34 – A Black Sorcerer who appears to have trouble with work, invited to the world's No.1 ranked party…? (Part 2)
So we have reached the main question. Or should I say, we have returned to it? He did mention his objective at the very start.
「…I have…many questions.」
「Of course, ask away.」
The waitress brought his drink so we waited for her to go away.
Aerial took a gulp of his drink.
「Uhm…if I may, who left the party?」
Parties have up to five members. This is a principle.
There were a steady five people in Aerial's party, inviting someone to join the party means that someone left.
「Ah, it's ol' Pana」
「Huh? Panacea left…?」
Panacea is a thirty-two-year-old White Sorcerer. A beautiful woman who spoke briskly.
Yes, a White Sorcerer.
An unfortunate Job that is treated only slightly better than Black Sorcerers.
Truthfully, the fact that I was able to be in a party for seven years before I was kicked out halfway through can be attributed to Panacea's existence.
An unfortunate support type Job can become the world's no.1, and support types aren't completely incompetent. It depends on their ability and how they use it. That's probably what my allies thought in their heads.
Panacea's situation is different from mine, she is a mutant genius. Of course, she put in a lot of effort as well, but the buff and healing effectiveness of her White Magic is fearsome.
A television commentator once lambasted me by saying that「If you had to put a support class in your party, it'd be better if it was a White Sorcerer.」. Those words were probably inspired by Panacea's image.
「Did something happen?」
「She's with child.」
「Oh! That's great. Congratulations to her.」
She is married to the Samurai in the same party.
「Wait, don't they already have two children?」
There are times when a party member has to withdraw from the party temporarily. In these cases, sometimes other Adventurers are hired temporarily.
「Yeah, but Adventurers tend to travel from place to place, right? She had a discussion about settling down.」
Certainly, it's a difficult choice whether to bring the children along or leave them and go.
If it's for the sake of staying by her children's side, I fully support her.
It seems that after some deliberation between the husband and wife, the Samurai will remain in the party.
「So then, the replacement will be…」
「A permanent member. Not a temporary hire.」
I truly am being ushered into the world's No.1 party.
「…Why me?」
「Is it that strange? Aren't you a Black Mage from the 4th-ranked party?」
「I was unable to refute when I was asked to leave my party because of my incompetence. That's what they all say.」
「That isn't what I thought. I think you would understand that much.」
「…that I am a master on the level of Panacea?」
「Let us talk honestly, I cannot see the bottom of your ability. Or rather, I should say that I don't even know how to measure it. What surprised me first was that no one was able to find you after you left. There was a big fuss, so I was worried you might feel uncomfortable. But, all I saw on the TV was Fenix's sullen face.」
Me leaving the party was pretty big news.
Fan's rejoiced that it finally happened.
Alba triumphantly said that he was the one who lead the charge, and the mild-mannered Fenix ignored all the cameras and microphones. No matter how many times they surprised him for an interview, Fenix stayed silent and pushed through.
One time, a video was cut off the moment an interviewer made a crack at my expense. The camera and other equipment were probably burned.
Society hates me but Fenix is the opposite, so he had no sympathy for the interviewer that went too far.
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I can give them the slip with my Black Magic, but Fenix can't. That's why his face kept showing up on TV.
「Furthermore, there were very few eyewitness reports of you. The places where you be could assuredly found were limited. The Union, for instance. Thinking that you had returned to your hometown's Adventurer Union, I visited it but you hadn't returned at all. It was then that I had a thought. Fenix's evaluation of you was right, and you are a master of Black Magic far beyond the reach of the ordinary man. Do you think I'm jumping the gun? Well, I clung on to the possibility of you being in this town and searched for you.」
So you're saying that you thought that someone has vanished and you lost all leads as to his whereabouts. And then you hopefully thought「If that's the case, he must be hiding using powerful Black Magic.」…maybe?
「As it turns out, you're the real deal. The response after I entered the shop was magnificent. I honestly had no idea as to why nobody noticed me. I was surprised when all my Magical Energy for resistance was depleted in an instant by Black Magic, which should have decreased in effectiveness when applied to multiple targets.」
Aerial is evaluating me highly right now. The Aerial.
It almost doesn't feel real.
But.
「Why would you go so far for me? I'm sure you have plenty of other candidates.」
Anticipating my question, Aerial answers without hesitation.
「Hmm. Well, the first thing is the timing. The 1st and 4th-ranked party's support members stop at around the same time, and in your case, you're fit to work. Next is that Fenix's confidence in you piqued my interest. It's impossible that you're incompetent, because your party's Dungeon Clears go so smoothly. I came to test just how amazing you are. Of course, I don't plan on asking you why you haven't told the other three members of your old party.」
…He even saw through the fact that I'm keeping it a secret.
「And then…mmm, my allies laughed at me for this but…」
Aerial rubbed his chin, embarrassed.
「Do you know of the Demon King Lucifer who ruled the Demon King Castle two generations ago?」
「Yes, of course.」
…He's my master. Of course, I can't tell him that.
「Once, in my newbie days, I took part in the Raid…a type of Dungeon Clear where several parties partake in…」
Ah, the people who were annihilated by my master.
He used Black Magic and other mysterious spells against me when I was training but when he was the Demon King, he used ultraggressive magic to resoundingly defeat Adventurers.
…Just maybe, it would have been troublesome if the fact that he was a Black Magic user got out and attracted attention.
In this day and age, you won't be killed, but you will be closely monitored.
Also, he might have become popular among the Monsters as a villain, but it just wouldn't work for the Adventurer's side.
What people expect in an Adventurer and「a Black Magic wielding Demon King」are just too far apart
「When I saw Lucifer, I was shaking. I thought that the person in front of me was no ordinary living thing, but something else entirely.」
The Demon King, who the current world's No.1 ranked man thought he couldn't beat at the time, is also the one that I studied under.
Once again, I am recognizing how strong my master is.
「And so when I met you for the first time, my body felt the same fear and shivered for a moment.」
…incredible.
He's sharp.
Not just because I received the same training that a Demon King would give to their children.
There has to be a reason that he felt a portion of my master's presence from me.
But because I was hiding it, he only felt it for a moment.
As expected of the world's 1st ranked.
「We would welcome you. We want you to be rewarded, but if you insist on hiding your power, we will help you. Although, as soon as we do a Clear, the word will get out.」
If Panacea leaves and the party's combat power doesn't decrease but instead, possibly increases…
Anyone would notice that.
And they would say「Huh? That Black Sorcerer isn't useless at all!」.
「And that's that. I am staying in the same inn that Fenix and co. are in. I shall wait for seven days. Please consider it.」
Having said that, he stands up.
Apologizing for the intrusion, he left some money on the table and slowly made his way out of the bar.
Chapter end
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