A Complete Party

The cat jumps in surprise. I stare at Karina. Dumb Luck indeed. Who else would be fortunate enough to get a pet with a royal title. Wait. Does she even know?

“What’s wrong with Gale?” Karina asks.

“Nothing. He can come if he wants to.”

“Mrow.”

I suppose that means Yes, since Gale struts over to Karina’s side and sits down like a guard dog.

A young man in priest garb approaches next. He carries himself in a dignified way beyond his age. Though if I’m honest, he could just be one of these fantasy races that either don’t age or grow to be a thousand years old. He is shorter than me by a head, with cropped, white hair reminiscent of a monk’s bowl cut. It stands out starkly against his ash-gray skin. He wears big, round glasses, which make his yellow eyes appear bigger than they already are. He inclines his head as he comes face to face and I can take a glance at the tips of his ears, which are pointy.

“My name is Akadeyi Poru, and you can call me Poru-in. In my hometown, you say the last name of a person first.”

“Just like in mine! But… Poru-in? What does the -in stand for?”

“It signifies that I have left our borders and no longer belong to a tribe or town. An approximate translation would be ‘Poru on his own’.”

“That sounds lonely.”

Poru smiles. “I am not lonely here.”

He holds out his hand and I take it. His skin is cold to the touch, more so than just a chill. It’s icy.

[Akadeyi Poru]

Attributes: Light, Water

Life Points: 20/80

Skills: Raindance, Sparkle, Light of Dawn, Light’s Champion

“Are you sick?” I ask.

Poru frowns. “Why would you ask that?”

I can’t tell him it’s because I saw his low life points. Ugh.

“You’re loved by Erya and I felt her concern,” I say cryptically like an actual cult leader.

This time Poru’s smile is somewhat forced. “I assure you I’m alright.”

There is something off about Akadeyi Poru. His demeanour, his friendly front. He says he isn’t lonely, but I haven’t seen anyone else like him around and he doesn’t seem like the social type. Though… Light’s Champion? That skill sounds suspiciously like an obvious flag, placed just for me to pick him. I don’t know if it’s the right decision, but I bestow the blessing on him. He’s too unique to not be a party character. I feel like that’s not a metric I should use, but if the shoe fits…

——

In the end, I reject everyone after Poru. The group leaves the room dejected, but I can’t see anyone looking at me with a grudge, at least. If anything they look to Erya’s throne to complain to her about not giving out more blessings. Luckily they don’t know I’m pulling the shots, at least in this. Shilvy, Karina and Poru remain with me in the temple. Ah, and Gale of course. I look again at the shapeshifted cat. He’s probably mightier than all of us together. I hope some of Karina’s luck rubs off on me.

Shilvy returns from sending the rest of the volunteers off with Captain Kal in tow. Now that I see them next to each other, they definitely look related. Same blonde hair, same high nose. There must be good fortune in that family to produce two people in such high standing. Captain Kal looks at me and the other two and tries to put on a smile.

“You don’t need to pretend,” I say.

He sighs. “Frankly, I had hoped for a more… battle-proven group. And a few more people.”

I shrug. “We can’t dispute Lady Erya’s blessing. This is who she selected, including me.”

“You’re right, you’re right. Well, such a small number of people can also be a good thing.”

“A good thing?” I ask.

“The most pressing issue Atol is facing is supplies. The fertile lands are too close to the Demon King’s army. We can’t get everyone through the winter with what we have,” Captain Kal explains. “The matter of facing the Demon King himself may be unimportant if the people tear themselves apart over the shortages. For whom do we fight if everyone in the city dies? I would discourage a fight against the main army—you could scout the area ahead first.”

“With these few people?”

“Especially because you’re just a few. You’ll be able to hide much easier,” Captain Kal explains.

“If he can change into less flashy clothes, that is,” Karina interjects.

“Wait a moment…”

I touch my left sleeve with my right hand. Of course I’ve already examined the clothes I was given. The self-cleaning spell is not the only convenient thing. There is also a copy spell on them. I just have to touch another person and my clothes will change into whatever they are wearing. By squeezing my arm I activate the spell and then touch Poru. The bright white riding ensemble morphs into the gold and white robes the cleric is wearing.

“Woah!” Karina bursts out. “Do mine!”

I take a look at her clothes, which feature a short skirt and definitely higher heels than mine.

“No.”

“Oh, come on.”

“… fine.”

The breezy robe makes way for an even breezier skirt. Within a few seconds my clothes shift into a more feminine direction. I even feel the ribbons she wears in my hair.

“That is quite a boon to have,” Shilvy says. “Lady Erya truly has blessed you.”

I don’t know how blessed I feel wearing a skirt for the first time in my life, but I must admit it’s quite comfortable. I squeeze my right arm and the spell is cancelled, shifting back into the hero’s clothes.

“I think I can just copy whatever Captain Kal wears.”

“My uniform? My armour?” he asks.

“Your inconspicuous commoner clothes.”

“But I—”

“You’re coming with us, of course. Look at us. A cleric, a noble and a clueless appraiser? We may slip under surveillance, but if even a small thing goes wrong, we’re essentially done for. Besides, you know these lands better than anyone here, especially me.”

Captain Kal looks at his sister.

“Don’t plead with me. I think Hero Yuki is right. Your presence will increase their survivability tenfold.”

“Hundredfold, I might say,” Poru adds. “While I am an adept spellcaster, my physical fighting skills are sorely lacking.”

“I am somewhat proficient with the sword, but can only do little magic,” Karina says.”

“Meow,” Gale chimes in and receives a head pat for his troubles.

That cat will save us all one day, I already know it. I only hope it will step up when needed and not hide behind its facade. I, for one, don’t want to be the one to out the almighty cat god, or whatever it turns out to be.

I reach for Captain Kal’s shoulder and immediately bestow a blessing. His body starts glowing in front of everyone’s eyes.

“I can’t dispute Lady Erya’s guidance,” he says. “But then, please, call me Safrim, if we are to travel together.”

He holds out his hand and he shakes it. There it is again, his skill. Positive Thinking. Well, one of our hiring requirements at my old job was suitable soft skills, and that definitely fits the bill.

“I suggest we hold a planning meeting tomorrow morning. To be frank, I would like to give Hero Yuki more time to familiarise himself with his new surroundings, but the circumstances have changed dramatically during the last year,” Shilvy says.

“What happened?”

“The heroes of fire and lightning were the last ones to fall. They fought valiantly for nine years, but the Demon King’s army has gotten too strong. Since then they’ve gained an incredible amount of ground, forcing the people into the city walls—not only here, but in all the major cities, in which the temples of our gods are present. They are the last bastions of humanity.”

“I appreciate your honesty, but it’s not making me look forward to the future,” I reply.

“Who knows? Maybe you’ll return to your old world if you die here,” Karina says.

“Somehow I don’t want to take that chance.”

“Stop thinking about all that tonight and take a moment,” Safrim offers. “Night is falling and the city is bursting with people, so I suggest you come to the Kal family home. Even though we house a few refugees of our own, there should still be a bed for you. The inns are full anyway. Miss von Vale and Poru-in will have to return to their respective homes to prepare for the journey ahead. We can reconvene at my place for the meeting tomorrow morning.”

“But what about the king or queen? Shouldn’t I visit them too?” I ask.

“What king?”

I shrug. How should I know? Every fantasy world worth their money has an old, wise king or an enigmatic beauty as a queen.

“There was a king in Atol, once. The royal family did nothing to fight against the demon army. So the populace deposed them. We are led by the elected mayor—my father—under the guidance of Lady Erya,” Karina explains.

“That was over a century ago, but I can understand their feelings,” Poru adds. “A leader, who turns a blind eye to this struggle, is not a leader you need.”

“Quite right,” Karina says

.

“Miss von Vale forgets an important detail. Her family are directly descended from the royal bloodline. The fact that her father could win enough trust in Atol to be elected is nothing short of a miracle,” Shilvy chimes in. “The von Vales have really and truly redeemed themselves.”

“Hmph. It’s only logical.” Karina’s cheeks blush as she crosses her arms. “Come on, Gale. We need to tell my father we’re leaving.”

“Mrow.”

“He doesn’t know yet?” Safrim asks.

“He doesn’t even know I came here. Don’t worry, I always get what I want.”

Karina smiles at us and bounces away, Gale on her heels like a trained dog. I have no doubt she always gets what she wants. It’s not even entitlement, it seems to be the plain truth. Her dumb luck could be the strongest weapon in the world.

Only luck can fail. That’s the definition of it.