Chapter 1: New Family
Chapter 1: New Family
The morning after our safe — if it could be called “safe” — return to Parth, my companions and I were enjoying a hearty breakfast together at our inn of choice, the Fairy’s Song.
It had been quite a while since we had last enjoyed Clare’s homemade cooking. The nostalgia helped to make the well-balanced spread of freshly baked bread, corn soup, salad, bacon, and eggs taste that much more delicious. Of course, the Japanese cuisine in Toraj had been a great delight, but Western-style cuisine was good too. It was nice that living in modern Japan had taught me to appreciate both in equal measure.
“Kel-chan, I heard that the Queen of Toraj took a liking to you,” said Clare with a warm smile as she brought over seconds of the corn soup for Sera. “Look at you, barreling right down the highway to success!”
“News sure spreads fast. Who’d you hear it from?” We just came back yesterday and she already knows?
“Ange-chan is going around telling everyone she meets. Every adventurer in Parth must know by now! I guess she was just that happy about it!”
Ange again, huh. She did the same thing back when I was promoted to Rank A. I mean, I’d honestly prefer not to draw so much attention to myself, but having a friend who’s so happy for me does warm my heart.
“Just to set the record straight, I don’t have any intention of serving Toraj. Being an adventurer and doing whatever I want suits me much more.”
“Is that so? Then again, it’s you we’re talking about. I’m sure whatever you decide to do will go well.”
“Now you’re just making too much of me,” I laughed.
In fact, I had indeed been solicited by the Queen of Toraj, Tsubaki-sama, but I wasn’t remotely interested in taking her up on the offer.
“By the way, what will we be doing today, Master?” asked Efil.
Sera lifted her head from her food. “Right, we haven’t talked about what we’ll be doing now that we’re back. So, what’re we thinking? How about hitting a dungeon?”
I smiled wryly. “We did just get home, so today will be a day off. I myself am going off to buy something after this.”
“Oh my,” exclaimed Clare. “What’s a Rank A adventurer like Kel-chan going to buy? Could it be another cute slave like our Efil-chan?”
Another s— what are you saying, Clare? And “our Efil-chan”? Efil’s mine!
“Is that true, Master?”
“A man’s got to do what a man’s got to do,” Gerard chortled. “I understand, my king.”
“What?! No!” Don’t be carried along by the flow of this conversation, Efil! And Gerard, I’m thankful for your endless support, but please shut up for now. “I’m not going to buy a slave. I already have Efil, so why would I?”
Clare laughed. “You two youngsters sure make me jealous.”
Efil stayed silent and her expression remained unchanged, but her ears were slightly red and twitching about. Apparently, what I had said made her very happy.
“So then, what will you be buying, Kel-chan?”
“Nothing much. Just a house.”
“I see, just a h— A HOUSE?!”
“Mhm, a house.” My very own dream house!
“There you go with your shocking announcements again. Do you have enough money?”
“I am a Rank A adventurer, after all. I have more than enough.”
Lately, pretty much all the quests that we’d been accepting were Rank A and Rank S subjugations. And the rewards for quests of those levels had one or two extra digits, thanks to which I’d actually met my desired budget.
The reason rewards rose sharply for quests that were ranked A or higher was the difficulty of those tasks rose just as sharply. Rank B monsters could be handled by most knight orders, although the fight would be far from easy. To defeat monsters stronger than that, however, the country in peril would have no choice but to activate its greatest fighting strength, which would normally be tucked away as a secret ace. From the point of view of a government, adding a few extra digits to their expenses to have a mere adventurer take on that burden instead was a bargain.
The point was, after Viktor, the Black Wind incident, and the defeat of the evil dragon in Toraj, I was practically swimming in cash. Almost all of it was currently residing within Clotho’s Storage, as it was far too much to lug around myself.
“You were thinking of buying a house?” Sera asked in surprise. “It’s my first time hearing that!”
“Oh, right, you hadn’t joined us yet when we talked about it last. Efil, Gerard, do you two remember?”
Gerard scratched his head. “Uh...when was this again?”
“It was back when we had just reached Rank B. At the time, we were far short of how much we needed, so it was basically just a pie in the sky. Efil, we went around Parth picking out properties we liked, didn’t we? Though the idea sort of fizzled out after that.”
“I’m afraid I don’t remember it at all, my king.”
Well, I can’t say I’m surprised. Gerard hadn’t seemed all that interested back then. He’s pretty much the type who’s satisfied as long as he has somewhere to sleep.
“In any case, we’re back in Parth now, and we have more than enough money for a home this time, so I’m thinking of looking through those properties again.”
Sera’s eyes lit up. “I’m coming too! I want to see houses!”
“Please allow me to come along as well. As I remember, we had narrowed it down to three places last time.”
“Great. We’ll go to the realtor to see if those properties are still up for sale. What about you, Gerard?”
“Since everyone is going, I shall follow suit.”
“Okay, then. Let’s meet out front thirty minutes after breakfast.”
“It seems like it was only yesterday that you came to my inn as a newcomer, but here you are, about to buy a house and strike off on your own! Time really does fly. Tell me when you’ve decided on a place, Kel-chan. This time, we have to properly celebrate the start of a new stage of your life!”
“Thank you, Clare. I promise you’ll be the first to know when we’ve decided.”
After finishing the remainder of our food, we split up to make our respective preparations before heading out.
◇ ◇ ◇
When we arrived at the realtor’s office, the staff member on duty stared at me. After a few seconds of silence, he promptly rushed into the back of the store, shouting, “Booossssss!” at the top of his lungs.
A middle-aged man — the store owner, presumably — came out a moment later and informed us that he would be handling our case himself. Every aspect of his service was performed with the utmost courtesy and care. Clearly, being a Rank A adventurer was a rather big deal.
Unfortunately, two of the three properties that Efil and I previously had our eyes on had already been purchased by others in the meantime, so the realtor took us to check out the remaining property in person.
“Ahh, this one...”
“Indeed! You have a wonderful eye, Kelvin-sama. This is an estate that we recommend with great confidence.”
“My king, the good man called it a house, but...this is more of a mansion, is it not?”
“Well, it’s not too small. Good choice, Kelvin!”
“I’m glad to see that your companions have taken a liking to it as well, Kelvin-sama. If I may be allowed to brag a bit, this is the largest property that our humble business is currently handling.”
Sera’s impression was...well, let’s chalk it up to her being a former princess. This last remaining estate was on the very high end of the kinds of residences available in the city of Parth. Just as Gerard said, it looked like the kind of place that would house a noble family.
“The front gate has been unlocked, Kelvin-sama. Please let me show you around.”
When the gate swung open, the first thing that came into view was a garden graced with a fountain of clear, refreshing-looking water. Considering how spacious it was, the area seemed perfect for outdoor parties.
When we stepped into the building itself, we were greeted by a grand foyer. As it was my first time seeing such an impressive sight firsthand, I found myself feeling slightly overwhelmed.
“In terms of layout, the first floor has a bath, a kitchen, a dining room, and eight empty rooms. The second floor, accessible through the grand staircase in the foyer, has seven empty rooms. There is also a storage basement.”
Gerard sent me a can-you-actually-afford-a-place-like-this look, but the fact was, I did have the funds to buy it. Furthermore, there was a very particular reason I had taken an interest in this house.
“I want to see the bath.”
The two other properties that we’d viewed the last time around had been very nice too, but only homes of this size or larger could afford the luxury of installing a bath. Apparently, there were secret hot springs in Toraj, but what with training the Heroes and everything else that had happened, I’d never had a chance to visit them. Consequently, I was now seriously craving a bath.
“As you wish. The bath in this mansion is spacious enough for several people to use it at once. I’m sure you will love it.”
We were given a thorough tour of the place, after which we eventually ended up back in the lobby.
“And that is the entirety of the house,” the realtor concluded. “How do you like it, Kelvin-sama?”
“I want to hear everyone’s opinions. What do you guys think?”
“The kitchen is quite wonderful. I am happy with this property, Master.”
Of course Efil’s highest priority would be the kitchen. From what I saw, the one here is at least on par with the Fairy’s Song. I’m glad it meets her standards.
“No objections from me, my king. I like that there is a big garden for me to train in.”
If Gerard is going to be training there, then I suppose I should reinforce it. I do have an idea about the training space, though.
“The farthest room on the right side is mine!”
Forget expressing her approval or disapproval of the place, Sera’s already gone ahead and chosen her room! I guess I can take that as an approval...right?
I smiled wryly and turned towards the realtor. “I guess that’s that. We’ll take it.”
And with that, I secured myself a beautiful new home only three months after transmigrating to this world.
◇ ◇ ◇
Immediately after purchasing the house itself, our group headed off to buy all the things we would need for our new mansion. Gerard parted with us along the way, as it was supposedly time for his daily training. Efil and Sera chose the furniture, which I temporarily stored inside Clotho along with the other necessities we were picking up.
As we were currently inside the city, we had donned our Efil-made casual wear instead of our usual battle getup. Efil was wearing an unbelievably high-specced version of the white summer dress that she had chosen for our last date, while Sera had on a Chinese-style dress. I swear I didn’t force them to wear these because of my own preferences. I, Kelvin, do not lie.
“We’ll definitely need this, Kelvin!”
“That’s the fifth time I’m hearing those words today. What would you even use a pendant from a souvenir store for?”
During our shopping trip, I could not let down my guard for even a moment, as Sera would start badgering me to buy the most random things. The previous item had been a piano, of all things. We did indeed have plenty of money, but spending frivolously was not conducive to Sera’s education. I...think we’re still educating her, right? In any case, over-pampering her is not good. Nope, I’m not going to buy it for you even if you press those wonderful breasts of yours against my arm. I’m different from that doting father of yours!
“But it looks so curious and unusual. What a waste...”
“Just about everything looks unusual to you! Be stricter about choosing what you actually do and don’t want.”
“Ugh, all right.”
Sera’s personality was generally quite forceful, but for some reason, she would listen to what I said. I’m glad to have such an understanding Follower.
“Master, should we perhaps purchase a few more sets of dinnerware in case we have to entertain guests?”
“That’s a good idea. Let’s go and check some out. Sera, feel free to pick out a set for yourself.”
“Leave it to me! It’ll be a piece of cake!” she answered confidently with her hands on her hips, looking extremely happy.
I’m glad that her mood improves at the drop of a hat. Well, I guess I could consider getting her a piano one of these days. She does have the Performance skill at a pretty high rank, if I remember correctly. It would also serve as a nice piece of decor, so I suppose it wouldn’t be an entirely useless purchase.
Thanks to the recommended stores suggested by the realtor, we quickly proceeded to knock out everything on our list with an impressive smoothness. Of course, part of the credit also went to Efil for having written out the shopping list beforehand, and to Sera, for actually helping out properly during the second half of the trip. In short, we were all done by lunchtime.
“So, we’ve got everything we want?”
“Yes, Master. We’ve acquired all of the essentials now. Clo-chan, thanks for carrying everything.”
I nodded in agreement. “We’re really glad for your help, Clotho. Without you, it would be a huge undertaking getting all the furniture inside.”
Thanks to the convenience of Clotho’s Storage, we wouldn’t have to bother with the task of lugging furniture through the front door and up the stairs. After all, we could simply walk into the room where we wanted each item to be placed and ask Clotho to remove it then and there.
“All that’s left to do is grab our luggage at the inn, then. It feels like we’ve been in Clare’s care for the longest time.”
“Let’s properly pay her our respects as new neighbors, too,” added Efil. “After all, our house and the Fairy’s Song are within walking distance of each other. Even after we settle down, let’s go visit her from time to time.”
“I’ve been thinking the same thing. Once we have everything sorted out, let’s host a party to celebrate the new home and invite her along with the others. I’ll be counting on you when the time comes.”
“Yes, Master! I will do my very best!” After all, Clare was Efil’s mentor and master in the ways of cooking. I was already looking forward to the plump proprietress’s face when she took a bite of Efil’s food.
“By the way, Kelvin,” interjected Sera. “Aren’t you going to hire servants?”
“Servants? We already have Efil, don’t we?”
“You plan on making Efil take care of a mansion that size all by herself? And she’s coming along with us when we go on subjugation quests and dive into dungeons too, right? What will become of the house then?”
“Oh, you have a point. Sorry, I haven’t actually thought that far ahead.” To think that I would be chided by Sera of all people...but the concern she raises is valid. I’m in the wrong for assuming we would never have to worry about the housework as long as Efil was around.
“If I work hard enough —”
Sera shook her head. “Efil, keep the self-sacrificing to a minimum, all right? When it comes to Kelvin, you really do have a tendency to lose sight of everything else.” She shot a look at me and added, “Though, admittedly, part of the reason for that is Kelvin himself is clueless about a lot of things.”
Ugh, I don’t have anything to say in my defense!
“I’m sorry, Efil, for almost having shoved such a heavy burden onto your shoulders. Sera, thank you for pointing it out.”
“I’m also sorry for having overestimated my own capabilities. Thank you for your consideration, Sera-san.”
“It’s all good! I’m quite obtuse when it comes to the world myself. It’s give and take!” Sera nodded as if it really wasn’t anything of consequence.
Wow, now she looks like a reliable older sister. Yeah, I was completely in the wrong this time.
“I’ll go post a recruitment notice at the guild, then. How many people do you want, Efil?”
“I believe two would be enough.”
“Gotcha. I’ll arrange for it.”
If we’re getting more servants, does it mean I should officially install Efil as Head Maid? Guess I should give that a bit of thought as well. For now, let’s grab our stuff from the Fairy’s Song and say goodbye to Clare. Hopefully Uld will be there too.
◇ ◇ ◇
When we reached the Fairy’s Song, we found Gerard already there, digging enthusiastically into his lunch. The sight reminded us that we had yet to eat lunch ourselves. As for Uld...well, daylight was a precious resource for adventurers.
“Ah, there you are, my king. That was rather fast.”
“Yeah, the shopping trip went smoothly. The only thing left is to retrieve our belongings.”
“Did I hear that right? You’ve already found a place, Kel-chan?” asked Clare, poking her head out from behind the counter.
“Mhm, we’ve gotten the key from the realtor. We’re thinking of finishing up the move today.”
“Today, huh? I’m very glad for you, but things sure are going to get lonely around here.”
“We may be moving, but our house is literally just a few minutes’ walk away. We’ll still drop by.”
Clare laughed merrily. “I’ll look forward to the visits! All right, this calls for a celebration! Efil-chan, I’ll be teaching you a special recipe. Come around to the kitchen with me!”
“I-Immediately!”
In high spirits, both Clare and Efil disappeared into the back. Soon enough, the sounds of vegetables being chopped and pots boiling filled the room.
“Oh, my, what a wonderful smell. Looks like lunch is going to be worth looking forward to,” Sera muttered.
“Anything made by Clare-san and Efil is always worth looking forward to, isn’t it? As for the rest of us, let’s take this opportunity to finish packing our things. Sera, I’m sorry, but can you take care of Efil’s stuff too?”
“Me? Why don’t you do it yourself? You two are sharing a room, aren’t you? I think you probably know better than me where she puts everything.”
“There are things like underwear and such, right? I’d appreciate it if you could do it, being a girl yourself.”
“I don’t think Efil would mind. Don’t you get to see her every night in her un—?!”
I clapped a hand over Sera’s mouth in a panic. What the hell are you saying in public?! I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest!
“I myself don’t have that much luggage. Want me to carry everything, my king?”
“We’ve got Clotho, so there’s no need. We can literally just stroll over with empty hands.”
“Oh, right, that is an option.”
“Mmmm! Mmmm!” In other words, “Kelvin! I get the message already, so let me go!”
“All right, all right,” I said, removing my hand and stepping back. And since no one else is going to do it, I’m going to pat myself on the back for understanding what Sera’s muffled noises meant.
“Gosh! You didn’t have to get that embarrassed!”
“You should be more conscious of this thing called ‘public image,’ especially in light of how conspicuous we’ve become nowadays.” What are you going to do if unsavory rumors about us start spreading around?
“Is that how it is? Aren’t adventurers supposed to be conspicuous?”
“Only in a good way. Just now was clearly a bad way.”
As we continued our exchange, Efil came out with the finished meal in hand. All right, after we have lunch, we’ll wrap up the last part of the moving process. Let’s do this!
◇ ◇ ◇
“That was a revolutionary culinary experience! Who would have thought Clare still had such an ace up her sleeve!” exclaimed Sera.
“Mmm...I have lived a long life, but that taste just now was a first even for me,” Gerard agreed.
We were heading for our new house after bidding farewell to the inn that we had grown so used to, and could talk of nothing but the secret recipe that Clare had passed on to Efil. Apparently, Clare had known how to cook curry all along. It had been incredibly delicious, despite having been served with bread and not rice. Clearly, all of my companions had loved it as well.
“During our lesson, Clare-san mentioned that this ‘curry’ dish originated in another world. Supposedly, the recipe itself was recorded in documents dating very far back.”
“That means you knew of this dish all along, Kelvin?!”
“Well, yes, but I know literally nothing about cooking, so...”
Despite having transmigrated from modern Japan, I had pretty much no experience whatsoever with cooking. Reproducing a recipe from the mismatched bits and pieces of knowledge inside my mind was impossible, even at Efil’s skill level. In light of that, the Japanese cuisines that I had encountered in Toraj and Clare’s curry were priceless treasures to me.
“Efil, next time, let’s have that curry over rice. It’s definitely going to be delicious.”
“Th-The thought never even occurred to me. As expected of Master!” Efil looked at me, her eyes sparkling with respect.
Muahaha, now that she knows the recipe for the curry itself, the rest is child’s play. There are any number of ways to have curry, after all. Add Efil’s Cooking skill to the picture, and we’ll be set for life!
As our starting point and destination weren’t all that far from each other, we soon found ourselves at our new home.
“I’m back!” I said to no one in particular, stepping over the threshold.
“Welcome back, Master,” replied Efil, ever the loyal maid.
Sera almost missed her step. “Uh...what was that supposed to be?”
“I just wanted to try doing that. Thanks for playing along, Efil,” I chuckled. “All right, everyone. First order of business: we have to decide on our rooms. As the realtor said this morning, there are a total of fifteen rooms between the first and second floors. Before we start converting some of them to things like lounges and studies and so on, let’s get the distribution of our own bedchambers sorted out first.”
“The one farthest back and on the right is mine!”
“Why the obsession with that particular room?”
“’Cause it’s a corner room and has the most sunlight!”
A demon caring about sunlight? Moreover, “most” rather than “least” sunlight?
“I have no particular preference. Please decide for me, Master.”
“With the amount of space we have, there’s no need to hold back. Feel free to speak your mind.”
“Um, in that case...I think I, um, would like a room close to Master’s...” Efil managed with a red face, averting her eyes.
What is this cute creature? Here, have some head pats. “All right, then. Guess I’ll choose my room first.”
“I-If you please...”
When I turned to ask Gerard about his preference, I found him giving me a big thumbs up. Let’s just ignore him.
“Please don’t ignore me, my king!”
“Wow, such silence. I can’t hear a thing.”
“I apologize, my king! I’m in the wrong!”
“All right, all right. So, which room do you want?”
“That one’s fine with me,” he replied, pointing to one close by.
“Really? Right near the front door? You sure about that?”
“I don’t really mind where it is as long as I have a place to sleep. In addition, the proximity to the main entrance will allow me to react immediately should any threats arise.”
Ohhh, what a knightly thing to say. Guess we’ll be counting on you if something does happen.
“Lastly, Clotho. Whi—”
Before I could finish my question, the slime had already altered its shape to point towards the door.
“You mean...outside? But we have plenty of rooms.”
Clotho jiggled vigorously, giving the impression of shaking its head.
“Master, Clo-chan is a monster who originally lived out in the open. I believe it is trying to say that, instead of living indoors in one of the rooms, being outside suits its nature better.”
“Is that right?”
Clotho skillfully indicated confirmation by contorting its body. Well, this mansion did come with a rather sizable garden. Hopefully, it was wide enough for my buddy not to feel cramped. Thankfully, Clotho had plenty of common sense, and could be trusted not to cause much trouble.
“Gotcha. Then use the garden as you like. Just tell me if you ever feel like you want a room, all right?”
“What about you?” asked Sera. “You haven’t chosen yours yet.”
“Right, my room is —”
“Sera, lass, is there even a need to ask? The bedchamber of the lord of a mansion is always in the same area, isn’t it? Namely, the safest part of the property.”
“Ohh, the one farthest back, on the left side of the second floor? I remember it being bigger than the rest. And the only way to get there is to pass by my door, so I guess it really is safe!”
“Gahaha! I know, right?”
“Which means Efil’s room will be between Kelvin’s and mine!”
“I would like that very much,” Efil replied. She turned to give me a deep bow. “I hope to prove a good neighbor, Master.”
“Oh, er, sure, me too...”
To be honest, I had actually wanted the room closest to the underground storage area, but I had completely missed the opportunity to say that. Gerard, who still hadn’t learned his lesson, was giving me two thumbs up now. I could almost swear that his teeth were glinting with a bright smile behind his helmet.
Sera, who was copying Gerard by offering a thumbs up of her own — don’t pick up weird habits from the grandpa! — asked, “So, are we done with room selection?”
“Yeah, let’s move on to unpacking. Clotho, buddy, we’ll be counting on you.”
“Clo-chan, let’s start in the dining room, shall we?” Efil suggested, giving the slime a rub.
Oh, right, I have to post a recruitment notice at the Adventurer’s Guild. Even so, it’ll probably take some time before we get any applicants, so I’ve got to properly support Efil until then. As for how much to pay the servants...let’s ask Ange what the market price is when we drop by the guild.
We managed to pull off the incredible feat of finishing our unpacking by the end of the day. I dove into the comfort of my new bed filled with a warm sense of achievement and promptly fell into a deep sleep. Visiting the guild was going to be a task for tomorrow’s Kelvin to take care of.
◇ ◇ ◇
“What? We already have applicants?”
Two days after I posted the ad, I was called to the guild by Ange and informed of the surprising news.
“Yep! Your request is for two servants, right? Both slots were filled this morning. They’re available to meet you for an interview today, actually. What do you want to do?”
“That sounds perfect. Please arrange it.”
“Sure thing. I’ll send them over to your place, so you can wait for them back at home.”
“Thanks. Oh, and I’ll be inviting you to my new house one of these days, so make sure you come!”
“R-Really?! I’ll come; you’ll definitely see me there! I’ll be looking forward to it!” For some reason, Ange’s response was extremely enthusiastic.
“Hahaha, don’t be too surprised by Efil’s cooking!”
Friends really are a great thing to have.
◇ ◇ ◇
Once back at the mansion, Efil and I hurriedly got the parlor all set up in preparation for the coming interviews. When things were more or less ready, Efil went to stand by the door, I settled myself onto the long sofa, and Gerard took up his position behind me. Sera was currently out, so I telepathically gave her the news.
Ugh, I’m quite nervous. This is my first time actually hiring someone, isn’t it? Is it always this nerve-racking being on the interviewing side? Here’s hoping I can pull it off well! I mean, I have Nerves of Steel, so it should be fine, right?
At that moment, there was a knock on the door.
“Master, I’ve brought the applicants.”
“Yes, come in.”
“Excuse me.”
Efil opened the door and stepped into the room, followed by the two candidates.
Wait a moment. These two...
“Master, this is Ellie-sama and Ruka-sama.”
“Thank you for the opportunity. I am Ellie.”
“We meet again, Big Brother! It’s been a while!”
The two who had responded to our recruitment post were none other than the mother and daughter we had saved from Black Wind back in Toraj. Seeing me, the little girl, Ruka, immediately broke into a dash and leaped into my arms. Whoa! Good catch, me.
“Ruka! You shouldn’t do that! We didn’t come here to play!”
“But it’s Big Brother! And I haven’t seen him in so long!”
“H-Hold on a moment, guys. I, uh, what exactly is happening?”
I had prepared myself for whoever might walk through the door, but seeing this pair had really taken me by surprise.
“What are you saying, Big Brother? You’re looking for servants, right? We came here today for the interview!”
“That’s not what I meant. I...in the first place, don’t you live in Toraj? It’s only been two days since I posted the notice. How did you manage to reach Parth in such a short time?”
When I headed for Toraj in a wagon, it took me weeks. I mean, just...what?!
“I was visiting the Adventurer’s Guild in Toraj in hopes of finding employment when I saw your notice, Kelvin-sama. When I was told that the location was in Parth, I was inclined to give up, but then Mist-san approached me...”
“It only took a second! It was, like, bwooon, and we were suddenly in Parth!”
“You guys took the teleportation gate?!” Weren’t there a whole lot of conditions supposedly required for someone to use it?!
“Before anything else, Kelvin-sama, please allow me to pass this along to you. It’s a letter from our queen.”
“From Tsubaki-sama, you say?”
I accepted a rolled-up scroll from Ellie. True enough, the wax seal on it bore the national emblem of Toraj. I quickly scanned the contents. To paraphrase:
I heard from Rio that you’re looking for servants. It just so happens that I was about to send a few sacks of rice your way, so I thought I might as well include some eager applicants together with the rice. No pressure; if you don’t hire them, Rio will send them back. Of course, you needn’t thank me. Well, if you really want to thank me, how about coming back to serve Toraj? There’s no need to be reserved; the doors will always remain open to you and y— (the following lengthy solicitation has been abridged).
“I...see.”
In other words, Tsubaki-sama had yet to give up on her attempts to recruit us. She sure knows how to play the long game. And if I have to guess, she’s most likely in contact with both Rio and Mist.
“Master, it seems like several bags of rice have arrived from Tsubaki-sama. Um...and for some reason, Sera-san is part of the delivery group.”
“Oh, those must be the porters we accompanied through the teleportation gate,” Ellie remarked. “We happened to bump into Sera-sama along the way, and she very generously offered to help. She really is strong, isn’t she?”
In response to Ellie’s account, I looked out the window and saw Sera arriving with sacks of rice tucked under both arms. “Kelvin, I’m back! Look, we got more rice!”
Here I was, wondering what she was doing and why she hadn’t responded to my telepathic message. Turns out she was carrying rice!
“How do you want me to handle the porters, Master?”
“Set out some cold drinks and a light meal for them as thanks for having helped to carry everything all this way. If it’s your cooking, I’m sure they’ll be delighted.”
“Understood, Master.”
Sera strolled in just as Efil exited the room. “We’ve put everything away. So, how’s the interview going?”
“Thanks for getting the rice all sorted out. The interview...hasn’t really started, but, well, I guess I’m ready to hire them.”
“Really?!” cried Ruka, leaping up with joy.
“A-Are you sure about this, Kelvin-sama? We haven’t actually said anything yet...”
“We already talked for a whole day on the way back to Toraj, didn’t we? I think I have a pretty good grasp of your personalities. I’d trust you two more than I would somebody I’m meeting for the first time.”
Ellie seemed like she would be a diligent worker who wouldn’t cause me much trouble. Ruka was still young and not very well educated, but had a lot of potential for growth. If she worked hard under Efil’s instruction, she could grow into a very fine maid indeed.
“Then it’s decided?” Sera’s face broke into a huge smile. “That means tonight, Efil is cooking a feast in celebration, right?”
“I have no objections either, my king. Ruka, feel free to call me ‘Grandpa,’ all right?”
“Umm...Grandpa Gerard?”
“Oh!!! What is this feeling that’s welling up inside of me?!”
Are you really trying to be a friendly neighborhood grandpa, Gerard? In that grim-looking full body armor of yours?
“Ahem. In any case, the two of you are hired as of now. As I wrote on the notice, this is a live-in job. Once Efil comes back, she’ll show you to your room. You two don’t mind sharing, being family and all?”
“It’s more than generous! Normally, servants have to sleep in one big room together with a large number of people. The promised salary is also quite high. Are you sure about this, Kelvin-sama?”
“If it bothers you, then let me put it this way: I’m paying you a high salary to get quality work. As for you, Ruka, I don’t expect you to be able to do everything from the start, but I do expect you to study hard, all right?”
“I’ll give it my all!”
“I’m very sorry for my daughter’s overly casual tone and word choices, Kelvin-sama. I promise I’ll teach her properly.”
This is the sort of thing that everyone picks up over time, anyway, although I can see how it would be a matter of concern as a servant. Well, Ruka is still a kid, so I’m happy enough for her to put in whatever effort can be expected of someone her age.
“I’m sure both of you are quite tired today, what with the new environment and the move. As such, your duties will start tomorrow. Of course, you should feel free to use your room however you want. Oh, and Efil will be making your work clothes, so make sure to get measured. Then, next is...”
Once I had finished going through most of what needed explaining, Efil returned.
“There you are, Efil. Good timing.”
“What is the matter, Master?”
“I’m appointing you Head Maid, effective immediately. These two are now officially your charges. Take good care of them.”
“I humbly accept the honor.”
◇ ◇ ◇
Ellie and Ruka’s welcoming party was long over, and it was getting late into the night now. Alone in my room and relying solely on the light of the moon for illumination, I was absorbed in flipping through the pages of a book that I had only just picked up. Judging from the absence of noise coming from the room next to mine, Efil had already fallen asleep.
Just as I was about to stand up to grab a cup of water, I felt the flow of a magical presence that I knew all too well.
“Took you quite a while, Melfina.”
::You were waiting up for me?::
The voice that I was hearing through the Follower Network was undoubtedly the goddess’s.
“I can’t explain it, but I had a hunch you were returning today,” I laughed welcomingly. “And voilà, here you are.”
From an outsider’s perspective, I must have looked like a weirdo laughing to myself.
::Looks like every time I step away, you become less and less human.::
“Oh, hush.”
I wasn’t dreaming it; my precious companion was back. It felt like it had been ages since I could banter with her like this.
::I’m sorry; adjusting my artificial body took longer than expected.::
“Don’t worry about it. I don’t know exactly what this artificial body of yours is, but the point is, I can Summon you now, right?” The time has finally come. The past three months felt like an eternity.
::Indeed. And I’m all ready to catch your heart, honey.::
“That...is a pretty dated phrase.”
Come to think of it, this is going to be the first time — in memory, at least — that I’m meeting Melfina in person. Am I a bit nervous?
“In the first place, you’re basically just tagging along with me as part of an extended holiday, right? It sounds like your goal has kind of gotten off-track.”
::Not at all. To my surprise, it seems I actually took a liking to you somewhere along the way.::
“You know, I’m still not sure whether I believe that whole thing about me falling for you at first sight.”
::And now you can see for yourself. Go ahead!::
“All right, all right...”
At the moment, my max MP was 2,625. After subtracting what was needed to keep the other Followers materialized, I was left with 2,045. By some odd coincidence, this was the exact amount from the last time I had tried — and failed — to Summon Melfina. Would it be enough this time?
I focused my mind and gathered magic above the bed before my eyes. Preparations, all okay. Only thing left to do is actually perform the Summoning.
A magic circle appeared in mid-air, and bluish white light enveloped the room. Soon enough, the light turned into pure white wings before fading away into fine rays.
“So...what do you think?” asked the angelic woman who was now hovering over my bed. Clad in blue armor, with a long spear of the same color in hand, she was a war goddess in the flesh, pristine and entirely free of blemishes. Melfina’s features appeared around high school age and were the perfect combination of cuteness and beauty to evoke a sense of sublime majesty. Her face was framed by hair that glowed bluish white under the moonlight and reached all the way to her waist. Every time her white wings beat the air, a wave of divine energy washed over the room.
“P-Passably to my liking, I suppose.”
The goddess giggled and replied, “Is that so?”
I realized once again just how much I sucked at lying.
◇ ◇ ◇
“Aaahh, I finally get to taste Efil’s cooking!” exclaimed Melfina. “It’s every bit as amazing as I imagined!”
“Even after raising her Cooking skill to Rank S, her food is getting more delicious by the day,” I said proudly. “The word ‘complacent’ just isn’t in my remarkable maid’s vocabulary.”
“Thank you for the compliment, Master. However, I am only doing what any maid would do.”
“Mm! Today’s food is as wonderful as always! Efil, seconds, please!”
“Here you go, Sera-san.”
“......”
The morning after I had successfully Summoned Melfina, my party was enjoying breakfast together in the dining room. With me, Efil, Gerard, Sera, Clotho, and now Melfina present, the whole “family” was finally in attendance.
“But still, a mansion,” remarked Melfina, raising her face to give the room a quick once-over. “I was rather surprised to find that your room at the inn had been vacated. It took me quite a while to find this place.”
I shot her a look. “You could have just reached out through the Network, you know.”
“That would have been a waste of an opportunity for a touching reunion, don’t you think? I really wanted to surprise you!”
“What, like an episode of Punk’d?”
“......”
What a weird thing for a goddess to get hung up on. And why’s Gerard been so quiet this whole time? Is something wrong? “Gerard, you haven’t said a single word since the meal started. Do you have a stomachache or anything?”
“No, that’s not it. Um, my king...who is this pretty lady?”
“Yeah, now that Gerard’s mentioned it...who’re you?” asked Sera quizzically. “Haven’t seen your face around here before.”
Oh right, I’ve only introduced her to Efil so far. Sera came in and joined the conversation so naturally that it completely slipped my mind.
“Apologies for my belated greeting. Is ‘nice to meet you’ appropriate here? In any case, I am a fellow Follower who was Summoned just yesterday. My name is Melfina.”
“Princess?!” Gerard exclaimed.
“Indeed, that’s me,” Melfina replied in her characteristic sing-song voice.
You’ve actually come to like that nickname, haven’t you...
“Ah, so you’re Melfina,” said Sera. “Sorry I didn’t recognize you; I didn’t know what you looked like. Glad to have you back, I guess. Welcome back!”
“Thanks! I’m glad to be here.” The two women exchanged a handshake, but Melfina’s face was slightly clouded. “I imagine you might not think the best of me over what happened to Demon Lord Gustav —”
“Nah, don’t worry about it. That was the result of my father becoming overly obsessed with power and running amok. And it wasn’t even you who handled the Summoning of the Hero of that age, was it? I heard the whole story from Kelvin. So there’s nothing bad between us!”
Melfina heaved a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”
“Oh, pssh, there’s nothing to thank me for,” Sera replied, waving her hand dismissively.
Phew, I’m glad there’s no bad blood between the goddess and the demon. Looks like I was worried about nothing, seeing as the two of them are breaking the ice just fine.
“And here I was thinking my king had brought in a new concubine! So, it won’t be raining blood today. What a relief!”
“Dude, why do you always jump to that sort of conclusion?!”
“Don’t worry, Gerard,” said Melfina smugly, “I’m the main wife, and I’m here now!”
“Pfft!” I spat out the mouthful of milk that I’d been drinking. Where the hell did your serious mood from just now go, Melfina?!
“C’mon, Kelvin! That’s gross!” Sera cried, after successfully evacuating the dishes from the table at top speed.
“Master, allow me,” offered my faithful maid as she approached with a napkin to wipe my mouth for me.
“Sorry, and thanks.” I obediently lifted my face.
“So, you really are betro—”
“No! She’s just making it up like she always does!”
“Becoming so flustered over such a small matter means that you still have a long way to go, honey.”
“You sure seem to be having fun stirring things up...”
Looks like she’s in quite high spirits after finally being materialized. If only she would have her fun without getting me into trouble, though.
“By the way, Melfina, is it a problem if we continue to call you by your name?” asked Sera. “Everyone knows who Goddess Melfina is, after all. Luckily, the servants happened to be out on an errand this morning, so we’re in the clear for now, but still.”
“Good point. This is the perfect opportunity to discuss it. Let me share the Status of this artificial body with you all,” the goddess replied before uploading her Status window to the Follower Network. “This is me in my battle-ready state.”
Mel (17 y/o, Female, Angel, Valkyrie)
Level: 86
Title: Resonator
HP: 900/900 (+635)
MP: 900/900 (+635)
Strength: 900 (+814)
Endurance: 900 (+814)
Agility: 900 (+814)
Magic: 900 (+814)
Luck: 900 (+814)
Equipment: Holy Spear Luminary (Rank S), Valkyrie Mail (Rank S), Valkyrie Helm (Rank S), Ether Greaves (Rank A)
Skills: Divine Binding (Hidden Skill: Hidden from Analyze Eye), Sympathetic Resonance (Unique Skill), Spear Mastery (Rank S), Blue Magic (Rank S), White Magic (Rank S), Alchemy (Rank S)
Passive Effects: Summoning/Magic Supply (Rank S)
“Hold on; there’s way too much here to comment on!”
“Well, it is an artificial body, after all. Feel free to voice your comments one by one.”
“Oh, um, all right, then.”
I listed each of my questions in turn, and Melfina patiently answered them all. First, her unnaturally uniform stats were apparently set up to be reflective of my own. Specifically, the value for each was the average of all my stats after the buffs from any stats-raising skills were accounted for.
“That is the effect of my Unique Skill, Sympathetic Resonance. Not only are my stats attuned to yours, but so are my level and skill points. If you pick up a buff or a debuff, it will affect me equally as well. Consequently, me acquiring a stats-boosting skill, like Herculean Strength, for example, would be entirely meaningless. Similarly, I do not get the stats buffs from your Summoning skill.”
“Sounds like a skill with its fair share of merits and demerits. Why did you choose this one?”
“All artificial bodies come with Divine Binding — a Hidden Skill that residents of this world have absolutely no way of detecting — in order to limit the powers of the deity dwelling within. Naturally, this body is no exception.”
Divine Binding supposedly worked to restrict the stats boosts and skill points earned by leveling up, ensuring the artificial body would only ever be as powerful as an average resident of the world. This was a measure taken to prevent gods and goddesses from overly affecting the worlds that they visited. There were several other more detailed restrictions imposed by the skill, but at least the stats part could be overcome with the help of Sympathetic Resonance. In other words, Melfina was exploiting a loophole. The stronger I got, the stronger she would become. The skill points that she earned would be equal to mine as well, which meant that she actually had quite a pool of them still sitting untouched.
“More importantly, we are now even closer to becoming one in both body and soul!” Melfina continued.
“Oh great, ‘honey.’”
“What a perfect monotone delivery.”
All that’s left to discuss is her name, I guess. “So, this artificial body goes by ‘Mel’ and not ‘Melfina.’”
“I believe that takes care of the problem, right? Everyone, going forward, please call me ‘Mel’ when addressing me out loud.”
I nodded. “A simple but easy to remember nickname. Gotcha.”
Efil bowed in acknowledgment. “Understood, Mel-sama. I will also inform Ellie and Ruka when they get back.”
“Thank you, Efil,” Melfina replied with a grateful look.
Guess I’ve got to be careful when speaking to Melfina in public. Wait, hold on, about her age —
“Did you want to say something? Honey?”
I gulped. “Nope, nothing at all.”
My Danger Detection skill was blaring an alarm in response to her full-faced smile. All right, age is taboo. Never touch on it, never bring it up, never mention it. I mean, she looks seventeen, so let’s leave it at that, right? Yes, that’s that.
“Well then, that’s enough about me, don’t you think? Next is the blessing that I promised to grant you a while back.”
“Right, for when I successfully Summoned you. I remember.”
“That’s right. Well done. Here you go, have a flower.” Melfina used her index finger to draw a flower onto the back of my right hand.
“Agh, that tickles! But being praised does make me happy.”
“There you are. Now you have my blessing.”
“Wait, just like that?” The ritual is to doodle on my hand?
“What I’ve just granted you is the Blessing of the Goddess of Reincarnation. It’s the same one possessed by the Oracle of Deramis.”
“What is its effect?”
“There are two. The first is that once a month, you will receive absolute protection against something that would otherwise kill you. This activates automatically in the case of unforeseen accidents or sneak attacks that you fail to see coming.”
Damn, that first effect is already plenty OP on its own! Although there was a lengthy cooldown time between uses, the benefit of having some insurance against fatal attacks was obvious. To avoid letting our skills get rusty, Gerard, Sera, and I had taken to having practice matches with each other as of late. While these were, again, practice matches, we still took them quite seriously. As the one with the lowest Endurance, I was always somewhat in fear of losing my life. One did have to be alive to be a battle junkie, after all.
Not that I was a battle junkie.
“Good for you, Kelvin! Now we can kick things up another notch during our practice matches!”
Of course that’s your first thought, Sera. But no matter; I’ll take everything that gets thrown at me!
“You two, make sure to not go overboard, all right?” Efil chided Sera and, for some reason, me. “Don’t forget that the underground training area is right beneath the building.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
With Efil’s admonishment putting an end to the exchange, it was time to move on.
“The second effect...is the ability to summon a Hero using your own magic.”
◇ ◇ ◇
“Good going, lass! Your moves have definitely gotten a lot sharper than before!”
“And you’re as sturdy as ever! Do you even know how many debuffs I’ve piled onto you?!”
Greatsword and fist clashed again and again, generating booms and shockwaves that reverberated throughout the training room below our new home. What had once been a wine cellar had, thanks to my Green Magic, been expanded so much that the space was now even larger than the house itself.
In addition to the training room, which was around the size of a school gymnasium and thoroughly coated with adamantite, this underground area also included my own personal forge and a multitude of other rooms...although some of them were still in various stages of construction.
“It looks like Gerard and Sera have grown quite strong. Do they often have practice matches like this?”
“Mhm. Around the time we defeated Viktor, we sort of ran out of opponents that could really hold their own against us. So every once in a while, we’ll train with each other this way. Most of the time, we do it round-robin.”
As we had learned during our expedition to Toraj, even Rank A opponents no longer posed a threat to us, and we had only encountered a handful of Rank S monsters to date. Sparring between our party members ended up being pretty much the only option for keeping our skills up to snuff.
“It looks like Gerard’s pressing.”
“Well, his stats are a head above the rest of us, and he also has a whole lot more fighting experience. This is how it usually goes.”
Even Sera, who normally preferred a straightforward fighting style, found herself having to use various techniques and magic while facing off against the knight. And even then, her chances of victory were still quite slim. There was a marked difference in strength between her and Gerard. With both of them going all out and improving themselves day by day, it appeared that this power dynamic — which I personally thought was working out well for everyone involved — was going to stay as it was for quite a while longer.
“So, the Hero Summoning...”
“Is that a note of misgiving that I sense in your tone?”
“More bewilderment, if anything,” I replied. Honestly, I was at a loss as to how to use the ability that Melfina had given me this morning: the ability to summon a Hero. “In the first place, what is a Hero? Sure, they defeat Demon Lords, but can’t other people do the same? A Rank S adventurer, for example. Gaun’s Beast King is Rank S, isn’t he?”
“That’s — oh my.”
“Melfina, dodge.”
Sera sailed towards us, having been sent flying after failing to properly block one of Gerard’s attacks. Melfina and I took a step to the left and right, respectively, to avoid being knocked over as well.
“Gosh! And I was so close to getting to you!”
“Gahaha! It was indeed very close, but not quite close enough.”
Sera lay spread out on the ground, flailing her limbs a few times in frustration. This was a pretty rare sight in general, considering she was practically undefeated outside of our party. In here, though, it was a rather common occurrence.
“One more time! Just once more! I won’t lose this time!”
As Sera stormed past me, I gave her a light slap on the back. “Here you go, have a Bright Heal. Good luck!”
“Thanks! Kelvin, watch me! I’ll win this time for sure!”
“Of course. I’m looking forward to it.”
With that, the demon took off like a bullet, heading back towards the knight. The two of them promptly resumed their fierce combat. It was clearly only a matter of time before the reinforced walls and floor of the training room would begin to suffer damage, but hey, gotta strike while the iron is hot, right? By now, it was customary for Gerard to hang out with Sera when she was in the mood for some roughhousing. Then there would be a self-reflection session after the match.
“Sorry we were interrupted.”
“No worries. So, we were talking about why it has to be a Hero, right?”
Melfina raised a hand and gathered an orb of light above her palm. Eventually, the light took on a humanoid shape, floating in midair.
“Do you remember when I mentioned that the cyclical appearance of the Demon Lords is a natural phenomenon that can’t be changed?”
“Yeah, right before we fought Viktor.”
“To go into further detail, the whole process is deeply related to a specific skill. Without exception, every single Demon Lord throughout history has possessed that skill.” As Melfina flipped her hand, the figure of light scattered. “The name of that skill is Mara Pisuna. Strangely, nobody is ever born with this skill. It is when the soon-to-be Demon Lord amasses sufficient power that he or she suddenly comes into possession of it. Why or how this happens is still a complete mystery.”
“Sounds like a disease more than a skill.”
“That’s actually a good way of putting it. Here, honey, take a cushion.” Melfina pulled two floor cushions seemingly out of nowhere. I accepted the one that she was offering and sat on it.
“Here we go, oof. So, then, what does that skill actually do?”
“First, it changes the personality of its owner. It draws out and amplifies the malice in their heart. In other words, you can think of Demon Lords as completely different individuals from the people they originally were.”
“What a frightening skill...”
“You’re right; it’s an enormous pain to deal with. The precise conditions for obtaining it are not clear, but there is a strong tendency for it to be found in those who already possess some degree of malice. I don’t think it’s something you’d have to worry about for yourself, though.”
“Confirmation from a goddess! Now that’s reassuring. So, you said ‘first.’ I’m assuming this skill has additional effects?”
“It nullifies damage.”
“I’m sorry, what?”
“The skill completely nullifies all incoming damage. In other words, the bearer becomes invincible.”
Hold on, “invincible,” as in, actually invincible? The Demon Lord becomes unbeatable?!
Melfina read my expression perfectly. “That’s right. But that’s where the Hero comes in. Or, to be exact, it’s the power from an otherworldly source that’s the exception. The ‘otherness’ of a power possessed by someone from a different world acts to nullify the invincibility of the Demon Lord. As long as there is at least one Hero in the party, damage from the rest of the party members also bypasses the effect of the Demon Lord’s skill.”
“I see, so that’s why the Oracle of Deramis specifically summons otherworlders. But is there any point to the ‘Hero’ title? You make it sound like even my attacks would land on someone like that.”
“Yes, honey, your attacks would be effective as well. But you’ve got to remember, appearances are important. Both for politics and for religion. And, apparently, otherworlders tend to like this sort of thing too.”
“Ah, politics and religion. Fair enough.”
“Whether to follow along or not is entirely up to each otherworlder’s personal decision. After I bring them over, I’m hands-off. I don’t compel them to do anything.”
I guess that’s where the royalty and nobility and all come into play. Not that I have any intention of getting involved. Being manipulated and used for someone else’s agenda doesn’t sit well with me.
“It seems like you’re still quite conflicted, honey.”
“I’m not sure whether I should do it or not. After all, those people are Summoned against their wills, right? Just as the current generation of Heroes were?”
“That...is the case, yes. The target of the Summoning has no say in the matter.”
“Then —”
“If that’s what’s bothering you, I recommend that you go with transmigration summoning.”
“Transmigration” summoning?
“There are two ways of Summoning Heroes. One option is the way that Colette, the Oracle of Deramis, did it: she summoned living otherworlders. The other is to transmigrate the soul of an otherworlder who has already died.”
“Umm, what’s the difference?”
“Right, I’ll explain. First, the Summoner can choose how much magic to pour into the Summoning. The strength of the resulting Hero is proportionate to the amount of magic used. There is no limit on the number of individuals that can be summoned, but the overall strength is divided among them. Those who possess the Blessing of the Goddess of Reincarnation can only invoke this ability once and can only use their own magic for the process.”
Damn, so I can’t add my companions’ magic to my own, then.
“Summoning otherworlders is basically just teleportation, so that is essentially the low-cost option. Their skills and bonuses are distributed automatically based on their personal aptitudes. They don’t get to choose.”
“And that’s what Touya and the others went through.” Low cost...so that’s how the Oracle of Deramis was able to afford bringing all four of them over. She sure got a bit greedy there.
“On the other hand, transmigration Summoning requires much more magic, as it involves pulling over a soul that’s already died and providing it with a new body. Consequently, this method is not suitable for Summoning several individuals at once. In exchange, the person being Summoned has complete freedom to choose their skills and bonuses, which generally makes them quite a bit more powerful. Oh, and they can also change their age and appearance if they wish. Obviously, this is how you were summoned, honey.”
“Wait, my current appearance is different from my appearance before?” This is news to me. I’m...not quite sure how I feel about it.
“No, don’t worry; you didn’t alter either of those parameters for yourself. After all, doing so uses up skill points.”
“Oh, okay. Phew.” I mean, if it costs SP, then yeah, I wouldn’t touch it.
“So, does the option of transmigration Summoning allay your qualms?”
“I suppose so, yeah. One last thing...would I get to choose the soul being summoned?”
“I’m afraid not. When it comes to otherworlder Summoning, I, as the goddess, choose the targets. When it comes to transmigration Summoning, however, the target is entirely random. There is no way to tell who it is until the ritual is actually performed.”
Random. So there’s quite a bit of risk involved. Honestly, if we were to get a protagonist stereotype like Touya, I would probably go bald from stress along with Setsuna. That is the only situation that I’d like to be spared from. When looking at it that way, it’s a pretty big gamble. In the first place, do I even need to Summon a Hero? As an otherworlder, I can fight the Demon Lord myself, after all...
“There is no need to rush to make a decision, honey. It’s not as if the ability will disappear. Take all the time you need to think it through.”
“Thanks, I think I’ll do that.”
It would probably be a good idea to come back to this later with a fresh mind. I might get some good advice if I ask Efil and the others, too.
“Honey,” Melfina warned as she picked up her cushion as the match between Sera and Gerard reached its peak once more.
I quickly followed suit and stood up. “Again? Well, it’s around lunchtime anyway. Let’s get out of the way and wrap things up. Seems like Sera’s reflection will be held over lunch today.”
A moment later, I smoothly cast a recovery spell on Sera as she flew past us yet again. Apparently, she had been done in quite badly today, same as always. She’s probably going to be pretty vexed during the reflection session, too.
◇ ◇ ◇
Later that night, I gathered together all my companions in the underground training facility. After all, this was the safest place away from prying eyes.
“That was faster than I expected, honey. You made up your mind within a day?”
“I’ve finished consulting everyone, so there’s no point in dragging it out any longer. I still have that promise to Gerard that I’ve yet to fulfill, so we can do with all the fighting strength we can gather. And if I can’t control a single Hero...well, that’ll show how much I’m worth.”
After mulling over the matter and getting everyone’s opinions, I had decided to go ahead with the Summoning. Fingers crossed this Hero doesn’t walk out on me.
“Ellie, Ruka. I previously explained to you two that Master is a Summoner, yes? What he is about to perform is an extremely special kind of Summoning. We have no idea whether this will be someone who will join us as a companion, someone who might be our guest, or someone who’s taken the wrong path in life. Regardless, make sure to carry yourselves in a way that would not bring shame to Master’s name.”
“Understood, Efil-san.”
“Okay!”
Thanks to the outfits that Efil had tailored for them, both Ellie and Ruka now completely looked the part. Ellie had already taken up her duties as a maid, and the day when she fully grew into the role probably wasn’t too far off. Ruka, on the other hand, was still only an apprentice. Per my instructions, both of them had already been informed that I was a Summoner.
“There’s no need to wind yourselves up too much over this. Even if the Summoned person turns out to be a bad guy, they’ll only be at Level 1 and wearing the most basic equipment. I would be able to defeat them as easily as taking candy from a baby.”
“My king, when you say ‘defeat,’ do you mean...?”
“I’ll defeat them and rehabilitate them, of course. By force, if needed. Letting someone with the strength of a Hero run amok and do whatever they want is far too dangerous.”
“Hey, can we get this over with quickly?” asked Sera with a loud yawn. “I’m kinda sleepy.”
“I’m not surprised, given how long you were training...”
After two consecutive matches with Gerard in the morning, Sera had faced me, Clotho, and then Gerard again in the afternoon. Of course she would be tired. And you hate losing that much? Seriously?
“Thanks to the back-to-back fights, I feel like I’m on the verge of grasping something. Either way, let’s make it quick.”
“All right, all right. Unsummon!”
In order to maximize my MP, I returned Gerard, Sera, Clotho, and Melfina to my magic pool. After downing the MP recovery potion that Efil handed me, I was back to full magical strength.
Mel, please start.
::Very well. I will now perform the Summoning by the authority vested in you from the blessing. Please confirm the amount of MP that you wish to use and the number of individuals that you wish to summon.::
Leave me only 1 MP and use the rest to summon a single person. If we’re doing this, I would rather have a strong Hero. Someone with half-assed strength wouldn’t be able to keep up with us, would they?
::All preparations are in order. Transmigration starting...now.::
A gigantic magic circle appeared in the center of the training room, glowing with a faint white light that enveloped the place in a fantastical and mystical atmosphere. However, the process seemed to grind to a halt after that.
Uh...why is nothing happening?
::The Hero appears to be puzzling quite a bit over the skill selection.::
Oh, right, you did mention that would happen. Hold on, doesn’t that mean we’ll be waiting for a while? I know I would take a whole day to choose my skills...
::Time flows differently in — aaaand, done. Interesting, no changes to appearance or age, just like you. And...::
And?
::No, never mind. There’s no point in describing someone you’re going to meet in just a moment. All right, look sharp!::
I turned towards the magic circle just in time to see its glow burst into a pillar of blinding light.
◇ ◇ ◇
I, Saeki Ryo, was born with a weak constitution. After having contracted an incurable disease back before my earliest memories, I came to spend the majority of my life either in a hospital or in my own room at home. School? I rarely attended.
Naturally, there was no way for me to make friends, so being alone was the norm for me. I spent most of my waking hours either studying or reading novels. Almost all the stories that I picked up were adventure-themed ones. For me, able to do nothing but peer at the outside world through the window, these books were the only thing that kept me sane. The dream of one day being able to step outside and embark on my own exhilarating journey of a lifetime was what fueled me, what motivated me to hang in there throughout all the treatments.
However, it had all been in vain. The day before my fourteenth birthday, my condition suddenly took a turn for the worse. The curtains fell on my life just like that, as if it had been nothing but a disappointing joke.
What was the point of my life, anyway?
My eyes no longer saw anything. I was surrounded by darkness. Pure, silent darkness.
Is this life after death? I don’t even care anymore...
I closed my eyes in self-abandonment. Surely, my consciousness was going to be wiped away soon enough.
Beep.
A sound that I did not recognize reached my ears. It did not sound like a noise that belonged in a world after death.
What was that?
When I opened my eyes, I found myself in the same dark void as before. However, one thing had changed.
Welcome to your new world!
What...is this?
There was a translucent slab in front of me with a flashing button. Like a puppet on strings, I found myself raising a hand to press it.
::Congratulations! As the result of a scrupulous and meticulous selection process, you have been granted the right to transmigrate to another world! Your soul will now be sent to the Acting Goddess of Reincarnation, where you will be given instructions for making the preparations for your brand-new life.::
Transmigration? Another world? As in, what I had read about in novels and longed for all my life?
It was as if a spark of life had passed through my deadened heart. I felt my consciousness being pulled forward.
After that, I met an angel who introduced herself as an “acting goddess” while her “boss was away” and listened to her grumble about her work for a while. I ended up taking quite a bit of time to choose my skills, but what does it say that the goddess’s rant had taken even longer than that?
However, I still enjoyed it quite a bit, as it had been a while since I’d gotten to have a conversation. What I learned from her monologue was that this angel had a very irresponsible boss. I guess everyone has it rough in their own way.
◇ ◇ ◇
Thud!
Something landed within the cloud of smoke that was emanating from the magic circle. I could tell that the silhouette was humanoid, but couldn’t make out any other details.
Judging from the height, it appears to be...a child? It seems like we’ve at least avoided the worst case scenario of having an ultra bad criminal on our hands.
::With your Luck stat, there’s no way you would get a bad draw, honey. This is sure to be someone who properly meets your needs.::
I sure hope so.
The smoke cleared, revealing the figure of a young girl not even 150 cm tall. Her short hair was black, from which I gathered she was Japanese. With porcelain white skin and a slender build, she not only looked appropriately cute for her age, but clearly had plenty of potential to grow into a splend— That’s not what I should be focusing on right now!
“Where...am I?” murmured the girl, trying to get her bearings. The traveler’s outfit that she was wearing made me recall my own arrival to this world.
“First of all, it’s nice to meet you. My name is Kelvin, and I’m an adventurer by trade. This place is a training room beneath my house. It might be a bit bare, but I hope you’re not put off by that.”
“A-Adventurer?! Oh, um, nice to meet you. My name is Saeki Ryo.”
Ryo? Ryo...this won’t do — How can such a cute girl have a name that brings to mind a certain crafty middle-aged man? This is a serious problem!
“Um, is what the angel said true? Have I really been transmigrated to another world?”
“Angel?”
::That would be the subordinate who’s handling my duties at the moment.::
You shoved something this important onto your subordinate?!
::It’s fine, it’s fine. As they say, everything’s an experience, right?::
Have you ever heard the phrase, “It’s not what you say but how you say it”?
I turned my attention back to the newcomer. “I’m the one who called you to this world. Before anything else, I’m terribly sorry for reincarnating you at our conveni—”
“You’re the one who brought me back to life?!”
“—ence?! Uh, yes. That was me, but...”
Ryo, who had been the very image of timidity only a second before, abruptly grabbed both of my hands and rushed in close to look me straight in the eye. Uh, what is this extreme reaction? You startled me!
“Thank you so much! Thank...just, hic, thank you...”
Next thing I knew, she had buried her face in my chest and was bawling her eyes out. This is strange. I’m having a serious feeling of déjà vu right now.
::My king...do you actually possess some sort of skill that makes girls cry when they meet you for the first time?::
I mean, I don’t think I do...
◇ ◇ ◇
“Yes, please! I’d love to! Please let me join your party!”
After calming Ryo down, I explained to her that she was now a transmigrator, just like me. From what she told us, becoming an adventurer had been something she’d always fantasized about in her previous life. The more I shared about this world, the brighter her eyes seemed to shine. When I finally asked her what she wanted to do going forward and officially invited her to join our party, she gave her answer without hesitation.
“You’re sure you don’t want more time to think about it? I mean, I’d love for you to join us, but...”
“Nope, I’m good. I’m very grateful to you, Kelvin-san, and I also want to repay this favor. I think I’d feel more at ease being allowed to stick with you. Um...as long as I wouldn’t be a burden.”
“Well, if that’s how you feel, then I have nothing more to say. Welcome aboard!”
I offered my right hand, and Ryo shook it. As expected of someone her age, her hand was tiny and warm. And now to introduce her to — oh, right, everyone’s still Unsummoned. Let’s ask Ellie to bring me some more MP potions. Ugh, there’s so much liquid just sloshing around in my stomach already...
Upon sufficiently recovering my MP, I Summoned all of my Followers. The sudden appearances caused Ryo’s jaw to drop in astonishment.
“Ummm...that person’s sleeping, right?”
Ryo was pointing at the figure of Sera, who was splayed out on the ground, dead to the world.
Aaah, she must have fallen asleep while on standby inside my magic pool. Wordlessly, Efil retrieved a blanket from Clotho’s Storage and covered the demon.
“Yeah, that’s Sera. She’s quite tired today, so you two can meet properly tomorrow.”
The introductions to everyone else went ahead without a hitch. And now, it’s time to resolve a very serious problem.
“Ryo, there’s a bit of a problem with your name. Can we talk about it?”
“My name? Oh, because a Japanese name would draw unwanted attention in this world?”
“That’s not it. The name ‘Rio’ itself is quite common here. The problem is, it happens to be the name of the old man who’s serving as the city’s guildmaster.”
“That’s...okay, yeah, that’s a bit of a problem.”
I know, right? I’m sure that, as a girl, it would kind of bother you, wouldn’t it?
“If I had the Naming skill, I’d be able to help rename you, but picking it up seems like a waste of skill points. Plus, it turns your name blue and all.”
“Honey, there’s no need for that.”
“What do you mean?”
“Those who are transmigrated have the right to choose a new name for themselves. It seems that Ryo just hasn’t done it yet.”
“Oh, right, the angel mentioned that. I told her I’d hold off for the moment, because I didn’t know what kinds of names would be common in this world.”
“This is my first time hearing about it. I don’t remember anything of the sort when I first arrived.”
“In your case, honey, you changed your name before losing your memories.”
So, “Kelvin” is the name I picked for myself? “Ahhh...ahem, anyway, problem solved! Ryo, what kind of name would you want? Only royalty and nobility have family names in this world, so you can leave that out.”
“Mmm...in that case, I’ll go with Rion!”
“That’s...a nice name, but it’s not very different, is it?” It’s basically the same pronunciation with an extra “n” at the end.
“I dreamed countless times about being inside the stories that I read. In almost all of them, I used the name ‘Rion.’ It feels like the most natural choice to me.”
“I see. Then you’ll be Rion from today onwards. Um, Mel, how exactly does she change her name?”
“Please open your Status window, Rion. There should be an edit button next to your name. Do you see it?”
Rion opened her Status window. “Oh, you’re right.” After poking her screen a few times, she asked, “How’s that?”
I activated Analyze Eye.
Rion (14 y/o, Female, Human, Light Swordsman)
Level: 1
Title: Hero of Parth
HP: 20/20
MP: 23/23
Strength: 4
Endurance: 2
Agility: 7
Magic: 4
Luck: 3
Skills: Residual Slice (Unique Skill), Sword Mastery (Rank S), Acrobatics (Rank C), Companionship (Rank C), Vigor (Rank A), Double Growth Rate, Double Skill Points
Looks like she managed to change her name without a problem. What’s more surprising is how high her skills already are...and she’s got the doubling skills too! Her growth is definitely going to be a sight to see!
“Yep, all confirmed. You are now officially Rion. Did you discover the doubling skills on your own?”
“Mhm! I’ve read quite a few otherworld reincarnation novels that had skills to accelerate growth, so I searched for them just in case. I was really happy to find out this world actually had them! I also maxed out Sword Mastery, since it’s hard to go wrong with that one.”
“That was a good call. The merits of possessing the doubling skills at Level 1 are enormous. And it looks like you picked up a few others as well.”
“Oh, um, the rest I chose sort of as an over-response to my previous life. I mentioned that I was really sickly and that I died from an illness, right? That’s why I ended up spending quite a few points on Vigor. Then there’s Companionship, because I was worried about whether I would be able to make friends...”
As she continued to talk, Rion’s face gradually turned towards the ground. Perhaps the trauma inside her is much deeper than I’d thought.
“There’s no need to be ashamed of these choices. At a high enough rank, Vigor protects you not only from illness, but debuffs as well. And there’s no better skill than Companionship for conveying your feelings. In other words, it’s just a matter of how you use those skills to your advantage.”
Rion seemed to mull over my words before finally looking up with a bright smile. “Okay!”
I’m glad to see that her dark mood’s dissipated. Let’s give her another shot of liveliness!
“All right, then, once again — officially...ahem. Welcome to your new fantasy world, where swords clash and magic abounds! Rion, we’re glad to have you here!”
“Thank you!! I’m Rion, and I’m thrilled to be here! There’s still a lot that I have to learn, but I’ll do my best to catch up quickly! Thank you, everyone, for the warm welcome!”
We all clapped enthusiastically. And with that, our latest member had received a proper welcome, just as the day was ending.
Which means I don’t have to keep up this front any longer, right? My knees suddenly gave way, and I sat down on the ground, hard.
“Master?!”
“My king?!”
“Don’t worry, I’m all right. It’s just that with my MP running on empty, it was taking all I had to remain upright.”
A feeling of fatigue more fierce than anything I had ever experienced was raging through my body. Come to think of it, I’ve never used up this much of my MP at once before. Although it was not a physical kind of fatigue, I still felt myself desperately wanting to crawl into bed.
“Clo-chan, give me the most potent MP potion you have in Storage,” Efil said quickly.
Obediently, Clotho retrieved a particularly valuable and effective recovery item, which Efil promptly made me drink.
I gulped it down and let out a heavy sigh. “Aah, I’ve made it back to the land of the living. But I really can’t drink another drop...”
“That sure scared me, Kelvin-san. So, that’s what happens when someone runs low on MP?”
Melfina placed a hand on Rion’s shoulder. “That’s right. And that is why you should always be careful about your MP usage. Honey even went so far as to make an example out of himself, so don’t you ever forget this lesson.”
“Is that what he was doing?!” the young girl exclaimed, whirling back towards me.
“Ah...yeah. As expected of Melfina, she sees right through me.” It’s obviously not true, but I can’t help trying to look cool. Sorry, I’m a guy.
“So that’s what it was, eh, my king?” Gerard laughed. “I think you’ll make a fine teacher!”
“Mommy, Big Broth— Master really is amazing, isn’t he?!”
“He sure is. But it’s late now, so let’s not shout, all right?” Ellie admonished her gently.
Thank you for pulling me out of the fire there, Melfina. “Anyway, as Ellie mentioned, it’s getting quite late. Let’s all hit the sack. Ruka, please take Rion to the guest room that’s been set up. Rion, you’ll have a chance to choose your own room tomorrow.”
“Sure thing! Big Sister Rion, please follow me!”
“Thank you, Ruka. Oh, wait, hold on a moment. Kelvin-san.” As she turned to leave the room, Rion abruptly looked back at me. “What is my official position in this party going to be?”
“Err, what? I mean, you’re our newest companion, so...your position is as...a companion, I guess? What do you mean?”
“Wouldn’t it be weird for a Level 1 like me to suddenly join your party and start living in your house?”
“Ohhh, fair point. I guess it could come across as a little suspicious.” It could even lead to uncomfortable rumors. And there’s no telling what Guildmaster Rio might say.
“How about going with the story that you two are half-siblings with different mothers?” offered Melfina. “Rion’s traveled a long way from a distant country to follow in her brother’s footsteps. After all, you share the same black hair that’s quite rare in these parts.”
Gerard stroked the chin of his helmet. “Well, their faces aren’t all that similar...but I guess it could work.”
“It’s true that there were quite a few people with black hair in Toraj, but not so much in Parth.” I turned to Rion. “Are you okay with that?”
“Sure, I don’t mind! I used to be an only child, so I’m glad to have a brother,” she replied with a bashful smile.
Am I just imagining it, or is her face a bit red? “Well, this time it’s good night for real. Rion, things are going to get busy starting tomorrow. Make sure you get plenty of rest.”
“Okay. Good night to you too. I’ll do my best, Kel-nii!”