“You want to join us? How come?”
On a hot summer day, a troubled Mio contacted her. Chisato met up with her, feeling concerned, and the first thing Mio did was ask if they were recruiting.
“I registered with the seeker association the other day, but there was a problem with the skill I got…”
According to Mio, she got swept up in the conversation from the other day, joined a seeker circle in her university, and went to the dungeon right away to get her skill.
There was a tradition in this seeker circle. They would always reveal their skills to the others.
The changes in the law meant many people joined the circle, so she did not announce her skill on the day she got it. But there was a rumbling when she did the next day.
“…You have Healing Magic?”
“…Yes.”
The skill Chisato wanted, but changed her mind when she learned how its users were treated.
Healing Magic was a skill that came with fear of being targeted by managers of large companies, politicians and others positioned in the upper classes, and organized crime.
Everyone wanted the ability to treat their health issues, especially ones positioned high in society.
And criminals were after the money it could bring.
It would be one thing if she could protect herself. Even ones whose occupation was violence would refrain from messing with a pro seeker that passed the thirtieth floor.
But that was not Mio’s case. She was a regular person who just registered.
They could force her into anything.
She was told she could form a contract with a company, but unfortunately, that would not work.
Even if they did protect her, that would mean using Healing Magic non stop. Worst case scenario, she would be made to live in the home of the company president to use magic at all times.
Mio still treasured her freedom, so that could not be.
This was why people with the Healing Magic skill told no one outside of their parties. Had Mio known this, she would have pretended to have a harmless skill, but she announced it in front of a lot of people before she learned that.
Chisato never imagined her friend would get that skill, so she never warned her.
That was how rare this precious skill was.
Mio had three choices to protect herself.
First, as stated before, become stronger.
Second, join a pro seeker party that had passed the thirtieth floor.
Third, find a contract that suited her needs.
Mio chose the second.
Getting stronger would take time, and she had no connections to find a contract. And so, she asked Chisato, who said she would tackle the thirtieth floor soon.
“Okay, I’ll talk to the others.”
Chisato took action to save her friend.
◇ ◇ ◇
“I understand, but that would be hard right now.
She spoke to the leader of the party, Toufu, and her brother Hajime before talking with the others, but the response was not too positive.
“Why? Even someone with a low level should be helpful with Healing Magic.”
“The problem isn’t…”
“Mio.”
“Yes, Mio. It’s us. We’ll cross the thirtieth floor eventually, but not now. Being with us won’t be much of a barrier. We need to at least pass the thirtieth floor, or it will be meaningless.”
Also, they did not want someone holding them back when they faced the boss on the thirtieth floor. This went unsaid, but even with Healing Magic, being weak would put her and everyone else in danger. As the leader of the party, Toufu could not ignore that.
“Chisato, tell this Mio to wait. Joining us won’t do her any good.”
Hajime understood how Toufu felt and admonished Chisato, but she did not look convinced.
“Can’t she join in name only? I’m going to quit after this year, so you should be looking for a replacement now.”
“But who will look after her? With you and Naito, your big brothers did that, but we can’t have someone be tied up with that just before the thirtieth floor.”
“I’ll do it.”
“No way! It’s too early for you, your level, and your skill!”
“Calm down, Hajime. And don’t get worked up, Chisato. I’m not against Mio joining, Healing Magic is a much welcome addition. Just wait. We have to pass the thirtieth floor to become a party that suits her.”
Right? Asked Toufu, and Chisato reluctantly nodded.
◇ ◇ ◇
When Chisato told Mio, she said she would wait.
She got people in the circle to not talk about it, so it had not spread yet, but it was only a matter of time.
Chisato walked through a shopping mall with this anguished feeling.
She was frustrated over not being able to help her friend, over not having skills suited for battle, over not having reached the thirtieth floor yet.
Their exploration was going well. They had reached the twenty-ninth floor, and were looking for the staircase to the thirtieth.
It was said it took on average five years to reach the thirtieth floor.
Toufu and the others had been at it for four, and Chisato was on her second. The fact that they were almost at the thirtieth floor was proof that they were quality seekers.
Chisato knew this as well, but she still wondered if she could strengthen their equipment, if there were things she could do.
◇ ◇ ◇
“…I think this is nice.”
Then, she found a white armor in a weapons store.
“Hum, that armor doesn’t have a price tag. How much is it?”
She asked the middle aged man who owned the store.
He raised his head from his newspaper, and looked at her as if wondering what she was on about.
“That armor in the front with the longsword.”
“Ah, that. Sorry, but that’s not for sale, it’s for display only. I’ll sell you the sword though. How about it?”
“No, I don’t need the sword, I want the armor. Is it another memento?”
“No, its owner is alive. You can negotiate with him if you want it.”
She nodded, and waited for him to show up.
She checked how much money the party had. The bankbook said ten million yen, but she knew that was camouflage. Hajime was wary of her, so he split the account in two.
She checked the main one, and it showed twenty million.
Chisato did not know if that would be enough, but that armor was worth at least negotiating.
And then, its owner showed up. He did not have the body of a seeker. He was young and fat.
Was it a mistake? Was that really the one who used the armor?
Was he a rich guy wearing it for fun?
Questions emerged in her head, but apparently he really was the owner.
The owner introduced them, but she remained suspicious.
“Hum, are you the owner of that armor?”
“Yes, what of it?”
“I definitely want it. How much do you want for it?”
“Hou, you know the value of that armor… How much are you willing to pay?”
“Twenty million yen.”
“No way, I’m taking it.”
“Wait! Thirty! I can go as far as thirty million!”
That’s a hundred million yen item. I won’t part ways with it for at least that much.”
“A hundred million! That much…”
She did not expect that high price.
It had high magic resistance and the special reflect effect, but a hundred million was a lot.
As the man left, he had a look on his face that was like he was making fun of her for being poor, which pissed her off.
It was purely a persecution complex, but she thought he was looking down on her for being younger, and wanted to say something in return.
This combined with the anguish she was feeling meant she was venting it out on someone else, but still, she could not stop.
She saw the owner of the armor put it on, and spoke.
“It doesn’t suit you. It’s pearls before swine.”
The man looked surprised, but said nothing.
He decided Chisato was not worth engaging… No, it was simply that others agreed.
There were too many people to argue with, so he could do nothing.
Upon seeing this, Chisato regretted what she said. It was not a good thing to say to a stranger, especially when she was the one who approached him.
It was a terrible thing to do.
She decided to apologize if they met again.
That was the idea anyway, but she lost the motivation to do so.
“Hey, I’m the pearls before swine guy.”
They were on their first day of an exploration to the thirtieth floor, when they reached the river where they would camp. But she saw the man from yesterday there, naked and holding a battleaxe.
She was unsure of who he was at first, but soon realized it when he put on the armor.
She could say nothing. When the man noticed Chisato, he approached her with the grin of a child who saw something funny.
“Who are you? We’ve never met.”
She turned away and pretended she did not know him, but he looked at her and smiled even wider.
“Eh? You don’t remember? You tried to buy my armor for thirty thousand yen.”
“Hey! Don’t say that!”
“Eh? Why are you flustered? Are you feeling guilty about something?”
She got flustered and denied it, but that just made it look even more truthful. People around her stared daggers and her brother Hajime tapped her shoulder with a nice smile.”
“Let’s talk over there.”
“Why couldn’t you keep your mouth shut!?”
She did not expect it to come out like this.
Her brother’s eyes were not smiling, and he looked scary. The others also looked mad.
A long scolding awaited her.
Join my patreon to support me and read ahead.
Party is beyond dead, theyre already buried in death flags