The World’s Strongest Rearguard: Labyrinth Country’s Novice Seeker, Vol. 2

by Tôwa

  “By the way, Falma, what level is Astarte?” I asked.

  “She is level thirteen. She normally assists the Guild by going into the more difficult labyrinths in some of the higher districts.” Astarte was far stronger than Elitia, who was currently at level 9. Plus, I got the impression that she could single-handedly keep the peace in District Eight, but I suppose the strong had to handle things that only the strong could.

  “I wonder if Cion will get that big when she’s level thirteen…,” said Igarashi.

  “Ha-ha-ha! If level had anything to do with size, then Ellie’d be much bigger than she is!” laughed Misaki.

  “Hmph… I-I’m not short; I’m perfectly average for my age!” retorted Elitia.

  Falma smiled again as she listened to them joke. She also seemed a little sad to see Cion go as she scratched the dog’s neck when she went over to her master.

  Madoka had to take down her normal stall in the square in front of the Field of Dawn because of the rebuilding work going on, so I rented another storage unit, and we put her goods in there while she continued her Merchant work. She was shocked at how extravagant the Lady Ollerus Mansion was, but we sat down in the lounge so she could tell us what she was capable of as a Merchant. Everyone in the party was there as well, so she introduced herself, and we had some tea while we talked.

  She wasn’t wearing the turban she normally had on, so we could see her black hair was in a sort of messy bob. Everyone who normally wore headgear had also taken their respective equipment off, and their hair was disheveled in the same way. I guess that was one drawback to headgear.

  “Arihito has already introduced me to everyone, but I’d like to take a moment to reintroduce myself. My name is Madoka Shinonogi.” Everyone gave their names in return. Since Cion couldn’t enter the mansion, she was instead staying in the doghouse reserved for guard dogs. There were apparently some rentals that allowed animals, though.

  “I selected Merchant as my job, and I am a member of the Merchants Guild. I can use my license to contact other shops within District Eight that are also members of the Merchants Guild. I can also use it to search for whatever specialized equipment you need or workshops that can handle processing various materials, as well as contact them to confirm the schedule and status of any jobs they are working on.”

  “That’s…an advantage specific to Merchants, right?” I asked.

  “It’ll be nice, since it means we won’t have to go around to each and every shop looking for something.”

  “I’d like to find somewhere to attach a rune myself… But would you be able to get quotes for it using that?”

  “Yes, though it does take some time to get a response. But I can get quotes from multiple different craftspeople,” Madoka replied. From her little explanation alone, it sounded almost like Merchants had the job-specific advantage of online shopping privileges. Whether or not a party had one with them could change a lot.

  “I can also contact Melissa’s shop, so I can get reports on the materials from the monsters you defeated earlier or ask them to process some of them without having to go in person. However, I would require the party leader’s approval. So, Arihito, could you please press this button on the license screen?” she asked.

  “Hmm… Like this? Whoa, that is useful,” I said.

  ♦Dissection Center Report—Mr. Arihito Atobe♦

  > 32 FLYING DOOMS: No usable materials

  > 2 VITALITY ABSORB STONES discovered while dissecting the FLYING DOOMS

  > 5 SWEET BIRDS: Materials usable for meat, modifying weapons or armor

  > 1 DEATH FROM ABOVE: Skin usable for modifying armor

  > 1 RED CHEST discovered while dissecting DEATH FROM ABOVE

  I hadn’t expected that the Flying Dooms, which were just balls of tentacles, would really be usable for much, and it looked like I was right. The fact that they couldn’t even be used for food meant they were likely as disgusting to eat as they were to look at. Even so, we killed so many that they found two vitality absorb stones. Based on the name, I guessed they let you steal a small amount of vitality when you attack. The Sweet Birds’ feathers could apparently be used to make arrows, so I asked for them to be used to modify Suzuna’s. The down could be used to make a hat, so I asked them to go ahead and do that, too.

  They were able to remove Death from Above’s tentacles and then skin it, which could be used to make armor. They also found a red treasure chest, though it wouldn’t have as much in it as the Black Box did. Even so, there was something fascinating about treasure chests, so I was really looking forward to opening it.

  “…The armor you can make from that Named Monster sort of feels rubbery, and it tends to fit very close to the body…,” said Elitia.

  “Wh-why are you looking at me? …Do you want me to wear it? I think my Ladies’ Armor is perfectly fine as is. You’re the one who suggested it,” responded Igarashi.

  “Yes, I do think your armor can be used for a while longer, but it’s not often you can make armor from a Named Monster, so I think someone should wear it. How about you, Theresia?” proposed Elitia.

  “……”

  Theresia just looked at me since she didn’t seem to know what kind of equipment it was. What would it be like if she upgraded from her current body armor to rubber armor…? She wouldn’t look like a lizardman from the neck down anymore.

  “Well, let’s decide once we know its characteristics. We’ll ask them to make the armor, though, since we have the chance,” I said.

  “All right, I will place the order, then. Which blacksmith would you like to use?” said Madoka. Louisa would probably be able to recommend a good place if I asked, but for the moment, I just took a look at the list of available blacksmiths.

  “…This one’s the highest level. The same as Falma—level seven,” I said.

  “That means even the support people are more powerful than us Seekers…,” observed Igarashi.

  “Craftsperson levels range from one to seven, so not all of them are strong. Their level goes up naturally as they improve their skills,” explained Madoka.

  “Okay, then we’ll go with this person… Yikes, look at that waiting list! I mean, I guess that makes sense,” I said.

  “A two-week waiting list means you’ll be waiting quite a while, even if there are some cancellations ahead of you. What would you like to do?” Madoka asked me.

  “Right, I think we need to find someone to introduce us to a place. Maybe I’ll ask Millais, the Maid, after this.”

  It was early afternoon by the time we finished, so we decided we’d all go about our own business until dinnertime. I elected to take a short nap, then go try to find information on a blacksmith.

  Part VIII: Self-Improvement

  I woke from my short nap and went out into the living room to find Theresia waiting outside my door.

  “Were you there the whole time? You can relax, too, you know,” I said, but she shook her head and stared at me. Was she saying she was waiting for me to wake up?

  Theresia’s magic was down a little bit, whereas Igarashi was quite tired because she’d used her skills to their limits. It’d be great if we had a way to immediately restore magic, but it was hard to get our hands on potions right now. The best thing was just some good, quality sleep.

  I went to the living room and saw Elitia and some of the others talking. Suzuna noticed me and stood up as she tried to say hello, but I stopped her.

  “No, don’t bother getting up. I’m going out soon anyway. Is there anything you guys want me to pick up while I’m out?” I asked.

  “Urgh, I sooo wish we had convenience stores!” lamented Misaki. “But I guess things here can’t be that simple.”

  “Everything we need for daily life is provided in the royal suite anyway. I think they refill it every day, too,” said Suzuna. I’d forgotten how women had more necessities than men did. But I guess the problem had solved itself just by us upgrading to better lodging.

  “If there’s any
thing you need, please let me know. I can always get it for you,” said Madoka.

  “Oh right, everyone can use a hundred gold pieces as their allowance. We still have over ten thousand after that, so if there’s anything expensive you think we need, let us know, and we’ll decide as a party if we should buy it,” I said. We’d received 9,500 gold from the bounty on Juggernaut and from selling its materials, then we got another 1,600 for the bounty on Death from Above. That alone put us over ten thousand. I didn’t want us to be strapped for cash when we needed to make a large purchase. I had been thinking of putting half our income in a party fund and dividing the rest between the members, but I wanted to be careful with our money so it was there when we needed it.

  “Wow… I bet your party is the richest in District Eight,” marveled Madoka.

  “Maybe for District Eight, but we’ll see how it is in District Seven. We should get a little more from that red chest, but we won’t know exactly how much until we open it,” I said.

  “We get a discount when we buy stuff because Madoka’s in our party. And we can sell things for a little higher than normal. We’ll make a tonnn of cash off whatever we don’t need!” said Misaki.

  Not that it would matter for dirt-cheap items, like the newbie equipment that we got from the Black Box, but even a 1 percent increase would make a significant difference for the more expensive items. We’d be dealing with other Merchants, too, so it’d probably be best not to try and negotiate every single time. We should reserve that for the most important transactions.

  “Arihito, would you like to take a look at everyone’s skills? I think you got more skills, too,” suggested Elitia.

  “Oh, you can do mine later. Too much work for Arihito if we aaall ask him at the same time,” said Misaki.

  “Weren’t you talking about chatting with him after dinner?” said Suzuna.

  I didn’t actually mind looking at them all at once, but I wanted to make sure I thought through the decisions properly, so each person would take some time. Speaking of, Madoka was in the party now, so I’d be in my own room tonight. Well, I was the only man, so that made the most sense anyway.

  “Uh, ummm… You and Kyouka are really close, aren’t you? If you’re a couple, then… I-I’m sorry, it’s too soon for me to ask about that,” said Madoka.

  “N-no, it’s okay. Um… Actually, Igarashi used to be my boss. We were always together for work.”

  “Oh really… That’s so nice that a man and a woman can get so close through work.”

  “Awww, Madoka, you little lamb… You’re just too pure…,” Misaki commented. She probably had her own assumptions about our relationship. Really, though, there was nothing more between us than what I just said.

  Igarashi came out of her room while we were talking. Elitia saw her and called over to her.

  “Oh, Kyouka. Is something wrong? You should rest more if you’re not feeling well.”

  “N-no, it’s not that. I just got the feeling you guys were talking about me.”

  “We were discussing how you and Arihito get along so well. I’ve never really interacted much with men, so I guess I just felt a little…jealous,” Madoka admitted.

  “Uh… Cough, cough. Atobe, is that what you guys were talking about? L-like, when you say get along, then sure, like as a team… And I guess if I’m honest, Atobe’s become, like, someone I can really rely on…”

  I felt like if I responded with Is that really how you see me? then the others might have made this out to be more than it was. In reality, there was never anything remotely romantic between us. The closest thing was that time she accidentally bought hot coffee instead of iced and gave it to me to finish after she took one sip. I remembered how she’d make me come into work on my days off. I’d get there, and she’d be all pumped and ready to go. No one was better suited to that work than she was.

  “The fact that you formed a party together and it’s going so well means you must have always matched each other well,” said Madoka.

  “…W-well, I guess it’s not too late to change things. But we never would’ve gotten any work done if we didn’t mesh,” added Igarashi.

  “That is true. Though, I thought you would’ve been angry if I said it,” I agreed.

  “Awww, there’s something sorta bittersweet about you two. Like, one step from an office romance, but at the same time, so close that you’ve gotten used to being coworkers. You see that aaall the time in TV shows,” Misaki remarked.

  “That only happens in TV… I’d never get any romantic ideas about a boss of mine. I’d feel bad for Igarashi…”

  “And I’m your subordinate now anyway, so you don’t have to feel ‘sorry’ for me anymore.”

  “Uh, well… Um…,” I stammered, scratching my cheek as I tried to think of what to say, but everyone just gave me an exasperated smile. I’d always thought of Igarashi as the kind of person who’d blow up at the littlest thing. It was refreshing to see her respond with such maturity and grace.

  “…Phew, sorry. I just woke up; I think I’m still a little tired,” said Igarashi.

  “You won’t completely recover unless you sleep a whole night, even in a nice place like this… I’ve actually gotten tired, too…,” said Elitia.

  “You sleeepy, Ellie? Suzu, wanna take a nap?” suggested Misaki.

  “Yeah, my magic’s a little low, too… Yaawn…,” said Suzuna.

  Misaki wasn’t tired since she didn’t have any skills yet that required magic, but Suzuna had used a lot for Auto-Hit and Salt Laying. Even so, Misaki apparently wanted to join in on naptime. She, Suzuna, and Elitia all left, leaving me in the living room with just Igarashi and Theresia. Apparently, Madoka used magic when she placed long-distance orders through her license. I checked everyone’s magic on my license and saw that hers had gone down by about a quarter.

  “Igarashi, I’m just killing time now that I’m awake. You can take it easy for a little longer. I think I’m going to go out with Theresia for a bit.”

  “Oh, okay… Hey, do you want some tea before you go? Although, I guess the Maid would make it for you.”

  “Most likely, but I feel bad calling them for every little thing. I can make the tea.”

  “No, you sit down. You’re the leader, and that’s a lot of work.” Igarashi went around behind me and placed her hands on my shoulders. Her touch seemed natural, and her gentle tone sounded nice, both easily putting me in a good mood.

  “W-well…then. Since I’m your replacement Maid…,” she said.

  “Uh… Igarashi?”

  “I—I would like to offer my apologies… I still haven’t made up for everything I made you do at work.”

  “It’s fine; I’m really over it—”

  “I won’t feel right if I don’t. You can laugh; just let me do something for you.”

  “A-all right. By do something, do you mean make tea?”

  This conversation was taking a bit to get anywhere. Theresia had been staring at us for a while, and Igarashi must have felt embarrassed because she was slowly getting redder and redder. Even her ears were bright red now.

  Actually, I was a little off. I never could have guessed what Igarashi was actually so embarrassed about until I heard her utter the next few words:

  “…I—I will be back shortly with your tea, m-master.”

  “…Um, uh, a-all right! I’ll w-wait here!”

  I was a bit slow on the uptake. This wasn’t the kind of service I’d expect from Igarashi— Sure, apologies were one thing, but I couldn’t believe she’d act like a Maid while she went to make me tea. I’d be entirely unable to resist if she started teasing me that I didn’t get Maids like this every day.

  “Good, you seemed to enjoy that. You’ll have to tell me what you like later, when we have time,” she said and headed toward the kitchen. I stared after her, utterly dumbfounded, trying to figure out who this charming woman was. The change I’d seen in her was so huge that it left me wondering if I even knew her.

  Some m
ight say she’s acting coy, but I’m a simple man. I’m just going to enjoy it. I realized Theresia was staring at me, so I adjusted my tie nervously, even though it wasn’t really crooked.

  “Theresia, it’s not what you think…,” I told her. “I know you’re probably a bit tired, but d’you want to go take a walk with me?”

  “……”

  She nodded, but I felt like there was something else she wanted to say.

  “What’s wrong? …Oh right, should we choose your skills now?” She nodded again; looks like I guessed right somehow. She gained a level, so there should be more skills she could take. I wanted to take a look at the new skills while we had time.

  I pulled out my license and turned the display to show Theresia’s skills. She didn’t have her own license since she was a mercenary before. Instead, her skills showed up on my license.

  ♦Mercenary Skills Display: THERESIA♦

  Lizard Skin 1

  Accel Dash

  Scout Range Extension 1

  Lookout 1

  Silent Step

  ♦Available Skills♦

  Level 2 Skills

  Shadow Step:

  Evades attack and leaves an afterimage of yourself, confusing the enemy.

  Hide:

  Renders you unnoticeable unless hit by an enemy’s attack. (Prerequisite: Silent Step)

  Sleight of Hand 2:

  Undoes medium to difficult locks and traps. (Prerequisite: Sleight of Hand 1)

  Level 1 Skills

  Double Throw:

  Throws two throwing weapons at once.

  Sneak Attack:

  Attack damage is doubled when attacking an enemy unaware of your presence.

  Pickpocket 1:

  Steals a specified item from target without their knowledge.

  Escapology: