Chapter 344: Guwon’s Counterattack
Chapter 344: Guwon’s Counterattack
“Well then, I’ll be on my way. Thank you again for your help. You can receive your payment at the Guild.”
With that, Rachel separated from our party, seemingly intending to leave with the beastkin adventurers.
I figured she had to go with them to handle the aftermath, like the reward for the rescue quest, but I couldn’t shake the suspicion that she might have a thing for that beastkin.
Not that it’s any of my business. I mean, Rachel and I only slept together for treatment. We’re not in a position to be making a fuss over something like this.
“So, shall we go meet the Layer Boss?”
After parting ways with the other adventurers, I looked at our now much smaller party and spoke.
“What? You don’t mean right now, do you?!” Matilda exclaimed in surprise.
She’d been fine all this time, but it seemed the moment we were done helping others, she was eager to get out of the dungeon again.
“Yeah. Of course. It’s still broad daylight.”
Well, saying that in a dungeon where the brightness is always constant felt a bit out of place.
In any case, the time of day was what you could call midday.
It was midday when we rescued those adventurers in the first place. We rested for a day there, then traveled back at the same pace, so it was only natural that we’d arrive back around noon.
“B-But… couldn’t we rest today and leave again tomorrow?” Matilda asked, her voice thick with reluctance.
I thought it would be better to just hurry up and defeat the Layer Boss before coming back to rest, rather than wasting another day here.
“Let’s do as Miss Matilda says. No matter how easy the journey was, we’ve still been wandering the dungeon for several days. Let us rest well today and depart tomorrow.”
But it was Diana who spoke up, perhaps in consideration of Matilda.
Right now, the person in our party who wanted to meet the Layer Boss the most was Diana.
She was hoping there might be another one of those giant Magic Stones.
For Diana to go this far, I couldn’t just insist on leaving immediately.
So, in the end, we found ourselves heading back to the inn to stay for the night.
And there, an unexpected person was waiting for us.
“Huh? Hey, Guwon! What a coincidence!”
It was Alicia, one of the executives of the Arachne Clan and the woman who took my virginity.
Alicia waved her hand, looking quite pleased to see me.
“Hiiiek!”
The moment I saw her face, I let out a scream.
“What the hell, you bastard?! How rude to scream the moment you see someone’s face!”
“Think about what you did to me! How could I not scream?!”
“Ugh… Y-You had it coming, you bastard!”
“The fact that you beat me half to death doesn’t change! Get away! Don’t come near me!”
I immediately hid behind Sara and shouted.
Sara, with a grim expression, stepped forward to shield me.
It seemed she was still wary of Alicia.
For some reason, Alicia seemed unable to act rashly toward Sara and just glared in our direction with a displeased look on her face.
Did she instinctively sense the power of a Hero?
Whatever the case, having Sara here was incredibly reassuring.
After a long staring contest with Sara, Alicia finally muttered reluctantly.
“Ugh… F-Fine. I guess I was a little rough. I’m sorry.”
Honestly, I wasn’t really in a position to be receiving an apology, so I could understand her reluctance. But if she hated apologizing that much, couldn’t she just not talk to me?
Or did she need something from me again?
No, our meeting here was a coincidence. There shouldn’t be any business between us.
In any case, since Alicia was acting this way, I couldn’t pass up the chance to take advantage of it.
“Your apology doesn’t feel sincere.”
“This little… Then what do you want me to do?”
“If you shout ‘Uwaang! Alicia is so sowwy!’ in the cutest voice you can manage, I’ll accep—.” “You still haven’t been beaten enough, have you?!”
“Sara Shield!”
“No such thing. This time, you’re in the wrong, Guwon.”
I tried to hide behind Sara again, but she dodged cleanly to the side.
I can’t believe Sara betrayed me!
If that’s the case, I have no choice.
“Alicia! I propose a negotiation!”
Before Alicia’s fist could fly, I beat her to the punch.
“What kind of nonsense is this bastard spouting now?!”
“I’ll forgive you for hitting me before, so you forgive me for what I just said! How about it? Fair, right?”
Alicia wore a wary expression, but I paid her no mind and said what I had to say.
“H-Huh?!”
“Is there a problem?! It’s fair, isn’t it?!”
“N-No… well… I guess… so?”
Overwhelmed by my assertiveness, Alicia agreed, but she still muttered with a look of doubt.
What do you mean, ‘I guess so’? You’re the one getting completely screwed over here.
“Anyway. Alicia, what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be on the 5th or 6th floor?”
Before Alicia could think it over any further, I quickly changed the subject.
“The others are working hard on that. I’ve always been in charge of training. I’m here to train these kids this time.”
Alicia said, pointing toward a table in the dining area.
There, the Arachne trio—Kanna, Serena, and Amy—were slumped over the table, looking half-dead.
“Weren’t they struggling with the 2nd floor until just recently?”
“You’re talking about ancient history. Besides, people grow as much as you push them.”
Hearing that, I felt a sudden surge of sympathy for the trio.
You guys must have suffered like hell under the wrong superior…
I could understand why all three of them had their faces planted on the table.
But there was nothing I could do for them.
All I could do was cheer them on in my heart, telling them to stay strong.
“More importantly, seeing as you’ve arrived in this town, are you planning to set up a base on the 3rd floor and explore it properly? In that case, how about you join us…”
“Nope. We’re heading to the 4th floor.”
“W-What?!”
The moment I said that, Alicia’s expression became noticeably flustered.
And she wasn’t the only one who reacted that way.
Though they had been slumped over, the trio must have been listening, because they suddenly snapped their heads up and stared at me with expressions that screamed, Please don’t do that.
What? What is it? Why are you all acting like this?!
“How long has it been since you even got to the 3rd floor…!”
“Ah, but we’re a little on the strong side. Plus, after we enhanced our gear with the items we got from the 5th floor, this place became so easy it’s ridiculous. We were actually planning to go straight to the 4th floor without even coming back here, but we returned briefly to rescue some stranded adventurers.”
As I said that, the Arachne trio glared at me resentfully, their faces filled with despair.
Seriously, why are you guys making those faces just because we’re going to the 4th floor?
“I-Is that so…”
Alicia muttered, her face contorted in annoyance, as if things weren’t going her way.
“Guwon. If you’re done talking, let’s go.”
“Hmph. I, too, wish to have my meal.”
“Guwon-ssi. This way.”
As soon as they decided my conversation with Alicia was over, my party members swarmed me and started pushing me toward the dining area.
Specifically, toward the table farthest away from where the Arachne trio was sitting.
“H-Hey! Wait! Then let’s at least have a meal together…!” “I’m sorry, but we have important party matters to discuss. We’re going to fight the Layer Boss, so there’s a lot to talk about, like strategy and so on. Please understand.”
Alicia tried to hold onto us, a look of longing on her face, but Sara rejected her with a cold voice.
“I-If that’s the case, I can help! I’ve fought the 3rd floor’s boss countless…!”
“Are you daring to offer me advice?”
“Ugh! Ughhhhh…!”
Though her face was hidden by her deeply pulled-down wizard’s hat, the Arachne executives had already been informed that Diana was in our party.
Alicia must have realized immediately who had just spoken.
In the end, Alicia could only groan in frustration, unable to stop us any longer.
I really don’t get why Alicia is trying so hard to cling to us.
Her behavior is like a guy trying desperately to pick up a girl he likes. There’s no way Alicia likes me… no. Wait a minute. Come to think of it, there were those rumors about her… about her being into women.
Don’t tell me she’s taken a liking to someone in my party?!
And she lost the staring contest with Sara earlier!
Is she after Sara?!
“Alicia!”
“W-What is it?”
When I called her name, Alicia’s face brightened again as she answered.
Just as I thought. She likes her. I knew it. Don’t get your hopes up. I’m not asking you to eat with us.
“You can’t have our Sara! You lesbian!”
“……What did you just say, you crazy bastard?!”
For a moment, Alicia froze as if she didn’t understand what I’d said, then she charged at me like a wild beast.
This time, Sara immediately tried to step in front of me.
But I deliberately stepped in front of Sara.
“Sara! It’s dangerous! She’s just putting on an act, knowing you’ll block her!”
“I told you, it’s not like that, you bastard!”
Alicia punched me once, then stomped her feet as if she was about to die from frustration, and finally stormed out of the inn, fuming.
“G-Guwon, are you okay?”
“I’m satisfied, as long as I could protect Sara.”
Damn right. I took one hit and managed to drive away the evil lesbian who was trying to get her claws into my woman.
I’d say that’s a cheap price to pay.
“From what I can see, it seems you are gravely mistaken about something.”
“Ahem. You don’t know what you’re talking about. She’s definitely a lesbian. Everyone, be careful around her from now on.”
“Hmm. Well, I understand.”
Diana looked like she wanted to say more, but she soon nodded as if she’d come to some sort of understanding.
“And Leia.”
“Yes?”
“Heal me, please. Honestly, for a woman, she’s nothing but brute strength.”
“Fufu. Yes. Come here.”
“So it comes back to that again!”
Diana’s jealousy flared up once more, but I had the clear and righteous cause of needing treatment.
I was able to receive healing in the arms of an angel.
*
“So. What’s this strategy for fighting the Layer Boss?”
As we ate, I remembered what Sara had said to Alicia and asked.
The monsters on the 3rd floor had all been so easy that I was planning to go in without much thought, but on second thought, that was dangerous.
The boss of the 3rd floor would be as strong as a Transcendent Species from the 4th floor.
“First, you will use Saint’s Wave as soon as the fight begins.”
“Okay. And then?”
“While you draw its attention and dodge appropriately, Miss Sara and I will finish it.”
“And then?”
“Hm? That is all. Normally, the standard approach would be to learn its attack patterns and counter them properly, but if Miss Sara and I attack together, it will be over before it can even display such a variety of patterns. Not only that, if we weren’t trying to raise Miss Sara’s level, we might be able to finish it with your Saint skills alone.”
“Wait. Didn’t you make it sound like you were going to have some grand strategy meeting when you were talking to Alicia?”
“I said no such thing.”
Come to think of it, she was right.
I naturally glanced at Sara, who played innocent and said with a straight face.
“I thought we might need more preparation, but it seems that’s not necessary.”
“Miss Sara, you are quite cautious.”
“It’s basic for an adventurer who explores the dungeon.”
“Hmph. A commendable attitude.”
The two of them were playing off each other perfectly.
If this was the plan, we didn’t have to push Alicia away like that… no. Who knows what that lesbian would have done if she’d eaten at the same table as my girls.
Sara was probably just wary of Alicia for taking my virginity, but I guess it turned out for the best.
Besides, Sara has no reason to be jealous.
Look at the way Alicia hits me. Is that how you treat someone you like?
When it came to Alicia, I could say with absolute certainty that she didn’t like me.
What about Sara hitting me, you ask?
That’s completely different. When Sara hits me, I can feel the affection. When Alicia hits me, all I feel is violence.