HP: Sacred Gear Chat Group (2) - Chapter 13 (Patreon)

Chapter 13 - Saint Rank

Our stay with the Doldia Tribe was a short one, considering what kind of Season we were entering. The Rainy Season was a serious threat in the Great Forest and would change the landscape completely.

But we still remained for a few days.

At first, we had a tense personal meeting between Ghislaine and her Father, Gustav Dedoldia, but fortunately, they managed to make up. I was sure he had missed his daughter.

That was just the nature of Parents.

Sometimes, Children screwed up. That was part of growing up. Yet Parents still accepted them.

Especially since Ghislaine had developed so much. After telling them about her experiences and her Journey so far, the People of the Doldia Tribe gained a completely new perspective on her.

She wasn’t a disgrace to the Tribe, but someone they could be proud of. A Sword Saint was an Elite wherever they were, while a Sword King or someone just a step away from reaching that level was a true Master.

And the Doldia Tribe had nobody like that.

She had beaten every Warrior willing to face her in a Duel, including her older Brother, Gyes.

Overall, our stay with the Doldia Tribe was a pleasant experience. Not only were they grateful to us for saving Children from their Tribe, but seeing the place with my own two eyes was a true pleasure.

A Village constructed among the treetops was a sight not many people on Earth could say they had ever seen. It reminded me of how the Wookies in Star Wars lived. Of course, the trees here were far smaller, yet the Village had a similar vibe.

I would have loved to stay longer, but our time was unfortunately limited.

We simply couldn’t risk being rained in, or we could be delayed for weeks and miss the time frame in which we needed to reach the Demon Continent. I really didn’t want to end my Journey without reaching my goal.

Ghislaine was also offered the chance to stay with the Tribe, but she refused. She decided that she would accompany me on my Journey since she owed me. Even when I told her that she really didn’t need to stay with me if she wanted to remain with her People, she still refused.

While I loved having her with me, I didn’t want to stand in the way of her happiness and her Family.

But she kept insisting, and she could be really stubborn.

Maybe she would come back here once I returned to my own World. Or perhaps she would follow the Canon Route? Although I believed we were already too far away for her to join Paul and Zenith’s Party in time.

The Parents of this World’s Main Character.

They had stayed together for about a year before ending the Party after Paul got Zenith pregnant with the Protagonist and was forced by her to marry her.

After all, Ghislaine’s Niece was about to be born in a few months, and she was born in the same year as the Protagonist. Gyes introduced us to his Pregnant Wife, and from the looks of it, she was just a few months away from giving birth.

At least we left the Doldia Tribe on good terms.

It was always better to have more Allies than foes.

———

— Zant Port —

A few days after our stay with the Doldia Tribe, we finally reached Zant Port, a town right at the edge of the Great Forest, beside the Sea, and our final stop on the Millis Continent before reaching the Demon Continent.

And not a moment too late.

The Rainy Season had fully started by now, and the Great Forest had become pretty much impassable.

You could see that in the state of Zant Port.

This Port City wasn’t very rich, which was no surprise considering the fact that you had to travel through the Great Forest to reach it, and all it led to was the Demon Continent. A very barren and dangerous region of the World, which Humans generally preferred to avoid.

Yet we had a very hard time getting an Inn Room. In the end, we decided to camp in my Tent at the edge of the Great Forest, which was still the most comfortable option available to us.

Every Inn Room in the Port City was pretty much booked out for the next three months, the usual duration of the Rainy Season. It was a normal sight every year in this place.

That was just how this Season was.

Besides being the Port City connecting the rest of the World to the Demon Continent, it didn’t have much else. There wasn’t even a Magic Guild branch here.

Or rather, the last Magic Guild branch I would ever encounter on this trip was in the Holy Country of Millis, the Kingdom where the Human part of the World ended. The Magic Guild was a mainly Human organization originating from Sharia, the City where the Magic University of Ranoa was located.

After all, the University had been founded by the Magic Guild.

Also, Magic was unfortunately not as popular as Swordsmanship. Thanks to chants, sometimes very long ones, being a requirement, Magic was generally considered weaker than Swordsmanship.

My Chantless Casting and ability to manipulate Mana directly were exceptions.

Thanks to those facts, I wouldn’t be able to find a single branch of the Magic Guild on the Demon Continent. It was also the main reason why I had performed my heist on the Millis Religion, copying their collection of Magic Books.

It was the last chance I knew of where I could acquire Magic Books. They would be a real rarity on the Demon Continent, where Magic was taught more directly from Master to Apprentice.

At least the Adventurer’s Guild would be common there, too.

“Here you go. This is your payment for completing the Leaf Tiger Hunting Job, and these are your earnings from the sale of the materials.” The cute Receptionist announced with a smile as she handed me two pouches filled with money, which I put away after confirming their contents.

“Thank you.” I nodded as I accepted my Guild Card, which she updated with our new Job Completion Counter.

“You’re welcome. Is there anything else I can do for you?”

“In fact, yes. I was wondering if you have any Jobs that can be handed in at the Demon Continent? I already checked the Job Board, but I couldn’t find any. It would be really convenient since it is the next stop on our Journey.” I asked, as it would really help. We weren’t planning to stay here for long.

The next Ship was the one we would take to the Demon Continent.

“Apologies. That is unfortunately not possible.” The Receptionist shook her head. “While your Job progression and Guild Card will function with the Adventurer’s Guild on the Demon Continent, it is unfortunately not possible for our Jobs to be handed in at their Guilds.”

“Really? Why not? That’s too bad. It would make a lot of sense.”

“We get that a lot. But the Adventurer’s Guild on the Demon Continent, while working with us overall, is its own entity. There is also the problem of Currency. They use a completely different system from our Gold, Silver, and Copper Coins, which can be exchanged one-to-one between Countries. The Exchange Rates make such Job Transfers even more complicated.” She explained politely.

Makes sense. I had completely forgotten about the Currency on the Demon Continent.

They used Stone, Scrap Iron, Iron, and Green Ore Coins, all of which were far less valuable than the common Currency in the Human part of the World.

A Green Ore Coin, for example, their most valuable Currency, was worth just about as much as a large Copper Coin. Which also meant that most common things on the Demon Continent were far cheaper.

The Cost of living was much lower over there.

“I see. Is there a place where I can exchange some Currency?” I wondered. Zant Port was the direct connection and Trade Hub to the Demon Continent. They should have such a place.

Better to have some Currency ready now instead of getting into problems later.

“Yes, if you…” The Receptionist gave me directions before I left the Guild and headed over there.

While I could exchange Currency with my Sacred Gear, the fee in the World was a lot lower than through the System, too.

Now then, it seemed like we had the next few days free, since we didn’t have enough time to complete any Jobs that could advance our Rank before our Ship left.

Let’s see what Ghislaine and Roxy have stocked up on while I handled the Guild Matters.

Maybe I could cook something nice tonight? They always loved my Cooking, even if I had pretty much cheated with my Gacha to become so good at it.

———

“So, what are we doing out here? So far away from the City? I hope it’s nothing too exhausting. We’re going to sail off tomorrow.” I reminded Roxy, who had led me out of the City to some abandoned cliffs overlooking the Ocean, a good distance away from any Human settlement.

Ghislaine had followed us purely out of boredom.

I had no idea why Roxy had brought me here. I knew she had said it was for Magic training, but why this abandoned place so far away? Usually, some empty field was enough for most of the Spells we practiced.

No, wait…

It couldn’t be, could it?

“I am going to part ways with the two of you at Wind Port,” Roxy announced with a strange glint of determination in her eyes.

“Why?” Ghislaine asked, confused by the sudden announcement.

“Because I have pretty much completed my Job with you.” The blue-haired girl explained as she looked directly at me. “I taught you almost everything I know. In all honesty, I learned more from you than you did from me. I already feel bad for getting paid for it.”

“That’s not true.” I quickly shook my head. “You helped me a lot with the theoretical knowledge of this World’s Magic. Without you, I would have taken a lot longer to get this far. You deserve every Coin I paid you.”

“While that may be true, it is still a fact that we have reached the limits of my own Knowledge. There is only one thing I have left to teach you. After that, I believe it is time for me to Journey further and refine myself. There is still so much for me to learn, and you showed that to me.” Roxy replied calmly. She had probably come to this decision a while ago.

“Where are you even planning to go? It’s not like we have to part ways immediately.”

Roxy smiled contentedly.

“I want to visit my Parents. I owe them that much, and I want to see if I can communicate with them now. It is unlikely that they are in the same direction as where you want to go.”

She was probably right, but that wasn’t necessarily a problem.

“At least let’s travel together for as long as possible.” I sighed. I had really grown accustomed to her and Ghislaine. We were a Party, after all.

“It’s fine. But don’t take a detour on my behalf. You have a Goal and a time limit. Don’t let me distract you.” Roxy said firmly. “Don’t take it personally. I just feel that it is time for me to grow more.”

“I know. I understand what you want to do.” I nodded. “Such a Journey helps tremendously. Applying Knowledge helps with mastery. Now, what is it you want to teach me?” I asked, even though I already knew the answer.

“It is time for you to learn the Spell that makes me a Water Saint-Rank Mage. I know you have been focusing on building up your foundation and mastering every piece of Magic thoroughly. But I believe you are ready to take the first step into the Saint Tier.” She explained before adding with a smile, “And the Demon Continent is really good for practicing those kinds of Spells. Vast areas of empty land. Don’t miss that opportunity. From what I understand, you will have a hard time finding such a place in your World.”

That was true, too.

I lived in the middle of London.

Saint-Rank Spells and above were the minimum for weather manipulation on a relatively large scale. Saint Rank could encompass several blocks to small villages, King Rank could cover entire cities, Emperor Rank Magic could affect entire regions or even countries, and God Rank was supposedly capable of affecting an entire continent.

It wasn’t something I could easily practice in my own World. Well, Emperor and God Rank would be difficult to practice even here. The scale of such Elemental Spells was simply too massive.

And I didn’t really see a scenario where I would be forced to use a Spell the size of a country or continent. I would rather focus all that Power into more deadly but targeted attacks.

“Got it, Sensei.” I gave her a thumbs-up.

“All right, now watch. This is the Water Saint-Rank Spell, Cumulonimbus. I am going to cancel the Spell after a minute or so, but I want you to maintain it for at least an hour before I consider you to have passed your Exam.” She said as she held her Staff in her hand and lifted it toward the Sky. “Oh, spirits of the magnificent waters, I beseech the Prince of Thunder! Grant me my wish, bless me with thy savagery, and reveal to this insignificant servant a glimpse of thy power! Let fear strike the heart of man as thy divine hammer strikes its anvil and cover the land with water! Come, oh rain, and wash everything away in thy flood of destruction—Cumulonimbus!”

She chanted steadily, slowly, and purposefully. It took her over a minute to finish her incantation. Hard to use in one-on-one Combat, but great for large-scale Combat where you wanted to gain a Terrain advantage.

With every word that came out of her mouth, the Sky darkened. For several seconds, there was nothing. Then, pelting rain began to fall. A terrific wind roared, accompanied by black clouds that flickered with lightning. Amidst the pouring sheets of rain, the Sky began to rumble, and purple light shot through the clouds. With each new flash, the lightning increased in power.

Several small bolts of Lightning flashed across the horizon, striking the now-stormy Ocean.

After about a minute, Roxy released the Spell, and the Sky began clearing up.

“Now then, your turn.”

Giving her a nod, I stood at the edge of the Cliff and raised my Wand high into the Air as I began replicating what I had felt her Mana do while she cast the Spell. But I slightly modified it, adding a warm updraft of Air to actually create a Supercell of Clouds that would last without me needing to continuously add Mana to it.

I had just cast my first Saint-Tier Spell, the first of many more waiting for me in my, by now, large Library.

[-- End of Chapter --]