Assembly Preparations

"...Wait, I’m actually going in this?"

A few days had passed since my meeting with Saaya-san at the cafe. The invitation to the so-called Adventurer Assembly had finally arrived, and as far as the instructions went, formal attire was mandatory.

When I had consulted Arachne about it, she simply told me, "I’ll have it finished in three days!" and left it at that. This was my honest reaction after waiting those three days.

Draped over the white mannequin before me was a navy-blue outfit. It was... what would you call it? A style of smart casual I’d worn a few times back in the other world.

The design was devoid of any useless ornamentation, radiating a sense of functional beauty. That part was fine, but I was legitimately appalled by the sheer, insane number of spells woven into the fabric. From what I could identify, it was primarily physical and magic resistance. On top of that, it was loaded with physical buffs and poison resistance. It was the kind of gear that made me wonder exactly what kind of war I was supposed to be heading into.

"Exactly, Reima-kun! Three all-nighters and a generous helping of everyone’s fur and feathers went into this! It’s my absolute masterpiece—a superior garment you can take into any battlefield!"

Arachne gave me a thumbs-up, her eyes bloodshot and gleaming.

Just as she said, she was likely on her third night without sleep. Her sheer intensity was more than a little startling. Swaying her long, light-purple hair, she used her spider-like lower half to loom over me, eventually picking me up to force the clothes onto me.

"I’ll have that noisy one tidy up your hair, so hurry up and put it on! Right now!"

"I get it! I get it, just let go of me! And I need to change, so back off. Please."

"Ah, my apologies. Everyone’s changing room is nearby, so please go change there!"

Seriously, what are they building inside of me?

The Soul World had been expanding rapidly without my knowledge. Its full extent was something even I, its Master, couldn't fully grasp. At this point, I wasn't even sure if any of them knew the whole layout.

At this rate, I wouldn't be surprised if they built a theme park inside my body. Considering I had several Summoned Beasts who were essentially children, I had a nagging fear that one might already be under construction.

"...Alright, I'm dressed. What do you think?"

"—This is dangerous. I can’t let the others see this..."

"See? I thought so back in the other world, too, but this kind of thing just doesn't suit me."

I’d felt the same way at the parties held after saving various towns. Formal outfits never felt right on me. It was fine for everyone else to enjoy dressing up, but for me, the sense of being a total misfit was overwhelming.

"Hmph! Even I’m frightened by what I’ve created! As expected of me—the greatest, unparalleled genius weaver of all time. You’d better keep relying on your big sister Arachne from now on!"

"Well, I definitely feel safe wearing clothes made from your silk. Oh, that’s right, Arachne."

"Hmm? What is it, Reima-kun?"

"...I was told to bring one of my Summoned Beasts with me. Who do you think I should choose?"

"Right, so you’re telling me to go kill myself!"

"No... I’m just asking for your opinion."

She had responded with such peak hysteria that I’d reflexively shot back, but it couldn't be helped. I knew that picking just one of them would inevitably lead to a fight.

Still, if I ask if anyone specifically wants to go, it’ll never be decided. I need someone with a decent amount of common sense. Besides, if I bring one of the girls, the atmosphere at the party might get awkward.

"I need my hair done anyway, so maybe Baal is the best bet?"

"He’s a safe choice, I suppose. But well, he’ll just get beaten to a pulp by the others later, so I don't really care."

Choosing is harder than I thought.

If I considered his personality for even a second, he’d probably go around bragging to everyone that he was on a solo date with his Master. Thinking about that made me realize he was a terrible choice. I racked my brain, trying to find a solution.

"Should I just summon someone at random?"

"That would be the absolute worst. You’d probably end up pulling that horse."

"............Umm, Luna and Sol are safe, and Lycoris seems like she’d be fine too?"

"A perfect lineup of the early members. Their level of trust is on a whole different scale."

"Merli is out, I can’t summon Baha, and it’s probably best to keep Balor away. Camazotz would hate a place like that, and Behiko—she’d probably eat the entire buffet."

"A wise judgment! I wouldn't recommend any of those members either."

I continued to deliberate, listing the names of everyone who had helped me recently. After weighing the options, one name came back to the surface.

"So, Baal after all?"

"...I’m starting to feel that way too."

"Anra and Rahva are Gram-class, so that’s a bit much... and Bicorn is out of the question."

"That piece of trash is a walking hazard!"

"He’s a decent guy in his own way, though... actually, I agree."

I mentally summarized the feedback I’d received from the other Summoned Beasts regarding Bicorn. The list included: trash, pervert, useless nag, and twisted double-horn. Even his younger sister, Unicorn, had weighed in, describing him as an eternal, irreconcilable enemy.

"When we first met, he was a good guy trying to protect Unicorn... I wonder how he ended up like this?"

"I'd call it the evolution of fetishes, survival instincts, and perversion."

"The evolution of a piece of trash has gone way too far."

Despite the headache, I decided to send a magical message to Baal to have him get ready to do my hair. Or, at least, that was the plan. However, when I arrived, Luna and Sol were already on standby.

Between them was Baal, forced into a formal seiza position while wearing a sign around his neck that read: 『I AM UNFIT TO GO.』

"...Eh?"

"Master, the request specified a beast. You should summon us," Luna said.

"Besides, the plan is to summon us once you’re at the venue, right? In that case, us smaller ones are a much better fit~" Sol added.

"............I mean, you’re not wrong, but what happened to Baal?"

"『Yee-hawwwww! A party with Master, just the two of us! Whoooooooo!』 ...That’s a recording of him. Since he was acting like that and bragging to everyone, the group collective took him down."

"I... see."

It was a bit unexpected, but since things had turned out this way, I ended up heading to the venue alone.