Chapter 393: A Demon God in the Dungeon?
Chapter 393: A Demon God in the Dungeon?
“But to have to do this every time we eat… and even when we talk. This floor is incredibly dependent on mages.”
“H-Hmm?! That makes it sound as if the other floors are not.”
Diana still seemed a bit awkward, conscious of us making eye contact earlier, but she spoke as if she couldn't stand to have magic disparaged.
Her pride in magic really is sky-high. That part of her is cute, though.
“No, that's not what I meant, but this floor is especially bad, isn't it? Let's be honest, could you even come here without a mage?”
“One could not!”
Are you that proud? The way you puff out your chest and declare it.
“I see. So having a mage in the party is essential. Aren't there any magical items that would let us operate without one? This mask creates air, after all. It seems like it would be possible without a mage if there was a magical device that could affect the entire space.”
“It's not that they don't exist... but they are far too large to carry around on an expedition. The Magic Stone consumption is also far too severe. Even for mages, who only use them when needed and adjust the range, the mana drain is difficult to handle.”
“Ah, I see.”
Come to think of it, I remember my mana draining severely when I was maintaining the air bubble while kissing Sara just now.
If it were just about creating air, it might be different, but maintaining its shape and making it follow my head was quite difficult.
Well, I was so startled that I managed to pull it off by accident, but still.
“Hmm. That is why, when exploring the 4th Floor, it is an ironclad rule that mages do not use mana for anything other than this kind of support.”
“Is that how it is? You should have told me when we first got here. I would have been more careful.”
“You need not worry about me. I am regulating it just fine on my own.”
Of course her mana is fine. She had enough to spare to let Sara hear me getting all excited while watching the tentacle play earlier.
Of course, it was my fault, so I have no intention of complaining.
“As expected of Diana.”
“Hmph!”
When I gave her a light compliment, Diana seemed to completely forget her awkwardness, puffing out her chest with pride.
Don't stick your chest out like that. It makes me want to touch it for no reason.
Of course, there's no way I could actually touch them. Especially not right after what happened earlier.
Instead, I gently stroked Diana's head.
“Oh? But Diana-ssi.”
“Hmm?”
“In that case, what do you do when you sleep?”
“Hmm? What do you mean? Why would one need magic to sleep?”
“W-What?”
At Diana's remark, Leia's eyes went wide and her ears perked up, her face a mask of surprise.
To look so pure and elegant even like that... She really is an angel.
As a bonus, her body jolted slightly, causing her heavy breasts to sway once.
They were breasts that displayed a distinct movement, even without the aid of buoyancy.
“Lady Leia, you know from experience, do you not? The human body floats on its own if you relax. There is no need to lay out a bed. The water temperature here is warm, so there is no need for blankets, and as for breathing, changing the Magic Stone in your mask before bed is enough to last the night.”
“Th-Then…”
“Hmm. Without any magic, simply tying your body down to secure it so you don't float away while sleeping is sufficient.”
“W-W-What did you say?! I-Is that really true?!”
Leia also wore a slightly troubled expression, but the one who reacted far more dramatically was none other than Matilda.
Matilda shot to her feet as if she'd heard something unbelievable, staring at Diana with a look that begged her to say it was a lie.
“Hmm. Why would I jest about such a thing?”
But reality was cruel.
“N-No... hic... I can't take it anymore...”
Matilda, who was already struggling to adapt to the dungeon, seemed to have finally had her mental state shattered by those words.
“Hey, hey. Are you okay?”
So much so that I found myself comforting her without thinking.
“Hic... You...”
At that, Matilda threw herself into my arms and buried her face in my chest.
W-Wait a second. I didn't mean for it to go this far. I was just trying to comfort her a little...
I lifted my head, about to make an excuse for the sudden development, but everyone else simply soothed Matilda without much of a reaction.
“As I thought, traversing the dungeon may have been a bit too much for Lady Matilda.”
“Huh? What do you mean, ‘as you thought’?”
“Priests are particularly sensitive to the dungeon's foreign mana. Unless one has adapted slowly from the 1st Floor like Lady Leia, seven or eight out of ten end up like this. No. Considering the speed at which we descended, it wouldn't have been strange for even Lady Leia to be in this state. Still, Lady Matilda has a record of holding up well on the 5th Floor, so I thought there would be no issue...”
Ah, so that's it. The mana flowing here is probably the War God's mana.
And priests are more accustomed to the Goddess's power than anyone.
On the 5th Floor, we were honestly just being protected in the center of the group.
We didn't even stand watch, and frankly, aside from a few crises, it felt like we were on a picnic.
At least I had to focus on using my Saint skills effectively. All Matilda had to do was heal everyone after the fights were over.
That's probably why Matilda was able to endure it on the 5th Floor.
But now that we're exploring in earnest, constantly on guard and standing watch at night, she's finally reached her limit.
Well, if we're talking about being used to the Goddess's power, I'm the same as the priests, but I'm not from this world in the first place.
And the reason Leia is fine is probably because she's from a race that existed during the era of the War God.
“Then should we just head back right away instead of staying on the 4th Floor? Our immediate goal isn't here, anyway...”
“Ugh! W-Wait a moment!”
I'd said it out of consideration for Matilda, but for some reason, she herself flinched and suddenly stopped me.
“If you're doing this for my sake, you don't need to! I...!”
“But, Matilda. I'm worried about you.”
I deliberately threw out those gentle words to persuade Matilda more easily.
As if on cue, Matilda immediately switched into her 'woman in love' mode.
“Ah, ah, ahh... You... B-But... I don't want to be a burden to everyone. I don't want to cause trouble. Please. I beg you. I can endure it... I'll endure sleeping, too.”
But even while wearing an ecstatic expression as if she couldn't get enough of my love, Matilda spoke with an earnest tone.
To insist on this even after switching to this mode... She must really hate the idea of the party's expedition being cut short because of her.
Since she was begging me so desperately, it was hard for me to refuse outright.
“Alright. But you have to tell me immediately if you can't take it. We'll head back right away.”
“Yes... Thank you. My love...”
“That's great, Matilda.”
“Yes... Eh?! W-Wait! Sara-ssi! It's not like that!”
What do you mean, 'it's not like that'? You were just looking at me with that completely smitten expression.
In any case, we decided to continue the expedition for now.
But our exploration speed, walking through the water, was hardly fast, and the day passed with us just taking a light look around the vicinity.
“Sleeping while floating in the water with a rope tied to my waist... I feel like a fish caught by a fisherman and strung up in a line...”
Matilda had followed us diligently without a single complaint until now, but when it came time to actually sleep like this, she couldn't seem to hold it in and let a small complaint slip out.
Well, I feel the same way, so I have no intention of blaming her.
“This is making me realize it all over again, but being an adventurer is a really extreme profession.”
“There's a reason the pay is good, is there not?”
“Honestly, I don't need any more money, though.”
If it weren't for what the Goddess said, I would have even considered quitting the dungeon for good. That's how much I felt it.
“There is no use complaining. Come. You tie this to your waist as well.”
Matilda's description was spot on; we each tied a rope to our waists and connected them to one another.
We connected ourselves in a circle, and then each of us also fixed our bodies to the floor with another rope so that no one would be swept away by the current.
Trying to sleep floating in the water like this really does make me feel like a fish.
Though I could see one person over there who still couldn't float properly.
“Silvia.”
“Y-Yes!”
Silvia was flailing her arms and legs frantically, but she showed no signs of floating.
Is it because her body has absolutely no unnecessary fat?
No! Not that I'm saying the others have unnecessary fat!
Especially my angel! She may have a particular concentration of fat in her chest area, but I would never think of it as unnecessary! In fact, I consider it a treasure of mankind!
“Want to sleep on top of my stomach?”
“I-I-I-It's fine!”
“After what happened during the day, have you still not come to your senses! This is the dungeon!”
“No, I purely meant I'd let her rest on my stomach... like an otter with its pup. Since it looks like Silvia can't float.”
“I-It's fine! I'm really fine!”
“Really? You'll get stiff sleeping on the floor.”
And it's not like we can lay out a blanket or anything underwater.
I tried offering one more time, but Silvia just shook her head vigorously, repeating that she was fine.
Well, if she actually slept on top of me, I guess neither of us would be able to sleep properly.
In the end, after a few more tries, Silvia seemed to give up and decided to sleep on the floor.
She doesn't have to be so stubborn.
In any case, we spent the night experiencing the 4th Floor's unique sleeping method for the first time.
Tap, tap.
The sensation of someone tapping my shoulder slowly woke me from my sleep.
I hadn't been asleep for long, so my head was groggy, but I had to get up.
When I slowly opened my eyes, Diana, who had the first watch, was floating beside me.
Time to switch shifts, I guess.
I slowly looked around and saw that everyone was properly floating in the water, fast asleep without having drifted away.
Even Silvia, who had struggled to float, was now floating properly, as if she had risen naturally once she fell asleep.
Leia was especially impressive, sleeping on her stomach with her arms and legs dangling limply below her.
The position, with her butt stuck out towards me, was already sexy, but to top it off, the hem of her priestess's robe was lifted up, swaying in a tantalizing position where her panties were just barely visible. It was a magnificent view.
Adding to that, her tail, swaying gently in the current, added a touch of cuteness that made it absolutely perfect.
My angel is an angel even in her sleep.
Just then, something poked me in the chest.
I looked down to see Diana patting my chest with both hands.
It seems she noticed where I was looking.
But Diana, don't waste your energy.
They were already just light pats, but underwater they're even slower. It doesn't even feel like I'm being hit anymore.
Well, her being jealous is cute and all, though.
Speaking of jealousy, that reminds me.
She made eye contact with me earlier today when I was making Sara feel good.
I didn't realize it at the moment, but her gaze was probably filled with a heat that said she was envious.
After all, our dear Archmage is a pervert who likes exhibitionism.
And right now, I can give Diana the kind of play she wants without anyone finding out.
Of course, no matter how much of a pervert our Diana is, she'd get angry if I tried anything serious, but a little teasing should be fine, right?
My mind, still groggy from just waking up, desperately tried to figure out how I should tease her.
But it couldn't be a prank that took too long.
Diana has to go to sleep now.
So, how can I do it quickly and effectively... Huh? Wait. Sleep?
Come to think of it... didn't she say she can't swim?
She said she was using magic to move around freely underwater like this.
Then how is she going to sleep?