Chapter 397: A Demon God in the Dungeon?
Chapter 397: A Demon God in the Dungeon?
“Alright. See you later! Don’t rush and get hurt, take your time!”
“The Captain’s a hundred percent right! Please! Please, just a little slower…”
“I told you not to call me Captain! At least call me Instructor!”
“Agh!”
Does Kanna really want to keep that up to the very end?
And sorry, but I can’t make any promises.
Well, for now, I plan on investigating the pond on the 1st Floor, so there won’t be any progress on the 4th Floor for a while.
Hang in there.
Right after returning to the town on the 3rd Floor, we went up to the Guild and parted ways with the Arachne girls.
The trio looked so thrilled to be back on the surface after so long that they seemed on the verge of tears.
From what I heard, this was their first time on the surface since they met us on the 3rd Floor.
At this rate, are they going to get more used to the dungeon’s mana than the surface air?
“Haaaah… Why does the surface air taste so good? It feels like the Goddess’s grace is flowing through my whole body.”
And there was another person in our party who was just as moved to be back on the surface.
Well, according to my theory, calling it the Goddess’s grace isn’t entirely wrong.
In any case, seeing her so happy made me feel a little guilty for dragging her into the dungeon.
Even if she was the one who wanted to come along.
Maybe I need to have a proper talk with Matilda later.
But for now, exchanging our magic stones is the priority.
“…Hey. Diana?”
“Hm? What is it?”
“Everyone else is leaving. You’re not going?”
“Is Lady Silvia not here as well? Why single me out? Is my presence an inconvenience for you?”
No, Silvia’s the type to follow me around anyway if she has nothing else to do… Right. Okay. Actually, it is a little inconvenient.
I mean, you stayed behind to scold me, didn’t you?
“Ah, no. I was just wondering.”
“I am in the mood for a conversation with you today.”
“I-I see. Well, I’m going to go exchange my magic stones first.”
“Mm. Be quick about it.”
Damn it. So it’s my destiny to get scolded after all.
I know, I know, I went a little too far having sex in the dungeon.
I’m reflecting on it, I swear. I’ve been on my best behavior since then.
It was only because Sara provoked me and I got a little frustrated. Forgive me.
…If I said that, she’d just get even angrier, asking if I did that with Sara, too.
It seems there’s no avoiding a lecture from Diana.
“Rachel. I’m here. I’d like to exchange these magic stones.”
“Hello, Guwon. Yes, I’ll take those. How was the 4th Floor? You must have been surprised by how different it was from the other floors, weren’t you?”
“Yes. Being an adventurer really is an extreme profession.”
“Hehe. And yet, you’re a rising dark horse among adventurers right now, Guwon.”
“I-Is that so?”
“Of course. You presented a new path that no one had ever discovered. It’s actually quite amazing. I don’t think a newcomer who just entered the 4th Floor has ever received such high praise. You really are the one who’s going to build the Saint’s legend. It makes me proud to be your handler.”
Seeing Rachel so happy, as if it were her own accomplishment, made me feel like my hard work had paid off.
Well, not really. Plowing open a path with my dick was just something I knew from the game.
“Alright, here is your payment.”
“Thank you. Ah, and Rachel.”
“Yes?!”
Huh? Why are her eyes suddenly sparkling like that?
I was just trying to build a little anticipation, but this makes it hard to say anything.
“Ah, no, it’s just… I might make another new discovery on our next expedition. I just wanted you to look forward to it.”
“…Is that so.”
Whoa. She deflated in an instant.
What was that? What on earth was she expecting from me? Something other than this that I could give to Rachel… Ah. Wait, no way…
No, I didn’t forget. Of course not. As if I’d ever forget a promise I made to a beautiful woman.
“A-And, Rachel. That dinner we talked about, when might you be free? You’re always…”
“Anytime!”
So this is what she was waiting for.
Is she really that happy about having a meal with me?
But Rachel, when we first met, you coolly rejected me even when I tried to sweet-talk you, didn’t you?
Sure, I’m more successful now than I was back then, but I don’t think you’re the type of shrewd person who would treat people differently based on something like that.
From what I know of her personality, and given her status, that’s just not who she is.
She may be a receptionist, but she’s the Guild Master’s daughter.
And that Guild Master is on a first-name basis with Diana.
In terms of success, she’s not someone who should feel inferior to me in any way.
In fact, when we first met, she even mentioned something about being tired of so many people hitting on her.
Could it be that she’s started to like me now?
No, that can’t be it. Nothing has happened that would make her fall for me.
Sure, we ended up sleeping together due to unavoidable circumstances, and I did show off some incredible technique, but she doesn’t seem like the lewd type to fall for someone over something like that.
Then is that it? Is it just because we’ve gotten closer?
Like she’s happy to be having a meal with a friend.
…Sadly, that seemed like the most likely possibility.
“Anytime… but every time I see you, you’re working. I even saw you working late into the night the other day.”
“I can just take a vacation day on the day we set!”
“What? Is that okay? Taking a day off just to have a meal with me is…”
“It’s fine! I have a ton of them saved up! But I rarely get a chance to use them…”
So that’s it. I thought she seemed unusually happy.
It seems she was just happy to finally have a reason to use her vacation days.
Tch. Of course.
Not that I’m trying to make a move on her or anything.
Right. How dare I even think of such a thing when I have my own beautiful girls.
“Then please pick a day that’s convenient for you. I’m free anytime as well.”
“Really? Then how about tomorrow… no. Wait a minute. I haven’t been out much lately, so my clothes… Yes! The day after tomorrow! How about the day after tomorrow?”
Rachel… a woman in the prime of her life doesn’t even have clothes to wear out… Just how much of a workaholic are you?
I felt a pang of pity, and at the same time, a little sad as my image of an intelligent and gentle woman began to shatter.
“Okay. The day after tomorrow it is. Where should we meet?”
“Ah, right. We can’t very well meet at the Guild… Please wait just a moment.”
Rachel took out a small memo pad, wrote something down, and handed it to me.
The sight of her breasts jiggling as she took a pen from her breast pocket was truly a magnificent spectacle.
Leia’s may be smaller, but this woman also boasts considerable attack power.
The vest of her tight receptionist uniform looked like it was about to burst.
“Could you come pick me up here?”
“Huh? This is… d-don’t tell me this is your…”
“Hehe. Unfortunately, it’s not my family home. I live alone in the dormitory where the Guild receptionists stay.”
“No, if you live alone, that’s even more… A-Anyway. Is it really okay to tell me this?”
“Is it okay? It’s you and me, isn’t it?”
I heard the exact same words from Alicia not too long ago.
But hearing a beauty like Rachel say it with a wink gave it a completely different feel.
I mean, Alicia is a beauty in her own right, but… only when she keeps her mouth shut.
“You and me?”
“Yes. We’re…”
Rachel beckoned me closer with her finger.
As I leaned in as if mesmerized, she cupped her hand beside her mouth like she was sharing a secret and whispered softly.
“The one who will write the Saint’s legend, and the receptionist who will watch it unfold right beside him.”
After she spoke, she stuck her tongue out slightly and winked.
Damn it! Right! Of course that’s what it is!
I was a fool for getting my hopes up, even for a second, when I already knew!
No! I’m not disappointed, okay?!
Even if she had confessed to me, I’m in a position where I’d have to turn her down!
If anything, it’s a relief! Right! A total relief! Damn it!
“I’ll come get you the day after tomorrow, then…”
“Hehe. Okay. Oh, and Guwon. I’m sorry.”
“Huh? For what?”
“…You two seem to be having a good time.”
“Gah! Wait! Diana! Hold on! Calm down! This is…!”
“Surely you haven’t failed to guess why I remained here, have you?”
“Of course not! How could I? I’m deeply reflecting on my actions!”
“And yet you were still dawdling!”
“Wait! There’s a reason for this…!”
“Silence! You need to be taught a proper lesson! Follow me! Hnnngh… Grrr…”
Diana jumped up to grab my ear and tried to drag me away, but no matter how hard she pulled, there was no way I’d actually be moved.
“Aaaah! Diana! That hurts! Forgive me!”
But I read the room and immediately pretended it hurt, hunching over and acting like I was being dragged away.
Aren’t I the best, Diana?
“Ahem. F-Follow me!”
To make a long story short, thanks to my wholehearted performance, I managed to avoid a major scolding from Diana.
In the end, no one found out about the sex in the dungeon, and with the passage of time, Diana’s anger had cooled considerably. Besides, my conversation with Rachel was Diana’s fault in the first place.
If Diana hadn’t been so late without telling me, Rachel would never have had to help me.
When I explained that I was just thanking her for that, Diana seemed to accept it, as if she had no other choice.
…Of course, I didn’t mention that I’d made a dinner date with her as a reward.
No, it’s not like I’m cheating, and I have nothing to feel guilty about, but you know.
If I brought that up in this atmosphere, it’s obvious I’d just get scolded even more, right?
Anyway, after finally being released from my one-on-one meeting with Diana, I composed myself and decided to get back to my duties as a party leader.
What’s this about being a party leader when we’re out of the dungeon, you ask?
There are things that need to be handled even outside the dungeon.
For example, counseling a party member like Matilda.
Seeing how much she struggled with the dungeon trip, she seemed to be in serious need of a talk.
I might even have to tell her not to come along anymore.
Losing Matilda would be a blow to us, of course.
First, we’d be down one reliable healer.
Some might think it’s not a big deal since we have Leia, and in a real pinch, there’s always my Healing Sex.
Especially since Healing Sex, once activated, can heal indefinitely without any cost, they might think it’s even better.
But Healing Sex can’t be used in the middle of a battle.
It’s rarely an issue now, but later on, there will be times when we need continuous healing during combat.
In those situations, if Leia’s healing output or mana proves insufficient, having two healers provides a much stronger sense of stability.
And most importantly, having Matilda made our rear guard much sturdier.
That’s because Matilda’s stats aren’t those of a High Priestess, but of a Holy Knight.
If this world’s system is the same as Great Earth’s other systems, Matilda should still have her Holy Knight stats.
Jobs that can be advanced from the same base class can be switched between at specific locations.
Just like how a Priest can change their job to either High Priestess or Holy Knight at the temple.
However, even if you switch between them, only the available skills change; the stats remain the same.
If you change from a Holy Knight to a High Priestess, you can no longer use Holy Knight skills and can now use High Priestess skills, but your stats are still those of a Holy Knight.
For that reason, Matilda, despite being in the rear, has served as the last line of defense for our backline, thanks to those stats.
Because of all this, telling Matilda not to come to the dungeon anymore would be a great loss for us.
I’d rather it didn’t come to that, but I can’t force someone to come along when they’re struggling so much.
And so, I went to Matilda’s room and knocked on the door, but there was no answer from inside.
That’s strange. Is she not here?
“Vanessa!”
“What is it, sir?”
“Whoa! She actually popped out!”
I just called out into the empty air as a joke. What is she? This is scary.
“…If you have no further business, I will be on my way…”
“Ah, no. Wait. Do you happen to know where Matilda is?”
I’m the one asking, but it’s scary because I feel like she’ll actually know.
“She is in her room.”
See, she knew.
And she didn’t say it vaguely like, “I believe she is in her room,” but with complete certainty: “She is in her room.”
What is she, really? No, more importantly, what the hell are butlers in this world? Is “butler” the strongest class or something?
“I knocked, but there was no answer.”
“…Perhaps she is sleeping? She appeared to be quite fatigued.”
“Ah, I-I see. Right. Okay. Thanks.”
“Yes. I will take my leave, then.”
…It seems I should probably give up on talking to Matilda today.