Chapter 21

We moved to a slightly less crowded place and decided to have a proper conversation.

To start, we introduced ourselves.

"I'm Zeros. I have the Emblem of Void, and my level is 24."

"I'm Shuna. I have the Emblem of Magic and I just reached level 20... Wait, level 24 with the Emblem of Void!?"

Shuna, who introduced herself, exclaimed in surprise.

"That's amazing. I've never seen someone with the Emblem of Void at such a high level."

Shuna's tone was not at all mocking.

In this world, the Emblem of Void is seen as a symbol of incompetence.

Given that the Succession Shrine has not been passed down to this era, it can't be helped.

(Still, I think you can level up to a certain extent even without skills...)

Anyway, this world is a reality where dying even once means the end.

People with emblems unsuitable for combat don't usually take unnecessary risks.

Let's get back to the topic.

I continued to persuade Shuna.

"Yeah, I have the minimum level of skill, so don't worry. The main point is that I want to clear a dungeon, and I need your help for that..."

"Hold on! Stop, stop!"

Shuna interrupted me, looking flustered.

Hmm, maybe I was a bit too hasty.

Then, after taking a deep breath, Shuna spoke again.

"Zeros, I'm flattered that you're relying on me, but I only have Magic Missile and Sacred Enchant. I don't think I can meet your expectations..."

"No, I need that Sacred Enchant."

When I said that, Shuna continued, looking flustered.

"Wait, Zeros, you don't understand! Look at this, and you still think you need it!?"

As she said this, Shuna showed me her status screen.

With the person's permission, you can show your status to others.

While it's not generally recommended, since Shuna showed it to me, I looked at it honestly.

Here's what it said:

――――――――――――――――――――

Shuna Trimmel

Gender: Female

Age: 15

Emblem: [Emblem of Magic]

Level: 20

HP: 160/160 MP: 140/140

Strength: 23

Endurance: 23

Speed: 26

Intelligence: 40

Luck: 26

Status Points: 0

Skills: [Magic Missile] Lv.1, [Sacred Enchant] Lv.1

――――――――――――――――――――

[Sacred Enchant] Lv.1

- Magic skill

- Attribute: Holy

- By consuming an additional 50% MP, it grants the Holy attribute to your magic.

――――――――――――――――――――

(Shuna Trimmel...?)

There was something that caught my attention, but I ignored it for now and looked at her status.

She had allocated more parameters to intelligence, with a balanced distribution to the rest (speed and luck seemed a bit high), a typical status for a mage.

Most importantly, the glowing words of Sacred Enchant.

...Yeah, just as I expected.

"See? As you can see, it's a dud skill that only grants an attribute by consuming an additional 50% MP. My MP is already tight because of Magic Missile... So, Zeros, you don't have to force yourself to invite me—"

"No, seeing this, I'm more certain. Please, Shuna, I'm asking you again. Will you team up with me?"

"Eh, eh!?"

My response seemed unexpected, as Shuna let out another surprised exclamation.

I pressed on.

"Of course, we can start as a temporary party. I'll guide you on the effectiveness of that skill against the monsters in the dungeon, so it should be safe. Ideally, I'd like your help in the boss battle, but if you're not up for it, I won't force you."

"Um, well..."

"Let's just try it once. Will you come with me to the dungeon?"

"..."

I bowed and asked.

If she refuses here, I can't push any further.

Shuna has her own principles as an adventurer, and I don't intend to twist them.

But earlier, she was looking for a party.

If that was because she wanted to get stronger through dungeon clearing—

My heart was a mix of hope and anxiety as Shuna spoke softly.

"...Really, I can be of use to you, Zeros?"

"Yeah, I really need your help."

I looked up and told her seriously.

Shuna stared at me for a few seconds, then nodded as if making a decision.

"Alright, Zeros."

"Really, you'll do it?"

"Yeah. Besides, I wanted a partner to team up with too... Nice to meet you, Zeros!"

"Nice to meet you, Shuna."

We shook hands.

And thus, our temporary party was formed.

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