Chapter 11

Chapter 3 New Base, New Adventure Part 1: Falina and Sheska After defeating the Demonic Dragon with Might, Falina Laurier had returned home, where the Holy King lauded her for the feat. However, she hadn’t asked for fame or status as her reward. The cardinals had desperately wanted to retain her, as she was now the most powerful fighter of their country, but she turned them away. Having been born with the vocation of Archknight, she was supposed to attend the Royal Academy but had turned it down to apply for the Knight Institute. She had then signed up to take part in the effort to kill the Demonic Dragon and never once returned to the dorm she had used until she left the Knight Institute. Instead, she was given provisional authority equal to that of a marquis, as well as a portion of land in the Knight Order’s territory. Currently, she was sitting on the balcony of her private quarters on the second floor, clutching her sword. Sheska, who had accompanied her back to the Holy Kingdom, placed a tray of food on a nearby table. Then she sat on the bed in the room and sighed. “You’ll waste away if you don’t eat, Falina.” There was no answer. Falina’s silver hair hid her eyes, and shadows fell across her gaunt cheeks. “…Why am I still alive?” “Because Might wanted you to live. That’s why he took your place.” “But I didn’t… Might has always been like that. He puts other people before himself, again and again.” “I feel responsible, too. I keep asking myself why I never learned a spell that can repel the Curse of Death. What use is being level 99 if I still can’t protect what’s most important to me?” “When Might protected me, I…” Falina’s voice was barely a rasp, and Sheska smiled forlornly. “…I was relieved. So much for not being afraid of dying.” “Never say that you’re not afraid to die. No matter how much it hurts to lose Might. When you give up on your life, you take away the meaning of his sacrifice.” Hearing Sheska’s words, Falina reacted slightly. She raised her head, revealing a dry face. Sheska had never seen Falina cry. However, Falina’s eyes weren’t seeing what was in front of her. There was no light in them because they were looking at something that wasn’t there. “In the first place, we don’t know for sure that Might died from the curse. He disappeared, which means there’s a possibility he was just teleported somewhere, don’t you think?” “That goddess didn’t say anything about it. All she did was reward us. And not with what we wanted. It was all stuff we didn’t ask for.” “If only she’d undone Might’s curse… That’s the only thing all of us wanted. But she didn’t listen. I suppose that’s a deity for you.” “Even so, I…I want to meet her again. And I’ll ask for the same thing. I’ll offer my life in exchange—” “As I said, giving up your life is the one thing you should never do. Instead, live. Live and find something that you can do.” Sheska didn’t want to lose Falina, too, though she knew hope was as vain as grasping at clouds. With Might gone and Enju back where she belongs, I’m the only one who can keep Falina tethered. I’ve got to be a good big sister to her! “Let’s look for Might, then. Chances are slight, but we might find out something if we go to his hometown.” “Are you suggesting…he’s not dead? Even though he…in my arms…” “He disappeared. That’s different from dying. Or do you think I’m just trying to convince you through arguing?” This was a gamble for Sheska. If she couldn’t earn Falina’s trust, the other girl was going to keep skipping all her meals and eventually give up living. She had grown so weak that her life was in actual danger. A little light returned to Falina’s eyes. A tear welled up in one eye and spilled down her cheek. “Also, if we stay here, someone will try to mess with us again.” Sheska huffed. “Don’t they ever think about what we can do to them if they anger us?” The joking seemed to have reached Falina a little. Her face, which had remained blank no matter what Sheska said so far, cracked a smile. “The ideas that the cardinals come up with are all along the lines of marrying me off to the prince of a neighboring country. They can only say things like that because they don’t know the journey we’ve been on.” “I can’t tell you how thankful I am that your father is willing to let you do what you want. Can you imagine how much worse the conversation would have gone without his help?” “…I practically abandoned my family to enter the Knight Institute. And I only told them I was applying to fight the Demonic Dragon after I’d enrolled. I only keep making my father worry about me.” “In that case, the gods shouldn’t smite you for doing it one more time. I’m a cleric; I should know!” Falina nodded slightly and got up. When she walked back into her room, she swayed and lost her balance, but Sheska deftly caught her. “This is what happens when you don’t eat for three days, even if you are an oh-so-great Archknight. Geez, now you’re making me worry about you.” “…I still can’t move on, but I’ll eat. If I don’t, he’ll laugh at me.” “Might won’t laugh. He’s always looked out for you as a big brother.” “Big brother…? I’ve never thought about him that way. To me, Might is Might.” With Sheska’s help, Falina made her way to the living room. On the table was the food that Sheska had carried over just now. Falina took a seat at Sheska’s urging, lowered her face, and mumbled something. “…” “Hm? Did you say something?” “…It’s nothing.” Falina grabbed a piece of bread and put it in her mouth. “Vanguards are always hungry because they have to move around so much.” “In that case, Falina, I’ll have to learn from you how to enjoy every bite I take.” Part 2: Night at the Millers’ After Ursula got out of the bath, he came to my room as if it were only natural. For some reason, however, Lystie and the others snatched him away. “Well, I suppose it’s fine if Might—no, if Master can rest easier this way.” “Ur, don’t call him that!” “Are you talking about me? You can just call me ‘Might,’ you know.” “No, this is my way of squaring things. Good night, Master.” Something about him seemed different from before the bath. Maybe it was just that he’d talked with Lystie and the others and had gotten closer with them. Though, I guess it was a good thing that he was mellowing out. Ursula was an earth spirit but looked like a young boy, so I wasn’t sure whether it was okay for him to join the girls in the bath. However, I myself had bathed with Mabel when I was young, so—No, now wasn’t the time to think about that. A knock came at my door. I opened it and found Marino standing in the hallway. “Um, how are you finding your room?” “Oh, it’s great. Ursula went to sleep with the others, so it looks like I’ll be using this whole place myself.” “That’s fine. We have plenty of rooms.” “Speaking of Ursula, are you sure about letting him stay here indefinitely?” “Ursula can stay forever if that’s what ends up happening. We have more than enough savings to support one more person. My mom’s over the moon that we have a new family member. Oh, and because you and your party did so much more for us than what we requested, we’ll be adding a bonus to your reward.” “We’d be grateful for that, of course, but please don’t overextend yourselves. You still have your father’s treatment fees to worry about.” A faintly shining lock appeared in front of Marino’s chest. Additionally, another one had appeared at the stairs down at the end of the hallway, too. The next instant, both locks scattered into particles of light that faded away. Seriously? I was just saying what I was thinking, though. After Mabel, it was now clear that this phenomenon was something that also happened to people who weren’t my party members. “Mr. Might, um, can I interest you in—?” “Marino, can’t you see that Mr. Might is tired? Let’s not take up any more of his time.” “Agh! Mom! I said I didn’t need you looking over my shoulder.” The person coming up the stairs and walking over was, of course, Ms. Ally. She was dressed for bed, it seemed. She had on a negligee underneath a gown, but the curves of her breasts were incredibly well defined. My eyes reflexively darted away. “I’m sorry. I heard voices… Don’t worry about Ursula. We have plenty of clothes, too.” “R-right. That’s good to hear. I’ll make sure to drop by every once in a while.” “Feel free to come whenever you want.” I thought the conversation was over, but Ally continued staring at me. Their locks being undone probably means the upper limit of my Bond with them has been removed. But it’s not like I suddenly grew a lot closer to them, right? That said, they sure are staring. I wonder what it feels like when the lock is released. “I-in any case, we’ll have breakfast ready for you tomorrow. Afterward, we’ll drive you back to Fortune.” “Thank you very much.” “Good night, Mr. Might.” Marino gave me a little wave, then headed over with her mother to knock on the door of the room where the girls and Ursula were staying, probably to say good night to them. I went back into my own room and got into bed. I wasn’t physically tired, but the repeated usage of mana had tired me out. It didn’t take long for sleep to overcome me. Now that I think about it, did Lystie borrow her nightwear from Ms. Ally? That was just… I was able to remain calm seeing her like that only because I’m a Sage now, right? Yeah, let’s assume so. The last thought that flitted across my mind was just incoherent rambling. At the same time, in Lystie’s group’s room after the Millers had left… “Platinum, you’ve been acting weird for the past while. What’s wrong?” “Oh, I noticed that, too. I mean, Ms. Platinum is always acting weird, though.” “How could you?! You always look like you’re having the time of your life when you make those potions of yours!” “But I do have the time of my life. Just now, I was using the sand that I got from the golem… Oh, but that belongs to Ur. Do you think I have to give it back?” “Zzz…zzz…” As it turned out, Ursula was already fast asleep, tucked into Lystie’s bed. Upon noticing, the other three moved into the next room and lowered their voices. “So, um, I was thinking about what Might did for me during today’s battle…” “Ah… That was necessary to enable you to use your new skill, right?” “Speaking of which, when we left the ruins, I felt something strange. I’d be super embarrassed if I’d just imagined it, but is that what you two also felt before?” “…! Th-that’s…” Lystie and Platinum exchanged looks. After a silent contest about who would explain, Platinum cleared her throat. “From what I gather, Might’s power as a Sage is to draw out our own powers in the form of new skills.” “So that’s what it is. And you learned the skill to give other people your mana because Might needed mana at the time?” “I—I believe so.” “Ms. Platinum, you’re a Paladin, right? Is this something Paladins can normally do?” Once again, Lystie and Platinum exchanged looks. Platinum then turned toward Nanase. “Sorry, my vocation is actually Royal Order. I can’t tell you any more right now, but I do think that transferring mana to someone else is quite in line with the role that Royal Orders are supposed to play.” “Royal… I see.” “Are you angry that I lied about my vocation?” “Of course not. There are Apothecaries who keep their vocation a secret. Because, you know, ‘medicine’ is a pretty wide field. We’re sometimes targeted by scary organizations who force us to make things for them.” Platinum breathed a sigh of relief. Lystie smiled a little, but her expression also looked a little lonely. “S-so, I know it was necessary at the time, but now I can’t help wondering what I’m supposed to do if or when Might asks for it again. I guess I’m feeling delayed embarrassment.” There were tears welling up in Platinum’s eyes, and her voice was quivering. It was clear this was significant to her, but Nanase’s response was surprisingly dry. “Why’re you worrying so much about this? You yourself said that it’s a necessary measure, so you just have to accept it.” “A-accept it…? Is that truly the only way? Every time we need that skill, Might has to k-k-kiss me again? I know it’s the back of my hand, but I still feel bad making him do it.” “…Is kissing the only way it works? When he needs me to use my skill, will I also need him to, uh, kiss me?” “I feel like overthinking it will just make things awkward for Mr. Might. Isn’t this what it means to have a party with both guys and girls? We decided to invite him in because we believed we could trust him, remember?” “…You say that, but your face is red, too, Nanase. You don’t get to act like you’re the only adult here and that you’re above all this.” “Ugh… It’s just that this kind of topic makes me blush! You say all that, Ms. Platinum, but have you been feeling embarrassed this whole time? You should have mentioned it earlier. The longer you wait, the more self-conscious you get. If you get to where you can’t show yourself in front of Mr. Might again, you’re a lost cause.” “Ugh, kill me already!” “H-hold on, don’t fight. Platinum is trying to address the problem by asking us, so let’s hear her out first.” Thanks to Lystie’s mediation, Nanase backed down. However, Platinum was still holding her fiery cheeks. Lystie stared for a while, then burst into laughter. Nanase couldn’t help joining in, too. “Geez… Fine. You’re beautiful and confident, Ms. Platinum. Just be yourself in front of Mr. Might.” “Am I, though? It’s been ages since I last considered myself a woman.” “The clothes you borrowed are all really cute, Platinum. You have a good sense for what suits you.” “Th-that’s just because that’s all that Ms. Ally prepared for me.” “Okay, do I have to say this? You’re wearing a very sexy negligee right now.” “For all we know, maybe this is what people normally wear at night! Who are we to judge?” “Ohhh, you were too embarrassed to let Might see you because this is what you were wearing. Now I get it.” Now it was Platinum’s and Nanase’s turn to look at Lystie askance. “Uh, does she not see herself?” “She’s always been like that. I’m honestly surprised that Might managed to stay cool.” “Wait, what? What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” Apparently, Lystie wasn’t aware that what she was wearing wasn’t all that different from the nightwear that was making Platinum so embarrassed. Neither had she noticed how Might had looked at her. “I think it’s about time we go to sleep. Am I in the same bed as you, Ms. Platinum?” “Indeed. Don’t worry. I hardly move around in my sleep.” “Come on, you two!” “Ms. Lystie, please keep your voice down! You’ll wake Ur.” Lystie startled and clapped her hands over her mouth. Then she carefully got into bed to avoid waking Ur up. After she closed her eyes, the scene of Might kissing Platinum’s hand came to mind. W-will the same thing happen to me, too? Wait, no, if I let this bother me too much…I’ll be making things hard…for Might… Having Ursula nearby felt strangely comforting. It took almost no time at all before Lystie fell asleep. The last thing she thought about was how Might was doing all alone in his room. Part 3: Quest Complete After we enjoyed breakfast at the Millers’, Ally drove us back to Fortune in her carriage. When we got off at the square close to the East Gate, Lystie and the others were rubbing their behinds. The road had been quite bumpy, making the ride a bit painful. “Everyone, thank you once again. Here is your reward.” Lystie gasped. “You’re giving us this much? Don’t you need this yourself, with the state your fields are in and everything?” “Please take it. I know you and your companions have forgiven us, but it doesn’t change the fact that we basically strong-armed you into this. Also, thanks to you, I feel like I’ve gained another daughter.” While Ally and Lystie talked, Marino approached me. “Mom even asked me if I’d ever felt lonely being an only child. I guess she’s already fully accepted Ur as a member of our family.” “Already? I see.” “Ur looks young but says such adult things sometimes. It really catches me off guard.” “‘Adult things’? Like what?” I was just asking without much thought, but Marino blinked with surprise like she hadn’t expected me to. “Um, like… ‘My master’—I think that’s you, right?—‘has so much experience that he plays a chaste maiden like me like a fiddle’…” “He—she said that? Well, don’t take what she says at—” “No, don’t misunderstand! I… I also have a ton of experience!” Marino’s red face made it very obvious that she was lying. I was trying to figure out why she would make up such a lie when someone jabbed me in the side. “Mr. Might, please don’t talk about lewd things out loud in public. People would think that we’re all lewd just because we’re standing with you.” “I didn’t! I swear I—!” “Marino! It’s about time to go visit your father.” “Coming, Mom! Mr. Might, I’ll see you again. With Ur, too, next time.” “Sure thing. Say hi to your father for me, too.” For some reason, it felt like Marino had really warmed to me all of a sudden. Never did I think that I’d build such a close relationship with a farmer’s daughter or get involved with a world as peaceful as hers. Ally and Marino left their carriage with someone, then headed out into the city, probably to where Ally’s husband was receiving treatment. Our job was officially over, and all we had left to do was report back to the guild. Lystie, who had been staring at me for a while, said, “You want Marino to say hi to her father for you?” “You know that’s not what I meant. That look hurts, all right?” “I imagine even the stubbornest father would fold if Might showed up to give his greetings in person. Indeed, even my father…” “Speaking of your father, Ms. Platinum, you don’t talk much about your family. Neither does Ms. Lystie, now that I think about it.” Lystie and Platinum got tongue-tied for a moment. As I’d suspected, it was something they were keeping secret. “It’s fine,” Nanase quickly added. “I’m happy enough going on adventures with this party. I won’t pry into your past, either, Mr. Might, though I’m bursting with questions.” “…Sorry, Nanase. I promise I’ll tell you everything one day. But right now…” “Really, it’s fine, Ms. Lystie. I won’t ask why you seem so regal and dignified sometimes. I also won’t ask Ms. Platinum about the crest on her armor.” “Nothing gets by you, it seems. I apologize for hiding things from you even though we’re companions.” “Honestly, I think of us more as friends than as companions. I’m a bit brazen like that.” Nanase laughed, which made the rest of us laugh, too. “Ah, he laughed,” Platinum commented. “What?” I replied. “You always look calm and composed,” Lystie explained. “Now we know that you can laugh, too.” I ran over the past few days in my mind. Had I really not laughed at all? “You always look so serious, Might. How about you practice smiling with Falina?” “I won’t do it, but I don’t mind watching Might practicing.” “I am sensing that Falina is currently enjoying herself.” “…See, you stare off into the distance like that sometimes. Next time, I’m going to doodle on your face.” When I came back to myself, I found Nanase peering up at me. The way she was bending over at such a close distance made it possible for me to see underneath her collar, where there was a valley, albeit one with gentle slopes. I immediately averted my eyes. “Ah. S-sorry for showing you something so unsightly. I felt hot while riding in the carriage, so I loosened my collar, and—” “N-no, it’s fine. In these situations, it’s the one who sees it who should apologize.” “Might? What did you see?” “I’m sure if those sharp eyes were directed at me, I wouldn’t stand a chance. Those were the eyes of a bird of prey.” Platinum clutched herself and shivered, but I somehow got the impression that she was also happy. “It’s time for the bird of prey to return to his nest, then. Wait, who’re you calling a bird of prey?!” “Um, Mr. Bird of Prey, I have a favor to ask.” “…Nanase, it’s best if we don’t come along, right?” Lystie looked wary for some reason, as if she really didn’t want to come along. “I don’t mind if you do, but on the off chance that the experiment blows—I mean, the slime, uh…” “The thing that was in the goblins’ treasure chest, yes? I’ve heard that medicine can be made from slimes, but…” “I know you’re bad with slimes, Ms. Platinum. Ms. Lystie, you don’t have to force yourself, either.” “Oh, are you doing an experiment with a slime? Sure, I don’t mind helping.” “Thank you, Mr. Might! In that case, let’s meet up again after reporting back at the guild.” Like her fellow Apothecaries, Nanase channeled most of her energy into preparing many potion recipes, choosing ones that she thought were useful, compounding them, and then carrying them on her person. I was curious to see what potion she could make from slimes, but I got the impression that what she really wanted to do was to try something out. Lystie and Platinum clearly wanted no part of it, probably because something terrible had happened to them during past experiments. That left me to be the victim—ahem, the chaperone this time. Part 4: Butler and Maid When I walked into the Novices Guild with Lystie and the others, I was once again showered with gazes. “Did you hear? Lystie’s group weren’t at their usual tavern last night.” “Wait a minute. If they just came back, does that mean they took on a job where they stayed overnight with that guy?!” “Why can’t I be him?! I swear by the goddesses that I’ll never forgive him!” If envy could be converted into heat, I would have instantly turned to ash. “…Say, Might. Why are so many people looking at you?” “Maybe because I look confident even though I’m a newcomer? And because Sages are rare in this town?” “Mr. Might, I know you get a lot of offers from other parties because of your rare vocation, but you shouldn’t listen to them, all right?” In reality, no one had approached me, and now I was dedicated to staying with Lystie’s group. That said, I did feel a little sympathetic toward the rough-and-tumble men who were their fans. “What a coincidence this is! I, too, have just returned from finishing a blue card job.” The handsome blond we had met before—his name is Brandt, if I remember correctly—showed up in front of us. Just like last time, he was accompanied by an extremely muscular old man in a Butler uniform and a woman in Maid attire. “We’ll also do our best to get blue cards soon,” Lystie replied. “Yes, you will… Huh? Is that all you have to say?” “What else would there be?” Brandt’s pauldron slipped. His Maid caught it and, without saying anything, returned it to its former position. “Ahem. To get a blue card, you need to have experience fighting monsters. If you wish, I’d be more than happy to help you—” “We don’t need it,” Platinum interrupted. “Uh… You don’t?” “We’re completing our jobs just fine,” Nanase added. “We don’t need any advice or guidance.” Brandt’s face twitched at the blunt rejection. To hide it, he swept his hair back with an exaggerated motion. “Phew. Ah, yes. All youngsters go through a period when they get overconfident. Very well, I’ll respect that pride of yours today. Gramps, Dorothea, let’s go.” “As you wish.” “Understood, Young Master.” “Y—I told you not to call me that in pub—Ahem, never mind. We’ll talk later.” Brandt promptly walked out, but the two who looked like his servants stayed behind and bowed toward us. “My deepest apologies,” the Butler said. “The young master has no ill intent. He approached you only because he acknowledges you as adventurers with potential. However, it is clear that you can handle yourselves just fine without any help from us.” “Yes, well,” Lystie replied, “we’re actually here today to report a job that we’ve just finished.” “You need not feel obligated to accept his advances,” the Maid reassured us. “In fact, please continue giving him the cold shoulder. However, please don’t tell him I said that.” The Maid with chestnut-colored hair looked demure but turned out to be quite strict with Brandt. Rather than a servant, chances were higher that she was his chaperone or tutor. “I am Melvin, and I am a Butler in Master Brandt’s party.” “I am Dorothea, and I am a Maid.” “…Are you sure about introducing yourselves that way? It makes it obvious he’s either a noble or from a well-known family.” “You are unaware of the Schwaig family! I see—you must be new to this city. It appears we have been presumptuous.” “Master Melvin, I believe the young master is about to run out of patience.” “So he is. Ladies and gentleman, may the goddesses’ blessings be with you.” The old Butler who had called himself Melvin placed one hand on his chest and made a praying gesture. Dorothea plucked the edges of her skirt and curtsied, then turned around and walked out the door. “The old grandpa probably has it tough,” Nanase mused. “Imagine always having to look after a young master like that.” “That elderly man is far more adept than he lets on,” Platinum said. “The Maid, too. She had no openings at all.” “We’re completing our jobs without issue, so he can give other parties his help if he likes. We already have a reliable mentor in Might here.” Lystie shot me a smile. “I’m not sure what to say to that, but, well… I thank all of you for being a great help to me, too.” “What? W-we have?” “Hm… I feel like we’ve been overly reliant on you, though…” Lystie and Platinum were both blushing. Seeing them react like that made me squirm a little. “Ah, Ms. Lystie and party. The time limit for your current job is a week, but you are already back. That is remarkable.” Apparently, the receptionist could tell from our faces that we had finished our job. She was happy for us from the bottom of her heart. “This is the reward we received. It’s, um, more than the amount written on the request form.” “That is an indicator of what a wonderful job you did, so it will add to your evaluation. As the request was to eliminate monsters that had shown up at a farm, may I see your kill log, please?” Lystie produced her white guild card and passed it to the receptionist. Guild cards served as records of an adventurer’s activities, and guild staff had the authority to peruse those records. “…That’s strange, I see a red name here. If one of these appeared in these parts, we would have had to evacuate all nearby residents. Let me see, it says…earth…golem?” Lystie turned around and looked at me, as if asking for help. I racked my brains for an explanation that wouldn’t go into the whole Ursula thing. “As it turned out, an earth golem was responsible for the monsters appearing on the farm. We had to defeat it to complete the job, so we managed it somehow.” “D-did you really defeat it? Some are stronger than others, but generally, the recommended level for fighting an earth golem is level 15. To fight one with a proper safety margin, you’d have to be level 20. After defeating a monster with such a huge level difference, surely all of you must have leveled up?” “The requester allowed us to stay for the night. When we woke up, we did indeed feel stronger.” Sleeping at an inn after gaining experience was the way to level up. I was still level 1, but the three girls had all gone up in levels. The fact that I didn’t level up even after killing an earth golem meant either that I needed significantly more experience to level up after the vocation change or that I had to meet certain conditions. Either way, it was imperative that I find a solution soon. Part 5: Red Names and Special Rewards “Congratulations, Ms. Lystie. You have reached level 5, so you will get a new guild card with a different color.” I could see the “Ah” on all three girls’ faces. The next color after white was blue. “Wh-what are you going to do, Ms. Lystie? You’re already a blue card.” “Hmm, that man named Brandt seemed very proud of being a blue card, but…” “I’m not going to tell him. As they say, ignorance is bliss.” I was in full agreement with Lystie’s decision and therefore stayed silent. The receptionist looked puzzled about what we were talking about, but we smiled and waved it off. “Of those registered with our guild, blue card is the highest that anyone possesses. That means you are now a senior adventurer here. Congratulations.” “And with this, I can now take on more difficult requests?” “That is correct. You can now accept any requests marked as blue on the bulletin board. In addition, since you defeated a red name monster, you may choose a special reward.” “What is there?” Red name monsters were basically bounty targets. The presence—and death—of one greatly affected the safety of an entire area. It was extremely unlikely that the earth golem we fought would have damaged any of the surroundings, but since it was on the kill log on our cards, we were going to be rewarded for it. “One option is citizenship in Fortune and a residence. The residence is a property worth a thousand gold coins on the market, but you will have the right to rent it for free.” “Wait, a residence…as in, a home?!” Nanase exclaimed. “We get a home?!” “That’s correct. Our City Council wishes to entice adventurers capable of dealing with powerful monsters to choose Fortune as their base. That said, you are under no obligation to fight when a powerful monster does appear in the city’s vicinity. Adventurers always have the freedom of choice.” We did intend on being based in Fortune for a while, so we didn’t mind that the city wanted us to bolster its defense. Being able to stay in a rented property for free was way better than moving from inn to inn and paying by night. With all that said, there was a glaring problem with this arrangement. “…Ah, Mr. Might, don’t misunderstand. I’m not thinking that while it’s true our party relies on you heavily, it’d still be embarrassing to live with a guy I just met and have people make rumors about it! I promise I’m not!” “I—I—I’m not bothered, either, of course. Though people in general do call it co-co-cohabitation…” “Would it still be cohabitation with three girls and one guy? It’d just be co-living, wouldn’t it? There’d be nothing inappropriate going on. Right, Might?” “Uh, I… Look, I know you three would feel more comfortable if it’s just you three. Just because we’re in a party together, it doesn’t automatically give me the right to live with you.” “Why did he ask, ‘Did you enjoy your night?’ All we did was sleep.” “He’s an innkeeper. I’m sure he says it to all his guests.” “I have determined that this knowledge is not recommended for Falina to know. Might, I request your aid.” Falina’s indignant face and the sisterly smiles on Sheska’s and Enju’s faces flashed across my mind. I remembered thinking that he probably wouldn’t have asked if I hadn’t been there, but I had decided to keep that to myself. “U-um, Might. I’m not actually against coha—I mean, co-living, so…” “R-right. I understand. Or what should I say here?” “I guess if Ms. Lystie and Ms. Platinum are fine with it, I am, too. Otherwise, we’d have to meet up at the guild first before doing anything, and that’s just a pain.” “And there you have it, Might. I, too, want to ask you to live with us. We’ll do our best to make sure you don’t feel uncomfortable just for being the only guy.” Since all three had given their permission, I had no reason to say no. Even so, I still felt a little abashed and hesitant. “Besides the house,” the receptionist continued, “you can also ask for a letter of recommendation from a noble or choose from a catalog of enchanted weapons or armor.” All of us exchanged glances and burst out laughing. Our answer was decided. “The rental property, please,” Lystie said. “We plan on staying in this town for the foreseeable future.” “Wonderful. Here are the keys.” We were given two keys. They looked identical, so they were probably copies. “In that case, Platinum and I will go inspect the house. As for this key… Would you hold on to it, Might?” “Me? Are you sure?” “You keep it, Mr. Might. I don’t mind having it, but you probably won’t lose it as easily as I would.” “So, you two are off to experiment on a potion or the like? Make sure you come back before it gets too dark.” Lystie giggled. “You sound like an elder sister, Platinum.” “I am the eldest in this party, so I’m making an effort to be a good older sister.” Platinum looked at me, but I wasn’t sure what she wanted me to say. They were all my younger sisters, from where I stood, but I didn’t expect them to understand it in light of my current appearance. “ARRRGH! Oh, gods, please take away my sight! I no longer want to see! I cannot bear to see reality any longer!” “Lystie, the love of my life, just gave another guy the key to her house…” “Ah! I get it now. It looked like a key but was actually something else that isn’t a key! That’s got to be it!” A corner of the guild had turned into a scene of pandemonium, but Lystie’s group had no idea and just openly handed me one of the keys. We were partying together, so there was nothing inappropriate going on, but I felt like passing the key somewhere else would have been a more diplomatic thing to do. “…Might, I was trying to insinuate that you can call me ‘Big Sister.’ Why didn’t you get it?” “Why did you think I’d get it? …I mean, you are a big deal, but still.” “Wait, by ‘big deal,’ are you referring to…? You can’t bring up a topic like that in a place like this.” Platinum placed a hand on her own breastplate, indicating that she thought I had been referring to the size of her chest. I swear I was not. “Gosh, what are you thinking about? Platinum, if you really want to be a big sister, you’ve got to stop exasperating Might.” “Mr. Might has a big heart, so it’s fine. That’s why he’s helping me with my experiment.” I was getting flattered a lot, but I chalked it up to everyone being excited at the unexpected windfall. For this day to end on a high note, I still had to make sure that Nanase’s experiment went off safely and without a hitch. The four of us left the guild, then Nanase and I split up from Lystie and Platinum and headed for a city gate. Part 6: Hidden Ingredient After we drove away the hobgoblin, dangerous monsters had stopped appearing in the forest in front of the South Gate. It had turned into a truly peaceful place where even squirrels and wild rabbits could be seen every once in a while. “Do you remember? This was the area where you opened the chest for us, Mr. Might. One of the things inside that chest was this slime essence.” “I’ve heard that Apothecaries can create slimes and make use of them in various ways.” “That’s right. Slimes are magical beings, but they can be made by Apothecaries with the right ingredients. This wasn’t in my textbook; I discovered it myself.” “That’s amazing!” “Thank you. I may not look like it, but I’m a hard worker.” Nanase put her fist on her waist and puffed out her chest proudly. “Speaking of working hard, there’s been something that I’ve wanted to ask you for quite a while: Aren’t the recipes that Apothecaries can make determined by their level?” “Ugh… Yes, you’re right. We gain new recipes the way other people gain skills. If we try to compound a recipe beyond our level, we end up with something with a completely different effect.” “I see. And is your level high enough to be working with slimes?” “…There’s no way to know until I try it.” Nanase stuck out her tongue. Is she for real? I thought, but then I realized I was her insurance. In that case, I simply had to do my duty. “Um…do you not want to do this anymore? It isn’t fair that I brought you out here without explaining anything, is it?” “Tell me one thing: What would happen if this experiment of yours fails?” “Best-case scenario is that nothing happens. Worst case, it could explode.” “…Then the wise thing to do would be to reach a reasonable level first before attempting it.” “Ah, no, wait! I have a feeling that with you around, it would go well!” “I mean, I’m not going to abandon you here, but—Hey! You’re getting too close!” “Nuh-uh, I’m not letting you get away! I’ve been waiting for this moment all this time!” Nanase drew closer and closer, her eyes practically on fire. What I’d thought were gentle slopes were strongly asserting themselves. As always, this girl had a very close sense of personal distance. Or more like she was way too unguarded. “A-all right, all right. First of all, can you back off a little?” “Huh? Ah… B-but I can’t have you leaving on me…” “Considering how far we’ve come, I’m going to stay with you till the end. If anything goes wrong during your experiment, I’ll immediately grab you and retreat to a safe distance. Is that fine with you?”