Once outside, Theon, who had been sleeping halfway across the yard with his body in the doghouse, opens his eyes and looks at me.

'Sorry, did I wake you up?'
...cunn.
What's wrong with your voice? That's unusual.

　Theon makes a sweet sound, so I move closer and stroke his head. Sion licks the back of my hand as she rubs her cheek against my hand herself.

Right.........
BOW!
'Hmmm... no?　Will you continue to follow us?

　There was no way I could understand what I was saying, but when I spoke to him, Sion would stare at me, so it seemed like he was getting a little bit of it.

　Thinking back, Sion was also able to prevent me from being charmed by the trust bonus. In other words, he's pretty much missed me.

''Well then, it's time to go to sleep. Will you show me your new skills in battle?''

　Theon would only lick his hand mindlessly when he heard it. But he's a smart dog - and a silverhound, so he'll use his new skills when he needs to use them.

　He went back inside the house and decided to take a bath before going to bed. I get ready to get dressed, head to the bathroom and somehow cover the front with a towel and open the door, and I look up to the heavens, more than satisfied that Theresa hadn't shown up before.

'................'
'Te, Theresa I'm not going to run away anymore, so I'm not going to be hiding that perfectly out of sight and out of mind.
So that's the kind of relationship you had with Lady Atobe and Miss Theresa, isn't it?

　Theresa at the front gate, and then at the back gate - I could tell by her voice who it was, but I was strangely afraid to turn around.

'Don't be so shy, you don't have to be, because from my point of view, Atobe-sama is like a brother to me.


　In fact, it's possible that I'm older than Farma-san, and it doesn't change the fact that we shouldn't run into each other in these situations.

''Ah........Farma-san, what are you doing?''
Yes, I wanted to thank you, Mr. Atobe, for your continued patronage...
'Atobe-sama, Falma-san has been drinking. We should respect Atobe-sama's wishes, but since Falma-san is married........

　This time, Igarashi-san and Louisa-san will play the role of stopper and take Falma-san with them. If that's my intention, I'm inclined to make an unconditional apology if I ever meet Farma-san's husband anyway. I can't say that there's no problem since he just looked at my back.

''..........''
That's a tough one... cohon. Teresia, let's make sure we don't stay in the bath too long.

　Theresa nodded dully and brought a chair over and poked her knee behind it. Apparently, she wants me to sit down.

''..........''

　I'd like to hear what exactly Theresia is thinking right now - I think it's too bold, once again, to say that you can go in with her if you're in a swimsuit. That can be said for Igarashi-san and Elitia as well.

　◆◇◆

　Even a single change in the temperature of the bathtub would be a matter of life and death for Theresa, so I had her soak carefully. Thinking about what happens when you spill, I can't help but be overprotective, even if I am.

''Theresa, I'm sorry to say this after the bath, but can you choose a skill and then take a break?
..........

　Theresia doesn't have a license, so I need to get the skill for her. I pour a glass of water and let her get some water, while I sit on the couch and start examining the skills - Theresia stands behind the couch and watches from there.

'You're going to watch from there?　Don't be afraid to sit down, okay?
..........

　I know it's not easy to listen to me when I say that, so I won't be pushy about it.

　I display Teresia's skills on my license. Then I find something I'm curious about, and I'm about to ask Theresia for her opinion - quickly, a hand reaches over my shoulder and points to the license screen.

'............'
''Huh ... you mean you're curious about those skills?''

　Theresa's face is very close to mine as she leans in from behind. Her eyes are hidden and her mouth doesn't reveal any emotion, but she nods back at my question.

　It seemed more and more strange to me that Theresia's criteria for judging this state of affairs were fine, even if she refrained from sitting on the same couch - and with that in mind, I began to examine my new skills. I'll have to choose my own skills later as well.

　◆ ◇◆

　The next morning, Farma helped me prepare breakfast to thank me for staying the night. The next morning, Farma helped me prepare breakfast, which consisted of bread, bacon, soup, and salad.

　At the breakfast table, I talked to Falma about signing an exclusive contract with her, and she replied with a resounding yes. From now on, I will ask her to open the Black Box whenever I need to.

　Farma-san even prepared a lunch for Celes and the others in the workshop. We see her off outside the quarters as she uses the guild's transfer door to return home.

''I wish you all the best of luck. Please tell us your stories again.
'Thank you so much, Falma. Please give my regards to Aik and Plum.
'Yes. Lady Atobe, and.....

　She looks like she wants to tell us something. I look at everyone, but for some reason they don't want to face me.

"........Even though we are divided between the first and second floors, everyone said, 'Atobe-sama is always watching over us. Truly, he's adored.
'Eh....'

　I slept on the first floor for no apparent reason - was I supposed to be 'behind' in terms of my position with everyone upstairs?

''Last night was like going back to when I was an explorer, and it was a very enjoyable evening. I hope you all continue to be good friends with Atobe-sama.
I mean, I'm sure they're getting better and better, but that's not all.......
You said you'd never tell me but you're a mischievous man.

　Igarashi-san is flustered, and Louisa-san is laughing, though she is confused. Madoka, Misaki and Suzuna's faces are also red for some reason - seeing them, Falma-san smiled with satisfaction.

''Then, you can always call on 'Artur's Shop' again.

　Finally, he bows supplely and walks away, and Farma-san walks away. We're ready to go out too, so we decided to just leave.

Did you sleep well last night?
Yes, yes I slept pretty well, but.... Perhaps you were talking in your sleep?
No, no, it's very quiet...
'Oh brother, you can't lead Suzu away!　She's really pure, you know!
'Oh, well I was so sleepy I couldn't remember much, and I was wondering if I was being rude to your brother in any way...'

　Igarashi-san asks me with a sense of probing, but as for me, I can only say it was a restful sleep - but I'm curious about what Falma-san was saying.

''.........''
Well, it feels like... Teresa, what is the...

　Theresia flattens and touches my arm. I guess that means I shouldn't care - and even then, my skull mask is subtly reddening.

'Be that as it may... Aricht, you're going to check on the 'alliance', right?'
'Yeah, I think I'm going to change into my new gear. I just got a call from Madoka to tell me that Ceres and the others have completed their work.
Let's brace ourselves.

　As Igarashi-san said, you will most likely encounter a 'spider' or a 'mantis' or one of them. If I just scouted them out, I would be able to avoid the battle, but I would also want the opportunity to try out new equipment and skills, so there was no need to avoid the battle thoroughly.

　Until I head to the workshop where Celes and the others are waiting, I'll review my newly acquired skills.
When I thought about how I could make use of these, no small amount of anticipation filled my heart.


　Kyouka's new skills ◆

　Skill Level 2
　Lightning Rage: Adds the lightning attribute to the attack, causing additional attacks to randomly engulf the surrounding area. Required Skill: Thunderbolt
　Spearman's Blessing: Disables enemy piercing attacks when activated.

　Skill Level 1
　Evade Step: Your evasion rate increases as you continue to evade enemy attacks. Required Skill: Blink Step
　Throwing 1: Throws a spear to attack. Hit ratio is higher than normal throwing.

　Remaining skill points 3 -> 0.

　New Skills of Theresa

　Skill Level 2
　Hyde Viper: A unique skill of subhumans. If you attack while hidden, you can stop your opponent in their tracks.
　Pick Pocket 2: You may be able to steal multiple items from an opponent without their knowledge. Required skill: Pick Pocket 1
　Release Trap: Activate the trap without touching it. Can involve others. Required Skill: Trap Detection 1

　Skill Level 1.
　Trap Sensing 1: You may notice when a trap is nearby.　

　Remaining skill points 3 to 0.

　New Skills of Elitia

　Skill Level 3.
　Scarlet Dance: The Scarlet Dance uses magic to unleash a series of attacks when activating Red Eye. Each attack increases in power and decreases defense.

　Remaining Skill Points: 4 to 1

　New Skills of Suzuna

　Skill Level 2
　Exorcism 2: Effective against immortal demons. Required skill: Exorcism 1
　Miko Dance: Draws the opponent's attention to the dance. Evasion rate increases.

　Skill Level 1.
　Archery 8 Section 1: Shooting the bow according to the rules of archery multiplies the blow.
　Seiton: Allows you to use a musical instrument as a weapon.
　Spirit of the Word: Contain letters and temporarily add sacred attributes to the weapon.

　Remaining skill points 3 to 1.

　Misaki's New Skills

　Skill Level 2
　Surrender: Reduces the demon's hostility and makes it easier to retreat. You will not be able to fight again until you escape from the labyrinth.
　Extra Turn: Allows a designated party member to take a single action on behalf of you.

　Skill Level 1.
　Fake Hand - Can cancel an enemy's next attack by tricking the opponent into thinking it is a threat.
　Small Vet: Share your health and magic with others during battle. You will recover twice as much after a victory.

　Remaining skill points: 3 to 2.

　New Skills of Madoka

　Skill Level 2
　Barter: Detect unwanted items that your opponent has that may benefit your party and negotiate an exchange.
　Cart Attack: When equipped with a cart, deal a blow to your opponent in proportion to the amount of cargo you have. Required skill: Cart.

　Skill Level 1.
　Carts - You can equip a cart.
　Bargains: You can negotiate for items excluded from the store.

　Remaining skill points 4 to 2

　New Skills of Melissa

　Skill Level 2
　Bone Crusher: Attacks with an additional blow attribute, regardless of weapon. This is more damaging than a normal attack.
　Loud Voice: Produces a threatening voice to deter opponents and damage their magic.

　Skill Level 1
　Catwalk: Crosses over extremely narrow platforms.
　Claw Sharpening: Increases attack power with claws. Elevated statuses will be restored.

　Remaining skill points: 3


　In conclusion, there were many skills that I felt were useful or possible, so I could not make an immediate decision to acquire them at this time. I acquired the skills marked with a circle, but other skills are on hold. It's also a luxury to have so many skills to choose from that you can't decide.

　Igarashi-san is beginning to specialize as an attacker after Elitia. Teresia is now able to counter traps related to traps and has a role unique to Rogue.

　As for Suzuna, Misaki, and Madoka, there are several effects that are unlikely to be replaced by others due to their special profession. Since we have a limited number of skill points, it was decided to take the plunge and acquire all but the ones we wanted to prioritize when the need arose.

　Melissa intends to prioritize the skills related to her work as a 'demolitionist', but since they weren't included in this new skill, I asked her to save 'Disorderly Scratching'. That overwhelming number of hands will greatly improve her instantaneous striking power when she joins the battle team.

　And as for what skills I took - as an example, I concluded that I would choose them as needed. I only took 'Support Cooperation 1' unconditionally since I've been curious about it for a long time.

　◆Alihito's New Skills ◆

　Skill Level 2
　Support and Control 1: Have the companion in front of you accurately attack your target. Required skill: Support Coordination 1
　Backslips: You can move faster than the opponent in front of you for a short period of time.
　Back Order: If you are short on magic, you can activate a skill by sharing it with your friends.

　Skill Level 1
　Support Linkage 1: Activate a linkage move on the companion in front of you.
　Back Pass: Parry an attack to the rear. You can only perform this move if there is a target behind you.

　Remaining Skill Points 3 to 2

　As you can imagine, 'backpass' is hard to employ as an emergency evasion as well - although I can guess that it's a powerful skill. Basically, you shouldn't create a situation where I'm at the back of the party and someone else is behind me. If it's an enemy, fine, but I need to avoid being pinned down itself.

　And all of the skills at skill level 2 are hard to beat. I decided to take the skill that I needed first since I could imagine all three being useful.

''I'm nervous about taking it on the spur of the moment when I need it! My hidden power...!　Can I do something like that?
"I don't want to come across too many situations where Misaki's 'Surrender' is useful, but it must be an incredibly useful skill. And 'Extra Turn'.
I can take both if I go up one more level. Then I'll be able to find another skill that looks good. Haha, but it's really cool, isn't it, Suzu-chan, that you can fight with an instrument?

　With the 'Horn of the Pasture God' in hand, it would be good to have someone who could equip it in the future when some sort of musical instrument is available. When I suggested this, Suzuna agreed.

'I've been practicing several instruments for the dedication of the Kagura, so I think I can use the flute as well. I don't know how I can help you, but.......
'I suppose it's possible that they could attack with sound. The Messenger of the God of Shepherd has been attacking me like that.
'I've seen a few people who use their instruments as weapons, and they've done some special effects with their tone. If you don't have any performance-related skills, I'm sure the effect will be just as good as the instrument performs.　

　According to Elitia's story, there are professions such as 'guitarist' and 'bard', both of which have a small number of people. It's a very rare occupation for a maiden to be able to equip a musical instrument.


'Igarashi-san, you're becoming quite specialized in your attacks, but........'
If I can get my hands on the 'EVADE STEP', I'll be able to stay in front and keep fighting. With the Blink Step, you can't dodge a series of attacks.
'Yes, yes but there's no need to stick to the enemy. We have the 'Thunderbolt'.
Don't worry about it, I'm not going to go after you too hard.

　Igarashi-san laughs at that and walks ahead, but I am still worried about her. It's because although the 'war maiden' can also handle the avant-garde, I don't think she's a specialist in the avant-garde.

''.........''
BOW!
Well I guess I'm a little too anxious.

　Teresia and Sion also played the role of the vanguard. Since there are a total of four of them, Igarashi-san alone will not be too prominent.

''Hey, good morning. I managed to finish it as promised.''

　In front of the rental workshop, Mr. Steiner is waving his hand. I wonder if Mr. Ceres is tired and resting - I would like to say sincerely that he is tired more than anything else, thank you for your work.