She Professed Herself The Pupil Of The Wiseman (LN) - Volume 6 - Chapter 12

Chapter 12

MIRA AND UZUME emerged from the palace and stepped into the submerged city. Uzume’s face was once again concealed by her white veil. They were off to the district where adventurers gathered, in hopes of finding an A-Rank to join Mira. Fate of the world or not, the Citadel of Scales required a permit, and rules were rules.

Civilians greeted the two as they passed. There was nothing unusual about the citizens greeting the grand master of the Isuzu Alliance, but the way they spoke to her was unexpectedly friendly.

“Uzume, you’re looking as healthy as ever!”

“Hi there, Uzume! And hi to you, little miss!”

Uzume would wave, exchange a few words with them, and leave. This happened several times.

This headquarters currently housed members of the alliance, adventurers, artisans, merchants, and the people they protected. The people they passed by were collaborators. They were people who aided the alliance knowing Uzume’s beliefs and goals. Uzume interacted with them not as a leader, but as a kindred spirit. As such, there was no wall of status between them. Everyone was equal here.

After exchanging more greetings, the duo arrived at the biggest building in the western district. The blue-roofed, white-walled buildings with vermilion pillars were truly emblematic of the Heian Kyoto aesthetic. When one looked up toward the eaves, they saw the luster of the lake above. Mira was very much in a sightseeing mood.

“Now… Will he be here?” Uzume cheerfully opened the door, seemingly looking for a specific A-Rank adventurer. As she did, waves of boisterous noise erupted from inside.

This building was both a rally point and a tavern for the people collaborating with Isuzu. Inside the formal zashiki-style banquet room, everyone sat directly on the tatami floor and chatted comfortably. The mood was especially jubilant due to the alliance’s recent successes.

“If it isn’t Miss Uzume! Got some work for us?” a man called out to Uzume from the kitchen. He seemed to be the tavern master.

“Yes. An important mission this time,” Uzume answered, her eyes turning just slightly sharper behind her barely translucent veil. She stopped at the front of the room and raised her hands emphatically. “Okay, everyone! Attention!” she called out, clapping her hands above her head.

The clamor stopped like waves receding from a shore. Countless eyes gathered on her.

“Ooh, is it my turn?!” someone called out expectantly amid the confusion. Several other cries like this shortly followed. After waiting for them to settle down, Uzume succinctly stated her business.

“We need an A-Rank. Preferably a tank.”

The people gathered there were used to this process, so those who didn’t fit her conditions grumbled half-jokingly, while people who did fit the requirements stepped forward. There were five men and three women, ranging in age from their twenties to their fifties.

“Oho,” Mira muttered, impressed by the lineup.

A-Rank adventurers would be roughly on par with Heinrich. There would naturally be differences in their skill levels, but this was a quick way to sort the applicants. Heinrich, who she now used as her standard, was quite strong. And they had eight such people here, even after limiting the call to tanks. This was a glimpse of the sheer power of the Isuzu Alliance.

Uzume surveyed the group, satisfied, and continued, “This mission will take you to the Citadel of Scales. Have any of you been there before?”

“I have. It was ten years ago, though,” one man among them answered. He had fine gray hair combed neatly back from his forehead and carried himself like a veteran. His chiseled features showed his age, but his physique was in no way inferior to those in the prime of life. He wore light armor now, allowing his muscles, the result of many years of training, to stand out.

What a fantastic specimen…

This elderly man was quite similar to the old gentleman that Mira had met at the train platform, but he had aged more to her tastes. This man seemed more vigorous and kinetic.

“Hired,” Uzume snapped, and the elderly man nodded firmly without a word. The remaining seven dispersed, visibly disappointed. “Your name was Aaron, right? Welcome aboard.”

He nodded, and Uzume offered her right hand. He shook firmly. “I’ll see it done. What are we doing at the Citadel, anyway?”

Uzume emphasized her next words with a pointed finger. “This mission is of utmost importance. We’ve gotten vital information. It’s not guaranteed, but it’s very likely to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

With that preface, Uzume succinctly explained their mission: that Chimera Clausen was targeting the Spirit King, and that the Citadel of Scales was involved.

Aaron, the other seven adventurers, and even the ones who hadn’t fit the conditions listened quietly. Once Uzume’s explanation concluded, silence fell upon the room.

***

“The Spirit King, hm? Those scoundrels have gone too far.” Aaron put into words the rage that burned in everyone’s hearts. Others shouted their anger at Chimera Clausen.

“Silence!” Uzume’s yell halted the billowing uproar, and the room fell silent once more. After confirming that everyone had settled down, she suppressed her own fury and spoke again. “We won’t let them have their way. If it is true, it’s likely that Chimera’s elites will be in play. Capture them if at all possible. If it goes well, we’ll get our hands on even more crucial information.”

“That sounds like a big responsibility. The biggest yet. Who else is going? If I’m the only adventurer you came for, then I must be coming along for the permit. Are the others going to be Hidden?”

“Indeed. Scorpion, Snake, and this girl.” After naming the two Hidden, Uzume introduced Mira, who had been staring at Aaron for some time.

All eyes came to rest on the young summoner. She looked away in surprise as Aaron made eye contact with her, but she ended up looking right into the eyes of someone else who was staring at her. She was stuck.

Mira was startled for a moment, as she had only half-listened to Uzume’s long explanation. But she quickly plastered a smile on her face and stood proud before them.

“Miss Scorpion and Miss Snake, huh? Not bad. I don’t recognize this young lady, but if she’s accompanying us, I assume she can take care of herself?” Aaron took a good look at Mira, clad in her trendy magical girl outfit. He knew Uzume wouldn’t pick anyone unfit for this mission.

“This is Mira. She’s the one who caught our first Chimera, and she’s Wise Man Danblf’s pupil. You’ll be supporting her.” Uzume nodded, slowly and confidently.

The people in the tavern stirred. Aaron was a cut above all of the adventurers here. He could be the foundation of a party, yet Uzume was asking him to support Mira.

“Heh. All right, then.” Aaron consented with a cheerful grin on his face. He turned his eyes to Mira, wondering just what sort of stuff a Wise Man’s pupil was made of.

***

The three moved to the meeting room on the second floor to share more details with Aaron. This meeting room was made for conferences with adventurers who had come to help Isuzu. They all took seats around the table and got comfortable.

Uzume spoke first. She told Aaron about the evidence that had led them to the near-certainty that Chimera Clausen was targeting the Spirit King. She also outlined how the Kingdom of Alcait and the Mages’ Guild would be assisting in the matter.

Alcait was famous for being a kingdom of mages, and the Mages’ Guild had its finger on the pulse of all adventurer movements. Mages had high affinity with spirits, so the union was publicly an enemy of Chimera Clausen. Aaron agreed that the information’s sources were ironclad.

With that over, Uzume finally got to the details of the specific mission, while Aaron occasionally gave affirmative answers and pressed for more information. Mira enjoyed an all-season au lait that had caught her eye in the tavern.

Uzume ran through all the details: transportation to the destination, the people who would be joining, and even an analysis of expected resistance. She wrapped up by adding that the two Hidden would take care of restraining and transporting any captured enemies.

“All right. I’ll get ready. When do we set out?” Aaron organized each piece of information in his mind and made a mental list of the luggage he would need to take.

Uzume took her eyes off of Mira relaxing while sipping her drink and answered, “Tomorrow morning at nine.”

“That’s not much time. I’d better start preparing.”

They didn’t know when Chimera Clausen might appear in force. Depending on the circumstances, they might have to lie in ambush for days on end. But that was better than arriving after Chimera had done all their dirty work. The sooner they left, the better. Aaron stood up to go.

“I should give you this now.” Uzume also rose and handed Aaron a blue, card-like sheet of paper.

“Ooh, thank you. I’ll make good use of that.” He happily accepted it.

“Then I’ll see you at the usual spot when the time comes tomorrow.”

“Got it.” Aaron’s words were concise, but his tone was firm. He left for his inn, where he would get ready for the trip ahead.

Mira and Uzume left right behind him.

***

As they left the tavern, Kagura turned and asked, “How about it, Gramps? Are you ready?”

“Hrmm. I would say I’ve got enough restoratives on hand.” Mira glanced at her inventory and checked her stock of emergency healing items. She took out a certain item to show Kagura. “I’ve got these, too. I’ll be fine, even if they nearly kill me.”

Mira shook the crystalline vial, which contained a pink liquid. It was Goddess’s Charity, a top-tier restorative that instantly brought the user to full vitality. It remained effective even in this new reality.

“You’ve been here for less than a month, right, Gramps? You haven’t suffered any real injuries.”

“Well, yes. And?” Mira answered, putting the Goddess’s Charity back in her Item Box. Kagura weakly slapped Mira upside the head. It was a light impact, but it came with some real pain. Mira pouted and protested, but Kagura replied with a series of slaps on both cheeks. “What the hell?!”

“Okay, question. How much damage did you take from that, Gramps?”

Mira glared at Kagura, but her question was low and serious. Mira pushed down her displeasure.

“Hrmm… Maybe around ten?” She didn’t know what the point of this was, but she answered based on the sensations on her head and cheeks.

Hearing her answer, Kagura let out a big, ostentatious sigh and looped her pointer finger and thumb into the shape of a circle. “The answer is zero. Now, as your senior in this world, allow me to enlighten you. First, whether or not you take damage is based off of how much it affects your body. Light slaps pose no danger to your life, so you take zero damage. Though if I did it a lot, it might add up.” Kagura paused for a moment and then flicked Mira’s chin. “That’s zero, too,” she said, ignoring her friend’s glare.

She continued, “Taking damage is the same as getting closer to death. When this was a video game, taking damage just meant watching some numbers go down. But now? If you take damage worth half your hit points, the pain will leave you unable to fight. If you’re near death, good luck being lucid enough to drink a potion without help.”

“Hrmm…”

In real life, pain, blood loss, and fuzzy consciousness associated with injuries were to be expected. No matter how effective medicine was, it was meaningless if you couldn’t use it. Mira reflected on some past risks that might have turned out…poorly.

“You’re right. I’ll be careful.” Realizing that she still had gamer brain, she took Kagura’s advice seriously.

Kagura then took an item from her own inventory, a bottle with a yellow-green liquid, and thrust it in Mira’s face.

“That’s where this panacea comes in. Take a dose beforehand, and it’ll both numb pain and reduce blood loss. It’s a really useful item for people like you and me,” Kagura said, catching Mira’s attention before stowing it back in her own Item Box. “You won’t be immobilized by injuries or poison; you can fight like you always have. But know that you’re just tricking your body. You’re just buying time to use potions.”

The panacea Kagura had shown Mira was invented by players. Pain suffered in battle had made them afraid like never before. Some players had even given up fighting entirely. But in a world where monsters thrived, there were times when one was forced to fight. Though expensive, these new elixirs were treasured as something you always wanted to have on hand.

Especially in battles between near equals, these panaceas could make the difference between victory and defeat.

Mira immediately understood the utility of the panacea and asked, “How much does that little thing go for?”

“Two hundred thousand ducats a pop. Most big retailers sell them.”

“Two hundred thousand for a single one? Given its function, I suppose that isn’t too steep…”

“That’s on the cheap side. When I first got my hands on one, they were more like five hundred thousand. It’s not just panaceas, either; all of the best restoratives are several times more expensive than they used to be. Not for nothing, either… They’re literally the difference between life and death, y’know.”

All the best restoratives were in hot demand. Many former players hoarded them as insurance, and because their raw materials were rare, they continued to be scarce at markets.

“Anyway, let’s get back to your preparations. Restoratives aside, how are you doing on food? Depending on how things go, you might need several days’ worth.”

Mira opened her Item Box and checked her foodstuffs. After a quick glance, she let out a big sigh.

“Alas, all I have is mixed berry au lait,” Mira answered.

Kagura offered her a blue card like the one she had given Aaron a short while ago.

“Take this—it’s an exchange chit. Give it to a grocery store in the business district, and they’ll give you a week’s worth of food. Unlike before, we need to eat to live. Always keep food on hand, Gramps.”

“Hrmm, indeed. Then I will gladly make use of this.” Mira accepted the exchange ticket and realized just how slapdash her approach had been up to this point. She also remembered Gilbert, who she had met on her way up to the Celestial Ruins. He had brought cooking implements and prepared items they had harvested there. That seemed to be common among adventurers. Cooking sets were sold specifically for them.

“Cooking isn’t really my forte, but maybe I should buy a kit just in case…”

Mira had no confidence in her cooking skills beyond basics like boiling, baking, and frying, so she vaguely imagined curry. At least curry always tasted a certain way unless you really messed it up.

“Unlike the User’s Bangles supplied by the Guild Union, items in our Item Boxes won’t go bad. You can stock up on precooked foods if you want.” Kagura rolled up her left sleeve and pointed at her bangle.

“Oho… That is a good idea,” Mira replied, a little surprised. She’d known that things in the Item Box wouldn’t go bad, or at least she’d intuited that. But she had no idea that the User’s Bangles loaned out by the Guild Union would let the food inside rot.

At that point, she remembered Emella, who she had joined on the trip to Nebrapolis. Even though she had a User’s Bangle, Emella had prioritized non-perishable foods when she went grocery shopping.

This is surprisingly convenient.

The new User’s Bangles came with other restrictions as well, such as weight limits. Mira looked down at the silver bangle on her arm and wondered what exactly these Terminals were.

“Do you ever stop to think about these things? They should be devices that let you interface with the game’s system, but the system doesn’t work anymore, does it?” Mira asked, flicking it with her fingertip.

Kagura pulled her left sleeve back over her wrist and responded, “I dunno. But we’ve convinced the world at large that it’s an artifact—the original incarnation of User’s Bangles.”

“I can’t say that’s incorrect.”

Gifts given by the gods. Mira chuckled, impressed that they had used the same excuse she’d used to explain the effects of the Vanity Case to Cleos.

“We can leave deep thoughts to the experts,” Kagura shrugged. “You’d better make sure you’re prepared. There are lots of things you can’t solve with strength alone.”

“Right. I’ll take that to heart,” Mira said.

Her friend nodded in satisfaction and gestured to the road that stretched before them. “Go straight and you’ll get to the business district. Once you finish shopping, come back and I’ll be waiting at the building where we first met.” Kagura swung her arm to point back to the palace.

Mira followed where she pointed and said, “Sure.”

She watched as Kagura strode away with dignified steps, greeting people as she went. After watching her go, the small summoner walked toward the business district.