Volume 2 - CH 5

Takuto said he wanted to go to the mirror that allowed one to talk with the dead, which was inside the ancient temple, so that he can meet his parents.

Accepting this request of his, Mira took Takuto’s hand right away and started walking.

However, there was a certain person who was very much against it.

“Hey, wait, WAIIIT! You intend to go with just you two?!”

Emera who was there with the two, moved around them and stood in their way.

“Mm-hm, that’s what I intend.”

Mira answered instantly, leaving Emera at loss for words and astonished, but returning to herself she continued to speak.

“It’s way too reckless to bring a child with no combat experience to a C-rank dungeon!”

The dungeons were managed by the union according to their rank. Just as a C-rank adventurer was treated as high-class adventurer, the dungeon was also just as difficult. The difference between a D-rank and C-rank was an especially large wall, and dungeons of rank above C had their difficulty skyrocket.

Because Emera understood that well, her response was natural and there would be no one in the union who wouldn’t support her judgment.

That’s why Takuto has been constantly refused by the Warriors’ Union. The ancient temple was not a place to take someone who could not even protect themselves.

“It doesn’t matter as long as I protect him.”

But Mira said so, while ignoring such a thing completely. She actually imagined going all the way to the fifth level while escorting someone, and decided that with the abilities she held it was more than possible to deal with everything.

“Why, why decide so simply…"

Mira’s overly confident remark made Emera anguish. But, deep inside her, she also felt a presence of a veteran warrior inside Mira.

A spellcaster’s skill could not be judged by their looks. That was common sense in this world. However, if Mira’s skill as a spellcaster was within the margins of common sense, it was hard to believe her remark.

Either overconfidence, or the real thing. To Emera, Mira was a completely unfathomable existence. At the same time, she connected it with the fact that despite being a newcomer who just registered at the union, she had received a C-rank.

Based on this preferential treatment unheard of before, she must have had power befitting that. With that said, it was impossible to discard the fear of Mira just being overconfident.

“Then I’ll go with you!”

As a result, Emera naturally said so. One of the factors behind this, was that Mira was completely unfazed by the ancient temple and she grew curious about her as an adventurer herself.

Hearing that, Mira thought it was a good compromise and nodded, consenting.

After Emera’s accompanying them was decided, the three headed to a cafeteria in order to speak of the details. It was a store called “Café de Chocolat" which had perfectly tasty cocoa and chocolate cakes.

“So I would like to ask, Mira-chan, you’re a spellcaster right? What kind of spellcaster are you?”

First of all, Emera started probing into Mira’s ability. The place they were going to was the Ancient Temple Nevrapolis nicknamed “underground cemetery" which was a lair of undead monsters. Based on enemy’s characteristics, if Mira was a high-class Holy Mage or an Exorcist, her compatibility when facing against them would be great and it would make sense that she was confident.

However, the answer was different.

“I’m a Summoner.”

Mira answered shortly, then stuffed her cheeks with Café de Chocolat’s most famous cake, Chocolatic Overlord, that she was treated to by Emera. It was a first-class cake that was not too sweet but at the same time had a potential to make a sweets lover groan. It was also quite big, so she ate it together with Takuto who was sitting next to her.

From time to time Mira used paper tissues that the table was equipped with to wipe cream off Takuto’s cheek.

While watching the two act like friendly siblings, Emera’s expression froze over.

Speaking of Summoners, they were a class known in the world to be an endangered species. Due to the high difficulty threshold, Emera heard there were not many new Summoners.

The only Summoners Emera knew were Silver Tower’s elites, and they were not a good point for comparison.

“Umm, I don’t know too well, so...are Summoners...strong?”

She tried to probe Mira’s strength but ended up knowing even less, so she made the simplest question there is.

And these words had triggered Mira’s pride and devotion to Summoning. At the same time, Mira recalled the words said by the Tower of Summoning’s Elder substitute, Cleos. He said that Summoning was on the decline. And according to how Emera put it, even she, a high-class C-rank adventurer had yet to see a Summoner in combat.

Understanding just how much Summoning had declined, Mira looked up above her, toward the heavens.

However, she did not lose her spirit. She planned on reviving the dignity of Summoning with her own hands.

“You’ll see once the time comes.”

Mira chuckled meaningfully. On the other hand, Emera muttered “once the time comes and you lose it’s all too late" and grew even more anxious.

After the two finished talking for the time being, they left the Café de Chocolat.

“Now then, let’s go.”

Mira squinted in the bright daylight, then held Takuto’s hand and started walking in the direction of the ancient temple.

However, Emera’s expression froze over again. Then she held her head for the nth time in anguish.

“Wait, waait! We’re going to a C-rank dungeon, right? There’s no way we can go there without any preparations. At the very least let’s spend today preparing.”

She spoke admonishingly while making sure to remain calm. This reaction was also within common sense, it was natural that it took time to prepare before entering a dungeon. Especially when it came to higher-rank dungeons, there were cases where preparations took even a week. Therefore, Emera did not think they would be going today.

“It can’t be helped then. Let us depart tomorrow in such case.”

Mira who thought that she would get it done today felt it to be a pain, but if Emera was to be convinced with that, she agreed to put off the departing until tomorrow.

From there on, Emera started to show her real skill as a high-class adventurer. They went around various stores to buy required medicine and tools. Just in case, she bought high-class medicine. If necessary, she intended to escape with them even if it meant running out of all the medicine.

Compared to that, Mira was completely in sightseeing mode. The only item that she bought was an insect repellent.

Takuto was taught by Emera about using tools and various medicine types. This too, was just in case something happened.

“Mira-chan, will you really be okay?”

“It’s fine. I intended to go to ancient temple right from the start. I have everything here.”

Mira said pulling back her left arm’s sleeve she revealed the bracelet-shaped terminal, called in this world the Operator’s Bracelet.

“I hope that’s the case…"

Not convinced completely, showing anxiousness on her face Emera bought plenty extra of medicine and tools just in case.

Mira only accompanied her due to her mood. She made an excuse that she has everything bought, but in fact Mira’s item box was already full of various medicine and tools, so in a way it wasn’t wrong.

Once they had all consumables prepared, led by Emera they went to buy food items this time.

In the corner of the main street, there were shops selling food as main and from among those, Emera headed straight for one.

“Ohh myy, Emera-chan. Welcome. Are you going off somewhere again?”

The place she headed to was a store with food for adventurers that she had frequented. It was a store a well-built granny was running, and lined up inside there were various processed foods as well as seasonings.

The granny welcomed Emera with a wide smile as she put the goods on the display, making Emera burst into a smile as well.

“Yes, to the ancient temple.”

“Hohoh. Aiming high aren’t you. I guess with your guild there’s nothing to worry, but be cautious.”

“Yes, thank you very much.”

Not wanting to worry her, Emera did not say anything about bringing Mira and Takuto. However, of course, the granny looked with curiosity at the two that came together with Emera, alternating between their faces.

“Are these two your kids, Emera-chan?”

“They are NOT!”

While the old woman made a mischievous smile, Emera denied with her face beet red. While the two acted like in some home drama tv show, on the side Mira curiously looked at the lined up goods.

In the meanwhile, Emera bought processed meat, freeze-dried vegetables and fruits in cans.

The next place they headed for was an armament store. Inside the store there were metallic armors and several customers took them in their hands to check the state they were in.

"By the way, it seems like you don’t have any weapons, what kind of weapon do summoners use?”

Emera saw that Mira had an Operator’s Bracelet so she thought the weapon might be inside the item box. However, a weapon was something carried within hand’s reach just in case. Naturally, Emera too, had a sword by her waist at all times.

“I don’t have one. Summoning is a weapon itself, after all.”

“Hee, is that so.”

While what Mira said was not wrong, it was not like all Summoners were like that. There were many who held staffs to improve their maximum mana and speed of recovery. It was one thing that Mira’s skill as summoner was beyond ordinary, but she also had a Daoist as secondary class. Bare-handed combat was the basis of Daoism so holding a staff would make her unable to make full use of the second class, as such she did not hold any weapon.

However, Emera didn’t know anything about such circumstances or Summoners themselves, so she was convinced by what Mira said.

The main reason for her coming to the armaments store was for inspecting Emera’s equipment and to prepare armor for Takuto.

By the way, the entire sum was paid by Emera. It was one thing that she wanted to show her dependability as someone older, but at the same time she earned enough that an armor for a child was an insignificant expanse for her.

“Phew, I guess this is it. Normally it takes longer to prepare, though.”

After Emera purchased everything necessary, she sat down on the small stone wall surrounding a monument for appeasing souls which stood in the middle of a plaza. In their surroundings, the sun had already fallen and lanterns shone on people as they returned home after work.

“About tomorrow’s schedule, is ten in the morning in front of the union all right?”

“Mm-hm.”

“Yes! Please take care of me!”

While responding to her Mira sat down next to Emera, Takuto stood in front of the two and bowed deeply.

From Emera’s perspective there was still anxiety remaining in her, but she intended to do something about that from here on.

“Well then, it’s already late, so let’s go back for today. Mira-chan, Takuto-kun, where do you two live?”

“I live in grandpa’s house in the back street behind the union.”

“I...what was the name again…"

Speaking of which, Mira recalled she did not hear what was the name of that hotel-like inn. However, along that line of thought she recalled the words she was taught in case she was lost.

“If I’m not wrong, it was the number one inn in this city. Apparently.”

Touching the chin with her finger Mira answered vaguely.

Hearing that, Emera made an expression not that of surprise, but a completely astonished one as she put a hand on her cheek. Takuto looked at the two in alternation and tilted his head wondering what happened.

“You mean...there.”

As she sighed, ahead of where Emera pointed with her gaze there was a large building brightly lit by the street light. The brightly-lit up building was the inn “Summer Lantern" which looked different from how it looked during the day, being very showy now.

“Ohh, that place. To think it was this close, mm.”

Chasing after Emera’s gaze, Mira recognized the building whose atmosphere changed despite being still the same familiarly-built inn.

“Fine...I won’t be surprised anymore. Yes, nothing will surprise me.”

Letting her gaze wander, Emera slowly stood up and took Takuto’s hand.

“Well then, I will see Takuto-kun off. Mira-chan, you go back straight to the inn, understood?”

Emera said to make sure Mira listened, then moved her head next to Mira’s and stared straight into her eyes.

“M-...mm-hm, I’ve gotten hungry after all, I’ll go back right away.”

While saying so Mira stood up and then leaned back to move away from Emera. She was unable to completely hide her perturbation from suddenly being approached so close by a beauty.

“I see, that’s great. Well then, see you tomorrow.”

“Yeah, see you tomorrow. You too, Takuto, see you tomorrow. Make sure to sleep well today.”

“Yup, thank you onee-chan. See you tomorrow, please take care of me.”

“Mm-hm.”

After exchanging farewells, Mira nodded in response to Takuto’s smile, then turned around to start walking towards the inn. Emera did not move right away, she waited to confirm that Mira entered the “Summer Lantern" before taking Takuto and heading in the direction of the union.