"W-We did it!!"

"He's been defeated, de-arimasu!"

Left behind was a massive, extra-large magic crystal. It was a dark, jet-black stone, roughly the size of a human head—about the same size as the one dropped by Arcas, the bear monster from the North Star. Just that one stone should be worth at least 300 gold coins.

"Phew... thank goodness... we managed somehow..."

I slumped onto the ground right where I stood.

Including the regular monsters swarming from the mine, most of the attacks were easy enough to dodge, which is why we pulled through. But if there had been a type of enemy that could more accurately stack damage, we might have been wiped out... I match up well against power types, but I should probably start thinking about how to handle technical fighters.

As I was lost in thought, the Vocation Board suddenly glowed and popped out in front of me. With a soft pop, it transformed into a small spirit.

Ah, right. Since we defeated Arges, the 『Defeat Arges of the Altar』 Guidance is now completed!

"Yo, yo! Congrats on defeating Arges right after Arcas! For a guy who had a bit of a slump, you've been working pretty hard lately! With this, your clan is promoted to Blue Rank! The adventure is just getting started. Keep showing your loyalty to the Spirits and do your best!"

Rattling off its usual high-energy speech, the tiny spirit vanished with another pop.

Left in my hand was a transparent, deep blue Spirit Stone. It looked like a sapphire. It seems the clan got promoted too—probably because we all worked together to take down a boss-class monster.

Well, that's fine. Time to clean up and get out of here.

I called out to Rebecca-san and Marina, who were both still breathing heavily.

"Good work, Rebecca-san."

"Un, good job to you too, Jirou... Is that from Guidance?"

Rebecca-san asked, noticing the Spirit Stone.

"Yeah. It seems defeating that monster was part of a Guidance."

"I see. Congratulations. Hehe, maybe it was the Great Spirit's will that we were here to stop the monsters after all."

"Thinking about it positively, maybe so."

Which came first—the egg or the chicken?

The monsters, or me coming here?

No one knows for sure.

"Jirou, your fighting style was incredible toward the end. I was surprised during the fight with that bear, but you've gone and surprised me all over again."

"R-Really?"

"Yeah. I didn't think anyone could actually parry a strike from a giant hammer like that..."

"......"

By "toward the end," she must mean after Diana performed the Class Change.

Perhaps because I was granted the Vocation of ‘The Fourth Magic Sword User,' the number of things I could do had increased. It's like I instinctively know what I can and can't do now.

Even Arges' hammer attacks—if I timed it right—I could parry them and even strike back. Part of it might have been the adrenaline, but I feel like I was doing all sorts of things in a trance.

"It seems that ‘Class Change' really worked. My ‘Swordsman' vocation changed to ‘Magic Swordsman,' so I've gotten better at handling the magic sword."

"I see. Oh, by the way, thanks for this sword. I don't think I chipped the blade or anything."

Rebecca-san tried to hand the Holy Sword back.

"Hm? No, you should keep it, Rebecca-san."

"Eh? You're giving me such an amazing sword?"

"Of course. Besides, didn't the spirit appear and say you were recognized as the owner?"

"Well... yeah, it did say something like that..."

"Right? Then please use it without hesitation."

"In that case, I'll gratefully accept it."

Rebecca-san lowered her head while holding the sword aloft.

Even though she was still dressed like a common town girl, she looked the part perfectly—a Knight Commander wielding a Holy Sword.

"Aruji-dono!" Marina called out.

"Oh, Marina. You did well too. What's up?"

Marina fought exceptionally well. I hadn't realized she had grown this strong. She must have slaughtered a massive number of monsters on her own today. The day we completed the 『Defeat a Monster』 Guidance feels like a lifetime ago.

"This... it didn't disappear, de-arimasu!"

"Huh?"

Following her finger, I saw that the gargantuan hammer Arges had been swinging was still there. Usually, a monster's equipment disappears when they die.

"Ah, that's rare."

"You know about this, Rebecca-san?"

"Eh? Monsters occasionally leave behind weapons or armor, you know. I think that's what happened here."

Ah, so this is what the spirit was talking about earlier—something about a good weapon drop for defeating Arges.

But nobody can use a hammer that massive... Not even Shello-san could manage it. It's a giant hunk of iron attached to the end of an iron pole. The total weight must be hundreds of kilograms.

Still, it was time for an Appraisal. It's a rare drop; whether anyone can equip it or not, I want to see if it can be put to good use.

Mirror of Truth (The Judgment)

【Type】

Melee Weapon

【Name】

Lightning Hammer — Mjolnir Hammer

【Description】

Hammer used by Arges of the Altar Seat

Capable of full-area stun attack "Lightning Fountain"

Equippable by melee combat classes

Lightning Fountain can be used once every 100 minutes

【Magical Traits】

Lightning Absorption: B

【Spirit Blessing】

None

【Owner】

Jirou Ayase

"Wha...!"

Another incredible item! I even let out a weird noise. Wait, I can use that lightning attack now? And it absorbs electricity too? I wonder if it stores a charge.

"Ah! You used Spirit Magic again! What on earth is that? I've never heard of a human conversing with spirits like that."

"It's Goshujin-sama's secret nodesu. I've been curious for a long time, but he won't even tell me," Diana added.

It seems the Appraisal skill is very obviously Spirit Magic to those who know. Diana had stayed quiet about it since I told her it was a secret a long time ago, so she hadn't pressed the issue until now.

Maybe the time for keeping secrets is reaching its limit. I have two Unique Vocations now, a large group to look after, and I've already come clean about being from another world anyway.

"Well, let's talk about that tonight. More importantly, let's gather the magic crystals quickly. If we dawdle, someone might steal them!"

Everyone scattered to collect the crystals. The locals who fled haven't returned yet. Well, if a giant like Arges came lumbering out, most people would run for their lives and not look back.

I pondered what to do about the hammer, then remembered my inventory skill and shoved it in. Even a weapon that massive was sucked into the Vocation Board with a slurp, stored without a problem.

Seriously, this is the best cheat... I could probably make a fortune just transporting national treasures. Arges' extra-large magic crystal went into the inventory too. If that got stolen, it would be war.

As I watched the others collect crystals, I noticed everyone had some painful-looking scrapes. Nothing that looked like it would scar, but a battle that intense meant we didn't come out completely unscathed. I had quite a few scratches myself. While I was in the zone during the fight, I didn't notice, but my clothes were covered in sweat and mud—basically rags now. I'll need to buy new clothes.

We collected magic crystals as we climbed the slope back toward the mine shaft.

Looking closely, there were indeed weapons and armor dropped by the Orcs and Goblins. I hadn't paid much attention during the heat of battle, but since these were trophies, I gathered them up too. In the end, we got nearly a whole pile of magic crystals.

After that, we sneaked our way back to Oyakata's shop, making sure not to be seen by any of the locals.

* * *

"Alright, everyone. A lot happened, but first of all, thank you for your hard work! Regarding this sudden massive monster outbreak, thanks to all of your cooperation, we managed to suppress it with zero fatalities or serious injuries. For that, I truly thank you. Surviving such a large-scale disaster like this can only be described as a miracle. If any one timing had been off, Rucraera could have been devastated, and the damage might have even spread to Erishe! To think we managed to—"

"An-chan, your speech is too long!"

"We can't wait any longer!"

"Hurry up, hurry up!"

The dwarves started rowdily raising their mugs even though my speech had barely begun.

Figures... preaching to dwarves holding alcohol is like chanting sutras to a brick wall.

"In that case... Cheers!"

We clinked our mugs together and drained them in one go.

The ale wasn't chilled like in Japan, but it was so delicious that it didn't matter. It lacked a sharp bite, but it was incredibly rich—and more importantly, the alcohol content was high. If you got reckless and drank too much, you'd be floored in no time. Though, the fact that we'd just finished a massive workout probably helped the buzz.

Shamash-san and Ion-san were drinking too. Ion-san seemed to have either moved past her worries or just reached a point of desperation; she had her hood off, exposing the curse mark on her forehead while she chugged.

Maybe she realized that, at this point, things would go how they'd go. The dwarves didn't seem to care much. Since Diana, an elf, was with us, they probably just assumed Ion was a prisoner being escorted or something.

For some reason, young Marco and his sister were joining in too. Well, I was the one who brought them along. I still need to talk to him about that stone.

—Let's rewind a bit.

After Arges was defeated, the monsters that had been swarming the place all vanished.

I'd heard that in a typical "Sequence," the monsters don't stop until every last one is killed, but this time was different. Well, we'd already cleared out everything that had come outside, so when Shamash-san and Diana sensed they were gone, we took their word for it.

After that, we all returned to the blacksmith shop, which naturally led to a drinking party—a victory celebration.

The blacksmith's apprentices scrambled, and in less than an hour, the banquet was set. I really have to admire the dwarves' passion when it comes to alcohol.

I briefly wondered if I should report the details of the incident to the higher-ups, but Diana said she'd already reported to the Priestess-chan via Spirit Communication, so I figured that was enough. Apparently, Priestess-chan is already on her way here.

The bigger question is why the elves of Lucraella never came to assist, so we don't really owe them any favors. It would be troublesome if they came demanding a share of the magic crystals.

According to Diana, the elves in Lucraella became unreachable halfway through. Diana says "they ran away," though I don't know the full truth. Then again, elves are known to panic when monsters spawn, so it's possible they just got spooked by the sheer number and fled.

—Back to the banquet.

Naturally, the conversation turned to what happens next—specifically regarding Shamash-san and Ion-san. There wasn't actually that much that needed deciding.

We agreed that all the weapons and armor dropped by the small-fry monsters would be bought by the blacksmith. I didn't even ask for a price; I just said, "Discount the equipment I ordered by whatever this is worth."

Interestingly, even though the gear came from monsters (and thus from magical energy), it stayed physical. My appraisal identified them as normal equipment. This world is already full of mysteries, so I just accepted it as "it is what it is."

As for Ion-san's prison crest, we wanted to cleanse it as soon as possible, but Diana couldn't use that spell, so we'd wait until the Priestess-chan arrived.

Between the 'Class-Up', Arges' defeat, and previously stored stones, we now had plenty of Spirit Stones. I don't plan on using Marina's stone, but even so, coming up with five Spirit Stones is a cakewalk now. That's about 15 million yen in value, but we made a killing today, so it's fine.

Since Shamash-san is coming with us as a "slave" (nominally), we need to think about housing. Ion-san might as well live with her. Shamash-san said she could find her own place, but she'll need a lot of starting supplies. Worst case, they can stay at my mansion for a while. As long as it's not long-term, it'll be fine.

We also got a massive amount of magic crystals—enough that carrying them would be a nightmare. However, the buy-back price for magic crystals was lower than I expected. It's probably better to sell only what we need for cash and keep the rest for Shamash-san's summoning magic. Apparently, demand is high in demon-heavy regions, but in areas with few elves, Spirit Stones are less valued... or something like that.

And then—

"Oh, right. What should I do with this?"

I reached into my inventory and pulled out Arges' weapon:

Thunder Hammer Mjolnir.

Everyone gaped and then burst into laughter as the massive hammer appeared out of thin air. It was a pretty good magic trick. I wasn't being particularly secretive about the Inventory anymore. If I wanted to be a professional transporter, I'd need to hide it, but I was already a bit tipsy.

In typical drunkard fashion, a "Who can lift it?" championship immediately began. Dwarves really are a cheerful bunch.

"Nnnnnnn-ggghhhhhh!!"

"Heeeeaaaaaaggghhh!!"

"Aaaaaaaaggggghhhh!!"

The prideful dwarves were desperate to lift the three-meter-long steel hammer. They heaved and hoed, but the hammer didn't budge.

Seriously, it didn't even wiggle... If I didn't have my inventory, we would have had to just leave this thing behind.

Our girls watched the sweaty struggle of the dwarves with cold, unimpressed eyes. I guess they aren't big fans of the "macho" type?

Rebecca-san and Ion-san both love handsome holy knights. Diana and Shamash-san seem to be beyond such things. Elepipi drank too much and threw up. Etowa seemed somewhat interested, staring at it intently—possibly doing physics calculations.

Amid all this, Marina—the only one with a "macho" mindset—raised her hand.

"Next, Marina will challenge it, de-arimasu!"

"Oh!? Ain't that impossible for you, jou-chan?"

"If you can lift it, I'll make your armor for free!"

"""Wahahaha!"""

Ah—there it is.

A bold promise from the Oyakata, fueled by alcohol.

Do your best, Marina! Free armor's on the line!

"Hah! Nnnghghghgh...!"

She struggled, trying to grab the end or lift the head. It looked like she was going to get a massive hangover just from the effort.

Yeah, it's impossible. It's not even a hammer anymore; it's more like a modern art monument.

"Ggggghhhiigiiii...!"

Despite clearly being at her limit, Marina kept trying. I admire her persistence, but everyone has their limits...

Seeing this, Diana and Shamash-san stepped forward.

""Are you going to equip... that?""

"...Huh? Yes. I... will equip it, de-arimasu...?"

The moment Marina answered, the hammer swooped and shrank, transforming into a size she could likely lift—about the same length as her halberd, maybe a bit shorter.

Whoa...

"Ha-wawawa. S-Spirit-sama, de-arimasu!?"

Marina focused her eyes on the empty space in front of her.

"E-Eh, yes. I am authorized, de-arimasu!"

She began bowing her head repeatedly to the void.

Ah... this is the same thing that happened with Rebecca-san's Holy Sword. Marina was recognized as the wielder. A "Blunt-Force Knight" has been born.

The dwarves were buzzing. Of course they were—it was a purely magical weapon capable of special attacks.

"Marina! Try lifting it!"

"I-I'll try, de-arimasu!"

Marina hoisted the hammer with a casual flick. It looked incredibly light.

"Wawawawa. It's extremely light, de-arimasu! It's not even half the weight of my halberd!"

Same pattern as the Magic Sword. Once recognized as the wielder, the weight is optimized for the user.

"Wahaha! I don't get it, but you're amazing, jou-chan! I guess I really do have to give you that armor for free now!"

Oyakata, who was already quite hammered, laughed boisterously.

Since he's technically retired, I'll take his promise with a grain of salt.

"A-Aruji-dono! What should I do? It got small, de-arimasu!"

"Congratulations. That weapon accepted you as its wielder."

"I was accepted, de-arimasu?"

"A spirit appeared, right? Its name is Mjolnir. I'm expecting great things from you, Marina!"

I gave her a firm thumbs-up.

To be honest, Marina is probably the only one who can handle a hammer like that. She's been using a halberd, so it's a good fit.

Marina started showing off the hammer to the crowding dwarves, shouting, "It's my new treasure, de-arimasu!"

It truly was a treasure—a one-of-a-kind magical weapon.

"Onii-san! Onii-san!"

“What's up... Ack!? You’re drinking too?!”

This time, a drunk Marco stumbled over to me. I don't know if this world has laws against underage drinking, but I'm guessing not. I saw his little sister sipping some too. Well, whatever.

"Big brother, thank you soooo much for saving my sister. Even though I tried to rip you off with that white stone, you saved her... and I was about to be killed by monsters, but you saved me too... waaaah!"

He started wailing mid-sentence.

This was the fourth time he'd given me this exact thank-you speech. I looked at his sister; she caught my eye, smiled, and bowed as if to say, "Sorry my brother is such a mess".

"Ayase-kun, are you drinking? Here, let me pour for you. Fufu... fufufufu."

This time it was Shamash-san.

She seemed high on the alcohol and was practically leaning her whole body against me. Her proximity was intense. It felt like a demon-girl hostess club.

Everyone likes me a bit too much tonight, don't they?

"Truth be told, I've never been to a gathering like this. I didn't know drinking with everyone was so much fun... Do you do this often?"

Shamash-san... for someone who has lived so long, she must have had a very quiet life. Or maybe people were just too afraid of her because she's a demon. I'd heard there were many demons in certain regions, but like Marina, maybe she was just a minority in this area.

"We normally drink at the mansion too. Erishe has a lot of good taverns."

"T-Then... could you... take me to one of those places too...?"

She leaned in even closer, her eyes sparkling. She wanted me to take her out drinking.

"Ah, wait... I said I'd be your slave, yet here I am making selfish requests..."

"It's totally fine. Marina and Diana always come along. We drink at the mansion normally, too."

"R-Really?"

Looking up at me with those eyes is cheating. Any man is weak to a beautiful woman... and man, those horns she has... I wonder what they feel like. Let me touch them a little.

"Ooh, they're warm."

"Fufufu, Ayase-kun. Touching a demon's horns without hesitation... you really are fearless."

"Ah, was that bad? Sorry, it was instinct."

Oops, oops. I got carried away from the alcohol.

I couldn't exactly go around touching her skin, so I thought the horns would be safe. They don't really give off a sexual vibe...

"No, it's fine. You can touch them to your heart's content. Go on, go on."

"Then I'll take you up on that."

Driven by pure academic curiosity, I examined the pair of horns on Shamash-san's head.

They were hard and slightly warm. They grew out from the sides of her head with a spiral twist. The tips were a bit pointed. I wonder if they keep growing.

As I touched them, Shamash-san clasped her hands in front of her chest, blinking shyly, and our eyes kept meeting.

Then I realized—everyone was staring at us.

Their gazes were intense—especially Diana's.

Uh-oh…

"I have a feeling the newcomer is going to get ahead of us in many ways, de-arimasu."

"That's kinda lewd, isn't it?"

"...He's touched my ears before too, nodesu."

The atmosphere turned awkward. This was not good.

Just as I was wondering how to change the mood, the door slammed open and a savior appeared.

"E-Excuse me! Are Jirou-san and Diana-sama here!?"

Nice timing, Priestess-chan!