The Mysterious Child: An Adventure Tale Beginning with Numerology

"Uuu, hic, ugh... I can't get married anymore..." The naked elf covered in slime was crying as a snake drained her magical power. 

A tentacle-like snake was slithering all over Karmarike's body. Scraps of her dissolved clothes barely covered the important parts.

"What are you doing?" I let out an exasperated sigh. 

For the first time in my life, I encountered a scene straight out of an erotic doujinshi. It was more pitiful than erotic at this point.

Well, with the centaur corpse nearby, I could somewhat imagine what happened. She probably managed to defeat the B-rank monster, but then let her guard down against an E-rank monster and got hit with mana drain, leaving her unable to move.

I guess Karmarike really is an idiot after all.

Anyway, I detach the E-rank monster - the Octo Snake. Mana drain doesn't work on me, so a snake without poison or strength is just like a big earthworm.

"Karmarike, are you alright? I've removed the snake, so you should be able to move now."

"Waaah!"

Hey! Don't try to hug me with your runny nose!

I dodge quickly, causing Karmarike to faceplant into the ground. Her backside was completely exposed.

With no other choice, I summon a robe from my equipment and drape it over her. I don't have a hobby of walking around with naked elves, after all.

"Uuu, thank you Ruruk-sama... You're so kind, marry me!"

"I refuse. So, that's what's summoning the monsters, right? Can I destroy it?"

"Yes. Please do."

A summoning circle was drawn on the ground in the shape of a pentagram.

Monsters kept appearing as we talked, so I approach while cutting down the emerging creatures.

The summoning circle seems to be drawn with stakes, grooves, and liquid. It had a slightly sludge-like smell. Upon inspection, these stakes were magical devices called [Pillars of Magic Mirror]. I couldn't tell exactly what kind of spell formula was activating them.

It seems like removing these stakes alone might disable it, but it looks ominous so I'm reluctant to touch it directly.

It doesn't look like something we could use even if we recovered it, so let's just destroy it.

"[Rending Bullet]"

I simultaneously shoot through all 5 stakes. They shatter to pieces.

I don't know what the principle behind it was, but when the stakes disappeared, the black liquid filling the summoning circle vanished as well. Monsters stopped appearing too, so it seems this was the right solution.

"Thank you, Ruruk-sama."

Karmarike closed the buttons on her robe and immediately rushed over to the fallen elf child. The robe fluttered in the breeze, revealing her small bottom.

Strangely, when I saw everything earlier, I didn't feel it was erotic at all. But now, catching a glimpse of her bottom was somehow arousing.

Let's consider the mystery of why a fully robed body is more erotic than a naked one as one of the Seven Wonders of the Other World.

While I was pondering such useless thoughts, Karmarike was giving the elf child a potion. She seemed to have been treated quite badly, with bruises all over. She was too weak to maintain consciousness.

"Let's use this too."

"Ruruk-sama, what's this?"

"A High Potion."

If it can ease her pain a little, this child's dreams might improve.

Karmarike looked relieved as the external injuries on the young girl she was holding healed considerably.

While Karmarike focused on providing care, I took care of cleaning up the surroundings. It didn't take much effort, just storing the defeated monsters and broken magical devices in my item box.

But it's impressive that she defeated a centaur alone.

"Let's show the centaur to everyone in the village. We should brag about it."

"Do you think they'll be surprised?"

"Of course. You took down a B-rank monster solo. Alright, now that everything's cleaned up, let's go back to the village and surprise them."

"Ah, but Ruruk-sama can go back first. I need to take this child back-"

"We're here."

"Eh?"

It's an indisputable [Spatial Transfer].

This is Karmarike's second time transferring with me, so no explanation is needed. The previous time was a short-distance transfer, but transfer is transfer.

We've returned right next to the central hall. The sounds of battle can be heard from afar.

"We'll go to the defense line now."

"...Ruruk-sama."

"What?"

"Please marry me after all."

Her gaze is intense.

She's been quite pushy since earlier, but maybe Karmarike is in a hurry to get married because she's right in the middle of marriageable age. I'll pray that she finds a proper partner.

We quickly returned to the location that had become the final line of defense.

"We're back~"

"Ah, welcome back Ruruk."

"Oh, if it isn't our benefactor and Karmarike. Hm? That child is..."

"It's one of the kidnapped children. We found her collapsed at the monster spawn point."

"I see..."

The Forest Elder furrowed his brow, but quickly switched gears.

"For now, can you give me a report, Karmarike?"

"Yes. First, what I found was-"

While Karmarike was giving her report, I took out the centaur's corpse and the shattered [Pillars of Magic Mirror] to show as evidence. Of course, I wouldn't hide Karmarike's achievements.

Juman, the Forest Elder, was growling lowly while fixing a sharp gaze on the broken stakes as he listened to the report.

"Well done, Karmarike. You should rest for a while now. We'll examine the broken magical devices here. We'll also look after this child until she wakes up."

"Is that okay? Aren't there still monsters at the front lines?"

"Indeed. But if there are no reinforcements, our remaining forces should be sufficient. We're not so desperate as to overwork our contributors."

"I understand. Then I'll rest at the guardian unit's barracks. Call me if anything happens, okay? Ruruk-sama, thank you so much too!"

Karmarike obediently left the scene following the Forest Elder's instructions.

She had fought against a higher-ranked monster and had a considerable amount of her magic drained. Though she had recovered enough to walk, she must have been quite exhausted. She didn't seem like the type to ask for a break on her own, and the Forest Elder seemed to understand that.

"I'm grateful to you as well, our benefactor."

"No, no, I didn't do anything. It's all Karmarike's achievement. More importantly, I'm glad one of the kidnapped children has returned."

I can guess why the elf child was there. She was probably used as a guide.

The forest's kin can sense the direction of the holy tree.

Likely, one of the reasons the mastermind gathered the elf children was to ensure they could reliably reach the elven village. This elf child was probably used in both the previous and current attacks. Her extreme exhaustion was likely not just due to the violence she endured, but also because she hadn't been given proper meals for several days.

Of course, the blonde mastermind would have been in Bargia the whole time, so there must be someone else who was moving this child around and setting up the magical devices. That person was probably managing the [Pillars of Magic Mirror].

However, it's a mystery why they didn't stay in the magic tree forest with the centaur.

They must be capable enough to control at least a B-rank monster. It's unlikely they fled upon seeing Karmarike. They weren't hiding in the surroundings either.

"So, do you think the monster attacks will continue?"

"Yes, I think so. There might be more than one magical device, so we need to stay vigilant."

"It seems we need to reinforce our strength. ...It can't be helped. Send out an emergency recall order to the 'hunters' scattered in various locations. Do it immediately."

"Yes, sir!"

The Forest Elder muttered this and gave instructions to a subordinate nearby.

After a while, the sounds of battle began to subside. It seems the defense of the elven village had ended in victory for the elves.

Although the identity of the enemy remains unknown, which is unsettling, the Forest Elder took this into account and immediately called for a meeting with the leaders of each unit.

As things seemed to be getting busier after the battle ended, we decided to leave.

Just before we transferred, the Forest Elder bowed his head.

"Savior, benefactor, I thank you again."

"No, no, I didn't do anything this time. We'll visit again soon."

"Indeed. We'll welcome you."

I returned to the dragon capital with Elen.

At the inn, Saaya and Seori were playing a card game.

It's [Familiar Battle], which I created during our journey. As the name suggests, it's a card game where players become tamers and control various monsters to battle each other.

I made it casually, of course based on common card games from the modern world. Thanks to that, Saaya understood it quickly and took a liking to it. In a world with few entertainments, competitive games like this provide good stimulation.

By the way, Elen didn't like it and got bored after playing a few times.

It had mostly become a plaything for me and Saaya, but...

"Uuu, I won't lose next time!"

Seori was setting up the card deck with teary eyes and slumped shoulders.

About two hours had passed since Elen and I left. Had they been playing the whole time?

"Ah, welcome back Ruruk. How did it go?"

"I safely delivered Nesaline. However, they were under attack by monsters again, so we waited until it was over."

"Again? Could it be related to that mastermind?"

"Probably. We couldn't see the attackers, just monsters, so we don't know the details, but I think there's a connection. They're going to investigate more thoroughly now, so we'll go back to gather more information after a while. Have you two been playing [Familiar Battle] this whole time?"

"Seori really took a liking to it. But this child has such surprisingly bad luck that the matches aren't even close~"

Saaya said with a wry smile.

Seori was looking at her initial hand and seemed about to cry. Looking from the side, I could see she didn't have a single monster card in her hand. She was showing some typically bad luck.

Moreover, the support cards in her hand were all for boosting monster stats, with no traps or debuffs for opponent monsters - a completely hopeless situation.

Still, the battle proceeds mercilessly.

Against Seori, who couldn't summon any monsters despite going first, Saaya summoned three fairly strong monsters from her hand.

"Okay, everyone attacks. Seori's remaining life is 1800. That ends my turn."

"M-my turn! Oh fate, gather strong familiars into my hand. Draw... T-turn end..."

Oh wow.

Of all things, she drew a field card. It's an important card that strengthens the whole field, but it's meaningless if there are no monsters on your side. Talk about bad luck.

Of course, a camp without soldiers has no chance of winning, and Seori lost almost as soon as the game began.

"M-my comrades! Let us raise the beacon of rematch-"

"That's enough for today. Ruruk and the others have come back too."

"...Okay."

Seori looked dejected.

As I watched the poor, completely defeated dragon princess cleaning up, Saaya pointed to the equipment laid out on the table.

"What are we doing today? I've been maintaining the weapons and tools while playing. If we're going to a dungeon, can we get a new light magic device first? The magic stone is worn out and seems to be nearing the end of its life."

What a capable party member.

"It depends on Seori. Hey Seori, what do you want to do?"

"...Me?"

Seori looked puzzled.

I hold up three fingers.

"I said you could become our companion, but I never said you had to become an adventurer. Being an adventurer is a life-risking profession, and I don't think it's right to do it if you don't want to. I think you have three options, Seori."

"Three?"

"Yeah. First, you can become an adventurer and work with us. It comes with its dangers, but it's a path where you can become stronger yourself. Second, you can return to the holy land of the dragon race. If you can't trust humans anymore, that might be the safest choice. Third, you could be taken care of by another noble family. You're a dragon princess, so another fun life would probably be waiting for you, and since your false charges have been cleared, no one would complain. Even if you leave, you'd still be our companion... What do you want to do?"

"Hah, a foolish question. I am the master's right hand, leaving is out of the question from the start."

She answered immediately.

"Are you sure? The holy land would be safe, and you could live a life of leisure with nobles, you know?"

"Peace is painful to my chaotic-born true form, and the souls of foolish humans dull my spirit. Only by my master's side can I fully exert the power of darkness..."

"So the holy land is boring, and humans are scary. Got it, got it."

She's striking a chuunibyou pose and trying to look cool, but it seems she just wants to stay with us.

It's genuinely pleasing to be adored by a beautiful girl, even if she's a bit of a failure... but I'm not sure if I should be happy in this case. It reminds me of Lilith from the old days.

Well, I helped her prepared for this outcome.

If Seori chose this herself, I'll respect that decision.

"Alright. Then today, let's go to the Adventurers' Guild and register Seori. For a while, Saaya and Seori will take on quests, and we'll aim to raise both of your ranks."

"Yes (nano~)!" They all responded.

At my command, the members immediately began preparations.

Though it's just putting on equipment, so it doesn't even take a minute.

"By the way, Seori, do you use armor or weapons? If you need them, we can buy some."

"Hah, my scales are my armor, my claws are my sword. A robust physique is the true calling of the supreme race."

"Huh? Yesterday you couldn't turn back into a dragon, but are you okay now?"

"M-my power waves will awaken if necessary... probably."

Probably, huh.

It's nothing but worrying, but well, even in human form her stats are decent, so she shouldn't lose to weak monsters... I'd like to think. If she can perform to her numerical abilities, she should be fine.

But come to think of it, Verugana used to say, "If battles were decided by stats alone, we wouldn't have to struggle."

Hmm, I'm still worried after all.

"Saaya, I'm counting on you to support her."

"Leave it to me. It seems tough, but I'll do my best."

With such exchanges, we left the inn.

I reported to Tessa at the reception that our number of lodgers had increased. I tried to pay an additional fee, but apparently, the charge is per room, so the number of people doesn't matter.

By the way, Tessa didn't realize Seori was the dragon princess even after seeing her face.

She hadn't gone to see yesterday's carriage procession, and it seems she had never seen the dragon princess before.

It seems Seori had been staying in noble mansions all this time, so maybe there won't be a commotion if we take her to the Adventurers' Guild.

With such optimistic thoughts, we headed to the nearby Adventurers' Guild.

However, my expectations were betrayed in a different way.

"Now, let's proceed with your adventurer registration. Please tell me your name, and we need a drop of your blood here for registration."

"I am Shadow Darkness! How greedy of you foolish humans to desire my lifeblood! Lower that disrespectful tool before the red curse spreads!"

"Hey Seori, fake names are not allowed, and the blood is necessary for registration, so don't be scared of the needle. Look, it's just a quick prick, you'll be fine."

"Eeeek!"

What kind of aspiring adventurer gets scared of a little finger prick?

As the chuunibyou girl hesitated, I held her from behind, and the receptionist quickly pricked her finger. Nice combination.

"It hurts, master!"

"Bear with it. I'm sorry, please proceed with the authentication and registration."

"Yes. Your name is Seori, correct? Please wait a moment while I confirm."

The receptionist operates the mystical device behind the counter.

Bargia's guild headquarters is spacious, with three receptionists. Reflecting the country's character, there aren't many quests so it's not very bustling, but the facility itself is incredibly large. By the way, I chose the receptionist who was most my type.

"By the way, doesn't the atmosphere feel a bit tense?"

There weren't many people, but both the staff and adventurers seemed a bit off.

Everyone was subtly on guard, and many were glaring at the quest board.

I thought it might be my imagination, but the receptionist nodded with a wry smile.

"That can't be helped. A merchant noble who rose to power in the past year has been arrested and fallen from grace."

"...Is that so? Where did you hear that?"

"Ah, the members of [Rozewill] didn't know yet? Here in Bargia, important notices are posted on the bulletin boards of each guild. It's one of the jobs of the Information Guild."

"I see. But isn't this an overreaction for a noble being arrested?"

"If it were just any noble, yes. But this was the noble who was protecting the dragon princess. Moreover, there were riots because he allegedly impersonated the dragon princess and even attempted to take her life. Above all, the whereabouts of the dragon princess herself are unknown. The atmosphere is strange because if anything happens to the dragon princess, in the worst case, the Dragon King might destroy the country..."

I see, so that's why the atmosphere is tense and gloomy.

Of course. If someone laid hands on the dragon princess, the Dragon King wouldn't stay quiet. She's his cute daughter after all, of course he'd react... Damn, I need to remove this enslavement mark quickly or I'll definitely die.

"I-I see..."

That was the most robotic delivery of my life.

The receptionist smiled wryly and took out a new adventurer card.

"Well, it's not something we can do anything about. Now then, Seori-san, your registration is complete, so let's proceed with the authentication registration... Eh?"

The receptionist froze while looking at the newly created adventurer card.

"Um, is something wrong?"

Even when I spoke to her, the receptionist remained motionless.

At that time, I didn't know yet.

I didn't know that the only things manually registered on an adventurer card are the individual's name, party name, and rank.

Then why do they take blood?

It's for personal authentication. In other words, the information that can be determined from the blood is automatically read and displayed by the mystical device.

Of course, this included race.

[Name: Seori

Race: Dragon - True Ancestor]

"Eeeeeeeeehhhhh!?"

The receptionist's scream echoed throughout the Adventurers' Guild.