Chapter 55
The Comrade Revealed
The Class that a Dungeon Hunter acquires upon reaching Level 10.
It seems there are Classes like Swordsman, Pyromancer, Spy, Saint, or
even Alchemist, Woodworker, Jester, and Astrologer. I don't have any Hunter acquaintances,
so I have absolutely no idea what the truth is, but anyway, I've heard there
are a ton of different Classes.
And Classes can be roughly divided into major and minor ones, and
further into those recognized as useful or lame. The vast majority of Hunters
in the world end up getting major, mundane Classes.
Some people spout nonsense about how there isn't a huge difference
depending on your Class, but no matter how you look at it, there's obviously a
difference between a Bandit and a Hero. I mean, you learn Class Skills related
to it, after all. Even if there supposedly isn't a massive difference in
ability, the mental satisfaction is completely different. Like, totally
different.
And my Class is something called a "Stray Bandit." Not just a
plain old Bandit, but with "Stray" attached as a prefix.
It's said that prefixes represent a person's individuality, and even
within the same Swordsman Class, for example, it creates differences in the
skills they learn and their stat growth. Recalling an example Yuuka-san gave
me, I thought it was completely natural that there would be a difference
between a "Cowardly Swordsman" and a "Brave Swordsman."
Because it represents individuality, it has basically become common
sense not to tell others your prefix. You're free to reveal it yourself, but at
the very least, asking someone is a breach of etiquette. That's why, even if I
reveal that I'm a "Bandit" when necessary, I probably wouldn't go out
of my way to mention the "Stray" part.
The Class of the beautiful girl in front of me was "Rock-Bottom
Fallen Idol." What a terrible Class. The prefix is awful, but "Fallen
Idol" in the first place? What the heck is a Fallen Idol Class? It's so
terrible I can't help but laugh.
「Can I just
say one thing?」
「Go ahead.」
「What a weird
Class.」
「...Yeah, I
know.」
「Well,
getting half-baked encouragement would just piss you off, right? And it'd be a
pain if you got depressed. Still, to think there's a Class like that.」
「Even I
doubted my own eyes; I couldn't believe it. I quit being an idol, desperately
grinded to Level 10 in a temporary party hoping to get a good Class, and this
is what I get.」
This is the result after everything she went through. Her disappointment
might actually be greater than mine.
「But why did
you want to team up with me? I get that it's because I'm a solo Hunter who
draws attention and seems reasonably strong. But, you're not the type to show
weakness to a stranger you just met, right? Didn't you consider the possibility
that I'd just reject you and go around blabbing about your Class?」
「Of course I
did. I looked into you in my own way, Aoi, before deciding. It cost me quite a
bit of money, but it was a necessary expense.」
Seriously? You went that far?
「Ugh.」
「It can't be
helped, I'm desperate too.」
「Well,
whatever. So, what did you figure out about me?」
「That you're
working desperately as a Hunter, Aoi. That's the first thing. I could tell from
the amount of time you spend active in the Dungeon. It doesn't look like you're
exchanging magic stones in Kagurazaka, but I doubt you're just playing around
in the Dungeon solo. I'm desperate. So I want the person I party with to be the
same.」
Nice, we're on the same wavelength. I'm working desperately for the sake
of money and my next Class, too. Like, incredibly desperately.
「And the
reason you work solo, Aoi, lies in your 『Solo Dungeon』 skill, right? I found that out after looking into it
too. It's an interesting skill.」
「It is
interesting. But, it's exactly because that skill is super useful that I'm
solo. You know what that means, right?」
I do want to team up with someone eventually. But not right now. It's
too early to throw away the advantages of my exclusive Dungeon. That can wait
until I start feeling a bit more mortal danger.
「That's
exactly why I wanted to team up with you, Aoi.」
「What do you
mean?」
「I'm saying I
have a skill that can make use of your skill, Aoi.」
Um, what exactly does that mean?
「It'll be
faster if you see it. Look at this again.」
I looked again at the black card—her ID card—still resting on the table.
Her beautiful fingertip pointed to the skill section near the bottom of the
back where her stats were listed. Written there was 『Skill Link I』.
「Does that
mean with that skill, you can make use of 『Solo Dungeon』?」
What's that supposed to mean?
「This 『Skill Link I』 allows me
to select just one of another person's skills and extend its effect to a target
of my choosing. In other words, I believe I can piggyback on your 『Solo Dungeon』, Aoi.」
Hmm? Piggyback? I see, so that's how it works.
If it were a skill copy, we'd probably just end up entering separate
solo Dungeons. But if it means extending the Solo Dungeon that I'm
activating to someone else, piggybacking might just be possible. I won't know
until we actually try it, but there might be a chance. Even so.
「Eh, isn't
that skill insanely strong? If there's someone with a strong skill in the
party, it affects everyone, right? Even if you can only link one skill, that's
incredibly useful.」
「I think it's
strong and convenient too, but it has a lot of restrictions in exchange. That's
also part of why I want to team up with you, Aoi.」
「Is that so?」
Listening closely, it seems there are detailed restrictions regarding
the skill to be linked, its original user, and the target the effect is applied
to. For example, to get the skill's effect, the target has to be the same
gender as this Idol-sama and have a similar body type. Meaning guys are a
no-go, and it apparently doesn't work if they're extremely tall, short, fat, or
skin-and-bones.
「You
shouldn't have any issues as a link target, Aoi.」
「I see what
you mean. Since I'm solo, you get to choose who we make our companions from now
on too, right?」
「To be
honest, there's that too. I've already been betrayed once, so I don't want any
weirdos in my party. I intend to choose carefully together with you, Aoi.」
I, Nagakura Aoi, am not a weirdo. It seems there's no mistake about
that.
「By the way,
what else can you do? Is it just that you can enter the same Dungeon as me?」
「Don't be
silly. My combat ability is on the high end for my level bracket. So even if
you're strong, Aoi, I won't need you to protect me, and though the effect is
low, I can use recovery magic too. I have no intention of holding you back, and
I think I can be useful.」
Ho ho ho, you're actually being naïve, missy. I wonder if you can keep
up with my 『Ultra Hard Mode』 Dungeon? I'll let her know about this once it's
confirmed we can enter the Solo Dungeon together. She probably can't even
imagine that I'm already fighting like crazy on the Seventeenth Floor.
Anyway. Assuming the skill link functions properly, I've made up my
mind. If I let this gorgeous girl slip away, I might never get another chance
to welcome a companion with such a useful skill. Even if it's a bit weak,
recovery magic is appealing, and above all, I like her motivation. I'm sold.
「Alright, you
got a deal.」
「Does that
mean you'll team up with me?」
「For now,
just as a trial. So, when do we start?」
A smile like a blooming flower—this must be exactly what that means.
Seeing this beautiful idol's heartfelt smile somehow boosted my motivation too.
「How about we
just go check the skill right now? If a rumor spreads there that you formed a
party, Aoi, I think the unwanted recruitment will lessen a bit.」
「Ah, there's
that too. Then let's get going right away, Idol-sama.」
As I stood up from my seat, she took my arm.
「Wait, Aoi.」
「Hm?」
「It's Madoka.
Not Idol-sama, Madoka. We might become companions, so call me properly.
Besides, I'm not an idol anymore.」
「I guess
that's true. Then let's go, Madoka.」
When we left the restaurant, she treated me to the meal just as promised. Free food feels great!
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