Although the previous chapter stated that it would conclude, the World Tree’s story is briefly included at the beginning.
This chapter touches upon summoning, contracts, and familiars.
Kousuke returned from the Elf Village with a branch of the World Tree and headed straight to the 73rd Floor.
First, he went to the World Tree and directly transferred the power he received at the village to it.
In response, the World Tree grew slightly larger. Furthermore, the spirit, which was the size of a palm, underwent a dramatic transformation.
Her appearance changed to that of a girl resembling a grade-schooler. While her speech was still a bit fumbled, she could now talk.
This was clearly a change reminiscent of the fairy Kousuke met at the Elf Village, unlike before when she was given power.
Since he was asked to give her a name, he named her Esena, and she smiled happily.
Seeing her smile, Kousuke thought,
(What is this cute child? Is she trying to awaken my lolicon tendencies!?)
That’s another story.
Regardless, the next task was to select a location to plant the World Tree branch, with Esena in tow.
This was entirely left to Serara, who had returned with him.
Serara planted the branch in her chosen spot, and both Esena and Serara cast a spell to help it take root there.
Visually, there was no particular change, but it was stated that adjustments would be necessary from now on to ensure its proper growth.
Since this would take some time, Kousuke and Mitsuki returned to the Management Layer for the moment.
***
Two days after returning from the Elf Village.
Checking the Management Menu, the Tower LV had become 4.
However, compared to the upgrade to Tower LV 3, there were no major changes.
It was mainly the addition of new installations that could be placed on each floor and the addition of summoning circles. Besides that, a function called
Although it could only be used within the continent, it was still an extremely useful function that could be leveraged effectively.
Mitsuki approached Kousuke, who was still stuck on creating the divine tool for checking status, with a matter to consult.
The 76th Floor, which Mitsuki managed, was where Shurein, the Vampire Princess, was consecutively welcoming her clan members through summoning.
The summoning referred to here was different from the one Kouhi and Mitsuki performed previously.
Shurein’s vampire clan included not only those with blood ties but also familiars created through the act of drinking blood and forming a contract.
Shurein herself had never made a blood contract, but it was said that familiars in such cases could be summoned similarly to regular summons.
It was closer to the contract established between Kousuke and Kou (Hiryu). It was through such summonings that Shurein had called forth her clan members to manage the castle.
“…And? What is this consultation about?”
“Shurein wants to be able to come to the Management Layer freely, so I said, ‘Rejected’… Ah, you won’t let me finish, will you?”
“Because, no matter how I think about it, that’s clearly aimed at my blood, isn’t it?”
“That… well, fine. Is it alright if she doesn’t aim for your blood?”
Kousuke’s expression turned one of surprise.
“…Eh!?”
“The 73rd Floor will become more demanding from now on, and the preparations for opening the 5th Floor are nearing completion. Moving forward, it will be difficult for you, Kousuke-sama, to just hole up here like you do now.”
“…Well, ‘holing up’ isn’t exactly accurate, but… yeah, I suppose so.”
“This means either Kouhi or I should have as much free time as possible. Since Kouhi has her hands full with the elves, it would be better if I made myself available.”
“…I see, and so, Shurein?”
“That’s right. And, there’s one more thing. You and she have entered into a blood contract.”
“A blood contract…?”
For Kousuke, who had never heard of it, it was as if to say, “What is that?”
“When you summoned her, you gave her some of your blood, didn’t you? That’s it.”
“Wasn’t that just giving her blood?”
“It was, but since she took a liking to you, she said she made it herself.”
“…Is that alright?”
Mitsuki gave a wry smile at Kousuke’s persistent suspicion.
“It’s fine. It seems she has become your familiar too.”
“…Huh?”
Kousuke let out a dumbfounded sound at the casually dropped bombshell.
“Why don’t you check her status the next time you meet? It will become clear.”
Hearing that, Kousuke understood why Mitsuki brought this up.
Generally, those who become familiars cannot greatly oppose their master. However, there is an exception that states this does not apply if the act leads to saving the master’s life.
“Oppose” meant that they could not engage in acts of betrayal or harm the master’s life. Otherwise, they would simply become mere dolls that only obey orders.
Given that he was confirmed to become busy from now on, gaining new familiars was indeed good news.
“So? What do you say? If she doesn’t aim for your blood, can we welcome her as an administrator?”
“…Ugh…!”
Kousuke felt as if he had been cornered by a logical argument.
However, it was true that he needed to increase the number of reliable companions for future endeavors.
“…Alright. Let’s make Shurein an administrator.”
“Is that true, Kousuke-dono?”
Suddenly, a voice that shouldn’t have been there echoed from behind, and Kousuke instinctively tensed up.
In vain, Kousuke was easily embraced from behind by someone.
He felt something soft pressing against the back of his head, but he decided to ignore it as much as possible.
“Shu… Shurein, since when have you been here…!?”
“Since Mitsuki-dono came here?”
“Almost from the beginning…!?”
Since Kouhi and Mitsuki hadn’t said anything, Kousuke hadn’t noticed at all.
Kouhi and Mitsuki were grinning as they watched the two.
“So, is it not alright for me to join here?”
Kousuke was momentarily speechless at Shurein’s unusually meek words.
“…N… No, it’s not like that… is it?”
“Is that true…!?”
“Yeah, well. Yes.”
Despite Kousuke’s uncertain reply, Shurein seemed happy and her face lit up.
“Thank you…!!”
With that, she hugged Kousuke even tighter.
(Whoa… wait a minute, if you squeeze that hard…)
To Kousuke, who was flustered for a certain reason, Shurein looked puzzled for a moment, then quickly realized the reason with a smirk.
“Hmph. As expected, Kousuke-dono is also a man.”
Saying that, she pressed her well-formed twin peaks further against the back of his head.
“Geh gei (I’m caught).”
Kousuke hurriedly looked at Kouhi and Mitsuki, but for some reason, they either sighed in exasperation or laughed as if to say, “As expected.”
Thus, the battle of wits between Kousuke and Shurein continued for some time.
***
“Iggrid Race?”
After Shurein’s display of affection, which Kousuke was determined to deny, she spoke the name again.
“Indeed. If it were just managing the castle, my clan would suffice, but dealing with all those floors, we clearly wouldn’t have enough hands. So, why not invite a race related to us there?”
“Related?”
“…That clan chose to live underground to avoid conflict long ago. Normally, they live in places other races cannot pass through. Then, at certain times, part of the clan emerges to live on the surface. However, that becomes a problem.”
“A problem?”
“Indeed. That clan is famous for its superior appearance, in a different sense from the elves. Simply put, due to their small stature and appearance that barely ages, they are often described as resembling dolls.”
Hearing that, Kousuke could guess. He easily imagined that the prime targets for such a clan would be those with such tastes, both good and bad.
“…Ah. I see, so?”
“Furthermore, as you can tell from their appearance, the Iggrid Race is a very weak race. At one point, one of my clan members proposed a trade: in exchange for protecting the Iggrid Race, they demanded something in return.”
“…And that would be?”
“The blood needed by my clan, and the items they create. Having lived underground for a long time, they are also known for their dexterity.”
“…In the end, it’s blood. So that’s what it is…”
Kousuke’s words made Shurein look somewhat displeased.
“Just so you know, Kousuke-dono, you likely misunderstand us a little? While our clan does drink human blood, it’s not an absolute necessity.”
“…Eh? Is that so!?”
This was the first time Kousuke had heard such a thing.
“That’s right. For us, human blood is more akin to a delicacy.”
“Oh, really. …Sorry.”
“N-no, you don’t have to apologize for… Well, maybe… Ahem. Anyway, it is through such a contract that my clan has protected them since ancient times.”
Kousuke nodded, enjoying Shurein’s flustered reaction to his surprisingly quick and honest apology.
“I understand. So, Shurein, you wish to bring the Iggrid Race to this tower?”
“…Is it not allowed?”
“No. I think it’s fine. I am also interested in the items the Iggrid Race creates.”
“Is that so…! Ah, that’s a relief. Then, I must make arrangements to welcome them immediately.”
“Ah, wait…! Oh, she’s gone again. And she’s not even an administrator yet…”
Kousuke gave a wry smile at Shurein’s swift departure.
“Sorry, Mitsuki. Could you chase after her and teach her how to operate the teleport gate? I’ll set her up as an administrator.”
“Understood.”
Mitsuki nodded at Kousuke’s words and left the management room.
Kouhi and Kousuke were left behind.
In the end, around the time the teleport gate on the 5th Floor opened, the Elf Tribe would join the 73rd Floor, and the Iggrid Race would join the 76th Floor.
Next update scheduled for 8 PM tomorrow.
May 11, 2014 – Typo correction. Added details about Tower LV 4 LV up.
June 6, 2014 – Typo and omission correction.
