Chapter 743: Journey for the Turtle Cave Key
Chapter 743: Journey for the Turtle Cave Key
Alicia’s special training grew more intense with each passing day.
It was so intense that I started to wonder, not even as a joke, if she was subtly getting revenge on me for rejecting her.
She could have just praised me for keeping up with her training and called it a day, but why did she have to get so damn competitive?
During one battle, she suddenly vanished. Just as I finished my fight, she reappeared, herding three whales from god-knows-where. Even I was a little freaked out by that.
I seriously considered whether I should use my Saint skills.
Well, in the end, I managed to defeat them somehow without resorting to them.
The panicked expressions on my girls' faces when I was swallowed by a whale were quite memorable.
Though I did cut my way out of the whale's belly right after.
Thanks to that, the atmosphere between my girls and Alicia turned hostile once again.
And while I was getting my ass kicked and friction was building between Alicia and my girls, the trio just looked blissfully happy.
It wasn't that they enjoyed watching me suffer; they seemed happy that Alicia was so focused on tormenting me that she wasn't paying them any attention.
Normally, I would have said something about them grinning foolishly while someone else was struggling, but they looked so desperate to savor this brief moment of happiness that neither I nor my girls could bring ourselves to say anything.
Besides, I did do something to them that I felt sorry for.
I had to let it slide this time.
Anyway, while enduring Alicia's Spartan-style training, we steadily advanced toward the Ice Cave. After a journey of several days, we finally arrived before the rough currents blocking its entrance.
“It’s finally over!”
The training had been quite rewarding, but the sense of liberation at it being over was immense.
This wasn't a place with particularly fond memories, but the moment we arrived, I couldn't help but let out a cheer. At the same time, the trio, whose expressions had been darkening the closer we got to our destination, now looked like they were about to cry.
We were underwater, so they couldn't have heard my voice, but they seemed to have guessed what I meant from my gestures.
“You little shit. You held up better than I expected. I guess I can’t really call you a chick anymore, can I?”
And just like always, Alicia pressed her mask against mine, grinning as she praised me.
However, unlike usual, she didn't slam her head against mine like a headbutt. Instead of grabbing my collar, she grabbed the back of my head and pulled me closer.
Hey. Thanks for the compliment, but this really looks like we're kissing.
This is seriously dangerous. Mainly for my life. Can't you see my girls over there, their eyes gleaming?
“So you were planning on calling me a chick until now?”
“To me, you’ll always be a chick. Pinned underneath me… Ahem! Hmph! Well, something like that!”
Alicia started to bring up our first meeting again, but she quickly changed the subject with a blush, pulled her mask away from mine, and gave my back a hard slap.
Seriously. If you're going to get embarrassed, don't bring it up.
How can she still think of saying things like that to a guy she liked and was even rejected by?
You've got to hand it to her, she's got some thick skin.
“What are you two discussing so cheerfully?”
The moment Alicia's face pulled away from mine, an air bubble enveloped our faces.
And Diana's heavy voice echoed in my ears.
Come to think of it, from their perspective, all they saw was us with our faces close, talking and laughing, and then Alicia suddenly blushing and acting shy, which was so unlike her.
Well, they would have been just as upset even if they'd heard everything we said.
My girls are still bitter about the fact that Alicia took my virginity.
“W-We weren't talking about anything special!”
Whether she knew what they were thinking or was just embarrassed about her own shy reaction, Alicia's response was obviously suspicious.
“Hey. Guwon.”
“She was just saying good work. Anyway, let's just focus on crossing.”
Seeing Alicia's reaction, Sara shot me an even colder glare and lowered her voice. Trying my best to act casual so she wouldn't get suspicious, I pointed toward the entrance of the Ice Cave beyond the current.
“R-Right! What's with those looks on your faces?! You've had a good rest, haven't you? It's time to get fired up and move out! Snap out of it!”
“Y-Yes, ma'am!”
Hearing my words, Alicia took a long rope from her backpack, tied it around her waist, and handed the long, remaining end to the trio.
The trio, in turn, took the rope and securely tied it around their own waists, one after another.
Huh? What are they doing? No. Wait a minute. Come to think of it…
“How did you guys get past here all this time without a mage?”
I immediately voiced the question that popped into my head.
Back when they were fighting the Emperor Penguin before we were, Alicia had definitely said this:
They were planning to head to the 5th Floor soon, so they wanted to test their toughness by taking a few hits from the Emperor Penguin first.
In other words, they must have also reached the Ice Cave from the 4th Floor.
It would be too much of a waste of time for adventurers who can comfortably navigate the 4th Floor to take the long way around from the 3rd Floor just to get to the Emperor Penguin's room.
But they definitely didn't have a mage in their party back then, either, right?
So how on earth did they get past here?
The answer to that question was revealed by Alicia's next action.
“Huh? A current like this is easy, isn't it?”
Saying that, Alicia took the other end of the rope tied to her waist—the one not connected to the trio—and wrapped it around her greatsword.
Then, she lifted the greatsword and hurled it with all her might into the riverbed.
She threw it with all of her brutish strength. The massive greatsword plunged into the ground almost up to its hilt, and Alicia began to slowly pull herself forward, hand over hand on the rope.
Needless to say, the trio, connected to her by the rope, were dragged right along with her.
The warriors, Kanna and Serena, at least seemed to be holding onto the rope and bracing themselves, but Amy the priestess's body was being thrashed about wildly by the current.
Her back wasn't bent or anything, so it didn't look like she'd lost consciousness, at least.
“…Are you for real?”
“I never imagined someone would cross this place in such a manner…”
It wasn't just me; all of us were left speechless by that brutish method of crossing.
Seeing even Diana at a loss for words like this, I was once again reminded of just how far outside the realm of common sense Alicia operated.
Come to think of it, the trio looked miserable the moment we got here.
It wasn't just that they hated the thought of being tormented by Alicia again; they must have been dreading having to cross like this.
While I was lost in thought, Alicia advanced to the spot where her sword was embedded.
Of course, there was still a long way to go to the entrance of the Ice Cave.
What would she do from there?
I went into full spectator mode, holding my breath and watching for Alicia's next move.
And our heroine, Alicia, simply pulled out the greatsword she had planted.
Of course, having lost their anchor, Alicia and the trio's bodies started to get swept away by the current, but Alicia's actions were a fraction faster.
She pulled her greatsword from the ground and immediately hurled it forward, embedding it in the riverbed once more.
It can't be easy to exert that much force while being buffeted by the current. She's incredible.
“Um, Mr. Guwon? Ms. Diana?”
Just as I was holding my breath and watching Alicia and the trio's crossing, the voice of our angel reached my ears.
“H-Huh? What is it?”
“Shouldn't we help them cross more easily with magic? We have to cross, too, after all.”
Our angel's voice was filled with pity.
No matter how much friction there had been with Alicia on the way here, our angel was still an angel.
Well, she probably felt more sorry for the trio than for Alicia. She and Amy were friends, after all.
“Ah, ahem! Indeed!”
…That reaction. Diana, you were just watching in a daze, too, weren't you?
I understand that feeling all too well.
No, honestly, it's the kind of thing you can't help but stare at.
Watching her overcome a dungeon obstacle in such a ridiculously brutish way, I almost felt a flicker of respect.
Anyway, Diana, who hadn't had any reason to use magic on the way here aside from some wind spells during meals, used her overflowing mana to create a straight path of air from where we stood to the entrance of the Ice Cave.
“What do you think you're doing?!”
For some reason, Alicia complained.
“No. What are you do—Ah, anyway, this is easier, isn't it?”
Honestly, I had a mountain of things I wanted to say about her brutish crossing method, but I decided to hold my tongue for now.
Everyone has their own way of doing things, after all.
Especially since she's a much more veteran adventurer than I am, it's not my place to say anything.
“These girls don't have a mage in their party, so it's a problem if they get used to the easy way.”
I never thought I'd live to see the day I'd hear this kind of complaint.
Is she actually not a believer in stats or something, but just a masochist who enjoys physical exhaustion?
No. She makes other people exhausted rather than herself, so is she a sadist?
“Still, just let it go this time. We can't just wait around until you guys have crossed.”
While my mind was running wild with strange thoughts, I persuaded Alicia in a calm tone.
I could have just told them to come on their own after we crossed, but I couldn't bring myself to do it because of the pitiful looks the trio were giving me from behind Alicia.
And I've known them for quite a while now.
“…I guess you have a point. Can't be helped. Alright. Untie the rope!”
“Yes, ma'am!”
In the end, Alicia bent her principles just this once and listened to me.
Thanks to that, the trio were looking at me with gazes bordering on worship.
And to think, just a few days ago when we entered the dungeon, they were looking at me with eyes full of resentment.
Yeah, yeah. You're welcome.
Anyway, after all that commotion, we entered the Ice Cave and went straight down to the Emperor Penguin's room.
But, just as I'd expected, the Emperor Penguin was nowhere to be seen.
I had a vague feeling this would happen on our way here, but I guess this is how it is.
“I guess it hasn't respawned yet, right?”
“Mm. That's…”
“Probably. The masters of sub-layers are said to have shorter respawn cycles than those of regular layers, but even considering that, we came back too soon this time.”
As usual, our resident encyclopedia, Diana, was about to answer my question, but Alicia answered faster.
Her brutish behavior from earlier had tarnished that image a bit, but as expected of a top-class clan executive, Alicia's knowledge of the dungeon was extensive.
Diana, having had her turn stolen, just stared at Alicia with a sullen expression.
“At this rate, the male penguin probably hasn't respawned either.”
“Probably. There's still not much information on the males of sub-layers, but from what you guys said, he's basically the true master of this sub-layer, right? His cycle might be as long as a regular layer master's.”
“If that's the case, do we have to wait for it to respawn?”
“Let's go check, anyway.”
As if she'd memorized the location from our last visit, Alicia walked straight toward the wall where the male penguin's room was.
She might seem simple and brutish, but she really does pay attention to and remember the important details.
“Hmph. It is my turn, I suppose.”
Perhaps still quite vexed that Alicia had stolen her role earlier, Diana stepped forward as if to say it was finally her turn and created a large fireball.
It wasn't a dazzlingly explosive and powerful spell like last time.
This time, there was no need to show off her power to earn their trust, and since it was highly likely we wouldn't be parting ways with Alicia's party immediately like before, she couldn't afford to exhaust all her mana and collapse here.
Of course, the fireball she created was more than enough to break through the wall, and we headed straight for the male penguin's room.
When we arrived at the hidden room, the male penguin was, as expected, nowhere to be seen.