by Tôwa
“Hmm… Atobe, do you think this thing is an air conditioner?”
It was a rounded object made of dark metal that had a blue button and a red button, which looked like magic stones. Elitia seemed to know how to operate it and pressed the blue button, and cool air started to flow out from the vent-like holes on the surface.
“Once you get above a certain rank, most of the housing has magic-operated temperature control apparatuses. You have to charge this filler stone here with magic in order for it to work… We have to limit our use, since we don’t have a magic user in our group,” explained Elitia.
It took time to recover magic. You couldn’t recover all the magic you used during a day of seeking unless you spent a night sleeping in good accommodation. There was no way our party had all the jobs and skills that we’d need. It wasn’t a season that we would need to use air-conditioning, but we’d need to find a way to solve our lack of magic once we were in the middle of a sweltering summer.
Part VI: Skill Levels
After finalizing room assignments, we decided to get changed, then hold a party meeting until it was time for dinner. Everyone’s level went up, so I wanted to double-check their skills. Everyone brought their license and flipped to the skills page. There were different reactions to what each person saw, but even Elitia’s eyes shone with excitement when she saw her new skills… Though, I couldn’t say that her expression was entirely happy. There was a lot of risk with any of her Cursed Blade skills.
I’ll start with my skills… Whoa, I finally got it!
♦Acquired Skills♦
Defense Support 1
Attack Support 1
Recovery Support 1
Morale Support 1
Hawk Eyes
Rear Stance
♦Available Skills♦
Level 2 Skills
Attack Support 2:
Adds your weapon’s attack onto the attacks of party members in front. Skills of duplicate types do not stack.
Defense Support 2:
Creates a defensive barrier equal in strength to your defensive capabilities for party members in front. Skills of duplicate types do not stack.
Level 1 Skills
Magic Support 1:
Increases magic consumption and spell strength by 50 percent for party members in front.
Evasion Support 1:
Occasionally activates Auto-Dodge for party members in front.
Rear View:
Spends 5 magic points to expand your vision to cover your rear for a set period of time.
Outside Assist:
Spends 5 magic points to designate a target outside your party to support.
Backdraft:
Automatically counters when attacked from behind.
Remaining Skill Points: 3
I was finally able to start taking the second step up in the support-type skills. As far as I could see, the amount of support given would change depending on my own abilities.
Since it says your weapon’s attack, there’s a chance that it’ll add attributes and special effects from whatever weapon I have equipped. It’d be worth using instead of Attack Support 1 if my damage exceeds eleven.
If these skills overwrote my existing ones, I wouldn’t be able to use Attack Support 1 and Defense Support 1 anymore. And if my attack or defense was below 11 points, then my support capabilities would be temporarily reduced. But since my damage increased as we grew stronger, it would be a bigger increase to add my attack than to add the set 11 damage. The current number of attacks our entire party could do in one go was near 20, making an 80-point difference in damage between the current 11 x 20 and the potential, let’s say, 15 x 20.
I wasn’t sure if it was too early to take them… And both Attack Support 2 and Defense Support 2 were equally important.
“Atobe, would you mind taking a look at my skills? I was hoping you could help me choose which to take…,” said Igarashi.
“Sorry, I got lost in thought for a moment there. Sure, I can take a look. Elitia, so skills level up, too?”
“You can acquire level-two skills now? Congratulations, but keep in mind that the number of skill points necessary to acquire a skill is the same as the skill’s level,” she said. That made sense. I wondered if the number of skill points you got per level increased, since we’d be using more skill points now. If so, we could even get four or five points per level.
If I assumed that the more skill points a skill required, the stronger it was, then it would be safe to take Attack Support 2. On the other hand, the support wouldn’t be useful at all if we increased the number of attacks that had a certain attribute, but that attribute wasn’t effective at all… But then I realized something.
…Right… The set damage is effective, but if we could Poison the enemy…!
If we could somehow make it possible to use status effects other than Poison, then the whole party could inflict status effects on the enemy regardless of their own equipment.
The other one I was interested in was Magic Support 1, but that would likely be most useful when we added a magic-using job to the party. Its effects overlapped with magic recovery, too, so there were a lot of instances where it would be useful. The only thing it’d be really applicable to right now, though, was Igarashi’s Thunderbolt, so we didn’t need it at the moment.
Outside Assist seemed like it could be an interesting skill based on how it was used. Then again, Evasion Support 1 seemed good, but our current defenses were fairly strong, so I decided to hold off on that one.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Igarashi.”
“It’s okay. So these are the skills I can take…” She was wearing her knit sweater and skirt, so she looked just like she did when we’d been reincarnated. Maybe they weren’t used to the feel of the clothes in the Labyrinth Country, because both Misaki and Suzuna had also changed into the clothes they’d been wearing when they reincarnated.
♦Acquired Skills♦
Double Attack
Thunderbolt
Mirage Step
Decoy
♦Available Skills♦
Piercing Strike 1:
A portion of your attack penetrates the target’s defense when you’re equipped with a spear.
Force Target:
Draws enemies’ attacks to a specified target.
Mist of Bravery:
Nulls party members’ Fear status.
Freezing Thorns:
Freezes opponent’s legs and slows their movement.
Snow Country Skin:
Grants immunity to Frozen status and increases attractiveness.
Bulletproof 1:
Enemy long-ranged attacks are slightly less likely to hit.
Remaining Skill Points: 2
“Piercing Strike looks good, doesn’t it? I also think Force Target would be useful in a lot of different situations,” I offered. “The main strategy would be combining it with Decoy.”
“Yeah… That’s true. You probably don’t think that Snow Country Skin is necessary…,” said Igarashi.
“Hey, why do you get a skill that makes you prettier?! That’s so coool! I want something like that,” said Misaki.
“I don’t think you can change jobs from Gambler to Valkyrie. You could possibly change from Shrine Maiden to Valkyrie, though,” said Elitia. Misaki slumped her shoulders in disappointment.
“Snow Country Skin… What a lovely name…,” said Suzuna. She also seemed interested, but since she and Misaki were the youngest in the group, their youthful skin already looked glowing and supple.
Elitia’s skin was also soft and fair since she was from northern Europe, but she had dark circles underneath her eyes. Perhaps she was often tired from wielding the cursed blade. I used to have the worst bags under my eyes from work before, but my face had gotten a lot livelier since reincarnating. I’m sure it helped that seeking was such good exercise, and I didn’t have much stress these days.
“Right… I don’t think Piercing Strike is a
bsolutely necessary since you have my support damage, so how about you try taking Snow Country Skin?” I suggested.
“Huh? …Are you sure? I shouldn’t take it just for my own benefit…”
“If I thought something else was absolutely necessary for seeking, then I’d ask you to take it. I do want you to take Force Target, but there’s nothing else that I think we absolutely need right now… I don’t think it’s right to ask you not to take a skill that you really want to take,” I explained.
“…It’ll be really useful if we run into an enemy that inflicts the Frozen status. Um… All right, I’ll take Force Target and Snow Country Skin, then,” said Igarashi, using her license to acquire the skills while everyone watched. And then: “…Did anything change? I knew it. It’s not the kind of change that’s super obvious.”
“Uh, I mean… You sorta look overall more like a Valkyrie or something…?” said Misaki.
“Yeah… You still look like yourself, but you seem to have more of a presence,” I said.
“You’re just trying to make me feel better. I knew it was stupid to think it’d just make me prettier… Guess that taught me a lesson.”
“Why don’t you look for yourself? I think it’s best if you see it with your own eyes,” suggested Elitia, and Igarashi went doubtfully to the dressing room.
“…It makes me think of a Valkyrie standing on a battlefield, snow gently falling around her. That’s the kind of impression that I get from Snow Country Skin,” said Suzuna. I agreed—Igarashi was already a beautiful woman, so the skill made her feel even more like a real Valkyrie or added an allure only warrior women had.
Igarashi came back looking disappointed, but from where I was sitting, her skin did look like it’d gotten brighter and clearer.
“It really hasn’t changed much at all… What do you think, Atobe?”
“Uh, um… I think maybe there wasn’t much of a change, since you were already so beautiful.”
“Well, I appreciate you trying to make me feel better, but it’s not as big a change as I was hoping for. I’ll just have to hope the Frozen prevention is good… From now on, I’m letting you choose all my skills, Atobe.” The skill was effective, yet she was unable to see it herself. Maybe changes in attractiveness were something only those around you could see. The one effect she did seem happy with was the immunity to Frozen, and its usefulness would become apparent when we needed it.
According to the explanation for Force Target, it might be possible for Igarashi to force attacks on an enemy, which seemed incredibly powerful, but maybe she didn’t receive a skill that useful at only level 3. We needed to test it on some weak enemies… Though, I felt bad watching my friends beat up a poor little Cotton Ball.
“…Arihito, I’m sure you’re not excited about looking at the skills for my job, but…could you take a look later if you don’t mind?” asked Elitia.
“I’m absolutely excited! I bet I’ll be blown away if I look at your skills.”
“R-really…? I mean, if you’re not opposed, then I’d like you to know my skills since you’re the leader. I’m a little tired now, though, so I think I’m going to go nap for a bit.”
“Okay, I’ll wake you up when it’s dinnertime. Sleep well, Ellie,” said Suzuna. Elitia said good-bye and waved before heading to her room. The room assignments were me and Suzuna, Igarashi and Theresia, and Misaki and Elitia.
“Aren’t you getting tired, too, Arihito? I can get your advice another day if you are, you know,” said Misaki.
“I’m going to go over my skills tonight with Arihito, so you could talk with him now,” suggested Suzuna.
“You sure? What skills do you think would be good?” Misaki asked me.
“All right… It’s easier if you sit next to me. Well, maybe not that close.”
“Ooh, you’re blushing. I mean, there is an age difference between us, but it’s not like you’re twice as old as me. So does this mean you actually see me like that?” said Misaki.
“You say I’m not twice as old, but a five- or ten-year difference is still a pretty big one…”
“Whaaat? But age doesn’t matter since we were reincarnated,” protested Misaki.
“M-Misaki… You need to respect Arihito’s feelings. We’re still like children to him…,” said Suzuna, though that’s not really what I meant. I was actually just kind of happy that Misaki didn’t see me as an old fart.
“Misaki, I know you’re the age where you’re interested in that kind of thing, but I think it’s wrong of you to tease a genuinely honest person like Atobe.”
“I wasn’t thinking of anything bad; I was just trying to say that he didn’t need to be so worried about being close to me like that. Don’t you get it?” said Misaki.
“Uh… M-Misaki, even Theresia is staring at you,” said Suzuna.
“……”
Theresia was still sitting at the table and staring at Misaki. Her gaze felt somehow intense, so Misaki scooted over to put an appropriate distance between us.
“Um, anyway, so these are my skiiills,” said Misaki.
“Look at you separating yourself properly. You know, it’s good to know how to read the room,” noted Igarashi.
“Kyouka, you’re acting like you can have everything for yourself just because you got prettier,” said Misaki.
“Wha—?! I am not! Atobe, I’m going to go have a look at the mansion’s courtyard. You take care of the kids here.”
“O-okay… Have fun,” I said, and she stood from her seat and left. The heels of her boots clicked, and there was something bewitching about her figure as she walked away. Maybe it was because she took Snow Country Skin.
“…She is sooo gorgeous. How about you just tell her straight out, Arihito?” said Misaki.
“Even if I did tell her directly…she was known for being a beauty in our old company, too, so she was the most popular among the guys at work. I was her direct subordinate, though, so I never thought about anything romantic between us…” Well, I had, but only in the very beginning. I had thought that being an employee of a beautiful woman, something might just happen…but now I knew I was just being an idiot for thinking that.
“Arihito, this might be a little too pushy of me, but I think you should go with Kyouka. There are other parties staying in this mansion, and I think she needs a man to escort her,” said Suzuna.
“Do you really think so?” I asked.
“Of course she does! Beautiful girls like her are always getting hit on when they don’t want it. She’s probably safe in the mansion, but what if a mysterious burglar breaks in or something?” said Misaki.
“M-Misaki… Why would you say that? What if someone really comes…?” said Suzuna.
Misaki, Suzuna, and even Theresia seemed to want me to go after Igarashi for some reason. I guess if they felt that strongly about it, I’d go, though I had no idea how to tell her I came to escort you.
Part VII: A Happy Home
Igarashi had said she was going to go look at the courtyard in the mansion, so I headed in that direction but was stopped by a man I didn’t know when I’d walked down the stairs into the entrance hall. He was young, maybe even my age, with short, blond hair and a pair of goggles on his head. He was wearing the highest quality clothing that I’d seen available in the clothes shops around here. Based on his outfit and the fact that he was in the mansion, I guessed he was probably one of the other residents.
“Hey, nice to meet you. My name’s Georg. I’m the leader of one of the parties staying here. Are you with the party that just moved in?” he asked.
“Yes, my name is Arihito Atobe. Pleasure to meet you; we’ll be staying here for a little while, I imagine.”
“Atobe, huh? Never seen you before. My party was ranked number one in District Eight, but then our rank dropped to number two out of the blue. I was wondering what kind of rising star had suddenly appeared; I really wanted to talk to you.”
“We somehow managed to get more contribution points than I e
xpected, putting us in first place for the time being. Much of it was down to good luck.” Luck actually played a huge role in helping us beat Named Monster after Named Monster. We never would have found the giant warrior if it weren’t for Misaki’s and Suzuna’s skills, and luck was still on our side when it came to actually defeating it.
“Pretty humble for a guy who’s just scaled his way up the ranks. By the way, no need to be so formal with me. Looks like we’re around the same age,” said Georg.
“If you say so. One thing from me, then… Calling me Atobe sounds a bit stiff.”
Georg grinned. He seemed to agree.
“Arihito, then. I suppose your party’s got some really powerful people in it.”
“Most of us are actually newbies, but we do have one level-nine member. She’s definitely pulled the party up.” Georg seemed really interested when I said level 9. I got the sense that he was a good guy; he wasn’t even jealous of me for having outranked him.
“A level that high—you’re not talking about Elitia Centrale, are you?” asked Georg. “I heard she came down to District Eight. I’m surprised you even wanted her in your party.”
“We both happened to be in the labyrinth, and there was an opportunity to work together. Hope you don’t buy into any of the nasty rumors going around about her. She’s a very honest person and a good friend of ours.”
“Of course. I’ll let my party know, too… My party’s name is Polaris. What’s yours?”
I hadn’t actually thought about it. I didn’t realize it wasn’t just Elitia’s former party, the White Night Brigade, but each party that had their own name.