《Hazure Skill “Gacha” de Tsuihou Sareta Ore wa, Wagamama Osananajimi wo Zetsuen Shi Kakusei Suru》 Volume 1 - CH 1 Crest, Im looking forward to your appraisal ceremony. I gave a confident nod to my fathers words. Today was the day I turned fifteen. When I become an adult god will bestow unto me a skill. Im currently heading to the church where the appraisal ceremony will be carried out. Along with my father, I made my way out of the house and got on the carriage that was prepared in the courtyard. Accompanying us was an escort of knights. I was born into the house of a duke. With this in mind, I made a proper departure in the company of knights. Well, even though I say Im in a ducal house, I am still only the fifth son, so my position is actually rather horrible. Im only seen as a convenient political tool. But now its different! As I watched my father, the corners of my mouth relaxed. It wasnt just me; my father was also in a good mood. But thats to be expected. Thats we know that my skill is a big hit. But still, I hope you will be able to get that amazing skill you saw in your dream a week ago. I gave a nod to my father who spoke in a good mood. Before becoming an adult, each person will have a dream of God. This dream is something given directly from God. In it, one receives a in introduction to the skill that they are to be given. And my skill is called Gacha. It allows me to exchange points in order to spin the Gacha, from which I can then acquire a random new skill. Ive invited many of those whom I am involved with to the church today. I intend for you to show them your skill. To think you would get a skill that gives you more skills; how wonderful! Yes! I understand! And so, with this my standing within the household will be changing from now on. While desperately holding back my urge to break into dance, we departed to the church while I continued to wait in anticipation. After arriving at the church, the appraisal ceremony turned to us right away. Looking in the background, the nobility was sitting in the line of seats that had been prepared for them. Everyone seems to be looking here with expectation. Thats because they know what my skill is. Seeing that theyre all waiting in anticipation causes the corners of my mouth to loosen again. Crest. Hearing a familiar voice call my name, my body jumped involuntarily. Turning my head to the source, there stood a very beautiful woman. E- Ellis. I- I heard that you wouldnt be coming today. Its my fiancs coming of age ceremony today, so feeling a bit under the weather isnt enough of an excuse not to come. Ellis is my fiance. Be that as it may, shes terrible. Yes, Im looking forward to seeing it. That would be wonderful if you get an amazing skill. Although shes pleasantly smiling, she somehow seemed to be quite angry. But thats expected. Shes the kind of person who feels pleasure from picking on me. Thanks to my birth and my standing, Ive been tormented by Ellis up until now. But, But! Today is different! My new life starts today! Giving the polite nod one would offer an acquaintance, I walked over to the prepared appraisal stone. Crest Hauburst. We will now commence with the appraisal ceremony. Are you finished your preparations? I am! I gave a spirited replied to the bishops question. Already knowing the name of my skill, as well as its effects, I was feeling no tension at all. Place your hand on the stone monument. The skill you have been bestowed by God will appear. A large rectangular stone stood in front of my eyes. I put my hand on it. The stone glowed for a moment as letters were engraved on its surface. I let out an expectant voice. And then, as soon as the words were at a readable state, everyone let out a voice of astonishment. Gacha Just a single skill. A skill that had never once appeared before. It would probably have been mocked had I not known what it was from my dream. But now, the mood in the room was approaching its climax! This is because the skill name was exactly as I had stated before hand. Essentially that meant that the skill would allow me to acquire other skills by spinning a Gacha. In front of everyones looks of anticipation, my father came up to me. Well then Crest. How about you use this skill called gacha and acquire a new skill? Understood! I activated my skill. As I chanted gacha in my mind, a window appeared in front of me. Up to this point, everything had been as I had heard from my dream. I confirmed written by gacha Starting the April commemorative gacha! Will you too make youre debut as a doctor? Three-point pickup gacha! Well, I suppose no one else can see this so Ill have to describe it for them. I gave them a quick rundown. Right now, I can see the screen from the gacha skill floating in front of me. Theres a one-time gacha, an eleven-time gacha and then I can spin this gacha by- As I explained the situation to everyone, I went to spin the gacha- and then my hands suddenly stopped. For now, I had figured I would just give the one-time gacha a spin to see how things go but I cant spin it. Seeing the words Sorry, you do not have enough points displayed in front of me, my anticipation quickly turned to impatience. What is it Crest? My father was smiling at me and the nobility looked on in suspense. W- what points!? Why dont I have enough!? My dream just say I had to spin the gacha! As I got more impatient, I repeatedly hit the one-time gacha and eleven-time gacha, but no matter what I tried I would see the same indication that I lacked the required points. Looking closely, I noticed displayed on the upper right portion of the screen was a point counter at 0. In order to spin the one-time gacha, 500 points were required. How do I get points!? There was nothing about that in my dream. Crest, have you gotten a skill yet? If you have, could you please show it to us? As my father looked to me in expectation, I broke out in a cold sweat. If I speak honestly, I wonder how father will react? What about the nobles? I- I cant spin the gacha. You cant spin it? What do you mean? Fathers voice was filled with rage in a single moment. My older brothers who had come to the church started to snicker. Crest, you couldnt possibly have lied, could you? Said the oldest born. My brothers have made a fool of me up until now. Having heard that I would be getting a useful skill, they had spent up until yesterday stewing in jealousy. Thats why they said these things. N- no! Everything about my skill is how I saw it in my dream! Kuhaha! You liar! Then quickly show us you can get another skill! Continued the second oldest. This is no place to get caught up in their provocations. I- I dont have the points I need to spin the gacha! If I get those then I can spin it! Hey hey, what are you doing spewing another lie now? Want us to wait patiently for you to get your points as you stay in our house? My third eldest brother continued. Th- thats not the case! Please believe me! Then, how do you get those points? Want your elder brothers to help you? Go on, tell us how. And coming in with the finishing blow was my fourth oldest brother. I- I dont know how. My dream didnt go over how to acquire points. As soon as I said these words my brothers burst into laughter. If youre going to tell a lie at least think it through first. Father, what will be the punishment for this liar? My eldest brother asked my father. It seemed that all emotion had left my fathers face. N- no youre wrong! Im not lying! If I can just get some points- ! As I desperately tried to persuade my father the nobility began to chuckle. This was towards him as well. A dumb parent who was deceived by his own son made them come all the way out here. As if the meaning of their laughter painted it, my fathers face turned deep red in fury. Your dream, along with everything else; all of it was a lie. That is not the case! I really saw it! Silence! This house does not need a lying piece of shit like you! My father was enraged. As I tried desperately to persuade my father, Ellis came up behind me. That was quite entertaining, Crest. Said Ellis as she chuckled and smiled. Ive Ive In the end nothing has changed. A few days after this, my fate was sealed. The moment it was decided that I would be banished from my house. Volume 1 - CH 2 It seems that Crest was really trying something stupid. Yeah. If he had just kept things as they were, he could have been adopted by some other noble and have kept his life. This was the conversation the knights were having in the coachman seat as they took me away. The knights within the carriage also heard what they were saying, but they made no other reaction than a slight twitch. There was no reason for me to lie. Just like that knight had said, even if it were without freedom, I could have ended my life as a noble. That it would be a life sold like a slave to my selfish fiance is besides the point. Thats what it means to have been born into a dukes household. Thats why this shouldnt be happening to me! Right, their charges against me continued however no one believed me. Receiving the treatment of a criminal, I was put into this carriage. I lightly shifted in my handcuffs, but the knight immediately shot me with a glare. Dont try anything is what that meant. The place were going has a transfer magic circle. That magic circle is connected to a monster filled place called the lower world. Soon enough, I was able to see the transfer magic circle. Ive seen it from a distance several times before. If I recall correctly, those times were to see off convicted felons being cast down to the lower world. I never would have thought that this time it would be me in that position. The geometric pattern that made up the magic circle was written on the ground. When that magic circle is charged with magic power, it will send whoever is on top of it to the lower world. Over by it was by elder brothers and my father. Ellis wasnt here. I guess her body wasnt doing too well back at my coming-of-age ceremony. It seemed that my father even still is unable to contain his anger towards me and shot me with a sharp look. As for my brothers, as usual they were laughing and mocking me with their faces. Father, I did not lie to you. Then show me right now. Can you acquire a skill? If you can I will remove you from your bonds. I cannot. You liar. Youre wrong. I didnt lie to you. Really, if I only had some points, I would be able to spin the gacha! Even so, I do not posses any way to prove it to them. It seems that besides me, no one else is able to see the gacha window. At the very least, could you please give me a sword? At my words, my brothers broke into laughter. What a funny thing for you say! Youre a lying criminal! Thats right! Go get eaten by monsters! But I spoke back to them. The reason that criminals are sent to the lower world was originally in order for them to subjugate the monsters there. As a person of the dukes house, isnt it a problem to advocate for personal issues in such a situation? Youre saying as the man who lied about god? My father raised his voice in frustration. He called for a large number of people to show off a skill that could gain skills. I should have stopped that. At the very least I should have kept my mouth shut until I had confirmed the details of my skill. I just wanted to be recognized by everyone, but I got carried away with it. Even so, please. I want to be able to defeat many monsters in the lower world to help the upper world live safely for a long time. I dont have such an intention. However, if I justify it with such a just reason, I might at the very least be able to mount a resistance against the monsters there. It was then that one of the onlooking knights came forward. He then proceeded to remove the sword from his back. You can use this. Thank you very much. The knight placed his sword on my back, and then handed me a key. Holding the key firmly in my hand, I unlocked my shackles before returning the key to the knight. With this, all preparations were in order. In that moment, the magic circle began to emit a bright light. I shut my eyes from the light. For a moment I felt a sensation as if I were floating. When the light abated, I opened my eyes and found myself in somewhere in a forest. After looking at my surroundings in surprise, I removed my shackles. I suppose that this is the lower world. The lower world is a place where monsters run rampant. By no means can a human live here. The place I was before is called the upper world; a world inhabited solely by humans. There exists a strong and steadfast gate between the upper and lower world. It exists to protect the kingdoms elite, and to prevent those from the lower world from making their way into the upper world. Criminals who commit serious crimes are put onto transfer magic circles and transferred into the lower world. The transfer magic circle has been passed down from antiquity and magically flings people somewhere random in the lower world. How it works is still yet to be understood. But since its convenient, the nobility uses it quite often. In any case, I wonder what I should do from now on. At the very least I have survival knowledge. Since I was born into a dukes household, I got used to living in a hard environment where my elder brothers would bully me. Theres no way Ill let myself die. I will live here in the lower world. I gave the sword on my back some light swings to get a feel for it. For now, there doesnt seem to be any problems with it. After walking for a while, I could hear the voices of monsters. Turning my gaze towards it, I saw a monster. It seemed to be a wolf like monster. Id seen this type in a reference book before. Its probably a wolf. Grrrrrrrr For the most part we dont see monsters in the upper world. Myself Ive only fought one once before. Additionally, the monsters of the lower world are said to be stronger than the ones in the upper world. In the end I guess I have to fight here. I dont have any skill that I could use here either. The wolf jumped at me. I dodged that attack and swung my sword, but that was dodged too. I swung my foot at the dirt and kicked dirt into the wolf. This disabled its eyes. Now. I swung my sword down with all my might, and cut through the wolf from the side, severing its neck. It seems Id defeated it. This is thanks to my education at the knights academy. I took a small breather and examined the knights sword once again. Its a good sword. I cleaned the blood off of it using the nearby leaves. This wolfs body will become precious meat. I positioned it to drain its blood. Now I just need to start a fire. I wonder if the gacha could at the very least make me a fire? With that in mind, I activated the gacha skill. The moment I did my eyes went wide. I got some points!? I had acquired 100 points. But in the week before I was sent to the lower world, I had spent a great deal of time trying to get these points I just acquired. Why has this happened? No, the reason for this is obvious. Its probably because I killed the wolf. So, the condition for acquiring points is to kill monsters? In the end that makes it no different from a trash skill. After all, there pretty much arent any monsters in the upper world. This wolf got me 100 points, so in order to spin the gacha once I need to kill five of them. To have to fight five monsters, thats more than Id ever expect to face in my life. Ah crap! Why did god have to give me a dream that would raise my expectations like that! But I can fight monsters in the lower world. I guess for now I have to fight some monsters so I can spin the gacha. Id be really mad if I didnt get a good skill after all this. Volume 1 - CH 3 Id discovered that killing monsters will get me points. And so, for now I have to go kill some monsters. Having decided what I have to do, I began to move immediately. It seems that wolves are plentiful in this area. Having been lured in by the smell of the corpse from earlier, I battled against a wolf. The opponent was just one. I won without any issues. However, I did have some worries. If I were to get injured out here, there would really be nothing I could do about it. If I had a recovery magic skill, then I would be able to heal any wounds but Anyway, I just have to make sure I dont get injured. Thats not the only problem. If I dont find a safe place before dark, I wont be able to rest. Of course, I wont be able to fight monsters day and night without rest. Theres a mountain of skills I want to get But I still dont know if Ill be able to get those from the gacha. Thats why I walked around searching for monsters. I carefully searched for wolves to kill to grind points. For the time being I seemed to be able to get 100 points per kill. And then finally, I was able to get 500 points. I opened up the gacha window, and 500 points was displayed on the upper right portion of the screen. And so, I was now able to spin the one-time gacha. But I guess it would still take 5000 points to spin the eleven-time gacha. It seems that I could save 500 points if I spin them all at once. My hunting efficiency might increase if I get a skill now. If I find that I cant keep this hunting pace up later then the one-time spin would be a very good deal. I took another look at the gacha. It seems Ill be able to use this gacha from the first of April to the thirtieth. Right now, its the fourteenth. This doesnt mean that this gacha will disappear at the end of the month, does it? Looking closer at the gacha details, theres a list of skills written down. The three skills listed are Doctor, Appraisal, and cultivation. Looking at it again, this gacha is entitled the doctor gacha. So essentially what that means is that those three skills are more likely to come out in this gacha, right? If I recall correctly, Doctor is an indispensable skill for making potions. Appraisal is a widely useful skill. With these two skills, this survival lifestyle might actually be possible. Being able to heal myself with potions if I got injured would be an especially reassuring ability. For now, I should take a bit more time hunting monsters to see if I can get some more points. It would certainly be more economical to do my best trying to get 5000 points. I lined up the wolf corpses and dug a small hole around them. Then I just waited for my prey. A goblin appeared. It came closer to see if it could maybe eat the wolf corpse. Then it seemed to catch its foot in the small hole. It really got tripped up by a trap on the level of a childs prank. While its leg was caught in the hole, I ran at it. It tried to get into position when it saw me, but I sliced its head off with my sword before it could do anything. That got me 100 points. I guess Ill keep hunting monsters like this. In order to turn this goblin corpse into another trap I put it upwind. I dug a small hole in the direction the wind was blowing and converted it in leaves as to catch any monsters coming from that direction. Then I hid myself once again. While I waited, I looked around for herbs and the like. I do have some knowledge about the topic, but I cant really say I have much faith in it. Appraisal and Doctor. In hopes that Ill be able to get those skills I went to hunt monsters. From morning till dusk, I continued to frantically hunt monsters. Around noon, my stomach began to cry out. Although they did more or less feed me up until I left my house, exercising the whole time like that made me hungry. I should probably find some way to make a fire. While drinking from a nearby river I continued to hunt. My pace wasnt bad. Id gotten 2000 points up to this point. I confirmed the position of the sun before getting back to my hunting. While following along the river I searched for a place I could rest. It would be nice if I could find a good spot. Of course, as I moved, I was still subjugating monsters. As long as I can keep up the pace of about five kills per hour, I should be able to make 5000 points before dark. Since there were a lot of monsters in the forest keeping this pace really wasnt that hard. Move on, then fight. Move on, then fight. I repeated these actions over and over again. Even with my training as a knight, fighting like this over and over was putting quite a toll on my body. But I couldnt complain about it. If I were to give in here, I might not see the morning sun rise again. Wiping the sweat from my forehead, I moved out to kill more monsters. Thats when I encountered a problem. When I checked my points for killing a wolf, it seems that they didnt go up. Whats going on? To make sure of things I went and killed one more wolf. It still didnt go up. Is there a reason for this? After thinking about it for a bit, I thought maybe there was some kind of restriction on getting points from the same type of monster. Well crap, I didnt see this coming. But I think it was a good idea not to spin the gacha right away. I dont know how many types of monsters there are out there, but I cant spin the gacha endlessly. Since thats the case its an even better choice to use the eleven-time gacha rather than the one-time gacha. Halting my hunt for wolves, I set out to kill more goblins, as well as the newly discovered fang rabbits I had found. Since there were a lot of wolves in this area, it got harder to earn more points. It was when the sun was just starting to set. After swinging my sword down at a fang rabbit, I checked my gacha window to see if my points went up. 5000 points. Confirming this I balled up my hands into fists. Hooray. I should spin the gacha and head back to base. Id found a cave in my travels which I intended to spend the night in. I opened up the gacha window and offered a light prayer. I dont know what will come out. It was a bit frustrating to have to rely entirely on god for this, but there was no other way. If the first place, other than Doctor, Appraisal, and Cultivation, I have no idea what is in there. Please At least give me a skill that will help me to make it through the night. Praying strongly, I stretched my finger out to the eleven-time gacha button Volume 1 - CH 4 The moment I pressed the eleven-time gacha button, a treasure chest glittered. Then eleven orbs popped out. H- huh? Bronze, silver, gold, and rainbow coloured; four different types came out. Four were bronze, four were silver, and two were gold. And finally, there was one that was rainbow coloured. Thinking back on it, they explained this sort of thing in my dream about the gacha skill. Gacha has skills with differing rarities. Rainbow coloured is the best type, followed by gold, silver, then bronze in that order. So basically, I managed to pull an item of the highest rarity. For now, I checked all the bronze skills at once. Thats what came from the copper ones. What the, I pulled two of that strength enhancement skill. This one was definitely a bust. *check* Next up is silver. I checked all the silver skills at once. I guess sword type skills and gathering type skills like to come out of silver? Not that I can say anything with certainty here, but it seems to give support type skills. W- well, its not bad, but I cant really use dagger technique here. Next up, the gold orbs. The skills up until now, honestly arent that good. Please Magic!? This is definitely not bad at all! Both of those are indispensable for making life out here comfortable. Plus, I can cook meat with fire magic. With this Ill be able to make a living out here. Time for the last one. The rainbow-coloured orb gave off a bright light before showing what skill it was. Its Appraisal! Thats a big one. As I expected, it seems like the rainbow orbs contain the specialty skills listed for this gacha? Well, anythings good. Right away I gave appraisal a try. Oh crap, everything I could see changed at once. It seems I can use this to see if something is edible. But its only level one, so there seems to be a limit to what I can investigate. I was given that level of knowledge about it in my dream. In order to raise the level of a skill, I need to combine it with another skill. Since all the skills that come out of the gacha are level one, in order to raise their level, I need to roll the gacha a lot. This also might be like I saw in my dream. If Im not wrong, this should be my abilities. So, I guess the number written in the brackets would be related to my bronze skills? Since theyre only level one skills they dont really give much of a bonus. Anyway, I dont really know whether my status is high or low. Theres no one else I can really compare it to either Other than checking them in my gacha window, I can also check the skills I have out here. Skills. Right now, I have the eleven skills I just got. But it seems like I can combine any of the redundant skills I have. Synthesis, huh. Synthesizing skills seems to level them up. This is how they look cleaned up. For now, strength enhancement went up to level 2. But that doesnt mean it has raised my status. As far as status correction is concerned, it would be better to think of it more for peace of mind than anything else. Essentially, its like this. Bronze enhances abilities such as strength. Silver supports techniques like sword technique and mining technique. Gold gives magic type skills. Rainbow gives the limited time skills. Right now, I cant really feel any difference from the bronze skills. Thats why Id be happy to pull basically anything other than bronze. But for now, Ive decided what I need to do. Kill monsters and get points. After getting enough points, roll the skill gacha. Any new skills from the gacha will steadily improve my abilities. For now, this all seems doable. Before heading over to my cave, I gathered some trees. Then I used fire magic on them. I could only produce about enough fire to fit it in my hand. That seems to be the power of a level 1 fire magic skill. Regardless, I managed to light up the wood in about ten minutes. I checked if I could eat things using the appraisal skill. There were no problems with wolf meat. I cut the wolf meat into easy to eat chunks and then skewered them onto the tree branches. Then I confirmed that it was properly roasted in by the fire. Appraisal was able to handle that much. How convenient. When I put the meat into my mouth its juices dribbled out. So good!? Id heard that monster meat tastes really good. Whenever it appeared on the city market I would always get sold for a high price. I was able to have it once myself on my birthday when I was little. Its really good even without any seasoning. If I managed to get myself some seasoning If I recall correctly, I should be able to make it with the cooking skill. That kind of skill might just come out some day. I might even be able to get blacksmithing and carpentry type skills. In that case I would be able to make my own weapons or build myself a house. I cant wait. After I was full, I moved through the forest while using my appraisal skill. There seemed to be quite a lot of edible fruits and berries. Thanks to the appraisal skill I could tell that sort of thing. I found a peach like fruit that was clearly much larger and took a bite out of it. Even though it was big, it still kept its sweetness. I was even better than the ones in the upper world. It doesnt seem like the lower world is all bad. I got to the cave I had found and then used earth magic. I thought I would hide the entrance like that but as expected I couldnt use earth magic that much. The best I could do using a ton of magic was closing about half of the entrance. Well, its fine. I laid down to rest. It was when I closed my eyes. Theres no one except myself who would accept having garbage like you as their fianc. So, make sure you listen to everything I tell you. Youd better not be thinking of leaving me, right? I suddenly shivered. There was no one around. Relived to see that, I once again closed my eyes. My childhood friend and fiance Ellis. She was incredibly selfish, and always treated me like her slave. But now Im finally free. Right before I was banished from house, this is what I told Ellis: I will not be your slave! Now I can start my new life here! I can relax and live without anyone else bothering me! Volume 1 - CH 5 This happened a few days before I was banished to the lower world through the magic circle. April the 9th. A few days after my birthday I was in a detached building of the dukes manor. It was cleaned every day, but by no means was it a place for the son of a duke to live. It was a small room. A table and a chair were placed inside. There were no windows, and I knew nothing of the situation outside. The only person who came here was the servant who brought my food. Additionally, there were knights standing guard outside. I was being treated like a prisoner. Judging by my father, that probably was the case. I was being punished for the crime of lying about my skill to better my standing. I knew I would likely be sent to the lower world. It hadnt been decided yet, but that was often used as punishment. I was lying down with my back against the bed. Then there was a knock at the door and a maid came in. Pardon me I looked towards them and found it was the maid employed by my attendant. She closed the door behind her and placed some food on the table. As I got up and faced towards her, she glanced at me. Lord Crest. Ive prepared to let you free at any time. Just say the word and Ill- Dont worry about it. Arent I just a liar who cried for attention? I know you wouldnt do such a thing, Lord Crest! All us servants believe you!! Dont say another word. Thank you for the food. Lord Crest Please excuse me. The maid bit her lip in frustration before leaving the room. Even I dont want to die. Getting sent to the lower world is unmistakably a death sentence. But even with that being said If I just cooperate with someone in the manor, I would probably be able to run away. But even if I did escape, then what? I cant use my skill. Its questionable whether or not I could live by myself. And then what would happen to the girls who helped me? I didnt want someone to be sent down to the lower world to die in my place. Thats why I was going to take the punishment upon myself. After I ate my food, I threw myself on the bed and closed my eyes. Then after several hours had passed, there was another knock on the door. Who is it? Its too early for it to be food. I sat up in the bed and looked towards it. Standing there was Ellis Its been a while, Crest. Oh, yeah Its been a while Ellis. Ellis promptly gave a polite bow, which I returned. I had been unable to take a bath, so I was quite filthy. Leaving a knight waiting outside, Ellis came towards me and sat down in the chair. This room is rather dreadful. well of course it is. Im basically a criminal right now. Anyway, why are you here? Youre truly an idiot. Ellis slipped a hand over her mouth to hide her smile. So, you came to mock me? Yes, thats right. I never would have thought you would lie about your dream from god to raise your position in your family. Oh, I wonder why you would tell a lie that would be so easily seen though. Since forever ago youve really been a stupid, useless dunce Guess it couldnt be helped. Even Ill get angry if she says that much. But Ellis and I are both from the houses of dukes. Since Ellis had me become her fianc, I was able to hold my place in my house. Why would she want me as her fianc? The answer is simple. By asking for a pitiful person like myself to be her fianc, her own value would rise. This is what she told me back then, with a smile as if she was having fun: If you ever displease me, I will tell everyone that you assaulted me. Thats why you will forever stay with me as my dog, capeesh? My bad. Normally I would say something like Oh Im terribly sorry and that would be the end of it. But this time I responded firmly. Ellis eyebrow twitched when I said that. She probably didnt think I would talk to her like that. Did you think I only came here to scorn you? What, do you have some other business to take care of? Thats right, of course I do. I came here to help you. You came to help me? My eyes went wide when Ellis said something which I would never expect from her. What do you mean? I mean what Ive said. You are my fianc. That means you are like my dog, or perhaps my toy, a slave like existence. Thats why I cant have you leave me on your own accord. Out came Ellis usual broken thinking. For someone who thinks Im completely worthless shes bizarrely possessive of me. Oh, is that right. So how will you help me? Before that- Saying so, Ellis took off her black stocking. What is she trying to pull? She presented her leg towards me before a smile of ecstasy rose to her face. You will lick my foot. Swear your absolute allegiance to me. You will have no one but myself. Theres no one else on the planet but me who would come to save and absolutely worthless piece of garbage like you. Therefore, prove yourself to me now. She wiggled her pretty foot. She wore a victorious smile. But I stared at that foot. I just have to lick it. Ill live as Ellis toy from now on, worked like a slave but, I can avoid being banished to the lower world? I stared at Ellis foot. If I just lick it I looked at Ellis face. She was smiling to me like an angel. Then she extended her foot in front of my eyes. I reached my arm out to the foot she was waving as if to entice me- and hit it away. What is the meaning of this? Ellis looked at me with an expression of disappointment and shock. I would not be throwing my pride away like this! Whats wrong? If you just swear yourself to me, I will rescue you from this prison. I threw the resentment Id held in up to this point back at Ellis words. Shut up! Whether Im banished to the lower world or whatever else, Im ready for that! Im not your tool or your toy! If thats all you have to say here than get out of my sight! Ellis can say whatever she will about me. I dont care. I raised my voice as if to say goodbye to all the bowing and scraping Id been doing to her all this time. Bye, Ellis. I wont play along with your selfishness anymore! Youll regret this. Dont come crying to me later. Ellis shot me a harsh glare before leaving the room. I returned to my bed in the now quiet room. I didnt care if I will be sent to the lower world or whatever else. I will live freely now! Volume 1 - CH 6 The next day. I rose my body off the ground. Ouch, I used some leaves as a substitute for a bed, but it was still pretty rough on my body. I was probably able to sleep so well anyway because my body was so tired. My joints popped as I stretched my body out. Well then, guess Ive got to do my best to roll the gacha again today. I want to get that feeling of rolling the eleven-time gacha every day. The gacha will be over at the end of April. I dont know what will happen after that so I need to acquire those skills while I can. While Im earning points, I guess try to make some comrades. There should be plenty of people being sent to the lower world for a variety of reasons. A lot of those will be demi-humans. Since the upper world is a place for humans to live, many demi-humans are cast down to the lower world. So, I should be able to find other people somewhere. I was fine by myself last night, but itll be hard to survive from now on if I always sleep by myself. If I were with another person we could sleep in shifts. Thats why Id like to look for someone else. With that in mind, I moved around the forest while hunting monsters. Honestly, because the forest looks the same everywhere, I dont really know where I am walking. I was somehow able to make my way back by following tracks and tree marks, but I could really use a map. As I hunted goblins and horned rabbits, the sun reached its peak in the sky. I used appraisal on some river water to check if it was safe, and once I confirmed it was potable, I took a gulp. Delicious. The water in the lower world might be different from the stuff in the upper world. While eating some fruits Id found, I was met with the unfortunate truth this morning. 25 kills, huh. Since I couldnt get any more points from killing wolves, Id started counting my kills for horned rabbits when I started hunting them. They reached a total of 25. After I got 2500 points from then I was no longer able to gain points from hunting fang rabbits. This is quite the problem. If I dont manage to find myself a monster to hunt other than a fang rabbit or wolf, I wont be able to spin todays gacha. Id made a total of 5000 points from killing wolves, goblins, and fang rabbits yesterday. So, I have to find one other type of monster in order to be able to spin the eleven-time gacha today. While I was resting by the river, a large fish jumped out of the water. According to the appraisal skill, its a monster called a fish arrow. It was a fish with a shape face like an arrow. After launching its leaping attack, the fish arrow pierced the ground. What an easy monster to hunt. I defeated it by slicing the gap in its body and that gave me 100 points. Do I get a fixed 100 points for killing it as long as its a monster? Or perhaps its just because all the monsters around here are weak? In any case, Im glad I could find myself a new monster to hunt. But a fish, huh According to the appraisal skill, a fish arrow is safe to eat so I used a fire to roast its body. Then I took a bite. Delicious! Its so good its like Ive come to realize that all the fish Ive eaten up to this point were actually fake! It was hard to remove all the bones but was still excellent! Ah, the single greatest joy of life in the lower world is being able to eat food like this. After eating my fill, I walked beside the river defeating fish arrows as I went. I hunted goblins to get the remaining of their 2500 points as well. I even found a new monster. It was a rat called a blood mouse. It was about as big as a human child. Its teeth were sharp enough to burrow a hole into a thick tree. I think it might be best if I go my life without being bitten by one of those. Regardless, since its movements were slow it was actually rather easy to fight. It might even have been easier to fight than the goblins in the forest. Those guys were difficult since they could use the trees to their advantage. I checked the blood mouse meat with appraisal. It came back that it was dangerous. It seems that the meat of a blood mouse is actually poisonous. Guess I cant eat it, huh. Thats pretty dangerous. If I indiscriminately ate all the meat I came across, I would probably die. While fighting goblins, blood mice, and fish arrows, I stopped being able to get points from goblins. I killed more blood mice and fish arrows before eventually reaching 5000 points. Looking at the sky, it doesnt look like the sun has gone down yet. I guess the sword technique skill improved my efficiency. Its only level 2, but I can feel that I can handle my sword much better. But that doesnt mean I have no problems. Since I dont have anything to sharpen my sword with, its becoming less effective over time. I wonder what I should do about this. It might be better if I can find some way to take care of the weaker monsters without my sword. But if I got injured while doing that, I would lose everything. I need to look ahead, but the present is important too. This is pretty hard. On my way back to my base, I found a new fruit. There were also various other things Id never seen before when I looked in that direction. I guess Ill check that place out tomorrow. I couldnt check any of the vegetation back at my original area, and the monsters there might have changed too. It seems that life today is better than it was yesterday. But I guess the only unfortunate thing would have to be that I didnt find anyone else around today. I guess Ill have to go to sleep without knowing whether Ill die or not once again. I guess thats kind of like how the gacha is. After getting back to the cave, I checked the gacha screen. I have 5500 points since I killed some fish arrows on my way back. Time to bet all of my days earnings. I was able to get one rainbow orb yesterday. It would be nice if two came out today. I offered a prayer to god, and then rolled the gacha. Volume 1 - CH 7 The moment I pressed the eleven-time gacha a treasure chest shone into existence. Huh? It was a bit different from last time. Last time the treasure chest shone in a golden colour, but it was rainbow coloured this time. What could this mean!? I watched expectantly as orbs came out of the treasure chest. Three bronze, three silver, three gold, and two rainbow! This was better than yesterday. The three special skills listed were appraisal, doctor, and cultivation. I hope I get something other than appraisal this time. To start with I checked all the bronze skills at once. Well, this was as I expected. Next up is silver. From here on lots of the skills will change my way of life. Im looking forward to it. F- fishing technique? Land working technique? What kind of effect could those possibly have? I used my appraisal skill to check them out. Fishing technique. Makes you better at fishing. Grants the effect of increasing the durability of crafted fishing rods. I see. A basic fishing skill, huh. But really, its not that useful. I took a look at Land working technique next. Land working technique. Raises ones abilities in clearing land. You will be able to make fields and the like. You can also consume magic power and materials to create tools necessary for working the land. I see. Land working technique doesnt seem bad. Theres also the cultivation skill listed as a special. With those two skills Id be able to pick a place I like and live there farming. Sword technique was a good pull of course. Now its skill level will go up. So far todays gacha pulls have been fairly in line with yesterdays. Next up is gold. I pulled three this time. Id really like to get some new magic. The gold orbs shone and then displayed their contents all at once. I already have earth magic, but thats not really a problem. And although I can get water from the river at the moment, I can move around more with water magic. Rather Its possible that Ill be stuck with undrinkable water later on. Alright, things are looking pretty good now. Now for the last ones. The rainbow orbs shone and then displayed their skills. Appraisal, huh. Its a shame that I got an overlap, but its not really a bad thing. I cant even appraise everything with appraisal yet. As for cultivation, I wonder what kind of skill it is? My guess would be that it improves the quality of things you cultivate. I used appraisal on it and its description came out. Cultivation. Will give special effects to any crops grown. Will also increase growth speed. It helps grow crops faster as I expected, huh. I dont know how much faster, but it will help me live self sufficiently from now on so its not bad. I synthesized the overlapping skills, but it seems that it takes two level 2 skills to make a level 3 skill, so I couldnt raise anything to level 3 other than strength enhancement. How high can I raise my skill levels? Even if there is a limit, I doubt Id be able to get to it with my rainbow skills. My status went up quite a bit due to continually fighting. It seems that the more I fight the easier fighting monsters becomes. For now, I guess Ill try out my skills. First off, fishing technique. When I activated my fishing technique skill, a fishing rod crafting display appeared. It seems that as long as I have a tree branch and some thread, I can make a fishing rod. It said I could substitute the thread for spider web, but would that really work? I picked up a tree branch, but I didnt really want to touch a spider web, so I used the tree branch to wrap it up. Then I activated the fishing technique skill. The branch and spider web I was holding began to glow. Then an okay looking fishing rod was formed in my hand. It doesnt have a bobber with it, but otherwise it seemed to have the performance of a simple fishing rod. Thats pretty amazing, so this is a skill. I knew that skills used the power of God to ignore a part of reality, but this is amazing. I wonder if I could actually catch a fish with this. I cast the fishing rod into the river right away. Well, not that I was using any bait, so I probably wasnt going to catch anything or so I thought, but something pulled on the rod. Perhaps fishing technique includes an effect of making fish bite? Thinking so I pulled the fishing rod and was able to catch a small fish on the end. I was a bit curious, so I killed it, but it didnt give me any points. I guess it wasnt a monster. I dont really know the difference between a monster, and a regular creature, but it seems that it would be hard to make points from fishing. I ate some fruits Id picked as I made my way back home. I took a look at the seeds that were inside using appraisal. Momon seed. Will grow if planted. Looking at it with the cultivation skill it seems Huh!? It can be harvested five days after planting it. Didnt it take a whole year for Momon to bear fruit? It seems that rainbow rarity skills have an overwhelmingly higher performance than regular skills. I guess Ill plant it somewhere by the cave for now. Ill need to get a hoe for that. Id be able to make a hoe to I could plow the earth with if I had some wood and an iron magic ore. I looked for some iron magic ore using appraisal and then found some buried in the ground. I was able to gather it without even using mining technique. I would need a pick to use mining technique, but for now its unneeded. Right away I went back to my cave to give farming a try. The things I can do are increasing. Volume 1 - CH 8 When I got back to my cave, I took the magic iron ore and made a hoe. I tried hitting the ground with the completed hoe. It dug into the ground with a nice crunch without taking much strength. It seems like I can somehow use this. I tilled the ground such that I would be able to plant the ten seeds I had collected earlier. Id heard that tilling the ground would be a very taxing job, however thanks to land working technique I basically felt nothing. Thanks to the cultivation skill I knew how to do it right. This is a skill, huh. Its quite convenient. After the ground was tilled, I planted the seeds. I spaced them out at regular intervals so they wouldnt get in the way of each others growth. Then I watered them using water magic. It seems that using water containing magic is indispensable for a momons growth time. Conversely, as long as you have magic water itll grow well. Thats why it was perfect that Id acquired water magic. I planted the ten seeds. Satisfied with that, I took down a wolf for dinner and ate it. I washed off in the river and then headed back to the cave. Using the now leveled up earth magic I moved more dirt over the entrance of the cave. Id covered the entire entrance, sans a small hole to allow for air flow. Compared to yesterday I was able to let out a lot more earth magic at once. Even so, it was yet to reach the level where I could use it in battle. Actually, with this earth magic wouldnt I be able to make a field anywhere? All of my skills were growing little by little. Thinking about the future like this I was feeling quite excited. After that I spent five days looking around the surroundings. However overall, there werent really any new results worth mentioning. Id found a new monster called a slime, but it was a rather annoying thing to kill, so it took some time to hunt. But thanks to that was able to get myself 5000 points. It was pretty hard to get here. If I had to say what the problem was, it would be the fact that Id killed 25 of all the monsters in the surroundings. Unless I find new monsters to fight, I wont be able to earn any more points. Then I cant roll the gacha It would probably be best if I were to get ready for a long-distance relocation. When I got back to the cave, before giving the gacha a roll I took a look at the momon seeds Id planted in my garden. The stalks had grown to be quite large, and each plant had about five fruits the size of a persons head. So, each seed produces four or five momon fruits, huh. It makes more fruit than Id expected. Thanks to the cultivation skill, I might be able to go at this pace and live without having to go out and fight. Of course, I hadnt confirmed whether it would remain stable at like this or not. Its spring right now, but later on in the year it might become a lot harder to get by. Especially in the winter. If I faced winter in this condition, I would probably freeze to death. If I was attacked by monsters, then it would be a big problem. And the general ecosystem of the area might change along with the passing of seasons. Even stronger monsters might come out. I need to prepare for that by getting stronger little by little. Well for now I guess Ill have a try of the momons I grew. I took a bite out of one. Its very tender! And above all else, its taste is spectacular. It might even be better than the momons Id found growing in the wild. Its like this with cultivation skill of level one If I were to raise the level of cultivation, then it might taste even better! As I thought, its imperative that I hunt more monsters to get more points. After that I went into the cave so I could roll the gacha. I confirmed that my points were at 5000 on the gacha screen. It seems that this is how many points I can make at the moment. I can only pray that a good skill will come out. I prayed to god like usual. My life depends on this. With those feelings, I pressed the button for the eleven-time gacha. Then a gold chest appeared. From that came four bronze, three silver, three gold, and one rainbow. Perhaps the eleven-time gacha has a guarantee of at least one rainbow? Thinking so, I checked the bronze skills. Well, I dont really need to think much of this part. The important ones are whats coming up. Especially with the silver skills that have a lot of skills for supporting my lifestyle. I checked the silver skills. All of them were new skills. I gave hand to hand fighting technique a look. I see. Perhaps Ill be able to fight without a weapon from now on. Compared to sword technique and dagger technique, this can be used in a lot of different situations so it might be a great skill. Next, I took a look at my cooking technique skill. I see-. So basically, with this I can get seasonings like they have in the upper world! Salt, pepper, and perhaps even that soy sauce thats been imported from abroad recently. By seasoning, does that mean that I can now make spice like things? I have nothing to enjoy in life besides food after all. Ill have to check out what I can make later on. Ive got to check out what I got from the gacha for now. The next thing I checked was smithing technique. I see. I took a look at the sword I was carrying and used blacksmithing technique. It seems that the sword has gotten quite worn out. Thats to be expected of course. I didnt have a whetstone so there was nothing I could do about that. But now that I have smithing technique, wont I have no problems regarding that from now on? For now, if I use magic iron ore on the sword it seems I can raise its durability. Ill have to look for some iron magic ore first thing tomorrow. Well then, the things Ive gotten so far have been pretty good, but its time to check out the gold and rainbow skills. I confirmed the gold ones. Wind magic is now. I cant think of anything to use it for at the moment though. Perhaps I can use it to dry out my clothing? That was about all I could come up with. For now, I can only level up my magic skills so I can make them usable in battle. Last but not least is rainbow. I prayed inwardly as I looked at it. H- here it is! Volume 1 - CH 9 Ill check out what the skill can do tomorrow. First, I synthesized all the overlapping skills, then I checked my status. My basic status went up quite a bit. But I guess the bronze skills from the gacha are really a miss. Even when they level up, they dont change anything. I havent had a hard time fighting against monsters lately. Well, until I find new monsters to fight, I really only have to fight for the sake of food. My basic status is around there. Next up I checked my skills. Ive made quite the collection. I guess Ive gotten all the basic status enhancement bronze skills. I have no idea how many silver skills there are. I wonder how it is for the magic skills too. The four basic skills should be all of them. Thats why Id like to say thats all of them. But there are actually a lot more types of magic out there. Theres enhancement magic and summoning magic as well. As to whether those are in the gacha, Ill see next time. Next up, I seem to have gathered all the rainbow skills unexpectedly fast. Thats likely because the eleven-time gacha probably guarantees at least one comes out. Now its just necessary to level those skills up. Looking at the doctor skill, it seems that I could make any type of potion with level one. However, the quality of those potions will go up according to the skill level. Thinking about my future life here, Id really like to raise the level of the doctor skill to some extent by any means necessary. Ive collected all these skills so far. Now would be a good time to move on to a new base. Honestly, Ive already looked through everything in this area. Alright, its decided. Ill set out tomorrow to find new foods, as well as new monsters. During my travels Ill also test out my skills. Especially in regard to potions since those will be indispensable for the future. Ive spotted medicinal herbs here and there, but they certainly dont appear in infinite numbers. Thats why Ill need to try replicating them with cultivation skill later. potions huh. Once I make a potion, Ill probably also need a container to store it in. As expected, it would be too much to hope for a glass bottle. Thats also a problem for later. It seems that I can make basic living necessities with the blacksmithing skill. If I got some wood together, I could make some plates and cutlery. Ill have to get those first before I can make potions. With these thoughts going through my head, I began to get sleepy. After digging up some dirt to use as a toilet as usual, I went to bed. Morning. After eating some fruit, I set out from my base. I started moving while carrying an armful of fruits. I had some seeds that Id washed in my pocket, so Id be able to cultivate them at my new location. 3 seeds should multiply enough for my needs. I wondered if there was any problem storing them like that, but appraisal and cultivation came back that there was no problem. I moved on into an area I hadnt been to yet. I went in the direction of those unknown fruits Id found before. I took a look at the fruits with the appraisal skill. A citrus fruit. I grabbed one of the head sized fruits and peeled off its skin. Sweetness spread throughout my whole mouth when I took a bite of it. It was slightly sour, but over all it was also tasty. It had some seeds in it, so I took one of them and put it in the same pocket as the others. Id given this area a superficial look. However, in order to get farther from my previous base, I put off any rigorous investigation for later. but I did come out here with the intention of finding a new base. I wonder how far I should go. This was pretty far away from the river, but I could still get water from water magic. I touched the side of a fallen tree and activated my blacksmithing technique skill, turning it into a wooden flask. I was really only relying on an image in my head for it, but it somehow turned out well. As long as I put some water in it, I can drink any time. Eventually I intend to fill it with potion. As a test, I filled it with water and brought it to my mouth. Ah- delicious. Thanks to water magic I could quench my thirst with some nicely chilled water. I thought it would taste strongly of tree, but that wasnt the case. Perhaps thats thanks to the blacksmithing skill? Id discovered some medicinal herbs on the way over here. It was called chuchu grass. It seems I can grow it with cultivation by planting its roots into the ground. I put one of them into my pocket so I could plant it at my new base. Additionally, in order to get myself a potion I prepared them for processing. It seems I can make one with just chuchu grass and magic water. Since magic water is just water containing magic power, water magic would suffice. I prepared two of them and tried making them into potions right away. Done. There was now potion in my flask. I took a sip of it as a test. Eh!? I could feel the fatigue leaving my body. Also, it tasted great. Id drank a potion a long time ago, but this was totally different. It seems that doctor is quite the good skill. With this, it seems like Id be fine in battle as long as I dont die. After I started moving once more, I discovered a new monster. According to appraisal it was a hobgoblin. Its the same type of monster as a goblin, but of a higher rank. Would I get points if I killed it? I was a bit worried about that, but I really didnt have any other choice. Its all for the sake of points after all. Volume 1 - CH 10 I tightly grabbed the sword on my back. As Id yet to get any magic iron ore its durability was still low. But it will probably still work out. I still had my hand-to-hand fighting technique. Of course, making a surprise attack is one of the fundamentals of fighting monsters. That sort of tactic was taught to be cowardice when I was in the knights academy, however out here none of that applies. Its a world where you do what you can. I didnt want to get injured, so I used that tactic every time. As soon as the hobgoblin moved its attention away from my location I went after it. Gobu!? The goblin looked towards me in surprise. It swung the club it was holding at me, but I swung my sword in response. I slashed at the hobgoblins legs. It was quite the deep cut. I wasnt sure if I could take it out in a single blow, so I made sure to take its mobility out first. I gave the faltering hobgoblin a kick. This was so I could test out the effects of hand-to-hand fighting technique. The hobgoblins body went flying. It certainly gave no less than the power I was imagining it would. As I thought, the skills from silver orbs are outstanding. For now, I wanted all of them even at level 1. It didnt take much time to defeat the hobgoblin. I checked how many points I got from defeating it. 100, huh. Although Im always happy to be getting points, I was hoping that I could get a few more since it was ranked higher than a regular goblin. Well, its not a problem. With that in mind I set out to hunt some more hobgoblins. I kept in mind to watch for other monsters as well. If I could find one more type of monster, I should be able to earn 5000 points. I glanced at the gacha window. The date today was April 21st, so I only have 9 more days remaining. I would like the be able to roll the gacha more in that time even if just a little bit. I have two possible theories about that. First, once the date passes, the gacha will disappear. The other possibility would be that starting may a different gacha will appear. The latter possibility holds a lot of my own optimism though. Honestly, the former possibility seems a lot more likely. I dont really have a whole lot of trust left in god by this point. Thats why Id really like to roll the gacha as much as possible before the end of the month. At the very least Id like the raise the level of my rainbow skills a just little bit more. I walked around with while thinking about that, and then I came across a new monster. I immediately checked it with appraisal. It was a monster called a fang cow. It looked like a cow, but it had two sword-like fangs. Id probably die if those cut me. I moved cautiously, and the moment I got behind its back I charged at it. I cut the fang cow with my sword. However, it was incredibly tough. Since the sharpness of my sword directly correlates with its durability score, it might be a challenge to cut with it in its current state. The fang cow turned around and swung its fangs at me. I blocked it with my sword, but at the same time I heard a metallic cracking noise. Youre kidding me. I somehow managed to defeat it. That was strong. It was far more difficult of a fight compared to any of the other monsters Id faced up till this point. And then when I confirmed my points 200!? I thought that it was a hard fight, but it seems it really was stronger than the other monsters. But if thats the case, then that means there is a difference in the number of points each monster gives. I dont know how the number of points is determined, however. Not that I really need to find out. I just have to every point I can out of every monster I find after all. In any case, a fang cow is certainly a tough opponent. A fang cow is beef, huh. Id heard that it was incredibly tasty. Thanks to the cooking skill I was able to understand how to perfectly cook the meat without burning it. Id really like to have it with salt, pepper, and soy sauce, but salt comes from the ocean, pepper comes from peppercorns, and Id need salt, soybeans, and wheat for soy sauce. Theres a variety of things in this forest so it isnt impossible that Ill find some. For now, the most realistic goal would be to find seawater so I could make salt. Perhaps if I were to swim down the river it would be connected to the sea. Once I was done cooking the meat, I brought it to my mouth. The sizzling juices of the beef were unlike any other meat Id eaten before! Delicious, this is just far too tasty! If I were to find something to season this with, I might end up getting addicted to it. That must be the effect of cooking technique! I checked with cooking technique right away. Cooking technique also had the ability to prepare ingredients, and to create a dish. I tried making a steak with it. It was cooked instantly and appeared in a random spot. Then I brought it to my mouth. However, it didnt taste quite as good as before. I see. It seems that in exchange for cooking it instantly, the taste drops compared to doing it myself. In that case I ought to grill the meat myself. It doesnt really take that much time anyway. While I was grilling, some hobgoblins came along. They seemed to be aiming for my food. There were two of them. It took a bit of effort, but I managed to defeat them no problem. I drank some potion to quench my thirst while simultaneously reliving some of my fatigue. Fuu, things are starting to balance out. I should probably find a new base for now. I set out again once I finished my meal. Hunting monsters, making potions from medicinal herbs I found, filling my stomach with fruits and the like with that sort of mood I made my way through the forest. I found some magic iron ore on the way and immediately went to repair my sword with it, but then I noticed an entry in my smithing skill. It seems I could create a new weapon by combining the fang of a fang cow or magic iron ore with a sword. I was curious about it so I immediately set out to take out a fang cow. It was a tough fight, but I somehow managed to take it down. I then cut off its fang with my sword. I then combined the fang cow fang with my sword and then this appeared. Oh! It even restored its durability. This was more than I expected. Thanks to that I could keep the magic iron ore. For now, I used the magic iron ore to make a knife I could use for dismantling. Using my sword to dismantle everything would lower its durability after all. After making a knife for dismantling I made a fishing rod with a nearby spider web and a branch. It made a pretty good thread from that, so I took the thread part off and used it to hold my knife to my waist. The smithing skill also let me create things without actually making them by hand. I dont have a workshop to use or anything after all. I bet that things I make by hand with the smithing skill would also have a higher quality. This should do for now though. I should also try to enjoy fishing when I get some leeway. I walked around thinking about that until I discovered a large tree. I involuntarily admired it. There was a small hole among its roots about the size that a single person could lie down in. This might be a good place for my base. The space around here is a more open too, so it would be easy to make a field. Right away I used the land working skill to plow the area so I could plant the momon seeds, orange seeds, and the chuchu grass. I had brought the hoe along with me but considering that Ill be moving bases again it might be better to avoid doing unnecessary things. Volume 1 - CH 11 The next day. I fought monsters until I reached 5000 points. Then that night I hid the entrance of the tree with earth magic. After making a hole for ventilation I opened the gacha window. Even in the darkness I could still see the gacha window by itself. After getting the cow fang sword it became a lot easier to fight against fang cows. Even so it still took some time. If I had to say what was easier to fight it would be the hobgoblins. Anyway, I managed to get 5000 points by giving it my all. Im begging you, please give me a good skill for this. While praying, I touched the eleven-time gacha. My 5000 points became zero in an instant. That moment was pretty frightening. The chest appeared with a rainbow light. Then four bronze, three silver, two gold, and two rainbow-coloured orbs came out. So, does that mean a rainbow chest signifies two rainbow skills then? To start with I checked the bronze skills. No matter what came out from this portion I wouldnt really have anything to say about it. The important part is coming up. The silver and gold skills will have a big impact on my life going forward after all. The skills in the three silver orbs appeared. An overlapping dagger technique. I get that I can use it with my dismantling knife. Itll probably make it easier to dismantle things with my knife. Well, in that case I think Id prefer a dismantling skill. I dont know if that exists though. Whats the tailoring technique? Does it do what a tailor does, or is it something similar? I see. Then with this I will be able to make new clothes. If I use the pelt of a monster, I should be able to make fur clothes. My current clothes seem to have gotten pretty worn out. I was just thinking that it would be nice to have some new clothes, so not bad. Most importantly Ill be able to prepare warm clothing for winter. Yup, nothing wrong with having this one. Next up is breeding technique. Is that maybe a skill for raising living things? Not that I have anything to raise right now. It probably wont work on fruit. Fruits are alive too! Or so I can say. There are a lot of good things in the silver skills as I thought. Moving on to gold next. Oh, with this I can raise earth magic to level three. Now it will be easier to make a wall. I might even be able to use it in battle from now on. With wind magic at level 2 I might be able to scratch things with it. I might be able to find a use for it other than drying my clothes. Finally, was time for the rainbow orbs. I was a bit hopeful that a skill outside of the listed specials would come out. But it seems like it was just the specials anyways. As I expected, it seems like those three options are all that will come out of the rainbow orbs. I guess thats it for now. After raising my skill levels, I checked my status. All of my stats have gone above 50, and some are finally getting up to 60. I wonder if stats improve based on which ones have been used more. I use magic for smithing, doctor, magic, and various other things. Thats why its the one that grew the most. I get the feeling that my stamina wont really be increasing much after this I dont really want to eat any attacks from my opponents after all. Ive really gotten quite a lot of skills. Next, I just need to find new monsters, and then roll the gacha around another 22 more times. Ill try out tailoring technique tomorrow. Id like to give breeding technique a try too, but there isnt really anything for me to use it on. While thinking about my plans for the next day, I laid down and went to sleep. In the morning I used earth magic to clear away the dirt before checking the situation outside. The medicinal herbs and fruits were growing up nicely. I grabbed a momon that was growing up quickly and ate it. Ah, delicious. It was juicy enough to quench my parched throat. Two days was enough time for chuchu grass to grow up. I made one potion and filled my canteen with it. Alright, next up is clothing. I used appraisal to check, but it seems that I can use things like grass or flowers to make clothing. I dont have enough flowers at the moment so grass it is. I gathered some grass together and activated tailoring skill, and then in an instant a shirt appeared. Is this like using hemp fiber? It felt better than I expected on my skin. The clothes I was currently wearing clothing for nobles, so although it was pretty of a pretty good quality it still didnt quite compare. I tried on the new clothing and yeah, not bad. Or rather the size fits me perfectly. I gave the clothes I was wearing up till now a wash. I could really use some soap. I wonder if theres a skill that will let me make some. I took a look at cooking technique, and soap was listed there. Why is it in cooking technique? I guess Id thought of it before, but I guess a cook did mention it before. You can make soap using cooking oil. Thats probably why its in cooking technique. It seems I can make it with oil and ash. It seems I can get oil from momon fruit and orange fruit. I prepared some ash at the same time. Then I synthesized those two things right away, resulting in a solid block of soap appearing. Oh, what a nice smell. I used momon oil to make it, but I didnt expect it would keep the fragrance of momon fruit. Normally it would be a lot more work to make soap. Skills are really convenient. I washed the clothes I was wearing before all at once with soap and water magic. It was pretty hard to wash by hand, so I used wind magic to help scrub them. After that I made a pole to dry them on and suspended it between some trees. Then I hung my clothes on it. Alright, everything is ready. Time to give it my all again today. Volume 1 - CH 12 Alright, which way should I go today. Though I dont have a map, I have a basic grasp on the layout of the surrounding area. I drew a rough map into the dirt with a branch so I could plan out my route for today. I guess Ill check out the area to the east today. From my current position, the cave I stayed in before is to the side. I had already searched the north area while I was earning points, but I didnt find anything new. Perhaps it would be a different story if I went deeper, but that would be a rather long trip. It would be better to check out somewhere a bit closer. After deciding that I would head east, I set out in that direction. I went along while fighting against fang cows and hobgoblins as I could still earn points from them. If I could find a new monster, then I would be able to reach 5000 points, but you know I continued moving with that in mind. On the way I found a few iron magic ores. I put two of them in my pocket with the future in mind. I wonder if I could make myself a rucksack. Taking a look at the tailoring skill it seems I could make as much as a pouch. I took some fang cow hide and tried making one. Alright, done. I took my newly completed cow-patterned pouch and put the iron magic ore inside. While I was at it, I made a sheath for knife I had previously jury-rigged to my hip with some string. Sweet, thanks to tailoring technique I can now make various accessories out of hide. After processing the hide, I could also use smithing technique on it to make protective equipment. I hunted a fang cow, collected its hide, and then made some fang cow hide armour. Although it really only protected my vitals, it was still better than nothing. In the meantime, I ran out of points I could get from fang cows and hobgoblins. Ah, 2500 more points, huh. It would be great if I could find around two new monster types. I walked around with that in mind until I came across the scent of seawater. No way, am I close to the ocean? I followed the direction of the scent until I found a sandy beach. Its the ocean. Now that I have seawater, I can make salt. I touched a nearby tree with one of my hands and made a small box to use as a container for salt. I walked across the beach and approached the waters edge. While watching the waves I took a scoop of sea water with the wooden box. Then I activated cooking technique. After shining for a moment, all of the sea water turned into salt. Now Ive been able to get myself some salt. I didnt think I would really be able to get it this quickly. The ocean was only about a half days walk away from my base. This was valuable information. Looking out into the sea, there was a dense wall of fog I couldnt see beyond. Perhaps there was another continent across the ocean. I was curious about that. While I walked across the beach, a monster leapt out of the ocean water. It was a merman type monster; a sahuagin. It held a spear in its hands. There are even monsters in the ocean. Im not super great at swimming so I would probably die. In any case, nothing wrong with finding a new monster. The sahuagin kicked off the ground and thrust its spear at me. Fast. Since it was hard to get my footing on the sandy ground, it was difficult to receive its attack. After it swung its spear a few times I activated earth magic. I created some dirt where the sahuagin stood, throwing its left and right feet out of balance. The sahuagin seemed to be surprised by the sudden change. That instant was fatal. I stabbed my sword into the sahuagins throat. Once I confirmed that the sahuagin was dead, I pulled it out. While I wiped the blood of my sword, I took a look at the sahuagins spear. The spear was in really bad condition. It doesnt look like I could use it like that. I didnt want a goblin or something from the forest picking it up, so I buried it. For killing the sahuagin I got 200 points. It was pretty hard to fight even with all the growth Ive had since coming to the lower world. 200 is probably enough. Rather, I would like a bit more. I would be able to fix up the spear with blacksmithing technique and some iron magic ore, but my sword is good enough. Rather, Ive never used a spear before. I could probably wield it, but there would be no reason to force myself in a life and death battle. I moved along the beach and to hunt sahuagins. While I was hunting them, a monster called a poison bee came out of the forest. A monster with poison. I fought it carefully, and somehow managed to kill it without getting hit. I checked the dead poison bee with appraisal, and it seems that its stinger can be used as an antidote. It seems that if I combine the stinger with chuchu grass, then I can make an antidote potion. I guess Ill make one. I drank all the potion I had been carrying up till now, and then made an antidote potion. While Im hunting in this area it would probably be best to have an antidote potion with me. A poison bee gives 100 points. That guy was certainly a dangerous monster, but I still was able to bring it down with one hit. Its probably a reasonable amount. More poison bees appeared. This time there were two. They were about the size of a human head, but their ability to fly made them hard to fight. While exchanging blows with the poison bees, I swung my sword. I brought down one of them, but my sword went in deep and was stuck longer than I anticipated. The remaining one stung my arm. Ouch. Right after taking that attack my head got heavy. This is what its like to be poisoned huh. It feels almost like I have a high fever. I quickly drank the antidote potion and caught my breath. After taking down the other one I made another antidote potion right away. Wow, that was dangerous. Had I not had the antidote potion there I could have died. Good thing Ive got doctor. With dangerous monsters like this around, it might be impossible to find other survivors. I wonder if Ill be by myself from now on. Thats a bit sad. After that I went around fighting more poison bees and sahuagins. Before it got dark, I wrapped up my hunting and went back to the tree I was using as my base. My points were at 6600. Ill roll the gacha for today, and then after killing sahuagins and poison bees tomorrow I should be able to get to 5000 again. For now, Im safe for today and tomorrow. Alright, time to roll the gacha! Volume 1 - CH 13 I thought I would just go and roll the gacha right away, but I was quite hungry. For the time being I started preparing for dinner. I have salt today. I stabbed a piece of meat from a fang cow Id hunted on the way back onto a skewer. I made this skewer with blacksmithing technique. Then I sprinkled some salt on it and placed the meat by the fire. While watching the meat cook with cooking technique, I started getting ready for the gacha. Please give me a good skill Right now, I was more concerned with increasing my silver and gold skills rather than rainbow. I reached out my finger and touched the eleven-time gacha. A chest appeared with a rainbow light. Okay. Well, I mean Im happy about getting rainbow skills. Then three bronze, four silver, one gold, and three rainbow-coloured orbs came out. Wh- what? Three rainbow!? Does this mean that the chest shining rainbow signifies that there are at least two rainbow orbs? Ive come to realize that this gacha is pretty fearsome. Its guaranteed that I can get at least one rainbow orb, but at the same time I could also end up getting skimped out on gold orbs like this time. Maybe if I get unlucky, I could even end up with ten bronze orbs and one rainbow orb. I bet there will never be a case where no bronze orbs come out. Its probably the one with the highest chance of appearing after all. Im definitely guaranteed to get at least one bronze and one rainbow orb. Also, the number of rainbow orbs can go from one to three depending on the chest. Perhaps if I get unlucky more rainbow orbs will come out, but for now Ill consider it capped at three. In that case there are only eight spots remaining. Since three bronze orbs always come out, then the remainder is 6 spots. Since gold and silver skills always give me life improvements, I really want those ones. The gacha is pretty harsh. No use whining about it though. I can only pray that I dont pull the worst case. Alright, starting with bronze. Well, nothing to say about this part. It becomes important from now on. Lets see what comes out of the four silvers. Ive yet to see harvesting technique or map making technique. What kinds of skills are they? I appraised them immediately. I see. So basically, the stuff Im growing now will have a higher quality, so Ill be able to make better potions and food from now on. As I thought, the silver orbs are often superior. Next up is map making technique. Oh! I can use this for my expeditions from now on. Right away I displayed the map in my vision. Nice, everywhere Ive been so far has been mapped out nicely. The river flows from around my first cave towards the ocean. I havent gone to the upstream portion of the river yet. Ive yet to explore the northern area beyond where I can see the big tree. Since my current position is displayed, it seems like itll be impossible to get lost from now on. Although they arent particularly showy, Ive managed to get two very handy skills. Feeling that a load has been taken off my chest, I was looking forward to gold. I took a look at the gold skill. Ah, a new kind of magic. Bestowal magic. If I remember right, its a kind of magic that allows you to bestow attributes to weapons? I see. I guess I have various things to check out when I go hunting tomorrow. Last up is the rainbow orbs. Well, the three of them are probably just the special skills. Im glad I can raise their levels, but there were a lot of good things in the silver orbs. I couldnt help but with I could have a little bit more time with those ones. Without caring about my feelings, the rainbow orbs began to shine. Nice, I got all of them. For the time being I combined all of the overlapping skills. I wish they just combined automatically though. Is there some way to use them other than to combine them? For now, I checked my basic stats so I could see my growth for the day. This actually confirmed various theories Id had about my status. First of all, it showed me the minute numbers in detail. Then this time there was a +2 inside one of the brackets, so that basically confirms my hypothesis. For starters, think about the meaning of the status. Are the numbers in the brackets reflected in the numbers on the left? Or are my actual stats calculated by adding the numbers in the brackets to them. It seems like the latter is the case. The following explanation makes it easy to explain why. I began to think that maybe my stat enhancement type skills might actually be increasing my stats by a percentage. My agility enhancement skills is currently level 3. But it only got to upgraded to that level from this gacha pull. Up until now agility enhancement has been level 2. But as soon as it became level 3, the number in the brackets switched from +1 to +2. Given that Its numeric value is at 67, I figured that level = percentage strengthened. For example, suppose my actual status was 63. Then with level 3 agility enhancement it would increase by 1.89. Then the number inside the brackets wouldnt increase. However, with it at 67, then 3 percent would be 2.01. Its just barely there, but that makes the number inside the brackets go up to +2. I was lucky to be able to confirm this. I was under the impression that it was just a terrible status improving skill. If god were actually getting that number from some genius formula, then I wouldnt know what to do. Im not actually that smart, so if it were a more complicated calculation method then I wouldnt be able to do anything about it. Next, I checked my skills. The thing that catches my attention most here is the appraisal skill level. Do all the rainbow skills have a max level of 3? Is it okay for it to only take four of them to strengthen fully? Rather now I feel like its not really hard to get them to max level. Rather, is it like that precisely because theyre only out for a fixed interval? But if its like this then Im really worried that rainbow skills really will be miss pulls. If I pull appraisal next time, is there any way for me to use it? I ate my dinner while thinking this through. The way the salt mixes with the meat juices really creates a flavor I couldnt have imagined. Salt! To think it would change so much! I ate it all in the blink of an eye. Just one steak wasnt enough, so I ate some more. My life is now truly dependent on meat. I ate it with chuchu grass since that was all I had currently in terms of vegetables. Id really like to find some vegetables in the future and multiply them with cultivation. Volume 1 - CH 14 I went ahead and fell asleep yesterday. The next day, I confirmed the map displayed before my eyes. I guess Ill head into the unexplored northern area today. According to the map, the ocean Id explored yesterday continues further north. How many containers should I bring in my pouch? For now, Ill do one antidote potion, and one normal potion. I only brought one poison bee stinger back with me. I only had one so I could make an antidote potion at any time. I picked a momon fruit from my garden and then ate it as I walked. Whoa, delicious!? Is this the effect of my cultivation skill leveling up and getting the harvesting skill? Im really glad I can eat things this tasty every day When I was living in the duke house, I would sometimes have to skip meals after all. If I can make myself a house later then Ill have nothing to complain about life here. While looking at the map, I made my way towards the river to start with. I used the river water in place of a mirror and cut my hair with my dismantling knife before washing my face. Once I was satisfied, I went to the east zone. Once there, I began hunting sahuagins that came out of the ocean. While hunting sahuagins and poison bees, I continued north along the ocean side. Maybe its thanks to sword technique leveling up, but I dont find them hard to fight anymore. I ended up getting stung by poison bees yesterday, but I didnt have to worry about that today. While I handled things flawlessly, I continued north until I came across a pier. Whats up with this? I didnt see any boats nearby. It certainly didnt appear to be a large harbour given the size of the pier, but I still didnt see any ships. Who made this? It was done very poorly. I suspect someone without any construction type skills built it regardless of that fact. It looked very old, and even had some rotting parts. The people who made this probably arent around anymore. The fact that someone made this probably means that there is something out at sea. I tried looking into it, but all I found were sahuagins jumping out. I continued north while dealing with them. Once things settled down a bit, I decided to give bestowal magic a try. I confirmed the details of bestowal magic. First of all, equipment I can use bestowal magic on must be of a certain level. For example, the clothes I was wearing were no good. Of the equipment I had at the moment, I could only use it on my dismantling knife and my cow fang sword. I checked my dismantling knife first. There were three possible skills I could give it. I could only put one of them on the knife though. These three. I checked each of them with appraisal. I see. Theres a magic stone inside of each monster. In the upper world, a magic stone was treated as a luxury item. For the most part they seemed to be used for making magic staffs, but a lot of nobles also bought them as precious gems. Thats why Id been ignoring them up to this point but It seems Ill need to consume them to use bestowal magic. Now that I think about it, bestowal magic was treated as a miss skill in the upper world. Guess it cant be helped if it consumes expensive magic stones Anyway, Ill be using this for dismantling things, so I guess dismantling technique would be good. Since the knife could only be granted one skill, I gave it dismantling technique. I appraised the knife. I see. So, I guess that this will make dismantling things easier? I wonder if the skill level correlates to the level of bestowal magic. In that case Im expecting a lot from bestowal magic in the future. Next, I took out the cow fang sword. Are the available skills the same for all weapons? Or is it random like the gacha? I had two iron magic ores remaining, but those were strictly for the sake of weapon repair. I shouldnt experiment willy-nilly with it since bestowal magic still isnt high leveled yet. Its a different story if I find more ore though. I used bestowal magic on the cow fang sword and three options for bestowal appeared. I checked all the skills I didnt know with appraisal as I look them over. I already know sword technique, so Ill remove it from my list of candidates. Even so, would adding sword technique with sword technique double its power? Even so right now I would like to have both of those new skills. Im a little curious about the Hidden strength of the fang cow but it seems to be a basic stat enhancement skill. Right now, the effect of basic stat enhancement is rather subtle. So, I guess slashing technique would be better for now then? Right now, Im fundamentally restricted to close range combat. I dont know how strong slashing technique is, but if it allows me to attack from a distance then I want it. Magic type skills take a lot of time to charge up. Its the so-called chanting time. If I can use it without that, then I want slashing technique. I went ahead and granted slashing technique on the sword. Ill try it out right away. I charged my sword up with magic power and swung it. Following the path of my sword, a slashing attack shot off it. Fast. It managed to cut about halfway into a nearby tree. Th- this is pretty sweet. It would probably require a bit more power to finish something off, but I could probably defeat a distant enemy with this alone. Especially against a slow-moving enemy like the fang cow I used to make this blade. I bet I could kill it without any resistance. Alright, I guess Ill continue exploring. Volume 1 - CH 15 I came across the end of the sandy beach. According to my map, I could get back to the large tree I used as my base by heading southwards from here. Conveniently, the path was empty on my map. Should I go back now? The sun was high in the sky, so it should be around lunch time. I still had plenty of time till sunset, so I went a bit further north to fill in more of the map. After I went a bit further north, I heard a thump beneath the earth. I hid under a tree right away and observed the situation. It was a bear, roughly two metres tall. According to appraisal it was a monster known as a honey bear. A honey bear huh Just how strong is it? I wonder if I can take it on as I am now. For now, I have the slashing technique from bestowal magic. I tried it out on some sahuagins I fought on the way here, and Its power was pretty impressive. It was particularly effective when I used it on my opponents legs, robbing them of their movement. If its impossible, then Ill run. If I use earth magic effectively then It shouldnt be hard to get away. I want to proactively hunt new monsters. As soon as the honey bear turned its back to me, I charged my sword with magic. As I swung my sword, a slash shot out from the shade of the tree at the rear left leg of the honey bear. The honey bear seemed to notice it. As soon as it turned its head back to look, the slash hit the honey bears leg. Blood spurted out from it. The honey bear seemed to be enraged as it let out a roar. The force of the sound beat my skin. I couldnt afford to be frightened by this. I prepared myself before I started the fight. I launched more slashes as I retreated, aiming at the honey bears right leg. The honey bear approached me in defiance. Shoot, this guy is stronger than I thought. In terms of ability, would they be above me? I was surprised that my slashes didnt connect as much as I thought they would. I used the surrounding trees to maintain the distance between us. Once I landed the fifth slash on it, the honey bear went down on its knees. Alright! Just as I planned. As I increased the distance between us, I charged my sword with more magic and swung it downwards. Right then, the honey bear grabbed a nearby tree. Hey, hey! Are you kidding me! Roar! The honey bear pulled the tree out by the roots. That trees as thick as a grown man! Without minding that at all, the honey bear threw the tree my way. With it flying straight at me, I responded with earth magic. The tree thrown by the honey bear slammed against a wall of earth. It only blocked it for a moment. But in the first place I wasnt expecting to be able to block it. I was just buying time to be able to get out of the way. I jumped to the side but was barely hit in the waist. Ouch, I tumbled for a moment before getting back up and fired off some more slashes while running. This is pretty bad! I drank a potion as I retreated in order to deal with my wounds. But the honey bear was also weakened. Compared to the start of the fight, it was following me at a much slower speed now. I thought I would be able to maintain a cool distance, but this was tough. Against and opponent like this Id really like to have a more powerful skill to use, or some kind of poison technique to target its weakness. Make some distance, launch a slashing attack. As I repeated those actions over and over again, the honey bear gradually became unable to move and dropped to its knees. Alright, all I need to do now is kill it. I kept my distance and finished off the honey bear with continuous slashing attacks. Dont think Im playing dirty. I approached the dead honey bear and used my dismantling knife to cut its body up. It seems that I can synthesise the claw of a honey bear with iron magic ore to make a honey bear sword. I dont plan on making one right away, but I should probably go ahead and collect the materials for it now. I dont really want to stay in this spot for long. This area is probably honey bear territory. It would be hard for me to fight them continuously as I am now. I cut off the portion of meat I would need from it. Since I used up my potion, I found a nearby medicinal herb to replenish my stock. With that Im all ready for the next fight. I moved on while looking at my map. Then I checked to gacha window for my current points. It seems I got 200 points from that. I only got 200 from something that strong I really hope 200 isnt the maximum number of points I can get. It would be nothing short of depressing if that were the case. I should find monsters that I can actually take on, so I dont have to force myself to fight powerful monsters. That might make my training more efficient. Haa, crap. That was really strong I think Ive started talking to myself more recently. Of course, Ive got to do this so I dont forget how to speak while Im by myself, but also, Im lonely. I monologue to fool myself, even if its only a little. I moved through the forest for a bit. I didnt see many honey bears around, but I did come across two of them. Of course, I dont have to motivation to take them on right now, so I just held my breath and hid from them. Like that I made my way from the east to the encircling north area, so I could cover more area on the map. I left a memo on the map anywhere I spotted a honey bear. The overall area that I could find honey bears was small. There might be more of those monsters in the northern area of the forest. That would be pretty annoying. Well, Ill have to think of countermeasures against honey bears later on. Ive got to fill my stomach for now. I set up a campfire right away so I could eat the honey bear meat right away. I set up the fire and roasted the meat like usual. Ah, its a waste that some of the juices are dripping off. I want to eat it. I want to eat it now To start with I tried it plain, without putting any salt on it. What is this!? Its way too good! The meat is sweet and melts in my mouth! It has a deliciousness thats also different from the other meats Ive had! Next, I ate it with a bit of added salt Oh, this is great. The way the salt mixes with the meat juices gives it a moving flavor. This is good enough to get me addicted to honey bear meat. Im hoping todays gacha will help give me a way to hunt for this safely. Id hunted enough sahuagins and poison bees today, so I had enough points for todays gacha. Today is the 24th of April. Theres one week remaining. Hopefully, I can raise the level of all the special skills to three. With that in mind, I opened the gacha window. Volume 1 - CH 16 Now what skills would be good right now? If I had to say what was missing in my life at the moment, it would have to be where I live. It would be good if I could get a skill to help out in that area. With that in mind, Im aiming for a construction type skill. I expect that I should be able to get it from a silver orb. So, for now, Ill pray for lots of silver orbs. Of course, I still want some rainbow orbs, but if I end up with too many of them it would kind of suck. I prayed to god for now. It felt like I was using a lifetime worth of wishes every time. I gave the gacha a roll while praying heavily. A golden chest appeared. Theres probably only a single rainbow orb inside, I thought, but the chest didnt open. W- what? As I thought in surprise, the chest changed colour from gold to rainbow. W- whats with this!? Then the orbs came out from the chest. Four bronze, three silver, two gold, two rainbow What was that spectacle? It upgraded from a gold box to a rainbow box? Some kind of level up animation? Well, not that I really have any expectations for rainbow. Eh, its fine, I guess. It was an extravagant problem anyway. For starters I checked the bronze orbs. Well, I guess this parts about the same as usual. If I get their levels up to 100, then it would give me a 100% status increase so theyre the late bloomer type of skills. Im looking forward to their growth from now on. Next up are the silver ones. These are the ones I have the strongest hopes for so. please! Spear technique is the spear version of sword technique huh. Dont really have any use for it at the moment. I wonder whats up with perception technique? When I dont know something, Id better ask appraisal. I see. It lets me know where my enemies are. Ill give it a try. It seems there arent any monsters around here. It seems if I use it with map making technique the positions of enemies are shown on the map. I get that much, but it doesnt seem like the range of perception technique is that far right now. It wouldnt be a great idea to rely on it too much. That doesnt change the fact that its a handy skill though. It might really help save time in searching for monsters from now on. After checking out my new skills, it was time to move on to the gold orbs. There were two gold orbs this time. I would be happy to get a new kind of magic like I did yesterday but Oh, light magic is new. Its not a bad skill. Up until now all Ive had to rely on for light was fire magic, but from now on Ill be able to safely use light magic. Fire magic has a chance of starting a forest fire after all. In the one in a million chance a fire started, no one would be able to stop it. Finally, its time for the rainbow ones. Two rainbow orbs came out this time. Ah, good thing it wasnt appraisal. Perhaps this means appraisal wont come out anymore? Id be glad if that were the case. While thinking so I strengthened my skills. Now for the results of todays work. I confirmed my basic stats. Thanks to my fight with the honey bear my basic stats went up a lot more than I thought they would. Especially magic, since I used slashing technique a lot it went up quite a bit. Other than that, would be stamina. Up until now I hadnt really taken many hits, but I ate a powerful attack from the honey bear. With my stamina higher I shouldnt be at quite as high of a risk of dying from a hit in battle from now on but this also proves that in order to raise my stamina I need to eat some attacks. Well, I hope to raise it enough to not die. Next, I checked my skills. Magic enhancement, cooking technique, and doctor leveled up from the gacha this time. My basic stats went up a bit, but it wasnt really that much. What Im most happy about was cooking technique. The one thing I have to look forward to here in the lower world is cooking after all. Without cooking I might lose sight of the meaning of living. Right now, I live to find new ingredients and eat them. Thats why Im really happy to have cooking technique level up. The next thing I was happy about was doctor. Doctor has also reached the max level. This pretty much confirms the fact that the skills from rainbow orbs all have a max level of 3. After this I just need one more cultivation. If the gacha is nice then I should have that all finished up with the next gacha. But right now, the only new monster Ive found would be the honey bear. Unless I find another monster, this might be the end of my easy point farming. I gave light magic a try right away. A small light floated in my hand. Its a lot less bright than I expected. Probably because its only level one. The other magics were also pretty much useless at the start. But with this I was able to light up my small room. I couldnt really use fire to light up my tiny, sealed room after all. I flopped down into my resting space and used earth magic to mostly cover the entrance as I thought. What should I do tomorrow Should I check out the western area? After that, maybe Ill hunt some honey bears? As I thought about various things, I drifted off to sleep. Volume 1 - CH 17 Although I said I would explore the western area, the only monsters there were wolves and slimes. My current spot was pretty stable. I was growing fruits in my garden, and I could enjoy the meat of various monsters from my surroundings. I figured Id give it a bit more thought before I leave this base and continue hunting monsters here for a bit. But I do want to roll the gacha some more. More than just wanting the skills, I like how the feeling that the gacha gives me is a lot like a casino. My only forms of enjoyment are food and the gacha. Life without the gacha would be unthinkable. Thats why I decided to go fight some honey bears so I could earn some points. Theyre pretty hard to fight, but not unbeatable. With caution at the front of my mind, I continued hunting honey bears. Perception technique was quite useful. It allowed me to comprehend the position of the honey bears. It was incredibly good that I was able to avoid any two on one fights. In the one in a million chance, I ended up fighting against two of them, I would almost certainly perish. After taking down five of them, I was able to fight in closer range to the honey bears. After ten of them, it was no longer necessary for me to rely on my slashing attack. After killing fifteen of them, honey bears just became points to me. April 28th, night. Finally, I was able to hunt twenty-five honey bears, and save up 5000 points. It was pretty tough, but now my status had grown to the level where I could fight against them head on. I realized something thanks to my choice to keep fighting against the honey bears. In terms of point efficiency, fighting against strong opponents is pretty awful However, in terms of raising my status, the efficiency was really good. Particularly against the first fifteen honey bears, I had a lot of really close fights. My potion consumption was really high. Well, thanks to all that my status went up a lot. As for what my stats went up to, well, Ill check them out after rolling the gacha. I was a bit hesitant as I opened the gacha window. Really, I was a bit conflicted about rolling the gacha. Pretty soon April will be over. After stewing over it for awhile I still had a single doubt about it. I wonder if there will be a new gacha. I took another look at the current gachas title. April opening commemorative gacha! Is this your debut as a doctor!? Opening with three specials! is what it said. I mean, right after the appraisal ceremony I couldnt see this as anything other than a provocation, and I seriously resented God for it. This part about it being an April opening commemorative gacha. The part that leaves it uncertain as to whether there will also be a gacha for May. If there is going to be another gacha, then perhaps it would be good to save up some points for it. There might be better special skills in the May gacha after all. But there is also the possibility that this might be the last there will be a gacha. I cant really read how it will develop. The other reason I was hesitating whether or not to roll the gacha had to do with the specials. There might be a two in three chance that the skill will overlap. Can I get an overlap? Thats the issue right now. If not, then Id definitely plan on rolling the gacha one more time, but Its all on whether or not there will be a may gacha. For the time being I gave that some thought. I probably worried about it for about an hour. That there were no more new monsters in the vicinity was another reason. Perhaps if I were to head further north from where the honey bears were, Id be able to find something new but Yeah, what to do Saving up 5000 points was certainly not an easy task. Perhaps if I knew what silver and gold skills I could get, then I wouldnt be having these worries. Right now, what I want most is a skill to make a house. If I knew that I could get that sort of skill, then I would definitely roll the gacha. But, on the flip side, what if that sort of skill was considered a rainbow tier skill? To prepare for later, perhaps it would be best to hold onto some points. The lower world is incredibly vast, but that doesnt mean that there are infinite monsters. Some day, the time will likely come where Ill be unable to spin the gacha anymore. Even now its getting to be quite the chore to earn points. After all that thinking, I eventually came to a decision. I decided to roll the gacha. I mean, rolling the gacha makes me happy. That was the only reason I had. I opened the gacha window and touched the eleven-time gacha. For starters the light was golden. Nice, it didnt upgrade itself. I dont want any more special skills right now. My expectations are all in the other skills. There were four bronze, three silver, three gold, and one rainbow. Well, overall a fairly average gacha. Personally though, thats what I wanted the most. Starting with the bronze ones. Eh, Im really fine with whatever from bronze. Things will be important from here on. Next up, Silver. I dont need spear technique! Land working technique is well its alright. But rather than that, above all else the last skills had me jumping for joy. Its finally here!! Construction technique! With that Ill probably be able to make things like a house! I appraised construction technique. Yeah! This will change my life more than anything else. Im really happy, but there is still more gacha to go through. There are three golds. It would be nice if they could match this tune and be good. Well, its that sort of thing. I was looking forward to a new skill but cant help it turning out like that. The next gacha is quite important. Last up is rainbow well see if it can overlap or not. I dont know if Ill be able to confirm that. Of course, I dont want to get an overlap. After all, that would be completely useless. Finally, I checked the last rainbow orb. Ugh, so they can overlap. Volume 1 - CH 18 Ill leave the in-depth skill examination for later. Im not sure to what extent my new construction technique skill works, but with that Ive collected everything I need for the basic necessities of life. All thats left is to raise my skill level from now on and the quality should improve. For now I should level up my skills and I suppose Ill check my status. I fought against the honey bears, so my whole status should have become a lot higher than the last time I rolled the gacha. Thanks to that, the bronze status strengthening type skills should have a greater effect. Magics growth was remarkable. If I had to guess, its probably thanks to how slashing technique, earth magic, fire magic, water magic, as well as the magic I use for day everyday life all rely on it. Compared to before, my stamina also went up quite a lot. Well, that still came at the cost of some hard fights against the honey bears. That doesnt mean that fighting the honey bears was a bad thing of course. I need to pass through honey bear territory if I want to move further north after all. It seems like the honey bears originally came from that region. Up next I checked my skills. I have two of the rainbow rarity skills leveled up to max. This was a joyous thing of course, but I couldnt help but sigh at the skill further to the bottom. This surplus skill is a problem. I cant even use it to level up my other skills, so just what can I do with it from now on? Well my skills are like this for now. I took a look at my leveled up light magic. It was brighter than before. Maybe I can use this to make something like a streetlight. I dont plan on hunting at night for now, but it might become a necessity sometime in the future. Ill need to make the forest more comfortable to live in. I turned off the light magic and lied down in my usual bed. I might be parting with this place from tomorrow. Thinking about that made me feel a little bit lonely but not really. The next day. I was greeted by some fine weather. It was really helpful that I havent had any rain since coming to this forest. It doesnt really look like this forest has very good drainage, so that might make hunting pretty difficult for a few days. When I got out into my garden I checked my plants and watered them. I could use the soil over as much as I want by using ground working technique to plow it. Im not particularly well versed in agriculture, but if I recall correctly the soil should experience fatigue. By growing food in the same place a bunch, the soil will gradually weaken, and your produce will get worse. To be sure I examined some soil after harvesting, and sure enough it became worse for growing. However, after I tilled the earth with land working technique I was able to grow on it again. I wonder what kind of effect using tilling it with fecal matter mixed in would have. Anyway, after examining the field today I picked the orange fruits that I could harvest. Ahh, so sweet and yummy. Thinking about oranges, the sourness was certainly part of the enjoyment, but after all its good with just the sweetness. I hope I can grow some other vegetables soon. Right now I could only fool myself by making chuchu grass salad. Alright, the main subject for today isnt my garden. I really wanted to use construction technique. After activating construction technique, a row of blueprints were displayed before my eyes. Oh, since my options were only level one I wasnt able to make anything particularly big. But I seemed to be able to make a lot of things. I want to make a house. From my current options, it seems the best I can make is a really small lumberjacks home. Anyway, in order to make it, it seems I needed some lumber. Wait, do I only need to gather some lumber? I thought you needed to do some important things to build a house, like preparing a foundation and all that. It felt more like I was setting up a tent. Oh well, it is a skill that was prepared for me by God. Nothing I say will change it. Cant do anything but trust in God. I started collecting lumber immediately. Harvesting technique doesnt seem to work. Is there some sort of logging technique skill? I could kind of feel the effect land working technique. Ah, maybe thats because the trees are in the way of working the land? Like that I cleared the surrounding trees and collected them. It seems that trees were also affected by the cultivation skill. Looking at their roots with appraisal I could see that they experienced an extra ten days worth of growth. I guess I didnt need to worry about not having enough lumber. After gathering enough wood I activated construction technique. When construction technique activated it asked where I would like to build the house. Eyeballing the size of it, I dont think itll get in the way if I build it by the roots of the tree I was currently using. Then the moment after I selected the position, a small log house popped into existence. Volume 1 - CH 19 The house was built fast enough to leave me dumbfounded. It even had a door and wooden windows nicely in place. If I had some sand, construction technique claimed to be able to even make some windows. No no. Nuh uh! I tried giving the wooden house a few tackles. It was completely unaffected. I didnt think it would be too stable as a log house on top of the ground, but it seemed as solid as a house with a proper foundation. I also remained undisturbed by a shot of wind magic. I went inside and tried simulating rain with water magic, but there wasnt even a single leak. I opened the wooden window and looked outside. Everything was perfect. Are you serious? Its pretty weird to just make a house this easily. This skill is just too convenient. After that I checked construction technique and made furniture for the inside. Though I say that the inside wasnt particularly big, so I stopped at making a dresser, table, chair, and a bed. My house was finished within two hours. I felt a bit moved that I assembled it all myself and lied down on my empty bedframe. I could finally lay down on a bed I thought, but I cant make anything like a mattress. I lack the needed recourses for it. Well, its entirely different from having to weather the elements. I was feeling pretty satisfied for now but this isnt enough. I want to roll the gacha a few more times in April. Or maybe I want to leave a few points for the next gacha. Whatever I want, I need to go hunt some monsters for points. I left my house and opened my map so I could search for some monsters. I guess Ill check out the area beyond where the honey bears live for today. There might be new monsters over there. When I arrived at the honey bear territory I activated perception technique. I could tell where the monsters in the surrounding were. There were some honey bears in front of me, but I had no reason to go out of my way to hunt them. I continued north with that in mind. Every once in a while I checked my surroundings for monsters with perception technique. The number of honey bears was increasing. Further south there was a mix of honey bears and poison bees, but up here it was just honey bears. I guess if I continue further a new monster will come out? With that in mind I kept going until I encountered a really lumpy beast. I examined it with appraisal. I guess its a sheep monster. It had really sharp teeth and was eating some kind of meet. These guys eat meat? The look in its eye was also really bad. Quite the strong looking monster. Its a new monster. Did fang sheep move in herds? There were three of them around here. Oh yeah, isnt sheep wool a good material for making clothes and bedding? I checked construction technique to make sure. Oh nice, looks like I can use fang sheep wool to make a mattress. In that case Ill hunt them here. I need to make some points too. With that in mind I raised my sword. When I charged my sword with magic the fang sheep turned towards me. They react early to magic!? While I was surprised, I quickly fired a slash at a fang sheep. The fang sheep used its wool to block my slashing attack. How can it do that!? I didnt have time to be surprised. The fang sheep charged in my direction. There are three of them. Crap! I guess I should have only gone against one of them. I readied my sword and dodged the fang sheeps charge. The fang sheep pulled their breaks and turned back my way. I shot another slash attack at them, but they blocked it again. Are you kidding me? My slashing attack is totally ineffective? Is my weapon week, or is my skill level low? Oh crap oh crap. I appraised some of the remaining meat. A- are you kidding? Honey bears are fang sheep food! The three of them came my way and I dodged them to the side. But I can see all their movements. They move really predictably. I dont know which is stronger between fang sheep and honey bears, but I could still clearly tell that a honey bear was stronger individually. I knew that the wool could defend against my slashing attack, so I had no choice but to aim at their wool free faces. I waited until the fang sheep came up really close before I stabbed one of them through its face with my sword before spinning out of the way. The one I stabbed with my sword into made a squeal before tumbling through the dirt. I swiftly went up to it and pulled my sword from its body. I brought my sword down on it for a finishing blow, thus ending one of them. As I thought, individually theyre a lot weaker than a honey bear. The fang sheep charged at me again and I launched a slashing attack at one of them. Then, that one stopped its legs and received my attack with its wool. I see, thats how it is. The fang sheep needs to brace its legs in order to receive my slashing attack. I figured it out after several shots, but the fang sheep were leaving really deep tracks in the dirt. With that there was only one left charging at me. They arent really scary like that. I stabbed it like the one earlier and then finished it off while it was staggered. Only one left. The last fang sheep charged at me in rage, but by itself it wasnt particularly threatening. I matched its charge and stabbed it with my sword. I appraised the fang sheep once it stopped moving before letting out a sigh. I also used perception technique. There didnt seem to be any other monsters in the area. I thought about collecting the materials from the fang sheep, but as expected it would be pretty hard to transport this much. It might be easier to make it into a mattress here, but can I do that? For starters I collected the fang sheep wool. Then I activated construction technique. I could do it with construction technique, but tailoring technique was also seemed to be able to do it. I could make either a mattress or a futon. I activated the skill and then I could designate where I wanted it. Ah, I see. It would be a pain to have those words in front of my eyes the whole time, but I can carry it like that. But it doesnt seem like I can use any other skills like this. Well for now I guess Ill head back to my base. With only some fang sheep meat, I made my way back to my base. Volume 1 - CH 20 I seem to have gotten around 200 points per fang sheep I took down. They were about as hard to fight as a honey bear so I guess it cant be helped. In any case, now I know that I can spin the eleven-time gacha if I take down 25 fang sheep. What should I do after that? I couldnt use perception technique on the way back, so I ended up fighting against several hone bears. They werent particularly difficult foes though. It was a bit harder to fight compared to usual with the annoying display in the way the whole time. Other than that everything was fine. When I got back to my base I went inside my house. Then I selected a mattress and a comforter and created them on my bed frame. Ah, perfect. All I need now is a pillow, but I could probably get away with substituting that for a towel or something. I bet I could make a towel from a fang sheep. Thats more in the territory of tailoring technique I think. Anyway, my life will be a lot better from now on with all of this. I went back to the fang sheep territory and started hunting monsters. While hunting the fang sheep I continued northward. Around there I came across some grapens. It was a very famous fruit for its sweetness and purple colour. They were pretty small in the upper world, but here in the lower world they were about the size of a fist. They also came in bunches. I took one of them and put it in my mouth. Delicious. I collected some seeds in my pocket for now. After walking a bit further I found some vegetables known as mecarrots. Theyre red, or rather arent they a bit orange? They were vegetables about the size of a human arm buried beneath the soil. Luckily, they have some seeds too, so I collected those as well. This place is really an ingredient treasure house. Moving further on, I found some potadoes. They were buried in the soil, so I probably wouldnt have found them without the help of appraisal. There were quite a few good thing among the flowering plants in this area. I was able to find new species by searching for those too. I probably wouldnt have been able to find things this easily without appraisal. Even so, neither mecarrots nor potadoes seem to be growing in their original manner. Originally, those sorts of plants shouldnt be able to grow outside of very specific temperature ranges. In the upper world there were various seasons for vegetable growing. Is that not the case in the lower world? The environment saturated in magic power might be causing this abnormality in the crops. I was able to get seeds for everything. As I continued north I came across a new monster. It was a chicken type monster. Its body was about as big as my torso. It was very plump and looked like a pretty good meal. There was one of them. I was a bit relived that they didnt operate in a group like the fang sheep. I readied my sword and shot a slashing attack at the heavy clucker. The slash hit the heavy clucker. However, it didnt have enough power. It seems like my slashing attack isnt really effective on the monsters around here. The heavy clucker noticed where I was and swung its wing at me, shooting feathers. I dodged them and the feathers stuck in the ground. Seriously? They were sharp like arrows. I cant let myself get hit. I ran up to it in order to avoid the heavy clucker shooting more feathers at me. Once close I swung my sword, which the heavy clucker caught with its wing. Its hard!? Its able to block my sword. It would be hard to fight head on. I swung my sword at the heavy clucker several times as I repositioned myself to its flank. The heavy clucker itself couldnt move particularly quickly. It wasnt hard to lead it into making an opening. Once I made it behind the heavy clucker I struck it with my sword. As expected, my blade went through its flesh. I swung down my sword to get its feathers out of the way. The heavy clucker let out a scream and its movements got worse. I moved further to the side and hit it some more with my sword. Once the heavy clucker fell over I finished it off. Well then, it surprised me at the start there but overall it wasnt an unbeatable monster. The honey bears are clearly one of the monsters from this area. Ill likely come across more monsters like this in the future. I shouldnt let my guard down. After harvesting the meat from the heavy clucker, I noticed that my cow fang swords durability was getting low. I should look into getting a new sword soon. Id collected several iron magic ores over the past few days. Ill fix my equipment for now. Its really convenient that I dont need a shop to make things thanks to smithing technique. I guess Ill spend the rest of the day hunting heavy cluckers and fang sheep. I checked my map. It would be great and all to keep going north, but the sun was starting to go down. I dont know exactly what time it was, but if I had to guess Id say it was probably around 3pm. If I keep going theres a chance I wont be able to get back in time. Since I was getting hungry I settled down for a bit and ate some heavy clucker and fang sheep meat. I spun it over some fire until it was grilled perfectly. I didnt have any salt on me, but I guess Ill see how it tastes. Using a fork and plate I made from a nearby tree, I first put some of the fang sheep meat in my mouth. Ah, thats good! Id eaten mutton back in the upper world before, but this was incomparable! My face was falling apart! Next was the heavy clucker meat. Id heard it was pretty easy to burn poultry, so I was a lot more careful with it than usual. I put it in my mouth and oh, so good Eating grilled chicken really made me want some salt to go with it. Ill have both kinds of meat for dinner today. I decided to head back for today after earning some more points. Volume 1 - CH 21 April 30th, night. I pondered to myself while in the bed in my room. The number of points Id amassed up till this point was 15000. Thats enough for thirty-three gacha rolls. This was the result of hunting all the monsters Id confirmed up till now. My status went up thanks to that, but right now its a lot more important to consider if I should roll the gacha. It was a huge worry of mine. If Ill be getting a new gacha starting tomorrow, then Id like to roll it then. Id also like to get my cultivation skill to max level, but that would still be leaving it to chance. I might end up not pulling the remaining skill like before. Thinking like that, it might be best to keep the points for now. However I was still scared for tomorrow. I have to consider the possibility that I will lose the gacha, and never be able to roll it again. Rather, I think that possibility might be more likely. How many skills have I collected this month? Normally god only grants one, two, maybe as many as three skills. Right now I have a total of 29 skills. Ah, actually if I count my gacha skill then it would be 30. If I were to count all the overlapping skills Ive gotten, then the total would be closer to 100. Its a number of skills a normal person wouldnt be able to dream of getting. Theyre all useful skills as well. Wouldnt that be a bit too selfish to expect another gacha on top of all of that? Of course I really want to have the gacha. The gacha is the only fun thing for me here alone in the lower world. Right, its my sole joy. Thats why I put in all the effort to gather points. Every time, Ive been driven by my desire to roll the gacha. Wouldnt it be fine to roll the gacha just one more time with the points Ive got? I thought. Yeah, as expected I ended up thinking that I want to roll the gacha. I think this might have become an addiction of mine. Ive heard about drug dependency before, and I feel like this is something similar. Gacha has already become a part of my life. Me and the gacha are inseparable. Well I guess Ill just go ahead and roll the eleven roll gacha for now. To celebrate. A celebration to me for surviving all of April. Having come up with a suitable justification, I accepted my feelings of wanting to roll the gacha. Ill roll the gacha. I pressed the eleven roll gacha with my finger. Then a chest appeared and was shining a rainbow colour. Or rather I guess I should say it shone. Im begging you, please give me cultivation. I dont need doctor or appraisal anymore! I dont want any more duplicates! Should I not have rolled after all? That thought went through my head for a moment. The number of orbs that appeared were three bronze, three silver, three gold, and two rainbow. The chance of having cultivation in there was quite high. Please, oh please! I started with bronze. Well, this part was like usual. I could look at this part calmly. But, whats coming up next is very important. Silver. I dont care what you are, just please dont be spear technique or dagger technique! Come on, new skill! Ah, there it is. I really have no use for dagger technique. The only thing I use a knife for is dismantling. I was also pretty happy with hand to hand fighting technique at first. I thought I would use it a lot. Right now thought Im not using it at all. I dont think it would be wrong to call it totally useless. I was happy with smithing technique though. I was wanting a new sword recently anyway. I can get by with the cow fang sword against the monsters Ive been fighting lately since Ive gotten more used to fighting, so I havent made a new sword yet. Ill call this round a draw. Hopefully the next gacha is good. Next up were the three gold orbs. Guess theres no new magic this time. The magic I already have will get stronger with this though. Ill hopefully be able to actually use it in real combat. Ill have to check out how I can use my new magic in battle later. Finally, we have the problematic rainbow orbs. I appraised the rainbow skills. The first one appraisal! Ah crap, a duplicate! My leftover skills are multiplying. I put my hands together in prayer as I checked the final result. The second one is cultivation! I got cultivation! Ive maxed out another skill! Thank you God! I raised my skill levels as I celebrated. I checked my basic status. Overall, everything went up about 10 points since I last checked, and magic went up by about 20. As I thought, my magic is really growing a lot. Its a fundamental skill for both combat and my daily life. Next I checked my skills. The basic status enhancement skills that look like theyve leveled up have increased. Since my basic stats have gone up quite a bit the percentage that they strengthen has also grown. Of course what I was most happy with this time was cultivation. With that, Ive completed the April doctor gacha. Of course I dont plan on rolling the gacha any more than this. Im still worried about whether or not Ill have a new gacha next month, but I dont need to force myself to roll any more. I might regret it if I dont get a new gacha, but I would regret it more if I did get a new gacha. Thats why I dont think I was making the wrong choice here. Will there be a new gacha? Ill know that the next time I wake up. Will it change when the date rolls over? If thats the case, then isnt there only about three hours until then? N, now Im kind of nervous about whether I should go to bed or not. Should I stay up late for the update? But I have work to do tomorrow Volume 1 - CH 22 For the sake of my work the next day, I forced myself to go to sleep. Given Id been working hard all day, and the fact that the bed Id made was very soft, I was able to fall asleep without any problem. Then the next morning came. I was woken by the chirping of small birds. Ah, I slept well today too. Its May from today onwards its May May!? I quickly checked the gacha screen out of surprise. On it, the doctor gacha was gone; May celebration! The tamer gacha is open! T- tamer gacha!? I confirmed the gacha window in surprise. I checked the special skills. In total, there were three special skills. I see. I wanted to examine them with appraisal, but without the specific details on the skill I dont really know what they do. Just that theyre monster related skills I guess. Maybe theyre similar to that breeding skill I got awhile back? Or maybe they are skills that only work with monsters? They would be garbage if that were the case. The only normal animals around here would be the little birds. I guess the specials this time focus on making monsters my companions? Anyway, Ill have to aim for those skills when I roll the gacha. I decided to roll the gacha right away. Good thing I saved some points. From now on I guess it would be a good idea to save my points whenever I get the skills I need. For starters, this is the first one. I pressed the eleven roll gacha button. I got five bronze, two silver, three gold, and one rainbow. Ill have to call this one a miss. Not as bad as I used to think though. Next is silver Oh, monster evolution technique, huh. This was the first time Ive seen it. I checked it with appraisal right away. Gives me the feeling of some kind of monster strengthening skill. Well, I dont have any monsters right now so I dont know how I can use it. Next up is gold. Nothing to be said about this either. No new kind of magic either. Next up is the last of them. Which of the new special skills will the rainbow orb be, I wonder. O, oh! This seems like a big pull right!? Since its the tamer gacha, I bet summoner is probably the number one prize. I gave summoner a try right away. A screen for selecting which monster I will summon appeared before me. Huh? Whats this? After overhyping myself about it, I tardily used appraisal to verify it. So basically Ill need to have a contracted monster first. Right now I have no way of using the skill. An unexpected miss. W, well I still have another 5000 points. Hopefully, I get something in the next gacha. This is the first time Ive done a successive gacha. I dont really know how to feel about having all those points Ive worked hard to save up disappearing all at once. Somehow its like despair mixed with pleasure from somewhere. I went and rolled the next gacha. This time its oh! It shined rainbow. I was a little worried that this could be a miss too though. This gacha will be around until May 31st. After seeing the skills for April, Id spent some time locked in my house, and then spent the month learning how this skill works but from now on I have a whole month. Under ideal conditions, the rainbow skills could have their levels maxed in as few as 12 rainbow pulls. Even without hurrying much, I doubt it would be a problem trying to max out their level, right? But for now I feel like I want to try out new skills, so I want all kinds. The orbs popped out of the chest. Five bronze, two silver, one gold, and three rainbow. Getting three rainbow orbs seems like a big hit. Its a bit sad getting so few in the silver and gold department though. First up is bronze. Oh, they were all different. That might be a good omen. Well that doesnt mean anything though. Next up is the important part. Yeah, well not bad I guess. Theyre both useful skills. Its eons better than pulling spear or dagger technique. I checked the gold orb. Based on my experience this was a lucky pull, so I was honestly quite happy. All thats left is rainbow. Ill check them all at once! Whoa, there it is! Hooray! Ive got them all! I appraised monster training right away. Its got quite a short explanation, but basically monsters have a status like mine, and the skill makes it easier for that to improve? Its seems like monsters will play a big part in things from now on, so this skill seems like something Ill really need. I guess Ill check monster taming too. Monsters I beat become allies, huh. Monster I defeat probably means withing killing them. Fighting monsters without killing them is a pretty tough thing to ask. The first monster that comes to mind that I would like as an ally would be a honey bear. If I had one of those guys as an ally I could probably fight together with them. Another monster I would like as an ally would be a cow I guess? Since its a cow, I might be able to get milk from it. I bet I could make some drinkable milk no problem if I used cooking technique. They seem like they would work well as emergency rations too I could probably use a clever goblin as well. A goblin might even be able to help out with the field work. Anyway, I guess Ill head out to try the skill out. While leveling up my skills, I decided to go find a goblin to experiment on. Volume 1 - CH 23 It seems there isnt a particular limit on the number of monsters I can make into allies. But it seems I need be able to provide for them in order to make them into allies. There are various things to worry about, such as food and lodging. For the time being I went over to around the cave I used as my first base. I should be able to make a goblin or a wolf ally around there. Ill start with a goblin. I found a goblin right away and fought it. I had to defeat it without killing it. Essentially I need to make the goblin aware that it has been defeated. The goblin sprung at me, so I received it with my sword. The goblin was holding a wooden club. I gave it a kick. Didnt really expect hand to hand combat to make an appearance here. After that I continued piling on more damage on it until the goblin was barely tottering in place as it watched me. Did it lose its will to fight? Wait, now how do I turn it into an ally? I checked monster taming. I could then select a target to use monster taming on. I used it without hesitation. The goblin looked surprised for a moment and looked at me. Ga! It was angry. That was clearly a failure. I tried using monster taming again, but I couldnt activate it. I wonder if theres some kind of success rate for it. The success rate will go up when I level the skill up more, or something. I put that goblin down and set out for the next one. The fight went pretty much the same. Then it happened while I was fighting against the fifth goblin. When Id half given up on the skill, the goblin looked at me in surprise and then quickly lowered its club. O, oh!? I glanced at the goblin and it returned a friendly look back to me. Was that a success? While half surprised, I approached the goblin with a bit of caution. The child sized creature took my outstretched hand. And then it let out a small laugh. You fine with being my ally? Gobu! It nodded its head. I guess were a team now? That was pretty hard. I exhaled a bit as I looked at the goblin. Hey goblin, do you understand what Im saying? Gobu. It seemed to more or less understand. This was my first time talking to anyone in awhile, so I was pretty happy. Alright, from today on you are my ally. Well face life together!. Gobu! I put out my hand and the goblin used all its strength to hit it. Ouch. Hey goblin, when I put my hand out like that youre supposed to shake it. Gobu! No, dont hit it its a handshake! I forcibly grasped the goblins hand. But the goblin slapped my hand. Is, is this guys brain clogged? Im a bit worried about leaving any field work, or miscellaneous tasks to it. Or right, I have the monster training skill, dont I. Monsters should have something like a status. I checked the goblins status with appraisal. When I tried appraising it during battle all that showed up was its name, but this time was different. Oh deary me, my childs a complete idiot. Well leaving that aside, the intelligence entry is new. Theres nothing like that on my status so it must be exclusive for monsters. Perhaps thats the reason. The goblin showed no sign of getting anything I taught it about shaking hands. How should I go about raising its intelligence? Hey goblin, a handshake means you put your hand in my hand gently. It means that two people get along with each other. Well, the goblins a monster though. I intend to treat it like a fellow person. Its my first ally after all. I wanted to make a wolf into an ally next, so I spent awhile searching for one, but I couldnt seem to find any. The whole time I continued trying to get the goblin to shake my hand. Here look, lets shake hands. I thought it would slap my hand again, but then the goblin looked at my hand, and then firmly grasped it. O, ouch! Too much strength! Do it more moderately! I scolded the goblin and continued teaching it. However, it continued like before. I checked the goblins status. Its intelligence went up from 1 to 3. This seems to be a fine way of doing this. As I teach it things it will gradually get smarter. This good efficiency is probably the effect of the monster training skill. If the monsters are all stupid going forward then monster training might end up being the best pull. Im sure the other stats will keep going up like mine. I guess Ill go make a wolf into my ally too to match this tune. Oh right, I also have monster evolution technique. I tried it out on the goblin. It didnt work though. It seems it doesnt have enough experience points. What are experience points? Experience quantified. Oh yeah, when monsters fight they get stronger accordingly, and then can evolve according to the individual. So basically combat experience then? Looking at the evolution technique window there seemed to be 3 paths of evolution. This window feels a lot like the one for bestowal magic. Goblin, handshake. Gobu! While I was searching for a wolf, the goblin admirably became able to do a handshake. I checked its status. Even though it didnt fight any monsters, in the span that we moved around all its stats went up a bit. Not that I dont get why its strength went up. It thoroughly slapped my hand. Was this also thanks to monster training technique? I want to max out its level quickly in that case. Thinking that, I walked through the forest in search of a wolf to tame. Volume 1 - CH 24 Theres a wolf. I dont know how strong it is, but It would probably be dangerous to have the goblin fight it. Compared to me they seem about equal. In terms of speed, I think the wolf is slightly better. But the goblin seems raring to go. It seemed to be looking at me to hurry and give it the order. Quite frankly Im relived. Had I not raised its intelligence it probably would have just charged straight in. I think a hobgoblin would have had a not higher intelligence as an ally, but I gave the happy-go-lucky goblin a glance and sighed. Well its fine for now. Thats probably one of the evolution paths anyway. Id like to give evolution a try, so its good to have a low ranking species to raise. Hey goblin, go on standby over there. Gobu!? I dont understand what the goblin says very well, but that was quite easy. It probably said something like Why!? This fight is to try making this wolf into a friend so it would be a lot easier for me to do this by myself. Why dont you watch our surroundings for me? Tell me if something happens. Gobu! Well, thanks for perception technique theres no chance of anything ganging up on me. The goblin really looks like he wants to help out though, so Ill have it direct those feelings that way. I approached the wolf. The wolf seemed to notice my brazen approach. I thought it would be best to avoid any trickery when trying to make an ally, and fight fair and square. I dont actually have any idea how monster taming skill works, so its more of a superstition though. The wolf looked towards me and let out a growl. We both glared at each other. The first one to make a move was the goblin. Gobu! The goblin suddenly made a shout. The wolf and I both looked over in surprise. Was there another monster approaching!? Impossible! Perception technique wasnt giving any indication that there was a monster! Whats going on! Is perception technique limited to only working on monsters!? The range of perception technique had gone up since it leveled up, so I searched the surrounding area with it. But I still couldnt find anything. Gobu! The goblin was pointing in a certain direction. Over there was a blooming flower. Woah, its so pretty, how nice Yeah right! They took a broad interpretation of what I meant by Tell me if something happens. I resumed my battle with the wolf while exasperated. In the end I wasnt able to turn the wolf into an ally. Maybe it didnt want to end up in the same group as that idiot. Thats the right call though. I think so too. I let out a small sigh and glared at the goblin. Hey goblin, tell me if something happens means to tell of it something dangerous happens. Like if a monster is coming or something. Understand? Gobu! If only responding was enough Well, I dont know if it understands or not, but I guess its fine that I at least got a proper response. The goblin and I set out again to find another wolf. It took defeating roughly three wolfs to turn one into an ally. Arooo. When I used the monster taming skill on it, the wolf let out a friendly cry. The wolf showed me its belly so I wouldnt mistake it for an enemy. I went up to it and pet its head. So cute Unlike the goblin, the wolf was sweet like a dog. Shake Ruff. Sit. Woof. Even worse is that the wolf listens to my commands. I checked the wolfs status. Oh, as expected the wolf is pretty good. Not thats Im trying to compare them or anything, but I took a peek at the goblins status as well. I guess it improved from walking around with me while I hunted wolves. When I looked at the two of them they seemed to be having some kind of conversation. Gobu. Woof. Gobu! I had no idea what they were talking about, but they seemed to be opening up with each other. The wolf stood next to me, and then the goblin got on its back. And so a goblin rider was created. It didnt really look that strong compared to a horseman. The two of them might have ben talking to each other about making this sort of arrangement. The wolf broke into a sprint, causing the goblin riding on its back to fall off. Falling off of a horse should be a big problem, but the goblin looked fine. The goblin got back on the wolf and they kept playing around. Well, it should be good for increasing the wolfs status, so I dont really mind. I wanted to try it out a bit, so I took a look at my summoner skill. I could summon monsters Ive contracted with to an arbitrary spot, right? When I checked it out, it seems that with my current level I can summon up to one monster at a time. It seems I could also summon them anywhere within my field of vision. I guess Ill give it a try. I activated the summoning ability. Then I picked a contracted monster. Finally, I chose to summon them in front of my eyes. Summon, goblin! When I recited the needed words to use summoner, the goblin appeared in front of my eyes. Feeling light all of a sudden, the wolf looked at its back in surprise. Gobu! I see. If its within the range of my eyesight, then I might be able to use a monster for a surprise attack. My current monsters would be too week to perform a surprise attack though. But on the other hand, it would be pretty hard for me to hold back against a honey bear class monster. Id only be able to use hand to hand combat technique or hit it with the blunt part of my sword after all. Lets head back to base for now. Hey wolf, goblin. Ill lead you guys to the spot I live. Follow me. Gobu! Ruff! The two of them obediently followed me. The goblin looked like it kept trying to wander off, but the wolf reigned it in. The wolf is already showing off that its superior in various aspects. I dont hate difficult children though. My facial expression ended up getting all loose. Ive been all alone up until now after all. Whats up with today? I think Im having as much fun as I do when I roll the gacha. Volume 1 - CH 25 After getting back to my base, I gave the wolf and the goblin a simple introduction of the base. Ill need to make a place for the two of them to live. With that in mind, I decided to make a doghouse for the wolf, and a little house for the goblin. Ill start with the doghouse first since it doesnt take as much material. It would probably be fine to just have the wolf live in my house, but I guess Its probably better to have it than not. That goblin definitely cant. They seem like they would be really loud. I cut down some trees with an axe made from iron magic ore. I also chopped down some trees while teaching the goblin about it. The trees around here grow back really fast. Ever since I maxed out the level of cultivation, their growth speed went up quite a bit. Rather, unless I burn the trees I dont need with fire, the area around my base could easily end up overrun by forest. Itll be fine if they arent in the range of my cultivation skill though. I got enough wood to make a doghouse and then started by making the doghouse first. I activated construction technique and made the wolfs doghouse. The best place for it was probably next to my house. I made it in my yard, right near the door to my house. Arooo! The wolf seemed really happy and was rubbing me with its head. I rubbed its head and chin. Why I was being healed by the fluffiness, the goblin was moving some wood. It looked a little sad, like it was thinking But Im the one working hard here I guess its fine here. Ill make goblins house next. After that I made the goblins house next to mine. Its not like Ive decided to use this place as my base forever, but whatever its fine. I made the goblins house a size smaller than my own. I left the room the same as mine though. I didnt have any materials to make a mattress, so Id have to collect those later. The goblin came up to me looking all happy, so I lightly patted its head. After that, I prepared a bath and washed the two of them. Looks like those two are female. Well, honestly there doesnt seem to be any particular difference between males and females. There isnt really difference between individual goblins in general. I made some soap to wash them with, which help with their smell and the dirt on the monsters. They really stank when I was patting their heads earlier after all, so I had to make an emergency bath for them. I wanted to make a bath from the start. Right now is fine, but it would be pretty cold trying to wash up outside in the winter and fall. This bath wasnt perfect, and Id like to make a bath where I dont end up exposed to the wind as soon as I get out. It didnt seem like something particularly hard to make with earth magic, but I guess its also not something I need urgently. I dont need to think it over than much. There was a bath in construction technique from the start, but it was a pretty beefy thing. Im fine without that much. I went to the garden and gave the explained the crops to the goblin and wolf. For starters, heres the fruit. There are momons, oranges. and grapens. I took each one and gave them to the goblin and wolf. I thought Id leave the crops to the goblin, but theyre not quite tall enough. I guess theyll be fine if I give them a chair. After I brought back the grapen seeds, they were done in three days. I was now in a cycle to harvesting, tilling, and replanting them. Somethings I couldnt eat all the produce and had to throw them away, but since it was for getting in that cycle I didnt really mind it. Next I went to the mecarrots and potadoes. They were growing fine as well. I was a bit worried about insects when I got them, but thanks to the effects of cultivation Id yet to see any bugs. Id heard that food bugs dont approach is gross, but there was no problem with the flavour. Or maybe theres an issue with my sense of good and bad food? I looked at the goblin and wolf and they seemed to be eating it like it was good. Goblins are humanoid so it makes sense that theyd like the same things as humans, but what about wolves? I guess theyre monsters though so they could probably eat anything. Alright goblin, wolf. Ive decided to have you two protect the crops. But in the unlikely case a strong monster shows up, dont go out of your way to fight it. I can remake the fields pretty easily after all. I tried to make their orders as concrete as possible. I dont know if the goblin and wolf can go up against the monsters around here yet. Even though its my base, monsters like fang cows, poison bees, and possibly even honey bears come by here. It would be a problem if they fought against something like that and died. Well thats also why I didnt name them. If I gave them names I might get attached. Until the goblins are strong enough to fight without me around, I wont name them. After that I made the goblin a club out of some iron magic ore. I couldnt really compare it to a club. It was a hammer. After I gave it to the goblin it gave it a test swing. Yup, no problem. The wolf wanted something to, so I took a look at blacksmithing technique. Ah, theres a collar. I guess Ill make a collar. After I made the collar and put it on the wolfs neck it began wagging its tail happily. Alright, next up is training. I took the two to a place away from the garden. After all that logging earlier the space really opened up. Alright, lets make this the training grounds. Goblin, wolf. Its now time for training. Come at me with everything youve got! I made a blunted sword just in case and faced the two. The two of them looked at each other for a moment before shooting towards me. My goal with this training was to raise their stats. I figured that they should grow a lot since I have the monster training skill. The wolf and goblin fought me alternatively, and sometimes together. I figured Id fight them for the rest of the day with some breaks in the middle. Halfway through a fang cow showed up so I defeated it and used it for lunch. After lunch I went back into fighting the goblin and wolf to raise their status. Once I felt that I was putting a certain amount of strength into fighting, there stats had gone up quite a bit. Both of them got a lot stronger. It should be fine after this to just strengthen them little by little in combat. Rather I feel like they should be able to handle a as much as a sahuagin together. Should I test that after a bit more training? I got dinner ready while thinking it over. Even though theyre monsters, Im no longer alone. A smile rose to my face as I watched the two of them happily eating the dinner I made for them. Volume 1 - CH 26 It took 3 days to train the wolf and goblin. Actually though it rained, so the ground was all muddy outside, so I didnt force myself to head outside. As I thought, it seems my footing will end up unstable for two or three days after it rains. Good thing it didnt rain at all in April. Seriously. Even though it rained I still had some wood left over, so I made a simple roof for us to train under. Thanks to that, the goblin and wolf were able to undergo some rapid growth. Ill check their status for now. I looked at the wolf sleeping in its doghouse. It was lying on a cushion Id made for it with its body curled into a ball as it slept. Its eyes were still closed, and it had a really comfortable facial expression. I appraised it. The wolf was now at the level where it could hunt the monsters around here without a problem. If it cant manage alone, then it should be able to manage along with the goblin. Regardless, Im glad that it was able to get so much better. Since it could now hunt for itself, there was also no longer any problems with food. Ill still bring back monsters when I defeat them. As I was watching it the wolf opened its eyes and got up. Then it came up to me while wagging its tail. The wolf really seemed to like when I pet under its chin. I pet it a few times and its tail started wagging left and right even happier. Its fluffiness feels nice. I put my face on the wolf and enjoyed the fluffiness. After finishing off by petting its head, I went over to the goblins house and went inside. I made a lock and key for it, but the goblin wasnt using it. Although it should be smart enough now to handle a key, I guess there wasnt particularly any danger of being attacked around here due to not locking up. I still think it would be better to lock up though. Theres still a chance of a honey bear coming here to attack after all. Inside of the goblins house were various treasures laying around. Those are the treasures that the goblin had picked up. There was a box I made full of magic stones. Additionally, the room was decorated with club like things that it picked up from around. They seemed to be enjoying their house quite a bit. That goblin was laying in their bed, sleeping with a blissful face. Arooo! Whenever the wolf wakes up first, it always lets out a roar. Then the goblin flinches awake. When it noticed me there, the goblin put on the simple clothing I made for it. I checked the goblins status. Once the goblin was done getting ready it stood in front of me with its hammer on its back. No need to put that on your back. After breakfast Im thinking of searching the forest. Want to help? Gobu! Woof! After the two of them agreed, we went out and ate some breakfast. While eating I checked my own status and skills. My status also went up quite a bit from training them. My status has also grown to be pretty impressive. After eating breakfast brushing my teeth and washing my face, I set out into the forest. Alright goblin, wolf. Ill let you guys fight a honey bear. Ill be watching out for you, but this is to see how well you fight. Gobu! Woof! The two looked a little bit nervous. Theyll probably be fine, right? I thought. My status should have been a bit lower than the goblin and wolfs when I first fought a honey bear. Although I had the help of my skills in my case, the goblin and wolf will be taking it on together in exchange. I activated perception technique and started moving. Soon enough I found a honey bear. We watched it with bated breath. Then I looked to the goblin and wolf. Alright, go for it whenever youre ready. After I told them this, the goblin mounted the wolf. Then the wolf started running. The goblin took hold of its hammer and approached the honey bear in an instant. The honey bear noticed this late. Then the goblin swung its hammer. The attack got the honey bear in the legs. The honey bear fell from its knees. Did that break its bones? Well, thats understandable. I made that hammer, and the goblin is really strong. They took away the honey bears mobility on one attack. But it seemed that the honey bear still had its pride as a monster. It lifted its body and swung down its sharp claws. But it couldnt hit the wolf. The wolf bit its arm, and then the goblin crushed its head while it was immobile. The honey bear stopped moving. Those two. They may have gotten even stronger than I thought. I could still deal with them well enough, but theyre so easily able to defeat a honey bear I was struggling against not too long ago against. Their growth is incredibly. What would happen if they ended up getting stronger than their master? It seems like I could force them to obey me, but I doubt they would be too happy with that. M- maybe it would be a good idea to maintain our current power gap. Volume 1 - CH 27 Along with seeing if they could fight with a honey bear, there was one other thing I wanted to confirm today. That was weather or not I could get points from the wolf and goblin defeating a monster. It wouldnt be wrong to say that was the reason I trained the two in the first place. I went to check out the area inhabited by fang sheep. I moved towards the sea until the forest ended at bare rock, and I could see over a cliff. This might be a good spot for fishing. Is there nothing around here? The wolf didnt seem to like the smell of the ocean very much and was scrunching its nose. It was looking at me as if to say, Cant we go home soon? with its eyes. Well there doesnt seem to be any monster around here in any case. We walked around the area for a bit. There werent any monsters around, but there were various unfamiliar plants. They didnt seem to be edible though. I moved along with the goblin and wolf as I enjoyed the scenery. I could probably ride around on the wolf like the goblin if it were a little bit bigger. As I continued further north while filling in my map, there was a reaction from perception technique. The wolf seemed to smell something too. There was a monster approaching. I knew that much but from where? As I looked around, the wolf looked a certain direction and let out a growl. So the monster has a form of a tree then. I was able to figure it out thanks to the wolf. It had perfectly become a tree. I was able to see through to its true form with appraisal. It was a monster called a woodhude. Looking really closely, I could tell that its leaves were a bit off, but Id better be careful around these parts. Hey wolf, goblin. Want to try fighting it? Gobu! Woof After the two seemed to agree, they approached the woodhude. The goblin slammed its hammer into the wood of the woodhude causing it to crack. The wolf tried to bite it, but the woodhude seemed to be too hard. It slammed the goblin away with an arm-like branch. I guess it must have a higher status than the goblin and the wolf. However, the goblin reached into a pouch on its back and pulled out a potion before drinking it. The wolf also had a pouch attached to a spot where it could drink a single potion. I guess this might turn into a battle of attrition to so extent. I opened the gacha window and watched for whether or not I would be getting points from this. Please beat it you two. I wont be able to confirm the conditions needed to earn points if I lend a hand in this. The goblin and wolf continued to fight for about five minutes but somehow managed to bring it down in the end. The goblin trampled the corpse of the defeated woodhude and rose its hammer into the air. The wolf came up to me and sat down, so I scratched its chin. As for my points, they went up. A whole 200 points. I really wish I could have gotten more from this, but it was nice that I could verify that I could still receive points from eligible monsters defeated by my tamed monsters. Now I dont have to worry about hunting new monsters by myself. This should raise my efficiency quite a bit. The only possibility would be if the goblin and wolf ended up getting too strong for me. We continued searching the area. Adding myself into the mix, the three of us hunted some more woodhudes. As expected its pretty easy. Im guessing the woodhudes stats are around 130 points. Thanks to all the training Id been doing they were absolutely no problem. As I was searching for more woodhudes, I also kept an eye out for other monsters. There was another reaction from perception technique, and it wasnt a woodhude. The wolf was looking in a certain direction this times a rock huh. I pitched a rock at the jaggedy looking rock and it came to life. It seemed to be a monster known as a stonerock. It looked towards me as its jagged portions became appendage-like things. It looks pretty hard. I right away I carried out the play wed practiced before this. The stonerock glared at me and lowered its hips. It was probably about to do something, but before it could I activated summoner. Aiming right behind the stone rock, I summoned the goblin. As soon as the summoning was finished, the goblin appeared at the stonerocks rear. Its not something we could pull of repeatedly, but it was pretty effective for a surprise attack. As the goblin brought down its hammer the stonerock seemed to notice something was behind it. The goblin landed a blow, but the stone rock just received it. As I thought its a pretty tough monster. The goblin took some distance from it, and then the stone rock opened its mouth and fired a stone out of it. The goblin made a pained expression as it took a direct hit. I left recovering the goblin to the wolf and began preparing water magic. Level 3 magic was strong enough for me to use it in combat. I fired the water magic directly into the stonerocks body, causing it to stagger. Looks like magics pretty effective. I prepared for another shot of water magic while avoiding the stonerocks attacks. The goblin and wolf took to the sidelines and watched the situation. After receiving several hits of magic the stonerock stopped moving. I guess thats what it takes. Well, we managed to kill it. That earned me 200 points. It still hasnt gone up from 200? Its really leaving me in suspense here. The stonerock was a bit of a pain to deal with. It was pretty resistant to melee damage. This made it difficult since the individual power of my magic attacks isnt that high. I should be able to manage by using a lot of magic power but Anyways, I need to re-examine my weapons. Ill do that when I get back to my base. The goblin took quite a bit of damage in that last fight, but it seems that was already taken care of with a potion. I didnt want it to die of course, but I was kind of happy to have something that could test the waters against new monsters before me. Up till now Ive ended up blindsided several times by the new monsters Ive faced. I managed to find several iron magic ores in the stonerocks body. Are these guys the source of iron magic ore? Or perhaps they simply eat the stuff? Up till now Ive been limited to collecting whatever I can find lying on the ground, but it stonerocks produce the stuff then that could change. I should kill some more of them to make sure. Goblin, wolf. Howre you feeling about the monsters around here? Gobu Woof The two of them had fire in their eyes. Alright, they dont seem like theyll be done in by a monster. Their status will probably go up from fighting monsters around here too. Volume 1 - CH 28 We went back to base after I earned 5000 points. It was pretty far away. Maybe I should make something like a rest stop on the way. I can just whip up a house on the spot as long as I have some wood to work with. After finding a decent spot for a temporary base I went back to my base. Since neither rockstones nor woodhudes had any edible parts on them I hunted a fang sheep on the way for its meat. I also had the goblin pick some mecarrots and potadoes for dinner. I should probably make a pot soon. I killed several stonerocks, and all of them ended up having iron magic ore inside them. Thanks to that I currently found myself with a surplus of iron magic ore. I figured I should probably make essentials like a pot while I had the chance. I made things like a pot and other kitchenware with smithing technique. While I was at it I also made a box to store it all out of some wood. I also made a cutting board before I turned to the goblin. Hey goblin, think you could cut the mecarrots and potadoes so theyre easy to eat? Gobu! After showing it a short example of how to do it, I left the rest of the preparation to the goblin. They looked like theyd be fine. I doubt theyd be able to handle it back with their original intelligence, but they could handle it now. Thanks to that I could now focus on my own work. Its about time I swap out my cow fang sword. Id planned to use a fang sheep fang to make a new sword. Thanks for everything cow fang sword. I brought the cow fang sword together with a fang sheep fang. Then I activated smithing technique. The result was a sheep fang sword. I could bestow it with one skill. While I was at it I activated bestowal technique. I had three options to pick from. I guess since bestowal technique went up to level 2 all of the skills it could grant also went up to level 2. No need for strength enhancement. What are destruction technique and piercing technique though? I took a look with appraisal. I see. For stabbing and hitting, huh. I feel like destruction techniques a bit better. I mean, with stabbing unless I kill the opponent in one hit my sword gets stuck in them. My new sheep fang sword started shining after I bestowed destruction technique on it. Ill be relying on it from now on. I checked how the goblin was doing with cutting the mecarrots and potadoes. Next we just need to put them in the pot and fill it with water I put them in the pot and added water. Then I put the meet in and added some salt for some flavor. I was planning on making a soup. I wasnt sure about the taste, but the meat will probably do its best. I put the pot over an open fire. Alright goblin. Watch the pot for me. Gobu! After leaving things to the goblin, I got ready to roll the gacha. I needed to raise the power of my skills. Please give me good skills. As usual I gave a prayer to god before rolling the gacha. It was the eleven-roll gacha of course. The chest that appeared this time was gold. Well I guess Ill be getting a single rainbow skill this time. For getting lots of other skills its certainly not bad. The four types of orbs came out of the chest. Five bronze, two silver, three gold, and one rainbow. Yeah, this one was more of a miss huh. I guess I could still get a level up in any case. Ill try looking forward to it. First up is bronze. Alright, onto the next one! Next up is silver. I havent used mining technique up till now. Maybe I should use it against the rockstones? Tailoring technique is nice. Having comfortable clothing is never a bad thing. Even so, my gains this time havent been that great. Hopefully, I can get something back from gold next. No rare skills this time huh. The skills themselves arent bad though. Finally theres rainbow Well Im good with whatever from this part. Of course Im glad to have them level up, but I already know everything that could come out. If I could pick which one I want most Id say monster training. Id like to make the goblin and wolf a bit stronger. Monster taming well, I guess Itll level up. That should make it easier to tame monsters. It was quite the pain to tame the goblin and wolf. Its not too bad when I think of it that way. Thinking about what I need going forward this gacha was a failure. W, well I guess Ive had good luck with things so far so I cant complain about having days like this every once in awhile. Dont get swept up in things. You can do this, me. After leveling up my skills I took a look at my status. The goblin and wolf also grew a lot The goblins best stat strength and the wolfs best stat agility have gotten really close to my lowest stat. They might actually get stronger than me soon. When I was about to move on to checking my skills, the goblin called out to me. Gobu! It seemed that the pot was starting to boil. I took the pot and removed it from the fire. I hadnt prepared any other place for it so I just put the pot on the ground. I put a frying pan on the fire and started grilling some meat on it. While that was cooking I made a spoon from some wood, and then used it to scoop from the pot into some wooden dishes Id made. I passed the goblin its portion before preparing mine. The wolf also seemed to want some so I made a bowl that it could eat easily from and filled it with soup. Be careful everyone, its hot. Gobu!? The goblin shoved it in its mouth before I could say anything, so it was tearing up. What did I tell you? In that regard the wolf was a lot smarter. I guess this is what a difference in intelligence looks like. I also started slurping up the soup while blowing on it to cool it down. Ah, its so good! The meat broth was a lot better than I could have imagined. It still had various parts that were lacking though Yeah, I guess Id like to have more spices to work with for a soup after all. That doesnt change that fact that its delicious though. I kept on stuffing my mouth with the meat, mecarrots, and potadoes. Aaah, mecarrots are really sweet and the potadoes are tasty. I also spit the grilled meat from the pan once among us it was done and ate it. Haa, that was good. It was a shame that I didnt find any new monsters to eat in the new area, but Im looking forward to the next monsters. Thinking that, I checked my skills and then went to bed for the day. Volume 1 - CH 29 I explored the area while hunting stonerocks and woodhudes. As I was walking around I found it. Thanks to appraisal I was able to spot it. It was in a place a bit further on from where the stones rocks were. Wheat. I found a spot growing a patch of wheat with appraisal. Id only seen wheat a few times in my life, but these ones were a lot larger than I remembered. But I guess I cant just eat wheat as it is. I would have to run it through various processes first, like threshing and milling it. I was happy to find some wheat, but all that was going to be a serious pain. Both threshing and milling too some serious manual labour. Of course I need some for the sake of my livelihood, but I really dont want to spend a lot of time on that. I took a look at cooking technique after looking into various possibilities. Cooking technique also had the ability to shorten the processing of ingredients. It seemed to also be able to automatically take care of threshing and milling wheat. Its just that when I tried that on the meat, it was a lot tastier to do it by hand. I should probably test out how it tastes once. One way would be to have the goblin take care of the threshing and whatnot, but is there anything else I could try? Wondering if there was anything I could do to make threshing and milling easier, I took a look at smithing technique and found something interesting. There was this thing listed called a threshing machine. For milling there were things like a millstone. I could make something called a foot thresher immediately. I could make it with some wood and iron magic ore. I could also make a millstone with some stone. I could probably find a good stone to use by the river. After collecting some wheat grains we continued on with our monster hunt. After finishing the hunt we planted wheat immediately after getting back to the base. I knew how to plant them thanks to the cultivation skill. Theyll take three days. I guess I can relax for the next three days. We were able to harvest the wheat. Right after harvesting the wheat I was able to rejuvenate the soil by plowing it, so we planted some more. Alright, now its time for the real thing. Next I went to thresh and mill the wheat. The knowledge for how to do that floated into my head thanks to cooking technique. I was able to properly thresh and mill it with the thresher and millstone. I was a bit lost with how many different types of threshers there were, but the foot thresher turned out the be the best one to use for now. As for the finished flour, I figured I should make some bread with it first. There were a bunch of other things I could make with it, but I wanted to eat some bread. I made full use of cooking technique to figure out how to make bread. It seemed I needed something called yeast cells to make bread, so I also prepared some of that before hand. For that I had to put some fruit in some warm water. I didnt really know how that worked, but I was able to do it right thanks to cooking technique. I then used some grapen extract to make some bread. After that I let it rest for a bit, and before long it swelled up in size. Now I just need to bake it. I made a stone oven for baking and then baked the bread inside it. I didnt really worry about how it looked. Although Id never baked bread before, thanks to cooking technique I was able to bake the bread like a first class baker. Once it finished baking I took the bread out of the oven. Ooh, it looks pretty well browned. I took the bread and tore it in half. It was cooked down to the middle. Gobu! Woof! The goblin and wolf were also looking at it like they wanted to eat it. These guys are really omnivorous. I broke off a piece for each of them and handed them over. Then I put the bread in my mouth. I could smell the faint fragrance of grapen. I guess thats from the grapen extract. It might be good to try combining any other new fruits I find later on. In any case, the bread was really good. Although I was pretty satisfied with the result, it still had some work to be done on it. Next I made some bread relying entirely on cooking technique. As expected the flavor was several times worse than before. It was good. It was good but Its not enough! Thats how I felt. Just how much can I skip with cooking technique before the taste starts to noticeably slip? I tried confirming that next. I started with the wheat. I finished threshing, milling it, and all that sort of thing. Then I kneaded some grapen extract into the bread and tried baking it. The result was, well, pretty much the same as the first batch I guess? Alright this time Ill leave getting the grapen extract to cooking technique Like that I tried various combinations and in the end, well, I figured out that the flavor doesnt really change that much as long as I do three parts of it. [TLN: yet to confirm if thats three parts done of omitting three parts] Personally, Id like to skip the threshing and milling portion since those take both a lot of time and equipment to do. Other than that I was feeling pretty good about that day. It takes quite a bit of time to culture yeast cells from grapens. The same could be said about other things, but it takes three days. However since I can preserve the extract to some extent, as long as Im careful about it every day its not unmanageable. So I probably dont need to leave that to cooking technique either. So I guess I can just ignore threshing and milling then? Thats the conclusion I reached. Eh, but it kind of feels like a waste of all the effort I went through making all the equipment for it. But I mean that was the best tasting line to satisfy me. Since I was now able to make more bread I was pretty happy with everything. Theres a lot more Id like to make from now on. For example, in order to make some better bread Ill need to get some milk. Since I can only really get milk from a cow Id like to go tame a fang cow. Id also like some honey. A bee would know about making honey, so although its a bit scary, Id also like to try taming a poison bee. As I tame more types of monsters Ill also have a wider variety of materials I can collect. Perhaps if I tame something like a sahuagin Ill be able to explore the ocean. I guess Ill try taming more monsters tomorrow. I think itll be nice to leave training the new monsters to those two. I guess its about time I give them names. I let out a breath as I watched the two happily eating their bread. Volume 1 - CH 30 I faced towards the wolf and goblin. Even now they were happily chowing down on some meat. A name, huh. Id be really sad if they died later on if I were to name them now. But the two of them have already gotten pretty strong. Thinking about the future though, Id like the two of them to be dignified senpais for any new monsters I tame from now on. Thats why Ill name them. Although I say that, I cant seem to come up with any good names for them. Well alright, Ill start with the goblin. Since its technically a female it would probably be good to stick with a feminine name. However it should still be a name that suits a goblin. Something like Gob Gob Goblia? Having gob in the name really doesnt make it sound strong. But, well I guess Goblia is fine. Hey goblin, could you come here for a sec? Gobu? The goblin looked over to me with a bewildered look. I let out a small breath. I was a bit nervous. After this I wont be able to see them as just a goblin. I might lose them later on. But I will still live side by side with this goblin. Thats right, Ive made my mind. Im giving you a name. Starting today, you are now Goblia. After I said that the goblin, no, Goblias eyes opened wide in surprise and her mouth slackened into a smile. Then she jumped towards me, so I caught her. After calming Goblia down I turned to the wolf. The wolf was staring at Goblia with a look a jealousy. I bet its something really happy. Since Goblia looked so happy about it, receiving a name is probably a joyous occasion for monsters. Hopefully, Im not wrong about that. You too wolf, come here. Ruff. The wolf looked over to me as if had been waiting for that. I planned to name wolf as well at the same time. I stared at the wolf for a bit Rufina. Thats probably fine. Since the wolf is also a female I made sure to pick a feminine name. Alright wolf, you are now Rufina. Hows that? After I said the the wolf, Rufina looked towards me, then came close and bent her head. After I petted that wolfs head she closed her eyes in bliss. Alright, Ive finished naming the two of them. While I was still a bit tense about it, I checked the twos status. Their new names were properly displayed on their statuses. Also, right after naming them their stats went way up. Whats up with that? Wed been out earning points together, but their stats have grown way too much. Im sure theres a reason for this, but Ive got no clue. Perhaps theres some kind of racial limit on their status or something. Maybe it wont be too much longer until I can use monster evolution technique on them? Although I cant quite use it yet, Im looking forward to it later. After playing around with them for a bit I checked how many points Ive gathered. From killing stone rocks and woodhudes Ive totalled 5000 points. Guess its time to roll the gacha and power myself up. I used up all the points Id gathered to roll the gacha. A treasure chest sparkling golden appeared. Well thats the safe outcome. Four bronze, three silver, three gold, and one rainbow. Right away I looked at all the bronze ones. Ill just ignore this part as per usual. Next I took a look at silver. Huh!? Since my luck had been pretty bad lately Id been losing hope, but an unfamiliar skill called healing technique came out. Rather, all the best things in the gacha come out from silver. I checked healing technique with appraisal right away. I see huh. It didnt have any particularly showy effects like I expected, but its undoubtably a useful skill to have on hand. Ive essentially begun thinking that any new skill coming out is a hit. Of course this doesnt include useless skills for weapons I cant use like spear technique. Next I took a look at the gold type skills. Yeah, theres all skills that Im happy to get. Finally we have rainbow. Ive already gotten all the basic skills from the summoner gacha. This part was a lot less exciting for me than before. Well, Im glad to have my skill level go up. So far Ive been able to gather those skills safely. Luckily, they havent gotten particularly unbalanced on one of them. Once I max out their levels, I can probably expect to have more overlapping skills. Id like to max out my skills if I possibly can this month as well. After raising my skill levels I checked my status and skills. Ive been here for about a month now, and Ive certainly grown a lot from before. Of course, my status has gone up, but now Ive made some companions. Goblia, Rufina. I think Ill make some more monsters into companions starting from today. Want to help? Gobu! Ruff! Goblia and Rufina followed behind me. As I felt a little happy seeing this I walked out into the forest. At that moment in time, something moved. I looked in its direction and found a person there. Hey Crest, I finally found you. Standing there with an off-putting smile on his face was my second oldest brother, Albert. Volume 1 - CH 31 With Goblia and Rufina waiting on the side I took a look at Albert. Ah, its the real one. The punk wearing a horrendous smile on his face was unmistakably the second oldest brother who bullied me. Albert. He was really fond of causing me pain. When I was little, he would often under the guise of sword training seriously fight me. When I would fall, Albert would laugh as he shallowly cut my legs. It left no aftereffects. But it was enough to leave my legs completely red with cuts. Hes the brother I despise the most. Just why is he here? This seriously confused me. He continued approaching me with a smile on his face. Behind him walked five knights. Hey there Crest. Havent you been doing fine for yourself? Albert, what are you doing here? Did you also get banished to the lower world? Alberts eyebrow twitched when I said that. He seemed to be unable to handle me talking to him disrespectfully. I just dont care about my position anymore. Sorry you got sent to the lower world. That was just a little act. Im here to pick you up Crest. You came to pick me up? What act? Wasnt I sent here to die? But youre alive anyway. Hey hey, dont be mad. We were just playing with you. Why are you so serious? Albert let out a chuckle as he smiled down on me. Apologies continued to come from his mouth, but he couldnt seem to understand my fury. Why are you here Albert? Albert was quite for a moment before letting out a sigh. Apparently your gacha ability is one of the strongest abilities given by god. Said Albert indifferently. Gacha is one of the strongest powers? Did the church tell him that? Certainly, this skill is a lot better than other skills. So I guess that means Albert was sent to pick me up after hearing about that. Thats incredibly self important of him. You guys threw me here after saying you have no use for me. I have no intention of going back with you. Hey hey, would you think about it if we gave you the seat of the house? How about it? I dont give a crap about the seat of a dukes house. Albert let out a sigh and began to approach me. You know, Crest. My bad for picking on you up until now. But isnt it your fault too? Youre not supposed to go against your second oldest and oldest brothers. If you didnt defy us, you wouldnt have lost your place in the house. It couldnt be helped really. Was I just imagining how much fun you guys were having with it? I pointed my sword at Albert. He stopped his feet and looked at me with anger. Smarten up, you shouldnt get carried away Crest. This is my last warning. Follow me. Ill guarantee your spot in the house. Ive already decided that I will live here. Im not going to follow you. As I pointed my sword further towards Alberta, his lips curved into a smile. In that case, Ill also do as I like! Fire Cannon! Albert shouted as he raised his hand. From that hand shot a sphere of fire. As it shot straight towards me I dodged to the side. Hey, knights! Get the slave collar on this guy and bring him back! Understood. The knights all readied their swords. There were five of them. Albert grinned cruelly over his sides numeric superiority. Surrender obediently, and properly become my puppet as the temporary leader of the house. I wasnt going to follow you before, and Im not going to follow you now. Ha! What are you saying? Arent you all alone? What can you do by yourself here? I glanced over at Goblia and Rufina. They both nodded and started running. At the same time I activated the summoner skill and summoned Goblia and Rufina behind the knights. Gobu!! Aroo!! The two appeared and got a pre-emptive attack on the knights, forcing them to dance to their tune. Goblia struck one of the knights, knocking him away like a ragdoll. Rufina easily bit through the armour of another knight. Ha!? Albert looked over in surprise. In that gap, I cut the distance between us and slammed him in the face with my sword. Bube!? Seeing Albert loudly fall to the ground I turned my attention to the knights. There were three knights still standing. Goblia and Rufina took two of them, while I took the other with my sword. We exchanged a few sword swings. However, in regard to technology, power, and every other factor I was clearly superior. With the knights stance now riddled with holes, I struck his head with my sword and kicked him flying. Goblia and Rufina came over to me once they were done with their fights too. As I lightly patted their heads, Albert shakily looked at me. Y, you! You dare defy me even though youre just some leftover small fry!? Yeah. I will fight against anything trying to steal my liberty. Whether thats the country or the world, Ill fight back against them! I am Crest! I dont need my house, nor my family! You little shit! Fire Cannon! His sphere of fire shot towards me before being received by my wall of earth. The fact that it cant even break through my earth magic, his skill must be super weak. Fire Cannon! Fire Cannon! No matter how many balls of fire he frantically shot at me, I continued to block them with my earth magic. As Albert tried shouting once again, he suddenly bit his lip. His face turned white, and I could tell that his magic power was running out. I went up to him and swung my sword into his leg. Aargh!?! After his right leg was his left. Albert let out a scream with blood flowing out of his legs. I guess its fine with this. Aa owie h- help me, C- Crest It hurts, my legs ow, they cant move. Help you? Did I ask you that when you were tormenting me? Im sorry Im sorry please, I wont do anything else I bit my lip as I watch Albert reach his arm out to me while crying his eyes out. Then I tossed him a potion. Tell them this when you get back to the upper world. If you try messing with me again, there is no next time! After saying this I turned my back to Albert and walked away. Albert frantically drank the potion, and then Dont mess with with. How dare you humiliate me like this!! I could feel a strong magic power behind me. I let out a sigh and turned my head, then activated earth magic. The instant after blocking his attack, I once again cut the distance between us and cut his legs up again. Aargh!? His legs collapsed under his weight. After that I put my sword in its sheath and walked away. C- Crest! Hes asking me to help him again? Stop kidding. I dont plan on giving him another chance. P, please! Help me! I wont do anything else, I swear! Ill do anything for you! Please! Pleease! I continued walking while ignoring everything he said. At that time, I felt a monster response from perception technique. It was a group of goblins. The were probably drawn over by the scent of blood. After confirming that they were heading towards Albert, I faced in their direction. I watched from afar as the goblins carried off Alberts body. Speaking of goblins, Id heard once that theyre a monster with a particularly strong sex drive. Ive heard time and time again accounts of them violating men. D, dont tell me that they went for Albert with that in mind? Albert was screaming as he cried. That was probably pretty annoying. A goblin forced his mouth shut. Well, isnt it fine that hell survive? Ive already gotten my revenge against him. The one to device his future isnt me, but rather this lower world. After letting out a small sigh, I turned my back to Albert. Im no longer Crest Hauburst. Im just Crest. Just Crest without a house or a family. Im not going back to the upper world. Nobles? Dukes? I have no lingering desire to deal with those things. I will live here freely. Volume 2 - CH 1 Several days have passed since then. In the meantime Id been leisurely hunting monsters in the surrounding area. Honestly, I wouldnt mind continuing to live like this from now on. But unfortunately the May gacha will end at the end of May. In order to make it in my life in the lower world, I needed to max out all my summoner type skills. Therefore I made my way over to a new area to explore. I was aiming to go further north. Theres a chance I wont be able to make it back to my current base. After gathering important things such as seeds and other necessities, I continued further north into the forest. Rufina, hows it looking? Woof! It seemed that there were no monsters in the surrounding area. Rufinas ability to detect things by smell was very high. Although I had a detection type skill myself, it was much easier to divvy out individual roles than to try doing everything myself. We moved along while avoiding monsters along the way. Ive already hunted all the monsters in this area. Since I couldnt get any more points from them, there was no need to go out of my way to fight them. While I was thinking that Rufina stopped her feet. Grrr It seemed to be a monster nearby. As Rufina growled at it, I activated perception technique. The monster was there. Hm? Whats up with its magic power? It felt a bit different from usual. Although I could detect it, it wasnt really a monster. No, was it a monster? Im not really too sure. For now, Id have to get a closer look. Goblia, Rufina, watch our surroundings. Goblia, Ill leave out luggage to you. Gobu! Leaving my backpack with Goblia, I started moving while erasing my sounds. I ran towards where perception technique reacted and furrowed my brow as I peeked out from behind a tree at the situation. There it was. There were two kinds of monsters there. The first type was some sort of giant crab, and the other were more goblins. S, surround it! D, dont run away! I, I know gobu! It was a group of talking goblins. The fact that they were speaking with human words was surprising, but the goblins seemed to be coordinating with each other to hunt. I used perception technique once more. Perception technique indicated monsters on my map in red, while myself and any monsters under my control were displayed in blue dots. However those goblins were neither of those instead appearing as green dots. Perhaps that just means that they arent currently my enemies? I dont really get it. While I pondered that the crab, a giant scissors1, it swung its giant claw downwards and blew away one of the goblins. It seems that giant scissors are pretty strong. Looking at the goblin lying on the ground, I decided to help them. I mean theyre the first intelligent monsters Ive found after all. Hey goblin, do you understand what Im saying? When I suddenly appeared and started talking the goblins all looked over to me in surprise. H, human!? Wh, why here!? As I used perception technique, among the six goblins all but one of them glared at me. At that moment, the green dots on my map became red. I see how it is now. I turned to the still green goblin and dropped it a potion. Im still not sure if thatll work on a monster or not, but thats a potion. Use this to Heal your wounds, goblin. O, of course the humans medicine will have poison in it! While the goblins were still saying something I turned my attention towards the giant scissors. It swung its claws. In order to block them I swung my sword. Since Id enchanted my sheep fang sword with destruction technique, the giant scissors claw ended up breaking. Gyan!? The effect was a lot stronger than I expected. I drew back my sword and then swung it at the giant scissors wrist. After I felt a moment of resistance, my sword easily cut off its claw. While the giant scissor was faltering I took one moment to bring my sword down into its flesh. Gy, gyan The giant scissor crumpled down on the spot. After confirming that the light had left its eyes, I returned my sword to its scabbard. Crab huh. I guess I could have some crab nabe tonight. There are a bunch of different vegetables in this area, so I bet those would be pretty tasty to eat in a pot with crab. While I was thinking over my dinner plans the goblins came over to me. Among the six goblins, one of them was really staring me down. Compared to the other goblins, it had far more gallant facial features. From what I could tell at a glace, three of them were male and three of them were female. Thank you for saving us The goblin I gave the potion to came forward and bowed its head. He seemed to be the party leader. He was a goblin with a scar running down its eye. Well, dont worry about it. No, let us thank you. Since our leader got injured, this happened because we tried hunting, with a group who isnt used to it. I see. Well be careful. A, about that! The goblin came closer to me and bowed his head. P, please! Teach us how to hunt! I stared at the group of goblins. The other goblins were bowing along with him. Its pretty hard to refuse them when they ask so honestly. Right now Im looking for a good spot to live. Do you guys know any good places around here? We have a village. Theres around thirty goblins there, and we have houses. Alright. Then could I stay there for a few days? Ill teach you how to hunt. R, really!? The goblins eyes sparkled. When I nodded, they started jumping for joy. They really seem like a bunch of children. I grinned a bit as I thought that. 1. Hasemi means claws, but it also means scissors. The author then named the crab giant scissors in katakana. This authors naming sense Volume 2 - CH 2 Do you goblins have anything I can call you? I cant really call them goblin 1, goblin 2 after all. The leader like goblin who had been chatting amiably with me shook is head as if in shock. No way. How could we, as a lesser race, have names! A lesser race? Yeah, a name alone is something very valuable. Is that how it is? Could you tell me more about names? Yeah, sure When monsters like you are named, does that raise their stats? Of course. But its rare for a being with the power to give names to appear. I see. I met those requirements. Perhaps its the summoner skill? Or maybe its the influence of some other skill? In any case, I can give names. Is it fine to give out names freely? I dont know how it is for the one giving out names, but us monsters would mostly be happy. Of course we can still refuse the name if it comes with some kind of condition. I see. I dont know exactly how Goblia and Rufina felt about it, but if they could have rejected it then the fact that they didnt means they approved of it to some extent. Thanks for everything. Before we get to your village, Id like to bring along my companions. Is it fine if I call them? Ah, yeah. But, is that fine? They wont end up suddenly attacking us when they see us? Its alright. Those two are both gentle. Since the goblin looked to be a bit nervous about it I smiled to reassure him. I neglected to mention the race of my companions since I kind of wanted to tease them a bit. Goblia, Rufina! Come on out! When I called the two of them they came out from a nearby bush. The goblins looked over to me in surprise. Probably since Goblia and Rufina had been watching the earlier exchange, they didnt attack. Goblia had a charming smile. Rufina suddenly sat down in from of us and tried to relax their guard. Ill introduce you; these are my companions. Are you a monster user? Well, Id say Im more of a summoner. A summoner, huh. In any case, you have the power to employ monsters I mean, you could have said so! Well, I wanted to surprise you guys. As I said that the goblin seemed to get a bit angry. I see my prank was a success then. As I was thinking about that, the goblins were looking at Goblia. Wow, what a pretty goblin! S, shes as cute as a goblin queen! So beautiful! It seems that among goblin circles Goblia is seen as cute. With our groups combined, we set out. In any case, a goblin queen huh I bet I could get some gacha points from that. Is there a goblin queen around? The goblin next to me nodded its head as I asked. Yeah, Its the form of a goblin thats evolved several times. Is that right Oh yeah, I get stronger by killing new types of monsters. Do you know of anything good around here? W, wait a second! The goblin queen is the queen of our village! Dont kill her! The goblin pulled out its sword in surprise. Oh was that how things were. I quickly put my hands up. M, my bad! I didnt think she would be the queen of your village. I only plan on killing wild monsters! Th, thats alright then. The goblins all let out a sigh. That was a little dangerous there. Im not really weak enough for them to be able to kill me, but I dont want to make them hostile towards me The goblins seemed to have a pretty good idea about the surrounding area after all. It would probably be a good idea to try cooperating with them. Is the village close? Yeah. Oh shoot. Its a mountain kong. The goblin said after sucking in a breath. A mountain kong? I turned my gaze and sure enough there was a mountain kong. Is it strong? We might be able to beat it with all of the goblins in the village. Its the worst monster in this area. Rather its rare for it to show up around here. Oh, I see. I glanced at the goblins. I, its the end S, so well all die here I, Im glad to have been able to see this cute goblin before the end They seem to have all resigned themselves to their fate. Its that strong, huh Could we go around it? It would probably notice untrained movements. We can only hold our breaths and pray it doesnt notice us In that case should we try fighting it? I bet Ill be able to get some gacha points from it. W, will you be okay!? If we cant beat it then you guys should be able to get away while its distracted. Goblia, Rufina, lets go. Gobu! Woof! After I called to the two of them, I started running towards the mountain kong. A pre-emptive attack. The mountain kong flinched and looked my way in response. Ugoo! The mountain kong let out a war cry and swung its arm, but I dodged it. I could see its movements. Now I just need to see if my sword can cut it or not. In response to the mountain kongs attack I shouted, Goblia, Im summoning you behind it. Gobu! Right after saying so I used summoning magic right behind the mountain kong. A summoning circle appeared, and then Goblia appeared right behind the mountain kong before swinging her club into it with all her might. The mountain kong staggered from that one strike. Gobu!? Goblia already dealt more than enough damage to it. While it was staggering Rufina took a bite a its neck. The mountain kong fell to it knees with blood pouring out, and then I swung my sword through its neck. We beat it without any problem. It gave me 300 points huh. It gave the same amount as the giant scissors before. If things continue as before, I should be able to get 7500 points each by killing 25 of them. By killing 50 of these guys Ill be able to roll 33 gachas. When we got back to the group of goblins they were super surprised. Whats wrong? I, I didnt think youd be able to beat it so easily. Really? They underestimated me quite a bit. Volume 2 - CH 3 We started moving again aiming for the village. Crest, youre a summoner, right? Im not particularly restricted to being a summoner though. For example, I can do things like a blacksmith, or I can be a doctor Y, you have that many skills!? Humans are amazing! Well I sort of ended up with them by chance. The one who should be praised is actually the gacha skill. While I gave the goblin a bitter smile, I looked at the goblin behind me. Y, you must have a lot of strength to be able to stagger a mountain kong in one blow! For such a beauty to also be so strong its amazing! The goblins surrounded Goblia and were showering her with praise. Although she didnt seem to be used to it yet, Goblia looked proud of herself. Conversely, probably since she was a different species from everyone, Rufina didnt really have anyone talking to her. Since she came up to me looking rather lonely, I lightly petted Rufinas head. The scarred goblin beside me let out a sigh. Sorry. There arent that many pretty goblins like her around. Ill go watch over everyone so they dont cause any problems. Yeah, thanks. Does Goblia look cute to other goblins after all? I dont really get any of it as a human. The scarred goblin nodded in response. Yeah. Its like her looks wouldnt lose to our goblin queen. Rather, if I had to say, then Goblia is more beautiful as a goblin. That much, huh. I have my own expectations as a human, but thats how it is for goblins. really though, giving those two names. Youre pretty incredible as a summoner, Crest. Is that right? Yeah. Of course someone talented would be able to do a lot of names, but Ive heard that a lot of people are limited to one. I see. Before long we could see the village entrance. Or should I even call it a village? It had a gate built from trees, but it looked pretty beat up. It also had a fence around it hiding the village from sight, but it was so worn out a person could probably break through it with a body slam. Once we were inside and I could see the village itself, there was a row of houses lined up that looked so broken they could be knocked over by a gust of wind. Do you guys have anyone with a construction type skill? Yeah. Although its shameful to admit, this was the best we could build. I see. The goblins in the village began taking out their weapons. Everyone seemed to be on edge, probably because the out party brought back a human. I was told there are about thirty of them There certainly does seem to be that many of them coming out from their houses. Ill go ahead and introduce you to everyone. The goblin said, taking a step forward. Everyone! This human here saved us from a dangerous situation! Id like to let him stay in our village for a few days as thanks! Alright! The other goblins nodded their head as he exchanged looks with them. The goblin who guided me this far turned around. Are you alright with using that house over there? Oh no, I can make my own house so could you just lend me a spot for that? Yeah, Id be hesitant to sleep in a beat up house like that. Ah, really? Well even if you say that, wont it take a few days? Nah, it wont take that long. Ill show you later By the way you mentioned that the goblin queen was injured? Ah, yeah. In that case do you want to try this potion? Its the same as that one I gave you guys earlier. I pulled a potion from a pouch and passed it over. When the goblin took it, their eyes went wide open. R, really!? Yeah. Let me know if it works. Ive got various things Id like to ask the goblin queen. N, no if you want to do that you can come with me now. You can make potions Crest!? Yeah, like I said before, Ive got the doctor skill. Then you should really see the goblin queens condition yourself! Please, save our queen! He said, prompting all the other goblins around to look here expectantly. No, but even if I can make medicine, I still dont actually have any medical knowledge like a doctor. I cant really say no now after getting their hopes up like that though. Alright. But, I still might not know anything from looking, okay? U, understood! Please, come this way! Said the goblin while pulling my hand along. I went along with the goblin until we reached the furthest house in. It was a size bigger than the other houses and was built a lot carefully. I mean it is the place the goblin queen sleeps after all. We went in the house together. There was a goblin inside who lightly bowed when they noticed us. Since they were surprised from seeing me as expected, they were given a simple explanation. As for me I was captivated by the sight of a beautiful girl sleeping on top of some leaves. She had beautiful black hair. A slightly petite girl, one pretty enough to compete against the women Id seen up till now lied asleep. Is she not human? No shes not a human! Look at her horns! The goblin protested, pointing his finger around her forehead. There were two horns sprouting out at the edge of her hairline. That actually made her prettiness even more apparent. I used appraisal right away. The girls race was definitely goblin queen. No way, you kidding me? She looks completely different from Goblia How can they say that the goblin queen and Goblia look pretty much the same! Perhaps theyre evaluating by different criteria? The thing that stood out most for me from using appraisal was that the goblin queen was affected by a deadly poison. The goblin queens expression looked pretty pained. Even though she was asleep her cheeks were red. Her chest rose and fell in a painful manner. It was worse than being poisoned. Hey goblin. The goblin queen is inflicted with a deadly poison. What did she fight recently that uses deadly poison? Y, yes! I think she fought a monster called a poison snake north from here! That might be the cause. Did it land a hit on her? Yeah, it bit her! I see. I might not be able to treat her unless I kill a poison snake in that case. The goblins eyes filled with despair when they heard that. Volume 2 - CH 4 C, can it not be done without hunting a poison snake? I wont know for sure unless she drinks the potion I have on hand but Is it really that strong of a monster? Y, yeah. I tried making a higher quality potion from what I could make currently. Then I handed that over to the goblin who was sitting close to the side of the goblin queen. They looked back and forth cautiously between the potion Id given them and the goblin next to me who nodded their head in confirmation. They put a cup filled with the potion up to the goblin queens lips. A gulping sound started coming from the goblin queens throat. Her complexion got a bit better, but it seemed like she was still affected by the poison. As expected, it seems the potion can only work as a temporary measure. As a test, lets see how this antidote potion works. I handed over an antidote potion made from parts of a poison bee. It was actually pretty low quality. I might not make any more poison bee antidote potions after this. The goblin queen drank it like before. It didnt seem to cure her poison though. I guess nothing but a higher quality antidote potion will work. Seeing this, the goblin next to me balled his hand into a fist. I guess we have to kill a poison snake after all. Yeah as long as I have a medicinal herb too. I think it was called dokunai1 grass? Itll be really easy with that. Well, dont worry too much. Ill help out. R, really!? Said the goblin with its eyes sparkling with joy. Yeah. Id gone too far to back out now. I, I see! Its very reassuring to have you on our side, Crest! Even for me its better to fight with someone else on my side. I mean seeing the state of the goblin queen, Im also in danger of being poisoned. Having more companions would have made fighting a lot easier. In that case then why dont we start right away? I want to save our queen as soon as we can! Alright, then lets go. We left the goblin queens house. Then the goblin went to gather the other goblins. They came back having organized the five goblins Id met before. We here are the elite force of the village. The goblin who had been with me the whole time gestured towards them with his hand. But, although he calls them the elite, they all had pale faces. Those dont really look like the faces of those who are about to go defeat a poison snake. Ah, hey! You guys! Do you not want to save the queen!? Shouted the goblin with the scar. Ive though this since I first met the goblin, but hes got quite a bit more burning loyalty than the rest of them. N, no we want to save her but B, but will this be alright? I mean we can go and fight it but When that poison snake attacked before, werent we so scared we couldnt even move our arms and legs? That strong huh. While I was thinking that the goblin let out a grunt before turning to me. We definitely want to save her. But yeah going up against a poison snake will be pretty tough. Do you have any sort of plan? A plan, huh. Even if you say that. I dont really have anything that could easily motivate everyone. Maybe something like a date with Goblia? Getting to be together with a female goblin might motivate them. The goblin with the scar raised his voice. No way we would get fired up by such impure motives! C, Crest! Really!? You idiot, stop youre embarrassing! The goblin with the scar whacked the heads of the two goblins with sparkling eyes. See, they seem plenty motivated. The goblin with a scar let out a cough. I gave a different proposal with a slight grin on my face. If you want to get strong faster, how about I name you guys? Eh? The goblins looked at me in surprise. I mean, that would be faster right? B, but shouldnt you have a limit to how many names you can give? No, I dont seem to have anything like that. Plus, I can just take it away after naming you as well. In the one in a million chance I do have a limit I might have to remove your names though. That doesnt seem to be the case no matter how I look at Goblia and Rufina though. When I said this the six goblins all got really excited. The goblin with the scare glanced over at them then nodded his head. A, alright Could we ask for a contract? Yeah. Well, coming up with six names is difficult in and of itself though. Do you guys have any specific names you want? That would certainly make my job a lot easier. The goblins all got sparky eyes and then began to think to themselves. The first ones to raise their hands were the two who had been really interested in the prospect of a date with Goblia. C, Crest! I want to be Gobriel! Alright. Youre Gobriel. Oh, Gobdon2 for me! Roger. Hey you guys, whats up with the obsession with starting your names with gob? Of course we would! Were all goblins! Gobriel and Gobdon were both smiling widely. Their statuses displayed. I see, I guess thats from me naming them. Gobriel and Gobdon both had stats that were all at least 110. Its pretty high but I bet some of that was from me naming them. Maybe they were originally all less than 100? M, my bodys light! We might be able to beat anything as we are now! S, so this is a name! Thank you Crest! Yeah, next please. The goblin with a scar meekly raised his hand. Did you decide on one? Y, yeah w, what do you think about Darkvolt? Yeah. A name that is totally unrelated to being a goblin. Gobriel and Gobdon started whispering to each other. Wasnt that guy reading from a grimoire before? Yeah he was. He was mumbling a bunch of profound phrases to himself too. Its almost like the outbreak of some kind of disease. That was known as chuunibyou3 in the upper world. Certain individuals taking second year schooling fall into a similar state, so thats what they call them. Sh, shut up! Be quiet! Ill smack you guys in the head! Shouted the goblin with his face red. That name is pretty long. Darkvolt4 is fine, but is it fine to shorten it? O, oh yeah in that case how about shortening it to Onyx? Gobriel was pretending not to know the goblin who seemed to be embarrassed. No, isnt Darkle fine? Th, thats lame though! No, but its easy to say right? Darkle is fine. Right? G, guh.. Well, Darkle is a lot easier to remember. It does seem more like a name for a monster like a kobold though. Alright, do Darkles fine? Y, yeah okay And so Darkvolt, now Darkle was named. At that moment Darkle naturally looked to both of his hands. P, power. Is raging inside me I figured this was a case of chuunibyou, but it was more than that in this case. I realized that my monster evolution technique was reacting to Darkle. 1. Dokunai grass. Doku = poison, nai = not. This author has hurt me guys. First chiyu chiyu grass now this 2. I feel like it would be disrespectful to the author if I didnt make this Gordon with a b. 3. In case you happen to be one of the few individuals unacquainted with the concept of chuunibyou (and by extension its fantasy world derivatives), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C5%ABniby%C5%8D 4. `ܥ is long to say in Japanese, so theyre shortening it to \which is longer in English. Means Onyx sounds cool while also being short so thats what Ill go with. Volume 2 - CH 5 Monster evolution technique. It was a skill I couldnt use up till now, but right now it was seriously going nuts. I gave names to the remaining three, all female goblins. Since they all seemed to like fruits, they picked parts of their names from momon, orangie, and grapen to get Momorin, Oranrin, and Graprin. They were pretty names for girls to have. I was more concerned with Darkle though. Why was he causing monster evolution technique to react? According to appraisal he was now eligible to evolve. Hey, Darkle you got a moment? W, what? Are you displeased with my name? No, nothing to do with that but, do you know anything about monster evolution? Oh yeah. You know how sometimes theres a single monster in a group of identical monsters thats more powerful? Ah, yeah. A unique monster, right? For example, theres sometimes a monsters whos a lot stronger within a group of goblins. Actually, all the goblins here have all evolved, or else were born as something like a unique monster. So you could say I know a bit about it. Is that right. They certainly do seem to have the uniqueness of unique monsters. You seem like you are able to evolve right now yourself, Darkle. Eh? R, really? B, but isnt evolution something that takes place in the heat of battle? Its definitely not something that I can do myself at will. Is that how it works. But right now I can see an evolution button displayed above Darkles status. I guess I can evolve him by pressing this button? Looks like I can trigger your evolution for you Should I give it a try? R, really! Darkle looked at me in surprise. Not just him either, the other goblins were also looking over in surprise. Yeah, looks like it. Mind if I give it a try? Id leave it alone if they dont like it. But Darkle started nodding his head. Please! If you can do it go right ahead! I want to get stronger now more than ever!! Right after he said this, I immediately pressed the evolution button. How is it? Hmm? Well, I dont feel any- While darkle was trying to speak, he suddenly put his arm to his chest and let out a deep breath. Guh! This feeling! I feel the same as I did when I evolved long ago! Darkles body began emitting a light. I kind of wanted to press the cancel button since his voice sounded like he was in a lot of pain, but I couldnt find such a button. Eventually Darkle let out a war cry like voice, and then along with the light it began to quiet down. Once the light dimmed down there was a Darkle one size bigger than before. His features were a lot more dashing than when he was a goblin. Now he looked a lot more like a human. Youre, Darkle right? Yeah Its me. Darkle grasped his right hand tightly into a fist. Then he punched into the air. I can win! As I am now, I wont lose against any opponent! As Darkle shouted I checked his status. Ill start from his name. Before this evolution there was a +1 next to it. Evolving has turned that to a +2. I guess thats a counter for how many times theyve evolved. His status got a lot higher. All his stats have gone up at lease 30 from before his evolution. So this is evolution. Darkle bowed his head to me. Thank you, Crest. The way we are now we probably wouldnt even lose to a poison snake!! Nice. In that case should we head out to hunt one now? Yeah! Lets go everyone!! Yeah! All the goblins punched their fists into the air. Then with Darkle in the lead, we moved out. We headed north from the village. That was seemed to be where you could find poison snakes. We ended up fighting things like giant scissors and mountain kongs on the way. I could easily tell how much the goblins had improved from naming them based those fights. They were were barely managing when I first met them, but now they were able to fight with ease. Personally, I was able to get some gacha points really easily so I cant complain at all. Thats it for our warmup. We continued on further north to the area with poison snakes. We should be able to find poison snakes from here on. Dont lower your guard. The other goblins nodded to Darkles words. Theres one thing Id like to ask you first. Could you tell me how things went down when the goblin queen got poisoned? Could you figure out what its attacks were? Its poison attack is probably its bite. It bit our goblin queen once. After that, her face went pale, and it was all we could do to escape back to the village where she has been sleeping until now. I see In that case we should stay back so it cant bite us. You mentioned that they were a pretty strong monster. Although things were fine in the fights on the way here, lets make sure were totally prepared for this. Yeah, alright. How about we set up a trap around here and lead a poison snake back to fight it? Darkle nodded to my suggestion. But what should we do for the trap? Could we dig a pitfall? That would probably take quite a lot of time- A pitfall trap, huh. I can make one of those right away. I showed them some of my earth magic. The goblins eyes went wide when I dug a huge hole. A hole that large in an instant!? Yeah, is this big enough? A little bit deeper might be better. Its pretty big. Youre kidding. The holes about two metres deep right now though. After digging it to be about three metres deep I covered the top of it with earth magic. Thats it for the pitfall trap. Rufina, think you could lead a poison snake back here? Aroo! Right after I gave Rufina a chin scratch she set out. Now we just have to wait for a poison snake. Y, yeah. But, what should we do about after it falls into the pit? Our weapons dont have enough reach right now. Well use some spears. Ive got some magic iron ore for it anyway. Thats why I wanted to make a pitfall trap. I used smithing technique to make some spears from the iron magic ore Id picked up. Hows that? Think you can use these? Well we dont really have any practice with spears but we shouldnt have any problem poking it from the top of the hole. The other goblins nodded in agreeance with Darkle. Thats all for our preparations. Now we just have to wait for Rufina. Volume 2 - CH 6 Thinking about the current plan, what should we do in the one-in-a-million chance of the poison snake not falling into the pitfall? Wed have no choice but to just fight it normally. Wed just toss away the spears and use our swords like usual. But we also had to keep our distance. Me, Rufina, and Darkle as the faster units should attract its attention, while the rest of us capitalize on and openings it makes. Once we finished finalizing the plan, we heard a howl from Rufina. Guess she found one. Although she didnt know what a poison snake looked like, I told her to bring back any snake she finds. There shouldnt be anything else around like that other than a poison snake. So thats probably it. We all hid in the bushes. We could hear the sound of running. There was also the sound of something slithering across the ground. Its coming. Everyone, get ready. Right! The poison snake was a revenge match for everyone, so they were all raring to go. Rufina appeared within the gaps of the trees before noticing the pitfalls location and rushing straight for it. Behind her appeared the poison snake. It was definitely big. Since it was coiled slightly I couldnt say for certain, but it looked to be around two metres long. The poison snake snapped at Rufina. However Rufina performed a magnificent jump to dodge out of the way. The poison snake attempted to catch up with Rufina by slithering forward across the ground more, however, this led to it falling in the pitfall trap. The moment the poison snake fell I shot forward in a sprint. From what I could see in the hole, the poison snake was trying to climb up the pit walls. I used wind magic to push it back down. Well done Rufina! Come out everyone! Lets do this! I could see its face about two metres away. My wind magic had cut its face up as it was trying desperately to climb out. The goblins came over and started stabbing it with their spears. The poison snake tried biting back at one of them but ended up getting stabbed across its body by other spears. Slowly the poison snakes cries of pain began to get a bit quieter. My magic was starting to get to the level that I could actually use it in battle. I used wind magic to cover the goblins from unnecessary danger. The fight ended quickly. After poking the poison snakes motionless body with my spear a few times just to be safe, I used some earth magic. I picked its corpse up with the ground and brought it back up to the surface. I dismantled it with my knife and collected its parts. As expected, I could make an antidote potion with its fangs. Right away I used the power of doctor to make an antidote potion. H, how is it? I smiled at Darkle as he came over. The antidote potion the goblin queen drank before was an E rank item. However with the materials this time I was able to make it C rank. It might be able to treat her. Really!? Then lets go back right away! Hurry, I want to save her right away! No problem. After dividing the work of dismantling the poison snake among us, we ran back to the village. You really love the goblin queen huh. I couldnt help but think it was a beautiful thing. But Darkle shook his head in surprise to my words. No way, its not something like love. Shes not that sort of being. Right everyone? Y, yeah its not something like love. Shes yeah, just beautiful. Right it would be disrespectful to be in love with her. I guess shes more of a goddess like existence to the goblins. Even the girls were nodding with them. We hurried back while talking. Some mountain kongs and giant scissors got in our way, but we returned without any issues. Right away we went to the house the goblin queen was sleeping in and had her drink the antidote potion. Upon drinking it, her eyes snapped open, and she woke up. Her body was so thin it looked like it would snap from a touch. This is, I was fighting the poison snake and then- She looked around the room in surprise before her eyes fell upon me. A, a human? Well she was surprised. Her surprise felt a bit weird to me since she looked so much like a human from my perspective. Darkle stepped in with an explanation. He is called Crest! Y, you By that scar on your eye are you- She looked this way in surprise. Yes since Ive received a name Im now Darkle. Y, youve been named? I, in any case, thank you for saving me. The goblin queen bowed with a smile. I kind of get what the goblins meant by it being rude to fall in love with her. She was a priceless existence. Volume 2 - CH 7 We explained everything that happened up till now to the goblin queen. Once she finished hearing everything, the goblin queen got up and bowed on the ground in front of me. Thank you very much. Without your help our goblin tribe may have already been annihilated. Please dont mind it. Youve already promised to let me stay here for a bit. More importantly do you feel alright? Yes. Thanks to you, Crest, theres no problem. The goblin queen gave me a big smile. Since she looked so much like a human, it made me a bit shy. By the way Crest. Theres something Id like to ask you. Why is a human such as yourself here in the lower world? I thought humans all lived in the upper world Oh, um I was banished here on the premise that I couldnt use my skill. Saying this caused not just the goblin queen, but also Darkle and the rest to have their eyes shoot wide open. Thats to be expected though. Theres no way they could think my skill is weak after everything Ive shown them. The goblin queen was blinking as she looked at me in puzzlement. Shes so cute I thought. Wh, why would they do that though? Based on everything Ive heard so far, it sounds like an excellent skill Its definitely an amazing skill, however in order for it to be amazing I need to use points. In order to get points I need to defeat monsters. Back when I was in the upper world I didnt know anything about that. Oh I see. Ive certainly heard that there arent many monsters in the upper world. So since you couldnt use it they banished you to the lower world. Thats how it went. Talking about it was sad. Well, not that I had any desire to go back to the upper world by this point. I didnt really have anyone I was close to there after all. I knew some people back when I was in the knights academy, but that was about it. So is your current goal to return to the upper world then, Crest? No, I think it would be nice to live my life freely down here. You want to live here freely? Yeah. Even if I proved to them how good my skill is, all that waits is the annoying life of a nobleman Aristocrats are a pain, and I dont really know how to deal with my fiance. Im pretty sure our engagement has already been annulled, but what that entails isnt exactly clear. So thats why you came here then? Here? What do you mean? Um, are you not aware? No, about what? If you go south from here youll arrive at the gate between the upper and lower worlds. So if you want to avoid going back to the upper world, then it makes sense that you would go the opposite direction Oh, is that how it is. Well I didnt know that. There wasnt really much to the south, so I didnt explore there much. No, I guess the reason there was nothing around there was because it was close to the gate. There were always those people called the lower world guardians near the gate. They come out periodically to the lower world to hunt monsters so they dont spill into the upper world. They also just had the role of holding back any monster invasion. There probably werent many monsters to the south since they hunt the monsters around there. This also explains out Albert was able to find me so soon. More people from the Hauburst house will probably come by to search for me. It would probably be best to head further north. Crest, If you dont mind me asking, I have a request to ask of you. What? The way she asked that so formally put me on edge. The goblin queen squeezed her hand to her chest before looking at me. If you could, then could you perhaps get engaged with me? Her face was dyed vermillion as she looked to the side. I seized up inside since I couldnt comprehend this. I opened my eyes wide. Wh, what do you mean by that!? I, I mean it as it is There are various things to discuss to explain the specifics but W, would you mind telling me? The goblin queen nodded in response. We were in the talks before over an alliance. Goblins arent particularly strong as monsters. The goblins here are all more powerful than wild goblins, but were still weaker than other species. An alliance huh. Yes. And for that alliance, the other party required me. The goblin queens explanation reminded me of my time as an aristocrat. It was common for two houses to engage their sons and daughters to each other to improve relations between fellow houses. It was similar to the relation between Ellis and I. Well, in my case I was marrying up given my low standing in the ducal house. Thats pretty similar even though youre monsters. Are humans the same? Pretty much. So, why do you want to be engaged to me? I want you to become the king of us goblins and show our power to the werewolf tribe. The goblin queen stared straight into my eyes. So essentially the goblin queen wishes to submit to me to save her family. Were the werewolf tribe the ones to propose the alliance? Yes. How many of them are there? There should be around thirty of them. Its certainly not a lot of them, but theyre strong. The only goblins who can oppose them would probably just be myself and Darkle. So basically once I gave them a name. If they can get as strong as Darkle then they might be able to beat the werewolves. I let out a sigh and declared to the goblin queen. Sorry. Things like a marriage of convenience are what I hate more than anything. Ill have to reject your proposal. B, but then could you at the very least lend us your help just this time!? Please, Ill do anything you ask No, even without that Ive come too far to back out now. Ill help out. Eh!? The goblin queen looked at me in shock. Volume 2 - CH 8 Y, youll help us? Is it that surprising? I mean, we arent able to repay you with anything. All youve done is save us. Theyve given me a lot of valuable information. Also I couldnt talk to anyone up till now. Just being able to talk to someone like this is, well Id like to save them. Arent you guys letting me live here for the time being? Y, yes thats right. For me, Im good with that much. I said, to which the goblin queen bit her lip. Then she bowed her head. Thank you, so much. Dont bow your head Im just helping a friend in need, thats all. A friend? The goblin queen raised her head. I looked into her eyes, and then at the other goblins behind me. I wont become a king. But, the goblins here are already my friends. Ill lend a hand when my friends are in trouble. Isnt that natural? Darkle and the others had rather happy expressions as I told them this. I turned back to the goblin queen. My feelings seemed to have reached her, as she was looking down with a gentle smile on her face. Thank you so much. Please tell us if you ever have anything you wish for. Oh really. In that case Ive got something to ask then. Yes of course, what do you need? Could you help me gather some lumber? I can build a house with my skill as long as I have some lumber. Eh? Can you really? Yeah, so Id like to build a house to live in. Well, Ill also try making houses for the goblins to live in if they gather some wood for that too. The one who reacted to my words first was Darkle. R, really!? Then please do, Crest! H, hey! Youre being rude Although the goblin queen chided them for it, but the goblins just looked at her hopefully. Seeing their gaze, the goblin queen just let out a sigh. Might I ask that you do that then Crest? Yeah, leave it to me. Ill also fix this place up, so could you gather a lot of wood? Where will you go then, Crest? Ill be going back down a little to the south to hunt some fang sheep. I can make beds from them. I see. Understood, please take care. Yeah. Dont push yourself either, youve just recovered. Thank you for worries. The goblin queens expression loosened up in joy. I met back up with Goblia and Rufina outside before heading off to hunt some fang sheep. When I got back there was a huge pile of lumber. Looks like those goblins gave it their all. Is this enough, Crest? Yeah, it should be. I made my own house first. I was originally going to build it near the edge of the village, but it ended up being changed to a spot next to the goblin queens house. Looks like the goblins were giving me special treatment. A, awesome He really made a house in an instant Seriously What even were those ones we built with all our efforts. And its way better than the ones we spent many days on The goblins were all surprised together. Next, I made another house out of the remaining lumber. I tried making a house with many rooms, kind of like an inn so the goblins could live together. Although it took a lot of wood, I was able to prepare rooms for the remaining goblins. M, my house is fine The goblin queen tried being reserved about it, not wanting to take up any of my time, but I might as well after building everything else. Itll be a bit smaller than your previous house, but please bear with it. Since my level was still low I couldnt build a large house, but it still turned out as the biggest house in the village. The goblin queen vigorously shook her head. I couldnt possibly complain Im just happy that you built it for me. Im glad you like it. I was a bit worried. When I smiled at her, the goblin queen blushed a bit and looked down. Alright, thats it for the houses. I used the fang sheep wool Id gathered to make beds. There was a total of thirty goblins. I prepared enough beds in their rooms for them to sleep on. While I was doing this and that, the sun began to set. Are you good on minor furnishings now? Y, yes Or rather you didnt need to do that much. Dont hold back. Im just doing the parts that I want to. The goblin queen stayed with me the whole time I was working. Shed always call to the goblins with a smile on her face. I think I can understand why shes in charge of the goblins as their queen. You are truly amazing, arent you Crest No, Im more impressed with you, goblin queen. I dont think I could stand being above so many people. Well, its not particularly impressive. I bet youd be able to do it Crest. No not a chance. While we spoke about that, a nice smell came from the centre of the village. Is someone cooking? Yes. Thanks to the hotpot ingredients you provided Crest, the goblins on cooking duty for today got really into it. After saying this, the goblin queen looked at my hand before grabbing it. It felt very soft. Exactly like a humans. Sh, shall we go? Yeah, lets. Led by the goblin queen, I went to the centre of the village. If there was one thing I was worried about, it would be whether or not humans and goblins had the same sense of taste. Volume 2 - CH 9 We ate dinner in a circle around a pot in the centre of the village. The pot was filled with things Id made myself. Some goblins were in charge of the cooking itself. Apparently theyd killed a few giant crabs while they were out collecting lumber, so that was the base of the hot pot. The crab soup was super tasty. How is it? Asked the goblin queen next to me as she tilted her head. Her cute gesture surprised me a bit, but she was still a monster. I shut away any feelings and gave her a smile. Its really good. The goblin queen let out a small sigh of relief when I said this. Im glad it suits your pallet. Im glad goblins and humans have the same sense of taste. Yeah, seriously. I figured that there would be more of a difference since some goblins eat human. All the goblins here are unique monsters. Perhaps evolution was something like the process of becoming more human-like. Except with a distinctly higher strength than a human. By the way, were the fire and water all prepared by the goblins? Yes. Thats because there are also goblins here with magic type skills. Oh I see. None of the goblins Id been fighting up till now had intelligence, nor the ability to use magic. I guess they might have different ways of fighting depending on the situation. I should watch out for that. Once dinner was over, the goblins got up one after the other. Seems like it was now bath time. The ones with magic type skills were also in charge of preparing the bath. It seems they basically just filled a bucket with water and washed their bodies down with it. Using the prepared hot water, they all started washing their bodies. I made my own portion of hot water with water and fire magic. The goblins didnt really seem to mind having the males and females together. There wasnt really much difference between their men and women. Everyone freely washed themselves together. However the goblin queen seemed to care, so she seemed to go to a place out of sight to wash. Hey, you can even use water magic Crest!? Someone called out when they saw me preparing my own portion. Pretty much. Wah, Im jealous that you can do so many things Crest! Well I did go through a lot to be able to do so much. After giving them a strained smile, I finished washing up. I guess Its bedtime next. I started back to my house while stretching my back out a little. Then Darkle noticed me. Are you heading to bed Crest? Yeah, I think Ill call it for tonight. Alright. Dont worry about the night. Well have some goblins on watch. Okay. I gave Darkle a nod and went to my house. There were two spaces in my house. First there was the main area which was my room. It was right after going in the door. Next to it was Goblias room. Rufina had her doghouse by the entrance. I would be totally fine with Rufina just sleeping inside, but she seemed to have grown attached to having a doghouse. Rufina seemed to be happily curled up in her doghouse on the cushion Id made for her. I jumped onto my bed and stared up at the ceiling. The goblin tribe huh. I guess theres a werewolf tribe out there too. There was so much I didnt know about the lower world compared to what Id been taught about the upper world. Ill need to get along with the monsters down here in order to live here. While I was thinking about this, my front door opened slowly. Guess I forgot to make a bolt for it. I wonder who would be coming over? Rufina would have reacted if they were an enemy. I guess theyre one of the goblins then? I got up from my bed. Under the moonlight, I could make out the swaying dark hair of the goblin queen. Ah, s, sorry Did I wake you? No, I havent gone to sleep yet. Whats up? W, well I havent been able to give you anything as thanks, so I figured Id do something, to thank you. While so lightly dressed? She was wearing thin garments similar to underwear. No matter how I look at it shes trying to thank me that way. Didnt I say I dont need any thanks? Im good with just being able to live here. But, well The goblin queen came closer to me and grabbed my hand. With her face red in embarrassment, she brought my hand into her chest. My mouth involuntarily slackened at the soft feeling. Although it was modest, it was certainly soft like a humans. A thin body like mine, although its a monsters body, I dont think its that different from a humans. We, we arent talking about that alright? I pulled my hand back from the goblin queens. Her eyes wavered anxiously. The goblin queen is the queen of this village. As the queen she wants to protect everyone. Shes probably hoping to entice me, since I have the power to do that. I think thats pretty amazing. I plan to live here in the lower world. I also dont dislike the goblins. You dont have to try using your body to keep me. I, Im not trying to keep you here. Arent you shivering? The goblin queens shoulders jumped in surprise when I pointed it out. Seriously. I gave her a light pat on the shoulder before lying down on my bed. I wont become a king but I do intend on protecting you. Crest. Look, youll catch a cold dressed like that. Put this on and go back to your room. I used tailoring technique and passed her some clothes. Thank you very much Crest. Ill make sure to repay you for this some day. The goblin queen gave me a smile before leaving my room. Volume 2 - CH 10 Taking the bare minimum number of goblins with me, I made my way to the werewolf village. Along with me was Darkle, along with the male goblins Id first named. There was also the goblin queen, Rufina and Goblia. Im sorry for this Crest. Having you help with negotiations and all. Nah, its fine. It would be best to win the werewolves onto our side if I want to have an easy life. When I told the anxious goblin queen this, she smiled happily. Before long we could see the werewolf village. The burly gatekeeper sniffed the air before turning towards us. Theyre really monster-like. I guess a human type body like the goblin queens is really unusual. The goblin queen huh. Whats your business? We came to discuss the alliance. I see What about that human? The werewolf looked at me with a glare. Im Crest. Im a human whos allied with the goblins. I see. Wait here for a bit. Ill go report to our werewolf king. Thank you very much. The goblin queen gave a quick bow. We stood waiting as they moved. So is this werewolf king the werewolves leader? Yes, hes their chief. All of us monster leaders are named accordingly. I see. We waited for several minutes. Soon enough the gatekeeper came back. Our werewolf king calls for you. Follow me. The gatekeeper beckoned with its chin. After we all exchanged glances we went in the village. All the werewolves had adult like bodies and looked stronger than the goblins with that alone. To the werewolves we all looked like a group of fools. A few of them seemed aware that the goblins had changed though. The goblins wed brought with us had lost some of their goblin-ness. The goblins Id named underwent a few changes. There were a lot of changes with Darkle since he evolved on top of that. A few monsters could probably figure out some of that. We have arrived at our werewolf kings home. Said the gatekeeper. Looks like he was done guiding us. A home, huh. Their construction skills were better than the goblins, sure, but sure enough it was a pretty sad build. Well, maybe I should praise them for having this much skill despite being monsters? I thought about that as we stepped inside. Right after entering we were faced with a werewolf sitting in a large chair. Well thats unexpected. Compared to the other werewolves, he had a much slenderer body type. He was tall, but he didnt seem to have any excess muscle. That wasnt to say he was thin though; he properly had the bare minimum amount of muscle. There were werewolves standing on guard at his side. Their bodies were really well muscled. Its good that you came, goblin queen. Its been a while, werewolf king. The werewolf king stood up and came closer. After the goblin queen gave a quick bow, he came close to her without looking at me. So, how about the alliance agreement? Although you wish to take our goblin tribe under you we will have to reject your offer. Really there, goblin queen? Certainly, I know that you have some exceptionally strong goblins among you. But you should be on your own against us werewolves. Does this mean youre looking for war? The goblin queen shook her head. I wedged my way in between them. What, who are you? Im Crest. Were not looking for war. All we want is an equal alliance. Equal? Dont make me laugh. Theres no way your goblin tribe could possibly have an equal alliance with us! The werewolves started moving in response to the werewolf kings powerful voice. The number of werewolves surrounding us was two. They glared at us relentlessly in a bit to intimidate us. The goblins flinched for a moment in response before glaring back at them. The werewolf king turned his gaze, and then in that moment a werewolf shot forward. The moment the werewolf swung its fist, Darkle drew his sword. As soon as his sword was drawn, the werewolf stopped. Do you want to start a war here? As I said this the werewolf looked to the werewolf king. I bet their surprised. At what? They didnt think Darkle would be able to match the werewolfs speed. What happened in such a short span of time? What did you do to power up the goblins so quickly? I named them, and then evolved them. What? The werewolf king raised an eyebrow. I took a step forward and stared into his eyes. Hes not a goblin. Hes called Darkle. Hes a proud goblin soldier! When I declared this, Darkle returned his sword to its sheath. The werewolf took another step back in frustration. All the soldiers gathered here possess names! The goblins in the village are the same!! If you still hope to look down on us, to bear hostility towards us, then that leaves only a single choice. That wont come at a cheap price though, king of the werewolves. The werewolf king glared at me as I shouted. After glancing at me, the werewolf king drew his sword from its sheath. What is your name, human? Its Crest I see Crest. I request a duel with you as the representative of the goblin tribe. If we win, then well have you under us. The one condition is that we will all be named under your power, Crest. Alright. How about in the case that we win? Then you guys can do whatever you want. You can even put us under you. However if you want to take our lives, then Id like you to bear with only taking my head. Well we avoided an all out conflict. I didnt expect them to ask for a duel with me as the representative, but they shouldnt be able to look down on the goblin tribe with this. I glanced at the goblin queen, and she gave me a nod. The goblins were putting their faith in me once again. Alright. Ill accept your conditions. Are you good to go? Yeah, we just got here after all. Okay. Then go outside. We are about to duel!! As we went outside we could see the werewolves panicking from the werewolf kings proclamation. Volume 2 - CH 11 When we got outside I gave my body a light stretch. While I was at it, I checked my status. Id done a lot of things after coming to this area, such as fighting with the goblins. Thanks to that, my status has gone up all around. This should be enough to win, right? Id like to win if possible. The goblin queen came up to me as I was checking my status. Dont push yourself. Sure thing. Say it or not, Ill withdraw if Im about to die. I mean, the werewolf king probably wont kill me since he wants my ability to give names. Yes, youre an outsider in this. Were prepared for that much. The goblin queen smiled at me. Seems the werewolf king was finished getting ready as well. The goblins and werewolves moved away to form a circle around us. I drew my sword from my waist, and the werewolf king did similarly. Are you ready Crest? Yeah, Im good any time. The werewolf king shifted his eyes from me onto a stone. On it was the werewolf who would be working as the referee. Next to them was Darkle. There was a chance for foul play if there was only one referee after all. He was there as a check to that. All right you two Begin! The moment the werewolf shouted this the werewolf kings body sunk down low. The next moment he shot forward. Fast. He had overwhelming speed like an explosion. The werewolf king appeared before my eyes in an instant, and all of his lean muscles shook to swing his sword down on me. I caught his attack at the very last moment. The werewolf king was completely drawn in by my act, having drawn him in till the very last moment before avoiding as if to greet him. I can see his movements well. It seems that the werewolf kings stats are probably below mine. So, every one of the werewolf kings moves were clear for me to see. N, no way! For the kings attack not to hit!? How can he be faster than the king! This hasnt happened since that guy!! I guess its really unexpected for the werewolf kings attacks to not land. Among the desperate cries from the werewolves, the goblins were getting riled up. Crest! Go for it! Show them what youre made of! Youre crushing it! Hit him there! Hey, Crest! Take him down! Please do your best, Crest! As the goblins cheers got more energetic, I exchanged attacks with the werewolf king. Uooo! The werewolf king let out a war cry and raised his sword. Although I didnt expect a quick attack from that direction, I parried it regardless and moved to his flank. Then I slashed my sword. As I struck the werewolf kings sword, he let out a short yelp and let go of his sword. His sword danced through the air. The werewolf king stretched out his arm in an attempt to chase his sword. Within that opening I moved my sword to the front of his throat. As the werewolf king froze his sword stabbed into the dirt. I surrender. As soon as the werewolf king made this quick statement the surrounding werewolves went wild. Then the werewolf king stared at me for a bit before bowing down on the ground before me. Kill me. I dont want to live in such disgrace. In exchange, look after those guys for me. Eh The werewolf king looked at me with eyes filled with resolve. But seeing their king like this, the werewolves all raised their voices in protest. K, king! L, lets kill this guy! What are you talking about!? I lost the duel! This all falls on my head! We followed you when you were banished precisely because we think youre our rightful leader! You are the only one who can be our king! As the werewolves started shouting one after the other, the werewolf king stood up and yelled at them. Silence!! All of you! Do you plan to sully my duel!? The werewolves all fell silent at the werewolf kings cry. Maybe a duel is something that the werewolf king holds to be very sacred. The werewolves seemed be moved by the werewolf kings conviction. With tears in their eyes, they all agreed with him. Once more, the werewolf king kneeled down on the ground in front of me and looked into my eyes. Sorry about that Crest. Im proud to have been able to fight with someone as strong as you before the end. As the werewolf king stared at me, I lifted my sword. Then, I put it in its sheath. What are you doing Crest? Im the winner here. The only order I have for you is to live on and enter an equal alliance with us. Crest. A duel might just be a meaningless thing for humans, but its a very important matter for werewolves. So you want to abandon your precious subordinates and die before them? You chose a duel so you could protect your comrades. Are you seriously going to throw them away? Well- Before the werewolf king could deny it, I cut in. Stop messing around! Im a human! I get that you hold duels in high regard! However, we humans are wise beings! Pride is nothing to throw away your life for! And Im the one who won here! So listen to me! What I want is an alliance between the werewolves and the goblins! Im not going to pointlessly take a life!! Come out now if youve got a problem with that! Ill take you on! I looked around me. There was no one who wanted him to die in the first place. Should I make him an example? If I did, then all the werewolves here would resent me. I dont want to do something so troublesome and dangerous. Hearing my declaration brought not only the goblins to attention, but also the werewolves. At that moment, the werewolf king came before me and fell to his knees. Crest. Or rather, our lord. What? Volume 2 - CH 12 Having the werewolf king say that all of a sudden surprised me. When I turned to look at him, he was looking back at me with respect in his eyes. Crest. I agree with your way of thinking. Since you did not take my life; since you told me to live, I will live as your sword. Right after the werewolf king finished speaking, the werewolves who had followed him up till now all simultaneously fell to their knees behind him. Lord Crest. Your words have impressed on us deeply! Along with our king, we pledge our allegiance to you!! Our new king! The birth of a king!! The werewolves all started getting swept up in the mood all on their own. J, just hold on a sec! Whether its your king or a chief, Im- As I was trying to speak, the goblin queen quickly bowed down on her knees as well. Along with the werewolf tribe, we the goblin tribe also pledge our allegiance to our lord. H, hey! Stop making this more complicated! Suddenly, Darkle got a smile on his face and came around behind the goblin queen before getting down on his knees. The other goblins did the same. Our new king! King! King! King! The goblins and werewolves all started chanting in unison. My face cramped up as I realized what was happening, and I let out a small sigh. I! As I raised my voice, everyone fell silent to listen to me. I plan to live here in the lower world from now on. I have no intention of being your king or your chief. But, for the sake of making sure that the alliance between the werewolves and goblins remains peaceful, I can take up a position similar to that. I made a compromise. Who will they listen to in an emergency? Once thats figured out I can resign from my post. I dont really want to stand above others as a king or a chief. Im fine with just living a laid back lifestyle. Yeaaaah! King Crest! Are these guys even able to hear what I say? As they were all getting super fired up all on their own, I made a bitter smile and raised my hand. We went back into the werewolf kings house and sat down in some chairs. We were discussing what we should do from now on. Where should we have our bases? Is it fine to have them separated like now? I thought a bit about the werewolf kings suggestion. Well, theres merit in having them separate. For example, in case one base gets attacked they can take refuge in the other. I see, youve got a point. I was caught up in thinking that we should all gather together. The werewolf king and goblin queen looked at me in awe. I dont know what the future will bring, but further north there would be a lot more monsters to fight. For that though, I dont really feel that much of an advantage to splitting our bases into two. But that assumes both have enough fighting power. Right now It would be better to gather in one place. We already have some buildings in the goblin village. Want to come to our village? I said, to which the werewolf king quickly lowered his head. Of course, Crest. Thanks. I wont let you guys live uncomfortably. Saying that helps us greatly. That will put everyone else at ease. Next, there was something I was curious about while talking to the werewolves, so I asked about it. Is it alright if I ask you a difficult question, werewolf king? What? He tilted his head. There was that thing that the werewolves mentioned during our duel before. They mentioned that you were exiled right? Whats up with that? Yeah, thats right. Its a bit of a long story if thats fine with you. Go head. The werewolf king took a short breath before looking off into the distance and telling his story. Ive got a twin brother you see. We lived in the werewolf village. The question came up whether it was him or I who should inherit the village. Our father was supposed to decide that. Was? Yeah. Before father could name his successor he died, or rather he was killed. The werewolf kings eyes became sharp. He excluded the ferocious killing intent of an animal as he clenched his fists. Did your brother kill him? Yeah he did. My father wrote that he wanted me to follow in his footsteps on a stone slab. But when my brother saw it he killed father. It was so he could succeed the village. Could you not duel him? That wasnt a situation I could. I was set to be executed under the accusation of patricide. But I was saved by my comrades here, and we somehow made it this far. I see. The werewolf king bit his lip in vexation, but he shook his head. Sorry about that. We should have spoken about this earlier. With us on your side, they might target you guys along with us werewolves. But Were allies, right? Dont sweat it. As I told him this, the werewolf king bit his lips tightly. He seems pretty good at winning monsters on his side after all. I should be able to put my current position on the goblin queen and werewolf king while dealing with that problem. The werewolves listening to us were crying. I could easily tell how much faith they put on the werewolf king. I stood up and looked around. Everyone, for now well all go to our village. Well head out to the village once youve gathered your minimum necessities. Alright? Yeaah! The werewolves all raised their voices. After watching them all leave, I let out a sigh. As expected of you, Crest. To be able to subdue the particularly stubborn werewolves. You certainly have the makings of a king. No no no, Its because youre here, werewolf king. Id rather you didnt misunderstand that. I took a small breath before sitting down in my chair. Volume 2 - CH 13 We went back to the goblin village with the werewolves in tow. As expected it was a lot of traveling. Some monsters did come to attack us, but they were pretty easily brought down by ganging up on them as a group. Like that we got back to the village. O, oh I thought the werewolves were coming for war The goblin on watch gave a small sigh. Then our company went inside the village. I checked the current state of the goblin village using map making technique. I guess around here should do? After deciding on a goblin district and a werewolf district, I brought the werewolves over. I think this would be a good place for the werewolves to live. Oh yeah alright. So then can we start building our own houses? Said the werewolf king. Oh, right. I didnt tell them about my ability. Its fine, Ill take care of that. No no no, wouldnt that be hard to pull off alone? Rather we can take care of simple chores like that ourselves. Hmm I guess youll understand if I show you. Show us? What do you mean? I glanced at some goblins. They nodded back to me before bringing some lumber over. This is why we prepared so much lumber. Preparing lumber? Certainly, that makes it easier to build- As the werewolf king spoke with his head tilted, I activated my skill. Construction technique. Ill start off by building the werewolf kings house. The goblin queen, me, and the werewolf king. I built the werewolf kings house positioned like that next to ours. It was a sizable bungalow around the same size as the goblin queens. I made sure to avoid making them different. So yeah, kind of like this. I said while wiping the sweat off my forehead. The werewolf kings mouth was flapping open and closed. Not just him though, the other werewolves were doing the same. W, wwwwhat the!? You built a house in an instant!? Y, yeah this is nothing like what the goblins were building before. I can build like this with my skill. Thanks to it, I can make as many houses as I want as long as I have the materials. Oh, I see thats incredible. As expected of our chief, Crest. No Im telling you, thats wrong. Well I can just find the timing later to put that position on the goblin queen or the werewolf king. The werewolf king folded his arms. So basically, we just need to bring you the materials and you can build all of us houses then? Do you have enough magic power? Yeah, no problem. I just need timber, and then if you can gather some wool from the fang sheep a little to the south from here, I can make some good beds for you too. Thats pretty much all Id like you to get. Roger! You all! You heard all that, right? If you dont want to sleep outside tonight, hurry up and get some lumber! The werewolf king turned back and yelled to the werewolves, who proceeded to raise their fists into the air. Everyone scattered and left the village. The goblin queen looked to the goblins. Okay everyone, please help the werewolves out. Prepare dinner for when they get back! Understood! After receiving orders from the goblin queen, Darkle took command of the goblins. As I though, the goblin queen and werewolf king are very suited to leading monsters. In the first place, its weird for a human to lead them. Ill gradually give them my responsibilities until theyll eventually be fine without me here. After that I directed them on were to move our remaining lumber and used it to build some houses. Werewolf king, Id like to build it as a bunch of rooms together like an inn, but is there anyone to keep in mind? No, were fine. Just do whatever is easiest for you, Crest. Alright. Its not really that its any easier, but it takes a little less wood to build like that compared to making detached houses. Its easier for the werewolves more than anything. Im fine with making them all detached houses. That would just take more space in the village, and a lot more lumber. As I prepared the houses, the werewolf king and goblin queen stood by my side as if to escort me. Leaving me aside, werewolves are pretty large in stature. It would help if you could make them a little bigger. Okay. Oh right, are you considered a different species from the other werewolves, werewolf king? Yeah, thats right. A small fraction of werewolves end up being born as werewolf kings. Apparently there are also queens like with the goblins, but Ive never seen one personally. I see then, kind of like with the goblin queen. The goblin queen nodded. Yes, thats right. Mutated species are sometimes born among monsters. Even though were monsters, we still dont know everything about the subject. I see. There were some studies into monster in the upper world, but that didnt yield that much information. Not even the monsters know, huh. Doesnt evolution technique stick a + on their status when they evolve? Can you evolve from one species to another? I dont think so. What do you think, werewolf king? I havent heard of anything like that either. I see. So I guess evolution technique can turn an individual into a more unique existence within a species or something like that. I prepared the werewolves houses while pondering the topic. Volume 2 - CH 14 By the time it became night, I finished making at least a bed for each house. I never would have thought my life could suddenly get so much better like this. Thats because we cant do anything other than fight! I never imagined a house like these ones Crest made for us, not having to shiver anymore from drafts! The werewolves gathered in the centre of the village chatted with each other happily. Im glad everyone was happy about it. As I stared into the massive fire in the village centre thinking to myself, the goblin queen and werewolf king came over. With this, all the leading members are gathered. Soon we will have the werewolf clan. Started the werewolf king. And the goblin clans commemoration party. Everyone cheered in excitement to the werewolf king and goblin queens declaration. Very nice, the two of them seem to be properly collecting political influence. Alright Crest, Id like to ask you to greet everyone. Me, huh. Well I guess I did play a big part in organizing the alliance. Got no choice. Well, Im sure everyone knows why were gathered here now. As I spoke, the werewolves looked to me expectantly. First, its time to give everyone names!! Yeahh!! Line up over here everyone. As I instructed, all the werewolves came over one after the other. Then I gave each of them names. I mean, everyone came up with their own names, so I just gave them that. Some of them were like I want Crest to choose my name for me so that was a bit difficult, but I finished naming them all. Next were the goblin queen and werewolf king. Are you ready you two? Yeah, of course. Yes Please go ahead. Ill start with the werewolf king. Do you have any name you want? My father was called Orphelle, so Id like to borrow that and be Orphe. Could I ask for that? To the werewolf king who was staring straight forward, I nodded back. After I gave Orphe his name, his eyes started tearing up and he bowed deeply. Im deeply grateful, Crest! I will be your sword and drive back any opponent! Yeah!! Cheered all the werewolves. Id rather you accepted it without saying things to hold me up like that though. While thinking that, I looked to the goblin queen. Do you have any name youd like to have? Livia, if you could. Its an important word for us goblins. Okay. Before I named her, the goblin queen closed her eyes. Then, at the same time I gave her her name, she opened her eyes and showed me a beaming smile across her whole face. Thank you very much, my lord. Livia smiled happily. Once I finished naming everyone, I took a look at their statuses. Their statuses are pretty high. Theres probably the boost from being named, but theyre pretty much the same level as me. With that the naming ceremony was over. I also gathered a lot of attention to myself. Do I also need to say the opening address for the party? I looked at Livia and Orphe. Since they both seemed to be looking forward to it, I reluctantly continued. Alright everyone, now were all comrades and friends! Yeah!! We might face a plethora of trials in the future. But! As long as we all stand together we can break through all of them!! Yeah!! Well then, let the party begin! Along with my declaration, everyone let out a particularly loud cheer. Good grief. Looking out over all their happy faces I made a half smile. I glanced over to the goblins and werewolves getting soup from the pot before they went to the table. Their meals lined up on the table one after the other, then everyone respectively started their meals without pausing. Things like alcohol would usually be used in times like this for everyone to have even more fun, but we didnt have any right now. I have fruit, so maybe I can make some with cooking technique? Oh yeah, there it is. I had various options like wine, or other fruit liquors. Are there any particular alcohols that monsters are fond of? If theyve never had alcohol before then it might be best not to bring it up right away. It would be a problem if they grew dependent on it after all. Ill as Livia and Orphe about it later and see what they think. Everyone partied around for about an hour. I got a little tired after talking so much after such a long time. After returning to my house, I opened the gacha window. Alright, Ive earned a bunch. Monsters that I name, so basically monsters that work for me give me points when they kill things. I had 15000 points, so those probably came from killing giant scissors and mountain kongs. Ill go ahead and roll the gacha now. Id like to complete the summoner type skill series after all. While I was thinking this through, there was a knock at the door. Its open. As I called out, Livia came in. With a little wave of her hand, the pretty nightwear clad girl came up to me. TLN: Really hoping Livia doesnt turn into some king of pun later on, since I cant imagine how such a common name would be an important word for goblins. Volume 2 - CH 15 Whats up Livia? I asked to which Livia blushed and fidgeted as she came over. Sorry, are you already going to bed? No, Ive still got some things to take care of. I glanced to the gacha screen I had out. I guess other people cant see it. Oh yeah Ive gotten a lot of skills up till now, so I wonder if thats still impossible. Livia looked a little confused. What do you need to do? I thought Id get some new skills. Is it something so simple to do? As expected of you. After Livias eyes went wide, she gently clapped her hands together. She sat down on the bed next to me. Yeah, not that its actually so simple. Is it quite difficult to do? After hearing Livia say so, I tried giving her the run down on the gacha. Okay, so then you cant keep getting stronger unless you find new monsters and defeat them. Pretty much. Ive got some points piled up right now, so I figured Id power up a bit. I see so youve been defeating monsters without me noticing then. No, I can get points from monsters Ive named hunting too. So, this gacha is mostly funded by points the goblins and werewolves have earned for me. Eh!? Thats very convenient. Then you should be able to get more skills from now on. Pretty much. Theres still the problem of running out of new monster species to hunt later on. Thats not a problem for now though. Livia got a bit closer to me. Her eyes were sparkling. May I watch this gacha as well? Just, wait a second. When I was in the upper world, I tried showing others my gacha to prove it, but that didnt work. How about now? It would be difficult normally, but maybe I can do something with the power of monster taming or summoner? As I was thinking about various things, Livia suddenly yelped in surprise and looked over here. Her sight was pointed straight towards the gacha window I had open. Looks like it worked. Can you see it? Y, yes. So then thats the gacha window huh? She reached out her hand to the screen, but her elegant finger early passed through it. Guess she cant interact with it. Well then, lets roll the gacha right away. Yes, Im looking forward to it. While giving Livia a simple explanation about it, I pushed the eleven roll gacha. When I rolled the gacha the usual orbs appeared. Four bronze, three silver, three gold, and one rainbow. Wow, it looks like its sparkling! The gacha has different rarities. The best one is this rainbow colour. Then its best to get lots of those. Does that make this gacha a miss? Well, not really. She tilted her head in confusion. I guess I should explain it to her as I go through the gacha results. I went right into checking the gacha. Bronze ones are the ability enhancement type. Theyre not very useful on their own, but it I gather a bunch of them theyll strengthen me quite a bit. I see They certainly arent a miss then. Next up is silver. Oh, theyre pretty good skills. Silver has a bunch of different technique type skills. I see They certainly arent a miss then. Theyre useful for battle, as well as skills to make life easier. Yeah, next up is gold which is magic type skills. Magic. Thats also very useful! Livias eyes were sparkling as she looked at the three skills. T, to give you so many magic type skills in an instant its really a spectacular skill. Most of the skills would be practically useless in the upper world though. Finally, it was time for the rainbow skill. This time I got summoner lvl 1. So, this is the skill it calls the pickup then. Thats right. The rainbow skills all come from the pickup banner. That was it for those 5000 points gacha. Livia she seemed to be having fun. Watching the gacha like this, somehow, its rather fun isnt it. In that case, lets do the rest. I used up my last 10000 points to roll the gacha with Livia. Livia would ask about my skills each time. She was always really curious about any skills she hadnt heard about and asked about them over and over. I didnt get any new skills this time, but it was kind of fun watching Livias reactions to them. Here are all the skills I got from the 33 gacha rolls. I didnt get any overflow, and I only got skills that I wanted, so Ill call this one a win. As I went to combine all my skills together, I ended up seeing my status and was shocked. Wh, whats with this? Volume 2 - CH 16 Whats wrong? Asked Livia, looking at me inquisitively. Maybe I could figure something out by discussing this with her. My status went up quite a bit. I didnt even do any particular training or anything. My status has never increased so explosively like this before. Livia titled her head cutely as her eyes opened wide. Wouldnt it be from giving everyone names? Really? Yes. Most likely. This time in particular you gave Orphe and I names, so wouldnt that have had a strong effect? I guess so. Now that you mention it, that could be it. So basically if I want to get stronger quickly I ought to get more comrades. At this rate Ill end up getting stronger gradually as I work with the goblins and werewolves. Im glad that youre getting stronger, lord Crest. Well, thanks for telling me about this stuff. Youve been a big help. Dont mention it. I think its time I head to bed. See you tomorrow. As I said this to the smiling Livia, she moved her body closer to me. She lightly patted me on the arm with her hand. It felt very soft. Why though? Livia? Umm, lord Crest. May I have a moment of your time? Yeah Livia fidgeted a bit before looking to me with moist eyes. Could you sleep together with me tonight? Sleep together? What are you saying? Are you aware that goblins are monsters that have a strong sexual desire? I almost exploded as Livia suddenly brought that up. I suppressed everything and nodded my head. Well yeah. I saw a human male being carried off a bit before. I grinned a bit thinking back to that familiar face. As I said that Livia made a little grin as well. Thats right. Whether thats female goblins, or even males, its fine as long as theres a hole. Said Livia, slightly embarrassed. Its almost like I made her say that. Ive done something bad. My bad. I didnt mean to make you say that. No, please dont mind it. Well going back on topic. Queens are different from normal goblins and are able to basically keep their sexual desires in check. Basically? Since she emphasised that part, is it going to be that then? Yes. Goblin queens are only able to feel their passion towards a single individual. Huh, theres a lot of interesting things about goblins. Thats why I can only desire for you. Saying this, Livia pushed my body down. She moved so suddenly I couldnt react in time. Livia smiled at me. Her innocent smile made my heart skip a beat. So tonight can we sleep together? Ah, yeah. I couldnt say no. Hearing my response, Livia closed her eyes in happiness. Since we were already prepared to sleep, we got in bed just like that. It was a single person bed. No matter how small Livias build was, increasing that to two people was a little tough. Well, I mean its not like its to the level where its impossible to sleep. Next to me, Livia closed her eyes with a loose expression. Good night, lord Crest. Night. Livias voice was somehow a bit bouncy. Soon enough I could hear her sleeping breath. I felt just a tiny little bit disappointed there. N, not like I was looking forward to doing naughty things or anything. Yup, we were just going to platonically sleep together. Im sure sleeping together like this can help Livia control her sexual desires. Once Id fully convinced myself as such, I closed my eyes. Then, Livias hand suddenly grasped mine. I wasnt sure if she was doing this on purpose, or if she was just moving around in her sleep, but l lightly squoze her hand back. Ive slept together with someone like this several times before. When I was young, Ellis forced me to sleep together with her. Back then all I could think about was how to avoid her displeasure. Without having to worry about anything like that, I close my eyes and I couldnt sleep. I was nervous. Having Livias sleeping breath hitting my neck made my heart flutter. As she breathed, her chest would move up and down. She was wearing thing clothing, so I could make out the line of her breasts. She certainly didnt have an effeminate body or anything, and if I had to say it then shes petite but how should I put this, she had a doll like beauty that made my heart pound. So this is limbo. I took a small breath to calm myself. How about I think of this as training. Its training to control my own reason. I took a deep breath before finally managing to calm myself and close my eyes. I was just about to drift off to sleep. Then she hugged me tightly and all the air in my lungs was choked out. Volume 2 - CH 17 The next day. I managed to fall asleep somehow or other. For the time being I woke up Livia who was hugging me tightly. Hey, wake up there Livia. Hmm? Ah, good morning Livia separated from me as she rubbed her eyes. She looked pretty happy. Thank you so much lord Crest. Ive suppressed all those feelings that have been bubbling up inside me! I see, thats good then. I guess just sleeping together was enough to deal with her lust. I might need to ask you for this again in the future is that alright? Yeah. I dont want to be a bad influence or anything I might have to deal with being unable to sleep due to nervousness again, but that wasnt much of an issue. I left the house with Livia. Everyone had already started working inside the village. Though I say that though, the monsters were mostly just training. As I left the house Goblia and Rufina joined in accompanying us. While leading the werewolves in sword training, Orphe noticed me and bowed his head. Good morning Crest. Good morning. Whatre you doing today? I figured Id go search for some new monsters. Also I still havent killed 25 poison snakes yet so Ill go take those out. I see. So youll be checking out the area north of here then? Yeah. As I responded such, the werewolves expressions turned grim. Is something up? Is there a problem? I asked. Orphe seemed to notice something as he proceeded to make a bitter smile before putting his hand on his hip. If you continue further north, theres the werewolf village were from. The only real danger with that is that the remaining guys there might notice you. I see. So the werewolf village is northward huh. If I didnt meet the goblins and continued north, they might have been the first monsters Id have run into. Would they have accepted me? I wondered. If thats the case then Ill make sure not to go too far north. Ill stop around the poison snake area. Sounds good. You dont really need to worry too much though. There are other monster villages further north from the werewolf village. They probably havent looked too much into the south since theyre more worried about that area. Thats exactly why we escaped to the south after all. Alrighty then. I guess the lower world is full of monsters fighting in power struggles. Looking at them in just that aspect, its a lot like the power struggles of the nobility. Since power is justice in the lower world its a lot easier to understand though. Aristocrats clamor around with back room deals and the like after all Well Ill be heading out now then. Ill come along too. I know a lot about the north area. Alright. We left the village in the hands of Darkle before the four of us headed out to the north. This village doesnt really have a gate or a fence. It might be best to raise its defensive capabilities later. Monsters even just wander in of their own accord at night. With Rufina using her nose, and me using perception technique, we set out to find some poison snakes. Hey Orphe, are there any other villages to the north? Id like to make more alliances to build a firmer place here. The werewolves up north might attack too Since I dont know what the future might bring I want some more companions. Villages, huh. There definitely were some, but since we didnt really interact with them I dont know much. I think there was a slime tribe but Slimes, huh. Do they have some intelligence too? I know the queen of the slimes came to meet my father once before. They were able to speak properly then. I see. Guess I didnt really know much when I was living in the upper world. Doesnt that go both ways? I dont know much about the upper world. Right. I told him a bit about the upper world. I didnt really touch much on the difficulty with aristocrats or other unpleasant topics. I see. A world without monsters Thats a pretty surprising thing from our perspective. Thats correct. But the fact that you came to the lower world lord Crest, thats the more surprising part. Its very interesting. Added Livia. I guess so. At that moment, Rufina let out a small bark. Rufina, oh. After barking, Rufina sat down and patted the ground with her paw. There was the trace of a giant body dragging itself across the ground. Orphe looked at the ground and brought his nose close. Its probably from a poison snake. Yeah, definitely. Theres no mistaking the characteristic smell of a reptile. I see. Werewolves must have a good sense of smell. Thanks Rufina. I hugged Rufina close and scratched her chin. Rufina seemed to prefer being pet on the bottom of her chin rather than on her head. She happily slid closer to me. At that moment, I got a reaction from perception technique. Was it a poison snake? Alright everyone, looks like theres a monster over there. Lets go. I called to everyone before heading in that direction. Hm? As I stopped moving for a moment Orphe tilted his head. What is it Crest? Well, it seems like theres another response. Another response? Is it monsters fighting against each other? No Rather than fighting each other, it would be better to say one of them is trying to escape the other. Looks like something is attacking, and the other is trying to get away. Not much we can do but go see for ourselves. Unless theyre really strong well be all good. I guess hes right. Were the strongest fighting force in the village. If we cant do anything against it, then thats just back luck. No use thinking more about it. As we got closer to them, they turned towards us. Then, a poison snake came barrelling through the trees. In front of it was a humanoid watery lifeform, frantically running away. Its a slime. Said Orphe to my surprise. Volume 2 - CH 18 A slime huh. Didnt expect to run into one of those here. I should probably save it since its frantically running away from the poison snake. Hey Crest, Id like to try out the full power of my body now that youve given me a name. Can you leave it to me? Yeah, go for it. I responded. Livia also drew her weapon off her hip. Orphe uses a sword, whereas Livia uses a katana. I didnt expect to see a katana here. Since those are eastern technology, I didnt really see them even in my region of the upper world. I enhanced both of them with my smithing technique. I bet they want to try those out too. Let me fight as well Orphe. I would like to give it a try too. Okay. Well be fighting together a lot from now on. Dont hold me back, queen of the goblins. Thats my line, king of the werewolves. After the two of them said similar lines, they kicked off the ground. Theyre fast. They might be faster than Rufina Grr Rufina growled as if to show she wont lose. My bad, my bad. Goblia looked here in a daze. First up was Orphe. Fuu-! Letting out a shout, he launched a powerful blow at the poison snake. He cut off the end of the poison snakes tail. Of course the poison snake wasnt going to sit back and take it, so it tried biting him, but Orphe was already gone. Additionally, its attack was too short sighted. Livia was already at its back. Livia took a short breath, and slightly drew the katana on her hip. Then in an instant, as if she was passing through the poison snakes body, she drew her katana. Its a technique known as Iai1. The poison snakes body was cut in pieces, sprayed out blood, and then died. I went ahead and dismantled the poison snakes body and collected its materials. Got to be careful with the poison snakes fang. Id make a poison potion if I mix it together with chuchu grass in a potion. Got to be careful with it. Now Im all light and powerful. This is totally different from before. Me as well. Last time it was a close fight against a poison snake, but now I feel like I cant lose. Plus theres this sword. Before it was more like I was hitting things with it rather than cutting after Crest strengthened it its totally different. Yes. Same with my katana. Lord Crest is truly amazing. Livia and Orphe looked to me with high praise. Im happy you guys think that way. The slime had been staring behind it dumbfounded but noticed us before long. The slime flinched and tried running away again, but I called out to it in haste. Wait a sec. We arent going to attack you. Wed just like to talk for a bit! T, talk? Yeah. Weve got a village a little south from here. There are a few things wed like to ask. I said. The slime stared at me. Since you saved me, Ill believe your words. Thanks. So, what do you want to hear about? Do you live around here? Are you, alone? Im not alone. I live in a village. A village huh. Seems like there actually is a slime village around here. I see I heard that there are some fearsome werewolves up north. If possible Id like to form an alliance. Is it possible to get in touch with your leader? Isnt there a werewolf here though? The slime glared towards Orphe. Orphe awkwardly scratched his cheek, but I could see the anger on the slimes face. Did something happen? The werewolves up north offered us an alliance but used that to trick us! Either become a slave or die here they said that before taking the lives of many slimes who refused! So thats what happened. While I was surprised, clenched his hand into a fist and walked up to the slime, before deeply bowing his head. Everything was my fault. Im sorry. Orphe. Slime, he didnt do anything wrong. Thats also in everything Id like to talk about If your leader is in your village, could you lead us there? We wont do anything to you. If us holding weapons makes your nervous, then I dont mind handing them all over. I put my sword in front of the slime. Following my lead, Orphe, Livia, and Goblia all put down their weapons as well. The slime looked at us in though before nodding their head. I understand. Ill guide you to the village. You can keep your weapons. Thank you. We followed behind the slime. Sorry Crest. The slimes hate us thanks to me. Its not your fault. But- Just do what you can from now on. Its no used thinking about bygones all the time. Just think about the future, and what you can do next. Orphe bit his lips to my words. Alright, thank you Crest. Said Orphe as he bowed deeply. Once he raised his head once more he wore a resolute expression. Really, the ones who stand on top are made of something else. Like this Ill be able to leave the future to him as well. 1. If you couldnt tell from the context, Iai is a Japanese martial art. Wikipedia article here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iaido Volume 2 - CH 19 Following the slime, we made it to the village. The slimes didnt seem to have any house like houses. This here, is our village. As the slime said this, another slime appeared from a tree. More than one of them to be exact. Every tree around had a slime oozing out from it. As their slime covered the surface of the trees, their upper bodies began to take a human form. Then, they glared their hate filled eyes at us, or rather, a Orphe. Do you not have houses? I asked. Yes. Of course it would be better for us to make houses, but right now we are on the move. We can dissolve ourselves inside of trees and use those as our houses for now. Answered the slime. Then one of the slimes came over to us. This one was much bigger than the rest. A human, goblins, a wolf, and a werewolf. Just why are you all together, seeking this place? He had an intimidating voice. The slime turned to him to explain. They saved me when I was being attacked by a monster. But theres a werewolf. Looks like they had quite the grudge. Makes sense though. The slimes chief did end up getting backstabbed. I moved closer to the slime with the domineering voice and spoke up. We have a village to the south of here. I heard that the slime queen is here. We came here with an alliance in mind. An alliance? With werewolves? Ive seen that face before. Its the same face as that guy who backstabbed us!! As the slime shouted, I could feel the hostility rising in all the other slimes as well. They are twin brothers. Only figures that theyd look the same. I calmly responded to ease his anger. Theyre different werewolves from the ones up north. Just like you guys, they were cheated by the northern werewolves, and exiled from their village. They resent the northern werewolves just like you. As I said this the slime glanced at Orphe. Orphe took a step froward. Yeah, thats right. Just like he said, the one who backstabbed you guys was my brother. My hatred towards him is the same as yours. The slimes glanced to each other as Orphe said this. Then they turned to me and shook their heads. Right now, our slime queen is injured. Shes in no state to meet you. Do slimes have any problems with drinking potions? Yeah, no problem what about it? Then do you want to try this? I pulled a cub out from my pouch and made a potion in it. Seeing this, the slimes face looked a little surprised before immediately tightening up. I took a sip of the potion before passing it to the slime. Theres no poison in it. It should have a healing effect. The slime took the potion from me before heading to the center of their village. The other slimes in the surroundings remained on guard. The slime came back after a short period. We stood up from the ground as we saw him return. Our slime queen bids you come. Looks like weve gotten permission to meet her. As we let out a sigh of relief, we moved into the forest. Before long we arrived at a tree far bigger than the surrounding trees, and a puddle of liquid on the ground stood up. Then it took the form of a woman. The form of a beautiful woman. Two magic stones acted almost like hair clips, making her hair appear particularly striking. I leaned over and whispered to Livia. Does each slime have a fixed form? I believe so. Looks like they even have different sexes. Of course they do. Theyre monsters after all. While we were whispering, the woman came over to us. After giving Orphe a glare, she turned towards us. I have to thank you for the potion. You have my gratitude, human. No, dont worry about that. Rather, I ought to thank you for taking the time to meet us. So? What is it that you wish? And alliance. With the threat of the werewolves in the north, it would be best for us to work together. Thats an unmistakable fact. I dont know how strong the northern werewolves are. If we were to resist them individually, theres a chance we could lose our lives. However, the slime queens expression turned grim. I understand what you are saying. However, we have no intention of forming an alliance with you. How come? These are dangerous times. Thats because we hate humans as well. As she said so, the slime queen glared at me. So they hate humans, huh Why is it that you hate humans? Did they kill your friends? Of course. Even more so, I personally hold a grudge against them. And why is that? Thats because a long time ago, I lived in the upper world. Said the slime queen, much to my surprise. Volume 2 - CH 20 The slime queen lived in the upper world? How did that happen? I know there are some people who have monster taming skills. Perhaps its related to that? Then maybe they caused some trouble and were sent to the lower world like me? No, that shouldnt be the case. A monster would have just been killed on the spot. I cant come up with anything. The upper world? Ill ask you again, why? Are you aware that in a certain country, they found some slimes and caught them? Right. If I remember right, they were used for garbage disposal, right? Id heard of that. Which country was that? Indeed, thats right. The water country Aquafield. I lived there day after day. The humans found a good use for us. Back then I was just a normal slime. I see. But I slowly developed my ego. Not that I managed to reach my human like form while I was in the upper world. Then how did you end up falling to the lower world? I fell into a river in Aquafield. After being swept away for awhile I finally regained consciousness washed up on shore. Then I built up my strength living in the lower world. I finally reached this human like form after coming to the lower world. I guess the environment in the lower world is necessary in for monsters to get stronger. The main difference would be magic. Since the magic power is a lot thicker than in the upper world, it must have some kind of effect on monsters. Thats why I hate you humans. But shouldnt we at least join forces to face the werewolves? You get that things well be pretty difficult as they are now, right? I said, to which the slime queen smiled fearlessly. It might be hard for your guys, but were different? What? They only managed to trick us. We wouldnt lose against them in a direct fight. Although were weak to magic, there are only a few werewolves with magic type skills. We have the advantage against physical attacks. I guess we dont really know about the war potential of the slimes. They know the danger of the northern werewolves. If the slimes say theyd really be able to fight them, I couldnt really doubt their judgement. Well then, why did you call us over? We wont join in something like an alliance. However, that doesnt change that it would be bothersome if you were attacked. So until the threat of the northern werewolves is dealt with, how about we agree on a truce? Id also like to thank you for the potion, so although we wont join you, we also wont be against you. How does that sound? I see. Certainly forcing ourselves to find new comrades would only make living together into a big problem. Alright. Lets do that then. Then our negotiations are complete. Lets continue on with neutral relations into the future. Said the slime queen with a bow. I lowered my head in return before turning around. Lets go home everyone. Yeah. Everyone gave a light nod. After that, we left their forest. We hunted poison snakes as we made our way back to the village. Orphe seemed to be there in body, but not in spirit. When he was hunting poison snakes, he would leave a lot of his sword swings to only force. Orphe doesnt seem to be doing too well. Right. Livia and I watched Orphes fight. All the talk about the northern werewolves probably brought back some feelings for him. Hey Orphe, are the werewolves to the north strong? I asked as he finished off the poison snake. Orphe looked to me as he wiped the blood off his sword with a leaf. He nodded his head with a serious look. Yeah, theyre strong. To be honest, back then I couldnt even move my arms and legs. I see. Seeing Orphes frustrated expression, I let out a sigh. I plan for us to take down those werewolves to the north. When we defeat their commander, in the one in a million chance they surrender then you will be their king, Orphe. He looked at me in surprise. While Im your ally, I have no intention of committing a massacre. So dont give me that pathetic look, Orphe. I cant leave the werewolves to you as you are now. Yeah, Im sorry. Orphe took a deep breath before looking up. In the off chance the slime tribe gets done in, well be next. Wed best prepare for battle. Right. Dont lose this fight, Orphe. If you want to live here, youll have to butt heads with some enemies. The best thing we can do is to crush them before they can raise their power further. We were lucky that the slime tribe turned hostile to the northern werewolves. Orphe gave a quick nod to my words. Volume 2 - CH 21 We went back to base. Weve still got a lot of things to take care of. Orphe, Livia gather everyone. We need to talk about what well be doing going forward. Okay. I understand. The two of them nodded before going into the village. I took another look at the village while watching them go. The village wont be able to hold up like this. Its defenses are obviously weak. If the northern werewolves were to come here, then it would simply devolve into a brawl. Without knowing anything about the other sides strength, it would be dangerous to fight like this. First off would be a wall. Ill gather some wood and stone and build a protective wall to conceal the village. A protective wall should also allow us to meet an enemy attack. Another fundamental thing would be some bows. I knew I was able to make those with smithing technique as well. Thats not all for weapons either. I looked at the monsters gathering one after the other. I hadnt strengthened everyones weapons yet since I didnt have enough iron magic ore yet. The weapons everyone had werent that great. Well need to gather more iron magic ore right away. Once Orphe and Livia got back I stood next to them. Everyones attention turned to me. I cleared my throat before I shouted, We just went to the slime tribes village. Everyone seemed to be surprised by this fact, and they exchanged glances with each other. No need to be surprised. Weve made an alliance with them. However, this is not a relationship of mutual cooperation, but rather and agreement to not fight against one another. We also heard news about the northern werewolves. Hearing me say this, the werewolves grimaced. It is an enemy they hate greatly after all. It seems the werewolves are moving to subjugate the slime tribe under them. If the slime tribe loses, then they will likely aim for us next. Hearing this, the werewolves eyes turned sharp. They were probably aiming their fury towards the northern werewolves. I have no desire for us to lose!! I will now be building a wall around the village and reinforcing our defences! Thats why I ask you to go; collect wood, stone, and iron magic ore for me! Oooooo! The werewolves and goblins shouted and raised their fists into the air. Start working right away! After giving them their directions, everyone moved out immediately. This should be good for now. However, what level of wall will I be able to make? I doubt Id be able to make a magnificent rampart like the ones in the upper world. If I use wood in its design, then the most important thing would be making it so enemies cant bust through it. Very well done, lord Crest. Livia came over with a smile on her face. Nah, well it would be a problem for me if the village were destroyed. I managed to finally find a safe place to live after all. Hey Crest, could you help me train for a bit? Train? Yeah I dont think I have enough strength to beat my brother as I stand now. I cant lose to him the next time we meet. I see. Alright. Lets head to the training grounds then. As we started walking there, Livia followed behind us. Let me join as well. Yeah, thats fine. Once we got to the training grounds, Orphe and I drew our swords and faced each other. Then we exchanged blows. Orphes moves were both fast and powerful. However, with my status and my sword technology, I was able to handle him with ease. I noticed something while I was watching the way he moved. Hey Orphe, did you ever get any formal training in swordsmanship? No, I havent. We learn to use the sword through live combat, so I dont know anything that could properly be called swordsmanship. Now that you mention it Crest, your moves seem to be fixed to some extent. Right. While Im fighting, I always remain aware of the schools. There were several different schools of swordsmanship in the upper world. I dont think all of them are useful, but I guess Ill try teaching them. There are four schools of swordsmanship in the upper world. The fire sword art, water sword art, earth sword art, and the wind sword art. I see. So a sword for each of the four great spirits? Yeah. You handle the sword by well, we can leave it at that for now. The important thing for now is just how you shape the magic power inside your body. What do you mean by shaping the magic power in my body? Livia tilted her head along with Orphe. I guess they dont know about it as expected. You usually strengthen your body with magic power when youre moving, right? I do but Im pretty bad at it though. Livia clapped her hands together. Now that you mention it, Ive heard about that. Apparently humans are all really good at strengthening their bodies with magic power. Well, Im were decent at it. For the fire sword art, you turn the magic in your body hot like fire. This stimulates your movements, heals your wounds slightly, and raises your attack speed. I, it can do all that!? Gaped Orphe. Yeah. Its much more important than studying a school of swordsmanship. Each individual has their own attribute that theyre good with. Us humans have studied it extensively. R, really. But, monsters cant shape their magic that well, right? Even so, if you learn the basics of it, you should be able to gain much more power than before. I guess so. Orphe had a fire in his eyes. Livia also came over. I guess I should find the attributes that theyre each good with. Volume 2 - CH 22 I was training Livia and Orphe in swordsmanship. I was training then in altering the magic power inside their bodies, but they surprisingly were both able to get the feel for it. The one most surprised by this was Livia. I certainly heard about altering magic power, but back then I wasnt able to do it too well. On really? However just now Livia was able to figure out the basics of the water sword art. The feeling of water attribute magic in her body was unmistakably the real thing. Could it be your name? Since thats the biggest change in me lately, that might be so. Maybe the fact that Id tamed them made it easier for me to perceive their magic power. The water sword art was a school that focused on increasing your ability to concentrate, allowing your to pre-emptively read your opponents moves. Livias Iai brought instant death in a single attack, so it seemed to match her combat style quite well. I glanced over to Orphe. He was struggling. With his fists clenched, he tried controlling the magic power in his body. However, he released his control after a fixed period. It was roughly a minute. Haa, haa After panting roughly a few times, he went back to fine tuning the magic in his body. Livia might be a lot more talented in this. Dont push yourself there Orphe. I get it Its just that in order to attain the power to beat my brother, I need to do whatever it takes to learn this. Saying this, Orphe started shaping the magic power in his body. His magic power showed signs for being suitable for the fire attribute. It matched his power based fighting style very well. As I watched Orphe, Livia came up to me. By the way, which attribute are you talented in lord Crest? More or less, all of them. Eh!? All of them!? Contrary to how it sounds, its not really that great. It would be a problem if I fail to match advantageously against my opponent. My swords teachers called me more of a jack of all trades, master of none. Thats still pretty amazing. Not really though. Well, its pretty helpful right now. It makes it a lot easier for teaching everyone the basics like this. Only the basics though. Once they get stronger, then theyll have to rely on self study. We continued our sword training until noon. Once lunch was over, I looked to the pile of lumber that had been gathered. Its quite the pile for sure. The surrounding area was reclaimed as a by-product, and we could now look out over the opened up area. Now our enemies wont be able to sneak up on us through the tree cover. Next I just need to use the wood to make a defensive wall. I searched construction technique for the best wall I could build. However, it seems like stone would really be the better material to use for this. Now was not the time to make such an advanced wall though, so Ill just make a wood wall for now. I decided where the border between inside and outside the village. I activated the skill there and built a wooden wall. I walked the perimeter of the village while building more. Th, thats incredible its all done in an instant. The werewolves spoke out in surprise. Theyre certainly right about that. The two metre tall wooden wall was quite sturdy and didnt move at all when they tried shaking it. I doubt any half hearted monster would be able to bust through it. The werewolves followed behind me, checking that the finished walls were sturdy. Soon enough, Id finished building the wall with all the wood Id needed. All it needs now are some watch towers and its done. With the remaining wood, I focused on the northern side. Then I made a single tower on the east. It was just a precaution against the off chance the slime tribe attacks us. A, amazing! Such a tall building! Lets go check out the top! Werewolves and goblins harmoniously used the ladder to get up top. I gave them a glance before looking at the wall. It looks pretty sweet. Id put a four gates in it, with one in each cardinal direction. Theyll be usually latched shut to prevent any trespassers. If I had to say though, I wish I could have built it with stone. It would have been a lot sturdier that way. Even so, this was still more than enough of a workload for a single day. I cant use it in battle, but this construction technique is quite the skill to have. Youre amazing lord Crest. I cant believe you could build all this so quickly. Livia stated honestly. Seriously Even though us werewolves could only build a village to that level after several tens of days, you can build this so quickly On the other hand, Orphe had a complex expression which mixed his astonishment and joy as he spoke. Im much more impressed that everyone could gather so much wood than that. I could only work that fast since I got that amount of wood so quickly. Its starting to look a lot like more village-like now. Village-like you say Its at the level that Ive never seen a village like this before. Seriously, Im glad I followed you. Orphe had a wry smile. I followed the other two up into a watch tower and looked out over the outside. Yup, we can see things clearly. We can also probably shoot from the watchtowers with bows. Guess Ill need to make some weapons too Oh right, what level of weaponry do the northern werewolves have? About the same as the swords we all have. They dont have nice swords like the ones you make. So basically, even just changing out your weapons should raise our war potential quite a bit then? Yeah. It probably would. Im glad to hear that. We should probably collect some more iron magic ore then. We should strengthen our weapons while Im upgrading everyones gear. Alright. Ill emphasise collecting that starting tomorrow. Yeah, thanks. The three of us watched the beautiful sunset. Time to do all I can so we can watch this scenery forever. Volume 2 - CH 23 Goblia, Rufina, Orphe, Livia and I let the village together. Once outside we took another look at the village. Yup, that wall is looking pretty solid there. Orphe pushed the wooded wall with all his strength, but it didnt budge. Amazing. We wont be invaded easily with this on our side. Looks like it. Im seriously glad Im under you now Crest, given you can make such a thing. It would have been really tough trying to protect the werewolves without you. You could probably have figured things out. I dont really like when they say theyre underneath me. I mean, I thought I would be temporarily on top of things beside Orphe and Livia. Now that weve finished inspecting the wall, will we head out to find that new monster? Asked Livia. I guess so. You saw some to the southwest, right? We were heading out in search of a new monster. They mentioned finding a praying mantis type monster. I checked my gacha window after they mentioned it, but my points only went up by 100. Its probably not really a strong monster, but if I hunt 25 of them, adding on to the 7500 points I have right now Ill be able to do twenty two gacha rolls. If I can earn all those points, then I think Ill roll the gacha tonight. Well then, lets go. We started walking with Rufina and I taking care of detection. Wah, there are a bunch of fruits around here! Marvelled Livia. Youre right. Now that I think about it, I havent planted any crops since I got back to the village. Considering the future, I should probably find somewhere to grow crops. It would be a bit much to rely on the monsters for food forever. I really like them Mind if I take a bite? Go for it. Livia happily grabbed an orange and took a bite. Orphe and I had wry smiles as we watched her blissfully put a hand on her cheek. Goblia also seemed to want one, but they were all too high up for her to reach, so I picked one for her and handed it over. Do girls just like fruit? Pondered Orphe. I wonder Im pretty sure a lot of humans like sweet things too. I really like them. M, may I have another one? Take your time. Thank you very much. Livia took another fruit. We had a lot of time to relax, so this would probably be a good break. You got any foods you like Orphe? I guess. If I had to pick I guess Id say meat? Well, I can basically eat anything though. That makes sense. Basically with your current lifestyle you care more about what you can eat rather then what you like then? Yeah. Also it would take up a lot of my time otherwise. Id rather focus on my hobby of training. Training is your hobby? Yeah, isnt it fun to forge your body? Want to join me sometime Crest? Nah, Id rather not I was good with just swinging my sword, I had no intention of forging my body. Alright. Orphe seemed a little disappointed. Once Livia finished eating she joined back up with us and we started walking again. As we were walking, Rufina reacted to something, so I appraised our surroundings. There I found a praying mantis. It was blending in with the trees. It wasnt that big. It was about the size of a human head. Well, it would certainly be considered big if compared to a normal preying mantis, only that much. It was called a chameleon mantis apparently. Gobu! Goblia raised her hammer. Well Rufina, Goblia. You guys want to try fighting it just with you two? Gobu! Aroo! Answering like so, the two of them sprung into action. In the end, the chameleon mantis was squashed by Goblias hammer without even being able to flinch. Well that was certainly weak. No wonder it only gives 100 points. The fact that it blended in with the environment so well was pretty annoying to deal with though. Well, should we all split up then? Couldnt really fight them together. Didnt really see any other monsters around here either. But the only ones who can sense them are Rufina and yourself, Crest. What should we do? Well in that case, lets split into two groups with me a Rufina. The other members can be whoever. When I answered, Livia glanced over to me. W, well then May I go together with you lord Crest? I dont mind. Thank you very much. As Livia said this, Orphes expression softened a bit. In that case Ill go with these two monsters. This should balance out our fighting power right? Yeah, I guess so. Orphe you were definitely being considerate right there. Livia and I dont have that sort of relationship. We just sleep together. That might sound a bit misleading Well then Livia, lets go hunt some monsters. Yes, right behind you. Livia adjusted the katana on her waist. Volume 2 - CH 24 Livia and I set out to find some chameleon mantises to kill. We could easily kill them as soon as we found them, and they were unable to harm us since they couldnt get the drop on us. Rather, I felt a bit bad about it due to how one-sidedly we were obliterating them. Oh right, were Goblia and Rufina the first monsters you made into companions, lord Crest? Yeah, they were. It took quite a long time before I met those two. Now I have a lot of companions though. Do you plan on finding more from now on? I guess so. My original plan was to find a nice peaceful spot and find more companions. Monsters like Goblia and Rufina of course. Yes. Livia listened to me with a smile. But things have changed now. Id never really expected there to be monsters with enough intelligence to speak like werewolves and goblins. Is that right. Why did you want to ask about that? I think there are various monsters living south of the village that would be helpful for lifestyle improvements, who you would be able to collect things like milk and eggs from if you tamed them. Livia saying this was surprising. That was exactly the same thing I was thinking, how taming monsters like cows and chickens would provide a lot the necessary ingredients I need for my lifestyle. If I wanted to tame them, then I could just kick back and raise some livestock. Youre right. Id been thinking about doing that. I see, as expected of you. That was exactly the reason I started by learning to control Goblia and Rufina. Once Ive gathered more monsters they can act as their leader. That was my plan. We continued hunting chameleon mantises as we talked, racking up some points. Like that I reached 10000 points. Since I now had enough points for twenty two gacha rolls we could stop hunting there. Weve killed enough now. Lets go find Rufina. Understood. Livia and I met back up with Rufinas group. When I saw Goblia and Rufina, they caused evolution technique to react. Looks like they can evolve now. Looks like you can evolve. Want to? Goblia and Rufina nodded in agreement. Well of course they would. Evolving will make them stronger. Evolving showed no drawbacks at the moment. Ill start with evolving Goblia. For some reason I was a bit concerned about it. I activated evolution technique, and evolved Goblia. Her body shot out light. Once the light died down, a more human-like Goblia was standing there. As if to confirm that she was in fact female, she looked more feminine than before. I tilted my head when I saw her status. What is that? Apparently Goblia has acquired a new skill called goblin technique. Hey Goblia, could you give goblin technique a try for me? Gobu! As I watched Goblia use goblin technique, I examined the skill with appraisal. I see. Goblias body was definitely giving off the faint glow of magic from using it. Not sure how much it strengthens her. Her status didnt change after she used it either. But Goblia did look really really happy as she moved her body around. It probably strengthened her in its own way. As Rufina was watching from the side, she gave my clothes a tug. Looks like she wants to evolve right away. Although Goblia and Rufina got along quite well, they still seemed to view each other as rivals. She probably doesnt want to lose. I used monster evolution technique on Rufina right away. Looks like Rufina acquired a new skill too. Rufina charged her body with strength. Looks like shes trying out her new skill right away. I also took a look at her skill with appraisal. Even under ground? The moment I though this, Rufina moved to a spot nearby and began digging into the dirt with her paws. Then she pulled out an iron magic ore. Aroo! Rufina brought it over to me to show it off. I see. Guess she can find unusual things buried beneath the earth. Thanks Rufina. I pet her head. Rufina looked content being pet as usual. Orphe and Livia exchanged glances when they saw this. Guess we need to hurry and evolve so we can get a bit stronger. Said Orphe. Youre right But still, to think you can get a skill from evolving. I didnt know that was possible. Hearing Livia say this, I tilted my head. Is it unusual? I myself have never heard of it happening. It may be happening specifically because of you, lord Crest. I havent heard of anything like that either. Skills have always just been something youre born with. Is that so. Oh yeah us humans get our skills from god, but who gives monsters their skills? Ive heard that we are also bestowed skills from god. Explained Livia. So god just gives everyone skills equally then? No, perhaps god just doesnt recognize monsters as harmful. Im living together with monsters like this. Although theyre monsters, that doesnt mean they cant coexist with humans. Ill accept this explanation for now. Volume 2 - CH 25 I was quite surprised when we got back to the village. The goblins and werewolves in the village were also causing monster evolution technique to react. I should probably evolve them all systematically. Of course there was the factor of obtaining new skills, but mostly it was just nice to be able to increase our war potential. Ill start with the goblins. I checked their statuses before evolving them, and then again afterwards. Everyone gained +1, and their statuses all went up about 30 points. There were also differences in their strengths and weaknesses. For example, Rufina easily raised her speed, but struggled to increase her magic. In Goblias case she could easily raise her strength, but probably struggled to raise her magic. Like so, the other goblins also seemed to have strength and weaknesses. Additionally, a lot of goblins managed to acquire goblin technique. But among them, three of them acquired different skills. Smithing technique, hand to hand fighting technique, and land working technique. It seems goblins arent guaranteed to receive goblin technique. They could acquire different skills at a fixed probability. I got that much. Everyone got their skills at level 1, but that still meant I no longer had to do everything around the village. Excuse me while I go hunt some monsters for a bit. Perhaps jealous that everyone was able to evolve, Livia rushed out of the village with a smile. As a side note, Darkle was feeling pretty down that he didnt manifest any skill. Next up were the werewolves. I evolved them while continuing to record their data. Their statuses went up the same amount as with the goblins. Same with the stats they could easily raise. But the werewolves acquired werewolf race specific skills. Like so. Perhaps every monster has its own technique which it can acquire by default. Four of the werewolves acquired different skills. Cooking technique, tailoring technique, cultivation technique, and construction technique. How is cultivation technique different from my cultivation skill? I examined the skill out of doubt. I guess thats how it is. It seems that things with technique on them are less powerful. That means theres a chance I might pull cultivation technique from the gacha some day. Once Orphe saw the werewolves evolve, he too said, Im heading out to kill monsters for a bit. Before rushing out of the village. No, but itll be dark soon. Well, I guess Orphe and Livia are pretty strong. I dont really need to worry about them. For the time being I taught the goblins and werewolves who acquired different skills how to use them. Ill start with smithing technique. Does any writing appear in front of you? Th, there it is! You can make the things written there. Right how about you try making a hoe? The materials are important so watch out. Y, yes! Umm, it seems I need iron magic ore. Yeah, use this. I handed them the iron magic ore Rufina dug up. Well, we still have a bunch in the storehouse. U, understood! Done! A hoe appeared before our eyes. The surrounding goblins and werewolves shouted a bit in surprise. There were also envious voices mixed in. The goblin who made the hoe looked happy but let out an exhausted sigh for some reason. You alright? Y, yes It just took a lot of magic power You were alright after making so much Crest? Thats incredible! Well, you should get better as you use it. Make the same things, take things apart, and just get used to it little by little. Youre right! So what should I do with this hoe then? I took the hoe and handed it to another goblin. It was the goblin with the land working skill. Alright, follow me. Okay! The goblin nodded cheerfully. I let them to the spot I planned to use for a field before telling them, Try swinging the hoe down while thinking about your skill. Okay! Haa! They stated digging their hoe into the dirt. Thanks to the land working skill it turned into good quality soil. The goblin was happily swinging away, but then they stopped halfway. I, Im tired This takes quite a bit of magic Well, I guess so. But youve made a field now. Alright, use these seeds. I didnt notice it at all, but apparently that takes a lot of magic. Do I have a lot of magic in comparison? I gave a werewolf some fruit seeds and wheat. The werewolf nodded and began sowing the seeds. Even though they were just planting seeds, the werewolf stuck their tongue out in exhaustion and panted. This takes a lot of magic power I see. But if you goblins and werewolves all cooperate, then youll gain a new source of food! Theyll finish growing after a few days, and then you can collect the seeds and use the rest as food. Whoa! Hooray! We wont have to rely on monsters anymore! Its thanks to Crests help! Thank you so much! The goblins and werewolves hugged each other in joy. Well, relying on hunting every day is pretty unstable. Since they can use cooking technique now, theyll be able to make bread once they harvest the wheat. Trying to make bread for everyone by myself would take a lot of time. Everyone was laughing happily. I grew happy myself from watching them. The monsters Id yet to explain their skills to looked to me expectantly. Guess Ill teach the rest of them. Volume 2 - CH 26 The remaining skills to go over were cooking technique, tailoring technique, and construction technique. Oh right, heres a word of advice. If you grow crops a lot in the same spot then the earth will grow fatigued. The earth can get tired? Yeah. Plants suck nutrients from the dirt in order to grow. That will fatigue that dirt, causing plants grown in it to lose their flavor. I see. So make sure to use land working technique there. I looked at the goblin. Eh? Why? The goblin tilted its head, so I gave explained why. Land working technique also has the power to restore the earth. That means you need to plow once with land working technique after each harvest. Do you follow? I get it! Now I can leave the goblins and werewolves to produce food entirely on their own. Alrighty then, next up is cooking technique so well be using some wheat Id grown a little bit before to make some bread. B, bred? The werewolf who had cooking technique tilted their head. Try focusing on cooking technique. Did some writing appear in front of you? Y, yeah! Id like you to try making bread with that. Heres some wheat for that. I passed some wheat and fruit extract Id kept in the storehouse to the werewolf. The werewolf nodded their head before activating their skill. Then some bread appeared in the werewolfs hand. It was mixed with momon, so it gave off the faint fragrance of momons. The werewolf looked to be feeling very moved as it held the bread, but soon noticed that the bread was quite hot, so the moved their hands to hold it in such a way that it wouldnt burn them. You can give it a taste. I used the remaining wheat and fruit to make a lot more bread and passed out enough for everyone to have a bite. D, delicious!? W, what is this!? So this is bread. I took a bite as well. Yup, it was pretty good. Of course it was quite inferior to the stuff Id spent all that time making before, but it was satisfactory. B, bread! C, can we eat this every day!? The werewolves and goblins eyes were sparkling. I expected them to be bigger fans of meat, but they were unexpectedly hooked. That depends on your effort there. Theres a chance that convenient skills like this might pop up in your future evolutions as well. It would be tough only having a single one of you with cooking technique, as well as with land working technique. Work hard from now on everyone. As I told them this, everyone returned deep nods to me. Looks like their tastebuds really moved them. All thats left is tailoring technique and construction technique. The goblin and werewolf who held those were looking at me with anticipation in their eyes. Tailoring technique in I explained how they should use tailoring technique, and then construction technique. The goblins didnt seem to be very interested in tailoring technique. No one really cared much about their clothing after all. But I did hear happy voices from a few of the female werewolves. Unexpectedly, do you guys want to dress all fancy? Wha, Crest. We are girls after all. Right~ they said. Some of them were interested in it. Finally was construction technique. I had them make a building with some prepared lumber. Whoa! I can build something like this! Yeah. You can even build a base when youre far away. Its pretty nifty. Of course preparing the materials is quite the chore. It was the skill that helped me the most. For example, when I was building the fence to protect the village, I had to adjust its position by myself. That was quite the pain. That would change it I could split the work between the two of us. Although the others didnt really get that, I was pretty happy. Really though, Crest is really amazing! Seriously! Im so glad I can follow him! As expected of our boss! No, Im telling you your leader is either Livia or Orphe. I buried those thoughts. Now was not the time. Eventually Ill move to working behind the scenes. Then Ill live my life comfortably in the safe village. I gave a sidewards glance to the monsters before checking my status once again. As I thought, it went up again. Before I started evolving everyone my stats were around 310. Of course I had my strengths and weaknesses as well, so it varied a little. My current status had shot up to strength 370, stamina 345, dexterity 328, agility 354, and magic 412. The power of summoner seemed to tie the rise in my own stats to my increase in companions. Essentially itll go up as I get more. The more evolutions I do, the higher my own status becomes. Being able to raise my status so easily is nothing but a boon. Alright, lets leave dinner for tonight to the girl who learned cooking technique. When you have cooking technique, it even improves your normal cooking as well. I glanced to the werewolf. Everyone excitedly started getting the place ready for dinner. I also helped teach the werewolf how to cook as we made a hot pot together. We finished adding all the meat and veggies. A hot pot is the easiest thing to make for feeding so many people. Cooking technique properly taught us the proper amount to seasoning and such to add. Well, it was the proper amount for a human like myself in any case. The goblins and werewolves didnt seem to have any complaints though, so I guess our tastes were close enough. The finished pot was served to the goblins and werewolves. Ohh, thats some good stuff! I guess cooking technique might be related to why the food always seems much better than usual when Crest makes it Its amazing how Crest can do anything As everyone was chowing down on their food, Livia got back. Im sorry I was late. No, I dont really mind. H, how is it? I went on quite the monster hunting trip so do you think I can evolve now? She looked towards me expectantly. I looked at her to check but, Not yet it seems. Is that right. She hung her head in disappointment. When Orphe came back later, he also wasnt ready to evolve causing his ears to droop. Volume 2 - CH 27 Once the sky had become entirely dark I retired to my room. As I sat thinking about tomorrow, Livia came over. May I have some of your time? I nodded to Livia who had appeared out of nowhere. Whats up? I heard from the goblins and werewolves. They made the fields in the village right? As she entered my room, she closed the door behind her and came closer to me. Thats right. They wanted to thank you for taking the time to teach them. They said theyll work hard from now on to mass produce bread. What is this bread they speak of? Oh right, I guess Livias never seen bread before. Its this fluffy sort of food item made from wheat. Its quite filling on its own and can be paired with fruits so you can enjoy various flavors. Is that right? Id like to try it too sometime. If we have wheat, you can eat it until youre sick of it. Wah, I cant wait. Aside from fruit, its also pretty good with things like cheese and eggs. Putting some fried egg in it alone is tasty. And bread with cheese toasted on it is the best. Cheese can be ridiculously good if you can melt it just right. I started to get hungry as I thought about it. But even things like cheese and eggs are possible to get as far as cooking technique is concerned. In that case, what do you think about taming a fang cow and heavy clucker? Right. It would be good if I could get some livestock, but we dont have enough food to raise them yet. As soon as were ready for them Id like to go tame some of them. There was even a goblin who acquired breeding technique. They were a little sad though since they couldnt see its effects. Im sure theyll be able to work soon enough.1 As we both sat there dreaming of the future, Livias eyes began to sparkle, and she peeked over at me. By the way, have you already rolled the gacha? Not yet. In that case, is it fine if I watch? It seems Livia had also been sucked in by the gachas charm. In that case I guess Ill roll it now. This time I had twenty two gacha rolls. Livia came right up beside me. Her shoulder was touching me a little. The faint smell of her soap tickled my nose a bit. As I kept it out of my mind, I rolled the gacha. The first eleven rolls were 6 bronze, 3 silver, 1 gold, and 1 rainbow. Mumu this isnt a good one is it? Youre right, but were just getting started. Since my stats have gotten pretty high recently, I was even happy with bronze. Back in April when my life was difficult, I thought of them as misses, but now I think they might just be the best pull. First off were the bronze. Well its adequate. It becomes important from now on. It seems Livia was also getting pretty familiar with my gacha. She was holding her hands together in prayer. I checked the silvers. How was this one? Livia tilted her head. Its leaning more towards being a miss. I can use recovery technique at least. That one increases the speed you recover your magic and from injuries, right? Yeah. Its just to the level where any scratches I got without noticing will heal by the time I wake up. Perhaps as it levels up itll be able to heal major injuries, but I dont really notice its effects much right now. Livia dropped her shoulders in disappointment. Next up were the magic skills from gold. Earth magic this time. Um, well, its not bad right? Pretty much. Just wondering, but is my presence here making it worse?2 I dont think so? Well, its usually like this. Livia was looking seriously down so I quickly reassured her. Its usually like this. In the grand scheme of things it wasnt that bad. Partially in an effort to cheer Livia up, I checked the rainbow one. An overlap. Wh, what happens now? Right now I have no idea how to use it. Should I perhaps go outside? No no, youre fine. This was bound to happen eventually. I quickly said that, but Livia didnt seem too happy. O, on to the next one! I hurriedly moved on to the next gacha. Then, I rolled the eleven roll gacha. Bronze was strength enhancement, stamina enhancement, dexterity enhancement, and magic enhancement. Silver was hand to hand fighting technique, land working technique, and construction technique. Gold was fire magic, water magic, and bestowal magic. Finally, rainbow was monster training. H, hurray! Thanks to you Livia, I maxed out monster training! I, is that right thank goodness. Livia let out a sigh of relief from the bottom of her heart. I felt the same. It would really bite to have another overlapping summoner again. I might have begun thinking thinking I wont get it if Livias here. I went ahead and leveled all my skill up, and then gave a light stretch. Did you have anything else you wanted to talk about Livia? I asked since Livia was still in my room. Umm, may I sleep next to you tonight as well? She rocked her body back and forth bashfully and looked at me with upturned eyes. Thats fine I dont really mind. Rather it was normally a situation Id have to pay for. Id like to ask that to you. Really? Then lets go to bed. Livia smiled happily. Alright. You ready? Yes. I turned off the light in my room before getting into bed. There was moonlight streaming in from the window, so it wasnt total darkness. I harboured a few ulterior motives, but Livia just wanted to platonically sleep together. I made sure to not show any wicked intentions. Although wed already slept together before, Id still yet to have erased all my nervousness around it. To alleviate my embarrassment, I turned my back towards her, but then I felt her poke me. Jeez, please show me your face. I want to see your face lord Crest. Being able to see my face isnt fun or anything right? Its not about being fun. It just makes me calm. When she put it that way, it almost felt like I was being mean to her. I turned towards her, and she blushed happily. May I hug you as I fall asleep? Yeah, sure. Thats exactly why I wanted to face away from her. As soon as I gave the okay, Livia happily clung to me. At first it was gently. However the next moment it increased in strength. It didnt hurt or anything. The force of it only confirmed the feeling of her body for he, making me flinch a bit. Livias legs suddenly wrapped around me. Once she did this, Livias expression seemed a lot calmer. On the flip side, my heart was pounding like crazy. She was much more firmly stuck to me than before. Well crap. Can I even sleep like this? My body was tired though, so I could do nothing by rely on that. 1. There was no previous mention of this poor goblin, so you dont need to go back to check. Also husbandry technique would definitely be a better name for this skill and Im kicking myself for not listening to you guys back then. 2. My thoughts exactly. Volume 2 - CH 28 Several days passed. We were harvesting the wheat and fruits before replanting the seeds. Also, we made a training facility in the centre of the village; albeit more of a patch of dirt that had been single mindedly commandeered for training purposes. Rather than doing anything new, we focused more on building our foundations. We never know when the werewolves from the north might come to attack after all. In the off chance something does happen, it would probably be best for us to strengthen our current war potential rather than doing new things. I turned towards the werewolves wielding the new iron swords Id made for them and swung my sword towards them. Wrong, you arent concentrating on your magic power enough. Next! After dealing with the single werewolf coming at me with their sword, I called to my next training partner. This one was a goblin. The goblins magic power swelled. It was water attribute magic. Probably the water sword art. I could tell that the goblin was getting better at concentrating. I shot a magic attack at them in an attempt to break that. The goblin flowed their magic power through their whole body to maintain their focus. The training we were doing currently was to teach each of them how to adequately understand their magic power, and to use it, maintain it, and strengthen it. Of course raising their stats was important, but the raising their technical ability was also very important. Its just that the effect is a lot greater if we focus on training in the attribute that suits each individual best, rather than recklessly trying to train without an attribute. I had tried throwing the goblin off with magic, but they managed to slip through. Then then approached me in an instant and slashed their sword at me. I slashed my own sword and blocked them. Our blades were locked together. I had to focus on not injuring them; I was also training myself in that aspect. Compared to the goblins and the werewolves, my status was overwhelmingly higher. Normally it would be impossible for me to lose to them. However Id be done in if I were to lose my focus for a moment. Your growth is tied to situations where your life is at risk after all. I swung my sword to brush the goblins body away, causing the goblin to tumble across the ground. Good focus there. You should be able to control your magic power and strengthen it if you keep on like that. Okay! In this manner, I called for the next goblin. I thought to myself as I swung my sword. I could already tell that my stats go up even from this kind of training. Even though I was training the goblins and werewolves, it was causing my own status to rise. Its certainly pretty convenient being able to train at twice the speed of other people. I trained my own magic control along with my opponents. Each of the goblins and werewolves have different attributes that theyre good with. So this is also training for me to swap out the magic inside my body. I took a very short breather and whipped the sweat off my forehead. Moving without rest like this really builds up my bodys fatigue. Id already made all the goblins and werewolves swords out of iron. Conversely, Livia and Orphes swords had gotten a bit better after I strengthened them with bestowal magic. Those two have done a lot for the village, so everyone agreed that it was fair. Ahh, shoot! Crest, youre way too strong Of course he is I mean, I do we even know if Livia and Orphe could beat him if they fought together? Look, dont whine about it. Just get stronger so you can play an active roll in the next fight, then maybe well be given nice weapons. Everyone seemed to be happily discussing the weapons. Looks like my reward tactic was a success. I based it off the way they do things in a country in the upper world. In the upper world, things like territory would be granted in exchange for meritorious work. So I was planning on giving weapons as a reward to motivate everyone in case we go to war with the northern werewolves. Well, everyones life depends on it so it would be an issue if they werent motivated. Never know what will happen after all. Looks like the weapons were becoming a pretty big reward for the monsters. I just dont know how long the monsters will have to fight against each other. Theyre fine with weapons for now, but what should I do going forward? I repelled the sword a werewolf had swung at me. He was on the weaker side among the werewolves, so I called out to him. In order to protect those who are important to us, Orphe, Livia and even I need to possess the power to do so! The werewolf stood up and nodded. Yes! Since you have saved us werewolves, I wish to become your sword lord Crest! N, no I was speaking more about Orphe and Livia Enough about me. I plan on moving to a more background role at some point Following after the werewolf, the goblins, and the other werewolves stood up in succession and raised their voices. Me too! Ill get strong enough to be able to protect you! Same here! Please train us harder! Theyre more enthusiastic than I expected them to be. Im not some kind of drill sergeant from hell. Rather an instructor like that is actually pretty bad at it. Well then, could I ask you to coach me next? said Orphe who should have been out leading other monsters out hunting. He came over with an oddly determined smile as he drew his sword from his hip. Youre back then Orphe? Yeah. Ive kept at practicing my magic power manipulation for these past few days. Id like to see the fruits of that. Well hes brimming with motivation. I drew my sword as well and took a deep breath. Come! Haa! As soon as I spoke, Orphe kicked off the ground. He shortened the distance between us in an instant. His attribute is fire. As he launched his sword at me with incredible speed, I dodged out of the way. Looks like hes gotten pretty familiar with fire attribute magic power. I gave the magic power flowing in Orphes body a feel. The balance of his magic was a little all over the place, but I could tell it was flowing through his body a lot better. I watched the path of his movements and proceeded to move into a gap that opened up. Wha-!? I knocked Orphes sword away from him and gave him a smile. Orphe looked surprised for a moment before quickly switching to a happy smile. Guess Im still no match for you, huh. Still, youre getting a lot better. You should be fine if you keep practicing like this. I see, thanks. Once my fight with Orphe concluded, I looked to my surroundings. Yeah, Crest is so strong Seriously. Wait, we cant just stay surprised by him! Yeah! We need to at least become strong enough to fight without relying on Crests strength! Please face me next Crest! Guess I cant rest any time soon. Volume 2 - CH 29 I sat down on a bench wed set up overlooking the training grounds once I finished with coaching. As I was sitting there, Orphe came over. He held some wooden cups in his hands. It was probably the fruit juice that had gotten popular in the village recently. Would you like orange juice or grapen juice? Orange juice please. The werewolf who acquired cooking technique made it in a store that was set up for them. People who were thirsty during the breaks between their work would head over to the werewolfs shop to get some juice. Looks like training is going along pretty well. Orphe looked to the training grounds with a relaxed expression. Youre right We might be able to handle it whenever the werewolves invade. Yeah, we can probably handle it. At the very least, were a lot stronger than the northern werewolves I know. Orphe let out a sigh as he smiled, before looking to the ground with somewhat sad eyes. Think the werewolves are going come down south? Yeah, theres no way they wont. affirmed Orphe. So its safe to say its inevitable? Yeah, its inevitable. There are far stronger monsters living further north from the village where the northern werewolves live. Theyve come out to threaten the village several times. Thats why theyll definitely come down south in search of new comrades to bolster their strength. Their strength, huh. Theyre afraid. So its out of fear. Theyll use their strength as a threat to get others to do their bidding. Based on how the slime tribe treaded us, its pretty obvious what that looks like. As I watched Orphes expression I noticed he seemed to be grieving so I asked, Is it painful having to fight against the northern werewolves? Orphe looked at me in surprise as I spoke. Then he put his hand on his face and made a bitter smile. I wonder about that. Some of them definitely betrayed me. But some of them were simply forced to obey my brothers orders. I see. It would be good if we could save those people. Do you intend to save them? If possible. Isnt it better to have more companions? Is it? Yeah, isnt it more fun that way? I joked as I took a sip of orange juice. Personally, I think its better to have more companions after all. Of course the problem of food could come up, but thats not really a problem with cultivation technique and some land. Orphe let out a small sigh as he looked down at his grapen juice. My brother was a kind a strong person. Is that right? I was under the impression that he was a terrible brother from the way Orphe and the other werewolves spoke about him. I couldnt conceal my surprise at what Orphe was saying. Yeah A long time ago anyway. My brother I guess he must have slowly gotten weirder over time. I dont know exactly when he went crazy, but I always thought I would work under my brother to protect all the werewolves. Is that right. Orphe let out a deep sigh before leaning back on the bench. We used to be really close siblings. I wonder where it all went wrong. You got along well with your brother, huh. I wasnt really fond of the word siblings. For me, home wasnt a place I could relax. Everyone was like an enemy, so it really didnt feel like a home. You killed our mother. If only you had died instead of mother. My chest tightened up as I recalled the words of the fourth son. He was the guy to say the words I hated most without even batting an eye. Id never heard my mothers voice before. Id never even seen her figure. The only thing I knew of my mom was from the pictures of her decorating the house. I mean, I was born through my mothers stomach after all. What if you could go back and do it all over. I guess so. If I could go back I could see where exactly my brother went mad. It might be nice to be able to go back to then. Maybe I was being weird again? Well, were just daydreaming here I guess. Besides, it I wasnt sent down to the lower world I wouldnt have made any of the friends Id found here. I quite enjoy my life right now. Orphe looked to me with a serious look. Crest. When we fight the northern werewolves, I want you to leave my brother to me. Will you be alright? Yeah. At the very least, its my job as his little brother to fix our family matters. Okay. Then Ill leave everything regarding your brother to you. Just dont lose. Of course. I cant embarrass myself in front of our boss. Ill make sure to carry out my duty as your sword, Crest. It would really help me if you stop saying things that put me above you. I couldnt point that out to him though, since Orphe was wearing a really wide smile on his face. Orphe and his brother. Also the northern werewolves. Id really like to give them the opportunity to do things over again if possible. Volume 2 - CH 30 While we were in the middle of training, the sounds of disorder began to come from the village gate, so I put training on hold for the time being. I looked towards the uproar. There was a werewolf coming towards us borrowing someones shoulder. Looking closer, they were the goblins and werewolves who were particularly good at hunting. Id never expect them to be the ones coming back injured. Are you okay!? What happened! Shouted the first werewolf to run up to them. When I looked at the werewolfs injuries I couldnt help but squint. Their injuries looked to have been made by a weapon. It was a sword, or a similar bladed weapon. O, Orphe We went west from here to where our old village was, and there were werewolves there. He managed to squeeze out. I looked to the other werewolf as I passed him a potion. He frantically began speaking. The northern werewolves were there. Three of them. Though we do have our own grudge against them, we didnt really want to bother you guys here Crest, so we ran away. However they caught us. And then you were wounded? But good job getting away. Orphe folded his arms and knit his brow. No, well they probably didnt get away. They had enough strength to do one of us in like that. Whatever the case, we cant ignore this. Orphe, Livia, lets head to the west gate. W, What is it Crest? Confused, Orphe followed behind me. They probably let our guys escape. Likely to find our hideout. No way! Exclaimed Orphe in surprise before immediately turning his nose up in the air. When I activated detection technique, there were three responses outside of the village. They felt like monsters, but not quite monsters. They were definitely the northern werewolves. We immediately moved outside the village through the gate. The enemy werewolves seemed to notice and started to flee northward. They werent really that fast. We could probably catch up to them eventually. Good job noticing them, lord Crest. Its thanks to perception technique. Lets follow them carefully. We proceeded onwards while making sure it wasnt a trap. If I felt any other monsters in the surroundings them we would turn back. After chasing them with that plan, they suddenly stopped moving. The three of us came face to face with the werewolves. They were three monsters with large muscular physiques. Oh, if It isnt the leftover king. The werewolves mouths curved into smiles. Orphe twitched in response. But when Livia put her hand up to him, he made a small nod and let out his breath. I took a step forward and called out to the werewolves. So you guys are the northern werewolves then. Yeah, thats right. What about it, human? Did the leftover king become a humans pet? Thats really funny. The werewolves laughed in ridicule, but Orphe just folded his arms in silence. Hes a lot calmer than I expected him to be. I do not intend to quarrel against you guys. If possible, would you consider an alliance? I dont intent to be forcibly antagonistic towards them. Although there is everything with Orphe and the other werewolves, it would still probably be best if we could resolve this peacefully. Orphe also watched the werewolves in silence. When they heard me, a werewolf burst out into laughter. Do you think well join a team with a human as their boss? Dont joke around like that. The moment after the werewolf laughed out, he kicked off the ground and launched himself towards us. Hes quick. He was no slower than I expected. The moment before the werewolfs sword came down on me, I dodged out of the way. Simultaneously, I drew my own sword. The other two werewolves were also coming to attack. I wasnt alone though. Leaving those two to Livia and Orphe, I focused on what was in front of me. I dodge another swing of his sword. I swung my sword up to counter, but the werewolf had already dodged out of the way. But his face seemed to be rife with impatience. I slashed my sword again and the werewolf couldnt seem to dodge it again. I lightly cut into his leg, and the werewolf jumped back as he let out a cry to control his pain. I glanced back and saw Livia and Orphe were also overwhelming their opponents. What is this!? We should be the stronger ones here! Shouted the werewolf in shock. I took a step forward before asking once more, So you have no intention of joining our alliance? Of course not! We are going to kill you, and bring you back to our chief as a gift!! As soon as he said that he pulled out a stone. A magic stone, huh? He tossed the stone into his mouth and swallowed it. W, what are you- Gu.aaahhhh!? The werewolves began yell out like they were screaming. It was like they didnt know what was happening inside their own bodies. Soon their voices became incoherent, and their bodies began to pulsate. The next moment, power began to surge within them. Their muscles began to swell as if they would burst. All signs of reason disappeared from their eyes. Hey Orphe, do you know anything about this? What are those magic stones? No, Ive never seen this before. What are they- If Orphe doesnt know about it, then I guess it cant be some secret art of the werewolf tribe. Gaaaah! Having fully turned into monsters, the werewolves approached us. Theyre faster than before. I stopped the werewolfs sword with my own. It was definitely a lot heavier. We exchanged several blows. It was still at a level I could handle, but it would be unwise to give them much time. Volume 2 - CH 31 The werewolf, with its eyes eyes white and fangs bared dripping with saliva, sprung at me. It swung its sword at me, which I received with my own sword. I shifted the direction of its power horizontally, but at that moment the werewolf ditched its sword and bit at me. Are you serious? Its totally turned into a beast. I hit its sharp fangs with my sword and held back the coming werewolf before my eyes. You seriously reek! I shouted while kicking the werewolf away. I chased after the flying werewolf and cut up its legs. Regardless, the werewolf slammed its arms against the ground and launched itself again. Thats some tenacity. It moved its sharp claws before my sight. I immediately ducked down and dodged its attack. As the werewolf sailed over me, I turned my blade around and slashed it up. As the werewolfs blood spilled everywhere, it finally stopped moving. I glanced over to Livia and Orphe. They both seemed to be having hard fights, but they both managed to defeat their opponents. It still seemed to be breathing. With his legs cut up like that I doubt hell be able to move without a potion to treat them. Even still, the still unconscious werewolves let out groan like sounds. Theyre a lot wilder than any lesser monster. What exactly did they do? I get that the magic stones were the cause, but arent they completely monsters? I dont know how to restore their reasoning either. Even with appraisal, I still couldnt figure out what was happening in the werewolves bodies. I might be able to figure it out if I watch them the moment they use the magic stones though. You are right It would be very dangerous if all of the werewolves can use those magic stones. Added Livia. We knew that very well having actually fought them. Supposing the northern werewolves have equal numbers to us, using those magic stones would immediately put us at a disadvantage. Too bad we couldnt make an alliance with the slime tribe. This isnt the time to bring that up though. Orphe. Do you really know nothing about those magic stones? Yeah, sorry. No, you dont need to apologize. If you dont know about them, then all we can do is get ready to fight against them. I wonder if the slime tribe knows about those magic stones? I should try talking with them once more. What should we do? Lets go to the slime village and ask about those magic stones. Then, I looked over to the unmoving werewolves. They are still intelligent beings, so I dont really want to kill them. But I dont know what theyll do if I leave them be. Also, leaving them severely wounded like that would just be a cruel joke to prolong their pain. I put my hand on my sword hilt. We should probably kill them. Livia nodded. I agree. If you dont want to lord Crest, then leave it to- Orphe stepped in. No, let me do it. This is my responsibility. I bit my lip. I dont intend to leave this to someone else. No, Ill take care of it. I tightly grasped the hilt and drew my sword. After instantly beheading the three of them, I let out a sigh. Its somehow different from killing monsters. I had just been talking to them moments ago, and I still perceived them like humans. Lord Crest, you dont need to worry about it. No, let me mind it. I dont want to become a common murderer. I would be mad if I could kill someone without hesitating. I looked to the bodies and picked up the swords the werewolves carried before turning back to the village. Lets hurry back to the village and let everyone know the situation. Yes, understood lord Crest. Yeah, lets hurry back. The two of them followed behind me. Im glad they didnt get away. Our enemy would have learned of our current state if they did. Orphe had a point. Regardless though, its still just a matter of time. Youre right. But theyve probably already figured out our rough location. What do you mean? Im not sure what the northern werewolves are aiming for, but it looks like they knew where your werewolf village was, Orphe. Basically, when the werewolves they dispatched to this area dont return theyll probably realize theres a strong opponent around here. Oh! So theyll be able to trace back our location then! Pretty much. The only question is which decision theyll make. Will they send their army here to deal with the werewolves here or will they invade the slime village first I dont know how much information the enemy has. If they dont know where the slime village is, then theyll probably attack here first. We just need to prepare for whatever happens. I took a deep breath before speaking. Anyway, lets hurry back to the village. Once we get back we need to tell everyone about those magic stones. However, wouldnt learning about such a difference in power infect everyone with fear? I guess so. But thats why Im bringing this with us. When I held up the sword I picked up earlier, Livia tilted her head curiously. As we made out way back to the village, Orphes face remained grim. He was probably staying as calm as he could. But he still couldnt completely remove the weight of his emotions. Well The one who feels most responsible for the northern werewolves is Orphe after all. He didnt have to try carrying all of that himself though. Volume 2 - CH 32 By the time we got back to the village it was totally dark outside. It might be tough to go to the slime village today. As I thought so, I looked over the goblins and werewolves Livia and Orphe gathered for me. We defeated the werewolves that appeared earlier. Hearing me say this, the goblins and werewolves let out sighs of relief. I quickly added more. However, I suspect the enemy will likely be moving out this way. We need to stay on alert for whenever the enemy makes their move. My words frightened about half of them. The other half were full of spirit. Most of the werewolves wanted to face them. Theres something else Id like you to hear. If you know anything regarding this, please let us know. Livia, please. Yes. I turned their attention to Livia. She took out a single stone. It wasnt just a regular rock, rather it was about the size of the magic stones the werewolves ate before. When we were battling the werewolves earlier, they ate magic stones about this size, resulting in their bodies getting stronger. Does anyone know of anything regarding this? Everyone exchanged looks with each other. I guess its no good. As I thought so, a single werewolf hesitantly raised their hand. U, um When a monster from the vampire race came to the village awhile ago, I saw them give a magic stone like that to a werewolf. What!? Really!? Y, yes! I only thought of it as a simple jewelry exchange at the time though. The vampire tribe, huh. Ive never seen them before though? Questioned Orphe. I believe you had gone off to bed already at the time, lord Orphe. I see Oh yeah, I guess Ive heard about there being a vampire tribe further north from the northern werewolf village. Orphe seemed surprised. So that happened while I was asleep Could I hear more about that? What kind of race is the vampire tribe? Am I correct to assume they drink blood? A vampire Ive heard that they are monsters who drink blood. They were treated as dangerous monsters even in the upper world. They rarely appear in the upper world, leaving traces of dread wherever they go. Id heard about them from childrens tales. Bad kids who go out at night will be attacked by the vampires. They surprisingly have quite a number of weaknesses though. They dont handle gaarlic well, and theyre weak to sun rays. Orphe folded his arms and furrowed his brows in thought. Do you know anything Livia? Right. You arent wrong that theyre blood suckers. But it would be best not to call them that rather than vampire. Is that right? Yes. Us goblins are also called little ogres. Ogre is a word to describe beings like us who are more savage, so I expect vampires feel the same way about it. Is that right. Youre pretty knowledgeable, Livia. I best watch what I say if I ever come to meet some vampires. My mother taught me about them. Anyway, the vampire tribe is, like the youko1 tribe, specialized in their magical abilities. Ive heard that theyve made various magic tools so that apply may to those magic stones. I see. In any case, now we know that the magic stones are related to the vampire tribe. Now its just a question of how much the vampire tribe is involved in this. Glancing around, I could see that the goblins and werewolves had worried expressions. I called out to get their attention. Listen everyone! Hearing me raise my voice, Orphe turned towards me. After giving a nod, he raised up one of the swords for everyone to see. The onlookers tilted their heads. What is that? That sword is really beat up This is the sort of weapon the northern werewolves are using! They were surprised by my words. Then, a small sneer appeared on their faces. Picking up on that, I continued, Yeah, let me say what youre all thinking. Are those guys seriously using such seedy weapons? The answer is yes. Certainly, the werewolves can use magic stones to strengthen their bodies. Thats certainly impressive, however, I doubt they can even cook with those weapons. Everyone grinned at that. If they come to invade us, we also heave plenty of weapons. The number of us who can use a bow is increasing. Those guys just have some cheep swords. We should be able to drop those guys before they can even bust through our gate! Since I was speaking superfluously to raise moral, I gave everyone a smile. They all regained their spirit. Seeing this, I let out a small sigh of relief such that no one would notice. Alright, lets end this here. Stay vigilant if youre on night watch. Everyone nodded to me and went off for dinner. As I separated from everyone, Livia followed behind me. I didnt think you could use that beat up sword like that. As expected of you, lord Crest. No, I didnt think it would go that well either. Well, Im just glad they calmed down. Right. Orphe is a bit worried, however. I guess so. Hes a bit worked up after all. Its not like Orphe is the cause of this so he doesnt need to worry about it though. Yes, I think so too. As Livia was looking to me with a smile, Orphe came over to us. Behind him were several other werewolves. With a stern expression on his face, he bowed his head to me. Crest could you give me permission to attack them? He opened up with some very violent words. 1. Youko is a Japanese folklore yokai that basically is the humanoid fox girl. Honestly, Im not sure if theres an English name for them, but if you want to read the Japanese Wikipedia page for it, here: https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Let me know if you can find the English page for this. Volume 2 - CH 33 No way. I answered immediately. However Orphe wasnt going to back down at just those words. I understood that much of course. Rather, if he did back down then Id have to stop him. He might move out on his own after all. Ill have to explain very clearly why he cant launch an attack. B, but! If we just sit here and wait! Being attacked would be dangerous. Offence or defence, do you know which one will be more advantageous in a fight for us? As I cut him off, Orphe folded his arms an tilted his head. Arent they both pretty much the same? No, its overwhelmingly more disadvantageous to be on the attack. Oh, really? Yeah. Being on the attack simply takes a lot of work. This isnt a simple discussion of military might. You have numbers, terrain, as well as the problem of food supply in enemy territory. Orphe nodded to my words with a difficult expression. If we are going to attack from our side, then we cant just half-heartedly send out our forces to fight. Theres the chance youll just die in vain. If you really want to do it, then well need to get everyone ready for it but only the werewolf tribe will be able to move around in the northern area the way we all can here. Myself included, the goblins dont know the layout of the land to the north of here. If we do battle in a location we have no understanding of, then were just forcing ourselves into a disadvantageous struggle. Yeah. This will give the positional advantage to our opponents. Additionally, even if our werewolves know the layout of the northern area that doesnt mean they can move about there freely. What do you mean? For example There are lots of things I can think of, such as laying traps all over any secret paths our werewolves are familiar with. Orphe openly grimaced as I said this. As I thought, he knows a secret path to get to the village. He was planning on going in through there and attacking or something like that. Even if you still have an equal force up till this point, the enemy will still have the advantage. It is said that you need to have three times your opponents force in order to attack. Of course there still is the possibility of using a surprise attack, or some other scheme to turn things around. Theres no need to plant that hope in him right now though. Orphe bit his lip before speaking up. But, I dont want to turn this village into a battle ground. I dont want us to bring harm to this village after theyve taken us in. The other werewolves nodded to me as well. This place is very comfortable Crest. I dont want the people or things here to be hurt. I dont want to see this place become a battle ground. I sighed seeing their determination continue this far. You guys just said that you dont wish to see this village turn into a battle ground. That you would hate for the village to be harmed. Yeah. I found a chair nearby and slashed my sword down through it. As its parts clattered to the ground, I used its own wood to once again make a chair. I couldnt use a little bit of the wood that was broken so the chair was a little bit smaller than before, but it was still enough for me to sit in it. After I sat down, I looked at Orphe and the others as they stared back at me blankly. Its a bit hard to sit in, but its the same as before. What are you talking about? Its fine no matter how many times the village is destroyed. Im here, as well as other monsters who will have skills like construction technique and smithing technique. With them around it can be fixed no matter how many times its broken. You say its comfortable here? Is this village just the objects its made from? No. Muttered Orphe. Yeah, isnt that right? There are things our skills cant simply fix. And thats you guys. I patted Orphes shoulder. Then I smiled. If I lost you guys, Id be losing this comfortable village. So dont do anything that will get you killed. Alright? After looking at Orphe, I looked at the werewolves behind him. They were all looking at me. Okay. Orphe nodded to me, and so did the werewolves behind him. For some reason some of them were crying. I thought it was a rather excessive reaction, but I managed to stop Orphe, and the werewolves went back to the centre of the village with their heads down. Seriously. I guess Orphe is a bit simpleminded, or rather hes the type to act while leaving things to his feelings. Thats not particularly a bad thing. He can move a lot quicker than someone like me who always thinks before doing anything. Since Id like to leave him and Livia in charge of the village at some point, I hope he can stay strong in this sort of situation. While I was watching Orphes back as he left, Livia stared at my face. As expected of you, chief. I said Im not going to become your chief. You say that, but isnt the one everyone trusts most of all you, lord Crest? I guess. You too then? Yes. I revere you. In that case if you think Im making a mistake, make sure to warn me. Of course. I dont think Id be able to stand by your side if I didnt. Thanks. Even I make mistakes. Its dangerous to think I can do everything. Without anyone there to stop me, theres a chance I may continue down the wrong path. I was thinking we should go to the slime village tomorrow. To exchange information? However they refused our alliance before, so will it be alright? Certainly, the slimes rejected to form an alliance with us. But they arent our enemies. I see. So if we try talking to them and they figure it would be dangerous to go alone, then theres the chance they form a joint front with us. Yeah. Of course since the slime queen hates werewolves, I dont think theyll do so that simply. But maybe if they learn of the threat of the vampire tribe, that could take care of itself. You said that the vampire tribe is good with making magic tools right? Yes. Making magic tools, and they possibly have a number of other magic type skills I believe. The slime tribe is weak against magic type skills right? Thats right If we want to make an alliance with them, perhaps it would be good to point that out to them. Livia seemed to be thinking the same thing as me. Guess Ill give it a shot tomorrow. Volume 2 - CH 34 The next morning. We set out towards the slime village. Our group was made up of the three of us; me, Orphe, and then Goblia. Livia stayed back at the village. Someone had to stay back to direct things in the off chance our village actually were to be attacked. Originally I was planning to leave that to Orphe since the slime tribe really doesnt like werewolves. However, since Orphe insisted that he wanted to come, I let him tag along. Before long we arrived at the slime village. When the slime standing guard noticed us, they oozed out from a tree. What is it, human? Id like to share some information weve gathered regarding the werewolves. I dont mind whoever, but Id like to talk to someone who can relay it to the slime queen. When I said that, another slime moved towards the village centre. Ill go check really quick. Wait here for a bit. Yeah, alright. We waited at the village entrance for a short while. Soon enough a slime came out from inside the village. The slimes spoke among themselves for a moment before making way for us. It seems our slime queen will meet with you. Mind your manners. Yeah, I understand. Thanks. After offering my gratitude we moved through the village. We went towards the tree in which the slime queen was last time. The slime queen was already waiting there for us. After offering a bow, I stood before her. After looking at Orphe once, she glanced over to me. What is this information you wish to share? First off Id like to confirm something with you. Have you ever seen anything like the northern werewolves strengthening their bodies by eating magic stones? I havent. I see. I showed a small rock Id brought along with me to the slime queen. We fought against some of the northern werewolves in the forest yesterday and defeated them. They took out some magic stones roughly this big and swallowed them. So youre saying those strengthened their bodies? Yeah. Even though we were able to one-sidedly overpower them up till that point, by just eating those stones they were able to fight us on equal grounds. I see. Thank you for the information. Was that all you had to talk about? I thought Id bring up the possibility of an alliance once more. When I said this, a smile rose on the slime queens face. We are unaffected by the werewolves attacks. Apart from a surprise attack, we are definitely able to withstand any physical attacks. Even if theyre using magic tools? Whatever could you mean? The werewolves couldnt have made the aforementioned magic stones. Its very likely that the ones behind those are the vampire tribe. The slime queen furrowed her brow. Although her body was made entirely from liquid, that action was no different from a human. Is that really true? Of course I cant say it with 100% certainty. But, there are werewolves who have seen the vampire tribe. Its entirely possibly that theyre borrowing the power of someone else to gain control over the southern territories. The slime queen folded her arms and thought about it seriously. But, there are many werewolves in your village, including that one. If I teamed up with your group, I wouldnt be able to face my comrades who were killed by the werewolves. Even if it wipes out your village? Im not trying to belittle the slime race. Youre most likely around the same level of strength as the northern werewolves. However, they strengthen their bodies, so what would you do if they possess other magic tools as well? The slime queens expression was grim. The slimes were discussing this with the slime queen in the centre. I could see signs of impatience in their expressions. The slime queen probably felt the danger of the situation more than anyone. Without a large number of allies, theyll likely be driven into a dangerous battlefield. I as I glanced over to Orphe, he took a step forward. Slime queen. I would also like to ask this of you. Would you please consider forming an alliance? Youre saying this despite being a werewolf? Exactly because Im a werewolf. As he said this, all the eyes in the surroundings turned to him. Orphe turned to the gathered slimes and shouted, Please hear me out everyone! I am the younger twin brother of the werewolf king leading the northern werewolves who backhandedly attacked your comrades! Orphe immediately gathered everyones attention by shouting so. Without minding this extra attention though, Orphe continued speaking. I was originally set to inherit that village. However, that jealous brother of mine banished me from the village! Im saying this as the former chief. I dont want to see those werewolves kill any more than this. I will show you my resolve in this war! Shouted Orphe to everyone with his hand clenched into a fist. The slimes glanced around to each other before turning to the slime queen. Orphe glanced to the slime queen before speaking once more. Thats why I wish for you to form an alliance with our chief. If we combine our two forces, well definitely be able to repel the northern werewolves! The slime queen looked towards me. I took a step forward before stretching my hand out to her. I know you have your own feelings about the werewolves. However, not all werewolves are your enemies. Isnt the most important thing now to prevent any more preventable deaths? The slime queen took hold of my hand. I suppose so. Honestly speaking, our strength isnt enough to complacently face an unknown opponent. We will join your alliance. Thank you. If either of us is attacked by the northern werewolves, well come to help. Is that alright? Yes, thats good. The slime queen and I grasped hands one more time, before turning to our surroundings. Then we lifted our joined hands to present them to the surrounding slimes. Volume 2 - CH 35 Orphe has my gratitude. As we left the slime village, I looked over to Orphe. Thanks, you managed to lessen the hostility they feel towards our werewolves a little. His appearance them was likely the exact reason the alliance with the slime queen was a success. A bitter smile formed on Orphes face. I was just trying to put my feelings into words. Thats exactly why it resonated with everyone. Orphe looked embarrassed as I told him this. When we got back to the village, Livia came out to greet us. There werent any problems here. I see. Thats good. For now we should have everyone hunt monsters in the southern area. Both for the sake of gathering food and strengthening their stats. Yes, Ill tell everyone now. The southern area should be fine. I took my sword and went to the training grounds, where I practiced with the goblins and werewolves. Once the evening arrived, we stopped our practice to prepare for dinner. The remaining goblins and werewolves all were able to evolve. None of them acquired any new skills, but since some of them received skills useful for daily life such and cooking technique, the burden on me will probably be lower from now on. Dinner was at approximately the same time every day. At that time, a werewolf who got back from hunting came over to me. Do you have a moment Crest? Whats up? Um, pretty far south from here we spotted a human figure. A human? Is that for sure? Y, yes. The werewolf nodded. A human, huh. Who could it be? The first thing to cross my mind would be someone from the Hauburst house. Albert became a missing person. Its very likely that they would send someone out to search for him, while also keeping an eye out for me. Do you do anything to them? N, no Theyre humans like yourself Crest, so I thought I should ask you about it first. Okay. Thanks Ill go check it out later. I understand. Really though, a human huh. As I pondered that, Livia came over while examining my expression. What will you do, lord Crest? Well The south that probably means they came down through the gate to the lower world. Perhaps its one of the lower world managers? Otherwise a human from the Hauburst house. Thinking back on things with Albert before, theres the possibility they sent a different person to search for me. As soon as they found out my skill was usable, the stared searching madly for me with bloodshot eyes. I dont intend on going back up. Its not like I cant live my life without being up there. I dont have anyone important to me there either. But I can also think of another possibility. Its not unthinkable that its a human sent down through a transfer magic circle. For now I think Ill go check it out. That makes sense. Its good to find new friends. Thats rather unlikely though. I think the chance of them joining us is pretty much nonexistent. Eh? Why not? To being with, there are three types of humans who come down to the lower world. Three kinds you say? If I remember right, one would be humans who come through the gate between the upper and lower world. My mother told me this. That those humans will hunt us if we go too far south. Yeah, thats right. The roll of the lower world managers is to protect the gate to the upper world. Thats why they hunt monsters that get close to the gate. Thats the first type, and the next type are sent here through transfer magic. Transfer magic. Humans seem to have a pretty advanced magic culture. Seeing Livias surprise mixed with a little bit of fear, I shook my head. No, the current humans dont have any understanding of that sort of magic. The transfer magic circles in the upper world were created long ago. We can use them by filling them with magic power, but there are no humans who understand them. The only thing theyre used for is transferring criminals to the lower world. Criminals, you say? So that would be, those who stir up some sort of trouble in the upper world like yourself lord Crest? Im, different. Then why? My skill was too weak well, I made my father angry. I was banished to the lower world as if I was a criminal. I, is that right? Even though its such an amazing skill? I didnt know how to use my skill back then. Thats why they thought it was unusable. I said this with a smile to avoid making things gloomy. I was pretty down when I was being exiled, but I dont mind it anymore. Now I have more important things than I ever had in the upper world. I suppose so. Your skill is wonderful, lord Crest. Dont worry about it. Yeah, thanks. In any case, that human might be a criminal who did something wrong in the upper world. I see. Theres certainly the possibility that theyre a dangerous person. In that case, what is the third type of person? That would be the people who come from the upper world to search for me. I met a family member who came through the gate awhile ago. So people from your family? Yeah. It seems they figured out how good my skill is, so they came to bring me back. Are you not planning on going back? Yeah, no way. Theyll just use me in the upper world. I can live here freely. Livia smiled as I shrugged my shoulders and said this. If thats the case, then you can live with us forever. I guess so. Of course there is also a possibility for the human the werewolf saw to be a good person, so Ill go check them out just in case. I understand. Then shall I go with you? No. Stay back here in case something happens to the village. Goblia and Rufina will be enough as guards for me. If theres an emergency, then give the command over to Orphe. I looked to Orphe as he enjoyed his dinner with some werewolves and goblins a distance away. Looks like both races are getting along pretty well. I understand. Hes pretty hot-blooded and a bit blind to his surroundings, but he has the power to draw people in. I want you to fill in for the areas hes lacking in, Livia. Yes, I also think hes a good person. Im not really great at standing in the limelight after all. I guess so. Once dinner was over, I called out to Goblia and Rufina. Come with me for a bit, Im going to look for the human who was spotted to the south. If something happens, then Orphe is in charge! Ill leave it to you, Orphe! Yeah, alright. Work with Livia to protect the village. I said, to which Orphe and Livia strongly nodded their heads. Alright, who will it be? I left the goblin village as I tried to figure out who the human found to the south was. Volume 2 - CH 36 I left the village and headed south. Rufinas sense of smell paired with my detection technique to perceive our surroundings. There were some monsters, but no traces of a human. Guess well need to head a bit further south. Once I made it back down south, near the tree I used to use as my base, I noticed something. Fire. Looks like someone is burning a fire. One Rufina noticed as well, she turned to look that way. We slowly made out way closer. Erasing all signs of our presence, we peeked out from cover at the place that was once my base. There were five humans in the fields and the old cabin I made. Two of them were knights. Another two were probably lower world managers. The lower world managers wore clothing that would blend nicely into shadows. They were likely clothes designed for living in the lower world. But the knights were really conspicuous in their armour. In the middle of them was the most conspicuous man. Leon Hauburst. The fourth son in the Hauburst household, as well as my next oldest brother. He was donned in armour showy enough to strut out into a parade. Maybe it has really good performance? I tried checking it out with appraisal with that possibility in mind but it didnt have any skills on it or anything. I could tell from the result of appraisal that it didnt have any particular abilities advantageous to battle. I guess he probably came here to search for me. He might be aiming to take me down one-sidedly in a surprise attack later on. Though, its not like he came here to kill me or anything. If I had to guess, he might be here to persuade me. Anyone else coming from the Hauburst house to bother me would really be a pain. Ill negotiate then. Ill talk to Leon, ask him never to come here again, and send him back to the upper world. Even though I had come up so close to them, those guys were just carefreely eating some meat. Well, I did learn that they werent particularly perceptive when the werewolf told me about them. They did let the werewolves get back to the village without even noticing them after all. When I unnaturally shook a tree, they turned over here. Whos there!? Looks like they finally noticed me. The lower world managers had already been standing from the start, and the knights drew their swords late. Leon took his time standing. He was acting somehow dignified. The knights and lower world managers were really frightened though I was a little curious about that. As I approached the fire, they were also able to see my face. This was finally enough to make Leons eyes go wide. If it isnt Crest, you seem to be doing well. More or less. So did you guys also come here to bring me back like Albert? Albert? What, did you meet him? Yeah. After I dealt with him, I guess he should be getting along great with some goblins somewhere. After that I have no clue what happened to him. When I shrugged and said that Leon gave a bitter laugh. I see. He doesnt really matter. Right now the one I need is you, Crest. Me? Yeah, thats right. God gave an oracle in the upper world you see. It touched on how good of a skill gacha is. Its a power thats meant to save the world from danger. Likewise, its the same for Minue from the Mycelian house and Ellis from the Refield house as you know. Minue, huh. Thats a nostalgic name there. If I remember right, Minue was also pretty hated by the Mycelian house. She also entered the knight academy for that reason. We got along pretty well since due to our similar circumstances. Whats Minue been up to? The Mycelian house was lucky to be in that position. Its the same with you Crest. Because God said it was a good skill? Thats right. Right now, youre also able to become a lord. Isnt this a good chance to show up your older brothers you hate? I dont really care about showing anybody up. Im fine with living out a relaxing life. The upper world is stifling. I dont plan on going back. Sounds like Minue will be getting a decent position in the upper world. Thats good. As I said so, the smile Leon had on his face up till this point cramped up. Do you really not want to go back? Yeah, I dont. Even so it will be really inconvenient for us if you dont return. I dont know what will happen to our house if you dont come back. I see. Thats a nice thing to hear. Now I want to go back even less. When I said this he furrowed his brow. Crest! Are you being ungrateful for all the time we spent raising you!? I dont feel any gratitude. So, what about it? You dont seem to have any of your previous composure though. When I said this, Leon drew his sword from his hip. At the same time, the knights and the lower world managers also drew their swords. Alright you guys. Like I told you before, break that idiots arms and legs, then well go back once you but the slave collar on him! Understood, lord Leon. The knights grasped their swords with smiles rising on their faces. I see theyre definitely looking down on me. Lord Crest. We used to do sword practice together. That may be the case. The knights used to play around with me occasionally. The knights would do sword practice with me on Leons orders. Of course practice is a rather kind expression. In actuality they would just torment me while I couldnt do anything. Then Leon would enjoy a good laugh as he watched me. You werent able to become a knight. Thats the level of your ability. You ought to just surrender. Its not that I couldnt become a knight. That man got in the way of it. I have enough skill to become a knight. I mean I always had the top score in the knight academy. But someone got in the way of things and closed of the path of a knight for me. My ignorant father and brothers called me a dropout. However, Id heard that even that was arranged by Leon. The edges of Leons mouth curled up into a smile. Your expression of despair back them was really funny. Snickered Leon. Then he pointed his sword my way. Do it everyone! The moment Leon ordered them the knights flew towards me. Volume 2 - CH 37 Too slow. That was my impression of them. Although the knights came at me all at once, I was able to see their movements with ease. I had Rufina and Goblia waiting on standby in the sidelines, but it seems I wont be needing them. I dodged the knights swords and swung my own sword through a gaps in their armour. My sword glided through without meeting any resistance. Soon enough, they let out a delayed scream. Guaa!? How-!? Surprise, astonishment. The knights screamed with a mixture of those two feelings as their arms fell. Blood dripped down, soaking their feet. What!? Leons eyes shot open in surprise. Then he raised his sword and charged towards me, but I rotated to dodge him. Shall we do some practice? Youre full of openings. I wholeheartedly struck Leons back. His armour dented inward as Leon tumbled face first into the dirt. After rolling across the ground, Leon raised his head. I pointed my sword right towards his eyes. This is my current power. If you get it, then go back to the upper world already. Then do not have anyone come here again. I will be spending my time comfortably here in the lower world. I turned my gaze towards the lower world managers as they tried to move. They had their hands on the hilts of their sheathed swords, but they didnt draw them. The knights staggered up, but they only glared at me with cramped expressions. Then, the next moment. One of the knights brought a magic stone to their mouth. No way, thats! Why do the knights have those? The next instant, power surged through the knights body. Leon got up and retreated with a smile growing on his face. He looked pretty pathetic with tears forming at the sides of his eyes. D, do it! If you use those magic stones, youll become twice as strong as usual! Crush that idiot! Looks like Leon knows something about the magic stones. Guess this is a more fruitful endeavor than I expected. Ooogh!! Their war cry was like that of an animal. The knight immediately jumped at me and swung down their sword. As I dodged that, I sliced their arm off. However, the knights still didnt stop. The other knight put a magic stone in their mouth before throwing himself at me. I jumped to dodge his rush attack. The knights had already lost all semblance of reason. All that remained were monsters. They slashed their sword at me while letting out uncanny voices. I took in a small breath before chopping the arms off of the two knights1. Not even stopping at that, as they charged at me, I pierced my sword through their chests. Finally, they stopped moving. Leon let out a short squeal behind me. M, murderer! K, killer! The knights will arrest you! Where are those knights? There is no law here in the lower world. All thats here is life and death. Leon, what were those magic stones? Does every knight have something like that? Leon went silent at my question. His lips were shut tight, but I didnt want to spend that much time on this. I lightly cut through his arm. O, ouch!? Wh, what are you doing!? Spit it out already. What are those magic stones? Did someone make them? Also, what do they do? A, a maid I hired made them. S, shes a youko, and they strengthen your body she said. A youko, huh. I think Livia mentioned them. She said vampires and youko2 specialize in making magic tools. Hold on, there are youko in the upper world? And theyre being employed. And this youko is fine with working for you? Shes, my slave Even still, I thought humans in the upper world hated other races. Werent all the other species sent down to the lower world before? It was an old story, but it was part of the upper worlds history. Although no one likely remembers that time, those who do remember would definitely hold a grudge against humans for it. S, since Im watching her perfectly, its fine. I doubt thats the case. I glanced at the dead knights before looking towards the lower world managers. Could you take Leon with you and head back to the upper world? Also make sure to tell them not to come meet me again. The lower world managers shivered as they nodded their heads. I sheathed my sword and took a look at Leon before turning my back to him. But then next moment, magic began to swell up from Leons direction. Guh!? A, aaaah!? W, what is this!? Leon! Dont tell me you had a magic stone too? H, help me! M, my body something is, eating away at my body! Leon stretched his hand towards me with tears streaming down his face. What exactly is happening here? Hey, Leon, what did you do? T, this is wrong! I, I could control this power up until now! But, but why!? Ahh! AAAHH!! In the end his words turned into the incomprehensible war cry of a monster. He looked at me with eyes like that of a zombie before charging at me. Fast. Hes a different person than when we faced each other before. Lower world managers. Do you know the way to turn that back? N, no We didnt hear anything about those magic stones. He just handed them over and said it was a tool to get stronger! I dont want anything like that! Looks like the lower world managers were also given those stones. The lower world manager pitched their magic stones away, so I picked it up. Then Leon looked at the lower world manager and shot towards him. The lower world manager hurried to draw his sword, but Leon swung his arm, destroying his sword and piercing his body. Leon! Your enemy is me! When I shouted this, Leon leisurely turned to face me. The remaining lower world manager ran away with tears streaming down his face. As long as one of them is alive, they can relay what happened back to the upper world. K, k k Crest! Looks like he still possesses some semblance of reason in him. I dont intend to take long with this. I flowed magic throughout my entire body before kicking off the ground. I slipped in before Leon could raise his arms. Then I slashed my sword. I used Livias iai as my base. I released a single slash matching that speed, bisecting Leons body into two. His body crumbled before melting into the ground like liquid. I examined the magic stone the lower world manager left behind. If its the same as the one that the werewolves were using, then I wonder if someone in the upper world arranged that. As I was about to examine the magic stone with appraisal, C, Crest! I turned my head towards the voice calling my name. There was a werewolf there. With their face drained of blood, they held onto a tree and shouted once more. The slime village is under attack! Right now, Orphe and Livia are leading a charge to protect them! What? 1. Obviously they wouldnt stop. Its just a flesh wound. 2. Ive decided that youko is a mass noun and thus its own plural. 3. I regret translating them to be lower world managers. Thats super long to type out in English. Volume 2 - CH 38 [TLN: Orphe POV] I closed my eyes and put my breathing in order. The air of the forest had changed. It happened an hour after Crest departed. It seemed I wasnt the only one to notice that something was wrong. The other goblins and werewolves who seemed to notice gathered in the centre of the village. The forest seems rather quiet. Livia said looking out there. The small sigh she gave was likely due to Crests absence. The goblins and werewolves watching Livia also let out sighs. They were probably captivated by her. Her appearance was certainly something in another league to all the monsters. But Livia was Crests girl. Since they slept together every day that had to be the case. I gave an oppressive glare to the ones staring at her. At the moment I could tell something was approaching the village. It was the smell of a slime? I lifted my head up as I sniffed the air. Looks like the other werewolves noticed too. Livia tilted her head. Is something wrong? Theres a slime coming this way. Something might have happened. Livia put her hand on her chin in thought. Then immediately turned to the goblins and werewolves and called out. Alright everyone, please prepare to set out immediately. Lets go over there, Orphe. Those without weapons moved immediately in accordance with Livias instructions. I was confused. Why are we preparing to head out? I asked her once we separated from everyone else. What did you mean by that earlier? The slimes have never come to our village before. Didnt we make an alliance with them this afternoon? I wasnt able to be there, however. Of course, I understand that someone had to stay behind here. Her face puffed out in irritation. Doesnt she care about that more than you thought Crest? Ill secretly tell him about it later. Yeah, thats right. That means this is an emergency. A slime is coming here even though theyve never come before. Doesnt that make this a big deal? Youre a genius. Thats not the case. Lord Crest would have noticed far sooner. They can think a lot faster than me. As I walked getting down on myself, I saw the slime. The slime seemed to be a bit surprised to see our village. Their expression relaxed once they noticed me. Th, thank goodness! P, please! Could you come with me quickly!? Did something happen!? I couldnt see any obvious wounds on the slime. The did appear to be exhausted, however. Th, the northern werewolves attacked! I glanced at Livia the moment I heard that. We understand. Orphe, please get ready to set our immediately. I got it! Ill go direct everyone! Ill leave it to you to treat that slime, Livia! Yes. Livia nodded her head before pulling a potion from the pouch on her hip. I gave that a side glance before hurrying to the village centre. We finished preparing to set out right away. I ordered one of the werewolves to go out and look for Crest. I gave a look at the goblins and werewolves standing in a line before raising my voice, The slime village we are allied to is under attack! Were setting out to aid them immediately. UOOOOH! Shouted the goblins and werewolves all together. As expected, Crest told everyone about it before hand. Everyone was fired up. I could tell how much everyone admired Crest just by looking at this. Good thing I followed him. I thought that once more. I left the village with everyone and headed west towards the slime village. Of course, moving with this number of people took a bit longer than usual, but we made it within sight of the battlefield. Slimes and werewolves were jumbled together in a battle. The smell of blood mixed into the surroundings. Everyone, lets go! UOOH! I raised my sword above my head and faced the werewolves. The werewolves immediately broke into a run and I followed behind them. What!? These are! Arent these the banished werewolves!? Wh, whats with their swords!? Theyre so sharp!! Confused voices rose up from within the other werewolves. I also charged in with my sword and slashed at a nearby werewolf. Guh! Youre that little brother! I knocked away the shouting werewolfs sword and sliced through his chest. I turned from the collapsing werewolf towards the next werewolf. Youre still alive huh! Prepare yourself! As the werewolf came at me I sliced at him. At that moment, the werewolves pulled magic stones from their chest pockets. Here it comes! Brace yourselves! I announced. The moment the werewolf put the magic stone in its mouth, its eyes turned sharp. Are they not going to rampage? The werewolf had reason in his eyes. The corners of his mouth curved upwards, and then he was in front of me in an instant. As expected, he was fast. But I stopped him with my sword. What!? Dont think you can beat me at that level! I slashed as if cutting through my fury and regret over being unable to do anything back then. Past the fallen werewolf, I could see the slime queen and other slimes facing off against the figure of a werewolf king. Rage burst forth from within me. With my feelings overflowing as if they were boiling, I kicked off the ground and leapt towards them. I swung my sword before he stopped it with his own. The power in our blades barely pushed each other back before splitting away from each other. I immediately repositioned my sword and glared at the werewolf king. Its been quite some time, little brother of mine. Said my brother giving a bow. Then he fixed his grip on his sword. His eyes glared at me sharply. It has been a while. But this is where we part. Are you really able to pull that off? Even if it costs me my life, I will defeat you! I shouted before kicking off the ground. I killed the distance between my brother and I, then swung my sword. However, he blocked it with his sword. Youre fast. Looks like youve done some training. Yeah, of course I have. Living in regret every day from being exiled made me stronger! I raised my sword overhead. He staggered and lifted up his sword; the next instant my body was blown away. Wind. A powerful gust pushed back my body. After being forced back several times, I looked at my brother. I thought you didnt have a magic-type skill. I acquired it. Along with a name. After saying this, he took out a magic stone and put it in his mouth. His magic power surged instantly. His eyes went sharp, and his eyes looked to me filled with killing intent. My name is Veld. You can remember that fact from the afterlife. A name? The next instant my brothers figure disappeared. Something struck my shoulder. I looked that way in surprise to see my brother there. A punch from his fist knocked me down. Guh! I staggered back up and looked towards him, then saw the slime queen point her hand. A liquid arrow shot out towards my brother, who pointed his hand towards her and blasted it away with wind magic. Haa! Livia slashed at him from behind. He stopped it with the sword in his hand. Are we, losing? Even though Ive worked so hard up till now to defeat him! The situation reversed without me noticing. The other werewolves ate magic stones, powering their bodies. Due to this, they were overwhelming us. Shit. Farewell, my brother. My brother raised his sword and repelled my body. Then he swung down his sword and then Livia got it the way. Gu! I see you want to die first. The corner of my brothers mouth raised into a grin, as he knocked Livias sword to the side, and grabbed her neck. Uguh!? Really though, what a good woman. Not many girls out there as pretty as you. Want to become mine? As my brother was chuckling, his brow suddenly furrowed. Gaah!? W, whats with this human!? Also that goblin, theyre fast!? Goblia punched away the nearby werewolves. Additionally, a scream rang out from another location. Do not falter! This fight isnt over yet! Stand, and raise your swords! Follow me! It was Crest. [TLN: Do let me know if you spot typos or anything. I did a lot of this chapter in a rather tired state so I probably phrased some things really weirdly here and there.] Volume 2 - CH 39 As soon as I heard the news from the werewolf, I immediately mounted Rufina who broke into a run. Goblia and the werewolf could be summoned by my summoner skill if we were separated from each other while we moved. It wasnt long before we made it to the slime village. Things were going horribly. I fear it turned into a tough battle against the powered up enemy werewolves. I looked over the situation from a hidden spot. Wh, what are you doing Crest!? Asked the werewolf. Im looking for the ideal timing to launch a pincer attack on the enemy. Be quite for a sec. A pincer attack but the enemy is far more numerous? Arent there only four of us? Dont we have more over there? How!? Like this. I used summoner right away, picking out relatively lightly wounded monsters and assembling them behind me. The surprised goblins and werewolves noticed me. They looked like they were about to shout so I put a finger to my lips. Quiet. Drink your potions right away everyone. Right after that Ill summon you to their rear. Launch a surprise attack from there. S, summon? Yeah. Like how I called everyone earlier. Three seconds. Get ready. Once I put a time on things, everyone hurried to take potions from their pouches and drank them. I had fifteen monsters. However, their eyes were brimming with motivation. Here we go! The moment I summoned everyone, they broke into a sprint. The goblins and werewolves drew near to the werewolves. The northern werewolves were shocked at their appearance from behind. Then, while all attention was focused on that chaos, I let loose. Do not falter! This fight isnt over yet! Stand, and raise your swords! Follow me! I swung down my sword and cut down one of the northern werewolves. A northern werewolf came to attack me in confusion. I dodged that attack and swung my sword with great power. The northern werewolf collapsed, then I ignored their body and moved onto the next werewolf. I brought them down one after the other. Within that, I saw Orphe on the ground and Livia with her neck being held. Anger boiled within me for a moment; It was directed to the guy who was hurting Livia. As if heat was overflowing from my body, I swung my sword with my body hot with rage. That werewolf he was probably the werewolf king. He stopped my sword. However, I put more force into it and blasted him away. I held Livia now that she was freed, and she turned her face to look at me. Lord Crest. I knew you would come. Drink a potion and rest while providing backup for the surroundings. Yes. Livia immediately put a potion in her mouth and faced the nearby fight. I got up and looked at Orphe. He hadnt taken out a potion to drink yet. You alright? Sorry. I couldnt beat him. Hes probably frustrated. He hoped to end this battle by his own hand. Ill take care of it. Cover the surroundings too Orphe. Yeah, understood. Though I say that, thanks to the success of the surprise attack the battle shifted greatly to our favor. The werewolf king got up and came closer. Why is a human in this forest? Well, theres several reasons. Well then, Ill be your opponent now. You seem to be strong, but youre still just a human. He took out a magic stone and put it in his mouth. The werewolf kings eyes turned sharp, and he kicked off the ground. He closed the distance between us in an instant. However, it was still at a speed I could see. I swung my sword to match him. Our strength was roughly equal. However, I was one step ahead in terms of swordplay. I swung to drain the power he could put into his sword, then as the werewolf king staggered, I brought my sword down. As I cut his arm, the werewolf kings expression turned grim. Even so, after letting out a howl to erase his pain, he swung his sword at me. I dodged it with a crouch. He closed the gaps in his stance. The werewolf king stumbled back as if to escape. He lowered his stance to put power in his legs and glared at me. Dont, get in the way!! The werewolf king swung down his sword. But I was already gone. Taking position behind his back, I slashed my sword. His arm went flying. The werewolf king watched it in shock. A commotion rose up in the surroundings at the one sidedness of the situation. As the cheers from my allies and the cries of despair from the enemies mixed in the air, I kicked his body flying. When the werewolf king fell hard onto his back, I pointed my sword at his throat. Surrender. You no longer have any chance of winning. The werewolf king used his remaining arm to stop the blood from flowing out of his severed arm. Noticing this, the surrounding tumult calmed down. Most of the northern werewolves were dead, unconscious, or already captured. It would be clear to anyone that resistance was futile in this situation. Even still, the werewolf king tried to move his body so I cut that part of him. Ku, haha How overpowering. Laughed the werewolf king before collapsing. Kill me. I no longer have the strength to fight. When the werewolf king said this, I let out a sigh. I put away my sword and glanced at his face. I dont intend to take the life of an opponent whos surrendered. I see. But I doubt everyone will agree with that. Ive killed a lot of people. After saying that, the werewolf king looked at me. It was just as he said. The wounded slimes looked this way with eyes full of hatred. The slime queen came forward to represent them. Crest Hes an enemy to us who killed our important comrades. Same with the northern werewolves. Theyre all, theyre all enemies. Seeing her hate filled eyes, I bit my lip and nodded my head. Still, theres no need to needlessly kill. Furter north the vampires are also our enemies. If we can make more comrades- I dont know about the future. The slimes who survived live for the sake of killing the northern werewolves. If you are going to stop us, even if we have to fight, well kill him. The other slimes gathered as their queen spoke. There are some things you just cant compromise on. This face was communicated clearly to me. Volume 2 - CH 40 I glanced at the werewolf king. Then, after giving the slime queen a short glance I drew my sword. The slime queen watched me with her brow furrowed. Listen up you all! I shouted, gathering the attention of all the monsters around. Then I put my sword to the werewolf kings throat. The surviving northern werewolves glanced at me. With all the attention gathered on me, I swung down my sword. The werewolf kings head fell off, and I raised up the wide-eyed head into the air. With this, the fight is over. The enemy head who devised this battle is now dead! Anyone with complaints come forward now! I will be your opponent! With their leader dead, the northern werewolves dropped their weapons. No one tried to resist anymore. I glanced at the slime queen. Keep it to just the head of their leader. Not all the werewolves here follow him with their all. They would have been killed for going against their leader. You understand this, right? The slime queen looked at the werewolf kings head. She glanced at the werewolf kings body before touching it. Then she absorbed the whole thing and melted it. It looked like she digested it. Im satisfied with this. My slimes! Our battle for revenge ends here! By my name as the slime queen, I declare this conflict over! The other slimes nodded to the slime queens declaration. I let out a small breath and then started walking. I patted Orphe who was watching the battle on the shoulder before saying, Sorry. My apology held various meanings. Orphe squoze my hand back and smiled. No, its fine. This was the best option. Ill call over the remaining werewolves. Its fine brining in the ones who arent antagonistic. Yeah. Thats fine. The war is over. We had some heavily injured individuals, but no one died. Probably thanks to having given everyone potions. Looks like none of the slimes died either. As I looked at those slimes, their queen came over. Thank you, for coming to aid us. If we didnt have an alliance, we would probably have been wiped out by now. Same here. Without the alliance, I dont know what would have happened to us. Although we were lucky that the northern werewolves attacked the slime village first, there was also a chance of them attacking us first. The slime queen spoke in a small voice while looking at the others. Sorry about what I said earlier we have some things I cant compromise on too. As their representative. I understand. A sacrifice was needed to appease the slimes. Only simple problems could be solved without mutual hostility and sacrifice. In this case, the slimes already received considerable damage. The only thing equivalent to the life of their comrades, would be to take the life of the one who killed them. In other words, revenge. why did you kill the werewolf king? I was the representative in this case. I dont intend on delegating important decisions to others. Its my responsibility, and I will take it. I believe that is necessary. I said frankly and looked at the slime queen. Her eyes went wide in surprise, then the corners of her mouth rose. Looks like I wasnt wrong about you. Saying so, the slime queen got down on her knees before me. This abrupt action surprised me. It wasnt just the queen either. Many slimes lined up behind her. What are you doing? We; no, I as the slime queen will become your subordinate. What is going on here? While I was quite perplexed by this, for the time being I asked, Did the other slimes agree to this? Those who dont agree to this can simply leave the village. Isnt it the same with the remaining northern werewolves? Thats certainly correct. I killed their leader. Each individual has to decide if they want to follow me. I dont want to kill anyone who doesnt want to. They just cant come near the village. Thats all. Youre right but I thought you didnt agree with having an alliance? Unless we unite the monsters living here in the south, we cant defend ourselves against the threat of the northern monsters. A chief if in human terms, a king is necessary. I believe that king needs to possess absolute power, decisiveness, as well as courage. And so thats me then? Yes. You are the king of this southern region, and its chief. I swear my allegiance to you as your servant. Will out accept us, king? Of course, I cant refuse here. But I cant say I intend on becoming a that sort of king. At some point I plan on handing over my position to someone else so I can live a relaxing life though? Well have to decide if were willing to follow that person when the time comes. Well if youre fine with that. Yeah, Ill make you guys my subordinates. I thank you, my king. Dont talk like that. The way youve spoken up till now is fine. I said, to which the the slime queen gave a bow. Well once again, thank you for having us, Crest. Yeah, thanks. We shook each others hands. Volume 2 - CH 41 We discussed having all the northern werewolves become our subordinates. Monsters fundamentally think under the principles of a meritocracy, so they place themselves under the strong. Of course, we didnt say a word about forcing them to become our allies and told them that each individual was free to move on their own, but all of them came along. Well, Im not sure what everyone thinks on the inside, but it seems a large portion of them were being controlled by fear of the werewolf king. In any case, I left the rest of their management to Orphe. After we returned to the village and finished medical care for everyone, I gathered everyone in the village centre. Goblins, slimes, werewolves all-in-all they totaled 200 members. I already finished naming all of the slimes. Finally, I named the slime queen. So Sufi, is that alright? Yes, Sufi please. Of course, I essentially had all of the monsters come up with their own names. I mean it would be a huge task to come up with names for everyone. I cant think of that many names one after the other. Well then, from today onwards you are now Sufi. I gave her a name. After that, I checked Sufis status. Her stats were pretty high. I was only really curious about her particularly low intelligence. Whats the matter? No, its nothing. Well, her intelligence is at the very least enough that she can understand our words. I probably dont need to worry about it much. She hasnt acted in a way so far that would particularly mark her as an idiot from what I can tell. Theres probably something that the status is missing. While I pondered that, I raised the cup I was holding. This is a new beginning for our village! Lets have a big party! For our victory, as well as to welcome our new comrades. A party to celebrate all of that commenced. Well, there were some merry people outside, but I returned to my room to think about some things. While I laid down on my bed, I pulled a magic stone out of my pouch. It was the one the lower world manager Leon brough with him had. A lot happened after that, so Id yet to have a chance to take a close look at it. When I was about to appraise it, there was a knock at the door. Yes, lord Crest. Im here. Livia closed the door behind her and came in. Perhaps shes here to sleep together again tonight. Livia didnt mind it much but sleeping with her hugging me every night is troublesome in various ways. I got up and Livia bowed to me apologetically. Had you already settled in to sleep? No not yet. I was going to think about some things first. So, I wont be going to bed yet if thats alright? Yes. Alright. Livia sat down next to me. So then is that magic stone one of the ones the norther werewolves were using. Yeah. I thought all of them were already gone though. We heard from the northern werewolves that they used up all their magic stones in that battle. This is one that my older brother brought with him. Your elder brother held that one? Yeah. Before anyway. Were not family anymore or anything. Remember hearing about that human to the south? That was my brother, and he used one of these to turn into a monster. So, then its a dangerous item for humans to use then? In order to confirm that I used appraisal on it. Theres nothing particularly listed about monster transformation. It might be just as you say Livia. Without asking the creator, or actually testing it out we have no way of knowing. I see. Is that right. The werewolves who used them didnt seem to become strange either right? Right. Thats why theres also the chance that the vampires who probably made them also made them purely for the purpose of body strengthening. So then youre saying theres a chance well see these stones used in future battles for body strengthening as well then? I guess so. Its questionable as to whether or not the northern monsters will invade this far though. They should be coming. Asserted Livia firmly. Thats unusual. I thought, but then I figured something may have confirmed that to her. Do you know something? Its something my mother told me. That one day our world would be wrapped up in a massive calamity. A calamity huh? Speaking of which, Leon said something about that. Something about my skill being meant to save the world from a crisis Also, Ellis and Minue have similar skills. Yes. In order to face this large calamity, we must unite everyones power. So, monsters are fighting and gathering more comrades? Thats right. Of course, there are some individuals out there fighting to protect themselves too. Thats why the mindset to position themselves under those stronger than them has become natural. I guess everyone had a proper reason for it, rather than just their wild lifestyle. Really though, a large calamity huh. Im pretty sure Ellis was something like a saintess? And Minue had a skill called hero Of course, in a different meaning than with me they should be amazing skills. When Ellis prays, peoples wounds instantly heal, and Minue should be able to cut the earth and sky with a swing of her sword. Gachas certainly convenient, but thats it. However, lets suppose God meant to for the three of us to cooperate to save the world and split our power us. Ellis heals people, Minue takes care of enemies. Then I take care of whats left. Supposing thats the case, then that means theres likely still time before the calamity begins. Otherwise, I wouldnt have gotten this gacha that rotates out on a monthly basis. Well, God does have their scatterbrain moments too. They forgot to mention the part of my power regarding points after all. Or they may have done that on purpose so I would be sent to the lower world; Well, thinking more about it probably wont do me anything. In that case, we dont know what will happen if we dont unite everyones power in the lower world. Yes. And I think the one meant to become the king over the lower world is you, lord Crest. Livia looked at me with her face dyed red. Volume 2 - CH 42 A smile rose to my face at Livias words. It was a scornful laugh towards myself. Livias words were just too unrealistic. No need to joke around. What can I do? In my efforts to avoid any useless killing, how many lives have I taken? Just today I killed several werewolves as well as my older brother. Since awhile ago Ive asserted that I dont want to pointlessly take lives. This time was the same. If I had more strength, I probably could have suppressed the slimes and stopped that murder. There was no other way everyone would have agreed with in that situation. Youve thought about it a lot too, right lord Crest? Of course I have. Killing without a second thought is proof of being a homicidal maniac. But this was the result of thinking about this and that. Someone still died, and the result was the same. Regardless, that doesnt change that fact that I killed him. There may have been some way you could have used him. However, that would take a long time to pull off. Even with that you may still have ended up killing him regardless. Of course, he was Orphes brother. You could have made him a friend as you did with Orphe. However, having killed their comrades, this would have angered the slime tribe. Furthermore, there were other werewolves there too. I believe a display of power was the best method to gain their consent. Livia had a serious expression on her face. Rather than simply trying to comfort me, she seemed to truly think this from the bottom of her heart. Had you wavered there, lord Crest, I would have cut him down myself. If I didnt, I thought the others would distrust you. Thats what you thought yourself, right? Yeah, youre right. As Livia said, that was what I judged to be the case right there on the spot. If I had wavered there, I thought the werewolves and goblins who said they would follow me would have their trust in me shaken. But at the same time, I was denying my past self. The me of the past said, I dont intend to kill and spared Orphe. Of course, the circumstances were certainly different. Orphe had yet to do anything to earn anyones resentment. However, my words and my actions have changed from before. I feared this may cause the werewolves and goblins to lose their trust in me. But I made that choice regardless. I dont think Its correct. Then you can think of it as my decision to kill him. Remember what you told me? To stop you if I ever felt that you were making a mistake. I guess so. I didnt think anything you were doing there was wrong. Therefore, everything you did was also what I thought was right. I let out a sigh. I had the option to push all of my responsibility on Livia and run away. But I wasnt going to choose that. This is the path that I chose. Im not going to put that on anyone else. Is that right. If you had chosen to do that, I may have begun to hate you. But its also not your responsibility to bear everything alone. Im also here to carry it with you. Said Livia with a relived smile. Livias a lot more suited to be a ruler than I am. He was Orphes brother. I would have liked to save him if I could. Please hold onto that kindness going forward. Its hard to save everyone, but its good to try and save whoever you can. I guess so. I let out a sigh and looked at the ceiling. Its a hard way to live. Lord Crest. Killing isnt bad in and of itself. In unavoidable in certain situations. Yeah, I get that. So dont worry yourself sick over it. Youre right. Im good now. I cant stay feeling down forever. Based on the intel we got from the northern werewolves, well meet with the vampire tribe before long. We need to prepare for that. Id like to hurry and get some rest for today so I can get everything ready starting tomorrow. Also, the gacha will be ending soon. Before that happens, I have a skill Id like to level up. I didnt have any information as to who the one to name Orphes brother was. Apparently, the other werewolves werent even aware of it until Orphe heard it from him. I needed to figure out if he really had a name or not. There are so many things I need to do. I wont be able to rest forever. Well then, its about time to go to sleep. When I turned out the lights in the room, Livia pulled at the hem of my shirt. Livia? When I turned my head to look at her, Livias whole face was red. Lord Crest. I adore you. Isnt that what you usually say? Livia was acting strange. What is it? I cant put it into concrete words, but something was up. Not like that. As a woman. Eh? What does she mean by that? That she likes me as a man, perhaps that sort of meaning? Am I not attractive? Of course, Im not a human, and my chest isnt particularly large either Theres no way you arent. Its pretty difficult for me to get to sleep next to you every night. Is, that right? Y, you didnt ever seem like you would attack me, so I thought maybe you didnt see me as a woman. So youve been coming here in hopes of being attacked? Livia nodded to my question with her face bright red. I was expecting it. The expression Livia made as she said this was unbearably adorable. Something burst forth from inside me. I hugged Livia tightly. Like that I pushed her down onto the bed. Livia. I love you. Yes. I love you too, lord Crest. Livia smiled happily as she hugged me back. Volume 3 - CH 1 Several days passed since the battle against the northern werewolves. In the meantime, there were various problems regarding the three tribes of goblins, werewolves, and slimes being in the village. The scale of things had gotten pretty big. There were some small quarrels, but life was getting pretty smooth for everyone now. Its not as if Ive done nothing for these past few days. Little by little Ive acted as the chief of the three tribes, expanding our base and strengthening my comrades. I gave the new slimes and werewolves places to live and trained them in an effort to fulfil the conditions for them to evolve. Like that, the end of may was soon approaching. I opened the gacha skill screen and checked the number of days left. In only two more days this gacha will end. If things continue this way, the June gacha should come next. What sort of skill will I be getting? I could only look forward to seeing it. Oh right, there were some new monsters around the northern werewolves base. Thanks to subjugating those, my current points totaled 10,000. Now I can make twenty two gacha rolls. Normally it would be good to save them up, but Ive yet to max out the level on my monster taming skill. Id like to max it out, but its a difficult problem. Should I roll the gacha now, or should I save my points up? Will the summoner gacha ever come again? Theres a chance it never will. But a new gacha could be more likely to strengthen me directly. Based on what Ive seen so far, I can almost certainly gain new skills by rolling the gacha after all. I know there are more monsters to the north based on what the norther werewolves have told me. Even now I know there are vampiric type beings as well. Knowing I may come into conflict with them later, I was currently feeling that it would be better to focus on building up my strength. Now then, what should I do. As I pondered this, Livia who had come into my room tilted her head. So what will you be doing them, lord Crest? Im still conflicted as to whether I should roll the gacha or not. The gacha? Isnt it better to roll it? Said Livia, staring at me blankly. Oh right, I havent told her anything about how the gacha resets. When I went over that with her, Livias brow creased as she made a difficult expression. That certainly is a hard problem. How much can you feel the effects of monster taming? Thats still hard to tell. Theres a chance that raising the skill level would make everyone stronger. When I tried using it I didnt get a feeling that it was either strong or weak. The fact that I cant see its effects with my eyes is exactly why its a difficult question. Theres a chance it might have its effects increase drastically if I raise it to its max level. If we have more disputes against monsters from now on, then my own personal strength wont be enough to deal with them. With that in mind, it would be best to do as much as I can to combat that issue. I guess Ill do some rolls. That was the eventual conclusion to my worries. I thought about it earlier, but right now it seems that new gachas come out in a frequency of one per month. However I dont know when the gacha itself will end. Theres a chance leaving any points over will turn out to be useless. In that case Id better raise my skill levels as much as I can. Im afraid of getting overlaps, and I think I may end up getting more bronze silver and gold skills, but more than that I have a skill I definitely want to aim for. In that case, Ill leave the room. Livia got up from the bed with an apologetic expression on her face. Looks like she was still bothered about that. How If I roll the gacha with her, nothing good will come out. That was because there really wasnt a lot of outcomes that werent bad by this point, so it cant be helped. I grabbed Livia by the arm before she could leave the room. Although her arm was thin, I knew that she was by no means weak. No, youre fine here. B, but I get the feeling that the gacha wont give you anything good if Im here. I shook my head at Livia as she looked down to the floor sadly. Thats not the case. It was just a coincidence. More than that, I want to be with you as much as possible, Livia. I, I understand. In that case Ill pray for something good to come out. Livia seemed a bit embarrassed as I gave her a smile. Its embarrassing, but I love her. Its comforting just having her there with me. Well then, lets go ahead and roll the gacha. Yes. Give it your all! With Livias wholehearted words of encouragement, I turned to the gacha window. I shakily raised my arm so Livia could see it from next to me. Its not as if firing myself up will change any of the results from the gacha. You probably understand, right God? Livias franticly praying so adorably for you. If nothing good comes out, Im going to be incredibly pissed off at you. With that threat to God inside me, I pushed the eleven-roll gacha. Volume 3 - CH 2 The moment I pressed the eleven-roll gacha, a treasure chest appeared before my eyes. When I opened it, four types of orbs sprung forth. When I checked to colours of those orbs, I heard a relived sigh from beside me. It was Livia; The result of this times gacha was good after all. 5 bonze, 3 silver, 1 gold, and 2 rainbow. There were 2 rainbow ones. This meant that one of them was sure to be an overlap, but at the same time, that also meant that the chance of one of them being monster taming was high. Please, I beg you. Ill start with checking the bronze ones. I checked the bronze skills. I compared them to the skills I currently had, but none of them leveled up. Well, I have to be patient with the bronze skills. Next up is silver. Dagger technique levelled up from this. I dont use dagger technique really though, so Im not really so happy about that. Construction technique is the best. Lets see whats next. Magic is nice regardless of what comes out. Finally were at the end. I reflexively put strength into my body looking at the rainbow orbs. If both of them end up overlapping, I wont roll the gacha anymore. Thinking that, I touched the rainbow orbs. Yesss! Monster taming! Before I could jump up for joy, my body was suddenly wrapped in a soft warm sensation. It was Livia. She was holding me tightly with a smile on her face. You did it lord Crest! You have really good luck! No, its all thanks to your prayers! Now I can save the rest of my points from next month. Right. Im looking forward to that. I leveled my skills right away. I have no lingering regrets for the May gacha. I cant wait for the next gacha. I wonder what skills Ill get this time? I can only look forward to it. I spent the time being immersed in euphoria from the gacha, but I had things I needed to do next. Now I can concentrate on the meeting with that vampire. I guess so. That vampire. It was the vampire that gave the werewolves their magic stones. I heard from the northern werewolves that the vampire would periodically visit the norther werewolf village apparently. Tomorrow well need to head to the northern werewolf village. I was planning for a purely natural meeting with the vampire. Ill have the northern werewolves contact the vampire and only draw out as much information as they can get. We will be on standby on the side in the off chance something happens. Youre right. But will Orphe be alright? Well, it should work out. You can tell the difference if you look closely, but they really look similar given theyre twins. The vampire always met with Veld. Thats why Ill be leaving it to Orphe to meet directly with the vampire this time. Orphe and Veld were twins. Orphe was a little bit shorter, and Orphe had a softer look in his eyes. But it was only a difference someone who was around them a lot could spot. The vampire shouldnt be able to tell right away. We were just on standby in the case they do figure it out. Well also take some of the werewolves with us. This will make it look like theyre living there naturally. In the off chance they notice, then we might have to fight. Yeah, are you worried? Of course. Ive heard that the vampire tribe holds a great deal of strength. Ive never fought them directly, but thats exactly why. Im worried about the unknown. I guess so. Since the vampires are weak to sunshine, if we could meet with them at noon when the sun was shining we would have some leeway. The vampire always comes at night apparently. Also vampires are generally weak to the sun; they cant bring forth their full powers when the sun is out. Well, we just have to make things work out somehow. Right. Tomorrow will be coming soon, so shall we head to bed? Yeah. Having finished what we wanted to do today we went to bed. Volume 3 - CH 3 We set out from the village and moved in a large group. With the northern werewolves in the middle, we migrated through the forest. We had goblins, slimes, and werewolves with us. There was a reason for brining them along. Originally the northern werewolves borrowed power from the vampires in order to unite the northern area, or in other words, all of our groups. Having goblins, slimes, and werewolves in their village would clear proof of this to them. Moving through the forest was a lot harder than you would expect. There was a slight upward slope on the path to the northern werewolves village. Walking this unfamiliar path caused a good number of us to feel burdened. Thinking back on the battle last time, Im really glad we didnt decide to attack the northern werewolves village. If I had to say, their village is positioned in a strategically difficult position to attack. As I walked while analyzing the terrain, Orphe entered my field of view, still wearing an unhappy expression. When our eyes met, Orphe took a step towards me. Hey Crest. Will this really be alright though? You know Im not really too great at acting right? Our strategy this time relied primarily on Orphe. He seemed pretty unsure as to whether or not he could sufficiently become Veld. In that case, we should practice your acting when we get to the village. Id given Orphe some acting lessons for the past few days. Although Im not a great actor myself, I could at least tell whats good or bad acting. Guh. A, alright. Said Orphe as his head drooped down and he let out a sigh. Orphe isnt that great at lying. That didnt mean I hated his honest nature. Id like for things to go well, but Orphe has certain things he cant do. All I can ask is that he does his best. Of course Im trying to lighten Orphes burden before the actual performance. For example, Im trying to give him an idea as to what sort of questions the vampire might ask. That being said, the opponent might still ask things outside of our expectations. In the first place, I couldnt figure out from asking the werewolves what the reason was for the vampires cooperating with Veld was in the first place. I have no clue what their aim is. Our goal this time is to draw that intel out from them and hear about the body strengthening magic stones. While I thought about all of that, This is our village. I raised my head after hearing the northern werewolf in the lead call out. Certainly, there was a village there. It would be easy to attack from the outside. There was nothing like a wall or even a gate. I could vaguely tell where the village borders were based on something like a line encircling it. Inside the village stood houses I couldnt even say Id like to live in as flattery. Although it couldnt be helped, the buildings were not the spectacular. Objectively they werent very good, but perhaps just in shape they were fine. When I passed by Orphe who stopped in front of me, I could see his expression appeared to be quite moved. You alright Orphe? Ah, yeah. Sorry. Its fine. This is your hometown after all. Of course he would be happy coming back to the place he used to live. I wonder how it would be for me? Would I be happy if I went back to the upper world? No, of course not. Even if I went back Id just be put to work. Its too late for me to even say I want to go back after all thats happened. I went to the village centre and checked things out. The village wasnt it too bad of shape. It looks good enough that we could start living here right away. Id just personally want to rebuild the houses to be a bit more normal. After all, the houses Crest makes are amazing. I heard whispered from someone walking around the village centre. Certainly looking at all the houses around here, every single one had something holding it together. Thats why many of them looked frail enough that a storm would destroy them. It wasnt just one person whispering about this. The other werewolves were also talking. Seriously though. This is how houses look in a normal village Back to life in a village where the wind seeps in everywhere No no, Crest is here this time, and other monsters with construction technique came too! Itll be fine! They decided. Another reason we were here was to renovate this village. From now on, we plan on having this village be our second base. I cant relax yet. If we want to spend the evening in nice houses, we have to get to work right away. Alright everyone, lets get to work. Ill leave gathering wood to you. Understood! Their voices resounded in unison, then the werewolves got to work. Volume 3 - CH 4 I instructed the monsters on how to rebuild the village. There were some monsters among the new werewolves, and slimes who had construction technique, smithing technique, and cooking technique. I rebuilt the houses along with those guys. As long as you have the materials, the rest of the rebuilding process can be left to the skills. Something about that caught my interest. My own construction technique had gotten a lot more powerful than it was before. I could make bigger houses, and the quality of houses I made was better. I wonder what caused this? My construction technique level hadnt gone up yet. Another possibility could be that I gained new comrades? However, I didnt notice any particular changes when I gained more comrades in the past. In that case, perhaps its a result of the number of comrades with construction technique going up. Thats whats most likely the cause. Thanks to that, I could now make two-story building. Since I could now make apartment like communal buildings, it might be a good idea to prepare spaces for any new comrades I make later on to live in. Since that makes the amount of lumber I consume go up as well, I probably need to consider that while I use the skill. Lord Crest. Is it fine to make a field around here? Yeah, please do. I dont know how long well live here, but we prepared fields for our second base as well. I directed the goblin with land clearing technique as I constructed several buildings. Once I was pretty much out of materials to use, I took a break while waiting for everyone to finish gathering. Livia and the others came over from a large rock they were using as a seat. Orphes expression wasnt too great, likely due to his acting lessons. Hes an easy to understand guy. Lord Crest. Would it be alright to go over the current vampire situation? Yeah, thats fine. The first thing the vampire will want to hear is whether or not hes taken over the southern territory. For now hell just answer that hes taken it over, but what questions do you think theyll ask? I dont think it was in Velds character to sit tight and listen, so maybe it would be good to ask them something from our side? I, guess so. I guess the info we want to hear about right now would be that magic stone after all. Did Veld know about the risks involved in using them? Livia asked one of the werewolves that came along. He was a werewolf who said he was close to Veld. The werewolf shook his head. No, he shouldnt have heard anything about it. But, there is the chance that Veld used them while taking the risks into account. In that case we should ask a little about that. Said Livia, but I was a little concerned. Veld should have been told about their power to some degree as well. We could ask about them, but that will likely make them suspicious of us. I guess so. What should we do then? We kept our mouths shut as Livia thought about it. We would know the kinds of questions we would ask without raising suspicion if we knew what sorts of things Veld had discussed with the vampire. How about we tell them that that we would like to know more about the magic stones, and try asking them how they are made? I suggested. If its just a question out of curiosity I dont see it being an issue. Shall we get back to acting practice then, Orphe? Y, yeah Orphe cringed at Livias words before nodding his head. Everyones sight gathered on Orphe. Having everyone looking at him seemed cause him some stress. He gave a cough before opening his mouth. I want, to have some more about the magic stones. Also, I want to hear a little more about their power if possible? Several of my comrades died though h, hows that? Orphe looked at me nervously. The first bits seemed like Veld, but there were little bits of Orphes kinder way of speaking mixed in. What do you think? I glanced at the nearby werewolf who was helping out. He should be able to properly evaluate Orphes acting. He shook his head back and forth. Veld, was a far stricter man. There you have it. Figures. Orphe let out a big sigh before clearing his throat with a cough. Well, apart from your acting practice, lets get back to the topic of the talk with the vampire. I glanced over to Livia, and she nodded before speaking some more. Later in that case. Since the vampire is coming all the way here, they should have some sort of demand. Right. They probably wouldnt have helped out if they didnt have anything to ask in return. Maybe its to take over the area of the lower world that we live in? What should we do if they ask us to submit ourselves below the vampires? I gave plenty of thought to the possibility Livia brought up. Between vampires and werewolves, vampires have more power. Should be good to refuse and see how they respond. In the first place we dont know what sort of back and forth went on between Veld and the vampire. Thats exactly why taking on a defiant stance is important. That should also tell us why the vampires approached the werewolves in the first place. Volume 3 - CH 5 Livia nodded to my suggestion. I suppose so Id like to at least know how many vampires there are. Yeah. Me might be able to figure out who gave Veld his magic name as well. A magic name is the name given to monsters. Each monster individually has something other monsters can call them, but in the end these arent enough to call names. It seems being given a magic name will strengthen their bodies. Like how Livia and Orphe were given their magic names by me, someone unknown gave Veld his magic name. A magic name is not something thats given out often. Just who was it working behind Veld? We might be able to figure that out as well from the meeting with the vampire. Theres also the chance that the vampire gave him his magic name. When given a magic name, you cant oppose your master. By acting in opposition to them, we might be able to figure out some things about the vampires. Orphe. Although Im sure youre feeling somewhat nervous about the meeting, are you alright following this flow? Orphes expression cramped up at Livias question. I, I get it. Leave it, to me. Though he had pauses between his words, Orphes expression was stern. Hes a guy who sucks at lying and isnt really that great of an actor. I get that Im asking a lot from him, but I hope he can do it. Please have more confidence Orphe. Additionally, you should take on a more oppressive attitude. E, even if you say that, Im not that great. Well then, lets practice some more. Try acting more oppressive from now on. R, right now!? Really that might be good. I nodded in agreeance with Livias proposal. Thats right. How about you start giving everyone a more high-handed attitude for the time being from today? I think thats a great idea as well lord Crest! No no, wait a sec! Thats just too muD Ill leave it to you, Orphe. I said with a smile, forcing Orphe to shut his mouth and nod. I get it. But how exactly do I act oppressive? Well For example, think about dinner time. How do you handle the people who bring you food? Of course I say my thanD Wrong. Hurry it up will you! You can shout something like that. I, I have to go that far!? You can even say this food is awful and slam your plate. Isnt that just being selfish, lord Crest? Livia looked at me with a wry smile. However Orphe was astonished. It looks like hes starting to realize what a chore it is to be high-handed. Ive had quite a few people like that around me, so I think I can do it if I try. I dont like to be destructive though, so I avoid acting that way. In any case, acting somewhat like that to the vampire should be good. Try figuring it out in your own style. U, understood. Orphe nodded slowly, then Livia put her hands together with a smile. For now lets practice speaking in a way you can use on the vampire. Try saying I plan on having an equal alliance between us. We arent going to be beneath you Orphe. R, right here? Yes. Said Livia with a smile. Her smile left no room for refusal. Orphe probably felt that too. He nodded in resignation and cleared his throat. I plan on having an equal alliance between us. We arent going to be beneath you. Declared Orphe, however it was completely monotone. It felt as if he was speaking while reading his lines from something. That would probably make the vampire suspicious. Seemingly with the same impression in mind, Livia shook her head. Orphe. That was monotone. Its no good. E, even if you say that. In that case, Ill show you a sample and you can try from there. A, a sample? Livia acting in an overbearing manner? I wonder if she can pull that off. Orphe and I exchanged looks, then Livia cleared her throat with a cough. Then her eyes slanted upwards. I trembled seeing the normally kind girls gaze turn sharp, opposite of her usual self. I plan on having an equal alliance between us. We arent going to be beneath you. Her voice had a force to it. Although she wasnt raising her voice in a shout of anger or anything, it was an oppressive voice that chilled my body to the core. Anger and annoyance. Just by hearing her words, those unpleasant feelings were transmitted as if weaved into her words themselves. She was hostile. Livias attitude clearly expressed this fact, but then a grin rose to her face. Then the tense atmosphere disappeared. What was that? Th, that was terrifying. I dont think I can do that much. Its alright, you can do it if you practice properly. Ill be doing everything I can to teach you after all. Said Livia with a smile. I absolutely am not going to let Livia know that I found her smile there a bit terrifying. Volume 3 - CH 6 As expected, we werent able to finish rebuilding the whole village in a single day. However, we were able to make enough houses for those who came with us to stay in. Some of them were a few small, hut-like houses, but they would need to put up with that. I still constructed the buildings, but it was fundamentally just the outsides. Inside I only prepared the bare necessities for sleeping like a mattress. Rather than feeling like living at home, somehow it felt more like a camping trip in the rough, but there was no helping that. Since everyone worked hard that day with minimal rest, they all slept as if they were dead. We kept up a minimal night watch for the time being, but the vampire never showed up. The next day. It was finally the day the vampire was scheduled to arrive. There was still some time until evening, but we didnt know when they were going to show up. There was also the possibility that the vampire was waiting and watching the situation. I think the vampire would probably be put on guard if they saw a human like me around, so I hid myself away inside. Really though, its been quite awhile since I last stayed indoors for an extended period of time. Back in the day I never felt it was a pain to stay inside, but here in the lower world its not really fun. In the upper world I could at least read a book or something. I gazed outside from the confines of my room. The village reconstruction was going forth similar to yesterday. There were monsters with construction technique so they could continue on smoothly. Looks like everyones having fun I changed my line of sight from far away to the yard close by. Orphe, Livia, and Sufi were there. Orphe was receiving acting lessons from Livia and Sufi. Are you seriously defying me? Orphe said right on point. All of Orphes shyness was gone, replaced by an intimidating air. It was good acting. He should be able to pass as his brother like that. Still Livia is far more terrifying on the odd occasion where she acts. Yes, very good. What do you think Sufi? Well, I suppose its okay. Hearing Sufis condescending attitude, Orphes eyes squinted into a glare. Speak for yourself, Sufi. You cant even memorize your lines. Thats right. Sufi wasnt really that smart. Orphe tried to egg her on, but Sufi just folded her arms nonchalantly. I wish you would say I can improvise. However, her words and attitude both give off the image of an intellectual. Isnt that just changing the way you phrase things? But isnt my acting in itself good? Kuh. Fufufu. Sufi folded her arms with a smug expression. According to Sufis status she wasnt very intelligent. Its weird Didnt she give off the feeling of a competent queen back when we were enemies? Internally shes pretty clumsy. Even asking the other slimes, they just said, Sufi is just like that most of the time so it must be the case. Please dont fight you two. Lets get back to your acting practice. Ah, yeah. Orphe and Sufi faced each other and began talking. Sufi was essentially taking on the vampire role. Orphe was Veld of course. Then Livia would watch them and give advice. Standing in front of Orphe, Sufi grew a smile on her face before putting a hand in front of her mouth and laughing loudly. Kuhaha! Do you think werewolves like you can stand up to me!? Sufi, please dont say completely different lines. Instructed Livia immediately. Regardless, Sufi laughed in a good mood. Good grief. While I watched this scene I examined the room I was in. This was the room we planned to have the meeting with the vampire. For that sake we constructed a hidden room while it was under construction yesterday. I pushed the bed out of the way, then moved a wooden plank below it. There was an underground space, not at the level of a basement, but rather a hole big enough to store luggage inside. I opened the lid I made for it and went inside. Inside I made a chair to sit and moved the lid so I could peek out a little. They shouldnt be able to find this spot once the bed is pushed over top. I could secretly listen in on things from here. Things are prepared thoroughly in this regard. I got out from there and once more started watching the three of them practice acting. It was a heartwarming sight. Id like to hurry up and finish with this vampire business so we can live a nice relaxing life like this forever. Volume 3 - CH 7 Time passed in a twinkling of an eye, and it became night. It became completely silent outside. As if piercing through that silence, the goblins and werewolves began shouting. Most likely, the vampire was here. Livia here in the room with me turned towards me. Alright, please hide now lord Crest. Got it. Ill leave it to you now, Orphe. Orphe nodded his head when I told him this. I could easily see from his expression that he was nervous. In contrast, Sufi was the very definition of carefree. Next to Orphe, she was even able to let out a yawn. I wish she would be a little bit more nervous about this. I got in the hidden room I checked at noon. Livia and the others moved the bed to hide the entrance. I shifted the floorboard slightly and stuck my head out. I could see the table and chairs prepared for the meeting slightly. Well then, Sufi and I will be fundamentally in the background for this, so well be leaving the conversation to you Orphe. Yeah, I got it. I could hear Orphe and Livias conversation very clearly. Everything is ready. Orphe sounded a little bit nervous. Well, all I can do now is believe in him. After a bit, there was a knock on the door. What? Its Vanya of the vampires. Would it be fine if we were to begin? Thats fine. Enter. Said Orphe in an intimidating voice. Looks like all that practice is bearing fruit. The door opened and Vanya came inside. I couldnt see their face; however, I could see that they didnt look particularly tall. Hasnt it been a while, Veld. Your village has changed quite a bit since we last met. Their voice was quiet young and cute. Looks like the vampire is a woman. Ive taken over the south. There were some guys with house building skills there. Ive made use of them. I figured they would touch on the changes in the village. Another reason for renovating the village was to make it easier to control the flow of the conversation. Right now its going just as expected. Vanya took a seat, and Orphe sat down to face her. I could make out their profile, so I sat tight and watched the situation. Even still, I didnt expect things to develop this much. You have quite the good allies. In any case, its clear that it wasnt a mistake to lend you a hand. Of course. Orphe gave a response for now, but Vanyas statement still had room for doubt. It wasnt a mistake to lend a hand? I wonder what Vanya is thinking. She chuckled to herself with a great deal of leeway. What? Orphe shot her with a voice full of intimidation, then Vanya bowed her head slightly. My mistake. I just thought this conversation is going a lot smoother than last time. You spoke a lot more before. There was a lot more to deal with before. With that in order, I have some more leeway. Orphe responded well to Vanyas suspicion. Looks like his ability to improve has improved as well. So then, who are those two women? Vanya asked about Livia and Sufi. Theyre like the leaders that gathered the slimes and goblins. Ive got the two of them to follow me to drag in their comrades. There are lot of enemies so its best to raise my military power. Said Orphe following my script, to which Vanya nodded in agreeance. I see. I certainly saw it in the village, but you have a good number of different races here, which would be difficult to gather alone. Looks like the vampire didnt have any particular suspicions. Swiftly, Livia made a move. Its good to meet you, lady Vanya. I am the representative of the goblins, the goblin queen. Im Sufi. A slime queen. Best regards. Umu. Im Vanya. I give you my regards as well. Vanya responded amicably to their introductions. So then? What should we do now? The goal this time was to figure out what Vanya was thinking. Vanya moved her feet slightly at Orphes question. Its not what youll do now, didnt we already decided that you will become our subordinates in exchange for the magic stones? Werewolves, slimes, goblins. Our war potential will go up quite a bit with all of them. True, it will. Vanyas goal was exactly in line with one of our hypothesis. We already decided on the response for this. Orphe paused his words, then hit the table. It was loud enough to make me want to cover my ears, and the table itself seemed to scream. Then, And, if I were to refuse? Orphes voice resounded with coercion. A pressure that seemed to rule over the air of the room came out with Orphes word. It was the conversation he practiced many times. In response, Vanya probably also felt that coercive power. This is whats needed to figure out exactly what the vampires are thinking. I listened carefully for what Vanya was about to say, then, R, r-r-r-r-refuse!? Y, you cant! Didnt we lend you all that help!? A particularly pathetic voice resounded. W, what? I didnt expect that sort of response. Vanya spoke in a panic. Suddenly I cant feel any majesty from her. Volume 3 - CH 8 Vanyas reaction was out of left field from what I imagined. If her shaking voice was just an act to see through our act, it certainly did its job. It completely threw us off. Did she have some sort of threat to use against us? Expecting something like that, the time everyone remained still dragged on. Since Vanya didnt say anything, silence descended upon us for the time being. W, what do you mean? The first one to respond was Livia. She likely thought that it would be bad to let the silence drag on for too long. Although Livia was the best of us at acting, even her voice had some discomposure mixed in. That was probably unavoidable. Rather I should be praising Livia for even being able to speak in that situation. The atmosphere in the room shook when she spoke. The next moment, Vanya prostrated herself on the ground. The vampires head touched the floor with a bam! Sound. From there I could now see her. She was a vampire with tiny wings on her back and a tail swaying back and forth cutely. She had none of the majesty Id imagined. To think she was such a small girl She was franticly rubbing her head against the floor. I could clearly see her figure from my hiding place. P, please! Lend us your power! Were powerless! P, powerless? Just what are you saying? Said Orphe in Livias place. Looks like Orphe broke free from his petrification as well. But his voice wasnt very intimidating. Id say its very close to Orphes real voice. The flow of things and the mood had completely changed. I would have thought that the vampire would turn hostile after that, but things seemed to be different. O, our comrades were captured and are being used like slaves! I want you to help us free them! Well help you as much as we can! So please! Vanya was violently banging her forehead into the floor. Asking for help in the face of that terrifying attitude; I dont think shes lying. Vanya was actually in trouble and wanted to ask for our help. Ill reconfirm the situation. Most likely, Vanya as a vampire was unable to modestly ask us for our help. Precisely for this reason, brimming with dignity, she came to us while acting as if she had as much leeway as possible. In all likelihood, Vanya probably came to Veld saying something like in exchanged for our help, accept our terms. This way Vanya would be able to use the werewolves to save her comrades. If thats the case, I guess it should be fine to talk to her straight? With that in mind I tried getting out from my hidden room. However, it was really hard trying to move the bed above me from my unstable posture. Since I didnt want to waste time cutting the bed, I started hitting the bed really hard. W, wwwwwwhats that!? A ghost!? Vanya shouted in fear. She looked at the bed and shivered while sitting on the floor. The image Id built up of the fearsome vampire race had been completely shattered. This despite all the vigilance Id held towards them. Regardless of all the preparation work Id been doing. If it was just going to turn out like this I should have just met them straight up from the start. Id put too much unnecessary burden on Orphe as well. Think you could move the bed for me, Livia? Livia came over when I asked her this. However, at the same time I spoke Vanya let out a screen. Gyaaa!? I heard the ghosts voice!? Scared! Im scared!! Vanya shivered as she slid back across the floor. Livia and Sufi came over and moved the bed out of the way, and I came out into the room. My body cracked from being in a cramped space. I stretched my body lightly and let out a deep breath before looking at Vanya. She looked up at me with a blank expression. A, a human? Youre not a ghost? I looked at Vanya once more. She was really quite small. Id have thought she was a kid, but Ive heard that vampires have a very long lifespan. I shouldnt be fooled by her appearance. Yeah, thats right. My name is Crest. A human banished from the upper world. Humans banished from the upper world. Certainly Ive seen people like that. Then that makes things quick. Im the chief who brought together everyone in this village. W, what!? Wh, what does this mean Veld!? Vanya looked back and forth between Orphe and I. Do you know about the werewolf king who ruled over this village? I, isnt it that guy over there? Vanya cutely pointed her index finger at Orphe. I shook my head in response. Hes different. Hes the younger twin brother of that king, Orphe. Vanyas eyes went wide when I said this. Looks like she didnt know about them being twins. I dont know what sort of relation Vanya and Veld had, but it looks like they werent close enough to share that sort of personal information. They were probably just working together to fulfill their mutual interests. Vanya flapped her little wings and glared at me. W, what!? You tricked me! Humph! Well, sorry about that. Wed only heard that the vampires were targeting this village. We just wanted to find out more about our opponent. I lowered my head, calming Vanyas anger for the time being. Muu. I see. Vanya folded her arms in vigilance, and her tail pointed towards me. Her tiny wings were still flapping around. I guess they move when shes alert? Looks like she hasnt let down her guard completely yet. Volume 3 - CH 9 After I said that, Orphe followed up. Crest is definitely my boss. Please finish this discussion with Crest. Said Orphe before bowing his head to Vanya, then going behind me. With Livia, Sufi, and Orphe behind me, the distrust left Vanyas eyes, turning them serious. A, a humans at the top? I cant make heads or tails of this anymore Veld from this village went to war against us. Then we routed Velds army, defeated him, and I took the lead of everyone. Thats roughly how things went. Y, you defeated Veld? She looked at me with eyes that said she didnt believe me. Yeah. I, I dont believe it. He was very strong, so I thought he was the ideal partner to cooperate with Ive been wondering. What were you planning on asking him in exchange for your cooperation? The vampire girl folded her arms in worry at my question. Then she hopped back into her seat. I also pulled out a chair and sat down in it. I want to make sure. You beat that werewolf king? Yeah, I beat him. Did he, take my magic stone? Well, Im not quite sure At the very least that shouldnt have been the case when I fought with Veld. As I thought back on the situation at the time, Veld told me he took it. I didnt see it directly, but most likely he was enhanced by a magic stone. Hearing Orphes words, Vanya looked at me in disbelief once again. I, I see Looks like she did make those magic stones after all. I didnt know about that either. I just have to crush each question one by one. For starters what did she want from cooperating with him. I wanted to hear about that specifically. You said you wanted to cooperate to free your comrades? Could I hear a bit more about that? Yeah, alright. My comrades were attacked by the ogre tribe, and all of them were captured. The ogre tribe, huh. Another troublesome opponent has come up. I see how it is. Now it makes sense why she came south to ask the werewolves for help. Ogres are pretty difficult monsters to deal with. Whether or not we would be able to face them Thinking about everyone, I ought to reject Vanyas request for cooperation. Sorry, but the races we have arent enough to face off against the ogre tribe. We cant cooperate with you. Please dont say that! If you save them, well all become your subordinates! Arent our offers totally out of balance? Facing the ogre tribe would definitely shave off our war potential. Some of us will probably die. That might be true. But eventually far stronger monsters than the ogres should be coming down south. When that happens, you will be faced with a very similar decision. Even stronger monsters coming south? What do you mean? I asked Vanya to clarify the point I wasnt sure about. She furrowed her eyebrows and stared at me. You know about the current outbreak of conflict between various races all around the lower world, right? No, I dont. Further to the north in the lower world, there are monsters that you guys dont know about. No, well there are even a lot of monsters that we dont know about. Among those monsters, there are also races that want to take over both the upper and lower worlds. Both the upper, and lower worlds huh. Yeah, right. Once they are done fighting in the lower world, the upper world is next. In order to get to the upper world, dont you have to go through the gate to the south? Eventually those monsters will attack the southern area and take over this land. Do you know how theyll treat you when that time comes? Even if you become their subordinates, if they dont see you as proper war potential theyll just cut your heads off. In preparation for that, it would be best to have a little more power in order to protect your comrades. Certainly, you have a point there. The northern monsters, huh. There should be many monsters out there that the ogre tribe cant hold a candle to. If they come down south, theres the chance theyll kill us. To protect everyone, and so I can live a long life Ill need a lot of comrades. Especially since my status goes up along with the number of comrades I gain. Although Vanya doesnt know about that, her proposal to gain more comrades is valid. Im the chief who unifies the vampire tribe. If you save the vampires, everyone will definitely cooperate with you. We can give you magic tools as well. Thats surprising. No matter how I look at her, shes just a little girl, but shes the leader of the vampire tribe huh. Volume 3 - CH 10 I glanced at Orphe, Livia, and Sufi to confirm what Vanya had said. The three of them worse stern expressions. The south will be attacked. Of course the interior monsters probably cared about the upper world rather than us. However, its not impossible that they would attack us on the way. Is it true that the northern monsters will come down south? I asked Vanya. I cant say so for sure, but there should be a lot of them out there who want to take back the upper world. Especially in the interior were there should be a lot of demi-humans who were expelled from the upper world living there. There are also some strong individuals among them. Conflict is breaking out all over the place in the interior for the moment, but once theyre united I cant say what will happen. Powerful ones, huh. If I remember right, there should be some beings strong enough to give out magic names. What? Was Veld named by one of them? I need to make sure of that. Speaking of magic names, Veld had one. You werent the one to give that to him right? I said dauntingly, causing Vanya to shake her head with tears in her eyes. What!? A name!? I, I dont know! I dont have that kind of power! Looks like that confirms theres a being apart from the vampires nearby who can bestow names. I repositioned myself in my seat and stared at Vanya. Considering the future, making her into a comrade of mine would not be a bad thing. If I were to believe everything she said earlier, that would be very beneficial to our side. The question is whether or not we should attack the ogre tribe. Got it. Well help out as much as we can. R, really!? Yeah. But well also need you to help us with various things from now on. Particularly regarding magic tool production. Vanya suddenly began shivering. What is it? N, no, well I, its just that the ogres have you work like a slave from dusk till dawn. Did they catch you too Vanya? Y, yeah they did. Thats why Im rushing about like this now to free everyone. Looks like shes been through a pretty harsh work environment until now. Livia stroked her back in order to stop her from shivering. It looked like she was comforting a child. Im not really planning on having you work too much, so you dont need to worry about that. It wont go that far. Just dont slack off too much. U, u-understood. In the first place, overworking someone isnt really that efficient. You can make work much more efficient by adding is the right amount of rest. The only ones who can work even without rest are those with considerable motivation. Vanya finally settled down after I reassured her. Although it was slightly stiff, a smile grew on her face. After that I pulled out a magic stone. Having finished asking about Vanya, I moved onto the next question I had. Is this magic stone the same kind as the ones you gave to Veld? This was the one I took from Leon. To be precise, it was made by a youko rather than Vanya. Wh, whats up with that magic stone, leaking such ominous magic power Vanya seemed to be totally freaked out when she saw the magic stone in my hand. She was shaking super badly. Well, I can definitely feel an unpleasant feeling from the magic stone, but is it at that level? It should be the same as the magic stones you made though Vanya. I, I wouldnt make something like this! The most I would do is make it raise your power a bit! Taking that magic stone would destroy your body! Certainly, it did turn Leon into a monster. He also gained an unthinkable amount of power. Leon wasnt a strong person by any standard. Of course he did bully me a lot back when I didnt have any skills above ground. In plain sword skill, I was better than him. Regardless he still acquired incomparable power. Since he was able to gain so much from only putting a magic stone in his mouth, so the compensation for that was huge. But the werewolves who ate the magic stones you made also became like monsters They must not have had aptitude. I warned Veld about it before. Guys without any aptitude should absolutely never use a magic stone. Veld may have thought of his subordinates like chess pieces. As long as theyre temporarily useful its fine if they die. Even if it destroys their body, its good as long as they can hurt their enemy. Perhaps thats exactly the reason Veld gave the werewolves magic stones without telling them about the drawbacks. Unwitting werewolves used them and then turned into monsters. Aptitude huh. Can you check for that sort of aptitude? I know just by looking. I see But I dont really want to use such a dangerous thing. Well, youd be best off not using that magic stone there but its the same as medicine. You can get the right effect by using it correctly. Thats how magic tools are. Vanya was certainly correct there. Power can be both good or evil depending on how its used. The power of this magic stone. If I can use them right, I actually do think Id like to use it. Especially with the next opponent being the ogre tribe. Volume 3 - CH 11 So you dont know about this magic stone? I held the magic stone in front of Vanyas face to reconfirm. Upon doing so, Vanyas eyes went wide, her body began shaking and she moved away from me. She was totally frightened. She shook her head left and right. Dont bring that dangerous thing near me! I dont know! A human from the upper world dropped this thing. Wh, what? But only someone whos lived for a very long time could make something like that. I see Looks like someones making a move in the upper world too. Though thats true, as long as they dont bother me I dont really mind. Theres one thing I want to check, Vanya is Vanya your magic name? Its fine for demi-humans to have common names that arent granted magic names. Though not everyone can do it, I can give magic names. No, its just a given name. In that case, want a magic name? It should strengthen you a bit. Wh!? M, magic name!? Who will give it to me!? Me. What!? Do you have that much power!? She looked at me in astonishment. Well, more or less. Amazing! Thats incredible! By all means, please give me a magic name! Then even I might be able to take down those ogres! Maybe. I think I should give it to you in front of everyone. That should show everyone that youre an ally. Okay! Vanya excitedly got out of her seat. She had a pure and innocent smile, fit for a child. Its kind of disappointing. I glanced at Livia and the others. They seemed to have expressions as if their strength was leaking out somewhere. Theyre probably thinking the same thing as me. Although we had prepared for a full blown war against the vampire race at worst, Im glad nothing big happened for now. Upon leaving the house with Vanya and the others, we came across the figure of the nearby werewolves immediately. Everyone seemed to be waiting to hear about our situation. They all had their weapons ready, prepared to jump in at any moment. Seeing the dangerous situation, Vanyas expression cramped up. I patted Vanyas back as she was hiding scared behind me, then took a step forward. Listen up everyone! I shouted, then grabbed Vanyas hand. Then, I raised it up in the air. Since Vanya was so short, she ended up standing on her tippy toes. We now have an alliance between us! For now on, the vampires are our allies! She is Vanya! The chief of the vampires! Everyone seemed surprised by my announcement. After exchanging glances of a moment, everyone nodded. Then they immediately raised their fists into the air. UUOOOOOHHH! They raised a cheer. No one objected to the alliance with the vampires. I pat my chest in relief. Then I lowered Vanyas hand and faced towards her. Well then, now I will grant her magic name. Her name is Vanya! With my proclamation I activated my skill. Upon which, her status displayed, and I could see that her name was recorded. Her stats were incredible. Rather, shes actually a vampire lord rather than a vampire. I learned this for the first time seeing her status. Vanya looked very satisfied. I can feel my power surging. Now I can make even better magic tools than before. Thats great. Her status might have gone up a bit from receiving a magic name. Regardless, its certain that weve gained some valuable war potential. At the same time though, the fact that the ogres were able to face off against her status filled me with unease. Once again I turned to the werewolves. With this, Vanya has now become our comrade. From now on we will cooperate with each other, and we will free the vampires who are currently held captive. For details, please refer to your respective leader. I confirmed everyone nodding in agreement, then I turned my sight to Livia, Orphe, and Sufi. They all nodded back to me. Volume 3 - CH 12 It seems Vanya had been moving around from place to place. Since she didnt have any particular base, we let her stay in this village. The next day. Uuu Annoying sunlight. When I went to Vanyas house to visit her, she looked quite unwell. So youre bad with sun after all? Yeah Vanya wasnt very lively. Her status didnt change at all, but if she had to fight right now she would most likely only be able to show half of her normal stats. Come over to my house for now. Id like to talk have a meeting regarding the future. Okay. Vanya walked unsteadily. She was making me a bit nervous like that, so I took her hand. Ill lead you there, so hold on tight. Fuu Got it. Vanya clearly clung harder to my arm, putting most of her weight on it. That being said, it wasnt a problem due to how light she was. As we walked through the village centre, we could see everyone making fields and the like. Vanya seemed surprised when she saw that. Is everyone able to make such a proper village thanks to all of them receiving magic names from you? Yeah, I guess so. Everyone has skills so they all have their roles to play. I see The demi-humans noticed Vanya as she nodded in understanding. While looking at Vanya, their expressions turned somewhat sad. Shes doing her best even though shes so small. Having heard about the vampires circumstances, everyone looked at Vanya with sympathy. Even so, leaving aside the vampires, I never thought the ogre would be around here. Speaking of the ogres, arent they pretty bad news? Think we can win against them? I wonder how strong the ogre race is. Ive never fought against them directly, so I dont know how strong they are. When we arrived at the house, Livia, Orphe, and Sufi were already there. Sufi smiled when she noticed me. Ill get some drinks. No, the stuff you make isnt clean so please dont. I politely refused her, then Sufi picked up a wooden cup. It tastes the same. Liquid suddenly came out of Sufis smiling mouth. Here you go. Wh, what are you trying to make me drink! Vanya gave a natural reaction. With Vanya glaring at her, Sufi smiled. Its just tea. I can make it inside of my body. Slimes can make potions for example depending on the individual. I, is it safe? Asked Vanya. I remained quiet, then Sufi passed a cup over to me. You can be reassured if Crest drinks my body fluid, so give it a taste. Arent there other ways you could say that? I brought the cup of warm tea she gave me up to my mouth. I hate to say it, but its good. Although Sufi doesnt have any particular skills, I think its better made then what I could make giving it my all. My body fluid is entering Crests body. Sufi, please dont joke around like that too much. Said Livia in an irritated voice. However Sufi just made tea for everyone without minding that. Vanya hesitantly brought it to her mouth, then her eyes began to sparkle. T, tasty-! Thats good then. Its taste is good. Its taste. They way it comes out is just gross. Everyone sat down fine, but with five people the room gathered here the room felt rather narrow and cramped. Id like to make something bigger if were going to have more meetings later on. Vanya, do you know where the ogre village is located? I asked. I know where they are. Those guys have two villages. Two villages huh. Thats right. Theyre also rather well made. I think theyre about the same as here. I see. Do the ogres have good enough construction technology for that? Umu, they probably have individuals who can build. I see. So theyre similar to us. In that case they might have someone who can give magic names. I dont know how strong the ogre race is, but about how powerful are they? Fairly. At the very least, we went up against them before, but we couldnt beat them. One-sidedly, we were helplessly done in by their minions without even being able to face their chief. Vanya couldnt even face them with her status? Crest. Just checking, but how high is Vanyas status? Timidly asked Orphe. I let out a small sigh before showing her status to them. Orphe grimaced when he saw it. She was helpless with these stats? It went up a bit from when I gave her a magic name, but yeah. Orphe folded his arms as he made a grimace. I feel the same way. They have swarms of individuals with at least stats of 450 after all. Considering our own forces, theyre honestly not an opponent we can face directly. What a fearsome foe. Theyre different from anything weve faced so far. When Livia said this, Sufi glared at her. Could you wait a moment. Are you saying that Im weak? Are you looking down on the slime race? Are you making fun of us? Sufi was caught up on that point for some reason. Thats not what I said. Well, the fact that they are about double your stats is a fact though. Hah? What? You wanna go? Sufi glared at Livia. I let out a sigh and said, Dont fight please. Yes, Crest. Got it. Sufi smiled happily while blushing. Sufis attitude suddenly changed after she was named. More precisely, it was after the war against Veld. Livia stared at me and Sufi. I didnt pay it any mind for now. Sorry Vanya, right now we cant win against the ogres. Well have to train here for a few days until all the monsters us have gotten to about 500. It would be reckless to challenge them now. Vanya seemed to understand this as well, so she nodded her head. I understand. But is it possible to get that much stronger in such a short time? Yeah. With my monster taming and monster training skills, its possible to massively raise their stats. Livia, Orphe, and Sufi especially had their stats go up a lot from the last battle. Even the other monsters have gotten to about 300. Now I just need to raise that further. So well have to leave rescuing the vampires for a bit later. Sorry. No It cant be helped. I cant be unreasonable until you can certainly save them. theres finally a chance to save them! Vanya laughed sadly, but also eagerly. Yeah, well save them for sure. Fufu, thank you! I will help as much as I can! Vanya smiled happily while flapping her wings. Seeing this rekindled the motivation of Livia and the others. Volume 3 - CH 13 So about where would you say the ogre bases are? Theyre north from here. Its built similarly to this village, so youll know when you see it. I see. North from here, huh. Roughly how many ogres are there? I counted about 50 of them. Just looking at numbers, we should have a chance. Totaling the numbers in every tribe on our side, we have more than 100. Thats why although I cant say were at a disadvantage, the ogres are still probably better in terms of stats. Well need several of us in order to face a single ogre. Because of this, we cant simply think that our numeric advantage makes us better than them. Vanya was peering at me. She probably wants me to head out immediately for the rescue, but I cant make that call yet. Vanya. Right now I cant guarantee that well win if we face them right now. So well keep training a bit more. Is that alright? Yeah, I understand. Although she doesnt totally agree, she still gave me a nod. Our current course of action has been decided. I think Ill keep strengthening this base and the stats of everyone here for now. So if you could, I want you to tell that to everyone at the south base. I looked at Orphe, then he nodded. Got it. Ill tell my comrades something like that. Ill leave it to you. Orphe left the room. I turned back to Vanya. So thats how things are. Stay here and save up your strength for now. I understand but, Crest. Didnt we talk about how I can make magic tools? Id like to get some magic stones if possible. How do you want those magic stones? The monsters around here should have them in their bodies. You can just kill those monsters and check inside. Thats no different from usual then. Got it. But, for now dont make those dangerous magic stones alright? You can make anything else. I understand. Leaving aside the issue of using them correctly, I cant say I dont have some caution towards them. If possible I dont want to rely on them. Our discussion ended around here. We separated for now, and I walked around the village to strengthen it. That night. While I was making my way back to my house, Sufi came over. Crest, how about we spend tonight together? Sufi came over to me while pushing her body closer. Her face appeared somewhat feverish. I made a bitter smile at her attitude, then Livia came out of my house. She had a smile on her face, but I could feel a bit of anger from her. It was probably directed at Sufi. Sorry Sufi. Livias waiting for me after all. You can just ignore that. Could you go home please? Maintaining her smile, Livia pushed Sufi away with her hand. While looking at Livia with a dissatisfied expression, Sufi let out a sigh. Jeez, youre mean Crest. Said Sufi with a wink, before finally leaving. Livia was still glaring at her as she left. She even let out a growl. Although they usually get along well, sometimes they fight like this. Even though I get that Im the reason Looks like Sufi really is aiming for you after all lord Crest. Livia whispered to me. For some reason Sufi seemed to be interested in me. I wonder why though. Its because youre cool lord Crest. Thats not the case. Youre cool. And youre kind Please be careful lord Crest. Said Livia with her cheeks puffing up. So cute, thought just thinking that isnt enough so I told her, Got it. I have you here for me after all. lord Crest. Livia smiled happily as I honestly told her my slightly embarrassing feelings. After that, Livia put her hand on her chin as if she was thinking. I wonder what it is? No, thats wrong. If Im not more open mindedD Muttered Livia to herself. As I was about to ask her what she meant, Livia raised her head. If youre thinking that you want to have multiple lovers lord Crest, that doesnt bother me? I, Im not thinking that. Well, I have dreamt about it before. Volume 3 - CH 14 For example in the upper world, a number of the nobles who hold power take wives and concubines. Particularly with the king. Since the king needs to father many children, its not unusual for them to have women in the double digits. As a man, Ive dreamt of having a harem, but that was purely a dream. Ive never actually planned to do it in reality. I think loving a single woman who loves me is quite a blessing in and of itself. Thats what Livia is for me right now. I dont intend on having any other women. Livia shook her head at my firm denial. Its okay. Im happy enough that you think that. Rather, it is important for a chief to have the power to love multiple women. It would be really hard for a single woman to have so many children. I, Ill do my best okay? N, no, you dont need to say that much Livias sudden words made my face go red. What are you saying Livia Before I could say anything, she firmly pointed a finger at me. In any case. Im happy enough that you think that. But- I will always be your number one!! Livia shouted with her face red. Since she looked too cute like that, I unconsciously hugged her. L, Lord Crest. Sorry, you were just too cute. .Th, thank you very much. Livia closed her eyes happily and put her ear against my chest. Hearing your heartbeat is very comforting Is that right? Yes. I dont really understand the feeling. Perhaps its something unique to goblins? With her eyes still closed, Livia muttered, Come to think of it, were rescuing the vampires. Not happy? Perhaps Lord Crest prefers little girls like that is what I was thinking. No way! My ideal right now is you Livia! Both of our faces turned red. Livia hugged tighter. Right now I cant stop my lips from smiling so dont look this way. Ah, yeah. My own mouth turned all loose as well. Im probably making a very sloppy expression right now. I also dont want to be seen like this. I agree with saving the vampires. But you said you wanted to live a laid back life, right lord Crest? Right. Its just that it looks like that sort of life will be on hold for awhile. Even after we save the vampires, well still probably have to fight with the other monsters to the north. It seems like it will be quite awhile before things calm down. So thats why I thought you might not want to get involved. I fully agree with increasing our number of allies, so I was thinking of how to convince you of that. Is that right. Yes, Im happy we have the same opinion on it. Shes right about that. It looks like ogres are quite a strong bunch of monsters. Thats why we need to strengthen the village and give everyone further training. Can you help me with that Livia? Yes. But not just everyone. You need to become stronger yourself as well, lord Crest. Youre right about that. However, the gacha will update soon, and I get stronger directly from everyone else getting stronger. I suppose the most important thing is strengthening our whole group after all. For that sake, lets examine the situation around this village. Based on what I heard from the slimes, it seems the like the slimes used to live in is nearby. Sufi should be able to guide you there. Livia spoke in an unhappy tone as she dropped Sufis name. Alright. Sufi said that the two of you alone will be enough So be careful. I understand. M, make sure to tell me if she does something to you! Im sure shell try to temp you, but make sure to turn her down! Ill give you the same things! I, I get it alright! It felt like Livia had gotten a bit rasher after having Sufi around more. Well, shes cute that way too. More than anything it means shes thinking about me more so its not a bad thing for me. For now I guess well go check out the lake tomorrow. I might find some new monsters too. I suppose so. Looks like Ill have more things to take care of starting tomorrow. First Ill have to call over the monsters standing by in the south. After that, Ill leave directing the monsters to Orphe, and Ill have to take care of making buildings inside the village itself. Its a lot to do, but Ill do my best. Volume 3 - CH 15 The next day. For starters we migrated the demi-humans in the southern village up north. With this well be temporarily abandoning the base weve been using up until now, but Ive decided theres a greater need to reinforce this base more for the time being. After this Ill just give the demi-humans some directives to follow and leave the village management to them. Buildings, weapons, fields, meals. Those are the primary areas of work. Supposing we didnt have to worry about external conflict, wed be able to live our live just focusing on these, but we still have to worry about the possibility of facing off against the ogre tribe. Thats unacceptable by itself. I made my way east of the village. This is where we made the training grounds. Well, although I say we made it its just a clear space without any buildings or the like. There we had goblins, werewolves, and slimes gathered. In the center of them all stood Orphe. He was instructing everyone on swordplay and having them practice. I was leaving strengthening our war potential to Orphe. As I got closer the demi-humans stopped swinging their swords and bowed deeply. I made my way closer to Orphe so I wouldnt get in their way. How is it Orphe? I called to Orphe, and after he finished wiping his sweat off with a towel he was holding he gave me a smile. Everyone is certainly stronger than before. Especially the slimes, theyre quite interesting. Is that right? Yeah. They can change their shape to some degree. For example- Orphe looked towards a nearby werewolf. He nodded his head to a nearby slime and they joined hands. The next moment, the slime changed shape and wrapped around the werewolfs clothes. The slime fully assimilated with the clothes. It made the clothes a little bit bloated, but youd never think a slime was there just by looking at it. They can combine with other tribes like this and are able to fight together. Also, the slimes are able to stop slashing attacks to some extent. Orphe pointed his sword towards them, to which the slime responded go for it in a relaxed tone. With the slimes confirmation, he brought his sword down striking the werewolfs clothes, which perfectly stopped his blade. They can stop attacks like this. Its like theyre an armour of slime. I see. This certainly is interesting. Yeah just like that. They can attack a bit as well. Hey, show us an attack. As Orphe called out to it, a water ball shot out from the slime. It was only a bit as Orphe said, but it was certainly convenient. This way even those who cant use magic can probably attack at mid range. Having both of them combine like that should give them an edge against their opponents. After that I checked everyones status. I checked Orphe out as well of course, and his status had gone up quite a bit from last time. Orphes stats were getting very close to 400. However, going against the ogre tribe with this much would still be difficult. Ill leave training everyone to you from now on as well. I said to Orphe. Got it. But before that, can I ask you something? Whats up? Could you join me for some training as well? Laughed Orphe drawing his sword. Good grief. This guy really likes to fight. That being said I myself would like to move my body around a bit. I plan to go investigate the lake with Sufi after this. I might find some new monsters in the area south of here after all. Couldnt hurt to warm up a bit beforehand. I drew my sword as well, and we both moved to face each other with a bit of distance between us. Give the signal for us to start. Called Orphe to a nearby goblin. The goblin raised his fist right away. Start! With the goblins cry, Orphe kicked off the ground running. The sword Orphe was holding was a tad wider than my own blade. Thanks to his fine stature, it was the perfect sword for him. He rushed for me with that sword. I ducked to dodge his attack, then immediately twisted my body and swung my sword upwards. However, Orphe was able to take my attack as well. A quick response. His movements themselves had gotten swifter. I continued to exchange dozens of blows with him. At that moment, one of my attacks sent Orphes sword flying. I took a moment to collect my slightly disturbed breathing. Shall we stop here? Yeah, lets. I thought I might be able to win this time, but your attacks are just too strong. I should be saying the same thing. I was swinging enough to make my hands go numb. However, Orphe still able to swing his hands just as many times and shake off the numbness. He picked up his sword and as he was putting it in its sheath moved to stand next to me. Thanks. For now I need to become at least as strong as you. I dont plan on losing either. Yeah, I get it. Laughed Orphe before turning to look at the village. The village is changing quite a bit. With your skill as well Crest, it should be pretty easy. The village huh. Orphe was staring into the distance. Theres a chance that he might have his own thoughts about my actions. Sorry. Youre watching the village you loved be completely destroyed. Nah, that doesnt particularly matter. We dont really have the pure hearts youd need to make a fuss over our buildings. I tried to apologize, but Orphe quickly shook his head. Then he turned his head to survey the whole village. Finally, a somber expression covered his face. Whats wrong, Orphe? No, its nothing. I was just thinking that if I had just been a bit better there could have been more werewolves filling the scenery. Perhaps the werewolves who died in the last battle were filling his eyes. Around half of the northern werewolves died in that battle. There might have been more lives that could have been saved. I was thinking the same thing. Orphe didnt need to shoulder that responsibility alone. With that feeling in mind I patted him on the shoulder. Become stronger so that we dont lose any of the companions we have here in the scenery right now. Yeah, got it. Then as your sword Crest, I will become strong enough to cut down your enemies. He gave me a straight smile. I need to get stronger myself for the ones I have trusting me. It would be a pretty embarrassing story if I couldnt do anything against the ogre tribe after all this. Well then, Orphe. Ill be heading off to check out the lake, so I leave the village to you. Got it. Be careful out there. Yeah. After separating from Orphe, I made my way to the east side of the village where Sufi should be waiting. There she was. She stood there checking over the state of her fluid body several times by moving around. A bag Id made was in her hand. I wonder whats inside? Sufi, did I make you wait? No, dont worry about that Crest. Shall we head out then? Saying so she embraced my arm. A slimes whole body was soft. However, they were about the same temperature as human skin. D, dont stick to me so much. Livia isnt looking so its fine. No, I still get the feeling that shes watching from somewhere! I tried to push her off of me, but Sufis body itself was a fluid. The hand I pushed her with simply sunk inside of her body. Iya-n, how bold. My word. I still need to carry monster corpses. Goblins, werewolves, and slimes who have free hands, follow me. I said, gathering people around as I just gave up on dealing with her. What exactly am I going to tell Livia later? Volume 3 - CH 16 As I moved through the forest with Sufi, there was one thing on my mind. It was regarding the change with the slimes. Sufi, I saw that the slimes were able to become something like armour for the werewolves a bit ago Certainly, us slimes can handle that level of transformation no problem. Is that right. So you can do it too Sufi? Certainly, shall we give it a try? Sure. It might increase my range of freedom in combat. I gave Sufi a nod, to which she slid up to my side. Then she smoothly embraced my arm. It felt like the way a couple would link arms. Sufi? is this step necessary? Certainly, of course. Is that so? Feeling some doubt as I watched Sufi lean hear head against my shoulder I turned questioningly to one of the other slimes, to which he shook his head. Its not necessary. Hey, Sufi. The moment I was about to try peeling her off, she morphed to coil around my body. She transformed to match with the clothes I was wearing and perfectly combined with them. Oh, sweet. I said in admiration. I gave my clothes a feel. I was just checking what they felt like, but they felt very soft to stroke. Iyan, so lewd. What is? Just now, that was my breast you were touching, geez Sufi was just kidding of course. No matter where shes touched it all feels the same. I figured my clothes would weight more from Sufis portion, but I couldnt particularly feel that. I could move just as I was able to before. Think you can support me as we move in this state Sufi? Certainly, shall we try fighting like this? Yeah sure. I activated perception technique and began searching for any enemies nearby. After a bit of walking we came across a wolf. Pretty rare to see one around here. The lone wolf raised a howl out of vigilance when it noticed us. I readied my sword and called to Sufi, Alright Sufi. Ill leave my back to you. Yes, I understand. As I approached the wolf, section separated from my clothing and fired a water ball in the wolfs direction. It was incredibly fast. The wolf was surprised as well, leaping to the side. I swung my sword to cut its back. It seemed like the wolf was about to barely dodge it, but Sufi separated from my clothes to restrain the wolf with her fluid body. With its movements restrained I was easily able to cut it down with my sword. I see. This is certainly pretty convenient. How was it Crest? Its a lot more incredible than I expected it would be. My attack surprised the wolf, but of course it did. Being able to make an attack without any pre-emptive movements would obviously surprising. Fufun. Thank you, it seems that when a slime becomes a higher class theyre able to dip into the consciousness of their host, allowing for a telepathy skill like method of communication during combat. You wouldnt have enemies left by that point. Right. Shall we keep going like this for the time being? Nah, Ive got a pretty good feel of this ability by now. You can just move as you please now Sufi. Eh? Dont say that. How about we stay like this for a bit longer? Any particular reason for that? Well of course. Because I can always stick to you like this! How about this time rather than above your clothes, we change it to being on your skin!? That way I can absorb your sweat and such as I please! Get off me immediately you freak! I grabbed the place I expected to be Sufis head and began frantically trying to pull her off, and Sufi eventually got off me. She looked at me sadly before puffing out her cheeks. What, theres nothing wrong with it. I said no. Look, lets just get going. While maintaining my vigilance towards her, I walked along beside Sufi. She seemed dissatisfied, but she slowly started moving as well. Volume 3 - CH 17 Jeez, isnt it fine if we flirt a just a little bit? What is Sufi even saying here. She even knows that I already have Livia. Look here. What do you think my relationship with Livia is? Good question? Shes my lover. Well then if Livia disappears Are you serious about that? Kidding, Im just kidding. But just because you have a lover doesnt mean theres a reason not to have another one right? No, normally a person only has one. Eh? Being a human sounds like a pain. Well, this isnt even the upper world so that doesnt really matter does it? Looks like Sufi didnt really care about that. She took hold of my arm and hugged it. I tried to resist by pushing her away with my hand, but her body just morphed around my hand. I could use magic to push her away but going that far would just be a pain, so I gave up and sighed. Thinking back on it, Livia also wasnt super against me gaining more lovers. Of course in her case she just wanted to be my number one. Oh right. How about I try speaking from that angle? Sufi. Just saying, but Livia will always be my number one. No matter how you approach me, you know youll never be able to be my number one, right Sufi? So give up alright? Thats what I was trying to convey to her, but Sufi just smiled. Well, I guess that cant be helped. Ill do my best to be your number two. H, huh? I was kind of expecting her to say something like well in that case Ill give up or something. Sufi remained glued to my arm and would not get off. Far less than being pushed away, Sufi conversely took my words as a sign of me giving up resisting. As I walked together with Sufi, she smiled happily the whole time. Hey, so what exactly caused this change of heart for you anyway? Didnt you have a grudge against humans? Yes I hate humans. But I love you Crest? No, but like, why? Well, I mean you did save me. In the middle of our most desperate crisis you came and saved me. Isnt it natural for me to fall for someone so strong? I see. Strong, huh. Those living in the lower world lived a life of constant danger. Perhaps its in their nature here to yearn for the strong. Am I not charming for you? Is a slime too much? It doesnt really have anything to do with being a slime. I told you before, but its because I have Livia. Thats okay. Ill show you I can become more charming than Livia. Haa Thats not the problem though. Perhaps part of the reason for this is her low intelligence? Sufis missing a few screws in her head. Maybe slimes just dont have the capacity for this kind of thought pattern in the first place. When I met her as a leader I thought she was someone with an air of tension, but now that I see her close hand this is all I can see her as. We should be arriving at the lake soon. Said Sufi glancing in a certain direction. I walked that way with Sufi. Then I could see a lake. It wasnt particularly big. Probably wouldnt take that long to walk around it. A small river was flowing out from the lake. There are monsters in this lake. Shall we lure them out? Asked Sufi. Sure. I can get some points from monsters Ive never fought before. I expectantly asked Sufi to go ahead, and she made her way closer to the lake before reaching a hand towards the water. Sufis hand touched the water surface with a ploop. I got closer to see what was going on, but I really had no idea what it was Sufi was doing. What are you doing? I turned a part of myself into monster food to lure them over. So its something like fishing then? While I watched her from the side, Sufis brow twitched. Somethings coming, get ready. The moment after Sufi uttered those words, a fish sprung forth from within the water. I appraised the monsters information. It was a monster called a blade fish. It had a sharp nose similar to a blade, which it used to try and stab us the moment it laid eyes on us. Dodging its attack, I swung my sword at the blade fish. My sword easily bisected the blade fish. Only took one hit. As expected of you, Crest. When we fought one of them before it was quite a hard battle. Well, I guess its just at that level. I checked my gacha points. 200 points huh. Its good that Ill be able to get an 11-roll from them. I guess we should keep going like this. Any more monsters around? It looks like theres still a bunch. Got it. Lets hunt twenty-five of them. I basically just took care of them. The blade fish threw themselves at me one after the other, I killed them, then the slimes and werewolves took them for processing. Lord Crest is crazy strong. As expected, our chief is incredible. Watching me taking them down in one hit, I gradually gathered everyones envy. I wasnt hunting them alone to show off or anything. This was the ideal way to go considering efficiency, but it seemed that in practice it mostly just gathered everyones envy. Well, in the end its better that they can rely on me as their chief than if they cant. After taking down 25 of them relatively quickly, I wiped the slight amount of sweat that was forming on my brow. Good work. As Sufi got closer she took my hand from my forehead. My sweat stuck to her hand before she brought it to her mouth. Oi. Fufu, delicious. Dont eat it you freak. Sufi stuck her tongue out. Then one of our companions came over. Ive prepared todays lunch. Should we take a short break here? Well I suppose so. It was exactly noon. Wed finished our goal for today, so I doubt anyone could complain about us taking a little break. Sufi received the lunch from the slime and sat down next to me. Volume 3 - CH 18 Alright, were going to be heading back to the village now. Eh? You could take your time a bit if you want to As the slimes were leaving I reflexively went to stop them. We should be fine on food even if they stick around with us. Thats what I thought, but the slimes were glancing at Sufi. Sufi was moving her hand as if to drive the slimes away. Her eyes were sharp. Oi. N- no, Lady Sufi is scary so S- see you. With that, everyone left the lakeside. Left behind was just Sufi, and me. Just the two of us. Its now just the two of us. So blatant. Werent you the one who just drove them away? But I guess it wouldnt be good if I left Sufi dissatisfied and caused a revolt. The lake is pretty too, so I guess it wouldnt hurt to eat lunch here. Should we move a bit? I suppose so. This place stinks more than I expected. I mean theres blood all over the place after all. We moved a bit away from the area we had been fighting a bit ago. It was all covered in blade fish guts and such. Moving a bit up-wind, I cut down a nearby tree and built a table and chairs. Then I sat down opposite to Sufi. Thats a pretty nifty skill huh. Well, yeah it is. Sufi smiled happily and then opened up the lunch box. It was wood, made with my skill. It was just a normal box originally, but nothing wrong with using it as a lunch box. The opened lunchbox was stuffed with meat, vegetables, and the like. Sufi also brought out another box. This one was filled with bread. It was a staple food to go with meat and veggies. Is it good? asked Sufi. Yeah it is. Did you make it Sufi? Yes, thats right. It might be a bit behind what someone with a cooking skill could make, but Im glad that its edible. Sufi seemed to take a sigh of relief. Seeing her face loosen up happily made me feel a little embarrassed. It didnt particularly taste any worse than what others made. More than anything though, I was glad that it was made for me. Once lunch was over I looked at Sufi. It was good, thanks Sufi. Dont worry about it. Could I have a reward? I had the feeling that Sufis eyes lit up. It that your goal? I may have gone to far with the praise. What a blunder. Something like that, but I wont do anything weird. You wont do? So its an action rather than something physical? Since it was a reward, I was thinking maybe she wanted me to make her something but that seemed to be wrong. Yes, thats right. Could you make me your bed and rest a bit? What does that mean? I tilted my head at that. Where exactly is she going with this? What do you mean by my bed? To put it simply, I was thinking of giving you a full body massage. If I use my slime body I figured I could alleviate some of the fatigue in your body. I see. After Sufi said so, she spread out her body. Her liquid for changed to wrap around my whole body. I understood what she was doing. The one issue with that was Rather than a reward for you Sufi, doesnt that seem more like a reward for me? By no means! Being able to wrap around your body is the greatest reward! I can lick all over your whole body! Ah-, Ill give you a massage! Her lust was out of control. However, I see now. So thats a reward for Sufi, huh. I could certainly understand the meaning of this. Quite honestly I would rather give her something else as a reward but I was a bit curious. Sufis body was soft, and when it touched me I could feel my strength leaving my body. I cant deny wanting to enjoy that feeling over my whole body. Plus, the constant flow of issues Ive faced since coming down to the lower world has certainly made my body tired. In that case Should I just get one like this? It wont hurt or anything? I got closer to Sufis spread out body. Its fine. Thanks thanks for worrying about me. Since slimes take damage normally when theyre cut I was a bit worried. But if Sufi says so herself it should be fine. I laid down on top of her. A bouncy feeling wrapped around my body. It was soft. Above all it was a comfortable temperature. Normally this sort of thing would be cold, but this time it was the temperature of skin. Being wrapped up in this sensation was, quite frankly, the best. I was naturally overcome with drowsiness that threatened to close my eyes. How is it? This is, nice. Right? I had a feeling you were tired after all Crest. Here, Ill begin the massage. As she said so, my whole body was wrapped up in hers. Of course being wrapped up so much put me on guard, but she even managed to relax my heart. A moderate sweet scent reached my nose. You know how slimes are able to make things like drinks theyve had right? Ah, yeah, you told me. My body had loosened up enough that even talking was a pain. Also, wasnt this feeling of my fatigue leaving my body the effect of a medicinal herb? Are you using, herbs as well? Right. But, of course compared to a single herb made into a potion the effect is weaker Your eyes seem pretty sleepy. Yeah, this is seriously comfortable. Im covering your face as well Eh? I thought, but the next moment my face was wrapped up. I was worried that I wouldnt be able to breath, but that didnt seem to be the case. I guess I can talk, and breath as well. I made some space for air, so theres no problem. Thats why if I wrap your body you can check out under the sea. Like slime armour? Yes, thats right. Actually if you have a slime body inside your clothes, I think that should by itself raise your defensive power. I see. I guess that might be necessary for some enemies in the future. Right. But for now dont think about anything and let your fatigue all out. Yeah. She massaged all of me with her slime body. When I opened my eyes I was getting a lap pillow from Sufi. Good morning, you seemed to sleep well. How long was I out for? Maybe two hours? Two hours huh. Seems I slept well. I tried to move my body and was very surprised. It was as if all of my tiredness was gone. I felt light enough to sprout wings from my back. That was amazing. All of my fatigue is gone. Right? For us, fatigue itself is food. It was delicious. I see Can the other slimes do that? Yes. I thought Id ask you to let the other slimes eat the fatigue of the other monsters after letter you get some hands on experience with it. How about it? No, I dont think theres anyone who would refuse. Theyd probably become addicted after the first time. Do you want to do it again? I guess so. When Im tired again. Yay! Ive acquired the right to play with Crests body as much as I like! Well then, shall we head back? Ah, yeah. Please call it a massage. I was aware of her shady motives when she says it like that, but the results of her massage speak for themselves. With my body lighter than usual, I made my way back to base along with Sufi. Volume 3 - CH 19 Finally. Inside my room in the village, I continued to wait for the coming moment. There was a rising feeling of exhilaration in whole body. My heart hoped dearly for the time to come sooner. Thats right, June. I knew Id be able to see the remaining time tick down by the second if I looked at the gacha window. Having experienced the gacha changing when it switched from April to May, I couldnt help but anticipate what it would change to for June. Since the April gacha banner was swapped out at the start of May, I obviously couldnt help but wait for the same change out as June was starting. If I got a message saying something like skills are only available up through march, then Id probably start cursing god once again. At the present moment Id saved up 10000 points. With this many I should be able to begin my conquest of the June skills right away. Feeling my anticipation towards this, I continued waiting for the day to change in my room. After a short while of this, I heard a knock from the entrance door. Opening it up, I found Livia. From the doghouse Id set up out front I could see Rufina glance at me. Lord Crest, I see you are still awake. Im too excited to be able to sleep. I invited Livia into my house. Livia was also looking forward to my new gacha, so we arranged to meet tonight. I followed Livia into the room, and we sat down beside each other on the bed. Just a little bit longer then? Asked Livia after I showed her the gacha window. Yup. Livia rested her soft body against mine. I gently petted her head, prompting her to further nuzzle up against me happily. Like that, we killed time flirting with each other like usual until finally the date changed. The screen flashed brightly for a moment. Is it time then, Lord Crest? Ah, yeah it is I swallowed my saliva for a moment before peering into the screen. For starters the fact that there was a gacha at all was reliving in and of itself. After that, there was the goodies: June Special! The assassin gacha is now open! was now written. The pickup banner included the three skills Assassin, Disguise, and Weakness Detection. Assassin, is it? I wonder what sort of skills those might be? Livia tilted her head and asked seeing the newly available skills. [TL Note: Assassin is written in English, so this isnt a dumb question] Looks like some kind of professional killer. A professional killer? It sounds a bit unsettling, but I suppose having your combat abilities go up is a good thing right? I guess so. But an assassin usually specializes in killing from the shadows and the like. Right now we tend to have a lot of fights straight on, so Im uncertain whether or not Ill be able to put it to good use. Certainly, when you put it that way it does seem like a skill more suited for someone like a spy. It does seem to be that way. A spy using various things to change their appearance is perfectly suited for the assassin skills. But, just having a new gacha was enough to fan my gacha hunger. What effects will the Assassin skill have? I can get the gist for the Disguise and Weakness Detection skills though. Whatever, I just want the new gacha skills. Then I want to try them! Alright, lets roll it. Right. Do your best! Will Livias support, I rolled the skill gacha. With 10000 points I can roll twice. Now for the eleven time gacha. Feeling a bit nervous I rolled the gacha. The treasure chest appeared before my eyes. I touched it, causing the usual orbs to come out. 5 copper, 3 silver, 2 gold, and 1 rainbow. Right now you would prefer to have more rainbow right? Yeah, but its fine. Right now Im happy with anything. I replied to Livia while checking my skills. This part was the same as usual. Next was silver. These are all skills I know as well. Sword technique speaks for itself, but Construction technique is incredibly handy, so I consider it a big hit. Next up is the gold skills. Hmm? I noticed that there was a brand new skill this time. Trap magic? Whats that supposed to do? Trap magic: Allows magic that activates under specific conditions to be installed in a location I see. This could be pretty handy to have while hunting. Might also help raise the defensive capabilities of the village. Taking a look at it, it seems like Trap magic doesnt activate on its own. Instead when I activate trap magic I can load it with some fire magic for example. The condition can be something like activate when stepped on or some for it to activate when some other condition is activated. Looks like I can use fairly specific conditions as well. Isnt this pretty useful even at level 1? I thought, but it seems like its limited to only being loaded with level 1 magic as well. Looks like it will be hard to use until I can raise the its level a bit. Alright, next up is finally the rainbow skill. I wonder whats in that one? I reached my hand out to the rainbow skill orb. Volume 3 - CH 20 The skills name appeared the moment I touched the rainbow skill orb. Rainbow skills [Assassin: lvl 1] Ooh, the skill I wanted came out! Before I could shout out in joy myself, Livia next to me hugged me harder and shouted out, You did it lord Crest! Yeah, I did! As expected, the first gacha of the month is great. For now all I can get are hits. Lets check out what it does for now. Assassin: grants you with the assassin state The state of an assassin? Whats that supposed to mean? Through further appraisal I examined that too. Assassin state: Improves abilities such as presence detection and presence isolation I see. I guess its not a skill for directly killing things as an assassin, but rather focuses more on the preliminary actions. As its level goes up my ability in convert actions should rise as well. Ill leave trying it out in practice for later, for now Ill spin the gacha another time. I have 5000 points left. I hope you get another skill you dont have this time. Yeah. Of course Id like to have assassin level up again, but for now I want to get a new skill. With that goal in mind, I once again rolled the gacha. The chest appeared, and from it came four types of orbs. Together we counted them, and found that we got a rainbow orb! 4 bronze, 4 sliver, 2 gold, 1 rainbow you did it! Since we got 2 rainbow orbs this time, perhaps well be able to get all the skills this time! Yeah hopefully we dont end up with overlaps as well. Right. Lets take a look at them! With Livia rushing me I began checking my skills. Starting from bronze. Theyre getting stronger at least. Next up are the four silver skills. Im a bit sad that fewer went into magic skills this time. Hmm? More skills Ive never seen before. Shinobi step technique and Key technique, huh. Ive never seen those two before. What kind of skills are they? Ill start by checking out the Silent step technique skill. I used Appraisal on the skill. Silent step technique: erases sound Got it. With the assassin skill it should help me with infiltration. But right now the level is still only 1 so it seems that the effective time is quite low. Im looking forward to seeing it go up as I roll the gacha. Next up, Key technique. I examined the skill. Key technique: Can make keys, able to unlock with those keys Oh? Were my expectations spot on? There probably arent that many locks here in the lower world. For now, I can make keys with construction technique and smithing technique, but I dont imagine other tribes will be making locks. With that being the case, it doesnt look like there will be too many places Ill be able to use this skill. In the upper world though it would probably be a criminal type skill. Well, I suppose I am supposed to be in the upper world right now so it cant be helped that Im getting skills like this. Ill have to save testing these skills out for later as well. Next up I took a look at the gold skills. Hopefully I can get trap magic again Oh, Its trap magic. With this I can load it with level 2 magic so its usefulness should be higher than before. Now for the finale. One rainbow skill. Feeling nervous, I confirmed the rainbow skill. Damn! Its the same one. Of course I am grateful for the level increase, but not this skill right now Id much rather have gotten a different skill. Thats a shame, lord Crest. Right. But well, I guess we can enjoy that after tomorrow. Yes. If its you lord Crest then youll be able to get all of them. Livia told me happily. Well then lord Crest, shall we sleep together? Id like to try out the skills for a bit if that alright with you? I put my hands together and looked into Livias eyes. Just a bit longer alright? Its already pretty late in the night. Got it. With Livias blessing, I got to trying my skills right away. Ill leave assassin for last. Ill start with Shinobi feet technique. I guess it erases sounds? After activating it, I tried taking a step. Ah, the sound is gone. Just as Livia said, no matter how hard I stomped it didnt make any footstep sounds. But the active time was only 10 seconds. There werent any limitations on reuse so there was no problem with me using it over an over again. If its like this there arent any problems with level 1. Thats because you have a lot of magic power lord Crest. But with this it should be possible for you to act in infiltration type settings. Thats right. There might be a chance to use it as we go in for the next battle. Theres a chance we might take this route for our next fight. Considering that we need to rescue Vanyas companions, this skill has pretty good usability. Even in the off chance that we end up having to fight, I can sneak in alone and cause chaos among the enemy ranks. Next up Ill check out Key technique. Volume 3 - CH 21 There were two different methods in key technique. The first was to use ore to create a key for something, the other is to force it open with magic. Id heard about key technique in the upper world of course, but I wasnt aware of the specifics as to what it was. Ill test it out for now. Feeling slightly charmed by my curiosity, I made my way to the entrance door. There was a bolt holding the door closed. Touching it with my hand, I activated key technique. After consuming a sufficient amount of magic power, the bolt opened. I see. Key technique seems pretty useful, doesnt it. Yeah, it might be more usable than I initially thought. Now doors I wouldnt have been able to open could be forced open just by using some magic power. But it looks like it still takes quite a bit of magic power since its only level one at the moment. In the upper world, locks that could only be opened via magic power were known as magic locks. It seems the method of creating a key out of ore works for opening up a normal lock. These were called physical locks in the upper world. Right now I dont have any particular way to use for that method. In the upper world every single house would have either a physical or a magic lock installed on it, but that was just a measure against burglary and other crimes. That sort of crime doesnt really happen here in this village. Supposing someone did try to commit a crime, they really wouldnt have anywhere to escape outside of the village. As long as they arent completely stupid, no one would try something like that. Is something the matter, lord Crest? Key technique lets me create both physical and magic formula locks, but I was just thinking that there really isnt any reason to go out of the way to use it at the moment. Certainly, locks are something you make to protect you from external threats. I dont think we need to go that far at the moment, but it might be a good idea to make some for the weapons shed and food storage. Ah, youre right. Theres always the off chance of something happening. Like Livia said, it might be a good idea to make some locks for those just in case. Um, Ive seen physical locks before, but I dont know anything about magic formula locks. What are those exactly? Magic formula locks, commonly called magic locks, are locks that open up in response to the magic power that is registered to them. I activated key technique and touched the front door, causing a magic circle to emerge from it. Using key technique further, I registered my own magic power to it. Temporarily removing the bolt from the door, I gave it a push to open it but it wouldnt budge. Looks like the door doesnt open anymore. It only opens up when magic power from someone registered is poured into this magic circle. Right, I want to register your magic power in it as well so could you put your hand on it? Like this? I could tell that Livia had put some power into it. Her cute face, perhaps due to exerting her power, was slightly flushed. I activated key technique and registered Livias magic power. After having her remove her hand from it, I looked at Livia. Now try putting your hand on the magic circle again. Understood. When Livia touched the magic circle again, it emitted a bright light. This removed the pressure from the door that was there when it was locked, so when Livia pushed on the door it opened naturally. I see, so thats how it works. yeah, they use physical and magical locks in important places, but we dont need to go that far. Im pretty sure its usually used on safes and such? They also use two-step locks on prisons that house dangerous criminals. It becomes more troublesome to manage them though, so two-step locks really arent used much. At this level key technique is already more than good enough. Id need to raise its level beyond 1 to reduce the magic expenditure, but Im not going to be making magic locks unless I have a surplus of magic power anyway, so its not much of an issue. As I thought, this isnt really a skill for the lower world. I can freely destroy any of the locks that Ive made. Since I dont really need that magic lock from earlier, Ill destroy it for now. With that, Ive finished examining key technique. I guess Ill take a look at trap magic next Yes, If I recall correctly its magic that can activate stored magic? How is it used? Ive got some ideas. Lets go check them out. I tried making some trap magic right away. First I had to pick a spot to set the trap. One thats picked out, I then had to choose the kind of trap it is. For this one I made it so it would activate when stepped on. After that was the magic that would be loaded into the trap. For that I went with some wind magic that would make a light breeze. Once everything was set, a magic circle appeared for a brief moment before disappearing. I cant see the trap magic. Remarked Livia. Thats true. But if you put some magic power into your eyes then you can see it. Eh? I cant see it though. Is that so? Lets see if I can make it visible somehow Become visible for Livia too, I tried thinking in my mind. Ah, I can see it now. Thats good. Now, mind walking on it for me? Eh? Wh, what kind of trap did you set? Its set to create a light breeze. It shouldnt be able to hurt you I think. Understood. Livia approached the trap looking a little bit nervous. As soon as she got to the spot I selected, a magic circle appeared. Kya!? Even though she knew it was coming, Livia let out a small scream in surprise. I, its fine since I could see it, but its a bit startling. Thats true. It looks like there are a lot of ways I can use this, but for now it might be good to set it up at gates that outside enemies might come in and such. Even if I call it a gate, its still just made of wood. Even the walls are only made of processed wood buried in the ground. Its better than having nothing though. What can you set up as the condition? It seems I can do pretty much anything with it. The magic cost goes up quite a bit with the level of complexity, but its still within acceptable limits. For example, I could set it to only go off for those who arent my allies. In other words, I could make it only go off when someone who I havent given a magic name. That would let us launch a preemptive attack on potential enemies. My fantasies were running wild. Lord Crests gacha skill is certainly amazing of course, but your greatest talent might be that amount of magic power. She might be right about that. Its evidence that I was born with something good. But, without a good skill, magic power is just pearls before a swine. Next up is the last one. Its finally time to take a look at the assassin skill. Volume 3 - CH 22 Alrighty then, last up is assassin. So the assassin skill allows you to detect presences, or something like that? Asked Livia. Right. It also has presence isolation written in the description. Its certainly not a skill to show openly. I activated assassin right away. The moment I granted the assassin state to myself, L, lord Crest? Livia cautiously reached her hand out in my direction until it brushed against me. Then she finally let out a sigh of relief. This sudden change in Livia surprised me. Whats wrong? Well, umm It looked like you just suddenly disappeared before my eyes. Well, no, I can still see you, but I guess its like I cant maintain my awareness. I see. Even thought I activated it right in front of her, it was still this effective. The assassin state cuts off after three minutes. It seems that I can cut if off myself as well. Since I pulled assassin twice, its currently level two. If I raised the level more, I guess it will last longer and become more effective? The magic power cost isnt high enough to be an issue, so with a longer duration it might be fine as it is. Livia, theres a little more that I want to test out. Mind closing your eyes for a bit? Okay. Livia closed her eyes. Once I confirmed they were shut tight, Alright, its okay. E-excuse me, Lord Crest!? Is this enough? Could it be, she cant hear my voice either? This skill might be even more dangerous than I imagined. I tried observing her for a bit, when Livia suddenly opened her eyes. Both her eyes were opened wide. Livia looked around at her surroundings nervously. Purposely not using silent steps, I tried moving around loudly. When I did this, the creaking sound of the wood floor became clearly audible. Even though she cant hear my voice, I guess she can hear this. Livias shoulder flinched up at the sound. L, lord Crest. Are you there? Moving at a slow pace, Livia made her way towards me. Activating silent steps, I tried moving away from Livia. She reached her hand out to the spot I was standing before, but she didnt feel me there. She looked around the room again nervously. The way her face looked with her eyebrows lowered uneasily was very cute. But it would probably be mean of me to watch her like this for too long. I moved up close to her and tapped her lightly on the shoulder. Hii!? Looks like she could tell she was touched. She turned around reflexively. Finally Livia was able to notice me. Her expression was dyed with relief. L, lord Crest. So thats where you were. Well, yeah. Could you not see me at all? Y, yes. Had I not been able to hear you, I wouldnt have been able to do anything. Indeed, looks like it. But man, Livias surprised expression was so cute. Id like to try this again sometime. Whats wrong, lord Crest? Well, you looked quite surprised Livia. Could you please not tease me? Livia huffed and turned away from me. Whoops, looks like I made her angry. My bad I dont care anymore. I tried to sneak a peek at Livias face, but she quickly pointed her face in a different direction. This is bad, shes really angry. Im really sorry okay. Can you please forgive me? In that case, I might just forgive you if you give me a hug and pat my head? Said Livia with a pout on her face. I guess theres no other way? Livia finally turned her face towards me. Her expression had a bit of expectation in it, but at the same time was a little angry. Even though we sleep together every night, it was still a little embarrassing to have her say it again straight on. Although its embarrassing, she might not cheer up for me if I dont do it. I hugged her tightly, aware that my hands were shaking slightly. Lord Crest, are you embarrassed by any chance? No, of course Im not. Fufu, thats cute. After saying this, Livia gave my cheek a kiss. It was a complete surprise attack. My face went hot. I was probably turning bright red. Looking at her, Livias cheeks were also a bit red, but her face was definitely saying got you as she looked at me. Fufu, you look quite surprised. Well of course I do. Now I forgive you. I guess its payback for earlier. Well then, since weve finished checking out your new skills, shall we sleep together again tonight? I guess so. Livia took hold of my hand, before I was pulled along by her to the bed. Volume 3 - CH 23 The next day. I went to visit Vanyas place. Her house was just a little bit away from my house. When I knocked on the door of her room, a sleepy faced Vanya appeared, saying What Its not even morning yet I guess to a vampire it wasnt morning yet. I thought Id ask you a bit about magic tools. I see, then will you come inside please? I dont want to get hit by the sun. Vanya glared at the sun resentfully. I was hoping to talk inside as well so this works out for me. Lead by Vanya I entered the room. It had a table, chair, and a bed in it, the minimum level of furnishing. Oh right, hows your life here? Umu! Very pleasant! You and your peoples skills are amazing! Glad to hear it. It seems like there arent any issues with her life right now. So, what sort of magic tools do you want me to make? Well I wanted to ask you about the strengthening magic stones from before. There arent any side effects from those, right? The ones I make are fine. Those who lack an aptitude for them might have various issues, but everyone in this village should be fine. Is that right? Yes. It may be due to everyone having magic names. You cant use them without a strong vessel, but everyone here meets that requirement. I see. In that case, Id also like to have different magic stones made what sort of structure does it have? Oh!? So youre interested in magic tools arent you!? Well yeah. Also, I like to know exactly what it is Im using. Just using something knowing nothing about it can be scary. Vanya seemed very happy at my question. Then let me explain it for you! We use our skill to mess around with the data stored inside magic stones! The data in magic stones? Right. By interfering with the data inside magic stones, we rewrite the effects to activate how we want them to. In short, its magic that uses magic stones. I see. So basically you just change the data inside a magic stone to make it work similarly to enhancement magic, and then simply activate that? Just like that. Thats why it fundamentally cant do more than what a magic stone itself is capable of. Could you show me that crazy magic stone you had? Sure. I pulled out the magic stone she was asking for and handed it over to her. It was a pain to carry around for sure, but it would be dangerous to leave sitting around somewhere so I usually had it on me. Vanya took it carefully with a grimace on her face. This is quite a fine magic stone. A very malicious magic power is stored in it as well. A youko may have used it. Now that she mentions it, Leon said something about that too. Ive also somewhat had some acquaintance with the youko Leon kept as a slave. We spoke a few times. A magic stone meant to kill its user it wouldnt be strange to call it that. I see. In any case, dont make anything like this please. I know that! The ones I make are just enhancement magic stones! I see. Then Ill tell the villagers to hand all the magic stones they gather to you Vanya. Leave it to me. She thumped her small chest. The wings on her back also fluttered up and down as if to show her enthusiasm. Is there anything else you want me to make!? Vanyas eyes sparkled, perhaps due to how much she enjoyed making magic tools. I dont really know what you can make, but as long as its something that can help the village anything is fine. Really!? Then how about a magic refrigerator!? A magic refrigerator, huh. Id heard about those in the upper world. Its a magic tool used for preserving food and the like. Id seen them used at the dining room of my familys house. There were also more advanced ones called magic freezers. They werent exactly luxury goods, but they were still something only wealthy households possessed. Can you make them? And I can make the necessary magic stones. A magic refrigerator just needs a magic stone that can put out cold air, so with one of those its easy. Theyre called cooling magic stones and more specifically they are made by- Vanya began to ramble on excitedly. N, no need to actually go into that much detail. Its fine as long as its not dangerous. G, got it. Basically you just need a box and youre good to go? Thats right! Theres a shed that we use as a food storage right now, so could you install cooling magic stones in there? Leave it to me! She once again thumped her chest. I couldnt help but relax my cheeks at her innocent, childlike smile. Now, lets get on to the main topic. The other reason I came here was to learn more about the ogre base. Volume 3 - CH 24 Up until now Id done my best to avoid any topic regarding ogres. Though I spoke about a rescue, I didnt actually have any specific plan in mind after all. It might be unfair, but Id been putting it off by not talking about it. But with yesterdays gacha, I was able to come up with a plan. Lets leave the topic of magic tools there for now. I want to hear more about the ogres base. Ogres huh. What about it do you want to know? Vanyas eyebrow twitched slightly, and her expression turned serious. This was a plan to rescue her companions, so of course she would be serious about it. About how many captured vampires do they have? There are nine in total. Nine huh. With that many it would be hard to just sneak them out. It would be easy to sneak in with the assassin skill. Thats why I thought maybe I could just secretly take them all out of there, but that would be difficult with those numbers. As I was devising various strategies in my head, Vanya continued, Also, there are captives from other races. What? Vanya said something I didnt expect at all. What other races are there? When I got out there were also dryads and golems. Do you know how many of them? There were ten golems I think. And dryads there were so many there Im not sure. Any idea if there are others like you who escaped, or are from the same races who are hostile to the ogres? if there are, then I might be able to bring them in as allies by explaining the situation to them. If we could form a cooperative relationship we might be able to face the ogres. However, Vanya shook her head. I heard that there were none. It was from the leaders of the golems and dryads so theres no doubt. I see. I guess it is what it is. When we attack, we have no choice but to do it on our own. But Id like to make sure of the situation of the golems and dryads first. Whether they hold hostility with the ogres or not. If they do, then we might be able to have them help with the vampire rescue. That should raise our probability of success by quite a lot. Whereabouts is the ogre base located? Id heard that it was somewhere to the north, but I dont know the exact location. I wanted to check out the location firsthand before carrying out my plan, and also thinking about the future in general. It should be directly north from here. I see. I also wanted to ask about the general state of the ogres living conditions, but I could figure that out by seeing it directly. Im thinking we check it out from a distance tonight, is that alright? Y-yes, I understand. Vanya was a bit lost for words. Her face was a little bit pale. Her body too, was she scared? It was shaking. I dont know what sort of treatment shes gotten up until now. I couldnt understand everything, but I could imagine it must have been terrible. Are you worried? Rather than worried, Im a little scared. But its still necessary for the rescue. Yeah, it is. I feel bad to be making her feel scared, but shes the only one who knows the ogre base. I have to rely on her cooperation for this. Im not saying any of this to be mean to her. But to get her help, Ill at least need to get rid of some of her worries. Vanya, if anything happens well protect you. Dont worry. Crest. You dont need to fight alone anymore. You can rely on us. When I answered with this, Vanya looked at me intently and then smiled. Thank you Crest. I understand why everyone admires you. Its nothing. Im just doing what I think is right. Fufu, thats right. Im really glad I was able to meet you. With that, our plans for tonight are settled. Make sure to rest up for tonight. We arent in a hurry for magic tools after all. Its fine. Vampires are a species that can survive on little sleep after all. Is that right. By the way, Vanya broke off her words and looked at me seriously. If something does happen, use me as a shield. I dont have any regrets in this life. So even if I die I want you to still save everyone. I understand. But I wont let you die either. Everyone will return to a normal life, got it? Of course. For now, well go check out the situation at the ogre base. We can decide what to do after that. Volume 3 - CH 25 As night fell, I gathered the minimum number of people we would need. Livia, Orphe, and Sufi. I wanted to have those three look at the ogre base and share the information they get with everyone. Well then, Vanya. Please guide us there. Umu, I understand. With Vanya at the head of our group, we made our way through the nighttime forest. It was darker than I imagined. When I first descended to the lower world it was certainly this dark. That was already two months ago now. Back then I was scared of monsters. Now, I have powerful people like Livia, Orphe, and Sufi around me. I feel absolutely no fear. But my eyes arent really used to the darkness. Putting magic power into my eyes makes my vision a little better, but its really only a little. I glanced over to Livia walking beside me. All demi-humans seem to have excellent night vision, so this darkness doesnt seem to bother them at all. But Livia was still walking really close to me. She was close enough that our arms might stick together on my right. Livia, whats wrong? W-with what? Livia raised a bizarre voice and looked to me in surprise. As I tilt my head at her exaggerated reaction, Sufi made her way closer. Livia, are you perhaps not good with the dark? Asked Sufi. Of course Im fine with it! Ah, theres a ghost floating over there! [TLN: Technically it was a Hitodama, which are those little soul fire things.] Hii!?! Livia let out a cute scream and clung to my arm. Seeing this, Sufi started to cackle with laughter. Of course there wasnt a ghost or anything. Sufi was just lying. Once she figured this out, Livias lowered her brow, miffed. She separated herself from me and with went over to Sufi, her cheeks puffed out in anger and her expression grim. Sufi? It would be fine if I cut you in half here? Livia was saying something pretty dangerous, but Sufi was unconcerned. Fufufu, what can such a frightened sword do I wonder? Said Sufi trying to stir her up. Looking closer, Livia was certainly shaking. Maybe she really is scared of this darkness. After glaring at Sufi for a bit, she turns with a huff and walks away. I walk next to her. Livia, are you alright? I-Im fine. N-not scared or anything. Her words at the end sounded completely monotone. Livia is definitely scared. If Livias in trouble I want to help her. With this in mind, I took her hand in mine. She looked at me in surprise, to which I responded with a smile. Livia, do you want to hold hands? W-well, isnt that rather pathetic? No no, I dont mean it that way. Its just because Im scared. See, its fine right? Livia seemed to want to hide it no matter what, so I made sure to emphasise that I was the one having trouble. After opening her eyes wide for a moment, she smiled happily. Thank you very much, lord Crest. In that case, may I hug your arm? Yeah, sure. At my reply, Livia embraced my arm. Meeting her eye, she looked a shy with a tinge of embarrassment. I could feel my heart tightening at that smile. Cute. The moment we began walking side by side, Sufi came up beside me. Ah, Crest! Im also scared of ghosts! Sufi came up on the opposite side of me from Livia and went to hug my arm, so Livia and I quickly moved away. Youre fine, arent you? Here, lets go. Eh- Its not fair to just let Livia do it. I want to cling to you too! Cling to you and drink your body fluids! Stop it you pervert. While glaring at Sufi, I moved up beside Orphe who was walking a bit ahead. Noticing me, Orphe grinned. Hey mister popular. quipped Orphe. Dont tease me Isnt it fine. Its necessary for a chief. Good grief. Orphe continued to grin as he looked at me. After another hour of walking, the steep slope surrounded by trees suddenly opened up. There, Vanya turned her head towards us. You all really dont have any tension huh. Look, see those lights over there? Thats their base. Looking down from where we were, there were definitely lights. Volume 3 - CH 26 I strained my eyes to look into the middle of all the light. The ogre base were rows of wooden houses. Mixed sparsely among them were lights as well. Ive seen various villages since coming down to the lower world. Goblin, werewolf, slime. Each of these three villages had a fundamentally different level of technology. Even now, thanks to my skill our village had grown a lot, but the ogre village was that much higher. The lights arent fine are they? Are they magic? I asked. Those lights are made by magic tools. They must have had my companions make them. Said Vanya with a disgusted expression. The large base was surrounded by a stone wall. It was similar to the large wall surrounding the royal capital in the upper world. Any half hearted monster attack would likely leave it unscathed. It was clear from those walls that they had a technological prowess far greater than our village. Who made those walls? The golems. It seems golems hold a skill for processing stone. Then how about the wood houses? Those were the dryads. Then having us vampires make the small magic tools, they made that village. I see. So with various species working together no, by unilaterally working them they were able to build that village. Its a fine village. Much more than ours. For starters the outer walls are too firm. A direct assault on those is impossible. Even the gates are made of stone, so an ordinary attack couldnt break them. It seems well have to take care of them from the inside. Straining my eyes and making use of appraisal and such, I spotted an ogre near the gate. It was about two meters tall, with sharp horns and sturdy build. In its hand it held a hammer like weapon. If that body were to swing it, you probably wouldnt be able to stand a direct hit. The mood from earlier disappeared. Orphe and Livias expressions turned grim. As expected, those guys are a cut above the rest as a species. Observed Orphe. Yes. A direct attack against them probably wouldnt be the best plan. Said Livia. Their attacks alone would be fine, but adding magic tools and such into the mix would be troublesome. Remarked Sufi carefreely. Vanya responded, Of course, their weapons were also made by my companions. Even if youre a slime, dont drop your guard. Our magic tool technology is amazing after all. Is that right. Amazing amazing. Sufi went up as if shed climb Vanyas back and began petting her head. Dont treat me like a child! Fufu, isnt it fine. After all, your head is still young right? Your skin is more youthful (pichipichi) than Livias too. Could you refrain from making statements that could cause suspicion about me? Livia stared at Sufi. I wonder how old Livia is? Is she not the age she looks? Hey Orphe, how old are you? About 50. Eh? Is that so. That said, humans and demi-humans have different lifespans after all. You and I arent that different in terms of body age. I guess so. Demi-humans live for a long time. I think I might have heard that somewhere before. Since demi-humans live a long time, they dont have many children. It seems they naturally evolved that way. Its different between races too. Im sure youve heard that elves live for a very long time. I see. How old do you think Livia is? Probably around the same as me? So she shouldnt be too different from you body wise. You dont have to worry. What is it that he doesnt need to worry about? Livia who should have been talking to Sufi was coming this way. Her cheeks were puffed out and she was glaring at Orphe. Orphe put on a forced smile and then made his way behind me to hide. Oi. L-Livia. Orphe didnt do anything wrong? I was the one who asked him on my own accord. I dont particularly mind. Im around 60 years old. Demi-humans dont care that much about age. We can get to around 150 years old, so in human terms Im around 20. Indeed. My country should have a life expectancy of around 50. But Orphe and Livia are much higher than that. If thats the case, it might be good to change how I deal with them. Mou, thats enough about my age right? Rather why did we start on this topic? Its Sufis fault isnt it. It wasnt me. By the way Im still only 40. Fufu, squishy (pichipichi). Cause Im a slime In a physical sense that is. [TLN: pichipichi means both youthful and elastic, so shes making a joke about you probably get it] I let out a small sigh before bringing the conversation back on topic. Livia mentioned earlier that a direct attack would be dangerous, but from the start I havent intended to fight head on. I said, causing Livias eyes to widen.