54 – Want to Be My Partner – 4

What was the easiest way to measure strength on the continent of Leta?

It was none other than stat ranks and skills.

Species ranks and classes would be just as important, but the problem was that these two could not be clearly known unless one opened and showed their status window.

Therefore, a person’s strength was judged by relatively clear indicators, such as tests of major stats and skills.

“Of course, species ranks and classes also affect stats and skills, right? So, when testing, they take those into account to evaluate the final level.”

“Unless someone is a serious criminal, you can’t just force them to open their status window.”

“Then we can’t even have status window purity battles anymore…”

Gi-jun nodded at Viv and Unika’s explanation, but muttered with a hint of regret.

Of course, everyone in the tutorial knew the importance of the status window, but that was precisely why they could tease each other about their Charm stats and joke about opening their status windows to prove their purity.

It meant they had only joked with words, under the premise that they would not actually open their status windows.

“Flame Humans are amazing. That would be treated as almost the highest level of provocation in Leta.”

Having somehow turned Flame Humans into a race of pranksters, Gi-jun reflected that he should be more careful with his words in the future and silently checked his status window.

[Gi-jun (Year 1): Earth Representative]

[Title — The Last Hero (Legendary) and 10 others]

[Light Human (R) Guide of Light (U) Lv25]

[Strength (U) — 29+25]

[Dexterity (L) — 21+20]

[Endurance (U) — 28+20]

[Light Mana (L) — 34+22]

[Charm (L) — 17+20]

[Spiritual Power (L) — 38+20]

[Gi-jun (Year 1): Earth Representative]

[Title — The Last Hero (Legendary) and 10 others]

[Light Human (R) Guide of Light (U) Lv25]

[Strength (U) — 29+25]

[Dexterity (L) — 21+20]

[Endurance (U) — 28+20]

[Light Mana (L) — 34+22]

[Charm (L) — 17+20]

[Spiritual Power (L) — 38+20]

His level had not risen by even 1 since the moment he completed the quest, but thanks to his steady training, his Strength and Endurance, which were of Unique rank, had each grown by 1—and perhaps because he had been receiving so much attention from many people after clearing the large-scale quest, his Charm had also gone up by 1 before he knew it.

Considering that Charm did not grow through stats obtained from leveling up, his Charm steadily growing even after reaching Legendary rank was truly bizarre.

‘Is it some kind of bug after all? In the first place, I can’t know the exact reason why my Charm has been growing all this time.’

However, what was important now was not his Charm stat, which could prove his purity at any time, but his other stats.

His lowest stats, Strength and Endurance, were in the late 20s of the Unique rank, and all the rest were of the Legendary rank.

Although the species and class names that would instantly shatter people’s misunderstanding that he was a Flame Human weighed on his mind, his status was unrivaled even if he completely ignored them.

‘Thank you, Biche.’

Smiling as he recalled the face of his master, who had worked day and night to somehow raise his status ranks, Gi-jun turned his gaze back forward.

A single-digit number of candidates who had broken through the wall of having an average stat rank of Rare stood before his eyes.

“I didn’t expect there would only be this many.”

“The useful ones already have fixed parties.”

“Makes sense.”

It was a similar phenomenon to going to college and pretending to have no interest in dating, only to find that by the time the second semester rolled around and Christmas started weighing on one’s mind, making one feel lonely, most of the decent crowd had already coupled up.

In other words, those currently in front of Gi-jun were those whose couples… no, parties had broken up for some reason, leaving them free, those who had just arrived from other cities, or those who could not stay in a party for long because of a difficult personality…

Or it meant they were just the true solo army who had carved their way through this harsh world all on their own.

“I am the Shadow Stalker, Hervunt.”

The man belonging to that very solo army took off his hood with a refreshing smile and introduced himself.

He was a handsome man with impressive wavy black hair and brownish-grey eyes.

He was tall and slender, and his pale skin, like moonlight seeping through a window in the middle of the night, added to his charm, but Gi-jun, not wanting to describe another guy’s appearance any further, cut off his thoughts right there.

“Hervunt?! He came to Turis?”

“No, if the Shadow Stalker is our competitor, we might as well just shut up and wrap bandages in the back…”

Judging by the whispering of the people behind, he seemed to be a famous person.

Receiving his questioning gaze, Viv and Unika took turns explaining.

“He’s famous throughout Gratia. His class group is of the scout type. His skills are beyond doubt.”

“He is a treasure hunter with an extremely high track record. He specializes in dungeon exploration, and rumors of his outstanding combat abilities are widespread… I never expected him to come to Turis.”

Unika said so, then narrowed her eyes and asked him.

“Shadow Stalker, welcome to Turis. However, I do not believe this is a place where someone of your caliber would operate…”

“It hurts my feelings when you say that, Lady.”

Leaning forward with eyes twinkling as if flirting with Unika, Hervunt whispered in a voice quiet enough that only she, along with Gi-jun and Viv who were sitting right in front, could hear.

“What else would be the reason a treasure hunter moves?”

“……!”

At those words, which were no different from confessing that he had found an undiscovered ruin near Turis, not only Unika but also Gi-jun and Viv flinched.

If this was a bribe to join the party, was it not an incredibly bold move?

“I was already searching for members I could trust with my back, and as soon as I entered Turis, the rumors were quite sensational. It felt as if destiny had led me here, so I rushed over immediately.”

Sure enough, as he said that he hadn’t expected to meet such a beautiful lady—and reached out his hand toward Unika as if to request a handshake, she quietly glared at the back of his hand, causing him to mutter “excuse me,” pull his hand back, and turn his gaze to Gi-jun.

“Would the gentleman accept my greeting?”

“I’m Jun.”

“I’m Hervunt. The mask suits you well! …Oh.”

The moment Hervunt shook Gi-jun’s hand, he flinched for a moment, then let go of his hand in admiration and spoke.

“You are strong. The moment I held your hand, I got a feeling.”

“You make quite a fuss.”

Gi-jun snorted, let go of his hand, and quietly stared at him.

Hervunt also faced him without blinking once.

While the two of them were engaged in a brief battle of nerves, Unika spoke in embarrassment.

“Jun? If what the Shadow Stalker says is true, it seems best to accept him into the party. His skills are certain, and his reliability within various mercenary guilds is high. At the very least, he is not someone who would stab you in the back.”

“I’m flattered that the beautiful lady is praising me so highly.”

“Though I am somewhat concerned about your light behavior.”

“Oh.”

Admiring her ability to toy with people, which was indeed fitting for the daughter of a lord, Gi-jun spoke flatly.

“Hervunt, say clearly what you want. Do you want to join my party, or do you want temporary companions to conquer the undiscovered ruins together?”

“Ah, my.”

Only then realizing why Gi-jun was glaring at him, Hervunt let out an exclamation and placed a hand on his forehead.

Most people would have been tempted by the mention of the undiscovered ruins and lured by his reputation as a treasure hunter to accept him on the spot, but Gi-jun was not like that at all.

Since Gi-jun was trying to form a party to ultimately create an elite force to prepare for the vampire kingdom’s attack in a year, no matter how attractive the ruins Hervunt discovered were, there was no reason to include him if the party was just going to disband after conquering that single target.

“You are overflowing with confidence, Jun—. These are ruins. We don’t know if the conquest will take months, and we can’t even know if we’ll all return safely. Yet you are already thinking about what comes after?”

“Yes.”

“Just hearing the voices of the people cheering at you leaves no room for doubt about your ability and character. However, I am not some desperate ‘weakling’ who has to trust someone I met for the first time today and lay down my life for them.”

A cold smile appeared on Hervunt’s pale lips.

“If you kick me out, you will go down in history as the fool of the century who kicked away the Shadow Stalker’s exploration offer. This ruin is a particularly massive deal, so if we succeed in conquering it, rumors will definitely spread across the entire country. You will end up regretting it alone when you hear of the results later.”

Indeed, that was a common occurrence.

That phenomenon where an older girl who used to show interest in you finally gave up on you, succeeded in finding another guy, and then called you in the middle of the night on Christmas Day to ask what you were doing while she was on a date, thrusting a dagger into your lonely heart.

“So what is your answer? Do you want to join my party, or do you want to be a temporary member who disbands after conquering the ruins?”

Of course, Gi-jun repeated the question in a voice that did not shake in the slightest.

One who chased true love rather than the superficial vanity of dating was not held back by vain regrets.

“My goodness—”

Feeling Gi-jun’s firm attitude, Hervunt completely wiped away his cold expression and laughed.

“I was planning to test you, but I ended up being tested instead. Good, very good. I will join the party.”

“Really?”

Frankly, he had expected him to turn around and leave.

However, Hervunt completely changed his face, smiled broadly, and shrugged his shoulders.

“It’s not like I wanted someone who would just rely on my skills to hit the jackpot and leave either. I’ve experienced that too many times. I was just about to look for a party to settle down in.”

“Is that so.”

“You are beyond my expectations. Jun, you are someone who catches me off guard in many ways. Of course, the beautiful lady next to you as well—”

“I am not a party member.”

“How tragic.”

Gi-jun chuckled and reached out his hand to him again.

Hervunt also reached out his hand and shook it.

The system verified that Hervunt had joined the party created by Gi-jun.

They had become a community of shared fate.

—Contractor, you’ve already found one.

‘Yes, Lucy. It’s going quite smoothly.’

In fact, the maximum number of people who could form a party at once was ten.

However, once it reached about ten people, it was already closer to a clan than a party, and because it was easy for issues to arise in the distribution of experience points and loot, such large-scale parties were not formed unless it was for a raid.

Setting everything else aside, when considering only the distribution of experience points by the party system, the most efficient size was four to five people.

Since five people offered greater stability than four, most parties in Leta were composed of five people.

Was the Five Strongest Orc Brothers not also a party completed with five members?

Thus, Gi-jun decided to recruit three more people in addition to Hervunt.

“In. Please call me In.”

“In is a mercenary who has been active in Turis for a long time. He is famous for his staff techniques using a staff made of solid iron, and he is a strong and faithful man, so you will be able to trust and work with him.”

A man of massive muscular build, with a shiny head that brought to mind the bald Orc Kipuz and a fierce impression: ‘In’.

Sure enough, though he was very reticent—being a half-breed of an Orc and another race—Unika stepped forward proactively to vouch for him.

As the successor to inherit Turis, she would be well-informed about the mercenaries who had been active here for a long time; and since there was no reason for Gi-jun to reject him, as he easily met the average Rare stat rank, he readily accepted him into the party.

“I’m Armillca! I’m a swordsman who is quite well-known in Kor, a large city in Gratia.”

“She is a mercenary known to have settled in Kor a few months ago after wandering through various parts of Gratia. She is famous for her ability to make the parts cut by her sword rot away.”

Armillca was a beautiful girl with an impressive twintail hairstyle, rarely seen in reality, with her thick golden-brown hair tied tightly on both sides of her head.

Her eyes were uniquely large and black, making her look as if she had jumped straight out of a comic book—and when placed next to Hervunt, who was elegantly handsome like an English gentleman by appearance alone, she gave off a feeling of being oddly well-matched.

Although not as famous a figure as Hervunt, she seemed to be a rising star in the mercenary world, so there were many who were surprised by the fact that she had crossed over to Turis.

“I heard she settled in Kor, so why is she in Turis?”

“It’s obvious. She probably came after hearing rumors that an overflow had occurred.”

“True—the more you perform in a place where forces are lacking, the easier it is to raise your value.”

“Hmph.”

Glaring at the people gossiping behind her, Armillca snorted and winked at Unika.

She seemed to have noticed that Unika exerted a great influence on selecting this party’s members.

“I fight as well as I look. Let’s do this together. If we get along, we might go a very long way?”

“Sure, I look forward to working with you.”

Since she used exceptionally flashy and powerful skills even among the applicants who had passed Gi-jun’s standards, and above all, her agility was at an unrivaled level, she was a talent who had to be chosen if lined up by ability.

—Really? Aren’t you picking her because she’s pretty?

‘No way, Lucy. You know that, don’t you?’

—Hmmm, I wonder…

—…Fufu.

Although Lucy seemed to misunderstand his intentions slightly.

And the evil spirit who made her presence known with laughter just when she was about to be forgotten was too scary.

“I look forward to working with you.”

“I look forward to working with you too! Ah, but as for handshakes…”

Declining the hand Gi-jun reached out, Armillca smiled coyly.

“Because I break out in hives when I touch men.”

“Is that so.”

“Though it’s not a problem at all, since I like women!”

“I didn’t ask.”

No wonder she had been continuously winking and acting flirtatiously toward Unika since a while ago; that was why.

Gi-jun gently pulled Unika, who had been harassed by Hervunt and Armillca in succession, behind his back.

It was then that the general manager, who had been quietly watching the party member selection process, stepped in.

“Now, I think you’ve recruited enough combat members. One scout, two vanguards, and you, Jun, can make ranged attacks since you’re a Flame Human, plus you wield a shield too, right?”

“That is true.”

“Then you should put a priest in charge of recovery in the remaining slot. There’s a talent our guild recommends, how about it?”

Looking at the general manager who laid the groundwork by saying, “Granted, as a priest, she has low average stats—” Gi-jun contemplated for a moment.

Of course, the other candidates waiting until then protested, but honestly, the specifications of the remaining ones did not mean much considering Gi-jun’s abilities…

Although Gi-jun was also highly skilled in healing through Lucy as much as he was in fighting, he needed to keep that hidden for the time being.

In the end, he ended up nodding at the general manager’s proposal.

“Since I owe the guild, I’ll listen that much. You must have a talent you want to nurture.”

“Aha, very sharp. Then… Laura?”

“Ye-yes!”

At the general manager’s call, a girl who had been hiding until then showed herself.

A beautiful, blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl who gave off a slender and fragile impression, as expected of a priest, was neatly dressed in her priestly robes—.

“Oh my, oh my. Oh goodness…!”

Armillca, who had been wearing a relaxed expression ever since she joined Gi-jun’s party, cried out in sudden excitement upon seeing her.

“Leader, Leader! Absolutely! We must put that girl in the party! Please, otherwise I’m leaving!”

“……I feel like that girl’s safety might be at risk if she joins this party, general manager. Will she be okay?”

As Gi-jun, who had taken on a cold expression at Armillca’s fanatical excitement, turned his gaze to the general manager, the man pushed the girl toward them with a troubled smile, though he showed no intention of backing down.

The beautiful girl, Laura, felt burdened by the attention the pretty sister was giving her, but gathered her strength to approach them—and soon, as if making up her mind, she clenched her fists and raised her voice.

“Ju-Jun!”

“Yes?”

Ignoring Armillca, who was trying to welcome her with open arms, the girl took a step toward Gi-jun and shouted.

“Your performance in this overflow… was truly moving! I was only recovering the soldiers in the treatment center, but even I could hear Jun’s voice! It was all thanks to Jun that everyone could gather courage and fight to the end!”

“Ah.”

“It would be a great honor to be active in the same party as the hero, Jun! I am lacking in many areas, but I will do my absolute best!”

“I share the same sentiment.”

While Gi-jun was only blinking at the unexpected dramatic response, the staff-wielder In beside him also nodded firmly.

“Anyone who fought against the monsters in this overflow would want to be with you. I am also very glad to participate in this party.”

“It’s really true!”

“Groan…”

As the two of them praised him in unison, Gi-jun recalled when he had received the reward from the lord before, and scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

Seeing that very sight from behind his back, Unika burst into a giggle, but when he whipped around to look, she feigned innocence, which was quite annoying.

However, seeing that, the general manager must have felt that Gi-jun was hesitating to recruit Laura, and added an appeal for her.

“Laura was originally a normal human, but after serving with all her heart, praying, and training, she received God’s blessing and achieved a species growth into Holy Blood, which is of Rare grade. Not to mention her healing abilities, her character is also the best among those I know.”

“I’ve already decided, general manager. I’ll accept her as a companion.”

“Is that true!”

How could he possibly turn her away in this situation?

Whether her respect for Gi-jun was real, Laura’s eyes sparkled with joy, and Armillca, seemingly having fallen in love with Laura at first sight, stomped her feet, saying she was glad she came to Turis.

“……Armillca, don’t commit any crimes.”

“Of course! There’s no way I would do such a vulgar thing!”

No, seeing her get so excited, it was impossible not to worry.

Although an entirely unexpected source of concern had arisen, it was nevertheless the moment the party was successfully formed.

The Flame Human Jun, the swordsman Armillca, the treasure hunter Hervunt, the staff-wielder In, and finally, the priest Laura.

“What will you do about the party name?”

“Well, I haven’t thought of one.”

“Then let’s temporarily call it JAHIL, taking the initials of the members’ names.”

“No, wait… seriously?”

More than that, the common script here was English?

Thus, the first goal of the five-member party ‘JAHIL’ was decided to be the ruins that the treasure hunter Hervunt had brought information about.