Chapter 1: The City of Parth
Chapter 1: The City of Parth
After recovering from Menu-san’s — or Melfina’s, I suppose — sudden “confession,” I set out for the closest city. Along the way, she told me the general story of what had happened before my transmigration.
Apparently, I had died in an accident, but it was an accident due to a slip-up by a god (a deity other than Melfina). Consequently, that god had approached Melfina, whose jurisdiction was transmigration, and begged her to take “special measures.” According to Melfina, this kind of thing wasn’t all that rare. So even gods and goddesses make mistakes, then?
::You would be surprised at the number of gods and goddesses who are quite irresponsible with their powers. I’m different from them; I do take my job seriously, okay?::
As for this particular goddess who had been speaking to me inside my head, it turned out that she had once been an angel who had served another deity. Her long years of service had eventually been recognized, and she’d been promoted to Goddess of Transmigration and Reincarnation in this world. Compared to her peers, she was considered a total newbie. When my case had been brought to her, she had apparently accepted it while grumbling this again? to herself. Of course, I could only take Melfina’s word for all of this.
::Right after you chose your skills, you immediately turned to press me for a Contract. You went on for nearly an hour saying, ‘I’ve fallen in love with you! Please come along with me!’ Honestly, I was feeling a bit bored after doing this job for several hundred years, so I eventually caved in and said yes.::
I had no memory whatsoever of this episode, but apparently I had fallen for Melfina at first sight. Now, though, I could only hear her voice.
Wait, hold on...you left because you were bored? It sounds like you are one of the irresponsible ones after all!
::Even gods and goddesses need a breather every once in a while. In terms you would understand, it’s paid leave! Don’t worry; I’ve thrown all of my work at my subordinate. With one thing leading to another, I haven’t taken any leave for several decades already, so I thought it would be a good time to do a bit of recharging.::
Threw your work at someone else? So you’re treating my transmigration as a vacation?! If that’s so, I’d appreciate it if you’d at least return my memories.
::The discarding of your memories was something that you decided on, honey. You didn’t have enough skill points, so you asked me to take your memories in exchange for more.::
Why on earth would I say that to someone I’d fallen in love with? What was the point of forgetting all about it right afterwards?
::Well, you did say, ‘Even without my memories, I know for a fact that I will fall in love with you all over again!’ You were so direct and straightforward in your approach that I couldn’t help but be slightly moved. In dating sim terms, it was Favorability +1. Congratulations.::
Ugh, please let her leave it at that. I may have no memory of it, but listening to this story makes me feel like I’m being forced to relive an embarrassing episode from my history. In any case, it seems like Melfina’s appearance is totally in line with my personal preferences. Now I really want to get a look at her.
“Does the fact that we’ve already Contracted mean that I can Summon you now?”
::You can’t at the moment. The amount of MP needed to materialize me is far beyond your current stats.::
Wind taken out of my sails right at the start. Guess my goal now is to gain enough levels to Summon Melfina.
::I look forward to both your growth and another novel and exciting confession from you.::
“There isn’t going to be a confession, all right?”
As our conversation continued in this manner, I finally reached the top of a hill, and a city came into view.
::That is our destination, the city of Parth.::
The city appeared quite sizable, composed of brick buildings surrounded by a stone wall that looked roughly ten meters high. I felt my heart begin to beat rapidly at the sight of a view so different from modern Japan, with “Now this is fantasy!” bouncing around inside my head. There was even a tall clock tower near the center of the city, with a design that wasn’t terribly different from the clocks that I was familiar with. This may be another world, but perhaps our cultures are more similar than I thought.
The outfit that I was wearing at the moment was casual garb for travelers in this world. According to Melfina, it was part of the standard welcome package for all transmigrators. It wouldn’t raise any eyebrows but its defensive capabilities certainly left something to be desired.
The stone wall had entrances on both the east and the west sides. I approached the gate and what would be my first human interaction in this world.
Hm, the guard’s noticed me.
“Hey there. Are you an adventurer? Sorry to trouble you, but could you show me your guild card or some other form of identification?”
“I’m sorry, I come from a small, rural village, so I don’t have any identification.”
My response was something that Melfina and I had worked out in advance. A sizable portion of the population of this world didn’t own any identification, so gate guards at a city of this size often issued IDs as part of their duties. It would require a bit of money, but Melfina had also given me some cash when I transmigrated, so there was no problem on that front. I suppose she was capable of doing her job properly after all.
::As I said, I do take my responsibilities seriously!::
I acquired my identification without any issues and headed towards my destination, the Adventurer’s Guild. Although I had been apprehensive at first, by now I was thoroughly ready to enjoy this new fantasy world to the fullest.
◇ ◇ ◇
Upon the stone-paved roads ran carriages drawn by horses, clip-clopping alongside a bustling crowd of people of all ages, shapes, and forms. Whoa, that person even has animal ears! Too bad it’s a guy, though.
::Honey, that’s the guild right in front there.::
I looked around and saw a large building which, despite being made of bricks like all its neighbors, managed to give off a somewhat disorganized impression.
All right, here’s the start of my new life! Ah, ah, ahem, ahem!
Folks, here we are at an Adventurer’s Guild. What an imposing appearance it has, wouldn’t you agree? Well then, how about we take a look inside?
::Em...what was with that random monologue?::
“No idea. Maybe I’m a bit too excited right now.”
Entering the building, the first thing that I saw was a row of counters where guild receptionists were busy handling adventurers. Hey, a lot of them are quite cute.
Next to the counters was a bar, where there were a few people drinking despite the early hour. The place did not feel closed-in or unwelcoming, though. Rather, with groups huddled around tables to talk strategy, people milling around a bulletin board and going through what appeared to be quest posters, and others loudly and cheerfully toasting each other, the overall atmosphere was quite lively and warm.
So, pretty much the usual depiction of an Adventurer’s Guild in RPGs brought to life. It made me happy to find that it was all just as I had imagined it to be. I’d been worried that there might be only meatheads in here, but there turned out to be a sizable number of normal young men and women too.
I joined one of the lines in front of a counter and waited a short while until it was my turn.
“Good morning! How may I help you today?”
A girl with brown hair done up in cute pigtails greeted me in a voice so bright and bubbly that it lifted my spirits. Cheerful girls are great, aren’t they? I barely caught myself before being sucked into her round, blue eyes. Oops, now’s not the time for that.
“I’d like to register as an adventurer.”
“Registration it is! Please fill out this form here. Would you like a scribe?”
“I’m good, thanks.”
As part of the transmigration welcome pack, I had a full understanding of the local language, which also included reading and writing. Thank Goddess for Melfina, right? Okay, so I have to fill in...just my name and class. Well, that’s simple enough. Name’s Kelvin; class is Green Mage. Done.
“Thank you, Kelvin-sama. Please wait a few moments.”
There was a reason I had written in “Green Mage.” Summoners were apparently very rare in this world.
A more common class of a similar nature was Tamer. Unlike Summoner, this class involved taming monsters and making them do the Tamer’s bidding. The ability had no MP costs, and the monsters could be kept at the Tamer’s side twenty-four seven. Apparently, the higher the rank, the more monsters that could be Tamed. Only in this way, however, was it similar to Summoning.
The advantage of Summoning was that it could be used against not only monsters but also humans, elves, and even inorganic entities like golems. In addition, there were the stats boosts, the telepathic network, and the ability to Summon Followers anywhere within one’s magical range. These buffs were, without a doubt, a very worthwhile tradeoff for the MP costs.
Those who could become a Summoner were extremely limited in number, to the point where there might be only one, if that, in each country. The instant one was found, he or she would immediately become the center of attention for the local higher-ups. As someone who wanted to live freely and enjoy this world at my own pace, such attention would only be a hindrance. So I had decided to hide my identity as a Summoner as well as I could going forward.
“Apologies for the wait. Here is your guild card.”
I was handed a blue card decorated with wings that bore the letter F. So this is how a guild card looks. Nice.
“Now, please allow me to provide a simple explanation of the guild system.”
According to the receptionist, adventurers were separated into seven different ranks. She even had a little board as a prop:
Rank F (Newcomer) ← Kelvin-san!
Rank E (Novice)
Rank D (Intermediate)
Rank C (Veteran)
Rank B (Master)
Rank A (Monster)
Rank S (Inhuman)
My rank was specially indicated with cutesy handwriting. Yep, thanks, that does make it really easy to understand.
“As you’ve only just registered, you will be starting from Rank F. The guild accepts various quests from a large range of sources, which we then assign ranks to and release for adventurers to accept.”
“In other words, as a Rank F, I can only take on Rank F quests?”
“You can accept quests one rank above your own. However, there will be a breach of contract penalty if you end up failing the quest, so please be mindful of that.”
Hmm...makes sense. That’s how they prevent people from carelessly punching above their weight.
“After completing ten quests in a row, you will move up to the next rank. Quests of a rank higher than your own will not provide any special bonuses. Please note that rank-ups from Rank C and above will require an exam.”
“Gotcha.”
“As for the quests themselves, there are four general classifications: subjugation, bodyguard, harvesting, and unique. For subjugation quests, a part of the target’s body will be necessary to serve as proof of success, so please don’t forget to bring it back with you.”
They need proof? What if I end up not being able to carry it? Like if I end up hunting too many targets?
“Are there any good quests for a beginner to start out with?”
“Of course. Would any of these interest you?”
Subjugate: 3x blue slimes
Harvest: 5x medicinal grasses
Unique: Find my cat
So...basically, the most fundamental ones. And it seems that unique quests are those that simply don’t fit any other classification.
::Honey, how about using the blue slime quest as an opportunity to try establishing a Contract? Blue slimes would be perfect for a first attempt.::
Guess we thought of the same thing. I also want to try out Summoning as soon as possible. In a place beyond prying eyes, that is.
“I would like the blue slime quest, please.”
“The blue slime quest. Very well.”
I officially accepted the quest and left the guild. I didn’t learn this until later, but the receptionist’s name was Ange. Guess I’ll be in her care quite often going forward. Well then, let’s move on to getting myself properly equipped. I don’t have much money, though, so it’s only going to be a basic weapon and some recovery items, I guess.
::A Wooden Rod would be good. It provides almost no buffs to physical damage, but a faint amount of magic is contained within. It should at least make it easier to cast spells.::
And with that decision, I used up almost all of the cash that I’d arrived with.
For the sake of tonight’s lodging fees, onward!
◇ ◇ ◇
Without further ado, I left the city and made my way to a nearby plain. As far as the eye could see, it was plains, plains, and more plains, with only the occasional tree. It was so quiet and tranquil that I couldn’t get the thought it’s so peaceful out of my mind. I had no idea if it was sheer luck or not, but even while walking along a forest road on the way to Parth, I hadn’t encountered a single monster. Couldn’t have asked for a better place to explore my abilities.
“They said this is the general area where blue slimes appear.”
I looked around to see if there were any nearby. Eventually, I spotted a blue, jelly-like thing a short distance away.
::That is indeed a blue slime. How about trying to view its stats first?::
Following Melfina’s suggestion, I activated Analyze Eye. Although I hadn’t known how to use it beforehand, the skill immediately went into effect the moment that I thought about it. It felt as natural as breathing. Seems like I won’t have a problem using any skill that I possess.
Blue Slime (0 y/o, Genderless, Blue Slime)
Level: 1
Title: None
HP: 5/5
MP: 0/0
Strength: 1
Endurance: 1
Agility: 2
Magic: 1
Luck: 2
Skills: Blunt Damage Resistance
So this is Analyze Eye. Apparently, it can tell me anything about my target.
::Analyze Eye can be used not only on living creatures but on items as well. Your skill is currently at Rank S. For living creatures, you can Analyze targets up to a hundred levels above you. You can also Analyze inanimate objects up to your current rank.::
Doesn’t that mean it’s effective against basically everything? Hold on a moment...when I tried to read your stats, all of the fields came back as “Unknown.” Does that mean that your level is above 100?
::Well, I am a goddess, after all.::
How much MP am I going to need to Summon you?! But I’ve gotten derailed. For now, I’ve got to focus on the blue slime in front of me.
I slowly inched towards the creature. I wanted to establish a Contract with it, but for that, I needed its consent. Do I talk to it to convince it?
::For monsters that don’t understand words, you’ll have to weaken it enough for it to be willing to submit to you. If you activate a Contract at that time, then the monster should consent. It’s like the ‘so-and-so looks like it wants to be your friend’ thing.::
Clearly, Melfina-san was quite familiar with modern Japanese game franchises.
But back to the matter at hand...it seems like the slime might die from a single magic spell, so let’s try to attack it with the Wooden Rod itself.
“Take that!”
I unleashed a blow at the blue slime, with only a small amount of power behind the swing. It was sent flying several meters, bouncing a few times on the ground. I activated Analyze Eye again.
“Remaining HP...3. Let’s try Contracting with it now.”
I held my hands out over the creature, which looked like it was currently trying to recover, and mentally willed it to Contract with me.
“Aagh, I feel something being drained out of my body. Is that supposed to happen?!”
::When attempting to establish a Contract, half of your remaining MP is expended, regardless of whether your attempt succeeds or fails. What you felt just now was probably due to using a large amount of magic all in one go.::
“Tell me important things like that beforehand! Anyway, did I succeed?”
I turned to look at the blue slime just as it began to glow with a white light. That’s too bright, dude.
::Congratulations. The Contract has been successfully established.::
“So we’re done?”
::The monster that you’ve just Contracted with does not yet have a name. Would you like to try giving it one?::
Hmm, a name...problem is, my naming sense easily veers into cringeworthy middle schooler territory with even the slightest trigger. Let’s play it safe here — wait, but I’m in a fantasy world...wouldn’t a cringey name not be cringey here?
“All right, from today onwards, your name will be Clotho. Let’s take care of each other, buddy!”
Clotho jumped up, jiggling intensely, then exploded into particles of light that were immediately sucked into my body. So this is what turning into a magical entity means. Going by Melfina’s earlier explanation, I take it this means Clotho’s been assimilated into my magic pool.
“Heeey, Clotho, can you hear me in there?”
Although I couldn’t hear Clotho’s words, its feelings seemed to flow directly into me. It’s really happy right now, I think?
::The telepathic connection works even without words, honey. This way, communication is possible between Followers too.::
Oh, I can feel Clotho being a bit scared. Please be nice to it, Melfina. I think I’ll call this the Follower Network. It’s even faster than communicating with words, so I can see this being very useful during a fight.
“Next is Summoning. If I’ve lost half of my MP from the Contract just now, I should still have 10 MP left. Would that be enough?”
::For a slime of this level, that’s more than enough. Oh, and I forgot to mention this before, but a Follower’s HP reaching 0 means that it’s dead, at which point the Contract is forcibly dissolved. Just be mindful of that.::
So HP reaching 0 equals death in this world? From the sound of things, it doesn’t seem like the classic gaming system of dying and reviving at a church or something exists here. Clotho is now a precious partner who’s going to accompany me going forward. I’ve gotta be careful not to slip up.
::As long as even 1 HP remains, you can dispel the Summoning and return the Follower to your magic pool. Magical entities naturally recover HP and MP over time, so be sure to make good use of that.::
Oh, I see. That’s a very helpful piece of information. Well then, since I have Melfina-sensei’s stamp of approval, let’s try out the Summoning skill now. And since I’m not sure what my magical range is yet, let’s just do it right here in front of me.
In an instant, a magic circle appeared before my eyes. But it was already gone in the time it took me to blink, replaced by the figure of Clotho. Hm, Summoning is quite fast.
“All right, so that’s our first goal of the day accomplished. Now for the subjugation quest.”
::Honey, you’re going to make Clotho kill those of its own race? That’s quite brutish of you, isn’t it?::
“Oh shi—!”
As I mentally berated myself for my lack of consideration, Clotho sent a thought my way.
“Slimes naturally follow a system of the strong absorbing the weak, so it’s okay? You sure, Clotho? You don’t have to force yourself, you know.”
Clotho jiggled its body in an effort to express its willingness to get started. Well...all right, as long as you’re fine with it, I guess.
“I don’t mind you absorbing the ones we defeat, but as proof of subjugation for our quest, I’m going to have to dissect them and take out the slime cores first, okay?”
Or so I had thought, but as it turned out, Clotho could already control its absorption process to selectively leave out the cores.
I didn’t have much MP left but, with that settled, I still wanted to try out a spell or two. So we set off in search of new targets.
◇ ◇ ◇
With my newest companion in tow, we quickly sought out some more blue slimes. It wasn’t long before we found two of them.
“I’m going to try out a Green Magic spell. Clotho, I’ll attack one with magic and leave the other to you. Show me how you fight, all right?”
Clotho nodded in acknowledgment. With the stats bonuses from my Summoning in effect, defeating normal blue slimes should be a cinch for it. As for Green Magic, I had learned a few elementary spells from Melfina on the way over. Between Clotho’s Contract and the Summoning, I had just enough MP left for a single shot, but I also had recovery items on hand. I was confident that I could handle a lone slime.
“Wind!”
Wind was a Rank F Green Magic spell that materialized small blades of air to attack a target. Although it wasn’t all that strong, its MP cost was low and the attack itself was invisible, so it had seemed like a useful ability to me at first glance. My casting of Wind tore the blue slime apart, ending its life instantly.
“Clotho, your turn!”
Clotho shot forward with incredible speed and slammed into its target with great force. The charge caused the opposing blue slime to go flying, dead upon impact. Clotho’s speed before and after the Contract were like night and day. Guess that goes to show how incredible the stats boost from Summoning is.
::Honey, Rank S Summoning grants Followers +100 for all stats.::
Whoa, +100 for all stats?! I activated Analyze Eye to confirm Clotho’s current numbers.
Clotho (0 y/o, Genderless, Blue Slime)
Level: 1
Title: None
HP: 105/105 (+100)
MP: 100/100 (+100)
Strength: 101 (+100)
Endurance: 101 (+100)
Agility: 102 (+100)
Magic: 101 (+100)
Luck: 102 (+100)
Skills: Blunt Damage Resistance
Passive Effects: Summoning/Magic Supply (Rank S)
Wow...isn’t this a bit too OP? At least now I understand why countries value Summoners so highly. If a Level 1 slime as a Follower already has monstrous stats like this, even a single Summoner with only slimes as Followers could be a formidable fighting force.
::Allow me to provide a bit more context. There is only one Rank S Summoner in this world right now, and that’s you, honey. The other riff-raff are Rank B or Rank C at best, and their skill only provides +10 or +20 in the way of stats boosts. Contracting with slimes is not going to amount to much military strength for them.::
Oh, is that so? Then I suppose possessing this skill when I’m just starting out makes me quite the cheat character. And...is that the first time I’ve gotten praise from Melfina? Makes me kind of happy.
A short while later, after Clotho had defeated our third slime, a fanfare rang out.
Is that what I think it is? Is it that common mechanic of so many games?!
A screen appeared before me.
Level Up!
(Level 1 ⇒ Level 2)
Kelvin (23 y/o, Male, Human, Summoner)
Level: 2
Title: None
HP: 20/20 (+10)
MP: 23/35 (+20)
Strength: 3 (+2)
Endurance: 3 (+2)
Agility: 9 (+6)
Magic: 15 (+10)
Luck: 12 (+8)
Skills: Summoning (Rank S) [Available slots: 8], Green Magic (Rank F), Analyze Eye (Rank S), Double Growth Rate, Double Skill Points, Experience Sharing
◇ You have earned 100 Skill Points!
Thanks to my passive skills, the amount of growth that I’d gained from leveling up was remarkable. As my build was going to need a ton of MP, this made me extremely happy. I had even received a hundred skill points.
::Please check the Skills tab in your UI. The points you received can be used to acquire new skills.::
“Are things like this UI general knowledge here? The image appeared all by itself when I leveled up, too.”
::Yes, it is general knowledge. One merely has to call for ‘Status’ inside one’s mind to bring it up. From this UI, it is possible to confirm one’s own stats, acquire skills, and manage party functions. However, it is not possible to read someone else’s Status without their express permission.::
Ah, so that’s where Analyze Eye comes in, then. I guess this is a world where game-like elements are considered commonplace. I suppose no one thinks twice about it, seeing this sort of thing their whole lives.
“Right, let’s see what options we’ve got here.”
I maneuvered to the Skills tab, which turned out to be a list of the names, effects, and costs of an incredible number of abilities. How many skills are there?
::Just so we’re clear, this list does not contain all of the skills that exist. There are some that cannot be acquired until certain conditions have been met.::
“Why is Summoning so rare then? Didn’t I just choose it normally from this list?”
::No, you were a special case. The list that you chose from before your transmigration was what you might call a bonus list.::
“So that means the bonus list probably isn’t available from within this world? Well, never mind then.”
With Clotho keeping a watchful eye on our surroundings, I started scanning through the list of available skills.
“Um...isn’t the cost for acquiring new skills kinda low? These Rank F ones only cost ten points.”
::There are two kinds of skill points: Talent Points, a certain amount of which one is born with, and Growth Points, which one receives upon leveling up. Although it varies from person to person, on average, people are born with fifty Talent Points and earn five Growth Points with each level-up.::
“Hey, but I earned 100 SP from my level-up just now. Even considering the amount I get is doubled, it’s off by an order of magnitude.”
::The points that you used up before your transmigration were your Talent Points. Again, there is some variation depending on the skill, but in general, the cost of skills at Rank F is 10 SP, Rank E is 20, Rank D is 40, Rank C is 80, Rank B is 160, Rank A is 320, and Rank S is 640. The only way to acquire higher rank skills is to work your way up from the bottom, which means that it costs a total of 1,270 SP to acquire a Rank S skill.::
“Which means...a normal person who manages to reach Level 100 would still only have enough points to get a Rank B skill.”
::Em...yes, that’s what the math works out to.::
“Uhh...I’m Level 1 right now, and I already possess two Rank S skills.”
::Well...you did give up your memories as payment.::
So basically, my current status is a compounding of cheats. All right, I’ll just tell myself that all otherworlders here are absurdly OP characters like me. Not that I know if there even are other otherworlders out there.
::Of course, all of the above only applies to the average person. There are incredible talents and frightening beings out there too, like the Demon Lord.::
Let’s just not think about this anymore. The growth of my stats seems almost paltry in comparison to the growth of my skills, so as long as I don’t do anything stupid, I should be able to avoid drawing unwanted attention to myself. For now, let’s get back to Parth before taking a more thorough look at the skills list.
And with that thought, Clotho and I finished up our subjugation quest.
◇ ◇ ◇
Having completed the quest without issue, I returned to Parth with Clotho Unsummoned. Heading straight to the guild, I received my quest completion reward, then focused on finding an inn.
When I turned onto what I thought was the right road, a horse-drawn carriage waiting by the curb came into view. It had a cage in the back that was large enough to hold people inside. Within the cage were the figures of several young girls who were likely slaves, with their heads bowed. All of them were wearing only a single sheet of cloth.
Guess those are slaves? I still have empty Summoning slots, so maybe it would be a good idea to purchase one or two to party up with, to have more fighting strength at my disposal. After all, I don’t have a single adventurer acquaintance in this world.
Amid my musings, the voices of two men, who were likely slave traders, reached my ears.
“I’ll have you know, I got my hands on some incredible merchandise the other day! Look at this! She’s an elf!”
“Damn, man! Aren’t they really hard to come by, with how rarely they leave their villages?! This one looks a bit thin and gaunt, but I’ve heard it said that all elves are breathtaking beauties. I’m sure she’ll shine if you give her just a little polishing!”
“Unfortunately, she’s actually a half-elf with mixed blood, but I managed to procure her at this price...”
“You serious?! Isn’t that too good of a bargain to be true?!”
“Bwahaha! I suppose it means my talent as a merchant has started to shine!”
Although the conversation between the men was rather inappropriate for roadside banter, the term “elf” had caught my attention. After all, I had yet to see a single elf since coming to this world. My eyes followed the direction that the two slavers were looking in, and sure enough, there was a young girl with long ears. Her hair was a dull yellow, but it was clearly very dirty, which led me to suspect that its original color was probably blond. For some reason, she was the only one under heavy lock and key. Is it because she’s an elf?
“Ah...”
All of a sudden, she looked up and our eyes just happened to meet. Was it only for a few seconds? I found myself completely taken in by her beautiful emerald green eyes, unable to avert my gaze. The half-elf girl, however, quickly lowered her head again.
::What’s the matter, honey?::
“Nah, it’s nothing.” This is hardly the time for that. I barely have enough money for myself right now, let alone spare cash to buy a slave with. Let’s think about it again after I have some more leeway with my finances. “Well then, which road should we take?”
After a brief walk, we reached our destination. “Is this the inn that Ange-san described?”
I had asked Ange-san to recommend an inn to me, and this was the one she had told me about. It turned out to be a three-story brick building, with a sign depicting the silhouette of a small dancing fairy. The chimney rising from the roof was puffing out billows of smoke, likely due to the kitchen staff preparing dinner.
::‘Ange’s top recommended inn for starting adventurers that’s easy on the pursestrings!’, was it?::
“The Fairy’s Song, this has gotta be it. Let’s head inside.”
When I opened the door, a stocky, matronly woman came over from behind the counter to greet me. Let me guess, this is the inn’s proprietress?
“A new customer, eh? Welcome to the Fairy’s Song!”
From the look of things, the establishment was a combination of eatery and inn. The first floor was filled with wooden tables, many of which were occupied by youngsters in the middle of eating.
“Yes, I am. I would like a room for the night, please.”
“We hope you like it enough to continue staying with us. My name’s Clare. Pleasure to have you.”
“I’m Kelvin. I’ve heard that the food here is delicious. I’m already looking forward to it.”
“Hahaha, then I guess we’ve got to make it even more delicious tonight!”
After I paid the lodging fee, Clare-san showed me to my room while providing general information about the inn, meal times, washing, and so on.
Phew, I can finally take a breather. Only...
“I’d expected this, but to think they really don’t have a bath...”
::Only the royal castle and mansions belonging to nobles have baths. Commoners generally either take a dip in the river or wipe themselves down with a wet towel.::
“Living without a bath is really tough on a Japanese person. I definitely plan to live in a house with a bath someday!”
Excited about adding this to my growing list of goals, I reopened the Skills tab in my UI. I had narrowed down my choices earlier and now made a beeline for a particular skill.
“There it is!”
Concealment (Rank F) [SP Cost: 10]
Ability to conceal one’s Status against Analyze Eye up to Rank F. Also provides protection against Detection skills up to Rank F.
Acquiring this skill was a top priority, as it would help me to protect my own stats and abilities. According to my earlier conversation with Melfina, the skills that I owned were impossible to acquire through normal means. If I was found to be in possession of such skills at Level 2, it would definitely draw unwanted attention, so I raised Concealment straight up to Rank D without hesitation. After all, I had more than enough fighting strength for the kinds of enemies that I would be dealing with for now.
“This should do as a temporary countermeasure against someone else’s Analyze Eye. To be honest, I’d still like to raise it to Rank B as soon as possible, though.”
I decided to continue focusing on subjugation quests going forward. Aside from earning levels and the accompanying SP required for ranking up, it also seemed like a good avenue for working on my cooperation with Clotho. Speaking of which, after defeating our fifth blue slime earlier, Clotho had also leveled up and earned itself ten Growth Points. I’ve found quite an excellent ally, if I do say so myself. With those ten points, it had even acquired a new skill.
Absorption (Rank F) [SP Cost: 10]
The ability to absorb magic and convert it into energy. Effective against magic attacks. A higher skill rank increases the effectiveness of absorption.
I thought it a rather interesting skill. Clotho could use the absorbed energy to heal itself or even as a form of attack. With a high enough rank, the skill might enable Clotho to completely negate magic attacks. I was quite excited to witness my new partner’s ongoing development.
“But you know, today’s fights were far too easy. Neither Clotho nor I took any damage at all.”
::Blue slimes are monsters that even beginning adventurers can safely hunt. It would have surprised me to see you struggling against opponents of this level. However, there are individual creatures with abnormally high levels who may have Evolved into a different race, so never let your guard down.::
“Do all monsters Evolve when they reach higher levels?”
::Level is not the only condition for a monster’s evolution. There are many other factors, including its surrounding environment and preferred diet. This is especially true for slimes, which have a very wide range of evolutionary paths. Even I cannot predict what Clotho will become.::
If it’s something that even Melfina can’t predict, it’ll really be something for me to look forward to!
“So, you can evolve into many different types of beings, eh, Clotho? I’ll be looking forward to it!”
I could feel the slime returning a lively acknowledgment inside my head. And with that, I headed downstairs for dinner. I had been too engrossed with fighting during lunchtime to eat anything, so I was more than ready to try my very first meal in this wild new world.