CH 50

The request seemed like it’d take some time because the targets were monitor lizards, which disguised (I think?) themselves as rocks, and were quite resistant against magic, but we wrapped it up in no time, sold the materials for good money, and headed over to the next town.

“The next town can maybe offer you the thrill you were lookin’ for.” Sword grinned broadly.

“Hoh! Hoh hoh!! I’m looking forward to that!”

His smile is kinda creepy, but it’s about time for me to experience something very adventurous! Since Sword is saying that it’s going to offer some thrill, I’m sure I’ll get my fill!

I’m so hyped!

＊

What stood out when we entered Dayz, the next town, was a church. Of course it was a church dedicated to this world’s gods of myths, and not the one god of the other world.

I don’t plan to deny the existence of gods, but since I’ve never perceived them as being real, it’s limited to me not outright denying their existence.

One might be under the wrong impression that I’d think otherwise, seeing how I got reincarnated into this world, but as long as I find no proof for their existence, it’d be silly of me to believe in the existence of gods, wouldn’t it? If it’s a church that’s been turned into a tourist attraction, I’d love to take a look at it, but I wonder whether that’s the case here.

Sword cheerfully called out to me without realizing what I’ve been thinking, “Now then, first comes the dungeon. If you wanna know what kind of dungeon it is…it’s one full of undead!”

“Ooohhhh!”

Finally something exciting!

I shifted my attention from the church to the dungeon. I grabbed Sword’s arm and pulled him.

“Let’s go, hurry, hurry!”

Sword, who had been grinning, became disappointed after seeing my reaction.

“What’s wrong?”

“…It’s just, occasionally, and very rarely at that, you show reactions befittin’ girls of your age, so I was lookin’ forward to it occurrin’ this time as well, but…”

Ah, kinda like the standard lines of “Eeek, scaaary!”, “Ha ha ha, don’t fret. I’m with you so you’re safe!” as they happen during haunted house dates?

“Sorry about that. But I’m the type whose excitement shoots up in haunted houses. Rather, it enters the category of attractions I actually like, I’d say.”

I also enjoyed the super famous biohazard game so much that I cleared it in a breath! As I’ve unfortunately never experienced VR, I must get a good taste of it over here in reality!

Yahooo! My excitement is going through the roof!

“Whoa, your gettin’ so excited that it makes me wonder whether it’d have been better to leave it unmentioned. Unfortunately, it’s not that much of a big deal. I mean, you can easily defeat them if your willin’ to spend money.”

“They’re charging you for the weapons you need?”

Ehh? Sounds like quite the wicked thing to do. I mean, I won’t go as far as telling others to do it for free, but I’m a fan of low costs. My otherworld self would buy starter packs, but while it may be true that she cleared the games, she’d never get involved in things requiring you to pay additional cash.

“What’s that about charges? It’s just the church sellin’ an item that works well ‘gainst undead. If you prepare that item by sinkin’ some cash into it, you can easily clear the dungeon. That’s the extent of it.”

“Item?”

Is it possibly holy water?

“Holy water.”

Ah, so it was that template after all. Still, I wonder how they’re making that holy water of theirs. I hope it’s not going to be some pun like the holy water actually being salt water or some such.

“Well, even without somethin’ like that, it’s goin’ to be a walk in the park for you n’ me since we can use light magic.”

“Haah?”

Just a sec, what did he say just now?

“You can use light magic, can’t you?”

……

“If you say they can be defeated with light. But you see, my light magic causes illumination by converting magic elements into ［Filaments］ and energy, okay? It’s not like it can produce sunlight.”

Does that mean he wants me to test which light rays work?

Sword placed a hand on his forehead.

“You’ve started blatherin’ about some complicated stuff ‘gain. Then, wanna buy holy water?”

“Physical attacks won’t work?”

“On some undead they won’t work, yeah. Well, I s’pose I can handle those.”

For physical attacks to not work, that’s quite amazing. Are there possibly mist-like enemies or holograms in that dungeon? Either way, it’s very unusual and interesting.

“If it’s not too expensive, I’d like to buy one as a souvenir.”

Sword laughed out loud, “Holy water as a souvenir! Your really disrespectful, aren’t you?”

“I’ve never experienced anything pointing towards the existence of gods. In the other world, the names and appearances of the deified gods differed depending on the race, and it even went so far that they started wars over differences in belief, but although they waged such wars, the gods never descended to assist their worshipers. …Are you a pious believer?”

I really hate religious fanatics since they’d nonchalantly try to force their belief on you. Sword doesn’t show a sliver of such inclination, but you never know what the future holds.

“Since I’ve never sensed the existence of gods, just like you, I’m not honorin’ ’em or anythin’ like that. Rather, if I had to choose, I loathe clergymen.”

Hmm. I guess clergymen are unpopular in any world.

＊

We headed to the guild, postponing the church for now. On the way, Sword told me about dungeons.

“Usually dungeons are managed by the guild. Wild dungeons also exist, but under normal circumstances a town with a guild is built ’round any decent dungeon. And the entry permissions are handled by the guild, except for wild dungeons, of course. So, you report your plans, enter the dungeon, and return the entry permission once your done. If you don’t return accordin’ to your schedule, the guild’ll put up a rescue request for you.”

“Rescue requests sure are a pain.”

Most of it was just as I had imagined, but refusing rescue requests each and every single time would be a bother.

“Ah… While we’re at it, your goin’ to be treated like me if you party up with me, but that okay with you?”

“Did you think it wouldn’t be?” I responded to his question with a question of my own.

“No, I didn’t think so. That’s why we’ll apply for a party on this occasion.”

Hmm? He’d been talking about us being partners and a party, but now he’s saying we aren’t a party?

Having read what I was thinking on my face, Sword scratched his cheek, “Well, we couldn’t form a party because our ranks were too different. At least, that’s one reason. In the first place, there ain’t no folk who’d form parties with S-Rank adventurers. But, since we get that much of a special treatment, we can instead form parties if we want to. Then again, there’s hardly any A-Ranks ’round either.”

I see, I see.

“…So, what are we goin’ to do ’bout the party name?”

……

“Ryokus & Happy Friends.”

“Hey! Not only doesn’t it include our names, it doesn’t even cover any human names!”

He ground my temples with his fists.

“Ouch, it hurtsss. …Isn’t it better than going with some embarrassing name?”

“No, it’s worse than the name bein’ embarrassin’.”

It was obviously a joke to begin with.

“…In that case, wouldn’t it be alright to go with 【Allrounders】? It’s easy to understand since it’d express our identity, right?”

Sword let go of me.

“All-purpose Warrior Party? Not bad.”

Ah, it’s probably going to be super embarrassing when expressed in kanji.

……Oh well, whatever. We might as well go with our guild registration numbers then. That’d be even easier to understand!

Or so I thought, but it looks like Sword liked the name.

＊

We immediately registered the party at the guild.

“…Umm, are you fine with this?” The receptionist confirmed while looking back and forth between Sword and me.

“Her abilities are S-Rank. Besides, it’s possible to treat her as special case, isn’t it? As she’s also said she’s goin’ to join up with me, we’ve come to an agreement. It ain’t like I’m tellin’ you to make her an S-Rank, so register the party, will you?”

Special case is what? Is that about the 『can’t put up a request and can’t get rescued』 from the other day?

That’d be actually what I want. The receptionist seemed rather unwilling for some reason, but she still registered our party.

…Hmm? Somehow my card has changed.

“It’s different from before.”

“It’s a 『Limited-to-Party』 S-Rank treatment.”

It became kinda like Sword’s card. Though it’s still got C-Rank written on it.

“Aight, we’ll head out at once then. Please take care of the dungeon’s entry permission, ‘kay?”

＊

Along the way to the dungeon, I asked Sword about the 【Special Case】.

Special case means――

――an S-Rank can form a party with someone else, disregarding their rank, if the other party agrees to it. Limited to situations where they act as a party, the party members will be treated like S-Ranks, and the contract terms between the guild and the S-Rank in the party are applied to the entire party.

Also, in normal cases, it’s set that the guild will only accept people to party up if they’re one rank apart above C-Rank and two ranks apart up until D-Rank. The party rank is set by what rank is represented the most within a party (if the numbers of represented ranks is the same, the party can decide which rank to choose).

Because exams and assessment are carried out for parties, individual ranks basically don’t matter unless for solo-adventurers. Even if you join another party after your old one breaks up or you left it, it’ll be a gathering of similar ranks most of the time.

Well, that makes sense.

And! S-Rank party members will have the same card as an S-Rank! A shiny, sparky plate! But, if I work by myself, I’ll be treated based on my former rank…in short, C-Rank. As long as I don’t leave the party, the party breaks up, or the S-Rank adventurer (in other words, Sword) dies, I’ll apparently be treated like an S-Rank adventurer. Basically it means I’m an S-Rank now.

＊

“Hmm. …Still, that receptionist lady was quite reluctant, wasn’t she?”

“…Sure was. As might be expected from callin’ it special case, it’s usually only used for temporary parties to get support from experts possessin’ special skills or knowledge durin’ special requests. 【Bloody Witch】, 【Peerless Strength】, or I won’t even form temporary parties unless it’s a fairly dire situation. That’s why the receptionist prolly suspected that I might be tryin’ to form a party with you for the sole reason of 『havin’ taken a likin’』 to a powerless kid. Ain’t no way that’s true though. I’d never choose anyone like that as party member. That missy shouldn’t look down of S-Rank adventurers.”

Whoaa, as usual, he’s playing the hard mode.