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

The preparations were complete, and the carriage finally departed from the Capital.

Noru and the others led the way, while Sisya and I followed at the rear, keeping an eye on the carriage. My task for this trip was to constantly monitor for any monsters using the map app displayed on my monitor glasses.

"It's amazing that you could actually ride a horse..."

"Why would I lie about something like that?"

I wrapped my arm around Sisya's waist, clinging to her from behind. Thankfully, the armor I was wearing prevented me from feeling any inappropriate contact. Despite not being excited, the size of those things might still press against my arm. I didn't want to be accused of being perverted for reacting to such contact. To others, it might look a bit scary—a knight in full armor clinging to a priestess on horseback.

"By the way, Estel's support magic is incredible. The horse feels incredibly strong."

"As expected of Estel. By the way, Sisya, are you secretly using support magic as well?"

"Oh, you noticed? I thought adding some of my magic would help with stamina recovery."

We've been running at a decent speed for over two hours, yet the horse shows no signs of slowing down. In addition to Estel's support magic, the horse's body also glows faintly blue, indicating Sisya's magic. Enhancing a horse's physical abilities and adding natural recovery and other effects is pretty impressive. Actually, it's amazing.

"Hmm, at this rate, we should be able to proceed without any issues."

"Please don't jinx it by saying things like that!"

Riding the horse under the clear sky, I felt pretty good, swaying gently. Everything seemed peaceful. I hoped the escort mission would end without any incidents.

We continued riding, engaging in idle chatter with Sisya along the way.

"Hey, Ookura-san?"

"Yeah? What's up?"

"Estel-san keeps glancing at me. Is it just my imagination? I feel a chill."

Since I was riding behind Sisya, I couldn't constantly keep an eye on everything ahead. My primary focus was on the monitor glasses. I peeked over Sisya's shoulder and saw Estel clinging to Noru's back, riding as usual.

"It's probably just your imagination."

"No, it's not! She's definitely looking at me—ah, we just made eye contact!"

After pulling my head back, Sisya again insisted that Estel was watching her. I checked once more, but Estel was facing forward, not looking our way.

"Maybe she's just checking to make sure her support magic isn't wearing off... probably."

"Oh, please spare me! Ookura-san, if anything happens, you'll protect me, right?"

"Uh, sure..."

Sisya, sounding on the verge of tears, pleaded for my protection. While it seemed excessive, I didn't see any harm in reassuring her. But if Estel was indeed watching her, I couldn't fathom what might have caused offense.

After a while, we continued our journey without any problems, taking a brief break to let the horses rest before continuing for several more hours.

"Hmm, this is..."

"What's wrong?"

"It looks like monsters are approaching. Let's inform the carriage and ride alongside it."

"Understood~"

Checking the map on my glasses, I noticed several red dots moving rapidly toward us. Given their speed, they were likely wolf-type monsters.

We approached Egon, the carriage driver, to inform him about the incoming threat.

"Excuse me! It seems monsters are approaching!"

"Really?!"

Egon began scanning the surroundings, trying to spot the threat. The map app indicated their presence, but they weren't yet visible.

"Where are they? I don't see anything."

"I can roughly detect the location of monsters. They're approaching rapidly from the east. Could we stop the carriage for a moment?"

"...Alright."

Though skeptical, Egon trusted my judgment enough to signal the rear carriage to stop.

It must have been hard to believe. Sensing invisible monsters isn't something one can easily accept. Maybe if I were a mage, it would be more plausible. Being a B-rank adventurer likely contributed to the trust he placed in my warning.

"Why did we suddenly stop?"

"Monsters are approaching from that direction. Judging by their speed... probably fast-moving wolf-type monsters."

Noru and the others quickly returned when they noticed we had stopped. I informed them of the approaching monsters, and we prepared to defend the carriage by forming a protective circle.

Soon, we saw multiple red wolves followed by a swarm of black wolves running toward us. There were over 20 of them—fewer than the previous wolf pack we had fought.

"There they are!"

"Hey!"

Even though we could handle them without issue, we needed to stay vigilant since we had people to protect. As I braced for combat, I heard Estel's usual chant beside me.

No way... I glanced over to see her wielding her blue grimoire and raising her staff, a magic circle forming at its tip, releasing a column of water toward the wolves.

The water column struck the wolves, blowing them away. Estel swung her staff horizontally, the water sweeping across the pack and engulfing them entirely. When she stopped, the wolves were all gone.

"...Hey."

"These are quite weak, aren't they?"

That was overkill! Sure, it's important to eliminate threats before they get close, but wiping them out with a single spell is excessive!

I nervously glanced at Egon and his men, who were staring at Estel in shock. Yeah, definitely overkill...

"They aren't weak, Estel's firepower is just too high..."

"Monsters along the main roads are usually not that strong... but with Estel-san's attacks, they end up like that."

"I did try to choose a less destructive spell... but was it still too much?"

Estel looked a bit dissatisfied with our reactions. She had avoided using fire magic to avoid scaring the horses, which I appreciated. But the power was still overwhelming... I guess there's no choice but to accept it.

"Um, the monsters... seem to be dealt with."

"...I see. Well done."

I checked the map app to ensure no more monsters were nearby and reported the situation to Egon. He responded with a slightly strained smile.

Well, everything ended safely, so that's what matters, right...?

●

As the sky turned orange with the setting sun, we decided to stop and set up camp.

"Being rich means even camping preparations are on a different level."

"Their tents look very comfortable. Ours aren't bad, but compared to theirs..."

Adelbert-san's group set up a large rectangular tent with four poles and a covering. It looked spacious and comfortable inside. But seeing how much effort Egon and his team put into setting it up, I was content with our usual setup.

Our dome-shaped tent barely fit four people, but it was easy to set up and adequate for when we couldn't use gacha items.

"Oh, is that a magic tool?"

"Yes, it's probably a magic stone imbued with fire magic. Let's start our fire too. Hey."

Egon and his men gathered firewood and used a red crystal to ignite it instantly. Impressed by the scene, we had Estel light our fire as well.

Without magic tools, starting a fire must be quite challenging. Estel's presence is truly invaluable in these situations.

With the preparations complete, we began eating around the campfire. Soon, Egon approached us from Adelbert-san's tent.

"Ah, hello."

"Thank you for today. You've done well."

"Not at all, it's our job."

Egon expressed his gratitude, and while we were just doing our duty, it felt nice to be appreciated. The earlier wolf attack underscored the increased monster activity Christoph had mentioned. We needed to stay vigilant.

"I never imagined a young girl like her could wield such powerful magic. Your spell earlier was impressive."

"Isn't it? Brother, you can praise me more too, you know?"

"Ah, yeah... good job."

Egon complimented Estel, who responded proudly, then approached me for more praise. I hesitated, fearing too much praise might encourage more extreme spells, but I gave her some nonetheless.

"Hmm, that girl seems to be watching us... Oh, she looked away."

"She must be very curious about you."

"Me?"

Noru, while eating, noticed Anneli-chan watching us. When I looked, she quickly turned away and entered the tent. Egon explained that she had been intrigued since we met and even more so after seeing Estel's magic. It had apparently troubled Adelbert-san.

From the beginning, she had shown interest. After witnessing Estel's display, her curiosity grew—how would she have reacted to fire magic?

"Well, I should get back. We'll keep watch through the night, but we rely on you too."

"Yes, we'll take turns keeping watch, so don't worry."

Egon returned to his tent. During the escort mission, Noru and I would alternate shifts to stay alert. Sisya might help if needed, but Estel needed proper rest to avoid any negative impact on her magic.

"Estel, why not try talking to her?"

"Hmm, we're hired hands, so it might be inappropriate for me to initiate conversation."

"Oh, good point."

I suggested Estel talk to the girl who seemed interested in her. But Estel thought it might be inappropriate for hired escorts to engage in casual chat. Although it was a rare chance, maybe she was right. It was a tricky situation.