No good. I can’t find it.
I collapsed on the bench, completely outta steam. The dragon-skill seems to take more outta you than the status values tell, or I’m not used to the high increase. One of those.
I was currently on one of the roads with houses on just one side, leaving the other a free view of the lake and other pillars that made up the city. Not a bad view, even if the sun’s bombarding with death rays.
...And the couples.
From the looks of it, the beautiful view of the lake attacks, er, attracts couples from blast away, er, from far away, and... just explode already!!
Grr, I wanted to catch my breath here, but nooo~. Is there so heart-break skill available?
Na: Garami
Race: Rasetsu Ogre Lord | Gender: Female
Level: 11
Karma Value: -200
Main Class: Assassin Lv.1
Sub Class Spectermancer Lv.13
Skills: 122
Titles: 25
Skill Points: 2.6
HP: 225/225 MP: 334/334 SP: 166/233
STR: 261 VIT: 180 MAG: 207
RES: 248 SPD: 359 DEX: 395
INT: 120 LUC: 150
Well, after using three Points to get... wait a sec. Sothing’s wrong here.
I know my SPD and DEX were one of my highest stats, but not that high!? They’re more than my MP now, my best stat since... I can’t rember! And STR’s higher too?! Not as much as the other two, but still...
SPD, DEX, then STR... weren’t they the stats related to obtaining Assassin?
Good thing I got this Classes Register book from the great sage teacher of Gust. Let’s see, Advance, Advance... here! Advance-tier classes give...*mumble, mumble*...
I closed the book with a snap after reading that paragraph, then I opened it on the sa page and reread... for then rubbing the dust out of my eyes and looked for a third ti.
Eh? Advance-tier and above gives bonus points to stats related to it? Not just stat-growth enhancents?
...Niiiice. As expected from a real deal encyclopedia. The Kigal-Note is in the end just a collection of notes. It can’t beat sothing that sages have spent who knows how long to write.
Let’s read so more... and I almost forgot about that evil organization-blacksmith!! I think he’s part of it.
It’s just a hunch, but that Blot guy didn’t seem to all for not accepting his offer. My bet’s on that he planned on impressing or sothing with the goods that blacksmith has, then semi-forcing to join if I wanted to get the premium goods.
Still, it’s just an idea. But I need so connection to those guys. I don’t wanna fight so mafia. The guys on Earth are scary enough, so this murderous world’s version of them? No way!
Just as I decided to move from the love spot before butchering the lovebirds on impulse, sothing noisy was starting further down the road.
A dust cloud? Did so carriage go amok? Better get to so safer ground... wait a minute. I recognize that dust cloud!
Instead of dodging it, I prepared a web to capture the loose cannon running towards . The culprit was magnifically trapped in it, allowing the dust it whirled up to rest.
"...What are you doing, Moles?" - Garami
I looked down on the Stella Mole, who looked at with stars in its eyes... and forehead.
"Mo~le~s." shouted a cute voice. A girl with blond hair and a blue dress ca running in the tracks of Moles’ rampage.
W-what is this girl? An angel!? No, she’s human. But with her blonde hair and blue dress, she looks more like a doll than a real kid. She’s gonna be a beauty when she grows up. Like, a national treasure-level one. She’s only five years old now from the looks of it...
Ah, she tripped. And she’s keeping the tears in. What a good girl!
Moles is going crazy outta concern for the girl, so I let him outta the web.
The doll-girl looks fine... scratch that. She’s got a scratch.
....Well, she looks like she’s Moles’ friend... or sothing...
This is just service, you know? Dark Heal!
And the boo-boo went away!
The girl looked at her knee with wonder in her eyes. Moles, who is accustod to seeing my healing spells by now, is just happy his friend, or whatever, is alright. Let’s check if that’s all the damage she took.
Na: Firis Arians
Race: Half-Flugel | Gender: Female
Level: 1
Karma Value: 11
Skills: 6
Titles: 0
Skill Points: 0.0
HP: 32/32 MP: 44/44 SP: 40/40
STR: 28 VIT: 29 MAG: 44
RES: 40 SPD: 53 DEX: 38
INT: 95 LUC: 170
Skill List:
Crafting Skills:
[Planting Lv.8]
Passive Skills:
[Hiding Lv.7] [Covert Movent Lv.5]
Leadership Skills:
[Ta Lv.1]
Elents:
[Lesser Holy Elent Lv.1]
Monster Skills:
[Golden Ratio Lv.8]
...
Wait, I was just joking about that "angel"-part! Why’s she a real-deal Flugel, this world’s angel!?
Not to ntion that she’s a natural-born [Golden Ratio] owner!? She’s won in life. And that LUC, it’s higher than my own!? First ti I’ve seen that! Wait, she’s not losing SP even when she’s catching up to Moles? What is she, a living cheat?
And she’s Moles’ master. Moles have the title [Firis’s Follower] on his status page, like how Gust had [Garami’s Follower] in his before. How did these two et up?
"Now wait you little brat!!" - ???
Seems like her guardians are coming... "guardians"? These sleazy-looking fellows? And they called her a brat...
A quick [Identification] confird my doubts: they are kidnappers. They got skills like [Covert Movent], [Intimidation], and a skill that helps you move stuff around called [Transport]. Their Karma Values are almost at a negative hundred, and one even got the [Humanoid Slayer] title.
The little girl doesn’t seem to recognize them either from the looks of it. The final piece is that Moles is trying to threaten them.
Conclusion: they’re definitely the bad guys here. Damn, do I only run into such people?
The possibility that they’re her guardians for real’s still possible, with them being forr criminals taken in by this girl’s parents, the little girl being a natural airhead, and Moles being of the jealous type...
Yeah, I’m just trying to make excuses for them at this point. All the other people that laid their eyes on the thugs fled the area, almost in fear. Considering that my inner monologue’s hurried up with [Thought Acceleration], that’s pretty impressive for normal folks.
That further strengthening the "these are bad-guys"-theory. Let’s capture them and have them spit out their story.
"And who are-GUH!?" - Bad Guy A
Wait, that wasn’t ! Soone struck bad guy A before I could get to it myself. And again, I’m using [Thought Acceleration]. So who’s that speed demon!?
Bad guy A fell to the ground, revealing a female warrior with light-blue hair reaching her waist, dressed in easy-to-move-in clothes, and wielding a greatsword that’s as big as she’s tall. With one hand. Are you kidding ?
The greatsword looks like a shark’s fin, nothing a knight of honor would use. The hilt was encased with a circle of what appears to be bones, and the blade looks kinda organic instead of tal. It’s one-edged, like a katana, which is good news for bad guy A, who was struck with the blunt edge rather than the other option.
The greatsword-wielding amazon wasted no ti smacking bad guy B and bad guy C after that in their stomach. While the result’s not as horrific as what I did to the Swordsman elf previously today, these guys aren’t gonna wake up by the first.
Wait, what’s up with those movents? That’s a greatsword, right? But she’s handling it as dexterous as I do with my dagger. What the heck?
The remaining bad guys D and E tried to attack her, while the one owning the [Humanoid Slayer] title started to activate so skill, but I punched him in the back of his head, using Sleep Blow to boot. He went out like a light before his head reached the ground. His last remaining allies went down a few seconds after that again.
And then, all six thugs were down for the count. The greatsword woman looked at in surprise, but she put away the sword when she saw the one with the title on the ground.
"Mira~." - Firis
The little girl ran up to the amazon, completely unfazed by the current brawl just now. Damn, she’s gonna be a pain to deal with when she grows up.
"Firis, where have you been? Your dad told you not to wander off like that." - Greatsword woman
"But~! I always have to stay on the island~!" - Firis
So, the spoiled rich lady(?) wanted to look around the city with her pet, then said pet, aning Moles, found in the distance and ran over to . To boot, the little lady had so bad guys stalking her, and when Moles and she started to run off, they panicked, and skipped the stalking in favor of just taking her right now?
Damn, this girl’s LUC is no joke...
"You just saw what happened! There are lots of bad people that want to do you and your father harm-" - Greatsword woman
"No worries~. Moles will protect then~." - Firis
Uhm, excuse , the mole in question looks pretty shocked over your statent just now. Think he can handle the job? Like, for real?
"And Mira will also protect , so there are no problems~." - Firis
"...That’s not the point..." - Greatsword woman
The amazon called Mira looked embarrassed when she answered the little lady. This girl’s gonna be a fem fatale angel if she continues to grow up like this.
Crap, she turned towards . Shoo, shoo! Go back with your guardian already! I know a trouble-bringer when I see them!
"Thank you very much for helping ," she said, with a polite bow.
I simply nodded back to her, unsure of what I should say.
But damn, this girl got guts. My face alone qualifies for working in a haunted house, but she’s unfazed.
"Hey, why did Moles run to you? Are you friends?" - Firis
Even if you suddenly ask that...
"...Savior? Teacher?" - Garami
The girl tilted her head when hearing my response, but I’m not sure either.
The moles didn’t have it so bad while living on the bottom part of the Water-Knot’s sixth Dungeon Floor, but they hadn’t it great either. And technically, I did help them obtaining their new skills and tons of Skill Points, so it’s not completely wrong to call a teacher either... right?
The greatsword user Mira looked shocked for a little second, but she cald herself so fast that I would have thought I was mistaken hadn’t [Thought Acceleration] been in use.
"Firis, it seems we know who the moles were making a statue of back on the farm." - Mira
Statue? What are those stupid moles doing!? Don’t look so smug, Moles! But the other moles are alright then. That’s a small relief. I would feel a little guilty had they been sent to sowhere not suitable for living. Just a little.
"Anyway, sorry for the disturbance, and many thanks for saving Firis here. My na is Mira Aureola, an E-rank adventurer and currently the bodyguard of miss Firis Ariens here." - Mira
"Firis Ariens, daughter of Benjamin Ariens, owner of Ariens Farm. Pleased to et you." - Firis
What a courteous introduction. But that ans I have to do so too? Geez... wait!
I showed my ID card to the two girls as a replacent for an oral introduction. A little rude, but what do you expect of !?
Since one can change the appearance of the cards to a certain extent, I had chosen a dark wooden material as background and even added a spiderweb motif to it. Firis looks like she liked the design, but the bodyguard Mira looked surprised for so reason...
Is it that I’m a rank below her, but could still punch the lights out of that thug before? Don’t go and decide others’ strengths based on their ranks, lady!
Just as I returned the ID card to my pocket, [Presence Perception] caught sothing arriving in the distance behind . Thug reinforcent? No, the guards? Damn, getting another scolding’s the last thing I wanna do now!
"You take care of that." - Garami
"Huh? Oh, alright." - Mira
Good. The swordswoman understood what I was talking about as I ran from the scene of the cri... Haven’t all my actions as an adventurer been like this? I fear for the future...
---
After ditching the guards, I managed to find soone that understood where I wanted to go and gave directions.
Armveil’s Smithy.
The large sign above the door clearly showed off that the owner wasn’t an introvert like . Seeing how new the sign is, it’s no wonder that many people don’t know about it.
I readied myself and entered the shop.
What awaited was hills on hills with weapons. Swords, spears, daggers, shields, magic staves, and even iron balls, the kind that are used as throwing weapons. Stuff like armors and robes, even rings and other accessories.
Rather than a smithy, isn’t this an equipnt supermarket?
But the size and quality of this shop leave no doubts anymore. This Armveil guy’s got so people backing him. Considering the circumstances, the Beliar Private Army group.
"Welco. Can I help you?"
The girl behind the desk called out to all of a sudden.
Why must people do that all the ti!? Give so ti to order my thoughts before you scare half to death, you damn ninja!!
Well, not a ninja per see, but she’s one heck of a Blacksmith.
Na: Shula Shalom
Race: Jewelborn | Gender: Female
Level: 27
Karma Value: 68
Main Class: Blacksmith Lv.Max
Sub Class: Craftsman Lv.44
Skill Points: 9.7
HP: 104/104 MP: 222/222 SP: 145/145
STR: 135 VIT: 101 MAG: 70
RES: 217 SPD: 98 DEX: 253
INT: 95 LUC: 170
She’s a Jewelborn. [Identification] told they’re humanoids with sothing called a Soul Gem embedded sowhere on their body. They’ve got aweso MP due to that, but the attributes they can attain are limited.
Seeing how she’s dedicated to smithing, that’s no problem for this girl. Did she raise her STR and RES from working at the scorching forge? She’s just one level’s worth of Skill Points away from upgrading her class. Good luck! Don’t give up!
"...Armveil?" - Garami
"? No, my na is Shula." - Shula
It didn’t get through to her!! No wonder, since only half of [Parallel Processing] was used for that line now while I was busy thinking about stupid stuff, damn it! Let’s try for real this ti.
"...Is Armveil here?" - Garami
"Master is here, yes. Do you have an appointnt?" - Shula
Tch, things aren’t gonna be that easy. Just my luck. My mood’s rock bottom from the traffic accident with Moles and his new master, so I decided to stop walking around the bushes.
Not that I did any particularly drastic asures. I simply showed Shula here the coat of arms or whatever I had gotten from Blot.
"!? Please, wait for just a second!" - Shula
...Okay, maybe it turned out to be a asure a tad more drastic than I had expected...?
---
Before I knew it, I was sitting face-to-face with the head-smith himself.
Armveil is a Master Dwarf, aning a variant of D-rank dwarfs that’s almost overspecialized in crafting, according to [Identification].
He’s got steel-colored hair and sun-tanned skin. Strange thing is that he’s not that short, bulky, nor having a large beard. He’s more masculine-handso than masculine-old man-ish. He’s keeping his long hair slicked back and has a well-trimd goatee. While not high for a human, he’s still around 140 cm high, with a well-trained and nimble body.
"Alright, so you’re the famous Garami girl, eh? Welco to Armveil’s Smithy. I’m the boss here, Armveil Veiger." - Armveil
My reputation proceeds ~... or, this is Blot’s piece of work.
Just as I was wondering how to ask this guy about my suspicions, the Jewel girl from before brought sothing to . Snacks? Tch, it’s not.
"Blot told you didn’t like talking so much, so I thought of an alternative solution." - Armveil
"...no need for them." - Garami
"Oh, so you can talk~! That makes things easier." - Armveil
The dwarf put away the writing utensils with a surprised, but pleased face. No reason I wouldn’t be able to talk.
I an, this is an interview, right? It’s a battle to get a job, right? You have to give 100% when on the battlefield!!
...or so I’m shouting to myself in my mind...
"First, are you part of Blot’s group?" - Garami
"Blot’s group? No, no, I’m not part of the Private Army." - Armveil
He’s not bending. Then it’s a frontal assault then!
"...I’ll be more specific: are you part of that "evil organization" that’s rumored about in the shady sides of the town? The one using the army as a cover?" - Garami
"O-ho~. That is quite the statent you ca with. And where did you-" - Armveil
"Forced it out from the trash of Avido family." - Garami
"...trash, huh? And what happened to them?" - Armveil
"Finished them." - Garami
Armveil turned pale when I disinterested gave my answer. For soone working for an evil organization, he’s lacking so ruthlessness.
"O-okay..., now I see. You laid two and two together and ca here. And what is your angle?" - Armveil
"A job." - Garami
"...as in?" - Armveil
"...the Union’s good, with easy jobs for to get money to live for, but the security is the worst. No privacy regarding your inco, and no protection in case you get hurt on the job. Honestly, being an Adventurer has no stability and too many risks." - Garami
This isn’t a ga after all. Living in an inn requires quite the amount of gold in the length. Even all the cash I’ve obtained thanks to Gust would vanish if I didn’t keep my eyes on them.
"Plus, there’s no telling if they would help if those guys from Avido returned with a vengeance. You guys are the ones wanting so talents as well, so it’s a give-and-take deal. Give so stability in my living, and I will be a combatant or whatever you’re short off...you know what, forget that last part. Give the vice-CEO chair, or we don’t have a deal." - Garami
Armveil’s face went from surprise to understanding as he listened to my story, for then returning to surprising, before finally laughing out like a madman. Did I find his funnybone?
"Ha-ha-ha-ha! Oh, kid, you’re killin’ ! Vice-CEO...you’re really a demon! Hahaha! As you said, I, Shula, Blot, and all the other bastards are part of a self-proclaid evil organization, nad Nequitia." - Armveil
He folded fast. Great, we have progress.
"Then give my office by the end of the week-" - Garami
"Hold on there, little miss invincible. We can’t go and grant you that right away, even if you scared the big boss." - Armveil
"...I "scared" her?" - Garami
"Big ti! Magic may not be her best hand, but the lady is one of the strongest demons you can find out there. A weak blow or not, seeing soone not even at rank D surviving it must have terrified her." - Armveil
"...and she wants because of that?" - Garami
"Seems like it! Not that she has a fetish for scary. You’re not part of any group yet, are you?" - Armveil
"...I’ll leave that to your imagination." - Garami
"Oh, you can bet on that! Because my imagination sucks! That’s why I’ll use the facts that a certain Darkness-using demon crushed the supposed Disaster of Water so nights ago, a fact we know thanks to the telescopes our company makes!" - Armveil
...tch. Those stupid glasses wanted to hire because of that?
"...hey, what happened to the hire--because-I’m-scary-part?" - Garami
"That’s also part of the reason! But there’s no way so of the bigger groups could keep you a secret for so long. Plus, the organization has a few record-watchers." - Armveil
"...what-watchers?" - Garami
"The kind that looks at the World System logs to discover facts there. Such as finding out that the Disaster of Water was defeated by the Champion of Darkness~. And if you beat that monstrous blob of water... you get the rest. And who doesn’t know about record-watchers~?" - Armveil
Are those guys such a common thing to know for guys in this evil organization-occupation?
"And hey, if sothing that strange appeared, wouldn’t it be better to have it on your side and use it to scare the livin’ outta others?" - Armveil
"...If you say so. Then, how can I get the vice-CEO seat then?" - Garami
"Hold your horses! That’s Blot’s position! If anything, aim to beco one of the Ten Generals! There are still spaces left there!" - Armveil
"...Generals?" - Garami
"Yup. They’re the top ten mbers of the organization, only below Blot and lady Filyn themselves. Each General leads their own division that’s focused on their own specific task. The head of the Research Division’s never shown her face even to a few of the other Generals." - Armveil
"That works. Put in that group. In a division with low social contact." - Garami
"Ahaha...no, that’s not funny. The Generals are the best in their line of work. Champion or not, we can’t hand that title over to soone we barely know a thing about." - Armveil
"...then what should I do to beco one?" - Garami
"I don’t know. It like taking over this whole city and handing it over to lady Filyn?" - Armveil
Greeeaaaat. Lots of help there...
"That’s possible." - Garami
"Yeah, no way..., "possible"? Did you say that it was possible for you?" - Armveil
"Yup. Just have to get to the living room to the guy running this town and threaten him with this little guy," I replied as I pulled a certain sothing from my pocket and showed it to the dwarf.
"......no way...hydra...hydra poison!!??" - Armveil
"This little guy would do the trick~." - Garami
"W-w-w-w-w-wait! Stop, don’t!!!! You’ll destroy the whole city with that!!" - Armveil
"I know. But since there are no other ways to a stable lifestyle-" - Garami
"AAARGH!! Fine, I’ll nominate you! Be it a General or anything, just don’t juggle that bottle like that!!!!!" - Armveil
"Tch. It’s funny to juggle," I said, keeping on throwing the bottle with deadly poison in the air.
"Please, stop that!!!! What else do you want!?" - Armveil
He’s quick on the uptake. As expected of soone making his own living as a shopkeep/smith/evil organization leader~.
"Guarantee that you’ll help . Sothing like Contract Magic works." - Garami
Contract Magic is a special breed of magic that I ca across when reading the Kigal-Note to kill ti one day. The one initiating a contract has to follow it, or else a punishnt agreed on beforehand will strike the guy breaking the contract.
"Grr...alright! Just "helping you beco a General" works, right? Wait here while I find pen and paper! And we have to talk Blot after this!" - Armveil
"Fine by ," I replied as I saw the dwarf off. Didn’t he have writing utensils already? He must need so special stuff, probably...
Still...that was haaaaaaarsh!!
I’m the one wanting to cry here! This is soooooo not the sa as talking to monsters!! *Sniff*, and playing around with this bottled damnation was tearing on my SAN points more than it did for the dwarf!!
Please let this job be worth it all...
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