Ax’s Worst Day ⓪
With the ‘Great O’Browns’ event fast approaching, I’m scheduled to head to the venue the day after tomorrow.
My daily training is going exceptionally well.
Lately, I’ve been increasing the difficulty by adding more [ Evil Eye ] projections.
After finishing that up, I was planning to take it easy today, but then…
Arc Lab.
“The moment I saw it, I was too stunned to speak. The star Mineha conjured with her Spear… It was so fantastical, so overwhelming,” Lupinus-san told us dreamily.
Her flushed cheeks made her look like a maiden in love.
“So, in short, you want something like that,” Hayyarn stated.
“Yes, essentially, that is correct,” Lupinus-san replied firmly to Hayyarn, who sat in his custom chair.
It was a retro, stylish chair, large enough even for the rabbit-like Hayyarn to sit comfortably. It resembled those tall, round-cushioned chairs with backrests you’d find in old cafes. Combined with his white lab coat, it created quite an impression.
Setting that aside, back to Lupinus-san.
I wondered what was wrong when she visited my house alone, looking quite troubled, which was very unusual for her.
But I understood. Torquetum is a good party with well-defined roles.
If I had to point out one thing, it would be their weak Main Tank.
I don’t know the specifics, but based on my memories from my past life…
A Main Tank, the shield bearer, isn’t just about protecting allies.
Their true essence is being a decoy.
They draw all the enemy’s attacks, creating chances and openings for their allies to strike.
Hence, they are the shield, and they must be sturdy.
What Lupinus-san’s Main Tank role lacks is that decoy aspect.
Without a means to focus enemy attacks on herself, she’s merely defending.
That was sufficient against small fry.
However, against large monsters or formidable foes, it wouldn’t work.
So, she needs to become a decoy. If only there was a way to draw all enemy attacks to herself…
“Therefore, I desire offensive power as well!”
“That’s not it!” I couldn’t help but shout. Lupinus-san and Hayyarn looked surprised.
Lupinus-san narrowed her eyes.
“What do you mean?”
I explained the role of a Main Tank, the main shield.
Lupinus-san looked as if scales had fallen from her eyes, her hand covering her mouth.
She was trembling slightly.
Hayyarn had started operating a panel midway through my explanation.
Searching the database, perhaps? When I finished speaking, stars lit up in Lupinus-san’s eyes.
They were sparkling. And burning with passion.
“I… I shall become a Main Tank! Woff-san’s words… they truly capture the heart of the Load Denton family! To think I spoke of offensive power… How foolish I was…”
“Well, there are roles like Battle Tank or Guard Attacker too,” I added.
There are ways to attack while maintaining a solid defense.
If I recall, the Witch mentioned a Tier I Seeker called the ‘Human Fortress’ who was a Battle Tank.
Though, ‘Battle Tank’ just means tank, doesn’t it?
“A Main Tank… You are quite knowledgeable, aren’t you?”
“Wof can be strangely knowledgeable about odd things sometimes,” Hayyarn commented.
“As expected of the Witch’s disciple.”
“Hahaha… So, Hayyarn. Did you find anything?”
“No OOPArts, but I found something close. It’s a Legendary item, though.”
“Ah, a Decoy?”
“A Decoy?” Lupinus-san asked.
“Instead of a person being the decoy, an object takes on that role,” I explained.
“Oh, such things exist as well.”
“Oh? This isn’t an OOPArts either, but I found a tactic that’s quite similar,” Hayyarn said.
“What is it?”
“It’s just as Wof described, a plan document for creating soldiers specialized in that role. It was scrapped fairly early on, but it contains an interesting proposal: using the provocation techniques employed by monsters as a Relic to lure enemies.”
“Could it be [ Roar ] or [ War Cry ]?”
Those are the classic provocation skills.
“No, it’s [ Stamp ].”
“Ah.”
“What is that?”
“It’s provoking enemies by stomping or making noise.”
“I see, that exists too.”
“Hmm. Shouting, huh? The principle is the same. Provoke and gather them with sound… Hmmm. Unfortunately, there are no effective provocation-type Relics in the database. Alright. Let’s make one.”
I figured it would come to this.
“Make one? A Relic?” Lupinus-san asked.
“Something like this, I can create. Though I’ll need materials.”
That wasn’t exactly normal, but if he could make it, that was fine.
“…”
Lupinus-san turned to me with a look bordering on bewilderment.
All I could do was offer a wry smile.
“Incidentally, I found something interesting in the database just now. Let’s also boost the defensive power of Lady Lupinus’s shield. As it is now, there’s a risk it might not hold up.”
“I would be most grateful,” Lupinus-san replied.
“However, both items require materials. You’ll have to gather them yourself.”
“Naturally. Regarding the provocation Relic, I have a request.”
“What is it?” I asked.
“What?” Hayyarn echoed.
“Shouting. Please make it a Roar. I happen to be quite confident in my vocal volume,” Lupinus-san said with a bright smile.
Hayyarn and I exchanged glances at this unexpected request.
Suddenly, thinking about shields, an idea popped into my head.
“You two. How about something like this?”
My idea determined the shape of Lupinus-san’s new shield.
Hayyarn listed the necessary materials.
“Monster voice samples…”
“It’s for the Roar type, after all,” Hayyarn explained.
“That makes sense, but…”
“We can procure these various ores, but… what is this?” Lupinus-san asked, pointing to one item.
“That’s the core component of the shield this time,” Hayyarn said.
“Water Green Crystal…?”
What was that? A power crystal that glows blue-green?
“I… I have never heard of it,” Lupinus-san admitted.
“Incidentally, I don’t know where it is either,” Hayyarn added.
“Shall I ask the Witch?” I suggested.
That was our only option.
“Please do. Regarding the monster voice samples, how should I go about collecting those?”
“I’ll create a recording device for that right now.”
“Of course you will.”
“Recording… device?”
Hayyarn operated his panel.
What materialized was a square box.
After receiving instructions on how to use it, we decided to test it.
Lupinus-san. Me. Hayyarn. We recorded our voices.
When Lupinus-san’s voice played back, she kept repeating, “How embarrassing!”
She covered her bright red face with her hands, shaking her head. Cute.
We listened to my voice and Hayyarn’s as well, confirming it worked properly.
Her ears still red, Lupinus-san thanked us and departed.
The monster roar samples would be collected by ‘Torquetum’ as a party.
If anything came up, she would ask for my help.
I was tasked with asking the Witch about the other material.
Well, any real action would have to wait until after the ‘Great O’Browns’ was over.
Ms. Pachira had also been designated as a Tsukaeshi, after all.
The day after tomorrow, huh?
Our hideout, the ‘Fang of Thunder’s, is a defunct inn.
It’s a small, two-story building, with the first floor serving as the entrance and dining area.
At one of the dining tables sat an unusual guest.
Mineha. She was sitting in her larger form.
“A letter, huh?”
“Yeah,”
Sitting opposite her was our ‘Fang of Thunder’ leader, Ax.
Neither of them looked happy. Understandably so.
A letter had suddenly arrived from someone they hadn’t heard from in months.
It was from Ax’s mother and Mineha’s master.
I’ve never met her, but I believe she’s Emi, a Tier II Seeker.
“So, what did the letter say?”
“Says she’s coming here.”
“It said she’s coming.”
“To Hydrangea?”
I took an empty seat.
Hoss was cooking in the kitchen.
“Seems like it, but it’s so sudden, Master.”
“Yeah, it is.”
“Definitely.”
“We sent so many letters, but never got a reply.”
“Yeah…”
“Though I guess that’s just like Master.”
“Yeah…”
“Hey, how long has it been since you last saw Master?” Mineha asked, skillfully twirling the letter between her fingers.
“Years for me,” Ax replied.
“Oh, right, that’s true. For me, it’s been… how many months, I wonder?”
“Ax’s mother is an Elf, right?” I asked.
“Yeah, an Elf.”
“I never asked for details, but what kind of person is she?”
“What kind? Well, she looks quite cute. Personality-wise, she can be bold and strict, but she’s also mischievous and surprisingly timid,” Mineha described.
“Putting aside her looks, bold sounds about right. Well, in my case, I started keeping my distance from my old lady pretty early on, so I don’t know as much as Mineha,” Ax said.
“What was she like when you were little?”
“…I remember she cried sometimes. Thinking back now, she was probably remembering Dad. Oh, right. Add this to that ‘timid’ part.”
“Add what?” I asked.
“Add?” Mineha echoed.
“Cowardly.”
Hmm. Ax continued.
“I don’t know anything about my old man. All I know is he was a Faun like me. And that he was a Seeker.”
“I heard a little from Mother Emi. That he was strong. And that he had just become a Tier I Seeker, promoted at the same time as her,” Mineha added.
“Dad was Tier I!?” Ax exclaimed.
“You didn’t know?” I asked.
“Eh? No way.”
“I didn’t know! First time hearing it! She never told me anything, that old hag…!”
Ax cursed. Calling his own mother an ‘old hag’ wasn’t admirable, but I’d let it slide just this once.
Normally, Mineha would scold Ax, but it seemed even she excused it this time.
“Well, according to Mother Emi, they looked like a super sugary, lovey-dovey couple.”
“Don’t wanna hear about that.”
“She also said something like it was good you were already in her belly, Ax. If you hadn’t been, she might have followed him.”
“Good thing, huh, Ax?” I remarked.
“…I’m speechless,” Ax muttered, letting out a deep sigh.
Just then, Hoss arrived with the finished dishes.
I arrange the food on the table. Mineha gets a large, heaping portion of stir-fried meat and rice covered in thick sauce.
She sure can eat a lot. Though, not as much as my tenth older sister.
Apparently, she’s in the Royal Capital now; I just hope the food service businesses there don’t go under.
“Speaking of which, you,” Mineha says to Ax. “You’re going to be a Tsukaeshi, right?”
“Ah, that,” Ax replies. “Honestly, I don’t get any of it. All I understand is that Wof is as awful as ever.”
“I agree with that,” Mineha says. “I really wonder what that guy was up to.”
“Well, it’s Wof,” Hoss says.
“Yeah, true,” Ax agrees.
Hmm. This Assorted Meat pasta… It’s delicious.
“Mineha, it was about your mother, right?”
“That’s right. The ‘Fairy Queen’.”
“It’s been a while since you last saw your mother, hasn’t it?”
“Now that you mention it, yes,” Mineha replies. “But we exchange letters, so I haven’t really felt estranged. More importantly, Ax, do you really have no memory of it?”
“Nope,” Ax says. “Who the heck is Ens?”
“He had a family name, you know. Hylant.”
“A noble?”
“Must be a noble,” Hoss comments.
Ax stops eating his Butter Rice and mutters thoughtfully.
“…That name, Hylant… I feel like I’ve heard it somewhere before.”
“So you do remember something,” Mineha notes.
“But I can’t place it,” Ax says. “And there was nothing about it in Mom’s letters either.”
“But,” Mineha adds, “the fact that Master is coming here in person might have something to do with that.”
“Yeah,” Ax agrees. “I get that feeling too. We’re meeting her today, so maybe I’ll ask then.”
“Good idea,” Mineha says.
“It’s today?” I ask.
“That’s sudden again,” Hoss remarks.
“Right out of the blue, isn’t it?” Ax says.
“The letter only arrived this morning,” Mineha explains.
“Well… I don’t know what to say to that.”
I’m not too familiar with the postal system.
But considering the state of the world, unstable regional security, and the distances involved, delays are probably unavoidable.
Currently, postal delivery is undertaken by Seekers as part of their requests.
Personally, I think establishing a dedicated organization would be a good idea, but there would likely be many challenges.
I hear the Seeker Guild has its own postal and communication network using Teleportation Arrays.
In terms of efficiency, nothing beats that for cost-performance.
However, Teleportation Arrays are extremely rare, so widespread public use is impossible.
“The location is listed as the Hydrangea Grand Hall,” Ax says.
“Ah, the grand theater in Hydrangea’s Central District,” Mineha clarifies. “You’ve seen it, right? The building that looks like a coliseum.”
“Oh yeah, I remember seeing that,” Ax confirms.
“I believe the ‘Great O’Browns’ is held there too,” Mineha adds.
“Hmm,” Ax murmurs. “Well, for now, I guess I’ll go meet Mom.”
“Right,” agrees Mineha.
“Well, be careful,” I tell Ax.
“We’ll look forward to hearing all about it,” Hoss adds.
When we said that, Ax gave us a puzzled look.
“No, you guys are coming too,” Ax says. “It said she wants to meet the ‘Fang of Thunder’.”
“You should tell us that kind of thing sooner!” I retort.
“Yeah, really,” Hoss agrees.
Hoss and I shared a wry smile.