Chapter 293: Preparing for the Quest
Chapter 293: Preparing for the Quest
“What in the world did you do to Miss Silvia?”
“Nothing. I just did what we normally do…”
“Then what’s with her over there?!” Diana said, pointing to Silvia, who was huddled in a corner of the dining room, unable to even meet my eyes.
“Don’t ask me… Hey. Silvia.”
“Eeeek! Y-Yes!”
“What’s wrong with you?”
“I-I-I-It’s nothing!”
“What do you mean, nothing? At the very least, look at me when you answer.”
“Hnngh! N-No, I can’t! Impossible! It’s impossible!”
As I approached Silvia and tried to gently turn her face toward me, she trembled violently, desperately trying to avoid my gaze.
“What’s so impossible?”
“Uuuuh… I-If I see your face right now, I’ll feel it!”
As if she couldn’t even bear me holding her face, Silvia finally made a candid confession.
“W-What?!”
“If I see your face, then, well, I’ll remember last night and… I-I’ll feel it!”
“……”
I had no choice but to let go of her face.
So that’s what it was? I mean, she did faint when she woke up, but… I just thought it was because of the Healing Sex.
In fact, Silvia had already fainted once today.
After finally finishing eight rounds last night, I had naturally fallen asleep still connected to Silvia for the Healing Sex, and I stayed that way until she woke up this morning.
And as soon as Silvia opened her eyes, she blinked her large eyes a few times with a dazed expression, as if she couldn’t comprehend the situation. Then, she suddenly began to vibrate at a high speed.
“G-G-Gu…? S-S-Sa… Hiuuuuugh…”
That was everything Silvia managed to say from the moment she woke up until she fainted again.
The instant she came to, Silvia buried her face in my chest and passed out, her hips trembling uncontrollably.
To think she’d climax and faint the moment she woke up. She really is a handful.
Well, the one who fainted looked as blissful as if she owned the entire world.
In any case, I had to disconnect from her and get dressed before she woke up again. When she finally did, she’d been keeping her distance and avoiding my gaze ever since.
To think it was because it was dangerous for her to even look at my face.
I thought she might have built up a little tolerance after what we did yesterday, but did it have the opposite effect?
Maybe telling someone who feels pleasure from mental satisfaction that she was precious to me was the biggest problem.
“Anyway, now you see, right? All I did was treat her well.”
“…I-I see.”
Silvia’s cry seemed to have left even Diana dumbfounded, as she nodded with a bewildered expression.
Then, united in purpose, we decided to ignore Silvia in the corner and eat our meal.
“Guwon, when are you planning to go to the Arachne Clan?”
“Hm? I was thinking of going right after we eat.”
“That’s… That’s quite sudden.”
“Yeah. It’s best to get these things over with quickly.”
“Are all your preparations complete?”
“What preparations are there to make? I just have to stand in the back and fire off a few Saint skills.”
“What are you talking about! You’re going to the 5th Floor! Do you have any idea how dangerous it is for someone of your level to go to the 5th Floor?! If something were to happen, I… I would…”
“Sorry. But don’t worry. The top executives of the Arachne Clan, the best of the best who even thrive on the 6th Floor, are all going. It can’t be that dangerous, can it?”
“Even so, you never know what might happen in the dungeon! Miss Silvia herself was in danger in the ant nest, was she not! If an unexpected incident like that occurs, those women won’t throw their own bodies on the line to protect you. In the end, it all comes down to you.”
She had a point. Miriel had sworn she would protect me no matter what, but if a situation arose where her own life was on the line, there was no way she could keep such a promise.
“Yeah. Sorry. I’ll be careful.”
“…M-Maybe you should reconsider the quest after all?”
Growing anxious after hearing Diana’s words, Leia fidgeted and studied my expression.
“No. The clan leader already used a Mana Contract. I can’t back out now.”
“…Guwon. You have to be really careful.”
Sara, too, grabbed my hand tightly, her face etched with worry.
“…If only my level were a little higher, I would accompany you…” Diana muttered with a bitter expression.
Honestly, it might have been possible if we had about a month to prepare.
I could just have a ton of sex with Silvia to raise my level to hers, and then use that to focus on raising Diana’s level.
Well, to do that, I’d have to hold only Silvia and Diana for a whole month.
So yeah, it was an impossible plan one way or another.
“…U-Um…!”
Just then, Silvia, who had been huddled in the corner, suddenly raised her voice.
She still had her eyes squeezed shut, as if it was hard to look at my face, but her head was at least turned in our direction.
“I-In that case, h-how about I go with you?!” Silvia exclaimed.
“Huh? You? But your level is…”
It’s probably incomparably lower than Miriel’s, right?
Miriel’s level was so high my Analyze skill couldn’t even read it.
In contrast, Silvia’s level was still 187.
It was incredibly high compared to mine, but to go to the 5th Floor… No, wait. Wasn’t Alicia’s level a bit lower than Silvia’s?
Since they said all the executives were going, Alicia would definitely be participating in this quest.
“Miss Silvia, what is your Knight job level?”
“It’s 184.”
It was unexpectedly high.
What’s with her? Wasn’t raising a job level supposed to be hard? My Martial Artist level is still stuck in the 60s.
I see. She must have raised her base level a ton when she was young, so she spent all her free time training as a knight.
“Hmm… Her job level is certainly sufficient… but Miss Silvia is not used to the dungeon… It could be a bit dangerous when fighting the 5th Floor’s Layer Boss…”
Diana placed a hand on her chin, looking deep in thought.
But she soon lifted her head and looked at Silvia with a steady gaze.
“Miss Silvia, will you be alright? Your job level is certainly not inferior to any other adventurer who frequents the 5th Floor. However, you are not accustomed to the dungeon. I know it was to protect the three of us, but you were wounded that badly in an ant nest that was only slightly stronger than the 2nd Floor. The fight with the 5th Floor’s Layer Boss will likely be even more dangerous. Still…”
As if she knew what Diana wanted to say, Silvia nodded firmly and spoke.
“I’ll be fine! For Sir Guwon’s safety! More importantly… a-are you all okay with me going?”
“Hm? What do you mean?”
“You all won’t be able to see Sir Guwon for several days, and for someone like me to be with him…”
“Silvia-ssi.”
At Silvia’s words, Leia called her name as if scolding her.
“‘Someone like me.’ Please don’t say that. You are our precious comrade too, Silvia-ssi.”
“That’s right, Silvia. And we’re not that prone to jealousy, you know,” Sara added with a bright smile.
“Huh? You’re not jealous? I’m hurt!”
“You idiot! Your life is more important right now!”
I got a smack for trying to tease Sara.
In any case, it seemed everyone was positive about Silvia accompanying me on the quest.
To be honest, I’d feel more secure if Silvia came along too.
She might be unable to even look me in the eye like this now, but when it comes to a combat situation, she’ll do her job properly.
And frankly, it’s more comfortable to have someone I know with me.
“But even if Silvia comes, will the Arachne Clan accept it? I already told them I’d be going alone. From their perspective, it might feel like they’re just taking on more baggage.”
“Hmm. If you explain that she’s simply accompanying you as your personal guard and that they won’t need to worry about her at all, I think it will be fine. You can carry Miss Silvia’s gear for the dungeon, so there won’t be a problem. Why not at least bring it up with them?”
“Well, whether they accept or not, I guess it’s worth a shot.”
“Indeed.”
“Then I will accompany you on the quest. I will risk my life to ensure that you are absolutely safe, Sir Guwon…!”
“Yeah. I’m happy to hear you say that, but let’s try to keep you safe too. We’d be sad if you got hurt.”
“Hauuut… Y-Yes…”
The momentum of Silvia’s spirited declaration instantly fizzled out.
“Then, Miss Silvia. Please take good care of this man…”
“Wait a minute!”
Just as it was decided that Silvia would go with me, Matilda, who had been eating quietly, suddenly shot to her feet and shouted.
What’s with her now?
“I’ve grasped the entire situation! If that’s the case, it can’t be helped! I will also go…!”
“No, we don’t need you. Besides, were you eavesdropping?”
“Eavesdropping! How can you say that when you were all speaking so openly in a shared space?!”
Well, she wasn’t wrong about that.
Still, I think it’s bad manners for a third party to butt into other people’s conversations.
“What a rude man you are! And here I was, offering to help.”
“No. I’m telling you, we don’t need it.”
“What kind of nonsense is that? You’re worried about your life, aren’t you? If I go with you…”
“No. Were you even listening? If you’re going to eavesdrop, at least do it properly. I just said the clan might not like it because it’s extra baggage. Silvia is a combat class with the right level, so I can at least persuade them she won’t be a burden, but you’re a priestess. You’re a class that absolutely needs someone to protect you.”
“Hmph!”
Matilda suddenly scoffed. It was strangely irritating. Is she really just acting like this? Are you sure her real personality is gentle?
“Although I have changed my job to High Priestess now, I was originally a Holy Knight. I am confident that I am at least as strong as that woman over there.”
As far as I knew, Holy Knight was a job one could change to at level 100.
A cleric’s job is initially fixed as Priest. After that, the path splits into the Holy Knight, who mainly uses maces for combat and physical enhancement, and the High Priest, who specializes more in healing magic.
And this Matilda was originally a Holy Knight?
I glanced at Leia for confirmation, and she nodded.
I see. I could roughly guess the circumstances.
A Holy Knight was probably a position that involved more external activities than a High Priestess.
But Matilda was under a curse that prevented her from going outside carelessly.
So, she must have stayed within the temple and changed her job to High Priestess, a job in the same class line.
“Do you understand now? I have outstanding combat abilities, and although I may be a little behind other High Priests, I can even use healing magic. I am the best person to protect you. Very well. If you bow your head and beg me, I shall accompany you!” Matilda declared in a confident voice.
“No. I don’t need you.”
“W-Why not!” she cried, her confident face instantly crumpling into a tearful one.
“If I’m with you, I might get castrated at any moment.”
“That can only happen if I like you! W-Who would ever like someone like you!”
“Matilda.”
“Yeees…”
As I lowered my voice and said her name with a serious expression, Matilda’s cheeks immediately flushed pink.
“See? I definitely don’t need you!”
“N-No, this isn’t it! I was just answering, that’s all!”
Like hell it isn’t! The look in your eyes just now was that of a woman completely in love!
How can a person be like this? All I did was call her name with a slightly serious tone and she reacts like that!
“Hmm. Miss Matilda. May I ask a favor of you?”
But Diana, who had been listening from the side, suddenly spoke to Matilda.
“Diana?! Are you crazy?!”
“Hey! Watch your mouth!”
“B-But! You know why I’m acting like this! Do you want our man to get castrated?!”
“That’s better than him dying.”
“Hey! Even so!”
“Besides. Looking at you now, I don’t think we need to worry that much. You’ve been handling it well so far, have you not?”
“B-But! Right! Other men, too!”
“As far as I know, there are no men among the executives of the Arachne Clan. It’s also hard to imagine you’ll run into other male adventurers on the 5th Floor. You just need to be careful yourself.”
“Guwon. I agree with Diana. I believe you can handle it,” Sara said.
“That’s right, Guwon-ssi. And please rest assured that even if you were to become… incapacitated, our feelings for you would not change,” Leia added.
Ugh. Sara. Leia. Your kind words are too heavy for me right now.
“It’s decided then!”
Matilda beamed at me.
“Gah! Don’t smile at me!”
“That’s not the kind of smile it was! You’re so rude!”