Chapter 729: An Unexpected Return
Chapter 729: An Unexpected Return
Well, we managed to get through the crisis, but the sacrifice was great.
“…Anything you want to say?”
“Do you think I wouldn’t?”
Right, don’t answer a question with a question. And stop staring at me with that strange, intense pressure.
When morning came, I couldn’t help but break into a cold sweat as I faced Vanessa, who had come to greet us.
From the moment we met, Vanessa’s expression had been grim, but it grew even darker when she spotted Diana in the room. She began to pressure me with her silent glare.
And what was Diana doing, you ask?
Simple. She was curled up in a ball on the bed, hiding completely under the covers.
I mean, come on. Right after she woke up from fainting, she was muttering about how she wasn't an exhibitionist. She seemed perfectly normal then, didn't she?
But it turned out she wasn't quite back to her senses yet. It seemed she couldn't accurately recall what she had done while she was out of sorts.
Then, after waking up this morning, with her mind finally clear, Diana remembered the disgraceful behavior she’d displayed last night. And that led to her current state, a posture that sought to sever all ties with the world.
No matter how many times I told her she was cute and pretty, she wouldn't budge.
Diana had no intention of coming out from under the covers.
Usually, when her exhibitionism kicked in, she completely lost her mind. But yesterday, she’d been just lucid enough to remember her shameful conduct all the more vividly, which seemed to be torturing her.
And seeing Diana like this, the ever-loyal Vanessa’s expression naturally hardened as she looked at me.
After all, as far as she knew, I had made Diana cry, and she’d had to chase me into the room yesterday to console her.
“No, I get that this looks like a misunderstanding, but it’s not what you think at all. Hey, Diana! Stop hiding and say something.”
But panicking here would only create more unnecessary misunderstandings.
I calmly tried to soothe Vanessa while speaking to Diana, who was still buried under the blankets.
“Let him have it!”
But all I got in return was betrayal.
That… that perverted exhibitionist!
Stop it! Vanessa is serious! You can only make jokes like that because you’re hiding in the blankets and can’t see the look on her face!
“…Vanessa.”
“What is it?”
“…You trust me, right?”
“More than Lady Diana?”
“……”
Hey. I told you not to answer a question with a… If you put it like that, I have nothing to say!
But for some reason, the fierce look on Vanessa’s face seemed to have softened considerably.
Maybe she’ll just let this slide?
“…Lady Diana. What would you like for breakfast?”
As I stood there, speechless, Vanessa took a deep breath, strode over to the bed, and posed the question to Diana.
Huh? Wait. Is she really just going to let it go?
Just a moment ago, it felt like she was about to start something.
Having served Diana for so long, had she managed to grasp the situation just by hearing her voice?
“Ah, um. Bring it here. I feel like eating alone in my room today.”
“Why don’t you just come with us? Why are you so embarrassed? It’s not like anyone but me saw…”
“W-wait! Waaaaah!”
Seriously, is she a child? Cutting me off like that.
“Are you perhaps embarrassed to see Leia’s face?”
“O-Of course not!”
Diana denied it with all her might, but the higher pitch of her voice suggested there was some truth to it.
“That’s fine, too. Leia is…”
“Why have you been trying to explain everything in such detail! Can you not sense that I am trying to avoid any direct mention of it?!”
As I kept trying to bring up what happened yesterday, Diana finally lost her patience, threw off the covers, and shot up to glare at me.
“No. I knew you were doing it on purpose… I apologize.”
Hey, why are you glaring at Vanessa, too?
A two-on-one is dirty. It’s just not fair.
“Anyway, stop messing around and let’s go together. I was planning to talk about our future plans over the meal.”
I shrugged and wrapped my arms around Diana, lifting her up.
“Ughhh…”
Though her face clearly showed she didn’t want to go, Diana didn’t resist and let me hold her obediently.
“Ah, y-you’re here…?”
“Y-yes! I apologize for yesterday!”
“N-no! Not at all! I’m the one who should…”
We finally managed to get Diana down to the dining hall, but the awkward atmosphere persisted.
And this time, Leia’s attitude made it even worse.
“So what actually happened yesterday? Weren’t you two fighting? I thought Leia would be a better fit to handle it than me, so I sent her as our representative, but then she came back acting all weird, too.”
Watching Diana and Leia, Sara muttered with a completely baffled expression.
As I thought, Leia hadn't told anyone what happened.
Technically, our conversation happened during the preparation phase, not during the act itself, so she didn't really need to hide it.
Well, if she had told Sara, there was a risk Sara’s switch would have been flipped too, so it worked out for me.
“I-it was a personal matter! A personal matter!”
“Th-that’s right! It’s personal! A personal matter!”
“…Ugh. I feel like I’m being left out.”
But Sara’s questions remained unanswered.
Diana and Leia desperately tried to gloss over what had happened, and Sara just pouted.
“Aren’t you curious?”
Watching the three of them, I turned to Matilda, who had been sitting quietly without joining the conversation.
I could understand Silvia trembling in the corner over there, but I thought Matilda would have jumped into the conversation.
“…Seeing Leia-ssi’s reaction gives me a vague idea. You are the Saint, after all. Please ensure you don’t cause a priestess to break her vows because of you.”
But Matilda just looked at me and gave me a piece of advice with a serious expression.
“N-no! I told you, we didn’t do anything like that!”
Honestly, her lovey-dovey mode usually masks it, but she really knows how to hit a nerve sometimes.
Well, I suppose it was that personality that allowed us to form this kind of relationship in the first place.
“Oh? You didn’t?”
“We didn’t!”
“Then you must be feeling quite pent up…”
“Hey, Cardinal! You’d better not be thinking of breaking your own vows!”
I thought she was being serious for once, but then her eyes glazed over and she came out with this.
I really can’t let my guard down around her.
“Hah. Silvia.”
I let out a sigh and beckoned to Silvia in the corner.
“Y-yes?!”
Me?
As if to say just that, Silvia pointed a finger at herself.
She showed no sign of wanting to move away from the corner.
Of course, I gave her a firm nod.
Yes. You.
“Wh-what is it?”
“I have something important to talk about. Come closer so you can hear.”
“Y-yes? Important… Hyaah?!”
I snatched up the timidly approaching Silvia and sat her on my lap, indulging in some much-needed Silviatherapy as I addressed the others.
“Anyway, that’s enough talk about the past. From now on, let’s have a constructive discussion about the future.”
As I said something befitting a clan leader for the first time in a while, everyone sat down, looking as if they were witnessing a rare event.
Diana secretly let out a sigh of relief.
Yeah, yeah. No need to thank me so much.
“Future plans? What kind?”
“I mentioned it in the dungeon, didn’t I? For the time being, I need to focus on improving my own skills.”
“Ah, right. You did.”
“But the method we used before, where I was the only one attacking in the turtle den, is too inefficient, right? So I’ve been thinking. For a while, I’m going to go to the 4th Floor by myself…”
“Absolutely not.”
I explained what I thought was the most efficient method, but as expected, all I got in return was fierce opposition.
“No, but it’s the most efficient way, isn’t it? The time my job levels rose the most was when I was shipwrecked…”
But I had no intention of backing down here.
It was a fact that my combat skills were lacking compared to the girls, and I had to catch up one way or another.
“Guwon-ssi.”
As I stubbornly tried to persuade them, Leia quietly called my name.
“Yeah?”
“When… when I slapped your cheek the other day, it felt like my heart was being torn apart.”
“Ah, yeah. Sorry.”
I could tell just by looking at my angel’s face.
Even just thinking back on that moment was painful for her.
But why bring that up now?
“So please, don’t make me go through that kind of experience again.”
“……”
I-if you come at me like this, I’m really left with nothing to say.
“Why do you want to go alone in the first place? Is there some reason we can’t accompany you?”
As I stood there, silent, Matilda asked in a calm voice.
And her tone made it sound like she suspected I was plotting something strange again.
But this time, that really wasn’t it.
“No, it’s just that there’s no need for all of you to stick with me, so I said I’d go alone. Wouldn’t it be better for you all to make effective use of your free time?”
“Effective use? What’s that supposed to mean? Don’t be stupid. Even if I have nothing else to do, I’m going with you. The time I spend by your side feels the most fulfilling anyway.”
In response to my casual question, Sara frowned but said something admirable.
The other girls all murmured things that seemed to agree with her.
“I mean, I’m happy to hear that, but moving as a large group slows us down. And if we fight without using my Saint skills, the monsters will go after you guys, which will slow down my growth even more. I want to finish leveling up as quickly as possible so I can go down to the lower floors of the dungeon with you all.”
“Even so, you absolutely cannot go alone.”
Perhaps feeling that my point was valid, the voices of opposition were much softer this time.
Nevertheless, the fact that they were against it remained unchanged.
“Don’t worry. My goal is combat, not exploration, so I plan to stay in the town on the 4th Floor and just hunt nearby. There’s absolutely no risk of getting lost.”
“You know as well as I do that’s not what I’m talking about, don’t you?”
Well, she had a point.
But what should I do?
“…You. Are you planning to sleep in the town inside the dungeon during this time?”
A brief silence fell, and the one who broke it was none other than Diana.
“Huh? Yeah. Well, I might come up to the surface to stay once in a while, but that’s the basic plan.”
“In that case, how about we take turns, with one or two of us sticking with you? That way, our travel speed won’t be slowed, and the monsters won’t be split up, so your growth won’t be hindered either, would it not?”
“Diana?!”
“It’s fine. This man will never be able to go down alone. Trust me.”
It seemed no one had expected Diana, of all people—the one who had argued with me and even cried—to make a statement that partially accepted my plan.
Everyone stared at Diana in surprise, but she just offered a knowing smile.
“Isn’t that right?”
“…Well, yeah. I couldn’t go alone even if I died.”
“H-huh?”
The other girls, who didn’t understand why I gave that answer, looked bewildered, but Diana seemed satisfied with my response and laughed with a snort.
“Hmph. Yes. Yes. Well, that’s how it is. Besides, the man has a point, does he not? If all of us stick to him, it will only slow his growth. So, shall we not compromise by having one person at a time stick with him to act as a guard and a rescuer in case of a crisis?”
“If Diana says so…”
“Good. It’s decided. For a short while, until this man catches up to our job levels, we shall proceed this way. One person will take turns sticking with him each day, and the rest will stay up here and do their own thing.”