Using Gacha to Increase My Companions and to Create the Strongest Girls' Army Corps

Several days have passed since we defeated Lupes Rex.

Considering the round trip time to Rugen Valley, I haven't delivered the magic stone to the guild yet, to avoid raising suspicions. Given its size, it would normally take a while to transport, so I decided to wait a bit longer.

In the meantime, I've been busy collecting magic stones and hunting with Sisya to gather gemstones for gifts. I've collected over 950 magic stones, just shy of my minimum goal of 1000. Today, I'm back in Rugen Valley with Sisya to hunt for more gemstones before gathering magic stones.

"Magic Blades are perfect for hunting Lapis. There's not much feedback, but it's quite enjoyable," Sisya said.

"You can handle more than just hand-to-hand combat and a staff, huh?"

"Since it's an ethereal magic sword, even a priest like me can handle it, though a real sword would be more difficult."

For larger Lapis, physical attacks don't work well, so I equipped Sisya with an enhanced Magic Blade. Although she wasn't used to sword-like weapons, she's now skillfully slicing through Lapis.

"Recently, you've been using Centibar more during hunts, haven't you?" Sisya noted.

"Yeah, I haven't been able to fully utilize it yet, so I'm trying to get more practice."

"You seem quite proficient against Lapis, but good luck managing two or more at once."

"Ugh... I'll keep at it..."

I was deeply affected when Centibar shattered during the fight with Lupes Rex. Despite being an ultimate rarity (UR) equipment, it's disheartening to see it break often. Hence, I've been using Centibar actively during hunts to improve my control. Now, I can easily handle goblins, orcs, and Lapis.

However, Centibar is supposed to manage up to five units simultaneously. Struggling with just one, I wonder how long it'll take before I can handle all of them together...

With these thoughts in mind, I finished today's hunt in Rugen Valley and reviewed the collected gemstones with Sisya during a break.

"We've gathered quite a variety, but it's hard to choose the right one."

"I'm in the same boat. This one looks promising, but there might be better options..."

We have nearly 50 gemstones now, with some as large as a fist. Since we're delivering the magic stone to the guild tomorrow, we need to select the gemstones to have them crafted into jewelry. Given that we're close to the gemstone source, there should be a place to process them... I hope.

"Should I go for the larger ones? Maybe this fist-sized one?"

"Considering it's for jewelry, it might be too big."

A fist-sized gemstone might be too cumbersome as an accessory. It's also slightly heavy.

"Choosing the right gemstone is important, but what kind of accessory to make is also a question. Are you thinking of making a necklace for Runa?" I asked.

"At first, yes, but now I'm considering a hairpin or bracelet," Sisya replied, folding her arms and tilting her head in thought.

Choosing the right gemstone is tricky, but deciding on the accessory type is equally challenging. I have never given a girl a gift before, so this is new territory for me. Although, I have some ideas about what might make them happy...

"What do you think would make Estel happy?" I asked.

"A ring," Sisya replied without hesitation.

"Instant answer."

"You probably already know the answer, right?" Sisya smiled.

"Yeah, I guess..."

A ring, huh... She was thrilled when I gave her a gacha ring before. Though she might think it's an engagement ring again, if it makes her happy, it might be the best choice. However, since she already has a gacha ring, it might not be as special. Asking her directly would be best, but I want it to be a surprise, just like Sisya does.

"What would you want as a gift?" I asked Sisya.

"Me? Maybe a knuckle duster," she said playfully.

"That's a weapon!"

"Hehe, just kidding. A necklace would be nice."

"But you already have a gacha necklace, right?"

"That's different. Personal gifts and gacha items are not the same."

Sisya would indeed say she wants a weapon seriously... I didn't realize personal gifts are valued differently than gacha items, even if they overlap.

"Is that so? What about Noru? What would she want?"

"Noru? Maybe... a hairpin?"

"You almost said food, didn't you?"

Indeed, Noru would likely prefer food over accessories. Even if she appreciates the gesture, she would probably be happier with delicious food. It might be harsh, but that’s just how she is.

After deliberating for a while, we made our decisions.

"I've decided on this yellow gemstone," Sisya declared.

"Then I'll choose this red gemstone."

Sisya picked a yellow gemstone about 3 cm in size, while I chose a red one of similar size. Estel often uses fire magic, so red seems fitting. The red gemstone matches the color of her eyes, so it should look great on her.

---

The next day...

"Are you going to the guild with Sisya today?" Noru asked.

"Yeah, I can't always rely on you to accompany me."

"I don't mind, but okay. Take care of him, Sisya."

"Leave it to me. I'll take good care of him," Sisya assured.

"Why do you all worry about me so much..."

Today, we head to the guild in Queres to deliver the magic stone. Normally, Noru would accompany me, but since we plan to visit a jeweler afterward, I'm bringing Sisya along.

"You two seem to be getting along well recently," Estel commented, watching us with narrowed eyes.

"It's not like that, right?"

"Right, it's just a coincidence."

Estel's skeptical look reminded me of the incident with Sisya. Since then, Estel has been somewhat suspicious. Trying to keep the gemstone gift a secret hasn't helped.

To avoid raising further suspicion, we teleported to Queres using a beacon. Outside the town, we took the large magic stone from the magic bag and loaded it onto a cart before entering the town.

"This thing is way too big..."

"Everyone's staring at us. Even if they don't know it's a magic stone, it stands out."

As we entered Queres, people stared at us and the large white slab on the cart. Few would recognize it as a magic stone, but hauling such a large stone naturally draws attention. It’s better than carrying it by hand, which would draw even more attention.

Receiving curious glances, we finally arrived at the adventurer’s guild. The stone was too large to take inside, so I left Sisya to guard it while I went in to call the receptionist.

"What is this? I've never seen such a large magic stone. How did you manage to transport it?"

"Well, it took some effort," I said, glossing over the fact that we had it in a magic bag.

Given its size, this magic stone is quite rare.

The guild staff took the cart with the magic stone inside while we went in to receive our reward. However, there was an unexpected complication.

"Thank you for completing the quest. Before we give you the reward, we need to confirm something," the receptionist said.

"Is there a problem?"

Did we do something wrong? I brought the magic stone, so what's the issue? Was it too big?

"You initially agreed to a reward of 3 million G, right?"

"Yes."

"So, the reward is 3 million G for a standard-sized magic stone. But this is for a regular-sized stone..."

Was it too big after all? If they reject this size, I'll be devastated. We’ve spent a lot of time hunting there without encountering another Lupes Rex.

"Is it too big?"

"That's right. However, bigger is not necessarily a problem, so don’t worry."

Phew, it seems we don't need to find another one. But then what is the issue?

"If there are two stones, the reward would be 6 million G. This means the reward is proportional to the size."

"I see, so we’ll be paid based on the size?"

"Yes."

Wow, really? Chris might have a similar attitude towards magic stones, wanting as many as possible.

"The guild can't determine the exact reward for this size, so we'll give you 3 million G now, and the rest after consulting with the research lab. Is that okay?"

"Yes, that's fine."

"Thank you. Here's 3 million G."

They can't determine the value for such a large stone. That's fine with me, more money later is always welcome.

After settling the reward, I got an idea before leaving the guild.

"Oh, one more thing. Do you know where I can get gemstones processed?"

"Gemstones? Did you get them from Rugen Valley? There are several places in town that do that..."

The receptionist's eyes sparkled as she enthusiastically explained the various gemstone processing shops in Queres. There are places using traditional tools and places using magic. I didn't quite get the technical details about the differences, but we got directions to the shops.

"Let's go get these gemstones processed," I said.

"Yes! Runa, wait for my loving gift!" Sisya exclaimed.

Sisya was excited about finally getting the gemstones processed. Though it wouldn't be ready immediately, I was also eager to see how the final product would turn out. I hope Estel will be happy with it.

[TL notes: I would be happy if you gave `The Mysterious Child: An Adventure Tale Beginning with Numerology` a read pretty fun story :D]