After the spirit greeted us, we went ahead and fought monsters. The story should be like that.
[I apologize High Sage but it's too late now. Can I save here and continue in the morning?]
[-Yawn-]
His yawn sound so real.
"Let's stop here for today. It's very late."
I told everyone. The Grey Forest made it hard to estimate the time, it was almost midnight. Everyone agreed with me except Mazkhar.
"I still excite! My eyes are open! Can we go a little bit farther?"
"If I exhaust, my Heal will reduce. You want something like that?"
"…as you want."
He fully obeyed.
I used Light Barrier to seal the area and bought two set tents of travelers from Nine. The tent with tools was 700 coins for each tent. The barrier with Light Element was 2,200 coins.
[Your balance is 2,3130 coins... -Yawn-]
My magic met his limit.
"The color… how it can be possible?"
Gilbert looked at his body. The things that were inside the Barrier had the color like normal.
"I can't tell the detail. This magic is still in the work process."
"I see… You're truly High Sage."
He was easier accepted like Riche. I could see his image clearly with the color.
Gilbert was the swordsman in lightweight armor. He had short grey hair, bright lapis color eyes. His body was quite slim but strong. His height around me, from this point I thought we were the same age more than before.
"Alright, Altrez Mazkhar stays with me. Riche and Gilbert stay in that tent."
"Eh?!!"
"What?!!!"
Riche and Mazkhar were shocked.
Altrez shook his head, "High Sage, it isn't good."
"This is the best. I apologize Gilbert I don't know your reason, but I shouldn't ignore it. You're women, right?"
[…What?]
Somethings were pushed rapidly.
"High Sage! Even Gilbert is a cool beauty face man, he's still a man. Listen to his voice!"
"I'm sorry but your condition is bad at this level. Could I ask you, you still remember me?! Could you see me as a woman?!"
"Riche…" I lifted my hand to tell her calm and told,
"I remember and I didn't wrong. The Magic Flow tells me. Man and Women have a little different flow. I think she uses some magic tools to change her voice and used armor to hide her body. If it isn't me, others won't know."
Gilbert silent before took a spiral necklace off.
"As expected of High Sage. I apologize for keeping it out."
"Err!! Your voice!!!"
Mazkhar got a lot surprised. Gilbert's voice was sweeter, but it still has a strong weight like a knight.
"Everything like you told, I use this necklace to change my voice. I'll introduce myself again. My name is Gilda Arrondo."
Mazkhar closed to her with confusion. Suddenly, he sniffed, I pulled him out.
[Reverse trap type... Why was my radar didn't active?]
I doubted why he didn't go to bed.
Get sleep already!
[Have a night dream.]
After Nine went out, we talked for a while. Gilda was fine if we called her name. She didn't intend to hide it. She pretended to be a man because it was an easy way to join an adventure group.
Riche had a question,
"I'm sorry but I don't know 'the swordsman from Arrondo' has women…"
Gilda nodded,
"I'm not the real swordsman from Arrondo yet."
In Arrondo, the man could receive the state Swordsman of Arrondo only while woman… No matter how they were strong, they were only the supporter.
"I… come here to take a strong power."
She might want acknowledgment from her clan.
Every adventurer had their journey, a journey of desire. It was a word from dad. Now, I was on my journey too. Even I didn't like Arrondo's rule I was an outsider. The only thing I could do was just speak a word.
"We'll pass the test together."
After the conversation, we went to sleep. I didn't familiar to stay in a tent, but it was good than I expected. I didn't know about the time when I heard the ring sound I suddenly woke up.
Ringgggggggggg!!!
It came from Nine's side. Damn… he didn't smoothly wake me at all.
[Good morning, my dear High Sage.]
Not this smooth!
I was tried since the morning.
When Altrez and Mazkhar slept, they were hard to separate. I let them sleep and slowly went out of the tent. Even though it was the morning, the outside of the Barrier still had a grey shade. If I didn't have Nine, it would be hard to know the time.
"Good morning, High Sage."
"Good morning, Gilda."
She was practicing swing sword. From her action, I thought she wake up a few times before me. She took lightweight armor out so I could saw her body. Her arm was thin as mine, but every swing was powerful.
"That technic was Blessing from Sword. I can use it two times per day. This time is the new day, so the count starts again."
[Do you want to buy her basic information?]
I rejected that service. It was rude and she wasn't my disciple.
After that, others got out of tents. I set Altrez and Mazkhar's disorder hair to become normal. Riche was in good order like always. The atmosphere between Riche and Gilda seemed to be close. Both Celestia and Arrondo were families from high society, last night they might talk about many things.
"I'm hungry… I haven't power at all. High Sage…"
"It so shames but me too…"
Kids wanted breakfast. I bought 'Sandwich and Warm Milk Sets' from Nine while told them it was emergency food. The taste was good, I thought it was a nice breakfast.
"It isn't full at all! I want more!"
"High Sage, kid want the food more than this."
I bought some meat and grilled it with Fire Magic. The delicious smell made Riche and Gilda's eyes shine bright. In the end, I bought more.
[Your balance is 22,500 coins.]
I hated travel by a group.
When Nine and everyone were ready, we moved again. Our formation was the same. Mazkhar and Gilda were in the front line. Riche was middle. I held hand with Altrez in the backline.
We met a new type of monster. Brighten Bats and Dark Birds that kept attacking us with Light and Dark Magic. Mazkhar made attention with his roar. In that time, Altrez combined the attack with Gilda, they used vines and the blessing to hunt all monsters. Gilda didn't use MP so Nine healed her only physically.
We moved easier with Gilda's strength, but the speed of the group was the same because it depended on me…
"You can do it, High Sage."
Even Riche was stronger than me.
Mazkhar sniffed something,
"High Sage, prepare for the next enemy."
Mazkhar's nose good job to guide us to dangerous things, the level of monsters was increasing. We fought a big fat demon. Mazkhar's sword dance move could only slice his skin, but Gilda's sword was so sharp, she could cut the demon arm. Her movement wasn't magnificent like Mazkhar, it was simple and straightforwardly strong.
How strong she wants for received acceptance from her clan.
The demon blew flame. I protected everyone with Water Sheild from Nine. With the small gap, Mazkhar and Gilda ran toward him. Mazkhar's dual-blade shined. Gilda's eyes were sharp like the knife.
"Enhancement Magic!!!"
"The mind. Release the hunting power."
The big fat demon collapsed. Their link attack was so amazing. They were discussing time and position too.
Nine healed everyone when finished the battle. Altrez and Mazkhar were good at using MP. It might be because they fought with the monster that was stronger than normal. I started to understand what Nine said. I was under their protection.
They slowly became stronger, Riche too. I sensed it from Heal that she used on Gilda.
The more we fought was the more stable our group was. Nine was still fun to conduct our position and ordered the attack. It was a good thing that he didn't ask for high-level magic, but I felt I was a parasite to everyone. Besides ran and be Nine's mouth, I seriously held Altrez's hand.
Gilda looked at two kids before said to me.
"I… traveled with a group many times, but I never found the group with a high-level supporter like you. It felt like we had unlimited MP. Your ability suited to be High Sage."
I drank MP Potion again.
"High Sage! We near the end of the forest."
"Let's go out."
We went out from tree horizon. When our feet touch the grass, the rain of Light Magic Arrows welcomed us.
"Dark shield!!"
Clang!! Clang!! Clang!! Clang!!
I couldn't perfect guard. Dark Magic Arrows shot behind Light Magic Arrows and passed through the shield. Mazkhar and Gilda could cover it, but others couldn't. I put Riche backward and got the attack, Altrez too.
"High Sage!!"
"Al!!"
"Don't worry! It can heal. Endure a little bit, Altrez…"
I pulled arrows from Altrez. He didn't cry at all even if it was too much hurt when Riche pulled arrows out from me.
"Everyone! The enemy is coming. Please prepare to fight."
Gilda pointed her sword to the owners of attacks. They were the big bee in armor with two meters in height. They flew in the air about forty units, half were Light Element and the other were Dark Element. With the power of the spirit, they were stronger than normal.
"Watch out!!"
The two elements rain arrows shot like 2nd round. We ran separately to hide behind trees. Nine healed me and Altrez in my arms. Mazkhar hid from a distance point. He looked for a chance and went out to face bee monsters.
"Ha!!!!!!"
Mazkhar's roar resonated around him, but enemies were too much, some of them didn't pay attention to him.
Mazkhar speedily ran behind the tree, he got three arrows stabbed at him. Riche didn't hind far from him, she ran to him and healed the wound. Their argument was loud to me, its sound could win the attack's sound behind me. This tree couldn't bear any longer. We had to stop their attack.
Nine! What should we do?
[-Clatter- - Clatter--]
It was a sound like hands covered up my ears. What was Nine do to me?
'…'
Nine was speech something. His voice was low.
'Meeting… Now?'
'Yes. Hurry, we'll be late.'
Nine spoke to… Forty-one?
'Can I bring him with me?'
'Do you want some scold? Pause until the meeting finish. Tell him to rest a bit.'
Hands that covered my ears pulled out. The surround sound was clear and Nine's voice too.
[I apologize for the inconvenience, but I have a job meeting. I can't continue to serve you.]
'Hey hey. Don't tell him about that.'
I still heard Forty-one's voice but wait? The meeting?! I was nearly stabbed by arrows but Nine had to go to the meeting.
Then who will use magic for me?
[You have to take a few rests. I'll assign another to temporarily take care of you.]
Who? Forty-one?
'I'm sorry. I have to go to.'
[Come here. Quickly.]
The sound of footstep came close.
[Sit down.]
It was the sound like stand up from the chair then someone came to sit instead of Nine. The clattering sound occurred a while, after that…
[H… Hello, High Sage.]
The kid voice… No, he was the man at Riche's true age. I remembered his voice.
[It's glad that you remember me. My name is Number Fifty-three (No.53). You can call me Fifty-three.]
The person who came to help me do the research and the person that Nine scold him to write the comment.
What's the meaning of comment?
[T… that thing… I don't want you to remember it…]
He had an awkward talk.
[N… Nice to meet you again!]
'You can order him as you like.'
Nine's voice was far away… Wait!
Help me before you go!!