Having returned from slaying monsters, I stumbled through selling the materials I'd collected and reporting to the Guild.
As a rule, the Guild doesn't deal in monster materials.
The only exception is the small red stones called Magic Stones that can be harvested from monsters — those are managed by the Guild.
They serve as a valuable energy resource and also represent one of the Guild's key privileges.
Adventurers sell their materials to merchants and then sell their Magic Stones to the Guild for a profit. The Guild, in turn, profits from the Magic Stone trade.
That said, the privilege surrounding Magic Stones is enormous.
The Guild only exists because of the massive revenue it generates.
That, however, has nothing to do with the rank-and-file staff.
As an adventurer, I have no reason to pick a fight with a Guild that monopolizes the distribution of Magic Stones.
As usual, I got in line at Hawkins' reception desk and waited for my turn.
Zelphy, splattered with blood, was taking a bath at the public bathhouse next to the Guild.
While Novem and I stood in line together, she asked me with a worried look.
"Lyle, are you really all right? You still look pale."
"I'm fine. I've recovered a bit since earlier, and once we finish the paperwork, we just head home..."
I tried to put on a brave face so she wouldn't worry, but that only seemed to worry her more.
"As expected, you're still pretty pathetic."
The First Generation spoke up. He sounded delighted by how useless I was.
*(Well, it's your fault.)*
The Seventh Generation said to the cheerful First Generation:
"Who was it whose face was bright red just a moment ago, may I ask?"
"I-It wasn't me!"
"You couldn't pull it off! That cocky expression of yours only made things more embarrassing."
I could practically see the Seventh Generation grinning.
Still, I wished they'd be a little more considerate of my mana.
"Lyle, your complexion again... Let's take tomorrow off. You're pushing yourself too hard. I'll let Zelphy know myself."
"Ugh... sorry."
Was I not justified in being angry at these ancestors who kept using my mana when it was still recovering?
"Next, please — wait, Lyle! You look terrible!"
Even Hawkins was worried about me.
"I-I'm fine."
"No, looking like that is not 'fine' at all... Honestly, what on earth was Zelphy doing to you?"
After Hawkins finished the paperwork quickly, I went straight home and collapsed for the day.
The day after our monster hunt was a rest day.
Typically, when adventurers go out to fight monsters, they take a day off between outings, though it depends on their skill level.
For those of us who fight monsters close to home, the pattern tends to be going out every day for a stretch, then taking one day off.
Resting after every slime hunt wouldn't exactly bring in the coin.
This time, our income was decent from taking on goblins, and my poor condition meant a rest day was decided.
Back at our rented house, Novem was nursing me.
"Fighting really does wear you out differently. We'll need to recruit more party members and lighten your load, Lyle."
I wanted to tell Novem she was being overprotective, but there was a reason I couldn't — she shared the same opinion as my ancestors.
We'd faced seven goblins, and I was able to wipe them out using magic.
That was only possible because we had Zelphy, a skilled front-liner.
She moved into cover immediately, keeping the goblins from closing in. Since she absorbed all the attacks, I could use my magic freely.
The old sofa in the living room had tears in its surface, exposing the stuffing inside.
I sat on it, staring blankly at the unlit fireplace.
No — I was deep in thought.
*(If we're talking about party members, they'd be front-liners, I suppose? Though it depends on what role I'll be playing.)*
Right now, any position was fine for a party member.
We could use a back-liner, or with three front-liners, we'd have a stable fighting formation.
"So Zelphy means we need at least three members total."
"That's right. If I were being greedy, there's no end to what I'd want, but with one more person, I think we'd be stable for a while."
"So battle is a numbers game."
When I said that, the Fifth Generation interjected. That was rare.
I hadn't heard her voice today, but it seemed she was the one active now.
"Those are correct words, but what I'd like the current Lyle to understand is what the *right* number is."
*(The right number?)*
"Having numbers is important, but can you maintain them? Are they the people you actually need? How will you grow from here? There's an endless list of things to consider — individual strength, personality, traits, background... Leading people is difficult, regardless of the scale."
I glanced at Novem.
She had left the living room and was heading toward the kitchen, presumably to brew tea.
I continued my conversation with the Fifth Generation in a whisper.
"How should I go about choosing people for the party?"
"It's good to think about what kind of people you need. But talented people are in high demand. Don't expect the ideal candidate to just walk into your party."
*(So it really is difficult.)*
"Would it be better to team up temporarily and get to know potential members first?"
"Wouldn't you be better off asking an adventurer like Zelphy about that kind of know-how? We don't have any experience as adventurers."
"That's true..."
*(Adventurer know-how, huh... The Second Generation and First Generation are my best resources, but...)*
The First and Second Generations could be considered pioneers of the Walt family, which had founded a frontier village.
They weren't adventurers, but they'd accomplished things not far off from it.
The Second Generation had said as much — when it came to this sort of thing, the First Generation apparently possessed a useful skill.
After all, the Second Generation's skill was one that only showed its true power when combined with other skills.
In my current state, the only skill I could actually use was the one the First Generation had manifested.
"It'd be easiest if the First Generation could help me out, right?"
"That's right. It was simple but useful — I know from experience. It's easy to use, and combined with the Second Generation's skill, your combat ability shoots up dramatically."
In a nutshell, the First Generation's skill was an "ability enhancement."
Its name was Full Over.
It simply boosted your stats and overwhelmed the enemy.
Simple, but extremely effective. Every successive head of the family had relied on this skill.
"It depends on the First Generation, though... Back in our day, we could use it without having to worry about such things."
Once they became Jewels, the skills had developed wills of their own.
Those wills were the memories and hearts of every successive head. My ancestors *were* the skills.
In other words, I couldn't use them without their approval.
"My skill puts a heavy burden on Lyle too. Not because I dislike him — but because at his current level, it would do more harm than good. If he steadily increases his mana, there might be a chance... but..."
"I don't really know how to do that, though. I've heard mana increases with normal growth, but..."
There were training methods that involved casting magic to gradually increase one's mana pool, but whether those were truly effective was anyone's guess.
They probably worked to some extent, but mana grew naturally with development even without deliberate training.
I'd heard in some superstition or another that defeating monsters caused growth in areas beyond just mana.
But I couldn't recall anyone around me who could verify that.
"Once Lyle's own skill is identified, there might be other approaches. Just take your time with it."
"Yeah... *(Having a Jewel that lets me use skills, and I can't use a single one...)*"
Novem returned with the tea, so the Fifth Generation and I cut our conversation short.
The next day.
When Novem and I arrived at our meeting spot with Zelphy, we were told our plans were changing.
After handling the paperwork at the Guild, we went to a café frequented by adventurers to talk.
It was the kind of place where you could enter even in full gear, and many adventurers made use of it.
A window seat was open, so the three of us sat down and ordered tea. Zelphy also ordered some sweets.
"This one's on me. Also, you remember I told you two to recruit party members? About that... let's be a little more careful. I need you to stop taking on just anyone."
"What do you mean by that?"
Novem asked Zelphy to clarify.
Zelphy then explained his reasoning.
After accurately assessing our capabilities, he advised us to choose our companions carefully.
"Your abilities are outstanding for newcomers, before we even get to balance. Leave physical stamina out of the equation, and Lyle would rank among the top adventurers in Darion. And Novem — I've seen your holy-element magic in action... It's unquestionably top-tier in Darion."
I tilted my head at that opinion.
Darion was a city that went easy on rookie adventurers, so the overall quality of adventurers there was, as expected, rather low.
That said, being at the top in Darion meant you were a competent fighter for sure.
*(If our reputation is that high, shouldn't party members be easy to find...?)*
"Is that a problem?"
Zelphy made a troubled face.
"It's not bad, per se... but in the sense that it's going to be a hassle, yes. I looked into you two. Including where you're from."
Zelphy had investigated my family — no, he'd looked into where I was from and figured out my situation from there.
Of course, he didn't seem to know the full picture. And he probably didn't want to.
"I-I didn't mean to lie or anything—"
As I tried to explain, Zelphy raised a hand to stop me.
"I'm not saying you did anything wrong. It's just my way to see things through once I've taken on a job. I'm not planning to bail halfway — the penalty fee alone scares me. But if you have a complicated background *and* talent as an adventurer, then going forward, we need to think carefully."
I'd apparently been taking adventurers a bit too lightly. I never imagined they could dig up information that quickly.
Novem was listening with a serious expression as well.
"You'll be staying in Darion for a while, right? That works. But sooner or later, you'll leave, won't you? Choose your companions carefully, and make sure they're people you can trust. You don't want weird types latching onto you."
By "weird types," he meant those who latched onto adventurers as parasites and those who scammed their own kind.
The former mooched off party contributions, taking their share while doing nothing.
The latter were mostly con artists.
"Now, about our plan going forward—"
That was when Zelphy said it. The café door was flung open with a bang.
The bell mounted on the door let out a loud ring.
And then footsteps came thundering toward us.
Novem stood up on guard, and I rose as well, turning toward the intruder. But they weren't looking at us.
"Zelphy..."
Zelphy's name was called, and he murmured with a pained expression.
But then the First Generation's voice overlapped with it.
"Lady Aria..."
"Alice! What are you doing in a place like this...?"
"Huh? Which one..."
"Lyle?"
The words slipped out before I could stop myself. Novem glanced at my face. It seemed she'd lowered her staff since the newcomer had no hostile intent.
I hurried back to my seat and looked at the two of them.
The young woman Zelphy called "my lady" and the First Generation called "Alice" was a girl our age with red hair.
Her red hair, reaching down her back, had curls at the tips that bounced about.
Her slightly sharp purple eyes were wide — she was panting from the rush. She was clearly in a hurry, but at the same time, she had the air of a spirited girl.
She wore form-fitting clothes that clung to her body, suggesting she prioritized mobility.
Still, hearing Zelphy call her "my lady" felt a bit odd.
She was certainly pretty and carried a certain elegance. But her outfit was a far cry from what you'd expect of a noble lady.
"Please, Zelphy — lend me your strength."
"Well, you see... I'm in the middle of work right now."
The people around us had turned their eyes to our table, but there wasn't any commotion. They were whispering among themselves about what was going on.
"Is this some kind of lovers' quarrel?"
"That blue-haired guy's got it good."
"Wait, isn't that Zelphy's old boss?"
*(Why are they glaring at me? I have nothing to do with this.)*
Enduring the inexplicably hostile stares, I eavesdropped on their conversation. But back in the Jewel, the First Generation had started making a ruckus.
My mana was being chipped away at an alarming rate.
"The Lockeward family's 'Jewel' was stolen! It's a precious heirloom passed down through generations! Please, help me get it back!"
After watching the girl called Aria — more desperate than excited — I turned to Novem beside me.
"What's going on here?"
"Um... Could she be from the family Zelphy used to serve? I thought she might be from a knightly house, and it seems that's really the case."
When Novem said that, Zelphy corrected her.
"No, I'm not a knight — my father was... Wait! My lady, I'm no longer a retainer of the Lockeward family. And I'm at work right now. Even if you ask, I can't help."
Aria's expression darkened at Zelphy's apologetic refusal.
Then she turned her gaze to me and pleaded.
"Are you Zelphy's employer? Then just a little — give me some of your time! It's a precious treasure, no matter what... A Jewel of the Lockeward family, passed down for over two hundred years! I'll give you anything in return — just please, lend me Zelphy!"
Novem then stood up.
"I understand you're in a rush. But we have our own circumstances. We have a three-month contract with Zelphy, and we're paying a considerable fee. I appreciate your feelings, but I must ask you to step back... Also, it seems to me that he's troubled by your request?"
When Novem said this, Zelphy looked down but didn't object.
Aria saw this and looked frustrated.
There was clearly something going on, but right now —
"It's Alice! Alice, just like she was back then... My first love never ended!"
The First Generation was getting absurdly worked up, and my mana was being drained away because of it.
*(Wait a minute — I'm losing more mana than ever before, and I'm getting dizzy...)*
My head was spinning.
And then the Second Generation joined in as well.
"Hey! Lyle's about to keel over! He's already swaying on his feet! Calm down for a second!"
"How can I calm down?! My youth cannot be spoken of without Al—"
I heard the voice from the Jewel up to that point, but it cut off midway.
At the same time, because Novem had refused her, Aria grabbed my shoulder.
"Please. I'll do anything — just lend me Zelphy... It's something precious to me."
Facing this woman with tears in her eyes, desperately begging, I couldn't find my voice.
Perhaps because she was desperate, she started shaking me back and forth. My head wobbled dizzily...
"Please let go of Lyle! Wait — Lyle? Lyle?!"
"Huh? What — Aaaah!!"
"Hey! Why did he pass out?!"
As consciousness faded, I thought:
*(Th-this isn't my fault...)*