Tears welled up in Amelia's eyes, but she quickly let them mix with the seawater and flow away.
Instead, she revealed a faint enthusiasm on her pale face.
[Really, he... looks like that?]
âYes! Banya, what do you think?â
Before she knew it, Banya had flown over and perched on the head of Heumi, answering.
Amelia was at a loss with the two young beings in front of her.
It was a strange feeling.
The fact that there were people who acknowledged her made her feel more secure.
[This... feeling, it's my first time...]
Amelia lowered her head slightly, as if embarrassed.
Still, a faint smile lingered on her lips.
Seeing this scene, Rune rubbed his chin with his forepaw.
âThings are going better than expected.â
Heumi seemed to really like Amelia, now even cooing and acting affectionate, calling her "Onee-chan, Onee-chan!"
Banya also joined in, chirping and adding to the excitement.
In the end, Amelia firmly gripped her spear, "Mel."
Hmm, watching them, Rune reviewed his plan.
âChristina will be out for at least three days starting tomorrow. I need to make my move within that time.â
Of course, he would leave Rye behind, but he had a way to deal with that.
It was time to use the <Curse Tool Making Kit> he had bought from the black market.
âThere was a recipe that could be useful for this plan.â
Rune felt a surge of anticipation at the thought of using the curse tools he had experimented with.
Feeling the four pairs of eyes on him, Rune continued as if nothing was wrong.
[Good. I'll tell you about the combat style now.]
âWe need to gain experience, but thereâs something specific I need to confirm with this lesson.â
This lesson was necessary to add confidence to Rune's plan.
[When I dispel the darkness in the field, Heumi, you... use your âFriendship Powerâ on the marine monsters who canât pull themselves together.]
âHuh? So everyone will become Heumi's friend?â
Heumi's transparent pink eyes blinked.
[It would be nice if they did, but theyâll refuse.]
âHiiing. Heumi likes making friends.â
Ignoring Heumi's disappointment, even though she hadnât tried yet, Rune continued his explanation.
[Not all creatures want friends, so donât be too disappointed. Some prefer living alone. And Amelia.]
Amelia, suddenly called by name, looked at Rune with surprised eyes.
[How much can you use âPurificationâ?]
[Uh, well... usually I use it to purify the darkness inside me... about 30%...]
Hearing the increasingly uncertain answer, Rune nodded.
[That should be enough. Purify the ones who are drawn to Heumi.]
[Uh-huh. If, if thatâs the case...]
âA positive response. It seems her newfound confidence is working well.â
Amelia was quite adept at handling her spear and had consistently practiced breathing techniques before training.
Thanks to this, she was doing well in drawing out the power of darkness.
To Amelia, who had been facing the dark knight Dura, a monster driven by madness was no match.
âIn a 1-on-1, she wonât lose to just a field marine monster. The primary goal is to have her learn how to fight in sync with Heumi against a mad monster.â
[If purification doesnât work, youâll have to hunt them.]
Hearing the word âhunt,â Ameliaâs shoulders slightly tensed.
It was a natural reaction, as she had never taken a life before.
[Do you have the confidence not to hesitate?]
Amelia looked at him for a moment, then nodded and gripped her spear tightly.
[Uh, yes! I... Iâm a dragon!]
âWeâll have to see if that resolve translates well into actual combat.â
Swallowing his next words, Rune looked at Dura.
[You act on your own judgment. Your basic role is reconnaissance.]
Dura pounded his chest with his gauntlet.
He didnât need a designated role for attack or defense.
He was a warrior capable of handling a hundred men and could move on his own according to the battlefield situation.
âFor the first practical training, Iâll check Ameliaâs response ability while purifying the surrounding monsters and the field.â
Following Runeâs instructions, the group ventured into the deep sea.
A huge electric eel monster unleashed a powerful electric shock in all directions.
Thanks to Runeâs instructions, the group had anticipated the electric wave and prepared.
They were already watching the eel from a distance where the electricity wouldnât reach.
Rune had given them strategies to deal with monsters based on Christinaâs inherited knowledge, experience, and observations.
[Well done. When the electricity weakens, calmly move in!]
Banya chirped lightly from atop Runeâs head.
After the electric wave passed, Dura stepped forward again to face the writhing eel.
The black-armored knightâs single step caused the ground to shake as if an earthquake had struck.
With a cold green light in his eyes, Dura grabbed the middle of the eelâs massive body with both hands.
The electric eel thrashed wildly, spewing electricity.
At that moment, Dura exerted his immense strength and pressed the eelâs body to the ground.
Sand swirled in the water, despite being underwater.
The eel, suffering intense pain, revealed a sharp hatred in its eyes and howled.
Then, Amelia stepped forward with her spear raised, ready to purify the eel.
[Iâll, Iâll purify it!]
Amelia gripped her spear and activated the âPurificationâ command.
Darkness began to swirl and flow out of the eelâs mouth.
The eel, now bathed in the purification command, blinked its now clear eyes.
When it met Duraâs gaze, it trembled with fear.
The eel started to flee with all its might.
Dura let the eel go without stopping it.
Rune, who had successfully absorbed the darkness spat out by the eel, was generally satisfied with the progress.
âGood. Now, even if the mad monsters attack, everyone is quite composed.â
At first, there were mistakes.
Ameliaâs attention was drawn to a wildly rampaging monster, and she missed the timing to use âPurification.â
A giant crab monster, which had resisted Heumiâs charm and glared, attacked the group.
Just as its claw was about to strike the small fox demon, the monster was killed by Dura, who crushed its shell.
âI thought she might panic, but surprisingly, sheâs doing better.â
Amelia clenched her spear tightly and gritted her teeth.
Her face showed surprise and guilt.
She had a fleeting thought of the worst-case scenario that could have happened if she hadnât acted.
âShe must have realized that hesitation can lead to her teammates getting hurt or, conversely, the marine monsters dying.â
After that, the girl was facing the monstersâ madness head-on.
This was also as Rune had expected.
âStill, Iâm pleasantly surprised. I thought she might cry.â
She was a timid and gentle girl.
However, because of her gentle heart, she chose to face the challenge rather than cry.
She didnât want to disappoint the trust she had just earned from her companions and wished for no one to get hurt.
Rune added his own speculation.
âIs it because she experienced being alone for too long?â
Monsters consumed by madness.
To the girl who retained her purity, they were the most bizarre creatures.
Since they all had a madness, if she couldnât purify them, they would attack with red eyes.
If she made a mistake, someone in the group would get hurt or suffer serious injuries.
Amelia had no choice but to put in her full effort, unable to take it lightly.
âBecause she fears being alone and seeing someone get hurt due to her mistake.â
Rune grabbed a mad shrimp that passed by and absorbed the darkness.
âItâs paradoxical, but because she doesnât want to face a fearful outcome, sheâs determined to endure. The visible results are a bonus.â
No one would dislike visible results.
After just two or three hours of hunting, Ameliaâs âPurificationâ skills had noticeably improved.
âMoreover, Heumi is handling her power better than expected.â
Until recently, Heumiâs âCharmâ had been almost unused due to Runeâs caution.
Naturally, it hadnât grown and remained at a beginner level.
âSince itâs a mental ability, it canât be used recklessly, but I need to maximize its growth during this opportunity.â
Once Rune and the group left the deep sea through the mana pathway, the charmed monsters wouldnât be able to follow Heumi.
âThe side effect... would be a mad infatuation, perhaps?â
The combination of madness and infatuation gave Rune a sense of danger, and he frowned.
Feeling a strange unease, Rune watched Heumi dealing with the marine monsters.
It was a flounder that had been charmed but was still consumed by madness.
As the flounder, gasping for breath, glared and lunged at Heumi, her eyes narrowed sharply.
âWhy are you glaring like that? Youâre getting scolded by Heumi!â
â...Whatâs with that sound of a hand strike?â
One chop with her hand, and the flounder was knocked out cold!
It was a one-hit knockout.
Heumi huffed and moved on to the next target.
Seeing this, Rune shook his head.
âThat kid... my worries were unnecessary.â
A âMad Stingrayâ was also lying unconscious on its side, not far away.
[Ah, ah...! Heumi! S, slow down a bit...!]
Amelia called out to Heumi and diligently purified the giant stingray and flounder.
After a few attempts, the creatures regained their senses.
Unfortunately, the âMadnessâ debuff made the purification much harder.
For a regular monster, whether it was charm or purification, the growth would be minimal.
However, the targetâs level was quite high due to the madness.
âThe more difficult the target, the more noticeable the growth when successful.â
Moreover, Heumi occasionally looked back to ensure she didnât stray too far from Amelia.
It meant she was adjusting her strength for Ameliaâs sake.
âEven Ferdikion left Heumi to fight alone rather than learn teamwork.â
Seeing Heumi naturally learning how to fight alongside her teammates, Rune was satisfied.
âNo problem. Things are going smoothly.â
Amelia had been worried, but the fact that she could use 30% of her power wasnât really an issue.
Right now, what was needed wasnât immense power.
It was important to try purifying as many different external life forms as possible with a small amount of power.
âIf you can handle small tasks well, you can handle big ones too.â