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

On the way back to the village, I managed to clear up Deus and the others' doubts. Even though we've been working together for a while, it seems I went a bit overboard this time. With Noru and the others helping to explain, they finally understood that we weren't doing anything dangerous.

The next morning, we bought a cart from the village to carry the Kolothium and set off for the Capital. We attached the cart to the two horses Miguru and Deus were riding. Estel also rode on the cart while Noru and I rode our horses like we did on the way there.

However, even though it was easier to transport, the ore was still too heavy, and the horses could have been crushed under its weight. So, just like when we were escorting Adelbert-san, we asked Estel to cast support magic on the horses. The horses moved so fast that it was hard to believe they were carrying the heavy Kolothium. We reached the outskirts of the Capital by noon on the second day of our journey.

"Wow, even though we're dragging this huge ore, we made it back so quickly. Estel-chan's magic is amazing," exclaimed Miguru-chan.

"Hehe, this is nothing. With my support magic, even the horses can be as strong as monsters," Estel replied confidently.

"That sounds both impressive and a bit scary..." said Deus, his voice tinged with awe.

As we ran parallel to Deus and Miguru-chan's cart, I heard Miguru-chan's voice filled with surprise. Estel's support magic really makes a difference. The horses could probably kick a wolf away easily in their current state.

"Using support magic on horses... you guys are really something else, even outside of battles," Deus remarked.

"Really? I thought other mages might use support magic on horses too," I said.

"I've heard of it, but maintaining it throughout the journey is unusual," Deus responded.

"Well, thanks to that, we're back early," I said, trying to steer the conversation back to positive ground.

So, other mages might have the idea of using support magic on horses, but it seems none actually do it consistently. Well, Estel's gear from the gacha has high MP auto-recovery, so her consumption is always lower than her recovery. Maybe we've been doing something a bit out of the ordinary, but it couldn't be helped this time.

We arrived at the Capital, dismounted, and headed to a certain place Deus mentioned—a long-time client of ours, Gantz’s equipment shop. We were bringing the Kolothium inside since Deus and Miguru-chan couldn't carry it themselves.

"Thanks for carrying the Kolothium. We can't move something this heavy by ourselves," Deus said gratefully.

"Don't mention it. It's been a while since we last visited Gantz's shop," I replied.

"Yeah, we haven't sold any equipment here recently," Noru added.

Since we started converting our gacha equipment into points with the House Extension, we hadn't been visiting much, except for selling Stinger's Shells occasionally. Recently, even that had dwindled. We tied the horses nearby, lifted the Kolothium from the cart, and entered the shop.

"Welcome—oh, it's Deus! And... Ookura!? Long time no see!" Gantz, the familiar burly man, greeted us loudly.

"Hello, long time no see," I replied.

"You guys coming together is unusual."

"Yes, we went hunting together this time. And we brought back this ore," Deus explained.

"Hunting together, huh? You guys sure have gotten close. So, you brought this ore... Oh!?" Gantz’s eyes widened as he saw the Kolothium I was carrying. He pointed at it, shaking.

"Th-that's... Kolothium?" he stammered.

"Yes, we got it from the Shutgal Mines. They did most of the work, really," Deus said.

"Don't say that. We needed everyone to make it through," I said.

"Even so, bringing Kolothium is incredible! I've never seen one this big..." Gantz said, crouching down to examine the ore closely. He was more excited than when we brought in the Stinger's Shells.

"Gantz-san, is Kolothium that rare?" I asked.

"Of course it is! It almost never appears on the general market! And if it does, it's always in small, split pieces. This is a whole chunk! You're going to let me make something with this, right?" Gantz practically begged Deus, eyes wide and eager.

"Calm down! Yes, I want you to make a sword with it," Deus confirmed.

"Alright! I'll make the best thing you've ever seen!" Gantz said, rolling up his sleeves, visibly excited. It seems Kolothium is a dream material for craftsmen.

"Are you sure you don't want something made for yourself too?" Gantz asked me.

"No, we're just here to deliver the ore," I replied.

"Seriously? All this is for Deus?"

"That's right," I said.

"Are you out of your mind!?" Gantz exclaimed. "Deus, they gave you this for free!?"

"Almost... yeah," Deus admitted.

Gantz fell silent, staring at me with a puzzled look.

"...Ookura, sorry to say this, but are you crazy?" he asked bluntly.

"It's not that... They've been helping us with something," I tried to explain.

"You know, you don't seem to have proper weapons yourself. Why not make something while you're here? That weird sword on your hip looks like it's been there since the first time you came," Gantz suggested, pointing to my Excalibar.

"I'm fine with this," I said.

"But... how can you fight with something like that?"

Gantz approached to inspect my Excalibar closely. I understand the appeal of weapons made from rare materials, but we really don’t need them. My Excalibar, enhanced by numerous unlucky gacha draws, far surpasses the performance of any regular SSR or UR weapon. So, I decided to let Deus have all the Kolothium.

As Gantz reached to touch my Excalibar, I quickly intervened.

"Wait! It's dangerous to touch it carelessly!"

"Why?" Gantz asked, startled.

"It's laced with poison. It's dangerous," I explained.

"Poison!? Seriously?"

That was close. If he had touched the blade, he would have been poisoned instantly. The Excalibar's edge is extremely sharp and poisonous. Without Sisya here, I’d have to use a universal antidote.

"Is it really that dangerous?" Deus asked.

"Yeah, I accidentally cut my finger while cleaning it once. It was a mess," I admitted.

"I see... I didn’t know it was that hazardous," Deus said, eyeing the sword warily.

"Well, we only need a sword for Deus this time," I reiterated.

"Alright. I'll hold onto the remaining Kolothium for now. Consult with Miguru and the others about what to do with it later," Gantz said.

"You're thoughtful, aren't you?" Miguru teased.

"I always consider you guys too!" Deus protested.

"Really?" Miguru smirked, nudging him playfully. They seemed close, like usual.

We left the Kolothium with Gantz and exited the shop.

"Thanks, Ookura. Let's do another quest or hunt together sometime. We'll be better prepared next time," Deus said.

"Sure, let's do it when we're both free. If I get more Kolothium, I'll ask the guild to contact you," I said.

"I don't think it'll be easy to get more, but I'll look forward to it. Next time, I'll pay for it properly," Deus promised.

On our way back to the village, we agreed that while the Kolothium was free this time, we'd charge for it next time. It was clear that giving too much for free could scare them off. I couldn't explain the whole reason for our actions, so it was a compromise.

"Oh no, I'll miss Estel-chan again," Miguru lamented.

"Don't look so sad. Hunting with you was fun. Let's do it again," Estel said.

"Estel-chan is really nice," Miguru said, patting Estel’s head fondly.

"Thanks for everything, Noru-san. Your cooking was amazing," Miguru said.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it! Next time, I'll bring even more ingredients," Noru said, beaming.

"Just don't get too carried away," Estel teased.

"Alright, I'll gather some spices too. Cooking with other adventurers was really fun," Miguru added.

Noru and Miguru seemed to have bonded over this hunt. While I was worried about them getting too absorbed in cooking, it was nice to see them so happy. Maybe inviting them over to our place sometime wouldn't be a bad idea.

With that, we wrapped up our time together. Hopefully, we'll get to hunt together again. Now, it's time to head home and see if Sisya and the others managed to take care of things while we were away.