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

[[2024-06-09]TL note: fixed naming issues sorry about that. Thanks for letting me know.]

The day after spinning the Step-Up Gacha.

Today, we were preparing to go report to the Adventurer's Guild.

"Ookura-dono, I don't remember anything from yesterday. I recall eating cake, but then I found myself in my room."

"You fell asleep, so I carried you to your room."

Yesterday, after putting the drunk Noru to bed, I entered her room and was amazed by what I saw. Everywhere were stuffed animals from the gacha, which surprised me the moment I walked in. They were all colorfully cute yet bizarre, creating an unusual atmosphere.

"Is that so? My apologies. That cake was delicious; could I have another slice?"

"No!"

"Why not?"

Noru pleaded with clasped hands, but I firmly refused. There were still a few slices left, but I couldn't risk another outburst if she got drunk again.

"Well then, let's get going, though I'm not looking forward to it."

"Yeah, we're supposed to be promoted to B-rank, but is everything really okay?"

"We've done a lot until now, but this time, I'm really nervous about what they'll say."

Estel murmured with a worried expression, and Noru fidgeted anxiously. It was like when we half-destroyed the Frogman's pond, but this time it was an even more serious issue. Honestly, I wanted to avoid the report and run away, but we needed to get to B-rank for the magic stone fever. We had to face this.

"Everyone, take care!"

"Hey, you're coming with us, Sisya."

"No, I don't want to!"

As I pulled out my smartphone to use the beacon for teleportation, Sisya smiled and waved us off. She tried to escape alone, but with the preferential treatment we were going to discuss, she had to come along.

"We're in this together. We've tackled labyrinths as a team!"

"Please cut me out of this community! I'm still F-rank; I don't need to go!"

"I've already talked it over, so don't worry."

"You're meddling too much!"

When I gave her a thumbs up, she screamed in protest. Unlike Runa, Sisya needed to be registered as an adventurer, so she had to come with us.

●

We dragged Sisya along and made our way to the Capital's Adventurer's Guild. Runa, exhausted from yesterday, showed no sign of waking up, so we set up an alarm for security. Though she was a strong guardian, Sisya was worried, so we took precautions.

"Oh, Ookura-san! Are you here to report your achievement already?"

"Yes, we are."

"You always work so fast. Oh, Sisya-san! I couldn't greet you yesterday. It's been a while!"

"Yes... it's been a while."

As we approached the reception desk, Wiggy-chan greeted us with her usual brightness, exchanging pleasantries with Sisya, who responded gloomily. I felt the same way.

"You've achieved so much since yesterday. You really are amazing!"

"Ahaha..."

"What's wrong? You all look so down."

Noticing our downcast mood, Wiggy-chan tilted her head in concern. Thinking about the upcoming discussion dampened our spirits.

"First, let me see the proof of completion for the magic stones and the monster subjugation in the ruins."

"Yes... here it is."

I handed over the drop items from the monsters in the ruins to the receptionist.

"A Sandworm and a Mummy... and this is... a Flauum Mummy!? So there were anomalies in the ruins as well..."

When Wiggy-chan checked the subjugation proofs, she was shocked to see the yellow-stained bandages of the Flauum Mummy. It seemed like something that might appear in the Hajino labyrinth... I hoped not.

Next, I had to show the magic stones. There were regular green ones, but I also had to show the blackened ones... though I didn't want to.

"And... this."

"...? Um, where did you find this?"

"In the Angori Ruins."

When I handed over the two magic stones, she looked at the black one curiously.

"It looks like the magic stone's power has completely vanished... why are you presenting this?"

"Well, you see... all the magic stones in the Angori Ruins turned out like this."

When I explained, Wiggy-chan blinked in shock and froze. Yeah, that's a natural reaction.

"...What? Eeeh!? All of them turned out like this? What do you mean!?"

"Please calm down! I'll explain everything!"

Wiggy-chan, who had been frozen, suddenly burst into a loud voice, causing everyone in the guild to turn and stare at us. I hurriedly calmed her down and began explaining what had happened.

"There was a labyrinth in the Angori Ruins, which we cleared. After that, the monsters disappeared, and all the magic stones turned black. That's the whole story."

Listening to my explanation, Wiggy-chan's face turned pale, and she ended up leaning on the counter, covering her face with her hands. The bright atmosphere she usually had was completely gone. I felt incredibly guilty, seeing her reaction. It made me nervous about the whole situation.

"Uh, Wiggy?"

As the tension grew unbearable, someone called out from behind us. Turning around, we saw a man with brown hair. His face was wrinkled, suggesting age, but his spiky short hair and robust build gave him a youthful aura.

"Oh, Guild Master! What brings you here?"

"I heard a loud voice while passing by. Ah, you must be..."

"Uh, I'm Heiha Ookura."

Wiggy-chan jumped up at the Guild Master's voice. This person was the Guild Master... What timing! I had to suppress my frustration.

I quickly bowed and introduced myself. Noru and the others followed suit.

"I've heard a lot about your exploits from Wiggy."

"Is that so... thank you for everything."

The Guild Master smiled and spoke to me. Why did this make me so nervous? I hadn't met any high-ranking individuals since coming to this world.

So, Wiggy-chan has been talking about us... I wonder what she's been saying.

"So, what was the cause of that outburst?"

"Um, well, it's..."

Wiggy-chan, with a stiff expression, conveyed the events as I had explained. Please stop... it was already nerve-wracking enough explaining to Wiggy-chan, but now to the Guild Master...

"Hmm... this is quite..."

"I'm sorry! I didn't expect it to turn out this way..."

The Guild Master furrowed his brows in thought after hearing the story. His reaction made me blurt out an apology.

I wanted to claim it wasn't my fault, but I couldn't. I hadn't expected the labyrinth to drain magic power like that; it was an unavoidable situation! But if this meant canceling my B-rank promotion... my glorious path to magic stones...

"Well, what's done is done. We won't revoke your B-rank promotion over this, so don't worry."

The Guild Master's words made my heart almost leap out of my chest. Was he a mind reader?

"How did you...?"

"Haha, it's easy to read your thoughts from your face and demeanor. The ladies behind you... seem less transparent."

Looking back, I saw Noru and the others watching me, seemingly agreeing with the Guild Master. Estel smiled and nodded. Seriously? Was I that easy to read?

"Anyway, discussing this here isn't ideal. Let's move to another room. Wiggy, prepare their B-rank plates."

"Yes, understood!"

Wiggy-chan quickly took our plates and disappeared.

"Well, let's go."

"Y-yes..."

The Guild Master gestured for us to follow and led us to the stairs to the second floor. Were we really going to have a private discussion with the Guild Master?

●

We were guided to a guest room on the second floor. Inside, a large table was flanked by two sofas, and we sat opposite the Guild Master. It felt like an interview, making me even more nervous.

"Allow me to introduce myself formally. I am Christoph, the Guild Master of this Adventurer's Guild. Nice to meet you."

"Y-yes! I'm Heiha Ookura. Pleased to meet you!"

Christoph-san greeted us and extended his hand. I responded with a shaky voice, standing up to shake his hand.

"Ookura-dono, you're too nervous. I'm Noru Fania. Nice to meet you!"

"I'm Estel. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Sisya Alvi. It's a pleasure."

"Yes, it's nice to meet you all. You have a lively party."

Noru and the others followed with their introductions. Their greetings were so casual! Especially Estel. Christoph-san didn't seem to mind, though, as he smiled.

"First of all, congratulations on your B-rank promotion."

"Thank you."

"I've had my eye on you since the battle with Deus. I didn't expect you to reach B-rank so quickly."

"It's all thanks to you, Christoph-san. You recommended us for B-rank, right?"

As Wiggy-chan had mentioned, we were indeed being watched. That battle was quite the spectacle. But thanks to it, we got the recommendation.

"Yes, I did. Despite not taking many guild quests, your performance in the recent grand subjugation earned you this promotion."

It's true we mostly focused on subjugations and didn't take many guild quests. But our performance in the grand subjugation was recognized. Without that, it might have been difficult for the Guild Master to recommend us.

"Given your recent achievement, you might be able to help with the anomalies we've been seeing. It's convenient to have high-ranked adventurers for such tasks

."

Christoph-san then explained the recent abnormalities. Unusual monsters were appearing in various places, and more monsters were moving away from their habitats. There were more reports of people being attacked during travel, increasing the demand for escort missions.

While it was unclear if the labyrinths were related, it seemed possible. Should I mention the Goblin Labyrinth?

"Actually, we found a labyrinth in Brune recently..."

"Oh, a labyrinth in Brune? Where exactly?"

"In the depths of the forest where goblins and orcs appear. We cleared it, and the labyrinth collapsed, but here's what the monster dropped."

I explained the Goblin Labyrinth and placed the Behemoth's horn on the table as proof. The local guild couldn't identify it, so it wasn't a common monster.

"This... I've never seen such a monster. May I keep this for study?"

"Yes, that was the plan."

Christoph-san didn't recognize the Behemoth's horn. Whether or not we get it back, I was planning to hand it over anyway. I wanted to try combining it with something in the synthesis machine, but there were two, so it was fine.

"Your party is truly intriguing."

"Intriguing?"

Christoph-san looked at us with interest.

"When I first heard about an E-rank mage in your party, I was surprised."

"Oh, is it that unusual?"

Estel tilted her head. Apparently, mages becoming adventurers was rare. I hadn't seen another mage since coming to this world.

"Unusual is an understatement. In my time with the guild, I've never heard of it. And for a girl as young as you to wield such magic is astonishing. Where did you learn magic?"

"Ah, well, that's a bit..."

"Do I have to tell?"

Deus had also asked before. Estel was not only a rare mage but also powerful and young, choosing to be an adventurer. It's understandable why people are curious.

"I'd like to know, but I won't press you. Besides, your warrior and priestess are equally intriguing."

"We are?"

"I'm just a regular priestess."

Christoph-san seemed to suspect that Noru and Sisya were also unusual. Sisya claimed to be normal, but really?

"From what I've heard from Wiggy, your stories are all extraordinary. Traveling to and from the Capital to the Frogman habitat in less than a day, bringing back hundreds of Stinger's shells, almost single-handedly wiping out the grand subjugation. It's all unbelievable."

Wiggy-chan had told him everything. Wiping out the grand subjugation? Did Deus mention the situation? Hearing it all again made it sound even more abnormal.

"With such an extraordinary party, you're the most intriguing, Heiha. What kind of person are you?"

Christoph-san's direct gaze made me shiver. I hadn't expected to be the focus of interest.

I wanted to say I wasn't special, but attracting the Guild Master's personal interest was daunting. I just wanted to go home.

"Haha, sorry. It's a bad habit of mine to ask when I'm curious. There's no deep meaning behind it. Did I make you uncomfortable?"

"N-no, not at all, haha..."

Christoph-san's laughter broke the tension, easing the atmosphere.

This person was scary. I'd prefer not to have such conversations in the future.

"By the way, I have a request for you right away. Would you mind taking it?"

After laughing, Christoph-san placed a paper on the table. It was a B-rank escort request to the magic city Queres.