Mikoto-san managed to pull off a single-leg tackle on the walking mushroom and successfully took it down.
After that, she moved into a mount position and rained down repeated blows of the divine hammer from above, somehow managing to force out a victory.
A shrine maiden having a full-on MMA fight with a giant mushroom was a pretty surreal sight, but it turned out to be a surprisingly intense match. It even got my blood pumping a little.
…That said, was it really okay for a fight with a walking mushroom to be that close?
Mikoto-san seemed to think the same thing, since she muttered 『I want to go ask Deis about this a bit……』, so I sent her back.
In other words, I returned Mikoto-san to the heavens.
And after Mikoto-san was sent back――
「For now, let’s make sure we take this mushroom back properly」
「I’ll help」
「Thanks, Nana-san」
Nana-san and I worked together to dismantle the walking mushroom and pack it into the magic bag.
After all, Mikoto-san worked that hard to defeat it――and come to think of it, that fight was basically Mikoto-san’s first hunt.
In other words, this mushroom was the prey she took down on her very first hunt. We should treasure it.
This time, maybe I won’t give it to Ralina-papa. Let’s take all of it back.
「Still, what exactly was going on with Mikoto-sama……?」
「Hmm……」
It really was a close fight with a walking mushroom, after all.
「Maybe it’s my fault……? Like my level is too low and she got dragged down by that? Or maybe my level or magic power is lacking, something like that?」
「Magic power, you say?」
「When I think about it again, you don’t just casually summon a goddess, right? And yet I managed to summon her after spending only a little magic power」
Maybe……my total magic power is too low, and because of that, a weakened version of Mikoto-san got summoned?
While she was summoned, I did feel my magic power steadily draining, but the amount was extremely small.
If the magic power I can supply is limited, maybe that’s why this happened?
「Or maybe it’s because the skill level of the 『Summon』 skill is low……? What do you think, Yggdrasil-san?」
「Is it not simply because Mikoto is weak?」
「…………」
…How cutting.
Nana-san and I were at least trying to be considerate and avoid saying things like “wow, this goddess is weak”, and yet…….
I mean, could Mikoto-san, who is supposed to be a goddess, really be weak?
From what I saw of her fight with Deis in the heavens, she had overwhelming power. Even that divine hammer she was using to bop the mushroom earlier should have been far more terrifying back then.
「Most likely――it is because Mikoto’s level is still low」
「Huh? Mikoto-san’s level?」
「Each 『summoned beast』 called forth by the 『Summon』 skill is assigned its own individual level」
「What? Ah, is that how it works」
I didn’t know that. So each one really does have its own level.
Also, so it really is called a 『summoned beast』 after all.
「I once heard this from someone who possessed the 『Summon』 skill. At first, a summoned beast’s level is low, so they are not very strong. Is that not the case with Mikoto as well?」
「I see……」
So that’s how it is. Then maybe Mikoto-san has that kind of setting too.
「For now, why not summon her again and ask her directly?」
「Eh, but I just sent her back a moment ago」
「It should be fine by now. In your case as well, with that so-called compressed flow of time, everything was over in an instant. Mikoto and Deis’ conversation should already be finished」
「Ah, that’s true」
She has a point. A conversation between two goddesses probably doesn’t need much time.
「Then let’s do it right away…… though before that, I should probably call out to her first, just in case」
「Hmm?」
「Mikoto-saaaan, I’m going to summon you again, okay? It’s fine, right?」
「Hmm……」
I looked up at the sky and tried to check in with Mikoto-san in the heavens.
It was a one-way call, so I couldn’t really know if it was okay, but at least she should be able to prepare herself mentally.
「Okay, I’m calling you now」
「Hmm」
「Then――『Summon: Mikoto』」
As I held my hand out toward the ground and chanted the spell――
「――My name is Mikoto. By contract, I have manifested. Now then, what do you desire of me?」
「…………」
When she is summoned, is it always like that……? Asking what I desire is a bit much…….
「Um…… so, did you manage to hear anything?」
「No, she wouldn’t tell me……」
「Oh, really」
So even Mikoto-san couldn’t get an answer.
「I don’t think she was being deliberately mean, though……」
「Hmm……」
From what I heard, Deis-san is forbidden from descending to this world due to certain circumstances. Because of that, she had been holding back until now, but with this summoning, Mikoto-san’s descent was decided.
Apparently, Deis-san found that extremely frustrating.
When I obtained the 『Summon』 skill (+ Mikoto) from the roulette, she even suggested a redo that would overturn divine rules, and she threw a tantrum like Diana-chan, shouting 『unfair, unfair, unfair』.
……Still, it would be too much to say she was lashing out because she was upset.
She wouldn’t lower Mikoto-san’s abilities out of spite, nor would she refuse to explain Mikoto-san’s situation out of spite either. ……Probably.
「She told me that she cannot explain the details of cheat roulette rewards……」
「Ah, the usual thing」
「That usual 『you must experiment and figure it out』. She even told me, 『Mikoto must also be experimented on』……」
「That’s terrible……」
「I should have researched it properly beforehand…… I knew about the 『Summon』 skill and that I could be summoned as a reward, but I never looked into what state I would actually be summoned in」
「Isn’t that something you can look into now?」
「Deis hid it from me……」
「I see……」
It has to be spite. It shouldn’t be…… but still…….
「I think what Yggdrasil-san said earlier is probably correct……」
「Meaning it is because your level is low?」
「Yeah. Summoned beasts created by the 『Summon』 skill usually start at level 1. I didn’t originally have something like a level, but for the sake of being summoned, that might be how I was set」
「So Mikoto-san also starts from level 1……」
That is still kind of an unbelievable story. Turning Mikoto-san, a goddess, into a level 1 summoned beast……
「So that is why I am not very strong, and I cannot cause miracles worthy of a god…… I am sorry, Alec-kun……」
「No, not at all……」
It cannot be helped. That is not Mikoto-san’s fault.
……Even so, it is a little disappointing. I truly thought I had obtained an outrageous cheat.
I even bragged to Yggdrasil-san and Nana-san, saying it was a cheat that surpassed the Dungeon Core……
Come to think of it, Mikoto-san herself said something like 『it is an amazing cheat, a very powerful one』……
「……Well, it is true that she may not be strong right now, but her potential or talent is unmatched. After all, she is a god noja. She can simply grow stronger from here」
「Yes. That’s right. You just need to get stronger from now on, and I will help too. Let’s grow stronger together」
「Yeah…… Thank you, Yggdrasil-san, Alec-kun. Let’s do our best. Let’s work hard and become stronger」
「Yes. I look forward to working with you, Mikoto-san」
「Likewise, Alec-kun」
And with that, Yggdrasil-san neatly wrapped things up.
From now on, we will work hard together with Mikoto-san.
「Hmm, mm. Well then, I suppose I should head back soon」
「Oh, already?」
「Since I came all the way into the forest, I will just return from here. ……Ah, and if you introduce Mikoto to the villagers, you may use my name if you like」
「I see…… thank you very much, Yggdrasil-san」
Just like with Nana-san, she meant that we could introduce Mikoto-san as her acquaintance.
As expected of the Goddess of Benevolence, Yggdrasil-san. Her thoughtfulness and consideration are as impressive as ever.
「Well then, Alec」
「Ah, please wait a moment」
「Hm?」
Just as Yggdrasil-san raised both hands, likely preparing for our farewell high-five and a “thank you for your hard work”, I stopped her.
「Actually, there is one more thing I would like you to see」
「One more?」
「Another one. Another summoning」
next chapter: Second Summoning
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