Chapter 17.

Chapter 17. New Party Members

It's been a few days since I came to Lumisia.

Recently, I've been doing chore quests and subjugation quests, and I've been accumulating a decent amount of money. 

However, it is far from the target of 100 million mina, and it will disappear as soon as we live a little better than we do now. I'd like to work harder to improve my adventurer rank here, but...

"Leisure... Isn't it?"

 "That's it."

There is a large space in the Adventurer's Guild and the tables there are filled with adventurers who are not finding a good quest and are idle. We had become such idle adventurers.

There are separate quests. You can choose as many chore quests as you want, whether it's a simple subjugation quest. However, I do similar quests every day, and even if I do them, I can't get motivated because I'm far from ranking up.

 Especially since we have enough money to spend a few days doing nothing. Man is a creature that corrupts when there is immediate stability. I'd like to take on quests that seem to be more difficult than before, but...

"If you don't have a new party member, you won't be able to take more difficult quests."

I've seen various quest posters on bulletin boards, but the reason for the high rewards is that the recruitment conditions are specified in detail. One of the most common conditions is that orders must be received from three or more party members. 

You can only receive the subjugation quest if you have at least three-party members. If there are fewer than three people, it will be easy to be wiped out in the event of an emergency. 

The only thing that doesn't matter is the quest that fledgling adventurers receive, like slaying slimes. So, we needed to add new people for the future.

It's been a few days since I posted a poster for party members, but no one has put up a candidate.

"Hey, Lucia, that's a different story from what you told me. Where are the guys who want to join our party?"

"That's what I thought... It seems that there are not many lewd people who change the color of their eyes when they look at men. Well, if you think about it, it's natural. Earning money as an adventurer is fraught with danger, so who wants to party up with us D-rank..."

Just as she was about to say this, a woman approached us.

"Hey, I saw a party recruitment poster. Are you still recruiting?"

She had a bob cut with red hair and was a dazzling beauty. Her outfit was unique: a miniskirt designed like a dress with her shoulders exposed, revealing her thighs. A thin piece of cloth was wrapped around her neck and tied with a ribbon.

 She was a woman with big breasts and a good figure. I couldn't help but fall in love with her. 

[Picture]

She investigated my face with suspicion because I didn't say anything. Her big eyes met mine, and she shook her head in surprise.

"Yes, we are still recruiting. Lucia!"

I called Lucia to explain the situation, but Lucia refused to speak for some reason. I just looked at this beautiful woman with a bitter face.

"What's the matter, Lucia?"

The beautiful woman, unaware of Lucia's situation, stroked her chest with relief.

"Ah, good. I'm a fledgling adventurer. I wanted to team up with someone of the same rank. I look like this, and I'm confident in my magic. Would you like me to join you?"

She investigated my face again as if to prompt me for an answer. I didn't know what the intention of the appeal was, but she put her arms together and pressed her big breasts tightly. The cleavage was amazing...

"Can I ask your name, for the time being?"

I was overwhelmed by her breasts and involuntarily became polite.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm Noelle. Noel the Wizard."

Her name was Noelle, and she smiled. This woman appeared to be very good. Her gentle and relaxed attitude was intriguing. I just wanted someone who could use magic, and above all, she had big breasts.

"Hey, Lucia! It seems that she will join us! Now we can take on more difficult quests! Let's apply for party membership right away!"

Lucia shook her head with a reluctant face at me.

"No, no!" 

"What? Why? She's a candidate who has finally arrived, right? She can use magic, and it's perfect." 

"But no, because she is... She's a witch!"

"Witch?" I couldn't understand and tilted my head.

 I looked at Noelle and Lucia, trying to understand what they meant.

"Hey, did you catch me?"

Where's the relaxed attitude from earlier? She clicked her tongue and made a bitter face. What? What do you mean?

"Damn it... I thought it would be easy to fool an apprentice of the goddess." 

"I have heard from my master that witches have unique magical powers! My eyes won't fool me!" "From what I've been observing for the past few days, I thought he was just an idiot... You're surprisingly sharp, aren't you?" 

"I'm an idiot!? It's good courage, witch! I'll destroy you with my mystic magic, so come out!"

 "Haha, that's why I don't like goddesses. Well, I'm so depressed that I will buy the fight."

Wait. Wait, wait, wait!

"Hey, don't leave me out! Lucia, explain it to me!"

"Okay, I'll tell you, who doesn't know anything? This woman who called herself Noelle is a witch! Witches are traitors who are plotting to study the magic of the Ancient Blood and make it their own!"

"I often say that."

Noelle shrugged her shoulders in a daze.

"We, the witches, are just trying to learn from the past, and the strength of the Ancient Blood is unknown. If we don't analyze the magic they use, humanity will be ruled again when they are resurrected." "It's a goddess's job to prevent it!"

 "That's right, you're a fallen goddess now, aren't you?"

 "Gununununu...!"

There was a lot of heat from the two of them who were talking to each other, but I couldn't keep up, so I was lost.

"Um, you mean... the goddess and the witch are at odds?"

That was the conclusion that emerged from their arguments and attitudes. As expected, they returned the nod in affirmation. However, as an outsider, I still didn't see the reason for that.

"Are the Ancient Blood the monsters that Lucia mentioned earlier, the ones that once ruled this world?" 

"Ancient Blood are beings that transcend humans by converting even their flesh and blood into magical power. The witches are trying to unravel the magic of such Ancient Blood and become Ancient Blood themselves. As a goddess, I can't forgive them."

Noelle quickly interjected.

"That's a misconception. It's just that humans who were afraid of us analyzing the magic of the Ancient Blood instilled it into the goddess. We, the witches, are just studying the magic of the Ancient Blood and building up the power to fight against those who will one day be resurrected. Frankly, I don't have the same purpose as you goddesses. It's just a different process." 

"It's unbelievable." "I don't care if you don't believe me."

The two of them turned their faces away from each other. Anyway, these two seem to be quite incompatible due to their different positions. Well, I'm in trouble. 

Now I want as many friends as possible, but I can't believe that I will not get along well with the candidate who has finally arrived. So, I suddenly thought.

"Wait a minute, witches and goddesses don't get along, so why did Noelle run for our party? Did you know that Lucia was a goddess apprentice?" 

"Oh, that?"

Noelle blushed slightly.

"That's because... there's a boy like you."

 "Huh?"

 "I'm from Wilnesta, the Witch's Village. It was full of witches and there was no manliness at all, so I was disgusted and ran away from the village because I wanted to go to the city and be popular with men. Then... witches are feared in the world, and men are too scared to approach them. In the first place, there are no men at all! It sucks! So, I wandered around in despair, and I ended up in this town. I heard a rumor that a man had recently appeared... I came here hoping that it would become erotic as we worked together as friends. How is it? Do you have a sister? Are you a boy who is OK with erotic things?"

What? What are you talking about?

I didn't understand it at all, but Lucia, whose head had been swaying with anger just a moment ago, suddenly calmed down.

"I see, that's a good reason."

Where's that? Despite my incomprehension, Lucia and Noelle looked at each other as if they understood each other.

"To see the reaction... After all, you are the same." 

"Hmm, I don't want to get along with witches, but I'm also a woman. I want to have an adventure every day with a man who is partying with me, and I get lucky and lewd there, and I want to have an erotic relationship somehow. I can understand that feeling."

Hey. What is this guy talking about?

Lucia looked up at the sky with a deeply felt expression. Since it's here in the guild, you can only see the ceiling.

"Maybe I misunderstood witches. Goddesses and witches are the same. I think we all have the same feelings in our hearts." 

"Yes, you're right. You're too flexible for a goddess." 

"I'm a goddess apprentice."

They left me alone and shook hands.

"Let's join hands for now. This is also for the future of humanity." 

"Yes, it's time for us to work together as representatives of the Witches and Goddesses against the Ancient Bloods, who will eventually be resurrected. And..."

They glanced at me.

"It would be great if I could get a shot with him somehow!" "Let's do our best to be good and erotic!"

Their voices harmonized beautifully.

Are you kidding? Isn't this just a lascivious person too?

It was a fight for just a moment and ... you became a comrade.

The lascivious witch Noelle became one of us.

Will we be okay with this party?