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

The next day, I promptly brought Sisya and the others to Sevarya.

"Oh, so this is Sevarya. It's lively, probably because it's a port town."

"Indeed, and the breeze feels good. Sleeping outside here would be quite pleasant."

Runa's hair was being tousled by the wind blowing from the sea, and she seemed to enjoy it. But could she not think about sleeping as soon as we arrived in a new town…?

"We're heading to the Testudo Shrine first, right?"

"Yeah."

Yesterday, Roken-san told us where to find the shrine dedicated to Testudo-sama. He mentioned it was the grandest shrine, but considering it's called a temple, it's already beyond the scale of what you’d call a shrine… I’m a bit excited to see what it’s like.

"Oookura-dono, Mofuto has been acting a little strange since earlier."

"Hmm? What's going on with Mofuto?"

Since we planned to do some sightseeing together, I brought Mofuto along. As I shifted my gaze to Mofuto, who was being held by Noru, he was curled up like a fluffy ball, his face down and trembling. He had been jumping around playfully with Noru and Freesia this morning, so what happened?

"He seems to be shaking and low on energy. What could be wrong?"

"He looks like he's scared of something… Should we take him back home?"

"That's a good idea… Mofuto, would you like to go home?"

When Noru asked, Mofuto let out a "Puu" sound and nodded his head. So, we moved to a secluded area, and I sent Mofuto home with Noru using a beacon. It's a bit concerning that he started trembling so suddenly.

"Sisya, did you sense anything when we entered this town?"

"Hmm, not really, nothing so far."

"But for Mofuto to be that scared, there must be something special about this town, right?"

Indeed, he seemed to be trembling as if terrified of something. I'd heard that monsters don't approach these waters, and I thought maybe some mysterious power related to the guardian deity was at work… but Sisya doesn’t sense anything? Is there really nothing, or is it because Sisya, as a priest, lacks the perception…? I'm not sure what to think. Shortly after, I received a call from Noru, so I used the beacon to bring her back.

"Ugh, I was so looking forward to sightseeing in town with Mofuto…"

"Noru-chan, there's nothing we can do. Let's buy some souvenirs for Mofuto instead."

"You're right…"

Noru looked disappointed, her shoulders slumped. She'd been excited about going out with Mofuto since this morning. Once we finish our visit to the shrine, I should help her look for some souvenirs.

Cheering up, we headed towards the Testudo Shrine. The shrine was located a bit away from the sea, at the highest point in this town. From there, you could see far across the sea, and there was another lighthouse different from the one at the port. We asked townspeople for directions, walked for a while, and passed through a residential area until we reached a spot slightly removed from the town center. Then, a wide, well-maintained white road came into view, and the surrounding buildings gradually diminished. As we continued along a gentle slope…

"Oh, so this is the shrine dedicated to the guardian deity."

"It’s called a temple for a reason; it’s much bigger compared to the shrine we saw before."

A large, pure white structure came into view. It was much larger than our house and even bigger than the association's headquarters in the Capital. With its round columns and triangular roof made of marble-like stone, it looked like a temple straight out of Atlantis or something. It's beyond the scale of what you’d call a shrine…

As Noru and I were captivated by the temple, we heard a low growl nearby. Looking over, I saw Freesia, pressing her fingers to her temple and deep in thought.

"Hmm… this feeling, it's similar to what I sensed before."

"Huh, do you mean back at the shrine?"

"Yeah! It feels like something's there, or maybe not… but it definitely feels like something's there!"

She senses something again. The previous time it was at the shrine, and now at this temple… Could it be related to the guardian deity?

"Hmm, what is this place? There's an oppressive atmosphere, and it's unpleasant."

"Even Runa senses it. So, it's probably not just our imagination."

Not only Freesia, but even Runa was reacting. Her eyebrows furrowed in discomfort. If it’s enough to make Runa feel uneasy, considering she’s a vampire, could something holy be at work here? In that case, let's ask Sisya, the one most likely to know.

"So, Sisya, what do you think?"

It seemed Noru had the same thought as me and asked Sisya before I could. Sisya lifted the corners of her mouth, smiling confidently. Oh, this looks promising.

"Hehe, I have no idea."

"That’s useless! You looked so confident yesterday!"

"You can't expect me to know everything just because I'm a priest!"

"Then don’t make such a confident face…"

I agree. She always gives these confusing reactions! After a while, Sisya and I were shouting insults back and forth.

"Um, is something wrong?"

Suddenly, a voice called out, and when I turned around, there was a woman with short, purple hair, tilting her head slightly. She was wearing a long-sleeved coat and a long skirt that gave off a slight impression of a priestess's outfit, but the blue color made it seem entirely different. It seemed she had come out from a nearby hut after hearing our commotion.

"Oh, no, nothing’s wrong. Sorry for being noisy."

"If that’s all, then… Are you here for worship, by any chance?"

"Yes, that’s why we came. Are you a priestess here?"

"Yes, I serve Testudo-sama. My name is Irina. I can guide you if you like..."

"Please do!"

"Understood. This way, please."

With that, Irina-san began walking toward the temple, and we followed. Inside the temple, the air was cool and dim. However, there were objects emitting light, possibly magical devices, creating a mystical atmosphere. As we walked, we passed by several men and women, all of whom bowed slightly, so I bowed my head in return. Hmm… places with this kind of atmosphere feel a bit stifling to me.

"You serve the guardian deity, so are you a priestess?"

"I'm not directly connected to any church, so I'm a bit different from a priestess. However, I can use healing magic, so I might be similar in that sense."

As expected of someone serving the guardian deity, she seems to possess powers similar to those of a priest. Irina-san certainly had a pure appearance that gave off a mystical aura, quite different from the priestess we're most familiar with.

"…Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Oh, no reason."

When I glanced over, my eyes met with Sisya’s, who had a sideways glance, and I quickly turned away. She seemed to know exactly what I was thinking…

"Runa-san, your expression has been quite tense for a while now. Are you okay?"

"...I'm fine. It's just… the unpleasant feeling keeps getting stronger."

"Yeah, I feel something deeper inside…"

Runa, who had been complaining about feeling uncomfortable since we arrived at the temple, had her brows furrowed even more. Freesia, who had been her usual cheerful self at the entrance, now looked serious. I wonder what’s inside.

After walking through a long corridor, we finally reached the temple's inner sanctum… a large hall. The inside was dome-shaped, and the ceiling was covered with stained glass. Sunlight streamed through, casting a spectrum of colors throughout the space, creating an even more mystical atmosphere. However, that scenery was overshadowed by the presence of a certain object in the center.

"This is the altar where we offer prayers to Testudo-sama."

"Th-this is…"

At the center of the room referred to as the altar was a mysterious object with a surface as rough as a rock. It had hexagonal, scale-like patterns and was about 10 meters wide both vertically and horizontally. The edges were jagged, and it wasn't very thick, looking more like a fragment of something. What is this? It doesn’t look like just a rock, but since it's on a pedestal, it must be something important.

"This is said to be a part of Testudo-sama's body, bestowed upon us long ago. It is protected by a magical barrier, so please refrain from touching it."

Huh… a part of the body? So, this is a part of the guardian deity's body!? This is far more dangerous than I imagined!

"So this is a piece of the body… How big must the main body have been?"

"To think something like this remains… That means Testudo-sama really existed."

"Of course. That’s why Testudo-sama is still one of the most revered guardian deities. There are records of his descent to protect this town from danger about 500 years ago."

"W-wait, the guardian deity actually appeared…?"

Descended… So Testudo-sama is real. And only about 500 years ago? That seems relatively recent.

According to her, around 500 years ago, when this town was not yet called Sevarya, a demon attacked with a horde of monsters. The people resisted desperately, but they were overwhelmed by the strength of the demon and the monsters, and the town was on

 the brink of destruction… That's when Testudo-sama descended. With overwhelming power, able to shatter mountains and lands effortlessly, the monsters fled in fear, and the demon was turned to dust without even a chance to resist. The bay we visited yesterday, where the port is now, was supposedly created by the guardian deity during that battle. To gouge out that much land… That's not just a deity, that’s a monster…

After that, Testudo-sama shared a part of his body with the people, and ever since then, no monsters dared approach the town. During a conflict with demons about 200 years ago, the demons avoided the town entirely, apparently fearing Testudo-sama.

"Wow… Testudo-sama is amazing…"

"Yes. It’s said that Sevarya still exists today thanks to Testudo-sama."

Irina-san beamed at my words. Hmm, I honestly find it a bit dubious, but in this world, it wouldn’t be strange for such beings to exist. But why did Testudo-sama choose to side with humans? …Well, it’s an old story; there’s no way to know exactly what happened back then. Anyway, Testudo-sama protected this town, so he’s worshipped as a god. With this mysterious part of the guardian deity right before my eyes, I should just pray with all my might not to be cursed.

●

After offering our prayers to Testudo-sama, we left the temple.

"I was half skeptical about the guardian deity, but seeing that makes me believe it might have been real."

"Indeed. After listening to what she said, it makes sense why the fishermen at the port believed so deeply."

"And to think even demons were part of the story… It might relate to the investigation we were asked to do."

The guardian deity chased away monsters and even created the bay where the port is now; no wonder the fishermen are devout. It was also surprising that demons appeared in the old tales. However, if that story is true, there’s a point that’s troubling me. If the demons didn't come to this town during the conflict 200 years ago, why would they suddenly appear in this area now? There’s a possibility that the Diabolos discovered recently has nothing to do with demons. …Yeah, I’m not figuring this out any time soon.

"So, did you figure anything out at the altar, Sisya?"

"I didn’t feel anything until we got there, but once inside the altar room, there was a sense of unease. Not something holy, more like lingering thoughts… something akin to a spirit."

Sisya put a hand to her chin, looking unusually serious. Lingering thoughts, and spiritual? Does that mean there was something unseen in that temple? No way, I’m scared of ghosts…

"I sensed it too when we got inside. It felt the same as it did at the shrine on the cliff. That’s why I shot an arrow."

Since we entered the altar room, Freesia had been silent, seemingly on alert. So there was a reason behind that strange action.

"There was an oppressive feeling, very unpleasant. Mofuto’s trembling must have been because of that."

After leaving the temple, Runa was her usual expressionless self, but she had a slight cold sweat. For someone as unshakable as Runa to feel this much pressure, the guardian deity must be no joke. Mofuto’s reaction when we entered the town also makes sense now, considering the old stories. Since Mofuto is technically a monster, he must have been directly affected by Testudo-sama’s presence. It’s not something holy but rather a presence that affects monsters and demons… It feels more convincing if someone told me it’s a powerful monster rather than a god.

"They said Testudo-sama descended, and yet, even now, it seems his influence remains strong. Does that mean he still exists?"

"Just looking at that piece on the altar was enough to see how massive it was. If he's still around, where could he possibly be…?"

I have no idea which part of the body that rock-like fragment came from, but it's certain the main body is enormous. It’s nothing like the Behemoth or Lupes Rex we've fought before. If something like that were nearby, you’d think we’d find it easily… There are so many mysteries surrounding Testudo-sama.