After receiving an explanation from Widge-chan, we were immediately moving towards the Angoli Ruins.
　B-rank promotion request, the investigation of the Angoli Ruins. The contents of the investigation are the confirmation of the demons in the Angoli Ruins that exist in the desert area to the west of the royal capital, and the acquisition of a special magic light stone inside the ruins.
　Normally the Angori ruins are like a hunting ground for C-ranked demons, but after it was reported that a B-ranked demon appeared in the ruins, it is said that it is off limits.

　Since we have experience in defeating Asterios and have already solved the Great Defeat, we have been entrusted with this investigation.
　Normally there are only C-ranked demons such as Sand Lizard and Sand Eagle around the ruins, but now a B-ranked demon called Sandworm has been confirmed.
　As for the inside of the ruins, they asked us to go in and investigate, since they haven't investigated the inside of the ruins yet.
　If we go in there to get the proof of defeating each of the demons and the green glowing magic stone at the back of the Angori Ruins as evidence, our request has been fulfilled.

''The Angori Ruins, huh...''

What's bothering you?

　We're in the middle of riding the magic carpet now, moving at high speed.
　This time Sisha isn't here, so there's room to ride in the back, but Esther is tucked into my legs, which are sitting hunched over as usual. It's like this is already a reserved seat.
　When I muttered the name of the ruins, she was in front of me and turned her head upwards to ask me.

"Oh no, I wondered why there are demons in the ruins. I just wondered.

You didn't take up residence there, did you?

They don't move around much when they settle in.

Oh, that's right...

　When I say ruins, it's usually supposed to be artifacts made by people in the past or something. It could be just a site, but this time the request includes an internal investigation, so there is definitely a building.
　But what does it mean to have a demon there?

It's not a place where demons would come out on purpose, or did it become a place where demons would spring up afterwards?

I don't know. Your sister says she doesn't know when it was made, so maybe it's the same thing as the labyrinth.

　Hmm....Come to think of it, I haven't heard how long the labyrinth has been around.
　If it was the same as the labyrinth, was it created as a demon's dwelling place from the beginning?

But a number of people have been in there in the past, haven't they?　If it were a labyrinth, I think they would ask me to be more careful.

'Well you wouldn't know it if you thought about it, so that's fine. We'll just go and do what we're told, that's all.

　It seems that the Angoli Ruins have already been examined in detail by adventurers. We've also received a map of the interior from Widge.
　This time, we're here to check if there are any powerful demons inside, but it's a place where even a C-ranked adventuring party would normally be able to go deep and collect magic stones.
　There are no bosses like the slimes in the tenth level of the Hazino Labyrinth in the capital, so it's unlikely that the Angoli Ruins are a labyrinth.

　For now, I'm curious about it, but it won't be solved by thinking about it, so let's just finish investigating the demons and collecting the Magical Stones and go home.

''Investigating the demons around the ruins, investigating the inside of the ruins and acquiring the magic light stone to prove it, this one is going to be a bit of a hassle.

The demons themselves may not be that strong, and the ruins may not be as strong as the labyrinth, but the demons that come out...

　So far, we've defeated the demon and yes, it's over!　But this time it wasn't like that.
　We need to make sure we know what kind of monsters are coming out, and then we need to go further in to collect the Magical Stones.
　It seems that there's a place in the deepest part of the Angoli Ruins where magical stones are generated, and it seems to be a good way for adventurers to earn money.
　That's why it's mainly C-rank adventurers who are troubled when they are banned like this.

　Also, I've heard that there are special monsters that spring up inside the ruins.
　There are humanoid demons with bandages all over their bodies, and demons that look like scorpions in the northern cave. Scorpions seem to have far less defense than the northern caves.
　As for me, I don't like the idea of mummies springing up.......I'm not a fan of horror stories.

　As I was thinking like that while advancing the magic carpet, my phone suddenly began to vibrate.

''Hm?　What's going on here?

　I thought it was a call from Sisha to vibrate at this time................but it wasn't because it stopped vibrating at one point.
　I didn't think........so I stopped the carpet and took out my phone to check it.......

'Geez!'

Is something wrong, sir?

This reaction is a mess.

　Suddenly I stop the carpet and freeze as I look at the screen, and Noll calls out to me from behind.
　Estelle turns around with her whole body to look at me and immediately realizes it's a mess. Quirky........

''Yeah, Estelle was right, it's a gacha. .........It was definitely time to come already, but I didn't think you'd come at this time.......

What are we going to do?　Do you want to stop going to the ruins today and hurry up and go collect some magic stones?

Well, you're collecting magic stones...

　Hearing the word gacha, Esther seems to think I'm going to collect magic stones.
　Noll is muttering in a disgusted voice when he hears the word "magic stone collection".

　It's been a long time since the comp gacha ended, and I knew it would be coming soon, but.......it can't be helped.
　I haven't hunted at all during the holidays, so the comp gacha has wiped out my magic stones.
　This gacha expires today, and it's already past noon now. I can't collect them now.
　The guerrilla-like gacha without any notice should be stopped.

I'm not going to be able to get this one until today. I'll give it a miss this time.

'Oh, Okura-dono will see you off?　What's wrong with you, sir?

Are you okay?　Mmm ... no ... fever...

Oh, hey...

　When I say I give up, Noor opens his mouth to exaggerate his surprise, and Esther stands up on her knees and puts her hand on my forehead.
　I feel like I've been treated like this before........is it really that surprising?

'You're wrong if you think I'm going to spin everything crazy when it comes to messing around, right?　Think back. I'm sure there have been a few times when I've been modest.

Come to think of it, that's true... isn't it?

If I remember correctly, I don't think so, but...

　Noor crosses his hands in thought, tilting his head back to say it's not there. Estelle also put one hand on her cheek and said it wasn't there.
　Huh?　

　Even in the original world, there were many times when a limited gacha came at a time when I didn't have the money and I gave up on pulling it. There were times when I had to wet my pillow and endure it when it was for something I really wanted....
　To say that this gacha is appealing is an understatement, but it's at a level where I can just about give up. So let's just give up and forget about it this time.
　........though I really want to spin it up a lot.

''Well, well, what's past is good, ha ha ha.......

"You were deceived, weren't you.... More importantly, what kind of gacha was it this time?

Yeah, it's a step-up gacha.

'A step-up gacha?　What kind of a mess is that?

　The gacha that was notified this time was a step-up gacha.
　It's a commonplace gacha, where the ejections become more and more luxurious with each turn of a given gacha, and eventually the highest rarity is determined.

''It's like this is a single shot gacha four times and you get a free UR at the end.

"...Esther, what did you mean by 'free'?

I don't understand it either. Is it philosophy?

　When I say it's free, Nol and Esther nod their heads.
　'Yeah, it's so great that you can get a free UR-confirmed gacha by consuming magic stones.

''But if it was a single shot four times, it's only 20, right?　It's not too late to do that, right?

No, that's ten for the first one.

Oh, but it only takes 40.

Haha, it's a step-up gacha.　It can't be that many.

What do you mean by that?

　Unlike the normal gacha with five magic stones, this gacha is a one-shot gacha with 10 magic stones at the first time.
　If I was only going to mess up the single-action gacha of 10 magic stones four times, I would only need 40. If that had been the case, I would have turned back to the northern cave with a beacon by now.
　However, this step-up gacha is not that sweet.

''This gacha increases the number of magic stones with each number of times. If you look at the description sheet.......it looks like the number increases to 10, 30, 40, or 60 for every one gacha.

There are too many...

'I mean, finally 140 I don't think we're going to make it now.

　The first one is a definite SR or higher, the second is a probability of SSR or higher, the third is a probability of SSR or higher, and the fourth is a definite UR.
　It's quite a bargain to be able to play this for 140 pieces.

Well, it can't be helped. This is one of those times.

I wish I could always give up like this, but...

　But right now we don't have any magic stones. If we had them, we would have gotten them, but there's no way we'd be able to collect 140 of them even if we were to hunt like hell from now on.
　I've been working hard for the gacha every time, but when it's impossible like this, it's more like giving up.
　Besides, I could have expected this to happen after the holidays.

　So there's no unresolved issues at all... because there aren't any!

'Ummm...'

'Esther?　Is there something wrong, sir?

　I gave up and decided to advance the carpet again to the Angoli ruins, but Esther, sitting in front of me, seemed to be thinking about something.
　Was something bothering her?

Maybe there's a way to spin this mess?

Oh, really?

I thought you were giving up...

　I had already given up completely, but to my surprise, Esther said that I might be able to pull it off.
　I haven't even been able to auto-acquire the magic stones, and now there's a way to get 140 magic stones?

You're going to the ruins.　Maybe you can get a magic stone if you capture it there.

　I was expecting to see what kind of secret plan it was, but the answer was more normal than I expected.
　It's true that I've been able to capture the Great Defeat and Goblin Labyrinth so far and get a magic stone. So there might be something in the ruins that could give you a magic stone.

　However, the Angoli ruins that we're going to this time have already been investigated many times by man, so I don't think there are any elements left that can be called an attack.

You'll find that even ordinary adventurers have gone deep into these places before. Unlike the labyrinth, there's no such thing as a strategy, is there?

But you don't know until you get there, do you?　If it's an attack on the ruins, I don't mind, either!

We're going to be going there anyway, so why shouldn't we expect to get it?

　If we can get a magic stone at our destination, the Angoli Ruins, then that would be very gratifying. Besides, it seems like there's something strange going on at the ruins right now, and maybe there's something to do with it.

''Hmmm........yeah. For now, let's figure out what to do when we get there.

　I was going to finish up in a flash and go home, but if it's for the magic stone, I might as well get fired up and check out the ruins.
　Alright, once we've decided that, we need to hurry up and head to the Angoli Ruins!