Chapter 63

Having concluded the deal with Shepard, I immediately set off into the forest.

The direction I was heading was the same one Shepard had fled from earlier.

There was no particular reason I had to go that way, but it would be troublesome to get entangled with enemies in the current situation.

It would be easier to head in the direction where the number of enemies had decreased.

"Still, is it okay? Not bringing Hizato and the others?"

"Well, it should be fine. We can't afford to waste time, either."

I had instructed Hizato to continue Lumin's training.

If we aimed to raise Lumin's level to 16, we couldn't waste any time on training.

Besides, the task here was simply to find a fairy, and there was no need to bring them along.

Lumin might make it easier to find one, but with the effect of the title, it should be manageable even without her.

"And you, wouldn't you want to see Lumin's evolution?"

"Yes, well... it's clearly a special evolution route."

During our movement, I had exchanged several pieces of information with Shepard.

The evolution of fairies into spirits, the characteristics of leveling up spirits, and the acquisition of weapon skills.

I had obtained various tamer-related information from Shepard, including details about the tamed monsters he was leading and items available for purchase at the Tamer Guild.

In particular, the talk about tamed monsters that could be ridden was quite interesting.

The country of Bédingia, located beyond the checkpoint next to this Alphasia, is especially famous for its cavalry.

It seems that one can purchase very excellent riding monsters in that country, and Shepard would have bought one if he hadn't tamed a horse.

Indeed, getting a good set of legs is a rather attractive proposition. It takes quite a bit of time to travel long distances, after all.

Our party is only half full, so taming a riding monster wouldn't be a bad idea.

However, this guy really has a lot of information about tamed monsters.

It seems he has a bit of a perfectionist streak and is quite concerned about the evolution routes of fairies.

Originally, Lumin was supposed to fulfill the role of a backliner that I couldn't do.

Her stats were entirely backliner-oriented, and she wasn't meant to fight on the front lines.

However, for some reason, Lumin, who had an originally proactive personality, chose to live by the sword, inspired by my sword.

Moreover, it wasn't with just any resolve; she chose this path by cutting off her connection to the Fairy Queen.

Now, there are no other options but to follow the path Lumin has chosen.

"I'm interested in that route, but whether I can do it is a bit uncertain. It also depends on the will of the fairy... I mean, the fairy herself."

"Sure, if she wants it, we can consider it. Even if you don't teach her yourself, there are several methods."

There was a dojo where Fauskatz taught swordsmanship. There are ways to do it.

Well, a fairy aiming for such a style is quite unique.

Anyway, I had made my way deep into the forest.

Fairies, it seems, exist quite commonly, though I usually don't pay much attention to them.

Fairies are generally curious but also cautious.

Because of this, they usually don't show up in populated areas and instead appear in places rich in nature.

They observe from a distance, sometimes coming closer, but they tend to stay away during battles, so there are few opportunities to make contact.

In any case, the purpose this time is to find such a fairy.

With the number of monsters reduced, it should be easier to find one.

In fact, I can already feel non-hostile gazes from the surroundings. If I search carefully, I should be able to pinpoint the fairy's location.

"...The presence has increased. I think if we wait here, they'll come closer."

"Got it. Then—"

Shepard nodded and sat on a fallen log nearby, taking out his lute, which was his business tool.

I'm not very knowledgeable about music, but his skill seemed decent from what I heard earlier.

There must be some game-like assistance, but he might also have experience with similar instruments in reality.

Ignoring my thoughts, Shepard began plucking the strings of the lute.

"《Curse Song》—【March】"

Despite the delicate sound of the lute, the melody was lively.

Shepard's voice, without lyrics, added color to the flow of the music.

Checking the status, it seems this 《Curse Song》 has an effect to enhance AGI.

Perhaps drawn by the lively and cheerful melody, harmless animals and insects, as well as the fairies who had been observing from a distance, gathered around.

Not only that, the fairies began to dance in a circle in the air.

I chuckled at the sight, reminiscent of the fairies I had seen in the Fairyland.

"But, this should work."

Fairies are moody. When they're in a good mood, their attitude towards us becomes more relaxed.

The fairies are already in high spirits. They must be very interested in Shepard, who is playing the lute.

As I watched the fairies, who were looking at us with shining eyes, Shepard's song ended.

The young man slowly opened his eyes, looked up at the fairies gathered in the air, and spoke with a slight smile.

"Hello, fairies. I'm Shepard... Thank you for listening to my performance."

Apparently, fairies can understand our language, though they can't speak.

However, since the Fairy Queen could speak, it might be possible for them to speak after evolving.

In any case, the fairies who couldn't speak responded by waving their hands.

A few timid ones fled, but a decent number remained. This should be enough.

"I'm looking for companions to go on adventures with me. If there's anyone who wants to be my friend, I'd like you to join me."

The fairies looked at each other.

They seemed to have a discussion in a language we couldn't understand.

After a noisy exchange, one of them stepped forward.

A fairy with green hair, with a somewhat gentle appearance, different from the active Lumin.

The green-haired fairy floated forward and kissed Shepard's forehead.

"—So, the title... Does this mean you'll come with me?"

It seems Shepard has obtained the 《Blessing of Fairies》 title.

Well, without the title, he couldn't even see fairies, so it might have been a wasted worry.

Or rather, the action of touching the forehead when giving the title—was that a kiss? I didn't notice it.

Ignoring my thoughts, Shepard tamed the fairy with a smile.

"Thank you. You... are good at wind magic, right? Then, I'll call you 'Sylph.' Is that okay?"

"——♪"

The green-haired fairy—now named Sylph—nodded happily.

It seems she liked the name.

I don't know how she would react if she didn't like the name, but I doubt Shepard would give a strange name.

"Sure, nice to meet you, Sylph. Thank you, everyone, for listening."

The fairies nodded and waved their hands as if to bless Sylph before leaving.

Watching them go, Shepard took a breath and spoke.

"Success. Thank you, Quon."

"What, it's the result of the deal. There's a benefit for me too, so there's no need to worry."

We have a mutually beneficial agreement, so there's no reason not to cooperate.

Though, I didn't expect things to go so smoothly.

"So, did you get the 《Blessing of Fairies》?"

"Yes. Now I can see fairies too."

"From what I saw, you might be able to find fairies more efficiently than I can?"

"Hehe... It seems the 《Curse Song》 is fun for them."

With the effect of my title, it might not be noticeable now, but Shepard can now see fairies on his own.

Moreover, with the popularity of the 《Curse Song》 among the fairies, he should be able to make new fairy companions easily.

Though, if there are too many, it might be hard to manage.

"Well, if you got it, that's fortunate. As for the other tamers—"

"Of course, I'll take care of it. If we hold a gathering, more people will obtain the title. But, is it okay? This title is a significant discovery."

"That's up to you. I'm not particularly interested in fame."

My goal is to wield a sword in battle, not to gain wealth or honor.

I might help people if I feel like it, but I don't find any charm in being well-liked by the general public.

In fact, it might hinder my actions, so I'm glad to leave it to you.

"Anyway, if we've achieved our goal, let's head back for now."

"Sure. But... are you really going to do it?"

"That's the deal, right? Besides, it's beneficial for you too."

"Well, indeed... I also want to level up."

The deal I offered Shepard was to temporarily add him to our party and let him participate in training in this area.

Shepard is excellent at support, which is valuable for our party, which is biased towards frontliners.

Initially, I thought we might try a 'raid' like the one we did in battle, but it seems that wasn't very efficient.

According to Hizato, a raid is like a party of parties.

A mini-raid for two parties, a half-raid for five parties, and a full-raid for ten parties.

It's a system to manage such large numbers, but it has both advantages and disadvantages.

First, the advantage is that party-wide skills can affect the entire group.

The disadvantage is that the experience points gained decrease.

The reduction rate increases with the number of parties, and it seems that forming regular parties is more efficient with this number.

That time, it was an emergency, so they formed a raid instead of reorganizing the party.

"The frontliners will be us, so there's no need to be too tense. You, provide solid support from the back. With Sylph joining, you have more options for magical support, right?"

"Well, it will be a significant power level for Sylph... Yes, it's a promise, so I'll do my best."

"I'll count on you until Lumin's evolution. You're probably curious too."

Shepard chuckled at my words.

It seems he couldn't deny them.

At this rate, it will be the first two-stage evolution of a tamed monster.

Moreover, according to Shepard, it's a special evolution route.

What form it will take—this is something I'm looking forward to too.

"Let's head back. Time to level up."

"Understood, Quon."

First, I need to see how much he can contribute.

How much we can improve efficiency—looking forward to that, I returned to Hizato and the others with Shepard.

■Avatar Name: Quon

■Gender: Male

■Race: Human

■Level: 23

■Status (Remaining Status Points: 0)

STR: 22

VIT: 17

INT: 22

MND: 17

AGI: 13

DEX: 13

■Skills

Weapon Skill: 《Sword: Lv.23》

Magic Skill: 《Enhancement Magic: Lv.15》

Set Skill: 《Dead Point Strike: Lv.15》

《MP Auto Recovery: Lv.12》

《Plundering Sword: Lv.13》

《Identification: Lv.14》

《Sword of Life: Lv.14》

《Sword of Demon Slaying: Lv.5》

《Tame: Lv.10》

《HP Auto Recovery: Lv.9》

《Life Force Manipulation: Lv.4》

Sub Skill: 《Mining: Lv.1》

Title Skill: 《Blessing of Fairies》

■Current SP: 22

■Avatar Name: Hizato

■Gender: Female

■Race: Human

■Level: 24

■Status (Remaining Status Points: 0)

STR: 24

VIT: 15

INT: 21

MND: 17

AGI: 15

DEX: 14

■Skills

Weapon Skill: 《Sword: Lv.24》

Magic Skill: 《Fire Magic: Lv.19》

Set Skill: 《Fighting Spirit: Lv.16》

《Spell Charge: Lv.13》

《Fire Attribute Enhancement: Lv.14》

《Healing Proficiency: Lv.8》

《Identification: Lv.14》

《Dead Point Strike: Lv.14》

《Martial Arts: Lv.15》

《Combat Skills: Lv.14》

《Traversal: Lv.14》

Sub Skill: 《Gathering: Lv.7》

《Mining: Lv.4》

Title Skill: 《Scarlet Sword Maiden》

■Current SP: 24

■Monster Name: Lumin

■Gender: Female

■Race: Sprite

■Level: 11

■Status (Remaining Status Points: 0)

STR: 18

VIT: 13

INT: 28

MND: 19

AGI: 17

DEX: 16

■Skills

Weapon Skill: 《Sword》

Magic Skill: 《Light Magic》

Skill: 《Light Attribute Enhancement》

《Flight》

《High Magic Resistance》

《Low Physical Resistance》

《Large MP Auto Recovery》

《Wind Magic》

Title Skill: 《Servant of the Spirit King》