New town「××××××××」
There’s nothing in the dark, but I can hear voices.
Ever since I fainted, I’ve heard a joyful voice around me.
I can’t see the owner, and I can’t determine whether it’s a man or a woman from its voice.
It’s speaking one-sidedly. I can’t do anything in this darkness.
Eventually, the darkness dissolves, and I can see a faint light.
Ah, I’m waking up from a dream.
At the very least, I wanted to see who this nostalgic voice belonged to, but it doesn’t seem to be possible.
The light becomes larger and larger, and then my consciousness surfaces.
「Bye bye, let’s meet again!」
After I heard the voice speak to me for the last time, I woke up.
When I open my eyes, Charlotte’s face is in full view.
I feel like I had a nice dream, but I can’t remember what it was about.
Well, if I can’t remember it, it was probably a trifling dream.
「What are you doing?」
「Nuowa!?」
For the time being, I call out to Charlotte. Charlotte’s face solidifies. It seems she’s snapped out of it, and she rolls away on the floor.
「What are you doing?」
「I’m not doing anything! It’s not like I was planning on licking the delicious blood on your face again!」
That reminds me, Charlotte really is a vampire, huh.
Is it natural for her to want to drink blood because she’s a vampire?
While absently-mindedly thinking such, I take out a knife from the item box and go to slice my wrist.
「Wait, wait, wait! What the h.e.l.l are you doing!?」
「You want to drink blood, don’t you?」
「Mugu~」
Because I put it in Charlotte’s contract that she can’t attack people selfishly, she can’t drink blood from others.
Therefore, I have no choice but to let her drink mine.
I forgot about it until now. I’ll pay more attention from now on.
「I have returned. Charlotte-chan, were you watching over Maika-san carefu…」
Just when I was about to slice open my wrist, Celica came back with vegetables in her hands.
「Maika-san what are you doing!?」
「Charlotte wanted to drink my blood」
「I wouldn’t even dream about it!」
After that, Celica took the knife from my hand and pushed me back into the bed.
Charlotte just likes blood. I was told that she won’t die even if she doesn’t drink it.
However, since she couldn’t drink any even though she likes it, I’ll secretly let her drink some later.
「Still, I’m very happy that you woke up」
「When you suddenly collapsed I thought you had died」
「Actually, I died once」
「That joke isn’t funny」
I ain’t kidding!
While chatting with the two girls, I properly discuss with them the purpose of our journey, and that I will listen to their wishes.
At the beginning, I had bought these two so that Mira and Sara could have some friends, but after going into the dungeon together, I got attached to them as well.
That’s why I also want to grant these two their wishes.
After I explained why we were on this journey, I found out that when we had stayed at the expensive inn in the capital, these two had apparently already told the twins that they would cooperate.
Then, I’ll ask them what their wishes are.
「I want to get stronger. At the moment this is my only wish. Therefore, this trip is convenient. It would be good if you worked hard for my sake」
「Un, I understand」
When I obediently answered, for some reason, Charlotte looked at me with weird eyes.
Did I say something funny?
「I’m the same as Mira-chan and Sara. I want to get stronger so I can help people in need」
Just what I had expected from Celica. She’s a gentle child.
When I said 「Leave it to me」 Celica smiled happily.
When I asked Celica and Charlotte about our current situation, they said that we were about 100 kilometers south of the Imperial Capital. We’re at an inn in the town of Aranda. It seems 2 days has pa.s.sed since I collapsed.
In the meantime, they took turns nursing me and earning money to live off of by taking monster subjugation requests.
「I’m sorry」
「No, please don’t apologize. You are always helping us」
「I’m just doing what I want to do」
「If that’s the case, then we are just doing what we wanted too」
Uumu, when it’s said like that, I can’t talk back.
To do so much for someone like me though. I feel bad. Alright, let’s do something for the girls later.
Celica told me to stay in bed for the rest of the day.
Because I haven’t moved in a while, my body feels sluggish, so if possible I had wanted to exercise. I don’t want to worry the girls anymore though, so I’ll behave today.
Thinking about it, after defeating such a huge troll, everyone’s level has probably risen quite a bit, so I take a look at everyone’s status. Some skill levels have improved, but their levels didn’t change that much.
I wonder why?
While thinking about such things, I remember that the entrance to that fight had disappeared after I entered the boss room.
That room was probably isolated from the outside, so that means what happens inside won’t affect the outside?
I ask Charlotte if anything happened when they left the dungeon.
When she says nothing happened, even after that extreme battle I had, I’m convinced that my idea is correct.
In other words, if I go alone and defeat the boss, the experience only goes to the person that is in the boss room.
I don’t think many of the bosses will be on the same level as that Troll, but when we come across another boss of that magnitude, fighting while trying to protect everyone would be impossible.
Basically, when everyone’s level rises sufficiently, I will let the girls fight alone, and I’ll only help them in boss rooms.
If so, everyone will be safe, and I’ll be able to fight strong enemies.
However, even if the enemy is ridiculously strong, if I don’t get any experience from it…
What should I do?
Mira and Sara returned from a request in the evening, and we all eat dinner together.
It’s bland as usual. It looks like, after eating at that expensive inn, this is a disappointing taste for everyone.
I need to obtain some seasoning soon.
At dawn the next morning, we’re all holding weapons at the outskirts of the town.
To exercise, we are going to have the mock battle I had promised them in the dungeon.
When I had told them about the mock battle, although at first they had sad looks on their faces, now they look serious.
In the 2 days I was down, they trained and subjugated monsters for requests. Let’s see how much they’ve grown.
The rules are simple. If I get hit, the girls win. If 10 minutes pa.s.s, or the girls are no longer able to move, it’s my win.
After the coin I flip falls to the ground, the battle will start.
The coin hits the ground.
「Flame」
At the same time she says that, a pillar of fire rises from the ground.
I dodged backwards to avoid the fire, and at that moment, the flying Charlotte finished casting [Abyss].
Did they prepare a strategy beforehand?
I won’t say that it’s cowardly. In fact, I’m pleased that they are taking this fight seriously.
「Sei」 (せいっ)
From the side, as Celica swings her greatsword at me, Mira shoots an arrow that I grab with my bare hand.
Abyss is shot at me again, so I dodge and notice that Sara has vanished.
I activate [Detection] and sense someone behind me.
I kick off the ground and backflip behind Sara. Shortly after I do that, Sara appears and swings her sword at the place I had been standing just moments before.
If I’m not mistaken, was that Mira’s light magic [Mirage]?
I understand how much their cooperation has increased just from this, but how about in a real fight?
I at least understand that everyone has gotten a lot better, so I’m happy. I guess I’ll get a little serious.
「I came when you called, but what is with this situation?」
Maria looks at the 4 girls lying on the ground, and puts on a strained smile.
「It was just a small mock battle」
She was convinced by my words and looked at the 4 girls with sympathy in her eyes.
It’s weird though. I don’t think I was that serious.
「So, why did you call me here instead of going to the adventurer’s guild?」
「It’s big, so the guild isn’t any good」
「?」
It will be faster to show her in person.
From the item box, I take out the orc’s corpse, the golem’s core, the venomous bat’s corpse, and the troll’s corpse.I haven’t dismantled it since it looked like it’d be too much trouble. There isn’t a concept of time in the item box, so the corpses are still fresh.
「So you were able to defeat that troll, huh. Even a party of rank 10 adventurers weren’t able to defeat it」
Apparently, a dungeon boss with a higher rank than the dungeon itself is rare.
Maria said it’s meaningless to raise the level of the dungeon just because of its boss.
「How much will you pay for all this?」
「Let’s see. It’s rare for the golem’s core to be intact so I will pay 8000 Gill for all? I don’t know what the troll can be used for so I will reserve it for now」
I don’t know if the prices are good, but it’s alright either way.
I help place the corpses in a special item bag.
「Is it alright for me to come for the troll’s corpse later? I will research what uses it may have. The club is too large for me to carry as well, so if you could hold on it for now, I’d be happy」
「I understand. Also, I have a request」
I ask Maria about alchemy. Then I ask her to provide an item bag for everyone, and for 2 katanas.
When I used that skill to kill the troll, the blades of the two swords disappeared. At the moment, I no longer have any weapons, so if I encounter another monster on the same level as that troll, I won’t be able to do anything. That’s why the swords are required immediately.「Yes, I can teach you alchemy」 she promised to show me next time. However, I was told not to expect too much from the swords. It seems like craftsmen that can make a katana are rare.
I wanted to go into town and walk around until Maria returned, but these four are still lying motionless on the ground, so I will wait here until they recover. I’ll do something about the troll’s corpse in the meantime.
First of all, this club.
– Club of the Troll boss rank10
Durability 700/1000
STR+300
INT－300
Even after being swung with such force, this club still didn’t break. Its durability is something special. The stats of this club are the best I’ve seen since I arrived in this world.
The problem is that it’s so big and heavy that no one would be able to wield it.
When I lift it, I can feel its weight. It really is very heavy.
In conclusion, it’s useless at the moment, so I’ll find a use for it later.
Next is the corpse.
Well, even if I say corpse, all it consists of is meat and skin.
Let’s try the meat. Un, it’s disgusting.
Because the [Abnormal State Immunity] reacted, it seems the meat is poisonous.
This isn’t usable. No, maybe it can be used for traps?
I’ll get back to this later.
Next, the skin.
When I peel it from the meat and touch it, it’s quite hard. It’s not very pretty, but a high quality armor could be made out of this.
The problem is whether or not people can process it. Maria may be able to think of something at the very least.
During the dismantling of the Troll, the four girls somehow recovered.
Now, let’s go look around town.