Kousuke was currently hunting on the 83rd Floor of Amamiya Tower.
His original purpose was to check on the branches of the Divine Tree planted on the 83rd Floor, but since he was there, he also came to collect materials for magic tools.
Accompanying him on the hunt were Nana, who had charged him upon emerging from the Teleport Gate, and Kouhi, who was waiting behind him as a guard.
Unlike the first time, Kouhi did not intervene this time, even on this floor.
Rather, Kousuke was watching Nana hunt from within a barrier created by the fairies.
The fairies had also grown considerably, and the monsters on this floor were not strong enough to break their barrier.
As a result, not only Kousuke, but also Kouhi, were having an easy time.
Putting that aside, Kousuke, who had been watching Nana’s performance, muttered to himself.
“Don’t tell me Nana is getting stronger again?”
“…She is,” Kouhi replied after a slight pause, which was unusual.
Like Kousuke, Kouhi was also surprised by Nana’s growth.
Nana, seemingly pleased to be able to hunt with Kousuke, was energetically taking on three monsters.
“Hmm. I thought she couldn’t get any stronger. I wonder how far she’ll grow?”
“Who knows? Perhaps she’ll continue to grow just as you, Kousuke-sama, are growing stronger,” Kouhi suggested.
“Huh? Is that possible?”
“Nana has not only become a familiar but also possesses a blessing. I don’t think it’s impossible.”
Kouhi’s words made Kousuke hum in thought.
He found it hard to believe that Nana, among many familiars, had undergone such significant evolution and was still increasing her strength.
Of course, he fully understood that Nana had reached this point through her own efforts (?).
It was just that he couldn’t quite accept being told it was due to his blessing.
He could properly grasp the blessing within Nana, but he couldn’t feel that it was directly contributing to her increased strength.
As Kousuke tilted his head in thought, Kouhi let out a soft chuckle.
“You give many blessings to your familiars, Kousuke-sama, but Nana is the only individual whose growth you’ve witnessed to this extent. As more familiars emerge, you’ll likely begin to experience that, won’t you?”
“Ah, I see. That might be it.”
As a novice god, Kousuke couldn’t discern the growth that his blessed individuals would undergo.
This was something that required inference from various experiences and past precedents.
If Nana was currently the top, it made sense that he lacked a tangible sense of it due to the lack of precedent. Kouhi was trying to convey that.
Kousuke nodded several times as he watched Nana about to strike the final blow.
As long as Nana showed the fastest growth among the familiars blessed by Kousuke, it was difficult to predict how far she would go.
There was even a possibility that she could become the strongest Divine Beast in this world. Kouhi’s words held that meaning as well.
However, that didn’t mean Kousuke would abandon Nana, of course not.
As Kousuke was contemplating these things, Nana, wagging her tail, ran up to him.
The barrier that had been set up was designed to allow Nana to pass through, so she slipped through without any problems.
Nana stopped at Kousuke’s feet and looked up at him, wagging her tail.
Furthermore, Kousuke immediately noticed that she occasionally cast glances at the monsters she had defeated.
“Ah, she wants the hides, so you can process the meat with the wolves for now.”
At Kousuke’s words, Nana’s tail wagged even more vigorously, as if delighted.
“I’ll drain the blood here for now, so please wait a moment.”
The monsters Nana had been facing this time were snake-like creatures about three meters in length.
Kousuke had come here specifically because he needed their hides.
With Kouhi’s help, Kousuke processed the snakes.
Since he had performed this task many times before, his movements were confident.
Moreover, he was simultaneously performing the preliminary processing for crafting magic tools, resulting in materials of the highest quality.
Any magic tool craftsman who saw these materials would undoubtedly covet them, no matter the cost.
However, Kousuke had no intention of selling these materials and planned to use them all himself, so they should not be seen by others.
…Unless Kousuke’s whim took over.
Having finished the processing swiftly, Kousuke stored the snakes in his Item Box and headed towards their base.
Nana, who fully understood the Item Box, did not make a fuss when the prey disappeared from the scene.
Upon arriving at the base, Nana let out a cry and gathered the wolves. Wolves that seemed as if they had been hiding everywhere emerged in response to Nana’s call.
This time, the wolves did not charge at Kousuke.
Having already made their initial charge, they were sufficiently satisfied.
Kousuke presented the processed snake meat to the wolves.
Even then, the wolves did not erupt in a frenzy.
Watching them, it was as if well-trained dogs were patiently waiting for their master’s “Go ahead” command.
And in fact, that was exactly how it was, as Nana looked up at Kousuke.
Kousuke, who understood the meaning of her gaze perfectly, spoke a single word to the wolves.
“Alright. You can all eat it.”
As Kousuke said this, the wolves began to swarm the snake meat.
However, perhaps because it was such an occasion, the wolves, who had a clear hierarchy amongst themselves, surprisingly calmly began to feed on the prey.
Indeed, the wolves with lower priority watched from a distance.
By the way, this order was not solely based on strength; pregnant mother wolves and cubs were given priority.
Kousuke interpreted this as consideration for the father wolves, who could likely hunt for themselves if they didn’t get food at this moment.
The snake meat Kousuke had brought out vanished into the wolves’ bellies within an hour.
Despite his words, the snake meat was considered a delicacy on this floor.
With time to spare, Kousuke watched until the very end before returning to the Management Layer with the trophy hides.
Hides acquired!
By the way, the materials, stripped from their hides and properly processed, are ultra-high-class items.
