The Hero came and I fought him together with my slaves Koga: "Disgusting leftover sc.u.ms of the [Common Guild]."
It seems to me that Tanaka Koga has seen me.
He had a large double edge sword on his back and his expensive looking armor was embedded with gems.
But I don"t recognise him.
From his name, I can clearly tell that he is like me, summon here by the king.
Koga: "The adventurers of the [Common Guild] are ordered to vacate immediately. Move it before I break your limbs, you sc.u.m!"
Nagi: "No matter how you look at it… Black hair, black eyes."
Koga: "Ah!"
It seems like he has seen us.
Our gaze met but he didn"t show any sign of familiarity at all.
Similarly, I don"t seem to recognise him at all.
Nagi: "So… You are the Hero nominated by the King?"
Koga: "Ah… That"s right, do keep that in mind from now on. You"re beyond hope aren"t you?"
Nagi: "Did you sign the [Contract] to save the world?"
Koga: "So you know about that too! I see. I am a _____ from _____!"
I could see his mouth moving, but halfway through his sentence, the words [Another World] and [Visitor] were silenced.
Just as I thought. He was summoned here too.
But… I don"t remember seeing him when we were summoned here.
Perhaps he was summoned here separately?
Nagi: "I see. So the King choose you and [Contracted] you?"
Koga: "Oh no, the n.o.bles acknowledged my strength. They felt that instead of saving the world, it would be more appropriate to have people working under me."
Finishing, Koga gave me a thumbs up.
It seems like the King sold this guy to the n.o.bles.
Koga: "I received this set of armor and sword from the n.o.bles. It cost hundreds of thousands of Arushas to make them."
Nagi: "… I see."
I looked closer at the part of the armor covering his neck and saw a choker.
Yeah, that"s definitely a choker.
Koga: "I [Contracted] to work with this sword and armor for my entire life!"
Nagi: "Uh… Yeah, that"s amazing."
For some reason, I feel sad for him.
What"s with the commitment for this [Contract]? Why didn"t anyone stop this?
In other words… This guy can"t leave this world before he defeats the Demon King as he [Contracted].
Then he was sold off to the n.o.bles where he was given equipment and his [Contract] was changed accordingly.
The reason he couldn"t say the words [Another World] and [Visitor] was also because of the terms of his [Contract].
So that"s how it is.
It"s really not nice to summon cheat characters from another world and ask them to fight for you.
Nagi: "Tanaka… I"ll wish you luck, so please try your best to live on."
Koga: "O… Ok?"
Nagi: "See you. I"ll pray for you and hope that you will find your happiness."
Koga: "Ah. Well then… Wait, that"s not the point!"
Koga was about to take his leave when he remembered why he was here.
d.a.m.n, I almost fooled him…
Stabbing his sword into the floor, he shouted, "In the dungeon, the adventurers from the [Common Guild] retreated too quickly, so I didn"t get enough chances to fight."
Koga raised his sword.
Koga: "Your luck runs out here! This is where you die!"
Aine: "Don"t touch Nkun!"
Aine threw aside the tea set and stood between me and Koga.
Aine: "Don"t you dare hurt Nkun! [Rainbow Colored Defense Wall LV 6]!"
Instantaneously, a rainbow-coloured barrier appeared across the room.
Koga: "Defenses against all attributes… Not bad but I have magical resistance!"
Koga reached extended his hand and brandished the gauntlet on his hand.
The rainbow-coloured barrier shattered into pieces and disappeared.
Koga: "Get out of my way!"
Koga shoved Aine aside roughly. Aine crashed into a table and collapsed.
Leticia: "Stop this Tanaka! Any more violence and …"
Leticia thrust her rapier at Tanaka, trying to break up the fighting.
So fast! Is she using an acceleration skill?
Nagi: "Your name makes me a little fond of you but please disappear at once!"
Koga looked towards my direction.
I activated my skill.
Nagi: "Transcendence LV 1!"
The world became black.
Light.
Sound.
Smell.
Taste.
Touch.
Everything disappeared.
It"s a really creepy feeling and I really did not want to use this skill…
That said, I was the perfect one to use this high risk, high return skill.
I shook my head from side to side and raised my arms…
Then I collapsed to the ground.
Though I couldn"t feel the ground, it felt like my body was rolling.
I tried to raise my arms but they fell lifelessly.
I couldn"t take much more of this…
Blurgh.
I vomited.
Nagi: "Skill… Off…"
That. Was. Not. Fun.
Nagi: "Ugh…"
I feel sick and the world was spinning.
I sat on the floor trying to recover myself.
How much time has past? 30 seconds? Seems like it was the same as when I tested it…
Leticia: "Tanaka has been…"
Koga who was originally by the staircase has now collapsed by the wall behind me.
Alright, I succeeded.
Leticia: "Yo… You are…"
Leticia hugged Aine close to her and looked at me.
Leticia: "There"s no way you are a beginner adventurer! You countered Tanaka"s attack with inhuman precision then threw him using his momentum!"
Nagi: "Ah, so I did that huh…"
Seems like I had parried Koga"s attack with my sword then grasped his arm and managed a judo throw using his momentum.
That said, I was stilling feeling queasy and laid on the ground unable to move.
A high risk, high return skill indeed.
The skill "Transcendence LV 1" enhances the 6th sense in exchange for disabling the 5 senses.
During this time, the body would respond automatically to the situation.
I can use it once a day for a maximum of 30 seconds.
However, due to the stress it places on the body, there is a side effect where I am unable to move for 3 minutes after using the skill.
Cecyl and Rita had told me that it would be a very bad idea to use it if they aren"t by my side.
Nagi: "Leticia, how about we have a deal…?"
Leticia: "A deal?"
Nagi: "Since you"ve seen my abilities… In exchange for keeping them secret, we will help Aine out."
Leticia: "Wha…?"
Nagi: "However, the [Contract] will come after our experiment to see if we can defeat the [Steel Gargoyle]."
Leticia: "Wha… What are you talking about!? Do something about Tanaka first!"
Nagi: "Ah."
This guy…
A cheat character from another world.
Sure he is strong but I feel like I"m still missing information.
Nagi: "Skill activate [High-speed a.n.a.lysis LV 1]!"
A window containing statistics appeared in my sight.
[Leticia Milfey], [Aine Clunette], [Tanaka Koga] and some other people.
Even though it was a short fight, it gave me quite a fair bit on insight on Koga"s status.
[Tanaka Koga]
Cla.s.s: Swordsman
Weapon: Hagane"s Longsword
Armor: Blessed Armor (Reduces the effectiveness of magic)
As expected, I did not recognise his skills.
Koga shook his head and stood up.
His right arm was bent in an odd manner.
The throwing move uses the momentum of an attack against the user. To think that it was sufficient to destroy his arm… As expected of a cheat character…
Koga: "You b.i.t.c.h… What did you do to me, the hero! There is no way a character of this world can win against me!"
Nagi: "Dear hero, how does it feel to receive one of my attacks?"
Koga: "Are you an idiot?"
Nagi: "Do you like this world?"
Koga: "Uh… What?"
Nagi: "Do you feel any dissatisfaction about this world?"
Koga: "Nope. When I came to this world, I got affirmation for the first time in my life. That much made me satisfied with my new life."
Nagi: "There is one thing I"m dissatisfied with."
Koga: "Wha… What is it?"
Nagi: "There are no hair dryers in this world."
Koga: "HUH???"
Koga stared at me with a face of confusion and surprise.
Nagi: "My companions have long hair which takes a long time to dry. When we get into the bath, I"d dry their hair for them. Of course, we keep our clothes on. Otherwise, I wouldn"t be able to stay under the roof with them. What? Do you find this situation amusing?"
Koga: "You… Could it be…"
Nagi: "I mean, they don"t have a hair dryer so I figured it"d be easier if I helped out."
Koga: "You"re the same as me, are you not?"
Nagi: "That"s not important. Right now, I"m talking about the fascination of washing my companion"s hair."
Koga: "What are you talking about…"
Nagi: "Anyways, I used to think that it was a ha.s.sle to dry their hair, but recently, that has changed. I"ve come to enjoy the look of damp hair. Plus the nape of their necks… Brown or white skin are both great!"
Koga: "Seriously, who are you… Are you the same as me?"
Nagi: "Listen carefully. Compared to becoming a hero, the hidden charm of Cecyl and Rita are clearly more important."
Koga: "You… Just die already!"
Nagi: "Hmmm… Maybe this counts as a kind of moe too?"
It"s a nice topic. Drying the hair of my companions.
I saw something through the window.
At a glance, it looked like animal ears but you could see it as a tail too…
There it is again…
Perfect timing, I am now certain.
My attempt at time buying was a success.
It seems that Rita has noticed the weird atmosphere in the guild.
Rather, the lack of presence of people.
Tanaka"s bloodl.u.s.t spiked!
Naturally, Rita could tell this using her [Awareness] skill.
Nagi: "I see you"ve arrived, my slave, Rita Melpheus. Now, let us defeat the enemy who has hurt our guild master!"
Rita: "I understand your wish, master."
Breaking through the window, a blonde swung through the window.
A blast of [Sacred Power] hit Tanaka on the back.
Koga turned and swung his sword…
Koga: "Wha?!"
Rita had seen through Tanaka"s movement and swooped low while elbowing Tanaka"s wrist, negating his attack.
Rita: "How dare you turn your sword against my master…"
Rita"s eyes lit up with bloodl.u.s.t as she stared at Tanaka.
Rita struck the sword with her fist, causing Tanaka"s grip to weaken momentarily.
Koga: "I"m not just gonna kill you. I"m going to break all your bones and put you through a world of pain… You"re going to regret attacking me!"
Nagi: "Rita! That"s the [Acceleration] skill!"
My [High-Speed a.n.a.lysis] displayed the details of Tanaka"s skill.
It seems that more information becomes available as we fight…
Additionally, due to the master-slave contract, information is also transferred from Rita to me.
Nagi: "Careful! That skill doubles his attack speed! I"ve disabled his right arm, so that"s a blind spot! Also, his armor is hard, so aim for the exposed parts!"
Tanaka"s [Inherent Skill] allows him to have [Double attacking speed].
His is able to swing his sword, which is about the same size as him, two to three times the normal speed.
In short, he is able to attack twice in the same time.
Rita: "Got it! It"s dangerous, so please fall back!"
Nagi: "Understood!"
I carried Aine and Leticia with my arms and quickly headed downstairs.
The [High-speed a.n.a.lysis] skill was still active though.
I should look deeper into Koga"s skill and status…
Nagi: "That guy is a swordsman cla.s.s, magic is ineffective against him! His base speed is high but his intelligence is low! I think he"s weak to provocation!"
Rita: "Thank you! Also, sorry about being late!"
Nagi: "Don"t worry! I calculated! I"ve already memorised how long it takes for you guys to bathe!"
Rita: "That sounds really pervy!?"
Nagi: "It is also part of a master"s duty to know the condition of his slaves!"
Rita: "Why do I find this pervier despite this explanation?!"
Nagi: "Please ignore that feeling."
Rita: "No way!"
While bantering, Rita weaved around, avoiding an attack and countering with a roundhouse kick to Tanaka"s head. However, the kick was blocked by Tanaka using his gauntlet.
Rita: "While it"s embarra.s.sing that you know so much, it"s still better than you not caring about us! Wait… So what am I supposed to do?!"
Nagi: "How about we have a chat later at home?"
Rita: "That"s not fair! Cecyl would be there too!"
Koga: "You guys are being noisy!"
After some time, Koga hit the wall with his sword.
Koga: "Stop messing around! Who are you?! His companion?!"
Rita: "I have no intention of speaking with someone who is trying to kill someone important to me."
Rita stared at me.
Koga: "You too! Being protected by a woman! And you"ve never stopped rambling! If you"re not going to fight, then shut up!"
Nagi: "Ah… Sorry about that, but I"m afraid I that"s impossible."
I moved one step to the left while talking.
After a short pause, I stared at Koga and said.
Nagi: "After all, you would have noticed Cecyl"s magic chant if we were silent."
Cecyl: "My anger. The manifestation of my blood. A blade that carries all of my fury…"
My [High-speed a.n.a.lysis] skill tells me the status of people around me.
Cecyl: "Turn my anger into retaliation. Turn it into a fist that will not stop until the enemy is obliterated. No compromise. No mercy. Destroy. Destory. Destory. Let loose the blades that will burn everything and bring about the end…"
That"s why I was aware that Cecyl was climbing the stairs while chanting her [Ancient Magic].
Cecyl who had just taken a bath was out of breath and panting.
Her silver hair was braided.
So cute!
However, she is releasing an extreme aura of bloodl.u.s.t!
Cecyl looked up with absolute determination to kill the enemy!
Cecyl: "Spirit of fire, destroy the enemy with a million flames! [Flame Arrow]!!!"
Cecyl had finish the chant for her [Ancient Magic: Flame Arrow]!
A magic circle appeared behind her small body…
From there, a few arrows of flame appeared and flew towards Tanaka…
These arrows accurately landed on Tanaka…
And burst into sparks and disappeared!
Koga: "Is that lvl 1 Fire Magic?"
Tanaka laughed and put down the gauntlet that he was using to protect his face.
Koga: "My armor has magic resistance! Your arrows of flame feels like nothing more than a mosquito bite to me!"
Cecyl: "Is that so?"
KABOOM!
Out of the magic circle came more arrows of flames, impacting on Tanaka.
Cecyl: "So, tell me again, tell me that they are ineffective!"
KABOOOOOOOOOM!!!
An endless stream of arrows continued appearing and attacking Tanaka.
They flew around the room, attacking Tanaka from all sides!
4 arrows, 8 arrows, 16 arrows! The amount of arrows appearing were increasing by the second!
Tanaka: "Useless. This is nothing! Useless!!!"
KABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tanaka: "This gauntlet… 60 percent… reduction…"
KABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tanaka: "Hey… This is…. How much longer…"
KABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tanaka: "Sto… Hey… This… This bit of pain will not stop me!"
KKKKKKKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!
Tanaka: "STOP! STOP! STOOOOOOOOP! IT HURTS!!! STOP! I"M GOING TO DIE!!!"
Cecyl was panting hard from the exertion…
Nagi: "Cecyl, stop! That"s enough!"
Cecyl"s face had turned red.
That"s a sign of excessive use of magic.
The skill [Ancient Magic: Flame Arrow] has the characteristic of constant firing.
It will keep on shooting the flame arrows until the user"s magic power runs out.
Cecyl: "I"ve hurt Nagi-sama… I"ve tried to kill Nagi-sama…"
Cecyl seemed to be confused from the exertion.
Cecyl: "I became a person who tried to kill Nagi-sama…"
Nagi: "I"m not hurt! Look, I"m fine! You didn"t hurt me!"
Cecyl: "Really?"
Nagi: "Really. Look, I"m completely fine!"
Cecyl: "Can I check you carefully later to make sure?"
Nagi: "I get it, I get it! So stop! You"re going to collapse at this rate!"
Cecyl: "I… Understand…"
Finishing, she finally stopped swaying and collapsed.
With that, the torrent of flame arrows came to a halt.
She got up again and unsteadily made her way to me before falling to her knees.
Cecyl: "I can"t stand not being sure that Nagi-sama is unhurt."
Nagi: "I"m fine… I managed to get to cover in time."
Cecyl"s breathing was getting heavier by the second.
Nagi: "Hey… Hey! Stay with me!"
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz…
Cecyl fell asleep in Nagi"s arms, breathing lightly.
Nagi, on the other hand, breathed a sigh of relief after realising that his worries were unfounded.
Seems like I have a few things that I"ll have to think about.
If we have to take baths and change clothes separately, that would cause a significant amount of worry for each of us…
An apartment with a bath… Not a dormitory but a cheap rental house.
Rita: "Hey Nagi… What do we do about this guy?"
Turning back, Rita looked at Tanaka.
Koga: "Scaryscaryscaryscaryscaryscaryscaryscaryscaryscaryscaryscaryscaryscaryscary…"
Tanaka was muttering while he stood there smoking, burnt all over and missing half his hair.
Sure, the [Blessed Armor] has a magic reduction ability that makes the [Arrows of Flame] feel like mosquito bites. However, humans can still die if they"re stabbed by a huge number of mosquito bites.
Rita: "I can have the finishing move right? Can I?"
She placed one foot on top of Tanaka"s head, ready to crush it.
Nagi: "Don"t dirty your foot, you just took a bath."
Rita: "Yes master."
Nagi: "It was the Earl who hired Tanaka, wasn"t it?"
I looked towards Leticia who was staring at the scene dumbfounded.
Leticia: "Ye… Yeah."
She replied after taking a short breath to compose herself.
Leticia: "He was the one who order this guy to attack the [Common Guild]."
Nagi: "Any idea what we can do to retaliate?"
Leticia: "I don"t think there"s much that we can do."
She shook her head with a tired expression.
I can"t agree with that.
Nagi: "He"s the same person who confined Aine who tried to oppose them. The aristocrats cannot complain if the tables get turned on them."
If you decided to stir trouble within your opposition, you should expect opposition from them.
Leticia: "If you insist…"
In any case, we better get out of here.
I left Cecyl to Rita.
Despite the fact that both of them were sweating hard, they still smelled good.
Then, I carried the unconscious Aine to a chair.
Actually, she looks asleep rather than unconscious.
Nagi: "First, let us have a discussion, Leticia."
Leticia: "About?"
Nagi: "I owe Aine. First, she referred a quest to us in secret. Then, she gave us a skill."
Leticia: "So?"
Nagi: "So I want to help her. However, we"ll be risking our lives in the fight with the [Steel Gargoyle]. Hence, I have a favor to ask of you."
Leticia: "Help… I could use some of that."
Leticia looked at the defeated Tanaka in silence.
It seems that she acknowledged our strength.
Leticia: "So, what is the favor that you need from me?"
Nagi: "We"d like a moderate-sized and st.u.r.dy place to stay. Hopefully, you can introduce us to such a place at a cheap price. Ideally, it should have more than 2 rooms and have a bath built in."
After a little bit of thinking, Leticia said.
Leticia: "I have a vacation house in the port city of Irugafa. I inherited it from my dead mother, so the ownership belongs to me. As for my dad, he doesn"t know about it. If you don"t mind, I can lend it to you."
Nagi: "What about the rent?"
Leticia: "If you take care of it, then you can use it for free."
Nagi: "Thank you, that"s really helpful."
With this, we have obtained a place to stay.
Ever since I came here from the original world, I did not have a place to settle down.
There simply is no way that we can keep up that kind of lifestyle.
Nagi: "Next, do you know any place to sell the [Blessed Armor]?"
Leticia: "[Blessed Armor]?"
Nagi: "This guy"s."
I pointed at Tanaka Koga.
With my foot.
Nagi: "This would just happen again if he still has his equipment. Isn"t it better if we take away his equipment? However, throwing them away would be a waste, so we should sell it. Could Leticia help us sell it? You can have half of the profit as a commission cost."
Leticia: "Well, that much I can do…"
Nagi: "I"ll leave it to you then?"
Leticia: "Yes. However, please give my half of the profit that Aine."
Leticia turned to look at Aine who was still sleeping on the chair.
Leticia: "She took care of the members of the [Common Guild] till the very end. She was trying to raise funds so that everyone could leave the town and start afresh elsewhere. The commission fee can go to that."
Nagi: "You can have 70% as the commission fee…"
Leticia: "You really are kind, aren"t you?"
Nagi: "I don"t want to be in debt. As of now, I"m also a member of the [Common Guild]."
Anyways, it is dangerous for us, do not have the proper connections, to sell the [Blessed Armor].
Nagi: "Lastly, I would like you to wait till around noon tomorrow before officially accepting the request."
With a regretful look, Leticia said.
Leticia: "Aine"s memory will disperse with time… It seems that the Bishop used an item that sets a time limit of three days. If you cannot regain her memory before the time limit, her memories will be lost forever…"
Nagi: "I will get it done in time. Before that, I need to check the skills of my team to see if we can complete the quest. It would be troublesome if we showed up to the tower and find it impossible to defeat the [Steel Gargoyle]."
Leticia: "That is true."
Nagi: "We can"t afford to sacrifice our friends here, so let us officially enter the contract at noon tomorrow."
Leticia paused.
Leticia: "Who are you guys? You guys aren"t some low-level adventurers right?"
Nagi: "We came just to have fun. While our level is low, when the pieces of the puzzle come together, we can do things that no other people can do."
Leticia: "I don"t get it…"
That"s alright, even I am unsure myself.
Now, I should head back to the inn, let Cecyl rest and tell them about our plans.
Well, time to impose on you, employer.
We waved and left the [Common Guild] building.
[Transcendental sense LV 1]
By blocking the five senses, I will awaken the sixth sense.
Can be used for 30 seconds.
During which any attacks will be countered.
Additionally, if there is a chance, I will attack in the most optimal fashion, including the use of other skills.
However, it can only be used once a day due to the stress it places on the body.
It is a little worrying that I am unaware of my movements.
It may also target friendlies, so they should stay clear before the skill is activated.
[Ancient Magic: Arrows of Flames LV 1]
Creates a magic circle behind the user which shoots arrows of flames until the user"s mana is depleted.
While the damage is low due to it being a LV 1 skill, the threat comes from the continuity.
Think of it as using low damage projectiles to shave away at the opponent"s health in a fighting game until the time runs out.
Having to guard against the projectiles, the defender will be suppressed.
If the opponent starts to chant this spell, it would be best to escape at once.