READ NOVEL ONLINE Ch8 - Learning About Guild Cards
Chapter 8: Learning About Guild Cards
Rena’s party was cautiously making their way through the dim forest. Thanks to their newest companion, Luca, who reliably spotted enemy monsters, they could walk much more comfortably than before. Lily was checking every move Luca made to ensure he was leading them in the right direction.
Feeling grateful and beginning to let her guard down, Rena almost relaxed completely. However, they were still deep in the forest, and letting your guard down here was dangerous…
“Aaaahhhhhhh!!”
Sure enough, a spider descended right in front of Rena’s eyes!
“We’ll take care of this!” “Hey! Ku, that’s unfair!” “I’ll let Iz have the next one!”
As usual, Rena’s familiars were dependable. In one swift motion, they devoured the spider.
Their master, however, still needed to get herself together. Being a city girl, Rena wasn’t used to suddenly encountering bugs, which caused her to stumble. Luca, looking back at her, seemed slightly exasperated.
“Hmm. Well, it’s true your physical stats are bad, but more than that, it seems you don’t have any athletic talent at all… I understand you were surprised, but to fall over like that?”
“S-Sorry…”
“Improving your talent is difficult, so it can’t be helped. But if you keep going like this, it could cause trouble during our travels.”
Luca’s critique was rather harsh, leaving Rena feeling dejected. She was well aware of her poor coordination. Even though she was working on building her stamina in this otherworld survival journey, she didn’t believe her athletic sense would improve quickly.
Seeing her so down, Luca sighed and offered some support, showing his caring nature.
“Well, we’ll figure out a solution. I promised earlier I’d pull my weight now that I’ve joined you. Let’s walk to a clearing that looks safe, then take a break. Do you think you can manage to walk that far?”
“L-Luca-sensei…!”
“I don’t mind. I’ll do my best to avoid normal bugs too, but eventually, you’ll get used to traveling in environments like this.”
His comforting words did the trick, and even Rena’s familiars relaxed a little upon hearing they would soon be resting.
With Luca’s Magic Eye, they managed to reach a spacious clearing without encountering any monsters. It seemed safer to rest in an open area where they could see their surroundings, rather than a more hidden spot that might serve as a monster’s lair.
Rena sat on a fallen tree, taking a break as her familiars began to lounge on her lap, each in their own way.
“Let’s check each other’s guild cards,” Luca suggested. “Good idea,” Rena replied.
They exchanged cards and looked them over. Since Luca could already see all of Rena’s information with his Magic Eye, there didn’t seem to be much point, but still, he began murmuring a spell over the card.
“…‘Close.’”
Suddenly, all the information on Rena’s card below the stat section disappeared! Shocked, she let out a “What!?” Luca handed the card back to her with a slightly bitter expression.
“It’s standard to hide your skills and gifts, as they’re your lifeline. It seems you weren’t taught this at your guild?”
“Oh no… I didn’t know… Thank you for telling me…”
Her previous guild really had been terrible. Pale and on the verge of tears, Rena was clearly shaken.
The small city of Danatzera had a terrible reputation even within the notorious Galalajure Kingdom. Due to the bad magical experiments conducted nearby, natural magic had become tainted, leading to frequent births of abnormal monsters. This, in turn, attracted unsavory mercenaries. The local adventurers’ guild had long stopped functioning properly and had even been forcibly expelled from the guild association in Lanash.
“You’re lucky you managed to escape that place alive,” Luca said gently. Rena spoke in a trembling voice to her slimes, “Y-yeah, I’m so lucky…” The slimes responded with cheerful tones, comforting her, and she hugged them tightly, smiling. Even Lily joined in, creating a peaceful, heartwarming moment.
(Yeah, I am lucky. I got to meet such wonderful familiars… Let’s keep up the escape!)
Luca then spoke again, a little hesitantly, “Can we get back to talking about the guild card?”
“Oh! I’m sorry…”
“It’s fine. I didn’t mean to interrupt you.”
To see the hidden information on a guild card, the owner can say “Open” to display it again, and “Close” to hide it. Only the first time requires a longer spell. Normally, this explanation would be given when the card is issued, along with setting the spell, but Rena’s guild had deliberately kept this information from her so they could see her details anytime they wanted. It was truly a terrible place.
Following Luca’s instructions, Rena obediently re-opened her card and checked the gift section.
“Gift: [Rare Class Change Affinity] ☆7
A gift that causes all familiars to undergo a rare class change. However, the only career choice becomes [Tamer]. The longer the familiar spends with their master and the stronger their mutual trust, the more they grow through [Growth Acceleration].”
The gift was clearly displayed this time. But… what was this overpowered ability?! It seemed her enforced Tamer career was because of this.
“This is… unfair…”
Rena muttered in disbelief.
How had the gift been revealed now? It seemed that once the gift-holder learned its name, the information appeared on the card. For special gifts rated ☆6 or higher, they aren’t automatically recorded. A Magic Eye user must explain the gift to the owner for it to be revealed. Magic Eye gifts were rare but not unheard of in this world, though Luca’s ☆7 ranking was likely unique.
“Yeah… I’ve never seen a gift this absurd. Your very existence is like a doping drug for your familiars. Lily’s potential growth must be off the charts.”
“W-Wait, does that mean there are any side effects? Is Lily okay?!”
“I feel great!” Lily chimed in.
“Looks like everything’s fine. But yes, this is seriously unfair.”
“Oh, thank goodness…”
Rena sighed in relief, having been worried after hearing the term “doping.”
Though Rena’s gift had stolen the spotlight, Luca’s stats looked like this:
Guild Card: Rank G
Name: Lucatius
Class: Magic Swordsman LV.10
Equipment: Noble Clothes, M-Bag, Magic Sword +5
Aptitude: White Magic [Lightning]
Health: 30
Intelligence: 50
Speed: 37
Magic: 33
Luck: 5
Skills: [Physical Ability Enhancement], [Quick Burst], [Electrocution] +1, [Lightning Sword]
Gift: [Magic Eye] ☆7
Title: Elegant, Master of Lightning Control
Pretty overpowered. His basic stats were high, and there was so much packed into his character that Rena didn’t understand half of it.
“Whoa… You’re so strong! Your aptitudes include both white and lightning magic? That’s amazing! And what’s a title?”
“Hmm. Since it seems like you’ve never had a proper explanation of your card, let’s go through everything in order. I’ll answer all your questions at the end. For now, just listen, okay?”
“Yes! Thank you, sensei!”
“Good answer.”
And so, Luca’s Guild Card Stats Lecture began. Everyone, feel free to listen in as well!
‘Doooon! Pah-pah-pah-pah!’
“First, I’ll explain the guild card ranking system. The lowest rank is G, followed by F, E, D, C, B, A, S, and SS. You rank up by completing adventurer quests, and higher ranks allow you to take on more difficult requests. The system is meant to prevent adventurers from taking on quests that are too difficult for them and dying as a result…”
“A title is something like a ‘gift of name’ granted by the world based on how others evaluate you… I’m still not entirely sure about it. When you ‘set’ that title, you gain some sort of additional effect. It might increase your stats or enhance your charm as a person. For example, the title ‘Thunder Master’ allows for precise control over lightning magic.
There’s often a time lag before you obtain a title, so both Rena and I might end up with something like ‘Fugitive’ soon enough.
That’s a rough explanation of how it works. Any questions about what I just explained?”
“Yes, teacher!”
Rena eagerly raised her hand.
“The explanation of status effects was very clear. As for the ‘fugitive’ thing, I’ve decided not to worry about it… But, what’s a ‘magic sword’ in terms of equipment?”
“Ah, that. Well, it’s this sword right here.”
Luca smoothly drew the sword from its sheath on his back. The handle was a deep blue, and the blade had a cool, light-purple hue, with some kind of inscription in gleaming white letters. It looked expensive…
“I stole it from the national treasure vault. But let’s set that aside for now.”
“What are you doing?! Although, I guess I’m guilty too… ugh.”
Even though losing a national treasure would surely make their pursuers even more desperate, Rena, who had stolen a whip and shirt from the Guild’s dormitory, wasn’t really in a position to criticize. She averted her eyes awkwardly, perhaps feeling a little guilty for committing her first crime.
…Let’s follow the teacher’s advice and put this topic aside for now!
“Ah, I see. We’re the same type, huh?”
“Don’t look at me with your magic eye!”
“A magic sword is a special weapon engraved with magical runes during its creation, which allows it to be imbued with high-level magic. It’s a very expensive, high-end item. The maker’s skill determines how much it increases in value.”
“Wow, that sounds amazing! It must create some really flashy effects in battle!”
“Do you want to know the price?”
“I’d rather not.”
It was probably better for Rena’s mental health to avoid hearing the price, considering her faint-heartedness. Luca, being a former prince, casually carried such a high-end item on his back.
“Does that mean you’ve had many opportunities to use lightning magic, Luca?” Rena changed the subject.
“Rena, your talent for walking straight into danger is really something else.”
Apparently, she’d triggered another landmine.
“Eh?”
“Well, you see, with a face like mine, I tend to attract… strange people. Most are creeped out by my magic eye and don’t come too close, but there are still some top-tier perverts out there. So, I kept paralyzing anyone with bad intentions and knocking them unconscious. After doing that so much, my lightning magic skills naturally blossomed. In other words, I developed these abilities to protect myself. My [Instantaneous Movement] skill developed for the same reason — to escape.”
Whoa.
“I’m sorry for making you recall such unpleasant memories…!”
“It’s fine, really. Haha. Now that we’ve escaped, I don’t get those kinds of looks anymore, and it’s all in the past. Thanks to you two treating me normally, I’ve been able to travel comfortably.”
“That dry laugh of yours is concerning…!”
Luca’s cool expression made it seem like he truly wasn’t bothered, but given the content of what he said, the lack of expression was somewhat eerie. Rena buried her head in her hands… His past was just too heavy for someone who had lived an easy life in Japan.
What should she say? She didn’t want to hurt him again… Rena looked troubled, and that’s when Lily quietly whispered to her.
‘Master? You don’t have to feel sad… He really doesn’t seem to mind.’
“Yeah. Lily’s right, Rena. If you want to sympathize with me, it would help more if you worked hard to make sure we escape for sure, rather than feeling down, okay?”
So much for whispering in secret. Luca’s magic eye allowed him to fully understand monster speech.
“! Of course, I’ll do my best!”
Rena, who had been hanging her head, suddenly lifted it and looked Luca directly in the eye, responding with determination.
“Let’s make sure we escape the country!”
“Yeah.”
Luca smiled with a slight lift of the corners of his mouth, seeming satisfied. He then addressed the familiars one by one.
“Kureha, Izumi, Lily.”
…Boing!? The slimes, still cautious of Luca, jumped high into the air. They hadn’t yet warmed up to him, especially since they didn’t like how freely he had peeked at their stats.
Lily, who possessed the [Butterfly Eye], seemed calm as she could tell Luca was speaking sincerely, and she quietly observed him.
“For us to successfully escape this country, I’ll need your help too. Can you work with us? To protect your master. I want you all to level up and grow stronger.”
‘!!’
“I’ll be guiding your growth.”
To protect their master… Those words were like magic, drawing out the familiars’ strongest motivation. They wanted to answer the trust their master placed in them…
Their expressions became sharp and determined. The slimes glistened brightly, and Lily stretched her blue wings as much as she could, full of resolve. They were ready. They would definitely level up, get stronger, and be praised with a smile again! It was their duty to protect their master’s kind hand.
‘Let’s do this!!’
‘…I will become stronger…!’
Rena burst into tears at their declaration. Although they were in the middle of the forest, she made sure to cry silently, though the sight of her tears streaming like waterfalls was rather eerie.
Luca, ignoring Rena for the moment, spoke to Lily.
“Alright. First, I think we should focus on raising your level since you’re the one closest to evolving. Can you manage that?”
‘I will!!’
Lily, who had mostly relied on her [Bloodsucking] ability and had always been focused on fleeing, was now full of determination.
‘I’m aiming for a class change… leave it to me!’
“Good response. I don’t think we’ll run into pursuers if we stay in the forest long enough to get you one level up. Once you’ve evolved, we can gain more distance. Rena, Kureha, Izumi, please assist Lily in combat this time.”
‘Understood!’
“Of course!”
“I’ll find a monster that Lily can [Bloodsuck]. You all can weaken it, and Lily will finish it off. That sound good? I also want to see how you all fight.”
“Got it! Oh, but please don’t pick anything too strong. Something manageable, okay? And after that, could we see you fight too, Luca?”
“Of course, that was my plan. Now, let’s move out.”
‘Let’s do our best!!’
‘…Yes!’
“Lead the way, as usual, please.”
“Leave it to me.”
After a short rest, they began the process of helping Lily level up…