[ARC 2] CHAPTER 4: THE MILLIONAIRE NEWBIE
...Shiiiiineeeeyyy...
Oh crap, almost lost myself there. And Gust... is even worse. No wonder, considering his lineage.
The source of my brainless state lies before me: a stupid-big moneybag, filled to the brim with cash.
"To summarize, 100,000 Sol for the safe return of the protégé of the Library Tower, now named Gust, plus the bonus of a copy of the Library Tower's newest version of the Skill Encyclopedia and Class Register, one volume of each, for taking so good care of said protégé, granting him a name, and even helping him in evolving." - Carion
The moneybag contained mostly golden coins named Half-Golds. According to the Union Master, the currency here's called Sol and divided between bronze, silver, and gold, plus some more advanced metal-variants higher up that normal people will never have a chance to lay their eyes on.
There goes a hundred Bronze Sols for a single Silver Sol, then the same amount of Silver for one Gold.
There's also Big-Sols, that's 10 times the original value of the original coin the Big is based on, plus Half-Sols that's half the value, obviously. Speaking of obvious, there's no Half-Bronzes.
"You're just struck gold on the first day of becoming an adventurer. This must be a new world record." - Carion
Oh, he's right. That's bad! Won't people come after me then? Monsters are one thing, but humans protected by law and civil rights are something I'm unfamiliar with!
Therefore, semi-permanent Storage-sealing for this guy! But I'm gonna read the books later. Unlike a certain inept note, these books tell me in detail about how skills and classes work, how to acquire them, and the general public's opinion about them.
With the hypnotizing gold out of the way, Gust snapped out from his gold fever and started the waterwork again.
"Master! To think he cared so much about me!!" - Gust
"Ordion Alberloft isn't the owner of the [Kindness] skill for nothing after all." - Carion
[Kindness]? That's a strange name for a skill.
"But he's by all means not soft though. I'm one of the few guys in the world that knows that first handed." - Carion
"...?" - Garami
"I mean, he's constantly asking Union Masters like me to introduce new and promising adventurers to the Library Tower. Like that, he gains new pawns that go all around the world and bring back info to his place." - Carion
So, since he wants connections with those that actively adventure around the world, he puts pressure on the Union Masters? Oh, it's because adventurers are so free that they don't listen to the Union Masters whenever gold's not in the picture? Sounds like it.
If that's the case, let's try to give some income to the Union. Give-and-take, you know? Being on their good side will be helpful in the future.
I started to wordlessly take out the books from the library that I had stored in the Storage and piled them up where the Quest rewards had been. Only those that I'm finished with, except the Book of the Dead.
"...Finished... Selling." - Garami
"Wait, these are grimoires!? By all means, please do so!" - Carion
...I figured the Union would want books related to obtaining certain classes, but what's with the enthusiasm?
"You didn't have them before? This is the Adventurer's Union, right?" - Gust
Nice question, birdie!
"Grimoire's are too expensive for all the Unions to have a copy of each. Or rather, they are too expensive to produce. These books require materials too rare to produce or acquire, not to mention cultivate." - Carion
That's so?
"And looking at the quality of these, they're in pristine condition. The Union would want to buy these tomes for 200,000 Sols." - Carion
That's double the Quest reward!! The money only, but still...
"Isn't that a little cheap for Grimoires of this condition?" - Gust
It is?! Wait, considering these books are the only way to obtain certain classes... Not that I doubt Gust, who has lived most of his childhood surrounded by who knows how many books...
"Sold." - Garami
"That's what I am talking about! Phew, there went my funds back into the black..." - Carion
I heard that last part, but I'm gonna be a nice demon for once and ignore it. Good impression~, good impression~.
"We will buy any other tomes you may have as well." - Carion
Urgh... now I seriously need to finish reading those other books...
"Hey, Garami, didn't you have anything else to sell?" said Gust with a smug face.
What's he talking about... oh, right. Almost forgot about that one...
---
Adventurer's Union's dismantling workhouse.
"Now I've never..." - Random dismantler
The dismantlers in the warehouse-sized building look up at the big mess I've left in the middle of the room. The Glavras Queen Aquarect.
As for why I've placed it before everyone is simple: I'm selling it. That's the whole reason why I've kept this behemoth all this time.
"Focus, people. How much will this thing be worth then?" - Gust
The bird did me the favor of getting the conversation going despite the astonishment-effect the corpse gives to the surroundings. Does he want some of the payment as a reward?
The Union Master looked like was thinking about something for a while, before signalizing for me to get closer. Then, talking in a voice so that nobody else could hear, he asked me what my connection with the Water-Knot of Glavras was.
Before I could even say that I found this thing dead in the ocean, he informed me that all Glavras monsters had lost that trait of theirs with the death of the Disaster in question. Some adventurers had tamed some of those monsters already, and they had mutated to some non-Glavras type monster at the same time Glavras got his "godhood".
Wait, then doesn't that mean my cover story will be busted? If it died in the lake, it would have been a Queen Aquarect instead of a Glavras one due to the lake returning due to the death of Glavras... not good. Gotta think about something!
"...Secret." - Garami
And I failed!! Failed so dramatically it's funny! So, why am I not laughing!?
"That's fine and all." - Carion
It is?!
My surprise must have shown on my face, as the Union Master started to explain.
"After all, just being able to procedure this kind of result, be it from real skills or just pure luck, is enough for people to gather around you anyway." - Carion
Ah, so there's no point in keeping it a secret then? But having people believe I'm weaker than what I really am is a good thing, so let's keep this jig running.
"Then..., how much?" - Garami
"For the spider? Let's see... Jack! Do you guys have a number ready?" - Carion
"Not yet, U-M.," said a Skeleton that was discussing with the dismantlers. Wasn't he at the counters before? The other popular guy along with that cat-lady receptionist?
"We're having trouble deciding the price. If we consider that what happened with the guys tamed by that knight-party, then all 'Glavras'-monsters have mutated to non-'Glavras' monster due to the destruction of that whacky Dungeon." said the buff dismantler guy, who looks to be the boss of this place.
But, a mutation you say? Thinking about it, those monsters were a result of a Dungeon outside System control. No wonder... better than having them all "cleaned up".
"This Queen, however, still holds the 'Glavras factor', if we shall call it that. With that in mind, along with its high rank, the quality of the body... I would say this one will give around a million." - Dismantler chief
...A million? Million as in what?
"Yeah, paying one million for this specimen is the bottom-line..." - Carion
Wait, I'm the one getting a million!?
---
"...and sign here, then the contract is done." - Carion
We went back to the office to sign the contract regarding the sale of the Queen's corpse. They are to pay me within three days, when they've decided the selling price for it, which will be at least 1,000,000 Sol.
...Even if they're cheating me for some thousand sols or whatever, with the guaranteed sum being this much... I could easily buy a hundred thousand skewers with that amount of money...
I did read through the contract. Several times. It's the first contract in my life that I sign on. Please don't blame my horrible handwriting. It's the first time I've held a pen in this life.
"Then it's all done. And about the bodyguard Quest, could we wait for that to start until tomorrow?" - Carion
"...? Why?" - Garami
"Ah, I see..." - Gust
Gust gets it and I don't? Have pigs learned the [Flying] skill?
"This Quest is more like an opportunity to show off adventurers to Alberloft so he stops being so nosy for a while. Therefore, I planned on having several trustworthy fellows guard our very own VIP on a shift system. Be sure to give good reviews when you get back to your boss. You guys have some Magic Stones on your conscience. Got it?" - Carion
"...W-why me..." - Gust
What a dirty plan. I gotta learn from him.
In any case, there's nothing else for me to do than to look around the city... almost forgot.
"Class change?" - Garami
"Hmm? Wait, you can get a new sub-class already? Didn't you already have two classes?" - Carion
"...Upgrade. And checking." - Garami
"Already... eh, whatever. The Union gives free usage to the Class Confirmer, so check it out whenever you want." - Carion
"Then, I wanna use it too." - Gust
With that, I and Gust were guided by the assistant of a secluded room with a couple of the same type of devices that looked like a sphere on top of a pillar. They remind me of the thing they used to make the ID card.
A little while after I placed my hand on it came tons of different names and categories. One of them told about the Rogue class, which had three different options: "Arch Rogue", "Shadow Dancer", and "Assassin".
The first one is a direct upgrade of Rogue. Nothing impressive with this, compared with the other two.
Shadow Dancer is a class that's movements and illusion's only. Better than Arch Rogue, but the serious lack of damage capability makes me say no.
Then all that's left is Assassin. Of course, I need to pick it up at the Skill Shop, but knowing that I've cleared the requirements for it sure fills me with pleasure. I can't stop myself from grinning~.
"Whoa, what a nasty sneer..." - Gust
Pardon!? Who's sneering?! You're just jealous of all the other classes I can pick when I unlock the next Sub Class slot!
I'm able to take all three Beginner-tier classes of Soldier, Mage, and Scout. Not that they're worth the trouble...
I'm no stranger to Warrior classes either, such as Swordsman, Fencer, Whip Warrior, Gunslinger, Brawler, and even Guardian! The last one's no good to me, but still!
For Magician-types, I'm able to get Light Mage, Dark Mage, Wizard, and Thaumaturgist. Wait, how did that last one sneak in? Ah, it's a non-divine, priest-like class. No wonder. Healing spells are one of my most used spell types.
As for Scout classes like Rogue itself, there's Hunter, Explorer, and Cave Explorer... two explorers? Oh, it's not an advanced class, but one specialized for exploring caves, while the first is more jack-of-all. Don'. Need. Either!
My talents for Artisan classes are limited to Weaver... or not. It's not there, damn it! But I got the Cartograph class for some reason?
There are even some Special-type classes... oi! Outlaw's kinda obvious with my Karma Value and Hunting titles, but what's up with the Slacker class? You can't call being stuck on a stupid-big Dungeon Floor for being the same as staying in your room for several days without leaving!!
Let's ignore those two living insults to my pride and focus on the last Special class. The Puppet User. It does look strong, considering my usage of threads, but I don't know... I'm already gunning for Assassin and Necromancer, and there's no guarantee that a certain class is required for that Black-Light thing...
While I was looking at the classes I could take, Gust had checked his possible options with one of the other devices. The result... Mage, Wind Mage, and Librarian. He doesn't look depressed, despite the low amount of options.
Whatever. Now's Assassin's time to shine!
SYSTEM MESSAGE:
Do you want to upgrade the class: [Rogue] to class: [Assassin]
at the cost of 10 Skill Points?
Y/N
Yes, please!
SYSTEM MESSAGE:
[Assassin] has been set as your Main Class.
Due to having unlocked the [Assassin] Class, new skill evolutions are now available.
Through having [Assassin] as the Main Class at Lv.1; acquired skill: [Recognition Obstruction Lv.1]
Through having [Assassin] at Lv.1; acquired skill: [Assassination Arts Lv.1]
Through having [Assassin] at Lv.1; acquired skill: [Poison Coating Lv.1]
And there it is!
Wait, new skill evolutions?
...Better take a good look at those later. But for now: I GOT IT!! That's one large step towards Kur Kigal!!
And there's something else I wanna look up to. Or rather, there's something I have to prepare...
---
Suspicious thug's PoV:
"Are you sure that brat's loaded?" asked Hans as we were tailing the brat.
"I keep on telling you, that girl's nothing. My [Strength Perception] didn't react the slightest to her, meaning she's just some rich-guy's naive daughter or something wanting to play adventurer."
It's a common story: a brat wanting to live out their dreams with the money of their parent, so they make a splash by buying a corpse of some crazy monster from high-ranking adventurers and presents it as their kill.
The only difference from the norm is that the brat has no guards to defend her, but if she's run away from home or trying to do this without her parent noticing, then that's understandable.
"There's no guards or something like that nearby, meaning the coast's clear. The girl's a beauty, so we'll get a penny if we sell her to a slave trader as well," said Diego. But who's saying we'll not get a taste of her before we sell her?
The three of us followed after the girl as she walked around the crowd of people, despite it being a detour. And then she...
"Is she an idiot?"
I couldn't stop myself from saying that out loud. The brat willingly entered one of the back-alleys. She's ours!
We quickly entered the back alley so that the brat wouldn't escape.
But before our eyes could adapt to the dark environment, Diego was suddenly dragged further into the ally all of a sudden. Then, bone-breaking noises were heard in the alley.
What? What was happening!?
Did something get that girl and Diego? I turned around to escape the alley, but a wall of something was blocking the way. What's this, black thread? Stop f*cking with-!
*Stab!*
---
Garami's PoV:
Whoops? That's all I can say about this mess.
After leaving Gust to the Union Master's care until tomorrow, I decided to take care of the problem such a large amount of money always comes along with.
I figured that at least some people were bound to find out about the small mountain of cash I had gotten from selling her majesty, even if the Union-folks kept their mouth shut or not.
So, to weed out the nestles, I endured the pain and kept [Presence Perception] on all the time, despite it giving me the worst of headaches since we're in the middle of a city.
It was worth the headache, as it showed a group of three that used the same paths as I did. If those guys weren't tailing me, then what could they do?
And I already foresaw that they weren't gentlemen that would have a nice talk either. I made sure to slack my speed so they could get close enough to catch up, but they also slowed down during those instances.
As a final measure, I planned to lure them into this empty alley for then blocking the entrance with my patterned Webwall, now with [Silence] functions!
That went well and all, threads aren't something I'll fluke with. The other stuff is a different story...
The stalkers (temp.) were a group of three with high levels, but low stats and skills. Boosted levels? No matter, two of them were just a Scout-classed human and a Beastman (dog) with Soldier, but the last guy, an elf with the Swordsman class, looked like he could be a threat. At least, compared to the two idiots where I had to have one foot in the grave for me to lose to them.
So, the plan was to drag him to me, then simply give him a little tap through the Sleep Blow art, obtained from [Assassination Arts]. Think I got that due to having the [Sleep Bite] skill. It would also explain why I also got Paralyze Blow and Confuse Blow.
ANYWAY! I dragged the elf-swordsman, gave him a little love-tap, and he suddenly went <-shaped on me.
I know that explanation sounds weird, but that's what happened. I used too much power, sending him to eternal sleep instead of inflicting the Sleep-ailment.
But, be relaxed. The culprit of this case is already apprehended. And I'm not talking about me!!
I'm talking about [Dragon Power].
See, that Extra Skill I got for smashing Glavras' body to salt turns out that it gives me access to previously dragon-limited skills. Even my heritage of the Grey Demons isn't enough for me to get that, but the Extra Skill does.
So, before I left the Union, I looked up the various dragon skills with the Skill Encyclopedia, a reliable source of information, and found the identity of this skill.
By paying MP and SP, you can temporarily gain the powers of a dragon, giving your stats a [Skill level]% boost. The downside is that you get the dragon trait while doing so, which means that Dragon Slayer-stuff's gonna hurt more.
And even so, it doesn't get integrated with [Energy Warfare], a weaker variant of the skill limited to SP only. Meaning that I can have both skills at once, giving me double the power!! For a higher price, but still, it's useful in an emergency.
I paid 5 Skill Points for this one skill when I learned from the Encyclopedia that a high level with this skill could result in a decrease in price for the other dragon-type skills.
And that's necessary. The second-cheapest item was [Dragon Breath (Darkness)], which is at 10 Skill Points, despite being a Darkness attribute skill.
Unreal.
So anyway, I decided to use [Dragon Power] while saying hello to my stalkers. The result: you know.
...I'm not gonna go into prison, right? They were stalking a fair maiden, so they have to be the bad guys, right?
Argh, if this is the case, I'll just capture them and force them to confess to their crimes! Or slap them with some, if that's necessary! Capture thread, GO!
*Stab!*
...Forgot about [Dragon Power] again. Whoa, so it even affects the power of my threads~...
Turn off, and gentle thread control... got the dog! The human Scout? Not sure~. There's just something here that resembles a broken tomato over there~. Ha-ha...ha...
I dragged the dog-man over to me. He's looking more like an animal than a human with animal traits. So, there won't be any cat-eared maids that aren't 100% cat? Not that interested, but someone else would be in the dumps for that.
"P-p-p-please, spare me!" - Dog
Shut it already! I'm in deep enough trouble due to you guys, so don't make me any angrier! I'm the one who'll get into trouble then!
"I didn't want to do it! Those guys are the ones who wanted to sell you to the Avido Family!!" - Dog
Oh, so they're black for real. That decides it.
"I swear! I would even defect to those guys if I had the chance, but Diego and Peter said-" - Dog
"Those guys?" - Garami
Guess I can handle some small talk with the enemy. For safety sake, I used the [Evil Lord's Aura] to keep him honest. Just deserts for trying to kidnap me.
"Y-y-yeah! Those guys that call themselves the Belial Private Army!" - Dog
Oh, those guys. They said they were here in the city.
The dog must have noticed that I figured out who he was talking about, 'cause he continued.
"Y-yes! Those guys! The ones calling themselves an evil organization in the underworld!" - Dog
Wait, 'evil organization'? I didn't get... or rather, they looked like the deal. The soldiers, or rather, the combatants.
That Blot guy didn't seem like he fits the bill though...
"Tell me more." - Garami
Upping the force of the aura~.
"A-a-as you wish! They're going around crushing mafias and other crime rings and absorb their territories, making them infamous in the underworld. The governments don't lay a hand on them 'cause they're improving the livelihood of the populace of the frontside of society as well, and they're too strong for the crime rings like the Family to strike at them, but not enough to defend against them!" - Dog
They're that strong? Sure, with the leader alone, that meteorite thrower, that sounds possible... but they're bound to have more people with talent, right?
"And what's the Family planning." - Garami
"I don't know! We're not even true members of the Family! All we did was snatching a few people for them to sell, that's all!" - Dog
...Yeah, this guy's trash. Even I wouldn't go so far as to kidnap innocent people.
"Th-there, that's all I know! So, please let me-" - Dog
I ignored the babbling of the mutt and cut his throat. As if I would have let him go. That's just asking for him to gather power to strike back at me. Even if he didn't, that Family's bound to end him either way for telling information about them to a stranger. If anything, a swift death's kinda like mercy for him. Not that I intended so, but oh well.
I cleared the alley by converting the corpses and using the Clean spell to get rid of the bloodstains. Then I burned the threads, for then moving away from the scene of the crime while using my stealth skills.
The Family... Avido, was it? That's greed, or something like that, in Italian? I'm not that good with foreign languages, but I'm sure I've heard about that at least.
They sound like the kind of guys you don't wanna mess with. But I've already done so. Even if there's no evidence, they can still manage to figure out that those three goons disappeared when they were going after me.
Tch, I shouldn't have sold the Queen's corpse. But, even the news that I saved Gust could be enough for them to turn their attention to me. It's almost fated that they would go after me at one point.
At least I know the situation now. Good thing those thugs only relied on that skill that only shows if the target's level's higher than yourself.
Could the Union do something about... probably not. If they're allowing some Mafia-guys in the city, it's probably safe to assume that those Avido-fellows have moles in the Union. Those thugs from before were E-ranked adventurers, so it's not an impossible thought. Then, what about the government itself...
It may just be my imagination running wild here, but better safe than sorry. If I have to choose between two evils, it's better to take the one that's acting friendly to me.
Now, where was that Armveil-guy's shop again?
Greydra
Kigal-Note/Scout Classes: Assassin
Description:
The Assassin lurks in the shadow, ready to strike at its target the moment they lay their eyes on it.
This class focuses on killing their targets without being detected, in other words, assassinating them.
It is one of the most heavy-hitting Advance-tier Scout classes, to the point where they can compete with the Warrior classes of the same tier.
While some Assassins rely on poison and multiple attacks to kill the target, others use a single blow to fell their opponent. Assassins use anything from lightweight daggers, swords, and two-handed weapons, to ranged weapons like throwing daggers, bows, even guns in some rare cases.
It is not an understatement in calling Assassin the class with the most variations. The reason for this is that most of the skills they obtain can be used with any weapons, or even without any at all.
However, an Assassin does not have high defensive abilities. They keep their armor to a minimum and rather use their speed and dexterity to dodge fatal attacks. In most cases, they stay hidden until the target shows a weak moment, which results in this class being more popular with parties than one would expect. Mostly due to their reliability to work with Guardian-line classes to take out stronger targets.
Gust's comment: Wow. Wonder if the loner gets some more friends now.
[ARC 2] CHAPTER 5: CRASH 'N SLASH
No good. I can't find it.
I collapsed on the bench, completely outta steam. The dragon-skill seems to take more outta you than the status values tell, or I'm not used to the high increase. One of those.
I was currently on one of the roads with houses on just one side, leaving the other a free view of the lake and other pillars that made up the city. Not a bad view, even if the sun's bombarding me with death rays.
...And the couples.
From the looks of it, the beautiful view of the lake attacks, er, attracts couples from blast away, er, from far away, and... just explode already!!
Grr, I wanted to catch my breath here, but nooo~. Is there some heart-break skill available?
Well, after using three Points to get... wait a sec. Something's wrong here.
I know my SPD and DEX were one of my highest stats, but not that high!? They're more than my MP now, my best stat since... I can't remember! And STR's higher too?! Not as much as the other two, but still...
SPD, DEX, then STR... weren't they the stats related to obtaining Assassin?
Good thing I got this Classes Register book from the great sage teacher of Gust. Let's see, Advance, Advance... here! Advance-tier classes give...*mumble, mumble*...
I closed the book with a snap after reading that paragraph, then I opened it on the same page and reread... for then rubbing the dust out of my eyes and looked for a third time.
Eh? Advance-tier and above gives bonus points to stats related to it? Not just stat-growth enhancements?
...Niiiice. As expected from a real deal encyclopedia. The Kigal-Note is in the end just a collection of notes. It can't beat something that sages have spent who knows how long to write.
Let's read some more... and I almost forgot about that evil organization-blacksmith!! I think he's part of it.
It's just a hunch, but that Blot guy didn't seem to all for me not accepting his offer. My bet's on that he planned on impressing me or something with the goods that blacksmith has, then semi-forcing me to join if I wanted to get the premium goods.
Still, it's just an idea. But I need some connection to those guys. I don't wanna fight some mafia. The guys on Earth are scary enough, so this murderous world's version of them? No way!
Just as I decided to move from the love spot before butchering the lovebirds on impulse, something noisy was starting further down the road.
A dust cloud? Did some carriage go amok? Better get to some safer ground... wait a minute. I recognize that dust cloud!
Instead of dodging it, I prepared a web to capture the loose cannon running towards me. The culprit was magnifically trapped in it, allowing the dust it whirled up to rest.
"...What are you doing, Moles?" - Garami
I looked down on the Stella Mole, who looked at me with stars in its eyes... and forehead.
"Mo~le~s." shouted a cute voice. A girl with blond hair and a blue dress came running in the tracks of Moles' rampage.
W-what is this girl? An angel!? No, she's human. But with her blonde hair and blue dress, she looks more like a doll than a real kid. She's gonna be a beauty when she grows up. Like, a national treasure-level one. She's only five years old now from the looks of it...
Ah, she tripped. And she's keeping the tears in. What a good girl!
Moles is going crazy outta concern for the girl, so I let him outta the web.
The doll-girl looks fine... scratch that. She's got a scratch.
....Well, she looks like she's Moles' friend... or something...
This is just service, you know? Dark Heal!
And the boo-boo went away!
The girl looked at her knee with wonder in her eyes. Moles, who is accustomed to seeing my healing spells by now, is just happy his friend, or whatever, is alright. Let's check if that's all the damage she took.
...
Wait, I was just joking about that "angel"-part! Why's she a real-deal Flugel, this world's angel!?
Not to mention that she's a natural-born [Golden Ratio] owner!? She's won in life. And that LUC, it's higher than my own!? First time I've seen that! Wait, she's not losing SP even when she's catching up to Moles? What is she, a living cheat?
And she's Moles' master. Moles have the title [Firis's Follower] on his status page, like how Gust had [Garami's Follower] in his before. How did these two meet up?
"Now wait you little brat!!" - ???
Seems like her guardians are coming... "guardians"? These sleazy-looking fellows? And they called her a brat...
A quick [Identification] confirmed my doubts: they are kidnappers. They got skills like [Covert Movement], [Intimidation], and a skill that helps you move stuff around called [Transport]. Their Karma Values are almost at a negative hundred, and one even got the [Humanoid Slayer] title.
The little girl doesn't seem to recognize them either from the looks of it. The final piece is that Moles is trying to threaten them.
Conclusion: they're definitely the bad guys here. Damn, do I only run into such people?
The possibility that they're her guardians for real's still possible, with them being former criminals taken in by this girl's parents, the little girl being a natural airhead, and Moles being of the jealous type...
Yeah, I'm just trying to make excuses for them at this point. All the other people that laid their eyes on the thugs fled the area, almost in fear. Considering that my inner monologue's hurried up with [Thought Acceleration], that's pretty impressive for normal folks.
That further strengthening the "these are bad-guys"-theory. Let's capture them and have them spit out their story.
"And who are-GUH!?" - Bad Guy A
Wait, that wasn't me! Someone struck bad guy A before I could get to it myself. And again, I'm using [Thought Acceleration]. So who's that speed demon!?
Bad guy A fell to the ground, revealing a female warrior with light-blue hair reaching her waist, dressed in easy-to-move-in clothes, and wielding a greatsword that's as big as she's tall. With one hand. Are you kidding me?
The greatsword looks like a shark's fin, nothing a knight of honor would use. The hilt was encased with a circle of what appears to be bones, and the blade looks kinda organic instead of metal. It's one-edged, like a katana, which is good news for bad guy A, who was struck with the blunt edge rather than the other option.
The greatsword-wielding amazon wasted no time smacking bad guy B and bad guy C after that in their stomach. While the result's not as horrific as what I did to the Swordsman elf previously today, these guys aren't gonna wake up by the first.
Wait, what's up with those movements? That's a greatsword, right? But she's handling it as dexterous as I do with my dagger. What the heck?
The remaining bad guys D and E tried to attack her, while the one owning the [Humanoid Slayer] title started to activate some skill, but I punched him in the back of his head, using Sleep Blow to boot. He went out like a light before his head reached the ground. His last remaining allies went down a few seconds after that again.
And then, all six thugs were down for the count. The greatsword woman looked at me in surprise, but she put away the sword when she saw the one with the title on the ground.
"Mira~." - Firis
The little girl ran up to the amazon, completely unfazed by the current brawl just now. Damn, she's gonna be a pain to deal with when she grows up.
"Firis, where have you been? Your dad told you not to wander off like that." - Greatsword woman
"But~! I always have to stay on the island~!" - Firis
So, the spoiled rich lady(?) wanted to look around the city with her pet, then said pet, meaning Moles, found me in the distance and ran over to me. To boot, the little lady had some bad guys stalking her, and when Moles and she started to run off, they panicked, and skipped the stalking in favor of just taking her right now?
Damn, this girl's LUC is no joke...
"You just saw what happened! There are lots of bad people that want to do you and your father harm-" - Greatsword woman
"No worries~. Moles will protect me then~." - Firis
Uhm, excuse me, the mole in question looks pretty shocked over your statement just now. Think he can handle the job? Like, for real?
"And Mira will also protect me, so there are no problems~." - Firis
"...That's not the point..." - Greatsword woman
The amazon called Mira looked embarrassed when she answered the little lady. This girl's gonna be a femme fatale angel if she continues to grow up like this.
Crap, she turned towards me. Shoo, shoo! Go back with your guardian already! I know a trouble-bringer when I see them!
"Thank you very much for helping me," she said, with a polite bow.
I simply nodded back to her, unsure of what I should say.
But damn, this girl got guts. My face alone qualifies me for working in a haunted house, but she's unfazed.
"Hey, why did Moles run to you? Are you friends?" - Firis
Even if you suddenly ask that...
"...Savior? Teacher?" - Garami
The girl tilted her head when hearing my response, but I'm not sure either.
The moles didn't have it so bad while living on the bottom part of the Water-Knot's sixth Dungeon Floor, but they hadn't it great either. And technically, I did help them obtaining their new skills and tons of Skill Points, so it's not completely wrong to call me a teacher either... right?
The greatsword user Mira looked shocked for a little second, but she calmed herself so fast that I would have thought I was mistaken hadn't [Thought Acceleration] been in use.
"Firis, it seems we know who the moles were making a statue of back on the farm." - Mira
Statue? What are those stupid moles doing!? Don't look so smug, Moles! But the other moles are alright then. That's a small relief. I would feel a little guilty had they been sent to somewhere not suitable for living. Just a little.
"Anyway, sorry for the disturbance, and many thanks for saving Firis here. My name is Mira Aureola, an E-rank adventurer and currently the bodyguard of miss Firis Ariens here." - Mira
"Firis Ariens, daughter of Benjamin Ariens, owner of Ariens Farm. Pleased to meet you." - Firis
What a courteous introduction. But that means I have to do so too? Geez... wait!
I showed my ID card to the two girls as a replacement for an oral introduction. A little rude, but what do you expect of me!?
Since one can change the appearance of the cards to a certain extent, I had chosen a dark wooden material as background and even added a spiderweb motif to it. Firis looks like she liked the design, but the bodyguard Mira looked surprised for some reason...
Is it that I'm a rank below her, but could still punch the lights out of that thug before? Don't go and decide others' strengths based on their ranks, lady!
Just as I returned the ID card to my pocket, [Presence Perception] caught something arriving in the distance behind me. Thug reinforcement? No, the guards? Damn, getting another scolding's the last thing I wanna do now!
"You take care of that." - Garami
"Huh? Oh, alright." - Mira
Good. The swordswoman understood what I was talking about as I ran from the scene of the crime... Haven't all my actions as an adventurer been like this? I fear for the future...
---
After ditching the guards, I managed to find someone that understood where I wanted to go and gave me directions.
Armveil's Smithy.
The large sign above the door clearly showed off that the owner wasn't an introvert like me. Seeing how new the sign is, it's no wonder that many people don't know about it.
I readied myself and entered the shop.
What awaited me was hills on hills with weapons. Swords, spears, daggers, shields, magic staves, and even iron balls, the kind that are used as throwing weapons. Stuff like armors and robes, even rings and other accessories.
Rather than a smithy, isn't this an equipment supermarket?
But the size and quality of this shop leave no doubts anymore. This Armveil guy's got some people backing him. Considering the circumstances, the Beliar Private Army group.
"Welcome. Can I help you?"
The girl behind the desk called out to me all of a sudden.
Why must people do that all the time!? Give me some time to order my thoughts before you scare me half to death, you damn ninja!!
Well, not a ninja per see, but she's one heck of a Blacksmith.
She's a Jewelborn. [Identification] told me they're humanoids with something called a Soul Gem embedded somewhere on their body. They've got awesome MP due to that, but the attributes they can attain are limited.
Seeing how she's dedicated to smithing, that's no problem for this girl. Did she raise her STR and RES from working at the scorching forge? She's just one level's worth of Skill Points away from upgrading her class. Good luck! Don't give up!
"...Armveil?" - Garami
"? No, my name is Shula." - Shula
It didn't get through to her!! No wonder, since only half of [Parallel Processing] was used for that line now while I was busy thinking about stupid stuff, damn it! Let's try for real this time.
"...Is Armveil here?" - Garami
"Master is here, yes. Do you have an appointment?" - Shula
Tch, things aren't gonna be that easy. Just my luck. My mood's rock bottom from the traffic accident with Moles and his new master, so I decided to stop walking around the bushes.
Not that I did any particularly drastic measures. I simply showed Shula here the coat of arms or whatever I had gotten from Blot.
"!? Please, wait for just a second!" - Shula
...Okay, maybe it turned out to be a measure a tad more drastic than I had expected...?
---
Before I knew it, I was sitting face-to-face with the head-smith himself.
Armveil is a Master Dwarf, meaning a variant of D-rank dwarfs that's almost overspecialized in crafting, according to [Identification].
He's got steel-colored hair and sun-tanned skin. Strange thing is that he's not that short, bulky, nor having a large beard. He's more masculine-handsome than masculine-old man-ish. He's keeping his long hair slicked back and has a well-trimmed goatee. While not high for a human, he's still around 140 cm high, with a well-trained and nimble body.
"Alright, so you're the famous Garami girl, eh? Welcome to Armveil's Smithy. I'm the boss here, Armveil Veiger." - Armveil
My reputation proceeds me~... or, this is Blot's piece of work.
Just as I was wondering how to ask this guy about my suspicions, the Jewel girl from before brought something to me. Snacks? Tch, it's not.
"Blot told me you didn't like talking so much, so I thought of an alternative solution." - Armveil
"...no need for them." - Garami
"Oh, so you can talk~! That makes things easier." - Armveil
The dwarf put away the writing utensils with a surprised, but pleased face. No reason I wouldn't be able to talk.
I mean, this is an interview, right? It's a battle to get a job, right? You have to give 100% when on the battlefield!!
...or so I'm shouting to myself in my mind...
"First, are you part of Blot's group?" - Garami
"Blot's group? No, no, I'm not part of the Private Army." - Armveil
He's not bending. Then it's a frontal assault then!
"...I'll be more specific: are you part of that "evil organization" that's rumored about in the shady sides of the town? The one using the army as a cover?" - Garami
"O-ho~. That is quite the statement you came with. And where did you-" - Armveil
"Forced it out from the trash of Avido family." - Garami
"...trash, huh? And what happened to them?" - Armveil
"Finished them." - Garami
Armveil turned pale when I disinterested gave my answer. For someone working for an evil organization, he's lacking some ruthlessness.
"O-okay..., now I see. You laid two and two together and came here. And what is your angle?" - Armveil
"A job." - Garami
"...as in?" - Armveil
"...the Union's good, with easy jobs for me to get money to live for, but the security is the worst. No privacy regarding your income, and no protection in case you get hurt on the job. Honestly, being an Adventurer has no stability and too many risks." - Garami
This isn't a game after all. Living in an inn requires quite the amount of gold in the length. Even all the cash I've obtained thanks to Gust would vanish if I didn't keep my eyes on them.
"Plus, there's no telling if they would help if those guys from Avido returned with a vengeance. You guys are the ones wanting some talents as well, so it's a give-and-take deal. Give me some stability in my living, and I will be a combatant or whatever you're short off...you know what, forget that last part. Give me the vice-CEO chair, or we don't have a deal." - Garami
Armveil's face went from surprise to understanding as he listened to my story, for then returning to surprising, before finally laughing out like a madman. Did I find his funnybone?
"Ha-ha-ha-ha! Oh, kid, you're killin' me! Vice-CEO...you're really a demon! Hahaha! As you said, I, Shula, Blot, and all the other bastards are part of a self-proclaimed evil organization, named Nequitia." - Armveil
He folded fast. Great, we have progress.
"Then give me my office by the end of the week-" - Garami
"Hold on there, little miss invincible. We can't go and grant you that right away, even if you scared the big boss." - Armveil
"...I "scared" her?" - Garami
"Big time! Magic may not be her best hand, but the lady is one of the strongest demons you can find out there. A weak blow or not, seeing someone not even at rank D surviving it must have terrified her." - Armveil
"...and she wants me because of that?" - Garami
"Seems like it! Not that she has a fetish for scary. You're not part of any group yet, are you?" - Armveil
"...I'll leave that to your imagination." - Garami
"Oh, you can bet on that! Because my imagination sucks! That's why I'll use the facts that a certain Darkness-using demon crushed the supposed Disaster of Water some nights ago, a fact we know thanks to the telescopes our company makes!" - Armveil
...tch. Those stupid glasses wanted to hire me because of that?
"...hey, what happened to the hire-me-because-I'm-scary-part?" - Garami
"That's also part of the reason! But there's no way some of the bigger groups could keep you a secret for so long. Plus, the organization has a few record-watchers." - Armveil
"...what-watchers?" - Garami
"The kind that looks at the World System logs to discover facts there. Such as finding out that the Disaster of Water was defeated by the Champion of Darkness~. And if you beat that monstrous blob of water... you get the rest. And who doesn't know about record-watchers~?" - Armveil
Are those guys such a common thing to know for guys in this evil organization-occupation?
"And hey, if something that strange appeared, wouldn't it be better to have it on your side and use it to scare the livin' outta others?" - Armveil
"...If you say so. Then, how can I get the vice-CEO seat then?" - Garami
"Hold your horses! That's Blot's position! If anything, aim to become one of the Ten Generals! There are still spaces left there!" - Armveil
"...Generals?" - Garami
"Yup. They're the top ten members of the organization, only below Blot and lady Filyn themselves. Each General leads their own division that's focused on their own specific task. The head of the Research Division's never shown her face even to a few of the other Generals." - Armveil
"That works. Put me in that group. In a division with low social contact." - Garami
"Ahaha...no, that's not funny. The Generals are the best in their line of work. Champion or not, we can't hand that title over to someone we barely know a thing about." - Armveil
"...then what should I do to become one?" - Garami
"I don't know. It like taking over this whole city and handing it over to lady Filyn?" - Armveil
Greeeaaaat. Lots of help there...
"That's possible." - Garami
"Yeah, no way..., "possible"? Did you say that it was possible for you?" - Armveil
"Yup. Just have to get to the living room to the guy running this town and threaten him with this little guy," I replied as I pulled a certain something from my pocket and showed it to the dwarf.
"......no way...hydra...hydra poison!!??" - Armveil
"This little guy would do the trick~." - Garami
"W-w-w-w-w-wait! Stop, don't!!!! You'll destroy the whole city with that!!" - Armveil
"I know. But since there are no other ways to a stable lifestyle-" - Garami
"AAARGH!! Fine, I'll nominate you! Be it a General or anything, just don't juggle that bottle like that!!!!!" - Armveil
"Tch. It's funny to juggle," I said, keeping on throwing the bottle with deadly poison in the air.
"Please, stop that!!!! What else do you want!?" - Armveil
He's quick on the uptake. As expected of someone making his own living as a shopkeep/smith/evil organization leader~.
"Guarantee that you'll help me. Something like Contract Magic works." - Garami
Contract Magic is a special breed of magic that I came across when reading the Kigal-Note to kill time one day. The one initiating a contract has to follow it, or else a punishment agreed on beforehand will strike the guy breaking the contract.
"Grr...alright! Just "helping you become a General" works, right? Wait here while I find pen and paper! And we have to talk Blot after this!" - Armveil
"Fine by me," I replied as I saw the dwarf off. Didn't he have writing utensils already? He must need some special stuff, probably...
Still...that was haaaaaaarsh!!
I'm the one wanting to cry here! This is soooooo not the same as talking to monsters!! *Sniff*, and playing around with this bottled damnation was tearing on my SAN points more than it did for the dwarf!!
Please let this job be worth it all...
Greydra
Kigal-Note/Warrior Classes: Soldier
Description:
The Soldier Class is a Beginner-tier class of the Warrior line, allowing the class owner to train themselves in the art of being a warrior.
The class unlocks various Weapon Proficiency skills that are directly connected to acquire several Warrior line classes.
Other than that, the class is not particularly useful, as all skills can be obtained by buying them at the Skill Shop. That does not prevent people aspiring to become warriors from picking this class.
Gust's comment: It's usable if it's your first class, but...
[ARC 2] CHAPTER 6: MEETING THE GRUNTS
After Armveil got in contact with Blot again through some fantasy-version of a TV, I had to wait for some fellows to arrive in one of the backrooms of the store.
It's not that bad. I got cookies and other snacks. Not enough to help the new [Overeating] skill, but it's the thought that counts.
[Overeating] stores exceeding SP in the body, meaning you can keep more SP than the total amount! 10 SP per skill level! The demerit is that the user turns fat, but how can someone with [Golden Ratio] turn fat, eh? It needed 3 Skill Points, but that's cheap for an additional Stamina Increase skill!! Kinda curious how this will evolve...
Of course, I need to eat lots of stuff from now on, but with luck, this newbie will even improve [Golden Ratio], which has stayed static since my last evolution.
Speaking of newbies, there's another skill I've obtained today: [Weaving].
Mwah-hah-hah-hah! That's right, the [Weaving] skill is finally mine!!
One of the workers here in the shop is a fairy with the Weaver class, named Waylin. She helped me obtain the skill. Turns out that certain Crafting Skills can only be attained after you clear a Legacy Quest given by someone with the class related to said Crafting Skill.
The content of the Weaving Quest was to create a piece of clothing equipment of a high enough quality. With my many thread-skills, that was done in less than half an hour when I had a recipe to follow, given by Waylin.
So, I could get the skill for 1 Skill Point, and Waylin got some of my threads as payment. She looked so happy to get it for some reason, saying something like her skill levels were going to rise to the skies... just don't forget to make my clothes as well! That's the main reason you came to see me!
A General can't be dressed in rags after all. Even if it's a General-on-trial. Blot wants me to prove I've got the bite that matches my bark. So fooling around with a bottle of the worst poison's not good enough for him...
What I gotta do is to A: supporting Armsveil in assimilating Velantas to the organization. Essentially, decent PR work so the city itself wants to join the gang.
Next's B: Fixing the Avido-problem.
I complained about that one, believe me, but they shut me down saying it's part of condition A. Those Avido-guys are a pest to the populace of Velantas even, but I didn't get why they're doing so. No matter, getting rid of 'em's bound to get the city on our side then, so for the organization's point of view, there's no reason not to do so.
The good news is that I'm only on support. They're sending over one of the three battle-orientated Generals over to here to combat those guys. Meaning I only need to help in preventing stuff from blowing apart here.
And then there's C: Proving my statement. In other words, show that I can be of help training their grunts with my Double-Points cheat from being a Champion.
So, I got some goons. Two of them even.
*Clack*
"Garami, I've brought the offerings." - Armveil
Speaking of the devil! But don't call them that. They've gotten all funny now due to that.
Armveil brought in two persons wearing black combatant uniforms. One of them is a young man, who's in his early twenties if we're going by his appearance. Dark-brown hair, lightly tanned skin, and brown eyes that's got a nasty glare in them.
His uniform consists of a black track jacket with some light-blue lines on the arms, black pants, and dark-brown leather shoes. He looks like he fits the organization to a T. "T" as in thug.
"Good day, ma'am. My name is Alfred Loxley. Please call me Alf. It's a pleasure to meet you." - Alf
...was my first thoughts about him, but he's surprisingly diligent?
Not so diligent with his skills though. The [Halberd] skill, which is an evolved version of [Spearsmanship], looks interesting though. Same with the Ice skills.
"He's a slacker, but he'll do his job properly most of the time." - Armveil
"Hey, Armveil! That's a word too much!" - Alf
Eh, I don't care as long as he's doing his job.
The other one is a... birdwoman? Oh, she's a Flugel. Not a half one like the little lady from earlier, but a real angel. With wings and all. No halo though.
Said wings are purple and silver, giving her a regal appearance. It matches her silver hair and purple eyes as well. She has free-flowing bangs and long hair that's tied up to a ponytail.
The rest of her also gives off a "beyond human"-type of beauty, but not to a high degree. Just different. She's shorter than even me, so she can be mistaken for a teenager if it wasn't for that attitude she has that's closer to a young woman. The rest of her body is as modest as her height though.
For clothing, she's wearing a black dress with lines on the arms like Alf's jacket, just that the color is silver rather than light blue. She's also got white stockings with garters on top, and black shoes.
What's with this overspecialization in support skills!? And [Holy Element]? Seriously? As expected of an angel.
Neither of them has any great skills but is this the norm for regular people? Damn, then the "disguise" I made with John Due's Ring only half as effective as I wanted. I still look weaker than I already am, but people are still gonna estrange me.
"And this is Noire. She's a veteran, but she's never gotten a promotion due to her nasty mouth. Smack her whenever she turns sour." - Armveil
"Hmph, I am not going to comment on your false accusations. Nevertheless, glad to meet you, newbie." - Noire
This girl got personality issues. That's gonna be troublesome later on. How to soften her... Evil Aura, ON!
The results were varying: Noire fell on her butt in surprise and fear while crying a little. The appearance of her like that's somewhat arousing... focus Garami, focus.
Alf looked surprised as well, but he's kept himself steady. His legs are shaking like deer on the ice rink. Armveil's just laughing at the two of them. Nerves of steel 'cause he's working with steel?
"Well, I'm gonna let you young ones have some time alone." - Armveil
What!? You're gonna leave me here alone with these two strangers!? Give me a hand here, old man! Eh, no? I gotta do it myself? Come oooooon... At least let me put in another order for Waylin. Two, in fact.
---
We would just be in the way of business if we had stayed in the shop, so Armveil straight out chased us out. Damn dwarf!
So, I'm now stuck with two grunts I've got no clue how to interact with. I mean, I can barely interact with people anyway, unless I put all into it, skills and everything. Not to mention one of them's hostile to me already...
"What's the plan then, junior?" - Noire
That's what I wanna know!!
Alright, calm down. Deep breaths, deep... why's Ice-guy looking at me like that? I'm not interested in dudes, thank you!
"...Have we met before? I get this serious case of deja-vu when I see you, boss." - Alf
Sorry, but I've never met "people" before today... and Blot yesterday.
"You also felt that? Not that I remember meeting someone this pathetic-" - Noire
*Glare*
"-Iiih!" - Noire
Sorry for being bad with people. Monsters and birds are better than humans any day!
But did I meet them before but forgot? Did they enter the Dungeon once? Nah, that can't be. Ignoring whenever the humanoids that entered the Dungeon before saw me or not, there's been no one that could enter it after that massive explosion that busted the first three floors.
Then, after that again? I've only met people within two days, so there's not been long enough for people to get "deja vu" seeing me...
AH! [Recognition Obstruction]! It's one of the skills I got with the Assassin class! It prevents anyone to recognize me.
To make an example: [Stealth] prevents people from noticing me while in use, while [Recognition Obstruction] prevents them from recognizing me even if they notice me. It's like hiding in plain sight.
It's not a perfect obstruction, as someone that knows me very well can break through it. Moles did so, without any search-related skills. And even if people don't recognize me, it doesn't mean they can't trace back my steps. Someone with half a brain can figure out who killed those three thugs from before. Detectives are scary...
Tch, this won't get us anywhere. I don't know how or where these guys know me from, but it's better to get this over with as fast as possible. If there's a grudge between us, it's better to clear it as fast as possible.
[Recognition Obstruction], off!
"...Wait, you're the girl that killed Rein-what's-his-name!" - Alf
The effect was imminent. And who's that Rein...whatever?
"Eh!? The one who got pummeled by lady Filyn?" - Noire
Pummeled...? Wait, these guys were on that cursed island!? I didn't notice...
Don't blame me here. There were so many of those combatants on the island that no one without photographic memory can remember them all.
"E-excuse for the delay! Thank you very much for helping us out back then." - Alf
"...Fine." - Garami
I mean, it turned out alright... but I did get that meteorite in the face. So, it's not fine! But I can't blame these two for that...
"Wait, she is allowed to become a General just for that?" - Noire
Ah, guess they weren't notified. I have to do it? Daaaamn...
Explaining verbally's a pain, so let's just invite them to a Party with me. I got a Skill Scroll with the [Party] skill from the workers of the Union right before leaving the place, which allows me to recruit up to six persons to a Party.
While in a Party, when one of the members gains EXP, the other members will also gain a certain amount, based on the total skill levels of the [Party] skills of the guy who did the final blow and the guy who didn't. With both skills being at Lv.1, the guy who didn't do the kill will get [1+1=2]% of the total EXP the killer obtained. It's even possible to recruit those without the [Party] skill, but they will gain and give at most 50% EXP.
Obviously, I've placed myself as the Party Leader, both for having [Royal Authority] working, and more importantly, to have these guys gain the Skill Point Doubling effect.
"Uhm, boss... what's this Party Invitation about?" - Alf
"...Explanation." - Garami
Please don't force me to say anymore. I'm at my limit here!
"Why're you the Party-[*Crack*]-nothing!" - Noire
The angel hurriedly accepted the invitation after I started cracking my knuckles. I wasn't gonna hit her. Just ignore the various Mana Burst and Aura skills I used on my hands at that moment~.
Ice-guy looked a little tired from my and the angel's skit but accepted the invitation nevertheless.
After they became part of my Party, the effect of [Royal Authority] kicked in, increasing their stats by the skill's skill level. Hmm? [Evil Royalty]'s also working? On the angel? Wait, she's a fallen angel!?
Thinking about it, it's not surprising. She had that strange title. Oh, and that strange skill as well. What was it, [Deprave]? Not sure what it does, but the name alone screams "not angelic".
From the looks of it, [Evil Royalty] increases the angel's stats by 3% for each skill level. It's three times that of [Royal Authority]? Then, at the max level, the angel will get a 150% boost!? Even more so when we count [Royal Authority]. Damn, let me get that boost as well!
"Hmm? I feel a little strange... is it some support skill you have? That's it?" - Noire
Aw, not that easy, huh? Come on~... Fine~. I've started to get used to these two, so it's not as scary talking to them now.
"Now... Skill Points... are doubled." - Garami
I said I have it easier in being able to speak to them, not that I was a good speaker, so no complaints!
"Doubled? Skill Points? ...You serious?" - Alf
"Wait, that doesn't make any sense! Why're you able to do so!" - Noire
"...Champion of Alvatria." - Garami
After I said that, the two of them took a large step back and started to look out for something from the sky? What gives?
"...Nothing's happening. She's freaking serious?" - Alf
Oi, Ice-guy. Your polite word's slipping.
And is that goddess that crunchy about people using her name for a joke? She didn't seem so?
"No way... a real Champion... she does not look anything like the stories describe." - Noire
Sounds like my "colleagues" are making a name for themselves. That's fine, but don't give me weird expectations to fulfill!
"...Then, what now?" - Noire
Again, don't ask me about-*growl~*-...that.
"What about dinner first? It's too late to do anything now." - Alf
Now that you mention it, the sun's setting already. Let's go and eat. Now. Right now. As in now!!
---
"Hmm, that is the best plan of action. Even more so since those Avido-guys doesn't show their tail that easily." - Alf
Right? I acknowledged Alf's acknowledgment of the plan that I had written for them to read while eating my dinner. Since we had nothing else to do, why not go around doing stuff for the Union, starting with escorting Gust whenever it's our turn?
Doing jobs to improve the city is gonna improve our likability with the people, and Gust will help us gain likability with the Sage of the Library Tower.
"That is fine and all, but..." - Alf
"Just how much are you planning on eating?!" - Noire
What? Can't a girl eat 10 portions of food for dinner? Probably not, but it tastes so good that I can't stop!
"Can pay, so hah!" - Garami
Yeah, this food's my treat! Ice-guy only recommended this inn/tavern, but I'm the one with the gold! This food was bought through my hard work!! I can eat as much as I want while making room for more by burning calories with [Energy Warfare] and [Dragon Power]! I'm serious about my skill training, as opposed to you guys!
"...That is fine and all, but can you at least stop crying while eating? It is too pitiable to look at." - Noire
I was wondering why the food tasted like salt. Oh well! *Nom, nom, nom...*
The waitress entered the private room we had booked, with a big barrel... a barrel!? Who ordered that?
"Throw away that sour face and let's get along," said Ice-guy while he was pouring the barrel's content into cups for each of us. What's this, juice?
While I looked suspiciously into the cup, Noire had taken hers and drank it in one gulp. When she came up for air, her face had turned all red and dizzy... this is liquor?! Thinking about it, my body's supposed to be 18 years old... with an extra one and a half years by now.
Seeing those two emptying their glasses like it was water, I tried a little sip as well.
Hey, this is sweet. Is this some kinda fruit wine? That's gotta be expensive, considering the drought recently.
Whatever it is, it's nice and easy to drink. But there's this strange feeling different from regular fruit juice. Whuh? Fwuah? I dunno, but it's pretty weird, but I don't dislike it.
I kept on taking small sips as I ate my food, but Ice-guy's drinking with gusto. He's like a fish! Is he half merman? Won't the barrel go empty at this rate?
To ensure my part of the barrel, I sped up my own drinking to match Ice-guy. This is the first time I've drunken alcohol, but the more I drink, the more the room's spinning. Ah, that's just my head.
But I don't hate this feeling. Rather, the more my head spins, the lighter and happier do I feel.
"Nnngh...*Sniff*...*hich*...lady Filyyyyyn..." - Noire
And here's there someone that's gone the opposite route! To think the snobby Noire's one of the legendary weepy drunks!
Wait, she's yet to drink more than the first glass? Too weak!
"Who's crying now, you no-good drunken tomato-angel! Wah-hah-hah-hah!" - Garami
"Whoa! Boss' talking? Not to mention, laughing?" - Alf
Hey, he's right. What a riot! The whole idea made me laugh even harder.
"And what are ya laughing about! Do ya have any idea what I've lived through with!" - Noire
The fallen angel tried to say something, but she's so wasted she's barely getting her word out straight. And after only one glass! Light! Too light, you unfortunate angel! Oh, my stomach hurts!
"Nope, and I don't care!" - Garami
"W-w-why ya-!! Do ya hav' any idea what it's like bein' banished from your own home? Expelled from the very continent you've lived on for your whole life!?" - Noire
"Pheh! You think that's the end of the world? Try dying and getting sent into a Dungeon with death-riddled survival after getting the lucky break of a second life before you come complaining to me." - Garami
The angel and Ice-guy stared at me in frozen shock while I filled my glass again... for imminently emptying it.
"*Burp*. Anyhow, you think having to live on a different continent is bad? At least you had someone to look after you. That Filyn character, right? Having someone to watch over you, do you think I had someone like that? No way, Jose! I didn't even have a human shape. I had to start my life as a non-human! As a freaking Grey Demon! There's no misery award to you, sister." - Garami
'You lost your home'? At least you had one from the beginning. I couldn't get myself a place to call home in those nightmare caverns. Not sure if ever had one anyway. I freaking died, for Pete's sake.
That I have no memory of my previous life may look like a blessing in disguise, but do you think a simple memory loss' gonna remove the feeling of loss as well? Hah! Someone that believes that is gonna be judged by my Zahhak Festival!
I'm not saying the fallen angel's not had it though, but if she thinks she can compete with someone that had to live as a real monster, eating raw prey while never getting a good night's sleep due to the fear of never waking up again, then she's got another thing coming for her!
"Besides, do you even need to stay here and feel sorry for yourself? People have to look out for themselves and their beloved, not some snobby rules. And if all the guys you know are such, just grab as much power as possible and fly back to those bastards that kicked you out! An eye for an eye? Ridiculous! It's gotta be at least a dozen hearts just for a single scratch!" - Garami
The fallen angel turned so surprised that she stopped sobbing. Then...
"Right... you're right..." - Noire
"Whaaaaat~?" - Garami
"You're right!! Why do I have to care what those braggarts think? I'm perfectly fine down here on the lower world as I did up there!" - Noire
Whoa, the angel's on fire~. We gotta drink to that!
"...Did the bonding-over-alcohol plan work... or not?" - Alf
Greydra
Kigal-Note/Warrior Classes: Spearman
Description:
The Spearman is an Intermediate-tier Warrior Class that focuses on using pole weapons like spears.
They focus on fast movements while striking hard at a distance with their long-range capable melee weapons. They are dependable allies, but a Spearman that does not watch where he swings his weapon is going to be more trouble than the enemy they're up against.
Alf's comment: Ah, my teacher always told me to take care of that. Good times... good times...*shiver, shiver*