I came to the storeroom because I wanted to decide today on the skills of the members who would be participating in the battle.

　Once outside of the quarters, I entered a box of transition doors nearby - a stone hut. This transfer door is used to move to the storage room that the party has signed up for, or the demon farm, and the destination changes depending on the key you use.

''Alright ... let's go.''

　When I brought the key closer to the crystal on the door, the entire door emitted a faint light - and the crystal displayed 'Storage Room 5583', which may mean the destination.

　Once inside, a different space is spread out, similar to the space you open the box in, but different. Whatever the principle of the space allocated to the storage room, there is a constant cold air coming in. It's chilly, so Melissa must be wearing heavy clothes when she enters this place.

　From the back of the room, I can hear a thump, thump, thump - it's late at night, but Melissa seems to be still working on the dismantling of the building.

　There's nothing that looks like a light, it's dim, but my eyes are slowly getting used to it. There's a large magic circle at my feet - I wonder if it will be sent here when I use the key to the storage room outside to transfer it.

　I suddenly looked up at that thought, and I almost yelled out.

　At the back of the room, I saw a vaguely huge ice cube, a giant scorpion covered in a white shell - already half dismantled - and a middle-aged man with glasses, and a wildcat with lightly pigmented hair. The figure of a girl with eyes that look like that comes into view.

'Hey, isn't it Aricht-san? I didn't expect you to go out of your way at this late hour of the night.
Thank you for your help.
'Oh, good job you've gone through so much demolition already.
''Yes, it's very hard, so I've managed to use my skills to cut it apart part by part. As for the tools, I borrowed a tool from the ores in District 5. The tips of these blades are made of a rare metal.

　Saying that, Rykerton-san showed me a 'chisel' of sorts that he uses for carpentry work.

　Since Melissa has a hammer, it seems that the division of responsibility was for Rykerton-san to position the chisel and Melissa to hammer it in. If they were father and son, they would breathe perfectly.

''........Each of the crusts is very heavy, and I don't think we can use them for equipment without making some effort to reduce their weight. I took out the power source for shooting heat rays from the tail, which Ceres had asked me to do, here. It's too big, too, and I'll need some tools to carry it.

　Ceres said, 'The lingering light of the Queen Scorpion'. The armor on The Calamity's chest has been stripped away and what was behind it has been removed. A number of wiring-like things made of some organic material are hanging down, but I wonder if connecting these to The Calamity's 'Nine Tails' will complete the 'Queen's Tail'.

　Since Alfeca has a limited amount of time to materialize, we'll have to think of another way to transport "Queens Tail" - the only thing I can think of at the moment is the cart that Madoka wanted.

　In terms of back-up support, Madoka has been asked to join us before. Her morale release 'effect item' can also be a trump card for recovery, so I'll be looking at getting her to cooperate in this operation as well.

''But........Looking at it like this, it looks like some kind of complicated circuit.
''Demons with special abilities may have some of their body's organs directly resembling magical tools. Sometimes they hold it inside their bodies in the form of a magic stone, but this 'afterglow' can be seen as being made up of multiple magic stones and the agencies that integrate them.
'I see........so it's possible that you can recreate it as a magic tool?
Just as it is difficult for machines to replace the functions of living things, it is not easy to achieve this, even if it is possible in theory. We learn not only the skills of dismantling, but also the skills related to magic tools, so we are always learning about making magic tools.

　After speaking eloquently, Rykerton-san takes off his glasses and wipes them with a cloth. He seems to be a bit of a maniac when it comes to magic tools - I'm also a person who likes to talk at length about things I like, so I understand the feeling.

''Well your father is difficult to talk to sometimes.''
'No, this is a faux pas. I felt like Alihit-san could understand the romance of the magic tools, so I just talked too much.
'No, it was an interesting story. So, Mr. Rykerton, does that mean you can't use this part of the story?

　The head of The Calamity was removed intact before the chest shell was peeled off. Even though it was dismantled so boldly, something like oil, not blood, was spilling out - it was either not to be wasted or it was collected in a metal bucket.

'Oh, that part - look at this forehead. It's covered with a coating of a different quality than the shell, but it seems to be filled with something like a magical stone. If you give us permission, we can take it out here.
The magic stone...

''...I can sense something that echoes the secret gods. Perhaps a divine artifact manipulant is buried inside.

　I can hear Murakumo's voice. I asked Mr. Rykerton to carefully take out what was buried in The Calamity's forehead - and he did.

　What was taken out was a stone the size of the palm of my hand. When I asked Rykerton-san to hand it to me, it takes on a pale blue glow - just like Murakumo said, it's similar to the 'Broken Military Crystal' or 'Ren Zheng Crystal'.

　◆ Giant Gate Crystal ◆
　We don't have all the details, including the purpose of use.
　Invalid appraisal

'Thank you for finding us, Mr Rykerton. This is very important to our party.
''Oh, that's good to hear. When you take it out, it's different from a magic stone.......I've never seen the material it's made of. Is that something that is not processed and used as is?
''Yes, this sword - which is also inlaid into the hilt of the Murakumo - has a counterpart in this stone.
'I see ... it's a chilling story, it's ...'

　Had Mr. Rykerton's eyes once shone like this when he was an explorer?

　However, he huffed and smiled, returning to his usual calm craftsman's face.

''The dismantling of 'The Calamity' will continue, and if we obtain new demonic materials while we are in the Fifth Ward, I will be in charge of dismantling it. Melissa, rest your body for the search.
Okay, Dad. Good night, Dad.

　Melissa nodded and poured a drink from the canteen that had been placed with her on the table where the tools were placed and handed it to Mr. Rykerton, who poured it into a cup. Receiving it, Ms. Rykerton looked at her daughter with great care and then went back to the dismantling process.

　When they left the transfer hut and came to the front of the quarters, Melissa, who was walking ahead of them, turned around.

'....Melissa?

　The light from the streetlights of the magic tool flickered. Tears were running down Melissa's illuminated cheeks.

''Ah........''

　Melissa puts a finger to her cheek in surprise, as if she's not even aware of it herself.

　I have an idea as to why. Celes said that Melissa's mother is in this Fifth Ward.

...I wonder if Mr. Rykerton is going to see his mother.
Aricht did you know?
Mrs. Ceres told me about it. Melissa told her mom....

　I didn't need to ask if she wanted to see me. Melissa still wiped her tears and looked at me with reddened eyes - and shook her head.

'We're explorers. Our respective goals are the most important thing...''
'Well Melissa is with us and she's grown up a lot more than she was before. I'm sure she can help her mom now.
Maybe. But you can't go to see him.
'It's like ... I don't want you to think I'm lonely or something.

　Melissa tries to say something - maybe she was going to say, "No, I'm not," she says.

　But she swallows the words and takes a shaky breath and nods her head in a perturbed way.

　I really want to go see him now. Still, I'm part of our party, so I keep my feelings to myself.

''Well this is a very difficult time for both Theresa and Elitia. I can always go and see my mom.

　She's calmer than her age, cooler than her age, and bold in battle. That's the kind of girl I thought of Melissa as.

　That was totally and only superficially true. Melissa is companionable and is always concerned for Theresa and Elitia and everyone else. Deeper than I thought.

'Well I get it. I'm sure everyone would be happy to know how Melissa feels.
Well I hope so. I think people are scared of me because I'm different ... and I like to take things apart.
'That's not true at all. 'It was powerful when I saw it in the dark earlier, but I think dismantling it is a very important job. I think Melissa's knife work is amazing to watch.
''Well that's too much of a compliment. I say that because Alihit is nice to everyone.
I'm sorry I didn't mean to offend you.

　I'm not trying to be nice and I'm not trying to force it, and that's what I usually think. But if Melissa says so, I must be modest.

　--I thought that, but Melissa whispered in a whisper as she twirled her hair with her fingertips, glancing at me.

''Well it's a secret that I said Mom. If you do that, fine.
'Oh, yeah. Okay, if Melissa says so....

　What does she mean by "good" - for now, it's definitely better to respect her wishes.

'I was so little when I was with my mum,'

　I guess that's what you call your mother in front of me. I think it's a good way for Melissa to call her mother, because I think it conveys how much she adores her mother.

　Thinking back to Mr. Rykerton's story, Melissa has spent a very short amount of time with her mother since she was born. It took over a decade to come to this Fifth Ward, and yet we haven't been able to return to our human form - I know that each explorer moves at a different rate, but I'm acutely aware of how quickly we've been able to get here, and how tremendously fortunate we've been to get here. .

　I don't know of anyone else who has been able to go from sub-human to human before I got here, except Mr. Kuserka.

　--It took many sacrifices for me to become a human again.

　--Lord Atobe, would Lord Theresia be willing to risk so much for you?

　There was more to be accomplished than just reaching the great temple in the Fourth Ward, there was still more to be accomplished.

　Can Melissa's mother, along with the party she belongs to, meet that requirement? Can we work together - is it conceited to think about it when we haven't even managed to turn Theresa back into a human yet?

'I'll be fine. Even your father is doing his best to trust your mother.
Yeah. The three of us will see each other sooner or later, I'm sure. I believe that, too.
Yes.

　Melissa nodded back and we walked into our quarters. I walked into the living room and found Theresa lying on the couch, and she woke up with a whimper.

'Sorry to wake you up, Theresa. I'm going to talk to Melissa in the living room about skills for a bit, but I hope it's okay.
..........

　Theresia nodded her head in a persistent nod. I feel like I haven't seen her asleep in a long time - or so I thought.

　Once she enters the kitchenette and comes out, Melissa holds out a glass of water to Theresia. It's the one provided in the inn, but it's a glass with a beautiful lapis lazuli color.

''Because ... it looked a little hot.''
..........

　The curse of the Monkey Prince has been eating away at Theresia in a way that is visible as a number on the license. Fortunately, the progress of the 'Ibildminate' hadn't changed in the time from earlier to now.

　Theresia seemed to have calmed down after drinking the water, but Melissa was right, it might be affecting her physical condition just because she couldn't put it into words.

　Her anger at the Monkey Prince suddenly tried to paint over her emotions. I have to take him down as soon as possible, even if it takes a second.

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

　Theresa touches her clenched fist. She strokes me gently, as if to say no.

　I finally loosen the strength in my fist and I sit down. Melissa offers me a glass of water as well, and when I drink it, my head gets cold.

''Well you have to calm down and not let them have their way with you.
Oh I'm sorry I was worried about you. I'm fine now.

　Melissa's license is shown to me. She has a wide range of skills, and there are so many useful skills that she cannot obtain. Even if you don't get them at this point, you need to keep the details in mind.

　Skills that can be acquired

　Skill Level 3.
　☆ Shave off: Strips the opponent's outermost armor, armor shell, and some defensive magic. The sharpness of the weapon used is greatly reduced. Stripped items may be available intact.

　Skill Level 2.
　Through a thousand pieces of paper: Ignore the target's defense and attack. Limited to weapons used
　Scaling: When attacking a target, the enemy's defense may be reduced. Required Skill: Cut off
　Hangman's Cut: Attack by hanging the target up. The attacker is prone to local destruction. Required skill: Demolition Technique 1
　Scratch and Claw: Perform up to 8 consecutive combat attacks to inflict "bleeding". Required skill: Scratch
　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 magical power.
　Ikizukuri: Causes a certain percentage of fish demons to be killed by a single blow when their health is reduced beyond a certain point.
　Sharpening Blades: Sharpen the blade with a tool to regain its original sharpness.
　Connoisseur 2: Evaluate the effects of a meal containing demonic ingredients on the spot. Required Skill: Connoisseur 1
　☆ Dim Light and Dusk: Increased ability in dimly lit hours/environments, making it easier to succeed in a surprise attack.

　Skill Level 1.
　Silent Mu: Reduces the target's hostility to you.
　Thorn Out: Destroys the "thorns" that occur in the terrain.
　Cat Language Comprehension: You will be able to understand the language of cats and cat-type demons.
　Scratch: Performs 2 consecutive attacks and inflicts "bleeding".
　Spinning and Landing: Will not be injured if you jump down from a height.
　Claw Sharpening: Increases attack power with claws. Uplifted status impairment will be restored.
　Poisoning: Detect if the food you eat is poisonous. Poisoning: Determines if there is poison in the food you eat.
　Prep: Treats food properly, increasing the food effect when cooked.

　Remaining Skill Points: 3

　Attack skills, skills related to blades, cooking-related skills, and skills derived from her traits - still, they all seem to be effective, especially 'Connoisseurship 2' and 'Prep', which, when acquired together, seem to make the dietary effects visibly more effective.

　However, a skill that plays a role that only Melissa can play is coming up at level 3. 'Scraping off' - you can 'strip' your opponent's defensive skills, in other words, you can disarm them.

　Even if a powerful attack is possible, if the opponent uses a skill to prevent it, there is a danger of being stuck in a situation. If 'scrape off' works as a way to break through that, it is an essential skill.

'I think it's a good idea to join the attacker. I'll pick a skill that gets stronger at different times, or any other skill that I think Arihito would like.

　With Catstep, Melissa has good evasive skills in the vanguard. It's dangerous to be in front of them all the time, but she is well suited for the role of delivering blows in key areas.

This 'scraping off' could be the deciding factor in a fight, depending on its effectiveness. If possible, I'd like to save the points so that I can get it at any time.''
'All right. I don't think I'll ever have to take any other skills if everyone else is here. And I won't take any skills that can be replaced with equipment if I can help it.

　That's something I've been aware of in the past, and Melissa understands it well. It's not the best choice if the effects of the equipment and the skills overlap. There may be synergistic effects, but basically, I want to prepare many means to reach my goal.

''Well thank you for coming to call me today. Goodnight.
Yeah, good night.

　Melissa gets up and goes to go to her bedroom - but she suddenly wobbles and wobbles.

''Huh........''

　By the time I got up, Theresa was running up to Melissa for support. Melissa was weak as if she had fainted for a while, but she eventually regained consciousness.

(.........Melissa's strength and magic power have decreased considerably.

You'll be fine. Thank you, Theresa.
..........
''Melissa, the level of fatigue varies depending on the object we're dismantling... it's too much of a burden to juggle exploring and working in the city. Leave tomorrow's exploration to us.

　Sweat is beading on Melissa's forehead - we need to strengthen our strength before the battle with the 'Monkey Prince', and I want to go out exploring as much as possible to do that. She seemed to think so, but when I wiped the sweat on her forehead with my handkerchief, she huffed and looked away.

'Tomorrow is a 'half day off'. Can you tell Mr. Rykerton that, too?
...Alihit.

　If she had the chance to go see her during the deadline to stay in this fifth ward - if she put it off like that, she would have regrets if Melissa did not see her mother.

　Still, Melissa might not go to see her mother on her own. But you can go see her - whether you tell us or keep it a secret, it's a freedom you should respect.

'Well we'll demolish it so you can help the party. Next time, I'll follow you.
Yeah, sure. Just in case you need to regain your strength and magic and get some rest.
Yes.

　Melissa nodded honestly - I'm sure the support recovery will help, but I'll have her drink the strength recovery potion and then go further back and activate the 'Assist Charge'.

...warm. Arihito's magic is reassuring.
Oh, yeah?　I wonder if there are differences in magic from one person to another.

　Melissa looks back - very unusually, Melissa smiles - and giggles. But it's only for a moment, and she quickly returns to her usual nonchalant manner.

'I'll tell your father I'll put him in to work tomorrow,'

　Melissa leaves the room to go back to the storage room where Ms. Rykerton is. I decide to stay up until she comes back and rests again.

　I don't hear any talking from the bedroom, as some of the members are already asleep. I'm alone with Theresia in the quiet - she notices my gaze and stares back at me.



　Theresa shook her head shakily. Then she turns off the light in the room without me saying a word.

'Goodnight, Theresa.'

　I lie down on the couch and pull the blanket over me. I close my eyes, but the sleepiness doesn't come for a while.

　The scene of the Red Chamber of the Flaming Sky comes into my mind. Theresa attacking the Monkey Prince, and - until she is spellbound.

　Even though I understand the danger of the Marquis de l'Ape, I've been relying on Theresia. I don't know what would have happened if Theresia hadn't betrayed the monkey lords - Alphecca would have been drawn in and we wouldn't have been able to escape.

　This time we will protect them. We will get back everything the Marquis de Saroo has taken from us.

　--I see Theresia, who should have been trying to sleep on the other couch in the dark room, start to move.

　I open my eyes - and when I do, Theresa puts her hand on my chest and looks at me.

'....Can't you sleep?
..........

　I ask her, but she doesn't answer.

　Her hand is touching the buttons of the bodysuit clasp. Maybe it's hard to sleep, then I'd like to make it a little bit easier for her, what I can do to make it easier for her.

''Well yes. Theresia, could you turn your back a little bit, please?
..........

　Theresia turns her back to me. Her magic power, which was reduced by the battle with the Monkey Prince, is still a bit depleted - I'll recover it.

　◆Current Situation ◆

　Aricht activates 'Support Recovery 2' → Target: Theresa
　Aricht uses an Intermediate Mana Potion. Aricht's magic power is restored.
　Theresa's magic power recovers in conjunction with it.

.........

　I used the mana potion, myself, and Teresia will recover.

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

　I don't know if I can fully recover from sleep in a cursed state. I might be able to sleep better in a fully recovered state - I thought.

　Theresa turns and looks at me. It's hard to tell in the dark room, but the lizard's mask seems to be turning red.

　She moves her mouth to say something, but it doesn't make a sound. She urges me to go back to sleep, and then she pulls the blanket over me and pats me gently on the chest with a plop.

　It looks like she's being tucked in - Theresa is trying to reassure me. I'm the one who has to reassure her, but she always saves me.

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

　I thought I was moving away, but Theresa's presence comes even closer.

　I can feel her breath close by. But it's only for a few moments, and then the presence is distant again.

　If only I could exchange a word with her at a time like this. I don't want that to be a dream for some distant day.

　I sleep now to start moving again. To never let each day from tomorrow go to waste.