“Yes, please! I’m telling you, I really think that this will go well. But just in case, let’s do it next to some water.” Whenever the topic of experiments came up, Nanase would always get tunnel vision. It worried me a little, but at the same time it also warmed my heart to see how much she loved her vocation. Nanase led me farther into the forest until we reached a pond in a clearing. It was a pretty big pond, with fish swimming inside. Just then, one even jumped above the surface a ways in, making a big splash. “I’ve never eaten fish before. Is it any good?” “Being an elf, I’ve never had it, either. I like watching Might eat it, though.” “I’ve thoroughly cooked it over an open fire. Please enjoy.” I had experience pitching camp at the edge of a body of water on my journey to kill the Demonic Dragon. Even now, I could vividly picture the light of the campfire and my companions sitting around it. “Do you like fish?” Nanase asked. “I guess I do,” I replied. “Not that I was thinking of eating any just now.” “I don’t really like fish monsters, so I can’t help cringing a little when I eat normal fish. Anyway, I’ll start preparing for the experiment. This is my portable cauldron.” Nanase laid a cloth on the ground, followed by a metallic cauldron. Then she went to the water, filled up a canteen, and came back. “We use water a lot for brewing potions. A good Apothecary can tell water quality.” “And good drinking water is a matter of life or death.” “That is so true. Making potable water from rain is much more difficult than most people think.” Depending on what fauna or flora was nearby, water sources could be poisoned. That was where the Thief skill Detect Poison shone. It also worked on mushrooms and wild grasses, so I had often assumed the role of food taster while my companions watched on with concern. “Is all you need this time water and slime essence? Are you making a water slime?” “No, I’m making a special slime, so I have to add other ingredients, too.” “A special slime, you say. Ah, are you going to enchant it with an element?” “H-how did you know? Do you have magic that lets you read people’s minds?!” “No, no, of course not. Don’t worry—I can’t read minds. It’s just that I already know of slimes with elements.” “Ohhh, that’s why. Phew, that scared me. If you actually could read minds, by now, you’d be…” Nanase looked at me like she was brooding over something, which made me wonder if she had something she was trying to hide from me. Nah, that’s just being mean. “Anyway. An earth golem is, as you can tell by its name, a golem with the earth element. So I thought I could maybe use the sand from the golem for elemental enchanting.” “I see. True, I can see it being charged with Ursula’s power.” “Exactly. The problem is whether it’s compatible with these ingredients or not. And I’m getting a feeling that I’m missing one last thing. However, I have no idea what it is.” “Because there’s no recipe, you have to figure it out and add it yourself?” “Maybe, or maybe I’m wrong and I’ll waste all my ingredients. But I really have a feeling that I’ll succeed with you here.” There was hope and expectation gleaming in Nanase’s eyes, but I honestly just thought it was a matter of her level being too low. That said, letting her experiment by herself wasn’t an option. Maybe the explosion wouldn’t be life-threatening, but I still couldn’t help but worry. She could even lose self-confidence if she failed. So I wanted to do whatever I could to help her pull this off. “I’m sorry. I know I’m the one who brought this up and all. Now I sound uncool…” I could see Nanase’s hand shaking. Even though she was putting on a smile, she was nervous. Probably because she really wanted to succeed in front of me. “I got you. I’ll be watching right here. Calm down. You don’t want to drop the flask, do you?” Nanase took a deep breath. Her hand was still shaking, but she went ahead and took out the flask containing the slime essence. I reached out to steady her hand to make sure that she didn’t drop it. However, the moment my fingertip touched her hand, my mana got sucked through the point of contact. …?! “Break Seal I” activated. The Sealed Skill “Mana Essence Compounding” belonging to Nanase has been released. “Wh-what is happening, Nanase?” “It turns out that the last ingredient I need to complete this recipe is mana! In the form of mana essence!” Nanase promptly started throwing her ingredients into her cauldron. First the slime essence, then water, then the golem’s sand. As she started mixing it all up with a rod, my mana and hers merged together and flowed inside as well. I’d never known that Apothecaries used mana as an ingredient, too, but apparently that’s what Nanase was doing. “I didn’t have enough mana alone. It’s thanks to you that I realized it!” The more Nanase stirred, the brighter the inside of the cauldron became. Soon, the shine was blinding. “And with that…we’re done!” “Mana Essence Compounding” was successful. “Armed Slime” created. The light from the cauldron enveloped everything. One beat later, the contents of the cauldron jumped out. “Ahhhh!” The rainbow-colored liquid was several times greater in volume than what Nanase had put in. It shook itself as if it was alive; then, to our astonishment, it assumed the appearance of a human girl. “Is this…a slime?” “…! No, you can’t look, Mr. Might! You’re still too young for it!” “What?! No, I wasn’t looking at it like that!” Though half transparent, the slime was definitely in the form of a human. Naturally, it wasn’t wearing any clothes, so Nanase was covering my eyes with both of her hands. Technically, I was still one year older than she was, after my vocation change, but I suppose it didn’t make much difference to her. “U-um, Ms. Slime, can you make it look like you’re wearing clothes?” Apparently, the slime understood Nanase’s words. When Nanase slowly removed her hands from my eyes, I saw that the slime now looked like it was wearing armor with a different form and color than its own surface. “Ah, yes, an armed slime. It’s a slime, but it can create armor as tough as a golem’s body.” “Is it because I used sand from a golem that it assumed human form?” “As opposed to golem form? Uh, I’m pretty sure it can change its shape and color at will.” “…” Although the slime couldn’t speak, it nodded. The next moment, its half-transparent surface turned the color of skin. With that, the slime now looked even more humanlike. Specifically, it looked like a dark elf with tanned skin, perhaps because the sand had been that color. The mimicry was so impeccable that one would be hard-pressed to tell that this was a slime. “Do you understand what I’m saying?” Nanase asked. The slime nodded. This made Nanase happy, but more than that, she looked nervous. “You look pretty strong,” I said. “In fact, I sense just as much pressure from you as I did from the earth golem. Can you try giving me a punch?” “…” I demonstrated how to throw a punch. The slime nodded, slowly assumed a pose, then thrust its fist at me. “…!” I purposely took the attack, which turned out to be more powerful than I had imagined. This slime is more than strong enough to join our party as a full member. “This is incredible. It was just born but can already hold its own in a fight.” “R-really? But you’re not going to say that you’d rather have her and that you don’t need me anymore, are you?” “No, because you’re this slime’s master. It’s entirely up to you how you want to use it going forward.” “That’s a huge responsibility… Um, Ms. Slime, I’m first going to give you a name. Since you’re an armed slime, how about ‘Arm’?” Nanase wanted to know if it was too on the nose, but I liked that it was easy to understand. There were even adventurers who called their tamed monsters by numbers or species names, so it was really just a matter of what worked for each person. “…Ar…m. Na…me…” “Huh? You can speak? Wait, can you learn words?” “Mas…ter…Nanase…” “WHOO! Mr. Might, Arm just called me ‘Master’!” “Mi…ght. More…food…” “Hm? Ahh, are you referring to mana? Unfortunately, I don’t have all that…much…” In the middle of my sentence, my eyes suddenly started spinning. Apparently, I had inadvertently used too much mana again. This was probably something that all beginner Sages had to suffer through. “Mr. Might! No, wait, Arm, you can’t absorb Mr. Might’s mana!” “…Food…” I felt something soft—or, more correctly, supple—catching me. I also felt my mana being drained in a trickle, but it stopped almost right away. Thankfully, Arm had stopped taking my mana, but I would still need to rest for a while before I could open my eyes again. “So this is how it feels to give birth to a daughter…” I thought I heard Nanase saying something preposterous, but my consciousness was quickly slipping away. It was about time I gave serious thought to what measures I could take against running out of mana. Part 7: An Adventurer’s House When we returned to Fortune, Arm the armed slime had returned to a more slimelike appearance. Apparently, it needed more training to maintain its dark elf appearance for longer. “I think that if she levels up and gets stronger, she’ll be able to stay transformed for longer.” “That makes sense. But just so you know, I don’t yet have enough mana to keep her fed all by myself.” “We need to find a way to help you recover your mana, then. I know what ingredients are needed. Let’s pick up requests where we can find some.” “We should keep a close eye on the bulletin board at the guild, then. And we should probably also check out all the stores.” While talking, I realized that someone had been observing me ever since I returned through the city gate. The person was hiding his presence, but I could tell that he was using a Thief skill. Nanase hadn’t noticed anything, but I could hardly fault her. Only someone who could use the same skill or someone with suitable magic could pick up on a Thief using their skills. In my case, I could no longer use the skill, but the sense was already ingrained into me. Through tiny motions with my right hand, I asked, “Is the guildmaster trying to reach me?” “…?!” The man, who didn’t think I had noticed, quickly signed back in a fluster. “Master Crow…I believe? The guildmaster wants to speak to you. Outside the guild.” Of course, the actual signs had less nuance, but the man did make sure to use the sign that showed me respect. He wasn’t someone I knew personally, but clearly he knew about my identity as Crow. The guildmaster meeting someone in person and outside the guild was a big thing. Mabel likely had something she wanted my advice or help with. “Understood. Where?” “Hawk 19. The place is the same as before. That is all I was told to convey.” “Hawk 19” was one of the numerous locations that the Thieves Guild had set up in the city for exchanging information. I knew all of them like the back of my hand. “Mr. Might, it’s up this hill. I think that one’s our house.” “So it is. By the way, Nanase…you’re attracting a lot of attention.” “Ah. I-I’m sorry. I think Arm took a liking to this position. I’m not taking advantage of her, I swear!” Of all places, Arm had settled right underneath Nanase’s collar inside her shirt, which made her chest area look rather inflated. Nanase had said that she felt bad stuffing Arm back into a bottle, but this was definitely not a good permanent solution. “So this is our new home…” “Hm, it’s newer than what I imagined when they said it was free. This is where we’ll be living from now on, huh?” “Wait, I didn’t mean anything weird with what I said!” “It’s co-living, not cohabitation, right?” Nanase looked flustered for a moment; then she blushed and glared at me. “Mr. Might, aren’t you a little too calm? Why can’t you be a little nervous like I—?” The front door opened, and Platinum walked out. “Nanase, Might, you’re back. We’ve finished tidying up the place. Your beds are ready, too.” Without her armor, Platinum had a completely different air about her. She looked like a graceful adult woman, in fact. Before my reincarnation, eighteen looked like a child in my eyes. Now, though…I’m pretty sure my mind is being affected by my physical body. Though I guess Nanase would scold me for thinking about this kind of thing. “Hm? Nanase, you… What happened to your chest?” “I made a slime. That’s where I’m carrying it right now. Mr. Might said that it could serve as a new member of our party.” “The experiment was a success, then. Congratulations, Nanase.” “Hey, you can’t rub my head, I’m not a child… Eh-heh-heh.” Despite what she said, Nanase looked happy to have Platinum rubbing her head. The sight made me a little jealous, but I didn’t let it show because I was an adult. “There are two rooms, which means you’ll have to share a room with someone, Might. Are you okay with that?” “Uh…I feel like that would be something that bothers you three more than me. You’d be sharing a room with a guy.” “That is indeed a grave problem. Despite being merely fourteen years of age, my womanly charm is already greater than I can control.” Nanase looked proud of herself, but when she noticed Platinum’s and my gaze, her face turned beet red. “Um, can you two stop smiling at me like that? It’s going to make me want to dig a hole and hide in it later.” “N-no, that’s not… I was just thinking that if it’s you and Might, you two could get along like siblings.” “That makes it sound like you’re saying you can’t!” “Indeed. I’m a big sister, so I wouldn’t mind sharing a room with him, either.” I didn’t see how that was necessarily better, but Platinum really didn’t appear to mind. I must look really young now that I was fifteen again. “I think Ms. Lystie would be fine with it, too, so how about we all take turns?” “Ah… No, I think it’s probably best that Lystie stays in a separate room. For reasons.” “Really? Well, the two of us will take turns, then. Mr. Might, that’s how it’s going to be.” “You really don’t mind sleeping in the same room as me, Nanase?” “You helped me with my experiment, which means you’re a kindred soul. If it wasn’t for you, Arm wouldn’t be here with us.” “…Food…” “Hm? I thought I just heard someone’s voice. Did I imagine it?” Arm had spoken in a really soft voice, but it didn’t escape Platinum’s ears. She would probably be extremely surprised to learn that Arm was a slime that could understand human language, so we had to be cautious about how we did the reveal. “U-um, Ms. Platinum, what is Ms. Lystie doing now?” “She went to the market to buy groceries. Seeing how well equipped our kitchen is made her want to start cooking, apparently.” “I also did a little cooking at home. I can help.” “In that case, I can go pick her up.” “Good idea. It’s down that slope. Come back safe.” The market was still packed with people and filled with energy. There were even stalls selling food that could be eaten right away. I searched for Lystie while ignoring my rumbling stomach. Unsurprisingly, Lystie’s looks made her stand out despite the drab villager outfit she was wearing, especially with her blue hair down. It didn’t take long for me to find her. She was at a stall that sold bread. “Please give me four—no, five of these.” “You know what? You’re a new face, so you can have one for free. I hope you come again!” “I’m sorry, I’m not comfortable with that. I’ll pay you the full amount.” “Ha-ha-ha, don’t worry about it, I’m just doing it ’cause I want to. Straitlaced kids like you are a rare sight these days.” “A-am I that straitlaced?” “Sorry, what was that?” “Oh, nothing. Here is the full amount of one silver.” One silver for five bread was on the cheap side. The higher the level of an area, the higher prices were. In some cities, one piece of bread would even cost one gold. There were a few times when my old party ran out of money because of the higher prices in a new town and had to take on a few short-term requests. This was why we picked up the habit of keeping a stash of jewelry and ornaments that could be easily converted into money. “Ah, Might! What’s the matter? You could have just waited at home.” “I was curious what you were buying. Are you good at cooking, Lystie?” “Well…let’s say I can cook. The why is a secret.” “Got it, I won’t ask. I can cook, too, but nowhere near what people with the Cooking skill can do.” “You might think it’s weird, since I’m a Swordfighter, but I have the Cooking skill. Only the beginner level, though.” So she had beginner-level Cooking on top of Dignity. Cooking could be obtained by anyone regardless of their vocation, but you had to have someone teach you. If Lystie really was a member of royalty, as I suspected, it was weird that she had learned Cooking. But then again, it was also weird that she called herself a Swordfighter, and there would be no end to it if I started asking questions. “Is there anything in particular that you want to eat? I was thinking of just making a vegetable dish and a meat soup.” “I eat anything. All the amazing smells are making me so hungry, I’m about to die.” “Ha-ha, it seems even the incredibly powerful Might is a growing boy. I had a feeling that you’d eat a lot, so I bought you an extra piece of bread.” So that was why. Somehow, learning the reason made me feel a little bashful. I’d thought she was just buying more in general. “Thank you.” “We can all share it together if it’s too much, so feel free to name things. Now, what I still need is…salt and spices are over there, I believe.” “Let me hold your stuff.” I took the basket that Lystie was holding, and we continued shopping. We thought about buying some fruit, so we stopped by a fruit stall. The woman tending to the stall saw us and smiled. “Welcome. Good job helping your big sister with the shopping, kiddo.” “Oh, no, we’re fellow party members.” “My, is that so? What a cute adventurer you are.” “Do you have any recommendations? We’re looking for something to eat after a meal.” “Let me see… The two of you are young, so you can handle it. It’s called ‘mooran.’ You split it and eat the soft part inside. In this season, it’s sweet and delicious.” “Mooran, is it? Thank you for the recommendation. Can we have four, please?” I thought I had heard the name of this fruit before but didn’t remember ever having it. The red fruit that the store lady put into a jute bag for us gave off a sweet fragrance that we could smell just by being close to it. “After you eat it, it’s best not to stay up late. Come again, you two.” With the shopping done, we headed home. On the way, Lystie turned back toward me, as I was walking a step behind. “She called you ‘kiddo,’ even though you’re so much more levelheaded than all of us.” “I’m pretty sure she calls everyone who looks my age ‘kiddo.’” “There are many beautiful ladies in this city, so make sure you don’t follow one home, kiddo…ha-ha-ha. It appears I’m feeling like a big sister after being called one.” “Even though we’re the same age, you look much more mature when you let your hair down. That’s not fair.” “Do I really? That makes me happy. I’ve always wanted to grow up quickly.” Before my vocation change, I was barely an adult myself. But now that I was young again, I realized that even girls the same age as me really did grow faster. There were some things Lystie had said that raised questions in my mind, but I walked on silently, just watching the town transform for nighttime. When we returned home, Lystie got to work making what she said she would. I offered my help, but I was told to get a feel for the lay of the rooms first. Nanase volunteered herself to be my guide. “This is a bedroom. It’s amazing. Look how much better the bed is than at our last inn!” Nanase gushed. “I’m glad the place came furnished,” I said approvingly. “I totally agree. Ah, we still haven’t decided who’ll be rooming with you. We’ll discuss it later.” “When I sleep, I make no noise at all. Just saying, in case that was a worry.” “I’ve been told that I talk in my sleep sometimes. If we end up in the same room, please ignore it. The two bedrooms are connected via this balcony, so it’s really easy to come and go.” Nanase popped out onto the balcony, then came back in. Unsurprisingly, she seemed more relaxed here than she did at the inn. I could see that she was really happy about having a permanent residence. “There’s one more room on the second floor, but it’s small, so we’re probably going to make it a storage room.” “Fine by me. And I see that we have an attic, too.” “What? How do you get to it?” “There should be a mechanism in the hallway. Let’s see…it’s not trapped. Here it is.” “Whoa!” I activated something at the end of the hallway, and a ladder fell from the ceiling. A small cloud of dust flew everywhere. It was great that we had an attic, but the prior tenant clearly had never used it. “I think—cough—that we should leave checking it out for later.” “Sorry, some of the dust got on you. Do you want to get in the bath to wash it away?” “Oh, right, the bath has to be drawn. It’s installed with a magic tool that heats the water. Can you operate it, Mr. Might?” When I visited the Thieves Guild, Mabel had also said something about obtaining a magic tool that heated water. This house was a lot better outfitted than I had expected. “I’ll give it a try. If I can’t figure it out, let’s go to a bathhouse today.” “Okay!” After giving me a cheerful reply, Nanase led me down to the first floor. We stepped out into the yard, where we saw a magic tool embedded into the bathroom’s outside wall. “The bath is on the other side of this wall. There was a leaflet that explained that we first fill it up with water, then heat the water with this magic tool.” “Got it. I’ll try working this. Can you go inside and let me know if you see any change in the water?” “Your wish is my command, sir, yes, sir!” Nanase ran inside the house, her feet making a small ruckus. “Now, then…” There was a red magic stone in the magic tool. My first guess was that I was supposed to channel mana into the stone. Hold my hand over it…channel my mana… “Work!” I even gave it a shout of encouragement, but the magic tool remained inert. I blushed a little. I was just thinking that I should have asked Mabel how hers worked when it happened again. “Lock Eye I” has revealed the lock for “Temperature Control Magic Tool.” Thanks to Lock Eye I, which worked on both organic and inorganic targets, a lock appeared on the surface of the magic tool. So it would work with my key? It’s probably best to learn the proper way to operate it, but this really is convenient. I created a key with my mana and slotted it into the lock. The lock didn’t disappear. Instead, I felt more mana being sucked away. After a while, I heard Nanase shout from the other side of the wall, “Phwoh! Mr. Might, the water’s turned warm!” With this, we now had warm bathing water. I even knew how to adjust the temperature. “Mr. Might, the temperature is perfect now. This is incredible! It took no time at all!” While listening to Nanase cheering, I suddenly felt a burst of power surge out from deep within my body. Might has reached level 2. New skills have been granted. There were several occasions when people would level up. As it turned out, the act of using mana was how I, a Sage, gained experience. This discovery was an unexpected boon. “Looks like it went well.” “Yep, it’s a total success! Sounds like dinner is also ready. Which do you want to have first?” “The bath can wait. We can always just reheat it again.” The soup cooked by Lystie was so delicious, it felt strange to have it at home. It blew my mind to think that she had only used normal ingredients bought from the local market. Before I knew it, I had cleaned my plate. “Phew. Color me surprised. Lystie, you’re really good at cooking.” “Isn’t she? She put so much effort into her brid—into her hobby of cooking and practiced a lot.” “Hm? Platinum, what did you—?” “Here you go, Might. There’s dessert, too.” Lystie placed a fruit that had been cut in half in front of me. The orange flesh glistened invitingly, and its fragrance was even sweeter now that it had been cut. “I’ve already removed the seed. You eat it by scooping it out with a spoon.” “Right. Mm… This is delicious. It’s just the perfect amount of sweetness.” “This fruit helps speed up your mana recovery, Mr. Might. One day, I might be able to make you a new potion using this as an ingredient.” “Then he should eat more of it. Here, have mine. I can have it some other time.” “I’m good with just one. It’s helped me recover plenty already.” If I’d known, I would have bought more. Ah, but the stallkeeper only had four in stock. Maybe next time I see her, I’ll ask how hard it is to order them. Although I did feel my mana recovering, I also felt somewhat hot. Not enough for it to bother me, though. “In that case, let’s all eat ours, too.” Lystie and the others also began eating their portions. I scraped the peel of mine for a few last bites, then started cleaning up. It reminded me of the time I had infiltrated a restaurant for a job from the Thieves Guild. “Thank you, Might.” Lystie smiled. “You don’t have to wash everything,” Platinum said. “Feel free to take a bath first.” “Arm, do you want some? It’s really good,” said Nanase, and the slime bounced up and down in answer. Apparently, what it considered food was not just mana. Despite Nanase’s admonishment, Arm started eating the peel of her mooran. When I stepped into the bathroom, I found a small mirror by the washing area. I peered into it to examine myself, confirming that all the scars I used to have were indeed gone. Now how am I supposed to prove to Falina and the others that I’m me? If I worked hard and reached the same level range that Falina’s group were at again, there was a good chance we’d meet again. However, I was currently only level 2, and they were level 99. I couldn’t even begin to imagine how much time I’d need to close the gap. Of course, if they came to Fortune, then the simple act of meeting them would be a piece of cake. Unfortunately, they had no reason to do so. It was not my character to twiddle my thumbs and wait for cards to fall my way. This was why I was focusing on working my way up the adventurer ladder and making a name for myself as a Sage. I scooped up some water with a bucket and upended it over my head. I was considering leaving the thinking for another time when the door to the bathroom suddenly opened. My “Huh?” probably sounded dumb, because I had no idea how to react at all. I stared up at Platinum, wondering if she had failed to notice that I was inside. No, there’s no way. “You don’t mind us joining you, do you?” “J-joining me?! There’s so much wrong with—!” “Oh, it’s fine. We’re all in the same party.” After Platinum, Lystie came in, as did Nanase. They were hiding themselves with towels, but it was nowhere near enough to hide everything. Realizing that this was no time for me to be staring, I averted my eyes at the speed of light. “If you’re thinking about conserving water, you really don’t need to. I can heat as much water as needed. We really should do this sep—” “Now, now, don’t worry about minor details.” “What?” “We’re telling you it’s fine, so it’s fine.” This was not normal. Something was clearly wrong. There was no way that Lystie, the most straitlaced of the bunch, would say or do something like this. “Have you washed yourself yet, Mr. Might? Do you want me to wash your back?” “N-no, thank you. I can do it my—” “No need to be reserved! We’ll do it for each other, too, afterward.” Confusion filled my mind, but I pushed through it to figure out the reason for the current situation. I tried to think back to what had happened today…and the answer jumped out at me. “Let me see… The two of you are young, so you can handle it.” “It’s called mooran. You split it and eat the soft part inside.” THIS is what she meant?! Don’t go selling such a dangerous fruit so casually! “…I’ve been feeling so hot for a while now. How can I quell this heat?” “Will…I feel refreshed…after a quick bath…? “Huh? Why are there two Mr. Mights? Now I have to wash both their backs…” I could probably thank the training I underwent when I was with the Thieves Guild for why I only got slightly intoxicated from the mooran. For now, I racked my brains for whatever resolution would be the least traumatic for my companions when they sobered back up. We need to end at least the first day without incident! Part 8: The Circumstances of the Two “Ms. Lystie, have you gotten bigger than before?” “I don’t think so… Did I gain weight?” “You have been developing a rather healthy appetite since starting out as an adventurer. As for me, I need to train more.” Platinum turned to me. “What do you think, Might?” My efforts to leave the bathroom had all been thwarted. Platinum had established herself as my greatest obstacle. Every time I tried to reach the door, she interfered in a natural way. “Why are you hiding yourself, Mr. Might?” “Uh, I’m getting overheated, so I’m thinking of getting out.” “Come on, Might. Stay for just a little longer,” Lystie said. “Or do you hate being with us?” Of course I don’t hate it! But I can’t say that in this situation! I had bought the mooran with Lystie, so the fault wasn’t all mine. That said, I felt really sorry for the three girls that I had accidentally put in such a weird mood by buying that fruit. As a former level 99 Thief, I should have known better. “Phew… It’s a bit cramped for four people, but bigger than I expected. Isn’t this great?” “Indeed. If we sit like this, there is plenty of space for three people.” “Ahhh, the heat is seeping into my whole body. Sorry that I made some of the water spill out, everyone.” This can’t be happening! The City of Pleasure had plenty of water, so the bathtubs in the houses were all generally quite big. However, the general assumption was that there would only be at most two people inside at any given time. And that was a problem here. The three girls were sitting on the edge of the bathtub, with only their feet in the water. A footbath still did wonders for warming their bodies and making them sweat. However, I still had no idea why they had barged in when I was inside. “This way of enjoying a bath is wonderful, too, every once in a while.” “Indeed, it has a different appeal from a public bathhouse. It is much more relaxing without any strangers around.” I interrupted. “Um, maybe it’s not my place to ask this, but are you sure about relaxing here? Now?” The three exchanged looks without saying anything. Then they looked at me. Not to glare, but with smiles. “Have you experienced this before?” Lystie asked. “You’re level 1, but so strong. I’m sure you have so much experience.” “My level went up to 2 just now. I still have no idea what my new skill is, though.” “Mm, after you go up a level, understanding of your new skill will simply come to you in an appropriate situation.” After defeating the earth golem, Lystie and Platinum had reached level 5, and Nanase level 4. Nanase had said that the number of recipes she could compound had increased, but Lystie and Platinum still had no idea what their new skills could do. “Mr. Might, were you just trying to deflect the question? That’s not the only kind of experience there is.” “Huh? A-ah, that’s what you mean. I guess you would be curious, wouldn’t you?” “Of course we are. Conversely, it would be disrespectful to you if we said we weren’t interested at all.” Clearly, Platinum wasn’t going to let me off the hook. I wished that she would at least stop turning my way. “So…tell us everything. Have you ever partied up with other girls before?” “I…have. I have, but this situation is definitely a first for me.” I was trying to get the three of them to realize the situation we were in so that I could peacefully make an exit. To no avail, clearly, seeing how they exchanged happy knowing glances. “You see, Might, we’re all really glad that you joined our party.” “I-isn’t that usually something that may or may not be said after traveling together for much longer?” “Hm. There’s no ‘may.’ Even now, we are already more than grateful to you. We are inexperienced, yet you draw out the power in us, Might. There is no doubt about it.” “At first, I only looked at your level and thought I was better than you, but now I get embarrassed just thinking about what I was like. Every night, I think about what an amazing person you are before I go to bed.” I felt like we were getting dangerously close to a point of no return. The power of the mooran was a serious menace. Just because this is the City of Pleasure, it doesn’t mean it’s okay to have something like that so easily obtainable! “Uh, why are you three leaning in?” “Perhaps you’re imagining it?” “Indeed, it is you who is leaning toward us.” “That’s right… Mm, boys really do look good with wet hair.” You’re fourteen! Do you hear yourself?! is what I would have said if I hadn’t been so cornered. Backed up in the bathtub as I was, the distance I had to myself was shrinking more and more. Just as they were about to cross the final line, however, my eyes widened with surprise. …?! The reason was that a shining lock had appeared on each of them. As always, these were locks that only I could see. However, whereas all the ones I had seen so far were white, these were closer to red. And they were not all in front of their chests: Lystie’s lock was still in front of her chest, but Platinum’s was on her thigh, and Nanase’s was behind her ear. I did not have the presence of mind to calmly figure out what this meant. Persistent Passive Skill “Lock Eye II”: Enables the user to see the second lock of organic and inorganic targets when the requirements are met. “Might, I… I don’t think about this kind of thing all the time, but today…” “Indeed, just like Lystie, I’ve never had any inappropriate thoughts about you, Might, but now…” “H-hold on, what do you mean ‘but now’?! Is it different now?!” “Mr. Might, you’re flinching. You put up a front like you’re unfazed by being in the bath with girls, but… Huh?” Nanase was reaching out toward me when she seemed to lose her balance and fell on top of me. “Watch out! No, wait, this is way too—!” My instinct was to prop her up, but there wasn’t really anywhere that I could safely touch in a situation like this. Even so, I managed to find a spot that was barely acceptable and caught her in time. “Nanase! You okay?” “…Zzz…” “…What?” Nanase was fully leaning into me and not moving a muscle. Belatedly, I realized from her breathing that she had fallen asleep. I looked at the other two and realized that they were also almost about to sleep, dangerously tottering at the edge of the bathtub. “Please, you two, don’t sleep here! I can handle one person, but three at the same time is too many!” “…Might…you can have seconds, you know?” “Indeed…you are…a growing boy…” What would you three have done if I was a bad person? Geez. There was only one thing for me to do: Bring all three out of the bathroom. And do something about them before they caught a cold. All while keeping my mind free from obstructive thoughts, like the Sage I was. As it turned out, the effect of the mooran fruit was heightened libido for a set period of time, followed by sleepiness. With my constitution, all it did was make me feel slightly flushed, but it was extremely effective on Lystie and the others. All three got changed while looking extremely sleepy, and they immediately fell into bed. Of course, there was no way to have that conversation about who was going to room with me. Before I knew it, Lystie was already sleeping in my room. I noticed she was sleeping without a blanket, so I placed one over her, taking care not to wake her up, and she naturally pulled it over herself. After everything, I climbed into my own bed but had a very hard time falling asleep. Anyone would, after going through something like that. However, since Lystie was sleeping, I tried to force myself to sleep, too. How much experience do I have, huh? Sheska asked me the same thing. Falina looked uninterested, and Enju, being an automaton, only understood the topic as a concept. I honestly thought it was because that was the kind of party we were that we managed to travel as a mixed-gender party for so long. Because of their striking looks, they were approached by many guys in all the towns we stopped by, so I became the perfect guy repellent. “I think I can count the number of times I’ve seen you make that face on one hand, Might.” “I know you got angry on our behalf. That’s why we’re always counting on you.” “As an automaton, I have self-defense capabilities, but thank you, Master Might.” Words from my past companions rose unbidden in my mind. I knew I had a tendency to get overprotective of my party members and had been wondering if it was overbearing. That was when the three of them smiled at me. In places where we stayed for a longer time, people often started calling me “the guard dog.” And honestly, when I reflected on how I had acted, I couldn’t really deny the nickname. “…Might, are you still awake?” “I am.” I’d thought she was asleep—No, she actually had been, for a while. Lystie turned toward me. “I’m sorry. I don’t really remember what happened after dinner.” “I see. Well, we were all tired.” “Mm. But somehow, I get the feeling that something good happened.” “I…see.” What was I supposed to say? Lystie giggled, then adopted a serious face. “Might, I… There’s something about me that I haven’t told you yet.” “Is it the reason you became an adventurer?” I wasn’t trying to change the topic. I gathered that I had guessed right, as Lystie sat up and sat on the edge of her bed, with her back toward me. With the window curtain fluttering and moonlight streaming in, she ran her fingers through her hair and continued speaking. “I think you’ve already caught on, but Platinum and I are using false names.” “Yeah, there were hints in how you two moved and spoke. Don’t worry. You hid it pretty well all in all.” “You could tell just by what you saw? You really are amazing, Might. No one else we met has figured it out.” I could see Mabel having information on Lystie and Platinum. If I asked, there was a chance she would even tell me. However, I wanted to hear everything from Lystie and Platinum in person. About why they were hiding their identities. “Why did you want to become an adventurer?” “I wanted to get stronger. Actually, no, that wasn’t the only reason. I wanted to see and learn more things in person.”
Chapter 12
36 min read