Chapter 20

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Translator: ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠True Detective

Chapter: 20

Chapter Title: A Different Kind of Healing

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Chomp chomp―

"......"

Nom nom―

"......"

I blankly chewed on a piece of pizza while staring at the Hero Party in front of me.

The women had tasted the pizza and spaghetti I'd bought, and they instantly lost all reason, launching into a ferocious feast.

'Who eats a slice of pizza in just three bites?'

Elisicia demolished one slice in three bites before grabbing the next.

And it didn't end there—she flashed her eyes at me, sparkling with clear intent.

'Not enough.'

So I used Modern Item Purchase again to summon fresh pizza.

"Whoa, what's this drink? It stings the throat at first, but now it just goes down endlessly."

Rubyel chomped away at her pizza, washing it down with cola whenever it got stuck in her throat.

Aila and the elf woman ate more demurely by comparison, but the pizzas vanished at the same rate.

'But haven't they only been eating jelly until now?'

Twenty or thirty jellies per meal?

It was no wonder they had such enormous appetites.

Fortunately, the Hero Party wrapped up their meal within reasonable bounds.

'Let me check.'

Four people: five pizzas, eight spaghettis, twelve sandwiches—gone.

Once again, thinking they'd stayed within reason, I looked at the four satisfied faces and asked,

"How was the meal?"

"The meal? It was the best. I don't think I've ever eaten like this in my life."

Elisicia's claim that it was a first in her life filled me with inexplicable pride.

Personally, I'd thought that with the war going on, it had probably been eight years since they'd eaten like this.

'Not even full meals before the war?'

Along with that, Rubyel's satisfied voice chimed in.

"I loved it too. We can eat like this from now on, right?"

I nodded at Rubyel, who was already anticipating future meals.

Just the 15,000 points she'd given me today would cover meals like this for weeks.

'Plus, we'll keep earning points from hunting monsters.'

So I nodded to reassure her.

"As long as we have points, we can do it every day."

"Points...... Elis, we should give some of our future earnings to the Castaway, right?"

Rubyel asked Elisicia what she thought.

Elisicia, her belly full and mood cheerful, readily agreed.

"Of course. He must have spent ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a good amount of points on today's meal."

For reference, this meal cost around 200 points.

A lot if you thought of it as 200 red bean buns, but these were pricey foods, so it couldn't be helped.

'Around 600 points a day, then.'

For reference, I earned more than that from the exchange.

Starving for lack of points was practically impossible.

'And with points from Elisicia on top......'

It was bound to be a hefty sum.

The problem was, even with points piling up like that, there weren't many places to spend them anymore.

'Except buying 4-channel weapons, nothing major.'

At first, I'd armed up to prepare for anyone who might come drag me away by force.

Then the Hero Party showed up out of the blue, we talked, and I ended up joining them.

'Anyway.'

Now, having just enough points to buy items and list them on the exchange seemed fine.

'Ice Queen will handle the 3-channel bloodstones.'

As I pondered points, Elisicia spoke up.

"More importantly, Castaway, you still don't know where we're headed, do you?"

"Down into the labyrinth, right?"

"We're heading down, but that's not the exact destination. We'll go down to the 10th floor, then to where the beastkin are."

Beastkin?

"Even past the beastkin, why go all the way to the 10th floor?"

"The 10th floor of this Great Labyrinth is huge—connected to the entire continent. We have to go down to the 10th to access the path to the beastkin."

Floors 1 through 9 had only one path, but the 10th connected to other races' routes.

"Got it, but why the beastkin?"

"Truth is, the deepest we've gone so far is the 23rd floor. Fighting there, we realized our forces were lacking."

In short, they were heading to the beastkin to bolster their strength.

'So that's what Rubyel meant earlier by seven when she mentioned recruits before the shower?'

Two beastkin would make seven.

"Any reason you didn't recruit them sooner?"

"Simple: food. They said they couldn't exert strength on jelly alone."

If food was the issue, my joining had basically solved it.

So they figured they could bring the beastkin now and were heading ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠there.

"We have to go down to the 10th floor first, then."

"Yes."

Then Rubyel, looking like a stuffed cat, chimed in.

"Honestly, if we'd properly recovered our energy, we would've cleared the labyrinth ages ago."

Our tough guy couldn't admit getting stuck at 23.

'Anyway, looks like they're done eating.'

I gathered the pizza boxes and trash, hit [Point Recovery], and tossed it all in.

This point recovery ability had to be one of the Gallery's top conveniences.

"Then I'll pitch a tent outside and sleep."

Having cleaned up neatly, I said I'd set up my own tent outside.

I planned to pull out the one I'd used on the 1st floor.

But Elisicia looked at me like I'd said something absurd.

"Castaway, what are you talking about?"

"Huh? We've showered and eaten, so time to prep for bed."

Was there something else to do?

As I thought, Elisicia patted the tent floor with her palm.

"You sleep in this tent too."

"......Huh?"

What did she mean?

"You mean sleep here?"

"Yes, exactly."

I asked again just in case, and Elisicia confirmed it.

I blinked at her for a moment, then turned to look at Rubyel and the others.

"Why look at us? You're the weakest one here. That's why we sleep together."

"Why?"

"Why? What if monsters attack while you're sleeping alone and target you first?"

Rubyel was saying I'd be dead meat if monsters ambushed while I slept.

"B-But we'll have night watch, so it should be fine."

"You think monsters come one at a time? Even if five or six rush in, you saying it'd be okay?"

"......"

Yeah, five or six would be dangerous.

"We said we'd protect you. The surest way is everyone sleeping together here."

Since it was for my safety, I couldn't easily refuse.

But still, it felt wrong, so I tried the gender angle.

"As a guy, sleeping with you ladies is honestly a bit burdensome."

"Why? Can't sleep with girls around?"

"I'm not used to it."

"Then get used to it. It'll take days to reach the beastkin, so plenty of time."

Rubyel was telling me to adapt during that time—absurd.

'......Well, humans adapt, so maybe I will.'

Besides, the mood said they wouldn't listen no matter what.

So I naturally scanned the tent for a spot to sleep.

"Looking for something?"

"Where to sleep."

With two large beds in the tent, space was limited.

But spreading a sleeping bag on the floor should work, I decided.

Then Rubyel spoke.

"Just sleep in the bed with us."

"......"

I looked at Rubyel, then at the bed behind her.

"You mean share the bed?"

"The safest place for you in this labyrinth is next to me and Elisicia."

"Even so, sharing a bed is too much, isn't it?"

"Why? Planning to pounce in a fit of passion?"

I sensed that if I got pushed here too, I'd end up in the bed no escape.

So I stated my position firmly, nodding.

"Unexpected accidents could happen."

"Then pounce. But how do you plan to face us after?"

"......"

She had a point—if that somehow happened, it'd be awkwardly uncomfortable beyond imagination.

'Besides, no ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠one's getting pounced on here anyway.'

In the end, sharing the bed was inevitable.

On the flip side, sharing a bed with stunning beauties might be enviable.

"......"

As my thoughts reached that point, I recalled my friend's words.

'He definitely called it healing water.'

No way he predicted this and called it healing...... right?

But it still felt far from the healing I'd imagined.

"......"

I felt Elisicia and Rubyel's gazes from both sides as I lay in bed.

Sandwiched between them, I avoided their eyes and stared into the Gallery.

"You check the Gallery a lot, Castaway."

"I stocked the warehouse with pickaxes today. Just seeing the reactions."

"Ah, they must be distributing them by now."

Elisicia lay back straight and seemed to check the Gallery too.

Truth be told, their stares were burdensome, but checking reactions wasn't a lie.

......

......

Fortunately, most seemed thrilled at the idea of earning points with pickaxes.

A few grumbled, of course, but satisfying everyone was a fantasy from the start.

"Reactions are great. Coming to you really was the right call."

Elisicia had checked the Gallery too, her eyes sparkling as she spoke to me.

That gaze was burdensome, so I turned away—only for Rubyel on the other side to nod approvingly.

"Yeah. Didn't like it at first, but now I'm glad we came."

Beyond her, I could see Aila smiling contentedly.

'But her sleepy eyes make it hard to tell what she's seeing.'

If not for the sleepy eyes, she'd probably have sparkling eyes like Elisicia's.

"......"

Regardless, the gazes from the three stirred a deep, indescribable sense of fulfillment in me.

Not knowing why, I said nothing and turned back to the Gallery.