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“What? You want to form a party with me? With me? You do know who I am, right? Me?” (Lanpeach)

The man pointed at his own face with a bewildered expression. He looked utterly incredulous. And it was no wonder, his sly appearance made him seem like the kind of person who’d do something shady, and besides the gun, his gear was all cheap.

But the girl, her eyes shining as if in love, nodded enthusiastically and flashed a smile.

“Yes! My name is Tsurugi Touka. I’m a fresh, lively explorer who just enrolled in the Magic Academy this year! I have a feeling it would be fun to team up with you, so I want to go on an adventure together!” (Touka)

She returned the greeting with a smile. Her name was Tsurugi Touka, a first-year student at the Magic Academy.

Her side ponytail swayed like a happy dog’s tail, showing just how delighted she was.

“W-Wait, Touka-chan, you can’t. This person is obviously a crook, isn’t he? If you go on an adventure with him, he’ll use you as bait if a strong enemy appears, and if you find treasure, he’ll probably try to stab you in the back and take it all for himself!”

“Excuse me, but aren’t your words stabbing me like a knife? I am already in a critical state here. Aren’t I a customer?” (Lanpeach)

“I’m sorry. However, I can’t stand by and watch as my friend steps into her death, so I have to be blunt.”

“It seems like this is an event where the receptionist lady shows her noble spirit to protect someone important to her, but has it already been settled that I will be the one who will do something? I feel like I’m going to collapse because of your words as spicy as death sauce.” (Lanpeach)

“I have a hand mirror here; should I give it to you, Lanpeach-sama, who tried to bribe me and ‘accidentally’ broke the mana measurement crystal?” 

“Ah, yes. I’m very sorry.” (Lanpeach)

Unable to withstand the receptionist’s glare, the old man awkwardly bowed his head. He looked pitiful as she pressed the hand mirror to his cheek, making him apologize in a small voice.

“What’s your name, old man? Let’s get along since we’re going to team up.” (Touka)

“Eeh, is forming a party a done deal? I’d like to refuse, actually.” (Lanpeach)

“Yeah, Touka-chan, if you’re not careful, you’ll end up in a situation where you can’t get married.”

“I’d like to be careful about the receptionist’s words though… Well, this is my first time here. Alright, I’ll form a party just this once. My name is Lanpeach Kouza, just a humble explorer.” (Lanpeach)

His face twisted in reluctance, but after thinking it over for a moment, he gave a wicked smile and reached out for a handshake, which she eagerly accepted.

“Yay! I’m teaming up with someone suspicious!” (Touka)

Touka cheered, practically skipping with excitement.

“Haah… Once she decides something, there’s no stopping her. She’s a good girl, but she has her quirks.”

Watching Touka dance with joy, the receptionist sighed, giving up on trying to convince her. 

The receptionist knew Tsurugi Touka well as a friend of hers.

Touka was always drawn to strange things. If there were rumors of a Tsuchinoko in the hills, she’d spend a week searching for it, and if she heard about a summoning circle that could call aliens, she’d eagerly try it out.

In this world where swords, magic, and science coexist, Touka was a girl who sought out even stranger adventures.

Touka pretended not to notice the receptionist’s exasperated gaze. The same look had been on her face when Touka had tried to summon Hanako-san in the guild’s restroom by rhythmically knocking on the door. 

She got her cheeks pinched for that.

“Alright, let’s head to the Spirit Ward. How about the Tsutsuji Spirit Ward? It has lots of strong monsters, and with just the two of us, we probably won’t be able to clear a dungeon even if we buy it.” (Touka)

“Got it. That place has lots of mineral-type monsters, huh? …By the way, what do you mean by buying a dungeon?” (Lanpeach)

“Mufufu~ I’ll teach you all the explorer’s tips and tricks. Leave it to me!” (Touka)

Looks like he is new to being an explorer. Touka thumped her chest with a confident smile.

◇◇

The Tsutsuji Spirit Ward; the name was taken from a flower which suggests a flowery area, but it’s completely different from what one might imagine. 

The land is dominated by ancient, towering trees that seem to have stood for a thousand years. Their thick foliage blocks the sunlight, casting everything in a dim light. The ground is damp, covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves like a blanket of snow. Moss-covered rocks peek out from the earth, making it easy to slip if you’re not careful. Just walking here is exhausting, both physically and mentally. That’s why the Tsutsuji Spirit Ward is an unpopular Spirit Ward.

“So, how many monsters have you defeated, old man? Are you a new explorer?” (Touka)

“Ah… I guess I only started seriously exploring last year’s autumn. I registered a few years ago…I think.” (Lanpeach)

“Oh, so you registered just for ID purposes? A lot of people do that.” (Touka)

“People from the slums can’t get IDs other than an explorer card after all.” (Lanpeach)

Touka walked lightly, ignoring the treacherous ground. She had been trained by her grandfather, so she knew exactly where to place her feet on the wet, moss-covered rocks to avoid slipping, and how to walk without tiring herself out.

This was the result of her years of training. Touka had been trained since childhood and was confident in her martial arts skills. That’s why she chose the unpopular Tsutsuji Spirit Ward as her hunting ground, despite how mentally and physically draining it could be, but…

“I’ve never been to the slums. What’s it like?” (Touka)

“It’s better not to go unless you have to. You could easily end up dead there if you let your guard down.” (Lanpeach)

Lanpeach didn’t leave any footprints even on the damp earth as they walked, nor did he scatter the fallen leaves. Even when stepping on mossy rocks, not only did he not slip, he walked as if on solid ground. 

Seeing this, Touka smirked to herself and went ‘mufufu’.

(I knew it, he must be a martial arts master! He looks like an unreliable crook, but he doesn’t show any openings even when just standing in place!) (Touka)

She hadn’t invited Lanpeach to the party on a whim. She doesn’t know why no one else noticed, but his stance was that of a seasoned expert. That’s why she was interested and invited him to join the party.

(My grandpa always said to observe and see through the essence of a person, and this must be what he meant. My sensors are going off, telling me that this guy is interesting!) (Touka)

Her heart raced with excitement. The last time she had felt this excited was when she had come up with a new dance to summon aliens just the other day.

Touka was always thrilled when something unusual happened.

The two cheerfully made their way forward while crunching through the fallen leaves. They pushed through the tall grass that reached above their heads, and…

Suddenly, Touka’s smiling face grew serious. She sensed several presences in the mana waves she had spread around herself.

“Something’s there. Might be monsters.” (Touka)

She crouched down, signaling Lanpeach to do the same, and whispered to him.

“Five Rock Slimes. Looks like they’re eating rocks.” (Lanpeach)

“Eh? I haven’t even seen the enemy yet.” (Touka)

“At this distance, it’s easy to tell.” (Lanpeach)

Lanpeach pointed while peeking out. 

About a hundred meters away, there were three small, trapezoid-shaped mounds of rock under a giant tree, each about a meter tall.

At first glance, they looked like simple mounds of rock, but on closer inspection, the base of the mounds were slowly shifting, creeping like slugs.

“Yup, those are definitely Rock Slimes! I can’t believe you noticed them from this distance, old man.” (Touka)

“Rock Slimes move slowly, so they’re easy to kill. Perfect for leveling up. But they only drop rocks, so it’s not great for making money.” (Lanpeach)

Rock Slimes are monsters with slime bodies that float bits of rock inside themselves like chainmail to protect their core. Though they have strong defenses, the only drop you get from them is rocks, so most explorers avoid them due to the poor return for the effort.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Absorbing spirit energy from those monsters is the best up to Star 2. You shouldn’t worry about money when building a solid foundation; you need to steadily increase your power.” (Touka)

The girl, wanting to sound like a seasoned veteran, wagged her finger with a hint of pride. She hadn’t had any juniors until now, so she was quite pleased.

“Aah… The words of someone who doesn’t need to worry about money. We live day-to-day, so we have to earn enough for lodging and ammo.” (Lanpeach)

“I know~. I’ve thought about that too, so later we can hunt monsters that drop money-making items. Look forward to it!”

She reassured him that she understood his financial concerns as she crossed her arms with a smug smile.

“Rock Slimes stop moving almost entirely if you damage their core, so I’ll half-destroy the core and…what are you doing?” (Touka)

“Rock Slimes? Let’s rock.” (Lanpeach)

Lanpeach made a cold dad joke while holding an assault rifle at his hip. Even Touka, who had never learned how to use a gun, could tell that his stance was that of an expert… But, using a gun in the Spirit Ward? Really?

“The core, huh? I see, in reality, targeting the core is a common method to defeat slimes.” (Lanpeach)

Touka tilted her head in confusion, unable to grasp what was happening, as Lanpeach placed his finger on the trigger.

In the Spirit Ward, the common sense for combat is: Never use guns. Because the sound will attract monsters. This should be common knowledge among explorers. It should be.

“Gotcha.” (Lanpeach)

Lanpeach actually pulled the trigger before Touka could stop him. 

Tatata -three shots fired. 

The sharp gunfire echoed through the forest, and the slowly crawling Rock Slimes burst apart as the bullets shattered their rocky armor.

Then, the forest began to stir, sending chills down their spines. The rustling from above the trees and within the underbrush grew louder, as if a gong had been struck, and creatures began swarming towards them. Dozens were rushing in, and even slower monsters were starting to gather.

“Huh? Can Rock Slimes use Call for Reinforcements? I see, so if we defeat them all, we’ll level up. Smart.” (Lanpeach)

Lanpeach nodded to himself, looking completely unconcerned.

“This isn’t power-leveling, old man!” (Touka)

Even as she screamed, Touka couldn’t help but grin.

“But, this is getting exciting! Maybe today’s my lucky day!” (Touka)

Even in the face of a looming disaster, Touka, ever in search of the extraordinary, found herself delighted instead.

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