Chapter 27

It's a normal morning.

Master's house is so comfortable that it's a problem.

I wonder what today's assignment will be.

As long as it's not too difficult, I'm ready for anything.

Leaving the forest and entering the grassland,

I can see several parties targeting the wild dogs through Helix.

I've also passed by parties heading to Regias, but they look like they've been hunting all night.

It's quite a sight.

But the fighting spirit in their eyes hasn't faded.

Impressive hunters, indeed.

I should probably learn from them.

To avoid taking their prey, I'll proceed along the road.

I only hunt active Horn Rabbits, so I arrive at Remto in no time.

As usual, I finish breakfast at a food stall and head to the Adventurer's Guild.

On the way, something surprising happened.

It was a player.

Of course, with the green marker above their head, there's no mistaking them.

What caught my attention was the rod the male player was holding.

There's an owl at the tip.

And it also has a green marker.

This means it's a summoned monster.

He's a summoner.

I had heard that new players were gradually increasing since the service started,

but I didn't expect to see a fellow summoner with my own eyes.

The summoner hurried out of town without any companions.

He seemed to be making eye contact with the owl, but not with me—more like with Helix perched on my shoulder.

The Adventurer's Guild was relatively crowded, but I was quickly led to the guild master's room.

The elderly female staff member who was replacing the request notices on the bulletin board was familiar.

When I was shown into the room, the guild master was writing something at the desk.

Behind the guild master, a middle-aged staff member stood at attention.

However, he was holding a rather impressive spear.

Is this inside the room?

There seem to be some scrolls piled on the desk.

Another male staff member was checking and organizing the contents of the scrolls.

"Ah! Keith, you came early in the morning."

"Yes."

Why does his expression look strained?

His smile seems forced.

"I'm sorry about yesterday. There was a bit of a commotion."

"Seems that way."

"Indeed. So, starting today, there's a different kind of request. Is that okay?"

"Yes."

He nods to the staff member who was putting away the scrolls.

"Follow him. He'll explain the details of the request."

"Understood."

The atmosphere seemed busy, so I left the room.

I'll ignore the odd situation.

The middle-aged staff member's expression was like a Noh mask, and he didn't move a muscle.

I'm still curious.

I asked the staff member who was guiding me.

"Um, is there some kind of armed guard inside the room?"

"Oh, don't worry about it. It's just a measure to prevent escape."

Escape? What escape?

"Escape?"

"He has a criminal record. He was leaving the town to eat out, leaving a phantom behind."

"Ah."

Is everything okay with this Adventurer's Guild?

What is the guild master doing, using magic to eat out?

The surrounding staff members are scary.

I'd better not defy them.

The place I was led to was a corner of the training ground.

I could see town guards with yellow markers standing by.

I wondered what we were doing here, but they didn't seem to be involved.

At the back, there were four green markers.

However, there were only two human figures.

The one lying on the ground looked like a fierce tiger.

One of the human figures seemed to have something growing on their back.

When I got closer, it turned out to be a snake's head.

And it was quite large.

Both the tiger and the snake had green markers above their heads.

So they are summoned monsters.

These two are summoners, then.

"The request is to train them. There's no deadline. Just get them ready for adventuring."

Huh?

I'm the one learning from my master.

No way.

"Um, is it because my master isn't here that you're asking me?"

"Yes. We usually assign such requests to Orenu, but he's not here."

《A guild-designated request has come in. Do you accept it?》

Hmm, this is the hardest request to answer immediately.

What should I do?

But I recall the various difficult situations I encountered early on.

Maybe I should accept it.

"I accept."

《You have accepted the guild-designated request!》

Huh?

The completion conditions weren't called out.

What happens in this case?

"Then, I'll leave it to you."

The staff member left us and went to the guards.

I guess I'm on my own now.

I took a quick look at the two summoners.

I deliberately didn't use [Identification] and spoke to them.

"Let's start with introductions. I'm Keith. As you can see, I'm a summoner."

"I'm Adel. And this one is Mii-chan."

Adel, the summoner, is a small girl, younger than Mio.

And the tiger's name is Mii-chan.

The tiger might look like a calico cat from some angles, but the name is quite childish.

Yet it suits her.

Her face looks young and somewhat boyish.

"Oh, I'm Irena. And this one is Toguro."

Irena, the summoner, is a bit older than Adel but still a small girl.

And the snake's name is Toguro.

I'm not sure how to evaluate that.

She looks like a doll with a checkered pattern, and the contrast with the snake is quite unique.

"Let's change the location for a more detailed talk. Have you had breakfast yet?"

"Both of us have."

Their synchronized response is quite cute.

But I'm not an expert in this game, having only played the beta version.

Is there anything I can teach them?

We joined the crescent moon and Helix, who were waiting at the Adventurer's Guild's stables.

Ah, I should introduce them.

"Let me introduce you. These are my summoned monsters. The horse is Crescent Moon, and the hawk is Helix."

"Nice to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you too."

Both of them politely greeted the summoned monsters.

Adel has a bright and cheerful atmosphere, while Irena is more composed, but they both seem sociable and proactive.

"Do you both have [Appraisal] and [Identification]?"

"Oh, I have [Appraisal] but not [Identification]."

"Me neither."

"Do you still have bonus points left?"

"Yes."

"We haven't used them yet, so it's fine."

"Then, get [Identification] and activate it right away. Then, use it on Crescent Moon and Helix."

"Both of us will."

Hmm.

They're quite obedient.

Being obedient is good, but blindly following without thinking isn't.

Maybe my master thought the same.

But [Identification] and [Appraisal] are skills most players have.

I didn't pay much attention to it because I was preparing to solo.

"So, Adel, can you see Crescent Moon's level?"

"Yes, it's a Horse at level 3!"

"Then, Irena, how about Helix?"

"It's a Hawk at level 3."

"Good. How about me?"

"Both of you: Keith is a level 3 summoner."

Correct.

I'll give them a small smile.

"Good. Use [Identification] and [Appraisal] on other players, but only to a polite extent."

"Both of us: Yes."

"Use them actively on monsters and drops. They can be quite useful."

"Both of us: Yes."

There are some things I'm deliberately not telling them.

By identifying various monsters, the number of summonable monsters will increase.

By identifying my summoned monsters, Crescent Moon and Helix, they should have more options.

I wonder if they'll notice.

They probably will, since I noticed too.

Not as a return, but I'll use [Identification] as well.

Adel: Level 1

Summoner: On standby

Tiger / Mii-chan: Level 1

Summoned Monster: On standby

Irena: Level 1

Summoner: On standby

Viper / Toguro: Level 1

Summoned Monster: On standby

Hmm.

This should increase the number of summonable monsters for me.

The display for my master's summoned monsters is different because he didn't give them specific names.

I don't think I've ever been in the same party as my master, but we had a relationship like a party.

The mechanics might be different with NPCs, but I think it's similar to a 'Union' situation.

The issue is here.

Being in the same party is the most convenient for mutual support.

I remember this coming up in casual conversations with Fina and Fey.

When I'm in a party with them, the number of summonable monsters I can have at once is 2, and if they're in the same party, it becomes 7, exceeding the party limit.

That's not good.

"By the way, why did you choose to be summoners?"

"Oh, that's because—"

Adel's machine-gun talk exploded.

I didn't have a chance to interject.

Summarizing it, it seems like this:

- Both of them want to solo play.

- But they plan to adventure together in the early stages.

- They are friends in real life.

- They have played similar games before but haven't delved into them.

- They got lucky with a cat from the start.

- They spent a whole day recreating their characters to get a summoner.

- Their goal is to build a fluffy empire.

I don't think I misunderstood anything.

It sounds a bit strange, but I shouldn't overthink it.

"Adel, it's time to stop."

"Oops."

Irena stopped Adel's talk and looked at me.

We can't just stand here talking.

"Let's start with some checks."

"Both of us: Yes!"

We need to confirm a few things first.

First, party formation.

In the end, Adel and Irena formed a party, and I joined as a 'Union' member.

Of course, they understand the disadvantages when we cooperate to defeat monsters.

Basically, when calculated per person, they get 75% of the experience I get.

This is because the experience is split between a 4-person and a 3-person party.

The exact ratio can vary depending on performance, but I'll ignore that.

To compensate, I'll give them a bit of an advantage with the items I strip from monsters.

The main reason is their main weapons.

Both of them want to use bows as their main weapons and rods as their secondary weapons.

Yeah, I think that's a good choice.

If anything, I might be the one who's wrong, both in terms of weapon choice and skill selection.

Back to the topic.

In the area around Remto and the Western Forest, items useful for archers are easy to obtain.

On the plains, there are Horn Rabbits and Step Hawks, and in the forest, there are Rampaging Silver Eagles (female), Hunter Bats, and Evil Ants.

Currently, the plains around Remto are dominated by wild dog hunting, so the rabbits should be less popular.

This is convenient for us.

We also need to confirm their magic.

Of course, both of them have summoning magic, and each has an attribute magic as their initial random bonus skill.

Adel has fire magic, and Irena has earth magic.

For this, we'll go with the principle of "learning by doing."

I'll also add some advice from my master.

There are two points I want to make:

- It's good to have light or dark magic.

- It's useful to have a production skill that can earn some money.

That's it.

The rest is up to them.

It's important for them to think and make decisions on their own.

"What will the night battles be like?"

Adel asked this question, so I answered.

If they're unsure, they should seek the necessary information.

This is a healthy approach.

If we fight monsters together, we should be able to manage.

I believe that.

In the town of Remto, they bought short bows, bronze arrows, and beginner's arrows from NPC vendors, and stocked up on portable food and water.

They tried to buy potions, but I stopped them.

I didn't explain the details, but I have healing spells and plenty of potions.

I also have some wound-sealing herbs in my backpack.

I think they had some money left over, but they didn't buy new armor.

They probably have their reasons.

"Let's start with the rabbits."

"Both of us: Yes!"

Personally, I'm interested in how the tiger and the viper will perform.

I'll watch the debut of these new summoners on the plains.

The first prey was, of course, a Horn Rabbit.

We saw some Wild Dogs, but most of them were being chased by other parties.

They're a good match for us.

As for their performance in battle,

The first prey they killed was quite gruesome.

The viper had coiled around the rabbit's lower body and was biting it, while the tiger had torn out its throat.

It was clearly an overkill.

Irena was the first to strip the items from the rabbit.

She took the rabbit's horn, and I entrusted the meat to Crescent Moon's [Item Box].

Yeah, they have no problem with a single rabbit.

We continued hunting while heading towards the Western Forest.

Rabbits are no problem, but Step Hawks are a scary opponent.

If they attack from behind, a one-hit kill is possible.

I'm not too worried because Helix is patrolling overhead, but it's a precaution.

I was patrolling around them with Crescent Moon.

That's the most I can do for caution.

They hunted rabbits one after another.

I focused on hunting Step Hawks.

Occasionally, I picked up obsidian.

This is taking too long.

The plains are easy, which is good for the difficulty level, but it's not good for growth.

Also, they are on foot, so there's a significant difference in movement speed.

I want to get them hunting in the forest as soon as possible.

"Crescent Moon, I'm sorry, but can you bear with it a bit longer?"

I had Adel and Irena ride Crescent Moon to move faster.

Of course, I didn't do anything inappropriate.

I also had Toguro ride on the horse.

With all of them on, Crescent Moon's speed decreased, but it seemed to match the pace of Mii-chan, the tiger.

We passed the watchtower and entered the forest.

I was thinking of going to the village of Regias first before entering the forest, but we encountered something.

A stray horse.

We can't let this one get away.

"Both of you, get off!"

I made Adel and Irena and Toguro get off Crescent Moon and immediately galloped forward.

I had Helix attack the stray horse's head to keep it at bay.

While it was distracted, I cast a Wind Cutter spell to stop it, and then rode Crescent Moon to close in.

I wanted to keep it from escaping and, if possible, knock it down.

Their arrows would be effective, but the stray horse is tough.

With the help of summoned monsters, maybe.

The stray horse and Crescent Moon reared up to strike each other.

It wasn't going well.

But Helix dived to attack the horse's eyes from the side.

The horse avoided the attack but exposed its large body to me.

"Wind Cutter!"

I cast Wind Cutter at the front legs.

At the same time, I aimed for the eyes with my rod.

Both attacks hit.

Crescent Moon then tackled the horse, and it fell over.

I could see arrows piercing its body.

Crescent Moon stomped on it.

Toguro had somehow coiled around the horse's neck and was biting it.

It was a nasty attack.

Mii-chan also attacked the throat.

That's nasty.

Crescent Moon supported the attack by putting its weight on the front legs.

I pressed the horse's head down with the tip of my rod.

Helix landed on the side of the fallen horse and repeatedly struck it with its beak.

Good teamwork.

But the horse wasn't going down easily.

Maybe I need to deal a lot of damage at once.

"Physical Enchantment Fire!"

I cast Physical Enchantment Fire on myself and dismounted Crescent Moon.

I pressed my knee against the horse's neck and held its mouth with both hands.

"Let's go!"

I used my weight to twist the neck.

I could hear the horse's final breath, or so it seemed.

The horse's neck was bent at an odd angle.

The HP bar was definitely gone.

Oh.

Did I finish it with that one hit?

I thought it would take longer.

Maybe it was a critical hit.

《You have gained a level in [Rod]!》

《You have learned the [Rod] skill: Breath!》

《You have gained a level in [Summoning Magic]!》

《You have learned the common counter spell: Dispel Magic!》

《You have learned the common spell: Enchanted Weapon!》

《You have learned the common spell: Key Lock!》

《You have learned the common counter spell: Unlock!》

《You have learned the [Summoning Magic] spell: Call Monster!》

《You have gained a level in your profession!》

《The auxiliary skill [Swimming] has been added to your available skills!》

I gained a lot of new skills.

These common spells and counter spells are likely available when you reach level 5 in any magic system.

I recognize some of the spell names from long ago, so I can guess what they do.

The number of available auxiliary skills is also increasing.

But I should be careful.

[Swimming] might be useful, but there's only a pond near my master's house in the Western Forest.

The spell I'm most interested in is Call Monster.

When I opened the description, it was a spell to summon nearby monsters.

Ah, that's it.

My master used this to sic the Snow Ape on me.

And I can now summon one more monster.

I'm a bit excited about it.

"What was that just now?"

"Hmm?"

"I understand the spell, but that attack was a bit—"

Adel and Irena aren't familiar with this kind of battle, are they?

They both look bewildered.

I think it was quite effective, though.

"Was it weird?"

"I thought something was wrong with your equipment, but I think summoners usually let their summoned monsters do the fighting."

"It was weird."

Wow, not a good reaction.

I won't argue.

I'm just doing what I want.

"Never mind that. You can strip the items from this one."

Irena started to strip the wild horse's hide.

It was quite large and heavy, so I decided to put it in Crescent Moon's [Item Box].

Hmm?

They don't have [Item Boxes], do they?

I only have them because my master lent them to me.

I should ask Fina and the others.

Of course, it would be better if everyone had them.

"Okay. Let's move on."

I nodded and had them ride Crescent Moon