Chapter 10

I'm not proud of it, but I have confidence in my abilities that don't rely on physical strength, magic power, or reflexes.

I graduated at the top of my class from the explorer school in the kingdom, and I was even offered a business partnership as a merchant. I've also been scouted to be an actor. My teacher, the master of the Monster Tamer, often lamented, "If only you had average basic abilities." That was a very rude thing to say.

"Phil, you're really skilled..."

Unfortunately, for an explorer, magic power and physical strength are everything in this world.

"Wow... amazing... thank you so much!"

Am was swinging the makeshift sword I had just created with a big smile. I had cut off the large mandibles of an ant and used the 'Construction Pen' (a pen that can do the opposite of what the Disassembly Pen does) to weld and shape them into a makeshift sword, or rather, a stick.

It had virtually no cutting edge due to my amateur work, but it was better than the broken copper sword in terms of reach and durability.

There was no trace of the dejected Am from just a few minutes ago.

...I like the intellectual and slightly distant Am from the beginning...

Such thoughts flashed through my mind for a moment, but if I kept thinking about them, I wouldn't be able to move forward, so I pulled myself together and got to the main topic.

"Well, Am. Let's have a debriefing... We still have to defeat thirteen more Pawn Ants, after all."

The important thing is to learn from it and apply it to the future. We must not repeat the same mistakes.

In the middle of the wilderness, we held a debriefing. Am raised the newly made sword and answered my questions energetically.

"Yes, I think the equipment was bad."

"You're right."

She understands well, and it's very strange that she doesn't show any guilt even though she's lying.

"In my opinion... Am, you lack preparation in general. Especially in information gathering, right?"

Information about monsters, their movements, weaknesses, response strategies for irregular situations, necessary equipment, and effective skills. Gathering this information is essential for explorers, and it is the biggest difference between beginners and veterans.

My goal is long-term glory, not temporary success.

Explorers tend to rely on brute force the higher their race rank is. Even if it's just a temporary slave, I don't want Am to become like that.

Of course, there are irregularities like the Shira battle, where we lost despite being well-prepared.

I drew a picture of a Pawn Ant on the ground with a needle I had removed from an ant.

"Wow, Phil, you're really good at drawing..."

"First, let's start with the characteristics. The attack points of the Model Ant are the mandibles, front legs, and the needle on its rear. The needle doesn't have poison, but it's made of a different metal from the mandibles and legs—"

I explained the information I had just obtained, and Am listened attentively.

She even asked questions from time to time. She's a good kid.

Next, I taught her the precautions to take when dealing with Pawn Ants.

"The most important thing to watch out for is not the mandibles, armor, or strength, but their social nature. When in trouble, Model Ants, including Pawn Ants, send out distress signals to call for help. The rescue team is a group of about ten ants led by a Knight Ant. If they keep being called, the only option is to run. For now, at least."

The Knight Ant hunting request is a C-rank. They are one step stronger than Pawn Ants. Their weaknesses are mostly the same, but they are twice as large and can fly. I'd rather not face them. For now.

"Why didn't they call for help just now?"

"Well, that's because Am wasn't considered a threat. In other words, you were just a goblin."

"!? Phil, that's... cruel..."

It's the truth. But if I've explained this much, Pawn Ants shouldn't be a problem for Am. Despite everything I said, the main reason for the failure was, as Am correctly identified, a lack of offensive power. With a weapon, ants are nothing to fear.

I reached out and ruffled Am's head, who had listened to the lecture seriously, as a reward. She opened her eyes in surprise for a moment but then closed them, looking content.

...Good, the Life Drain is properly turned off, right?

"Phil is too lenient with Am..."

"Slaves should be pampered when it's time to pamper them."

Especially with malignant spirit species, if you don't give them enough physical contact, they tend to think bad things due to anxiety, so you have to give them plenty. Even if they're bad kids.

"Good job, Am, for defeating the Pawn Ant. Is this a new record?"

"......Hehe... praise me more."

"......Phil did it, right."

Safari bluntly said something that cut to the core.

That's right, it was me! But since Am fought, and we couldn't have defeated them without her as a decoy, it's okay to praise her.

I can find the good in any bad kid because of my extensive experience.

After petting her for a while, she leaned against me, so I held her firmly.

The soft weight on my chest and the 'aura of fear' that had become familiar to me ran through my body.

"......Ah, more... Phil..."

Am let out a sweet, blissful moan. Her body was completely relaxed, with no strength in it at all.

There was no trace of the tense atmosphere from the beginning. I'm worried she might be deceived by a bad man someday.

"......That's good... but don't get too relaxed."

Am tends to get carried away. I need to control that.

Of course, it might be because my grooming skills are too good.

I held her tightly for a few minutes in the same position.

"Phil is really lenient with Am..."

"That's a compliment. You have to pamper them when it's time to pamper them... It seems to be over now."

"......Ah, it seems so."

The silhouette of new Pawn Ants appeared on the horizon. I shook Am awake in my arms.

"Am, Am! There's a new ant. Can you handle it?"

"......Just ten more seconds, ten more seconds... please."

"......"

I pushed Am away and slapped her cheek without mercy. The sound echoed emptily in the wilderness.

This kid is really hopeless.

Am looked at me with a betrayed expression, holding her cheek, and I sighed.

"Phil, is Am really okay...? I know I'm just a runner, but..."

"......It's too late now. I've been worried all along......seven, huh."

There are quite a few. If we get stuck with two like before, we won't be able to handle this number.

Safari looked worried and asked Am.

"Am, can you handle seven?"

"......It might be a bit tough......"

Am said with a stiff expression. Of course, she must be scared; she was defeated by two ants just now.

---But don't worry, I'm here for Am now. This is different from before when I let her fight alone to test her strength.

After all, there are also powerful and special ability-holding Knights, Luke, and Queens among the Model Ants. It wouldn't do to hesitate here.

Safari doesn't understand. That's not the way to talk.

"Phew, Safari doesn't understand. I'll show you the true power of a Monster Tamer."

"What! True... power?"

Safari swallowed hard and looked at me.

Yes, I am a Monster Tamer. It's my job as a master to maximize the abilities of my slave.

Watch, the power of a Monster Tamer who fought on the front lines.

I turned Am's face to me by pulling her hair and looked into her eyes, speaking clearly.

"Am, defeat them. Defeat every single one. If you do..."

"......If I do?"

"I'll continue what we were doing earlier."

"Eh..."

"O-oi..."

This type of slave responds well to dangling a reward in front of them. It's like putting a carrot in front of a horse. They might be exhausted afterward, and I'll have to think about what to do after a successful fight... but I'll think about that later.

This kid isn't utilizing her potential at all.

Am stared blankly for a while, digesting my words, but then slowly stood up.

There was no fear in her eyes. No, she couldn't even see the enemies.

All she could see was the obsession with the reward. Safari desperately tried to talk to Am.

"Am, there are seven! Do you understand!? Can you really defeat them!?"

"I understand, Safari... but if I can continue what we were doing earlier, I don't mind dying..."

"Phil! Stop her! She's serious! She has the eyes of a warrior heading to certain death!"

Why do I have to stop her when I was the one who encouraged her? Am's race rank is high.

I only have basic knowledge about succubi, but race ranks aren't set arbitrarily.

I've already provided new equipment and information. Now is the time to fight, and the key is to defeat them before they call for reinforcements.

Finally, to further increase the chances of success, I did what I could as a Monster Tamer.

I lightly tapped Am's left hand to draw her attention to it.

"Am, what's in your left hand?"

"The sword... that Phil made..."

"What's in your right hand?"

I then tapped Am's right hand. Am looked at her right hand, more specifically, the wing emblem carved on the back of her hand.

Through the emblem, I could feel Am's spirit and power rising. It was the ideal situation.

The ant swarm was already within a hundred meters, and the ground was shaking.

But Am's consciousness was completely focused on my voice. She was in a trance.

"The contract emblem..."

"That's right. And it's a symbol of our bond and trust."

"Trust... bond... symbol..."

For us organic life forms, the elevation of the spirit brings about the release of potential, but for spirit species, whose bodies are formed by their spirits, the effect is incomparable.

And—simple things are not necessarily bad.

So, I shouted, aware of the risk of the enemy hearing me.

"That's right, Am. Repeat after me. 'I am the one blessed by the darkness.'"

"I am the one blessed by the darkness."

"O eternal god, hear my prayer for a greater nightmare."

"O eternal god, hear my prayer for a greater nightmare!"

This is a spell. It's an auxiliary trigger to help succubi release their power. It was created to help those who couldn't use their innate abilities due to immaturity.

In response to Am's murmured voice, a black mist-like substance began to form around her. It was a pure element of darkness, not of this world—fragments of nightmares generated from Am's magic power.

We can do this. At that moment, I was certain of victory. The master's excitement also transmitted to the slave.

I raised my finger to the sky and shouted.

"Nightmare's Gospel."

"Nightmare's Gospel!!"

The moment the words were spoken, the black mist—power—converged on Am. Black wings sprouted from her back.

A powerful and unparalleled force, different from existing enhancement magic, flowed through the emblem.

Am Nightmare's power was at its peak in her life. My excitement was also at its peak.

This is it. This is what I know about succubi.

'Nightmare's Gospel' is a unique power inherent to succubi.

Succubi have a very unique ability to enter people's dreams, but 'Nightmare's Gospel' enhances all their abilities dramatically by wrapping themselves in the power used for that purpose.

Even the highest-ranking malignant spirit species, the Nightwalker, doesn't possess this power. It would be a lie if I said I wasn't excited by it.

And to achieve it with my own hands is the ultimate satisfaction for a Monster Tamer.

The time I spent researching malignant spirit species in the past was worth it.

I pointed at the ant swarm with the Disassembly Pen.

"Am, defeat them. You are... the best slave now!"

"Yes! Phil is the best master!"

Am kicked off the ground. The wind blew. Cracks appeared in the earth. In an instant, Am's figure disappeared from in front of me.