Chapter 234: The Newly Revealed
As a light sensation of floating enveloped me, my vision gradually returned. At the same time, I could hear a murmur in the air. Trusting my blurred sight was not an option, so I expanded my Presence Detection to its fullest—apparently, we were surrounded.
“W-We did it…”
A voice of relief echoed from somewhere. Now that I think about it, the goddess mentioned something about forcibly activating the Summoning Array. For now, I decided I would go to the church that worships her and voice my complaints.
It seems everyone except El is here. I’m glad we haven’t gotten separated. I doubt they would attack us right after summoning us, but just in case, I should set up a Spatial Isolation Barrier.
“Thank you for responding to my call.”
—No one is responding, though.
“Is everyone alright? Any abnormalities?”
I checked on my companions through Telepathic Communication while mentally retorting.
“I’m fine.”
“I am too.”
“I’m all good!”
“Woof!”
I glanced around at my friends, confirming their safety visually as well. For now, it seemed there were no issues. We had been summoned, and suddenly a being resembling a god appeared, leading us to this point without any understanding of what was happening.
Just to be safe, I decided to appraise the situation, and Rio reacted slightly.
“Oh, sorry. I just appraised you, Rio.”
“Is that so? You surprised me; I thought something had happened.”
“Haha, my bad. But it seems you’re not in any abnormal state.”
“That’s a relief to hear.”
“Alright, I’ll appraise the others too—”
As I continued with the appraisals, Rio’s voice called out to me, her gaze fixed ahead.
“Did something happen?”
In my regained vision, I saw a giant standing before us, sporting two horns on its forehead and four muscular arms. It towered over Ivan, who I had recognized as a Big Man, making him seem small in comparison. This giant was nearly three meters tall, with a deeply chiseled and intimidating face that exuded an aura of intimidation.
It appeared we were standing in the center of a Magic Circle, surrounded by these three-meter-tall giants. They were likely positioned to restrain us should we attempt to resist. In any case, being surrounded like this certainly didn’t feel welcoming.
The place resembled a large hall with only one entrance. The walls were made of stone, and there were no windows, making it impossible to see outside.
“I understand this sudden situation may be shocking, but please remain calm. I assure you, we have no intention of harming you.”
The giant before us conveyed its lack of malice, yet the appraisal results contradicted its words.
“What’s going on? If something happened, you should tell us, Shu. I’m really curious.”
“Big brother…?”
“…I’ll tell you if you don’t slip up, but how about it?”
It would be best if they didn’t notice that we had caught on to something. On the surface, they seemed friendly, and they hadn’t made any aggressive moves yet.
“…If that’s the case, I’ll ask later.”
“Sure.”
For some reason, Ivan was the only one with the status of ‘Subjugation.’ I could guess it was because Rio and I had Subjugation Resistance, but I wondered why Phonia and Nil didn’t have it. Perhaps it was because Ivan was my tamed monster? Well, at least it was fortunate that I only needed to keep an eye on Ivan.
The charm had worn off with a light poke, but how would we break this subjugation? It’s not like he was wearing a collar or anything…
In any case, it was safe to assume these beings were our enemies.
…Oh, right.
“Hey, Ivan. They’re talking to you, so you should respond.”
“Eh!?”
I pulled Rio behind me and pushed Ivan, the most physically imposing Beastman among us, forward.
“Why me!?”
Ivan was bewildered, but looking back at our past encounters, it was clear that he was perceived as the leader among us.
“You can respond however you like; it doesn’t have to be formal. Even if they try to pin us down with words, we have no obligation to keep any promises.”
“Huh!? I won’t be responsible for what happens!”
Ivan panicked, while Rio stifled a laugh, shaking her shoulders. For now, I wanted the ones who summoned us to believe that Ivan was the leader. This might give us some insight into how much control they had over him.
“Go for it, Ivan-nii!”
With Phonia’s encouraging shout, Ivan seemed to resign himself and stepped forward, opening his mouth.
“Uh, um, by the way, where exactly is this place, and who are you?”
His tone was as casual as ever. Perhaps he was trying to maintain a natural demeanor.
“Oh, I apologize for not introducing myself sooner.”
The giant with red-black skin, adorned in a luxurious military uniform, straightened his posture and bowed gracefully.
“I am Aldarion Galimjanov, the leader of the Steinfluss Demon Nation’s Mage Corps. And over there is His Highness, the Second Prince, Orzbek von Steinfluss.”
He gestured toward the most extravagantly dressed giant lounging in the back. From the aura I sensed, he seemed to be the weakest among them. I decided to appraise him.
＝＝＝＝＝
Name: Orzbek von Steinfluss
Race: Majin Tribe
Occupation: General
Status: Normal
Status: HP 12532
MP 6421
Strength 7433 (7533)
Vitality 7611 (7791)
Agility 5342
Dexterity 4532
Mental Strength 6432
Magic Power 5674
Luck 56
Skills:
Swordsmanship, Shield Techniques, Command, Leadership
Strength Enhancement, Vitality Enhancement
＝＝＝＝＝
Hmm. So the Majin Tribe is a race, huh? I guess that means they’re a species with horns and four arms. His occupation as a general is interesting…
Moreover, I could now see things that had previously eluded me. What’s with the parentheses behind the stats?
And… Skills, here we go!