Akatsuki Translations

“【Summon Lean】” -Evie

Whispering the name, and then from the magic circle that appeared in the air, what seemed to be the legs of a summoned beast emerged, descending from the air to the ground. However, I was perplexed. Given the name, I had imagined a cute fairy would be summoned.

But instead, slender, unmistakably human-like female legs appeared, blue-skinned but definitely human. As more of the figure descended, the thighs were alluring, and the shape of the buttocks was undeniably human. A slim waist and a bust even smaller than Misuzu’s. The figure that gradually became visible was,

“A blue-skinned girl?” -Yuuta

She was entirely a girl, younger than us, with long ears and undeniably beautiful. She had a small chest and a shapely behind, wearing something like a leotard with considerable exposure. She seemed about the age of a sixth grader.

“That’s right. Somehow, what I can summon is this female goblin called Lean.” -Evie

“Goblin? Lean is a goblin? With this appearance?” -Yuuta

“Yes. That’s what it says in Lean’s status.” -Evie

Due to being summoned by Evie, she was quite a beauty. The goblins I imagined were those appearing in dungeons, and even if female, they wouldn’t look this good.

Her long hair went down to her waist, shiny, and she wore a leotard, making it almost indecent to look at her.

“Hey!” -Yuuta

“Um, Evie, where did you find Lean?” -Misuzu

Misuzu asked as she pinched my behind for staring too intently at Lean.

“It wasn’t like I found her. At first, ‘Low-Level Summon’ appeared on my status screen. I was thrilled, thinking I got a super rare job as a summoner, but I had no idea how to summon. I thought it was like Japanese games, where you defeat monsters and then contract with the defeated monsters. I tried hard to capture a goblin alive without injuring it, but instead of forming a contract, it just showed hostility. It didn’t work out.” -Evie

“So, how did you get her?” -Misuzu

Lean looked like a Western beauty, which was unusual. There are said to be monsters on lower floors with human-like beauty, but such a beautiful goblin causing a stir on the first floor of a dungeon would be a big deal.

“It was when I had defeated about a hundred goblins. I heard a mechanical female voice saying, ‘Summon Lean is now available.’ Then, the method to use summoning magic naturally came to my mind, and when I tried it, she appeared.” -Evie

“Can she speak?” -Misuzu

“Not really. But she seems to understand what is said, and she answers with ‘gya’ when she understands. It’s similar to a dog’s bark. But she seems smarter than a dog, mostly understanding our words. She also has a status. Lean, show your status, please.” -Evie

“Gya.” -Lean

She truly spoke with a “gya.” The mismatch between her cute appearance and her voice made her even more endearing. Although her way of speaking was the same as other goblins, perhaps because she was female or due to her appearance, her voice sounded cute.

Name: Lean

Race: Blue Goblin

Level: 2→3

Job: Close Combat Summoned Monster

HP: 15→20

Strength: 17→24

Agility: 14→17

Defense: 16→22

Dexterity: 8→10

Intelligence: 3

Charm: 35→36

Equipment: None

“There are no skills or magic listed. Her stats are definitely geared towards power. She’s stronger than me with this appearance?” -Yuuta

“Yes, she’s quite strong. I couldn’t win against her in a test of strength. Want to try?” -Evie

“Eh, I’ll pass.” -Yuuta

Stats are cruel.

Just as even a heavyweight champion might not win against a 43-year-old housewife in certain challenges, I’d probably lose to this girl in a straightforward test of strength. Still, I was confident I could win in an actual fight because in close combat, agility is said to be more important than strength.

It’s indeed a world where what doesn’t hit you can’t hurt you. Also, the lack of magic and skills is a weakness.

“If only she had magic and skills… What’s Lean’s main weapon?” -Yuuta

“She uses a large axe. I was against it because it’s cumbersome, but she wouldn’t listen and insisted on the axe. Despite her low dexterity, she often breaks things. But having her has somehow allowed us to level up, even though her lack of skills and magic makes her weak in critical situations.” -Evie

“What about gacha luck? It’s not listed.” -Yuuta

“I was hoping she’d have high luck since mine is low, but she doesn’t have it at all. I tried letting her do a gacha pull, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t even turn the gacha lever. However, she was at level 1 when first summoned and has now reached level 3. It seems monsters can level up by defeating other monsters.” -Evie

“Really?” -Yuuta

“It seems that’s the case for summoned beasts at least.” -Evie

“Hey, then, do monsters inside dungeons level up too?” -Misuzu

“There are levels displayed when monsters are appraised, but I’ve never heard of them leveling up.” -Evie

After all, dungeons have only appeared for five years. There’s so much we don’t know, including whether monsters level up.

“I’ve done quite a bit of research, but I’ve never come across such information. Plus, she stands out too much. Being a beautiful girl despite being a goblin, I was worried about drawing attention in dungeons, so I was cautious about summoning her in America. It was tough getting her to level 3, especially since she’s a bit silly.” -Evie

“Gya.” -Lean

Lean seemed to understand the conversation and looked at Evie in protest, as if to complain.

“It’s not true.” -Yuuta

“Gya—” -Lean

“Hey, maybe Lean could watch over Misuzu and Evie when they go to the bathroom.” -Yuuta

I found myself feeling a bit disappointed at the thought of not being able to hear Misuzu’s sound anymore. But as we were staying overnight, and it wasn’t just about peeing anymore, it seemed like a good idea.

“It’s better not to. I tried using the bathroom in the dungeon with that idea. But unless I give her specific instructions every time, she wouldn’t alert me to the presence of goblins, leading to some terrible experiences. That’s a memory I’d rather forget. It’d be mortifying if fans saw that.” -Evie

Evie grimaced, apparently having had a particularly bad experience.

“But she can still be quite useful as a member of our combat team. If we form a four-person party, we can navigate the first floor quite safely.” -Evie

“I was thinking of searching for stairs on my own starting today. Will that still be okay?” -Yuuta

“Going solo… I’ve heard that’s common in Japan for stair searching. It’s impressive that it’s considered safe even inside dungeons.” -Evie

“Is it safe?” -Yuuta

“In America, a total beginner on the first floor going solo would be unimaginably dangerous.” -Evie

The difference between America, a gun society, and Japan, where guns have been strictly regulated, was stark. It’s been said that places without guns are more peaceful, and it seems that applies even inside dungeons according to Evie’s account.

“In Japan, guns were prohibited in dungeons until recently, which meant goblins didn’t get armed either. I heard about that, but it’s really true?”  -Yuuta

“Exactly. American goblins are armed to the extent it makes you wonder why you all have so many firearms.” -Evie

“But Evie, your stats seem pretty good. How did you manage to level up? Is it because using firearms doesn’t affect stat growth as badly if the opponent has them too?” -Yuuta

“No, dungeons seem to dislike modern weapons. Using a gun makes leveling up harder, and even if you manage to level up, your stats don’t improve much. Two years ago, when dungeons opened in America, the quality of explorers didn’t improve compared to Japan. Recently, it’s been said that modern weapons are to blame. That’s why I focused on close combat from the start.” -Evie

“Close combat in a first floor full of gunners?” -Yuuta

“You’re lucky to be alive.” -Misuzu

“It was tough. Goblins would shoot at me in groups.” -Evie

I couldn’t imagine doing something so terrifying. Bows are scary enough, but compared to guns, there’s no contest. The rate of fire and the smaller movements required make it much harder to dodge.

“Evie, aren’t you a model? Do you have military experience?” -Misuzu

“Ha, ten wealthy models could enter, switch out Aristos when one ran out, and beat things with money by chugging potions. Some goblins even had missile launchers, so I nearly died despite that.” -Evie

“That’s sheer willpower.” -Yuuta

“No wonder your stats improved so much. But let me tell you, don’t underestimate Japanese dungeons. Goblins here may not carry guns often, but there are far scarier people around. If they find you at your current level, it’s game over. Want to know who they are?” -Misuzu

Indeed, Japan has humans more frightening than armed goblins.

“Yes, please tell me.” -Evie

“There are three infamous explorers in Kofu alone, and with their party members, that makes twelve. One is Jack, a contract killer who openly accepts murder requests on the internet, claiming to kill according to his own justice. However, there are cases where he killed innocent people, so how true that is, I can’t say.

Next is Yonezaki, the monster enthusiast. Originally a famous biologist, they observed goblin settlements in dungeons and presented his findings at a conference, leading to their expulsion. They’ve now been allowed back into the academic community after surpassing level 100.” -Misuzu

“Why were they expelled?” -Evie

“They observed without helping the women kept by the goblin settlements.” -Misuzu

“Quite crazy.” -Yuuta

“And probably the most dangerous is Demon-Eyed Mikaela. She’s a rare job holder, a Mage Eye User, always saying she’s chosen and can kill just by looking. She uploaded videos titled ‘I can kill people just by looking at them,’ causing quite a stir.”  -Misuzu

“Did she really kill people?” -Yuuta

“Hard to say, the human parts were blurred out. It’s been deleted from official sites, but still up on some backchannels. Anyway, Evie…” -Misuzu

“…” -Evie

“These people are well beyond the 10th floor, so they won’t be on the first floor. The first two aren’t actively harmful, but Mikaela is someone you don’t want to encounter. You got the most important point, right?” -Misuzu

“…Don’t let your guard down in dungeons, no matter if it’s Japan or anywhere else?” -Evie

“Right. If things get dangerous, use the Ring of Celestial Change to transform into a zebra or something. Okay? Absolutely do not try to interact with other explorers.” -Misuzu

“O-Okay. Got it. I’ll be careful.” -Evie

Though unlikely to encounter them, stressing these points should ensure safety. After all, Japan doesn’t have such dangerous goblins, and the first floor is rarely populated, allowing Lean to be more openly present. I’ve informed Evie about archers, but she seemed reassured that archers at least were manageable.

We went outside again to take care of necessities like using the bathroom before starting our exploration of the first floor.

“Let’s meet here at 12 o’clock.” -Yuuta

We used the dungeon-specific smartphone app to automatically search for the most efficient route and agreed to meet inside the dungeon at 12 o’clock for lunch. Until then, we would each make our own decisions on when to rest or continue exploring.

If anything unusual happened, we would contact each other via smartphone.

Despite being in a dungeon, phone calls were possible. On the same floor, a strong signal could be sent out, justifying the 500,000 yen cost. Ordinary people might be affected by the level of radiation emitted, but at level 3, we didn’t feel any adverse health effects.

Without such a smartphone, one would have to map out the dungeon manually, which could be quite difficult. Money makes a big difference.

“Evie. I think you’re probably the least likely to run into trouble, but be careful.” -Yuuta

“OK. Yuuta, you seem well-prepared too, but don’t hesitate to use a potion if you’re in danger. I can provide as much funding as needed. It would be more troubling if you died. Don’t forget that.” -Evie

“Got it. Misuzu, are you okay?” -Yuuta

“Yeah, I’m fine.” -Misuzu

“If you need a break or something happens, just call me.” -Yuuta

“Yuuta.” -Misuzu

“Yeah?” -Yuuta

“Call me anytime too. Let’s meet again at 12.” -Misuzu

With that, Misuzu hugged me and kissed me. It was as natural as if we were a couple. Misuzu held the kiss for quite a while, as if she wouldn’t see me for some time. However, I was too stunned to respond.

“Don’t flaunt it too much in front of me. The dungeon is already a place where tensions can run high.” -Evie

Evie made a displeased face at that.

“Sorry. But, you know.” -Misuzu

Misuzu said, looking at Evie.

“I won’t take him. I have a boyfriend, after all.” -Evie

She does? I felt both disappointed and relieved.

No, relieved. I didn’t want to complicate things further. As flattering as it might be, getting involved with Evie too would only lead to trouble. Anyway, an awkward atmosphere lingered as we each set off on our own.