The Charm of Debi

The adventurer system is actually quite a brilliant setup.

It’s built on a foundation of clever, utterly devious guild management.

Clients pay a specific fee to post an advertisement—a so-called "request." These tasks are incredibly varied, ranging from herb collection and escort missions to monster extermination.

What makes it so perfect for the client is that, while they obviously have to pay the guild's overhead, they only have to pay the adventurers success-only rewards.

If the mission fails, the adventurer gets nothing. They can sink all the time and effort they want into a job, but they won't see a single cent.

From the guild’s perspective, it’s all profit and no risk. Those bureaucrats live off the commissions. Whether an adventurer fails or dies, the guild bears zero responsibility. They just wave them off with a smile and a "Have a safe trip!"

If they don't hear back from the adventurer by a certain deadline, they simply find the next sucker. If the mission succeeds, they take their cut of the reward. It’s a cycle that repeats for eternity.

The only ones ever in danger are the adventurers themselves.

Honestly, the fact that this is a socially acceptable business model makes me want to vomit.

And yet, the stream of applicants never runs dry. I suppose that’s the reality of a noble-dominated society with such a disgusting gap between the rich and the poor.

Then again, it’s not all bad, I thought. It keeps the peace, and it allows people at the top like me—the talented elites—to exploit those below us.

What really grinds my gears, though, is how fiction always depicts guild management as being fueled by goodwill.

Just think about it for a second. "Payment only on success, high risk of death, please provide your own time and consumables." How can anyone say that with a straight face without realizing how idiotic it sounds?

Then, as your rank increases, they find excuses like "renewal fees" to squeeze even more useless commissions out of you. Still, I suppose it’s manageable if you’re strong enough. If you reach S-rank like Teacher Milk or Eva, the reward for a single mission is astronomical.

Though, even then, I have no idea how much the guild is pocketing off the top.

"Debi, can you handle this on your own?"

"Debibi!?"

It felt like crap being a pawn for people like that, but here I was, fulfilling an adventurer’s request. My reasoning was simple: if I reached S-rank, my social standing in this world would be unshakable.

Combine that with the fact that I was already a noble, and my influence would be immeasurable.

Besides, since I’d finally made it outside, this was the perfect chance to give Debi some field training. I had come to a place known as the Cave of Demons to complete a B-class Request.

I had been warned repeatedly that entering without a party of four was suicide, but I came alone. Cynthia and Lilith had practically begged to tag along, but that would have made things far too easy.

If there’s no sense of danger, there’s no point, I reminded myself.

I hadn't even bothered to ask about the cave's layout. Or rather, I didn't need to. For better or worse, my head was already packed with information on almost every hunting ground in the world. While I didn't remember every single detail, I knew for a fact that this cave was crawling with Golems.

"Gogagagagaaaa!"

The rugged, rocky skin on these things wasn't just for show. They were slow, but their resistances were top-tier. It was common for magic to be completely ineffective against them, yet trying to fight them at close range was a recipe for disaster. If one of them grabbed a limb, their sheer physical strength would rip it right off.

To make matters worse, they were time-consuming to kill. If you let them linger, they’d call for reinforcements, and suddenly you’d have a pack of rock-hard monsters slowly closing in from all sides. For most, that would be a massive mental burden.

For me? Not a problem.

I pulverized the first one with my Dual Sword.

As the second and third ones lumbered forward, I cast an Auto Mode spell on Debi. It was a technique Olynn had taught me.

"But Weiss-kun, it should take at least six months for even you to master—"

"Debi, move on your own."

"Debi!"

"...No way... He did it..."

Of course, there was a catch. While in Auto Mode, mana consumption spiked, and since Debi wasn't moving according to my direct will, our Coordination became much more difficult to manage.

However, the Noblesse are built for learning. Debi might have been a monster, but the moment I performed the Subjugation, he began to develop a distinct will, just like us. The more he fought, the stronger he’d get, and eventually, we’d start to instinctively understand each other's movements.

That said, there was no point if he couldn't hold his own. If he turned out to be a weakling, I had no intention of ever summoning him again.

"Debibii—!"

Debi raised both hands and unleashed a Dark Mana Cannon.

Golems have high magic resistance, I thought. He’s going to have to learn that the hard—

"—Gauuuuuuu..."

Before I could finish the thought, the Golem vanished without a trace.

...Wait, what?

"Debi!"

The little guy turned back to me and gave a smug thumbs-up.

Whose idea was that hateful smile? Did he get that from me?

I didn't have much time to dwell on it. Two Golems remained, and some monsters possess Rage Skills. While not universal, certain species receive a massive stat buff when their comrades are killed. These Golems had clearly entered a rage state; they swung their massive arms with terrifying speed.

Even Debi would struggle to—

"Debibii~♪"

"Gaugaugau!"

The little devil dodged the attacks while practically humming to himself. Monsters have feelings, too, and the Golems clearly realized they were being taunted. They swung wildly in a fit of rage, but Debi—perhaps doing it on purpose—transformed his right arm into a sharp blade.

Because of his stylized, "chibi" appearance, it looked more like a dagger, but the tip was coated in Dark Magic.

...It looks a lot like my own style.

He zipped past the Golems, severing their limbs with incredible speed. After the third Golem went down, Debi wiped his forehead in a dramatic gesture of exhaustion, even though he wasn't sweating a drop.

Then, he flew into my chest with an adorable "oomph" and looked up at me with big, pleading eyes.

"Debidebibi!"

"...I guess you're doing okay," I muttered.

"Debii!"

Olynn had mentioned that monsters often take after their master’s personality or act in ways they think will earn them affection.

Taking after me? No, definitely not.

And it wasn't like I thought Debi was cute or anything. Not at all.

"Debi."

He perched himself lightly on my shoulder. He was even flapping his wings in tiny bursts, clearly trying to make sure I didn't feel his weight.

This guy... is he really...?

"...You’re actually kind of cu—"

No! Stop! I can’t say that out loud.

Damn it, this little guy is making me break character.

We pushed deeper into the cave until we encountered a Golem significantly larger than the others. I’d seen enough of Debi’s solo potential; now it was time for Coordination. This thing was likely the boss, the actual target of the request.

Stronger variants are often born when monsters cannibalize their own kind. If left unchecked, they eventually wander out of their territory to hunt humans. I didn't care about the logistics; I just needed to kill it.

"Debi, move so it's easy for me to strike."

"Debi!"

I couldn't tell if he actually understood, but he fluttered up into the air. He was burning through a lot of mana, so he’d better earn his keep.

"Gauuu!"

Standard Golems have simple attack patterns, mostly relying on brute force. Boss-level ones are a different story. This one immediately cast a defense buff on itself. Any half-hearted strike was just going to bounce off.

"Let’s see about that."

I tested its defenses with a quick slash, but I only managed to chip the surface rock. I’d need to knead more mana into my blade to reach the core.

"Gaugauga!"

"—Interesting."

I felt a surge of adrenaline I never experienced back at Nobless Academy. It wasn't just the thrill of the fight; it was the test of my Dark Eye power, my ability to adapt to the unknown, and my crisis management.

Crap. Maybe this is why everyone wants to be an adventurer.

"Debibii!"

Just as I prepared to dodge an incoming swing, Debi manifested a black wall in mid-air. The mana signature was remarkably similar to my own Unnatural.

When the Golem’s arm slammed into the wall, it didn't bounce off. It got stuck, as if the darkness itself had turned into a thick, viscous glue. It looked like the arm was trapped in black mochi.

The Golem groaned, its stone joints grinding as it tried to rip itself free.

"You're pretty useful, aren't you?"

A few seconds was all I needed. I let my mana overflow, focusing every drop of power into a single, devastating strike.

With one clean motion, I cleaved the Named Golem known as the Adventurer Killer right down the middle.

The Golem collapsed and went still. From its shattered torso, a glowing, bead-like object rolled across the floor. This was the heart of a powerful monster—a Magic Core. If you forged it into weapons or armor, it would skyrocket their durability, and if you were lucky, the gear would inherit the monster’s traits.

One of the best parts of playing Noblesse Oblige was the weapon enhancement system, so seeing a rare drop like this was one of the true highlights of monster hunting.

Debi scrambled to pick up the Magic Core and flew back to me like an excited puppy, wings flapping and tail wagging.

"...Store it."

Obedient as ever, Debi gave me an "Understood!" sort of chirp and tossed the core into his Dark Storage. Then, he started nuzzling his head against my chest.

"............"

I glanced around the cavern. It was empty. No witnesses.

"Well... good job."

I reached out and gave Debi’s head a brief, awkward pat. It was a chore, but Olynn had insisted that doting on a monster was the fastest way to increase its proficiency level.

Honestly, Subjugation is such a hassle.

"Debi! Debi!"

"...We’re heading back. You’re draining my mana, so go to sleep."

Debi gave me a slightly dejected look before opening a dark portal and vanishing.

I guess that devoted side of his is... a little bit cute.