Chapter 157 – A Party Forms.

“This should be enough to pass the test… Should I just hide until it’s over?”

“…”

Rusty didn’t reply. Gwen had forgotten to keep her inner monologue to herself. She was staring at the bottle, now filled to a third, seemingly all she needed to pass the test. In a sense, that was enough for him to complete the quest, since its purpose had been to help her succeed. But the time wasn’t up yet. To get the most out of the summoning chamber, he needed a better score, and for that, he probably had to fill the bottle to the brim.

He stood motionless, the eerie silence of the aftermath broken only by the distant rustle of leaves and the soft clink of the halberd as he rested it against his armored shoulder. Gwen sat on a large tree root nearby, staring down at the bottle in her lap. The mana swirled within, its faint glow catching on the edges of her robe. Her posture had slouched. She looked… tired but also content.

“This should be enough to pass the test… Should I just hide until it’s over?”

The words slipped out. Quiet, almost lost in the breeze, but her new acquaintance heard it, her elongated ears wiggling a little. Astrella’s eyes flicked toward Gwen, her brow furrowing slightly.

“You want it to end now?”

Gwen jumped as if she were not used to others talking to her directly.

“W-what? I mean… not really. Just, you know… I’m passing. That’s good enough, isn’t it?”

She said with a half-hearted chuckle, tucking the bottle quickly back into her satchel like it might vanish if she held onto it for too long. Astrella didn’t say anything right away. She simply walked over, the crunch of her boots on the leaf-covered forest floor surprisingly graceful. Her fairy, Airy, floated just over her shoulder, glowing a calm teal now rather than green.

“Passing?”

Astrella said at last.

“Sure. It’s enough to pass. But is that what you want?”

She tilted her head.

“You beat Katherine, and you can summon such a unique living armor. It must be some kind of special summon, right?”

Astrella glanced at him, her large eyes sweeping over his entire body as if trying to determine his origin. He wasn’t sure, but since she was a spellcaster, it was possible she had some sort of identification skill. Her green brows twitched for a moment before she turned away and faced Gwen again.

“This is an outrageous waste, Gwendolin Rainstar!”

She pointed at Gwen with theatrical flair, causing the slimmer girl to nearly topple over from where she was sitting.

“A waste?!”

Gwen repeated the word, her voice rising with surprise as she grew flustered.

“W-what do you mean? This should be enough for someone like me…”

She lowered her head and began tapping her index fingers together in a nervous, uncertain gesture. Rusty watched from nearby, remaining close. He still didn’t know what the other summoner was planning, and if Gwen were attacked, it could cause his quest to fail.

“Enough? Not at all. You’re sitting on something rare. A summon like that is perfect for frontline combat. Let’s form a team, you and me.”

“Form a team?”

Gwen blinked, clearly overwhelmed by the sudden offer. Her first instinct was to shake her head and pull away, but Astrella gave her no chance to retreat.

“Yes, a team.”

Astrella said, planting a fist on her hip and motioning to Airy, who now floated beside Gwen with a cheerful smile.

“Think about it. You’ve got a living armor as a vanguard—strong, durable, and fast. I’ve got Airy, and she can do far more than just bind monsters.”

Rusty stiffened slightly as he sensed a shift in the surrounding mana. His grip on the halberd tightened, but he quickly realized it wasn’t an attack. It felt more like a demonstration. The energy around the tiny fairy changed, and her glow took on a more ethereal quality, now attuned to wind instead of the previous, plant green.

“As you can see, Airy can change her elemental alignment. Wind, plant, earth, and water.”

The small fairy struck a dramatic pose and raised her nose high, clearly proud of her abilities. Rusty wasn’t entirely sure what all of it meant, but the change in elemental affinity likely allowed the creature to create different effects depending on her current form. Her earlier plant alignment had enabled her to control parts of the forest and summon vines.

“I’m still working on fire and ice.”

Astrella added with enthusiasm.

“But this should be enough for now. Just think about it, Gwendolin Rainstar. We could accomplish so much more if we worked together.”

Astrella was determined. She stepped forward and gently pinned Gwen against the trunk of a large tree. With an earnest expression, she reached out her hand, clearly waiting for Gwen to take it.

Rusty watched closely, uncertain. He had worked with Gleam before and understood how valuable a supporting caster could be. A reliable ally might make the difference in completing this quest. There wasn’t a strong reason to reject the offer unless, of course, this was all a trap.

His guides weren’t with him now, but he could imagine how they might react. Aburdon would be immediately suspicious, while Alexander would likely argue in favor of accepting the help.

‘Do you think this Astrella Fjord can be trusted?’

He reached out to Gwen through their link, posing the question silently. Gwen didn’t respond right away. Her eyes remained fixed on Astrella’s outstretched hand. The fingers were graceful, but bore faint signs of wear and effort. These were not the pampered hands of a noble who relied entirely on servants. They were the hands of someone who worked for what she had. Gwen glanced at her own fingers, still faintly stained with the cheap ink she used for note-taking.

‘I… don’t know, but… she seems genuine. I think.’

The answer was not particularly reassuring, but Rusty could tell that his summoner was not afraid or uneasy. When they had faced Katherine Grandwell, the rage Gwen felt had been so strong it affected him as well. But this was different. The emotion he sensed now was something else. It made him want to trust the other summoner, though he could not explain why.

“Are you not convinced that I can pull my own weight?”

Before either of them could respond, Astrella spoke again. Her tone carried pride and a hint of annoyance. Gwen panicked and shook her head quickly, fearing the other girl had taken offense.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

“N-no, that’s not what I meant…”

“How about this then? Airy!”

Astrella turned to her fairy and issued an order through their link. The small creature turned toward Rusty. She stretched out both of her tiny hands. Rusty instinctively raised his shield and shifted into a defensive stance. But there was no attack. Instead, he felt a light breeze encircle his body, followed by a subtle but powerful shift within.

He slowly lowered his shield and opened his status screen, where new information had appeared.

Name:	Rusty
Classification:	Twilight Steel Armor [ E ++ ] L15
Type:	Magical/Inorganic
Hit Points [ HP ]	417/417
Magic Points [MP]	245/321
Special Points [SP]	70/70
Strength	150 [ E ++ ] { + 55 }
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