Level Eater -
Chapter 101: Cardina's Growth
After finishing the rough explanation, the elderly knight Neville wore a bitter expression and revealed that Gillian's father, Reginald, whom they were relying on, was currently not in the Lyadas territory but engaged in negotiations in the town of Telgeni, belonging to the neighboring territory of Ryusiten.
"Did my father personally go to Telgeni for negotiations? Even though we have an uncle there, why would he go all the way to Telgeni?" (Gillian Mac Dermott)
"It seems he was secretly requested by the lord for a favor. I don't have the right to inquire further, so I cannot provide more details." (Neville)
"What terrible timing… I'm sorry, Tatsuro-san, Ai-san." (Gillian Mac Dermott)
If this story was true, even if they were able to meet Gillian as promised, there was a possibility that they might not be able to meet his father. Feeling embarrassed for not fulfilling even the previously agreed-upon things, Gillian deeply bowed his head.
But what's needed now is not an apology but action. Therefore, Tatsuro immediately asked him to raise his head.
"Apologies can come later. We need to move things forward as quickly as possible; otherwise, the situation will only worsen. Considering they might already be on the move." (Tatsuro)
"That's true. Neville, use the fastest messenger bird available to urgently contact my father." (Gillian Mac Dermott)
"Understood, young master." (Neville)
Gillian immediately ordered the dispatch of a messenger bird, and Neville, who nodded in response, instructed his subordinate nearby to expedite the preparations.
Telgeni was closer than Tofas, and it would take about two days on the way even by carriage. If the messenger bird arrived safely, Gillian could expect his father to return within five days at the latest.
"Five days later… the timing is delicately subtle. They probably already know about us escaping with Gillian, and they might reach Lyadas before us." (Tatsuro)
"In that case, we'll never know what measures they might take." (Gillian Mac Dermott)
"Indeed. With Iyaruki's right-hand man, Gregory, who is practically the vice leader of the thieves, the town mayor Joel Wickham, and, by the way, the foolish son of the local lord, I forgot his name, those guys may be collaborating from within. Allowing thieves to infiltrate, killing his father and sister, and forcibly inheriting the position because there's no one else… such a worst-case scenario is also possible." (Tatsuro)
"We must avoid that at all costs." (Gillian Mac Dermott)
Even though it's a five-day wait, there's a higher possibility of arriving sooner. However, it's essential to anticipate the worst-case scenario. I want to take action right away, but it's also possible to inadvertently provoke by making bold moves before meeting the lord.
In that case, a hiding place would become necessary.
"In five days, what should we do, including Salman and me? We can't wander outside. Besides, Gillian can't go outside either, right?" (Tatsuro)
"That's right. There are likely guards from the mayor's faction, and if they see us, we'll be killed. So, I think everyone should barricade themselves here until my father returns. The people here can be trusted." (Gillian Mac Dermott)
"However, when they realize you're gone, the first place they'll investigate is here. Are you sure about this?" (Tatsuro)
"Yes, the security here is much stricter than the surrounding houses, and Neville's unit is not a soft force that would lose to bandits…" (Gillian Mac Dermott)
Although Tatsuro initially thought the security might be lax, considering the change in soil type from when they entered the mansion's underground, making it difficult for magic to penetrate as they ascend, and without a means like Tatsuro's constant massive magic recovery, magical excavation into the ground is challenging.
Moreover, assuming there's an anti-magic user in Neville's unit surpassing Salman's dispelling magic, their immediate response upon our arrival on the surface is undeniable.
Considering all this, even if the location is identified, this place, difficult to probe and invade, might have one of the highest levels of safety in the town.
"I think staying here temporarily is a good idea?" (Tatsuro)
"That's right. I agree. For now, the people we can trust seem to be the ones here." (Ai)
So, the two decided to barricade themselves here, and Salman, as an accomplice, also stayed in the same place.
"Alright, I'll arrange rooms immediately. Salman will have a separate room, and the two of you will also be allocated a separate—" (Gillian Mac Dermott)
"Together." (Tatsuro)
"Together." (Ai)
"Haha, still, your close relationship is enviable. In contrast, I'm… every day occupied with work, not to mention a wife, not even a girlfriend—" (Gillian Mac Dermott)
Gillian, who was observing the affectionate scene of the two, seemed to be muttering something while staring at a point on the ground.
Seeing that, Salman began to pat his shoulder in a comforting manner, and they seemed to bond over shared sentiments.
"Um, where should we stay then?" (Tatsuro)
"That's right, that's right! Salman understands, right!" (Gillian Mac Dermott)
"Y-Yes, I understand, Gillian! W-We're not unpopular! It's just that our circumstances were unfortunate!" (Salman)
"…………This is hopeless." (Tatsuro)
Witnessing this scene, Tatsuro recalled a friend from their original world who used to tease him about his relationship with Ai, insisting that it was due to being busy with extracurricular activities that made him not to have a partner.
Thinking about how that friend would have probably gotten along well with these two, he sighed, and Neville, taking over the guidance, offered to show them around.
Following Neville's prompt, they revisited the spacious mansion from the garden, and Neville led them to a large room.
"Feel free to use this room as you like." (Neville)
"Thank you." (Tatsuro)
"I'll arrange for meals and such if you inform the maids, so please relax and make yourselves at home." (Neville)
"Well then, can we get some food right away? We're quite hungry…" (Tatsuro)
"Understood. I'll arrange it immediately." (Neville)
With that said, Neville turned to leave, but then turned back towards Tatsuro and the others.
"Was there anything else?" (Tatsuro)
"No, I just forgot to say one thing" (Neville)
"Forget? What is it?" (Tatsuro)
"It might be presumptuous for me to say this, but thank you sincerely for saving the young master" (Neville)
Neville bowed gracefully and expressed his gratitude. Tatsuro, feeling a bit embarrassed, responded.
"We did it because it seemed most convenient for us, not because we wanted to save Gillian. So, if you could repay that favor through actions, it would be beneficial for both sides. No need for thanks." (Tatsuro)
"I see. However, there was one old man here who was grateful. Please keep that in mind" (Neville)
"Understood" (Tatsuro)
"Understood" (Ai)
"Well then, that's it. I'll arrange for a splendid meal immediately" (Neville)
"Hooray!" (Ai)
"Hey, that's inappropriate." (Tatsuro)
"Ugh…" (Ai)
"Not ‘ugh.'" (Tatsuro)
Neville, listening to their banter, smiled faintly and left.
Soon after, a lavish meal was brought in, and the two had their meal before changing into clean regular clothes.
"Now, what should we do?" (Ai)
"The situation isn't great, but we seem to have some time. I think I'll use SP to level up my skills. I plan to focus on raising the magic skills to level 10 for both Cardina and Jeanne; they will get a level 10 body that way" (Tatsuro)
"Reaching level 10 means the system gets installed, right?" (Ai)
"Yeah, and without having to use ‘Transmission' all the time, they should become smart enough to fully understand words." (Tatsuro)
"Even now, they seem to grasp the meaning to some extent." (Ai)
"True." (Tatsuro)
The two entities, Cardina and Jeanne, who already displayed various emotions and could act with their own will, should have a basic understanding of what was being conveyed. While looking forward to their further growth, Tatsuro focused on acquiring new skills.
Closing his eyes and crossing his arms, Tatsuro pondered while considering potential future scenarios and picked out what seemed necessary.
"With curse magic and life magic, if we happen to face Ennio in combat, calming him down might be possible." (Tatsuro)
"Yeah, that sounds good. I'm hesitant to hurt that kid." (Ai)
"Agreed. As for the others, I still want Cardina and the others to learn magic that suits their bodies, so let's go for Dispel and wind magic as well." (Tatsuro)
"If we take all that, it's going to consume a considerable amount of SP. How much are you planning to level up each?" (Ai)
In response to Ai's question, Tatsuro activated the system and experimented with possible combinations given his current SP.
"Hmm… The curse magic for the ninth attribute is ridiculously expensive. But if we can overcome magic resistance, it's quite a useful magic… Alright, I've decided." (Tatsuro)
"What is it?" (Ai)
"My current SP is (243), so I'll go for Life to Level 3, Dispel and Wind to Level 9, and Curse to Level 4, consuming a total of (231) SP." (Tatsuro)
"So, that means 1 level for Life, Dispel, and Wind magic, and 3 levels for Curse magic. Are you planning to raise them evenly?" (Ai)
"Yeah, that's the plan. I thought about maxing out Dispel or Wind only to Level 10, but I'd rather take them to Level 10 simultaneously." (Tatsuro)
"Should I prioritize the older sister Cardina first, or Jeanne the younger sister…? It's true, ranking them doesn't feel right for siblings." (Tatsuro)
"Yeah." (Ai)
With the education strategy aligned, Tatsuro proceeded to consume SP and raised the skill levels as planned, leaving him with (12) SP. The time had come for the much-anticipated Cardina and Jeanne to enter the stage of system installation.
First, having Ai embrace him from behind and activate the title, Tatsuro generated dragon magic and invoked mixed magic of light and darkness skillfully named by the system as "Yin-Yang Orb."
"Amazing… Thanks to Composite Magic Skill Enhancement activation, the system almost does everything automatically just by providing mana" (Tatsuro)
"Really? It usually takes you quite some time, but is it because the spheres of light and darkness are already there" (Ai)
"It's not only time-saving but also feels frustratingly cleaner than when I'm manually controlling everything" (Tatsuro)
"I can't tell the difference, though" (Ai)
Since it was a sensory thing and the appearance changed only in size, Ai tilted her head in confusion. Tatsuro, considering it might not be apparent from an objective viewpoint, concluded the rough explanation and promptly called Cardina.
As Cardina had experienced this multiple times already, she flew towards the enormous sphere at Tatsuro's fingertips. Upgrading to Level 10, she incorporated the factors of [Dispel Magic Lv. 9] and [Earth Magic Lv. 7] undergoing her version upgrade.
"By the way, are you not giving Jeanne a new attribute?" (Ai)
"I'm still thinking about it. While you can erase it once you've added it, the penalty for having multiple attributes remains, so I need to choose wisely" (Tatsuro)
"I see. And what about Cardina-chan?" (Ai)
"Cardina is still in sphere form." (Tatsuro)
As the two watched, her appearance gradually transformed.
"Wait a minute." (Tatsuro)
"Pewee." (Cardina)
What appeared was something different from the Cardina they were used to seeing.
First, the color transformed into a beautiful shade of blue, and the size changed to an imposing two and a half meters, even with its wings not fully spread.
The body's surface was covered with scales resembling those of a dragon, and the large wings had feathers so rigid they seemed like steel, capable of cutting through upon contact.
Additionally, the previously small forelegs were now equipped with sharp claws that could tear through anything, firmly gripping the ground. The hind legs transformed into thick limbs resembling those of a large feline rather than a bird, allowing for four-legged movement.
"It looks quite different now" (Ai)
"I had some extra room this time, so I poured all the dragon power into it" (Tatsuro)
"I wonder… I feel like I've seen creatures with this form in a game" (Ai)
"Probably a griffin. The form is almost identical, even though the dragon-like scales and sturdy wings are a bit different. It's essentially the same" (Tatsuro)
"Ah, that makes sense." (Ai)
Resembling a creature from a fantasy world, the majestic form overflowed with dignity. As Tatsuro and Ai admired the spectacle, Cardina let out a roar. They turned their attention to her, and she stepped back before starting to transform again.
"Oh, now it's a form with just magical power." (Ai)
"This one looks neat. Maybe she should stay like this normally." (Tatsuro)
Nodding in agreement, Tatsuro observed a sleek and slender-bodied eagle-shaped Cardina, roughly one meter in size. Although the size wasn't significantly different from her Level 5 form, the overflowing strength and exquisite beauty suggested a form pursuing functional aesthetics.
Her intelligent eyes seemed to be questioning Tatsuro and Ai about their thoughts.
"You look beautiful, Cardina." (Tatsuro)
"Yeah, it's amazing!" (Ai)
"Pewee!" (Cardina)
Like a child praised by a parent, Cardina joyfully flew around the room, showcasing her newfound form.
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