Black Summoner

- Gown Territory Southeast/Seal Forest

"Ugh, you've run a long time. Is there an elf in here?"

This is a lush place with deep green forests in the southeast of the beast country gown, near the border with Trysen. We read a letter from Leonhardt, king of beasts, given to us by Rio. We visited here after a few days of preparation. That didn't take long. It's a few times faster than a horse if it's our leg right now.

Now, it's a letter of questioning, but the content was still simple, written in Leonhardt's autograph, which reads "Notice of Conducting S-Level Promotion Exams"!

... No, honestly, I stumbled on unexpected content. That's what they write in strangely powerful letters. I don't know why the king of gowns sent me exam letters, so much so that I put in a scratch on the spot.

Rio supplemented me on this. Firstly, there are a number of conditions for the promotion of the Adventurer Rank to S-Class. Here's a quick summary:

① Successfully requested grade A or higher 10 times in a row.

② Experience in achieving S-grade equivalent requests.

③ Obtain permission from the kings of the two countries of the Eastern Continent. (separate conditions in case of western continental affiliation)

• Pass the promotion exam in the presence of a class S adventurer.

In my case, ① and ② have already been achieved. The problem is (3) and (4). In fact, these two points had to do with Leonhardt's letter.

First of all (3), but it seems that Rio was hand-turning me in advance, and I had permission from Mr. Tsubaki of Trage. Because he is also the only knowledgeable king, Master Tsubaki said yes. It's still important to connect with people.

However, in order to achieve ③, permission must be obtained from the king of another country. As Trysen plays because of his current bad situation, all that remains is the Gown of the Beast Nation and the Deramis of the Divine Empire. It was Leonhardt, king of gowns, who reacted immediately.

Apparently, the royal family of gowns has the custom of embarking on a martial arts training journey when they are teenagers, and King Leonhardt lived as an adventurer at that time and was promoted to S grade. You've beaten the Battle Royal to select the strongest in the country after your training journey, and you're taking your place now. I can't say anything about people either, but it's hard to be ruined. Such a letter from King Leonhardt, whose sincerity...

Well, where it gets clogged, King Leonhardt, an S-class adventurer, will be standing up for the promotion exam immediately (he won't show up, he's watching from somewhere). I wondered why it was so important, but Rio said it was because Master Tsubaki's bragging got into King Leonhardt's ear.

The beast country gown is a country that honors the strong, and those who are candidates for S-class adventurers do not show up early. The point is, you got me interested. I guess the king himself is serving as the examiner and trying to identify my powers.

"... strange. I feel nostalgic."

Effil looks up at the blurry forest trees.

"Effil is a half-elf. Maybe that's what Elf's blood is letting him do. This forest has a lot of magic."

"But that's weird. Wasn't the elf a western continental race? I rarely see adventurers and merchants' haphazard elves, but I've learned that there are no settlements on the eastern continent that are home to them?

Pure elves are a closed and rare species. As Serra remembers, it is not the first thing to see unless you are also a stranger in the eastern continent.

"Apparently there was a settlement of elves that migrated from the western continent more than a decade ago. I don't know what happened, but they say the gown protects them now."

"Hmm. And it's this exam that protects that new elf..."

The exam that was described in King Leonhardt's letter. It was the crusade of unidentified monsters emerging in the elves. Previously Rio said he was experiencing various problems near the border with Tricen. The inside of this elf does not leak into that example either, and recently the monster says it occurred in the woods.

Monsters that can be crusaded in classes E through D have been around for a long time, but this new breed of monster seems to take a class B level monster and grab an elf. Its strength is probably equivalent to S grade...... the average gown soldier says he doesn't even have teeth on his child's monster and is struggling.

It seems that the kings and the high-ranking within the army would deal with it if it were meant to be, but it's called the ferocity of monsters these days, and they're understaffed. From King Leonhardt, you can measure my strength, and I guess I'm looking to solve the problem and two birds with one stone. No, I don't mind. I haven't had a chance to fight S-class either.

"I'm in Kerr, after all, isn't that trysen a country involved?

"Eighty-nine in ten. I guess so. The elves were never old, and both men and women were beautifully shaped. No wonder there are guys out there trying to enslave you."

"Um, like a king"

"Right, like Kelvin!

"Yeah, like you"

Hey, why are you all looking at me? I'm telling you, I didn't do anything that Effil didn't like. I'm not even willing to.

"You were in Kerr, elf adorable!

"Don't get me wrong, Lion"

I've noticed lately that Lion's knowledge is quite skewed. Brothers and sisters are what we bathe together! He says something like that, and he storms the bathroom on a daily basis. I don't know, maybe that's what I purely assume the knowledge of some comics and novels is. This is my brother (tentative), and I have to raise him for real!

As I was determined in my heart, Effil grabbed my sleeve softly.

"It's okay, sir. I admire your husband, and I am proud to be his slave."

After all, Effil was an angel.

- Inside the crest forest and elves

The forest where the elves live, they call it the 'Crest Forest' around here, but the crest is inscribed everywhere that name must be. It seems to serve as a magical junction as far as the appraisal eye is concerned. I know it's a way to protect ourselves from foreign enemies who break into the woods, but it's the idea that works against us, too. I tried to look down from the sky, but I was also visually generating phantoms to prevent the location from being identified.

"You magically enhance your sensibility."

"Hmm, this way!

"Yeah, yeah... I'm in Kerr, and this little birdie says there's a inside over there!

"I feel nostalgic from that side"

That said, there are too many ways to explore it, such as applying the auxiliary magic of Melfina, Serra using her sensing skills, Rion being taught the direction inside by the friendly animals in the woods, and relying on Effil's feeling as an elf. When I relied on them, I could see the trees and the walls. Looks like we could have gotten inside without getting lost in particular.

For once, our aim is to crusade, but if we get lost here, what were we going to do... well, I guess this is one of the exams.

Unfortunately, by the way, so far I have not encountered any monsters of interest that I believe to be above grade B.

"Those there, stop!

Approaching the front gate, they scream from above. Looking up, the three elves stood with bows and arrows pointing this way.

"This forest is protected by the kingdom! Who the hell are you people?

"By the life of King Leonhardt, my name is Kelvin, the adventurer."

"This is the king's bidding!?

The elves wolf.

"This will be the reference. I'd like you to confirm."

I'll put up Leonhardt's references that Rio gave me, make a breeze out of green magic, and deliver them to the elves.

"Ma, wait! I call the elders! Stand by on the spot often!

"Understood."

Can we talk to the elders at once? The boulder is King Gown's reference, it works great. Well, I'm still concerned that the remaining elves won't let go of their bows. Maybe you're worried about the emergence of a monster.

"... Sorry to keep you waiting. We welcome you as our guests. Numerous disrespects, please forgive me. Open the gate!

The ragged and wooden gates go up. When we walked through the gate, a large number of elves gathered in what appeared to be the inner square. There are no elderly, all young and beautiful. One male elf stands at the head of it. Is this elf the elder? Naturally, he looks young.

"I used to come from far away places. I am the elder in this elf, my name is Nerlas."

He still seemed like an elder.

"It's Kelvin. This time..."

Give a brief greeting and finish introducing yourself.

- Things happened when the introduction went around in turn and it was Effil's turn.

Gatta!

"If so, stupid......!?

"Elder? What have you done?

Nellus, who saw Effil, slipped out of his hip and fell. Not all the elves around, either, but some seem terribly surprised.

"Le, roomir...... why, you live......!?

... who?