"Magical Girls and Guardians shouldn't participate in political matters," Felicia said. Nodding in agreement, I decided not to pick up the phone. Instead, I called Kageyama.
"Yes? What's the matter, Lily?" Kageyama asked. Seeing my hair, he surmised I was working as Black Lily. I told him about Jonathan's call and asked for confirmation about our canceled engagement.
"Hm? That engagement? Of course, it's been canceled. I took care of it ages ago—the moment you set foot in Eden after New Mesa's destruction. Did Jonathan call you? Don't answer him. He's probably trying to exploit your connection to bail himself out of Newstar's mess."
"I see." I ended the call.
"Whoa! This cloak can deflect bullets!" one of my soldiers exclaimed as Sapphire Priestess enchanted their cloak using the essence they had just harvested.
"Good. With this, you'll all be stronger. And remember, the enchantments can be repaired. Oh, and my class just leveled up," Sapphire Priestess added proudly.
"Great! That means we can hunt stronger beasts now!"
"Will this work on melee weapons, too?"
"Yes. Enchanted swords and spears can kill Fomorian Hounds just as effectively. But I'll need more essence…"
"Even after all that work, we could only enchant two items?"
"The bullets took half the essence," Sapphire Priestess admitted sheepishly. "But they're worth it! The enchanted bullets have 10% more damage than the normal Silverbane bullets you'd buy at the Gate. If I level up further, I might be able to enchant them even more."
"This is fantastic! Let's find more usurpations, everyone!"
At that moment, I noticed Shining Arrow, Red Flame Darkness, and Sapphire Priestess snap their heads toward their shoulders in unison. I soon discovered the reason.
"Lily, you have another call," Felicia informed me.
"Again? Didn't I tell you to ignore Jonathan?"
"No. This is from Guardian Command. They're preparing for another expedition to clear a city in the darklands. You and your PMC are invited to attend."
"Eh?"
"There are over 100 Guardians, and over a thousand soldiers are eager to attend. Each team of Guardians must be accompanied by an Enchanter Guardian. You have Sapphire Priest, so your team is perfect."
"Okay."
"By the way, we'll be using Agneya for transport. Aren't you excited?"
"Eh? It's only been a week. They already repaired it?"
"It's in tip-top shape, nyaa! But the cannon had to be returned, so if something goes wrong, we must flee."
"Alright. When do we leave?"
"Next week. But you need to register at Guardian Command today."
"Got it."
"Everyone! We have a big job next week. Get some rest and prepare, okay!" Shining Arrow announced to my PMC. Apparently, Felicia had parsed what we were discussing to the rest of the Guardians present.
"I'll handle registering our PMC at Guardian Command. If you need anything, give me a call," I said to Shining Arrow. Meanwhile, her brother brought a cake from her restaurant to share with the soldiers.
"Let's have a party! We successfully cleared an usurpation all by ourselves!" The soldiers cheered, and Alice's brother joined the celebration. I excused myself and headed to Guardian Command.
"Black Lily from Shirayuki PMC," one of the officers greeted me as he gave me a briefing. "This mission focuses on gathering essence for the new Enchanter class Magical Guardians. Each team must be accompanied by at least one Enchanter Guardian during the hunts."
I nodded as she continued her briefing.
"We'll also bring several soldiers so they can gain field experience. Their main job will be securing the perimeter around our base in the Darklands. However, if you find a usurpation zone of rank E and below, please don't raid it. We want to showcase our new power."
"Understood."
"That's it. Please register your name here. You'll be bringing… 60 people? Alright."
"How many soldiers and Guardians are participating?"
"We're expecting about a thousand soldiers and a hundred Guardians. Ever since enchantment became viable, many Guardians have opened PMC branches like yours."
"Hm? So quickly. It's only been a week."
"Well, those people from Newstar and Enra are desperate."
"Hm? Why?" I tilted my head, confused. Kageyama had spoken as if their exile was inevitable.
"They still have a hundred Guardians, and many of their CEOs are part of Guardians' families," the officer sighed, catching himself as he realized his comment was unprofessional. "Anyway, your registration is complete. We look forward to your contributions in freeing our Earth from Anathema."
"Fel, will participating in an expedition grant them amnesty?" I asked.
"The problem lies with the Guardians' families. They are connected to some of the CEO and shareholders who are currently on trial. If we exile them, their families—many of whom are Guardians—will likely follow them."
"We can't afford to lose more Guardians, huh? So, are we just going to forgive them?" I asked. I had no personal connection to those victims involved in the NewLake and NewHill frontier projects. So, I didn't particularly care about the possibility of clemency for their actions.
"That would be difficult. They won't get away scot-free. The families of the Guardians who died in NewLake and NewHill are making a significant outcry. We, the Zenith, also weren't satisfied with how over 100 guardians died seemingly in vain. NewStar and Enra are trying their best to placate the masses, offering compensation to the bereaved families while keeping Guardians' family members as shareholders to stabilize their stock value."
"I don't like that. It feels underhanded. Will money solve everything?"
"Of course not. Guardian Command is also dissatisfied with their actions. Losing a hundred Guardians was a massive blow to our forces. Command has begun integrating Guardians from NewStar and Enra into their ranks and appropriating their assets."
"Oh, that's good."
"Of course, they are resisting, accusing Guardian Command of tyranny. The Guardians themselves prefer working with NewStar and Enra because of the privileges they receive there. Guardian Command can't force them to move. Some Guardians have expressed a desire to transfer, but more than half are unwilling to abandon their families."
"Couldn't we just relocate the families too?"
"Yes. That's exactly what General Armstrong is trying now. However, the backlash from the media would be harsh, so they're reluctant to offer clemency too easily. And then there's your achievement."
"Mine?" I turned to Felicia, confused.
"Yes. Guardian Command has accepted your offer. The previously exiled people were granted clemency in exchange for their contributions to the enchantment process using Anathema blood."
"Eh? But the cost…" My mind flashed to Elder July, riddled with tumors and in constant pain until her death.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
"Of course not. They're not doing the enchanting themselves. It is far too inefficient and dangerous. It was decided by the Zenith that MG should be the one who did it. They're simply investing heavily in the Anathema essence stock market."
"Hah… I've lost all respect for them. They haven't repented at all."
"Yeah. But Guardian Command and the courts were struggling to counter their case. They argued they could earn clemency by contributing Anathema essence to humanity's efforts."
"It's not the same! We were the ones who collected the essence! not them!" I almost screamed but managed to calm myself. Their business was none of mine. I, too, had been selfish in trying to save the exiles.
Still, their blatant arrogance and exploitation of loopholes to save themselves infuriated me. I then realized how petty I was. Maybe I shouldn't dwell on this too much. I needed to focus on what really mattered: the expedition.
"Lily! Could you get back to the simulation room? The soldiers are excited about the expedition!" A message from Shining Arrow flashed before my eyes.
I ignored it. Life had been so hectic lately that I hadn't even reviewed my own stats. Now was the time. I decided to focus on my build before anything else.
When I returned to my room, I opened my stats with Felicia. She meowed happily when I told her what I wanted to do. It felt like ages since I'd last looked at my status screen.
[Remaining Points: 10,440 (7,440 + 3,000)]
My stats are somewhat balanced now, though my STR stat remains my primary focus.
"You are now level 32. There are a few new classes unlocked for you," Felicia said.
[New Classes Unlocked:
- Striker
- Tanker
- Healer
- Buffer
- Scout
- Hunter
- Sniper
- Enchanter
]
[Advanced Classes Unlocked:
- Marksman
- Spearman
- Dark Slayer
- Gunner
- Alchemy Enchanter
]
"So, what are they?"
"Marksman is the next progression of Sniper. Spearman is an advanced class from Striker, while Gunner branches off from Sniper. Alchemy Enchanter is an advanced class from Enchanter. Dark Slayer is the next progression of your Slayer class. The arcane system measures your battle style and assigns classes accordingly."
"I only enchanted once…"
"That's because of your recent achievement reward."
[Achievement Unlocked - Pioneer Enchanter]
[Description: You are the first human Magical Girl to successfully enchant a weapon. You are no longer bound by gate points—you are no longer a consumer but a producer. You have turned chaos into order. Thanks to your efforts, humanity now has hope to enchant their own weapons and fight Anathema independently. ]
[Reward: Alchemy Enchanter, Anathema Harvesting]
"Anathema Harvesting?"
"It's a skill usually exclusive to Enchanter class that allows you to extract essence from Anathema. You've been granted it for free, but you'll need to change your class to Enchanter if you want to enchant weapons yourself."
"I see."
"By the way, classes enhance your skills related to the class. Moreover, as you level up a class, you unlock skills you can purchase. Also, Zenith has decided to reward you with 3,000 points for protecting the researchers. Opening new pathways for enchanting has proven invaluable to them. The Zenith has expressed their gratitude for your contributions."
[Quest Completed! - New Human Frontier]
[Description: Escort the researchers back to Eden. Their knowledge of enchanting will prove priceless for humanity's survival in this new world of magic and mana. ]
[Difficulty: Unknown]
[Reward: 3,000 points, Achievement, Skills]
"Oh… 3,000 points. I can buy the next-tier weapon…"
"But you still won't have enough to fully purchase it. This amount is only enough to unlock the tier. I'd advise against it."
"Yeah. So, what skills can I buy?"
"Here's the list."
[Skill Shop:]
- Parry – 500 pts
- Evade – 500 pts
- Strong Strike – 700 pts
- Weak Point Analysis – 1,000 pts
- Charge Strike – 1,000 pts
- Charge Shot – 1,000 pts
- Advanced Tracking – 2,000 pts
- Duel Slayer - 1,500 pts
- Slayer of many - 2000 pts
"Is 'Parry' different from parrying normally?"
"You have a martial background, so it wouldn't matter much for you. However, skills like Strong Strike require mana and can boost your damage output in battle. Keep in mind, they have cooldowns. I recommend Weak Point Analysis, Advanced Tracking, and either Charge Strike or Charge Shot. These are standard choices for Slayers. I also recommend Duel Slayer if you are constantly faced with stronger Anathema and Slayer of Many if you are constantly facing a horde."
"What's the difference between normal tracking and advanced tracking?"
"Normal tracking is fine for most cases. However, if the enemy uses a teleportation ability, normal tracking will lose the trail. Advanced Tracking lets you see a mana trail, helping you determine the direction the Anathema teleported. Of course, it's useless against more advanced enemies, like Behemoths, who can cross entire continents with their abilities."
"That's 5,000 points… not to mention duel and slayer of many..."
"Weak Point Analysis identifies the weak points of any Anathema you've defeated or are currently fighting. If you encounter the same type again, those weak points will be automatically marked, making it easier to take them down."
"It's useful, but it feels a little underwhelming…"
"Magical Girls need to think carefully about acquiring skills. They're expensive, and points are limited."
In the end, I drowned in hesitation and didn't buy any skills, even by the next day. However, I did upgrade my class to Dark Slayer.
I couldn't help but wonder if I had made a mistake. Everyone was talking about the Enchanter class, after all.