A Small Kerfuffle Before Tourney
The commotion finally settled down once we stopped the two spirit users.
They gave me an unexpectedly banal reason when I asked the reason for their dispute.
"I was gonna get the dining hall folks to cook meat dish for once today, but this guy tried his damnedest to trip me."
"We still have plenty of fish from the other day. They'll spoil if they're not used up soon! We ought to finish all the fish before even thinking about purchasing meat!"
"I'm through with fish, dammit! Gotta have meat every once in a while to keep morale high!"
"Just be grateful you can put food in your mouth!"
"This all started cause you wanted fish last week! Those cooks went and stocked up way too much cuz you kept praising 'em for that fish dish they made!"
"We had been eating nothing but meat up until that point! We will develop gout if we keep such an eating habit!"
.....
I guess I'll make them stop for the time being.
Once that was done, we dragged the two out of the mine.
Other miners rushed up to us when they noticed.
"O, oh! You guys are fine... Hang on, are those two alright!?"
"They're out cold and bleeding on the forehead! Musta been a pretty insane fight huh!?"
"Well you see, they fought with Spirit Magic at first but then the dwarf guy couldn't take it anymore and head butted the elf guy who got an unexpectedly tough head, thus their current states. Quite a handful these two are, haha~."
"O-ou, do they now... Yer' weirdly talkative."
The miners listened to my lies with doubtful eyes.
Alma and Reina looked like they wanted to say something behind me as they played with their fingers. I mean, knocking them out was for the best.
That uproar was needlessly big but it wasn't all minus.
First of all, Alma managed to learn [Intermediate Spirit Magic] Skill.
Contracted to both earth elemental spirits [Gnomes] and fire elemental [Ifrit] at that.
The two made their contracts under threat but it's not like she stole them from their users.
Alma can summon different individual mid-class Spirits if her contracted Spirits are being summoned by those two.
One difference between these mid-class and lesser Spirits is the amount of mana they can use.
Lesser Spirits can reach the strength of mid-class Spirits if they're given plenty of mana, while doing this to mid-class Spirits raises their power by several times easily.
The biggest delineating factor is the fact that mid-class Spirits can act independently in battle without constant supervision once they've been summoned.
In short, it's like having reinforcement.
The Skill specification doesn't allow both Gnomes and Ifrit to be summoned at the same time however.
The following day, we went to an abandoned mine to test out these new Spirits.
First, Ifrit's turn.
As Alma skipped the lesser fire elemental Spirits, I was afraid she'd make a mistake in controlling the output, but Ifrit went ahead and called nearby lesser fire elemental Spirits.
<First ya gotta make a contract with these twerps and learn how to handle flames. Yer gonna burn yerself down playing straight with mid-class Spirit fire.>
"Got it. Thanks."
<Aaah, it's finally our turn to contract these guys...>
<These folks are infamous for being bad news among lesser spirits too~.>
<...How come that's new news to me and Gnomes?>
<I mean, it's a pain.>
<You're just gonna scold us if we did anyway.>
<More like, aniki's definitely gonna attack them if we reported to you. We don't wanna get them think we betrayed 'em.>
<Neechan and old man woulda punished us.>
<...Ya twerps better be ready later.>
Seems like these little spirits think of Ifrit more like a hard-to-please superior than their aniki.
Well considering he went straight to an attempted murder, I guess I can see how self-important this Spirit is.
Gnome is clearly faster than lesser earth Spirits at changing terrains.
Little Gnomes take time to manipulate sturdy bedrock while Gnome does it virtually as fast as he does soft soil.
<Fumu, this is a lot of mana you give me, quite tasty at that. There is no wonder those lesser Spirits are willing to lend you their power despite their trepidation.>
"Next up. Quickly form a lance shaped rock downward on the ceiling while simultaneously shooting rock bullets from both sides."
<...It's also no wonder those lesser Spirits threw in the towel. Such commanding actions you demand of me.>
Looks like Alma's mana is really considered a delicacy among Spirits. Dunno what's their basis though.
Now then, we haven't come all the way to this mine only to test out the new Spirits' power.
"This mine may have been abandoned but it's still got some leftover mana ores. We're gonna dig them out. I've already gotten the permission."
"Why don't we dig at an active mine?"
"Those miners would get less if we did. I'm told anybody is free to mine, but isn't it better if we don't bother other people?"
<Umu. I do not condone trespassing upon an owned domain, unless it has been abandoned such as this.>
"So yeah, follow my instructions and fetch us magic ores and stuff out of the bedrocks here."
<...Do you mean to say you know where those magic ores are located?>
"Well yeah."
<You are truly an indescribable existence full of mysteries. So much so to the point of eeriness...>
Say what you want. I'm used to it by now.
Now then, normally we have to dig deep into bedrocks to get magic ores since it's an abandoned mine and all, but that task should be relatively easy with the help of Intermediate Spirit Magic.
The stuff I have Julian make use a lot of disposable magic ores. I'm gonna dig the supply with my own hands.
And thus, five days passed involving us mining magic ores while also training Spirit Magic and eliminating mole-shaped Magic Beasts that had recently made a lair deep inside the coal mine.
Eh, the stuff about magic beasts is too abridged you say? I mean, it's literally Alma sending magma down their way with the help of Little Gnomes and Ifrit, a total annihilation with nothing of note.
...Were those beasts artificially raised too?
<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >
~~~~~~~~~Scarymast's POV~~~~~~~~~~
Royal capital of the Fifth Continent [Pendragon].
Here I am at this capital of blossoms named by a past hero, Ryouta Souma, in order to file a claim.
Sending a messenger would only net us a reply, 'You have no proof.'
Which is true as only Kajikawa and Almatina witnessed Black Dragon at the Monster Prairie. There is no other record.
...A guildmaster personally going just to deal with such an uncertainty may seem absurd.
The owner of Black Dragon as well as the commander of Royal Guard, Ranaia Souma who's standing ahead of me must be of the same opinion.
"Even if what the witness saw at the Prairie were truly me and Black Dragon. On what basis do you accuse me as the perpetrator of the incident?"
"The witness testified that you had five slots open on your tamed beast slots. There were five magic beasts that breached area boundaries. Don't you believe that's quite a coincidence?"
"...How do you prove this witness is telling the truth?"
"We can't. Everything is circumstantial."
"That's unacceptable. I cannot spare any more time for this farce. May I ask you to withdraw?"
I would have done the same if I were in his shoes.
What I'm doing right now is akin to the false accusation Kajikawa was subjected under the other day.
...I simply lack the cards to bring more to the table. I suppose this is as far as I could go.
"Very well. However, please let me have a word with Black Dragon..."
『I've nothing to say to a weakling.』
...!
"...Oy, Black Dragon. Didn't I tell you to go back to your lodging today."
『Fahaha, I sensed you were under considerable duress. I came here to check on you.』
Black Dragon was glaring from behind the audience chamber's window before I noticed a thing.
He's looking at me like I'm garbage.
『Red haired woman, I shall only speak to those with strength I deem worthy. Strength brought not by positions. I care not if you are a guildmaster or a king, show me your prowess if you wish to convene with me.』
"...Is that how you trample everything that inconvenience you underfoot, through sheer brute force."
『Ou. Let us say you spoke of the truth, they are but empty words lest you possess the strength to push through.』
"You're an apex of egotism. What did that past hero teach you."
At my provocation, Black Dragon's mood turned foul as he glared back.
『You've no right to speak of him. You've no right to insult him. That is unless you wish to be erased this very moment.』
"Insult? Me toward the hero? Nah, if anyone insulted him, it's you. Anybody would come to the same conclusion watching your behaviors. That the person who brought you up was a good-for-nothing."
『...Enough talk. From here on, speak only with a show of force!!』
Black Dragon roared angrily.
The impact from this alone was enough to break all the glass windows and formed fissures on the wall of audience chamber.
This dragon's got quite the terrifying power despite its childishness. Ordinary combat and production type Job people would have fainted from this alone.
"Guildmaster-dono, I must ask you to refrain from provoking Black Dragon any further!"
"Souma-dono, Black Dragon insisted that I showed him my strength. I take it, it's alright then?"
"...Wha? What are you...?"
"Please recognize that it was by Black Dragon's own admission that permitted me to beat him up."
...Good grief, what have I gotten myself into.
Perhaps I should have turned around and gone back home once I said my piece to Souma-dono. No poking the hornet's nest.
But what meaning does that make.
I cannot have this tyrant readily admit that yes, he's picking a fight with Adventurer's Guild.
I don't care if the other party is a dragon, I am always ready to jump in a fight sold. I have to show my determination in all this.
To this Black Dragon, his master, and the kingdom they belong to.
And also, to Kajikawa whom I so pompously lectured.
『Come, o diminutive weakling.』
"You're nothing more than a flying lizard. Quit acting high and mighty."
It's been quite some years since my last real battle. I should at least get in a slap to his face.
Can't say if I'm going to get out of this alive, however.
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