Chapter 88

I was listening to Raphatalia's story and was dumbfounded.

It was... as expected, I guess.

It was like that, wasn't it? The first day was like a date.

Shopping at the market, visiting tourist spots, crossing the sea at sunset to give a present.

When it got dark, treating her to a home-cooked meal and drinking at a bar.

Then, showing her the next day how handsome and cool I was by fighting to impress her.

Apparently, she was analyzing how strong I was, but more than that, the appeal to recruit me as a subordinate was intense.

It seems that didn't resonate with Raphatalia or Filo.

"By the way, 'Here's to your eyes'—that's from the Showa era! Couldn't you come up with a better line?"

"In this world, girls seem to like it when it's a bit old-fashioned..."

Ah, so it was based on experience... Anyway, consider the other person.

It's probably my fault, but Raphatalia is an efficiency-oriented person. I think she would have rated me higher if I had shown more leadership.

"My sister with the spear was complaining a lot."

"Hmm..."

"What are you fighting for? Did you come here to flirt with girls?"

Raphatalia pressed further on the dejected Motasu.

Isn't she negating Motasu's very existence?

"If you keep doing that, when you encounter an enemy too strong for you, your comrades won't help you!"

After saying that, Raphatalia returned.

"Is the next exchange tomorrow?"

"Ah, yeah..."

Wow. To make Raphatalia this angry... I've only seen her this angry once before.

Since the rigged one-on-one battle.

Well, the opponent was Motasu, but for Motasu to be this dejected...

"By the way, where did the bitches go?"

The woman 1, who had been listening, shrugged and comforted Motasu.

"Still, to say that a day was wasted even though your experience points increased..."

"I'm sorry..."

"No, I didn't say that to Raphatalia."

When he heard about the activation, he was so moved that he shouted, but now he seems quite calm.

Or is it that he has a chance to win the wave, regardless of his level?

Hmm?

Woman 1 came over and said,

"Is that assassin still watching?"

"Probably."

"Then, let me add. Motasu-sama goes hunting alone at night."

"..."

I think I made a very unpleasant face.

In other words, Raphatalia... while the girls were sleeping, he was fighting monsters at night to level up.

It's a bit like a cool image of a hardworking person, but it's strange how it makes me look cool for working hard in secret.

"Doesn't the shadow know that much?"

"Maybe."

Hmm, in any case, it's not a bad move to show that you're stronger than your comrades.

Indeed, if you always fight like that, you won't level up.

Most importantly, Motasu's date plan needed prior research, and there wasn't enough time.

It wasn't a bad move, but it would have been better to show it to Raphatalia.

In other words, is he the only one whose level has increased? What a joke.

In the first place, this method has a major drawback.

The comrades' levels don't increase, and I can't do it.

As a shield with only defense, I need my comrades.

So I always have to be mindful of my comrades' conditions.

Especially night battles that accumulate fatigue are something I want to avoid as much as possible.

Of course, if there are monsters that only appear at night, that's a different story.

"Oh, right. Raphatalia."

"What is it?"

We spoke in a whisper so that Motasu and the others couldn't hear.

"How was it after Motasu fought? Did he do any special work different from me?"

"Yes, he didn't disassemble the monsters but turned them into weapons... and he absorbed items like Naofumi-sama did."

Hmm... it feels like he's cutting corners, or rather, more than I do.

So that's his strength... is level everything?

There are such online games, too.

"However... he took items out of the spear."

"Items? Not absorbed by the spear?"

"Yes, they were completely different from the items absorbed by the spear."

Items from the spear... how did he do it?

Finally, we have some proper information relevant to this mission.

"Motasu, I have a question—"

There, where Motasu, who was supposed to be in a daze, had vanished without a trace.

Woman 1 was also gone.

I wanted to ask, but they're gone!

When did they disappear!

"The spear girl said she was going home with the woman. She was apologizing to the sister."

"O-oh, I see."

That's fast... I'll ask for information exchange.

If Motasu is doing it, then Ren and Itsuki are probably doing the same.

Well, there are many disadvantages, but there are also many advantages.

Most importantly, the four heroes are like blocks of information.

Now that they're riding high from the activation, it might be the time to uncover their secrets, which I've been thinking since I heard the story.

At the very least, I've confirmed that Motasu knows something I don't.

He can play around because he has a plan.

If I were Motasu, I would refuse the personnel exchange and focus on leveling up during the activation.

Considering efficiency, it's easy to refuse. But there are things you can only know here.

It feels different, like there's something else with those three.

My intuition tells me that refusing would be a mistake.

There's something.

The three heroes must be hiding something beyond their levels.

If I don't figure it out, I'll just be a slightly stronger adventurer with a high level.

This is based on my past experiences and knowledge of online games.

In such online games, real-world skills are often strongly involved, and elements other than levels play a significant role, such as wealth and rare items.

How many times have I encountered people with high levels but no substance?

Online games often make equipment and rare items important to keep players engaged for a long time.

At first, each level is important, but in the later stages, it becomes a matter of small differences.

That's where organization, funding, and rare items come into play.

This world isn't a game, but there must be a strong reason for the three heroes to still think it is.

A common scenario is that such activation events are limited to a specific level.

For example, to help beginners or promote class upgrades. In some games, it's for job changes.

Heroes who have reached the level cap often help other members of their guild level up.

Since Motasu is so relaxed, I think it's similar.

So, their purpose is to gather information and boost their comrades?

It's possible that they can level up within the remaining six days after the exchange.

Otherwise, I can't explain Motasu's composure.

Ah...

"Shadow"

"What is it?"

"Is there any kind of rule for the activation? Rumors, theories, even low-credibility ones are fine."

"...According to the adventurers who participated in the Carmilla Island activation after class upgrades, it becomes difficult to enter around level 80. Of course, it's still more than usual, but the monsters here also have a limit."

Bingo.

In other words, they were acting with that in mind.

There's a limit... it's like a game.

If I had the same game knowledge as them, I might have mistaken this world for a game.

By working backward, I can roughly estimate their levels.

Assuming the heroes are around levels 70 to 80, and their comrades are between 40 and 70.

It's safe to assume that everyone can reach level 80 in a few days.

After that, they probably move to a hunting ground where it's easier to level up. The monsters on this island aren't worth it after level 80.

In games I know, everything is calculated.

It would have taken time to reach the hunting grounds they wanted to go to, but using this activation as a shortcut is reasonable.

It feels like I'm looking at a walkthrough for an online game.

However, the mystery deepens.

In other words, Motasu, Ren, and Itsuki are at least around level 70.

Even with the Lax Shield, they were on par with me?

The Lax Shield is indeed very strong, but I'm level 44, over 20 levels lower than them.

Yet, in the battle with the Pope, I showed equal or greater ability.

The mystery is endless.

I was deeply lost in thought about this in the inn where Motasu had disappeared.