Chapter 74: The Beastkin Priestess
Chapter 74: The Beastkin Priestess
“Diana. We’re here. Get down.”
“…Mmm? Mmmph….”
What was that sound?
It was the sound of Diana, who was getting a piggyback ride, waking up from her nap.
Diana had been on my back ever since we left the inn. As soon as we finished checking our supplies, she fell asleep as if her job was done.
Since it was partly my fault she hadn't gotten any sleep, I walked carefully so as not to wake her.
And because of that, she’d managed to sleep all the way through the secret passage until now.
“Ssssp….”
…Hey. You didn't just wipe your drool, did you?
The fact that I couldn't feel anything through my leather armor was somehow even more unsettling.
“Ahem. Good work.”
Diana patted my head a few times before finally standing on her own two feet.
“Are you okay?”
Still, I was worried, so I checked on her condition.
She could still be tired from lack of sleep, or maybe she was still groggy from being so deeply asleep.
“Mm. No problem. Now, let’s get going.”
But Diana's reply was perfectly clear.
Then again, this wasn't her first or second time in a dungeon. If something was wrong, she'd say so herself. She wasn't the type to pretend she was fine and put herself in danger.
“Then let’s move out.”
Seeing that Diana seemed fine, the party immediately set off for the secret base.
Today's objective was to retake the secret base.
Considering the Transcendent Species was in this area, it was safe to assume the boulder that had blocked the secret base was completely gone.
If so, the werewolves would have reoccupied the base.
They might have even learned their lesson from last time and gathered in greater numbers.
It didn't seem likely, but it would be best if the werewolves had just cleared out of the area entirely.
I held onto a faint hope that they might have gotten scared and tucked their tails between their legs after their Transcendent Species was killed, despite them attacking in a pack.
But, as expected, my hopes were shattered right from the start.
“Grrrrr.”
So much for taking the easy route.
No. Our real goal isn't retaking the secret base, but raising our job levels. Retaking the base is just a means to that end.
The appearance of werewolves, which allow for faster job level growth than orcs, is actually a welcome sight.
Let's look on the bright side.
I rolled my shoulders and approached the werewolf.
We pushed forward until lunchtime, encountering quite a few monsters along the way.
For lunch, the party once again found a spot enclosed on three sides.
Most of the monsters we'd seen so far were werewolves; just like yesterday, there were hardly any orcs in sight.
At least, unlike yesterday, the werewolves were roaming alone instead of in packs. It seemed they'd completely given up on the idea of taking us down now that their Transcendent Species was dead.
But since we'd encountered so few orcs, we didn't have much orc meat today, just like yesterday. No, wait, maybe it was a little better than yesterday?
As for the food itself, we'd bought more than enough to last a week without even needing to supplement it with supplies from the dungeon.
But it was a bit disheartening to have brought a grill all this way only to have so little meat.
Still, we should make do with what we have, right?
Besides, there was something I wanted to try.
It wasn't exactly a fitting sentiment for a dungeon, but it felt like we were on a camping trip.
“Hm?”
When I took the grill out of my inventory, Diana, who had been about to prepare her magic, got a slightly strange look on her face.
She looked as if she were asking, ‘What is that?’
We definitely went and bought it together yesterday. Does she not remember?
Then again, considering last night, she was probably in heat back then, too.
She might not remember it clearly.
“It must be a hassle for you to prepare everything with magic every time. What do you think? Good purchase, right?”
“Hmm. You bought this for me? How admirable.”
Diana's expression brightened, and she stood on her tiptoes to pat my head.
“Guwon. We'll go gather some firewood.”
“Ah, okay. Then, Diana, Leia, could you two handle the setup?”
I took out dishes, soup, bread, and other things from my inventory and handed them to Diana and Leia.
“Uh, mmm.”
Diana, who had been beaming just a moment ago, once again had a strange expression, as if she didn't know whether to be happy or not.
“Alright. Time to show off my skills.”
After gathering dry branches, putting them in the grill, and lighting a fire, I exclaimed gallantly.
Truth be told, I'd never actually had a barbecue party like this before.
But it wasn't difficult. I'd seen it done, so I just had to copy what I'd seen.
I sliced the meat into large chunks and placed them on the grill.
Normally, I'd wear work gloves to mix and cook the meat properly, but that was a luxury I couldn't afford here.
Trusting in my sturdy body, I stuck my hand right into the blazing fire.
Fortunately, a fire of this intensity didn't seem to affect me much.
As I flamboyantly grilled the meat and moved the cooked pieces to one side of the grill, the girls, who had been watching with mesmerized expressions, immediately snatched them up.
“I-It's delicious!”
Leia's eyes sparkled as she looked at me.
The skirt of her priestess's robe was shaking wildly, which probably meant her tail was wagging, too.
Is it that good?
Come to think of it, Leia eats quite a lot for someone who looks so delicate.
Where does all that nutrition go in that slender body of hers… No. I'm an idiot.
How could I even ask such an obvious question?
Leia has one place, doesn't she? A part that could never be described as slender, not even as an empty compliment.
I was convinced that everything Leia ate went straight to her chest.
What an incredible constitution. If I told other women about it, there'd be a bloodbath.
“Haha. Really? Then have some more.”
I gave the delighted Leia even more meat.
There was absolutely no ulterior motive.
I just wanted to give more to someone who eats so heartily.
“Give me some more, too!”
“Yeah. Okay.”
In contrast, where in the world does everything she eats go?
Could it be that she's storing it all up to have a sudden growth spurt one day?
Right. Considering what she looked like before her reincarnation, it's not entirely impossible.
“Here. You eat a lot, too.”
Clinging to a faint hope, I gave Diana a generous portion of meat as well.
“I-I'll have some, too….”
Whether she was swept up in the mood or not, even Sara, her face slightly flushed, competitively held out her plate for more.
It seems like from now on, it might be a good idea to buy extra meat when we come to the dungeon.
Or maybe I should just stop selling the orc meat and stockpile all of it?
If I keep it in my inventory, it won't spoil.
After giving some meat to Sara, I picked up a piece for myself and popped it into my mouth.
Mmm. It's delicious, as expected.
Grilling it on the stone slab Diana made had its own charm, but grilling it like this has its own unique flavor.
Completely engrossed in the grilled orc meat, we finished our satisfying meal.
“Alright, Diana. Could I ask you to wash this?”
Only after we finished eating did I realize the grill's downside.
It wasn't disposable, so it had to be washed every time we used it.
But with no river or anything nearby, we had to rely entirely on Diana's magic.
I bought it to make things easier for Diana, but in the end, it turned out to be the same either way.
“Oh? Hmph. You're helpless, aren't you? As expected, you need my help, don't you?”
But Diana didn't show any sign of displeasure; in fact, she looked slightly pleased as she spoke.
It seemed she was happy to have a turn to be useful.
So, was the strange look she had when I took out the grill because her turn was taken away?
She can be so cute for her age.
After Diana's magic cleaned the grill spotless, the party headed for the secret base again.
And once again, we didn't arrive at the secret base until nightfall.
“The boulder's gone, just as I thought.”
The Transcendent Species must have been pretty pissed off when it moved this, because the boulder that had blocked the entrance was now lodged quite a distance away.
“There are werewolves inside, right?”
“We can be sure of that. The real question is how many.”
The passage was so narrow that only one person could pass through at a time.
With my bonus stats, it wouldn't be dangerous, but it was obvious that a large group of werewolves would be a huge pain.
“Alright, I'll go in first.”
“Okay. Please be careful.”
Sara was now able to say things like this to me so naturally.
It was a simple thing to say, but considering how we first met, it was deeply moving.
“Ah, Guwon-ssi. Just a moment.”
Leia stopped me just as I was about to enter the tunnel.
Then, she clasped her hands, offered a prayer, and cast a buff on me.
Alright. With this, I'm fully prepared.
Let's do this.
The ‘Penis Break’ incident was still a bit of a trauma, and I hated passing through places like this, but I steeled myself and stuck my head into the tunnel.
“Krrrrr.”
And sure enough, as I passed through the tunnel and poked my head out, a werewolf's face was right there to greet me.
This scene feels intensely familiar, doesn't it?
Should I take a guess?
Next, you're going to shout, ‘Grrrowl! Woof! Woof!’ and then lunge at me.
“Grrrowl! Woof! Woof!”
I knew it!
But I learn from my mistakes. I've obviously thought of a countermeasure or two for this kind of situation. Getting this close to my face was your downfall!
I immediately used Saint's Holy Water and spat in the werewolf's face.
It's a disgraceful act I'd never want to perform in front of my beautiful companions, but thankfully, I'm the only one who can see it, so I have no reservations.
“Krk!”
The werewolf, hit by my surprise attack, flinched slightly.
Given the difference in skill levels, it wasn't as effective as Saint's Touch.
But that was enough.
I quickly pulled my body out of the tunnel.
“Grrrrrrrr.”
Just as I'd suspected they'd be prepared, there were quite a few werewolves in the secret base.
Seven of them in total.
Even for me, with Leia's buffs, that was a difficult number to face alone.
However, I wasn't alone.
If I just held out for a bit, the girls would come.
“Guys! You can come through!”
I stood blocking the entrance as if to guard it, glaring at the werewolves.
Should I start by applying Saint's Touch to all seven of them?
But for some reason, the werewolves made no move to close the distance.
…What's this? Are they up to something?
And then I realized something.
No one was answering my call.
“Sara?! Diana?! Leia?!”
As I shouted toward the tunnel again in a panic, Leia's desperate voice called back.
“G-Guwon-ssi! There are werewolves here, too!”
Goddammit! A surprise attack and a pincer move?!
These guys, who always roamed alone, relying only on their bodies without even carrying weapons, are pulling a stunt like this?
For the werewolves to go this far… It seems certain there's something important in that other area.
“Grrrrrr!”
The moment I tried to rush back into the tunnel, all seven werewolves reacted at once.
They didn't charge right away, but they threatened me the instant I tried to move.
They'd probably all charge the moment I stuck my head back into the tunnel.
I couldn't retreat, nor could I take down all the enemies in front of me. It was a dilemma.
Okay, I admit it. For a bunch of guys with beast heads on their shoulders, you used your brains pretty well.
But I have a secret weapon that the werewolves could never have prepared for.
Let's see if you can even scratch me after I've dumped all my bonus stats into Durability.
I immediately pulled up the status window in front of me.