As for the magic stones, unless you concentrate on defeating specific monsters and collecting them, it's unlikely that you'll get more than one of the same ones.

　However, since we agreed that we wanted to try combining them, we decided to look into a combination that would be effective.

''If we synthesize the 'Explosive Stone' and the 'Sucker Stone', I wonder if it's possible to recover while attacking a lot of enemies...''
'I think you can have some idea of whether it will work as well as you think it will if you look at the description.

　As Elitia told me, I'll look into it - and this is what I found.

　◆Explosive Stone ◆
　Deals explosive blows to a group of enemies.

　sucking stone◆
　When attached to a weapon, it absorbs some of the physical attributes of an attacked enemy.

Hmm?　Suzu-chan's arrows have an explosive attribute, so does that mean they're not physical attacks?
'Looks like ... well I may only be able to recover from the arrow that hit me. Besides, since I'm behind you, I don't think it's a high priority.

　I think you always want to keep your strength at maximum, but Suzuna has given me her opinion on the organization of the party. Unlike my 'support recovery', it seems to be a means of immediate recovery, so that's exactly what anyone can use.

''Elitia-san has a lot of attacks so... oh, you can't put a magic stone on that weapon, can you?
''Well it would be nice if you could recover from an enemy attack at once with a high number of attacks. We can't incorporate that into our current situation.

　Then naturally, I would like the other vanguards, Sion and Igarashi-san, to wear them, but Igarashi-san has some things that he should wear first.

I thought that the current equipment is already sufficient for you guys. You can use fire, wind and lightning attacks, and Aricht can also perform an anomaly attack. Then, since you don't need the magic stones in your old equipment for now, why don't you combine them?
''Yes, that sounds good. Then I'll synthesize the 'burning stone' on my previous sling and the 'wind agate' on Theresa's sword.
Hmm, fire and wind go well together. Wind attacks are generally popular with explorers because it keeps them at a distance.

　The "Double Throw" with the dagger (dark) can be used to attack from a distance, but since Theresia's shortsword is strengthened to a "Razor Sword", I think it's good to have a way to keep your distance from the enemy after attacking. Even if the enemy can't communicate with fire, you can probably blow them away with the wind, and if the fire can get through, you could produce great power.

''Melissa, can you ask for these two magic stones?''

　I asked Madoka to take out the sling I was equipped with first from the warehouse. I asked her to grasp the contents of the warehouse with her 'inventory' and take it out with her 'item removal' - thanks to that, I was able to grasp all the other magic stones and equipment right here.

''Well I'll try it. It's my first time, so stay away for a bit. It might explode.
Don't worry, if there's an accident, I can stop it with my power. The Runemaker isn't just a rune-synthetic engineer.
''I've never heard of a magic stone combining failure, so I think it's fine. There aren't many people who can generate magic tools, though.''

　Melissa didn't seem to be seriously worried either, and flicked her tongue out in a small way - a cat-like gesture for a warcat only. Apparently that was a rare joke.

''....'Wind Agate' and 'Burning Stone'. The two powers become one.

　Current Situation
　Melissa activates 'Magical Tool Creation 2' → Combustion Stone and Wind Agate are combined.
　Generate a "Blue Flame Stone".

　Melissa held her hand over the magic stone on the table and chanted an incantation that would only be known to those with the skill, and the two stones glowed and fused into one - and a new magic stone, blue in color, was born.

''It's ... done.''
Oh my God that's a blue flame in the stone.
It's really, really magical Miss Melissa, are you okay?

　I wonder if it's quite draining just to synthesize one, Suzuna holds Melissa's forehead with her handkerchief. Looking at the license, Melissa's magic power is considerably less than Madoka who used 'Item Dispensing', and the size of the magic power consumption can be seen.

''........I'm a bit tired, but it's okay. Dismantling and processing won't reduce your magic power.''
'I didn't know my child had mastered these skills... it's just how children grow up without their parents seeing them.

　While Rykerton-san is thrilled, Melissa says something small to Suzuna - 'Thank you', I guess. Misaki and Elitia are also looking at it with a smile.

''I'll wear that new magic stone on Theresia's new sword. What do we do with the other magic stones?　And as for the runes, you should use them if you can.
'Yes, sir. Well, then, time is limited, so let's proceed quickly with our review.

　Basically, I'm not going to remove the magic stones from the equipment I'm still using. When I allocated the leftover magic stones and newly acquired magic stones - this is what happened.

　Change the equipment of the magic stone.
　Kyoka's Ermineated Cross Spear with the Thunder Yellow Ball
　Theion's Beastie Claw with a "sucking stone
　Hound's Leather Vest in Theon with a Life Stone
　Theresa's Ermineite Razor Sword with Blue Flame Stone and Eye Stone.
　- The "?" in "Theresa". Leather Suit" with "Camouflage Stone
　Elitia's "Gauntlet of Quick Work" with the "Life Stone
　The "Bursting Stone" in Suzuna's Toneriko's Bow has been changed to "Bursting Stone".
　Misaki's Steel Magic Card with Burst Stone
　Melissa's Denim Overalls with Confusion Stone

　Anyway, Igarashi asked her to specialize in lightning - there is a synergy between skills and magical stones, and if she can use Thunderbolt, the power of the techniques activated by Thunderbolt will be increased.
The combination of Sion's "Life Stone" and "Absorbing Stone" will increase your maximum stamina, and then absorb it when you attack. There is a "sucking stone" left over, but we don't have a weapon to wear it, so we'll give it a miss.

　As for Theresa, it's exactly what we had planned for her. Stun is useful in all aspects of the game, and depending on the opponent, you can use Azure Stones to attack their weaknesses.

　A stone that adds a status abnormality to armor will change its effect, making it resistant to the enemy's status abnormality. I decided to have Melissa, who has a great deal of power in one hit, have her have confusion resistance just in case.

　And - like the fact that I exchanged the magic stone attached to Suzuna's bow for a 'fierce wind stone', thanks to the fact that Misaki's 'Steel Magic Card' has the property of 'returning to your hand after throwing a projectile', I was able to put the 'Explosive Stone' on the card! I was able to.

'Are you sure you want to...?　If you let me use this stuff, I'll go on a rampage, won't I?
Watch out for the remaining magic, because it's fatal if you fall down from exhaustion.
'Yes, I know!　I should be able to handle it, even if I have to use it once!

　Madoka will be resting on her next quest. Her contribution to the battle against the "Messenger of the Inviting Pastoral God" is immeasurable, but having her hide in the middle of the battle just for that reason is fraught with danger.
Even if you don't know their position, the enemy will mercilessly unleash an attack that engulfs the entire surrounding area.

I'd like to stay here for a while as soon as Arihito recognizes me as his personal craftsman. Madoka, we'll join you.
Nice to meet you, Miss Celes.
You really do treat me like I'm older than you are, don't you?

　Everyone who had been worried about leaving Madoka in the city was relieved, as she already seemed to be doing well.

'If we can form multiple parties, we can all enter the labyrinth, but there will be labyrinths with 'entry restrictions', so we can't get too used to a lot of people, because sometimes even a party of eight people can't get in, and sometimes there's a six-person limit.'
Certain demons have an area that only those who meet certain conditions are prevented from entering. Such demons have a fixed number of individuals and do not stampede.

　In other words, stampede is most likely to occur when ordinary searchers can infiltrate the guild without any problems, but the demons inside are difficult to defeat, and so they are avoided.

The guild is also trying to prevent stampede, but they are lacking in resources. That's why we have no choice but to rely on the autonomy of the searcher.

　They call it autonomy and I think - we didn't end up in the "Noon Marshes" that caused the stampede in the eighth ward. This is because the demons have disappeared from the labyrinth that caused the stampede, and until they return to their original state, it will be impossible to enter for a while.

　But eventually, I'm sure we'll have to visit the Noon Marshes again. For now, though I'd prefer to move on, because somewhere in the labyrinth of Ward 8 there might be a clue to Theresa's past.

　If he could turn her back from a sub-human to a human - but still, there's a feeling that it would be cruel to remind her of how she became a sub-human by asking about her past.

'Don't be unreasonable, Arihito. We don't have to try to solve everything ourselves.
'Yes though I often run into situations that are hard to overlook.
The heart that thinks it cannot be overlooked is the strength and danger of your people. It may sound heavy to say this, but I've just fired off a warning that I'd like you to see what lies beyond the labyrinth that I was unable to see. The runes you carry with you are all very peculiar. You'd better judge carefully whether or not to use them.

　The rune that came out of the black box that contained the Murakumo, and the rune that I got this time, for a total of four. It was something with these characteristics.

　◆ Rune of Tumble ◆
　You can activate the Alternate Body, which adds half of your magic power to your maximum strength value.

　Rune of Emptiness
　Makes the enemy 'angry', but adds a weakness. Cannot be duplicated.

　Rune of Exchange
　You can spend your magic power to form equipment and 'refurbish' it.

　Hibiki no Rune◆
　Sound attacks and skill effects can be enhanced.

　They may be powerful if you can master them, but there are limited situations where you can use them all. And there's a hurdle to overcome when using runes: "It's not easy to find a rune slot.

''Rune slots aren't easy to find open... does anyone have any equipment that's available?''
''There's an open slot in Kyouka's armor. Why don't you put a 'conversion' rune on it in case your equipment breaks?
Well, that's.......I think I'll be fine since I'm wearing my 'protective necklace'.......
''It doesn't matter if you're a twenty-five year old or not, in a pinch, we'll transform into magical equipment!
Oh, you know it's not like I'm a magical girl or anything.

　Misaki's ability to come up with ideas is impressive at times like this - is that what it means to convert to equipment made with magic power? It seems to me that the same thing as the original equipment will just be formed.

''Then........the 'conversion' rune is for Igarashi-san. Let's wear the 'False' rune on Misaki's card.
Pissing off demons is kind of my kind of thing to do, but I'd hate it if they didn't protect me, you know?
Would you like me to keep the other runes until I can find a place to use them?

　The "Tumble" rune will definitely come into play when you find a steadfast shield. The 'echo' rune depends on the effect of the 'Horn of the Gods' - or you can use it when your companions learn to use sound.

Then put these two together.

　Current Situation

　Ceres activates the Enchantment Rune, which is a success.
　Lightsteel Lady Armor +4" has been replaced by "Variable Cross +4".
　Steel Magic Card +3" changes to "Clown Demon Card +3".

Well... it's kind of like you can see the pattern through the card, isn't it?
'My equipment doesn't look that different... but I wonder if it will change when it takes effect?

　The magic stone just fits into the hole, but the runes blend into the armor and blend in with it, and they're friendly - the changes are hard to convey at first glance, but it's probably because they have the kind of abilities you can't get with a magic stone that give them a unique name.

It's time for the craftsmen to get to work. We'll go on with our work, you should rest for now. We'll get on with our work, so you might as well get some rest.

　Celes-san's advice is most valid - we decided to take her word for it and return to our quarters until we ate in the evening.

　◆ ◇◆

　My dreaming was neither good nor bad. He said that he often had strange dreams when he napped, but as a matter of course, he dreamed of fighting the 'Messenger of the Sheep God' - naturally, since life and death were at stake, but he would like to have more peaceful dreams.

''..........''
I'm sorry I was having a bad nightmare, man.

　I woke up to find Theresa standing by my bed in the setting sun streaming in through the window.

'Did Theresa sleep well?'

　I ask, and I get a persistent nod. If that's the case, it's a relief. I'm sorry if I've been awake for a long time worrying you.

　When I went downstairs to the first floor of the terrace house, my friends were also getting up. When we were ready to go out, we headed to the restaurant we had researched beforehand. It's a short walk from the inn, and it's close to the upper guild.

　Falma-san, Louisa-san, Celes-san and the rest of the artisan team joined us, and it was quite a large group - we thought it would be good to have a restaurant unique to the seventh district, so we decided on a restaurant with grilled lamb meat.

''We also invited Shiori-san to join us, but she said she's not good at noisy places...''
It would be nice to have a quiet place to eat, but when there's a lot of people, it gets pretty crowded.
'She told me to have fun too. We're in the same business, so we got to talking about a lot of things, and we talked all evening.

　Mr. Farma is in a good mood, but he still seems to be concerned about the children, and stops to look at them when he sees them. Since it's almost dark, though, it's almost all adults going through town.

''Oh, Rear-kun, the people from The Four Seasons are here too.

　I didn't expect to see more people here - maple and ibuki, who were looking for a store, noticed us and came over, waving their hands.

It's just like Ryoko said, Ariehito and his brothers might be around here.
'Since we're going out for dinner, you were the one who said it was better to be lively, weren't you, Kaede?　Besides, Ibuki-chan was on board too.
Oh, well, let's not get hung up on details. Doctor, may I join you?
If this is refused, Ryoko is going to run to alcohol, so I'd love it from me.

　Anna bows her head with a smile. It's a good way to relieve stress, so I'd like to have a taste for it as well.

　◆ ◆ ◆

　When we entered the meat-nabe restaurant, Ordo's Diner, we ordered our drinks first and waited for everyone to turn in. Since no one seems to have noticed the meaning of the restaurant's name, I won't mention it either. I hadn't thought too much about it when I looked it up beforehand - wasn't an ordo like the harem that the chief of a nomadic tribe has?

''Sheep's milk liquor.......it's called kefir, right? This is the first time I've had it.''
Yes, it's my first time.
'I've had it at a Mongolian restaurant before. It was quite peculiar, but this one seems to be easy to drink.
Why aren't you drinking this 'necromantic wine'? It's a spirit wine that restores your magical energy.
'Master, when you get back, you're working, so don't drink it. I'm tea too.....you don't listen to me.
All right. I won't be crushed by a few drinks.

　I wondered how Steiner-san was going to drink - and I was convinced that he was prepared with a straw that seemed to be made from the stem of a plant, and I understood.

''Atobe-sama, when you all have your drinks ready...''
　Thanks so much to all of you from the Eighth Ward, keep up the good work!　So, cheers!　
""Cheers!"
"'Kanpai!
Whoa!
..........

　It's almost like a cheer that echoes through the large room. But no matter how many times you do the toast, there's something embarrassing about it.

''Well........I'm sorry Igarashi-san, will you let me rotate the toast from now on?''
You're still a little tight in the shoulder, Mr. Rear, aren't you? Miss Theresa is worried about you.

　Theresa gets up from her seat and gently places her hand on the back of my chair. Does she look so unreliable - can you tell she's embarrassed?

There's no reason to be nervous now, in front of your closest friends.
'This is all about personality....I'm not very good at getting ahead of myself.
Master Atobe, excuse me for interrupting, but may I ask for a glass?

　Louisa holds out a glass - which is also embarrassing, but we match the glass with all of them, not just her. Teresia also brought a glass with a fruit-flavored milk wine poured in it, which she says has skipped most of the alcohol, so she matches it with her knuckles. Madoka, who is only thirteen years old, also asked for the same thing as Theresia.

'Thank you for your hard work today, brother Alihit. Until you call on us again, we're doing our best in our own way, so you can always tell us.''
Yeah, I'm sure we'll have a chance to fight together again. I'll look after you then.
'Thanks to Alihit and his team, we have a new racket. It's a racket that can attack with lightning.
I'm glad we got what we wanted. I'd like to see what kind of attack you have once.

　After Kaede and Anna, Ryoko-san and Ibuki came in. Ryoko-san looked at Celes and then at Falma-san - they laughed at each other for a while and then looked at me.

''No, no ... Falma-san is the owner of the box store that I took care of in the eighth ward. This time, I asked him to come to the seventh ward to open the box.......
I thought for sure that Aricht-san had made another 'acquaintance'...
Oh, you know, Aricht-sensei likes older women better...
What are you talking about, Ibuki, you're not drinking the wrong kind of alcohol, are you?

　Just as I'm trying to decide how to answer Ibuki, Farma-san gets up from his seat and comes over.

'Atobe-sama is a regular customer of mine. When my husband comes back, I would love to introduce him to you. He's also been a big help to me with my dog, Zion.

　When the meaning of the word 'master' permeated the air, Ryoko-san and Ibuki looked relieved.
I guess they were curious about the relationship between Falma-san and me, but her response was calm and relaxed, giving a sense of maturity.


'I'm sorry too, I just got caught up in the moment... again, may I introduce myself?'
Yes, of course. My name is Farma Artur. I specialize in box-opening, and I hope you all get a chance to bring it to me.

　Falma-san and Celes-san and the members who had never met before introduced themselves. Mr. Steiner was still surprised by everyone, but Celes-san reassured him by revealing the 'inside man'.

''Atobe-sama, the meat has been cooked just right, so I'll take it.


　Since there are a lot of people, there are four pots and pans for grilling meat on the big table, and Theresa and Melissa are munching on one of the pots. Seeing this, everyone took a piece of meat and began to eat it as they saw fit.

　I had the impression that lamb had a bit of a peculiarity to it, but it had no peculiarities at all, probably due to its good preparation, and everyone had a better reaction to it than I expected.

''How juicy........haha. When that 'Stray Sheep' girl grows up, will she turn into this little sheep?
No, this is not demon meat. This is a different kind of mutton. The reason why the food situation in the labyrinth country is reasonably stable is because our supporters have formed a cooperative and are engaged in cattle breeding and farming. Particularly in this seventh district, maintaining food production has become an important issue... foodstuffs brought back from the maze are not enough.

　I'm depositing my trained demons on a demon farm, but you're also suggesting that there's a farm for a different purpose - aside from eggs, the presence of fresh dairy products suggests that there's a dairy farm going on.

'So it's not just the bounty of the labyrinth that sustains this meal, but also the power of people.......I'll take it.
Let's eat.

　It seems to suit Suzuna and Elitia's palates, and their food is progressing. Igarashi-san was also eating, but she glanced at me.

''Rear-kun, eat a lot of food and build up your strength...''
'Brother, I'll take your meat. Would you like a refill on your drink?
Oh, yeah. Well, I guess I'll ask.

　When Igarashi-san was about to say it, Madoka, who had come over here before I knew it, would take care of it. If this is the case, I guess I won't be grilling the meat myself. It's not that I want to be a barbecue inquisitor, but that makes me a little sad.

''........tah, we have to build up our strength. We have to eat well too. Are you eating properly, Madoka-chan?
'Yes, I'm full just to be able to dine with you all!
You are not well bred, so eat up a lot. You don't eat much, do you?
'Meat is a protein, so I try to eat a lot of it to build up my body,'
We just had a kendo club, but Anna didn't know if she was going to be a pro, so I've been eating to build the muscles I needed for a long time.

　I thought she was going to hit the strongest serve imaginable from her small body, but I didn't know she was that promising - Anna surprisingly gave me a peace sign back when she realized she was getting a lot of attention.

'Theresa, you're not just eating meat, you're also eating vegetables...'
..........
Theresa always seems to eat so well, it makes me happy to see her.

　Suzuna was enjoying watching Theresa eat. It is said that some people are soothed by watching a girl who eats a lot, and I understand that this is what they mean.

''Ah, Rear-kun. There's a lot of other dishes...''
Mmm, this soup has a nice taste to it. Try a sip.
These spit-roasts are also very savory and delicious. Would you like to try one?
''Oh my........Atobe-sama, you look a little hot. Sweat on your forehead........

　When Igarashi-san was about to say something, Celes-san, Louisa-san, and Falma-san continued to attack - and take care of her.

'Kyouka-san, I understand your feelings. But you shouldn't be in a hurry, in a situation like this.
Oh, I'm not in a hurry, but........are you a little drunk, Ryoko-san?
'Yes, just a few. For now ... how are you doing, Kyouka?

　My mind goes back to the time when Louisa got drunk when she saw Ryoko, her wheat skin upturned, holding a bottle of liquor in her hand - I can't let it go on like this, drinking is fun, but not spending it is a healthy way to be a member of society.

　I must say, with a heavy heart, this is a healthy way to be a working man. I've been thinking about this for a while now, and I'm sure there are some members who are not ready to drink alcohol yet, so I'm going to have to restrain myself as an adult.

I'm not sure you can do that, Kyoka.
Yes, yes but I usually have a taste for it.
'Come to think of it, you didn't see Master Igarashi getting drunk because I was the only one who was embarrassed to show you.
Since you're here, how about some more drinks?　There are times when I would like to talk to you, Igarashi-sama, over a few drinks.

　It's not just when she opens the box, Falma-san's mood is uplifted even when she's drinking, and her gestures are glossy to see. Igarashi-san was also swallowed by the air, or perhaps she was indebted to him, so it seems hard to refuse - I didn't expect to see her break off on her own.

'I'll just have one more drink, since it's my first drink, and I don't want it to go around as much as I thought it would.

You should drink it, Ryoko. We'll take care of it.
'You're not making me sound like I'm a sober person, Maples.

　When I thought I was going to be involved in it too, of course Falma-san poured me a refill - I couldn't ask the younger members for help, so it looks like I'll have to get through this place on my own.