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

Several days have passed since we found the black Magic Stone.

"Still nothing, huh?"

"Looks like the only thing we found was that piece of the Magic Stone on the first day."

Over the past few days, we've searched the beach and the cave, but with no results. Runa has been grumbling the entire time, but it’s not like we can find something new every time we go out. Walking beside me, Estel seemed exhausted; she had one hand on her cheek and sighed deeply.

"Estel, are you tired?"

"Oh, are you worried about me? Then, how about a massage when we get back? My feet are a bit sore."

"That’s easy enough… Alright, I got it."

I thought it might be better to ask Sisya to do it, but I didn't say that out loud. Given that she had seen Sisya massaging me before and still asked me directly, it must mean she wants me to do it. Unlike Noru and Sisya, who navigated the rough terrain with ease, Estel struggled with every step. Even so, she didn’t complain and stuck with us for days, so I owe her a good massage.

"I guess we should wrap up the investigation here and report back to the guild."

"What?! We're finishing already?!"

"At least let’s stay until we find some crab roe in the shells!"

"Your priorities seem to have shifted..."

As we explored the cave, I noticed that Noru and Sisya had gathered around a spot littered with empty crab shells. They had been defeating Cancers left and right, searching for the elusive crab roe. As I sighed at their antics, Runa and Freesia, who had been earnestly searching, approached.

"So we’re finally done? I want to get back soon."

"So this is what you guys were doing before I was summoned? It seems like a lot of work."

"Well, not really. We weren’t always doing this kind of thing for the guild."

We mostly focused on hunting; doing guild requests was more like a side job… I think we only started seriously working as adventurers around the time we reached B rank.

"Yes, it’s been a lot of work helping Ookura-dono with his Magic Stone collecting."

"The other day Heiha made me promise something, but I didn’t quite understand it."

"Some things are better left unknown… Freesia, whatever you promised Ookura-dono, make sure you keep it!"

"Hmm? Well, okay, if Noru-chan insists!"

Noru's nostalgic and somewhat sorrowful tone seemed to affect Freesia, who tilted her head but agreed. I had half-coerced her into promising to join us for a Magic Stone hunt, but it seemed like Noru and the others were more scared of it than she was. Once this investigation settles down, maybe I should let Freesia experience one of our hunts firsthand.

---

After sending Sisya, Runa, and Freesia back home, I took Noru and Estel to the adventurer’s guild in Sevarya. I considered sending Estel home, but since she was involved with the black Magic Stone, I asked her to come along. I’ll have to make sure to give her a proper massage later to show my gratitude.

When I informed the receptionist of our progress, Bens-san quickly arranged a meeting with us.

"This is what we found at the hunting grounds mentioned in the sightings."

We headed to the same room on the second floor as before and took our seats with Bens-san. Estel placed the sealed box containing the Magic Stone on the table, released the sealing magic, and let him inspect the contents. It seemed there were no issues, as she signaled with a small circle made with her fingers. I also opened the map and showed him where we found it.

"This is the Magic Stone the guild master mentioned, the one the creature was carrying? Can I touch it?"

"Yes, it’s been shattered, so it shouldn't have any effect now. I sealed it to prevent any magic from leaking out, but it seems stable in the box."

At Estel's response, Bens-san tapped the fragment with his index finger a few times before picking it up and examining it closely. It's understandable to be hesitant when dealing with something so mysterious.

"Hmm, I can't tell much just by looking at it. Hard to believe such a small stone could cause so much trouble."

"That’s just a fragment; the real one would be much larger."

"I see… Finding something like this so quickly after starting the investigation shows just how capable you all are. No wonder the guild master recommended you."

"We just got lucky. We didn’t find anything else, after all."

"Don't be so modest. Even the adventurers who were investigating before you found nothing until now."

I'm not being modest; it really is the truth… The Magic Stone is proof that Diabolos was there, but we don't know anything beyond that. Even if he praises us, it doesn't feel right. Just as I was thinking that, Noru mumbled something.

"But why was that creature there in the first place? We still don’t know."

"Right. By the way, old man, was there any report of unusual activity around that area? Since we don’t know what’s normal, we might have missed something."

"You mean around the Cancer Cave? No, we haven't received any reports of strange activity. The area has been restricted since the sighting, so not many people have been going there."

If that Magic Stone was having any effect, there should have been some signs of it around that beach. But with the area restricted right after Diabolos was spotted, no one might have noticed anything unusual. The only strange thing I could think of was the Shell Cancer… I should ask a few more questions.

"What is the usual state of the cave? Since we found the Magic Stone inside, we’d like to know more about the cave."

"Well, it’s hard to say… That place just has Cancers, nothing out of the ordinary. Most people who go there are looking for the seaweed on the nearby beach."

Hmm, so there’s nothing particularly strange… Wait, did he say "just Cancers"?

"Are there any other types of creatures? Like rare variants…?"

"There’s the upper-tier Blue Cancer. The crab roe from its shell is a delicacy."

"It has crab roe?! Then we must hunt it down!"

"Yeah, let’s keep that quiet for now."

When Noru heard about the crab roe, she jumped out of her chair, making a loud noise, and I had to grab her shoulder to sit her back down. Could you not react to food like that during serious conversations? I’m curious about the crab roe from the Blue Cancer, too, but now’s not the time. We didn’t see a single Blue Cancer at that beach. And from the way he's talking…

"Is there any kind of shell creature in the cave?"

"A shell? No, there shouldn’t be any shell creatures there… The only place around here with shell creatures is Shellfish at Cape Soln."

So, there shouldn’t have been any Shellfish there. What’s going on? Did the original creatures disappear, and were they replaced by new ones? The only thing I can think of as a cause is… the black Magic Stone right here.

"There was also a large Cancer carrying a shell. Do you know anything about that creature, old man?"

"I’ve never heard of a creature like that… Oh, but a long time ago, I think there was a report about such a creature causing havoc somewhere…"

It seems that Shell Cancer isn't a creature you’d see regularly. Since we haven't seen it again after the first day, it must have been the only one there. Realizing something, Bens-san's eyes widened, and he began to panic.

"D-Do you think this Magic Stone could be causing disturbances here in Sevarya as well? Oh no, what should I do? If such anomalies have already begun… I need to contact the guild master right away—"

"Calm down, please!"

"B-But!"

As Bens-san started to leave the room in a panic, I rushed to stop him, but his face remained pale with confusion. This doesn't look like he can continue the conversation… Seeing this, Estel spoke up in a calm voice.

"Old man, as the branch chief, you need to think this through. We’re here to investigate these things, so if there's any disturbance, we can handle it. But if the person in charge of assessing the situation isn't calm, it makes things harder for us, too."

"Y-You're right. Sorry for the embarrassing display."

Perhaps because of Estel’s youthful but wise words, Bens-san pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket, wiped the cold sweat from his brow, and sat back down. Phew, I didn't expect the branch chief to be this shaken up. I thought he'd be prepared for such disturbances after the Queres incident, but I guess it's different when it actually happens. If I were in his shoes, I might be having a stomachache and running to the bathroom right about now. 

After Bens-san regained his composure, we discussed the matter further and agreed that if there was any sign of another disturbance, he would contact us immediately, and we would head to the scene.