[Arc 2] Chapter 32: Envy is Visiting the Union

I walked down to the restaurant part of the inn. Hmm, that's one good-*Crash*-smell... of breakfast-*Bang*-...with a pinch of trouble. Seriously, keep it quiet in the mornings.

I looked around for the source of the noise and found... delinquent girls? Appearance-vise, anyway. Adventurers? They left the inn in a fury.

And over here is... a bundle of black clothes? No, a person. In a somewhat baggy outfit... geeeeez......

"GRRAAAWWHH!! Get back here...oops?" - Bundle of black clothes

"What are you doing, Revi?" - Garami

The bundle made a jump from her beaten-up position... and froze when she laid her eyes on me. Jade-green, messy hair that reaches her small waist, eyes with the same color as her hair, and a single dragon horn sticking up from her forehead. The former cursed princess (stand-in) of Tir na Nog, Revi.

---

"So, you got cocky after having a human body, saw that group of girls that had bullied you seven hundred years ago, and decided for some payback? After all this time? When the real culprits are long dead?" - Garami

"Urgh... please don't bring that up anymore! I'm regretting my behavior, seriously!" - Revi

Despite being 700 years since she had a human's vocal cords, this former undead dragon's speaking up a storm... when she's not gulping down food.

After I had picked up Revi, we had gone to a private dining area so people wouldn't overhear us. When you think about it, the organization picked quite a nice place for us to stay this time around. As long as I don't have to pay the bill, it's all right for me.

I looked at Revi, who was busy blushing like a tomato, crying rivers outta shame, and stuffing her belly out of hunger... seriously, she's one busy gal! 

The clothes are a size too big for her. Reasonable, since they are the ones I gave to her the night before, anticipating the situation that she would end up as a streaker. We gotta have some clothes made for her after this. Maybe some weapons as well. Wait, what should we give her anyway? A magic staff?

Achievement Titles:

Hunting Titles:

"...How did you even lose to those girls before?" - Garami

"Eh?" asked Revi with question marks almost appearing above her head. Then she turned red again and told me:

"I tripped. I TRIPPED! And tumbled in my clothes! And got kicked! And utterly defeated!!" - Revi

So shouted the crying Dragonoid. Glad I got us a private room.

"Just because of the clothes?" - Garami

"...I'm proud to tell you that I can trip over even air!" - Revi

You don't look so proud over it, with the tear-ducts never stopping. 

"Let's move away from that subject-" - Garami

"Please do!!" - Revi

"-and let me ask this: are you happy with your current situation?" - Garami

She's an all-important user of the [Envy] skill. If anything, I wanna have her stay loyal to our group while keeping a friendly relationship with her. Heh, guess I've grown up if I can start bothering about stuff like "relationships".

"...It's awesome! The beds are soft, the food's good, and everyone is so nice! Miss Mira is a little... weird, but she still hangs around with me even when I was that! Miss Garami is also nice... while a little scary..." - Revi

"What did you say?" I asked while showing the kindest smile I could make.

"N-n-n-n-n-nothing at all!! A-a-and miss Garami's way prettier now than when you had those scary tattoos... ah! You were pretty back then too! A-and you helped me understand that book so I could evolve into this form, and you supported me with everything else as well! I-it's just that your beauty went up another level, and-!" - Revi

Revi kept on pilling on compliments for me as she got more and more panicked. 

"Alright, that's enough. More than enough. Calm down." - Garami

It's easy to guess she's not gonna stab us in the back for the slightest things. Gotta keep her on a leash. People like her are the type to get into trouble.

"Awawawawa..." - Revi

"...Wanna go and buy some clothes? It's on me." - Garami

---

Later, at Armveil's shop

"WHOAAAA!!" - Revi

"Stop making a ruckus." - Garami

"How can't I make one!? This place has everything- alright, I understand. Revi understands miss Garami, so please don't point that scary-looking weapon at me!!" - Revi

I put away the Thaumaturgy Revolver and started to help our residential ball of energy in finding clothes. She likes dresses, I see...

"Oh yeah, have you decided how your battle style shall be?" - Garami

"Eh? Fashion?" - Revi

"I meant, how are you supposed to fight against monsters and the like?" - Garami

"Ehh..., I have to fight? That sounds scary..." - Revi

"Said the one who has lived for centuries in an antagonist Dungeon." - Garami

"I didn't live there because I wanted to! And it is because I've been through that that I'm against fighting!" - Revi

...I can't disagree with her. 'Cause I've experienced the same things as her. Still, you gotta do what you gotta do.

"In this world, battles will happen whether you like it or not. Especially for someone with an Extra Skill." - Garami

"...Then... a spellcaster?" - Revi

Mhm, that didn't come as a surprise. She did have her Magic Skills at a high level when we met her. Add that we needed to have her as a Witch Apprentice for her to gain the [Lesser Life Element], which we doped with Skill Points until it evolved, so she could evolve herself.

"In that case, try to find an outfit that you can use in the field for that. I'll ask the owner about anything you can use as a weapon. Any wishes?" - Garami

"Anything's fine!?" - Revi

"Why the surprise? Anything, as long as you can use it." - Garami

Revi started to think with a bothered look on her face. Thinking about it, she's probably never held a weapon in her entire life. However, thinking so hard that steam's coming up from your head's overkill! Calm down already!

"Then... a staff..." - Revi

She answered with a puff of steam escaping her head. Did she overload? Still, a staff... that's quite the traditional weapon. The fallen angel's using something closer to a wand, and now she's also sporting that magic-bow thing of hers. 

I left Revi with Waylin so they could choose everyday clothing for her, plus getting her sizes so Waylin can make a tailored battle outfit for Revi. I entered the depths of the store in search of Armveil.

There's no surprise that I found him at the smithy. Nor that he had a customer. That the customer's Mira? The sword-freak? Do I even need to answer that?

The surprise is the item that Armveil's having a look at. A jet-black, kinda oldish katana. Wait, they got katanas here?! I kinda want one. Where did Mira... ah. From that guy. The samurai-Iron that she fought at the castle. 

"Hey, Garami. Just a moment, then I'll get to you." - Armveil

Armveil took the katana and placed it on the workbench before turning to me. 

"You're not gonna finish that?" - Garami

"That sword's a special case. I need some more time to figure out its kinks. Where did you get that anyway?" said Armveil, saying the last part to Mira.

"Spoils of war." - Mira

I knew it. Armveil just shrugged his arms, not worrying too much about it.

"Then, what can I do for you today?" - Armveil

"Got some staves?" - Garami

"Hmm? That's weird for you to ask for. Let me take a look." said Armveil before heading deeper into the shop.

While he was away, Mira started to close in with a grin on her face. Looking closely, she's got some tattoos on her arms now, and her ears have turned more pointy. Let me guess...

Achievement Titles:

Hunting Titles:

"Thanks! It's always so difficult keeping a track of them myself," said Mira after I let her see her status page.

"No problem, but explain to me why you've taken the spear- and shield skills. You don't use either of them. And when did you get Legion!?" - Garami

"Remember the assault on the Safe Area? We split the undeads into groups after you retreated due to those Demonbane weapons, so I could face around a hundred without 'assistance'." - Mira

Oho? They made it so that one big battle turned to several battles that happened at the same time... at least in the eyes of the World System.

"And those weapon skills, I got them when I evolved. I also got [Swordsmanship], so it was a damn good job of me to evolve the skill first." - Mira

Oho? Sword, spear, and shield. The three most used weapon-types according to what I overheard the veterans at the Union talk about. She also got [Battle Survivor] without having to go through [Battle Continuation], plus the tier-2 skill [Coercion]. This Sprite race is true to its name. The "Brawl"-part, that is.

Still feels kinda weak when you look at the stuff me and Revi obtained. She got [Dragon Power], [Dragon Scales], [Dragon's Dignity], [Dragon Breath (Death)] and [Life Aura]. The last two were due to the evolution being an Extra... oh yeah. Brawl Glow Sprite ain't an Extra Evolution, but a regular one. That explains it... perhaps?

"By the way, can you look at this one for me?" asked Mira, pointing at the [Glow Spirit (Brawl)] skill. Sure, no prob.

We got a prob!

"Hey, why did you get this one?" - Garami

"Don't blame me! It evolved on its own when I turned into a Glow Sprite" - Mira

Oh, I see. Sorry. 

"Better mutate this one somehow..." - Garami

"Don't say scary stuff like that all of a sudden!" - Mira

Mira backed away after I muttered my thoughts aloud. I'm not gonna go all doctor Frankenstein, alright? 

Hmm, since the skill evolved along with the race, it must be a sort of race-limited... or rather, a race-connected skill. If we can turn Mira less "light", then will the weakness towards darkness decrease? And according to Mira, she can't turn the skill off even if she wanted to. So troublesome...

---

We said our farewells to Armveil and Mira and left the shop. 

Revi's dressed in a black dress with orange belts keeping it in place and black shoes with a green gem as decoration on each of them. The biggest eye-catcher is the witch-hat she's wearing that has a jade-green belt and an orange gem on the front, and it was even customized to allow her horn to stick up from it. She must like the whole witch theme. It's cute, so I'll allow it.

"Where are we going to now~?" asked Revi, in a good mood.

"The Adventurers' Union. We need to register you there." - Garami

She needs both an ID and the [Party] skill. And more importantly, we need to confirm what classes she can take. And I wanna see what I can pick up as well. Plus, there's a little something I've prepared there.

After reaching the Union and entering the building, we were met with a black knight sitting at one of the tables reserved for resting adventurers, brooding over something so much that it looks like he's emitting some kinda battle-aura.

"...Garami, is that...?" - Revi

Guess it is. We walked to the troubled knight and sat down on the other side of the table.

"Heya, Iron. Whatcha doing?" - Garami

Iron looked up from the papers and greeted us with his usual silent nod before checking the papers again. Let's see, this is... G-rank Quests?

"Hey, hey, you don't need to waste time with these." - Garami

"...Alf and Mira said to start with the basics first." - Iron

"No, even I understand that these are before even the basics." - Revi

"...Didn't get to shine..." - Iron

Eh? What was that?

"...I was the only one who didn't get a chance to show what they were good for..." - Iron

Eh, ah... that. He's referring to the junk-dragon. W-well, I heard he singlehandedly crushed the arm of a Giant Skeleton, so ain't that good enough?

"...Have to expand my horizons... clear Quests... get Skill Points..." - Iron

"All the more reason not to waste your time with these!" I said while taking back the Quest papers to the Quest Board through my threads.

"Listen Iron, Quests with Skill Points as rewards are normally too dangerous for most people, so they are limited only to truly exceptional people, those who manage to rise in ranks with grand achievements. Such wimpy Quests will never get you up to those ranks-" - Garami

"Yeah. You got to do like Garami and bring back massive monsters if you want the Union to cheat with your rank."

Who said that!? Are you telling me that I've cheated at anything? How rude! I turned around and saw:

"Yo. Long time no see, Garami~." - Gust

"...Sorry for the delay, you ball of feathers." - Garami

---

"-and then they said just to wait with the armor-guy, then you guys would arrive." - Gust

"She's not wrong, but who gave her the permission to force me take jobs for her sake?" - Garami

I fumed while hearing Gust's story, which told me that the fallen angel had agreed with the cowboy-leader of the other party that's Gust's caretakers that I would be the one looking after Gust for the next week. I've got nothing to do these days, but even so-!

"Hey, where are we going any-*Kick*-YYARGH!?" - Gust

"Garami, where are going?" - Revi

...Are we ignoring the feather-ball currently rolling down the stairs?

After picking up Gust at the bottom, we entered one of the many Training Rooms of the Union, located in the underground of the city. How did they find the place for all these gym hall-sized rooms in a city built into a huge pillar?

The room's pretty bare, with rock walls and roof, and sanded ground. Various equipment, such as sandbags, arrow targets, and a class-revealing crystal orb, was spread around the whole room, making it possible to test out whatever crazy skill an adventurer may have... what was that last one again?

"Hey, ain't this the thing you use to figure out what classes you can take?" - Gust

"It is. Why's it here?" - Garami

Shouldn't it be upstairs, guarded by a paywall? And there's a scrap of paper on it. Let's see...

Dear miss Garami, since you'll probably ask to use the magitech upstairs after your time in the Training Room, we allow you to specially use this portable model during your time here. Please don't break it, and thank you again for removing that spot on the region's seven islands. And if you end up with some class that will lead to a zombie apocalypse, please forget you ever obtained it, for the sake of the world and everything anyone holds dear. And be sure not to let anyone else figure out those conditions.

Carion.

...No trust at all.

"It's alright. We can use it." I said, trashing the letter. It's helpful though, even if the intent is ill-willed. We can figure out what these two need after the test runs, and I can figure out what I've unlocked myself without having to spend a silver.

Now, time to find out what these new powers can do.

Greydra

Kigal-Note/Magician Classes: Witch Doctor Apprentice

Description:

Witch Doctor Apprentice, also known as Witch Apprentice for female practitioners, is a class that makes use of the natural healing properties of plants and herbs in nature to enhance their healing-type spells.

Unlike the Druid-line classes, which ask for mother nature to help them with their spells, Witch Doctor Apprentice makes use of the special abilities that reside in the bounties of nature to drastically increase their healing spells. They also use this knowledge of the various plants to create magic potions with incredible healing properties... or the opposite.

Some Witch Doctor-line classes of a higher tier may rely on the more poisonous and dangerous plants one can find in nature to help them. Whether good or bad, a Witch Doctor will make use of everything they can squeeze out of the plants and materials they can get their hands on.

Revi's comment: Witch~, witch~, witch~.