'How is this guy so strong!?'
Out of breath and aching all over, Tenma laid spread eagle on the ground, multiple scars across the land, proof that there was a fierce battle here.
Despite unleashing all her aura and using many of her techniques, she could barely keep up with the guy and he didn't even have aura or any energy for that matter!
"You have the potential of an SS-ranker." Someone blocked the sun, appearing like a shadow over her, "I'll do my best to help you unlock that untapped potential."
His disgustingly handsome smiling face looked down at her as he held out a hand.
She silently got up with his help.
'At least he isn't arrogant…' on the contrary, during the fight he gave her advice on what to improve on. While being precise in how you attack wouldn't help much against monsters since they are predictable, it's possible that they would encounter intelligent monsters or powerful individuals that want to rob them.
Yes, even the high-ranking adventurers have to worry about getting robbed. There's a big market out there for relics and items found in dungeons so many high-rank adventurers go rogue.
"Good work, Tenma! You're officially a member of Misteltein~!" Elora shouted from afar.
The fight was all over the place so the two ended up ending it a fair distance away from the others.
After going back, Idalia brought over a few potions and Shaun handed her a towel. After refreshing herself with potions and wiping the sweat from her face, she felt how sticky she was.
"Agh, these undergarments are completely soaked." She complained then rummaged in her bag for cleaner ones, "Uh, Guild Master, is it alright if I take a dip in the river? I smell like wet dog."
"Yeah, go ahead. I'll be evaluating Shealis in the meantime." He said coolly.
'Grrrr! It's so infuriating how he's not even tired!' she cried tears of blood.
If she's a talented martial artist born once every century then what does that make this guy!? He's known to be a swordsman but went toe-to-toe with Tenma with his bare hands.
'How will I ever hope to face Father with this news…?' she wobbled from side to side as she separated from the group.
**
"Now, Shealis, from your adventurer profile, it says you can cast offensive and defensive spells, buffs, summon familiars, heal, create barriers—it's a very stacked ability list. Most priests focus more on improving their healing and buffing spells instead of expanding their horizons."
Secta was addressed this time.
It's considered a waste of time but NPCs wouldn't know how to use their classes effectively without deeper knowledge. Priests can't multitask more than two objectives.
A priest can't focus on buffing, healing and barriers at the same time so they mainly focus on two at once. This sounds fine on the surface but what if your companions are low on HP? Will you let the monsters surround you while you cower in the barrier as you heal your teammates?
Of course, this doesn't always happen, but it's possible. Intelligent monsters will use the opportunity to surround and block all means of escape. If a crack appears in the barrier, a magician can't cast a spell inside the barrier and vanguards can't swing their weapons without hurting their teammates.
Saying all the above—excluding the part about NPCs and whatnot—he continued: "That's why I need to know what familiar you can summon. It can focus on healing us while you focus on buffs and barriers. To minimize the risk of it being taken down too quickly, you can leave it in our magicians' hands."
"That's right. A magician is usually the most defended teammate, aside from the priest," Elora agreed, "Continuous healing is better than short large bursts of healing when we're already exhausted. Plus, you can focus on barriers and buffing us, making us more efficient!"
Nova nodded.
'I never thought to use my abilities like that…' she's been a divine titan for thousands of years, a creation tasked with the sole purpose of protecting the Holy Sword. She's never fought on the side of others apart from her sisters. But all of them are priests or paladins in human standards so they don't have the traditional teamwork that humans came up with.
She can ask the help of many divine creatures to help with healing and even some that can buff and fill in other roles in her place.
She contemplated for a second on what to use then readied her spell. It would be unnatural if she didn't chant, despite not needing to as a Divine Titan, so she took about thirty seconds to finish a made-up chant.
The next moment, a golden puff of smoke appeared in front of them and from it came a golden moth the size of a toddler, its wings spreading golden dust in the air.
Seeing it, Arnold recognized it.
'Atropos' Moth? Is Secta an idiot? This isn't any ordinary summon. It's the highest tier divine summon in the game.
"Did you bring the poison like I asked?" he spoke to Idalia who seemed nervous.
"Yes but… is it really okay for you to drink this?" she took out a vial filled with black liquid.
"We need to test the effectiveness of the summon's healing. We could've used it on Tenma but she could barely move after we ended our spar so she wouldn't feel results until a while into the healing process. Bosses or mob fights can last for hours. We can't test effectiveness unless we test how good it is at stopping a natural debuff."
It was all game jargon but it's important to remember for raids.
After drinking the thick black paste that tasted like vinegar, he felt a burning sensation in his throat before coughing.
He kept an eye on his HP stat.
· Warning: 5% of total health is being drained every four seconds
· 38000
· 36100
"Ugh, they weren't kidding when they said it's the best poison for monsters on the market…. Do it, Shealis."
"O-Okay!"
Almost instantaneously, he felt his body become lighter and every ounce of drowsiness vanished, his muscles lost their tension and relaxed, while the aching in his back from sleeping funny all the time disappeared.
That was from one short burst of healing…
'…She might be a divine titan, but she's such an idiot.'
She waited to be praised, looking up at him.
· Condition: Worried that she may not meet expectations.
'Yeah, she really is an idiot. If you had some common sense, you would know you summoned the most powerful healer tame in the game.'
It wasn't that bad to have it. In fact, it was the perfect tame for their joint quest in the Thalivielle Kingdom. As someone who's vulnerable to psychic attacks and magic, Arnold will be relying on the magicians a lot.
"Is it working?" Secta asked worriedly.
"Yes. The pain from before went away instantly."
In fact, the first burst of energy healed him to full health. This summon was designed for powerful boss monsters that hit hard and have powerful debuff attacks. Even S-rank monsters would be manageable even with the size of the Alpha party.
"Phew…" she canceled the summon.
"Next test is testing how strong your barriers are."
'And please do not summon the Thousand-Year Barrier like it's some ordinary spell anyone on your level can cast.'
His worries were for nothing but… he heard a loud sound of a gate being shut, which reverberated through the sky. It was a familiar sound, resembling Misteltein's base defenses when they get turned on.
"U-Uhm, T-Third-Rank – [Guard]."
Such a generic fake name for one of the most powerful mid-tier barriers in the game!
'That's a Seventh-Rank spell!'
His worries for that one specific barrier may have been for nothing but what she cast was almost as strong as that barrier…
Green magic circles hovered above them. The complexity in the runic formations should've been enough to show how absurd the spell was but only someone like Freya would be able to tell this is a spell beyond what Shealis suggests it is.
Transparent thick green walls fell from the sky onto the four of them, covering hundreds of meters of space. Then ceilings grew from the walls, interlocking at the top. The transparency increased, showing them the outside as if looking through windows.
Arnold wanted to cry in his hands. This woman is so stupid… She'll get found out right away if a temple priest sees her abilities.
This is the kind of barrier you use to ward off powerful beasts found only in the divine and demigod realms, meaning beasts on or beyond SS-rank. It might not have the durability of the barrier Guinevere used, but it can still trap those powerful beasts for a short duration.
And, again, it's completely out of the realms of ordinary priests to cast.
"W-What do you think?" she asked with a nervous smile, "I-I can turn friendly fire on or off on command so a magician shouldn't have issues firing outside from within."
That's one of the best things an adventurer party can hear. This means they don't have to risk leaving their magicians behind to go all-out. The magician can just stay safely in a barrier and attack the monsters together with them while the priest maintains buffs and the summoning.
'I really hate to admit it but we'll need Secta if she's this powerful even in this human form. We might not be invincible, but most of the monsters in the unexplored parts of the elf kingdom should be manageable.
"We need to test the defenses first… Lucri."
"Yes?"
"Use that spell I brought you." As with the equipment he got from Selia, she sent over magic sheets to her. Most of what was donated to her from the Towers weren't all that impressive, aside from a few. But if they want to complete the joint quest minimal or no casualties, she'll need more powerful spells, which is why he asked Selia for special scrolls so that he can inscribe spells on them.
If Elora can cast these spells, it means she's stronger than Lauran at the moment. He also wants to help Lucia breakthrough. There's no way her limit lies at Third-Rank spells. Even if she only has an ordinary class, he can help her ascend her class.
There are many trials scattered around the world so he'll make sure to take them there before the joint quest.
Elora didn't question him or doubt that she could do it, only believed in him. That's the kind of trust adventurers should have for each other.
After taking out the magic sheet of a Sixth-Rank spell, Elora placed her hand above it and rest out the chant.
"—Sixth-Rank Magic – [Single Devastation Ray]."
A blinding flash engulfed the grasslands before a ray of light shot out of the magic circle Elora conjured. Once that settled, the result of the clash revealed itself.
There were obvious cracks in the barrier but it was still standing strong. It would seem that it's strong enough to stop at least a few sixth-tier magic rays.
"Eh!? A third-tier barrier is that strong!?" Elora yelled in disbelief.
'No… that idiot titan just can't use lower rank spells…'
Secta smiled awkwardly, probably convinced she succeeded in fooling them.
After that, they tested her healing spells after Arnold captured a few goblins, injured them, and tied them up.
Even when he cut off their fingers and even hands, they regenerated.
How will this woman make it in the human world if she's this stupid?
Regardless, he placed a hand on her shoulder, "Good work. With this, we have a reliable priest in our party."
She blushed and averted her eyes for some reason. While question marks floated around his head, she had her own thoughts.
'T-This is the first time I've ever been praised before… Do all humans feel this fuzzy feeling when getting praised?' besides her sisters, she's never really interacted with anyone besides her creator, Melis, a few times in the past. Melis has never praised or seen Secta as anything other than a tool.
Do you praise your hammer when it hits the nail at a perfect angle? Rather than praise, you'd feel pride in yourself for being capable of such a feat.
Secta has never felt emotions before, since she's basically just a homunculus, so these new feelings came at a rate she couldn't handle.
She went from feeling fuzzy in her chest to feeling a pit in her stomach.
Melis will never praise her no matter how much of a good job she does.
No, she can't focus on something like this when she has a mission to do!
'Why does she look down all of a sudden? Is she not happy about her plan succeeding?' Arnold thought in confusion.
◊◊
As they were getting into the carriage, Elora came up to Arnold, "Do you have any plans today, Sir Nova?"
"A few things but nothing too important."
He still had to wait for Anais to bring back the ring so that he can teleport back to his city to speak to Ersa. He gave her three hours to use it and will probably just go to the lab. He'd go back to his room but Elizabeth is still studying earnestly even now.
"That's great, then…" she twirled her hair with her finger.
'At least act like a man if you're going to disguise yourself as one.'
"That request of mine… Do you remember it?"
"Hah, yeah. I'm surprised you do with all the work you're busy with."
That's entirely his fault as he's almost never around and she has to handle everything.
"Well, adventuring is my life so I don't have much else to do. If it's not adventuring work on my mind then it's… Sir Nova. Uhm, our party, I mean." She turned her face away but her ears were red.
"You've been working hard while I was slacking off."
"N-Not at all! Your work at the academy is also important!" she said with a serious expression, "Having a formal education… is a big thing. You can't take it lightly… I certainly have. Instead of focusing all my attention on gathering funds to be placed in a magic school, I've dedicated all my time to being an adventurer and it's basically my life now… Had you not come into my life, I would've had to live with the consequences of such a stupid decision."
She would've never discovered her talent so early as well.
"You would've been fine. It would've probably taken longer to find out, even accidentally, but you would've found out what you can do anyway."
"…" She smiled silently in response.
"And about your request… I don't have anything to do tonight."
Does she want him to take a quest with her? Maybe it's too difficult for her?
"Can we meet at Lumourge in a few hours?" she stepped in front of him, stopping him in his tracks, looking up at him with a serious glint, "There's something… I have to tell you… privately. Lunch is on me…"
"…"
'Is he finally going to reveal he's actually a woman?'
He's surprised she's kept up with it for this long. It's not like she's still a lone magician who had to travel alone most of the time anymore.
"I'll have to wear a suit, huh? Even if it is lunch, we'll be receiving a bunch of death glares from nobles if I go in my gear. How nostalgic."
"S-Sorry, if that's inconvenient for you—"
"It's alright. I'll see you there." this will be an opportunity to discuss both her future and the guild.
Her expression brightened up and she grinned widely, "Okay!"
◊◊
After spending a few hours with Wistorina and getting ready at the academy, Arnold booked a ride with a carriage company using the newest Mana Engine Car invention, which is basically a carriage, that doesn't require horses. It's similar to those old timey cars you get on Earth but much faster, durable and energy efficient. As its name suggests, it uses mana to power itself so there was no residue being released into the atmosphere.
These would sell like crazy on Earth if the model is modernized to their standards.
The Dwarven-Human coalition, which started during the recent Industrial Revolution, has shown to be more beneficial to humanity than previously thought.
He still plans on making the dwarves build Dunfer for him as seeing their craftsmanship with machines showing such potential, emboldened his decision.
'Is this the first time I've worn a suit as Nova?' he thought as he adjusted his tie and checked if his silver hair was still in place where he combed it.
He's never been in anything other than his adventurer gear as Nova. Of course, he expected to be invited to parties and other formal functions as he's a high-class adventurer so wearing a suit is mandatory.
Speaking of, many nobles and companies requested his services. If he wants to obtain political power, it would be best to maintain a good relationship with the wealthy and powerful.
The carriage arrived at Lumourge's branch in the Kelliack street, not too long after. It's not too far from their guild house. In fact, it was just three streets away so it's within walking distance.
'Josephine mentioned that Elora comes to dine here almost every night after closing the guild. She's enjoying the fruits of her hard work. I wonder how much money she's spent here…' he thought curiously.
Just last year, she was living paycheck to paycheck, unable to buy new equipment unless she sacrifices her meals. Now she has top-tier equipment that not even high-class magicians have access to and a sea of wealth funded by both their sponsors and a secret benefactor (Arnold's city).
After heading inside, he surveyed the restaurant. After checking in, he was told that someone named Elora booked a table and told them to let him in.
It seems his hunch was correct.
After sitting down at the fancy table, he could feel the gazes of multiple women on him, even those with partners tonight. He wasn't wearing anything fancy, just all-black clothes and black leather shoes.
You'd find young masters like him anywhere in the empire.
Just like the other women in the restaurant, a particular young woman wearing a fancy gown stood awestruck looking at him.
This was the man she…
"—Sir Nova, apologies for making you wait…" a slightly more feminine voice than what he's used addressed him, "I was watching from afar waiting for you to come, hehe~"
Heels came up to him.
"L… Lucri?" the person that stood there was a young woman with loose brown hair, wearing a dark blue dress and light makeup.
Though he was acting surprised, her beauty genuinely shocked him.
"Y-Yes… It's me."