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

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Author Notes:

  Thank you so much for always reading my work. Volume 4 of the book will be released tomorrow, on March 30th, along with the start of the manga serialization. I've posted information about store exclusives and giveaway campaigns in the activity report, so if you're interested, please check it out!

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After finding the black magic stone, we continued our exploration of the cave for a while. However, we didn’t find any more clues, and the Shell Cancer didn’t show up again. In the end, all we managed to do today was take down a bunch of crabs and shellfish, with our only tangible result being a small fragment of a black magic stone.

“I’m going to make crab dishes right away!”

“Yay! I’m going to help too!”

As soon as we got home, Noor dashed into the kitchen, and Freesia followed closely behind.

“Those two are so full of energy, even after a whole day of exploring.”

“That’s their main strength, after all.”

Estel sat in a chair, looking tired, resting her cheek on her hand while fiddling with the small fragment of the magic stone we found today. The cave was difficult to walk through, so she seems pretty worn out.

“We searched all over, but this little fragment was all we found.”

“No kidding. I even cut into my sleep to come along.”

Runa, sitting on Sisya’s lap and petting Mofuto, was pouting. I think finding this stone was a significant discovery, but Runa, who had to leave her comfortable bed, didn’t seem satisfied. Then again, you sleep so much already that saying you “cut into your sleep” doesn’t really mean much...

“It’s better than finding nothing at all. I’d say it was a pretty good result.”

“You’re right. Finding this on the first day is a big win. Maybe we have Freesia to thank for that?”

‘What? Are you praising me? That’s making me blush!’

“…How can she hear that? She must have incredible hearing.”

As Estel muttered casually, we heard Freesia’s loud response from the kitchen. I can’t see her, but from the sound of her voice, I can tell she’s probably grinning from ear to ear. To think she could hear our conversation all the way from the kitchen… What sharp ears she has. But more importantly, we need to discuss this black magic stone.

“That’s the black magic stone, right?”

“Yes, I think so. I still can’t figure out what kind of magic it holds, though.”

We had Estel examine it right after we found it, but it seems that as long as it’s in a broken state, there’s not much more we can learn. This confirms that Diabolos is indeed around, but beyond that, we didn’t find anything. Hopefully, we’ll find more clues at the other locations we plan to visit... as I was thinking this, Runa surprisingly showed interest in the stone.

“Let me see that.”

Runa took the fragment from Estel and placed it in her palm, studying it closely. She didn’t show any particular reaction to the stone we found before, so what’s different this time?

“Hmmm… holding this makes me feel comfortable. Can I take it to bed with me?”

“Absolutely not! Who knows what might happen!”

“Too bad. I thought I’d sleep soundly with it.”

Pouting again, Runa sulked as she handed the stone back to Estel. Just holding the magic stone makes her feel comfortable? That sounds way too suspicious. I was so focused on Runa that I didn’t notice Mofuto was also perking up, showing an unusual interest in the black magic stone. When we found the last one, this didn’t happen... Could this one have a different effect? Now that I think about it, Runa mentioned feeling comfortable in that cave. Maybe that was because of this magic stone... Something might have been happening in that cave after all.

“Mofuto seems interested too… This really doesn’t seem like a good thing. The power might be gone, but we should still keep it securely locked away.”

“In that case, I’ll help out. If there’s anything that could harm Runa-san, I can’t just leave it be! I’ll make sure it’s so tightly sealed it’ll never see daylight again!”

“We might need to give it to the Adventurers’ Guild later, so please don’t go overboard…”

Sisya cracked her knuckles as she stared down the magic stone with a look that said she was ready to crush it. I get the feeling she’s planning to ‘seal’ it with brute force! I quickly stopped Sisya before she could act and watched as Estel placed the stone in a small box she’d prepared. With a light wave of her staff and the white book in her hand, a magic circle appeared, and the box began to glow brightly.

“…There, that should do it. I’ve sealed it so the magic inside can’t leak out.”

As the light faded, Estel nodded in satisfaction. I didn’t realize it, but she must have done something similar with the previous magic stone we found. We really owe Estel a lot for taking care of things like this.

“Still, why was that fragment in such a place? Since it was seen flying away, it doesn’t seem like someone destroyed it…”

“True…”

The magic stone we found this time was already shattered when we found it, just like the one we destroyed earlier. Since Diabolos was seen flying away, it doesn’t seem like anyone defeated it. But if that’s the case, did it leave it there on purpose? Maybe the Diabolos that flew away and another one inside the cave were killed by someone? …I’m really just grasping at straws here. Estel and the others seem to be deep in thought too, but they’re frowning, just as confused as I am. Unexpectedly, Runa voiced an idea.

“Maybe it was a trap?”

“A trap?”

“Yes. After all, when that fool picked it up, a monster attacked immediately.”

‘Runa-chan! Calling me a fool is mean!’

“…How annoying.”

A trap, huh? Thinking back, as soon as Freesia picked up the fragment, the Shell Cancer attacked. It was almost as if it had been waiting for someone to pick it up… like a booby trap. If it was set on purpose, there could be even more dangerous traps in the other locations... I really hope it was just a coincidence. I’ll keep that possibility in mind, just in case.

“In that case, the Shell Cancer is pretty suspicious. That was the only one we encountered.”

“We’ll have to report that to the Guild. Maybe it’s like the Colossus, a monster that rarely appears.”

Shell Cancer might have been created by the magic stone, just like the monsters in Grandis. However, unlike back then, there haven’t been any reports of unusual monster activity around here, so it could just be a rare spawn. We should probably investigate the area for a few more days before heading back to the Sevarya Adventurers’ Guild to report.

“Well, at least we’ve confirmed that Diabolos is here.”

“Right. Finding solid proof with our own eyes is significant.”

“I didn’t want proof, I wanted to kill it. Then this investigation would be over, and I could get some serious sleep.”

“Haha… Then let’s work hard to solve this quickly so Runa-san can get plenty of rest.”

Runa, with her tired eyes, grumbled about wanting to sleep, while Sisya smiled gently and encouraged her. Despite all the uncertainty and the worries that come with it, seeing Runa stay true to herself helps ease my anxiety. …Alright, no more moping around. We need to do our best, not just for Runa’s sleep, but for the mission.

With that resolve in mind, we soon enjoyed the meal that Noor and Freesia had been preparing.

“Sorry to keep you waiting!”

“Let’s eat!”

Noor and Freesia each carried a large pot into the dining room. Even with six of us, this looks like way too much... There’s enough here for more than ten people!

“You made a lot…”

“We got so much, I just had to make a variety of dishes! Mofuto has some veggies!”

Opening the pot lids, I saw crab legs and claws filling them. The legs were plump with meat, though some still had a bit of shell. One pot was filled with vibrant vegetables, including the familiar colorful mushrooms. The other pot was a seafood mix with clams, shrimp, and white fish. It smells amazing… The aroma alone is making my mouth water. I’m turning into Noor here! …But it really does look delicious. I definitely want to make some rice porridge with the leftovers.

We all helped set the table, eagerly anticipating the meal. Even Mofuto was happily munching on leafy vegetables beneath the table.

I grabbed a crab leg, almost too big for the plate, and started pulling out the tender meat. Thanks to Noor’s excellent preparation, it came out easily. I always think of her as a bit clumsy, but when it comes to cooking, I can’t thank her enough.

This crab is enormous… I’ve never seen one this big before. But size isn’t everything—it’s the taste that matters. Let’s see…

“This is amazing!?”

“Mhmph! This is incredible!”

I couldn’t help but exclaim as the rich, intense crab flavor filled my mouth. The meat was unbelievably tender and juicy—there was nothing to complain about. Noor practically jumped out of her seat, shouting in delight. I can see why she’s so eager to go hunting; with food this good, who wouldn’t be? It’s

 delicious. Estel and the others were also enjoying their chosen ingredients.

“The vegetables soaked up the crab’s flavor and taste amazing.”

“Yes, the clams are delicious too.”

“So yummy!”

“Don’t talk with your mouth full.”

Freesia, scolded by Runa for talking with her mouth full, quickly closed her mouth and continued eating in silence. I found myself smiling at the scene, and as I casually glanced at Estel, I noticed her happily munching on a gray mushroom. …I mean, I’m glad she’s enjoying it, but it feels a bit strange that she seems happier eating that than the crab. Regardless, we all enjoyed the meal, except for one person who seemed unusually serious—Sisya.

“…Noor-san, you mentioned that the body was also dropped, right? What happened to it?”

“Oh, the shell? It was empty.”

“No way! I was looking forward to it…”

“It was really disappointing… I wanted to taste the crab miso.”

Sisya collapsed to all fours in disappointment, while Noor, looking up, continued to munch on her crab. They both looked upset, but for entirely different reasons… Sisya, you need to stay away from alcohol already! Despite my exasperation, we all enjoyed the crab hotpot, and Noor took care of the leftovers. I had been feeling a bit down due to all the uncertainty, but enjoying such delicious food lifted my spirits. Now that I’m feeling more positive, I’m ready to give it my all again tomorrow.

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Author Notes:

  Thank you so much for always reading my work. Volume 4 of the book will be released tomorrow, on March 30th, along with the start of the manga serialization. I've posted information about store exclusives and giveaway campaigns in the activity report, so if you're interested, please check it out! Apologies for repeating this in the introduction as well.

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