Chapter 775: Strengthening Period
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 775: Strengthening Period
“I’m heading to the dungeon now.”
After finishing breakfast, I made the declaration to everyone.
“So sudden again.”
Well, she wasn’t wrong. But it couldn’t be helped. Not after I failed to perform Apostle Appointment on Elder Sister Rachel.
Until now, the biggest reason I’d been conquering the dungeon was a vague fear of what the Goddess might do to me if I didn’t. But failing to appoint Rachel as an Apostle had given me a much more concrete motivation.
To succeed, I would have to completely eliminate her anxiety. And to do that, I had no choice but to conquer the dungeon and prove that it was no longer a threat to me.
For that reason, I was more motivated than ever, which was why I made my announcement the moment we finished our meal.
“Like I said before, I’m going to be staying in the town on the 4th floor for a while to focus on my own growth. Since I’ll be in town, I don’t really need to restock on consumables, and I only need one of you to come with me, so it’s not like we need a lot of time to prepare, right? I figured it wouldn’t be a problem. Is it?”
“Hmm. I’m not saying it’s a problem, but…”
“So we’ll be taking turns, one by one, starting today?”
Though they weren’t exactly opposed, Diana and Leia seemed a bit bewildered by my sudden announcement.
“Yep. That’s the plan. For the time being, the rest of you can just relax and wait for your turn. I’m sure you haven’t had much time to do your own things since you’ve been following me into the dungeon all this time.”
Setting aside Sara, who had come to this city with only revenge on her mind, everyone else had their own lives and responsibilities.
There was Diana’s magical research, and Leia’s regular volunteer work in the slums.
“You, thinking like that is…”
But my words seemed to bother her, and for the first time in a while, Matilda looked like she was about to properly scold me.
“Ah, sorry. I know you all hang out with me because you want to. I’m grateful for that.”
“As long as you know. Besides, I can’t go anywhere without you anyway. I’m most free when I’m with you.”
I’d realized my words had a slightly odd nuance as soon as I’d said them, so I apologized immediately. Matilda looked at me and, this time, spoke as if to encourage me.
“Huh? No. I don’t think it’ll be a problem.”
“…What do you mean by that?”
But at my follow-up, Matilda’s expression immediately hardened.
No, you seem to be misunderstanding. That’s not what I meant. I didn’t mean I don’t care if you go wandering around and enter your pink mode for some other guy.
I just meant that you can control that pink mode if you just put your mind to it.
The problem is that you usually don’t put your mind to it.
“No, I mean the curse has weakened quite a bit, and you’ve learned to control yourself when you need to. I think it’ll be fine if you just have someone with you just in case. If you feel like you’re about to enter that state after seeing another man’s face, just think of my face. Then, surely…”
“Yeees… y-you. Of course. I only have you…”
No, that’s not what I meant!
I thought you were being serious for once, but it’s this again?!
“Right, right.”
Even as I thought that, I didn’t bother trying to push away Matilda as she clung to me in her pink mode.
We weren’t in the dungeon, so it wasn’t really a problem right now.
Though it was a little embarrassing how much she was clinging to me.
“Haaah… Can’t be helped. If we’re going, let’s go.”
Staring at me and Matilda with narrowed eyes, Sara shot up from her seat.
Despite her tone, which suggested she was just going along with it, she seemed to be brimming with motivation.
Hahaha. This has gotten tricky.
Looking at Sara, I glanced over at Vanessa, who was standing behind Diana.
And Vanessa was wearing the exact same expression she’d had when I looked at her just a moment ago.
In other words, she was staring at me with an incredibly cold gaze. She had been ever since I stood up and declared I was going to the dungeon.
Well, of course. I’d just been dropping all those hints that we were about to have sex, getting her hopes up, only to suddenly announce I was leaving for the dungeon. Of course she’d look at me like that.
No, it’s not like I said it without thinking.
I had already decided to go to the dungeon today, right from the moment I failed to perform Apostle Appointment on Elder Sister Rachel.
But then I opened the door and there was Vanessa, looking like that.
How could I not console her?
And as we talked, the conversation just ended up there.
At the time, I just went with the flow and said it, thinking I could just take her with me to the dungeon. But thinking about it now, I can’t do that.
My partner for today was Sara, who had given up her turn yesterday for Elder Sister Rachel.
Moreover, perhaps because it had been a while since it was just the two of us, Sara seemed incredibly excited, despite her reluctant tone.
Ask that Sara to give her turn to Vanessa for just one day?
Unless I wanted to be nagged for the rest of my life, there was no way I could say something like that.
But if I just left for the dungeon like this, Vanessa would definitely…
“What is it? You have something to say?”
The ever-perceptive Sara must have read my hesitation, because she threw me a question with a suspicious look on her face.
That question felt like my last chance to bring up Vanessa.
“No. Just that we’re not going to grab an inn room the moment we get there, so you should wear your armor.”
Of course, just because I was given the chance didn’t mean I could actually ask her to give up her turn to Vanessa.
“Hmmm… I guess you’re right. Okay. I’ll go get changed.”
Sara looked at me with an incredibly suspicious expression, but she still let it slide coolly.
The moment Sara, having taken her leather armor from me, left the dining room, I turned to Diana and spoke urgently.
“Diana. There’s something I need to talk to you about before I go to the dungeon. Just the two of us.”
“O-Oh?”
I led the confused Diana to my room.
Once we were alone, I looked her straight in the eyes and began.
“Diana. I have a favor to ask.”
“W-What is it?”
“Could you let Vanessa have your turn tomorrow?”
“…Hm?”
Diana, who had been blushing just a moment before, saw her expression instantly harden the moment I got to the point.
“No, please hear me out. The thing is…”
Truthfully, while it was Sara who gave up her turn for Elder Sister Rachel yesterday, to be precise, it meant everyone’s turn was pushed back by a day.
In other words, asking Diana for this favor was just as shameless as asking Sara would have been.
But even knowing it was a shameless request, I had no choice but to ask Diana.
When all was said and done, Diana, as the eldest, was the most generous.
I also calculated that Diana, who wanted to heal the trauma in Vanessa’s heart through our relationship, would graciously yield for Vanessa’s sake.
“So, what is the reason you are asking me and not young Sara?”
After hearing my situation, Diana furrowed her brow and asked.
Normally, I would have told her not to make that face because it would give her wrinkles, but I was in no position to say such a thing this time.
“Sara’s still a kid, and a request like this can only be made to the generous big sister Diana…”
“Do you think I will like anything you say as long as you call me ‘big sister’?”
“Oh, you don’t?”
“Of course not! Why on earth would I particularly like that?! I am the eldest sister, whether you say it or not! The title ‘big sister’ is perfectly natural for me. Do you think stating the obvious will please me?”
“Ah, yeah. Right.”
She’s totally loving it. ‘Big sister.’ ‘Big sister.’ She keeps emphasizing it.
It seems even more effective than usual, maybe because Elder Sister Rachel is in the picture now.
“In any case, you are asking this big sister to yield her turn to Vanessa for a day.”
“Yes.”
“Are you aware that my turn has also been pushed back repeatedly, and that it has been a long time for me as well?”
As she said that, Diana looked at me with a slightly resentful expression.
When it came down to it, it seemed my kind-hearted Diana was going to grant my request.
Otherwise, there would be no reason for her to make such a face.
“Of course, I know. I’m looking forward to it, too. In fact, I’ve been making all sorts of plans in my head… Oh, right. Diana. How about this? In exchange for you giving your turn to Vanessa tomorrow, I’ll give something up, too.”
“Hm? What might that be?”
“Yeah. I won’t do the thing I was planning to do with you.”
“What on earth were you planning?!”
“You want to hear? Actually, in the dungeon…”
“I do not want to hear it! Aaaah!”
Diana shouted loudly, slapping her palms against her own ears.
Seriously, big sister Diana. This is why I don’t normally call you that.
Well, I suppose I’m not one to talk, asking for a favor like this just because she’s the oldest.
“Well, jokes aside, please.”
“Was that really a joke?”
“Maybe?”
“You are absolutely plotting something, aren’t you?! You man! Inside the dungeon! What on earth were you planning to do?!”
Convinced by my answer, Diana started patting my chest.
Finally, she rested both her fists against my chest and gently bumped her forehead against it.
“I am sure you are aware, but it would be troublesome if you thought I would always yield like this.”
“I know.”
“And I will be sure to collect on this favor later.”
“Of course.”
“Hoo. Very well. I shall yield this time. I will speak to the others as well.”
Lifting her forehead from my chest, Diana looked up at me and spoke with a look of resignation.
“Sob. Big sister Diaaanaaa…”
“Do not cling to me so disgustingly.”
When I pulled her into a hug with a look of deep gratitude, Diana replied with a prim expression.
Hey. Normally, when you say something like that with that kind of face, don’t you also avoid the hug?
Did you try to dodge and fail because of your physical stats?
“Guwon? Are you in here? What are you doing when you said we’re going to the dungeon?”
Just as our conversation ended, Sara’s voice came from outside the door.
“Ah, yeah! Just getting ready! Well then, Diana. Thanks.”
“Mm. Mmh… peck.”
I gave Diana a kiss on the lips and headed out the door.
Then, I set off for the dungeon with a fully prepared Sara.
“What were you suddenly talking to Diana about?”
“Huh? Oh, nothing. Since Diana’s the eldest, I was just asking her to look after everyone while I’m down there by myself.”
Sara threw me a sudden question on the way, but it was easy enough to bluff my way through it.
“What’s that about? It’s not like any of us are kids.”
“True. Even you, the biggest kid of all, are pretty responsible.”
“You’re the one who acts most like a kid, you know?”
“Hah. I can’t deny that.”
“You’re supposed to deny it, you idiot.”
Even as she said that, Sara smiled happily and snuggled into my arm.
As I walked to the dungeon, chatting idly with Sara, a thought suddenly occurred to me.
Ah, come to think of it, after negotiating with Diana, I never actually told Vanessa that tomorrow is her turn.
…Well, Diana said she’d tell her, so it should be fine, right?
More importantly, I should prepare for what’s right in front of me.
“Oh, my? Are you heading back to the dungeon already?”
“Ah, yes. I mean. Yeah. Huh?”
When we arrived at the Guild and I went to the reception desk as always, Elder Sister Rachel was, as expected, quite flustered.
Seeing her, I couldn’t help but get flustered myself, though for a completely different reason.
I mean, the thought that the lips of the perfectly professional receptionist before me had been wrapped around my thing just a few hours ago…
It was the kind of thing that tickles a man’s heart, you know?
“Fufu. It’s alright for you to speak casually, Guwon-ssi. I’m on duty right now.”
Fortunately, my reaction seemed to calm her down a little, and she let out a small laugh as she spoke.
“Yeah. Anyway, I’m planning to stay in the 4th floor town for a while to raise my job level. You have nothing to worry about this time, Rachel.”
“Is that so… Yes. I understand. Please be safe.”
“I’ll be back.”