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- The Shaman can't become a Hero
- Act 5: Worst Harem Party
- Chapter 48: A Shaman's Gear part.1
- =================
- Before heading into the dungeon, we started off by refreshing our equipment.
- "The area ahead from here is largely divided into two types"
- "One side is shown by the magic circle, it continues deeper into the dungeon. The other route goes through the forest outside. The forest route has Skeleton soldiers, and also Goma who are believed to possess equipment stolen from the former. If we first go there to gather materials, we should be able to take care of our gear to a certain degree"
- Souma-san and her group had apparently done some investigation after landing on this area. If they had finished readying up after their first look over, they'd have left already, and wouldn't have been involved in our crisis.
- "So the Armor Bear got here because it's connected to the forest huh"
- "Souma's the only one of us who fought that bear, but I'll bet we can take it down with our current power"
- With a proper vanguard, and attack magic shooting from the rear, even an Armor Bear would be out of luck. Kenzaki-san isn't just being over-confident here. Fact is, that Armor Bear back off right away.
- "Then shall we head off after a bit more rest? Futaba-san, you only woke up just now after all"
- "No, I'm perfectly fine by now. I can move anytime"
- Replying like a veteran mercenary, Mei-chan was munching on a bunch of fairy walnuts, accumulating nutrition in a wild fashion. How utterly manly, that demeanor fits the Berserker to the T.
- "Futaba-san, you know you don't have to force yourself"
- "No really, I am fine. Look, my arms are healed up too"
- Wow, they really are. Mei-chan put out her hands to show us, and though her sleeves were another question, the actual arms underneath not only had no wounds, but was back to spotless, beautiful skin.
- "Souma-san, you used your magic to heal me right? It worked wonders see, thank you"
- "Uh, huh... But my <Healing Light> isn't all powerful alright, please don't overestimate it. What I'm wondering is Futaba-san, you're tremendously quick to heal"
- "Yeah, maybe that too. I think I have a skill for that too"
- Her talking so fluently with *that* Souma Sakura is kinda like, like they've been on equal footing since forever. When standing amongst these all-star pretty girls from class, Mei-chan who attained beauty undefeated by then, she somehow seems magnificent.
- Feels like she's gone to a different planet. Honestly, right now you could say I've gotten myself a harem-like situation with 6 total hotties surrounding me, but I'm not happy about this at all. My shoulders are too narrow. The only guys who ought to stand amongst girls like them are Souma Yuuto, or Tendou Ryuichi. Any other boy would be like me, just gawking awkwardly, or get into a wierd high like a horndog.
- "Ah, that's right, Natsukawa-san, do you still have my knives?"
- "<HHhe!?>"
- Natsukawa-san jolts so hard, I feel bad for her. Faced with the kindly smiling Mei-chan, she's already in tears. Yup, this girl is absolutely terrified.
- "I'd like to get it back, can I? I lost most of my weapons in the fight before"
- "HYeass! I has it right here!"
- *Hii*, replies Natsukawa-san in tears, while she clutters around her waist to retrieve a short sword, and hands it over to Mei-chan. The short build Natsukawa-san standing face to face with Mei-chan, the tallest girl in class, really paints an fierce sight. Their height difference is like that of an adult and child. Line them up, and their busts whould show a similarly grand difference.
- "Thank you"
- Mei-chan who recieved the knife cheerfully, had surpassed any delinquent extroting someone out of their change, and looked like a yakuza(mafia) member collecting all their property.
- Well, about this, now returned to its rightful owner, knife...
- =================
- |<Kill Carver>||A kitchen knife not for cuisine, but thirsting blood, it was reborn to kill.
- =================
- Now then, we got ourselves this <Kill Carver> with a very ominous name and description, but with that I made an idea of just how powerful weapons can become from Takanashi-san's refining.
- "Hey lookie Kotarou-kun, this spear isn't rusty at all!"
- Mei-chan was coming over with a spear in hand that looked to be in very good condition. I could use it, or give it to Rem, and this iron spear would work great.
- Behind her, there's Skeleton soldiers wearing iron helmets all looking bisected and piled up one on top of the other. All these were by Mei-chan and her <Kill Carver>.
- Once unsheathed, the blade lets out a shine, and a slight red aura drifts from it. It's the same sinister aura let out by Mei-chan when she used <Reagent X>. The thing's unnatural ferocity is now out in plain sight, and its practicality is demonstrated above.
- Currently she has Hirano-kun's sword in her left, and <Kill Carver> in her right hand in a dual wield. She'd use the long reach of the sword mainly, but vying to progress with the sharp knife at well, she settled on a blade in both hands. The <Berserker> Mei-chan's physical strength is off the charts already, so swinging around heavy iron swords is a cake-walk.
- "I never though Futaba-san would get this strong... it's like she's a whole new person"
- After gifting me the spear, she went back energetically to the front lines. Seeing that valiant back, Class Rep made a complicated face.
- "Yeah, a lot happenned. And look, Mei-chan's a Knight so this kind of power must've been in her all along"
- "But you're the trigger to let that out, Momokawa-kun. Just what kind of magic did you use to change that scaredy-cat girl into a heroic knight like this"
- "Ahaha, it wasn't me at all... I'm thinking she just broke through the glass cieling while fighting together so desperately"
- I slide the subject with a dry laugh. What changed Mei-chan wasn't some amazing magic, but narcotic drugs that mess with your reasoning. It isn't a big secret, but it's not something to be open about either.
- "Wanna go in a bit more?"
- "Yes, sounds good. Let's"
- Kenzaki-san calls out and Souma-san replies, and all of us keep advancing through stone passages.
- There's been quite a few combat situations like this, and by now I somewhat have a grasp of their strengths.
- Their vanguard is Kenzaki-san the <Dualwielder> and Natsukawa-san the <Thief>. Rearguard is <Saintess> Souma-san and <Ice Mage> Class Rep. There's also the <Sage> Takanashi-san, who needs guarding. Adding to that, there's Mei-chan the <Berserker>, also in the vanguard, and me, the <Shaman> positioned in the rear. We've never had a party so well balanced. Yeah, I feel like with all of us, mob monsters would be dispersed easily, it's like we're in a dungeon crawler game.
- "Hey uh, Souma-san, between Souma-kun and Kenzaki-san, Hero and Dualwielder, how much of a difference do you see?"
- "Eh, between nii-san and Asuna? Let me think... I don't think there's that big a difference in raw power, Just that the Hero is somewhat, it feels like that grants a special sort of power"
- "Like when he beat the Cerberus?"
- "Yes, no matter what crisis, he can make a breakthrough. It's that sort, a seemingly bottomless strength."
- "So without that, him and Kenzaki-san are basically equal"
- "True. Both of them have grown up with a lot training after all, it's almost similar to the power from a vocation"
- Damn I'm cool, just look how I'm having a normal conversation with the famous Souma Sakura. While somewhat really surprised how this actually happened, I calmly analyze the new information I've gotten.
- I guess that's what you get being a <Hero>, it's one hell of a special vocation. This mysterious power that suddenly <awakens>, bursting through all obstacles in the moment of truth, would be the meat and potatoes of Souma-san's story. But I can't be so optimistic about such an unknown power that seemingly rescues you from any pinch. I'll have to consider Souma-kun's solid skill as a swordsman and how it fairs against Kenzaki-san.
- "Then how's Mei-chan? Compared to Kenzaki-san I mean"
- "It's hard to believe, but Futaba-san looks to have the same level of ability as Asuna"
- Souma-san including, Natsukawa-san is in track and field as you all know, and have no experience in martial arts. But with the vocation of Thief, she attained a high prowess in combat... But the experience in this world is a large contributing factor to that, and she clearly falls behind ones <experienced> like Souma-kun and Kenzaki-san. If you think about it, it's an obvious result.
- Even if they get superhuman powers in this world, against someone with similar powers, what matters in the end are individual differences. Throwing that completely out the window,
- "Futaba-san isn't supposed to have any of this sort of experience, no, she's supposed to be a normal girl"
- "And you're saying she has power to match Kenzaki-san?"
- "It may be her natural talent, or else, there's a difference from their vocations, I can't find the real reason"
- Strenthening one's vocation is upto the individual. But then, if you're granted high class powers, you can overturn things like experience with just that.
- "Yeah, I'm kinda relieved hearing that"
- "Relieved? How so?"
- "Err look, Kenzaki-san and Natsukawa-san have been using so many different skills while fighting. Mei-chan doesn't have such a rich array of skills after all"
- "... Momokawa-kun, you can see them used?"
- "Yeah well, it's pretty obvious"
- Like, both of them have been doing double jumps midair and all. No way they had those back in Japan.
- "Kenzaki-san has one-shot attacks like <Slash>. A single bladed one, and one let out from both swords. Also, there's one that lets out a shockwave after piercing through. Well, I guess she's been using these three for the past while?"
- "And Minami, what about her?"
- "I know from Mei-chan that she has <Slash>. But looks to me like she learned to do two of those back to back. But what's more amazing about her is that Natsukawa-san can dodge with <Foresight> even with moving really fast with <High Walk>. I think she also has <Repel>, but it's power must be doubtful, I didn't see her use it often"
- "I'm wondering, did you watch martial arts matches often Momokawa-kun?"
- "Nope, not at all"
- I have literally no interest in those. I'm more if a big fan of anime, manga and games, looking foreward to epic finishing moves or super tier magics being used in fantasy battle stories and such. Even if I did watch martial arts, I'd have no idea what move was used or what technique was being carried out.
- But I'm not spilling out all that. I at least have the judgement to avoid my otaku fanboy-ing in public.
- "I, see... You've been watching well"
- "It's life and death after all"
- Depending on how the vanguard fairs, us in the rear could get into deep trouble before we know it. So obviously we need to understand each others' strengths. Though it's not like a total noob like me can tell much from just looking.
- "I'd like to talk a bit more about everyone's skills once we get back, that alright?"
- "Yes, of course. We need to do that or else we won't coordinate well after all"
- And like that, we smoothly finished gathering materials. Groups of Skeletons of Goma weren't a match for our amazing trio in the frontlines, so us in the back didn't have much to do. Nonetheless, the shamefully weak nature of my curses have indeed come to light.
- I can't just use <Rotten Bog> with party members who aren't used to it, and I haven't reconstructed Rem either. In the end, all I could manage was some harassing from <Blackhair Bind>. I can't help but be jealous of Souma-san and Class Rep shooting light and ice attacks left and right.
- But the most annoying part about being in the rearguard was that Takanashi-san, as if using me as a shield, was always standing right behind me. Well, that was the formation so I can't complain too much... but having someone right on your tail is pretty annoying.
- *Don't bring along non-combatants dammit*, I want to complain, but though the fairy square will hinder entry to monsters, it won't do the same for beasts. In other words, those horny bastards like that totem-pole trio could come in, so we'd always have to be together is what it is.
- Although, Takanashi-san this super convenient self-defense skill <Sacred Tongue: "Word of Rejection">, so frankly, her safety is guaranteed even more than mine. In live combat, I may as well count as the bigger piece of excess baggage.
- She also has this <Mana Analysis>. Like that refining ability with the fountain, it doesn't even have to be a physical object with magic, but also magic shot out by monsters, depending on the type she can understand it. So she's not entirely useless in combats either. And it even feels like <Mana Analysis> can act as a higher form of my <Intuition Pharmacy>. If it has mana, she can handle magic and objects the same, so the multi-use capability is isn't frail in the least.
- *But the least you can do is carry a spear or knife for self-defence*, are my honest thoughts. Takanashi-san being so frail, only carries cores in her bag. Though I'm not in any position to tell her that, I'm pretty much the same level of useless as her at this point.
- Anyway, there were some annoying points, but our harvest was excellent, and I got to see first-hand how these girls fight. You could say it was a very fruitful practice session.
- Incidentally, we were doing so well, that we made it to the exit into the forest outside, and since it was a good opportunity, we tried heading in a bit... and hell yes! We got ourselves those some of those delicious snakes, three even. This is great Mei-chan, tonight shall be a feast.
- Well, when those 5 pretty girls saw how Mei-chan was joyfully hunting down snakes and brute forcing apart their skin, they got a real jump there but... *Fufun*, once they know this taste, they too shall become avid snake hunters no doubt.
- =================
- TN: this was an exposition chapter I guess, iirc, next one is a bit hype (lol)
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