127. Not a mother-in-law, but...
127. Not a mother-in-law, but...
Before we knew it, we reached the 23rd floor.
There hadn't been any particular problems during that time.
Except that climbing cliffs took much longer than just sprinting across flat ground.
I looked at Zenin, who was hanging from my waist like dried fish, and said.
"How is it? Holding up okay?"
"Haha... well, aside from it being embarrassing, I'm fine, Ryu-o-nim..."
Zenin clearly seemed to have reached his limit, so I was carrying him along.
Hmm. Glass cannons are fine like this.
I pointed at a cave on the cliff and shouted.
"Let's rest and sleep over there!!"
"""Yes!!!"""
There was no need to detect with Ki Sense — the surroundings were empty.
We'd been bursting every flying demon beast that came at us...
I decided to briefly check my Status Window.
[Status Window]
Name: Jang Ryu-o
Occupation: ¿Dream Demon Swords‽¿man
Title: Transmigrator
Level: 28
HP: 1420/1500 MP: 900/1340, 880/1300 450/500 Strength: 43 Agility: 39 Stamina: 40 Intelligence: 53 Luck: ¿? 9
Remaining Points: 24
Traits: BUG, Succubus, Porter
Skills: LV.MAX Slime Body, LV.5 Intermediate Swordsmanship, LV.6 Circulation of Qi, LV.3 Uncheon-yeohyeong, LV.2 Water Resistance, LV.6 Poison Resistance, LV.3 Night Vision, LV.3 Heavenly Demon Divine Art, LV.7 Hardening, LV.4 Uitae, LV.5 Warrior's Charge, LV.3 Ki Sense, LV.1 Circle, LV.1 Allure, LV.4 Subjugation, LV.1 Vibration, LV.1 Supply, LV.3 Intimidation, LV.1 Multitasking LV.1 Water Magic
『In ven to ry』
I'd handled all the flying demon beasts by myself, so I'd leveled up before I knew it.
Even had enough leftover points for level 28.
'Kh... stamina's sufficient, too. Nice.'
If I raised stats all at once, it'd be hard to adapt, so I'm doing it slowly.
As I climbed while lost in idle thoughts, we soon arrived at the cliff.
I gestured to my comrades to stay quiet.
"..."
—Nod.
My comrades silently pressed against the wall, hanging at the cliff's edge.
When I checked with Ki Sense, I detected a large shape inside the fairly wide cave.
'What's that? A bear...? No, it has horns, and it's watching the cliff. Uh... this is...?'
A Berg Sheep. A rare demon beast found only in cliff caves on the 20th floors.
A vicious bastard that holds its breath at the back of the cave, then rams adventurers when they climb the cliff.
There are ways to deal with it, but the Adventurer's Guild doesn't recommend extermination.
Because it won't attack first if you don't enter its cave.
However, as a dangerous demon beast, it's an expensive one.
Just the fur and horns combined are 40 gold coins. If you carefully butcher the meat and organs, that's another 10 gold coins. The 'Stone Head' and 'Horn Strength' essences are a whopping 100 gold coins!
Of course, if the 'Climbing Urge' essence appears, it's a bust.
Basically, it's hard to find and a very valuable creature.
I closed my eyes and focused on its eyes.
The thing must have sensed our presence too, as it was glaring at the cave entrance with bulging eyes.
I hurled an iron ball at its unblinking eye...
—Whoosh! Smack!!
"Meeehhhhh!!!!"
"Deploy!"
We leaped into the cliff cave.
The one-eyed creature thrashed and swung its head wildly.
"Meeehhh!!"
—Bang bang! Boom!!
Selana easily deflected the flying rocks.
"Hmph!"
—Thud! Crack!!!
I threw an iron ball and snapped the creature's leg.
—Crunch! Crack!
"Meeehhhhk!!!"
After that, Zenin blinded its remaining eye with Wind Arrow.
And with Magna's buff, Selana struck its head upward with her shield.
—Clang!
"Mehk!!!!!!!"
With its throat completely exposed, I stabbed my sword in and scrambled its brain a few times...
—Shhhhk!! Squelch squelch
"......"
—Shudder... Thud!!
We acquired a very cleanly intact corpse.
We looked at each other and grinned.
"""Jackpot!"""
Literally hit the jackpot. It's a shame no essence came out, but well...
"Hehe! It was nothing, right?"
"Now that I think about it, it's time to change my blankets... uheuheu!!!"
"... Slurp. I heard this meat is really delicious..."
I spoke to the knights who were standing there with their mouths agape.
"Could you butcher it for us? Oh, set aside the meat we'll eat separately, okay? You knights can set aside plenty for yourselves too."
"......"
"Squad Leader... answer..."
"Hat!! Yes, yessir!!! Understood!!"
—Crackle... crack! Crackle...
"""Kyaaa......"""
We looked at the lamb meat cooking golden brown and swallowed our saliva.
Even though Selana could probably eat it whenever she wanted, she was still drooling over it.
Seems she got hungry after working up a sweat.
Zenin pretended to be composed, but kept stealing glances at the meat.
Magna, surprisingly, had an unpleasant expression.
"Magna? You said you wanted to eat it. Why that expression?"
Magna gave a faint smile and shook her head.
"It's nothing. I just thought of the children who said they wanted to eat lots of meat."
"Huh??? But you received support from the Duchy last time."
Selana also jumped in surprise and said.
"That's right! They said our family generously provided for you?"
Magna smiled and nodded.
"We expanded the seating with that money. Replaced all the worn-out things too. Repaired the facilities. Starting next month, they'll eat plentifully."
Ah... so she did extensions and remodeling.
"Ugh... you should've asked us for that!"
"We receive as much as we work for. So we won't be ashamed when standing before the Goddess."
How should I put it. That's cool.
I handed my well-wrapped portion of meat to Magna.
—Plop!
Holding the enormous slab of meat, Magna blinked.
"????"
"It's a donation. Take it and eat with the kids."
"Mine too! I'll eat even more delicious things!"
—Plop!
"......"
Zenin watched the two of us, her mouth opening and closing...
"Ugh... seriously, I hate this kind of atmosphere..."
Zenin also took out her meat and placed it next to Magna.
—Plop!
"......"
"Don't look at me like that! It's not for you, it's for the dignity of our family! Do you see now how absurd your misunderstanding was?"
Magna placed the meat one by one into her Subspace and closed her eyes.
Then, she bowed her waist in front of Zenin.
—Deep bow.
"I'm sorry. I cannot lie. What I saw was certain. However, you alone are unrelated. This is an apology meant only for you. I'm sorry for misunderstanding."
Seeing her speak at length like that, Magna must have been quite moved.
Receiving the apology, Zenin clenched her teeth and expressed irritation.
"Ahhh!! What on earth did you see!!! Fine! I won't accept it until you apologize to my family!!!"
"Then, I will continue thanking you alone."
"Kiiiiaaaak!!!"
...... Looking at Zenin, things got unnecessarily complicated.
Because I saw it too.
I considered speaking up, but swallowed my words.
The knights were present, and I didn't want to make Zenin feel troubled during the expedition.
"Come on, let's just eat the meat. Wow... look at that oil flowing."
"Ugh..."
"Oppa! Should I cut it for you?"
"... Sniffle"
Everyone was startled and looked at Magna.
Magna had her arms crossed, staring at the cave ceiling.
We looked back and forth at each other...
"Magna. Are you crying?"
"A priestess does not cry except during prayer..."
"Pfft... Kyahahaha!! Magna! It really doesn't suit you! Ahahahahaha!!"
"Huh! I'm dumbfounded that you think... crying!"
We chattered noisily and ate the meat deliciously.
Silvia looked at her reflection in the mirror and bowed her head.
"Ugh... w-will he like it this time too...? Hehe..."
Silvia recalled that hot day.
[Ryu-o-nim... I love you♥ please... say you love me too♥♥]
[Ha... I love you.]
[Hehe...♥ Ah! Sl-sleep!!! Energyyyyyyyt!!♥]
"Heuhe... slurrp! Hee..."
If she could experience that again, the current humiliation was nothing.
Silvia confidently looked at herself dressed in the school uniform.
"That's right! Ryu-o-nim will like... it... hmm... ugh! He will like it!!!"
Silvia was currently wearing her Academy days school uniform.
However, the appearance was a bit...
The stockings that went up to her thighs had plump flesh spilling out.
The skirt clung so tightly that if she bent her waist even slightly, her white panties were clearly visible.
The chest area was squeezed so tight that the buttons looked ready to burst from expansion.
Thanks to that, her breasts were pressed down, and from behind, her side-boob bulged out prominently.
"...... I was slim too when I attended the Academy..."
Now her chest and lower body had filled out plumply.
But Silvia was no longer depressed.
Ryu-o-nim had kneaded her plump body all over and enjoyed it.
That pillow talk came to mind again.
[Smack smack♥ Hehe...]
—Squeeze squeeze
[Kyaa! Ryu-o-nim... I'm embarrassed! It's such an unsightly place...]
[No. It's the best. I love it. It's really pretty.]
[???? R-really?]
[Yes. Never take them off... wow...]
Even if her chest was fine, her stomach and thighs had been a concern for Silvia.
It was another moment that made her fall for Ryu-o again.
"Hahhh... really... Ryu-o-nim, please come quickly...♥"
"Come quickly?"
"Hehe, to do this and that with me... heehee!"
"This and that like what?"
"That would be, of course~♥ Of... course...???????????"
Silvia looked toward where a voice that should not be heard was coming from.
There...
"I've heard well about your relationship with our Aga."
Arin was visible, sitting on the sofa with her legs crossed.
"So Aga likes things like that?"
At Arin's nightmare-like appearance, Silvia collapsed.
—Plop...
"Ah, ahh... Arin... nim...???"
Arin frowned as she spoke.
The usually expressionless Arin sighed as if she had a headache.
"Ha... I came to say something... no. That's right. I did come to say something, but..."
Even though Silvia hadn't done anything wrong, an apology automatically burst out.
"I-I'm... I'm sorry."
Arin looked at the pale Silvia and leaned back as if her energy had drained.
"...... Tch. First, sit down."
—Tremble tremble...
"Yes... ju-just a moment..."
—Whoosh!
When Silvia blinked, she was sitting upright in her spot.
'Eh? I didn't even feel my body being touched... huh?'
Arin, in her own consideration, had sat Silvia down, but it was poison instead.
Because Silvia felt she could die without even knowing she was dead.
"... Hiccup!"
"Ha... Silvia. I have no intention of scolding you."
At Arin's emotionless words, Silvia finally met Arin's eyes.
"Yees..."
"To be honest, I did intend to say something. As the legal wife, I meant to put some pressure on you, but..."
I see. As the legal wife... legal wife?
"What?"
"Seeing you so happy to death like this, my feelings are complex. I know that, that emotion well."
"I-legal wife..."
"I also listened to an acquaintance's words and thought about it a lot. Magnanimity... I must admit her mental strength alone is impressive..."
"Arin-nim. You just said legal wife..."
For the first time, Arin slightly avoided Silvia's eyes.
After reddening her face for about 2 seconds, Arin lifted her head and said.
"That's right. I am Aga's first and legal wife."
".............................. Yeeeeesssssss?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!"