“How is it? Cute?”
Tsukasa Tsukigase beamed, a radiant smile on his face.
As he turned on the spot, his night-colored hair flowed beautifully.
He was clad in a black dress.
Black hair and a black dress. Contrasting white skin.
The contrast emphasized his charm.
If only he weren’t a ‘he’, Keiichiro Kageura might have been able to praise him more honestly.
“Yes. You both look lovely.”
The one who spoke was Akino Reizei.
She wore a fiery red dress.
Unlike the attire she wore as an Adventurer, this dress was heavily ornamented.
But even wearing such dazzling attire couldn’t overshadow her beauty.
Long limbs like a slender model.
And yet, a curvaceous body line.
Hair like golden threads that couldn’t be replicated with dye.
No matter how you looked at her, her beauty was undeniable.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been to a party like this.”
Keiichiro murmured, suppressing the urge to loosen his tie.
He was wearing a tailcoat.
Even to his eyes, the design, meticulously calculated to make one’s physique look more appealing, was clearly first-class.
However, for Keiichiro, who usually wore his Adventurer equipment as everyday clothes, such formal attire felt a bit restrictive.
“Do they always have parties like this before a Raid battle?”
Tsukasa voiced his question.
Keiichiro and the others were currently at a party venue.
Food was being served buffet style.
“No. Usually, they don’t.”
“Indeed. This party is purely to strengthen the ties between the organizer and the sponsors.”
Akino agreed with Keiichiro’s words.
There were two types of people in this venue.
Adventurers and well-dressed individuals.
The former were the Adventurers participating in the Raid.
The latter were those who wanted to connect with the organizer.
“It’s a common thing in Raids, this ‘record-padding’.”
“Record-padding?”
When Keiichiro said that, Tsukasa tilted his head.
He probably didn’t have much experience in places like this.
“The highest rank cleared as an Adventurer remains on your record.”
Akino informed Tsukasa.
That was common knowledge among Adventurers.
The height of this cleared rank could be said to indicate an Adventurer’s track record.
“And in a Raid, if you’re protected by a skilled party, it’s relatively easy to clear even high-rank Dungeons.”
A normal party generally consists of three to five people.
If you’re one member of such a party, you’re expected to contribute accordingly.
But in a Raid.
In a Raid challenged by nearly twenty people, having one person who’s dead weight isn’t a problem.
“So, they gather skilled parties to challenge a high-rank Dungeon, is that it?”
“Hoh…”
By doing so, they clear a Dungeon rank they normally couldn’t.
Then, on paper, they gain the title of a high-rank Dungeon conqueror.
—Incidentally, Keiichiro couldn’t speak ill of this practice.
If anything, based on that logic, Keiichiro was the one who benefited the most.
On record, although he was supposed to be a C-Rank Adventurer, the highest difficulty he had cleared was S-Rank.
He was confident he couldn’t argue back if blamed for this.
“That said, in A-Rank or S-Rank Raids, you can easily die just from the collateral damage. Weighing safety against practical gain, B-Rank was probably the reasonable choice.”
“Precisely.”
Often, the ones wanting to pad their records like this are high-status individuals.
They absolutely cannot afford to lose their lives, not even by the slightest chance.
At worst, with their wealth, even if they fail, they can just try again.
“Thanks to that, we get to participate in the Raid too, so it’s a win-win situation.”
There are people who want to buy honor with money.
Therefore, Adventurers lend their strength for money.
The world works in convenient ways.
“Basically, Raids organized by rich people for record-padding are popular because the rewards are good.”
From the moment they decide to host a Raid, they aren’t the type to pinch pennies.
Unless you run into an exceptionally stingy host, you can get rewards higher than the market rate.
“This time, the organizer was an acquaintance, so we were able to secure spots relatively easily. Normally, people who want even a slight connection with the organizer would be fighting over the spots.”
“Power struggles sure are tough.”
“I share your opinion.”
Akino let out a sigh.
Only Adventurers participate in the Raid itself.
However, that didn’t mean the intentions of other people weren’t involved.
People who want a connection with the organizer hire skilled Adventurers and have them participate in the Raid.
That way, the Adventurers get the original reward plus payment from their employer.
The employer can buy connections with money.
This party venue was a place where such under-the-surface dealings existed.
“Ah… Is that person the organizer?”
Tsukasa said, looking in a certain direction.
Keiichiro and the others didn’t know what the organizer looked like.
Honestly, since they were only interested in experience points, it was information they didn’t need to know.
Therefore, Tsukasa shouldn’t have known the organizer’s face either.
Yet, he somehow sensed that she was the organizer.
The reason was likely the reactions of those around them.
The moment ‘she’ appeared in the venue, tension ran through the air.
—Among the well-dressed individuals, some kind of contest had begun.
An Adventurer could instantly understand that change.
“Yes. She is the organizer of this Raid—Kiryuin Jessica.”
“Oh. She looks like the quintessential young lady.”
Tsukasa let out a voice of admiration.
Indeed, just as he said, the girl who appeared was exactly that, a young lady.
Judging from her height, she was likely in elementary school—or maybe junior high at most.
Her youthfulness was still more prominent, but she was a girl who would clearly grow into a beautiful woman in the future.
Her blonde hair emitted a clear radiance, no less than Akino’s.
Perhaps because of her upturned eyes, she gave off a strong-willed impression.
“She looks like she’s about to say, ‘I cannot possibly hold anything heavier than a fork and knife,’ doesn’t she?”
“Oh my. How perceptive of you.”
“She really says that…?”
Apparently, Keiichiro’s stereotype wasn’t wrong.
“However, despite appearances, she is also a skilled [Wizard].”
“Is that so?”
Since it wasn’t particularly unusual in Raids, he had assumed she would be completely useless this time too.
But Akino’s assessment seemed different.
“Yes. Her casting time is long, making her unsuitable for normal Dungeon clearing, but in a Raid battle, she can be operated as stationary artillery and is a reliable damage dealer.”
“So she’s a [Wizard] specialized in firepower but lacks flexibility.”
Even just saying [Wizard], there are many different types.
Attributes, of course, but also firing speed, rate of fire, range, and power.
These also differ depending on the individual.
If Akino’s words were to be believed, Kiryuin Jessica was the type who lacked firing speed but excelled in firepower.
Considering her own safety, she would likely participate as stationary artillery from a safe distance, but in that case, she seemed likely to contribute to the Boss subjugation.
“This is finally 【Omokage】’s first clear, huh!”
Tsukasa laughed.
He was right.
This Raid battle would be their first clear as 【Omokage】.
“Yeah… I’m looking forward to it too.”
The first exploration conducted with a party other than 【Holy Sword】.
Unconsciously, Keiichiro’s heart was pounding with excitement.
☆
“Mm… Delicious.”
In a corner of the party venue, where no one was looking.
There, a silver-haired girl, hiding her form with [Stealth], was stuffing her cheeks with food.
The first half of Chapter 2 will be the Raid battle mentioned previously.
And the heroine of Chapter 2 is—