Book 10: Chapter 15: E-Rank Advancement Examination (Retake)
The following week —
We took the advancement exam again so that we could advance to being E-rank adventurers.
And just like the previous exam, B-rank adventurer Johann was our proctor once again.
“Please take care of us, Johann. “
“Y-Yeah…Ah, I mean. Do your best this time.”
“Yes. Everyone was also mortified after losing against the slimes. They had done all they could to train during this entire week. Please watch the result of their efforts!”
“Y-Yeah.”
Losing against slimes, the weakest monsters, hit them pretty hard, so Youko, Hakua and Ryuushin shut themselves in Vestier’s Dungeon Ruins to train really hard.
The other members also did all they could to strengthen their own power.
They would definitely pass this advancement exam with flying colors!
By the way, the slimes that won against us last time had morphed into human girls, and they were currently sitting at the bleachers cheering us on.
The four girls were diligently waving their cheering flags, and the sight of them was enough to strengthen us.
By the way, the other slime was on standby in a different place. There was something she had to do no matter what.
Those five slimes — no, they’re constantly in human form so maybe it should be five people.
Those five people also became part of the Ernol family after the previous advancement examination.
They had completely transformed into humans, so it’s possible to converse with them normally now.
Not only that, they were probably stronger than the flaming knights.
Because of that, it was decided that every party would be accompanied by one slime girl each.
They also possessed ‘unlimited storage’ within their bodies, so they are also useful for storing away items that we gathered.
The only one they directly attacked was Ryuushin, so my family easily accepted them.
Ryuushin looked up to the slime that could use magic suit as his master, and he had also been taught the fundamentals of magic suit, so he was also friendly with them.
They maybe reeeaaally strong, but their tiny human forms were adorable so they became something akin to idols of the Ernol House.
Their mannerisms were also like that of little girls, so we felt like we’re being healed just by looking at them.
Tina and I were about to die from laughing so hard when they tried to put the pants on while mistaking them for shirts. They looked so confused, tilting their heads that wouldn't go through while saying “Hwat?”, that we couldn’t stop laughing.
Every single casual actions of theirs was so adorable.
It made me wish for a baby, just a little bit.
Children with Tina…
I bet they’ll be super cute.
“Is it alright to start the exam now?”
“Ah, sorry. Is it alright if we wait for a little while longer?”
Johann was about to start the advancement exam, so I asked him for just a little bit more time.
“Luna, can you do the usual, please.”
“Yes!”
Luna released her mana.
“Damage Invalid, Ultimate Power, Ultimate Magic, Ultimate Speed, Ultimate Concentration!!”
Luna had already crossed Level 150 and had a tertiary occupation called [Wordsmith]. With that ability, she was now casting support spells on us.
The entire Ernol family’s attack popwer and speed were strengthened multiple times, and they were also temporarily immune against damage.
“I’m going all out now!”
Hakua morphed back into her Hakuryuu form.
“Then, me too —”
Ryuushin turned into his half dragon, half human form.
“Alright. Lielle, Hinata, we got this!” (Luke)
“Yes.” (Lielle)
“Let’s go, Ryuushin-sama.” (Hinata)
Luke and the girls covered Ryuushin in a magical suit just like before.
“I’m also giving it my all.”
Shiro returned to his former appearance — back to being Fenrir, the Divine Beast.
“Then me too.”
“This concubine will also transform this time.”
Youko and Kikyou morphed back into their Nine-tailed Fox forms.
“Us, too!”
“I’m also going all out!”
Mai and Mei returned to their spirit state, and Sylph transformed into her battle mode appearance.
Sylph’s figure when she’s in full battle mode was a composed grown-up lady clad with the wind.
“Elmia, I’m going to support you with all I have. Don’t hesitate and go.”
“Yeah, Seira. I believe in you.”
Elmia was wearing her scarletite armor, and her body was concealed in layers upon layers of divine attribute magic.
“Merdie, I’ll bestow the [Hakuryuu’s Armor] on you, okay.”
“And I, the wind!”
“Ryuka, Leaffa, thanks a lot, meow!”
Merdie’s body was wrapped entirely in white scales and clad in an armor of wind as she stood in the frontlines right beside Elmia.
“Halt-sama.”
“...Yeah.”
Tina held the black blade of the Guardian Hero, while I grasped Hakoku.
Preps done.
“Johann, we’re ready now.”
“R-Really….”
Johann seemed a bit shaken.
But then, it couldn’t be helped since we all lost against the slimes last time.
So, our opponent this time around was also a slime.
Just one, though.
We could never lose this time.
We had to go all out and win this!
“Then, let’s start?”
Johann threw the scroll to the center of the arena.
One slime emerged from it.
Just when we saw it open its mouth —
[Something] jumped out of it.
It had a human form.
“Be careful, guys! It morphed into a human!!”
Well, there’s no way that’s true, though.
In the first place, slimes did have [Mimicry], the ability to copy the appearance of other monsters, but they weren’t monsters that could use that to [Morph].
By the way, the slime that vomited that [Something] had darted off at great speed. She left the barrier that I put up and was now sitting in the bleachers as the fifth girl cheering us on.
She did all of that in the blink of an eye, so Johann must’ve also seen it as if she transformed into that [Something].
My entire family looked like they realized what’s going on, but they took the hint.
What a cool family this is, really.
“Gu, gi gi…”
The [Something] that the slime up threw up stood on its feet while trembling all over.
“D-Don’t @#$% with me…A mere slime…to this Bael —”
“Guys, this is bad! Looks like the slime morphed into a demon. And not just any ordinary demon, it’s Bael, the strongest demon under the Evil God!!”
“..........Eh”
The slime that transformed into a demon finally noticed us, and he stood dumbfounded.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s just a slime, we can’t let our guard down.” (Tina)
“Even if it turned into a plain thing, we will never, ever let our guard down against slimes.” (Youko).
“Ditto.” (Luke)
“That’s right.” (Luna)
“Righto.” (Hakua)
“Yeah.” (Ryuushin)
“We’ll go all out!” (Mai and Mei)
“Alright…. Everyone! Let’s go!!”
“Yes!!!”
Our battle against the slime with our advancement to E-rank adventurers commenced.