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

After finishing the repairs on the shrine, we left the cave. We mounted Dara, just like on the way there, and headed towards Sevarya, flying through the sky. We kept a lower altitude to be cautious of any possible attacks from the Diabolos. With extra vigilance on the red dots on the map app, our campsite was filled with a sense of tension that was higher than usual.

It took us three days to reach Sevarya, but we arrived safely without any attacks from monsters. I was half-expecting the Diabolos to attack us if any remained, but it seems they are gone now. In any case, returning without any incidents is a relief.

After parting with Irina and her group, we planned to report to the guild and head home. However, Irina and her group didn't return to the temple; they sent Dara back and followed us to the Adventurers' Guild instead. Apparently, they wanted to speak directly with the branch manager about the incident. I would have preferred them not to come along, and I tried to decline several times, but they insisted, and I had to reluctantly agree. And now, here we are, discussing things with Bens at the Adventurers' Guild.

"What?! So Ookura-san defeated the six monsters by himself, along with that giant mysterious creature?!"

"Yes, and Sisya-san even helped repair and strengthen the barrier. We are deeply grateful to you, Bens-san, for introducing us to such an incredible adventurer."

"Oh, no! It's thanks to Ookura-san, who happened to be there and kindly accepted the request!"

"Aha… No, it wasn't much."

Irina and her group recounted what happened at the shrine, and we added that the monsters that attacked were indeed the Diabolos we had been looking for. As a result, Bens seemed convinced that I had single-handedly repelled six Diabolos. Oh, give me a break. This is exactly why I didn't want them to come along… Bens, now excited by their account, kept praising us non-stop.

"Ookura-san! You should be proud of what you've accomplished this time! Safely escorting the targets and defeating six of those monsters alone to reclaim the shrine is a feat even an A-rank adventurer would find challenging! No wonder Christoph holds you in such high regard!"

Whoa, hold on a minute. Isn’t that exaggeration a bit too much? If Bens keeps going like this, it might blow up into something huge. I don’t want to get tangled up in more trouble, so I better clarify.

"Oh, it wasn’t that big of a deal. I was just lucky… and it was thanks to the magical tools I had, you know?"

"Oh! You also had some incredible magical tools! As expected of Ookura-san! By any chance, did this young lady here make them?"

Bens turned to Estel, his eyes sparkling. Oh no, I screwed up! Mentioning magical tools was a bad move. But then again, I couldn't think of anything else… I guess I'll just have to hope Estel can smooth things over.

Estel, catching Bens's gaze, gave a troubled smile. She rested her hand on her cheek and seemed to think for a moment before replying.

"…Yes, but I didn’t make them from scratch; I just made some adjustments."

"Still, to be able to create magical tools effective against those monsters—amazing! Not just Ookura-san, but your entire party is incredible! And to think that even a priest like Sisya-san could repair the shrine’s barrier so easily!"

"Ufufu, it’s nothing, really."

"Sisya-san, you truly are remarkable! We must all strive to learn from you!"

Sisya, satisfied with the compliments from Bens and Irina, puffed out her chest and gave a smug look. Come on, read the room a bit and show some humility, will you? And Irina and her group—please don’t learn from her!

---

Somehow, we managed to calm Bens down, finished reporting on our request, and left the guild. Phew, I barely managed to stick to our story, but letting everyone think I took down the Diabolos at the shrine by myself was a mistake. But I couldn’t neglect escorting Irina and her group, so it couldn’t be helped. If only I had another person registered as an adventurer… but there’s no point in complaining now.

With the escort mission over, it was time to part ways with Irina and her group. As they left the guild building, they bowed deeply to us.

"Thank you very much for your protection this time. I believe even Testudo-sama would be pleased with your deeds."

"I'm glad to have been of help. We'll be staying in Sevarya for a while, so if anything comes up, feel free to ask for our help again."

"Yes, if that time comes, we will consult you first."

With that absurd barrier that Sisya and the others put up, there's no need to worry about the shrine being attacked again. We managed to take down the main threat, the Diabolos, and I think we can consider our investigation in Sevarya complete. But there's always the possibility of something else happening, so we plan to stay for a while longer to keep an eye on things.

As I prepared to leave with a sense of relief, Irina suddenly grabbed my hand with both of hers.

"Ookura-san."

"Y-Yes?!"

"This is just a personal request, but… I’d like to pray for your continued safety from now on, if you don’t mind."

Irina spoke while gently blushing. P-Personal, meaning not as a member of the temple, but as Irina herself? As I stood there frozen in surprise, she released my hand and continued.

"...And I was not disappointed, not at all."

"And… would it be alright if I invited you to the temple later? This was a serious matter for the temple, and we would like to express our gratitude to you and your team properly."

Wait, inviting us to the temple…? We were just fulfilling a request, so there’s no need for such a grand gesture. Moreover, we’re already supposed to receive a substantial reward for the escort mission. With all the barrier repairs and other expenses, they said it would be at least 20 million G. Irina’s group can’t decide on their own, so they’ll have to discuss it with the temple heads when they return. So, having them give us even more thanks is too much.

"It’s an honor to be invited, but since we were only fulfilling a guild request… and we’ll be receiving a reward as well, you don’t need to go that far."

"Please, we discussed it during our travels and would very much like to express our gratitude to Ookura-san and his team. I believe the temple heads will also give their approval, so would you kindly accept?"

Hmm, she won't take no for an answer. Refusing after being asked so earnestly would be rude.

"...Understood. We'll visit on a later date."

"Thank you so much! If you don’t mind, please bring the others who came with you before. We would love to introduce you to Dara then. Shall I convey the date to the guild?"

"Yes, that would be fine."

Irina seemed satisfied with my acceptance, thanked us again, and we parted ways.

"Phew… I guess that's that, for now."

"Ookura-dono, you did a great job this time! A splendid performance!"

"Oh, if you’re saying that, it feels like getting beat up was worth it."

Even though I got beaten up by the Diabolos, my face all tear-streaked and snot-nosed, if I can be praised like this, I feel like my manliness just went up a notch. Haha, it’s all thanks to hiding the fact that I was crying and running away like a wimp until the end!

I was feeling pleased with myself, but Estel and Sisya were frowning, looking rather conflicted.

"Even if it couldn’t be helped, agreeing to go to the temple… Also, Onii-san, you were grinning when she held your hand. You looked happy even before we returned from the shrine..."

"Wha!? No, that's not true! …I mean, when a woman grabs my hand, I can't help but… you know, think of… things..."

"Watching Ookura-san's reactions is one of my joys, but it does make me wonder a little. Shall I hold your hand too?"

"No way! You'd probably just crush it if you did!"

Sisya cracked her knuckles and started to approach me, so I hurriedly ran away. I’d taken off my helm when we arrived in town, so my smile must have been seen when my hand was held… It’s not my fault! I’m a man, after all. When a woman blushes and says something like that, how could I possibly remain calm?

As I was nervously watching the two of them, Noru, oblivious to the tension, broke the silence.

"By the way, does this mean the investigation in Sevarya is over?"

"We did defeat six Diabolos and thwart their plans, so if there was a mastermind, they’ve probably fled like last time in Queres."

"Yeah, I would've liked to take down that mastermind too, but I guess with no more disturbances around Sevarya, it’s over for now."

We had stumbled upon the Diabolos we were looking for during the unexpected escort mission and managed to take them down. Defeating six of them was a significant achievement. And with Grandoris, which seemed to be spawned using that Magic Stone, also taken down, the mastermind is likely already on the run. We’ll just

 keep an eye on things, and if there are no more reports of Diabolos sightings or other disturbances, we’ll call this investigation a success. We were feeling optimistic when Estel muttered with concern.

"I hope that’s really the case…"

"Estel, what do you mean by that?"

"There are a few things bothering me. Remember how the shrine was already damaged when we arrived? I’m not sure if the interior was truly destroyed."

"I don't know, but… why does that matter?"

"I can't be certain, but I think we might have learned something about the mastermind through all of this."

"What? Did something happen that might reveal their identity?"

Estel’s intuition is always impressive… But even after listening, I still don’t understand where the concern comes from. When she says ‘the shrine’s interior,’ does she mean the sacred object of Testudo-sama? Why would she be concerned about whether it was destroyed or not? Not understanding, I continued to listen to Estel.

"There were magical traps set up along the way, right? I think those traps were placed by the one controlling the Diabolos. That means the mastermind is likely a summoner or someone with similar powers to control monsters. And considering how shoddy the traps were, they probably aren’t very skilled in magic."

"Well, considering the Diabolos’ status showed they were minions, that makes sense…"

"If that’s the case, it also makes sense why the Black Magic Stones could enhance the monsters and affect their spawning locations. But given the poor quality of the traps, they might have been working with another mage or collaborating with others for that part."

"It’s still possible they’re working alone, but if that’s the case, we should consider that they might be working in a group."

The possibility that the controller is a summoner or beast tamer had crossed my mind since we saw the 'Minion' status. The traps were also monster-summoning types, so the chance they're a summoner seems high. But to deduce that there might be multiple masterminds or that they’re collaborating with a skilled mage who can create those Magic Stones… That’s quite the insight.

If they’re a summoner or beast tamer, could the Diabolos be mere expendables sent for reconnaissance? That would explain why there are so many of them. If they’re the kind of opponent who can treat Diabolos like that, who knows what kind of monsters they might deploy in a full-scale battle?

"Considering all that, I’m wondering if the sacred object of Testudo-sama that was in the shrine might have been taken."

"Taken? You mean stolen?"

"Yes, because if the person behind this is a summoner or beast tamer, they’re basically specialists in monsters, right? They might be planning to use that sacred object for something."

"But… that’s just speculation, isn’t it? We don’t even know if Testudo-sama is a monster."

What Estel is saying is just a theory. The sacred object might have just been blasted to bits by Freesia's Inver Sagitta. But then, Irina said there wasn’t even a fragment left… so maybe it was taken.

I don’t know much about summoners, but thinking about everything that’s happened, Estel’s point does make sense. If they use a sacred object with that much power to summon a monster, what kind of terrifying creature would appear? B-But, like Noru said, there’s no proof that Testudo-sama is a monster… As I tried to escape into denial, Sisya spoke up, dismissing that idea.

"Noru-san, regarding the existence of Testudo-sama, I think it’s almost certainly a monster."

"Now that you mention it, you looked troubled when the shrine’s power returned. Did something make you certain it’s a monster?"

"Yes, the power that spread out felt more like that of a monster than something holy. However, it didn’t feel evil, so I don’t think it’s a malevolent being."

So, it’s confirmed that Testudo-sama is a monster… Sisya didn’t say anything before, probably to avoid upsetting Irina and her group.

"Does that mean the temple people are worshipping a monster…?"

"There are different kinds of faith, after all. If it protects people and demonstrates its power, even if it’s a monster, it can still become an object of worship. Considering the sacred object alone had such power, those who saw the real Testudo-sama must have viewed it as a god—essentially a divine manifestation."

A divine manifestation, huh? Hmm… While this is all just speculation, we might have discovered quite a bit this time. The biggest concern moving forward is what they might do with the sacred object of Testudo-sama if it was indeed taken. If they plan to do something, the mastermind might still be lurking around Sevarya. Either way, since the upcoming battles could intensify, we need to strengthen our forces. And for that, I’ll have to roll the gacha!

Just as I made up my mind, the smartphone in my pocket vibrated.