Since Mirea joined, my mornings have been better.
Somehow, I wake up feeling refreshed.
I think it’s because falling asleep with a comfortable fatigue and sense of weariness is good.
I sleep deeply and wake up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.
When it was just Roxanne and Cery, I didn’t feel tired.
Since Mirea joined and we became three, there’s a pleasant fatigue and sense of fulfillment.
It’s not that I’ve lost my composure.
If necessary, I can still summon a succubus.
I’m a bit surprised by my own stamina.
I kissed Mirea last and then got up.
It’s still a bit awkward, but a firm kiss.
Roxanne’s kisses, which are deep and involve tongue, are good, and Cery’s slow, gentle kisses are also good.
I can enjoy the different flavors of each of them.
I changed clothes and teleported to the twelfth floor of Halbar.
"You should be a bit more used to it after yesterday. Today, Mirea, you can come a bit more to the front and fight. You don’t have to push yourself. Just get used to fighting at a steady pace."
I kept Mirea’s copper spear and moved her to the front.
Ama has also grown to level 10.
Now that she’s in double digits, we can try various things.
The three of us lined up at the front.
Roxanne in the center, Cery on the left, and Mirea on the right.
We stood in this formation to face the monsters.
On the twelfth floor of Halbar, any monster can be defeated with four wind spells.
The battles don’t last long.
Even if Mirea is attacked, we can defeat the monster before she is attacked again.
We hunted a bit to see how it went.
It seemed to be going well.
Mirea wasn’t attacked much.
In the end, the first monster to attack me today was a Grasby.
I was hit by a Grasby’s body slam while using Durandal.
When I use Durandal, the battle becomes chaotic and takes longer, so it can’t be helped.
I’ll use that as an excuse.
The plating on Mirea is always necessary.
The alchemist can’t be removed.
Considering the balance with other skills, I’ve sealed the warrior.
It takes time to defeat a Grasby with four normal attacks without a rush.
Grasby can now be defeated with four swings of Durandal.
It’s probably because Mirea’s Ama level has increased significantly.
Initially, it took five normal attacks to defeat a Grasby, but occasionally it could be done in four, and before I knew it, it became stable at four attacks.
It didn’t become stronger all at once.
It became stronger in stages.
If that’s the case, it’s probably related to Mirea’s Ama level.
One of the effects of Ama is a slight increase in strength.
It seems that the effects of a job apply to party members.
It’s reasonable to think that the slight increase in strength from Ama is definitely affecting me, and the increase is level-dependent.
Even if one member has a lower level, they can still fight if the other party members have high levels.
I also conducted a definitive experiment.
It’s a bit scary, but I switched Mirea’s job to Villager level 5.
I told Mirea to observe, and I defeated the Grasby with five normal attacks.
Indeed, being able to defeat a Grasby with four normal attacks is thanks to Mirea’s Ama.
By the way, when I use Durandal, Roxanne and I are at the front.
Mirea attacks from behind with her spear.
Cery is either at the front or the back depending on the number of monsters.
Comparatively, I spend more time at the front than Mirea.
It can’t be helped that I get attacked by monsters first.
Without considering the person who is always at the front and fights the longest.
Roxanne was also attacked this morning.
Being in the center increases the chances of being attacked.
So, it can’t be helped that I get attacked when I’m in the center and using Durandal.
It can’t be helped.
It’s something I have to endure.
Being attacked...
I was hit by a Neet Ant again.
In retaliation, I used Durandal to defeat it.
When Grasbies, Minos, and Neet Ants appear together, I prioritize defeating the Neet Ants.
Neet Ants have a poison attack and can be defeated with two normal attacks.
So, when fighting Neet Ants, there are still many monsters.
It can’t be helped that I get attacked when there are many.
In a one-on-one fight, I wouldn’t get attacked so easily.
I hope.
While watching the Neet Ant fall, I attacked the Grasby.
The fallen ant turned into smoke and disappeared.
Ah.
When the smoke disappeared, a white card was left behind.
A Monster Card.
Monster Card: Ant
So, it’s an Ant Monster Card.
I confirmed it with a glance and then defeated two Grasbies.
I didn’t get attacked by the Grasbies.
They were busy dealing with Roxanne and didn’t even look at me.
I received the Monster Card from Cery.
"Cery, what skill does the Ant Monster Card give?"
"It gives poison resistance or poison defense when attached to armor, and poison application or poison fangs when attached to a weapon."
"Poison-related. It’s tough because we’re waiting to use the Kobold Monster Card with the Rabbit Monster Card. Maybe I should use it alone."
"I think it’s better to attach it to armor. Poison resistance can prevent you from falling into a poisoned state to some extent. If we get better equipment, we can resell it for a good price."
Attach it to armor.
Since I get attacked the most, it’s better to attach it to my equipment.
I’m the only one who has been poisoned.
"Armor. Maybe I’ll attach it to a leather cap. Or should I buy a hard leather glove?"
"If you’re thinking of reselling, it’s better to attach it to better equipment to maximize the profit."
Is that so?
Actually, I wish Cery had told me this before making the waterproof leather mittens.
I could have fused it with better equipment.
Probably, Cery didn’t have the confidence to succeed back then.
It’s better to attach it to better equipment only if you’re sure it will succeed.
If there’s a chance of failure, it’s better to use equipment that can be remade or is cheap.
Cery is suggesting to attach it to better equipment because she’s gained confidence.
She hasn’t failed once and has succeeded continuously.
I can’t say that gaining confidence is bad.
After finishing the hunt, we went to the adventurer’s guild in Kooltar.
The armor shop isn’t open yet, so we went to the fish shop.
Mirea followed closely by my side.
She was looking at some fish with interest.
Is that fish a good quality?
However, she didn’t do anything more or say anything.
I had already declared that we would have fish for dinner tomorrow.
That should be enough.
This approach works.
"Do you have clams?"
"Of course, we do."
"Give me two."
I talked to the old explorer and received the clams.
They were shelled and already peeled.
When I identified them, it said "clam."
I put them in the item box.
They definitely look like drop items.
They fit nicely into the item box.
But they’re so small.
No, not small, but not large.
"Here you go."
"Can I have two more?"
"Sure."
They’re not as small as shrimps.
Maybe this is the size of clams.
After all, they’re just clams.
We’ll need one per person.
"Thank you. Four clams for 896 nals, with a service charge."
I paid the merchant.
It’s quite expensive.
Considering that vegetables and eggs only cost a few nals, it’s a considerable amount.
Since they’re drop items, it can’t be helped.
If they were cheaper than Kobold Salt, no one would sell them.
While other food items like meat and fish can be divided, a clam that’s one per person is quite expensive.
It’s definitely a special dish for holidays.
"Is that okay?"
As we left the fish shop, Roxanne asked.
"This morning, I’ll make the soup, so please order one or two more dishes."
"Understood."
Roxanne said something to Mirea, and Mirea looked at me with her eyes open.
I can’t trust Roxanne’s translation.
I bought bread and vegetables and went home.
First, I lightly boiled the clams in water with wine.
If they had shells, I would have boiled them until they opened, but since they’re peeled, I don’t know how long to boil them.
If I boil them too long, they’ll get hard, so I’ll just boil them briefly.
I finely chopped the vegetables and ham and sautéed them, and made a white roux.
I cut the clams into four pieces and put them back in the broth, then added the sautéed ham and vegetables and the white roux.
I heated it until just before it boiled, and the clam chowder was ready.
I took the pot off the heat and brought it to the table.
"××××××××××"
"Mirea says it’s her first time eating clams."
So that’s why she was looking at me.
If I only gave myself clams, she’d be upset.
"There’s extra soup, but these are the only clams."
I didn’t do anything mean and put four clams in each bowl.
If the soup was bad, she’d be upset.
I don’t think there are many chances for it to fail, but it should be fine.
A good smell was rising from the soup.
I tried it first to check.
Wow.
It’s delicious.
It’s fine.
The soup has a rich broth from the clams.
The clams themselves have a good texture and a rich flavor.
This is delicious.
It’s worth the price.
Why is it so delicious?
And what’s this smell?
Damn, are you trying to test my taste and smell?
"Master, this is delicious."
"Maybe the best clam I’ve ever had."
"Delicious."
It seems they all liked it.
I should have called the innkeeper.
I want to make it occasionally, but getting used to luxury isn’t good.
It’s a dilemma.
After breakfast, I went to the armor shop alone.
I bought hard leather gloves and a hard leather cap.
There’s also a hard leather headband, but it’s more of a female accessory.
Since Roxanne wasn’t there, I chose quickly.
I went home and gave the hard leather cap and the Ant Monster Card to Cery.
Cery took a deep breath and fused the Monster Card effortlessly.
"Poison-Resistant Hard Leather Cap" (Headgear)
Skill: Poison Defense (Slot available)
"Wow, you did it."
"Good job, Cery."
"Amazing."
Mirea leaned in.
Now that I think about it, this is the first time Mirea has seen a Monster Card fusion since she joined.
"Sure, Cery is great."
"××××××××××"
"These people in the party are all amazing. Mirea will try her best."
Mirea looked at Cery with a convinced expression.
If she’s impressed and tries her best, that’s good.
But in our party, Roxanne is the only one who’s really amazing.
Kagatofu, Male, 17 years old
Explorer Level 37, Hero Level 34, Mage Level 36, Alchemist Level 31, Priest Level 35
Equipment: Himorogi’s Rod, Poison-Resistant Hard Leather Cap, Leather Armor, Hard Leather Gloves, Leather Boots, Life-Saving Bracelet
Roxanne, Female, 16 years old
Beast Warrior Level 26
Equipment: Scimitar, Iron Shield, Leather Cap, Hard Leather Jacket, Leather Gloves, Leather Boots, Life-Saving Bracelet
Cery, Female, 16 years old
Blacksmith Level 24
Equipment: Steel Spear, Leather Cap, Chain Mail, Waterproof Leather Mittens, Leather Boots
Mirea, Female, 15 years old
Ama Level 12
Equipment: Copper Spear, Leather Cap, Chain Mail, Leather Gloves, Leather Boots
After equipping, we entered the twelfth floor of Halbar.
I can’t test the poison defense effect, so we hunted normally.
I can’t intentionally get attacked to test the poison.
That’s too much.
Of course, if any party member gets poisoned, I’m prepared to feed them an antidote pill by mouth.
I’m always ready.
But for some reason, no one else gets attacked when it matters.
Mirea was attacked the next morning.
She was attacked while fighting four Grasbies.
I used the fourth Breeze Storm to defeat the Grasbies.
Then I used the healing spell four times and reapplied the plating.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes."
She seemed to have taken some impact, but she wasn’t pale.
She seems to be fine.
Ama has also grown to level 15.
"Then it’s about time. I’ll give you a wooden shield, so stand at the front with Roxanne. Don’t push yourself at first. Roxanne, please take care of her."
"Understood."
Roxanne translated.
I nodded and gave Mirea the wooden shield and took the copper spear.
Mirea drew a dagger from her waist.
The next place Roxanne led us to had three Grasbies and one Mino.
"Mirea, step back until the monsters come."
I cast the first Breeze Storm and made Mirea step back.
"They’re coming."
Roxanne’s voice rang out, and the Grasbies shot needles.
It’s better to let Roxanne take the ranged attacks.
After Roxanne took the ranged attacks with her shield, I cast the second wind spell.
Then I cast the third Breeze Storm, and Cery and Mirea moved forward.
The Grasbies that used ranged attacks were slower.
A Grasby came in front of Roxanne and Cery, and a Mino came in front of Mirea.
It was a one-on-one match.
Cery thrust her spear into the Grasby.
Roxanne slashed with her scimitar, and Mirea swung her dagger.
Mirea deflected the Mino’s charge with her wooden shield.
I cast the fourth Breeze Storm.
The bee fell, and the cow was defeated.
Mirea seems to be able to fight at the front.
It should be fine as long as she gets used to it.