First, I'm going to try to appraise the 'bangle-like thing' that had been found as a drop item from the 'Sand Scissors' - this one succeeded with Madoka's 'Appraisal Technique 1' without any problems.

　◆★Dessert Rose ◆

　The gemstone 'Desert Rose' is built into this item.
　Special Effect: Sand Fiend - Increases blows dealt to corresponding fiends and reduces damage from enemies.
　Sand" attacks will be available when equipped.
　Physical Defense" is slightly improved.
　Slightly increased "Magic Defense".
　・Some improvement in "Agility".

　It's rare to find ornaments with such high performance - they have abilities that I wanted before fighting in "Beach of the Fallen Sun", but that's just the way it is. There will be more sandy areas in the future, and it's not an ability that is a loss to have on it.

''Ha, if you look closely, this is a stone in the shape of a rose. It looked like a lump of sand, but when I paid it off, it's sparkling.
It's called a desert rose, so it must be something that can be found in the sand. It's amazing that something of this shape can be created naturally........should someone who can only wear light clothing wear it?

　It's something that can benefit anyone who equips it, so I'm not sure. Will the members of the vanguard equip it and reduce the damage as much as possible - I'm thinking.

''..........''
Hmm?　Theresa, what's going on?
You might want to touch it.　What do you think?

　I also felt the same way as Elitia, so I handed the bracelet to Theresia - and then.

''Huh........Te, Theresia-san's pattern.......!

　Theresia's equipped 'Hyde and Seek' and 'Chameleon's Boots' reacted.
It becomes the color of sand - is this what is called a protective color?

'I wonder if it's because I touched 'Desert Rose' that it's the color of sand...'
'With Theresia-san's equipment, would that be the case? Or is it because you're Theresia-san........which is it?

　Elitia and Suzuna twisted their necks, but in the case of 'optical camouflage', it's possible that Terezia has the ability to change from her original to a protective color, since she blends into the landscape. After a while, Theresia returned to her original color.

'If she's reacting to the gemstone, then there may be other changes besides the color. Aricht, why don't you take a look at Theresa's skills?
'Ha, yes. Um.....

　I'll operate the license and display Theresa's skills--and then.

　Disclosure of Skills of a Slave◆.

　S Mode Change: Sandclad Benefited by the power of sand. While active, it consumes magic. Can be activated by special equipment.

S-mode ... change?
'Mmm ... does it really say that?　That 'S' refers to a special skill among those that can be used depending on the equipment. Even if you search for it, it's not easy to find.

　If "S" means something like "Special", then it's a skill called "Mode Change: Sandclad".

　It's a bit of an abstraction, and it's hard to tell what effect it has until you try it out in battle, but it's worth a try. But it's worth using it when you get a chance.

''If that's the case, it sounds like Theresia-san should equip it.
Yes, I'd like to test the effectiveness of my skills for once.

　Since everyone is in agreement, I'm going to ask Theresia to use "Desert Rose". As if she herself knew that it was something to wear on her wrist, she passed it through her left wrist.

''..........''
Yeah, they look good on you. We'll have to try your skills some other time.

　Theresia is staring at me - and looking at the others. It's a gesture that looks like she's taking care of herself.

'Kyouka-sister has samurai armor, so you don't have to be shy about it!
........Oh, you know what? My armor is broken, but I can still use it if I repair it.

　Even if a piece of equipment is strong, if it's cursed, it can't be used. Seeing the strength of the 'Scarlet Emperor's Sword' and the risks associated with it, it's inevitable to think that way.

　However, without the skills of the 'Curse Blade', we wouldn't have been able to win. This equipment that has a disconcerting hint of how disconcerting it is might also be utilized in some cases - although I do think that there might be a situation where it could be utilized in some cases - but just looking at it is enough to make a cold sweat run down my back, and I feel a chill just by being placed on it.

It's time for the next one. Take care of yourself, Arihito.

　Madoka couldn't even get close to the equipment left behind by the 'funeral sender' for appraisal purposes - she was in a state of 'fear', so I had her release it with Igarashi-san's 'Brave Mist'.

　If I didn't have Brave Mist, I wouldn't be able to approach it without a care in the world. I held up my hand to avoid touching it and used the intermediate appraisal scroll that Madoka had arranged for me, and the appraisal results appeared on my license.

　◆ *Night Crab Armor ◆.
　Gives nearby allies and enemies a status abnormality of fear.
　You are under a curse.
　It has hidden powers.

　After all, if you don't equip it, you won't know the details. It's even attached to an effect that won't even become an ornament as it is.


''Well I wonder if the rest of the equipment is cursed at this rate.
This is something that has to be evaluated before we can understand, because demons are a mysterious thing. It's a rare case where a whole body is considered to be a piece of equipment.

　As Celes-san said, I'll try to appraise the other three as well - then.

　◆Ninou's helmet ◆
　Head State Protection: Prevents head-related abnormalities.
　You are under a curse.
　It has a hidden power.

　The Demon's Paw
　Special Effect: Slash Attribute: Increases blows against enemies who are weak in the slash attribute.
　Increases the limit of the "Equipment Weight".
　This will slightly enhance physical defense.
　If a part of the body is successfully destroyed, you will receive an additional blow.
　If your strength is reduced beyond a certain point, you will be in a state of "fighting spirit.

　Prajna's Shin Armor
　Special Effect: Human Type: Increased damage to humanoid enemies.
　Speed" is improved.
　Magic Defence" is slightly enhanced.
　The "Indirect Defense" is slightly enhanced.
　The ability to "leap by ship" will now be available.　
　The performance of the skill to strengthen your allies will be improved.

　When I appraised the helmet, I thought it was all cursed after all - however, there was no indication of 'cursed' on the armor of the arms and legs.

''I didn't expect your entire body to be equipped with 'starred' equipment... I can understand that strength.

　Elitia marveled. If all of this equipment had enhanced abilities, then the humanoid demon needed to pay attention to the equipment as well as the level.

But it seems to be a strong performance no matter who equips it, so I'm not sure what to do.)

　I'm already equipped with boots that can enhance my support skills. It might be a good idea to have someone who doesn't have a full range of other foot equipment to wear them - I thought.

''This 'small hand' can be equipped by a warrior-type person and Melissa-san. ''The 'shin guards' can only be equipped by Elitia-san, sister Kyouka, and brother Aricht.''
'Then the shin guards would be better used by an arihit. It seems to be a design (design) for men.

　I'm inclined to think that performance should be more important than design, but it seems to be an important issue for the ladies. Of course, I'm a little concerned about it too.

It's not a good balance to have a Valkyrie at the top and a warrior at the bottom. Basically, I prefer equipment that harmonizes well.
I see........I'm new to the idea of equipping a suit with a warrior, but I guess it's unavoidable in order to strengthen the war effort.
In your world, there is a protective gear called 'Legace' which is used in clashing competitions, isn't there? You can even modify it to look like that. It's also possible to combine the armor with the original boots in this combination.
'If the same effect is attached to it, the effect can become stronger when you can synthesize it. If you are able to make it infinitely strong, everyone will become invincible. For example, if you have duplicate effects that make you more powerful, the stronger effect will be based on the one you have and will be slightly strengthened.

　The combinations that can be synthesized are themselves limited, and you can't synthesize anything. Steiner's level was lower than when he was active, but he could choose which skills he would lose when he went down, so he still had the 'Equipment Synthesis 2' skill he had acquired at level 5.

''Then can I have you synthesize these shin guards and my boots?
''Oh, that's right. We're out of stock right now, so I need to stock up on metal to use as a glue for the synthesis we're having a hard time getting around.
I don't know if it will come out, but it may be obtained by casting and melting down a rusty piece of metal. Can I give it a try, Alihit?　You don't have any other use for it.
Yes, nice to meet you.

　In the rental workshop, there is a small furnace-like object that Steiner-san has brought in, which looks like a small furnace. If it's a magic tool, does that mean that you can refine metal without having to spend a lot of time preparing it - everyone is watching with interest.

''Then let's begin. ''O furnace of fire brought by the god of the labyrinth, Ceres Mistral prays to thee...''

　Putting the 'rusty metal lump' into the furnace and chanting as if to call out to it - quite a bit of magic is used, or perhaps sweat beaded on Celes-san's forehead. Mr. Steiner wiped it with a handkerchief and watched from the side as an assistant.　

　However, even if I put one or two into the furnace, I didn't get the desired metal - 'Elmina iron' may also have its uses, but right now it's an outlier treatment.


'Yes, Master. We're all praying too, and if only one of them would come out...'

　I put the last one in the furnace, and Celes-san chants a spell - they're all praying for me, so I close my eyes and pray that I can get a 'hit' - and then.

　Extracted Metal◆.

　Elmina Iron" x 4
　Grow Gold" x 1
　Silver Sand" × 1

Hmmm... I was just going to get a ritual to ward off evil if I couldn't use six of them.
'Mr. Ceres, is this 'brass sand' the material you use to synthesize?'
The sand is a collection of tiny pieces of metal. When used in synthesis, this material can be used to create an affinity between equipment.

　Teresia's "Triple Steel" allowed me to take the drop item from the "Sand Scissors", but otherwise, what are the odds of getting the "Rusty Piece of Metal" - this is why Teresia's morale release when defeating a powerful enemy. We want to make sure that we use the

"Strengthening it with 'Grow Gold' will give you either 'Light Attribute Enhancement 1' or 'Light Attribute Resistance 1', but you can also use it to fix Kyouka's circlet when it's damaged. As it stands now, there might not be a problem keeping it.
If the 'Silver Sand' is so valuable, I think it would be a shame to use it right away...
"I understand, but I don't think there's any way to keep the Prajapati in the storeroom. This equipment suits you well, as you strengthen your allies. As far as I'm concerned, you should leave it to me.
'I don't know what it's going to be like for Mr. Rear to 'jump eight boats,' but I think it's good to be able to move lightly. What do you guys think?

　Igarashi-san asks for an opinion - everyone agrees, but Misaki raises her hand in a reserved manner.

''We're stronger when you're behind us, aren't we, brother? If that effect goes up as well, wouldn't the pounding feeling get stronger with each and every time...?
''Well that's... it's making everyone stronger, so it's easy to increase your 'trustworthiness', isn't it?'''
The party's trust in healers and vanguard members who can stop enemy attacks is easily increased. They use their skills directly to protect their friends. They use their skills directly to protect their comrades. Alihit is the leader of the group and also supports them, so his trustworthiness will be especially high.
..........

　Theresia looks at me as if she agrees with Celes-san. I'm a 'rearguard', so I can't do anything without my friends. I believe that this is why the trustworthiness of the party members is easily increased, but is it still special compared to other support positions?

I'm not sure if this is unique compared to other supporters. To put it bluntly, the higher the level, the more trustworthy the person is. There are times when a high level of trust can get you out of a difficult situation, so it's better to deepen that trust as much as possible.
'Ah, a more serious return than I thought. When you say it that way, it sounds like I'm the only one thinking about chickens! It's an amazing feeling of security to have your brother behind you, even when you're asleep, you can't help but wake up because you're worried about him.
''........Misaki-chan, if you're going to wake up in the middle of the night, I'll let you sleep with me next time. Lack of sleep is your skin's worst enemy.
''I'm sorry, Aricht-san, I'm sorry to keep it a secret from you all, but I want you to continue to sleep peacefully and get tired...'' ...
Oh, yeah, I'm sleeping pretty well. What's up, guys?　Your face is all red.

　I lit the furnace when I was refining it, but it's not that hot inside. Theresia hasn't turned too red either, but she can't help but look away when she meets my gaze.

(Also, while my skills are sleeping...?　No, there's nothing like that these days. (Maybe I'm sleeping too deeply... or maybe I'm not supposed to...)

　Even Melissa and Madoka looked away from me, so I was indeed concerned. Ceres smirked at us, but then looked at Steiner as if she had an idea.

It would be a good idea to rent a place to stay before returning to District 8. The cot in the workshop is very hard, so it's time for a soft bed.
'Yes, master. I'll get out of the way of Master Atobe and the others, if that's okay with you?
Yeah, that's fine. Okay, guys, let's take a free pass from here.
""Yes."
Yes, sir.
..........

　Everyone gave their respective replies and left their seats. It's a good thing that you're not going to have to worry about being away from everyone else, or else you'll be walking back to your quarters with everyone else.

I'm sure you're not the only one. You don't have to think only about the hard things, but it's fine to have them by your side all the time.
'We do things together all day, every day. Sometimes I think it's necessary to give Theresa some freedom,
You have a point, though. That girl is most comfortable with you, isn't she?
''Everyone does, but they're patient. On our days off, we end up fighting over Atobe-sama.

　I'm not sure it's that far, but it's hard to say when I see Melissa and Madoka waving at me before I leave the workshop.

The future of this party depends on the worthiness of Arihito. You can't be too mean to torment him. Now Steiner, let's get to work.
"Sic 'em, master.



　If they are acting to create a sense of dignity, Steiner seems to be creating the image of an unidentified armor as well, and the two of them may be very similar to each other.

　I say hello and leave the rental workshop. It's the first time in a long time that I've been on my own - let's not wander around too much and get the necessary business done.