Hell Mode: Volume 7, page 13
“All right, I’m going to divide up the party. While I’m thinking about how we’re going to go about it, I want you to pack a hundred of each of these items into a bag. Also, call Dogora here.” After he finished speaking, Allen took Potherbs, Blessings of Heaven, Gold Beans, and Silver Beans from Storage in bundles of one hundred and placed them in the cockpit.
It should be fine to split up our supplies among all three groups. Though I’m the only one who can use Storage, magic bags should work just as well.
Allen’s teammates carried magic bags with them at all times. They always kept a certain number of healing potions produced by his Grass Summons on hand in case something happened, but it seemed that there would be a lot of victims who needed rescuing from the daemonic incarnations this time. Therefore, he needed to distribute a significant amount of recovery items.
Allen had already supplied healing potions for the rescue operations in Elmahl, as well as having given some to Admiral Garara, Helmios, and Zeu, but he still had more than enough in stock. In between the Rank S dungeon assaults, he had had Merus assist him with building up his supplies. By having all his preparations in order, he had very little he needed to worry about.
Grass Summon Healing Items
Gold Bean: 6,800
Silver Bean: 6,800
Blessing of Heaven: 30,000
Potherb: 15,000
Seed of Magic: 50,000
Frond of Life: 1,000,000
Magic Stones
Rank S: 6,895
Rank A: 10,000
Rank B: 2,400,000
Rank C: 1,000,000
Rank D: 70,000
Rank E: 10,000,000
“Will you be calling some Summons back from Elmahl?” Merus asked.
“Yep. I need to do something about the number of Summons out there roaming around on their own.”
Considering the party distribution, Allen had sorted out eighty Summon slots. He Deleted all of the Beast As running around slaying monsters in Elmahl as well as most of the Spirit As, leaving only one for communication purposes. He figured that the Insect As and the Rank A monsters they had enslaved were enough to annihilate the remaining monsters. In fact, he could not just Delete his Insect As. When they were returned to card form, their Parent Beas and Baby Beas would also disappear, and the monsters they had enslaved would die. However, it was possible to simply leave the Parent Beas, Baby Beas, and enslaved monsters behind in Elmahl and have the Insect As move to the east and west of the Union.
By doing all this, it would be possible to send ten support Summons, including the Insect As, along with each of the three teams—one heading to the east, one west, and one south.
Breakdown of Summons (80 Total)
Northern border of Giamut: 10
Northern border of Rohzenheim: 15
Holy Land of Elmahl: 5 (15 currently, but 10 will be moved)
Rodin Village and elsewhere: 5
Bird As used for teleportation: 10
Summons sent with the east, west, and south teams: 10 each (30 total)
Grass-type Summons: 5
All that was left was the breakdown of the three teams.
Though he did not think it would happen so soon, Allen had always figured that it would eventually become more efficient to act in small groups than as a large party of eight, and he had previously discussed this with his friends. However, this time, Allen also agreed that Keel’s opinion was more valid than his own. And since he had already been considering team divisions, it was easy for him to choose how everyone would be split up.
“All right, then, let’s discuss the team breakdowns.”
“‘Team’? Ooh! Teams!”
“That’s right. First of all, the west team is me, Cecil, and Dogora.”
“And will you be our leader, Allen?”
“That’s right, Cecil. I’ll be our team leader. The south team will be made up of Keel, Merus, and Krena.”
“And the team leader?” Krena looked at Allen with a twinkle in her eye. It was clear that she wanted to do it.
“Right. I think Merus would—”
“No. Humans should be in charge of such matters.”
Before Allen could finish speaking, Merus rejected his suggestion.
“Hmm, I guess that makes sense. In that case, Keel.”
“Sure, got it. I was the one who came up with this idea anyway.”
Keel nodded firmly, a serious expression on his face. When Allen looked at Krena, it was clear as day that she was disappointed. Allen did his best to encourage her, saying, “I need you to get just a bit stronger before I can leave the role of leader to you.”
“The rest of you—Sophie, Volmaar, and Meruru—are on the east team. Sophie will be the team leader.”
“We’re going to the east?”
Sophie frowned for a moment, but Allen missed it and continued speaking.
“That’s right. Sophie, Keel, listen up.”
“Yes?”
“You’ll be accompanied by Swell and Okiyosan so that you can ask me any questions if need be. However, the final decision is yours, no matter what. From now on, I don’t know what awaits each of us, but I’m sure there will be times when it’s difficult to deal with the problems you encounter using just the Summons that are with you. In those times, be sure to get the cooperation of the locals. The role of leader will involve carefully deciding what the citizens can do, what we can do, and what the Summons can do.”
“I understand.”
“O-Okay.”
Sophie seemed lost in thought. Allen wondered if she was really ready, so he decided to give her a little more prompting.
“Sophie. I’ve said it several times already, but I’m leaving everything to you. It’s up to you to decide your own priorities.”
“Okay. Leave it to me, Lord Allen.” Sophie gave a clear and confident reply.
Ultimately, it’s all about finding the perfect balance.
Team Breakdown and Direction
West: Allen (Leader), Cecil, Dogora
South: Keel (Leader), Krena, Merus
East: Sophie (Leader), Volmaar, Meruru
Both Merus and Allen were able to Summon, so them having been put on different teams only made sense. It did, however, leave the remaining team with no members who were able to Summon, thus decreasing their ability to cope with any problems that might arise. That was why Allen had placed Sophie, who could manifest spirits, and Meruru, the pilot of Tam-Tam, on that team. It was a good fit, as both of them surpassed others in terms of fighting prowess, second only to Allen and Merus. Sophie had powerful armor now too. And, of course, Allen had also considered the balance between the vanguard and the rear guard when deciding on the team composition.
Once the team member announcements had been made, each of the teams packed a large amount of recovery items into their magic bags and asked the queen of Rohzenheim for additional food support through his Spirit A. It was April now, which was the time when seeding normally began. Though they still had food stockpiles, given the situation in Teomenia, it seemed likely that even more food supply assistance would be needed.
After the queen replied approving the request, Meruru landed Eagle Mode Tam-Tam, and the teams prepared to head off in their respective directions.
“Well, I guess this is goodbye for now. Good luck, everyone.”
Each of the Gamers replied to Allen with their sentiments. Then, they split into their three teams.
Chapter 8: Team Sophie (Part 1): Off to the Muharino Desert
After parting ways with Allen and the rest of the Gamers, Sophie’s team boarded Tam-Tam in its Eagle Mode and headed for the east side of the continent. From above the pillar of light extending east from the island, they followed it toward their destination. However, even after flying for several hours straight, they still had not reached their destination.
“It feels like we’re all alone out here,” Sophie mumbled as she looked out the cockpit window.
The Galiatan Continent, where the Union was located, had a large mountain range near its center, with lush forests and grasslands surrounding it. But farther to the east, the climate became dry, and wastelands stretched wide.
Having grown up in the lush Rohzenheim, Sophie felt a little uneasy about seeing all the greenery fade away below her. In addition, she was now separated from Allen and the others, and she had to act and make decisions as her group’s leader. And if that was not bad enough, the Demon Lord Army was almost certainly waiting for them at the other end of this pillar of light. Sophie’s face clouded over as she considered how little hope for salvation there likely was at their destination, even if they were to rush there.
“At this rate, we’ll reach the edge of the continent by tomorrow morning,” Meruru said while looking at the location information displayed on the control panel in front of her. Considering that Volmaar, a Bird A, and a Spirit A were the only others in the cockpit, she thought that Sophie had been speaking to her, though in truth she had simply been talking to herself.
However, as soon as she replied, Meruru hurriedly stood up with a surprised yelp and rushed in front of Sophie, who was standing by the cockpit window. “Team Leader Sophie! I propose that we continue flying!” the dwarf girl said, giving a brisk Baukisian salute. This must have been the same way she had saluted her superiors when she had served in the Baukis Imperial Navy the previous year in their battle against the Demon Lord Army.
Just as Krena had been envious of Keel’s appointment as leader, Meruru looked upon Sophie’s appointment with reverence. She seemed to think that Sophie had somehow been recognized by Allen, and it seemed that her salute was a manifestation of that feeling. Yet this only served to make Sophie uncomfortable.
“M-Meruru, there’s no need to address me that way. We’re friends, remember?” Her reaction was partly inspired by how suddenly Meruru had reacted, as well as being influenced by her concern that, were she to tolerate Meruru’s behavior, she might continue to be treated like a military leader.
Meruru seemed both taken aback and humbled by Sophie’s words. “Ah, yeah, I understand.”
“I have to say, though, you really did a great job this time around,” Sophie quickly followed up, hoping to keep her teammate’s spirits high.
“You really think so? Hee hee hee.” Meruru’s expression brightened immediately. Seeing that, Sophie relaxed a bit.
“I suppose now is a good time to have some lunch, then.”
“I agree, Princess Sophialohne,” Volmaar replied.
Meruru put Tam-Tam on autopilot, and the three team members moved from the cockpit to the lounge. She had been keeping a close eye on what was going on outside for the entire time she had been flying the golem, so it was time for a break.
While Sophie and the others rested, the Spirit A kept an eye on the situation outside. There, the Insect As, Parent Beas, and Baby Beas followed after Tam-Tam, ready to take on any threat that made itself apparent.
Some of the Insect As, which had been in charge of exterminating the daemonic incarnations and the monsters roaming around Elmahl, had left their enslaved Rank A monsters behind and brought their Parent Beas and Baby Beas with them. They moved a little slower than usual since they had to match the speed of their Baby Beas, but when they eventually caught up, Allen planned to have them use their Spawn Ability to increase the number of Parent and Baby Beas and thus be as prepared as possible to face the situation.
Sophie and the others knew that Allen, who was headed west, could see out of the eyes of his Summons. By boosting his Intelligence, it was possible for him to access dozens of fields of vision at the same time.
Sophie sat on the sofa in the lounge and chatted with Meruru. Meanwhile, Volmaar removed the skin from a molmo fruit with a knife and prepared some snacks.
“That long-range attack you pulled off against the Demonic Deity was quite impressive. All without ever even practicing it, at that.”
Among the Gamers, Krena was always the first to rise to the occasion. She had a rare three-star Talent called Sword Lord, and had been quick to use her Extra Skills ever since unlocking them in Academy City.
During the war in Rohzenheim, Cecil had shown great promise. Even now, her Intelligence was greatly boosted thanks to the rings she had obtained in dungeons and from auctions, and by riding a Bird B, she was able to let the Summon take care of evading incoming attacks while she focused purely on offense.
Allen had told Sophie back in the Rank S dungeon that she contributed greatly to the party. Though she did not necessarily intend to, it seemed that she was able to put as much of her MP as she could handle into any of the spirits she manifested to attack on her behalf. Even a juvenile spirit was able to defeat Rank A monsters with ease, greatly improving the stability of the party and the speed at which they could take out their enemies.
However, Sophie believed that it was Meruru who had really played an active role in clearing the Rank S dungeon. In particular, from around the time when her magic disc had begun to fill up with slates, she had played a variety of roles, such as protecting her companions, attacking enemies, and supporting the party. She had become just as vital as Keel’s healing magic.
“Thank you, Sophie. And you too, Volmaar,” Meruru mumbled through a mouthful of food.
“Don’t worry about what Keel said, Meruru.”
“Huh?” Meruru looked surprised by that statement, so Sophie decided to explain in a bit more detail.
“When Merus said that Elmea had brought everyone together around Lord Allen, Keel commented that it made sense that Elmea had led all of Allen’s companions to his hometown to join him on his adventure. But that’s only Keel’s opinion. You’re just as much one of Allen’s companions as the rest of us, guided by Lord Elmea.”
“Y-You’re right. Er, wait... Did I look like I was worried about that?”
“Yes, it seemed that way.”
Merus had discussed this while explaining how Dogora had been given a special—albeit not easily activated due to the restrictions placed on it—Extra Skill by Elmea, the God of Creation. He had said that this was all the result of leading children with Talents to the same place at the same time to help Allen fight the Demon Lord, but he had not said exactly who they were. That was when Keel had remarked that many unique individuals had lived in Krena Village, which had caused Meruru to think that perhaps she was not one of those who had been led to join Allen.
Now that Sophie pointed it out, Meruru finally remembered the circumstances that had brought them together.
“Ah, right...”
Meruru had first enrolled in a school in the Empire of Baukis, but at the end of her first year, she was told that she had been selected for a government-sponsored study abroad program. In exchange for her tuition and living expenses being covered, she was to become a student at the Academy run by the Five Continent Alliance, a place where people of all different races and nationalities were sent in order to create a sense of solidarity between them before they went on to fight the Demon Lord Army together as one.
A major factor in Meruru’s decision to go had been that her family was by no means wealthy. Her father, the breadwinner, was a low-ranking soldier, and she had four other siblings. Meruru had learned at her Appraisal Ceremony that she had the Talent of Talos General, but Baukis had not granted her any special assistance just because of that. However, international exchange students were another story entirely. Upon finding out that she could study without being a burden to her parents, Meruru had accepted the offer and come to the Academy in the Kingdom of Ratash. At the insistence of her homeroom teacher, Carlova, she had joined Allen and the others.
If she had not been eligible for a government scholarship, she might not have gone on an adventure with Allen and the rest of the Gamers. She felt uneasy, believing that she, a citizen of a completely different country, was not a true companion led to Allen by Elmea.
“You know, Meruru, I was also born in a different place from you and Allen. What’s more, I was born quite a long time before the rest of you. And yet here we are, all together. It’s all thanks to Lord Rohzen’s guidance that I was able to join you and the others. Maybe Lord Elmea encouraged him to do so, but I don’t think that’s important. Now that we’re all together, I think that’s all that matters.”
Hearing Sophie say this in her usual calm tone made Meruru understand once again why Sophie had been chosen as their team’s leader. “Thank you, Sophie.”
“You’re welcome. We’re friends, you know. Even though we’re a smaller group than usual now and the going will certainly be tough, we should still give it our all.”
Meruru nodded with a bright smile on her face. “Absolutely!”
＊ ＊ ＊
The next day, Meruru woke up on the sofa in the lounge.
Merely keeping Tam-Tam in its Eagle Mode constantly consumed Meruru’s MP, so she had to regularly use Seeds of Magic to keep her MP up as she flew. This did little to help her growing sense of fatigue, however. To combat it, she made sure to take frequent naps.
The previous evening, she had let the Spirit A take over while the three of them slept. Upon waking up, Meruru found Sophie and Volmaar to be missing, though she found them when she left the lounge and made her way to the cockpit. Sophie was standing at the front of the cockpit, looking out in the direction of travel, and Volmaar stood behind her, gazing out the right-side window.
“Good morning. Have you been up long, Sophie?”
Sophie turned around at the sound of Meruru’s voice. “Good morning, Meruru. I just woke up, actually. But more to the point, you should take a look at this.” Sophie pointed out the window, and Meruru stood at her side to look out it.
All she could see was a desert of endless yellowish sand. Tam-Tam flew above the cloudless desert along the length of the pillar of light that extended parallel to the ground. About three hundred meters ahead, she saw it break at a right angle and descend to the ground.
