After returning from the Dungeon, I gathered everyone at the mansion after taking a day off.
Novem and Aria, who formed my party.
Miranda and Clara, the Aramsass adventurers joining us temporarily.
And then there was Poyopoyo, the screw-up, and Shannon, the landlady's sister.
Seven of us total, including myself, sat down for a discussion.
"Why am I included? And these two aren't adventurers, are they?"
Clara asked me while sipping the tea that had been served. Her gaze rested on Shannon and Poyopoyo.
That was a simple enough reason.
"...I wasn't sure how to bring up the topic. The other two were, well, just along for the ride."
From inside the Jewel, I could hear the Third Generation laughing uproariously.
"Lail, you're the best!"
That "best" probably meant best as in laughable. Today's consultation meeting—well, by now everyone was speaking freely without any rules in place.
Before, when my mana was being drained at a terrifying rate, there had been a rule: only one person could speak per day, or offer consultation.
I made an excuse to Clara, who was giving me a deadpan stare.
"But come on! I don't know how girls talk to each other! Besides, we've never had a chance to have a conversation like this before..."
Poyopoyo prepared a refill of tea for Clara. Then she looked at me, let out a small "Hmph," and smiled.
"As expected of the Chicken. Even conversations with women, you leave to other women."
I told myself to bear it. After all, the reason I'd called Clara here was because she had more experience as an adventurer than any of us.
From her position as a support specialist who had observed all kinds of parties, hearing her opinion was invaluable.
Besides, she already has a decent grasp of our situation, so explanations aren't necessary.
Novem spoke up.
"Now then, let's begin discussing our future strategy for the Dungeon. Does anyone have an opinion?"
No one said a word.
Shannon opened her mouth.
"I'm not an adventurer, you know. Or rather, I'm not confident in my stamina."
Saying that with such bold confidence, Shannon pushed her hair back as if she were really showing off.
It suited her, but when Novem looked at her with a smile, she went "Eek!" and fell silent.
A few minutes passed with no one speaking, so I raised my hand slightly...
"Uh, well... personally, I'd like to try getting through the 30th floor without using any Skills. But we have the issue of numbers, and teamwork, you know..."
Then, without meeting my gaze, Aria said,
"Just use Skills. Or wait, is there even a point to this?"
What a terrible attitude.
Novem chided her.
"Aria, that attitude is a bit..."
Aria retorted.
"Yeah, yeah, you're right. My apologies for being rude to 'Lord' Lyle!"
She said it loudly, and from the Jewel, the Second Generation's voice was heard.
The Second Generation hated Aria.
"What's with that attitude?!"
The Fourth Generation said.
"Maybe he's still angry about what happened before? I mean, Lyle yelled and all... He's probably bottling up a lot of things inside. You should look at him with kind eyes."
The Second Generation said.
"How the hell should I know! That's just your opinion—you're weak around women!"
The Fourth Generation retorted.
"What's wrong with being weak! No matter how tough a man acts, he can't beat a woman! You muscle-brained fool!"
The Second Generation—
"You bastard, how dare you talk back to your own grandfather! Get out here!"
"Get out here"—whenever I think about how often the First Generation used to say that, I feel a pang of nostalgia. After passing on his Skills to me, he'd fulfilled his role and stopped appearing.
What would the First Generation say if he saw me now?
(...No good. All I can picture is him yelling and bickering with the Second Generation. The First Generation did like Aria, though.)
As I was feeling down, Aria called out to me.
"I-I'm sorry, okay? Don't look so down about it."
Aria was apologizing, but I noticed everyone staring at me and hurriedly pulled myself together.
Just then, Miranda spoke up.
"I wouldn't mind being called upon anytime, you know. I've already gotten my credits from Professor Damian, and I've finished all the preparations needed to graduate. Right now, it's more like a hobby for me."
The academy's system allowed students to enroll and graduate at any time. It wasn't a system tied to specific enrollment and graduation periods.
As long as you earned the required credits and received your certificate, you could graduate whenever you wanted.
Aria turned to Miranda.
"You can just decide that so easily? Wait, more importantly—are you planning to join the party?"
Then.
"Oh my, jealousy? You think your precious Lyle is going to be stolen? Aria's so cute~"
Aria seemed to think she was being teased, and fired back.
"I-It has nothing to do with him! I'm just with everyone right now so I can learn to live on my own someday—"
As Aria's face turned bright red, Novem—
"What are you saying, Aria? Regardless of the circumstances, you were rescued by Lyle. That means you can't just leave the party whenever you please."
"Huh, I can't?"
I found myself asking Novem back.
Novem looked at me, surprised. Then she explained the reason.
"Well, you see... Lord Darion did receive you as a reward, in a manner of speaking."
I said.
"That's just the official story, right? It should be void."
At that, Aria slapped the table with her palm. In the now-silent room, only Clara could be heard sipping her tea.
Because the tea that had been sitting on the table had spilled, Poyopoyo—
"Fufufu, what they call a lovers' quarrel, I suppose. I know all about it from the data."
—said that while tidying up and preparing fresh tea.
"...Anyway, I'm just that kind of woman to you!"
"Why are you getting angry! I never said I was going to keep you bound here!"
As I tried to understand why I was being yelled at, the Fourth Generation's voice came through.
"Complex female hearts—Lyle probably can't understand them, huh?"
The Fifth Generation spoke.
"You only think you understand. I couldn't make sense of it at all."
Then the Sixth Generation said.
"…But at least the Fifth Generation got along fine with everything except relationships with kids."
I thought to myself.
(What am I going to do? These guys are completely useless.)
And so I looked at Novem. But—
"Lyle, that's really too much…"
Then, with a smile, Miranda spoke up.
"Well then, I'll volunteer. In Aria's place."
For the party, was it? Or was she volunteering for something else entirely? Miranda didn't specify.
Then Aria, who had misunderstood, said.
"W-wait, I never said I'd give up Lyle!"
Grinning, Miranda replied.
"Hm? I meant I'd join the party in Aria's place."
Having been teased, Aria turned away.
Then Clara opened her mouth.
"…Lyle."
"What is it?"
"You big flirt~"
I felt my cheek twitch at Clara calling me a "womanizer" in her flat, monotone voice. Not to brag, but just a little while ago I'd never even kissed a woman — a hopeless romantic like me being called a womanizer was just…
Clara delivered her final verdict on our party.
"Oh my. It really is the kind of classical harem party a man dreams of. It's rare to see a party come together this thoroughly. It's an ideal party in both the good sense and the bad sense."
The "good sense" probably meant it was ideal from a man's perspective.
The "bad sense" — I understood that to mean the party had stopped functioning properly because of it.
I asked Clara.
"Is there — is there any way to fix this? Or improve things?"
Clara began to speak based on her past experience.
"In the parties I know of, some men-only groups absolutely refused to let women join, specifically to avoid drama over romantic entanglements. They said that when love gets messy, the whole team's coordination falls apart."
Was she telling me to leave?
"Wait — you mean if I left, the problem would be solved?"
Novem cut in.
"That is out of the question. Rejected. Not happening."
Clara nodded in agreement.
"I would imagine so. If Lyle were to leave, this party would fall apart. In fact, individually, each member can hold their own against mid-rankers. Their coordination is… better than amateurs with no Skills, I suppose. Even if you left, I don't think Aria would be held back."
Clara was trying to cover for Aria, but the woman in question had lost all confidence.
"I-I mean, even if you say that…"
"Everyone here is exceptionally talented by nature. Let's say the average is fifty? In terms of pure talent, this party averages close to ninety. Even if you say Aria's the lowest, we're talking about a seventy or eighty."
Then, Clara continued.
"And adding any member of the opposite sex other than Lyle wouldn't work either. It's less about romantic situations becoming complicated… and more that any man who joined simply wouldn't be able to endure it."
Why couldn't they endure it? Damian had been perfectly fine with it.
Besides, I wanted companions I could have guy talk with.
When Clara realized I didn't understand, she explained.
"Would you want to join a group where beautiful women are swarming around one man? As a fellow party member, would you want to feel like an outsider?"
"...I wouldn't want that."
I understood now and agreed with Clara.
When it came to adding members, men were off the table.
"One or two wouldn't be a problem, but if a large number joined, it would be somewhat… However, we're not really a party that can maintain that many members, and we haven't established the basics yet."
The basics.
The basics of a party meant having members who collectively covered fundamental skills.
We were all highly talented individually, but we lacked an adventurer with skills in scouting and traps.
"A large group is out of the question after all… That's rejected too," Novem concluded.
Then Clara offered a way to improve the situation.
"Let's divide up the roles."
"Divide up the roles?"
When I tilted my head in confusion, Clara continued.
"Lyle, basically you tend to try to handle everything yourself because you believe you can do it all. You may have multiple Skills, but you need to distribute responsibilities and hone specific abilities — including backups. More importantly, normally you decide on roles first. Once everyone has reached a certain level of proficiency, you discuss what skills each person should develop. It's standard practice to assess each other's aptitudes and use that to set the party's direction going forward."
The problem was probably that I'd relied too heavily on my Skills and none of the others felt they were needed. My Skills outperformed even average adventurers' expertise — no, they surpassed what most specialists could do.
"For starters, scouting seems like the right call. Someone to walk ahead and confirm the path is safe. Aria would be well-suited for that role. You know some people in that field, so shall I set up an introduction?"
Clara prepared a memo, and Aria accepted it.
"As for traps next... Miranda, I think you have quite high aptitude. I can't say for certain, though."
When told that, Miranda says with a smile.
"She's right. I suppose I am rather dexterous."
Clara mutters under her breath.
"...People with your personality type tend to be good at this sort of thing."
"Meaning?"
"Nothing at all. In that case, Novem, you're... not needed. I think you'd be better off continuing to hone your magic as you are."
Novem says.
"Oh? That's a little disappointing. I was hoping to be of some use."
The Second Generation pipes in.
"You don't even need to do anything, Novem-chan! Just being there is enough! Novem-chan is such a good girl~!"
I agreed with that opinion, but I was waiting to hear what Clara had to say.
However, Clara simply moved on.
"That about sums it up. It will take time for anyone to become a specialist. But if each of you takes on a role and builds experience, the party will take shape within a few months."
"Huh? What about me?"
When I asked, Clara said—
"You're fine just as you are. Basically, the leader's job is managing the party. It's about figuring out how to run things efficiently. Coordinating everyone's schedules and making plans is important work too."
That made sense when she said it, but shouldn't I be working on honing some technical skill as well? When I said so, Clara replied.
"You're taking on too much of everyone else's work, Lyle. If you can, delegating is part of being a leader too. What you should be doing is..."
"What I should be doing?"
"Probably by collecting porters, I'd imagine. And if you recruit one or two female adventurers, that'd be perfect."
I gave my honest opinion.
"Somehow that makes me sound like a creep, though. Like I'm... surrounding myself with women."
"Well, 'being surrounded' is the more accurate phrasing, actually. Don't worry. Your reputation in Aramsass is a bit iffy, Lyle, but with that face of yours, you'll snag one or two. After that, it's just a matter of building trust over time."
At that, Novem spoke up.
"That's... that's no good!"
"Novem! Right, right? That's totally not okay, right?"
"We must find a woman worthy of the Walt family's code! Nothing else will be accepted!"
Clara tilted her head. I fell silent and covered my face with both hands.
Aria seemed uninterested, as was typical for her, but Miranda was the only one watching Novem with a serious expression.
Shannon, who had been listening the whole time, spoke.
"This doesn't involve me, right? Why was I called here?"
And Poyopoyo too.
"I can be of service as well! After all... I'm the special model!"
I chose to ignore both of them.
—Aria was visiting the adventurer Clara had introduced to her.
Instead of going to the Adventurer's Guild, she checked the nameplate of a cheap-looking apartment and knocked on the door.
From inside the room, a muffled voice came through.
"Who is it?"
"A-ah! I'm an acquaintance of Clara's, and she told me to come visit here..."
Then, the person beyond the door――
"Clara's little lady? Well, fine, I suppose."
With those words, the door opened to reveal a woman with disheveled hair. She looked to be in her late thirties. Burn scars marked her face.
And her left arm was missing.
When Aria's gaze drifted toward the missing arm, the woman spoke.
"Oh~ never seen one before? Well, you're young, so you probably don't come to the tavern. Anyway, come on in."
She snatched the note from Aria's hand, confirmed it was in Clara's handwriting, then let Aria inside.
The exterior was a rundown apartment, but the inside was tidy. It seemed she lived alone, but on the desk in the room sat a prosthetic arm.
"Um, that..."
"That's my prosthetic arm. I'm good at this sort of thing, you see. I make simple Mana Tools and sell them to scrape by. I can't compete with the professionals, but here in Aramsass, it's enough to make a living."
Tools and such hung on the walls, and parts were neatly arranged.
She introduced herself.
"I'm Lyle Ikola. Born into a minor noble family in a small village. The surname's a leftover from those days."
Aria introduced herself as well.
"I'm Aria Lockwood."
At that, Lyle burst out laughing.
"I've heard of you. The party that took on that pervert's commission and pulled it off — you're the strong up-and-comers, right? What business does your frontliner have with me?"
Aria, not expecting to be so well-known, was momentarily startled but proceeded to explain the situation.
Hearing this, Lyle pressed her face into her right hand with an exasperated expression. Through the gaps between her fingers, her eyes scrutinized Aria as she confirmed the details of the request.
"...So you want to learn my style? My style — one that handles both the front line and reconnaissance?"
"Y-Yes!"
At that, Lyle remarked that she couldn't really recommend it.
"Can't you tell just by looking at this body? Front-line work is dangerous. It's too heavy a burden for a woman. If you're absolutely determined to do it, then... go in with the mindset that it doesn't matter if you end up covered in scars. You can't complain if you lose an arm or two."
Aria swallowed hard. But she told herself that this was far better than standing here doing nothing.
(If I run away now, I really will become worthless. So...)
"I-I'll do it!"
At that, Lyle burst out laughing, covering her mouth. While Aria stood there dumbfounded, Lyle kept laughing and said, "Sorry about that."
"My bad. Testing you like that. These injuries are from when I was still green. The correct approach is basically to not get close to anything dangerous in the first place. Don't play the fool and then expect to be taken seriously."
While Aria was still stunned, Lyle spoke up.
"I've done that girl a few favors — research work at the library, carrying her luggage, that sort of thing. She's basically a solo party partner of mine."
"Is... is that so?"
When Aria said that, Lyle got down to business.
"All right, I don't mind teaching you, but I have my own work too. You'll need to free up three days a week. And as for the fee..."
Lyle looked at Aria and stated the amount.
"If that girl says you have potential, then I suppose you do. After all, you're part of the party everyone's been talking about. The term is two months, and twenty gold coins will do."
Hearing twenty gold coins, Aria was stunned. Rather, she simply didn't have that kind of money. She had received her reward, but even that only amounted to roughly five gold coins.
"U-Um, is there any way to bring it down a little?"
"I'm setting aside my time to train you, you know? And what about the income you'd be missing during that period? You're not expecting to pick up skills for free, are you?"
Aria's head drooped. At that, Lyle offered a condition.
"In that case, how about I take the full amount of your earnings during the training period? And you can help me with my work on top of it. How does that sound?"
"Y-yes! I think I can do that!"
At that, Lyle spoke.
"Well, there isn't all that much to teach, really. My style is frontline — I handle both scouting and combat. What about you? What's your weapon of choice?"
When Aria told her that she used a spear —
"It's not bad, but it's not great either. A spear works fine if you're specializing in combat, but still..."
Lyle thought for a moment, then glanced at Aria's chest.
"Say, is that a Jewel?"
"Huh? Y-yes, it is."
After that, Lyle said she wanted to check what kind of Skills Aria had. Aria hesitated for just a moment about explaining, but then told Lyle anyway.
"Offensive specialization, I see. Definitely better than a cheap Mana Tool..."
"Um?"
"Since you've been using a spear, that's probably what feels most natural in your hands... Aria, how would you feel about trying a short spear?"
And so Aria, too, began moving to establish her own style —