Translator: Cryus
「Hmm.」
Gelta is nodding in satisfaction.
She"s talking to Adele and Irina in a completely different tone than before.
She"s suddenly showing them affection.
「From this moment on, you may call me Granny Gelta.」
「Okay.」
「We"re looking forward to it.」
With that, Granny Gelta recalls her Replicant.
「Now, let us go to the workshop. Bring your monster summons with you.」
「「Okay.」」
They"re leaving the parade square now.
Oops.
I"ve been taking care of the finances for the most part.
I haven"t given them their share of Dyns.
「Please wait a moment.」
「Hm?」
「I"d like to give them their share of money.」
「If that"s what you"re worried about, I"ll help you with it.」
The employee is offering his a.s.sistance, so I"ll take him up on his offer.
「They"re getting 30%.」
I hand him 4 small bags of coins.
「Thank you.」
They"ve stopped just before leaving the parade square, and are giving me a polite bow.
We"re finishing our goodbyes through Whisper.
『Don"t forget to collect your leather armor from Saki. We"ll see each other eventually.』
『Thank you for taking care of us.』
『We"ll be back to cuddle Volff next time!』
『Sure.』
I manage a strained laugh.
It"s typical of Adele.
『Just send me a message if you need anything.』
『Alright!』
『Understood.』
Oh well.
If anything, they"ll most likely contact Mio or Yuka.
They"re much more familiar with the game than I am anyway.
Or rather…
I"m not the type to study every detail of the game seriously.
Meanwhile, Master has recalled his Pyrochimera.
I don"t see any sign of it.
「Keith, you seem to have grown much.」
「What are you saying? You left him to me.」
They"re starting to fight again.
And the employee isn"t here to stop them.
「Please forgive us for imposing on you. And, Master…」
「Yes?」
「When did you come back?」
「Just last night. I came back to stop those siblings from fighting.」
「You didn"t really stop us though.」
They"re about to pull on each other"s beards again, so I"m stepping in to stop them.
Well, it looks like they"re both doing well, so I guess it"s fine.
「Now then, what will happen to my training?」
「Well, I am sorry, but I will have to depart once more tomorrow. You may follow Lugran"s instructions as you have been.」
「You"re leaving him with me again?」
「Come on now, think about what is happening right now.」
「Mm…」
What is it about?
They"re looking grim all of a sudden.
「Very well. Come again tomorrow morning. I"m going to talk with Aurnier for today.」
「Huh.」
「I have other things to do. I"ll be going now.」
「Okay.」
「See you tomorrow then.」
Lugran is going back to the guild in a hurry.
I guess it"s only natural that he"s busy as the leader of an organization.
「At any rate, you already have 6 monster summons.」
「Yes.」
「Your choice of monster summons is rather good.」
「Thank you very much.」
「And, how have you been fighting?」
「It hasn"t changed.」
「Really?」
「Yes.」
「Isn"t it about time to consider changing your way of fighting?」
「Not yet.」
「You are a stubborn one.」
I feel bad for him, but it"s not that easy to change my habits.
After all, I"ve been hearing that metallic weapons will decrease the efficiency of my spells.
Staves, rods, and wooden bows are commonly used by magic users because they don"t interfere with spells.
And in my case…
Recently, I"ve been using my Kaya Wood Rod less and less in combat.
「Right. I suppose we could just talk, but I wish to see how much you have grown.」
「Huh?」
「Are you willing to fight against the usual opponent?」
Don"t tell me…
We"re going to the mountains?
Well, I guess I shouldn"t be surprised by now.
「How about it?」
「Very well.」
Alright then.
Looks like I"m going to fight another Snow Ape.
I"m accepting my share of the compensation for the quest from the guild employee.
I recall Jericho and summon Zangetsu before leaving Remut.
Oh yeah, I should also return the old saddle I borrowed from Master.
He"s putting on the saddle I just returned on the Battle Horse he summoned.
We"re heading off under the cloudy skies.
It feels like it"s been a long time since we did this.
「Summon Monster!」
The Roc Bird arrives, and I recall Zangetsu before riding it.
It"s also been a while since I rode the Roc Bird and flown on it.
As usual, it"s starting to get cold really quickly.
The air is thin too.
I"m embracing Jean and Volff while burying myself in the feathers of the Roc Bird.
While I"m resisting the cold in this way, a welcome info popup appears.
《【Cold Resistance】Level Up!》
That helps.
I was about to freeze to death.
In fact, it"s hard on me every time when I"m with Master.
「Now then, your opponent for today…」
「Yes.」
「Shall be the usual.」
「It"s the usual.」
「Actually, I suppose I shall have you face the strongest monster in this area.」
M-Master!!!!!
I can"t bring myself to voice my complaints. I already know that he"s a spartan teacher.
As for the Snow Ape that appears…
It"s holding a Stone Axe.
Obviously, I"m using【Identify】on it.
Snow Ape Lv.6
Monster Enemy Target Active・Guided
Yup.
It looks slightly stronger than usual.
It"s been a while since I went 1v1 against a Snow Ape.
Now, I wonder what I should do today.
I ready my Kaya Wood Rod while hesitating.
While I"m equipped with this Kaya Wood Rod, I"ll get a buff to my spells.
Should I focus on magical attacks?
Or should I go head on in close combat?
Either way, I should focus on buffing myself.
I"ll go with the flow after that.
The Snow Ape is glaring at me while standing still.
If it"s not going to move, then all the better.
I"m casting my spells while staying alert in case it decides to throw the axe.
I"ve finished casting the spell.
I activate it immediately.
「Physical Enchant: Earth!」
I"m moving on to my next spell.
The ape is charging towards me.
It"s swinging its axe onto my head.
At full strength.
Beastly strength.
If it hits me, I"ll probably die right away.
The leather cap wouldn"t provide much protection.
I thrust my rod upwards and strike at its right hand, which is holding the Stone Axe.
Using my left leg as a pivot, I make a full turn and dodge it.
The Stone Axe cuts through the s.p.a.ce where my head was at.
I can hear a low-pitched rumble in the air.
That was scary.
「Mental Enchant: Dark!」
I"m raising my INT.
My reason for using it is obvious.
I know that if I don"t raise my spell potency, it"s going to be disadvantageous in a long fight.
In other words, if I improve the effectiveness of my spells, I"ll have more of an advantage in battle.
That"s just what I think.
I was just trying to play it safe by raising my VIT first.
The ape"s axe is half buried in the ground.
It"s left a huge opening.
I"m taking advantage of it and holding my rod differently.
I"m holding it like a wooden katana.
I take a step forward with my left foot and bring both hands to my right cheek while holding the rod.
I"m using an offensive style.
No, I"ve decided to raise it even higher.
It"s the dragonfly stance.
I"m screaming my lungs out.
My pitch is so high that I"m starting to sound like a girl.
Or maybe I"m starting to sound like a monkey.
「Yaaaaaah!」
It"s an almost feminine shriek that echoes throughout the mountains.
I swing my rod downwards.
It"s like I"m chopping wood.
I"ve made a direct hit on the ape"s right hand, but it"s not letting go of the Stone Axe.
No good.
「Yaaaaaah!」
I repeat the same action.
But this time, I"m aiming for its fingers.
The ape has finally let go of the axe.
What I used was the monkey cry that I learned from the Jigen style.
My grandfather told me this before.
Primates turn their fear into a weapon in the form of insanity by shouting.
There was Marume Nagayoshi, the famous Northern j.a.panese warrior who created the Taisha style.
Grandfather often mocked the style, saying that it was more of a killing technique than swordsmanship.
I asked him what he meant.
He said that it was a tactic that used any means necessary to exterminate the enemy.
That if it was used in battle, then the user could learn techniques not limited to the sword.
And Togo Shigekata, a swordsman who studied the Taisha style and founded the Jigen style.
Similar to the Taisha style, the Jigen style was created for battle.
That"s why it"s the favorite in Satsuma.
I kind of get it.
The ancient Hayato in Satsuma were hardcore fighters.
Oops.
I"m in the middle of a fight. I can"t afford to get lost in thoughts.
I"m casting my next spell while stepping on the shaft of the Stone Axe, which is now on the ground.
I kick the howling ape"s chin, then grip my rod tightly and start striking the ape.
If I were using a wooden katana, it would be a hilt strike.
The ape is enduring the attack. Its HP has only decreased by a little.
I hit its snout, so it was probably more effective.
The ape is taking a few steps back. I"m taking the chance and grabbing the Stone Axe on the ground.
I put it in my《Item Box》.
「Physical Enchant: Wind!」
I immediately cast my next spell.
I"ve managed to forestall the ape and deal some damage to it.
I think it"s going pretty well.
But I can"t let my guard down yet.
「Gruh!」
The ape is trying to intimidate me.
My body stiffens for a second.
The automatic spellcasting fails.
I fumbled.
But I shouldn"t give up now.
I"m casting the same spell again.
The ape is charging at me. I respond in kind by going forward as well.
There"s no point in running away if I"m losing to it in terms of physical strength and speed.
It"s better if I charge at it head on.
Much better than running away.
Using the dragonfly stance, I swing my rod downwards and perform a Leg Sweep.
I missed both attacks.
But the ape has given me enough distance while avoiding my attacks.
That gives me some time to cast my spells.
「Physical Enchant: Fire!」
Now I"m casting my next spell.
The ape is charging at me yet again.
I quickly regain my stance in order to intercept its attack.
The ape has disappeared all of a sudden.
Where is it?
It"s above me.
The ape leaped into the air.
It"s difficult for me to intercept its attacks when it"s coming from above.
On top of that, this ape a monster.
It"s not a normal human being.
I got the chills for a moment, but I somehow managed to block its attack with my rod.
But I"m paying a heavy price for it.
My Kaya Wood Rod snapped in two.
For a split second, I couldn"t think about what to do.
I had no time to think logically.
My body reacted instinctively.
What should I do about my broken rod?
I should use my tools effectively.
I moved within the next possible moment.
I"m still casting the spell.
I"m throwing both halves of the rod at the ape.
I throw the left part of the rod as if pa.s.sing it to the ape.
With a slight delay, I fling the other half of the rod on my right hand at the ape.
I"m flinging the right half with full force.
At the same time, I"m putting some distance between us.
The ape was distracted by the first half of the rod that I threw, so it got hit squarely by the other half.
Obviously, it didn"t do much damage.
I just wanted to create an opening.
But the ape is responding quickly.
It"s swinging its left hand in order to deal a side blow.
That attack is meant to be performed at full strength.
So I know It"s just a feint. It"s trying to intimidate me.
That"s how I grab this opportunity to create an opening..
I slip past it under its arm and grab its back.
I"ve just finished casting my spell.
I"m releasing the spell at point blank.
「Confusion Blast!」
It"s a single target Light Magic offensive spell. It"s the first time I"ve used it, so I"m curious about the effectiveness of the spell.
The entire body of the ape is covered in light.
What about its HP?
It"s decreased, but not by as much as I expected.
But the side effects are tremendous.
It looks like it"s completely lost sight of me.
Even though it"s turned around to face me, it hasn"t seen me at all.
Now"s my chance.
I perform an arm lock on its neck and put pressure on its windpipe to strangle it.
I lock its torso with both legs and force it onto the ground.
I use my back muscles and strengthen my grip.
It"s desperately gasping for air.
But I"m not going to give it any slack.
It"s starting to become more violent, but it"s just helping me strangle it.
I can hear a delicate sound, like the sound of a whistle.
The ape"s HP drops straight to zero.
Good.
It"s probably because of my spells, but I"ve managed to defeat it in a short amount of time.
I remember the last time I fought a Snow Ape with a Stone Axe, it was a bad experience.
I guess I could say I"ve finally gotten my revenge.
《【Staff】Level Up!》
《【Precise Manipulation】Level Up!》
《A skill link has been established! You may obtain the following Support Skill(s):【Dual Wield】》
There"s the info popup.
It"s different from the usual.
Skill Link?
I wonder if there"s a different requirement I met that allowed me to get the skill?
I want to look into it more, but Master is trying to talk to me.
I"ll postpone the investigation for now.
「Your way of fighting is odd, as usual.」
「Huh.」
「Well, you have gotten better at utilizing your spells than when you first started out.」
「I have.」
Yup.
I should take this as a compliment.
I"ll take the item drops from the Snow Ape.
There"s Snow Ape Bones and a Snow Ape Skin.
I"m just a little happy about it.
I retrieve the rod that was broken in two.
I liked it a lot.
I feel bad for Reina. She took the effort to make it for me.
「But this is not enough. You have barely suffered any damage.」
「Eh?」
「Yes, it is not enough. How about fighting a different monster this time?」
「Eh? What?」
Wait.
Hold on a second.
Don"t tell me it"s going to be a Blitz?
It"s lightning attacks are a pain.
I don"t have any lightning resistance spells.
It looks like Master is mumbling something.
He"s probably casting Call Monster.
You"re not going to let me answer your question?
You just want to see me fight, right?
I cast a spell in preparation for the next monster.
Now then, how strong will this monster be?
It"s here.
Snow Leopard Lv.5
Monster Enemy Target Active・Guided
What?
It"s not a Blitz?
Protagonist Keith
Race Human Male Racial Lv6
Job Summoner Lv5
Bonus Points Remaining 19
Skill Sets
Staff Lv5（↑1）Punch Lv3 Kick Lv3 Joint Lock Lv3 Throw Lv3
Evade Lv3 Block Lv3 Summon Magic Lv6
Light Magic Lv3 Wind Magic Lv4 Earth Magic Lv3 Water Magic Lv3
Fire Magic Lv2 Dark Magic Lv2
Alchemy Lv3 Pharmacy Lv3 Gla.s.smaking Lv3
Cooperation Lv5 Appraise Lv5 Identify Lv5 Discern Lv1 Cold Resistance Lv3（↑1）
Grab Lv4 Horsemanship Lv4 Precise Manipulation Lv5（↑1）Jump Lv1
Heat Resistance Lv3 Climb Lv1
Equipment Kaya Wood Rod（Broken） Wild Rabbit Breastplate+ Series Snow Ape Armguard
Wild Horse Boots+ Snow Ape Leather Cap Rucksack
Item Box ×2
Items Survival Knife
t.i.tles Old Summoner"s Temporary Pupil, Guardian of the Forest, Man of the Middle Path
Monster Summons
Volff Wolf Lv5
Zangetsu Horse Lv3 Resting
Helix Hawk Lv3 Resting
Obsidian Owl Lv3 Resting
Jean Bat Lv3
Jericho Wood Golem Lv2 Resting