Chapter 2: Black Spirit Knight
Chapter 2: Black Spirit Knight
A week had passed since my transmigration. During that time, the only thing I had done was subjugation quests. The day after my first encounter with the blue slimes, I had tried accepting another Rank F quest, but it, too, had proven far too easy. After that, I switched to accepting only Rank E quests.
“Congratulations, Kelvin-san! With the completion of this quest, you have now been promoted to Rank E!” gushed Ange-san.
Truthfully, I didn’t feel a real sense of achievement. The vast majority of targets for Rank E quests were monsters that relied on fighting as a group, such as orcs and kobolds, but their intelligence was only marginally above that of the Rank F monsters. They stood absolutely no chance against Clotho and me — not with our insane stats and telepathic connection.
“I was quite worried when you switched to accepting Rank E quests halfway through, you know? After all, it didn’t look like you were interested in partying up with anyone.”
It isn’t that I don’t want to party up with people, it’s that I can’t. The day I party up with someone is the day I get exposed as a Summoner. And even without party members, I already have a stalwart partner that I can rely on.
::Well, Followers that you Summon automatically enter into a party with you, so technically you’ve been partying up this whole time.::
Technically, yes. But to everyone else, it probably looks like a newcomer — a mage, no less — completing multiple quests above his own rank all by himself. Yeah, I suppose that would draw attention.
::Wasn’t it going to be your policy to not stand out and draw attention to yourself?::
It proved far too tedious. Forgive me.
As I was in the middle of my internal conversation with Melfina, Ange-san abruptly leaned forward over the counter. H-Hold on, you’re way too close!
“Kelvin-san, are you actually someone who’s served as a court mage in another country before? You’re far too strong to be an ordinary newcomer.”
“I-I’m afraid I can’t go into details, sorry.”
“Oh, no, no, no, of course, I’m the one who should apologize for asking such an intrusive question! I know it goes against convention.”
Ugh, yeah, I really do feel bad, but we’ll have to leave it at that.
“You really should be careful, though. Knowing you, you’ll probably be taking on Rank D quests now, right?”
“Yep, that’s right.” There was no point lying about it, as I would need her to process the new quests anyway. “But if I ever feel that I’m in danger, I’ll run away immediately, I promise. My ability to run away from things is the only thing I’m proud of.”
“Please at least buy yourself a new set of equipment! You’re still using the same gear that you started out with a week ago!”
Oh right, I’d forgotten about that. It’s true that I haven’t changed anything out yet. Hubris leads to ruin, as they say, so maybe it’s a good time to use the funds I’ve saved up and get a good set of protective gear.
“Hahaha, all right, I get it. I’ll go buy some proper equipment. So...can I take on a Rank D quest, please?”
“Do you really get it?” she sighed. “Let me see, Rank D quests...”
While Ange-san sifted through the relevant posters, I was suddenly addressed by a man standing next to me.
“If it’s Rank D you’re looking for, how about the Black Spirit Knight subjugation quest?”
“Black Spirit Knight?”
“C-Cashel-san...you’re back...”
Who is this dude? I had been to the guild numerous times now, but this was my first time seeing him there. Although his appearance was that of a suave blond hunk, he gave off a rather nasty vibe. I had no way of backing it up, but my senses were telling me that this guy was the malicious and scheming type.
“Hey there, Ange-san. Yeah, I’m back. Just got in, actually.”
“We...thank you for your efforts, as always. How was your quest?”
“Completed without a hitch, of course. Though we did have to get a bit serious at the lizardman nest,” he chuckled.
Although Cashel was looking at her with a wide smile, Ange-san’s face was frozen into a stiff expression. The vibe coming from the other adventurers in the room had also turned decidedly unfriendly.
“By the way, you’ve just been promoted to Rank E, right? Congratulations! As someone ahead of you on the adventurer’s path, I’m happy for you!”
“And who might you be?”
“Oh, look at me, where are my manners? My name is Cashel. I’m a Rank D adventurer.”
Why are every one of this man’s mannerisms so pretentious and dramatic? Hearing a whispered buzz rising amongst the adventurers nearby, I decided to do a little eavesdropping.
“Look at him spouting those lines despite possessing the strength of a Rank B!”
“It’s not like you don’t know how much he loves destroying newcomers. That overconfident new guy who’s thinking of taking on Rank D quests has definitely caught his eye.”
“And there isn’t anyone in this guild stronger than Cashel. Let’s just stay out of it and pretend to see nothing.”
Those guys whispering quietly to each other in the back of the bar are Rank D, aren’t they? So even those of the same rank as him are afraid to speak up? That lends some credence to their gossip.
“As it happens, my party and I were talking about taking on the Black Spirit Knight quest next. Would you like to come along? From the sound of it, Rank E quests are too easy for you, aren’t they?”
“P-Please hold on a moment! It’s true that the quest is Rank D, but that Black Spirit Knight is especially powerful! It is, in all likelihood, a unique subspecies. The quest is too dangerous for Kelvin-san!”
“Hahaha, it’ll be fine, Ange-san. Weren’t you two just talking about how he was completing Rank E quests all by himself? Anyway, we’ll be there to help him, so there’s nothing to be worried about!”
“That’s...” Ange-san visibly bit back her response.
“I’m very grateful for the offer, but I don’t intend to party with anyone. And it doesn’t benefit you to team up with someone like me.”
“Oh, come on, there’s no need to be shy. Just think of it as a good learning opportunity!”
Damn, this guy is persistent. I definitely have no intention of partying with him, though. Just a few moments before, while Ange-san had been voicing her concerns, I’d snuck a peek at Cashel’s Status. The conclusion that I’d arrived at was that this fellow was bad news.
Cashel (25 y/o, Male, Human, Magic Swordsman)
Level: 34
Title: Murderer
HP: 315/315
MP: 104/104
Strength: 156 (+20)
Endurance: 131
Agility: 126
Magic: 102
Luck: 89
Skills: Sword Mastery (Rank B), Herculean Strength (Rank E), White Magic (Rank E), Covert Action (Rank E), Concealment (Rank F), Conversation (Rank E)
Passive Effects: Concealment (Rank F)
His stats were even higher than Clotho’s, and he possessed a few skills that would likely raise eyebrows if exposed. But most of all, his title was...well, self-explanatory. That said, it didn’t seem like he was going to back off. He had apparently set his crosshairs on me. Fine, then, let’s go with it.
“How about a competition instead?”
“A competition?”
“Mhm. Why don’t we compete to see who can defeat the Black Spirit Knight first? With me going at it alone, of course.”
“This is hardly an opponent that can be challenged solo, my friend. As I said before, I’ll be going with my own party. Are you sure about those conditions?”
“Sure as I can be.”
If he’s coming for me anyway, I might as well spring a trap of my own. In all likelihood, Cashel is planning to assault me either while I’m in the middle of fighting the Black Spirit Knight, when I’m tired right after the fight, or while I’m on the road. I have no idea if he enjoys killing just for the sake of it or if he wants to steal my credit. Either way, he should make for a worthy opponent. It’s the perfect opportunity to gauge the results of my training and leveling so far. I might even get to try that special move out...
::Honey, your way of thinking is slowly devolving into that of a battle junkie.::
Oh, shush.
“Haha, if you’re that confident, then sure, count me in.”
“Great, let’s get this competition started. Ange-san, please help me complete the paperwork for the quest.”
“Kelvin-san...”
The expression on Ange-san’s face was still filled with worry and she looked to be on the verge of tears, but I was past the point of backing out. It’s time to see how far my power can take me.
◇ ◇ ◇
“So...what’d you think of him?”
Cashel had left the guild and was now in a dark alleyway. Waiting there for him were two men who had been mingling and having casual conversations with adventurers in the guild’s bar earlier.
“Boss, that newcomer, he might be more of a bigshot than we thought,” answered the disheveled man with a slim build, who painted the very picture of a scraggly bandit. “My Analyze Eye is Rank C. At the very least, he possesses Concealment at a rank even higher than that.”
“And here I was thinking him a bit too sure of his abilities. So he’s got something that he’s hiding, then.”
“Hey, Cashel, you gonna play and kill him too, right? Lemme fight him first!” blustered the huge man with bursting muscles. Cashel merely laughed and shrugged, by now quite used to dealing with this roughneck, who had less self-restraint than a five-year-old.
“Raji, calm down a bit, will you? That fool actually challenged me to a competition. We have to respect that fiery will of his, don’t we? As his ‘seniors.’”
“Ahh, so this is a learning opportunity for him. Raji, don’t break him with brute force like you did the one before. Teaching is all about being gentle.”
“I dunno ‘bout these things! I’ll do what I always do!”
“What a meathead, as usual...”
It was about half a year ago that Cashel had started working with these two. At the time, he’d happened to come across a village that was being sacked. Although he was an adventurer, he was also a thrill killer who was always on the hunt for fresh prey. Sometimes he would use his well-chiseled features as a lure, while at other times he would go straight in from the front with his swordsmanship. And thanks to the Covert Action and Concealment skills that he owned, he had managed to stay well-hidden.
The name of the smaller man was Gimul. He had once been part of a well-known gang, but the bandits had been thoroughly destroyed in a fight with a high-ranked adventurer. With the help of Analyze Eye, he’d managed to obtain key information ahead of time and had slipped away before anyone else. His craftiness and ability to take quick action were what had saved him. For days he had lived under nothing but the sky, and all he had managed to take with him was a single knife. He knew only one way of making a living.
The hulk of a man was Raji. He’d been a mercenary who waded through battlefields in pursuit of blood. However, he enjoyed killing not only enemy soldiers but civilians as well, and in such cruel and brutal ways that both countries had ultimately placed a bounty on his head. Killing the bounty hunters who took it upon themselves to come for him had been fun for a while, but eventually even that lost its appeal. At that point, he’d decided to set off for some place far away, hopping from country to country as he went.
It was in that fateful village where these three had met each other. Neither the country nor guild had time or resources to send help, so the village had been completely decimated. The only thing left behind was a scene of carnage and a mountain of corpses that Cashel had cast Concealment on. His skill was Rank F, which meant that anyone who possessed Analyze Eye would see through it with a single look. However, it had earned them enough time to escape scot-free.
What the three men had between them was by no means friendship, but rather a temporary alliance built on similar interests. With Parth as their base, they had managed to have their fun without getting caught so far. But rumors that Cashel was using his status as an adventurer to prey on newcomers had recently begun to circulate after some of their “fun” had gotten out of hand. The suspicions now falling on their partner didn’t bother Gimul or Raji much, however, as they knew they could easily abandon him at any time. Since the three of them only met under the veil of night, no one else even knew about their relationship. If the opportunity ever arose, the two thugs were more than ready to sell out Cashel and collect the bounty themselves.
This was the current dynamic between the men when Kelvin arrived in Parth. Cashel had been away on an expedition, while Gimul and Raji whiled away their days in the guild bar. It was only a matter of time before Kelvin, with his ability to complete quests quickly one after another, had caught their eye.
“But still, to compete with us for the Black Spirit Knight subjugation quest on his own? What the hell is he thinking?”
“Who knows? He’s probably just overconfident that he could pull it off.”
“That’s good! That’s good! Gonna be fun to kill!”
“Well...if it ever comes to it, we’ll leave things to you, Raji.”
Gimul and Raji had no way of knowing it, but Cashel was actually planning on using the competition to get rid of them both. Naturally, he had caught on to their plan to shift the blame for the string of dead newcomers onto himself. This particular subjugation quest had been ranked ‘D’ simply because the Black Spirit Knight in question had appeared within the depths of the Ancient Castle of Evil Spirits, a dungeon of the same level. Nobody who attempted the quest had ever returned, though
On the way back from his previous expedition, Cashel had made a small detour to do a little scouting. It had taken but a single glimpse for him to realize that this Black Spirit Knight was far different from the others. I can use him to get rid of these two fools, thought Cashel. And so he had concocted a foolproof plan for their demise, with a typical thrill kill session as bait.
What would eventually lead to the downfall of all three men was the fact that not a single one of them had thought to be wary of the newcomer that they were targeting. Gimul’s Analyze Eye proving ineffective should have already warned them that maybe, just maybe, this individual was not exactly a “newcomer” in the true sense of the word.
◇ ◇ ◇
After leaving the guild, I browsed a few stores with the intention of finding myself a new set of gear. I had saved up a fair bit of cash from completing Rank E quests, and aside from wanting to fulfill my promise to Ange-san, there was now a more immediate need for the upgrade. I sold my Wooden Rod and replaced it with a Verdant Staff. Verdant Staves had a great affinity with Green Magic, and could supposedly boost my MP quite a bit. As for my outfit, I upgraded from the standard traveler’s garb to a magic robe.
“Judging from the markers that I set on Cashel and his buddies as a precaution, it seems they have no intention of starting anything within the city walls.”
::The risk is probably too high. It would be so much easier to assault you in the depths of the dungeon.::
Presence Sensing was a skill that allowed me to perceive the presence of living creatures around me. If I memorized the feel of someone’s presence, I could figure out their location at any time simply by focusing my attention on that individual. I had originally acquired the skill as a basic countermeasure against Covert Action, so the added abilities turned out to be a pleasant surprise.
The fact that Cashel had accomplices mingling amongst the adventurers in the guild bar was something that I had realized almost immediately. Just to be safe, I had previously used Analyze Eye on every single adventurer in the guild. I had then made the effort to memorize the faces of anyone that I thought might pose a threat to me, and had taken the time to come up with plans to defend myself against each of them.
Among those were two men that I felt were especially dangerous. Their names were Gimul and Raji, and they spent almost every day drinking from morning to night. First of all, their levels and statuses greatly surpassed those of the adventurers they were mingling with. But what clinched it for me were their titles, just like with Cashel. Gimul’s title was Marauder, while Raji’s was Slaughterer.
With two people like that doing nothing but throwing back alcohol day after day in the exact same seats, it would be strange for me not to be wary of them.
::When Cashel called out to you, those two were also the first to turn around.::
“Especially that Gimul guy, he has Rank C Analyze Eye, right? Prioritizing a higher Concealment rank was the right choice after all.”
On my very first day, I had come to the guild to turn in my quest without having acquired that skill yet. Thankfully, the misstep had not blown up in my face.
Just a random thought, but aren’t there other people who possess Analyze Eye? Why is everyone just sitting on their asses without doing anything? Are titles not enough proof, and criminals need to be caught red-handed in this world?
“Judging from their stats, Raji looks specced for close combat, while Gimul is very likely a scout or support type.”
Gimul (19 y/o, Male, Human, Bandit)
Level: 27
Title: Marauder
HP: 92/92
MP: 36/36
Strength: 84
Endurance: 81
Agility: 132
Magic: 30
Luck: 29
Skills: Throwing (Rank E), Analyze Eye (Rank C), Concealment Detection (Rank C)
Passive Effects: Concealment (Rank F)
Raji (33 y/o, Male, Human, Berserker)
Level: 36
Title: Slaughterer
HP: 370/370
MP: 4/4
Strength: 203 (+40)
Endurance: 169 (+40)
Agility: 37
Magic: 37
Luck: 51
Skills: Pugilism (Rank C), Herculean Strength (Rank D), Iron Wall (Rank D), Auto Healing (Rank F)
Passive Effects: Concealment (Rank F)
Well, in any case, there’s nothing for it but to head to the Ancient Castle of Evil Spirits. It seems like they have no intention of making the first move, but there’s no telling what they might do if I make them wait too long.
I trekked north, cutting through the forest where I had first arrived in this world. After following an animal trail for a while, I found my destination. True to its name, its ancient facade was crumbling in various places, and its walls were covered with masses of unkempt vines. What an overwhelming aura...this is the very image of a haunted castle.
Until recently, this location had been a hub for talented intermediate adventurers in search of a Rank D dungeon. After the Black Spirit Knight in question showed up, however, footfall had plunged like a rock. Consequently, with Cashel and his friends still making their way through the forest, I was completely alone as I ventured inside.
“I know where I am right now, but do all of the spawnable monsters have to be undead and only undead?” I grumbled, while casting Wind left and right to repel the creatures that had instantly begun to swarm me.
::Are you perhaps uncomfortable with the horror genre?::
“Well, I wouldn’t ever look it up of my own accord.”
The majority of the monsters that filled this place were of the zombie and ghost varieties, and each of them cut a pretty gruesome figure. It wasn’t quite enough to shake me...but hey, disgusting is disgusting, right? Fortunately, my initial revulsion gradually dissipated as I proceeded deeper into the dungeon and grew more accustomed to the sights. I was more than capable of handling mobs of this level on my own, so Clotho had yet to receive any stage time. My faithful partner was still on standby.
After defeating several dozen zombies, I finally arrived at a gigantic door, from beyond which I could sense an incredibly powerful presence radiating.
“Oh...it’s there all right. And as for Cashel and company, it seems they’ve just entered the dungeon. They’ll probably barrel straight down the path that I cleared, which means they’ll be here in about five minutes, I guess?”
::You think they decided to go with catching you in a pincer attack while you’re in the middle of your fight with the Black Spirit Knight?::
I looked around, my brain whirling. The area in front of the great door was a medium-sized room connected to the rest of the dungeon by way of a single corridor. Despite some general wear and tear, and the crumbled rows of pillars lining the path from the corridor to the door, the room itself looked to be of sturdy enough construction. Seems there won’t be any issues with fighting in here.
“Right then, let’s start making preparations.”
◇ ◇ ◇
Not long after I’d finished setting things up, Cashel and his friends reached the room where I was waiting.
“So there you are, Cashel-san. Oh, are the two behind you the party members that you mentioned? Well, anyway, I’m almost one hundred percent sure that the Black Spirit Knight is behind that door over there.”
“Hmm...wasn’t this supposed to be a competition to see who could complete the subjugation quest first? And yet you stayed to wait for us? Quite the gentleman, aren’t you?”
Cashel looked slightly surprised, as if things were rather different from what he’d expected. Maybe his plan had been to assault me while I was busy dealing with the Black Spirit Knight, just as Melfina had suggested, or to strike when I let my guard down after the fight. Seeing the newcomer who had proposed the competition waiting patiently for his arrival was clearly a scenario that hadn’t even crossed his mind.
“As you can see, as long as we don’t cross the threshold of this door, the Black Spirit Knight won’t come out to attack us,” I noted, pushing the creaky door open ever so slightly. Through the crack, the figure of a large, imposing man clad in jet black plate armor could be seen. Rather than waiting for prey to approach, my impression was that he was standing guard and protecting something. I could tell at a glance that the room had once been an audience hall, as the tasteful ornamentation still retained much of its beauty despite the ravages of time. And the object the man was standing in front of — it was a throne, a seat reserved solely for the king who had once reigned over this castle.
“Whatcha tryin’ to say? You took a look and realized you couldn’t beat it on your own, so you wanna team up with us after all?” taunted Raji in a voice so loud that it echoed through the room, sending a tiny spike of pain into my ear.
“You wish. I still intend to win this competition, of course. But I can’t have you guys making things difficult for me in the middle of my fight with the Black Spirit Knight.” I finally dropped my polite tone. “Or should I say, I can’t have you guys using me to get rid of it for you, hm?”
Noticing the change in my demeanor, the three men immediately fell into battle formation. Cashel and Raji were in front, while Gimul backed up slightly to stand behind them at an angle.
“He already knows about us, boss.”
“If so, I don’t understand his motives in coming here all alone. Hey, ‘newcomer,’ are you a guild hire? Or are you a bounty hunter after Raji’s head?”
“Nah, nothing grand like that. This was merely a chance encounter. It was you guys who approached me in the first place, remember?”
“You sure that wasn’t just a ploy to make us fall into your trap? Pretending to be a newcomer and racking up achievements to draw our interest?”
“What a guy...little wonder he possesses such high-ranked skills!”
Is it me or is this whole conversation way off base? I don’t have high-ranked skills because I’m high level — it’s just the way I am!
::Honey, it’s not like the misunderstanding changes what you have to do, so just get on with it.::
Aye, aye, ma’am.
“Well, there’s no point delving into the nitty gritty, right? Bottom line is, you guys tried to spring a trap on me, but got caught in my trap instead.”
Cashel laughed. “You sure are good at joking, newcomer. You’ve made a big mistake with your positioning. The exit is behind the three of us, while the door behind you leads to the Black Spirit Knight. On top of that, you’re outnumbered. Who’s the one at a disadvantage here?”
You’re right, of course...on the surface, that is.
“You never know until you try, right? None of us are here for tea and a friendly chat, so you, the big lumbering oaf, how about you stop shaking in fear and come get a piece of me already?”
“Who’s shaking?! I’ll shut your smart mouth, you puny mage!” roared Raji, charging straight at me. As I’d expected, he was extremely susceptible to provocation. A single-celled organism, just as he looks.
“Raji! Don’t rise to the bait!” Cashel shouted, but it was too late. The spell that I’d set up in advance had already activated.
“Huh?!”
A patch of ground that had been plain stone just moments before suddenly turned into a large bog that trapped Raji’s legs.
“You bastard! What did you do?!”
“I don’t know, how about you tell me?”
It was, of course, the Rank D spell Mud Bind, which I’d hidden with Concealment. The spell changed the targeted ground into a bottomless bog, restraining anyone who was unfortunate enough to be caught in it. Casting it was normally a rather conspicuous affair, but since no one present could see through my Concealment, Raji had charged straight into the trap without me having to lift a finger.
“This...is this Concealment?!”
“My Concealment Detection didn’t catch it at all!”
Well, yeah, I made my preparations knowing that you wouldn’t be able to see through it with your Rank C skill. Concealment is turning out to be even more useful than I’d imagined.
“Shit, a stupid bog like this...I can get out with raw power alone!”
“I would advise you to not flail around needlessly. That bog is bottomless,” I offered helpfully while casting Wind at all three of my opponents.
Cashel was threading his way towards me through the storm of invisible blades, carefully detouring around the bog. Raji took the attacks head on, but the damage done to him was fairly insignificant. As for Gimul...
“Gimul, what the hell! You running away?!”
“Hah, yeah, sorry, boss, but I ain’t staying around for this. You two have fun! My instincts are telling me that this guy’s real trouble. So long!”
::Honey, Gimul’s heading for the exit now, and Cashel will reach our position in ten seconds.::
Not a problem. Everything’s still going according to plan.
“Block the exit, Clotho!”
The passageway leading out was still within my magical range, which meant that I was capable of Summoning Clotho right behind my attackers’ backs.
“Wh-What is this?!”
For the briefest of moments, a magic circle shone brightly at the entrance to the corridor. Gimul stopped in his tracks, raising his guard. When the light dissipated, he found himself face to face with a blue slime. And it was no ordinary slime, but a gigantic one almost Raji’s size.
Clotho (0 y/o, Genderless, Slime Gluttonia)
Level: 12
Title: Devourer
HP: 465/465 (+100)
MP: 176/176 (+100)
Strength: 223 (+100)
Endurance: 231 (+100)
Agility: 196 (+100)
Magic: 180 (+100)
Luck: 191 (+100)
Skills: Gluttony (Unique Skill), Absorption (Rank D), Storage (Rank B), Blunt Damage Resistance
Passive Effects: Summoning/Magic Supply (Rank S), Concealment (Rank B)
◇ ◇ ◇
It had only been a few days earlier when, during one of our usual subjugation quests, Clotho had Evolved. After absorbing the monster that we’d defeated, my companion had abruptly frozen in place.
“And that’s the last one for today’s subjugation quest. Uh, what’s wrong, Clotho?”
The slime’s body was jiggling like always, but it wasn’t responding to my voice at all. Nothing was coming through the Follower Network either.
“Are you okay, Clotho?!”
::Honey, Clotho is trying to Evolve right now.::
“Evolve...you mean that process you mentioned when I first Contracted with it?”
::Yes, that, although there’s no telling what triggered it. For now, let’s just give Clotho some space.::
Heeding Melfina’s advice, I obediently took a step back to watch, but my heart was pounding like a drum. I was worried out of my mind.
::Looks like it’s almost there.::
As if responding to Melfina’s words, Clotho’s body began to shine so brightly that I had to avert my eyes. When the light subsided, the slime’s figure...uh, has there been some sort of mistake?
“Clotho, you’ve sure gotten big since I last saw you!”
My partner, which had previously reached no higher than my knees, had grown so huge that it was even taller than me. Are there no limits to the wonders of adolescence?
::A Slime Gluttonia...::
“Is that Clotho’s new species name?” I asked, remembering half a beat later that I had Analyze Eye, and activating it.
“Hot damn, all your stats have shot up across the board! What is this ‘Unique’ label attached to your new skill, Gluttony?”
::Unique skills are special and belong exclusively to a certain race or species, or perhaps even to a single individual. They are usually much more powerful than normal skills. The new skill that Clotho has acquired, Gluttony, appears to grant it the ability to steal a portion of the stats from a target that it eats.::
Doesn’t that mean Clotho is going to get increasingly stronger the more it eats? And what, there’s no upper limit? I’ve been having it Absorb all of the monsters that we’ve defeated so far, so...what, is it going to get stats points every time it Absorbs something going forward?! Well, here we go then, this is the story of how Clotho became the most powerful being in the history of the world!
::With this Evolution, Clotho has mutated into a Slime Gluttonia. It was several hundred years ago that such a creature last appeared, in Toraj, the Country of Water. Unlike Clotho, who is still very young, the last one was a full-fledged adult. Toraj is a magic-focused country that had dozens of court mages who specialized in Blue Magic, but every single attack they threw at the monster, regardless of size and scale, was simply Absorbed, as if the goal was to feed it rather than kill it. Almost half of Toraj was obliterated before a Hero finally arrived and defeated it.::
That almost makes Clotho sound like a Demon Lord — wait, so this world really has Heroes?
::In fact, Slime Gluttonias are considered pseudo Demon Lords in this world. And yes, there are Heroes here too. In fact, I transmigrated the latest ones over not so long ago.::
“I’m sorry, wait, what?”
::The Oracle of the Holy Empire of Deramis performed a summoning ritual, so I answered. Those Heroes must have leveled up quite nicely by now, I would imagine. It was a lot of work finding youngsters with both potential and looks.::
“Did I just hear you drop a crazy spoiler on me like it was nothing? Let me guess, the Oracle performed the ritual because the Demon Lord is resurrecting or something along those lines?”
::Yes, something like that. It’s completely unrelated to you, however, so rest easy. To be honest, I’ve already had my fill of that whole experience, so I’d prefer it if you would actively steer clear of those guys.::
“If you say so...”
There really isn’t much that I can do about that except take a wait-and-see approach anyway. And right now, Clotho’s more important. We definitely need to have a celebration when we get back tonight!
◇ ◇ ◇
“Wh-What’s with this slime?! I’ve never seen this species before!” wailed Gimul, thoroughly flustered by the monster that had suddenly appeared before him. It was an understandable reaction. Using Analyze Eye, he’d found himself looking at a species he had never heard of, with stats that were almost double his own despite the low level, plus a unique skill...and above all, the buffs from Summoning. His mind didn’t even know how to begin processing what he was seeing, and he fell into a state of sheer panic.
“Hey, Gimul, what’s wrong?! What is that thing?!”
“Gimul, back up! You’re too close to it!”
Cashel stopped in his tracks, and even Raji called out while continuing his struggle with the bog. None of it helped to calm Gimul down, though.
“Clotho, finish him,” I ordered, keeping my eyes on Cashel.
Clotho produced a whip-like tentacle and cracked it towards Gimul. Naturally, the bandit was unable to react in time.
“Oof! Ugh...”
Receiving the full force of Clotho’s attack, Gimul was sent flying into a wall. It was enough to leave him at death’s doorstep.
“Well, can’t expect much more from someone with 81 Endurance, I suppose.”
“Wait, you have Analyze Eye too?!”
Cashel turned back towards me and brought his sword up.
“What’s happened to your kind and gentlemanly act, Cashel-senpai?”
“You bastard...”
Suddenly, a loud explosion rang out. It was Raji.
“Raaaahhh! Fist of the Enraged Demon!”
Raji’s fist became enveloped in a red aura, which he then slammed into the bog that had swallowed him up to his knees, causing it to instantly disperse. By now, the madman was fully fixated on Clotho, and he was grinning ear to ear like a kid with a new toy.
“Cashel! I’ll take on this slime! You do something about him!”
“Good decision for a musclehead. Leave this guy to me.”
Damn, so Cashel’s regained his cool. That battle junkie Raji seems like the type to say and do things without regard for his surroundings, but this time it’s actually worked in their favor.
::You dropped the ball there, honey. You should have finished Raji while he was stuck in the bog.::
You’re right, that was my bad. If I mean to disable someone, I need to disable them fully. If I mean to kill someone, I need to ensure that they’re dead. I thought I would be fine after taking the Nerves of Steel skill, but I guess I’m still conflicted inside. This is something that I’ll need to work on.
“All right, time for me to redeem myself.”
“What’re you talking about? Sorry, newcomer, but I’m going to crush you with everything that I have.”
“I’m counting on it. Let’s get this party started!”
◇ ◇ ◇
“Take this! Kick of the Enraged Demooonnn!”
Raji’s right leg took on a red aura as he slammed it into Clotho with every ounce of force he could muster. Just like Cashel, Raji also possessed power on par with a Rank B adventurer. His Enraged Demon attacks were a series of ultimate moves that he had developed before his mercenary days, born from his Pugilism skill and a massive amount of training. These attacks were powerful enough to open up a large hole in a castle wall, and were how he had destroyed Kelvin’s Mud Bind with a single punch. Even an adventurer with a fair bit of ability would die instantly upon taking one such attack head-on.
Boing...
When unleashed against Clotho, however, Raji’s ultimate merely produced a funny sound as the entire force of it was absorbed straight into the enormous slime’s body. This was possible thanks to the Blunt Damage Resistance that Clotho possessed, which essentially made it the worst possible opponent for Raji.
“Shit! What’s with this slime’s body?! My attacks aren’t doing any damage at all!”
If Gimul had managed to warn his companions about Clotho’s stats beforehand, Raji might not have been so confused. Unfortunately for him, that knowledge was forever beyond his reach now. Besides, Raji wasn’t one to know all that much about skills in the first place...
“Goddammit, well, there’s more where that came from!”
Just as it had done with Gimul moments before, Clotho sprouted tentacles and brandished them at Raji. This time, there were four tentacles protruding, assaulting the thug from every direction. By blocking and parrying, the Berserker somehow managed to hang on, but total evasion was not an option. While the two were more or less matched in Strength and Endurance, there was a significant disparity when it came to Agility. Because of this, Raji had no choice but to remain on the defensive.
In the middle of the frenzied exchange, Raji noticed another tentacle of Clotho’s snaking along the ground. He immediately jumped in the opposite direction from where it was heading.
“The hell you doin’?!”
Glancing over, Raji realized that the tentacle was reaching for the remains of the bog where he had been trapped just a few minutes earlier. He watched as the tentacle proceeded to suck up the leftover magic on the ground.
—
If the target manages to break free from my Mud Bind, feel free to Absorb that magic for yourself...
—
True to Kelvin’s orders, Clotho obediently consumed the remaining residue of the Mud Bind spell. The insignificant amount of damage that the slime had taken was instantly healed. The rest of the acquired magic went towards its Storage skill, which enabled Clotho to store and produce both magic and items, in effect turning the creature into a walking repository. Clotho could even place parts of its own body into Storage, and in so doing, freely adjust its own size.
“What — it’s gotten even stronger than before?!”
The whip-like attacks rained down harder than ever, slowly but steadily driving Raji to his limits. Adeptly taking advantage of a split second of vulnerability, Clotho managed to wrap all of its tentacles around Raji’s limbs, rendering him completely immobile. Then it took a huge jump...
“No, no, don’t come heeere!!!”
Clotho’s gigantic body slammed into Raji, completely emptying his HP bar. The monstrous slime then wasted no time in Absorbing the body of its prey...
◇ ◇ ◇
Cashel raised his beloved sword and cast Auspicious, a Rank E White Magic spell, on himself. The spell granted its target natural healing and a slight boost to Luck. It was common practice in battle to give oneself an edge through the help of such buffs. In fact, Kelvin had cast Sonic Boots, a Rank D Green Magic spell that enhanced Agility, on himself beforehand as well.
Given the scarcity of Skill Points, most adventurers preferred to choose a single skill and focus strictly on that. After all, the bonuses and effects gained from a single high-ranked skill were usually much more powerful than those of several Rank F skills put together. There were indeed adventurers who chose a Rank F-only build, but they were extremely rare.
To the rest of the world, Cashel possessed enough SP to be considered a prodigy. Yet even for someone like him, reaching Rank B was the most that could be achieved. The wall of Rank A was insurmountable. His heart crushed when he had faced this cruel reality, Cashel, who had single-mindedly pursued only Sword Mastery up until then, had turned astray. What later developed into a love of thrill killing had originally been nothing more than a way to earn large amounts of XP for the sake of leveling up. It was also a major motive behind Cashel’s current plan to kill Raji and Gimul. But everything had come to nothing in the end, all because of some newcomer he had been foolish enough to underestimate.
“You’re a Tamer...wait, no, a Summoner?”
“Yes. I am.”
“Hahaha, in all my years as an adventurer, this is the first time I’ve met one. So that trick just now, that was Summoning? It does indeed seem very useful,” nodded Cashel, looking like something had finally fallen into place. “In that case, it seems I can expect quite the windfall of XP from killing you.”
“You killed all those people just for the experience points?”
“Well, don’t go insulting the idea out of hand. Did you know you get a lot more XP from killing humans than from killing monsters? The higher the person’s level, the greater the XP gained. In other words, adventurers are the best subjugation targets, period.”
“You’ve never truly fought someone stronger than yourself, have you?”
“What did you say?”
The smile that had remained on Cashel’s face the entire time finally fell away.
“You don’t want to fight monsters who are stronger, so you’ve remained in Rank D for the longest time. You don’t want to fight humans who are stronger, so you’ve only targeted newcomers. Am I wrong?”
“Don’t give me your bullshit! I’m not —”
“Honestly, though, whether you were aware of it or not doesn’t really matter. All I know is that I can’t have anybody falling victim to you ever again,” Kelvin replied nonchalantly, raising his staff. “See, if you truly want to get stronger, you have to challenge and defeat those stronger than yourself. If you can’t do that, then you’ll remain a coward and a weakling for the rest of your life.”
“SHUT UP! DON’T YOU DARE DENY ME MY WAY OF LIFE!!!”
As if a fuse had finally blown, Cashel rushed towards Kelvin at top speed, clearly intending to finish the fight with a single blow. With ease, he ducked through Kelvin’s guard like a gust of wind.
“Dodge this if you can! Haze Edge!”
Haze Edge was Cashel’s hidden ace. Achieved by hiding his sword with Concealment and then casting it again on himself right before the moment he struck, this move had always granted the swordsman a sure hit on his target. “Had” being the operative word.
Just as Cashel was about to bring his sword down, a gigantic wall appeared before him, one that almost reached the ceiling of the room.
“A wall?!”
“After everything you said to Raji, I thought it would take a bit more to get a rise out of you, but...”
Out of the many protective spells that existed, Green Magic’s Rank C spell, Earth Rampart, actually ranked quite high in terms of defensive capabilities. Its endurance was equal to or even above that of a normal castle wall. As such, the whole point of Cashel’s move — namely, that it guaranteed him a hit — simply lost all meaning.
“What can a mere wall of dirt do?!”
“Thanks to that wall of dirt, you lost sight of me for a split second.”
“What...?!”
After casting Earth Rampart, Kelvin had not hidden on the other side of the wall, but had instead chosen to move to the same side as Cashel. His opponent’s attention had been drawn towards the wall, and Kelvin had increased his speed by an order of magnitude thanks to Sonic Boots. Cashel could hardly be faulted for his momentary lapse of focus.
“Who are you?!”
The last thing that Cashel ever saw was a staff clad in a whirling tempest that took on the appearance of a longsword. With a single sweep, the swordsman and the Earth Rampart behind him were both cut cleanly in half. It was thanks to the Rank A Green Magic spell, Vortex Edge, that the fight finally came to a close.
“Hmm, seems there’s only so much I can do without picking up the Sword Mastery skill myself. Guess I should grab it next and get some training in.”
Kelvin (23 y/o, Male, Human, Summoner)
Level: 17
Title: None
HP: 175/175
MP: 350/350
Strength: 38
Endurance: 39
Agility: 106
Magic: 172
Luck: 140
Skills: Summoning (Rank S) [Available slots: 8 (Clotho: 100 MP, Melfina: ? MP)], Green Magic (Rank A), Analyze Eye (Rank S), Presence Sensing (Rank D), Concealment (Rank B), Nerves of Steel (Rank C), Army Command (Rank B), Double Growth Rate, Double Skill Points, Experience Sharing
Passive Effects: Concealment (Rank B)
◇ ◇ ◇
With the fight against Cashel and his lackeys officially over, I rejoined Clotho.
“You all right, buddy?”
We made our way over to where the last of our attackers, Gimul, was lying prostrate on the ground. He had already breathed his last.
“Seems like Cashel’s sword is the only thing worth keeping. Clotho, go ahead and Absorb the bodies. Oh, and could you take out a few MP potions for me?”
According to Analyze Eye, Cashel had been using a mithril sword, a Rank C weapon. Although it had no special abilities, it was a good, sturdy sword with high attack power. Let’s have Clotho hold on to it for now. The Verdant Staff and magic robes that I was wearing were both Rank E. A Rank C weapon was far beyond the purchasing power that completing ten Rank E quests could net me, so it was a bit of a windfall.
While Clotho was busy Absorbing Cashel’s and Gimul’s corpses, I recovered my MP with potions that I’d had Clotho store for me beforehand. The outcome of the fight might have made it seem like a pushover victory, but the reality wasn’t that simple. Yes, we’d managed somehow by provoking each of them in turn and making them lose their cool, but in truth we were quite behind them in stats. It had left us no choice but to rely quite heavily on our skills instead.
::Honey, you said all those things to Cashel, but the fact is, you haven’t fought any truly strong opponents before either.::
“Well, that’s what we’re about to do, right?”
Everything up until this moment has basically been the appetizer. What’s coming now is the main course. I activated Analyze Eye through the heavy door, and sure enough, the Black Spirit Knight, the boss of the Ancient Castle of Evil Spirits, was a monster far superior to us in every way.
Gerard (138 y/o, Male, Black Spirit Knight Captain, Dark Knight)
Level: 53
Title: Patriotic Guardian
HP: 647/647
MP: 162/162
Strength: 478 (+160)
Endurance: 490 (+160)
Agility: 163
Magic: 112
Luck: 97
Skills: Loyalty (Unique Skill), Sword Mastery (Rank A), Herculean Strength (Rank B), Iron Wall (Rank B), Mind’s Eye (Rank C), Army Command (Rank B), Dark Damage Resistance
“Wow! What can I say? This guy — I really want him as a Follower!”
::Not even a touch of nerves there, honey?::
Melfina’s jab aside, my new opponent was a Named Monster, which referred to a unique creature that spawned with an actual name. According to what I’d recently read, Named Monsters possessed actual intelligence, and there were even some who were capable of human speech. The primary representatives of such beings were, of course, the dragons. The book had also noted that, as a general rule, humanoid monsters had an especially high probability of being capable of speech.
::Forming a Contract with a monster with intelligence is not going to be easy. Aside from weakening him, you will also need to make him acknowledge your authority.::
Acknowledge my authority? Guess I should have known things weren’t going to be as simple as picking a fight and winning.
::This also applies to Tamers, but the standard practice for them is to nurture a low-level monster and help it to Evolve.::
“Just as Clotho Evolved from a blue slime?”
::Clotho’s Evolution was exceptional in several ways, but in general, yes, that’s the idea. There is no one who thinks of Contracting with a boss-level enemy right off the bat.::
“Well, there’s no way to know if something is impossible without trying it first.” Here, I turned to my partner in slime. “Clotho, this Black Spirit Knight is going to be our first formidable enemy. Don’t hold anything back.”
I piled buff spells onto Clotho and myself. Thanks to my Magic stat, they would remain effective for quite a while. With our preparations done, I opened the large doors, keeping Clotho behind me. The Black Spirit Knight was in the same position as before, his pitch black greatsword stuck into the ground, holding himself in an imposing stance as if to protect the throne behind him. His unyielding figure had not moved an inch since I’d first seen him, which made him seem like a true knight rather than a monster.
Keeping my eyes on the spirit, I slowly inched forward. I had made it about halfway across the room when a cool, deep voice rang out.
“State your business.”
The gentlemanly sound of it was unexpected and surprised me a little. If I hadn’t had Nerves of Steel, it might have even shown on my face.
“So you do talk! I was getting a bit concerned, seeing as you showed no reaction to my presence up until now.”
“Your concern is unnecessary. There is no way that you wandered here, to the deepest part of this castle, simply because you lost your way. I’ll ask you once again, state your business.”
“I came to kill you...or, at least, that was my original intention. But I’ve changed my mind. I’m Kelvin, a Summoner. I want to take you on as a Follower.”
The Black Spirit Knight froze for a split second.
“You wish to Contract with me? In other words, to make me submit to you?”
“That’s right.”
“Ha—”
Uh-oh. Look at him shaking. Did I piss him off?
“GAH HAH HAH HAH!!”
The dark knight burst into raucous laughter, as if releasing everything that he had been suppressing until then. I was completely dumbfounded.
“Aahaha all right, I’m done, no more of that formal talking, all stiff and upright! How calm you look, brat, despite all the killing intent that I was directing at you! And to top it off, you want to form a Contract with me? You interesting bastard, you!”
Hey, don’t point your finger at me. What the hell happened to your image as a proud, dignified knight?
◇ ◇ ◇
How did things end up like this? How am I sitting across from a Black Spirit Knight, just shooting the breeze like it’s nothing? Well, not really “shooting the breeze,” I guess. This guy’s just rambling on all by himself.
“It actually wasn’t all that long ago that I regained my sapience since becoming a monster. I used to be a knight captain who served this very country. In other words, I was once a human myself. Even I haven’t the faintest idea how or why I became a monster, though! Maybe I died with a fierce regret that bound me to this world, who knows! Either way, I don’t remember it at all. So in any case, I decided to simply go on protecting this castle. Say, that slime of yours is quite unusual, isn’t it? What species is that? Hey, well, there’s no need to answer me if you want to keep it a secret. Everyone has a thing or two they want to keep secret, wouldn’t you say? Oh, by the way, you want some candy?”
In this way, the Black Spirit Knight continued to rattle on. He had completely turned into a good-natured uncle that I might have bumped into around the neighborhood.
Ugh, how old is this candy?! It’s completely melted and all swollen up!
::Please don’t think that while still putting it into your mouth, honey.::
“Heh, you’re seriously going to eat it? Even I wouldn’t if I were you.”
“I see, so you’re looking to pick a fight. You want to bring this outside?!”
I found myself quite drained from the conversation. The only one taking things seriously was Clotho. From its position right next to me, it continued to stay vigilant —
“Look at that slime eating the candy as if it’s nothing. Good on you!”
— or so I’d thought until I realized it was actually in the middle of Absorbing a piece of candy. Et tu, Clotho?
::Honey, the Contract, the Contract.::
“Oh, that’s right. So, are you willing to Contract with me?” I asked the Black Spirit Knight once more as he playfully poked at Clotho.
“Ah yes, that was the original topic, wasn’t it. You see, pretty much everyone who comes here rushes at me all gung ho the moment they see me. You’re the first one I’ve had a proper conversation with. Can’t blame me for getting a bit excited, can you? I’m glad that our talk has been so lively and animated.”
“You’re the only one who was lively and animated, dude.”
“I’m not ‘dude.’ My name is Gerard.”
“And I’m not ‘brat.’ I’m Kelvin. As for how to address each other...in any case, we can leave that for after the Contract.”
Gerard abruptly got to his feet and turned towards the throne behind him.
“A Contract...” he mused. “The king that I once served, and even the country itself, none of it remains now. So I’m not completely against serving a new master, but...”
“Earlier in our conversation, you mentioned your choice to continue protecting this castle. Why was that?”
The previously bright and cheerful mood in the room turned heavy and somber in a split second.
“The kingdom I once served, which no longer exists, was called Alcahl. It was by no means a large country, but it was a place with fertile, green fields that yielded bountiful harvests. Our king hated war, always choosing to maintain a neutral position whenever it broke out elsewhere.”
In this world, there were two main continents: one in the east and one in the west. Parth was pretty much located at the dead center of the Eastern Continent. The Ancient Castle of Evil Spirits was right next to it.
“I was the captain of a rural order of knights. Although our country was never at war, monsters still appeared, as they do everywhere. Subjugating those monsters made up a large part of my order’s duties. We trained ourselves no less than any other order in the kingdom, so that we’d be ready in case war ever did break out.” Gerard tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword. “On that fateful day, a traveler supposedly hailing from the Western Continent came to Alcahl. We later learned that he was actually a general from the Rizean Empire. His name was Jildora, and he was the one who unleashed a deadly pestilence throughout our country.”
“Deadly pestilence?”
“I don’t know all the details, but I heard that once someone caught it, they would gradually lose their life force. It was a terrifying disease that could kill those afflicted within a night. The pestilence spread in the blink of an eye. Only days later, all of our neighboring countries had closed their borders to us. There were eyewitness reports of Jildora being out and about in the dead of night several days after he’d arrived. In all likelihood, that was when he struck.”
“Hold on just a moment. That’s hardly enough to prove this guy was the one responsible, right? In the first place, how did you even know he was a general of the Rizean Empire?”
“The day before the pestilence struck, Jildora appeared here, in this castle. We had no idea how he managed to get in, but before we knew it, he was already there in front of our king. He said to him, ‘Help us destroy the Holy Empire of Deramis, or your country will not see the next sunrise.’”
The Holy Empire of Deramis...that’s the place Melfina said she transmigrated this era’s Heroes to...
“Naturally, our king turned him down...and the rest was as I told you.”
I couldn’t see Gerard’s face behind the visor, but the rage radiating from him was so palpable that I could feel it on my skin.
“I said earlier that I don’t remember the regret that bound me to this world, but that was a lie. My greatest desire is to avenge the people of my country. If you would help me to achieve that, I would gladly serve under you.”
So that’s his condition for joining me, then. Uh, wait a second...
“Hold on, you died several decades ago, right? Judging from the state of this castle, I might venture a guess that it was more than a hundred years ago, even. Wouldn’t this Jildora character be long dead by now?”
“He was an elf, and elves have lifespans of more than five hundred years. I’m sure he hasn’t died yet, not in a measly hundred years.”
“An elf...” The same race as the slave girl from the other day. “So, this is your only condition?”
“I’ve heard that Summoners boost their Followers’ stats. Your offer sounds like a godsend for me and my quest. However, I need to see how strong you yourself are beforehand.”
“Well, can’t say I didn’t see this coming.”
When all’s said and done, it still boils down to duking it out and gaining his loyalty through a show of power. Not a problem at all. It’s what I’ve been expecting this whole time.
“If you can’t win against me, then opposing the Rizean Empire would most certainly be impossible for you. If you don’t have the strength, your only future is to die upon my blade!”
Both Gerard and I backed up.
“Sounds perfect to me. There’s no point unless we both go all out, so come at me with everything you have!”
◇ ◇ ◇
From the position that I had fallen back to, I wasted no time in sending an order to Clotho through the Follower Network.
“As a knight, shouldn’t you have charged at me straight away instead of backing up?”
“Hmph, wasn’t that distance just now disadvantageous for you?”
“Wow, thanks for your consideration.”
I threw Wind Shot, the shotgun version of Wind, at Gerard as an opening move. The idea was that a blanket attack, rather than a precision one, would be harder to avoid. Several blades of wind split into several dozen more while approaching the knight, but a single sweep of his greatsword repelled them all. The blades of wind that had been diverted from their original trajectories ended up ripping apart the ceiling, walls, and ground instead.
Taking advantage of the moment Gerard was occupied, Clotho shot out four tentacles from a position diagonally behind him. It was the same attack that Raji had been entirely powerless against, further enhanced by an Agility boost from the Sonic Boots spell.
“Hmph!”
“What?!”
My jaw dropped in astonishment. Gerard had taken two of the tentacles head on, then used his left hand to grab the third one and stomped the last one into the ground with his right foot. With that, he had fully captured Clotho, who couldn’t break free due to their significant difference in Strength.
Does this guy have eyes in the back of his head or what?!
::Gerard possesses the Mind’s Eye skill. Think of it as something that enhances his situational awareness and reflexes.::
So half-assed attacks aren’t going to work against him? That’s annoying. But right now, Clotho is in danger. Buddy, I’m going to cast an Earth Rampart separating you from him!
After giving Clotho a heads-up through the Follower Network, I materialized an Earth Rampart just as I’d said I would. The tentacles restrained by Gerard were instantly severed, but as long as Clotho’s core was unharmed, it didn’t matter. Furthermore —
Go for it!
The parts of Clotho that remained in Gerard’s possession began to move all on their own, tightly wrapping around the hand and foot that had been holding them. In a split second, they were enveloped in a red light, and then exploded. After defeating Raji, Clotho had leveled up, consequently earning enough SP to acquire Division, a skill that enabled the slime to remotely control unattached pieces of itself at will. The severed parts still had access to Clotho’s Storage, which meant they could be triggered to self-detonate by a bit of the slime’s stored-up magic.
“Hah, that slime of yours sure has a large bag of tricks. The moment I grabbed it, I felt it sucking up my magic. And now this self-destructive attack...makes it hard for me to get close.”
In spite of Gerard’s grumbling, I got the impression that he was having fun, although I couldn’t see his face behind the visor. His black gauntlet was a little bent from Clotho’s explosion, but it was far from enough to affect his sword-wielding abilities.
“As thanks for showing me something interesting, how about I show you my swordsmanship too?”
Gerard lifted his greatsword above his head before bringing it down in my direction.
What was that bullshit about showing me his sword? It’s almost as tall as he is and yet he swung it so fast I couldn’t see jack!
::Jump to the side RIGHT NOW!::
Hearing the uncharacteristic alarm in Melfina’s voice, I immediately leaped sideways. A sharp, heavy thud rang out a split second later.
“You serious...?!”
The ground where I had been standing only an instant before had been split open. That bastard sent a flying slice from his sword?!
“Impressive! To dodge Agito the first time you see it, you really are good!”
“It’s invisible and at that speed? You’ve gotta be kidding me!”
I had managed to evade Gerard’s attack in the nick of time, but if I hadn’t, I would’ve been cloven in two. Thanks for watching out for me, Melfina.
Before my opponent had time to make his next move, I cast Cleft Chasm. With Gerard at the center, cracks ran swiftly through the floor until the ground suddenly collapsed beneath him. Even the powerful knight proved incapable of maintaining his footing as the earth itself gave way. However, I could see the razor sharp eyes behind the slits in his visor still focused steadily on me.
In that brief instant, although struggling to maintain his footing, Gerard threw out another invisible flying slice attack — not at me, but at where he thought Clotho was located behind the Earth Rampart.
Are you kidding? He managed that even while totally off balance?
Like a knife cutting through butter, Gerard’s attack slashed through the Earth Rampart like it was nothing, with such force that it left a mark on the far side of the room.
“The slime’s gone?!” exclaimed Gerard at the same moment that a sword stabbed up through the collapsed floor and pierced his abdomen. It was the mithril sword that had previously belonged to Cashel. Clotho had slipped through the cracks in the ground with its malleable body, then taken the sword out of Storage and shot it out.
“Ugh...”
Despite Gerard possessing Mind’s Eye, the attack had come from a blind spot and was so completely unexpected that it successfully caught him by surprise. At almost the same time, Clotho also shot three spears at Gerard’s chest, which it had formed by compacting a significant part of its own body.
The knight managed to deflect Clotho’s follow-up attack, brandishing his sword with almost god-like speed. Clotho, his attack foiled, ended up being the one who took damage from the exchange.
He really is amazing, I marveled. We had disrupted his footing, launched surprise attacks at him, and caught him off guard. And yet, he had managed to handle almost everything we’d thrown at him. However —
“This is checkmate!” I yelled.
Having overextended himself with the counterattack, Gerard was finally left defenseless. I poured every last drop of my remaining MP into an Air Pressure cast.
“Wha—?!”
A column of air came from above and crashed down onto the knight with several dozen times his own weight, rendering him completely immobile. The mithril sword that was still stuck in his abdomen did him no favors either. Just the achievement of having successfully parried Clotho’s followup attacks was already worthy of commendation.
Clotho, shoot him with your entire stock of magic!
Clotho’s body instantly shapeshifted into what looked like a dragon’s gaping maw. Then the most powerful attack that it was capable of was unleashed.
MORTALITY BEAM.
The ray of energy that erupted from Clotho’s open mouth pierced through Gerard, pulverized the ancient castle walls, and disappeared somewhere into the distant skies.
◇ ◇ ◇
“We confirm that this is indeed a piece of a Black Spirit Knight’s armor. With this, your quest is now completed!”
I was back in Parth’s Adventurer’s Guild, reporting on the Black Spirit Knight subjugation quest. I had just handed Ange-san a piece of what had been left of Gerard’s shattered armor. Clotho’s Mortality Beam had ended up pulverizing the knight, and I had lost my chance to Contract with him.
::My king, this girl is quite the looker. Is she one of your concubine candidates?::
Okay, no, I lied. The Contract had been established without a hitch. That was great and all, but then Gerard had started calling me “king.” I strongly protested that form of address, but apparently he had made up his mind and wasn’t going to yield.
::Isn’t it common sense that a knight can only serve a king? You’ve become my master now, so the title is only natural.::
Seriously, man. At the very least, please refrain from calling me that in public, all right?
“You don’t know how very relieved I am that you’ve returned safe and sound! When you proposed that competition to Cashel-san, I was convinced that you were never coming back. You even managed to defeat the Black Spirit Knight on top of it all! Every day is so full of surprises and fun when you’re around, Kelvin-san!”
Ange-san was rejoicing at my return even while wiping away tears, apparently having been truly worried for my wellbeing. I had already made my report to the guild about how Cashel and his buddies had been targeting and killing new adventurers as a way of earning XP. Instead of being punished for killing them, I was thanked profusely instead. Apparently, this world’s views regarding the harming and killing of criminals were much looser than those of my previous one.
::But still, it seems I can’t underestimate you, my king. To make moves on another girl in front of your fiancée...::
::Hear, hear! Honey, how could you, when you already have me?::
We’re not engaged! You’re just using me as an excuse to skip work, remember? Okay, seriously, how are you managing to whistle nonchalantly inside my head?!
“So, about the reward for this quest, apparently the guildmaster wants to hand it to you personally. Please head up to his office on the second floor.”
“The guildmaster? I don’t think I’ve met him before. Why the special arrangement this time?”
I’d been in Parth for over a week and had dropped by the guild every day without fail, but I’d yet to meet anyone who fit the bill. The second floor was staff-only access, after all.
“This Black Spirit Knight subjugation was far more difficult than the Rank D classification we assigned to it. As you, a Rank E adventurer, completed the quest, you will be granted the opportunity to skip ranks as a special exception, and will also receive an extra bonus from the guildmaster himself.”
Ange-san’s words elicited an animated “Oooooh!” from the other adventurers nearby. Before I knew it, even the ones in the bar had turned their attention my way.
“Although the achievement of defeating the Black Spirit Knight is indeed impressive, it seems that it was your feat of exposing Cashel that’s caused you to suddenly become famous among the members of this guild.”
Other adventurers pressed towards me, each offering words of appreciation or congratulations.
“Thanks to you, it feels like a load’s been lifted off my chest. I’d been pissed off by that bastard Cashel for the longest time!”
“Look at how much of a name you’ve made for yourself in only a week! Let’s grab a drink sometime; I’d love to hear your secret to success!”
“Sniff...the Black Spirit Knight killed one of my companions. Thank you for avenging her...”
Being showered with praise certainly felt good, but seeing as the Black Spirit Knight in question was currently inside my head, it was hard to accept all the thanks being thrown my way.
::Please cut me a break, my king! I still hadn’t regained my sapience back then!::
A small part of me was doubtful, but I decided to look at things from Gerard’s perspective. It wasn’t like he could just stand still and not retaliate against adventurers who’d come specifically to kill him. To his credit, Gerard had done nothing to me until I had entered and made it halfway across the room.
“By the way, man, how did you defeat Cashel? He was Rank D, but his strength was more like C, or maybe even a low B, wasn’t it?” asked one of the adventurers out of the blue. Cashel and his lackeys had been free to do as they pleased, in spite of being obvious criminals, simply because they had been the most powerful people in all of Parth. No one could lay a hand on them.
“Luck was just on my side,” I replied evasively. After handling the other adventurers for a while, I eventually slipped away and headed up to the second floor.
◇ ◇ ◇
Knock, knock.
I heard a “come in” from the other side of the door in response.
“Excuse me.”
When I stepped into the room, an older man, who seemed the perfect gentleman, welcomed me from the seat behind his desk.
“Welcome, welcome. So you’re this Kelvin-kun that I’ve heard so much about.”
“Yes, I am. What a pleasure it is to finally meet you.”
“Ah, where are my manners. I am Rio, guildmaster of the Parth branch of the Adventurer’s Guild.”
Raising a hand to his monocle, the man who introduced himself as Rio had a kind-looking face that gave off the impression of a good-natured grandfather. I returned the greeting in a polite manner, but was actually quite flustered inside.
Ahh, I’m definitely busted. Shiiiiit, the jig’s up.
I all but threw up my hands internally. The reason for my sudden dismay was a certain skill that I had seen when using Analyze Eye on Rio a moment before: Analyze Eye (Rank A).
For the first time since I’d come to this world, my stats were fully exposed.
◇ ◇ ◇
“What wonderful weather we’re having today. Isn’t it perfect adventuring weather for you?”
“Oh, I couldn’t agree more. In fact, I really want to be out adventuring right this moment.”
“Hahaha, being passionate about your work is good and all, but sometimes slowing down and getting some rest will do wonders for your body.”
I snickered. “Weren’t you the one who brought up this topic, guildmaster?”
The content of our conversation might have sounded quite normal, but the atmosphere in the room was anything but. If Ange-san had made the mistake of walking in at that very moment, she would have surely felt the tension of a nonverbal grappling match thinly veiled by amicable small talk.
“Oh dear, you got me there. So, are you an otherworlder, Kelvin-kun?”
Look at this crafty old raccoon dog slipping a heavy question into the conversation like it’s nothing.
I had already revealed my identity to Clotho and Gerard beforehand. Although rare, otherworlders weren’t entirely unheard of in this world. Gerard said that he himself had met a few back when he was still alive. The most well-known example would be the group of four pretty boys and girls that Melfina had recently transmigrated as Heroes. If I ever have the chance, it might be interesting to take a peek at them.
After several rounds of maneuvering back and forth through various undertones and double meanings, I was left quite exhausted. The original purpose of me going upstairs had been to receive a reward, but instead I’d ended up in a bit of a bind. I cursed this unlucky day. It was only thanks to Nerves of Steel that I had been able to maintain a poker face the entire time. Otherwise, my expression might have given everything away at the start.
“Isn’t it against convention to probe into an adventurer’s personal details?”
“So you aren’t denying it?”
What is this guy’s aim?
Seeing that my guard was up, Rio exhaled softly. “I apologize, that was a rather rude method of questioning.”
“I can’t really say ‘don’t worry about it,’ but I’d love to know the intention behind your questions.”
Rio took out a cloth from his chest pocket and began to polish his monocle. “Ange-kun has already reported to me on the matter regarding Cashel. From what I’ve heard, you then went on to defeat the Black Spirit Knight by yourself, correct? Or, no, to be exact, you did so with your Followers? You are a Summoner, yes?”
“So you did see my Status. What is it you want, exactly?”
“Let me say this right off the bat: I have no intention of becoming your enemy. I would appreciate it if you would listen to what I have to say without that misunderstanding. I want to form a cooperative relationship with you, if you’re willing.”
“Hmm...tell me more.”
Rio invited me to take a seat and I complied.
“Let me start by explaining how I came to the conclusion that you are an otherworlder. You also possess Analyze Eye, so I assume you already know this, but I possess Analyze Eye at Rank A. By the way, it was actually three days ago that I took a peek at your Status. Ange-kun mentioned to me that a very promising newcomer had shown up, so I took the liberty of confirming from the shadows.”
Three whole days ago? The skills that I saw out on the streets were Rank C at best, so I thought I’d be safe enough raising Concealment to Rank B. Who would’ve thought I’d be found out in such a short time? Doing things half-heartedly really is my worst weakness, isn’t it?
::My king, please pull yourself together! Your Status would have been exposed eventually; it’s hardly something that can be concealed forever. What’s more important is to find comrades with whom you can share your secrets.::
::We will also do everything in our power to support you as best we can.::
I...suppose that’s true. Well, might as well listen to what Rio’s got to say. I really am blessed with wonderful Followers.
“When I saw your Status, many questions arose. Primarily, the issue of your level being extremely mismatched with your class and the rank that your skills were at. Even the greatest of prodigies couldn’t pick up Summoning at your level, let alone so many other skills on top of that. The only possible explanation was that you hailed from another world and arrived here already in possession of those skills at Level 1. Kelvin-kun, you need to realize that your stats are on par with Rank S adventurers over here.”
::What he says is correct.::
In that case, I suppose there’s no point in keeping up the facade any longer.
“As you surmised, yes, I am an otherworlder. From the sound of it, you’ve met others like me in the past?”
“I was there when the Holy Empire of Deramis summoned their Heroes not long ago.”
Deramis and the Heroes again. Melfina seemed quite reluctant for me to get involved with them, though.
“Did you know all along that Cashel and his flunkies were criminals? Why did you let them get away with it?”
“In regards to that, I owe you an apology. Cashel was a noble, a member of the Fahze family from the country of Trycen. There is a lot of red tape when it comes to handling foreign nobility. I was in the process of gathering the necessary evidence to do something about him.”
Cashel was a noble? Well, with that appearance, I suppose I can see it. I guess nobles have a lot of authority in this world.
“At least, that’s what I had been doing until, just the other day, I received news that he’d been disinherited because of some problem that he’d caused. Perhaps his title had something to do with it. In any case, I was about to make my move when you appeared, Kelvin-kun.”
What wonderful timing I chose, huh?
“Naturally, if you had been a normal, run-of-the-mill newcomer, I would have stopped you from facing off with him. However, your Status was...well, it was what it was. So I bet on you being able to pull it off.”
“What would you have done if your bet had been wrong and I’d ended up dead?”
“Ahaha, sorry.”
This damn raccoon dog. His gentlemanly demeanor is totally a front!
“Come now, please don’t make that face. As recompense, here, I am padding your reward with a bonus, and I’m sure you’re also going to like the terms that I’m offering.”
“That’s the ‘cooperative relationship’ part that you mentioned earlier? Let me hear the specifics, then.”
“The Oracle of Deramis was sent a prophecy, based on which she decided to carry out the Hero-summoning Ritual. According to the Oracle, the Demon Lord’s resurrection is near. It’s hard to tell if the two are related or not, but monsters all over the continent have been growing increasingly more ferocious of late.”
“So...?”
“I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but the Black Spirit Knight that you fought was much more powerful than it was supposed to be. Whatever it is that’s happening to all the monsters, I suspect it happened to that one as well. This should have been a Rank D quest, but the number of casualties was far too high. The trouble is, no matter how powerful these newly summoned Heroes are, they can’t very well run all over the continent, protecting everyone from powered-up creatures like these. Above all, we need them to focus on their biggest responsibility: the Demon Lord.”
Aha, I think I’m beginning to see where Rio’s going with this.
“You want me to address the threat that overpowered monsters pose to this city in place of the Heroes, right?”
“Much to my chagrin, even our guild is short on fighting power. We might not have a single high-ranked adventurer in this entire area. We are always desperately in need of those who can take on Rank B quests or higher.”
The area around Parth was generally peaceful, with most monsters being fairly low level. That was likely the main reason no high-ranking adventurers stayed long-term. Cashel and his merry friends had been the strongest in town, after all. The sudden appearance of such a powerful monster in the Ancient Castle of Evil Spirits, so close to Parth, must have left Rio in quite a predicament.
“In short, I want you to take on the quests that other adventurers in our branch cannot handle. You will be paid the appropriate fees, and the guild will provide you with as much support as it can. Of course, if you consider a quest beyond your capabilities, you are free to decline it. To be blunt, I’m thinking that it would be a terrible waste to let someone as talented as you remain in the lower ranks.”
“In other words, you will raise my adventurer rank as a special exception, but I will retain full rights to accept or decline whatever quest I want?”
“That’s exactly right.”
“Forgive my bluntness, but those terms sound too good to be true.”
“Honestly? A Summoner like yourself would be welcomed with open arms and given the greatest reception no matter where you went. It’s the same for the Adventurer’s Guild. We are hoping to have you rise up quickly in our ranks as an outward display of your association with us before you get pulled away by anyone else,” Rio explained apologetically. “As I’ve done so far, I will keep your abilities and otherworldly origins a secret. If you agree to work with us, I will guarantee your freedom. You need a shield to protect you from getting caught up in the tedious power struggles of the nobility, don’t you?”
He’s already seen through me that far? Well, if those are the terms, I have no reason to refuse.
“Very well, I accept. Let’s work together from here on out.”
Both Rio and I stood up, sealing the deal with a firm handshake.
◇ ◇ ◇
After the discussion with Rio, I returned to the Fairy’s Song. Long story short, my adventurer rank was raised to B. Apparently, there’s normally a test involved, but the application was pushed through based on my victory against Cashel, aided by Rio’s recommendation as a guildmaster. Belying his appearance, that raccoon dog really can be quite aggressive. I also received a jaw-dropping amount of money as the quest completion reward. Seriously, how many adventurers did you repel, Gerard?
“I’ve heard the news, Kelvin-chan. Congratulations on being promoted to Rank B!”
Clare-san’s already heard? Wow, you really can’t underestimate the housewives’ information network in any world.
For the week that I’d been in Parth, I had been staying at the Fairy’s Song. Ange-san’s recommendation had been spot-on; it was a great inn. Most importantly, the food there was delicious.
“The news spread so fast? Who did you hear it from?”
“It’s all the buzz among the adventurers right now. The younger generation makes up a large part of our clientele, so it would be difficult not to have caught wind of it.”
“Personally, I’d rather do without all the attention...”
“What are you saying? I’ve run this inn for ages and even I haven’t heard of anyone else managing to rise up to Rank B in only a week. How can someone like that not stand out?”
I know, right.
“Oh, Clare-san. When I come back in the evening tonight, could you prepare two portions of dinner for me?”
“I don’t mind at all. What is it, will you be bringing a friend over?”
“Something like that.”
“All right, you got it. And as a celebration, I’ll throw in one more dish for free! Take it as our wish for you to reach greater and greater heights in the future!”
“You’re the best, Clare-san!”
Having successfully secured myself an extravagant dinner, I proceeded up to my room.
::Are you heading out?:: asked Gerard as I was in the middle of withdrawing funds from the Bank of Clotho, having changed from my magic robe into casual wear.
“Yep, I’m thinking of going to pick up a slave.”
::Ah...yes, of course, this is something normal for all men! I support your decision, my king!::
“Are you misunderstanding something?”
This world had a slave system. There were many ways that someone could fall into slavery, including being unable to repay a loan, being sold off by one’s parents, or being kidnapped and sold off. The young girls that I had seen on the streets before had probably experienced something along those lines. Slaves were forced to wear a Slave Collar, a magical item that caused effects not unlike that of a curse. When a slave was purchased, the new master had to use his or her own blood to touch the slave’s collar and a unique spell had to be chanted. When the process was finished, the slave would be unable to harm his or her new master.
Unless there was a legitimate reason, it was forbidden for other people to harm someone’s slave, as they were considered their master’s personal property. Even nobles would be severely punished for such an infraction, and it was the same across both continents. On the other hand, a slave’s status as property also meant that their masters were completely free to treat them however they liked. All things considered, the general treatment of slaves leaned strongly towards the inhumane side.
::You’re thinking of training that slave as a party member, eh?::
“Oh right, I discussed this with Melfina before.”
Those who had been slaves since birth had all their Talent Points left untouched. Due to the Curse of Submission, they were unable to use any Skill Points without express permission from a master. In this way, masters had complete freedom in distributing newly bought slaves’ Skill Points.
“We were quite hard-pressed in our fight against Gerard. If we are to continue facing opponents of a similar level going forward, I think it would be a good idea to increase our fighting power, no matter how little it may be at the start.”
::That makes sense. So, my king, is it going to be a female slave?::
“Do you even have to ask?” Why the hell would I ever want a guy as a slave?
::.........::
Melfina’s pointed silence was painful, but this was something that I wasn’t going to compromise on. I’m sure this is a dream that all men share!
Gerard expressed his approval with an enthusiastic ::I get you, my king! I get you!:: even while thinking, Ah, so he does have those intentions after all.
In any case, since I had gained my knight’s vote of support, this made it a three-versus-one majority. Clotho? Clotho always took my side on everything.
All right then, let’s go!
◇ ◇ ◇
The merchant took me around the store to tour his wares. By wares, I mean his slaves, of course.
“What do you think of this beastkin girl, sir? She’s become a slave only recently, so unfortunately she’s used up her Skill Points already. However, the skills that she possesses are battle-oriented, so I’m sure she’d prove quite useful!”
Upon being introduced to a rather cute beastkin, I activated Analyze Eye. It was true that she possessed Pugilism and Herculean Strength. However...
“She’s not bad, but I would still prefer one who hasn’t used any Skill Points yet.”
“If that’s the case, let me see, hmm...”
As the slave merchant paused in thought, my eyes casually drifted to a corner of the room, where I saw an elf inside a cage. Her hair seemed to be a dull yellow, but it was clearly very dirty. The outfit that she was wearing was also of poorer quality than what the other slaves had on. Upon closer inspection, I realized that her ears were a bit short, so it was likely that she was a half-elf rather than a full-blooded one. For some reason, her hands were clasped in irons.
Why hasn’t the store owner introduced her yet?
Curious, I activated Analyze Eye. “Huh...?! Excuse me, what can you tell me about that elf?”
“I’m sorry? Oh, you’re referring to that one, sir? She’s actually a half-elf. I got her just the other day, but she turned out to be cursed. Everything that she touches gets burned up, which means she can’t hold a bow, nor can she be used for fun. I called a renowned Priest to dispel her curse, but it didn’t work. To be honest with you, no one would buy her, so I’m not sure what to do with her. I want to beat up my past self for getting carried away thinking I could sell her for a hefty sum.”
Ahh, no wonder I thought this slave merchant looked familiar. He was the one I spotted before on the side of the road. Which means that this half-elf —
I approached the cage to confirm my guess. I hadn’t noticed it earlier because her bangs were covering her face, but there was no mistaking those eyes. There was no doubt that this was indeed the girl with whom I had locked eyes before.
::Melfina, what would I need to dispel her curse?::
::Her symptoms sound like the effects from the Curse of the Flame Dragon King. White Magic’s Rank A Sacred Bless should do the trick.::
For that, the Skill Points I would need...great, I have enough.
“Could you sell this girl to me?”
“Of course, I would be delighted to, but sir, are you sure about that?”
“Yes, I’m sure.”
The slave merchant removed the half-elf’s cuffs, then prompted her to step out.
“Come on out. You have a buyer.”
“Huh...?”
The fact that anyone wanted to buy her apparently came as a surprise to the girl too. She stepped out of her cage, revealing a gaunt body, disheveled hair, and...well, rather sizable breasts. Her face was still hidden behind her bangs, but even so, her beauty shone through. Elves were well-known throughout the world for their beauty. Apparently, half-elves were no exception.
“I’ll perform the contractual ritual now.”
The merchant offered a handkerchief for me to drop a bit of blood onto, then pressed the handkerchief against the slave’s collar while chanting a spell.
“With this, the transaction has been completed. Please be forewarned that we will not take responsibility for anything that happens as a result of her curse.”
“Not a problem.”
I turned to the half-elf.
“U-Umm, th-thank you for buying me, M-Master. M-My name is Efil.”
“I’m Kelvin. Nice to meet you!”
“P-Please take c-care of me...”
It was clear that Efil was very nervous.
“U-Um, my, uh, I have a c-curse...”
“Before anything else, let’s not bother the merchant any longer.”
I led Efil out of the store and into an empty alleyway. Her face turned darker and darker with every step.
“U-Umm...”
“Well then, how about we dispel that nasty curse of yours?”
“Uh...I’m sorry?”
I had raised White Magic to Rank A on the way, and I also had more than enough MP in the tank. All that was left was to chant the spell. So without any further ado, I cast Sacred Bless. A faint white light gathered around Efil’s hands before gradually dissipating into tiny glimmers and slowly fading away.
“There you go; your curse has been lifted.” As a test, I grabbed Efil’s hands. Yep, as soft as I’d expected.
“No, be care—ful?! Wh...how?”
Efil turned her disbelieving face towards me. Then...
“Waaaaaahhhhhhh!”
She burst into tears.
◇ ◇ ◇
“You feeling calmer now?” I asked, holding Efil in one arm and patting her head with my other. She was about a head shorter than my 170 cm, which made the top of her head the perfect height for patting.
It had all started when I dispelled the Curse of the Flame Dragon King for her. Efil had immediately started bawling. I’d been caught completely off guard, thoroughly at a loss as to what to do, when she’d buried her head in my chest. That was how I had ended up comforting her until she’d stopped crying. What’s that touching me? No, I must not pay it any mind. If I do, I’d be a failure as a human being.
“...Hic...uuu...”
While still patting Efil’s head, I cast the Rank E Green Magic spell Clean on her. It was a spell that could clean someone up, effectively providing the same effect as taking a bath, only without the sense of refreshment. Although it was indeed convenient, I would still choose a bath any day, given the choice.
Due to her less than ideal treatment at the slave merchant’s, Efil had been covered in dirt and grime. There was no way I could have left her in such a state. There we go, now your hair’s finally all pretty and spotless.
After her sobbing had ceased, Efil immediately backed off. “I’m sorry for crying like that. I’ve...never touched anyone in my entire life before.”
“Because of the curse?”
“Yes. I could touch my own skin without any problems, but anything else would immediately go up in flames...” Tears started welling up in her eyes again. I can’t even imagine how lonely it must have made her feel.
“How long have you been a slave?”
“As long as I can remember. I don’t have any memories of my parents at all, but I heard that they sold me off as soon as I was born.”
“I see. Things have been really tough for you, haven’t they?”
I may not know what hardships and suffering Efil has lived through so far. But what I do know is that I will never let her go through anything like that again.
“Efil, I’m an adventurer. I want to train you up to join my party. If you don’t like the idea, I’m completely open to exploring other paths, though. What would you prefer to do?”
“Master, I want to do whatever will help you most. If that is being an adventurer beside you, then I want to do that!” replied Efil without missing a beat, looking straight into my eyes.
“All right, I hear you loud and clear. Thank you. In that case, consider this an official welcome to my party!”
I held out my hand and Efil grabbed it with both of hers. “I’ll do my best!”
◇ ◇ ◇
“Clare-san, I’m back!” I called out as I returned to the Fairy’s Song with Efil in tow. The motherly innkeeper came out almost immediately.
“Welcome ba— What’s with the girl?!”
Clare-san rushed over to the half-elf. In spite of my having cast Clean on her, Efil’s clothes were still ragged and beaten up. It was understandable that Clare-san, who loved taking care of others, would be unable to overlook it.
“I bought her at a slave merchant’s place. Her name is Efil. Efil, this is Clare-san.”
Efil lowered her head shyly in greeting.
“Clare-san, would you happen to have any clothes that Efil could wear? I’m sorry to bother you with this, but all the clothing stores are closed now, so I didn’t know who else to ask...”
“I see you’re as spacey as ever, Kel-chan. But you’ve come to the right person! Efil-chan, come with me. Feel free to take your pick of any of the clothes in this room!”
It hurt a bit being called spacey, but I managed to recover somehow. With nothing else to do, I decided to take a seat and wait until they were done.
◇ ◇ ◇
“They sure are taking a while,” I murmured after waiting for half an hour. Fortunately, the restaurant was being handled by other staff members, and they were managing just fine without Clare-san. Still, what could be taking so long?
::My king, women simply require a lot of time to get ready.::
::Honey, how about you use this opportunity to consider her skill build?::
Another fifteen minutes went by before Clare-san finally — with a cheery “Thanks for waiting!” — burst through the doors. “Efil-chan, dazzle your master with your new look!”
“O-Okay!”
Efil timidly revealed herself.
Honestly, I almost mistook her for someone else. The bangs that had been hiding her face were now trimmed away, and the golden blond hair that reached her waist was tied up neatly behind the nape of her neck. My first impression upon seeing her face properly was that it had the perfect ratio of cuteness and beauty, giving her a dignified and almost royal appearance. Her characteristically elven skin was porcelain white, smooth without blemishes and entirely exquisite. It was only then that my mind truly registered the fact that Efil was, without a doubt, absolutely stunning. Her reserved and slightly embarrassed posture was simply icing on an already perfect cake.
“H-How does it look?”
A blushing face and upturned eyes?! Oh god, I’m feeling lightheaded.
“U-Um, Master?”
“R-Right, sorry about that.” Still completely out of it, I ended up blurting out my inner thoughts. “My mind actually blanked out for a moment because you’re just so cute.”
“Th-Thank you very mush!”
Ah, she bit herself. Efil’s slightly blushing skin turned an even brighter shade of red. Oh god, this girl. I just can’t. Even with support from Nerves of Steel, I didn’t think I could stand it any longer.
In addition, there was a burning question in my mind.
“So...why the maid uniform?” I mean, personally, I completely approve.
“Oh, that was something she decided on pretty much from the start. To my surprise, this outfit that my daughter used to wear while helping to draw in customers turned out to be a perfect fit! After she laid eyes on it, Efil-chan flat out refused to look at any other clothes.”
“I was taught that this is the outfit to wear when serving a master, so...”
Mr. Slave Merchant, job well done! That aside, Clare-san’s daughter must be a genius to have come up with the idea of wearing this to draw in customers. Seems like the inn’s future is bright!
“But Efil-chan, you’ll be a part of Kel-chan’s party going forward, right? Are you sure you don’t want something that’s easier to move around in?”
“I have a great idea for that. Could we borrow this outfit for a while?” I can’t very well allow her to take it off!
“My daughter’s grown out of it by now, so I’ll just give it to Efil-chan. There are a few more sets of the same outfit, so take those too.”
“Thank you very much, Clare-san!”
“Don’t worry about it. I got the chance to dress up Efil-chan so nicely, I’ve already received my payment!”
What a big heart Clare-san has! Well then, there’s still a bit of time before dinner, so I guess we’ll head up to my — I mean, our room first...
“Oh right, I’ve got to change rooms. Clare-san, could we switch to a two-person room?”
“They’re all fully booked today. I’m sorry, but you’ll have to make do for tonight.”
Hold on, but there’s only one bed in our room. That’s going to be a problem.
“Please don’t worry, Master, I will sleep on the floor.”
“Efil, you sleep on the bed. I’ll take the floor.”
This was something that I had no intention of debating. Only a shithole of a man would let a girl sleep on the floor while hogging the bed. However, with neither of us conceding, we were stuck at an impasse.
“Just sleep together on the bed. Efil-chan is your slave, right? There’s no problem then,” interjected Clare-san with a “what are you guys even bickering for” expression. How can she not realize the enormity of what she just said?
Efil and I couldn’t help but exchange looks. However, unable to come up with a solution, we decided to postpone the matter and head up to our room for the time being.
◇ ◇ ◇
Upon entering the room, I sat on the bed and Efil took the chair. Before we did anything else, I decided to explain the present situation to her.
“So...I guess I should bring you up to speed on everything. My class is Summoner. Have you heard of it before?”
“Umm, I’m afraid not...” Right, not surprising considering she’s pretty much spent her whole life locked away. The best approach is to have her learn things a bit at a time.
“Well, it allows me to do this,” I said, Summoning Clotho and Gerard to my left and right, respectively.
“Fair day to you, young lady. I am Gerard, one of Kelvin’s Followers.”
“Whaa?! Master, a monster and a person suddenly showed up out of nowhere!”
Gerard had offered quite a knightly greeting, but Efil was so surprised that she clearly hadn’t heard it. Don’t let it get you down, dude.
“Efil, take a deep breath and calm down. I’ll explain everything.”
And so, I began to tell Efil about Summoning, my Followers, and our path going forward.
◇ ◇ ◇
“And that’s why I want my being a Summoner to stay as much of a secret as possible.”
Efil looked deeply impressed. “Master is an even more amazing person than I had imagined!” she said, before nodding in acquiescence. “Gerard-san, Clotho-chan, I apologize for my reaction earlier.”
Gerard gave her a jovial laugh. “Give it no further thought!”
Clotho was assuming its pre-Evolution size, sitting in Efil’s lap and letting her pet it to her heart’s content. I’m glad to see that she’s fitting in well.
“There’s actually one more Follower, a goddess named Melfina. However, I’m not strong enough to Summon her yet. When the time comes, I’ll introduce you two.”
“A g-goddess?! Yes, please, I’ll look forward to it!”
::I am also looking forward to it.::
Although Efil couldn’t hear her, Melfina’s tone was extremely gentle. Apparently, she had taken a liking to this pure and innocent girl.
“Now then, Efil, about your skill selection...”
“The matter you just explained, right? I will leave everything to Master’s discretion.”
“No, after you take the two skills that I tell you to, I want you to choose the rest yourself.”
This was something that I had discussed with Melfina and Gerard earlier. Since Efil had never had the opportunity to make any of her own decisions, we wanted to grant her the chance to do so now.
“Huh? But Master, I don’t know anything about skills. It’d all go to waste if I picked them.”
“Just think long and hard about it, then decide what feels right to you.”
There were so many skills in this world that they could fill an encyclopedia. Knowing all of them offhand was simply impossible. Therefore, the best approach was to search for skills by thinking of keywords and browsing through the results. However, residents of this world had apparently found even that to be too much trouble, and had a strong tendency to pick up the same old skills that were already known to have a wide range of uses. With how limited Skill Points were, one could hardly blame them for sticking with the tried and true options.
“Think about it...”
“We are in no hurry. Take all the time you need.”
This is the right thing to do. I’m sure that teaching her to think for herself is a step in the right direction.
“Oh right, the ones that I want you to take first are Double Growth Rate and Double Skill Points.”
Obviously, those two skills were playing a huge part in my own rapid progression. For whatever reason, I had yet to see anyone else with either of them. Perhaps it never occurred to residents of this world to look up skills such as those. And even if they did, the cost wasn’t exactly cheap. Acquiring such abilities at Level 1 would yield the greatest benefits, but not everyone could afford them with Talent Points alone. In Efil’s case, however...
Efil (16 y/o, Female, Half-Elf, Slave)
Level: 1
Title: None
HP: 8/8
MP: 15/15
Strength: 2
Endurance: 2
Agility: 4
Magic: 4
Luck: 1
Skills: None
Passive Effects: Blessing of the Flame Dragon King
I had to strain my eyes to see this little appendix.
Available Skill Points: 400
Efil had four hundred Talent Points. Considering the average person only had fifty, she had eight times the norm. This was more than enough for both of the skills that I had in mind.
In addition, there was my Experience Sharing skill. Normally, in a party, the person who delivered the final blow would get the lion’s share of the XP. With the help of this skill, however, everyone in the party would receive that same final amount of XP. So my plan was to rely on that boost to power-level Efil up.
As an aside, I had tried looking up Experience Sharing in my own Skills tab, but for some reason, its cost had been far more expensive than all other skills of the same rank, by an order of magnitude. It was still within reach if one really stretched for it, but in our case, there was no need to do so.
::Oh, that one? Yeah, we made a mistake when — oops, forget I said anything.::
Wait, seriously?
::It was a joke.::
Reeeeallly? All right, anyway, it seems we can pretty much assume that we’re the only ones with knowledge of the “doubling” skills.
I had impressed upon Efil how important it was that my class be kept a secret. Unfortunately, the possibility of that secret being leaked through the details in Efil’s Status remained. There was no cause for concern, though, as I had recently discovered that I could use Concealment on the Status of my party members as well. It was a simple matter of raising my Concealment skill up to Rank S.
The duration of Concealment’s effects depended on the skill’s current rank. Rank F gave just short of one minute, Rank E was ten minutes, and Rank D was one hour. Based on that, I surmised that its duration at Rank S would be around one year.
Oh, oops, my thoughts have gotten off track. As could be seen in the Passive Effects section of Efil’s Status, her Curse of the Flame Dragon King had been overwritten by Blessing of the Flame Dragon King instead. This was due to the Sacred Bless spell, which was able to convert a curse into a blessing with the opposite effects. Although this made the spell sound like a miracle on paper, casting it required an incredible amount of MP, and it only worked on people who had been living with their curse for a long time. The requirements were too difficult for someone to intentionally seek out such a blessing by getting themselves cursed with the intention of flipping it later on.
“Master, what are the effects of this blessing?”
“Apparently, it makes you more resistant to fire and better at controlling it too. Sounds to me like it would complement Red Magic nicely.”
“Fire...”
Hmm, seems like she’s still afraid of fire. “Efil, just remember that fire doesn’t have to be a tool for fighting. It’s crucial to our everyday lives too, like how Clare-san uses it to cook delicious food for us, and how we all need it as a source of light to see at night. What’s most important is how it’s being used. That said, I don’t want to push you to use your blessing if you’re uncomfortable with it.”
“No...I’ve already made the decision to help Master in any way I can. I will make this my own so that I can use it in battle too!”
She really is a good girl. In spite of her words, it’s clear that some of her fear still remains.
“W-wah, ehehe...”
Before I knew it, I found myself patting Efil’s head. Well, it seems she likes it, so that’s fine, I suppose.
“Oh, look at the time, dinner should be ready soon. Look forward to it, Efil. Clare-san’s cooking is amazing!”
“Yes, Master. I’ll do my best to steal her recipe!”
I was glad to see her motivated, and if her sudden fervor was also a little scary, that was something I kept to myself!