Mob
Kousei No Ore Demo Boukensha Ni Nareba Riajuu Ni Naremasuka: Chapter #92
Translators: Nyx and Ririi Rain
Episode 92: Custom Made
The 22nd day of
summer vacation. Early morning.
I was walking alone
along the still dimly lit road to school.
It was dawn and not
many people were around, but those who passed me on the street would
occasionally glance at me, dressed in military-like body armor and carrying a
backpack that could hold at least one child.
『The day has finally
come, Master! The time has come to
show you the power of your powered-up Mea-chan!』
Suddenly, a
palm-sized 3D image appeared in front of me, showing the upper body of a
beautiful, silver-haired, brown-skinned girl.
The non-human girl
with goat horns and small bat wings shuffled around as if to show off her
enthusiasm.
Having finally become
a succubus and obtained a [Spiritual recurrence] with Lilim, Mea seemed to be
full of motivation.
『...As a senpai in
[Spiritual recurrence], I'll tell you this.』
Her best friend, the
Zashiki-warashi, gave her a piece of advice,
『There aren't many
chances to use that skill except for the battle with the boss of the dungeon.』
『Wha... t...?』
Mea, who had probably
imagined herself using her [Spiritual recurrence] and subordinate summoning to
make a name for herself, was stunned.
『Even in the D-rank
dungeon, there were not many places where I used [Spiritual recurrence] on the
way, were there?』
『B- but it was because
there was no need for a [Spiritual recurrence] other than the boss...』
『That's part of it,
but the main reason is to conserve the [Spiritual recurrence], which can only
be used once a day. In fact, in the C-rank dungeon, the [Spiritual recurrence]
is supposed to be used more carefully as a trump card.』
Renge looked at me
and said "Right?", and I nodded.
In a C-rank dungeon,
where C-rank monsters appear in abundance, Mea's [Spiritual recurrence] is, in
a sense, more formidable than Renge's.
In the C-rank
dungeon, you can expect to be surrounded by several times as many enemies as
your team. In that case, Mea, who can summon an infinite number of succubus, is
the only trump card that can overturn the disadvantage of numerical difference.
It wouldn't do to use
Mea's best move in an unimportant moment and have no trump card at the time of
an emergency.
Therefore, the use of
her [Spiritual recurrence] would be more careful than that of Renge.
『No way...』
Mea was dejected when
she learned that she couldn't use her [Spiritual recurrence] freely... but,
『But it might not be
bad to be the trump card!』
He quickly recovered.
Before, Mea would
sulk for a long time because of her inferiority complex, but now she seemed to
have become a lot more positive after ranking up.
Well, in fact, in
addition to her [Spiritual recurrence], Mea now possessed other powers worthy
of being called a trump card, such as the special attack on males, [Curse a
man, and they will be cursed with two pits] skill, [Knowledge of Survival], and
the [Pierce of Resistance].
...When I met her, she was just an imp, but she's grown
up so much.
『The day may soon come
when I'll take the position of Master's partner from Renge!』
...... And the fact
that she was so quick to get carried away was also a cute thing about her.
『Aaan? A hundred years is not enough, my little dear.』
『I'm not little. I'm a
C-rank just like you.』
When Mea replied so,
Renge snorted and touched Mea's forehead with a finger, as if to play with the
surface of her face.
『Your maximum battle
power is only 1500. You're little. A weakling.』
『Ugh...!』
When the absolute
difference between the two cards in terms of combat power was brought up, Mea
choked on her words.
Although she ranked
up and obtained [Spiritual recurrence], there was still an insurmountable
barrier between her and Renge: [Breakthrough of Limits]
...Usually around
this point, Mea would start crying.
『Hmph, hmph...... the
value of a card is not only its combat power! We
have another rating! ----Yes,
the price!』
『......!』
Renge was at a loss
for words due to Mea's unexpected counterattack.
......This turned out
to be quite an interesting development.
What a monster card
thinks about their price is a sensitive topic that masters are curious about
but can't easily ask about.
In the past, during
the Student Tournament, Renge had shown signs of having a complex about her
card's price .......
『Mea's succubus is -
at the very least - over 100 million~, but what was Zashiki-warashi's price~?』
『Guh....., you
bastard.』
『Was it 40 million
yen? Ah! But I think Renge-san had a half-price sticker on you, so it's 20
million yen~. Hmm, that's reasonable!』
『Ah?! There was no half-price sticker on me! In the first place, I can always upgrade to Kisshouen, so
you should use that price!』
『But that's not a
permanent transformation!』
『Damn it!』
......Today's Mea is so good at banter!
As I was watching
while being impressed, Renge glared at me.
『Oi, Utamaro! Rank me
up to Kisshouten right now! 』
Oh no, it's coming my way.
"You, we've talked about it and agreed not to do it
yet."
『No way going to let
Mea keep treating me like this!』
Are you a kid? ......No, she IS a kid. She's a
zashiki-'warashi(child)' after all...
I held my head with
my hands, wondering how to calm her down.
『Sigh, this is what
cheap things are like... How unseemly to have such a fight over the scant
difference.』
Then a new loli
suddenly interrupted.
『If we're talking
about price, isn't this Athena at the very top? Of course, to put a price on
this goddess would be the highest disrespect.』
Athena showed a splendid smug face saying so, however, Renge
and Mea looked at her with a blank stare.
『No, you are the real
defective one.』
『You're worse than I
was when I had [Zero existence] skill. Not even attached with a half-price
sticker, you were 80% off.』
『Wh-Wh-Wh-!』
Athena was astonished
by the two's ridiculously harsh words.
...Well, to be
honest, there was no room for argument! This
Athena's only value, aside from summoning her subordinate, is a reserve to
revive other athena...
『Utamaro! The guardian deity you believe in is being mocked by a
petty god and a lecherous demon! Are you okay with that!?』
Athena looked at me
with teary eyes, pleading.
No, my guardian goddess is Eliza.......
『Are you sure you're
looking into how to properly remove the [Juvenile] skill?! Utamaro!』
『How to remove it,
huh...』
Mmmm. I crossed my arms in thought.
I also did a lot of
research to see if there was any way to remove Athena's negative skills.
However, even though
I looked at various research sites, I couldn't find any information that might
lead to the lifting of Athena's juvenile form.
I also wondered if
the 'child-rearing1' skill, which at first glance seemed to be useless in the
dungeon, might be connected to the removal of the [Juvenile] skill. But it
turned out that there was already a research institute that had spent years
trying to grow those with [Juvenile] skills with the 'child-rearing' ability,
and I realized that smart people had already thought of things that I would
have thought of before me......
And so,
"Well, I've been looking... but I just couldn't find
it."
『Ugh...』
It seemed like the
day when Athena would show her true potential would not come for a while.
Well, that doesn't
mean I plan on selling her card either.
If I sell off this
Athena, her destination would most likely be for a revival, and since I have
summoned her and conversed with her already, that does indeed make me feel
uncomfortable.
And most of all, I
have a 'feeling' with this Athena.
I'm an adventurer
myself, so when I'm putting together a deck, I think about combat power and
skills. But the final deciding factor is feeling.
This is not a trivial
matter, and feeling is an important element in the Link, which is directly
influenced by one's own disposition and preferences.
So, no matter how
useful a card is, if I don't feel right with it, I won't include it in my deck.
On the other hand, if I feel right with a card that has many flaws, I will still
keep it for the time being.
"Well, we might find some unexpected clues in the
C-rank dungeon we're about to enter, so we can only hope for the best."
『I'm counting on you,
Utamaro... My [Cowardice] skill is probably also due to the weakening caused by
the [Juvenile] skill. If the [Juvenile] skill is removed, I should be able to
fully utilize my power.』
"Yes, I have high hopes for you."
I said this from the
bottom of my heart.
If Athena can unleash
all of her strength, even conquering a C-rank dungeon with only her will not be
a dream.
Athena, the highest
B-rank card, had that much potential.
When that happens, it
will be possible for me to obtain a professional license all by myself,
allowing me to pursue a more independent career.
『But Master is already
going to a C-rank dungeon~. When Mea met you, you were still a one-star, so
when I think about it, it's amazing.』
Mea, who listened to
my conversation with Athena, spoke with some emotion.
...Right, I got Mea during the two-star promotion test,
so I was still a one star then
And now, less than a year later, I'm about to take on a
C-rank dungeon... When I think about it, it's truly amazing.
『What if we keep going
at this speed? Where will it lead us?』
"Well, that……。………………"
I was at a loss for
words when I tried to answer.
Because I had no idea
whatsoever.
A year ago, I wasn't
even an adventurer and was working part-time at a convenience store.
Now I am about to
take on a C-rank dungeon.
So what in the world
would happen one year from now?
I couldn't imagine it
at all.
I had been running
headfirst, aiming high, but where was I heading for when I had no goal in mind?
Up until now, I had
vaguely targeted a professional career, but ......
I had only just
realized that I had no goals as an adventurer.
"Oh, you're here. Good morning, Maro."
"Good morning, Senpai."
When I arrived at the
school gate, Teacher and Oribe were already there.
"Oh, good morning."
Teacher and Oribe
tilted their heads when they saw my face.
"Hm? What's the matter, Maro?"
"You look kind of pale....."
"...I just couldn't sleep well last night. By the
way, where's Anna?"
I said so while
looking around.
I said this to change
the subject, but since she is usually the first to arrive at times like this, I
worried when she was not in sight.
“She hasn't arrived yet... even though it's five minutes
away."
Oribe answered,
pulling out her phone.
".....Sayo, you brought your phone?"
A cell phone is a
necessity for adventurers, but it will be useless in this dungeon.
I had left mine at
home because I didn't want to accidentally bring it in and then have it broken......
"Mm, sure, it won't be useful in the dungeon, but I
thought it would be a problem if we didn't have at least one with us and
couldn't contact someone in case of an emergency. Of course, I'll leave it
behind when we enter the dungeon."
I see. I was
impressed by the attentiveness of this junior girl.
"So, did you hear anything from Anna?"
"No, nothing. She's an earnest person, so if she
hasn't contacted me, it probably means she'll be here on time."
The moment Oribe said
that,
" ----Good morning, everyone! You are all on time, I see!"
Anna's voice came not
coming from the road, but from behind the school gate.
....Oh, she had already made it to the school?
"Is everyone fully prepared and equipped? I went to check out the location ahead of time, and I
found that the SDF had already left, and the Dungeon Mart was already filled
with products. As expected of Dungeon Mart, they work fast!"
You are so high-spirited even this early in the morning,
huh......
Well, I understand
how she feels. Depending on the success of the strategy starting today, will
determine whether or not we can monopolize the Semi-Secret Dungeon, which will
generate enormous wealth. It was impossible not to feel excited.
Another factor in
Anna's high excitement may have been because she had been freed from her
supplementary classes.
After leaving all the
machinery (which we didn't want to break) in the shoe locker, we finally headed
for the dungeon.
Our high school had
an observatory, which was a rarity, but the entire rooftop had been sealed off
and had not been used for a long time since the Astronomy Club was abolished a
few years ago.
It was on this
observatory that the dungeon appeared, and a Dungeon Mart had already been
built adjacent to the observatory.
"Ooh, they've really opened a Dungeon Mart!"
"I feel bad for the school, but as a student, it
sure is nice to have one convenience store on campus."
"The nearest convenience store is quite far from
here after all."
"From now on, students will be able to freely access
the rooftop, and there may be an increase in the number of students eating
lunch here."
As we were talking
like that and about to enter the dungeon, I suddenly realized something,
"Oops, that's dangerous. If we go in like that, our
license will be destroyed."
At my words, the
others quickly took out their own licenses.
"That was a close call. We needed it to open the
gate, so I brought it in naturally and almost broke it."
"Is there anywhere we can leave it...? I guess we'll
just have to leave it on the floor."
"Well, no one else will be coming in today, so there
shouldn't be any danger of it being stolen."
"Hmm, but always leaving it like this is a bit
careless. I'll ask my family to install a coin locker in the gate room."
And so, we left our
licenses on the floor of the gate room and stepped into the dungeon for the
first time, only to find a scorching sun and an ocean of desert awaiting us.
"It's... hot......"
Glaring hatefully at
the never-setting sun, I pulled out my Salamander cloak from my holder.
This cloak, which I
won from a card pack, was a magic item that protects its wearer from fire and
heat.
It allowed the wearer
to move around in a burning house or the desert under the blazing sun without
getting scorched, but the heat that the cloak protected from was at a level
that caused physical harm, so the heat of up to around 30°C (86°F) would pass
through it normally.
The temperature
around 30°C was a bit harsh for me, as I had become accustomed to a more
comfortable temperature even in mid-summer with the Air Conditioner Pendant.
I wiped away the
endless beads of sweat and looked at the other members of the Adventurers'
Club, all of whom seemed to be coping with the heat in their own ways, like
using rune-inscribed amulets or summoning ice elemental-like monsters.
"Anna, what's the sub-field effect on this
floor?"
I casually approached
the Ice Spirit summoned by Anna and asked her while cooling off.
The field effects
generated by the C-rank dungeon include not only the main field effect of the
dungeon as a whole but also the sub-field effects of each floor.
Just as I was once
forced to retreat in a floor with an [Immortality] effect, it would be quite
possible that some field effects could cause an unexpectedly difficult battle
against a much lower-ranked opponent.
"Um... the effect of this floor seems to be a
weakening debuff."
Anna answered while
reading the information passed over from the SDF.
"Weakening, huh......."
I looked around at
the desert.
A pathless ocean of
sand with no real landmarks.
The desert is a scorching hot place that takes away our
strength, and we must go through it while being deprived of energy by the
weakening effect, huh......
It was quite a
devilish combination.
With one C-rank wall
between us, the difficulty level had gone up a notch.
Well, but .......
"Considering that only small fry appears, it's still
not so bad."
"Yea, this kind of floor is hellish the tougher the
enemies get. ......"
For the adventurers
who prepared well, it was not a big obstacle.
"Now then, let's proceed further while looking for
the Carbuncle first. It would be useless for all of us to act in unison, so
we'll split up and..."
"No, wait a minute."
Just as Anna was
about to give instructions for everyone to split up, Oribe interrupted her.
"It's not bad if we all split up and search, but how
about we have Senpai go ahead alone?"
"Just me?"
"Yes. Even though it is a C-rank dungeon, it should
be easy to conquer the F-rank floors with our abilities. Then it would be more
efficient to leave the search for the Carbuncle, which requires the most time
and effort, to us and have Senpai who holds the Hamelin's Flute go on ahead of
us."
"I see... It is certainly inefficient to let Senpai
with [Clairvoyance] and a magic item that allows him to teleport, so idle...
The race results prove that Senpai is one of the most mobile among the
amateurs."
The issue is ......
Anna said and looked at me,
"Senpai have to go through this C-rank dungeon alone
as far as you can go..... are you okay with that?"
The person who
answered that question was not me, but my Teacher.
"That should be fine, right? When we dived a C-rank dungeon together before, you were
strong enough to traverse the E-rank floors alone. It's going to be tough to go
to the C-rank floors, but the Maro now should be strong enough to traverse up
to the D-rank floors of this dungeon."
"Yeah, I've grown since then, and I'm well prepared
this time. Leave it to me."
Hearing the assurance
from the only professional here and my agreement, Anna nodded her head.
"Then please do. But just to be safe, even if you
can reach it, please keep it to the E-rank floors. This is one of the most
difficult dungeons among the C-rank dungeons, so let's proceed with
caution."
"Understood."
"Well then, I'll give you the information from the
JSDF. Once someone has collected the Carbuncle Garnet, please send a message
with your badge and Senpai can come and fetch us when we reach the next safe
zone. Then you'll teleport us to the floor which garnet has not been collected
yet. What do you think?"
"Okay."
With the general plan
decided, I saw my companions off as they scattered in all directions.
...It's going to be hard to find a single Carbuncle in
this vast desert.
Grateful for being
given the simple role of just moving forward, I decided to summon my cards as
well.
First, Eliza. I
couldn't begin the strategy unless I summoned her, who has the [Clairvoyance]
magic skill.
I could move with the Dullahan's Koshta Bawar or the
Flying Carpet. Either one is fine, but with the field effect of weakening, I
should use the carpet here......
As I thought like
that, the face of Dragonet suddenly flashed through my mind.
Dragonet, huh...
I have been trying not to mention it too much, but in a
way, this is a good opportunity.
If I don't call
Dragonet at a time like this, then what was the point of preparing the key
items in the first place?
It will be better to
give them than to continue to leave it as it is.
And I should... as I
was the one who decided to keep the Dragonet with me.
So.......
"Come out! Dragonet!"
A small dragon with
jet-black scales appeared with a flash of light.
I called out timidly
to the Dragonet, which stood tall and straight while staring at me.
"...It's been a while, Dragonet."
"Yes! I am
honored to be called upon!"
The Dragonet, perhaps
intending it as a salute...... spread its wings wide and replied with a crisp,
clear voice.
From the attitude, I
couldn't feel any dissatisfaction from the fact that it had been left
half-neglected.
---Does this Dragonet really have a 'reverse side2'...?
I thought of the
conversation I once had with Renge,
"---- Utamaro, be careful with that Dragonet, just
in case."
It was a little while
after the Hound Master case had been resolved...
I was in my room
sorting through the cards I had in my possession.
I was looking at the
skills of cards that I don't normally use and pondering whether there was
synergy with the regular members or not, when Renge suddenly said something
like that.
I had never heard
Renge say such a thing to a fellow teammate before, so I was quite surprised
inwardly.
"......Is there something?"
"This is a guess, but that Dragonet may have a
reverse side."
"...Does that mean it's up to something?"
I asked, thinking
back to the Dragonet's honest demeanor.
The dragonet was ‘a powerful
but difficult to deal with’ dragon-type card, but this one was very obedient
and easy to use, probably due to its [Selfless devotion3] skill.
It
was undeniable that I was taking advantage of its obedience and using it too
conveniently, but it didn't seem as if it was storing up enough resentment and
bitterness to plot something behind the scenes.
I
trusted Renge, but I don't think she is omniscient and omnipotent. There was
also the possibility of some kind of misconception or misunderstanding.
"It's probably close to what you call a cursed
card."
"... A cursed card."
At
that moment, the image of the Houndmaster's subordinate who was killed by the
Anubis card came to my head.
Cursed
cards hold the power to remove the protections that protect the master from
their card.
If
Dragonet is also such a cursed card, then I certainly need to be vigilant.
But,
if it is a cursed card, then Suzuka and Renge should also be cursed cards.
Even
though they are cursed cards, it doesn't necessarily mean that they will bare
their fangs at their master.
Then, why is she so cautious when it comes to Dragonet,
while she did not say anything about Suzuka?
In
response to this question of mine, Renge answered somewhat carefully, as if she
selected her words,
"...... Sure, Suzuka is a cursed card, but it's a
little different from her. Cursed cards are, so to speak, out-of-spec products
that were distorted in the manufacturing process. As irregular products, they
do have some defects, but that's about it. That Suzuka is just a lonely fella
and has no intention of actively harming her master. Though she is an
out-of-spec product... she is still a 'gift (present)'."
Out-of-spec product...... I see, the term 'out-of-spec'
certainly fits Renge and Suzuka, for better or worse.
Their
personalities deviate from those of ordinary zashiki-warashi or oni(demon).
They have the power to manipulate humans, who are their master, even though
they are cards...
Well,
compared to Renge's audacity, Suzuka doesn't go beyond being a bit of a strange
card, but she's certainly out of the ordinary.
The
reason I didn't feel scared of them was because I trusted that they would not
harm me.
Suzuka
tried to manipulate me once before, but that was out of her concern for my
well-being. It wasn't like she wanted to ruin my life or anything.
For
convenience, I call them cursed cards, but they are not beings that make me
unhappy.
I see now, a cursed card can indeed be a gift.
A gift brings happiness.
On
the other hand.......
"But... that one is different. There is clearly
malice in that one."
An
evil thing cannot be called a gift.
"Are you saying that Dragonet's loyalty is an
act?"
"No, I think Dragonet itself isn't aware of it. Its
current personality is like an outer shell to hide the malice hidden
inside."
"Outer shell......"
Does that mean its original personality is masked by a
temporary personality?
Is that possible? How
is that possible?
It
was like putting a good persona over a malicious curse card and letting it lurk
in somebody else's pocket......
If
so, it would be like the Trojan horse.
They
don't let you know that they are dangerous, but when the time comes, they
reveal their true nature and manipulate their master......
A
true cursed card, so to speak.
......The Dragonet was originally the one I traded with
the older Aoki (Aoki-nii) in the dungeon where I was attacked by the Hound
Master.
If that's the case, then Aoki-nii was the sender after
all?
The fact that I was attacked by the Hound Master at that
time also makes it seem very suspicious.
No, if it's something like a virus, it was likely being
spread indiscriminately and he just happened to get his hands on it. And it
just happened to come to me.
It's suspicious, but at the moment, he is presumed
innocent.
"There are roughly three options."
Renka
held up three fingers,
“Either let go of the danger quickly, let it explode and
find out the sender's true intentions, or......."
"Or?"
"Or you properly nurture the outer shell, the
temporary personality, to the point where it becomes the real thing......
enough to completely shut down the malicious intent."
"........................."
"Well, it's up to you which one you choose. I will
respect your decision no matter which option you take."
"...... Master?"
Dragonet's
concerned voice brought me back to my senses.
"No, it's nothing. Actually, there's something I'd
like you to see."
Saying
this, I took out Dragonet's key items that I had exchanged with the stars.
----After
much deliberation following Renge's warning, I decided to take the path of
making the Dragonet's temporary personality into the real one.
I thought about
selling it off quickly at first...... but that would be a form of forcing
somebody else to take the fall, and that was uncomfortable for me.
On the other hand, it
would be risky to let it explode and see how the sender would react.
So, I thought, it
would be more suited to my nature to make the temporary personality real and
turn it into a dud...
If that caused the
land mine to explode, that couldn't be helped. With Renge and Suzuka around, I
doubt that the Dragonet will be able to control me...... probably.
So, as a first step
toward peace, I prepared these key items for Dragonet, which had been neglected
so far.
"This is..."
Dragonet stared at
the key items intently.
True Dragon's Horn,
Flying Dragon's Wing Membrane, Earth Dragon Fossil, Poison Dragon's Eye, and
Dragon Orb......
These were the key
items that corresponded to the drake, wyvern, saurus, basilisk, and oriental
dragon, respectively.
The six types of
dragons, with the addition of the Vouivre (half-human, half-dragon), constitute
the basic classification of dragons.
Anyway, I'm hoping
for a reaction to one of these five key items......
"What do you think? Do
you feel anything?”
“..............................”
"Dragonet?"
" ! I'm
sorry, I couldn't help but be captivated....... Le- let me see......, I feel
strangely attracted to this one......."
Saying this, Dragonet
pointed with the tip of its toe at the True Dragon's Horn.
Drake, huh? When I was thinking that in some ways it felt
like a fair evolutionary path,
"This... and this, and this one..."
"What!?"
Dragonet continued,
pointing to the Flying Dragon's Wing Membrane, Poison Dragon's Eye, and Dragon
Orb
All of them, except for saurus.....?
Certainly, I knew
from the research data Tono-san gave me that there were cards with multiple
path of spiritual recursions4, but I was sure those were extremely rare.
Moreover, most of
them have only two recursion paths, and there were only a few cases in the
world with more than three recursion paths.
And this rare card
with multiple spiritual recursion paths had just come to me by chance...?
It was too good to be
true. I can't help but feel it was contrived. The one behind this dared to pick
such a card to have it sent to me... it felt like that.
If that's the case, then what is their goal? To reinstate
this Dragonet, perhaps...?
If so, it might be
dangerous to try to have the Dragonet get a spiritual recursion.
Should I let it go after all...? But...
Maybe I'm overthinking this.
But ...... I had a
hunch.
That I should not run
away from this problem so easily. I had a gut feeling that this experience would
definitely help me someday.
Then.....
"......Dragonet.”
"Yes!"
"If it's okay with you, I'd like to give you a
name."
“.......Um. So you want to, name me?"
Dragonet, who had
been answering in a clear and concise manner, showed signs of being troubled
for the first time now.
I was nervous as I
waited for the answer.
And then,
“It is truly an honor, but...... I am sorry. I'm
immature, and I'm not ready yet...”
"I- I see......."
It
was the first time I was refused for naming, but secretly I was relieved
instead.
I
don't think I'd built a strong enough bond with the Dragonet, which had been
neglected until now, to get them to accept me naming it.
On
the contrary, it would be more unnatural to accept the naming. Perhaps it had
been instilled within to accept a name unconditionally? This was what I had
suspected.
However,
Dragonet properly refused the naming.
At
the very least, I can consider this outer personality innocent.
In
that case, all that remains is to deepen the relationship with this outer
personality.
"Forgive me ......"
"No, it's okay. One day, if Dragonet thinks it's
okay to accept it, just let me know. Well, anyway, please accept these key
items.”
"Ah, no, but......"
"I originally prepared them for you, and I'd
appreciate it if you wouldn't hesitate to accept them.”
These
key items have little use other than for awakening to spiritual recursion.
If
one wants, they can be used as disposable magic items, but their effectiveness
would hardly be proportionate to their price.
Therefore,
it doesn't make any difference if I give them in advance in the hope that one
day Dragonet will accept my naming.
"........................Uu.”
However,
perhaps guilt-ridden at having refused the naming, Dragonet was reluctant to
accept them.
Perhaps
from the instinct of a [Zero existence] skill owner, it repeatedly reached out
its hand several times and then retracted it.
One more push, maybe? No,
but if I do it wrong, the selflessness will kick in, and it might not accept.
Just
as I was holding my head, wondering what to do...
『Master,
may I?』
A
3D image of Eliza emerged from the Card Gear.
It
was the first time she had used this function to speak to me, making me quite
surprised inside, but I answered,
"What is it?"
『If
that's the case, could you leave the education of Dragonet to me?』
"To Eliza?"
Another
unusual thing happened. I never thought that the day would come when Eliza
would want to take care of someone.....
『I
heard that Dragonet is too immature to accept Master's naming. If that's the
case, I thought that if it is no longer immature, there would be no reason for
it to refuse the naming.....』
"No, that's..."
I
think the 'because of immaturity' thing was a pretext, and the real reason was
that it just doesn't believe in me enough yet to accept the naming.......
...... Well, I guess it's still hard for Eliza to judge
what's honest and what's pretense.
『And...』
Eliza
hesitated for a moment,
『......
This is a personal matter, but I thought teaching Dragonet would be a valuable experience
for me to gain teaching skills.』
"Ah, I see."
I
understood.
I
had ordered Eliza to learn the teaching skill along with the maid skill, but
unlike the latter, which was going well, the teaching skill was not progressing
well.
I
didn't think much of it, thinking it was simply a rare skill and therefore
required a high level of proficiency, but it made sense when you consider that
Eliza had only ever been taught and had never taught anyone.
"In that case, I'll leave it to Eliza. That is, if
Dragonet is okay with that."
“Yes, I understand! From
now on, I will be under your guidance, Eliza-dono. I look forward to your
guidance and support."
The
Dragonet's eyes seemed to be filled with more energy than usual as it bowed
respectfully.
Perhaps
Dragonet itself had some ideas about being out of action.
Seeing
this, Eliza nodded her head in satisfaction.
『Leave
it to me, Master. I'll definitely raise Dragonet to be a full-fledged maid.』
“"Eh? Maid?”"
Me
and Dragonet unintentionally harmonize.
Is that what she meant...? Well, fine. I'll leave it to
Eliza to educate Dragonet.
I
quickly turned away from Dragonet who was looking at me as if asking for help.
Thus,
Eliza had her first apprentice (underling?).
[TIPS] Field Effects
The
biggest barrier that separates the amateur class from the professional class is
the field effect.
There
are two types of field effects: main effects that are applied to all floors of
the dungeon, and sub-effects that are specific to each floor, with the main
effect determining the rough difficulty of the dungeon.
The
field effects are characterized in that positive effects affect only the
monsters on the dungeon's side, while negative effects affect only the
adventurers' side, so the adventurers are always at a disadvantage.
***
Notes:
1 It’s included in the [Good wife and wise mother] skill listed in the acquitted skills of Hashihime (Suzuka)↩
2 裏 (read: ura) = back, behind, other side. ↩
3 The spirit of suppressing one's own selfish desires and devoting oneself to service. Occasionally explodes when too much stress builds up. ↩
4 This Dragonet has the [Zero existence] Skill, so it will lead to [Spiritual recurrence]↩
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