort, you don''t know if you''ll find the Marquess of the Monkeys there.


    There is at least one named subordinate of the Marquis de Sars, but that''s not the end of the story. If we don''t divide the Marquis de Saroo, the Demon Monkeys, and their subordinate explorers as much as possible, the enemy''s cooperation will be a big threat and it will be difficult to break their subordination.


    Based on the map given to me by Agnes from the ''Brigade'', I will formulate a strategy. If necessary, after ascertaining the latest status of the fort, we split up into multiple parties and attack the fort - once again, it''s different from the normal defeat of demons and is more like a siege battle.


    ''''First, we''ll figure out a way to free the searchers controlled by the ''monkey lord'' or a way to avoid engaging them.


    ''Well I don''t want to take the life of a captured seeker.


    But they''ll come to you without a care in the world. If we''re in danger, we can''t afford to be lax, even if we''re ordering all of the participating parties to take the lives of the searchers under our control we should have as many ways as possible to stop or neutralize them.


    ''Yes, sir. I have several options, but I''ll be scrutinizing them to the fullest extent of time to see if there''s a more effective way.


    As it stands, we''ve talked about all the things we need to discuss with the two of you. There are still a few days left, so we can meet and talk again if we need to.


    After we parted from Kuzelka and Khosrow and saw them off, Serafina-san spoke to me.


    ''Lord Atobe, I''m glad to see that you two have earned our trust. Adeline may find it difficult to accompany you due to the level of difficulty...''''


    ''''I have a request for Adeline-san during the prep phase, not in battle, so could you ask her to accompany me once to the entrance of the second level of the Red Chamber of the Flaming Sky?


    ''Yes, sir. The girls won''t be returning to the Seventh Ward anytime soon, so I''ll tell them to wait for word from us.


    With Adeline''s ''Messenger''s Arrow'', you can scout the fort from the sky without approaching it. If the terrain changes at the critical moment, it will be fatal, so I want to make a final pre-check the day before I decide on the mission.


    ''''..........''''


    Hmm?¡¡That was....


    With Theresia pulling my sleeve, I notice two people in the entrance square of the Red Chamber of the Flaming Sky.


    One of them seems to be in her late teens, dressed in very ladylike clothes and wearing a wide-brimmed hat that hides her ears. It doesn''t seem to have rained while we were in the labyrinth, but she was holding a black umbrella in her hand.


    And a woman in a maid''s outfit, who seemed to be a little older than her, was standing beside her. The girl gave the woman in the maid''s uniform a look and then shuffled over to us.


    ''''.........If you''re over there. May I have a word with you?


    Yes ... how can I help you?


    I was a little surprised at the way she used her words, which is exactly how I imagine a "daughter-in-law" to be, but I try not to let that show through.


    Elitia also has an elegance in her gestures that she occasionally shows, but in a different vein, there is a thorough elegance to even a single expression. That she is not a transmigrant from the earth is indicated by her pale blue hair, which seems to be her natural hair.


    ''''It''s nice to meet you, my name is Ivril. She''s Viola we work together as explorers.


    In this fifth ward, the two of us can enter the labyrinth alone - that means the power we have individually is quite high.


    The woman named Viola remains reserved behind Ivril and doesn''t move slightly. I don''t know if she doesn''t care too much about her hair and other things, or if her eyes are hidden by her bangs, but I can tell by looking at her that she is paying attention to us.


    ''My name is Aricht-Atobe. I''m working with these girls in a party.


    When I say my name, Ivril takes off the gloves she was wearing and leaves them with Viola. Then he holds out his right hand - I hold out my hand and shake it too, and Ivril gives me an innocent smile.


    ''''Thank you. Sometimes I get refused, because some of you say what you''re up to.''


    ''It''s ... there are so many different people. I don''t think you can deny each of us our own ideas.


    I try to be like that too.


    Shaking hands and using some skills - it''s natural to be wary of that in light of Silone, but I also don''t want to doubt anything.


    ''If it were true, we should have prepared one of the souvenirs before we spoke to you... but for some reason (at any rate), it was just a coincidence that we saw you all here, too.


    ''You mean you saw us coming out of this labyrinth...?''


    ''To be honest, I''ve been watching you since you entered the labyrinth. I was spoken to by a guild saber, and my companion entered the labyrinth and applied for a temporary infiltration permit...


    As of now, only Elitia is the only one in my party who can enter the Red Tower of the Flaming Sky, because she''s the only one who has the qualification to enter the 5-star labyrinth.


    Even if the temporary permission to enter is granted, we must escape immediately after rescuing Elitia. In order for all of us to enter again, it means that we need to qualify again.


    Ivril turns her attention to Elitia, who is now standing firmly on her own. Igarashi and Seraphina were accompanying her, but she could tell that Elitia was still a bit subdued.

 177 Episode 176: Permission to enter

    I do beg your pardon. She''s the Sword of Death and she''s trying to get back her former comrades who were trapped in that labyrinth.


    ''You know about Elitia?''


    Yes. We can''t just leave this labyrinth as it is. It has been left abandoned for more than ten years because the Stampede doesn''t happen... If you check the records, you can see how many searchers have not returned here. After the fifth year, the number of people taking on this labyrinth itself has already dropped dramatically.


    We can''t leave this labyrinth unattended. There are other parties besides us who think so--''''


    ''''........Let me tell you one thing. Elitia is called the ''Sword of Death'', but that''s not what she wanted. She has helped us, many times before. She''s the opposite of what we call the ''Sword of Death'', she''s a dependable companion.


    ''Yes, I know ... no, I think I know. Still, it''s not right to say a name that can be feared. I''m sorry.


    ''''It''s okay, it''s okay, it''s not... I''ve done enough to be called...''''


    ''No, if that is not what you want, then the misconception must be corrected. Otherwise, you will be bound to a name that is different from your nature.


    At Ivril''s words, Elitia looked flabbergasted. But without replying to anything, she turned over.


    ''Lift your face, Elitia-Sentrail. What you are trying to do is simply the right thing to do. If you yourself do not believe that, other than that, you will remain wielded by that sword all the time.


    ''Mr. Ivril, that''s...''


    Igarashi-san cares for Elitia. Ivril didn''t remove her gaze from Elitia the whole time.


    ''''........You know about that sword as well, don''t you?''''


    ''Yes. I''m sorry, I''m sorry, I''m being rude again but I still have to say it now. She entered this labyrinth because she thought she could come back alone. But what was the result?¡¡If you don''t have the help of Lady Aricht and the others, you''re not....


    ...to be strong.


    If you say any more, I''ll have to stop Ivril-san. At the moment I thought that, Elitia said with a trembling voice.


    ''''I want to be stronger.......never again, not like that.......''''


    "...You want to be strong because you''re afraid of it?


    ''''What''s wrong with that?¡¡What''s wrong with coming to this labyrinthine country, finding something important and fighting for it, wanting to be strong...?


    Ivril looks straight back at Elitia, as if taking in her emotions.


    --and Ivril spills a single tear from her eyes.


    ''And yet, if you act in such a way that you have to lay down your life, then your heart is still trapped in that sword. Weapons only live when the person who has them tries to live. Unless, above all, you yourself want to live.


    Elitia didn''t care about herself if she could save Loury.


    What that means is that in Elitia''s mind, redemption is more important than the future that goes on with us - that''s what I''ve felt all along.


    ''''........Ivril-sama.


    But I believe that you can become stronger, Elitia-san. You will then be called by another name that is not ''Sword of Death'' ... a name that is more appropriate for you.


    "...Mr. Ivril, you are....


    What are you? When I asked her that, she put her index finger to her lips and laughed.


    ''I also heard that Alihito-sama and the others are gathering collaborators. If you would like to participate, would you allow me and Viola to join you?¡¡I''m sure you have the strength to work in the Fifth Ward labyrinth, so I won''t drag my feet.


    "...Really?¡¡We''re not there yet....


    ''We''ve only just met, but I could tell as we talked. There was no calculation or sympathy on your face as you were concerned for Elitia-san, you were simply sincere. And you agreed to shake my hand which made me very happy.


    I just didn''t want to doubt anyone I met - I even thought I was weak.


    Even now, I''m still wondering if I can trust them 100 percent. If the girls behaved in a way that they weren''t expecting when they carried out their mission to defeat the Marquis de l''Ape - but.


    She told me that I had to want to live for Elitia. I wouldn''t believe myself if I dismissed that as a superficial statement.


    ''''It will be a very dangerous battle. Will you still help me?


    ''Yes. I can''t teach you all the skills I possess, but I can fulfill the role you''ve asked of me, and I''ll explain to you what I can do to help you do so. Blocking the attacks of manipulated seekers, neutralizing them so that they can''t be killed... me and Viola can fulfill both of those skills. The more people in the party the better, though.


    Then why are you two working alone - it''s not something that should be the first time you''ve met to go into that.


    ''''Well then ... it''s nice to meet you here. Alihito-sama, I''ll give you your license information so that you can contact me.


    ''Thank you I''m afraid it''s already dark on the road, so take care on your way home.


    Yes. I have a guard that I can rely on to keep you safe.


    Ivril bowed and walked out of the square. Before following, Viola also bowed to us.


    ''''What a very graceful girl she was... I wonder if she has an occupation called ''lady''...''''''


    ''''It''s definitely an unusual profession. I can''t even imagine what kind of a fight it would be...''''


    Assuming they are not reincarnated from Earth, they also look different from ''Jade People (Jade)'' like Celes-san - there is a lot of mystery, but it would be very helpful if the searchers who are able to fight in the fifth district could help us.


    If possible, I''m hoping that we can capture the fortress of the ''Monkey Prince'' with three or more parties, but we still don''t have enough people, and it may not be possible for all parties to form an eight-person team. But the key is to spread out the enemy and make sure we have enough forces to fight the ''Marquis de Saroo'' at the same time.


    ''''I''m sure they''ll use that umbrella as a weapon.


    Elitia....


    I was worried because my emotions were running high at Ivril''s words, but - Elitia looked at me like that and blushed.


    ''''Oh, don''t be too overprotective I''m saying I want to be strong.


    Yeah, well I''d like to keep it that way, but I''m sorry.


    ''I want to live with you guys. I don''t think anymore that I can change anything on my own. I couldn''t do that, and that''s why I''ve come this far with everyone else''s help, but I''m not....


    Since she said she wanted to be strong, I still thought that Elitia''s feelings were not going to change anytime soon - but that was not the case.


    ''''Weapons depend on the feelings of the person using them. If that''s the case, then I can''t remain wielded by this sword. I want to use this sword in the true sense of the word, to live together with everyone else.


    From now on, something will surely change from now on. Her consciousness has changed greatly within her and is about to head in a good direction - the strong will light that has returned to Elitia''s eyes makes me believe that.


    ''''........That''s right. Elitia will be able to do that, I''m sure.


    ''I believe in you, and we all believe in you. We are who we are because of you, Ellie. This whole thing has made me want to be stronger too ... not give up on the idea that I can''t catch up and get as close to you as I can.


    Kyouka.


    Igarashi-san takes Elitia''s hand. Then Elitia said while looking away from Igarashi-san.


    I''m glad you all came.......so.......


    Seraphina-san and Theresia both looked at Elitia. Elitia turned to Igarashi-san, who was still holding her hand as her face turned red, and said.


    ''''Thank you. For not giving up on me like this.''''


    ''I wouldn''t do that, would I?¡¡That''s right, Rearward. If Ellie-san wasn''t there, I''d change my blood...


    ''''Well, well, that''s the thing... I was worried about Elitia too, but I thought I should have been overprotective after all and not let her go alone...''''


    I denied it earlier, but I''ll have to admit it no longer - this is where I''m going to reopen it.


    You have to discard the preconceived notions that it''s your discretion as an adult, or that you won''t enter beyond a certain point, even if you''re part of the party. If you''re worried, you have to say you''re worried.


    ''....Yeah. I''d be very happy to hear that from Aricht.


    ''You''ll probably say it''s heavy, but still... what?''


    Elitia is laughing - both Igarashi-san and Seraphina-san. Even Murakumo, who was carrying it on his back, had a hint of laughter.


    ''''I judge that the master is already qualified to enter that much. Human subtlety is something I cannot understand, though.''''


    I wonder if Murakumo is aware that she''s laughing at herself - or is she not laughing just because it sounds that way to me?


    Theresia is patting me on the shoulder. I don''t know what it means, but I can''t help but feel like I''m being loved.


    If I could take that mask off, would she also smile at times like this?


    Further on than this ward, the great temple in the fourth ward. One more thing to go - but that one is still a long way from us.


    Even so, that day will surely come. If only all of us could think that living together is more important than anything else.

 178 Episode 177: A clue to dispel the curse

    It''s well past midnight now. We return to our quarters near the Middle Guild.


    Serafina-san returned to the same quarters as us, since she was going to be an official party member for the time being. Adeline seemed a little sad, but she seemed to be cheered up a little when Serafina soothed her by saying, "Don''t worry, it''s not like we''re saying goodbye to this life.


    This time the quarters are of the apartment type, but they have a living room, two large rooms, one small room, and even a bathroom and kitchenette.


    It''s a three-story dormitory, and our room is on the first floor. I go through the common area corridor and stand in front of the door of "101" and ring the doorbell. It doesn''t take long for the door to open.


    ''Brother, Ellie-san is........''


    ''Yeah, I''m safe. Having said that, there''s been a lot going on but I''ll talk about that inside.


    We all walked into the room and Suzuna, who had been sitting on the couch in the living room waiting for us, stood up. Sion was resting in the corner of the room and Madoka was stroking her fur, but when she realized we were back, she jumped up and turned around.


    ''Welcome back, brother Arihito, ladies and gentlemen...''


    I''m home, Madoka. Theon is looking well Suzuna, how are you feeling?


    ''Yes, thanks to you, I feel better after resting. I was told that dinner is good for the body''s recovery and it''s working very well.


    Suzuna''s strength and magic power have fully recovered. The reason we were able to dive into the labyrinth after we fought ''The Calamity'' was because of Maria''s meal at ''Forest Diner''.


    ''''....Suzuna. I need to apologize to you for something........


    .........


    Before Elitia could say all that, Suzuna was running off.


    Suzuna hugged Elitia. Then, putting her hand on Suzuna''s back, who didn''t say anything, Elitia said in a small voice.


    ''I''m sorry for worrying you,''


    ''Yes I was really worried about you. But if you''re safe like this, that''s all that matters.......


    Thank you. I won''t worry you anymore. I would never do anything to betray your trust...


    Elitia and Suzuna were laughing at each other. Misaki, who was watching them, turned her back, but when she turned around, her eyes were red - she seemed to have cried when she got it.


    ''Huh~ I was worried too, but I''m more vulnerable to friendship between friends than I am. It''s like I want to hug someone else too.


    Well, now that you mention it, why is it me...


    I''m also impatient for a moment, wondering how I should react - Misaki is hugging Igarashi-san''s chest, burying her face in a careless manner.


    ''''Eh, because Kyouka''s sister is so receptive, lately. You think so too, don''t you big brother?¡¡Don''t you want to muffled like this?


    "Go-ho, go-ho.......no, don''t look at me like that, Igarashi-san.


    ''''Don''t worry, I know your rear end doesn''t have any strange thoughts. Misaki-chan, I wonder if you''re not hard under your armor.


    ''That''s right - the only time you can muffle is when you''re not an armored sister. I''ll be aiming for that next time, brother.


    ''I''m not going to live up to your expectations if you reject me, though... Igarashi-san?


    I''m not angry, and Igarashi-san is laughing. Misaki''s words and actions were so free that she laughed - I noticed that everyone except me was laughing.


    ''''.........''''


    "...Theresa.


    Sometimes it feels like Theresa is smiling at me. That sub-humans have lost their emotions, but I''ve always denied it.


    Even now, Theresa seems to be smiling as she pulls at my sleeve. The pain of the eroding mark of servitude seems to have subsided now - and yet, I''m not sure it''s not painful at all.


    ''Atobe-dono, you might want to consult with the medical office about Teresa-dono''s condition.


    ''Yes ... yes. Would you still be able to see me at this time?


    ''Theresa, thank you so much for going to Ellie''s place even though your equipment is broken...''


    Theresia shook her head slowly as Suzuna lowered her head.


    ''''Theresia got behind the ''monkey marquis'' so she and Aricht could escape in combination. But Theresia.....


    ''I hope you don''t mind if I talk to you now, including that. I want you to take a break and then gather back in the living room.


    Yes!


    Everyone''s responses are in place - even the always quiet Melissa.


    ''BOW!''


    ''''Hmm........It looks like you''re going to be okay, Sion-chan. Higuchi-kun, will you be okay to bathe last as usual?¡¡Or shall we come in outside?


    The compartment where the quarters are located also has a bathhouse attached to it, so we can all go in without waiting our turn. Then, I should go with you - I was just thinking about it.


    ''''..........''''


    I can tell by the gesture that Theresia wants to stay here.


    ''''Well Rear-kun, we''re going to go outside, so please take care of Theresia-san.


    ''''Brother, Louisa is in the Middle Guild, but she''ll be back soon.


    Okay, I''ll make sure we''re ready to meet you.


    Mr. Louisa has been in the quarters once with us, but he said he had something he wanted to do today.


    If you enter the labyrinth without permission to enter the five-star labyrinth, you are essentially given a penalty, such as a ban on exploring for a certain period of time. There is also a deduction of contribution points, so they can be returned to the previous ward because of that - that''s why diving into the labyrinth without qualifications would be taboo as a rule.


    Louisa-san has been talking to the guild headquarters about the conditions necessary to get that permission. It''s difficult to make any more special measures, but after today, there are six more days to go, and if that doesn''t qualify us to explore the five-star labyrinth, we''ll be taking a risk.


    (The members of the team taking on the Marauder of Monkeys must be in good shape. If you include the rest days, the number of times they can enter the labyrinth is limited... Since there have been cases of equipment being destroyed, that should also be taken into account.)


    The labyrinths you explore in order to increase your strength should be chosen as much as possible for their benefits. For example, that would be a place where we can get materials to enhance our equipment.


    Everyone goes off to bathe, leaving me and Theresa alone. When everyone leaves, there''s someone at the doorway talking to someone - Ceres and Steiner.


    It looks like a lot of things have happened while we''ve been holed up in the workshop. Theresa, have you been out in your broken suit?¡¡I''ll have it fixed by tomorrow, so just keep it here for now... what''s the matter, Aricht?


    ''Mr. Celes, we brought Elitia back from the Red Chamber of the Flaming Sky.


    Hmm, that''s what we''ve all heard. So that''s where you got something from.


    ''''Yes. ''''The Brilliant Ape Marquis'''' used a skill called ''Curse Erosion'', which interfered with Theresia''s slavery seal. The license indicated that it would override the slavery seal. By using that skill, the Monkey Prince is increasing his subordinates.


    A curse, yes. That''s not his trump card, is it?


    "Master, you''ve got something in mind.


    Mr. Ceres sits down on the sofa and takes out a thin leather-covered book from the shoulder bag he carries with him - apparently a notebook.


    ''''Well Theresa, may I see it?''''


    ..........


    Theresa looks at me - when I nod back, Theresa turns her back to Ms. Celes and unclasps her suit.


    The hair from her mask hangs over her neck. Celes-san gently parted it and checked the servant''s seal - it''s not visible from my position, but it should have changed slightly in shape.


    ''''........I never thought I''d see this here.


    Celes-san muttered, then put on her glasses, took out a quill and ink, and wrote something in her notebook.


    ''I can''t let you catch a cold. Alihit, please.


    Yes, yes....


    With Theresia''s upper body exposed, I take great care to approach her from behind. When I put my jacket on, Theresia tugged at the collar.


    ''''........Atobe-sama is really a gentleman. Don''t people say you''re cute?''''


    That must be why people love him so much. He is too young to wither away, and that depends largely on his character.


    ''No, no, now is not the time to talk about that...''


    Yes, I know. What do you think of your skills in this labyrinth, Ariecht?


    ''Skills ... I think it''s something that you can use depending on the occupation you''re suited for, but it seems like there are some things that different occupations have in common.


    I don''t know if that''s the intention of the question, but I''ll try to think about it and answer it in my own way. That answer didn''t seem to be far off the mark, either.


    ''''Yes ... in this labyrinth country, aptitude affects events. But that event does not exist in an infinitely different form. This is not a sure thing, but a rule of thumb.


    Rule of thumb...


    There are many things that I do not understand. And yet I know what I don''t know, but I have the knowledge that comes with being the senior citizen of a maze.


    Saying that, Celes shows me the note. What was drawn on it was a similar size to the slavery seal, but with a different pattern.


    ''''A ''curse erosion'' is the carving of such a curse mark. In Theresa''s case, it will take another six days or so for the curse to completely erode her.


    "The same time Atobe and the others are in sector five?


    Celes nodded back at Steiner''s words.


    ''There is a possibility that Theresa''s actions may be interfered with while the overwriting process proceeds. If you are not going to participate in the search, Steiner and I will keep an eye on you, but there is one thing that I must tell you. If you defeat the Marquis de la Salle without fulfilling the conditions to lift the curse, there''s a chance it won''t be lifted at all.


    -- if only we can defeat ''The Monkey Prince'', we can save Theresa. That hope was denied by Celes-san''s words.


    Celes nodded again. Then he looked at me and smiled.


    ''''You don''t seem to have broken down at all, even though you''ve been subjected to more conditions under these difficult circumstances.


    I''ve already made up my mind. Tomorrow, I''m going to start working on how to lift the curse as soon as possible.


    That leads me to my earlier point. If a person who possesses the skills of a curse possessed by the Marquis de la Salle also possesses the skills of a searcher, it is highly likely that they have the ability to break a curse. Since the skills of demons and searchers are similar in some respects.


    ''I see, so that''s where it all comes together.


    Mr. Ceres, do you know of anyone with those skills?


    Ms. Ceres didn''t answer the question right away.


    She gave me a distant look, then laughed, wrote something in her notebook again, cut out the page, folded it up and handed it to me.


    ''Maybe this ward is just a fate. There may be an old acquaintance living in this ward. I haven''t seen him for a long time, so I can''t say for sure.


    That person has skills in the curse system, doesn''t he? Okay, I''ll see what I can find out.


    I don''t know if my letter can serve as a letter of introduction, but if you are looking for it, you should go to the museum first. If you have to look for one, you should first visit the archives. They should have information about the curse mark.


    Celes-san''s acquaintance might know how to lift the ''curse erosion'' - if you go to the archives, you can find a clue to that person.


    ''''Master, if you know him, why don''t you introduce him directly to him?''''


    Aricht is better suited to the task than I am to meet him in person. Well, that''s good........we''ll stay in the workshop until daylight, but before that we''ll consult with you on how to strengthen your armor. I''ll repair Theresa''s suit in the morning, but I''m sure you have a lot of material to work with.


    ''Yes, please. Uh, Theresa....


    ''I think it''s better to take a bath first.¡¡I''ll take care of Miss Theresa''s suit here.''


    It''s not because I took off my clothes once anyway. I feel a ''pressure'' though somehow - Celes-san and the others seem to want to lead me in that direction.


    ''''..........''''


    ''''Well I guess I''ll go in with you today. Is Theresa okay with that?


    It''s all right, isn''t it? I''ve been in the same boat with Steiner, haven''t I?


    ''''Oh, um ... Master, I think it would be better to have you two come in today.¡¡It''s hard for the master to always make the steam too thick.''


    The Mist Spell doesn''t consume much magic, but I guess I was the only one who thought it would be a good idea.


    Master Ceres, I mean, what better time to...?


    The one who came into the living room was Louisa-san - she also has a duplicate key, so it''s no problem for her to come in, but for some reason, there''s something disturbing about her smile.


    ''Will Louisa also not shed the back of Alihit?¡¡You are at the prime of your life and you need to enrich your days.


    Yes, yes... what?


    After Louisa-san somehow pushed me to reply, I realized I had agreed to something outrageous - Ceres-san seemed to be enjoying herself and Steiner-san shrugged her shoulders. He may be unwilling to do so, but such a gesture shown in his armor was unexpectedly charming.

 179 Episode 178: Five-Star Conditions

    Until I came to the labyrinth country, I had always thought that bathing with a woman was an event that required more progress in a relationship than sleeping in a room together.


    While it''s good that I was able to procure a bathing suit, when it comes to bathing, no one else is wearing one except me, perhaps because I don''t feel refreshed in a bathing suit. Louisa-san is wearing a bathing suit, but she said she wanted to take it off when she soaks in the tub, so I''m going to leave around there.


    Hmmm........well then, the baths in the quarters are reasonably comfortable. That''s a promising searcher with a lot of encouragement.


    ''''I was given the title of ''Specially Selected Searcher'' in recognition of the Stampede''s case. That may have had an effect on my treatment.


    ''''Huh........Master should be a little more aware of what ladylike taste is, shouldn''t he?¡¡It''s not always good when the steam is thick, is it?''


    Don''t complain from the dressing room, you''ll never be clean because you''re in a suit of armor.


    ''''Ki, I''m not wearing it, I''m in living armor. This armor is a part of my body.


    Mr. Steiner hadn''t been able to keep up with Celes''s boldness - Celes hadn''t put on a bathing suit or anything, and she was one step ahead of me, flushing her body and soaking in the bathtub. What kind of attitude is appropriate for a woman who is mentally older than me, even though she has the appearance of a girl?


    ''Atobe-sama, your shoulders are a little tense, please relax.''


    ''Yes, yes ... thank you, Louisa.


    Before my back is flushed in the bath, Louisa is giving me acupressure. This is terribly comfortable and I almost scream every time she pushes me. She seems to be using some kind of skill, and I feel relieved and relieved before I even see it.


    ''You''ll feel refreshed when you get out of the bath when you get your lymphatic system like this.


    That kind of thing sounds good for your beauty, and the ladies will love it.


    When I get a proper break, I would like to treat you all if you wish. Of course, I''d like to do more serious work on Atobe-sama as well.......oh?


    What''s going on?


    Louisa''s hands stop. She was just flowing down the neck, and the shoulder area was getting quite light - she would resume the treatment again after a while.


    ''I suppose the higher level of arihit made it easier for Louisa to accumulate experience when she performed the treatment.


    ''I thought I''d have to go into the labyrinth to get the experience...''


    That''s the explorer''s story. Even though the supporters are active in the town, they use their skills every day, so their experience will be limited and may even increase. It''s not easy to get to the next level, though.


    So, depending on the skills that Madoka also learns, will she be able to increase her level while in town? There seems to be a big difference between the experience gained within the labyrinth, though.


    ''''I might have increased my level. I''ll check it after I get out of the bath.''''


    ''You''ve been working hard every day. That''s good to hear.


    For those with recovery skills, it could mean that they can maintain their level or gain experience just by treating people in town. It''s possible that Farma, the boxmaker, had retired from her job at one point to raise her children, and her level seemed to have dropped, but it''s possible that she''s getting close to her original level again - although special boxes would rarely be brought in in the Eighth Ward. You could get some experience in a regular box.


    ''But as I said, aptitude influences events.... In Louisa''s case, that''s not fair in many ways.


    ''''No, no, I don''t think there''s anything to be put off by that. I''m rather sorry that I''m the one who got you to this point.


    As I replied, Louisa, behind me, chuckled.


    ''''Given the kind of talk we''re having in the room, I don''t think Atobe-sama will refrain from doing anything.


    Yes, we all have a lot of youth left in us. Kyouka and Louisa in particular, I think.


    From my point of view, Mr. Ceres.....


    Kehoho... keho...


    Earlier, I was caught off guard too, and I was miffed, but I didn''t know that Celes-san could have the same kind of reaction - and I felt a strange sense of familiarity with her.


    I''m not sure if I''m going to be able to make excuses if I do this. As Chiara said, Alihit is a fine young man as I saw him, but he has a simplicity that makes me want to love him.


    ''''I''ve been told that I''m a Park Nenin, but I''m not that pure. I''m a very ordinary person.


    ''''A very normal person who is calm in this situation is probably an emperor or something in a previous life that they just don''t realize they''re doing.


    Don''t get carried away when you''re in a safe place. Chiara, disarm the manipulators and come to me. This is an order from my master.


    ''I''m sorry, I won''t be rude to you anymore. I''m sorry, Lady Atobe?''


    ''No, I don''t mind, I''m fine.


    Is "manipulate" a skill that turns Steiner-san''s armor into "living armor"? If you take it as it is, it is a skill to manipulate something, so he must be able to control the armor from inside.


    I''m not sure if this is the style of an emperor. Arihito could have written ''emperor'' in his occupation and it would have passed.


    ''No, no, I flushed that part out, but I''m just not that kind of a person.


    ''Hmmm.......what do you think, Theresa-sama?''


    ..........


    I find myself thinking that Mr. Steiner''s call of ''emperor'' has a point, as a matter of fact. The reason is because Louisa-san is behind me, and Theresia is washing my body worthily as usual.


    ''When I look at Theresia-sama, I can tell that she''s thinking about Atobe-sama very much. It''s the way you touch her that shows your feelings the most.


    .........


    Louisa probably didn''t mean to tease her, but Theresa''s lizard mask turned bright red.


    ''''.........''''


    But she continues to wash me - she won''t even wear a bathing suit if I don''t recommend it, but I wonder what kind of heart is responsible for her boldness.


    Even before she became a subhuman, was she not very shy, or did the servitude mark change her personality?


    In any case, if Louisa-san is right, then I''d like to be as considerate as possible of Theresa, too.


    ..........


    Theresia didn''t answer, but her hands paused. After all, if the slavery seal is beginning to be overridden, then the possibility that someone might see it is something that Theresia wanted to avoid.


    I''m sure you''re not going to be able to see it because it''s hidden by your hair, so I just thought it would be fine. I''m sorry, I guess I didn''t pay enough attention to it either.


    ..........


    Well, I''m not sure I care about that.


    I''m afraid so.


    Theresia nodded with a persistent nod. Celes-san smiled reassuringly and relaxed in the bathtub and stretched out her legs - her white feet squeaked out of the water, but she still looks like she''s playing innocently because of her young appearance.


    Luisa," he says, "why don''t you let Alihit flush your back. I''ll be watching you as a guardian, so you won''t go too far.


    ''''No, no, I''m fine, I''m fine, I can''t believe you would do that to me, Atobe-sama...''''


    ..........


    I wanted to check the status of the servitude seal, but most of all, I wanted to return the same thing to Theresa, since I was grateful to her - but that Theresa refrained from doing so, as if she was fine with it later.


    ''''Well Louisa-san, I''m a man too, so you don''t have to force yourself if you''re embarrassed...''''


    ''''Well I don''t know what to say to Kyouka-san later... is it okay, really?''''


    While showing signs of being troubled, Louisa-san is about to sit down in a chair and turn her back to me.


    And I realize - when it comes to flushing my back, it can''t be with my bathing suit on.


    ''''........nice to meet you, Atobe-sama.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    Louisa-san was still expecting her shoulders to be stiff, and as it turned out, she was right.


    ''''I''m sorry, Atobe-sama.......for your concern.


    ''No, don''t worry about it. I''m pretty good at this sort of thing.


    When I was in the facility, we all gave tapping certificates to older teachers to thank them for their support. I wonder now how the teachers who were happy about it must have felt - no, I feel like I''m going to get sentimental about it.


    ''''Atobe-sama.......I just checked the conditions regarding the permission to explore the five-star labyrinth earlier.......''''


    Louisa, you are at a loss for words. Ariecht is very good at that.


    ''Yes, yes ... it will be so much easier. Is it okay, really.....for you to do this for me?


    I said that your shoulders might be stiff, but I''m a little jealous. I would never have a stiff shoulder.


    ..........


    Theresia is putting her hand on her own chest - if Leila-san finds out, she''ll be pissed off about what she''s making Theresia aware of.


    ''''The conditions for exploring the five-star labyrinth are to dive the two labyrinths in the fifth district to the third level, and to record a contribution of three thousand or more twice in a single search.


    We''ve only reached the third level of the labyrinth in part of it so far. The first labyrinth we dove into in Labyrinth Country, Akebono''s Field, we went as far as to find a hidden level, but since it would take a long time to get to the end of the labyrinth, we tried the next labyrinth when we reached our goal.


    ''''All I have to do is dive to the third level and return with the return scroll, but with a contribution of 3,000, I''ll have to think about the demons I''m targeting.


    If he didn''t encounter ''Named'', he would have to defeat a significant number of demons - that would prove his ability to fight and win against the demons in the fifth district.


    (Hunting thirty level 10 demons for 3,000 points... ''Death Stalker'' was level 11, but defeating more than 20 monsters like that would be quite painful. (So you''ll need to be able to continue hunting them without returning to the city...)


    Elitia had said that the searchers who were trying to take the equipment away from Ruilly were also reasonably competent enough to do well in the Fifth District.


    Even so, did they enter the territory of the ''Monkey Prince'' because they knew that they would get something worth the risk? Or - did he want to fight against the subjugated searchers?


    The license considers a seeker controlled by a demon to be a demon. If they were to harm them, their karma would not be considered to rise.


    This was probably what Elitia was really worried about. The enemy of humans is humans, we''ve encountered such situations many times.


    ''''There is also a requirement of a cumulative contribution of 20,000 points or more in the Fifth District, but we have a cumulative special contribution of 15,000 points, so we can subtract that.


    ''Does that mean that the conditions for promotion can be lowered if there are more special contributions? Does that take into account the conditions for advancing to the next ward?


    ''Yes, you''re right. It is possible to offset the negative contribution with a special contribution, for example, if you don''t explore for a long period of time, but it is recommended that we try to avoid that situation.......Lady Atobe.......


    Oh I''m sorry, I''m sorry. I''d better get going.


    I''ve been so serious that I''ve lost track, but I think I''ve had enough of the shoulder massage. Theresia fetched hot water and handed it to Louisa-san - it would certainly be better to have her do it herself when she flushed it.


    ''Aricht, I''ve noticed a little bit of life force bubbling up in Louisa''s body since a while ago, are you using any of your skills?''


    ''''It''s a skill that restores the person in front of you. I had Louisa-san join the party temporarily, so it should have been working for a while now.


    Since it''s such a good time, I thought I''d try to get rid of Louisa''s fatigue, but come to think of it, if she was taking a bath like this, her confidence level would rise.


    I''ll ask him to do it next time. If you do a good job, will you think about it?


    ''That''s of course. It doesn''t have to be during the bath, though.


    You''re so reserved, you''d be disappointed if you kept talking like that.


    ''''We have a meeting after we get out of the bath, master. We were talking about the new demon materials in the storeroom, so I asked Melissa to show them to me earlier. I''m sure I can make various suggestions.''''


    You always surprise me, but this time I have a cold feeling about it. What is that icy scorpion monster?


    The ''The Calamity'' that was sent to the storeroom is used as a material for equipment - I can''t even imagine what kind of things can be made of it, but if that armor can be used for armor, it will be something powerful.


    ''''Then, before you go to bed, please report back to me about the Stampede suppression and what happened in the ''Red Chamber of the Flaming Sky''.


    Yes, nice to meet you.


    Louisa makes a gesture as if to put her hand on the pair of glasses she''s not wearing now - I''ve been thinking about it since I first reported her, but she''s still very much alive when we''re talking about work.


    ''Well I''m fine about the time. I''m a strong guy at night.


    A receptionist at night, that''s quite a thing to do. It''s a pity I don''t have a s*xy job.


    "Master, when you talk like that all the time, it puts men off, you know?


    I don''t mean to pull away, but I don''t think saying anything here would be a good way to show Theresa that I''m staring at her. I would like to tell Celes-san as softly as possible that I want her to moderate herself as an adult in the future.

 180 Chapter One Hundred and Seventy-Nine: Special Staff

    Everyone came back from the baths outside, so I let them rest in their rooms as they wish. First, we''ll report to Louisa-san, and then we''ll have a meeting with the two people in the workshop.


    The results of this search


    5,000 points for subduing the labyrinthine stampede.


    2000 points for being the most successful person to put down the stampede.


    Aricht''s level is now 8. 80 points.


    Theresa''s level is now 8. 80 points.


    Kyouka''s level is now 7. 70 points.


    Elitia''s level is now 11. 110 points.


    Suzuna''s level is now 6. 60 points.


    Misaki''s level is up to 6. 60 points.


    Melissa''s level is now 8. 80 points.


    Theon''s level is now 7. 70 points.


    Seraphina''s level is now 12. 120 points.


    55 points for participating in the defeat of a Death Stalker.


    Defeated a Calamity, 4800 points.


    Increased trust in party members 270 points


    10 points for fighting with Marcus'' party.


    10 points for fighting with the party in "Kuserka".


    100 points for rescuing Kurt.


    100 points for rescuing "Fran".


    Searcher Contribution... 13075


    Cumulative Special Contribution... 15,000


    Fifth Ward Provisional Contribution Ranking 345


    ''''This is the first time I''ve ever had a five-figure contribution in one search...''''


    ''But I guess that doesn''t mean I''m the best ever in the Fifth Ward. It''s sobering to think that there''s an upside to that.


    ''''Perhaps there is a record that we put out after being holed up in the labyrinth for several days with a large number of demons in the labyrinth. Since all of you have come from the seventh district, the fact that everyone''s level has risen also contributed greatly to the contribution... I think it''s essentially impossible to produce such a record in a few hours.


    I made the impossible possible - to say that I did something big, but I had Cuselka and the others to help me defeat The Calamity, and the fact that I was able to use the city''s facilities was a big deal.


    The power of Murakumo, Alfeca, and Ariadne is also great, but it''s not listed in the results display - is it because that''s the kind of rule that their actions are shown on the license, but not calculated in the contribution?


    ''Louisa-san, we had the help of the Secret God.......Ariadne and the others in this battle. As for their contributions, does that mean that the guild does not calculate their contributions? This has been the case in the past, so this is a new question.......


    ''''You mean that the actions of the people of the Secret God are not evaluated in the same way as those of the searchers? In the guild, even if a party is under contract with a secret god, as a rule, we do not ask for information to be disclosed. This is because the ''Secret God'' is an object of faith in the Labyrinth Country. The guild organization does not consider itself to be so omnipotent as to assign a grade to the actions of a god.


    ''Thank you, if that''s what you mean I''d like to personally pass on the well-deserved praise for their contributions.


    I wish to be given something that will make me as strong as the Scythe Blade that I was allowed to take in before.''''


    Murakumo, who had placed the sword on a stand to stand on, speaks to me - I wanted to ask him one question too, so I asked Louisa to wait for a moment and spoke to Murakumo in my mind.


    ''Murakumo said that he was able to use a new technique with the power of the "Scythe Blade", but I wonder if it''s correct to recognize it as the "Tenchi Blade/Zan Iron".''


    ''''There''s no problem with that perception. ''''Ocean Mantis'''' had an ability called ''Slashing Iron Blade Strike'' that destroyed metal equipment, although the master hadn''t seen it. It seems to be more powerful against insects when used to enhance weapons, but that''s not the case if I absorb it.''''


    It means that ''Aetherial'' weapons like the Murakumo are different from normal weapons in every aspect. It absorbs the power of demonic materials without changing its prototype, and learns new techniques - although in order to break the chains made of the ''Hertect Steel'' of the ''Monkey Hou'', it is necessary to unleash that technique with the arm of the machine god.


    ''''You may sound weak, but it''s quite difficult to ask me to cut that chain again. If it is wielded with the power of the Machine God, even I can feel the limit of its strength.......Even if it is broken, it can be regenerated, but it will take ten days at the earliest.''''


    ''I''ll keep that in mind. If you have a material that makes it stronger, you can tell me again.


    ''''I''d appreciate it if you would. Or you can prepare a means to cut that chain other than me, or fight to prevent me from being restrained.......One thing I fear is that the Monkey Prince, who knows that the Heltect Steel cannot be easily destroyed, may use it as a defensive trump card.''''


    When the chains of that ''Heltected Steel'' dragged Alpheka along, the enemy was clearly above the imagination - we need to take the best possible measures to avoid being trapped in a predicament. With an eye on strengthening Murakumo, we will seek another direction. Assuming we slash that chain in the same way, we must be prepared to break it with that blow if we don''t strengthen the Murakumo.


    It is difficult to completely block the actions of a threatening enemy. The Monkey Hou''s abilities that we saw could be considered a small part of it, and it would be good if the enemy didn''t have countermeasures against any kind of status abnormality, but the ''named'' so far have often lifted the status abnormality and strengthened their own abilities when they were cornered.


    ''''Atobe-sama, have a cup of tea.''''


    ''Oh thank you very much, Louisa. Sorry to keep you waiting.


    ''A sword you can talk to, you have such a valuable thing in your possession.


    Louisa was surprised at first, but now she has come to accept that what I do is "just the way it is".


    The tea Louisa brewed for me was the right temperature, and a sip of it warmed me up. This would not make me feel cold.


    ''''As it was mentioned in the results report earlier, you have defeated the demon that caused the stampede, so you will receive five thousand gold coins as a prize.


    ''They didn''t come out with a bounty, but is that because they hadn''t done any damage to the searchers yet?


    ''''It will be. Based on the destruction to the city and other factors, we have calculated the bounty that was originally supposed to be put on the city... it could have been higher, but the initial bounty amount in the fifth district is limited to five thousand gold coins.


    There''s no possibility of not defeating them until the bounty is higher from the beginning, so I''m grateful just to be provided with five thousand pieces.


    Next, let''s take a look at the search results in Red Chamber of the Fiery Sky. They escaped quickly, but since they were engaged, their contribution has not been negative.


    The results of the last search


    We''re in the 2nd floor of the Red Chamber in the Hot Spot. 20 points.


    10 points for fighting a group led by the Cautious Monkey King.


    I escaped the maze in a short time. -30 points.


    Increased trust in party members 10 points


    100 points for rescuing Elitia.


    Searcher''s Contribution ??? 110 points


    Fifth Ward Provisional Contribution Ranking 345


    When Elitia entered the labyrinth on her own, she was left out of the party once. I incorporated her into the party when I found her, but it seems that she was still judged as a ''rescue''.


    At 110 points, the rankings do not change. I thought it was just fine if it wasn''t a negative - but I noticed one thing after seeing this result display.


    It''s true... what does it have in common with The Phantom Winged Butterfly?


    Kuzelka said that after defeating the named "Sky Star", the explorer is said to be given a special qualification.


    If these two demons have something in common - not only do they fight the explorer, but they also have a special interference?


    (The named subordinates of the ''Monkey Hou'' were the usual black stars. The characteristic of the Winged Butterfly is its karma-related skills. Does "Marquis de Sar" have a similar ability?


    I think the word ''prisoner'' refers to the guardian of the prison, but the ''monkey lord'' who stands on top of him is holding the searcher captive and subordinate.


    In other words, that fort is a prison made by the Monkey King - there seems to be a connection between the act of entering a prison and the rise in karma. It is not possible to conclude from the two bodies alone that the commonality of the demons in ''Sky Star'' is that they have skills related to karma, but it can be formulated as a hypothesis.


    ''''I''ve heard that defeating a demon with a ''sky star'' on it will give you a special qualification. Do you know about that, Louisa-san?


    ''''No........I''m sorry, but before I met Atobe-sama, I was just doing my daily duties as a receptionist. I''m sure you''ve never imagined that the time would come when you would have access to that kind of special information. But....


    On the day we took our vacation in the "Small Island of Illusion", Louisa-san seemed to have sunk a bit. She seemed to be sad that she couldn''t accompany us on our quest - but there was a sparkle in her eyes now, as if she had been blown away.


    ''''Supporting Atobe-sama and the others all the time means that my position and authority will change with it. I also heard that again today from my boss. As an exclusive employee of the ''Specially Selected Searcher'', I will be moving from the position of ''General Staff'' to ''Specially Appointed Staff'' and my salary will be increased...


    ''Oh that''s great. Congratulations, Louisa. I have to congratulate you on this one.


    I can''t help but let out a voice that I rarely let out. I guess that means I wasn''t longing for a raise in salary or words like "promotion" in my own way - I feel happy that Louisa-san''s promotion is as good as it is for me. It may also mean that she is serving up admirably when she is in the guild.


    ''''Ye-yeah.......it''s all due to the help of Atobe-sama and the others.


    ''So that''s right. Well, let''s go for a drink at the end of the month...no, let''s definitely go for a drink as a launchpad. It will be after we''ve finished everything safely.


    ''''Yes, sir. I''ll be fine whenever you want me to be. The most important thing is that Atobe-sama and the others finish their search and come back safely, because that''s what will last forever.


    I shook hands with Louisa-san - I meant to say hello once again and for now, but I wanted to share the joy of promotion.


    ''''.........''''


    ''And Theresa-sama thank you very much. I look forward to working with you in the future.


    Louisa-san shakes hands with Theresia as well, and then Louisa-san leaves - there are two bedrooms in this quarters, but this time Igarashi-san, Louisa-san, Seraphina-san, and Melissa are sharing the room.


    Misaki and Suzuna, Elitia and Madoka seem to be getting along well with each other, and I can hear the occasional sly voice coming from the room. Celes-san, who had joined them, came out, breathed something tired, and took out a bottle of drinks from the cold storage room with the magic stone.

 181 Episode 180: Equipment of scorpions and butterflies

    A young girl is hard to follow but you mustn''t drink without permission.


    Please don''t hesitate. Mr. Ceres, may I have a meeting now?


    Well, well, well, Steiner, you really like dogs.


    "That''s already. It''s soothing just to be with you.


    Mr. Steiner, who didn''t move like an ornament next to Theon, who was lying down and resting, but when Celes-san called him, he responded properly - I was beginning to wonder in earnest what was going on in his armor.


    Mr. Steiner stood up with a crunch and sat cross-legged on the floor, as the sofa was too heavy for him to sit on.


    ''I''m sorry I''m so shabby looking. I''ve heard you right, you can start.''


    ''Isn''t it about time you took off your clothes just to sleep... well, you know...


    Okay, let me get started. This is the new material we have.


    Candidate materials that can be used for processing


    The materials for the Demon of the Winged Butterfly of Pity (1 unit)


    The antennae of the Pity Winged Butterfly with scales on them.


    The tail from Deathstalker x 1


    The Frozen Demon from The Calamity - 1 unit


    Nine tails in The Calamity x 1


    Looking at the list, Celes-san put her hand to her chin and pondered, hmm.


    ''''There is enough material for two ''named'' bodies, but only some of it can be used to process equipment. There are many parts that lose their strength and function when they are defeated.......but this time, it''s quite interesting.


    ''''I looked it up, and that great scorpion has resistance to all attributes. How did you manage to ice it?''''


    ''Misaki added a weakness with a card with a rune on it, and that enabled the ice attribute.


    I see. The Demon clown card. I''m glad to hear that the steel card I used to attach the rune to was of some use. I''m grateful for the work you''ve done.


    Ceres-san smiles very happily. I have not talked much about what equipment was useful in battle, but I would like to report frequently on the aspects in which the equipment was useful.


    I''m sure you''ll be pleased to know that the part that powers the heat ray from the tail is only dormant because of the ice. It is the ''Queen Scorpion''s Lingering Light'' that converts magic power into heat rays. According to past records, the explorers who dismantled the Calamity on the spot where it was defeated, removed it before it lost its function. If we freeze it, there will be no need to rush to dismantle it.


    ''''Oh, I see.......There are some materials that can only be obtained under special conditions. Has that ''Queen Scorpion''s Lingering Light'' already been taken out?


    ''''Melissa-san''s ''connoisseurship'' can determine which parts of the demon''s material can be used. I''ve put the dismantling on hold until Atobe-sama''s instructions. It looks like it''s better to take it out and process it right away.''''


    You''ve taken that much into consideration, and for us, we have nothing to say. I''m a novice when it comes to demon materials, so Melissa''s knowledge and skills are very dependable.


    ''''Combining the ''Queen Scorpion''s Lingering Light'' with the ''Nine Tails'', I can create a weapon that replicates The Calamity''s abilities... or should I say, this is no longer a weapon. Due to its weight, it can''t be used as personal equipment, but if it can be carried, it will display exceptional power.


    "This ''nine tails'' is a special material and cannot be separated into individual pieces. The armor and the part of the spear where the scissors were changed can be used for equipment.......but it''s still heavy, so it will take some time to process it.


    Weapons that are heavy - if we were to operate them in our party, we would have Alphecca carry them.


    ''''How long would it take to make a weapon with ''afterglow'' and ''nine tails''?


    I''d appreciate it if you could take a look at it for three days. We''ll need to test it to see if it will work in this big scale.


    Okay, then.


    I''ll process all the other materials if Atobe-sama is willing. If you want to strengthen the equipment you have now, you''ll have to keep it, in which case you''ll need replacement equipment.


    We''ll take that into consideration and strengthen our armor. Is there a possibility that there is a good piece of equipment that can be purchased in the fifth district - I''ll have Madoka come over and discuss it with her as well.


    ¡ô¡ó¡ô


    Ask Madoka to get information on the equipment that is in circulation in the Fifth Ward. Madoka, who is a member of the merchant''s union, can receive a licensed list of goods from shops belonging to the union without having to visit them in person - good equipment is still in high demand, and is limited when it comes to fitting your profession, but there are a few items you''d like to purchase. Found.


    The equipment you ordered


    The Nerds*x Gauntlet" x 2


    Nelzex Glebe" x 2


    The Shaman of Shirarafuma Dressing x 1


    1 piece of ''Shirarafuma no tsuna'' (the white knotweed)


    In the Fifth District, equipment made of the metal "Nelzek silver" seems to appear on the market from time to time, the gauntlets cost 800 gold coins and the glebe costs 1,000 gold coins, but I had Serafina and Igarashi equip them for me, respectively.


    ''White Rafu Hemp'' has a better feel and higher strength compared to normal linen. It was available as clothing that Suzuna and Melissa could equip, so the miko outfit was purchased for eight hundred gold coins and the tsuna for one thousand gold coins.


    At least five thousand four hundred gold coins, but the prize money from The Calamity almost offset it. Now that we have a decent use for our money, we should be more or less aware of our income and expenditure in the future and save our money.


    First of all, regarding the materials in The Calamity, the processing and enhancement details were as follows.


    ¡ôThe materials of The Calamity ¡ô


    Using "Afterglow" and "Nine-Tails" to create "¡ï Queen''s Tale".


    Kyouka''s Ambivalents ¡ú Use the Spear to add a Penetrating Strike Enhancement 2 to strengthen it to +1.


    Elitia''s High Mithril Nightmare +7 ¡ú Use the Shell to reduce all attributes by 1. Strengthen to +8.


    Seraphina''s Great Shield of Mirrored Armor ¡ú Use the Shell to add a reduction of 1 for all attributes (+1).


    I decided to use the shell, which works well with metal armor, to strengthen the equipment of the two vanguards. As for Elitia''s armor, they''ll finish it up in the night - I can''t get over Steiner, who''s in charge of processing it.


    There are two arm spears, and they work well with spear-type weapons, or long objects, but Igarashi-san''s ''Eluminate Cross Spear'' was used to strengthen the ''Ambivalents'' because of the strength issues that arose, and one was left behind because it has no use right now.


    Melissa has already called Mr. Rykerton, and the two of us are starting to dismantle "The Calamity" - when we''re done, Melissa said she''ll bathe and rest again, but we''re going to go to the archives tomorrow morning, so we''ll use that time to go to the museum. It might be a good idea to give Melissa a break.


    Next, the materials from Winged Butterflies, could be used to strengthen the members'' armor.


    The Winged Wing Butterflies'' antennae can be used to string Suzuna''s bow, and her bow has been renamed. It seems that equipment can also be renamed when not wearing runes.


    Material of the Winged Butterfly of Pity


    Suzuna''s Asheriko''s Bow +2 will be modified using the Antennas to change to the Bow of Genshoku +2.


    Theresia''s Eluminate Razor Sword ¡ú Use the Tentacle to acquire the Invisible Slash (+5)


    Theresa''s Chameleon''s Boots ¡ú Use the Forewings to add a Flame Reduction 2 to strengthen it to +1.


    Misaki''s Bat Leather Cloak ¡ú Use the Forewings to add "Flame Reduction 2" to strengthen it to "+1".


    Seraphina''s Nelzex Gleave ¡ú Use the Hindwing to add a Flame Reduction 2 (+1).


    Theon''s Hound''s Leather Vest +3 ¡ú Use the Hindwing to add a Flame Reduction 2 to strengthen it to +4.


    Elitia''s Gauntlet of Quick Work +1 ¡ú Add the Flare Division skill using Scales to enhance it to +2


    Since this whole process cannot be done in one night, I will have them start working on it tomorrow afternoon.


    Since I found out that the materials of the "Pity Winged Butterfly" can be used as a countermeasure against the flame attribute, I asked as many members as possible to put "Flame Attribute Reduction 2" on them. Since Igarashi-san, Suzuna and Elitia have "Flame Attribute Reduction 1" attached to their ornaments, including Melissa, I want to somehow reinforce the flame countermeasure in other ways - including Melissa''s, which includes a powerful attack that uses flame in the yet-to-be-seen actions of the Shining Cauldron. It''s not hard to imagine that there is.


    Finally, the material of the "Deathstalker", the processing destination was as follows.


    Material of "Deathstalker" ¡ô


    Seraphina''s Eluminate Battle Rod ¡ú Use the tail to add the "Poison Attack 2" skill (enhanced to +2)


    Theon''s Beast Crawl +2 ¡ú Use the scissors to add the Restraint Attack 1 skill to strengthen it to +3.


    Kyoka''s Nelzex Glebe ¡ú Use the shell and add "Poison Resistance 2".


    Serafina doesn''t have many opportunities to use weapons, but she uses "Rod" as a weapon. Since she will inevitably get close to her enemies more often, it would be effective if she could use that opportunity to give them a status abnormality.


    As for the scissors, she has a painful memory of having been captured by Theresa - however, Restraint Attack 1 stops the target, which may be useful in stopping a seeker controlled by the Monkey King.


    The immediate plan for these processes will be done tomorrow or later as well. There are two runes that we have not used, but we have one policy in mind for these.


    ''''The ''Tumble'' rune will be effective when used by the party''s shield-using Seraphina, who is a great shield user. This rune can only be attached to armor. It would be ideal if we can find armor with a rune slot that fits Seraphina''s needs.


    Sion will also protect his friends with ''covering'', but a shield is still needed for the role of receiving the enemy''s biggest attacks. I had asked Serafina to come and give me her opinion.


    Thank you for using your precious materials for my equipment. I agree with the policy regarding runes as well. Are rune slots, after all, often attached to the armor found in the labyrinth?


    That''s right. In order to create a rune slot for a new piece of armor, a special material is needed. It is also possible to add slots to equipment with slots by synthesizing them. The problem is the "Silver Sand" that is needed for this synthesis. It seems that the chances of obtaining it increases as you move up the ladder, but the demand for it is so great that it is not available.


    ''''It was on the market at midday today, but it''s sold out quickly. If we make it a bidding system, it will be monopolized by a few people, so when it goes to market, it looks like the price is fixed at a thousand gold coins.


    Madoka is still a bit of an innocent, but as a ''merchant'' she''s so dependable that her tongue rolls off her tongue every time. I can''t help but admire her as she smiles and laughs while explaining more than I''d like to hear.


    I knew the scarcity of the "True Silver Sand", and I couldn''t have her waiting around for it to appear on the market forever. The most practical way to obtain it would be to refine the ''metal lump''.


    ''''The labyrinth where the ''True Silver Sand'' is easy to mine.......If we were to decide on the next place to explore, that would be one of the options.''''


    ''We have found one black box, and I''ll think about it after I open it.


    The only thing that can surprise you is how often they call you. Falma must be surprised to be called in this often. I met Rykerton and he was happy to see you in the Fifth Ward.


    "Mr. Rykerton?


    ''Mr. Rykerton''s wife seems to be in the Fifth Ward right now. She''s been in the Fifth Ward since she moved up from the Sixth Ward more than six months ago.


    Mr. Rykerton''s wife had become a sub-human while carrying Melissa - I had heard that she was also continuing to work as an explorer in order to become a human again.


    ''I haven''t heard anything from Melissa yet, but I''d like to get a chance to meet your mother.


    ''You are ... no, I''m not going to tell you anything. Aricht, don''t be surprised to see Rykerton''s wife. I''m sure you''ll be all right.


    Melissa''s mother is a ''warcat'', and whatever she looks like, I would like to thank Melissa for her activities and her gratitude for that.


    ''Yes, yes, Miss Seraphina. How can I help you?


    He suddenly called me by my lower name, which caught me off guard and made me upset. Serafina-san must have had a thought and changed the way she was called, but she was blushing.


    ''''No, no.......it''s after we officially joined the party, so I didn''t want to be too much of a stranger. Was that rude...?


    ''It''s all right, I''m rather happy about it myself. I was allowed to call him by his name, not Lieutenant Edelbert.


    Lord Arihito, it''s already late at night, but that means everyone is still fine. Would you like to continue with the selection of skills?


    ''Well, let me consult with Seraphina as soon as possible. Come over here, we''ll decide on Theresa''s skills next.


    ..........


    Theresa remained standing for a long time when I told her to sit down, but she finally complied - and sat down next to me, with a little pause to sit down next to me.


    ''''Well it''s complicated for young girls these days to have no problem bathing together, but to be embarrassed to sit next to you.''''


    "I think I know a little something about this........well, master, I''d better get to the workshop.


    ''''Hmm. You should also think about whether or not you will use the Rune of Struggle, Alihit. Considering the power it possesses, it will be difficult to decide who will be equipped with it, but if the time comes when you will need it, it will certainly be the power that holds your hopes together.


    Celes-san and Steiner-san leave the room. Serafina-san sits across from me - once again, her appearance before bedtime is quite rough. Sheer clothes like a tank top and shorts are a big gap from her usual armored appearance.


    ''''.........''''


    Te Teresa?


    Theresa is staring at me - I wonder if she''s realized what I''m thinking. Now is not the time to be thinking about the Gap or anything like that, that''s for sure. No, I don''t know if Theresia is looking at it with that in check, but my chest is prickling.


    ''''Aricht-dono...?''''


    ''I''m sorry. Um.....


    ''Even though it''s a Guild Saber license, you don''t have to be so nervous about it. My newly acquired skills will be here.


    Indeed, as a Guild Saber, her license is different in shape from the explorer''s. I changed my mind and asked her to show me the list of skills that Seraphina has.

 182 Episode 181 Skill Meeting 1

    Looking at the list of skills displayed on Seraphina''s license, I could see how she had been struggling to allocate skill points.


    ¡ôSkills acquired ¡ô.


    Skill Level 3.


    Aura Shield, oppressive march, Fanatic.


    Skill Level 2


    Shieldspary, Defense Force, Niououra, Fudo''s Breath, Provoke.


    Skill Level 1.


    Shield slam, counter tackle, defensive stance, bodyguard.


    Training Method 1: Medicinal Herbs Knowledge 1: Stoic


    Skills that can be acquired


    Skill Level 3.


    Aura Smite: Attacks with a shield. It is easy to become critical. Your attack power increases with the shield''s defense. Temporarily increased defensive strength is also reflected.¡¡Required Skills: Aura Shield, Shield Slam


    Breaching Charge: Brings up your shield and smashes through walls and other structures. If your shield is harder than the enemy''s armor, you can destroy it.¡¡Required Skill: Shield Slam


    Guardian Task: When you successfully guard, the damage you take is converted to an "Aura of Wallbreaker" and granted to a designated party member. You can also grant it to yourself. It cannot be used consecutively.¡¡Required Skill: Nioura


    Forced Entry: You can set up your shield and advance by flicking enemies off. Delays enemy attacks in a certain area for a very short time.¡¡Required Skill: March of Suppression


    Skill Level 2


    Riot Guard: knocks the enemy back significantly and slows them down when they successfully defend.


    Prepare to Intercept: invites the enemy to attack, and the more people who fight back at the same time, the more damage you inflict.


    One-on-One 1: Train in town with a designated member to gain experience.¡¡Required Skills: training method 1


    Training Method 2: Experience is increased when performing actions related to muscle strength at a party.¡¡Required Skills: training method.


    Submission 2: After putting the enemy in ''captivity'', the attack power is greatly reduced. Can only be activated bare-handed.¡¡Required Skill: Submission 1


    Ground Seeker: improves the ability to search for enemies in a prone position, making their presence less likely to be detected.


    Medicinal Herb Knowledge 2: When mixing herbs and herbs, the effect is greater. Efficiency of production per material is increased.¡¡Required skill: Knowledge of Medicinal Plants 1


    HEAVY EQUIPMENT KNOWLEDGE 2: Enhance the performance of heavy armor when equipped with it.¡¡Required Skills: Heavy Armor Knowledge 1


    Sidearm: Allows you to equip an auxiliary weapon such as a dagger.


    Skill Level 1.


    Submission 1: A joint move puts the enemy into a ''bound'' state. It can only be used bare-handed.


    Iron Head: Attacks with a head-butt and grants a stun.


    Shock Absorb 1: Reduces impact-related attacks.


    Troop Lead: Prevents party members from losing track of you until you move to your destination.


    Delayed Retreat: Delays enemy pursuit by acting as a decoy when fleeing.


    Minesweeper 1: You can sometimes be able to see through the types of traps buried in the ground.


    Heavy Armor Mindset 1: When equipped with heavy armor, you can extract a bit more performance from it.


    Patriot: When acting in conjunction with a vehicle, you can anticipate attacks aimed at the vehicle and prioritize skills used to counterattack or defend against it.


    Remaining Skill Points: 8


    She has acquired many skills in order to serve as a frontline fighter and catch enemy attacks. However, among the unacquired skills, there was one left that could further enhance her defense.


    ''''Isn''t this ''Heavy Equipment Know-How'' still being taken to save points? Since Seraphina-san is heavily armed, I think it''s quite effective.''''


    ''When I first came to the Labyrinth Country... when I went up to level 2 and chose a skill, I took the skill ''Knowledge of Medicinal Plants'' so that I wouldn''t be wounded and retreat from the front line for too long, instead of ''Knowing how to wear heavy armor''...'' ...Once the potions became available for purchase, it became a skill that I didn''t have much use for.


    It''s not uncommon for us to choose one of two options and then fail to get the other. We have skills that we don''t get, even though we feel they have merit, too.


    The other reason is that if we could fortify our defense without relying on skills, that would be ideal...


    ''I see, if you can improve your defensive abilities without skills, then you can save some skill points. I think it would be good to improve your basic physical abilities and then add more skills on top of that... ''Knowledge of medicinal herbs'', can you identify plants that can be used as medicines?


    ''''Yes, although only rudimentary medicinal herbs will be found in ''Knowledge of Medicinal Herbs 1'', it is possible to find medicinal herbs in the labyrinth. But more importantly, in order to carry out this mission, I think we should acquire skills that can contribute to the operation...


    The nature of the occupation of ''mobile infantry'' and the aptitude that Seraphina-san herself has. If that is reflected in the skills that can be acquired, it''s no wonder that there are things related to ''training'' other than ''defense''.


    (''One-on-one'' and ''training methods''.......does Seraphina-san also have the qualities of an instructor?)


    Ryoko-san was also a ''swimming instructor'' by profession, so she seems to have the qualities of an instructor. We didn''t have a chance to be introduced to the skills of the ''Four Seasons'', but I''m sure she chooses her skills with the same worries as we do.


    ''''I think it''s best to take ''Heavy Armor Know-How'' to 2 first. It will always increase your defense, and there won''t be many situations where this will be a disadvantage.


    ''Yes, sir. Then I''ll spend three points and get you up to ''The Heart of Heavy Armor 2''.


    ''''I think ''knowledge of medicinal herbs'' is also very useful, so it''s difficult to decide whether to raise it to 2... but... as Seraphina-san said, can I have you prioritize the skill as a defensive trump card?


    ''Yes, sir. No need to say ''opinion'', just relax your shoulders.


    I haven''t been able to switch it up very well either - it''s an honor for me to want to be treated by Frank, so I''ll have to adjust to it somehow.


    ''''This ''submission'' sounds good for stalling enemies in close proximity. Does that mean you have some martial arts knowledge, Seraphina-san?


    ''Yes, I had the opportunity to learn martial arts before my reincarnation. It was part of my training course, and I''ve had a few real fights.


    This means that not only is she a shield user, but she is also strong without a weapon - a strength of the military, or a profession where self-defense skills are essential. Anyone can learn martial arts, though, so some explorers may have a civilian background, but they may be skilled.


    ''''Since it is unlikely that there will be a situation where I will be able to let go of my shield, I decided that this skill will not be needed as often as it should be, so I did not obtain it until now. Is it conceivable that this skill would be effective against the ''monkey lord''?


    ''It''s possible. The joint technique would be somewhat effective for any type of articulated demon... but there''s a risk if it doesn''t get through. It could be that approaching them without a shield is dangerous, though.


    A combination of "Forced Entry" and "Submission 1" could be considered, but you''d have to go bare-handed after "Forced Entry". Even if they were to cover up with other members, it would not be practical to carry a shield on their backs or discard it in front of the enemy.


    ''''The combination of bottoming out the offensive power of ''Aura Smite'' with ''Heart of Heavy Armor 1'' might also be effective as a means of attack. But if at all possible, it''s better to have separate roles for attackers and defenders.


    ''''Then should I get the ''Guardian Task''? The use of this will reduce the risk for Elitia-dono to enter the bosom of the enemy. The fact that you can grant yourself an ''Aura of Defense'' in some cases will also be useful.


    ''Breaching Charge'' and the like are also good skills that I can imagine using, so if I can pick a skill to take in battle... I don''t seem to have enough grace in the fight to say that. It really troubles me.


    The skill of breaking a wall by holding up a shield and hitting it with your body - it seems to be useful in siege battles, but it is currently impossible to determine if breaking a wall is a viable tactic. There is a possibility that you can use ''Queen''s Tail'' to do the same thing, but if you can, you''ll want to use it to attack the main body of the ''Monkey Prince''.


    ''''Then I''ll keep track of the skills and acquire them as I determine them during the mission.


    Thank you. I may ask you to get it from me.


    I understand. I don''t feel that we have any problems with cooperation in combat at the moment, so I hope we can work to reduce the load on Aricht-dono.


    Serafina-san says so and holds out her right hand - does that mean she wants to say hello again?


    When you shake hands with her, her hand, which is still not wearing a small hand, is more slender than I imagined. However, I feel a sense of strength that I would know I would lose in a normal arm-wrestling match.


    ''Lastly, if you don''t mind, may I ask you something?''


    Yes, I''m at your service.


    What effect does this ''stoic'' skill have...


    I''ve always been curious about it, but I wasn''t sure if I should ask because I felt like I was getting sidetracked.


    Serafina-san - squeezed the hands on her knees, and her face gradually became redder and redder.


    ''''Oh no, I was just wondering about you for a moment, so I''m sorry.''''


    ''''When I first came to the Labyrinth Country, I was searching for a lot of things... although I''d like to think that those skills are still useful. It''s like a godsend, and I''m sorry I was so inexperienced.


    With that, Seraphina operated the license after a bit of hesitation and showed it to me.


    ¡ôSeraphina''s skill details ¡ô


    Stoic: Continuing to live an ascetic lifestyle will increase your ability values in general and reduce your chances of suffering from some conditions.


    ''Such a skill........Seraphina, that''s why you don''t drink, isn''t it?


    We don''t know the details of what constitutes abstinent behavior. But we do know that he is currently less susceptible to the condition, and we know that he is in good physical condition.


    I''m sure there''s a lot more to abstinence than just cutting out alcohol and other preferences, but we shouldn''t try to ask too much about that.


    ''''...........''''


    Theresia doesn''t say anything, but she''s getting subtly redder - I wonder if she also associates with that direction, after all. I''m starting to feel fiercely embarrassed for me.


    ''''........I think this skill is precisely what is appropriate for Arihito-dono.''''


    What...?


    No, no I''ll send someone else out to meet you.


    Serafina-san gets up from her seat and leaves the living room. If she refuses to entertain herself in order to activate her ''stoic'', does Seraphina-san originally like to drink alcohol - in this way, even though they may be together in battle and so on, there are things I don''t know about her on a daily basis! .


    There are entertainment districts in the labyrinth country, but how do other parties deal with such desires? Since I''m partying with women, I can''t afford to lose their trust in me, so even if I do have a drink once in a while, I don''t think I can have a night out by myself in principle.


    ''''.......Good evening.''''


    Good night, Igarashi-san. Let''s have a quick meeting....


    I get up from the couch to greet Igarashi-san, but she looks somewhat uncomfortable after she sits down to face me.


    ''''Ko, kohon. Rear-kun, Serafina-san seems to be calling you differently than she has been calling you, but...?


    Now that I''m officially a party member, I was asked to relax my shoulders.


    Oh, that''s right... the strength of your shoulders, you don''t really tease your shoulders that much, do you?


    ''Well this is my take on it, but I think it''s just that a frank relationship is easier to work with.


    Yes, yes, I know that''s what you meant. You can call it Frank or friendly. I think it''s better that way.


    Igarashi-san was talking without looking at me at all while crossing her arms. When I looked at Theresia, she also nodded her head as if she was wondering.


    ''''Well it''s a party, so we should all get along with each other, or is it... fair?¡¡I mean, that''s why I, you know, I know it''s weird to say that now, but...


    She says in a small voice, glancing at me. It''s like I''m being checked, weakly intimidated by something, what is this?


    ''............''


    I couldn''t just keep asking Theresia for help - I thought about it.


    I finally realized what Igarashi-san was trying to say. It''s too late for me, or perhaps I don''t have an ounce of delicacy - but there''s no way I can cut it out myself.


    We''ve been partying for a long time now, so why don''t we call each other by our names Frankly - and so on.


    Even now, if I''m not careful, I''m afraid I''ll end up calling her "Chief". Respecting her as my boss is a habit that will continue even after my reincarnation.


    What a joke, as expected, I know that it would ruin my relationship with Igarashi-san. Igarashi-san, who mumbled ''fairly,'' would not be offended by being called a lower name. I''d like to think not.


    ''''Uh, yeah. Kagami.........''''


    ''........Oh. I''m sorry, I''m sorry, Theresa is here too but it''s an important meeting to choose your skills, so we need to focus on it.


    The timing was off to the hilt - when I was ready, this is it.


    ''''...?¡¡What''s up, Rear-End. Were you just going to say something?


    No, it''s fine. Thank you again for your hard work today, Igarashi-san.


    You too. We went to a big bathhouse, but there are also bubble baths, electric baths and herbal baths. Each district has its own unique sand bath.


    That''s something I''d like to get into.


    After defeating the monkey marquis, Theresia should be able to go to the bathhouse with everyone else this time.


    It''s possible that the level could be increased during the preparation period, but that''s not an absolute. We have to make the most of the skill points we have at the moment - it seems that Igarashi-san is the same, and she unusually tied her hair back and changed into the face of ''Chief Igarashi'' who was going to the meeting for the first time in a long time.

 183 Episode 182 Skill Meeting 2

    ''Hmmm ... it''s a bit hot. I wonder if the desert and other wards with many labyrinths are affected in any way.


    Igarashi-san tugs and flaps at her chest, but the gesture seemed to come naturally. I''d be honored if she was forgiving of me, but the cleavage was so deep that I don''t need to think about it now, and I''m furious at myself for almost attracting her gaze.


    ''Rear, what''s up?¡¡I''d look up and ... oh no, is there a bug in the ceiling or something?


    ''No, no, not at all. I''m sorry, I just wanted to look up for some reason.


    ''Really?¡¡If you''ve got a stiff neck while you''re in a meeting or something, we can take a break for a bit.


    No, I''m fine. Thank you for your concern.


    Igarashi-san says, "Feel free to do so," and shows me her license. I knew it would be dangerous if she bent forward, so I reached out my hand and took it.


    Skills that can be acquired ¡ô.


    Skill Level 3.


    Windmill: The Windmill swiftly wields a spear to strike enemies around it. The number of attacks per unit will be increased if there are few enemies.¡¡Required Skill: Spinning Spear


    Skill Level 2


    Spinning Spear: When attacking, your blows will be strengthened by the amount you spin your spear.


    Bravely Song: Improves everyone''s attack power and morale. Release your allies'' fear. Required skill: Brave Mist


    Spearman''s Blessing: Disables enemy piercing attacks when activated.


    Thrower''s Blessing 2: Improves distance, strike, and accuracy when throwing the spear. Benefit from the "piercing attack". Required Skill: Throwing 1


    ¡î Earth Puppet: Borrowing the power of the earth spirit, the user generates an autonomous mud puppet that acts autonomously. It has no offensive abilities, and its strength and defense depend on the user''s ability. Required Skill: Decoy Puppet


    Einherjar: Can be used against an enemy that is disabled. Reduces the target''s hostility and allows you to add it to your team the next time you can act. Only works on humanoid targets. The success rate depends on the difference between the user and the target.


    ¡î Pole Dance: You can activate it while equipped with a long-handled weapon. Agility and evasion rate increase for a set amount of time. You may charm an enemy while avoiding an attack. Cannot be used consecutively. Required Skill: Warrior Girl''s Enchantment 1


    Skill Level 1.


    War Maiden''s Glossy Dance 1: When an enemy is of the opposite s*x, a low percentage of attacks will be canceled.


    Penetrating Strike 1: When equipped with a spear, a portion of the blow will ignore the enemy''s defense.


    Freeze Thorn: Freezes the enemy''s legs, slowing them down.


    Bullet Repellent 1: Makes it slightly harder for enemies'' indirect attacks to hit you.


    Throwing 1: Throws a spear to attack. Throwing 1: Throws a spear to attack the target, increasing your accuracy compared to normal throwing.


    Freeze Weapon: Temporarily grants an ice attribute to the target weapon.


    Seishin no Stance: Unleash a certain percentage of an anomaly that disrupts concentration. Your next attack will become a critical strike once.


    Remaining Skill Points: 3


    A quick look at the variety of skills is astonishing - there are skills from "War Maiden" and skills that seem to be derived from Igarashi''s original characteristics. The ''Kiyohama no stance'' is probably the stance of the naginata.


    The fact that this stance can be taken with 1 skill point is an unbeatable deal. The true value of this is demonstrated when you equip a weapon that produces a special effect when it is critical - a weapon like Fobidoun Sais that can take down an enemy with a single hit when it is critical is a spear-type weapon, or a warrior maiden (Valkyrie). When you come out with a long-handled weapon that seems to be your forte, there is no reason not to take this stance.


    The problem is still the allocation of points. The acquisition point for ''Kiyohama no Stance'' is 1, but even that 1 point has to be carefully allocated.


    ''''Oh, there''s a skill level 3 coming up it looks like it says something strong, but if you take it, you''ll lose points.''''


    ''''It''s a pretty powerful offensive skill. If the ''Windmill'' has more than five attacks, you can expect it to be quite powerful if used against a single demon.


    ''I wonder if Windmill is a windmill.......it''s going to be a somewhat flashy attack. You have to take the ''Spinning Spear'' as a necessary condition, so it looks like you''ll have to forgo it this time. What we can take with the current point........


    Igarashi-san may not be aware of it, but it may be that her chest is heavy, but she is leaning forward while supporting it with her hands - it''s probably not her imagination that she feels Teresia''s gaze stinging.


    ''Pole dancing'' and all that. I''ve been in the dance club and the Cleave club, but I''ve never done anything of this sort before.


    ''No, no, I''m not expecting that to happen...''


    The way you put it, it sounds like you don''t expect me to do it at all. I know, I know, what''s written seems to work against this enemy. And if the fascination succeeds, we might not have to fight those people who were made to be the ''Monkey Prince''s Gentlemen''.


    I''m sure that this "Einherjar" will be very effective, although the conditions are strict, as long as it avoids engaging in conflict with the manipulated searchers. And I think humans would be included in the ''human-shaped target''.


    A bipedal demon would not fall under the category of "humanoid", nor would a monkey or orc - but a "human" or "subhuman" would certainly be a target.


    If you take a skill that is limited in its effectiveness, it lacks versatility. In this case, a great effect can be expected, but Igarashi has other powerful skills, so this is a problem.


    In order to defeat a powerful demon like the Marquis de los Mu?oz, should I increase the maximum instantaneous attack power of the entire party, or should I avoid engaging the Marquis de los Mu?oz''s Attendants and rescue them at the same time? If you can''t defeat the Marauder of Monkeys, they are of equal priority.


    Should I hold off on using the Earth Puppet to draw the enemy''s attackers, for now? Or should I decide what role I want to ask for, and then improve my skills in the search before going into battle with the "Monkey Prince"?


    (What you decide now could make a decisive difference. Since he can''t make a single wrong move, should he hold off while there''s still time to do so? (It''s possible that Igarashi-san''s level could go up one more level.


    Is there one that I should definitely take? After thinking about it, I pointed to the lowest skill.


    ''''This ''Seishin'' stance,'''' like the ''Swarming Wolf Stance,'' is a potential target for my morale release.


    ''''Rear-kun''s morale release... I looked at the license records after the fight was over, and it''s about spreading the effects of a skill that makes everyone individually stronger to everyone else.


    ''Yes. The conditions for activating my morale release would be when I''m injured. In a fierce battle, that kind of opportunity would come naturally...


    In the middle of talking, Igarashi-san looks up and stares at me. These eyes - angry and not so angry, a look of condemnation.


    ''''Just like Rear-kun is boosting our morale, we may have skills to boost your morale too. If it''s not a skill, but some other way I won''t let you call your injury collateral damage when you find it.


    ''I''m sorry ... but is it collateral damage? I had no idea that the words you see in the movie would apply to me.


    You''ve already got enough to get through a crisis like the hero in the movie. But the difference is that it''s our actions that determine whether we survive or not.


    Most of all, they have to live - to rescue Luury and break Theresa''s spell.


    Still, it''s not easy to divide them. When I think that there may be searchers who have lost their friends like Elitia and are unable to move forward, I can''t help but wonder if we can''t save them.


    ''''Well I think the whole strategy is important, but if I had the skills to protect you, I''d take that as a priority. I''m sure everyone else has that as well.


    Thank you, Igarashi-san.........


    It''s for the best, considering from


    Igarashi-san says something embarrassing, but when she realizes that her face is reddening, she coughs and raises herself up and leans back against the back of the sofa.


    ''So... which skill should I take? There''s a lot of options, so do I hold off for now?


    ''If you look closely, there''s one skill I haven''t taken on yet that''s a morale booster. ''Bravely Song,''


    Oh I''m sorry, I must have missed that.


    ''''But I can take charge of raising morale with my skills. The morale release can only be used once in a single search, so using skill point 2 is something to think about.


    ''Well then, shall we consider whether to take ''Einherjar''?


    Yes, but I would like to save the Kiyohama stance or the Bulletproof 1 at this stage. But at this stage, I''d like to take the ''Kiyohama no Stance'' or ''Bulletproof 1''.


    ''Eh....''


    Aside from "Seishin no Stance," "Danbuyoke 1" was surprisingly well received by Igarashi-san.


    He said, "Mr. Igarashi-san is also one who is reckless in times of need. I wanted him to have some skills that would be useful in his defense.


    W........Oh, I was still angry about that.......?


    It''s a powerful weapon, but when you attack it, you also get wounded by it, ''Ambivalents''. Igarashi-san''s discarded attack with it saved the party, but there was something I couldn''t help but think about at the time.


    Igarashi-san could sacrifice himself for the sake of the party. When you are in a situation that makes you do so, you don''t always get through it safely.


    ''I can''t say I''m angry, that''s such an offensive thing to say. I just wanted to say that just as Igarashi-san cares about me, so do I.''


    ''''I''m sorry ... no, no, is it the part where you say thank you?''''


    I would like to thank her for neither of those things - but she still seems to feel sorry for me when she was my boss, and there is still a part of her that is reserved.


    That''s why I wish I had been able to change what I called her at the right time earlier, but I''m not sure if I should cut it out again.


    ''''I think ''Ambivalents'' is a trump card and a weapon that can be used in the Fifth Ward. However, you have to be prepared for all the risks when you use it.


    ''Yes, well when you use your trump card, make it as powerful as possible. And make sure that your concentration is not disrupted when you use it. The Seima Stance, which can do both, is surely useful. But ''Bullet Repellent'' is fine, because I have other skills for evasion.


    Igarashi-san says that and gets the ''Seishin no Stance'' for me. He then smiles at me and Theresa and takes the cross spear hanging on the wall.


    With the blade wrapped in cloth to protect it, Igarashi-san holds the spear - with her body halfway down, her left hand on the spear and her right hand raised high. The blade of the spear is pointing downwards, but as you can see, it''s seamless, yet it''s a beautiful stand.


    ''''The ''Seima Stance'' is this form... but after taking the skill, it still feels like a strange power comes out of it.''''


    ''''No, it''s brilliant. The handling of the Cross Spear (Cross Spear) is similar to that of the Cleave, isn''t it?


    Igarashi-san puts her spear back on while blushing her cheeks in embarrassment. Theresia, who had been staring at her, quickly stood up, so I looked at her to see what she was going to do, and she tried to imitate Igarashi-san''s stance with nothing in her hand.


    ''You''ve been watching me very closely, Theresia-san. Thank you.''


    ..........


    Theresia nodded silently and sat down on the couch again. It seems that she''s no longer standing and watching over me, and she''s settled on sitting down and witnessing the meeting.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    Misaki and Suzuna came next - I was worried that they would get sleepy while waiting, but they both still look fine.


    ''''Huh~ Why are you so patient, big brother?¡¡When you''re talking to Kyouka''s sister after a bath, wouldn''t you normally have no patience with her?


    Um, that should give you some patience, right?


    Oh, you know what I mean?¡¡My brother has become so calm and collected, he''s as bad as ever,


    ''I''m sorry, Misaki-chan, I''ve been fine while I''ve been waiting...''


    Suzuna seemed to be having a hard time, but she could somehow guess why Misaki was so excited.


    ''Maybe Elitia would feel more energized if she saw Misaki too. No, it''s not like she can''t help but come out.......I wonder.


    ''Yeah, I don''t mean that as a question, but I definitely want you to feel better, okay?¡¡But that doesn''t make me frolic, because I''m always like this.


    ''Haha that''s certainly true.


    ''Oh, smile like that. Isn''t your brother a bit mean today?


    Of course, I don''t mean to do that, and I consider that kind of thing in Misaki to be an irreplaceable virtue.


    And for Misaki and Elitia, who are the same age as me, Suzuna is a literal pillar of mental support for Misaki and Elitia, as she steps back and watches from the back - not something I should be willing to say as an adult, but her composure keeps me grounded too.


    ''Mr. Aricht, we were also looking at the new skills in our own way and trying to figure out which one to choose.


    ''Thanks, I''ll take your input to the best of my ability.


    ''Then we''ll start making decisions, Suzu. I''m going to feel like a cameraman watching over the two of them until I''m asked for my opinion.


    ''I''d like them to look at me normally if they could. I''m not used to having a camera pointed at me.


    Huh, I''m getting more and more comfortable with your calm demeanor.


    Suzuna smiled softly at Misaki''s joke and showed me her license.


    ¡ôSkills that can be acquired ¡ô.


    Skill Level 2


    Exorcism 2: Effective against immortal demons. Required skill: Exorcism 1


    Miko Dance: Draws the opponent''s attention to the dance. Evasion rate increases.


    Inviting Soul: Draws the soul of the target person. It can only be used while the soul is away from the body.


    The spirit of the designated person in the party is transferred to another person. Required Skill: Mediumship.


    ¡î Celebration: Add a ward to all members of the party to reduce attacks by immortal monsters.


    The Evil Spirit: Reduces or interferes with an abnormality that causes the party to lose control of their actions, or interferes by activating it beforehand. Required Skills: Exorcism 1, Purification.


    Skill Level 1.


    The arrow is shot upwards, hitting the enemy on a parabolic path.


    This will add the sacred attribute to the arrow when used with the bow.


    Purification: Adds the sacred attribute to those who are immersed in the water with you.


    Prayer: The entire party''s success rate will increase slightly.


    Oracle: When the party is blessed by a god, they will receive an oracle. The content of the oracle depends on the god. Cannot be cast consecutively.


    Remaining Skill Points: 3


    Suzuna looks over at Theresia and looks a little apologetic.


    ''I was wondering if my profession might be able to learn a skill like breaking Teresia-san''s curse... is it impossible to learn it at my current level, or is it impossible for my profession to break the curse?


    ''I think there''s a profession that has the skills to break the curse, a profession. That''s what Celes-san said.......and Suzuna has a role that only Suzuna can play. Let''s keep that part in mind in a positive way.


    Yes thank you, Mr. Aricht.


    Suzuna was hoping to be able to break the curse with her own skills, and for that alone, she was grateful.


    ''Suzu''s skills are sneaky, the effects are all so cool. But I don''t want to encounter ''immortal demons'' too much - they look like they could be in a zombie movie.


    ''''I had Suzuna take the ''Word Spirit'' from me before, and I was able to defeat the ''Merciless Decapitation'' with it. Depending on how you take your skills, I think you can become an expert against immortal demons, but you also have other unique and excellent skills, so I''d like to balance them out.


    I''m wondering what kind of skill level 3 is for Suzuna - I''d like to have another level, and I''m feeling particularly strong about this meeting.


    ''''Can I keep the ''oracle''?¡¡Ariadne-sama is our guardian deity, so we want to be ready to receive the oracle as a ''priestess''.


    ''Is this different from talking to Mr. Ariadne in a normal way?''


    It seems that there may be an effect that can only be obtained by using the ''oracle'', which is probably different from using the ''medium'' as well, but as an example, you can''t know unless you use it.


    There is also a way to ask Ariadne herself with the ''Spiritual Medium'' - and when I thought about it, Suzuna''s cheeks were blushing for some reason.


    ''''Oh, what''s wrong Suzu, is it hot?¡¡Even my ears are red.


    I''m going to go get a little wind outside.


    Oh, yeah. Good job, Suzuna.


    Suzuna gets up from her seat and leaves while Misaki looks at her curiously - not that she''s angry, but she was smiling at Misaki, so she seems to be fine. She doesn''t have to worry about going out at night, as she seems to just go out on her bedroom balcony.


    ''I guess I got carried away by the heat of the meeting, my brother''s passion for it.


    ''It''s not like that, is it?¡¡Yeah, but ... maybe he remembered what I asked him to do before.


    What is it?¡¡My brother asked Suzu for a favor without telling her........well, that''s.......


    I can somehow see that Misaki''s imagination has developed in an extraordinary direction. However, there''s nothing to be sorry about, so it won''t be a problem to explain it.


    ''''In order to get Ariadne''s help, I need to raise her ''faith value''. Dude, what''s up?


    Suzu-chan, if you do that with your brother........no, it''s fine. I sincerely wish for my friend''s happiness.


    ''No, I just had my back turned and used my skills.


    ''Oh my God, what are you talking about, from the back or something!¡¡Your brother had a back fetish!¡¡I''m not sure I can see very well what''s going on with my back!


    ..........


    Theresia, who had been watching quietly, put her hand around her own back - I wonder if she was curious, too. As far as I could see, it was a beautiful white back, with no parts covered in lizardman scales.


    ''Don''t worry, Theresa, you don''t have to worry about it. Misaki shouldn''t be too mischievous either.


    ..........


    ''Yes. I like the way you said it now, like my brother is now a teacher. Arihito-sensei, my skills are like this now. Please advise me on what to do!


    Ibuki had said ''teacher'' too, but I wonder if it was associated with her suit. With that in mind, he looked down at her license to avoid distracting Misaki, who was finally ready to get down to business.

 184 Episode 183 Skill Meeting 3

    Misaki, who was sitting across from me, had some ideas, and when I started to look at my license, she got up from her seat and sat down next to me.


    ''It''s easier to see it this way. Ehehe, no offense, okay?


    I think it''s an altruistic intention to look happy in some way, but I won''t go into details.


    Skills that can be acquired ¡ô.


    Skill Level 2


    Extra Turn: Allows a designated party member to take one action on behalf of a party member.


    ¡î Pot Limit: If the target is fatally damaged by a demon attack, it can be reduced to the extent that it is not rendered incapable of combat. The user receives half of the reduced damage as a proxy. Can only be used once per search.


    Skill Level 1.


    Russian Roulette 1: Halves the health of any opponent you hit, regardless of who is on your side.


    Poker Face: Prevent your opponent from being able to read your emotions.


    Lucky Prediction 1: sense the direction of good things to come.


    Coin Toss: Have your teammates guess the flip side of a coin, and a hit will increase your luck.


    Small Bets: Share your strength and magic with others during battle. After you win, you will recover twice as much.


    Double Draw: Use a card-based weapon to attack twice at once.


    Gambit: If a coin toss reveals the reverse side of the toss, instead of forcing the enemy to attack first, you will limit the enemy''s initial action to a normal attack. Required Skill: Coin Toss


    Picklotry: The rate of discovery of rare materials increases when performing a gathering action in the maze.


    Remaining Skill Points 3


    But there are so many tricky ones that I''m getting confused all the time.


    Once again, being a ''gambler'' is a profound profession. It''s a difficult skill to replace.


    ''Oh, no, no, no, no, I get carried away easily when I''m praised like that. But please give me more praise.


    Misaki nods her head slightly toward me - does that mean she wants me to pet her head? I feel like I''m being too lenient, but I lightly pat her with a pat.


    ''''Huh~.......Brother, that''s a very soft touch. But isn''t it a little too short?


    ''Well, well, I''m not used to it...''


    Maybe to me, though. Hey, Miss Theresa.


    ..........


    Theresia, who has been staring at us, has her hand on the head part of the skull mask. Somehow I can feel what she''s thinking, and even I get embarrassed.


    ''Kohon that''s enough of a derailment. Which skills do you think are essential for Misaki?


    I feel like I''m not making the most of the skills I have now. Afterwards, I wish I had used it earlier. It''s a good thing I got the ''magic number'', but I''ve never used it yet.


    Well, it''s like a party game skill, and being able to give orders to your friends, there are only so many places you''ll be able to use it.


    Misaki was Misaki, and she seemed to find a lot of things to reflect on after the search.


    Many of her skills have an effect that it''s not a bad idea to use them for now. Combining ''Dice Trick'' and ''Lucky Seven 1'' would definitely have some benefit.


    It seems that there will be more dice-related skills in the future, but they don''t seem to be available at the moment. All of them are likely to be effective depending on how they are used - ''Pot Limit'' is effective in a tight situation, but the drawback is that misaki is injured.


    "''Gambit'' - this seems to be useful, but it requires a ''coin toss'' and the risk of being attacked first?


    In some cases, it seems to be a perfect fit. But there''s something about the style of a level 2 skill that says it''s the one... ''Pot Limit'' isn''t it bad?


    Misaki touched the skill herself. She moved her fingers to do the operation to acquire it, then stopped with a giggle.


    ''It makes me nervous when you look at me with such a serious face!


    That skill is a skill to cover for the other members of the team when they are mortally wounded but I don''t think Misaki will be safe either.


    A blow that would take all of your physical strength, and half of it instead - that means that when Misaki defended a member with high physical strength, she too was in danger of losing her life.


    ''I''ve never been in pain or anything like that before. No, if someone does something that involves all of us, I''m in a panic right away. But even for someone like me, when I got my brother''s feather stuck in the eighth district, I felt like I wanted him to share half of that pain. That''s why I think this skill came into play.


    "...just because you''re a gambler doesn''t mean you have to make that kind of bet.


    ''Haha, I want to be my brother''s shield too!¡¡And then I scored some points.


    I''m joking, but if I leave a point, Misaki is going to get a ''pot limit'' to use when her friends are in a tight spot.


    ''Skills that can be used in a pinch are important, but I think it''s important to learn skills that are versatile, too.


    "Consistency?


    It''s a skill that will come in handy on a daily basis.


    Misaki clapped her hands together as she wrote the kanji on the table. It wasn''t like she didn''t know, but it was always the case that she suddenly couldn''t get it out of her memory.


    ''Versatility, versatility... eh, so this looks good then?¡¡"Picklotry.


    Lottery is a lottery, I believe. Does it make it easier to find the right one when you collect the materials? Sounds good for sure.


    It''s that thing, like a pig looking for truffles...


    ''It''s not so much that my nose works, but that it makes it easier for me to find out where the good material is by intuition.


    Ooh, Misaki exclaims in admiration. I''m guessing too, so I don''t know if he''s right.


    ''I''m thinking of going to get some ''Silver Sand'' to strengthen my equipment, so ''Picklotry'' will be useful.


    Okay, I''ll take it then. What?¡¡........Kun-kun, I found a treasure!


    I don''t appreciate that kind of goofy stuff...


    Misaki leans toward me and puts the tip of her nose close to my second arm. I don''t think there''s anything wrong with being sniffed in particular, but when I think about it, the problem is more when someone sees me - and then my eyes meet with Theresia''s.


    ''''..........''''


    ''Oh, Miss Theresa is looking at me like she can smell her brother!¡¡Do you want me to give you a sniff?¡¡Yes!


    ''I don''t have a choice Misaki, but don''t raise the tension unnecessarily.


    When he taunted her, Misaki flicked her tongue out to scare him and stood up from the couch.


    ''Can''t we see your skills today, Melissa?''


    ''I''ll go to the storage room later and see how things are going. I''d better have a meeting with you tonight.


    ''Roger.¡¡Good night.


    Ha ha, good night.


    Sometimes I think that girls who use gyaru-speak must be extremely quick-witted, don''t you think? It''s not the time for me to be in a complicated state of mind, wondering if I''m getting old enough to think that way.


    ''''..........''''


    Theresia got up and tried to move to the couch I was sitting on - somehow she went behind the couch and came around and then sat across from me.


    ''Hmm, what''s up?''¡¡Would it be easier to talk in person?


    ..........


    Theresia nodded back. If that''s the case, I don''t mind too, but it looked like she was trying to come over here once, but I guess it was just my imagination.


    So far, there has been no change in physical condition due to the curse mark. I know that worrying about it excessively would be a burden, but it''s always in the corner of my mind.


    ''''Well let me display Teresia''s new skills.


    Kokoro and Theresia nodded again. I manipulated the license and placed it sideways so that it could be seen by both me and Theresia.


    Skill Level 3.


    ¡Áx Lizard Skin 2: A subhuman''s unique skill. For a certain amount of time, the sub-human will "transform" and its attribute resistance will change greatly depending on the sub-human''s characteristics. While transforming, you can use your unique attack skills.


    ¡ÁScapegoat: Change an attack or skill that has been targeted at you to target someone else.


    Skill Level 2


    Hydeviper: A unique skill of the sub-human. If you attack while hidden, you can stall your opponent.


    Hide: Makes you completely unnoticeable until you attack the enemy. Required Skill: Silent Walking


    Pick Pocket 2: You may be able to steal multiple possessions without your opponent noticing. Required skill: pick pocket 1.


    Trap Detection 2: Gain the special vision to see through traps. Required Skill: Trap Detection 1


    Anti-Body: Abrogates a certain percentage of poison and other status disorders, increasing attack power and speed for a certain amount of time.


    Weapon Bite: Stop an enemy''s weapon attack and snatch it from the enemy if it succeeds.


    Reverse End: If you successfully parry an attack, a counterattack always hits and doubles in power. Required Skill: Reverse Grip


    ¨‹ Evil Dominate: Automatically acquired when the Curse Erosion is completed. It is removed from the party it belongs to and becomes subordinate to the user of the spell. Progress: 8.


    Skill Level 1.


    Pick Pocket 1: You may be able to steal designated possessions without your opponent being aware of it.


    Reverse Grip: Allows you to escape from a restraint.


    Reverse Grip: Hold a light blade in your reverse hand. You will have an increased chance of a critical strike. Equipping two weapons increases the attack power.


    If you attack while the enemy is fleeing, you will steal materials from them.


    Skill Points: 3 (¨‹2)


    .....


    When he saw the display, he couldn''t help the anger that was brewing in his chest.


    The curse of the Shining Monkey Prince is interfering with the most important skills of a searcher, and it''s trying to take away their freedom.


    I was unaware of this fact until I checked Theresia''s skills, and I was relieved to see that she hadn''t changed just by looking at her from the outside.


    ..........


    Theresia didn''t mention the ''Evil Dominate'' item, but pointed to the ''X'' on the skill level 3 skill.


    ''The same indication appeared on Elitia''s skills. It seems that being cursed limits the skills you can acquire.''''


    Theresia was looking at the license as it was, but she looked at me and nodded at me.


    She then continued to point to the ''Reverse Grip'' and ''Reverse End'' skills.


    Even now, the attacking skills are well-developed. With her skill points not being free, she''s not originally in a hurry to acquire them - but she''s still trying to strengthen herself as an attacker.


    The words didn''t come out of her throat right away. Thank you, or agreeing with Theresia''s opinion, all of which seemed like a beautiful thing to say.


    ''''..........''''


    ''....Yeah. Theresia took the back of ''Monkey Hou'', and if ''Hyde and Seek'' can be repaired, I can go around the back again and try to duplicate it with ''Assault Hit''. The ''Butterfly Dance'' activated by ''Butterfly Ring'' is also...


    Theresia can stand around and make use of it as she gets new equipment and learns skills. There''s no need for me to go into detail beforehand about how to make use of the skills.


    Even though I knew that, I couldn''t help but tell them. I also knew that was my weakness.


    ''''..........''''


    Theresia nodded again and acquired two skills. She must have already decided to play the role of an attacker.


    A skill that would prevent dangerous skills like the one possessed by the ''Monkey Prince''. Skills that would be used for defense, to keep away the danger of loss of life. He only wished that Theresia could acquire such a skill.


    "...they say the best defense is an attack. So it is, Theresa.


    ..........


    A faint smile appears on Theresia''s mouth. Is that emotion, which appears and disappears for just a moment, suppressed because of being a subhuman?


    ''Now I just have to figure out my own skills. Do you want something to drink, Theresia?''


    Even if I told her to rest, I''m sure Theresa wouldn''t sleep as long as I was awake.


    But this time Theresa doesn''t nod and stays that way. I''m going to start examining the skills, if that means I don''t need them now.


    Skills that can be acquired


    skill level


    ¡î¡ô¡Á*3: Skills with unknown details


    Eye of Hayabusa: The ability to understand the situation is improved and the ability to shoot is improved when you are in the rear row. Overtime occurs when the attacker hits a weak point of the enemy. Required Skill: Eagle''s Eye


    Skill Level 2


    Back Slip: You can act for a short time faster than the opponent in front of you.


    Back Order: If you are short on magic, you can ask your friends to share it with you.


    Assisted Doll: Enables you to strengthen the golems created by your allies in front of you.


    Backdoor: Enables you to obtain information about the enemy at all times when retreating. Required Skill: Backstand


    Support Recovery 2: Applies a recovery effect to all companions in front of you. You can use this once every 30 seconds. Required skill: Support and Recovery 1


    Support Uplift 2: The morale of your comrades in front of you will gradually increase. Your party''s morale limit increases. Required Skills: Elevation 1


    Skill Level 1.


    Support Magic 1: Overlays the magic of the companion in front of you at 50% magic consumption and power.


    Evade Support 1: Invokes ''Absolute Evasion'' on the companion in front of you on rare occasions.


    Call for Support 1: Summons the party nearby as back up.


    Rear Front: Spends 5 points of magic to gain rear visibility for a set amount of time.


    Back Path: Deflects the attack to the rear. Can only be activated when there is a target behind you.


    Backdraft: Automatically counterattack when attacked from behind.


    Tactical Reload: Increases the speed of loading the ranged weapon with the next round and restores the magic power used in the previous round. Requirements: Use the magic skill of the ranged weapon frequently and be of a certain profession.


    Remaining skill points: 5


    (Is this another display error...?


    I can try to take out skills whose details are unknown, but for now, I''d prefer the skills that are definitely effective.


    I''d really like to get the Eye of Falcon, but I can''t take the chance without knowing what "overtime" is. If I can obtain the skill on a trial basis, I can use it once and try it out.


    ''Tactical Reload'', which allows you to recover magic power during combat in conjunction with my attack actions. By taking ''Support Restoration 2'' along with this, the risk of my magic power being depleted during battle would be greatly reduced.


    Support Elevation 2 will probably reduce the time it takes for your morale to reach its maximum value, and there may also be a positive effect from increasing your limit. However, even with "Support Elevation 1", you can still use Morale Release if you prepare in advance.


    I know that ''Support Magic 1'' and ''Support Evasion 1'' will also be useful if you take them. The other skills as well - but with a large number of unacquired skills, can you choose the ones you need at the last minute?


    ''''.........''''


    Hmm...?


    I was so focused that I didn''t notice that Theresa was gone in front of me.


    I was about to turn around to see if she had gone to the corner of the room again, when a hand was placed on my shoulder.


    ..........


    I''m sorry, I don''t know if I looked scared.


    I thought that Theresia was concerned and said so. Without looking at her expression and gestures, it was impossible to read Theresia''s thoughts.


    ''''Soooo........''''


    There''s a tickling breath on the back of my neck.


    It''s not like he''s breathing on me or anything. Theresia has her face close to the back of her neck and is doing something about it.


    If that''s what Misaki was thinking, if that''s what Theresia was thinking, what Misaki had said. What she did now -.


    ''Well, yeah. I took a bath, but it was a bit of a...


    ..........


    Theresa doesn''t answer. Normally she would have run away, but she doesn''t move from her spot, even when I turn around from my seat.


    Her mouth is visible through her skull mask. It moves to say something, but it doesn''t become a sound.


    ''''.........''''


    Suddenly Theresa bows her head as if she''s in a hurry.


    She always tries to take a bath with me and doesn''t listen to me. What is the purpose of her bowing her head now, such as it is?


    I need to tell her more, what I''m thinking. When I get up from the couch, Theresa still has her head down.


    ''You don''t have to apologize. You don''t have to shy away from things like that.


    ..........


    Theresia didn''t move immediately. When she raised her head in a show of fear, Theresia put her hand on her chest.


    Placing her hand on the lizard''s mask and stroking it, Theresia turns red as she remembers. Still standing still, Theresa drops her hand on her chest and touches my shirt.


    Still picking at my shirt, Theresa looks up at me. I let go of her hand, but Theresa doesn''t let go of it.


    ''You need to rest today, Theresa. I''ll be watching you.


    .....


    Theresa shakes her head. ''If I hadn''t said anything, you''d be watching me today while I slept, and I''d be spending less time sleeping myself.


    ''Despite what it looks like, I''m good at staying up all night. Wouldn''t it be cool if you fell asleep talking like that?


    ..........


    Once again, a smile appeared on Theresa''s mouth. This time it didn''t disappear as quickly.


    Our party lacks a profession that specializes in recovery. ''Supportive recovery'' and potions alone are not enough to cover the problem - it''s still unthinkable to not deal with this problem at all in the current situation. In fact, there was a predicament in which Suzuna''s magic power was nearly exhausted and she was unable to act.


    ''Support Recovery 2'' and ''Tactical Reload'' are acquired. Since it''s unlikely that my level will rise further before the battle with the ''Marquis of Monkeys'', even if I were to acquire it at the last minute, it would only be at skill level 2.


    ''''..........''''


    Well Theresa, I guess we''re done here.


    I''ve been trying to be modest, as he hasn''t let go of my clothes the whole time - but this time, instead of clothes, he gently pulls me by the arm and sits me down on the couch.


    ''.............


    This time, he rubbed my shoulders from behind. It''s an unusual way of squeezing and squeezing, but that''s why there was something calming about it.


    Something about feeling Theresa''s presence right behind me, as close as it was before. Maybe it was Misaki''s influence, or maybe she''d been wanting to do that all along.


    I don''t know which, but it seemed wild to say anything right now, so I decided to stay like this for a bit longer.

 185 Chapter One Hundred and Eighty-Four: Yearning

    I came to the storeroom because I wanted to decide today on the skills of the members who would be participating in the battle.


    Once outside of the quarters, I entered a box of transition doors nearby - a stone hut. This transfer door is used to move to the storage room that the party has signed up for, or the demon farm, and the destination changes depending on the key you use.


    ''''Alright ... let''s go.''''


    When I brought the key closer to the crystal on the door, the entire door emitted a faint light - and the crystal displayed ''Storage Room 5583'', which may mean the destination.


    Once inside, a different space is spread out, similar to the space you open the box in, but different. Whatever the principle of the space allocated to the storage room, there is a constant cold air coming in. It''s chilly, so Melissa must be wearing heavy clothes when she enters this place.


    From the back of the room, I can hear a thump, thump, thump - it''s late at night, but Melissa seems to be still working on the dismantling of the building.


    There''s nothing that looks like a light, it''s dim, but my eyes are slowly getting used to it. There''s a large magic circle at my feet - I wonder if it will be sent here when I use the key to the storage room outside to transfer it.


    I suddenly looked up at that thought, and I almost yelled out.


    At the back of the room, I saw a vaguely huge ice cube, a giant scorpion covered in a white shell - already half dismantled - and a middle-aged man with glasses, and a wildcat with lightly pigmented hair. The figure of a girl with eyes that look like that comes into view.


    ''Hey, isn''t it Aricht-san? I didn''t expect you to go out of your way at this late hour of the night.


    Thank you for your help.


    ''Oh, good job you''ve gone through so much demolition already.


    ''''Yes, it''s very hard, so I''ve managed to use my skills to cut it apart part by part. As for the tools, I borrowed a tool from the ores in District 5. The tips of these blades are made of a rare metal.


    Saying that, Rykerton-san showed me a ''chisel'' of sorts that he uses for carpentry work.


    Since Melissa has a hammer, it seems that the division of responsibility was for Rykerton-san to position the chisel and Melissa to hammer it in. If they were father and son, they would breathe perfectly.


    ''''........Each of the crusts is very heavy, and I don''t think we can use them for equipment without making some effort to reduce their weight. I took out the power source for shooting heat rays from the tail, which Ceres had asked me to do, here. It''s too big, too, and I''ll need some tools to carry it.


    Ceres said, ''The lingering light of the Queen Scorpion''. The armor on The Calamity''s chest has been stripped away and what was behind it has been removed. A number of wiring-like things made of some organic material are hanging down, but I wonder if connecting these to The Calamity''s ''Nine Tails'' will complete the ''Queen''s Tail''.


    Since Alfeca has a limited amount of time to materialize, we''ll have to think of another way to transport "Queens Tail" - the only thing I can think of at the moment is the cart that Madoka wanted.


    In terms of back-up support, Madoka has been asked to join us before. Her morale release ''effect item'' can also be a trump card for recovery, so I''ll be looking at getting her to cooperate in this operation as well.


    ''''But........Looking at it like this, it looks like some kind of complicated circuit.


    ''''Demons with special abilities may have some of their body''s organs directly resembling magical tools. Sometimes they hold it inside their bodies in the form of a magic stone, but this ''afterglow'' can be seen as being made up of multiple magic stones and the agencies that integrate them.


    ''I see........so it''s possible that you can recreate it as a magic tool?


    Just as it is difficult for machines to replace the functions of living things, it is not easy to achieve this, even if it is possible in theory. We learn not only the skills of dismantling, but also the skills related to magic tools, so we are always learning about making magic tools.


    After speaking eloquently, Rykerton-san takes off his glasses and wipes them with a cloth. He seems to be a bit of a maniac when it comes to magic tools - I''m also a person who likes to talk at length about things I like, so I understand the feeling.


    ''''Well your father is difficult to talk to sometimes.''''


    ''No, this is a faux pas. I felt like Alihit-san could understand the romance of the magic tools, so I just talked too much.


    ''No, it was an interesting story. So, Mr. Rykerton, does that mean you can''t use this part of the story?


    The head of The Calamity was removed intact before the chest shell was peeled off. Even though it was dismantled so boldly, something like oil, not blood, was spilling out - it was either not to be wasted or it was collected in a metal bucket.


    ''Oh, that part - look at this forehead. It''s covered with a coating of a different quality than the shell, but it seems to be filled with something like a magical stone. If you give us permission, we can take it out here.


    The magic stone...


    ''''...I can sense something that echoes the secret gods. Perhaps a divine artifact manipulant is buried inside.


    I can hear Murakumo''s voice. I asked Mr. Rykerton to carefully take out what was buried in The Calamity''s forehead - and he did.


    What was taken out was a stone the size of the palm of my hand. When I asked Rykerton-san to hand it to me, it takes on a pale blue glow - just like Murakumo said, it''s similar to the ''Broken Military Crystal'' or ''Ren Zheng Crystal''.


    ¡ô Giant Gate Crystal ¡ô


    We don''t have all the details, including the purpose of use.


    Invalid appraisal


    ''Thank you for finding us, Mr Rykerton. This is very important to our party.


    ''''Oh, that''s good to hear. When you take it out, it''s different from a magic stone.......I''ve never seen the material it''s made of. Is that something that is not processed and used as is?


    ''''Yes, this sword - which is also inlaid into the hilt of the Murakumo - has a counterpart in this stone.


    ''I see ... it''s a chilling story, it''s ...''


    Had Mr. Rykerton''s eyes once shone like this when he was an explorer?


    However, he huffed and smiled, returning to his usual calm craftsman''s face.


    ''''The dismantling of ''The Calamity'' will continue, and if we obtain new demonic materials while we are in the Fifth Ward, I will be in charge of dismantling it. Melissa, rest your body for the search.


    Okay, Dad. Good night, Dad.


    Melissa nodded and poured a drink from the canteen that had been placed with her on the table where the tools were placed and handed it to Mr. Rykerton, who poured it into a cup. Receiving it, Ms. Rykerton looked at her daughter with great care and then went back to the dismantling process.


    When they left the transfer hut and came to the front of the quarters, Melissa, who was walking ahead of them, turned around.


    ''....Melissa?


    The light from the streetlights of the magic tool flickered. Tears were running down Melissa''s illuminated cheeks.


    ''''Ah........''''


    Melissa puts a finger to her cheek in surprise, as if she''s not even aware of it herself.


    I have an idea as to why. Celes said that Melissa''s mother is in this Fifth Ward.


    ...I wonder if Mr. Rykerton is going to see his mother.


    Aricht did you know?


    Mrs. Ceres told me about it. Melissa told her mom....


    I didn''t need to ask if she wanted to see me. Melissa still wiped her tears and looked at me with reddened eyes - and shook her head.


    ''We''re explorers. Our respective goals are the most important thing...''''


    ''Well Melissa is with us and she''s grown up a lot more than she was before. I''m sure she can help her mom now.


    Maybe. But you can''t go to see him.


    ''It''s like ... I don''t want you to think I''m lonely or something.


    Melissa tries to say something - maybe she was going to say, "No, I''m not," she says.


    But she swallows the words and takes a shaky breath and nods her head in a perturbed way.


    I really want to go see him now. Still, I''m part of our party, so I keep my feelings to myself.


    ''''Well this is a very difficult time for both Theresa and Elitia. I can always go and see my mom.


    She''s calmer than her age, cooler than her age, and bold in battle. That''s the kind of girl I thought of Melissa as.


    That was totally and only superficially true. Melissa is companionable and is always concerned for Theresa and Elitia and everyone else. Deeper than I thought.


    ''Well I get it. I''m sure everyone would be happy to know how Melissa feels.


    Well I hope so. I think people are scared of me because I''m different ... and I like to take things apart.


    ''That''s not true at all. ''It was powerful when I saw it in the dark earlier, but I think dismantling it is a very important job. I think Melissa''s knife work is amazing to watch.


    ''''Well that''s too much of a compliment. I say that because Alihit is nice to everyone.


    I''m sorry I didn''t mean to offend you.


    I''m not trying to be nice and I''m not trying to force it, and that''s what I usually think. But if Melissa says so, I must be modest.


    --I thought that, but Melissa whispered in a whisper as she twirled her hair with her fingertips, glancing at me.


    ''''Well it''s a secret that I said Mom. If you do that, fine.


    ''Oh, yeah. Okay, if Melissa says so....


    What does she mean by "good" - for now, it''s definitely better to respect her wishes.


    ''I was so little when I was with my mum,''


    I guess that''s what you call your mother in front of me. I think it''s a good way for Melissa to call her mother, because I think it conveys how much she adores her mother.


    Thinking back to Mr. Rykerton''s story, Melissa has spent a very short amount of time with her mother since she was born. It took over a decade to come to this Fifth Ward, and yet we haven''t been able to return to our human form - I know that each explorer moves at a different rate, but I''m acutely aware of how quickly we''ve been able to get here, and how tremendously fortunate we''ve been to get here. .


    I don''t know of anyone else who has been able to go from sub-human to human before I got here, except Mr. Kuserka.


    --It took many sacrifices for me to become a human again.


    --Lord Atobe, would Lord Theresia be willing to risk so much for you?


    There was more to be accomplished than just reaching the great temple in the Fourth Ward, there was still more to be accomplished.


    Can Melissa''s mother, along with the party she belongs to, meet that requirement? Can we work together - is it conceited to think about it when we haven''t even managed to turn Theresa back into a human yet?


    ''I''ll be fine. Even your father is doing his best to trust your mother.


    Yeah. The three of us will see each other sooner or later, I''m sure. I believe that, too.


    Yes.


    Melissa nodded back and we walked into our quarters. I walked into the living room and found Theresa lying on the couch, and she woke up with a whimper.


    ''Sorry to wake you up, Theresa. I''m going to talk to Melissa in the living room about skills for a bit, but I hope it''s okay.


    ..........


    Theresia nodded her head in a persistent nod. I feel like I haven''t seen her asleep in a long time - or so I thought.


    Once she enters the kitchenette and comes out, Melissa holds out a glass of water to Theresia. It''s the one provided in the inn, but it''s a glass with a beautiful lapis lazuli color.


    ''''Because ... it looked a little hot.''''


    ..........


    The curse of the Monkey Prince has been eating away at Theresia in a way that is visible as a number on the license. Fortunately, the progress of the ''Ibildminate'' hadn''t changed in the time from earlier to now.


    Theresia seemed to have calmed down after drinking the water, but Melissa was right, it might be affecting her physical condition just because she couldn''t put it into words.


    Her anger at the Monkey Prince suddenly tried to paint over her emotions. I have to take him down as soon as possible, even if it takes a second.


    ''''..........''''


    Theresa touches her clenched fist. She strokes me gently, as if to say no.


    I finally loosen the strength in my fist and I sit down. Melissa offers me a glass of water as well, and when I drink it, my head gets cold.


    ''''Well you have to calm down and not let them have their way with you.


    Oh I''m sorry I was worried about you. I''m fine now.


    Melissa''s license is shown to me. She has a wide range of skills, and there are so many useful skills that she cannot obtain. Even if you don''t get them at this point, you need to keep the details in mind.


    Skills that can be acquired


    Skill Level 3.


    ¡î Shave off: Strips the opponent''s outermost armor, armor shell, and some defensive magic. The sharpness of the weapon used is greatly reduced. Stripped items may be available intact.


    Skill Level 2.


    Through a thousand pieces of paper: Ignore the target''s defense and attack. Limited to weapons used


    Scaling: When attacking a target, the enemy''s defense may be reduced. Required Skill: Cut off


    Hangman''s Cut: Attack by hanging the target up. The attacker is prone to local destruction. Required skill: Demolition Technique 1


    Scratch and Claw: Perform up to 8 consecutive combat attacks to inflict "bleeding". Required skill: Scratch


    Bone Crusher: Attacks with an additional blow attribute, regardless of weapon. This is more damaging than a normal attack.


    Loud Voice: Produces a threatening voice to deter opponents and damage their magical power.


    Ikizukuri: Causes a certain percentage of fish demons to be killed by a single blow when their health is reduced beyond a certain point.


    Sharpening Blades: Sharpen the blade with a tool to regain its original sharpness.


    Connoisseur 2: Evaluate the effects of a meal containing demonic ingredients on the spot. Required Skill: Connoisseur 1


    ¡î Dim Light and Dusk: Increased ability in dimly lit hours/environments, making it easier to succeed in a surprise attack.


    Skill Level 1.


    Silent Mu: Reduces the target''s hostility to you.


    Thorn Out: Destroys the "thorns" that occur in the terrain.


    Cat Language Comprehension: You will be able to understand the language of cats and cat-type demons.


    Scratch: Performs 2 consecutive attacks and inflicts "bleeding".


    Spinning and Landing: Will not be injured if you jump down from a height.


    Claw Sharpening: Increases attack power with claws. Uplifted status impairment will be restored.


    Poisoning: Detect if the food you eat is poisonous. Poisoning: Determines if there is poison in the food you eat.


    Prep: Treats food properly, increasing the food effect when cooked.


    Remaining Skill Points: 3


    Attack skills, skills related to blades, cooking-related skills, and skills derived from her traits - still, they all seem to be effective, especially ''Connoisseurship 2'' and ''Prep'', which, when acquired together, seem to make the dietary effects visibly more effective.


    However, a skill that plays a role that only Melissa can play is coming up at level 3. ''Scraping off'' - you can ''strip'' your opponent''s defensive skills, in other words, you can disarm them.


    Even if a powerful attack is possible, if the opponent uses a skill to prevent it, there is a danger of being stuck in a situation. If ''scrape off'' works as a way to break through that, it is an essential skill.


    ''I think it''s a good idea to join the attacker. I''ll pick a skill that gets stronger at different times, or any other skill that I think Arihito would like.


    With Catstep, Melissa has good evasive skills in the vanguard. It''s dangerous to be in front of them all the time, but she is well suited for the role of delivering blows in key areas.


    This ''scraping off'' could be the deciding factor in a fight, depending on its effectiveness. If possible, I''d like to save the points so that I can get it at any time.''''


    ''All right. I don''t think I''ll ever have to take any other skills if everyone else is here. And I won''t take any skills that can be replaced with equipment if I can help it.


    That''s something I''ve been aware of in the past, and Melissa understands it well. It''s not the best choice if the effects of the equipment and the skills overlap. There may be synergistic effects, but basically, I want to prepare many means to reach my goal.


    ''''Well thank you for coming to call me today. Goodnight.


    Yeah, good night.


    Melissa gets up and goes to go to her bedroom - but she suddenly wobbles and wobbles.


    ''''Huh........''''


    By the time I got up, Theresa was running up to Melissa for support. Melissa was weak as if she had fainted for a while, but she eventually regained consciousness.


    (.........Melissa''s strength and magic power have decreased considerably.


    You''ll be fine. Thank you, Theresa.


    ..........


    ''''Melissa, the level of fatigue varies depending on the object we''re dismantling... it''s too much of a burden to juggle exploring and working in the city. Leave tomorrow''s exploration to us.


    Sweat is beading on Melissa''s forehead - we need to strengthen our strength before the battle with the ''Monkey Prince'', and I want to go out exploring as much as possible to do that. She seemed to think so, but when I wiped the sweat on her forehead with my handkerchief, she huffed and looked away.


    ''Tomorrow is a ''half day off''. Can you tell Mr. Rykerton that, too?


    ...Alihit.


    If she had the chance to go see her during the deadline to stay in this fifth ward - if she put it off like that, she would have regrets if Melissa did not see her mother.


    Still, Melissa might not go to see her mother on her own. But you can go see her - whether you tell us or keep it a secret, it''s a freedom you should respect.


    ''Well we''ll demolish it so you can help the party. Next time, I''ll follow you.


    Yeah, sure. Just in case you need to regain your strength and magic and get some rest.


    Yes.


    Melissa nodded honestly - I''m sure the support recovery will help, but I''ll have her drink the strength recovery potion and then go further back and activate the ''Assist Charge''.


    ...warm. Arihito''s magic is reassuring.


    Oh, yeah?¡¡I wonder if there are differences in magic from one person to another.


    Melissa looks back - very unusually, Melissa smiles - and giggles. But it''s only for a moment, and she quickly returns to her usual nonchalant manner.


    ''I''ll tell your father I''ll put him in to work tomorrow,''


    Melissa leaves the room to go back to the storage room where Ms. Rykerton is. I decide to stay up until she comes back and rests again.


    I don''t hear any talking from the bedroom, as some of the members are already asleep. I''m alone with Theresia in the quiet - she notices my gaze and stares back at me.


    Theresa shook her head shakily. Then she turns off the light in the room without me saying a word.


    ''Goodnight, Theresa.''


    I lie down on the couch and pull the blanket over me. I close my eyes, but the sleepiness doesn''t come for a while.


    The scene of the Red Chamber of the Flaming Sky comes into my mind. Theresa attacking the Monkey Prince, and - until she is spellbound.


    Even though I understand the danger of the Marquis de l''Ape, I''ve been relying on Theresia. I don''t know what would have happened if Theresia hadn''t betrayed the monkey lords - Alphecca would have been drawn in and we wouldn''t have been able to escape.


    This time we will protect them. We will get back everything the Marquis de Saroo has taken from us.


    --I see Theresia, who should have been trying to sleep on the other couch in the dark room, start to move.


    I open my eyes - and when I do, Theresa puts her hand on my chest and looks at me.


    ''....Can''t you sleep?


    ..........


    I ask her, but she doesn''t answer.


    Her hand is touching the buttons of the bodysuit clasp. Maybe it''s hard to sleep, then I''d like to make it a little bit easier for her, what I can do to make it easier for her.


    ''''Well yes. Theresia, could you turn your back a little bit, please?


    ..........


    Theresia turns her back to me. Her magic power, which was reduced by the battle with the Monkey Prince, is still a bit depleted - I''ll recover it.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Aricht activates ''Support Recovery 2'' ¡ú Target: Theresa


    Aricht uses an Intermediate Mana Potion. Aricht''s magic power is restored.


    Theresa''s magic power recovers in conjunction with it.


    .........


    I used the mana potion, myself, and Teresia will recover.


    ''..................


    I don''t know if I can fully recover from sleep in a cursed state. I might be able to sleep better in a fully recovered state - I thought.


    Theresa turns and looks at me. It''s hard to tell in the dark room, but the lizard''s mask seems to be turning red.


    She moves her mouth to say something, but it doesn''t make a sound. She urges me to go back to sleep, and then she pulls the blanket over me and pats me gently on the chest with a plop.


    It looks like she''s being tucked in - Theresa is trying to reassure me. I''m the one who has to reassure her, but she always saves me.


    ''....................


    I thought I was moving away, but Theresa''s presence comes even closer.


    I can feel her breath close by. But it''s only for a few moments, and then the presence is distant again.


    If only I could exchange a word with her at a time like this. I don''t want that to be a dream for some distant day.


    I sleep now to start moving again. To never let each day from tomorrow go to waste.

 186 Episode 185: Morning Scenery Cart

    Light spilled through a crack in the curtains. I suddenly woke up in the early morning, when the sky was beginning to turn white.


    ''''Ah....''''


    In front of me, holding my mouth in amazement, was Ms. Louisa, dressed in her receptionist''s uniform and ready to go.


    Louisa-san poofed up and left. She put her hand on the sofa and seemed to be peeking at me - I wonder if she was worried because she was sleeping like she was dead.


    ''Oh, good morning, Louisa. Are you ready to go out now?


    Yes, yes..... even as an at-large staff member, you will be assigned to your regular duties while you''re in District 5.


    Good evening. Would you like to have breakfast?


    ''We have just had refreshments delivered by Maria at the ''Forest Diner'' arranged for us. Hot coffee and tea, and soup also arrived in a pot of magic tools.


    ''''Coffee that''s something I''ve missed. I haven''t had a taste of it since I came to the Labyrinth Country, can you get it in some labyrinth?


    ''''Yes, it is said to grow wild in the labyrinth of this district. It''s located in a place where it''s difficult to get to, so the amount available is limited.......Would you like to drink it, Atobe-sama?


    Yes, I''d like a drink if I could but if we''re all going to have one, I''d better wait.


    There''s enough for everyone, so feel free to join us.


    Smiling, Louisa smiled at me. She brought the pot and poured the coffee into the ceramic cup that had been prepared to match and served it on a saucer.


    I had already known when I poured the coffee, but the aroma - just drinking it brought back memories of my days as a company employee.


    ''Rear, how can you drink coffee without sugar... I think it would be better if you added milk to it and made it into a caf¨¦ au lait...''


    I don''t know if that happened - Igarashi-san once brewed me a caf¨¦ au lait in the company''s coffee machine. She served me a caf¨¦ au lait when she came to work after I had pulled an all-nighter, unable to bear to look at me, who had become a living corpse.


    I had always been a black drinker, but after about a 50/50 split, I started to choose cafe au lait as well. Igarashi-san can''t drink it without adding more sugar - the reason I know this is because I''ve served it to her as a subordinate too.


    ''''Yes, delicious.......Luisa-san?''''


    Louisa-san is looking at me with a troubled look on her face - I''ve been thinking about other things and getting up in the air, my bad manners.


    But Louisa-san shrugs her shoulders and chuckles, as if she''s a person who has no choice.


    ''Something about the coffee...?


    ''''Ha, yes ... it''s not so much a memory. I just remember that I used to drink a lot when I was working under Igarashi-san.


    ...Which coffee is better, then or now?


    ''Well, yeah. It''s hard to call it a match...


    ''''Well isn''t that the part where I can say that Louisa-san is better than you?''''


    I was expecting someone to wake up by now, but it was as expected - Igarashi-san, who had just given her name, comes out of the shadows shyly.


    ''Good morning, Kyouka-san. You''ve been kinder to Atobe-sama than I''ve heard you say, haven''t you?


    Well, that''s not true, but he pushed you many times harder than that, and he wasn''t a good boss at all. Even Mr. Rearward avoided you at the end.


    No, no, you''ve been avoiding...


    You''ve been avoiding it, haven''t you?


    That''s partly because I reported directly to Mr. Igarashi, and we had too many opportunities to work on the same project, and that''s why the rumor started that I was Chief Igarashi''s favorite.


    Igarashi-san didn''t realize that at all, and I felt awkward explaining the situation to him. When I had just been reincarnated, I still wanted to complain to her for appointing me and entrusting me with the job - and even so, I regret that was not the place to be stubborn.


    ''Oh I''m sorry, I''m not trying to question you. It''s more like I want to apologize, even if I remember now...


    So, you''re not going to call Master Atobe by his name?


    ''What ... hey, can you give me a minute?¡¡Louisa, you''re not being mean to me today...?


    ''What?


    I was unintentionally upset, and Louisa smiled at me. I''m sure you''ll be able to find a way to make the most out of your time here.


    ¡ó¡ô


    When everyone was up, we had breakfast and finished getting ready to go.


    ''''Brother, Falma-san can''t leave Ward 8 right away, so he will arrive tomorrow.


    ''Oh, you''ve been in touch. Thanks Madoka, I think we''ve talked about this before, but I think we should go buy a cart today.


    ''Really?¡¡Wow.........I''ve always admired wagons. Having a cart makes you look like a full-fledged merchant, doesn''t it?


    ''So we''re going to go to the place where the wagons are sold first, and then to the archives, right?


    Igarashi-san, who had been listening to the conversation, comes up behind Madoka and puts a hand on her shoulder. Madoka is embarrassed, but Igarashi-san''s do-gooder - friendly appearance makes her smile.


    ''Celes-san introduced me to someone with knowledge of the curse seal, so I don''t know if I can contact him at the archives or if he has any clues as to his whereabouts.


    ''Really?


    Since we are not always all there, I''ll share the information with you again. There will be a big difference in everyone''s feelings between swallowing the situation and acting on it.


    ''''I know it''s a little late now, but who the hell is Celes-san?¡¡I can''t believe I know someone in the Fifth Ward, he''s actually more amazing than I thought...


    Misaki is admiring it, but I''m curious too, to be honest. Right now, though, Celes-san and Steiner-san are already in the workshop, so I''ll have to ask them questions about that area when I get a chance.


    ''If you didn''t tell me everything, then there must be some reason for that. What kind of occupation is it for someone who knows about curses...?


    ''I can think of a few things... but Shirone was also in a profession that had something to do with curses of some sort.


    Syrone''s occupation was ''Spelllocker'', but the weapons she dropped were two swords. ''Heaven Stiletto'' and ''Bloodsucker'' - if you were to use both at the same time, you would be a two-faced swordsman, but I think that''s a bit far from the fighting style you might imagine from the name ''spellcaster''.


    "She was originally a ''dual swordsman''. Why did she switch to ''spell wielder''... I''m sure the reason is to explore the possibility of being able to wear the ''Colored Equipment''.


    "Color me...


    The name of Elitia''s weapon is ''The Scarlet Emperor''s Sword'', and it is named after a color. So it has a color name, that''s what it means by ''color name''.


    ''''You mean there are other weapons with color names, and they are also cursed?


    ''''Yes the number owned by the ''Byakuya Brigade'' right now may be increasing, but the Commander and a few others should have them. It''s not necessarily a weapon, but sometimes you can find them as armor.


    ''''Elitia-san, do the people in the brigade have control over the cursed weapons...?''''


    At Suzuna''s question, Elitia''s expression became cloudy. Then, looking at her sword in its sheath, she said.


    ''''First, equip it and turn it into a unique profession. That''s what it means to be ''chosen to equip'', and I''m sure the only person in the brigade who has reached a higher stage than that is.......my brother, Johan.


    It''s more than that - does that mean that you have overcome the curse by wearing the "Colored Equipment"?


    The occupation of Elitia''s "Carse Blade" is also showing signs of change after the battles so far. When he defeated a thousand demons, his unique skills were released and he was able to learn the ''Scarlet Dance''.


    ''''Are there any conditions to reach a higher level?''''


    ''''I don''t know. My brother said that each color of equipment has different requirements, but that guy doesn''t really trust his companions, because he doesn''t really trust them. Vice Commander Agnes also said that sometimes he doesn''t understand what his brother thinks.


    ''''Still, if you''re going to act together... to the members of the brigade, Lord Elitia''s brother is someone they can trust as a leader, isn''t he?


    Seraphina-san said that, but Elitia did not affirm it.


    ''I know I shouldn''t speak ill of my immediate family but your brother has changed. He used to be a quiet man who used to lose track of time on his days off and read books.''''


    If you are an explorer in a labyrinthine country, harsh events are not unlikely to occur.


    If something happens that only changes Elitia''s brother significantly, you shouldn''t have too many preconceptions about him before you know it.


    Even if the brigade doesn''t help Rulie, we will definitely help him out. I don''t know how our attitude will be perceived by the brigade, but we can''t be concerned about it.


    ''''Well even if you have a disagreement with Elitia''s brother, I''ll still support Elitia unconditionally.


    ''Aricht thank you. For now, I think that''s fine as long as we don''t have to see each other. As long as we''ve made up our minds and left the brigade, I think it''s better for both of us.


    ''Ha, I would have been quicker to talk to you if you were a kind brother. He seems a bit scary from what I''m hearing, so I guess I''ll just have to watch him from a distance.


    Misaki says so, but as for me, I''d like to talk to her when I get a chance. Because I''m curious as to why Sirone would come to the Seventh Ward and do something so hostile to us.


    If it was due to Johan''s instructions, then I have to judge that he has an end in mind, where he is willing to use any means to achieve his goal. I can''t let my guard down against the brigade, although that''s something I''ve felt for a while now.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    There is a workshop in the northwestern part of the Fifth Ward where carts are made. The head of the workshop is a bearded man, a little older than I am, but his oil-stained gloves and other features give him the appearance of a skilled craftsman.


    My name is McCain, and I''m the second generation of this workshop. What do you need a cart for?


    ''She''s a ''merchant'' and has the skill of ''cart equipment''. Eventually I''d like to carry different loads on board, but this time I''d like to use it to load heavy weapons.


    Do you need a cart, little girl?¡¡You''re going to be dealing with a heavy weapon, or a pretty big one from now on. In that case, we''ll need a load-bearing aid.


    Do you mean the load-carrying capacity can be increased or something like that?


    Mr. McCain nodded and brought out what looked like a metal rod with a hole in it.


    ''''This is the handle of the cart. If you change this part to one with a magic stone hole or rune slot, and attach a ''light fossil'', ''floating stone'' or even a ''flying stone'' to it, the performance of the cart will change dramatically. The weapons and carts you have on you are the same in size, but they''re still the same. For someone who is skilled in cart equipment, that is.


    It was a word I chose for some reason, but McCain visibly reacted to the word ''tune-up''.


    ''I used to work as a car mechanic before I was reincarnated. At first I didn''t think I''d be able to make use of my experience in this labyrinth country, but in the end, that magical tool gave me a taste of what''s possible. I could make an engine with time, but I could substitute the same function with magic tools. I was shaken when I realized I could modify a cart with a magic stone.


    ''So you''re saying... there were no wagons with magic stones on them before?


    ''It will. It''s enough to say that the cart is just as good as it should be. There was a guy who wanted to attach a leftover light fossil to his cart, and that''s how it all started. That''s when our workshop started to offer such a service.


    ''''Oh, um ... do I need to get those magic stones and prepare them in order for me to use the cart?


    Madoka said, and Mr. McCain laughed - pointing to a shelf in the corner of the workshop.


    ''''You''ll get a reasonable price, but we have magic stones ready for you as well. That''s right, if you''re going to load a cannon or something, maybe you should make a modification that allows you to load it with ''frames'' rather than weight.


    ''''I''ll use this ''storage stone''. The current market price is 2,500 gold coins, but it''s such a valuable magic stone that the price can go up more depending on the time of year. A cart fitted with it will be able to load things with a frame that doesn''t depend on the weight.


    Considering the use of this time, it''s just an essential modification. The expense is large, but it''s difficult to find the magic stone I''m aiming for now, so I''d say I''m buying time with my funds.


    ''''Oh, brother........''''


    ''Don''t worry, there''s plenty of room in the budget. Mr. McCain, assuming you''re going to have the storage stones attached as a requirement, can you make some modifications that will help with the move?


    There are two types of modifications: those that make the car run on its wheels with magical power when the need arises, and those that lighten the handling of the car when pulling it by yourself. You''ll need to decide what kind of car you want to make based on how you want to operate it.


    I felt like I was here to buy a cart, but I felt like I was here to buy some kind of automobile - it''s similar to buying a car after deciding on an option.


    ''When the time comes, you can power me. As for situations where I can''t materialize, I''ll leave that to the master.''''


    I can hear Alphecca''s voice. Then Murakumo, who was carrying it on his back, also entered the conversation.


    ''Carts have a role to play as carts. Alfeca''s role is not going to disappear.''


    ''I don''t think that''s what we''re thinking about. Rather, when we put weapons on the wagons, it will reduce the need for the Murakumo.


    ''''That''s not true. The characteristics of a powerful melee weapon that a master can equip have room to contribute in the future in combat.


    Ariadne''s parts - it''s a bit surprising that the two ''armaments'' would be arguing with each other, which is something that has never happened before.


    ''''Both of you, I''m going to continue to rely on you, so don''t get into any fights.


    "...and do good.


    ''I want you to use me as effectively as possible. As long as the masters are strong, and the enemies are also strong, my permission to use them will be terminated.''''


    ''What will you do, Mr. Aricht?¡¡I''ve accompanied an armored vehicle before, and I''m sure I can assist in moving the wagons.


    ''Thank you, Seraphina. But since I''m part of the party, I''ll do the job you entrusted me with.


    In terms of escorting Madoka, who is not accustomed to combat, I''ll assume that I''ll be able to get help from Seraphina-san and Sion.


    And as she wished, I''ll have her strengthen it with a magic stone so that she can operate the cart alone - and then it became this specification.


    ¡ôHaven Still Wheel +3¡ô


    Carts made of "Heaven Still".


    Carts made of hevenstil.


    Carts equipped with acceleration stones.


    For example, a cart made of Hebenstil.


    The chassis is made of light and strong Haven still. It is a whitish shiny metal and is often used for equipment in the area around the 6th district. Sometimes we can get a better metal, but it''s too expensive. But it''s the second best metal we use for carts in our workshop, so you can trust us.


    Thank you, Mr. McCain.


    Well, as much as I would have liked to have seen in two days, it was a little tougher than I thought it would be if I hadn''t been able to match the specs on the carts that I had originally built for sale.


    I discussed the dates with him at one point or another if it was possible, but Mr. McCain agreed to do so. He even said that the express fee would only be enough for the mana portion of the mana potion to use the skills used in the processing.


    ''Let me hear it if you can. What in the world are you in such a hurry for?


    ''We need these carts to defeat a certain demon. To take on the challenge as best I can and be prepared for it.


    Well I guess that means it''s time-limited. If you''re not satisfied with this specs, you can always tell me again. I can make it even better if you have the time.


    Mr. McCain laughed, tapped me lightly on the shoulder, and said


    ''When you get back safely, let me hear a little bit of the saga.


    Yes, by all means. It''s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. McCain.


    As I finished the request to build the cart and walked out - out front and started walking to the archives, I could already hear the sound of metal hammering behind me.

 187 One Hundred and Eighty Sixth Chapter: Archives

    The Fifth Ward Library was located near the Middle Guild. Unlike the library I know, it''s an academic building made of stone.


    At the entrance, I walked past an armed man who seemed to be guarding it. Then a woman who looks like a librarian walks over to us.


    ''''I saw your license when you entered........oh, you''re a specially selected explorer?''''


    Yes, I just got certified yesterday.


    ''I take it that you have been summoned to the Stampede. A difficult mission, thank you for your efforts... no, in this case, it''s more accurate to say ''request''.


    ''No, I''m fine either way. I''m honored to participate in the subduing, in a small way.


    The word "mission" has an obligatory connotation. We, who are only explorers, are not forced to participate in Stampede suppression, so I guess she was cautious.


    ''''I''m sure you''ve seen the explorers who voluntarily participate in the Stampede suppression, but they are only a small part of it. This archives is one of the places of refuge, so we also went around to the defensive side of the building yesterday. It was all we could do to keep them from getting in.


    That''s ... first and foremost, I''m glad you''re okay.


    Thank you. Now let me take you to the central stack.


    The librarian corrected the position of the tasseled school hat and led us to it.


    ''What would happen if I said I was a participant, or rather, a most meritorious person?


    It''s your stance that you don''t spread that kind of stuff around.


    ''Lord Aricht''s humility is something I''ve always wanted to emulate.


    Yes ... it''s profound, but when it comes down to it ... that''s the kind of person you are, Aricht-san.


    ''Well I think Aricht is the kind of gentleman you don''t see very often.


    Everyone walking in front of me is praising me so much, but if I were to listen properly, I wouldn''t feel very comfortable.


    ''Wow you have a wall of bookshelves and an atrium. It''s like a movie library.


    Madoka raises her voice, and I switch my attention to it. This is the central stacks - books are crammed into stacks so tightly packed that I can look up at them, and stairs are built along the bookshelves. I wonder if this means you can take books directly from the stairs.


    ''''This is great.......how many books do you have in your collection?


    This is the central stack with 300,000 volumes, plus a small stack for special books.


    ''I wonder if the book we''re looking for is in this stack somewhere...''


    I can use my skills to quickly find the desired item in all the books. You can even specify certain keywords and I can search by related words and phrases.


    ''''Thank you. Now, can I find a book about The Monkey Prince and The Fiery Red Chamber, as well as The Spell Marker?


    Oh, about your brother being too direct....


    ''I don''t have time to be far off, so I''m not going to get my tea in.


    I could see what Misaki was trying to say, but for once, I was allowed to listen to it straight away, as Igarashi-san said.


    The librarian seemed a little surprised, but eventually she closed her eyes as if in prayer - then she said.


    I closed my eyes and said, "There is one book about ''Marquis de l''Arquestration''. There is one book on ''The Monkey King'' and two books on ''The Fiery Red Chamber''. There are about ten books on the curse seal in this central stack. The book titles are here.


    When I look at the list you wrote down, I see books like "Elementary Curse Stamps", "Demon Special Attack Curse Edition", and "Professions that deal with Curses". All of them seem to be related to what I want to look into, and since there aren''t that many volumes, I''ll check them all out.


    ''''In this central stack, does that mean there are books housed in the small stack as well?


    Seraphina asked a question, and the librarian woman nodded back.


    ''Yes, it will be a book donated by a private individual, but there is a book about the ''curse mark'' housed in the small bookcase, number 66.


    ''If I don''t understand an item I want to look up in a book in the central stack, can I browse it?''


    The books in the small stacks can only be checked out on condition that they cannot be taken out. Would you still like to borrow them?


    Please do. I''d just like to have a few leads.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    The books related to the spell mark were in the middle of the bookcase. Even though it was in the middle of the bookcase, it was quite high - it seemed that measures were in place to prevent it from falling, but it was not horrifying to look down.


    ''Arakne-san would be able to stick to the wall and fetch the book, wouldn''t she?


    ''I suppose I could, but it looks like you can''t use the summoning pendant inside the library.


    It''s pretty amazing what this library is doing, isn''t it?


    We couldn''t lumber up the stairs, so we used rock-paper-scissors to decide which members to fetch the books from. Surprisingly, Misaki didn''t complain even if she lost, and she walked up the stairs with a light step.


    Igarashi-san and Elitia have gone to get the books of "Monkey Hou" and "Flaming Red Chamber of Heaven" respectively. We have ten books, which is a lot, so they let us go together.


    Then we found the desired book and scrutinized the contents at the reading seat.


    ''There''s a book about the demons in the fifth district that mentions the ''monkey marquis''... but it doesn''t seem to provide any new information on the defeats we''ve had so far.


    I walked up to Elitia''s seat and asked her to show me the book. It depicts the figure of ''The Monkey Prince'', but it was also inaccurate.


    ''''It says the skills you''ve already used... there''s no mention of ''curse erosion''. Does that mean you started using it from this individual?


    ''''Named'''' has a different resistance and so on each time it appears. It''s entirely possible that there are individual-specific skills as well.


    ''''Brother, this book has a map of the ''Fiery Red Chamber''. Would it be of any help to you?


    The book Madoka brought with her was a book called ''Basic Survey of the Fifth District Labyrinth''. About the Red Chamber of the Fiery Sky, the first layer, where there were no demons, was described in detail - but from the second layer, there was extremely little information about it.


    The reason for this was written as ''a serious hindrance to the investigation''. It means that something happened during the search for the second layer.


    ''''The survey team that provided the information for this book was able to get close to where the entrance to the third level was located. The reason why the Monkey Prince built the fort was to prevent them from advancing here...?


    ''Some demons have a habit of thwarting searchers who try to dive into the depths. Either that habit is particularly strong, or they are protecting something. But whatever the reason, the ''monkey lord''s'' hostility to searchers remains extremely dangerous.


    Serafina spoke in a calm tone, but when she touched the "Monkey Hou", her voice was filled with power.


    There was little information obtained. I also checked the books on the Curse, but I couldn''t find any mention of the curse mark used by the Monkey King.


    ''Rear, would you like to look in the small bookcase?¡¡We''re looking into this book a little more.


    Yes, I''ll do that.


    As I got up from my seat, Theresa, who had been watching the area, came fluttering over to me. Taking her with me, I asked the librarian to lead me to the transfer door to transfer to the small book stacks.


    There are some books that have demons mimicking them. Some demons mimic each other for decades, in which case the library can''t identify them at all. Just to be sure, please be careful when you open a book page. If there is any change in the text, such as movement, there is a high probability that it is a demon.


    ''Yes, yes I''ll be careful.


    I walked through the transition door, praying that I wouldn''t pull a ''hit'' in a bad way. Then I emerge into a dimly lit room, much smaller than the central stack.


    The bookshelves were spaced apart, one by one. One of them was a book with a black leather cover.


    ''''This will be the book called ''Professions Related to Curses, and Demons.''''''


    ''Thank you. Now, if you''ll excuse me...


    I pick it up carefully. In the center of the cover, there is a green jewel-like object adorned with what appears to be a green gemstone.


    (Is this ... jade?¡¡(Related to Ceres'' clan, the Jade People (Jade)...?


    As I flipped through the pages, there was a page with what looked like a diagram of the human body - and on it was something similar to the mark that floated on the back of Theresa''s neck.


    --There is a ''curse mark'' as part of the ''curse'', which is engraved on a part of the body.


    --Some of the demons use the ''curse''. The curse left behind when a person dies is more severe than the curse left behind when he or she is alive, and if one is unlucky enough to receive a curse, it can be permanent.


    --That''s why, in order to break the ''spell'', you must go through the procedure of breaking the spell before defeating the demon.


    ''''.........''''


    Theresia takes me off the page, so I show her the contents as well.


    I turn the page further, but it doesn''t say anything about the crucial ''uncanonization procedure''. The page is blank from the middle of the book.


    Who the hell wrote this book? Is he somewhere in the Fifth Ward, or is he in another ward?


    Handing the book to Theresia, I turn around to ask the librarian woman a question.


    --that''s when it happened.


    The dimly lit room suddenly becomes brighter. The source of this light is from behind me.


    The librarian woman speaks up. But the dazzling luminescence slowly dies down.


    The book Theresia is holding has a pale green light.


    ''''.........''''


    This is....


    I stood beside Theresa and asked her to show me the book. Then, on a page that had been blank, I saw that letters had emerged.


    It''s probably an old script from the Labyrinth Country, one with a combination of wedge-like things - but...


    ''.........The characters of the ancient people of the labyrinth nation. It is written as ''The shores of the lake where the evening walk''.


    I can hear Ariadne''s voice. I guess she can see the letters I''m looking at and she translates them for me.


    The letters that were luminescent will soon become invisible. Part of the reason why this phenomenon occurred was indicated.


    --The curse mark on the back of Theresa''s neck glowed bewitchingly.


    ''''Both of you, if the light just now ... emanated from that book, we must conduct another investigation.


    ''It''s probably something that will cause a reaction depending on who has it. I don''t think it''s dangerous, so don''t worry too much about it.


    That''s not...


    ''The condition for the book to glow is that the person who is being ''cursed'' probably holds the book in his or her hand. We are here to break this child''s ''curse''. Thank you so much for telling us about this book.


    I didn''t expect to find a clue in this way. But now that I''ve surprised you, I should explain the situation as best I can.


    The ''curse''... I took the customer at his word and didn''t even try to think about why he was looking for such a book. It''s not good enough for me as a librarian.


    ''''No, no, that''s.......I didn''t want to be alarmed, and I didn''t want to talk about the situation if I could. That''s just for my convenience, you know.


    Thank you for your concern. But as an employee of the museum, I hope I can be of assistance to you, the explorer. I will do my best to earn your trust.


    We''ve been helped tremendously by this, too. Let me say that again.


    The librarian woman takes the book from Theresa. She regained her composure, repositioned her hat and urged us to go through the transition door first.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    The Lakeside Evening Walk is a labyrinth with an entrance in the southeastern part of District 5.


    A damp air flows from the dark rocky cave - it seems that if you go down here, you''ll transition into a labyrinth.


    ''''........there''s something very atmospheric about the entrance.......it''s frightening......''''


    Kyouka-san, are you okay?¡¡You shouldn''t be too hard on yourself...


    ''''It''s okay, I even have the skill to cure ''fear''... oh, I''m not scared, it''s not like I''m haunted during the day.''''


    It''s a magical time in the labyrinth, isn''t it? Doesn''t this labyrinth stay dark for a long time in the evening?


    ''''Misaki, Misaki-chan, to be so outspoken...''''


    So I guess that means I should get some lights.......not that dark?


    ''''The labyrinth is so close to zero visibility that we''ve been warned by the guild. This labyrinth doesn''t seem to have been deemed a mandatory countermeasure against darkness.


    Since Serafina-san joined the party, she''s been very helpful in giving me advice at key points - and I''ve realized once again that she''s very helpful.


    ''''Kyouka-sister, if you''re not careful, you won''t win just because you''ve known your brother for a long time, will you?


    ''No, that''s not true...I''m relying on you, Seraphina-san, and...''


    We''ve all made it through this before, so it''s okay if there are a few scary demons out there.


    Elitia cheered up Igarashi-san - the ones who were thrilled to see that were Misaki and Suzuna.


    ''''Wha, what...?''''


    ''No, I''m just so happy that Ellie is back to her usual Ellie, and I''m so happy that I''m doing some serious damage to my tear glands.


    ''It''s really ... good. Let''s continue to work hard ''together''. If we do that, we''ll be fine.


    ''Well you two don''t have to indulge me too much. But thank you.


    Time is limited, but the best results will surely not come if we only discourage ourselves.


    We will move forward together with our friends. Elitia will never forget that she''s never alone - I could believe that when I saw her smile.

 188 Episode 187: Lakeside Walking in the Dusk, First Layer

    Feeling a damp breeze, we walked through the cave to a grassy field covered in short-legged grass. Looking around, I could see a lake a short walk away.


    It was a different time of day from the Ochiyang Beach, just as the sun was about to set. Igarashi-san walking in front of her is looking around her - after all, this labyrinth seems to have too much atmosphere for her. Suzuna, while being concerned about such Igarashi-san, turns her gaze to the dusk-tinted lake and says


    ''''Is it the time of the meeting........? It looks like that kind of time.''''


    I wonder which is less fortunate, the Midnight Sun...


    Igarashi-san is taking Suzuna''s arm - Misaki is smiling at that. In terms of guts, the gambler is more set in his ways.


    ''If the inside of that lake was your destination, would you be diving again?


    You can''t go underwater in this dark, it was a resort before, but you don''t know what''s out there.


    ''''It''s true ... you never know what kind of demons are lurking in the labyrinth''s watering hole.


    The "merciless decapitation" we encountered in "The Beach of the Falling Sun" also appeared suddenly out of the sea. I couldn''t help but wonder if the same kind of big fish would come out of the water.


    ''From what I''ve seen in the archives book, water snakes are the strongest enemy, but they don''t seem to appear very often. I heard that the best way to get to the second level is to go around from the west of the lake.


    ''You''ve written that we should avoid the route to the east. Is it difficult to get close to that direction... or are there circumstances that prevent you from getting into the material? With that in mind, though, it seems worth exploring.


    Elitia and Seraphina will give you the information they have researched beforehand. To get to the west or the east, to get to the two tiers, you need to choose which one you want to go to first.


    ''''..........''''


    Theresia has also been looking at the East for a while now, so she has some ideas.


    ''''........Right. Suzuna, how about using the ''oracle'' here?


    ''You mean the oracle might be able to tell us where we''re going? Okay, I''ll give it a try.


    ''Oh........Suzu-chan is growing more and more as a miko......will she eventually level up to a super miko?''


    If you meet the requirements, it may change into something called a higher-level position, so that''s a possibility.


    The vanguard Seraphina-san turns around and answers Misaki''s light-hearted comment. When it comes to high level positions, I wonder what they would be in my case. I don''t even know if it exists.


    No one has ever explicitly stated that they are a high level position, but I wonder if I''ve met one or more of them. The ones who seem to have potential are Dylan-san and Kuzelka-san, the 5th district commander.


    ''''Aricht-san, we''re ready to go,''''


    Suzuna had activated ''Heaping Salt'' and was drawing a kind of camp by scattering salt on the ground. It wasn''t part of the requirements, but it seemed to be a maneuver to borrow the power of the gods.


    When I nodded, Suzuna prayed once and then clasped her hands together with a bread.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Suzuna activates the oracle, and receives a revelation from Ariadne.


    --Blessed are those who have lost their way. I will point you to the path to follow.


    The voice of Ariadne seemed to be heard by everyone in the party. And Suzuna pointed in the direction of the east as if to show Ariadne''s will.


    I can hear Ariadne''s voice. Her discipline in explaining to me what happened has always helped me.


    ''''Well I guess that means that thanks to Suzuna, I can now borrow Ariadne''s newfound strength.


    ''There are aspects of my divinity that I cannot control. What kind of changes will occur when my faith value increases, what kind of phenomena can I cause? I do not even know what powers I will have after I collect the parts, at present. The relevant memories are lost.''''


    Loss - I remember Ariadne saying that she was ''discarded''.


    ''I don''t know if my memories will return, but as we grow up, Ariadne will regain her former strength... and I hope we can do that.''


    ''If there''s a consequence associated with the party''s actions that brings me something, I''d like to reward it,''


    The subtleties of emotion are beginning to show in the words and actions of Murakumo and Alfeca. That''s how I felt, but Ariadne also seems to have changed from when I first met her.


    ''''Rear-kun, what are you going to do?¡¡Do you want to try to follow the ''oracle''?


    Yes, let''s go east. Guys, let''s be careful out there.


    ""Yes!"


    Bow!


    Along with everyone else, Sion replies and starts advancing through the front row with Serafina-san.


    When I used the "Support Elevation" once, Igarashi-san, who was about to walk, straightened her spine and looked back at me to brace herself. It''s okay, apparently.


    I''ll spray Brave Mist on you guys. It''s just a precaution,


    ''Oh, that''s your sister Kyouka''s s*xy parfum!


    Well, it''s not really that kind of skill, but...


    Igarashi-san shyly activates ''Brave Mist''. The mist disappears as it envelops everyone in the party - this prevents ''fear'' for once.


    As expected, will the demon that gives you the ''fear'' status disorder come out - as we walk along the lakeside, the grass underfoot gradually becomes taller and taller.


    ''''Huh........Nah, something bird-like took off, is that it?''''


    Misaki, do you want to hold my hand?


    ''Yeah, I''ll connect. How about you, Kyouka-sister?


    ''Oh, you know ... you need to be a little more nervous, this is the Fifth Ward ...''


    Before Igarashi-san could finish saying that.


    I feel a sense of discomfort without any warning, but never able to overlook it.


    (Even Theresia''s ''Searching Expansion 1'' can''t detect it.......even with my ''Eagle''s Eye''. The labyrinth of the fifth district.......is it difficult to prevent the enemy''s first move......!


    Current Situation


    ''? invokes "Cold Hand".


    Theresa" activates "Alert 1".


    Theresia activates Shadow Step ¡ú avoids Cold Hand.


    Huh...!


    What the hell is going on?


    Theresia evades the attack, leaving a lingering shadow - a vague, translucent figure that has been set up.


    ''Madoka, stay hidden for a moment!


    Yes, sir.


    I instruct Madoka, who was accompanying me at the back of the line, to use ''Hide''. My assistance only applies to party members, and since I need to use ''Other Assist'' against the ninth Madoka, there will be a time lag when the time comes.


    If that''s the case, it''s better to have them stay hidden and wait for a chance to join the battle in some way so that Madoka can also gain experience.


    ''''--Rearly-kun!


    Huh...!


    Sleeplessly, I stood in total hair - I reflexively jumped up into the air after receiving Igarashi-san''s warning.


    Immediately after, something jumps out from the ground towards me. The translucent something - in order to shake off that unidentified sign, I activated the power of the ''Prajna''s shin splints''.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    ''? invokes ''Body Swap''.


    Arihito activates "Jump from a Boat" ¡ú avoids "Body Swap".


    ''? Identify the identity of the ? ¡ú "Ice Remnant A


    When I fly like a kick in the air, something like a translucent haze cleaves the place I was in all at once - from the name displayed on the license, it''s probably a spirit system demon.


    (Body swap.........you don''t think it''s going to take over my body?¡¡I''m not kidding...!


    ''Everybody watch out for the foot traffic!¡¡That''s not one of them... misaki, jump!


    And jump... oh, my God!


    Ahhhh!


    Current Situation


    Ice Remnant B" activates "Body Swap".


    Emergency Removal" is activated by "Sion" ¡ú Target: "Misaki


    Misaki avoids ''body swap''


    Sion ran and jumped up, dexterously carrying Misaki on his back as he ran past. The next moment, a different ''Ice Remnant'' from the one that attacked me from the ground attacked me.


    ''''--The enemy isn''t just under the ground!¡¡Teresa!


    Huh...!


    Current Situation


    ''? invokes "Scary Breeze".


    Theresia activates Shadow Step and avoids Scary Breeze.


    Suddenly, a dumb figure appeared behind Theresia and spat out something like gas - Theresia managed to avoid it, but her movements slowed down as she activated the skill in succession.


    Scary or something like that, Scary must have meant. Does it mean that they will set up a standard state abnormality for this kind of enemy?


    ''''--I won''t let them........!


    Current Situation


    Elitia activates "Sonic Raid".


    Elitia activates "Slash Ripper" ¡ú "? Disabled


    d*mn it...!


    Physical attacks can''t get through to spirit enemies. Elitia must have known that, but it was an action to keep Theresia from chasing her down.


    --But the moment Elitia''s attack was evaded, a blur tangled in her sword.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    ''? Invisible Conjuring" ¡ú "Elitia''s Blossom Blade" is sealed


    This is a blockade..........


    Elitia raises her voice. To be able to block a technique with the greatest power for her - it''s only a threat if the enemy who uses such a technique at the first sight is going to come out as a matter of course.


    (How to break through this situation........if it''s a magic bullet.......!


    I do a ''eight boat jump'' and then flip over and aim my sling at the Moya-like figure of the enemy that penetrated Elitia''s attack.


    ''''-- Stop!


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates a force shot stun ¡ú ''? hitting on


    ''? Identify the identity of the ? ¡ú "Altergast


    Altergast" is stun-reduced.


    (Magic bullets can get through........but with the enemies in the fifth district, they can only deliver a small amount of blows. And the duration of the stun is only for a moment.......!


    When we land, we check the information on the demons. Apparently three of them are all of them, but it seems that we can''t get information on all of their resistance.


    Demons encountered ¡ô.


    Ice Remnant A Level 10 Physical Disabled, Weakness Unknown Drop: ?


    Ice Remnant B Level 10 Physical Invalidated Weakness Unknown Drop: ?


    Altergast Level 11 Physical Invalidated Weakness Unknown Drop: ?


    Weaknesses unknown. We don''t know what attributes are effective due to physical invalidation - no.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Arihito''s Eagle''s Eye is activated, and his ability to grasp the situation is improved.


    Although I wasn''t able to detect any weaknesses due to the Eye of the Hawk''s effect, I did learn one thing: Suzuna, who was in close proximity to Misaki, was not the target of the attack.


    Suzuna, who is in close proximity to Misaki, is not the target of the attack.


    ''''-- Suzuna, put a ''word'' on me!


    The ''priestess'' has many skills to counter the enemies of the spirit body. Although it''s a common image, it''s a way to oppose the ghosts, but it''s a way to borrow the divine power.


    However, the moment you call out that, the enemy''s target switches to Suzuna. I was trying not to touch the "miko", but if she moves, it means that she will be stopped - the two "ice remnants" stop anyone who tries to approach, and the other spirit body aims at Suzuna.


    ''''Suzuna-chan........!


    Current Situation


    Altergast" invokes "Rustilation".


    Kyouka activates Blink Step ¡ú Disabled against Rustilation


    Ah..........!


    Igarashi-san...!


    Kyouka-san!


    The color of the enemy like a haze changes to peach-colored - Igarashi-san''s evasion skills don''t work, and the enemy slips through her body.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Kyouka is in a special state of flux. psychic disorder


    ''Ugh ... uh ... ah ...''


    What''s happening... no, we have to take out the enemy first...!


    The peach-colored blur turns to a poisonous purple next - the one I''m aiming for is Suzuna.


    But I was close to her, and I was within range of the effects of the ''Word Spirit''.


    ''''O divine character who casts out the evil one, let your power dwell here!


    Current Situation


    Suzuna activates Spirit of the Word ¡ú Sacred attribute added to Aricht''s weapon


    Along with Suzuna''s words, white letters appear on the weapon I possess.


    And the moment I pull the sling, the magic power I consumed from the previous shot returns. It had an effect on everyone ahead of me like ''support recovery''.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Arihito activates Tactical Reload and all party members recover their magic power.


    The amount of magic power I consumed in ''Force Shoot Stun'' is restored. The sensation of that effect propagating to all of us - it''s as if I''m loading up all of my party members with magic power (reload).


    Everyone, ''support''!


    Current Situation


    Arihito activates ''Support Attack 2'' ¡ú Support: ''Force Shoot Stun''.


    Arihito activates ''Support and Control 1'' and can guide party members to their targets.


    "Arihito........tell me which enemy to aim at........


    Okay Elitia, Theresa, Suzuna, we''re going to set up!


    "Yes!


    .....


    Brother, I''m ready too!


    Seraphina, who was provoking the ''Ice Remnant'' in front and attracting one of them, was unable to join the attack. Misaki got down from Sion and held the ''Clown Demon Tag'' at the ready.


    Unlike normal, the magic bullets created when I pulled the sling are shining white - I aim at one of the enemies that I can see with my ''Eagle''s Eye'' and shoot a bullet at one of them.


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates a Force Shoot Stun ¡ú Altergast is hit.


    Elitia activates "Sonic Raid".


    Elitia activates Double Slash and hits Altergast.


    Elitia''s additional attack is triggered, hitting Altergast.


    Oh....oh...oh...oh...oh.


    With the effect of the ''Word Spirit'' granted, the stun is no longer reduced and the enemy''s counterattack is blocked - the coordination is still going on.


    ''''Huh........!


    However, when Theresia was about to set up the third level of coordination, the nebulous figure of ''Altergast'' ''wavered''.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Altergast" activates "Alternative" ¡ú "Two choices" state


    Sensing the danger of this coordination, ''Altergast'' interrupted the evasion skill - in front of Theresa''s eyes, the figure of ''Altergast'' was split in two.


    If you miss the attack, the coordination will be interrupted and you risk receiving a counterattack. The conditional abnormality granted by "Altergast" makes Igarashi-san unable to act even now.


    But Theresia is not frightened. The area around her hand shines brightly--I did indeed see the figure of a blue butterfly.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Theresa activates the Butterfly Dance and increases the number of attacks.


    Theresia activates Azure Slash ¡ú ? Two Altergast hits, weaknesses, extended stun, third level linking technique.


    Altergast" is burning.


    -What?


    Ohhhh...!


    Oh, please!


    Theresia dances and unleashes two blazing blue slashes almost simultaneously. The coordination is connected - ''Altergast'' is frightened and the last Misaki throws a card with a shout.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Misaki activates Joker of Ice ¡ú Gives Altergast a rage state and changes to an ice-attribute weakness.


    Linking Technique "Magic So-and-So Flame Tag" ¡ú Additional damage to "AlterGasto".


    Altergast activates Remnants of Ghosts.


    Altergast" moves into "Sarcophagus" mode.


    --Then I see a different scene in front of me.


    The moment I rejoiced that I had defeated Altergast, all of them froze like statues and were annihilated by the lakeside.


    "--Reject, ghost...!


    Current Situation


    Seraphina activates "Aura Shield".


    Ice Remnant A" activates "Cold Hand".


    Seraphina activates Counter Tackle ¡ú Ice Remnant A is hit.


    ?"Ice Remnant B" activates "Spell Quick" on "Altergast" ¡ú "Sarcophagus" activation time is reduced.


    Serafina-san uses her aura-covered shield to pop the ''Ice Remnant''. But I can''t stop the movement of one more unit.


    But my hand is already moving. The new weakness created by Misaki''s Demon Card, there is no choice but to exploit it.


    Activate Tactical Reload, prepare your sling as fast as you can, and release it.


    ''Freeze''!


    Current Situation


    Arihito activates Tactical Reload and restores all party members'' magic.


    Aricht activates the Force Shoot Freeze.


    Altergast activates Sarcophagus. Sacrifice: 2 Ice Remnants.


    If one of them had been slightly earlier, the winner would have been determined at that point.


    The wavering figure of "Altergast" becomes bewitching. Immediately after, the gray gas is about to spread all at once - that moment.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Force Shoot Freeze hits Altergast. Critical Double Vulnerability, Full Freeze, Stun.


    Sarcophagus'' activation was suspended.


    Defeat two "Ice Remnants".


    Elitia''s technique blockade is lifted.


    In time...


    The magic bullets that gave the sacred attribute and carried the power of the ''Ice Remnant'' froze the disembodied spirit enemy - a mass of blobs as tall as my height froze and became an ice statue.


    Then the two ''Ice Remnants'' disappeared in a mist, and the magic stone fell to the ground. ''''So ''Altergast'' has used up their power and activated their skills?


    ''''Haha, haha........''''


    Are you all right, Igarashi-san...!


    Don''t... don''t... don''t... come... to...


    Even if you say so, Suzu-chan, wouldn''t you be cured if you performed a purification on Kyouka-sister?


    That''s right, Suzuna, that skill...!


    Among the skills that Suzuna was able to learn was ''evil dispelling'' - the effect should have been to reduce the state abnormality of losing control of the action.


    ''''It''s a gamble if it works, but if it''s a state abnormality caused by a spirit enemy, perhaps...''''


    Yes, I''ll try........


    Suzuna is trying to get the skill - but


    Everyone in the party is looking in the same direction.


    In the damp wind blowing by the lake, before I knew it, ''it'' was standing - someone wearing a mask like a skull, wearing tattered clothes and carrying a sword.


    "There''s no indication that you encountered a demon... but...


    Obviously, the Qi that is directed towards us is not calm. Elitia puts her hand on the ''Scarlet Emperor''s Sword'' and takes a battle stance.


    ''''It doesn''t look like they''re going to let us off the hook for free........Be careful, guys.


    ''''Sion, take Igarashi-san away for a bit. Suzuna, try the ''evil spirits''.


    I''ll give you instructions, but if we''re stranded here for too long, it''s too dangerous for the party to be dispersed - we have to get through this as quickly as possible.


    The five members who can fight are Seraphina-san, Elitia, Theresia, Misaki, and me. I''m sorry for Madoka, who is hiding, but I want to ask her for some recovery medicine after the battle.


    Even if it''s five of us and one of us, we''re still a tricky opponent to deal with. I couldn''t help but feel that way when I saw the skull man standing eerily still.

 189 Chapter One Hundred and Eighty Eight: The Patroller

    Based on the tendency so far, it was highly likely that the other party was also a spirit system demon. Elitia also judged that and called out to Suzuna.


    ''''Suzuna, please give my sword the ''Word Spirit''.''''''


    Yes, I understand.


    Suzuna invokes the ''Word Spirit'' as a precaution, and tries to add the sacred attribute to Elitia''s sword as an impossibility - but.


    Current Situation¡ô


    Suzuna activates Spirit of the Word ¡ú Target: Elitia Disabled against cursed weapons


    The white letters that emerge from the ''Word Spirit'' do not settle on the blade of the ''Scarlet Emperor Sword'' and fade and disappear.


    ''''........Sorry Elitia-san, once again.......''''


    ''''No ... it means you''ve made the best choice so far. The only way to attack a spirit body with this sword is to have Aricht assist you.


    ''Yeah, I get it. My ''word spirit'' is continuing and I should be able to support it.


    "Lord Aricht, I''ll take the attack first and see how it goes...


    Current Situation


    ''? Scarecrow" activates "Lower Stance" ¡ú "? Scarecrow''s evasion power increased. Critical rate increased.


    ...Apparently you''re using a sword technique I''ve never seen before.


    Serafina-san speaks of caution. The figure, with her sword raised as if she had been deflated, appears to be full of gaps at first glance - but since that''s a skill, there''s always something to it.


    ''''I don''t want to think about it too much, but I can''t help but associate it with an appearance like this...''''


    Elitia says with a nervous face. The technique used by the ''merciless decapitation'' that takes away the soul with a single blow - an instant death attack. The word ''god of death'' that you associate with the skull''s face reminds you of that without question.


    I don''t think there''s any harm in using that one!


    Misaki takes out two dice and plays one with both thumbs and catches them as they fall - while I look out for Theresia.


    ''Theresia, I need to ask one thing of you. While Elitia is attacking........''''


    ..........


    Victory numbers.........


    Current Situation


    Misaki activates the "Dice Trick".


    Misaki activates Lucky Seven and that''s it!


    ''? Scarecrow''s immunity has been reduced.


    I''m in.


    I''m going to initiate it, guys!¡¡Be wary of their pauses!


    "Yes!


    .....


    Current Situation


    Aricht activates Force Shoot Freeze ¡ú ? Scarecrow is hit and frozen.


    ''? Scarecrow activates Seikou Amouryoku ¡ú unfreeze, restore anomaly resistance


    The body of ''Scarecrow'', which was frozen for a moment, immediately melts - in this evening darkness, its body shines unnaturally dazzlingly, as if it were bathed in sunlight.


    "--Haah!


    ''Supporting'' you, Seraphina!


    Current Situation


    Arihito activates ''Support Attack 2'' ¡ú Support: ''Force Shoot Stun''.


    Seraphina activates "Aura Shield" and "Defense Force".


    Seraphina activates "Shield Slam" ¡ú Target: "? Scarecrow


    ''? Scarecrow" activates "Willow Wind" ¡ú "Shield Slam" is swept away


    What...?


    The power of Serafina-san''s rush while holding up her shield, ''Scarecrow'' stood on one leg and let it escape behind him by twitching his body like a willow branch.


    ''''--Aah!


    Serafina-san tries to turn around immediately, but the weight of the large shield inevitably causes a delay before she can turn around and utters a spirited cry. Even so, they can''t make it in time for ''Scarecrow'' to act.


    ''''--I won''t let them--I won''t let them...!


    Current Situation


    Elitia activates "Sonic Raid".


    Scarecrow" cancels an attack.


    Elitia activates the Blossom Blade ¡ú Target: "? Scarecrow


    ''? Scarecrow activates Ranbu Kengeki ¡ú Target Skill: ''Blossom Blade''


    d*mn it...!


    Elitia accelerated and instantly closed the distance and fired the first blow - the ''Scarecrow'' swung his sword, which was sloppily held, out and flicked it back as if he were squeezing a whip. He switched the attack he was going to unleash on Seraphina-san to a defense against Elitia.


    ''''--Haah!


    Current Situation


    Elitia" continues with "Blossom Blade".


    ''? Scarecrow" continues "Ranbu Kengeki" ¡ú Offset "Blossom Blade".


    Elitia unleashes slashes one after another - ''Scarecrow'' continues to play back Elitia''s swords in turn with both swords, and even receives twelve slashes in a row and a follow-up attack by the ''Gauntlet of Early Work''.


    The eyes of the skull mask emit a cold light. Elitia''s movement stops - she can''t do anything about the slight gap after releasing her sword technique, but she can''t do anything about it with her own will.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    ''? Scarecrow" activates "Vorpal Weapon" ¡ú "Twin Swords of the Pilgrim" ability is released.


    There''s a gimmick in the sword... no such thing as a gimmick...!


    The sword held in both hands of "Scarecrow", its shape changes - another blade stored in the blade of the thick long sword expands, and the entire blade begins to vibrate with a low sound.


    --I can''t take something like this seriously, even once.


    This thought was also conveyed to Theresia, who had been killing the signs and waiting for an opportunity until now.


    ''''.........!''''


    Current Situation


    Theresa activates "Assault Hit" ¡ú ? Double the attack power against Scarecrow


    Theresa activates the Butterfly Dance and increases the number of attacks.


    Theresa" activates "Azure Slash" - "? 1 hit on Scarecrow, critical stun


    Huh...!


    Theresia should have used ''Active Stealth'' to reliably get behind the enemy and unleash a desperate blow.


    Nevertheless, ''Scarecrow'' reacted and avoided the high-speed barrage of blows that Theresia unleashed while leaving an afterimage.


    However, only the final blow barely caught ''Scarecrow''.


    ''''.........''''


    The slash wrapped in the flames created by the ''Blue Flame Stone'' - the mask of the ''Scarecrow'' was injured.


    Current Situation¡ô


    ''? ''Scarecrow'' deactivates ''Vorpal Weapon''


    ''? ''Scarecrow'' disengaged from combat readiness


    It doesn''t look like the "Scarecrow" was dealt a big blow. However, ''Scarecrow'' returned the sword that had been roaring back to its original state and sheathed it, looking at us in silence.


    ''You stopped fighting........so what''s the reason for that? Is it because Theresia''s attack hit you...?


    The killing intent that was clearly felt just now has completely disappeared.


    Elitia was glaring at Scarecrow with her grip on the ''Scarlet Imperial Sword'', but in front of the opponent whose hostility has disappeared, she lowers her sword point.


    ''''........If I don''t use the ''Blossom Blade'' completely.......Red Eye, my sword......''''


    After putting the sword away, Elitia says in a small voice.


    ''Scarecrow'' received Elitia''s biggest technique. In total, he blocked a series of attacks that amounted to fifteen levels with two swords.


    Some of the demons in the fifth district may not be able to understand Elitia''s attacks. How does she, who is undoubtedly the biggest attacker in our party, feel about that fact--''''


    ''''Elitia........''''


    When I call out to her, Elitia turns to me and smiles - she doesn''t seem as depressed as I thought she would be.


    ''I''ll think about it later. It''s hard even for Kyouka - I have to be stronger than that. I just reaffirmed what I knew.


    ........I see. You''re strong after all, Elitia.


    What do you mean by praise when I told you not to be strong? You won''t get any better by coddling him.


    As we were talking, Suzuna comes over to us - apparently the ''evil spirit dispersal'' had an effect, but Igarashi-san on Sion''s back seemed to be unconscious.


    ''''Arihito-san, the ''Evil Expulsion'' was able to calm Kyouka-san''s condition a bit, but not completely.


    ''''Thanks, Suzuna. It''s better to have a lot of countermeasures against state anomalies, so the ''evil spirits'' can be useful.


    ''Brother, should I hand out the pills to you all?''


    Oh, just give me a second to... hmm?


    Current Situation


    Madoka" has been upgraded to 5th level


    When I did that, I gained a lot of experience...


    Permanence I didn''t know there was such a thing.


    ''I''m sorry. I was stocking up while I was at home to see if I could be of any help.


    Poor Potions of "Permanence" ¡ô


    A potion that exerts the effect of the skill "Permanence".


    Extends the target''s state change in accordance with the user''s level. Effective only for some state changes.


    The success rate increases as the opponent''s health decreases. Normal success rate is low.


    I''ll ask Madoka to hand me a bottle of potion and take a look at it - it says ''inferior'', but the effect itself is quite effective if you succeed in activating it.


    ''''It''s junk, so I used it on my own...''''


    ''No, that''s exactly the kind of effect I was hoping to get. A potion that has the effect of a skill do you know how to make it?


    ''''Ha, yes. Not every skill can be activated with a potion, but some magical types of skills can be housed in potions. You need to have someone who is a ''pharmacist'' or ''alchemist'' and has the ''Potions Creation'' skill to make it for you.


    Oh, I see... it''s a special drug that''s been sold as junk.


    I''m sure I could use it at least once more, but if using these things while exploring means Madoka gets experience, it would be good to be aware of the medicines and tools she can use and have them available to her.


    ''If you have any of these things in the future, make sure you buy them whenever possible... though Madoka is doing it before I can say anything else, so it''s really helpful.


    ''Thank you, I''ll do my best........oh, brother.......''


    Scarecrow" is pointing at us - no, no. He''s pointing at something behind us.


    "''Altergast''...?


    The ice statue of "Altergast". Pointing at it, ''Scarecrow'' looks at me.


    ''What''s wrong with that?¡¡Is that why you stopped fighting...?


    The response from "Scarecrow" was - surprisingly - an affirmation.


    But then he shook his head, and now he shook his head to the side. It''s almost confusing, but if we''re going to try to interpret it as it is, it''s ''it''s right, but it''s different in some ways''.


    ''''You mean you want that ice statue...?¡¡What are you going to use it for?


    ''Well if you''re not going to be any more hostile to us, we''ll negotiate with you. Do you want me to give you that one?


    ''Scarecrow'' nodded. If I brought back the frozen ''Altergast'', I was thinking of consulting with Celes-san to see if I could use it as a material, but if I can get any information about this labyrinth from ''Scarecrow'', the value of it is unknown - but there is no small amount of interest.


    ''''........Can I agree to it, guys?¡¡Give me the frozen demon.


    I think I''m good but really, I don''t know how it''s going to turn out.


    ''As of now, I don''t feel any kind of hostility anymore. I''m sorry, I don''t know for sure, but...


    Everyone was a bit confused as well, but they agreed to hand over the ice statue. As the Scarecrow approaches the ice statue, it seems to be heavier than it looks, and it is carried easily.


    The Scarecrow takes one look at us, then turns away and walks eastward away from the lake.


    ''What do you do, Lord Aricht, what do you do?¡¡You seem to be urging me to follow you...


    ''''I''d like to think it''s not a trap either. Seraphina, please give me a moment.


    I approached Sion, who was a bit farther away, and looked at Igarashi-san''s condition as she regained consciousness. I was told to stay away from her earlier, but even though she''s still not in the right state of mind, Igarashi-san raised her body a little and smiled at me.


    ''''I''ll be fine.......Suzuna-chan''s strength has calmed me down a bit. I''m sorry, for dragging you into the battle....


    No, I''m glad to hear that Igarashi-san is safe. The demons in the Fifth Ward are tough, but I also found out that we can fight them somehow.


    Well you guys were awesome. I''ll make sure I''m in the race next time...


    Igarashi-san''s status abnormality is ''? She is left with a ''spiritual disorder''. If she couldn''t solve this completely, she might not be able to participate in the battle against the ''Monkey Prince''.


    (.........You knew the risks, as long as you''re hiding in the labyrinth of the Fifth Ward. (We''ll just have to solve this one by one.)


    Theresia and Elitia picked up the magic stone dropped by ''Ice Remnant'' and left it with Madoka. We followed the ''Scarecrow'' as it walked towards the woods in the east direction, wary of its surroundings.

 190 Episode 189: Lakeside Hermitage

    After a short time in the woods, the fog blocked my view once - before I could worry about whether I could really get out of here, the fog cleared and the woods broke off.


    ''''........in a labyrinth......a house?''''


    Seraphina, who was ahead of me, was puzzled, but the feeling was the same for the entire party.


    A small wooden, thatched-roofed hermitage. A chimney was built, and smoke - or rather, fog - was flowing out of it. Apparently, this is what had created the fog earlier.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    We have entered an unexplored area.


    Probability of monsters appearing: Very low


    Existence of terrain effects: no judgment skills


    An unexplored area - can it be judged as such, even though it looks like someone lives there?


    Scarecrow placed the ice block of ''Altergast'' in that area. Then, he stood in front of the door of the hermitage.


    ''''Ah........Hi, it opens, brother.......''''


    The door to the hermitage opens - I''m always the ''rear guard'', but Misaki and Madoka are hiding behind me. Suzuna seems to be thinking about what to do, but she didn''t get behind me. She''s more of a ''rear guard'' than a ''middle guard'', but she seems to want to be in front of me. I''m glad for the feeling, but I''m a little sorry.


    ''''........girl.......?''''


    ''- I don''t feel bad about being called that, but I''m unfortunately more of an adult than you are, sweetheart.


    H..........?


    I''m sure he was about to leave through the door - but then I noticed that a small figure wearing a triangular hat appeared right next to Elitia.


    (Looks like.........Celes-san. Is it "Jade People (Jade)"...?)


    Although their faces are similar in appearance, their orientation is very different in terms of decoration compared to Celes'', such as wearing a kind of face paint and having their hair braided into a thin strand.


    She is dressed in a costume that exposes her skin in places, like a tropical tribal costume, and she wears a cloak over it. What kind of occupation is it - I think of ''shaman'' or something like that, but in that case it''s similar to ''priestess'' in terms of meaning.


    ''Hmm, you didn''t pull out your sword. It''s not like you''re being controlled by a coloured weapon?


    ''....Do you know about this sword?


    ''I know. Or rather, I''d say I specialize in all those things.


    She comes towards me - she''s quite small, but like Celes, I guess that means she''s a race that doesn''t match her age and appearance, just like Celes.


    ''''I''m Aricht Atobe, and I''m a member of a race.


    My name is Leene. I''m a bit of an eccentric who lives in a labyrinth in my hermitage. Thank you for accepting my invitation.


    He offered me his right hand and shook my hand - it seemed friendly, but I had to make sure about the ''Scarecrow'' attacking me.


    ''We have a lot to talk about, but first, I think we''d better see about that warrior woman as soon as possible.


    Can you cure ''psychosis''?


    ''Well, let me tell you about my profession. I''m a ''Witch Doctor'' also known as a witch doctor, and I have skills related to curses and spirits.


    Leene-san approaches Altergast''s ice block and pulls out a paper-like object from underneath her cloak.


    ''''Is that.........a protection charm, is it?''''


    Suzu, don''t you have one like that one?


    ''''Well, you had Suzuna hold the ''Deadly Spirit Repellent Charm'' for you. That''s why the demon from earlier was avoiding Suzuna at first.


    If you have equipment with special effects, you may be benefiting from it without realizing it in battle. In order to be able to attack a spirit body without the need for a "Word Spirit", I would like to have other accessories that have the effect of "Repelling Dead Spirits", but since Suzuna''s "Word Spirit" was effective, it would be better for Suzuna to have the anti-spirit body armor and protection (charms) in priority.


    ''''........Circumstances are what they are. I thought that this ''Altergast'' was something that would never appear again. Maybe it''s the fact that it''s a party with a lot of women in it, or maybe it''s because there''s more than one member under the curse... in this case, it''s probably the former.


    ''Miss Leene, what does that mean...''


    ''Even if you could encounter it, it''s amazing that you could freeze it like this. Normally, I would think it would be impossible to freeze a spirit body. That''s what you''ve done.


    From the way she talks about it, it seems that Leene was the one who instructed Scarecrow to bring back the ice statue of ''Altergast''.


    To her, either this ''Altergast'' is worth it or there is some kind of karma to it - I can''t see a lot of things yet, but it seems safe to assume that she invited us for a friendly reason.


    ''''Arihito-kun, this ''Altergast'' could be used as demon material if you take it home. However, I would like to seal this Altergast in this protection if possible. That way, her ''Spiritual Disorder'' will be suppressed.


    ''''If you defeat it, you can''t break the spirit barrier...''''


    I''m not going to beat it, I''m going to seal it. I have the ability to subdue spirits. You can also seal a spirit body into this kind of protection. This protection is the material for the generation of spiritual tools.


    ''Spiritual tools ... that sort of thing.


    When I answered honestly, Leene-san smiled at me - what a mischievous smile. However, as if she remembered something, her expression quickly became cloudy.


    ''''........It looks like Altergast''s freeze will be lifted soon. If you give me this, I promise to help you in the future. My powers should be of some use.


    Thank you. We''re here to talk to you about something. If you need anything more than just the Altergast case, just let us know.


    Consultation ... okay. Seriously, the kid. If she''s here, she should have shown her face.


    Who are you talking about, that girl?¡¡Oh, are you asking too soon?


    Misaki still doesn''t seem to be on the same page, but Leene is probably referring to Celes.


    "....By my curse thou shalt be ruled. Sleep, rest, lie down in the river of silence, and surrender to the land of your father and mother.


    --Oh................


    The ''Altergast'' that had been frozen turns into a mist while raising a distorted voice, and is sucked into the paper tag that Leene-san holds between her two fingers.


    ¡ôCurrent Situation ¡ô


    Leene activates Seal of the Spiritual Talisman and creates the Charm of Tenpennyoum.


    "...Yup. I''ve been looking for you for ten years, and I was about to give up.


    Ten years........you''ve been stuck in this labyrinth for that long?


    ''So that''s what it is. I didn''t build this hermitage, though. I''m just making use of what was here from the beginning to exorcise the demons.


    Although it''s a matter of fact, there must be a good reason to keep looking for ''Altergast'' for ten years.


    ''''....Well. You can give this charm to your warrior girlfriend to hold.


    Are you sure?¡¡Leene-san was trying to make this charm....


    ''I just wanted to seal ''Altergast'' with my own hands. You''d think what I''m talking about after having people catch me by the hand but this is kind of a blemish.


    Mr. Leene is about to hand me the charm - but he stops his hand as if he''s noticed something.


    ''Even though you''re part of the party, I think it''s a bit problematic to leave it to the men. I''ll be the spellcaster, and I''ll be in charge.


    "...?¡¡I''m sure I could handle it if I just gave you the charm.


    ''''A, Arihito-san.......the way you equip the charm, well.......you have to have it on your skin.......''''


    ''....Oh, oh, yeah. So that''s how it was.


    I''ve never equipped a charm, either, so I''m a little concerned about it.


    Seraphina hasn''t gotten the meaning of what Suzuna said yet. She might have to equip it in the future as well, so it would be good to know.


    ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô


    The hermitage had sleeping quarters for two people, but Leene told me that she always slept alone. Scarecrow doesn''t need a place to sleep, she said.


    Igarashi-san is made to sleep behind a screen that separates him from the rest of the house and is allowed to wear the charms by Leene''s hands - in the case of these paper tags, it is necessary to tie them somewhere on his body or stick them with some kind of easy-to-remove glue Apparently there is.


    ''Oh, well I''m a little embarrassed to call it therapy...''


    There''s no specific place to put the marks, but no matter where you put them, they can come off easily with movement. If it comes off while you''re exploring, you can use a string to tie it on.


    There could be any number of more convenient ways to equip it, but it''s hard to say if it''s customary to stick it on.


    However, although I was allowed into the hermitage, there is a part of me that wonders if it''s okay for me to be mixed in with the high density of women, in addition to the scent of some kind of incense.


    ''Brother, do you have any idea where you''re putting it?''


    ''No, not at all...''


    I''m just having a peek at it... Wow, the picture is even more amazing than I thought it would be...!


    ''''What are you talking about, Misaki? This is just a treatment.......right, Leene?


    ''In a warrior-type profession, it''s not uncommon for women to have cracked abs. They''re getting pretty well worked out, but...


    It seems to be said in a way that deliberately fuels the imagination - Igarashi-san''s abdominal muscles are not cracked. My abdominal muscles are cracking, but is it because I''m moving around violently instead of being a rear guard?


    ¡ôTurning Change Specter''s Charm¡ô


    Suppresses Abnormalities up to "Enthusiasm 3".


    Maximum magic power increases.


    The "Rustilation" skill will be available. It may be damaged when activated.


    Trapped demons of the spirit system can be equipped with stars. The kinds of charms that could be found in the labyrinth were also said to be made in this way, using skills such as ''Spirit Seal'' or ''Protector Generation''.


    ''''The ''charms'' were allowed to be placed on her body. You can''t take these off for a week or so. ''Spiritual disorders'' like this one can be cured after a while, but if you don''t wear something that can be suppressed, the symptoms will appear.''


    ''''Ha, yes. So, Leene, the effect of this charm is...


    Show the license to Leene. As far as Igarashi-san''s condition is concerned, it seems to interfere with her actions, but what kind of ''passion 3''


    --But I should have asked a serious question, but for some reason, Leene-san gives me a sympathetic look and pats me on the head after getting on the stepping stone.


    ''''Your brother is being good-natured.......Seraphina-san, sister Kyouka, isn''t that a rival appearance?''''


    ''What are you talking about Leene, what the hell are you doing?


    ''I''m younger than Lord Aricht, so I don''t think it''s appropriate for me to do that, but...''


    Igarashi-san calls out to me from behind the curtain, looking concerned. Serafina-san looks a little disappointed, but I don''t know why. It''s about time I got an explanation from Leene-san about this situation.


    She makes a gesture for me to listen to her. Is it something that is not good for people to hear - although it looks like she is simply enjoying teasing me.

 191 Chapter One Hundred and Ninety: Brightness

    Leanne seemed to enjoy my reaction, but finally she was satisfied and answered my question.


    ''It''s exactly as it was displayed. The word ''passionate'' is an emotional expression, but if I were to express it in a simple way, it would mean ''passionate'' or ''lustful''.


    That''s.......................


    Indeed, I thought that might be the direction in which the word was meant to be used. But when I was actually told that it was, I was troubled by the reaction.


    ''''There is a way to heal without using the ''Altergast'' spirit mark (charm). It depends on your relationship with your party members, though.


    "...sounds like a good way to wear the ''charm'' for a week and keep it in check.


    ''Hmmm ... it''s fun to watch a youngster get embarrassed.


    Since Celes-san said she was 115 years old, Leene, who calls Celes-san ''that girl'', would probably see me as considerably younger, but there''s something unsettling about it.


    ''''........For now, we''ve been able to control Kyouka''s condition. It''s time to get down to business. What you guys want is something to do with that sub-human child, right?


    ''You''ve already guessed it. We were introduced to you by Mr. Ceres and we''ve been looking for you.


    I took out Celes'' letter, which was in the inside pocket of my suit, and handed it to Leene.


    She took it, but didn''t open the seal to check the text, but placed it on the table.


    ''The reason ''Scarecrow'' fought you guys is because he''s a ''guide''. I told him to make a small check when anyone in the party has the ''curse mark''. If you don''t have a certain level of competence, you won''t be able to do anything by having them come to me.


    ''''........Scarecrow'' is a demon that Leene-san is following?¡¡Or.....


    "He''s a doll that moves with the skill of a ''living doll'' he''s a scarecrow, just like his name suggests. I''m sure you''ll be able to find out what''s going on in the world. His name is William.


    William....


    It seems more like a person''s name on Earth than a labyrinthine country. I was curious about the origin of the name, but I wondered if it wasn''t something to ask as soon as I met him.


    ''''As a level 11 swordsman, it can be said that he is on the high side in the Fifth Ward. But this William''s strength is equivalent to level 13. I''m surprised he had the courage to stand up to it.''''


    ''''Well this one had no choice but to fight with all its might. But my own attacks weren''t effective at all I was prevented from doing so by the ''Ranbu Kengei''. There was no point in just standing up to them.


    Elitia did not accept Leene-san''s praise outright. Leene-san huffed and turned her gaze to the sword strapped to Elitia''s waist.


    Celes is the one who is devoted to those she likes. I told her not to have too much of an attachment to a particular explorer, but I guess she forgot about it.


    ''We have a contract with Ms. Ceres as our party''s exclusive craftsman. That''s one of the reasons she comes to the district from the Eighth Ward.


    .........


    Leanne-san''s eyes widen slightly - I can''t immediately determine what part of my words surprised her.


    I don''t know how the guild allowed a ''Rune Maker'', which is now a rare position, to become exclusive to a particular party.


    ''''Does that... have something to do with the fact that you don''t see many ''Jade People'' who are supposed to be the people of the Labyrinth Country?''''


    ''You have good instincts, Mr. Aricht. But if you haven''t heard anything from Ceres, I don''t think it''s right for me to tell you. Right now it''s more important for me to hear what you guys are up to. Do you mind if I show you the curse she received?


    Theresa, are you ready?


    ..........


    When Theresa nodded back, Leene sat Theresa down in her chair and turned her around.


    Parting her hair at the back, the curse mark on the back of her neck has partially changed color. The black pattern is beginning to turn red - to a fiery red, which I associate with the word ''shimmering''.


    ''''This curse was received from the ''Cauterizing Monkey Prince'', wasn''t it? Every time that demon is defeated, it extends its survival period... the current individual''s survival period is probably the longest it has ever been.


    ''You mean it gets stronger every time it reappears........'' I''ve heard of different characteristics, though.


    ''Named'' may have inherited the memories of the previous individual. In that case, the searcher often has an unexpected struggle. They know how to stand in for the previous individual''s weaknesses, and sometimes they manifest them as skills.


    ''''........Was it long before the ''monkey marquis'' started using spells?


    ''''I don''t know. The explorers we defeat don''t provide all the information to the guild it''s true, the other explorers are competitors.


    Looking at Serafina-san, she nodded as if Leene-san was right. It''s difficult to say whether I can provide information on all the opponents I''ve fought so far, too - especially the matter of fighting the ''parts'', which is a secret for the party.


    The fact that it appears on the license means that some of the information is registered, but if Murakumo and Alphecca are the only individuals, it''s useless to the rest of the party while they''re with us. I don''t feel as if the guild is aware of all of our movements, nor do I feel as if Louisa-san and Kuzelka-san and the others are talking to us.


    ''''........At this level of progress, it''s probably five to six days, including today. Once the encroachment is over, she will become a member of the ''Monkey Prince'' family.


    ''''Leene, we are going to defeat the ''Marquis of Monkeys''. But if we don''t break the curse, we may not be able to break it for good... that''s what Celes-san told me.


    When I thought about it, even though Celes-san was knowledgeable, I didn''t wonder why she, who didn''t seem to be an expert by nature, had knowledge of spells - I didn''t even question it.


    ''''........Just as Arihito-kun just said. However, ''after the spell is lifted'' is a bit different. It''s one of the ways I can suggest, and I would say almost the only way.


    Almost the only... what do you mean by that?


    ''The other way is to let me think of it as something that doesn''t exist. But if you say ''it doesn''t exist,'' you''re lying.


    I thought that such a manner of speaking showed Leene''s sincerity. The ''another'' would be something that would affect our morale just by asking.


    ''''........How do I get the ''curse-eating''?


    In response to Elitia''s question, Leene pulled back the brim of her hat to hide her face.


    ''''Even if you''re looking for it in the labyrinth, it''s unlikely you''ll get it by accident. Not to mention, under circumstances where there is also a time limit, there is little hope.


    I still have to get it. I can''t just hope for a coincidence please tell me. How can I get it?


    ''If you don''t get the ''curse-eaters'' directly from a box or other item dropped by a demon, you''ll need to prepare a weapon to be used as the source. A weapon that is used as a ''spellcasting tool'' and has the ability to ''carve spells''. As long as we can prepare that, all we need to do is find the ''Holy Stone''. I''ll take care of the processing.''''


    The spellcasting tool is the basis for the Curse Eater''s weapon. We have to find it first, but is it something we can find in a store or in the labyrinth?


    ''''Could it be.........''''


    Elitia, do you have any idea what you''re talking about?


    ''''Silone had changed his job to ''spellcaster''. If that profession has a connection to ''spellcasters''...


    ...those two swords that were found at the time. Let''s check those weapons, Rear Admiral!


    Igarashi-san opens the curtain vigorously and says - I think the speed at which I turn my head to the side must have certainly reached the speed of light at that moment.


    ''''Kyouka-san, in that outfit.........''''


    Haha, ''I''ve heard the stories! And that''s how it came out...


    ''''However, Kyouka-dono is right. Alihito-dono, let''s have Leene-dono take a look at it as soon as possible to see if it can be used as a ''spellcasting tool''.


    ''I think the sticky substance on that weapon has been dropped by Ceres and the others, so I''m sure it''s in the storage room when the work is done. I''ll use the ''warehouse key'' to take them out.


    Madoka takes out the key - even in the labyrinth, you can take out what''s in the warehouse, so you don''t have to go back to town once.


    ''''........There it is, they''ve already finished the work and cleaned it up. I''ll take it out.


    ''Bloodsucker'' and ''Heaven Stiletto''. If only one of these two was a ''spellcasting tool'' - we gathered around Madoka, praying - and looked at the information displayed on her license.


    *Bloodsucker +3¡ô


    If you are covered in enemy blood, your strength will be restored.


    The darker it gets, the more "Attack Power" you have.


    The Night Vision skill will always be active.


    Increased endurance


    Agility improves.


    ?The "Heart Stone" is attached.


    Heaven Stiletto +4¡ô


    You will be more likely to get a critical strike when attacking with a "stab" attack.


    The "Attack Power" will be increased when both hands are equipped with different weapons.


    The "Attack Speed" will be increased.


    The "Silence Stone" is attached.


    You can carve spells.


    This Heaven Stiletto can be the basis for the spellcasting tool, the "Curse Eater".


    When I found that description at the end, I couldn''t help but revisit it again.


    Everyone looked at each other in admiration, too. Igarashi-san was happy to take Theresa''s hand - this was definitely a step forward.


    However, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done. It''s to find the other ingredient, the ''Holy Stone''.


    As if she saw my inner thoughts, Leene-san opened her mouth.


    ''''The place where the Holy Stone has been found is at the foot of the ''Trembling Mountains''. I''ve never found it on my own either, but I''ve heard that it can be found on one level, so I want you to go find it carefully.


    Thank you, Miss Leene.


    We have decided on our next destination - but before that, we need to earn a few more contributions before we leave this labyrinth. If possible, I''d like to fight non-spiritual demons that are troublesome to defeat, and achieve 3,000 contributions per exploration.