Volume 9 Chapter 1 Part 2 (2/2)

Next to her, Schnee was looking at him with eyes clearly saying ”that's not the case at all, is it?” To s.h.i.+n, this was the bigger menace.

”This too must be a feat the ”Dark Blacksmith” can do, I suppose?”

”It could be. The quality has improved after all, it would be difficult to say they are unrelated.”

In contrast with the commotion that broke out on s.h.i.+n's side, Filma and s.h.i.+baid nodded to each other in understanding, while Yuzuha and Tsunetsugu were simply impressed.

”Kuu, s.h.i.+n, amazing!”

”Amazing indeed. Even more than expected.”

”Anyway! The reinforcement is complete! Tomorrow morning we're exploring the dungeon. Let's get some rest!”

s.h.i.+n shouted to forcefully end the conversation.

Tiera also let it go, maybe because she didn't feel like pressing him further. Schnee sighed in relief.

”Yes, s.h.i.+n is right.”

”But I just can't accept it.”

”Hehe, Mitsuyo is a bit lacking in that kind of growth after all.

”.what did you say?”

”Hoho, my my, so scary.”

Mitsuyo's killing intent leaked towards Tsunetsugu's s direction.

She still seemed dissatisfied, but had not forgotten their primary goal. She knew that today they wouldn't push themselves into exploring the dungeon. That's one reason behind her reactions.

”Tomorrow, then.”

”Yes, I'll do the necessary preparations.”

After seeing Munechika's group off, s.h.i.+n called Filma and s.h.i.+baid.

He meant to let the other members rest first, but as they were interested, Tiera and Yuzuha remained too.

Only Schnee, who understood the situation, went to make preparations for dinner.

”Do you still have something to do?”

”I already had Schnee do it, but please look at this.”

s.h.i.+n pulled out True Moon from the item box and showed it to the two.

”True Moon was broken!? Who the heck did you fight against?”

Filma looked at True Moon, her eyes wide open in surprise. She knew well how st.u.r.dy it was, so she couldn't believe that it had been broken.

”Could that be”

”s.h.i.+baid can probably guess the cause. This happened when I fought Girard and it clashed against Crus.h.i.+ng Moon.”

s.h.i.+n explained how he tried to fix it multiple times, and how he felt that a piece was restored when Schnee poured her magic power in the katana.

”Schnee and us, meaning it's the number of those who serve under you?”

s.h.i.+baid made his guess after hearing that 3 pieces were missing.

The pieces s.h.i.+n vaguely felt to be missing and the former support characters who had not poured their magic power in True Moon were the same number.

”Probably. That's what I felt when Schnee infused her magic power in it. If this wasn't tied with my support characters, then I would have no idea what else it could be.”

”Pour magic power in it, right? Let's get it done then.”

After listening to s.h.i.+n, Filma received True Moon from him and closed her eyes to concentrate. As she did so, the glow emitted by True Moon changed from violet to red.

As the red light was absorbed by True Moon, Filma let out a sigh.

”My part is done. This sure takes a good chunk out of you.”

”Then my turn is next.”

s.h.i.+baid took True Moon from Filma and concentrated. The katana started glowing in a black light mixed with silver.

The light shone a little longer than Filma's, but when it disappeared s.h.i.+baid too let out a small sigh.

”I can't do it as Filma did. But my magic power is definitely within it too now. There's only one remaining now.”

”There's still someone?”

s.h.i.+baid's words provoked a question from Tiera.

Schnee, Filma and s.h.i.+baid, then Girard. With so many powerful members already present, she was surprised that there was still someone else.

”A party could contain up to 6 members, after all. s.h.i.+n had 5 support characters. The last one is a girl called Sety. She was born a bit later than us, so she was like a little sister. You can't get ahold of her now, right?”

The Sety Filma talked about was the last one of s.h.i.+n's entourage. Support character no. 5, High Pixie Sety Lumiere.

Different from the close combat-type Filma and Girard, the wall-type s.h.i.+baid and the all-rounder Schnee, she was a rear support type mainly specialized in magic.

”Yes, completely lost. I don't have a single clue.”

s.h.i.+n answered making a gesture of surrender.

Just like Filma, Sety was acting freely on her own. She had not become famous like Schnee or s.h.i.+baid, so they did not have any idea where she could be.

”s.h.i.+baid, haven't you or Schnee ever managed to reach her?”

”We haven't. Just like with you.”

s.h.i.+baid looked at Filma with a certain tired annoyance in his eyes.

”I couldn't help it, could I?”

Like Filma, she might be in need of help, so s.h.i.+n had already made a search request to the Golden Company through Berett.

”Either she's stuck somewhere like Filma was, or she has no intention of answering, I guess.”

”That's rightbut isn't there also the possibility that she's sleeping?”

Filma added one option to the possibilities s.h.i.+n thought about Sety's lack of a response.

”Sleeping? Ah, that's true.”

Long-living species such as Elves and Pixies sometimes slept for dozens of years at a time. It was one of the game's features. There also was a quest about waking up a NPC Pixie, so it wasn't impossible.

”That makes it hard to join with her, though.”

”Right. We found Filma purely by chance too. For Sety, all I know is that she could maybe be in a faerie village.”

Faerie villages, home bases for Pixies, existed in several locations. Some were open to contact with the outside world, while others weren't; if Sety was in one of the latter type, it would have been difficult to look for her.

The barrier protecting faerie villages was something not even s.h.i.+n could detect without being very close.

”If she is in one of the villages that communicate with the outside world, there would be at least some information coming in. But only those with high rank know the location of those sleeping, supposedly. We can only go directly and make sure.”

”In any case, we can just wait for information from Berett. If we don't learn anything by the time this mission is done with, I'm planning to go to Garden first. ”

s.h.i.+n replied to s.h.i.+baid. After meeting Girard again he was always involved in some trouble and had not had time, but he knew that he needed to make the time for this.

Inside it there should be Oxygen and Hydro, a High Pixie-High Lord duo serving under the Red Alchemist Hecate.

They were both research maniacs who would not take a step outside for years at a time, had completely different att.i.tudes depending if they were interested in something or notwhen s.h.i.+n heard of the characteristics Hecate had created them with, he couldn't help being perplexed as to why she would create them like that.

”Those two, if we're lucky, are just immersed in their research. I looked at it from far away, but Garden didn't appear to be damaged.”

”I'd like to object to that line, but I really can't.”

”I understand that I should be worrying, really.”

s.h.i.+n's words were said in a joking manner to hide his worry, but s.h.i.+baid and Filma did not understand them like that.

They could not imagine Oxygen and Hydro, inside Garden, to be in any sort of trouble.

s.h.i.+n only knew them from the game era, so he did not know how their personalities were now that the game had become reality. Looking at Filma and s.h.i.+baid's reactions gave him an idea though.

If they didn't change from the game era, they were likely still pursuing their research: they could probably even say that they didn't notice the Dusk of Majesty had happened.

Abundant food and supplies, ample research material and facilities, combined with the high protection of being a Guild house. They had all they needed to shut themselves in it, so s.h.i.+n wasn't too worried either.

If they used the items within Garden, they could even deal with the powerful poisons surrounding it. s.h.i.+n thought that they could have come out if they wanted.

”Well, no use talking about that here and now. Let's settle this Supreme Blades business first.”

Their opponent was someone that, based only on strength, could rival Schnee.

As s.h.i.+n's party was superior both in numbers and ability, they had no risk of losing, but it was already a situation that was not present in the game. To be ready for any situation, he decided to review items and equipment before sleeping.

”OK, let's recover our energy with Schnee's dinner now. We can really look forward to her cooking.”

Everyone present knew of Schnee's cooking skills.

As they entered the dining room, the food was already ready, while the table was being prepared.

”Andwhy are you here?”

”Because Kagutsuchi said it wanted to eat here. The High Elf there gave us her permission, by the way.”

Mitsuyo answered s.h.i.+n's question while pouting.

She was looking at the baby Kagutsuchi, sitting in the middle of the table.

”Pii!”

”It's saying, I shall grant you the honor of feeding me.”

”Very high and mighty, but still a chick”

These words would feel appropriate if said by Kagutsuchi's original form, but the current fluffy chick had little authority to show. They had no reason to chase it out, however, so Schnee made dinner for Mitsuyo too.

”Pii!”

”Truly a delicacy. You have my praise”, it said.”

”Hehe, I'm honored.”

Kagutsuchi cried while pecking happily at the food, and Schnee answered with a smile.

Kagutsuchi was not the only one lost in the pleasure of Schnee's food. Mitsuyo too, who had accompanied Kagutsuchi and sat at the table almost against her will, had been relentlessly and silently serving herself since the start of the meal.

Looking at the smile her lips formed, there was no need to ask for her impressions.

The dinner with such unusual guests continued: after it ended, Kagutsuchi and Mitsuyo returned to the small shrine.

After dinner all members proceeded to their respective rooms and prepared for the next day.

”..kuu.”

After everyone else had fallen asleep, Yuzuha cried softly on the bed.

She was remembering Filma and s.h.i.+baid pouring their magic power in True Moon.

s.h.i.+n said that there were 3 pieces missing: after Filma and s.h.i.+baid, just another one.

Even in its broken state, True Moon was a superior Ancient-grade weapon. If more magic power than just the last missing person's part was poured in, it could surpa.s.s any other existing weapon.

Even if her knowledge was still limited, the Element Tail Yuzuha knew that.

What Yuzuha was concerned about was whether True Moon had capacity for her to pour magic power in or not.

Being his partner, Yuzuha also wanted to be of help to s.h.i.+n. But if True Moon didn't have room, there was nothing she could do.

”Kuu!”

I want to be stronger. So Yuzuha thought.

If she recovered all her powers and used all of her knowledge, she might be able to do something.

These were the thoughts that started to sprout in Yuzuha's mind.

At the same time, Tiera was still awake.

Sharing similar emotions as Yuzuha, she was thinking of Filma and s.h.i.+baid.

”..haah.”

She could only sigh.

She had become unmistakably stronger. Yet she was still far from matching Schnee and the others. Even if she poured magic power in True Moonlike them, the resulting boost would surely be minimal.

”I'd.hate that”

Her thoughts spilled into her words.

Tiera was aware she was the least powerful of the current members.

But even so, she wanted to be useful to s.h.i.+n.

Tiera couldn't yet decide if that desire came for the grat.i.tude to him for dispelling her curse or for another feeling that was slowly taking shape within her.

She hated not being able to do anything though.

”I want tobe stronger”

She didn't want to be a burden.

She didn't want them to keep looking out for her.

She knew that it was an arrogant wish, but as of now they were not on equal standing.

I want to standat his side.

”haah.”

Her feelings were strong. But reality wasn't that easy.

The difference in strength was overwhelming, she did not know what she should do.

But even so, her feelings remained.

”Sniffle”

It would take a while before she could sleep that night.