d*mn!

"Getaway" skills!
"Getaway" skills!
"Getaway" skills!

　An army of goblins, orcs, and ogres are chasing us.
　They all have angry looks on their faces.
　Well, anyone who throws a Molotov cocktail at a dwelling will be mad, yes.　
　So I keep running.　

　Lucy's standing in the distance.
　My task is to draw the demon to Lucy's range.

"Earth magic rocks! Fire magic and attribute grant!

　Lucy raises her wand.
　A huge, burning boulder appears in the air.

　"" "!" "?" "?" "?" "?" "?

　The demons notice something wrong, but it's too late.

"Meteorite drop (fall meteo)!　Blow it all up!
　Lucy, you're in the groove.
　By the way, there's no magic meteorite drop.
　It's not a good idea.

You're the only one who can get away with it.

　Geez, geez, geez!　and a large burning rock blows the demons into the air.
　The earth and sand rise and the blast blows everything away.

　All that is left is a huge crater.

'It's as powerful as ever. Meteorite drop.
You're awesome, you know, and you brought 50 or so demons with you.
Ha ha.
'Then let's go back to the guild!　You're getting paid again today!
I need to put out the fire first.

　In the aftermath of Lucy's magic, we put out the forest fire without starting it.
　The recent water magic method is the only way to come up with a situation like this.
　Thanks to the spirit magic, you don't have to be near water to use water.
　It's not that I learned spirit magic to put out fires, though.

　◇

　We had dinner at our usual skewer bar.　　

"General, one more ale.
Aye, you've been drinking a lot lately. True.
I'm starting to get a taste for it these days.
　It's still bitter, though.
　The ale is thirsty.

Ha, when you know how good ale tastes, you're quite the adventurer.
Hmm, I'm not very good at that.
　Lucy is drinking a fruit cocktail.
　It's not really on the menu here, but the proprietor seems to have made it for Lucy, who is a regular.

You know what? Let's have a drink over here.
You don't need to be an apprentice wizard. Why don't you come party with us tomorrow?
You were all right with the magic today.

　The adventurers around me are talking to Lucy.
　I don't think she's the problem child that every party shunned not long ago.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this as well.

I don't want to form a party with anyone but Makoto!
　I appreciate Lucy saying this, though.

'Phew.'
　I drank half of the ale and then I felt a little cracking up.
'Oh, you're drinking,'
You too, Mr. Lucas.
　Yesterday, they killed a water dragon that they said had been attacking fishermen in Lake Chimay.
　I have yet to see a dragon in this world.
　They must be very strong.
　I wonder if I will ever be able to fight one day.

I'm not sure. You just broke the record for the fastest adventurer's guild in McAllen to reach the Iron rank, and you look so gloomy.
　Yeah.
　Me and Lucy are Iron Rank now.
　We're respectable intermediate adventurers.

"True bastard, you're the one who's been bitten by Lucy's magic.
You're doing a great job.
Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh. You can't say it like that.

　I can hear you.
　I've got 'listening' skills.

Hey!　The truth is, she's awesome!　Don't be weird!
　Lucy, who has a bare ear, is angry at the adventurer for talking behind her back.
'Just leave it alone,'
But....
''Those guys have been stuck in the bronze ranks for about two years. You may be jealous of Makoto, but sneaking around and talking behind his back is pathetic,'' said a disgusted Lucas.

''Mano-kun!''
　Marie hugs me.
'I'm glad you've been drinking with me lately, sister.
I'm not very good at this. I'm just having a couple of drinks.
　You don't get any stronger when you take it.
　Lucy's getting pretty strong, though.
　Does the strength of the drink have something to do with the status?

　I mean, I don't like drinking that much to begin with.
　But still, I'm drinking it's just a mood thing.

''You look like you're in some kind of distress. You should talk to the guild staff sister.''
Hey, Marie!　I'll listen to my party mates for advice.
'Yeah, it's easier to say these things when you're older, you know?
I'm also your elder brother!
'Oh, right. By the way, isn't it about time we had an intermediate dungeon?
Dah-rah!　We'll both decide on those things!
Hey, captain, I'll give you some more ale!
I'll have another one!

Oh, that's sweet, man.
　Hahaha, Lucas laughs.
　Think of it as someone else's problem.
　Lately, this is Lucy and Marie's daily routine of arguing with each other.
　It's not so much a fight, but more like Marie-san is teasing Lucy.

" " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " "
　So why are you looking at me like I'm the enemy, adventurers?
　Ha.

　◇

Mr. Lucas, how do you think we can become stronger?
　I hear a puzzling.
　'What's been bothering you lately?

'Oh?　Makoto would be strong enough, though. You beat a thousand-year-old chimera by a griffon, what are you talking about?
　He looked at me like I was an a**h*le.

Jean defeated the Gryphon and Nina defeated the Chimera.
But we wouldn't have beaten it without you, would we?　That's what I heard.
'I'm not so sure about me. I think Lucy has a lot to offer, though.
That's what a party's all about, okay?　There's a split role between support and attacker.
'Well, yes, but...'

　I gulp down my ale.
'General, one more thing...'
I love you. Don't drink too much.
For the last time today...
　The truth is, I'm pretty drunk.
　It's no good. He's showing a little restraint.

　Lately, I've been doing nothing but bait and scare them away, leaving Lucy to do the attacking.
　The last time I took down a strong demon by myself was an ogre.
　It was like I set a trap for them, too.

What's your level right now?
That's 20.
'I've been an adventurer for less than a year and I'm level 20 in Iron Rank.
I don't know what you're complaining about.
　Lucas-san and the general look at each other in disgust.

'I'm not so much complaining,'
　I open my soul book.

Oh, your soul book, Makoto-kun?
Marie, it's bad manners to peek in without permission.
'I'm a guild employee, so it's fine - hehehe.
　No, I'm completely drunk.

Hmmm.... but this status for level 20, huh? That's a little too low, eh?
What's wrong, Marie?
Hey, here!　Proficiency in water magic!
Where's the.........99?
They're going to make you 99, aren't they?
　The three of them looked at me like I was a pervert.

'I knew it, Makoto is amazing!
　Lucy already knows.
　It's just.
"This is the bane of my existence, you know.
What's going on?
He wasn't very strong even at 99.

　That's right.
　Even I, with my low magic power, can increase my proficiency level if I just train.
　The maximum proficiency level is 99.
　This is the end of it.
　However, the accuracy and activation speed of the magic has increased a little, but its power remains low.
　I worked hard to raise it, but it was a disappointment.
　I was expecting to get some kind of can-stop bonus.

I'm not sure if I'm right. Then what about spirit magic?
You're at a dead end too.
　I can't see the spirits at all, according to the old Giant God guy.
　Can I really do it?

　
　◇


'True!　It's been a while.
Lucy, you still wear a lot of clothes.
What, you got a problem with that?

　The next two people I met were Jean and Emily.
　Behind them is an unfamiliar martial artist guy and a girl who is a wizard.
　They seemed to be the new party members.

　This was a bit of a shock to me, too.
　I was hoping that we'd be able to go on occasional adventures together in the future.
　It's my fault that I didn't say hello to her.

Hey, Jean.
I'd like to have dinner with you if I could. Looks like a full house.
　Jean says ruefully.
　The general's skewer shop has only one small bench.
　There's already no space available when me, Lucy, Mr. Lucas and Marie sit down.

'It looks like you've been making a lot of money lately too,'
　Jean puts a hand on my shoulder and laughs at me.
　Was it this refreshing one?
　The swordsman who used to be a jerk to me is no longer around.

You know, Lucy's the big girl. I'll take the backseat.
It's not that, but I've heard rumors.
　Emily has an indescribable look on her face.
　She can read the air, so she seems to somehow sense that I'm not well.

''Then let's both strive for the Silver rank!
　Jean smiled briskly and went to another store.
　The martial artist man and the wizard woman bowed to him with a smile.
　They seemed to be junior adventurers who had recently become adventurers, rookies who Jean had taken care of and befriended when he had taken care of them.
　A swordsman, a fighter, a wizard and a monk.
　It's a nice party.


Marie said, "Hmm, I thought Jean wanted to be in a party with Makoto.
　That's what I thought, too.
'No,' said Marie. You know I don't get along with Emily," says Lucy.
　'No, I'm not so sure about that.
　I know they're always arguing, but when you see them having lunch together occasionally, they're actually close, right?
　Well, it's not the same as just working together.

I'm going to bed. Good night, Lucy.
'What?　Umm, yeah. Bye......
Tomorrow we'll have the day off. We've been making a lot of money lately.
Oh, yeah.　Well, we can go shopping in town together...
I'll be at Fujiyan's tomorrow.
Okay, okay....

　I dawdled my way to the guild's common room.

'You've been dumped!
Shut up, Marie!
Okay, I'll have another drink.

　I thought I heard those voices.