| Author: Ash | Original Source: Syosetu |
| Translator: Mui | English Source: Re:Library |
The next morning, with Kuro as my guide, we made our way to Gim and the others’ tent. While getting Kuro’s belongings, we also chatted with Gim a bit which also served as a means for Lily and Arisa to greet him. But unfortunately, we couldn’t meet Triela. She was apparently out buying bread for breakfast in the town, and we just missed each other.
There was no helping it, so I asked Ryuu to convey my regards and headed back home… I felt pretty sad.
After returning home, we had a light breakfast and prepared for the day, heading out of town. It was time for Goblin hunting, doubling as training to coordinate with Kuro.
Although, considering yesterday’s results, I didn’t expect to encounter too many today.
“Now, we have a new member, Kuro, joining our clan, but we won’t be taking on high-risk quests right away. To handle such quests, we first need to conduct practical field training and develop some level of coordination.”
“Okaay.”
“Okay.”
“Woof!”
“Garf!”
“Uugh!”
“….Right, good responses. So, let’s start right away. …Although, among us, Norn and Bell are the only ones who can perform scouting-type actions. So, for now, I’d like these two to accompany you and have you remember how they act…”
“Got it.”
“And when you come back, you’ll report to us, Kuro. Since you seem to have difficulty explaining verbally, we’ll continue this training until you get used to reporting.”
“Ugh… Got it.”
Kuro really seemed bad at it… Her expression looked quite subtle. But it’s not that she wasn’t motivated; She seemed to be genuinely trying, so I think it’ll be okay.
“Reports shouldn’t just be like ‘there were enemies.’ You should convey various details accurately, such as the type and number of opponents, what weapons they had, their demeanor, and whether there might be more enemies behind them… Please understand that this is a crucial role.”
“Crucial! Got it, Lil!”
Oh, it seems like the responsibility of having an important role has stimulated even more motivation in her.
…That being said, she calls her Lily ‘Lil’, huh… It’s almost like a casual nickname. Is it okay to call her that? Hmm, she doesn’t seem to mind at all. By the way, it seems like she calls Arisa as is.
…Should I also address the two of them casually? Well, um… Maybe I’ll wait for the right moment to decide?
So anyway, let’s go!
…The results on the first day were quite impressive: 2 Goblins, 3 wild boars, and 15 horned rabbits. As for Kuro’s way of reporting… well, I guess she improved somewhat? Strangely, Kuro seems to understand what Norn and Bell want to convey to her to some extent. Is it some kind of magical animal power? I don’t quite understand the logic, but it’s convenient, so that’s good!
As for Kuro’s enhancements, we had various discussions, including consulting with Arisa, and we decided to maintain the current status. It’s been found, based on what happened with Bell, that accelerated development through [Skill Granting] isn’t ideal. Also, according to Arisa, while Kuro has established a certain combat style, she’s far from mastering it completely. The same applied to her equipment; Kuro’s body was still pre-adolescent, and she was expected to grow further. According to Arisa, providing her with overly powerful weapons at this stage wouldn’t be a good idea, considering her future growth.
However, to ensure her safety, I crafted a “Protection Ring” for added defense. This magic item constantly generated a protective magical membrane on the surface of her body. With this equipped, even if she were to be caught off guard, it should prevent immediate death.
…I sternly warned her not to overestimate the defensive effect of this and recklessly charge into danger. In fact, I scolded her quite severely for doing something reckless immediately after handing it over. Kuro, you’re quite a handful…
After returning to town, we went straight home without visiting the guild. Well, turning in a mere two Goblins wouldn’t make much of a difference… The wild boars and horned rabbits were for personal consumption.
Once we arrived home, I worked on making a room for Kuro. We had some spare rooms, so finding a place wasn’t an issue. However, Kuro didn’t want to sleep alone, so for now, she settled on sleeping with me. Well, she’ll get used to it eventually, probably.
While I was busy making Kuro’s room, Lily and Arisa prepared dinner. By the time the room was ready, dinner was also served.
After the meal, we entered the bath in turns, and finally, after that…!
“So, I’d like to hold the second clan name determination meeting.”
“Lily, this time it’s about the party names.”
“It’s fine, it’s all the same! Anyway, it’s about names!”
Huh… why is she so worked up? Isn’t this a bit unreasonable?
“So, here we go! Ren! Do you have any suggestions?”
And it had to start with me! Is she doing this on purpose…?
“Well, then, for our party with Kuro, let’s go with ‘Black Lotus.’”
“’Black Lotus,’ is it…? By the way, is there any significance or inspiration behind that?”
“It’s just our names. Kuro (Black) and Ren (Lotus).”
“…I see, sounds good! Alright, next…”
“Oh, Lily, please come up with your party name yourselves please.”
“…Huh?”
No, it’s not ‘huh.’ I’ve said it many times; I don’t trust my naming sense, so don’t expect that from me.
“Um… um… Ah! Arisa! Don’t you have anything!?”
“Nothing.”
“What do you mean nothing?! There must be something! Anything!”
“There’s nothing.”
“Arisaaaaaa!”
“Don’t give me that crying expression. I really can’t think of anything.”
“Do something about it!”
“Then, how about the one that got rejected last time, ‘Azrael’…”
“Not a chaaaance!”
“Geez, Lily, you’re so demanding.”
“It’s not being demanding! I want something cute! Grim themes are a no-go! Absolutely not!”
Once again, Lily seemed like she was about to cry… Well, can’t be helped.
“…Liliales, Liliaceae, Lilium.”
“Huh?”
“Liliales, Liliaceae, Lilium. Please pick one you like from these.”
“Is that okay?”
“I can’t see the end of this convo, so…”
“Um, by the way, do they have any particular meanings…?”
“They are based on names Lily and Arisa. They’re names from plant taxonomy or something. Liliales, Liliaceae, Lilium. By the way, in Arisa’s case, the last part would change to ‘Tulip’1.”
“Oh… that sounds really nice…! But, which one should I choose…? Hmm…!”
“I’m fine with whichever one Lily likes.”
Arisa seemed to be getting tired and dismissive… At this rate, it would take forever to decide, so there’s no other choice.
“Since it might take a long time if we leave it up to Lily, let’s go with ‘Liliales.’ It has a similar sound to Lily and Arisa, and it kind of fits.”
“Huh?”
“Yes, it’s decided! Lily, our party name is ‘Liliales’!”
“Huh? Huh?”
“All right, with the party name settled, let’s go to sleep! Good night, everyone!”
“Huh? Huh? Huh?”
Arisa forcefully wrapped things up! But it’s better to go along with it rather than getting caught up with Lily! Gotta ride the big wave!
With that settled, I rushed to my room! Come on, Kuro, hurry up! Goodnight!
