「Now then, Now that we"re friends, about the deal before? Not only Anne but this also concerns Kuna」[1. 「さて、友達になったことだし取引をしないか？ これはアンネだけじゃなくてクーナにも持ちかけている」]
I talked to Kuna and Anne while smiling.
「Deal desu ka?」
「It"s about the deal"s contents. Though it is a little scary to be discussing about it the moment when I made friends」
Seems like Anne has a little wariness because of the case with the jewel being rip-off from her.
「Say it clearly. I am a genius. If I do it normally, there is no doubt the first place of scholarship will be mine」
I make an expression that seems to be proud and had finish saying it with full confidence.[2. Now he"s just boasting all over...]
「Such great confidence」
「Ignoring this Kuna-chan in the first place, gununununu[3. 」
Both of them is in a state such as half doubt.
「The I"ll show my first ability, 【Magic Silver Refining: First Mode・Lance Piercer】」
I start with the usual magic.
The mithril ring attached to my upper arm melts and I changed it into a spear and return to it"s solid state.
With the spear, I showed some proud stances.
「I see, I can say that it"s worthwhile. Although to the extent of the Magic Equation"s workload, with nothing wasted even though it"s this many to the point that it"s unbelievable. The mana leakage is almost zero. If I may say, the processing speed too is abnormal. I can"t think of any other person who can manage magic like this」
When consuming a Magic Stone to raise ones abilities, the mana will also becomes stronger. When ones mana becomes stronger, ones potential also rises that magic with huge mana consumption becomes usable. Furthermore the processing speed after activating the Magic Equation rises.
But the use of magic itself will not improve it you don"t improve ones own skill Similar to 【Magic_Silver_Refining】, the magic is complicated but the mana consumption is little, only an elite magician can use it.
「It"s an unbelievable magic skill desu. In addition, there are no wasted movement in the spear stances desu. Your magic and taijutsu is still inferior to Otou-sama by two steps, still I can ask after considerable training masu[4. それでもかなりの修練のあとが伺えます]」
「So what kind of person is Kuna"s father?」
With a straight face Kuna was scared, it"s been said with her honest feelings.
I have trained in this world for 168 years.[5. Just o remind you, Souji is referring to his play time] Yet I was inferior by two steps. Is it a monster that isn"t imaginable.[6. Not literally a monster, they are referring to it as a powerful being] If there is such a guy, then it will be the only Rank6 in this world. It can only be the legendary Grand Magnus Cyril who made the underground labyrinth.
Grand Magnus Cyril is abnormal. [7. Of course he is, can you say that an Elf is normal if he can use all his past reincarnation"s power and abilities?] He reached Rank 6 in his prime, using all player made magic we can only brought it to a draw that was outside the genuine standard.[8. WTF?! Cyril fought all players who used all player made magic and it just ended in a draw!? Cyril is so OP!!!]
......ending in a draw is not the right word. As the war of attrition compet.i.tion began, the appearance of a ominous huge silver dragon that wasn"t seen before suddenly release it"s breaths that the surrounding topography changed. I suffered some fatal wounds and before I notice it, Cyril disappeared. After that no one have reached 6 Rank.
That"s why for this reason. If at that time it"s only me and the Rank6, even if before the silver dragon"s appeared will I be able to win? That"s why rather than only me being the strongest, I want to make the strongest party.
「As you can be seen, n.o.body can defeat me if it"s a practical skill. And there is the past questionnaire that I handed to Kuna」
「Hai, ari masu ne」[9. Literally, 「Yes, it"s here」]
「In fact, this is this year"s questionnaire. Perhaps 95% of these just might appear. In my honest opinion memorizing this will give a leeway in the lecture part. How I came to get my hands on this is a secret」
「Ca-can"t be! Not only that I just learned my mistake from that day, then what did I study for with all my effort!」
「Not all was in vain. It will be absolutely useful, somewhere」
There"s no doubt.
It"ll be also a preparation when the Knight School starts.
「.....In other words, we know the lecture questions beforehand and in the practical we are second no none. With certainty we"ll get the first place. Then what was the deal?」
Anne puts her hand on the chin and mutters.
With such gestures she looks more like a good girl.
「I"ll let Kuna and Anne take the remaining two slots. As I said while ago in the lecture, this is the current year"s questionnaire, and as for the practical skill, I know what to do so I can possibly instruct you. With the talent of both of you, then it"s an easy win.」
Frankly speaking, this is a sly trick.
But I want this two to succeed.
As a friend.... And for the sake of the future.
「What compensation would you ask the for?」
「Absolutely it will be an ecchi thing desu yo」
「Kuna please cease your jokes at a time like this. Maybe this person will not speak of such thing」
「Gomenasai. Souji-kun doesn"t have such courage desu yo ne」
Kuna"s evaluation of me is that low.[10. You rip what you sow] I"ll put a stop to that evaluation someday.[11. いつか、痛い目に合せてやりたいと思ってしまう。]
「Gohon[12. cough] So this will be the content of the deal. When all of us enters the scholarship, I want us three to form a party and challenge the underground labyrinth. Only death awaits if I challenged it solo. When on Knight School it"s better to party with fellow students. But I don"t like being treated lightly by the uppercla.s.smen[13. 上級生]. And it will be just plain suicide if I challenge it with a cla.s.smate[14.同級生] without any talent. I want two people with talent, who wants to aim at the top with a three-man party.」
Securing talented members, this is the first requirement to success.
After listening to my words, and Kuna and Anne look at each other. Then they laugh.
「Hearing such an obvious thing, what do you think desu ka?」
「Well we all are friends. Isn"t it natural for friends to cooperate」
My chest somehow felt warm.
I longed for such exchanges for a long time.
Perhaps I remained playing in IRURANDE of the game era, in order to just experience this kind of feeling.
「Better yet, why don"t we form out party here right now. Souji-kun, Anne」
「I think that"s a great idea. Let us help each other for here on」
「But isn"t it important to have a party name? What shall we do?」
「I"m good with it. Sort of」
「That"s no good desu yo! Because it"s the first party that I"ve joined in my whole life desu kara」
「That"s true, first is our own symbol..... This is the utmost important thing. How about putting up a something we respectively proud of? How about a name that derived from something?」
「Ah, Anne-chan it"s ok desu. We will have a name desu[15. Help with this line 私たちらしい名前になりそうです]」
「I second this. Well then, each of us will tell what they wish for」
I ask myself. What would be my symbol.
「Then, I"ll go ahead masu yo. How to say this, The first thing that I"m proud of is my tail desu. Fusafusa[16. bushy] desu yo, mofumofu[17. fluffy] desu yoー. My symbol is my tail that is like my Haha[18. mother]"s tail that"s the most beautiful tail in all Elucie desu」
Bringing her tail before her body with a self-satisfied look on her face, like she was saying "how"s that!" while Kuna was emphasizing her tail.
「Then for myself are these sword. This sword was entrusted to be by my father, it"s a symbol inherited by the people from Auclaire house. And It"s the soul of my prided swordsmanship that was carved into my body. Therefore, this very sword is my symbol」
Anne raises her sword toward the sky. In her eyes reflects hope.
「Then mine is the entire list of my magic skills. 【Magic Silver Refining：Improvised・Symbol of the Oath】」
I activated my magic, I created an object that looks like a sword with a foxtail entwining around it.
Because it was improvised, there where some place where it was distorted.
「I will become the best magician in the world. Therefore magic itself is my symbol」
To not defeated by anyone. From way back, the pride which in addition supplied the original magic.[18. 昔からずっと、オリジナル魔術を提供する側だったプライド。] The pride which was chosen by this world.[19. この世界に選ばれた自負。] Therefore I decide magic itself a symbol.
「Tail, Sword, and Magic. When simply put together, TailSwordMagic?」
「Let"s paraphrase it a little to make it sound more cooler mashou yo」
「That"s right. Then, how about saying it like this? Demon Sword Tail[20. the kanji is 魔剣の尻尾]」
「Anne, wait, it"s so uncool..... but」
I began to talk while giving a bitter smile.
However, Kuna cuts in before I can finish speaking,
「It"s cute desu ne. And it sounds good. I think that it"s good masu」
「I plan to say the same thoughts」
「Then this is the birth of the Demon Sword Tail party」
The three of us then laugh.
「First of all, this party"s first mission is for all members to become scholarship students, let"s aim toward it」
「Desu ne, It"s no laughing matter if have we brake-up out party after the examination」
「Only because we have the advantage, we"ll surpa.s.s it without fail」
「Un, Yes we can do this」
In practical skill, if Kuna and Anne overall succeed it will be scary on the contrary[21. 実技で、Kunaや、Anneに勝てるようなのがごろごろいたら逆に怖い。] We will be called the golden generation[22. Golden generation = elite player with the same ages]
「Aa, please wait a minute. I came up with something good mas.h.i.ta」
Kuna draws something lightly on the paper.
What she drawn was the object while correcting the plain surface, it were improved with her sense. Honestly I thought it was cool. With similar dimension of the sword and tail motif but different from the thing I made.
「Let"s make it this, our emblem mashou That is, if possible desu, but....」
「Un, We understand」
Activating 【Magic Silver Refining】 once again.
A portion of Mithril is extracted from the ring, I reproduce the picture that Kuna designed from the paper.
I made it into a necklace through Mithril that I molded into a chain.
「This is the proof of out party」
The emblem was put on Kuna and Anne"s neck.
Both of them stroked the emblem with love.
「Well then, playing stops here. Do the lecture thoroughly by the end of the day, I"ll measure your practical skills tomorrow」
「Yes, please take good care of me.」
「Aa!, If I think of it calmly, I paid money of a private teacher charge, Anne that"s unfair desu」
「Of course it"s a debt. I also charge Anne. I have you return the payment properly little by little. The first will be at 10,000 Val」
「Ano, Souji, What is this I wonder?」
「I had it over to Kuna but if there is no money then I"d be troubled. Until we pa.s.ses in test, I"ll note Anne"s share of the inn accommodation and meals. That"s why carefully treasure that ring. Because that"s a keepsake from your mother, am I right?」
「But....」
「Anne said this a while ago. The one who is too obsess about a mother"s keepsake while being close to death is foolish. But, I think there is some things which can"t be replaced with a life either. Therefore, you should do that and be done with it, then just borrow money from me」[23. だから、俺に借金をするだけで済むならそうしておけばいい]
「......I seem to have misunderstood you. You really are a good person」
「Un, but you better not forget it. The medical expenses and the food expenses, with the inn charges is 50,000 Val. The examination questionnaire and my teaching expense is 150,000 Val. With current cash is 10,000 Val. Total that I"ve lent is 210,000 Val and will increase by 10% by every 10th day. With compound interest」
「Even a good person will withdraw his words. You are a cheapskate...... No, not really. If comparing with the things provided, it"s in a conscience price. This is my conclusion. Whichever things I say, you are still a good person」
Anne smiles wryly.
And she shook hands with me in the same way as Kuna did.
「Anne, please be prepared for the evening. Because there is only this bed desu kara. Only this double room is the only thing available in this inn desu」
Because the inn is already fully booked, so they no choice but to sleep together here with three people.
Because of that it"s is less expensive than getting a triple room and it"s easier for the wallet.
「The same bed, with a man..... So immodest. But, there"s no money to get another accommodation, it"s inevitable」
「Anne, If he do something strange with the two of us, let"s beat him up shi mashou」
「Yeah, shall I cut it off so that strange things could never happens?」
「What!?」
As is expected, If there"s two women and a single man, then my standpoint will weaken.
「More or less, is there a meaning for three people to sleep with a bed for two?」
Just in case, I"ll recover my evaluation.
「Exploring the underground labyrinth basically doesn"t end by a day trip. A tent is brought in, in order to decrease the baggage it is normal to bring only one even when it"s for three people」
The tent is bulky and heavy. The guy who brings two to separate man and woman is a fool.
「Frankly speaking, it will be small. Therefore refusing to sleep together leads to death to the opposite s.e.x without any sleep and had acc.u.mulated fatigue. So it"s necessary to be accustomed among now before it"s too late」
I watch both Kuna and Anne with bored eyes when I emphasized it.
「What seem to be reasonable at a glance, is rather disgusting masu ne. Anne」
「It is so Kuna. If you lay your hands on us while sleeping in the underground labyrinth, I wonder if you can try to sleep outside?」
「You"re so cruel!」
It"s hard to say, but the eye and the tone of the two of them ware laughing.
The while studying through the night, night keeps advancing away.
But I couldn"t help being happy when the three of us were studying.