Chapter 40

It was the day to defeat the Mew and Blade Lizard. I was waiting for Mew at the East Gate where we had agreed to meet.

"I'll head there after meeting up with my friends, so please wait at the meeting place."

This time, it was my turn to wait. Well, it's fine, though.

I opened my inventory and checked my items: four sets of iron arrows +10. The rest were various recovery potions and enchantment stones. I also checked the antidotes and paralysis remedies.

That's right, I found out a few interesting things.

The name of the NPC who helps with the field work is apparently Kyoko-san.

After talking to her, I learned that she can deliver the potions I make and buy materials from other NPCs.

I've already asked her to deliver potions to Magi and, when I have money, I plan to give her the material costs and ask her to buy the materials. Isn't this beyond just managing the field? I might be asked to pay extra labor fees, but it seems to be part of her job.

Also, one more thing. This morning, when I mixed the field's harvest, my Alchemy Sense level reached 30, and I used two SP to evolve it into Potion Sense. This should allow me to use monster meat as a material for potions.

My sense status has grown significantly.

SP: 12

【Bow Lv18】【Hawk's Eye Lv28】【Speed Boost Lv11】【Discovery Lv8】【Magic Talent Lv29】【Magic Power Lv27】【Alchemy Lv20】【Augmentation Lv6】【Potion Lv1】【Production Sense Lv19】

On hold:

【Taming Lv1】【Crafting Lv21】【Synthesis Lv21】【Earth Attribute Talent Lv3】

This is a sense configuration adjusted for combat. The reason I have a Potion Sense, which is not related to combat, instead of an Earth Attribute Talent Sense, is due to the level and direction of my Equipment Sense.

Even at the same low level, a higher-level sense performs better, and the Production Sense increases DEX more. Since I don't primarily use magic, increases in INT and MIND don't benefit me much.

Well, I have a little extra SP, and since my total acquired SP has exceeded 20, I want to check the new available senses, but there aren't many attractive ones.

At most, the 【Snake's Eye】 Mew mentioned. For status resistance, there are things like 【Poison Resistance】 and 【Paralysis Resistance】.

For action-related senses, there are things like 【Action Restriction Removal】, 【Swimming】, 【Stepping】, and 【Climbing】 that Mew has acquired. There are also knowledge-related senses like 【Survival】 and 【Linguistics】. For NPC shopkeepers, there are things like 【Bargaining】 and 【Increased Purchase Value】. There are also pinpoint senses.

While the number of available senses has increased, they are mostly auxiliary to initial senses or necessary for specific situations.

I'm interested, but none of them are essential. I want to have some flexibility with my SP.

"Well, it's best not to acquire senses without much thought."

I gaze at the sky absentmindedly while waiting for Mew and the others. Occasionally, I feel someone's gaze, but when I look around, everyone is looking away. This has happened multiple times, but it's probably just my imagination. I look up at the sky again absentmindedly.

After a while, I hear small, quick footsteps.

"Big sister!"

"Huh? Whoa!?"

I'm hugged from the side. I manage to bear the weight of one person and complain to the one who hugged me.

"Mew, you. Just come normally. It's embarrassing in front of others."

"But! When I saw you after a while, your clothes had changed! What's with that equipment? Your bow is new too!"

"Alright, alright, your friends are watching."

The women behind Mew look surprised, amused, or even dreamy.

"Oh, I'm so happy that big sister's equipment has changed."

"Fine, but stop calling me that."

(Because, with a female-type body, it's weird to call me 'big brother,' right?)

Mew whispers to me. I want to argue, but...

(But...)

(Or do you want to label my sister's family as weird? Just talk to her normally as a sister.)

(Then, I won't introduce her. As a friend.)

(I introduced you as my sister. My proud sister.)

Well, it's hard to refuse when she says it like that. Mew likes me, and she even says she's proud of me. I can't help it; I'll keep the fact that I'm a guy a secret.

"Um... are you done talking?"

"Yeah. Ruka, we're done."

"Then today, we're going to escort Mew's acquaintance, a production specialist, to town. Who is it?"

"Yeah, my real family!"

"Nice to meet you, I'm Yun. My sister has been taking care of me."

Everyone seems surprised. Is it because I use 'I' as my first-person pronoun?

The central woman in chainmail has wine-red hair tied back and two swords at her waist. She's about the same height as me, which is tall for a woman.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Rukato. My friends call me Ruka."

With Rukato's greeting, Mew's friends introduce themselves to me.

The mage with thick eyebrows and small round glasses is Kohaku.

The fancy mage with a two-pronged hat is Rerei.

The purple-haired woman in black light armor and metal composite armor is Toubi.

The girl with heterochromia (blue right eye, red left eye) and buck teeth is Hino.

It seems to be a six-person party with Rukato and Mew.

Everyone is around Mew's age and of the same gender, which is reassuring.

"Anyway, if we stay here any longer, we'll be in the way, so let's talk while moving."

"Yeah, that's right."

We head out from the East Gate. For some reason, I feel a lingering, envious gaze from behind, but I want to think it's just my imagination.

"I've heard about it, but Mew's family playing this game..."

"Hahaha, well, it's summer vacation, and I started to meet my older sister."

"Do you mean Sei-san?"

"Yeah, but I've only met her once in the game. We don't really communicate."

A self-deprecating laugh escapes me. Thinking about it, I started to meet Sei-nee, but I got absorbed in production and archery.

"Sei-san is apparently working hard in another party. We've crossed paths a few times."

"Is that so?"

Well, as long as she's doing well, that's fine. If there's anything, I can chat with her through friends.

"Let's exchange friends and form a party."

"Yeah, that's right. Are we going with all seven of us for the boss?"

"No, there will be a penalty for too many people, so the one who isn't in the party will guard Yun. The remaining five will hunt the boss."

"Understood. At least let me help with the minions."

I shrug and joke.

Rukato implied that I'm not part of the fighting force, but I want to level up my bow. I don't mind her comment.

I exchange friends with everyone and form a party.

Rerei, the rear guard, is assigned to guard me.

I say a word to Rerei, who is supposed to protect me.

"Thanks, Rerei, is that okay?"

"Yes, thank you. Hehe, thank you for showing me something good right away."

"Um..."

Rerei looks at me with feverish eyes.

The girl with heterochromia, seeing this, grabs Rerei by the collar and pulls her away.

"Don't worry. She's fine with girls hugging each other."

"That's..."

"She's what you'd call a yuri."

"I found new materials. Hehe, in thin books and nyanyan..."

"Well, her lack of self-control is a flaw, but she's a good girl basically."

Hino, with her distinctive buck teeth, smiles wryly.

Rerei has a nice smile. She was looking at me with a dreamy expression earlier, and my intuition tells me she's a different kind of dangerous person from Gants and Claude.

"Let's go."

"Wait, Rukato. Can you distribute this to everyone?"

I stop Rukato, who was about to leave, and open the trade screen.

"What? Big sister, are you worried about money? I explained everything about you, so they understand."

"Don't worry. We're family, after all. But, no free rides."

Kohaku backs up Mew. Is she from Kansai? Her tone is a bit unique. Well, I don't like being overly dependent on others either.

"Anyway, just take it. This should be enough for recovery, and I'd like to hear your thoughts on these items."

I send a large number of Blue Potions and twenty of each type of enchantment stone.

"Why do you have so many!?"

"What, what's wrong?"

Rukato, checking the items, sounds a bit confused, and Hino looks worried.

"...100 High-Grade Blue Potions and unknown status-boosting items."

Everyone is surprised. Well, Mew, you know about Blue Potions, right? Oh, you don't know about enchantment stones.

I explain the usage, keywords, and types of enchantments activated by different colors of enchantment stones.

"We can't accept so many High-Grade Blue Potions and valuable items!"

"Huh? Really?"

Come to think of it, status-boosting items are made from monster meat using Potion Sense, and their effects are subtle. That's probably why they're considered expensive.

For me, they're cheap materials or drops, so I'm overcharging.

"I want your feedback on these items. I plan to open a shop eventually, and this will be one of the products. Today's guard duty and feedback, and please take care of Mew from now on."

"I understand. But Mew is an important friend. We'll get along well."

Everyone else seems to feel the same. It's nice to see good people around Mew.

"Hehe... beautiful sisterly love... so forbidden..."

"You need to control yourself."

Somehow, they're doing a bit of a comedy routine in the corner, but I'll leave it alone. It might turn into a mess.

After that, we proceed while casually hunting enemies.

My weapons seem to be good, and I can easily defeat Goblins and Milbirds without enchantments. Slimes are still tough, but I seem to be dealing damage. I think I can defeat them with time.

Mew and her friends are amazing. They can take down Big Boars, which I struggled with for leveling, in a few minutes without taking much damage.

"Everyone is amazing. I went to hunt Big Boars once, but I couldn't take them down so easily."

That was a while ago, though. Taku and the others might be able to do the same.

"No, no, not at all. We magic users can't solo Big Boars. Only front-line fighters like Mew and Toubi can."

"...I'm not that good. I aim for critical hits from behind, which is a bit of a cheap strategy. Mew is the one who's really crazy. She fights Blade Lizards alone."

Hey, Mew. Why are you fighting a boss mob alone?

"Well, before going to sleep, I challenge the Blade Lizard as a daily goal. Since the penalty is removed while I sleep, I gain experience by fighting to the death. The more complex and intense the battle, the better for leveling up."

You, that's a crazy way of thinking! There's some pain in VR games. Fighting knowing that is not sane. And the fact that you have a 10% win rate is even weirder! You're a real cheat!

What is this sister doing, trying to level up in such a hard way against a boss that's meant to be fought by multiple people. And, in the short time I've known her, Kohaku seems to be a good straight man. I'm enjoying this.

"Sorry, Mew is putting a lot of pressure on herself."

"Well, she's very reliable."

We arrived near the Blade Lizard in such a friendly atmosphere.