102 - - as a family

"Oh, I know this one. It's the one that makes water."

Mistaking it for his favorite rain crystal stone, Moe patted the soul-measuring device on the desk with a hand covered in candy scraps.

Beside him, the old temple chief bent over and peered into the crystal ball.

"Hmmm...the lightning rod is now at level 2, and the electric probe at level 3, and the electric spikes at level 1. He hasn't grown much, but he still has three branches.　

So far, Moo has earned 2,684 skill points in the month he has spent in the kobold forest, including the cave.

Six thousand three hundred and fifteen points for a month at the Bloody River.

1,130 points for two weeks in the wilderness of the winds of brokenness.

Add to this the thousand points of birth, and the total is eleven thousand two hundred and twenty-nine.

The lower branch skills are multiplied by a thousand times the level number, which is the skill points required to reach that level.

In the case of Moo, the most frequently used skills were given priority and allocated to all three branches.

The main reason for this is that he can no longer afford to use to re-grow each and every skill.

In the first place, all three skills that Moo has are of the progressive type that grows slowly, so there is not much merit in developing only one of them.

In the case of the progressive type, the value of each skill changes as the level increases, but the rate of increase is slow.

On the other hand, the three-stage type, which changes at levels 3, 6, and 9, and the two-stage type, which changes at levels 5 and 9, grow slower, but their numerical values change significantly when they reach the corresponding level, They also have powerful ancillary effects.

Although anomalous, Thor's also belongs to the two-stage type.

I also examined Sora's and after raising them to level 3, and found no change in their numerical values, so they also seem to be of the two-stage type.

This type of late maturity is also the type of growth often seen in middle or upper branch skills.

"Is Moo still great?　Grandpa."

"Mm. Two more branches at this rate of growth is quite a feat. Moreover, it even bears a fruit that I have never seen before, so it must be full of natural talent.

"Oh, yeah, genius. So you're a genius.

Apparently, the temple head is able to recognize the characteristics possessed by others, though not as well as Thor's .

I have heard that if one grows up to the upper branch skill, one is given a higher level of , and perhaps he possesses it.

Zazam continues his words casually while looking at Moo, who seems to enjoy being praised and devouring cookies.

"But this is not much use to you, is it? I will take him in and train him myself.

"What?"

Sola's eyes widened in surprise at the sudden declaration.

Thor, who had placed his cup back on the table next to her, quietly replied in refusal.

No, he is an important member of our team. I'm afraid I have to decline.

"Well, listen to me. I'll find you a good warrior or lightning man to replace him. They have developed their skills to the mid-branch level and should be enough to fill the void left by this girl.

"I don't have anyone to replace Moo-chan, and I don't need her!"

Moe looks up in surprise as the girl's voice tightens.

It seems that she had no idea that the topic was about her.

While Sola shows her emotions, the old man continues his story without hesitation.

The girl's talent is hard to find. You know that as well as I do. But he is young. It's obviously wrong to take a child so young, so young, to a dangerous place. Don't you agree?"

Zazam's valid point made Thor's heart beat so strongly that his mind recalled a scene.

It was the image of Moe blown away by the evil spirit of red water that pierced his chest on the bank of the bloody river.

Thor's silent voice echoed in his ears with the weight of age.

"I don't mean that you should stop the adventure itself. It's not that I'm telling you to stop the adventure itself, but that defeating the monsters and nurturing the tree of skill is the most important part of your cultivation. But why should it be now?　It's not too late to train your body and mind.

"Well, maybe so, but ......"

Zazam stared at Sola, who was trying hard to argue back, and his tone narrowed as he gave a small shake of his head to the side.

I am afraid," he said. I fear that such a rare talent may be lost in a reckless act.

These words struck a chord with Sola, who had almost been locked out of the outer gates of the city during the outbreak that had hit the city.

Instead of the girl who was speechless, it was Yuril, who had been enjoying the tea in silence, who opened the conversation.

"You mean, we're just taking Mumu around and using her, so we should just let her go?"

"That's not what I said. You're a little too much of a speculator, aren't you?

"It seems to me that you want a good pawn, doesn't it?"

No, no, I just want to help her grow up healthy.

The old man stroked Moo's head gently as he stopped moving.

"I would never have allowed such a small child to walk through the deepest part of a noxious land that even a big man would have had to go through. How is he keeping up with you?　I think you're pushing him too hard."

Certainly, the wind and sandy, broken windy wilderness is not a suitable environment for a child of tender years.

It was a question that Ulil, who was also feeling the lack of physical strength, was at a loss to answer.

"I'm sure you'll be safe and comfortable here," he said. ...... Well, what do you think?"

The reason why Mu joined the group was because Sola pitied his situation.

Thor took Moo on his adventures because he was willing to train the child and take care of him until he could stand on his own.

There is nothing wrong in entrusting Moo to the temple of the god of thunder here, in terms of the origin and the process.

Thor, who had been blocked from speaking out, turned his attention to Moe.

His purple eyes, as they had been when they first met, looked straight back at him without any emotion.

"Hey, Moe..."

"What?　Tor."

Are you enjoying your adventure?

"Well, maybe half."

What's the other half?

"Let's see, I'm sleepy, I'm hungry, I'm tired..."

"...... I see."

But when I'm sleepy, To-chan gives me a piggyback ride, and when I'm hungry, you grandma cooks me dinner. And when I'm tired, Sora takes a bath with me. That's why I'm happy for the rest of the half!

The child's words remind Thor again.

He recalls the scene of the morning sunrise over the bright red river that he and Moo had seen together.

And the sun, the one that heralds the dawn, shining out from the edge of the wilderness, illuminating everything.

For Thor, who had been alone all his life, seeing the landscape with someone else was a deep joy he had never known before.

"Yes, Tor-chan, I'm very happy to be able to see various landscapes with you.

"I see!　I'd like to see it again, Tor."

Turning to the old man, Thor made his decision clear.

"I appreciate your offer, but I must decline.

"Is that what you want?"

Yes, he's already an irreplaceable part of our lives. We can't leave him.

But it's also dangerous.

I will protect you. We will protect you. We are your family.

At this declaration, Moe's eyes lit up again.

The child leapt down from the couch, rounded the table, and jumped on Thor with a mighty leap.

He put his hands around her neck and rubbed his cheek against hers, and she began to make small noises in her throat.

Thor returns the hug slowly and continues the conversation with a slightly annoyed look on his face.

"And if you leave us too, it probably won't turn out the way you're hoping..."

Knowing that his family had abandoned him twice would probably make Moe even more closed-minded.

If that happens, his innate "sensory sharing" characteristics will never be effective again.

Yuril and Sora breathe a sigh of relief as Thor and Mu hug each other.

The sturdy old man shrugged his shoulders grandly at the sight of them.

"Hmm. It looks like I lost the bet.

"You know, I was right, Uncle."

As if to echo the words of the chief priest, someone's voice suddenly rang out.

At the same time, a figure appears from behind a desk in the back of the room.

The one with the mischievous smile on his face was the leader of this border town, Chief Dadan.