CH 153

Acting Solo

I promised to participate in the Academy Martial Arts Tournament this October.

After I win, I will have to fight the Hero Helmios and defeat him to get the Mana Recovery Ring.

I don’t like to flaunt my power for no reason.

However, I do not choose the means to achieve the end.

I have no qualms with beating up the Hero in front of the Royalty and guests of various countries to get the Ring. Don’t regret it, Hero.

“That’s why I’ve decided to participate in the Academy Martial Arts Tournament in two months.”

“Well, that’s just like you, Allen. What are you going to do? Can you beat the Hero?”

Cecile seemed to be somewhat convinced that I was entering the tournament because I could get the Ring. But my opponent is the World’s strongest, the Hero Helmios, who is said to be the hope of mankind.

The appearance of the Hero changed the situation of the war against the Demon King’s army.

She looked at me with a look that said, “It’s impossible even for you.”

“Maybe I can’t defeat him as I am now. So I am thinking of acting solo for my summer vacation starting next month.”

“”Acting solo?””

I want to make sure that I can defeat the Heroes and get the Mana Recovery Ring. The tournament is only two months away. I want to raise my chances as much as I can.

“So, I’m going to collect magic stones not only in the Academy City, but all over the Kingdom. And I’m also planning to look for valuable items that are traded throughout the Kingdom.”

I want to raise my <Summon> to Level 7 during the summer vacation. To do that, I need a lot of magic stones.

I need D-rank magic stones to produce [Mana Seed]s for infinite mana and to gain skill experience.

I collect 50,000 D-rank magic stones per month, which is the limit in the Academy City.

At this rate, it will be next year before I can get my <Summon> to Level 7.

However, there are several cities in the Kingdom that are as big as Academy City. I’ll take a Magic Ship around the Kingdom and request magic stones at the Adventurer’s Guild of each city.

While the magic stone is being collected, I will go to the next city and request for the same thing. And while those magic stones are being collected, I will go to the next city again.

Then, when I have finished requesting them and the collection time comes, I will return to all the cities I requested to collect the magic stones and repeat the process.

In this way, I will move around the Kingdom with the Magic Ship and collect as many magic stones as I can.

I don’t mind if the price of the magic stone goes up a little. I have 28,000 Gold coins saved up.

(I’ll buy E and C-rank magic stones as well while I’m at it. I don’t know when I’ll do this again. I’m aiming for a million magic stones for every rank.)

Since I have plenty of funds this time, I am thinking of purchasing magic stones instead of exchanging them. When I go to the battlefield where it is said that there are only B-rank or higher magical beasts, it will be difficult to collect not only D-rank but also E and C rank magic stones.

Naturally, if there are any valuable items while I am visiting that city, I will get them.

I’d also like to search the entire Kingdom for Orichcalcum weapons, but that may be too difficult. I will, however, take the opportunity to get a Ring that will increase my status by over 500.

“So, Master Allen, what are we going to do?”

I will go on a Kingdom tour, so Sophie asks what she and the others are going to do while I am gone.

“There are two options that you guys can choose. I want everyone to decide which one they prefer.”

The first option is to go outside of the Academy City as planned. The three new members of the party who have only conquered one A-class dungeon, so they can conquer the last A-class dungeon outside of the Academy City together.

The second option is for everyone to help the three newcomers conquer the remaining three A-class dungeons in the Academy City. Perhaps they can conquer three of them during the summer vacation.

Regardless of which option they choose, I plan to provide them with my summons’ support. I will aim for the intervals between flights on the Magic Ship schedule and will replenish the summons even if they are killed. The only one who will be gone is me.

“I see. Isn’t it fine if we go with the first option? We can conquer the dungeons in the Academy City at any time we want but we won’t be able to conquer the last dungeon if we miss this summer vacation, at least not until the spring break. “

Dogora said that they should try to conquer the last A-class dungeon outside of the Academy City, as we had planned before. Everyone seemed to agree with him. The summer vacation is the only time we can go to the A-class dungeons outside of the Academy City after all.

“I understand wanting to conquer the fifth and final dungeon. However, Master Allen, what do you think about what that Hero Helmios said? Are you still aiming for the S-class dungeon?”

Sophie asked me what I thought about the disturbing things that Helmios had said in our conversation. Helmios said something like, even if our party doesn’t get wiped out, there will be deaths and we will have to give up.

They all looked at me because they didn’t know what to do.

(Perhaps it’s not a coincidence that the Hero approached us at this time. Because at our current pace, we’ll conquer our 5th A-class dungeon by the end of summer vacation. And we would most probably enter the S-class dungeon too. Well, I don’t know where the S-class dungeon is, but…)

Helmios came to the Academy this year to see my strength. Since I would still be at the Academy next year, he could have invited me to the tournament next year. However, it would make sense if he had asked me to participate in the tournament as a way of telling me how tough the S-class dungeon is so that I would not enter it right away.

“For now, we’ll conquer the 5th A-class dungeon. And I think you three should also conquer the remaining 3 A-class dungeons in the Academy City. We will decide what to do then.”

We don’t have to decide now what we will do because by that time, my <Summon> will already be Level 7.

“Yes. I think that’s a good idea. But what about you, Allen? You’ll be the only one with still one dungeon left to conquer.”

Cecile seems to agree with me.

“‘Oh, that’s no problem either. I’ll follow you guys when I find the time.”

I said I would create a map with summons that would accompany everyone, and use the awakening skill of C-rank Bird Fran, [Sprint], to quickly catch up.

“I see. The location should be the fortress city of Feldra, right?”

Kiel asked if there were any changes regarding the city outside of the Academy City that we had discussed to go beforehand.

“‘Oh, we won’t need to make any changes there. You’re taking Nina and the others with you, right?”

The fortress city of Feldra is a key point in the north of the Kingdom, built for the Empire, and has several dungeons, including an A-class dungeon, and the city has a good population, though not as large as the Academy City. The Adventurer’s Guild there should be able to collect magic stones, so I don’t see any problems.

There are 18 of us in this base, but only 8 of us raid the dungeons. We talk about what to do with the 10 people who do things around the base.

“Hmm, take them if possible.”

“Then let’s take them. I have enough money for that. It’s easier for me to protect my base with summons than to split up.”

It costs one Gold coin just for transportation, and it also costs money to get a reasonable place to live besides this base.

I’ve saved a sixth of the money I earned in the dungeon as living expenses and wages for everyone, which is almost 2000 Gold coins.

In addition, three of the new students have caught up on their rounds of the bottom floor boss of the A-class dungeon, so there are now eight divisions of the reward. So, I changed my living expenses to one ninth. This is still more than enough money for living expenses.

Merle is happy that she can make so much money that she can send money back to her parents. Merle’s parents don’t seem to be very wealthy.

“Well, that’s about it.”

“There’s more! Yes, yes!”

(Hmm?)

“So, Miss Kurena. What is it?” {Allen calls her Kurena-kun here.}

Kurena raised her hand as she normally does in the classroom. I try to keep up with Kurena’s way of talking, so I imitate my homeroom teacher and call her.

“I’m going to defeat the Hero and give the Mana Recovery Ring to teacher Allen!”

Kurena said with a determined look on her face.

(Oh! So, she finally figured it out.)

Without mentioning Kurena at all, everyone was thinking I would win the tournament by beating Kurena in the Final match, and then fight Helmios. We talked about how Kurena would lose to me in the Final match, finish second, and get revenge for her last year’s loss to Master Swordsman Doberg.

That’s where Kurena seemed to notice.

“Well, that’s only if you can beat your teacher, Kurena!”

“Of course I’ll win. I haven’t won since we split up in the village! You definitely have to fight me seriously!”

Since the day Allen left Kurena Village to become a manservant in the Granveller Family, he hasn’t played Knights or fought with Kurena in a proper way.

Kurena, who remains defeated, declared war against Allen. There was another battle Allen had to win that everyone forgot about.