Chapter 33 Guide
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Sorry to keep you waiting.”
Maekawa-san and I sneaked out of the classroom before homeroom started and headed to the teleportation facility.
We split up in the locker room and waited in the lobby of the teleportation facility. Soon enough, Maekawa-san and her friends, group of four, all prepared and ready, arrived.
Maekawa-san is a level 2 Magician with water-based abilities. Hano-san is a level 2 Swordsman. Satou-san is a level 2 Lockpicker. Nishina-san carries a staff but is only at level 1. Their party seems to have significantly low attack power for a group of four.
”Wow, that looks cool…”
Satou-san said, giving me a somewhat puzzled look.
I had my Kondou Spear and three other spears in hand, along with two wooden swords. I had a combat belt wrapped around my waist, which I just bought yesterday. It had a short sword, a knife, and a leather pouch hanging from it.
”I said we were talking about combat training, right? Well, once we get to the dungeon, that’s where it all starts!”
”Seriously!? Tsucchi, thanks a bunch! I’ve been going to those training sessions, but I’m having a hard time improving, and it’s really frustrating!”
Hano-san looks super happy and gives me a big hug.
”Alright, time is of the essence here. Let’s hurry up and head to the dungeon!”
I received a message from Higurashi, saying she has some business to take care of, so she’ll be a bit late for our lunch meetup. This actually works out well for me.
The bulletin board says that the restrictions for the 3rd floor have been lifted, but it doesn’t concern us, right?
Now, we make our way through the door and enter the room with the Magic Circle. There are a few parties around, and they’re all diving one after another onto the Magic Circle. This time slot is pretty empty, as expected.
”Hey, what do you think about the format for the dive? Should we stick with the main co-op?”
”Yeah, that works.”
Cooperative (Co-op) is a style in which multiple individuals or parties stick together to the main flying coordinates. There’s also a way to incorporate me into Maekawa-san’s party, but then parts of my status would become open to Maekawa-san and the others. Even though Tina created a camouflage status for me, it still seems like there might be various contradictions.
So, to prevent Maekawa-san and the others from seeing, I’ll pass the player cards through the log crystal. Maekawa-san handed the exploration schedule to the staff, and everyone got on the Magic Circle. When I thought we were surrounded by dazzling light, we were already inside the dungeon.
In a big room made of stone, there’s a large staircase made of stone on the south side. There are exits without doors on the north, east, and west sides. In the middle of the room, there’s a Magic Circle.
I open the auto-map to check the floors and the surrounding terrain.
”2nd floor? Did you all defeat the floor boss?”
”Nah, no way we could do that.”
Satou-san chuckled and waved her hand at my question. Maekawa-san stepped in to explain.
”Before we dived two days ago, we heard that another party had defeated the floor boss. It just happened to be near where we were gonna be teleported, so we passed through before it respawned.”
”Well, leveling up here is much better than the empty first floor, but it’s tough ’cause multiple enemies come at you, you know?”
”And going back up is a pain too ’cause the boss respawns. We were pretty stuck.”
I see, so that’s the deal.
”Got it. Let’s just head to a random room for now.”
I checked the map and looked for a nearby room of decent size.
As we continued down the corridor, ignoring the doors, Nishina-san suddenly panicked and raised her voice.
”Hey, wait a minute! I’m drawing a map right now.”
”Just make it rough. You can clean it up when we get back.”
”Yeah, sure. Got it.”
Looking at the map, it’s clear that the presence of monsters is denser on the first floor compared to here. And it’s rare to see them wandering alone; they tend to gather in groups. Maybe it’s because the first floor is too easy. During the first dive, I encountered a White Hob, but it seems like they don’t appear anywhere else except the area where we were. That place must have been the most challenging environment.
”Hey, I’m a bit worried about moving so far away from the safe zone… What if that white creature shows up?”
Maekawa-san looks concerned, her gaze shifting anxiously.
”Oh, don’t worry about that. I can handle the monsters on this floor without any problems.”
”Really? Tsuchimiya-kun, it seems like you’ve already cleared your quota or something.”
”As expected of Tsucchi! I can really rely on you!”
”I’m not trying to brag, but I can’t let you feel worried either.”
’Wow, that’s cool! At level 1, you managed to attract four new girls. You’re really something, Master (Goshujin-sama). What happened to the previous girl? Did she reject you?’
Oh, hey Tina! I thought you weren’t around, but here you are suddenly appearing.
’Whoa, what’s up with this chat?! Oh, you ended up dating Asagiri-san, huh? I was worried sick about what would happen with Master being so clueless.’
Hey, quiet down. I’m not responding, but you’re talking as if I am. I have to ignore you when Maekawa-san and the others are watching.
’…Um? Wait… what’s with this barrage of ‘I love you’ messages? It’s kinda scary getting them every five minutes at this time. And seriously, being unfaithful in this situation takes guts. Are you a hero or something? If you get stabbed, I’ll be collected by the system too, so please spare me.’
Hey, quiet! I’m not cheating! I’m just really worried about what’s going on with my back, so don’t say that!
Oh, looks like there are two monsters in the room ahead. Let’s see how Maekawa-san and the others handle it.
”Stop. Monsters are coming from the front. Just fight like you always do for now.”
As I spoke, the four of them tensed up and got ready.
Soon, two regular Hobgoblins appeared at the entrance of the room ahead.
When the Hobgoblins noticed us, they drew their swords and charged towards us.
”Oh, there are two after all. Hiromin, I need backup!”
”Y-yes!”
Hano-san drew a rapier and got ready. It’s a magic sword called ‘White Lady’ that she got as a gift, but its performance is just okay.
Hano-san looks really tense. This is dangerous. I also got into a position where I could provide backup from a distance.
’That thin sword has a certain amount of power, but it only lends its full power to someone who’s proven themselves worthy. It’s similar to the growth type you see around. Right now, it’s got a pity +1 bonus.’
Is it normal to feel this nervous facing Hobgoblins, even with backup?
But she’s so proper like a lady… Hate to say it, but Hano-san doesn’t seem to match well.
Even with two of them approaching, Hano-san stays still, almost frozen. Hey, isn’t it dangerous not to move when they’re attacking at the same time?
As I quietly closed the distance, Maekawa-san unleashed some magic.
”Water Ball!”
A basketball-sized blob of water formed in front of her outstretched staff and flew towards the Hobgoblin.
The Hobgoblin took a direct hit, sending up a spray of water as it tumbled spectacularly. Meanwhile, Hano-san caught the sword that was swung at her, leading to a clash of the blades.
But the Hobgoblin that got blown away quickly got back on its feet. This magic may look flashy, but its killing power is way too weak.
I gritted my teeth and thrust my Kondou Spear into the side of the Hobgoblin, right in the midst of their clash.
”Okay, attack it!”
”Huh? Y-yes!”
Hano-san drove her rapier into the vulnerable neck of the crumbling Hobgoblin.
I quickly regained my balance and plunged my Kondou Spear into the belly of another Hobgoblin charging towards us.
”Next one’s yours!”
”Yeah!”
Hano-san stabbed her slender sword into the chest of a stumbling Hobgoblin.
Hmm, at least she’s not hesitating to kill. That’s something, I guess.
But seriously, is Hano-san the only one with any decent attack power? Satou-san and Nishina-san are holding their weapons, but they don’t seem to have any intention of joining the fight. This is worse than I thought. How have they managed to survive until now?
It’s a frustrating situation that makes me want to pull my hair out.
Come to think of it, my little sister was playing this dungeon exploration RPG that I had, and I was surprised to see how messed up the party balance was. I mean, if it’s just regular girls, it’d turn out like this, huh?
Then, she reached a big room with only one entrance at the dead end. If she has already mapped out the game, she wouldn’t bother stopping at a place like this.
”First, let’s teach Hano-san some footwork.”
”Yes!”
”First things first, do you know which leg is your dominant leg? If it’s your right leg, it’s like when you do a long jump, you push off strongly with your right foot, and your left foot stays behind.”
”Oh, yeah, it’s that one.”
”Alright, now hold your weapon and step back with your right foot while lowering your hips. Follow my lead.”
”Yes!”
”Without changing your posture or foot position, quickly take two steps forward. Then, take two steps back to your original position. Next, go right, back, left. Once you’ve gone in a full circle, try moving the same distance with just one step. Keep repeating these two-step and one-step movements.”
”Yes!”
”You’re jumping too high! Focus on staying close to the ground. Your hips are also floating. Always keep a low center of gravity in mind.”
”Yes!”
”Once you get used to it, try to keep going without stopping as much as possible.”
A person who Evold has good stamina, so it’s fine to continue like this for a while.
”What should we do?”
Maekawa-san and the others seem bored.
”All three of you will practice with the spear.”
”Huh, us too?”
”That’s right, everyone.”
The three of them looked at each other, bewildered.
Then, they started practicing the basic movements of thrusting, sweeping, and counterattacks.
As expected of Evold, Maekawa-san and Satou-san seemed to be getting the hang of it.
”Nishina-san, you will level up today.”
”Yes…”
Nishina-san’s expression instantly darkened.
”Have you ever killed a monster before?”
”…Just one goblin…”
”What weapon did you use at that time?”
”Akari lent me a dagger… I used it for the finishing blow.”
”Today, I’ll have you deliver the finishing blow with a spear. It should feel less resistant compared to close-range weapons because there’s some distance between you and the target.”
”Uh, okay…”
”But at this rate, you won’t even be able to kill a dog. Put more strength into it. If you don’t take it down with one strike, it might resist unexpectedly.”
”Yes, understood!”
Although there was some force behind the thrust of the spear, it’s still lacking power.
Well, Nishina-san at Level 1 is just an ordinary kind girl. Normally, there wouldn’t be much hope, but once she levels up, her attacking impulse should become stronger, allowing her to adapt.
”Is Nishina-san aiming to become a magician?”
”Ah, yes. My gift has the skill called ‘Magic Evolution’…”
”Magic Evolution?”
’It’s a skill that upgrades the activated magic to a higher level and releases it. It consumes extra magic power, but it’s a powerful rare skill. If the enemy had something like this, it would be seriously tough.’
That’s awesome. At this point, it guarantees stronger firepower compared to other Magicians. This party really needs that powerful firepower.
Just make sure Nishina-san delivers the finishing blow, so it’s all good to keep practicing as is.
”I see. Then, I want Maekawa-san to play as a vanguard with Hano-san.”
”Huh!? Me, a vanguard?”
”Yeah, if there’s only one vanguard and two monsters come charging at the rear, it’s pretty tough to stop both without serious skills. With two, you can create a barrier, so if you coordinate well, you can stop even three. Right now, Hano-san’s carrying too much of a burden as it is.”
”Okay… I guess I’ve been relying too much on Chika. Alright, I’ll fight at the forefront too.”
Alright, just having another person next to her should take some pressure off Hano-san too.
”Then, you two will practice the footwork that Hano-san is doing right now.”
””Yes!””
Now, they walk over to where Hano-san is.
”Hey! Look, Tsucchi! Isn’t that amazing! I can move this fast now!”
Hano-san looks happy as she talks.
She’s definitely moving much faster than before. It’s not as fast as Himeno or Higurashi, but it’s close to my speed in terms of just speed. This should be useful in real battles.
I teach Maekawa-san and Satou-san the same movements as Hano-san, and we practice facing each other to check our movements.
”Okay, Hano-san, let’s spar with wooden swords.”
”Yes! I’ve been waiting for this!”
Then, I face off with Hano-san with wooden swords in hand.
We bow to each other and begin the practice fight.
Hano-san holds her wooden sword with both hands in a middle stance. I wasn’t sure whether to go for a thrust-heavy variation of the “Eightfold Path” stance, but for now, I’ll match Hano-san’s middle stance.
Hano-san, with newly learned footwork, swiftly moves in and out of range, enticing my attacks.
Alright, good. She’s trying to use her feet for maneuvering. Just learning the basics of straight-line movement has made a huge difference in her motions.
I decide to press forward with a bit of pressure, intending to unsettle her. Suddenly, Hano-san recoils slightly, then forcefully strikes back.
It’s reckless, but her strong determination is not a bad thing.
I lightly deflect her attack and then hold the tip of my sword to Hano-san’s neck before stepping back.
”Nyuuuu~”
”If you’re feeling overwhelmed, focus on the area between their eyebrows instead of their eyes. You’ll still be able to read their eye movements.”
”Yes!”
”Also, when using a rapier like that, it might be better to swing it lightly with one hand instead of both. If you aim for the weak points, you should be able to take down a goblin without any issues.”
Using both hands allows for more precise sword handling, but she’s not at a level where I can expect that. So, using one hand gives her more reach too.
”Understood!”
When Hano-san switched to one-handed grip, I followed suit.
I stepped forward and delivered a quick three-hit combo, and Hano-san moved back while parrying with her wooden sword.
Alright, her movements are getting smoother compared to earlier.
For a while, I let Hano-san freely attack and defended against my strikes, pointing out areas that needed improvement.
After some time, Maekawa-san and Satou-san also showed improvement, so I let Nishina-san take a break. The four of them divided into two pairs and continued practicing with different partners, engaging in mock battles.
Oh, it’s already 11 o’clock. It’s time to move on to the next step.
”Everyone, things are starting to look pretty good. I think it’s time you try some real combat.”
”I feel like I’ve gotten so much stronger. I might even be able to take down a Hobgoblin now.”
”Well, Evold has always had that kind of potential. It all depends on how you use your bodies. You can get even stronger.”
”I don’t know, but I feel like I’m the only one struggling. What’s up with that?”
”Well, spears have the advantage, so it can’t be helped. Hano-san is doing great though. You’re definitely getting stronger, so no need to worry.”
It was a big deal to practice against a spear, even if she kept losing. It’ll make it easier when it comes to using a sword next time, and she won’t be as confused when facing a spear in real combat.
”Hmm, if Tsucchi says so, then maybe it’s true. Alright, let’s start with some real combat.”
After that, we formed a formation and headed into the corridor. We stopped a little further ahead.
”Satou-san will be the scout from now on.”
”Scout?”
”Yeah, I think I heard about it in class!”
”In other words, it’s reconnaissance. It means going ahead of the party, finding and disabling traps, and confirming the enemy’s position so that everyone can proceed safely.”
”Can I do that?”
”Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. I’ll go with you.”
”O-Okay, got it.”
Satou-san nodded nervously.
”The rest of you stay here and be on guard.”
”Got it. Take care of Akari.”
”Go for it, Akarin!”
”B-be careful…”
Leaving everyone behind, Satou-san and I proceeded down the corridor.
”How do I scout, though?”
Satou-san asked, looking puzzled.
”First, listen carefully for the presence of monsters. Then, look out for traps and proceed cautiously. Try to be as quiet as possible so that the monsters don’t notice you. If you come across weaker monsters that you can easily defeat, you can take them out without reporting back.”
”This seems like a high hurdle right off the bat, huh?”
”No, in this level, traps are rare, and even if there are any, they’re not that dangerous. But if you’re aware of them and act accordingly, you can easily acquire skills like ‘Trap Detection,’ ‘Sense Presence,’ and ‘Silent Movement.’”
By the way, I’ve also acquired those skills during a week of dungeon living. Somehow, I’ve incorporated them into the Phoenix Temple Spear Technique (Hououin-ryu) spear art, although it’s not displayed on the surface.
”Ah, that’s right! They said in class that your actions affect the skills and titles you acquire!”
”That’s right. Lower-level individuals are more likely to be affected by these actions, so it’s best to aim for higher classes from now on. It seems like there’s a high demand for Lockpickers, but just relying on that won’t make your level go up easily, right?”
”That’s true. Since I won’t be engaging in combat, I’ve been wondering if these skills are sufficient.”
Satou-san felt convinced and suddenly became very motivated.
With caution, she opened the door to a small room along the way and found a treasure chest at the back of the room.
”Oh, how lucky! Since other parties have probably already searched this area, the timing for this respawn is perfect. Do you think the party that originally found it will come to collect it soon?”
”If that’s the situation, it might be a good idea to open it first, but I’ll keep an eye on it today, so you can call everyone over.”
”Got it!”
When Satou-san rushed out to call everyone, the four of them entered the room excitedly.
”This is great! It feels like striking gold! The treasure chests on the 1st floor usually only have water and food!”
”Well, let’s not get your hopes up too much. But yeah, I do want to be able to have three meals a day.”
That’s a serious concern.
”Okay, I’ll check for traps, so stay back.”
As Satou-san began examining the treasure chest, everyone became excited and inched closer.
’It’s safe, no traps.’
Well, thanks to Tina’s Appraisal skill, I can even tell if there are traps and what types they are.
”It looks fine. I’ll open it then.”
Satou-san said, clenching her fist before slowly opening it, revealing a golden key resting on hrt palm.
”Huh? Is that a Lockpicking skill?”
I asked, and Satou-san shook her head.
”I’ll tell Tsuchimiya-kun. This is my Gift.”
”That’s a Gift?”
”Yes, it’s the Master Key. It can supposedly open anything that requires a key… I don’t know if it’s true.”
Satou-san grinned mischievously and inserted the key into the treasure chest, clicking it open.
The lid swung open, and a silver light spilled out, causing the treasure chest to evaporate as if it were melting into the light. What remained were a pile of copper coins, two potions of different sizes, and a ring embedded with a yellow gem.
”Whoa! This looks pretty cool!”
Maekawa-san collected them and put them in a leather bag. There were about 500 copper coins in total.
”The potions are (small) and (tiny), and the ring seems to be just a decorative item.”
Come to think of it, I also have a few decorative items stored in the storage room. They say they’ll buy them from me, so I’ll sell them next time.
”It would be great if we could sell them at a high price!”
Everyone had happy smiles on their faces. It’s always exciting until you appraise these things. I’ll keep quiet and not spoil the fun.
”Alright, time is precious, so let’s head to a place where we might find some monsters!”
”Got it!”
”Alright, let’s go!”
Other players are diving in here and there, but most of them are waiting near safe zones for the monsters to respawn.
We decided to move to a location deeper in where there seem to be more monsters.
”Alright, they’re coming out from the room ahead. Don’t worry, I’ll cover you if anything happens.”
”Got it!”
Hano-san and Maekawa-san, who stood beside me, nodded with determination.
From ahead, four Hobgoblins and two Goblins appeared in a group. The two Goblins noticed us and rushed towards us.
”Whoa, there are a lot of them!?”
”Don’t panic, you’ll be fine. Try taking down the Goblins using the feint move I taught you earlier.”
”Okay!”
The two of them used a distraction to stop the Goblins and then swiftly attacked their throats while the Goblins were distracted, easily defeating them.
”Wow, we really got ourselves into this…”
”What a small fry! Was it really this easy!?”
”Here comes the next wave!”
Four Hobgoblins charge forward like an avalanche.
Maekawa-san steps forward, thrusting her spear into the chest of the lead Hobgoblin before swiftly returning to Hano-san’s side.
Good, her footwork is spot on.
Two of the Hobgoblins swing at the front line, but Maekawa-san blocks their attack with the handle of her spear. Hano-san swiftly sidesteps, slipping past their flank and strikes the Hobgoblin’s back.
In the meantime, one Hobgoblin slips past and charges towards the backline.
”Eek…!”
Nishina-san, gripping her staff tightly, pales, but Satou-san remains calm.
From outside the sword’s range, Satou-san pierces the Hobgoblin’s thigh with her spear, then swiftly moves to the side and stabs its side. Finally, she coolly delivers the finishing blow to the fallen Hobgoblin.
Hano-san and Maekawa-san take down the hobgoblin which was engaged in a scuffle from behind.
”Really? Is it over already?”
”Wow! Aren’t we super strong!?”
”Don’t let your guard down until it completely disappears. It might still make a move.”
”Chika-chan, your moves earlier were amazing! You totally saw through everything, right?”
”No, no, compared to Tsucchi, it’s not even close to being okay!”
”Akari was really calm and reliable too!”
Among the excited members, Nishina-san was the only one with a nonchalant expression.
’Good grief, I can’t stand watching it. Should we teach that kid some magic?’
”Is that even possible?”
’That kid actually already knows magic. She just hasn’t realized it because she can’t see her level one status. Once she connect with her magic power, she’ll understand how to use it, but she just hasn’t grasped that feeling yet.’
”So, should I connect it?”
’Yes, if you’re gonna do it, it’s probably better to keep it a secret from everyone.’
I nodded at Tina.
”Hey everyone, listen up!”
As I called out, everyone stopped chatting and turned their attention towards me.
”Actually, it’s about my gift. I can’t tell you everything, but I want you to keep what you’re about to see here a secret.”
”If that’s the case, don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone, I promise.”
”Yeah, that’s right! Despite how I may look, I can keep a secret. It’s our little secret with Tsucchi.”
”I won’t betray your kindness, so you can relax.”
”Yeah… I’ll definitely keep Tsuchimiya-kun’s secret!”
I had confidence that these kids would be able to handle it.
I followed Tina’s instructions and started taking action.
”Um, Nishina-san, can you hold up the staff for me?”
”Uh? Y-Yes!”
I went around behind Nishina-san and gave her a tight embrace.
”Eeek?!”
’Okay, next, you’ll place your hand on the staff.’
”Uh, umm…”
Nishina-san’s face turned bright red. Is this considered s*xual harassment?
”Are you sure this is the right way?”
’Don’t worry, believe in your sister. It’s just like a magic wand. We’re connecting the magic within her and Master’s power to forcefully activate it. Of course, if Nishina-san refuses, it’s impossible. So, let’s give it a shot!’
Tina said, and I felt a tingling sensation as my magic explored Nishina-san’s being.
”Ahh?! T-Tsuchimiya-kun’s warmth is entering meee!”
No, the way it’s expressed is a bit inappropriate. Does this make it seem like I’m doing something bad to Nishina-san?
’Oh, you’re taking it in stride. Good job, Master! If you ask her out, you might just hit it off with her!’
This seems like a bad sign for me. And why are you so excited when we’re supposed to be in this together, facing our fate?
The other three are watching us with wide eyes, clearly interested in what’s happening.
”If we’re connected, then quickly tell me the name of her Magic.”
’Sure thing, the Magic name is ‘Ice Arrow’.’
Feeling uneasy about the situation, I immediately chanted the Magic name.
”Ice Arrow!”
Suddenly, a misty white smoke-like haze gathered at the tip of the staff, forming into icy arrows.
”Wow! That’s amazing!”
”Huh? Is this Tomoko’s Magic? Tsuchimiya-kun’s Magic?”
It’s Nishina-san’s Magic. Alright, it seems like it’s a Magic with some real attack power.
”Nishina-san, can you feel the magic? This is the magic within Nishina-san.”
”Yeah, I can feel it… So this is what it’s all about. This is… my magic…”
”Can you do ‘Magic evolution’?”
”Yeah, sure! Let’s give it a shot!”
Now, it’s a good idea to find out what happens when this magic evolves. I’m curious to see it too.
Nishina-san closed her eyes, concentrating for a moment, and then opened them wide.
”Magic Evolution!”
And just like that, the ice arrow crackled with a frosty aura as it grew thicker and longer. It stopped growing when it was almost twice its original length.
This thing turned into an ice spear. The weight of it is completely different from before.
”Alright, let’s see if you can shoot on your own.”
”Y-Yeah!”
Nishina-san tightened her grip on the staff, and a spear made of ice shot out as if it were fired. It hit the wall at the end of the corridor and shattered into pieces with a loud noise.
Using both ice arrows and heavier ice spears seems convenient. It’s more than enough firepower.
”Tomochi, you’re amazing!”
”Tomo-chan, you’ve become a magician!”
”Hehe, thanks to Tsuchimiya-kun.”
Nishina-san blushed and smiled shyly.
”Alright, let’s find the next enemy.”
Fortunately, there are enemies swarming around. We moved a little and came out into another corridor, where three monsters quickly approached from the front.
”They’re coming. Nishina-san, get ready with your magic. Shoot them until we engage.”
”Got it!”
We turned on the corner of the passage, and a Hobgoblin appeared. And there it is…
”There it is! The white one!”
”Yeah, we can do this, Tsuchimiya-kun…”
”Alright! Don’t be scared, you got this! Go, Nishina-san!”
”Yeah! Ice Arrow!”
As Nishina-san shouted, an arrow of ice flew and hit the Hobgoblin. The Hobgoblin staggered and fell. The remaining two started running towards us.
”Ice Arrow!”
The next ice arrow pierced the Hobgoblin’s chest, causing it to fall and roll over.
”Ice Arrow!”
The white Hobgoblin deflected this attack with its round shield and charged in. Satou-san, seeing Nishina-san struggling with a lack of magic, carried her behind her.
”They’re coming! Let’s attack at the same time!”
”Okay!”
Maekawa-san and Hano-san synchronized their moves perfectly.
”Whoa!”
But the white Hob deflected Maekawa-san’s spear with its sword and attacked Hano-san with its shield.
”Surround and attack!”
As Maekawa-san and Hano-san split up and continued their assault, the white Hob couldn’t concentrate on one side, and gradually started taking hits.
”Ggggaahh!?”
In the end, Satou-san quietly approached from behind and pierced the white Hob’s chest.
”We did it!”
”Akarin, nice one!”
I approached the defeated white Hob and grabbed its round shield. It’s a little heavy, but with Evold, I don’t mind.
”Hano-san, it’s a good idea to equip this.”
”Me? Thanks, Tsucchi!”
A one-handed sword and shield are basic equipment. Especially since Hano-san is worried about defending with just a sword, it’s better to have a shield on hand.
”Ah…! Something’s up with my body…!”
It seems like Nishina-san leveled up. We moved to the dead-end room at the end of the hallway to get Nishina-san used to it.
”Good work, everyone.”
After getting Nishina-san used to it, we took a break.
Since Nishina-san is in the rear guard, it’s good as long as she can walk and run normally for now. We’ll leave the fine-tuning to natural adjustment, which should be enough. We just have to head back now, but today felt pretty satisfying.
Everyone had prepared mugs, and Maekawa-san divided the water ball created by Magic into everyone’s mugs. Magic seems to be capable of quite detailed operations. Was the initial usage wrong, I wonder?
”Tsuchimiya-kun, here you go too.”
Maekawa-san fills up my empty mug with water and hands it to me.
”Oh, thanks.”
I take it, feeling a little nervous, and chug the water down.
”Come to think of it, we didn’t decide how to split up the rewards. Tsucchi’s suggestion works for me.”
”Alright then, I’ll take my share in magic stones.”
”Huh, just that? I think you could take more than half of the total amount…”
”I’m not a fan of deciding based on contribution points or anything like that. Splitting equally is the easiest to understand and avoids any conflicts. And when it comes to items, I assume you won’t sell any of the healing potions, right? The calculations can get messy when outsiders get involved.”
”Sigh… I guess you’re not really greedy.”
Actually, I’m not really in dire need of money right now. Everyone seems to be struggling, and it feels kinda wrong to take more than my fair share of the magic stones.
”Tsuchimiya-kun is really different, isn’t he?”
”When helpers come, they usually make unreasonable requests, right?”
”But, of course, we can’t just leave it at that.”
Maekawa-san said this, placing her hand on my shoulder and leaning closer.
”Here, no one will find out… and Tsuchimiya-kun, you don’t mind, do you?”
Maekawa-san’s lips met mine.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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