What is this? He doesn’t seem to be a bad person…but… Aria senses something off about Leis…but she can’t determine its exact nature. Just then— “A special-mission request just for you, oh mew god! It appears word is getting out about your strength, Aria!” Hearing that Leis has a special mission just for Aria, Vulcan is elated, as if Leis was talking about her. A special-mission request is definitive proof of prowess and name value. Because Vulcan trained Aria, she’s ecstatic that her pupil is now getting recognition. Hearing how happy Vulcan is, Aria decides to quell her misgivings and first asks Leis, “A special-mission request… Just what sort of errand does this entail? And why are you asking me? There are far more experienced adventurers here in the guild…” “The mission is an escort quest. I am a merchant and transporting a certain item from the town of Renald to the earl’s territory, Gladstone, and I require protection for myself and my cargo.” “They requested you specially because I referred you, Aria! You succeeded in driving out the demons from Renald with Vulcan, and you have Tama, who can take down four trolls all by himself, right? Above all else, Leis has requested someone he can trust explicitly, which is why I thought of you and your strong sense of justice. ” Leis and Arnold answer Aria’s questions in turn. Huh… They’ve asked for Aria by name—not me—due to her strength and trustworthiness… Hearing the two speak, Tama nods slightly in distinct agreement. Vulcan is equally happy, seeing so much trust being placed in Aria, who was just a D-ranked adventurer when the two met. “Well, we can only do so much standing here—shall we have a seat, and I’ll explain the matter in detail? Actually, I have something I’d like to ask of Vulcan, also…” “Meown? Something for me, too? I’m sorry, but right meow, I can’t leave my shop unattended for an extended period. I’m afraid I’ll have to refuse in this meow-ment.” “Is that so…? I understand. What a pity.” Leis had intended to ask Vulcan, from Aria’s same party, to undertake a different special mission, it seems. However, she’s tasked with the responsibility of running her shop. The trip from Renald to Gladstone is over three days by horse-drawn carriage. Thinking of the round-trip journey, Vulcan had no choice but to refuse. “Okay then, please provide further details. Stella…should probably not be present, judging by her appearance. Vulcan, can you please go ahead and get her something to eat?” “Okay meow!” Aria originally thought to encourage Stella, the other member of their party, to listen as well, but seeing the look on her face, she gave up. A whiff of the tantalizing aroma wafting from the bar at the back of the guild has Stella lost in a trance, drool streaming from her mouth. Vulcan leads their drooling companion away while Aria, still holding Tama, sits to continue her conversation with Leis and Arnold. “Okay then, let’s explain. As Leis said earlier, what we want you to do, Aria, is guard a convoy. The items requiring your diligence are Leis himself and his cargo, the skeleton of an earth dragon.” “An earth dragon skeleton…! And from the town of Renald…” “That’s right. About a month ago, an earth dragon corpse appeared, and the skeleton was harvested from it. Right, Tama?” Responding to Aria’s surprise, Arnold affirms her suspicions. The “certain item” they’ll be transporting is the earth dragon Tama destroyed in the labyrinth approximately one month earlier in order to save his master—in other words, Stella’s skeleton. The sudden appearance of an earth dragon corpse coincident with Tama’s battle wounds had sent rumors spreading far and wide. The stories are circulating, and it’s clear that Arnold, who shoots a wink Tama’s way, already knows them. The little cat, however, merely cocks his head to the side as if to say, What are you on about? Aria asks how exactly Leis came into possession of the earth dragon skeleton, and he replies, “Actually, there was an auction for the corpse in Renald. I bid on the skeleton only, because it can be used in trading.” As a merchant, perhaps Leis intends to sell the skeleton as raw materials to a blacksmith, or maybe he has a different use for it in mind… Aria is definitely curious but declines to pry further. Her intuition as an elf is telling her that Leis doesn’t have ulterior motives, and above all else, she trusts Arnold. He always takes thorough measures and strictly vets the requestor, to make sure he passes on only legitimate requests. “I would like to leave as early as possible. Tomorrow, if feasible… How does this amount strike you for payment?” Leis answers Aria’s questions while detailing the conditions of his request, pushing an official form from the guild toward Aria. “…Th-this price… You can’t be serious…?” “I am very serious; my cargo is extremely precious.” The quote on the request form is staggering, vastly eclipsing the estimate for the quest Aria had accepted previously, the one that led to the defeat of the demon Beryl. “Yes, and there’s a chance the earth dragon skeleton will be preyed on by thieves. That’s why the fee is quite high. There’s a certain level of danger involved, but you and Tama can handle it, I’m sure. ” “…In that case, I believe I would like to accept this quest. Tama, you’re okay with it, right?” “Meown—!” Of course, master! Aria has made up her mind and accepted the mission. Tama, lying quietly on the table, enthusiastically affirms her decision. “By the way, can she…can Stella come along with us, too?” “If she’s your comrade, then of course she can. The more bodies the better for a convoy.” Aria can’t afford to leave Stella alone in Labyrinthos and is relieved when Leis readily and affably consents to having her accompany them. Fighting a number of monsters in a confined space like the labyrinth is one thing, but along the route they’ll be traveling, Stella can’t be expected to cooperate quite as closely. If she runs off on her own, it will be slightly more tolerable. Also, Aria is confident this will be a good chance for Stella to get used to fighting while defending a specific item. Hmm… Will this work out? If Stella is joining us, that means she’ll see the earth dragon skeleton—her corpse from her previous life. She could be scarred beyond repair… Hearing that Stella will join them, Tama can’t help but imagine the possibility. His old enemy is now a comrade joining him on the front lines of battle. Tama turns to see the former earth dragon tearing into her food playfully with Vulcan by her side. The former knight inevitably fears for the girl’s state of mind. “This is incredible… It’s really just the bones, isn’t it?” “Yes, the dissection was performed by professionals who removed the skeleton. It remains in pristine condition.” Two days later, Aria and company have reached the town of Renald. Aria and the requestor, Leis, are discussing the earth dragon skeleton—Stella’s corpse from her past life. “…” —Stella, are you okay…? Tama gingerly engages Stella in telepathic conversation as she stands next to Aria and Leis, looking up at her remains silently. Last night, Tama told Stella that the object they’d be protecting on this quest is her past self’s corpse. As expected, she was deeply scarred by this revelation. She currently seems very dejected. She used to be able to eat mountains of food, but now her appetite is only as much as a normal human’s. Seeing Stella’s sudden change in mood, Aria thought she should leave her behind with Vulcan, but Stella put up a fuss, claiming she “doesn’t want to be separated from Tama…,” so they brought her along. The party was attacked by a number of monsters on the way to Renald, but Stella refused to help fight them off. Tama cleaned them all up with Elemental Howls. —Tama… —What is it, Stella? —It’s so strange… When I saw my corpse, I remembered the moment you took my life…and for some reason, it made my lady parts throb! —…… Tama is left completely speechless. “By the way, Leis, how are we expected to transport this massive skeleton? I don’t think that horses will be of any use…” “You don’t need to worry about that, Aria. I have six carrier lizards pulling a specially made orichalcum-alloy carriage. It will hold under the weight.” “I see. Then I guess we don’t have anything to worry about!” Carrier lizards are a particularly rare species, about seven feet long. They are as intelligent as horses and have strong, powerful bodies—the perfect creature to carry heavy cargo a long distance. “Hey now, if it isn’t Aria and Tama!” As they converse, Aria and Leis hear a voice call out to them. “Mr. Town Headman! It’s so nice to see you again!” “Meown—!” The town headman, who submitted the request that resulted in the death of the demon Beryl, appears before them, grinning from ear to ear. Of course he is—Aria and Tama are the heroes who saved the town of Renald. “I’m so glad to see both of you are well again! Are you the adventurers I heard will be protecting this earth-dragon-skeleton cargo?” “Yes, that’s correct. We received a special request from this man, Leis…” “Wooow, isn’t that something! And it seems that your adventurer rank has gone up, too. Maybe that’s a given for someone who’s defeated a demon?” The headman looks toward Aria’s chest while he speaks. Just as he claimed, her adventurer’s tag has changed from silver to gold—in other words, she’s increased from C to B rank. Though Vulcan’s cooperation always helps, her prowess in taking down the demon and Tama’s record of defeating four trolls by himself was recognized, and she was promoted just as they left on their journey. Of course, that means that Vulcan also rose to B rank. Grrr. Damn headman, pretending to look at Aria’s adventurer’s tag while he stares at her resplendent valley. It’s time to teach you a lesson. Realizing that the headman is leering, Tama jumps up from the ground onto Aria’s chest and burrows in between her breasts before turning to the headman and narrowing his adorable little eyes. No matter how cute he might look, Tama is a powerful elemental cat that can take down multiple A-rank monsters single-handedly. The headman yelps in fright and quickly averts his eyes. Attempting to change the subject, the he looks toward Stella and says to Aria, “W-well, let’s forget about that for now… Who is that girl over there, breathing so raggedly…?” Stella’s cheeks are visibly red, and she’s panting excitedly. This foul creature! Is she recalling the moment I put her to death and getting all hot and bothered by it?! Tama had been devoting all his strength to protecting Aria from the headman’s wandering gaze, but seeing Aria’s current condition, his eyes go wide as saucers in surprise. No matter what the circumstances, getting turned on from recalling the moment of one’s death is simply more than Tama can comprehend. Well…in reality, Stella isn’t getting excited by the fact that Tama killed her but rather recalling his strength once again and wondering, What would happen if Tama had his way with me in that behemoth form…? I’ll bet one shot would be all it would take to impregnate me… That much was beyond the scope of Tama’s imagination. Well, I guess that’s that; no matter what shape or form it takes, she’s clearly overcome her trauma. This means she should get her appetite back, and she’ll be able to return to battle. Tama forces himself to believe it’s all true. The town headman invites Aria and the party to stay a night at Renald’s inn. They accept, including a delicious meal and an open-air hot bath to relieve and soothe the fatigue of their travels, preparing them for tomorrow’s journey. “By the way, can I ask you something?” “What is it, Aria? Provided I’m able, I’m happy to answer any questions you might have.” Leis responds to Aria’s query with a cheerful smile. Their journey has been pleasant thus far. A few monsters, including goblins, attacked them, but because they’re on convoy protection duty, Aria and company stayed in the back and allowed Tama to clear the path with Elemental Howls, just like on their journey to Renald. They’ve proceeded along their route and have currently entered their second evening. The group dines together as the campfire crackles. According to their itinerary, if they leave early tomorrow morning, they should arrive at their destination of Gladstone just before noon. Meanwhile, Aria continues with her question. “What sort of merchant trade will the earth dragon skeleton be used for? The auction price you told me makes it seem like it’s not really that profitable…” Adventurers generally do not ask those requesting their assistance such deep questions. However, over the past two days, Aria has come to realize that Leis is a kind man with a good heart. Given this fact, she made up her mind that getting a little curious and asking a few questions couldn’t hurt. “That’s a good question… Between you and me, I have an arms dealer merchant friend who has wanted an earth dragon skeleton for quite some time. He had a premonition of a massive war that is soon to come…” “Is that so? Well, I better not pry any deeper for details, in that case…” Aria is convinced by Leis’s story. A massive war… Will it be a struggle over territory by the aristocracy, or will two nations collide suddenly? Large mercantile families are often well-informed when it comes to such matters, and the information is kept strictly confidential. Leis has divulged this insight to Aria, although it is ambiguous. For the elf, however, that is more than enough. If a huge war starts, so many innocent lives will be lost… Imagining the horror, Aria casts her gaze downward. It’s easy for her to fight in the name of righteousness when her opponents are demons and monsters, but against another human, it’s nearly impossible. Aria feels lost, and this immovable truth rankles her sense of righteousness. “Meown…” “Hee-hee, Tama, are you consoling me? You are such a sweetheart.” Tama’s cheeks are stuffed with grilled meat, but he hops onto Aria’s lap and rubs his head lovingly into her stomach. Aria smiles faintly and strokes Tama’s head with tender love and care. “Grrrrr… Just what do you love so much about this weak little girl?” Stella hasn’t had another chance to hold Tama since the first time. This is because Aria hasn’t let her guard down around Stella, who is prowling after Tama’s manhood. “I’m more interested in how gorgeous girls like you and Stella became adventurers. It’s mysterious. With looks like those, you must have a multitude of high-level adventurers and aristocrats lining up to take your hand…” With a smirk in Stella’s direction, Leis compliments her and Aria while expressing his fascination that they make their living as adventurers despite their obvious beauty. In response, Aria says, “You’re right. I have been pursued by an aristocrat before. However, I am not fond of human men. And I need to get stronger, to save as many people as possible. That’s why I’m training to be an adventurer.” Recalling how Kussman pursued her, Aria looks embittered, but she answers Leis regardless. Hearing her reply, he stares back at her with a distant look in his eyes and says, “Saving as many people as possible…really. I have already heard that your sense of virtue is so strong that you threw yourself into battle without concern for your own life. Apparently, the rumor is true. Can I respectfully ask the reason for your devotion to righteousness?” After a lengthy pause, Aria begins speaking slowly. “…A number of years ago, when I was still a child, my hometown was attacked by a demon army. Amid the confusion, I wandered off with my mother, but a demon captured us. But…just when I thought we were going to die, she appeared before us: the beautiful, virtuous elf the Holy Blade!” “The Holy Blade…the same person who single-handedly defeated the demon army that fell upon the elf homeland Lumilus and, according to one theory, smashed a pillar of the great demon lord… That Holy Blade? I see—you were enamored with her after she saved your life and decided to travel down the path of righteousness… Is that correct?” “Yes. I am still far from the strength that the Holy Blade possesses, but someday, I promise to save many people, just like she did…!” “Saving many people…is an incredible goal in life…” Realizing that Leis had fallen silent and was staring at her, Aria stammers, “A-anyway, you haven’t ogled Stella or me even once. That makes us so happy. Almost every man we encounter looks at us like pieces of meat…” “Ha-ha! Well, yes, that’s true. If I looked at you in that way, my fiancée would not be very pleased with me.” “Oh, you have a fiancée? She must be just as lovely as you.” “Yes, of course. She has chestnut brown hair and a gentle smile, a heart so big that she’s kind to everyone, and she loves flowers. She is always looking after me… It’s certainly wasted on a man like myself…” “…?” Aria now has a sense of Leis’s amiable nature, and the reason that she doesn’t feel him leering at her is because of his fiancée. In the same moment, she experiences a strange sensation at his reply, because when he spoke, he stared up at the stars as if remembering his fiancée like a whisper of the past. “…To tell the truth, she got upset with me a number of times during our dates because I was clearly distracted by other women. She was incensed and wouldn’t listen to a word I said for a while. However, when I traveled deep into the forest to find her favorite flowers and gave them to her, she forgave me somehow.” “Hee-hee! Well, it sounds like you deserved to be in the doghouse.” Realizing that Aria is staring at him, puzzled, Leis is taken aback and recounts a memory of his fiancée getting upset with him. Aria laughs wryly at his story. Tama chimes in by nodding repeatedly, almost as if interjecting in the conversation. “At any rate, this elemental cat of yours is truly a sagacious being.” Seeing Tama nodding, Leis changes the subject to him. Did I say something wrong? Aria wonders as Leis changes the subject suddenly. She decides not to dig any deeper, answering, “Tama is especially intelligent. He seems to fully understand human conversation, and he has a number of innate skills.” “Wow, does that mean others in addition to the elemental attacks I witnessed this afternoon?” “I have confirmed a number of them, but I don’t think he has any close-quarter-combat skills. Then again…he has a habit of hiding his abilities from me, so I can’t really be certain…” So far, Tama has unleashed unbelievable skills at the very last minute, and Aria looks at him reproachfully. He merely shakes his head—“Meown?”—and feigns ignorance. “Okay then, Leis. We’ve finished our dinner, so let’s get ready for bed—Oh? What’s that sound?” Just as Aria suggests bedding down for the night to Leis, the focus of her protection, she hears a strange noise. Leis and Stella look at Aria quizzically—they don’t hear anything. However… It sounds like something being dragged along the ground…and something heavy… Tama can hear it, too. The cat (behemoth) Tama and the elf Aria have far superior hearing compared to normal humans. They cannot ignore the far-off sound. “It’s coming closer quickly. Tama, Stella, prepare for battle!” “Meown!” You got it, master! “Hmph! I don’t care what kind of monster it is; I’ll rip it to shreds!” Aria grabs her knives, and Stella hoists her Mega Shield and greatsword, both in full battle-ready position. Leis moves to the rear of the party so he can escape at a moment’s notice. “Meown—!” Divine Lion Protection! This time around, Tama activates Divine Lion Protection on everyone before the enemy can get close. Leis exclaims in wonder. “Wow! This is incredible—I’ve been given night vision!” Tama has activated Divine Lion Protection to increase everyone’s physical capacity, but night vision is the primary reason he used it. Aria speaks out, saying, “That’s a…small treant, right? I’ve seen them in my studies before.” The tree monster slowly creeping toward them is called a small treant, approximately ten feet long and relying on skills and the hefting of its body on top of enemies to attack. Puzzled, Leis remarks, “This is strange. There shouldn’t be any small treants inhabiting this region…” Normally, small treants appear only in forests or forest labyrinths, and to the party’s knowledge, there is no such place nearby. “Don’t think too hard about this one, Tama! It’s time for you to burn this thing to a crisp with your Flame Howl!” “Meown—!” Leave it to me, master! Flame Howl! Tama answers Aria with an adorable meow and activates Flame Howl, one of his Elemental Howls. “Grrr-awwwwrrr—!!” The small treant screams in utter agony along the night road. Tama’s Flame Howl has the fearsome capacity to completely evaporate a troll’s life force. The small treant’s wooden body was instantly engulfed in flame and burned to ashes and dust. Suddenly, Leis yells, “Oh my god…! This is bad, Aria. There are a number of them flanking from the rear!” Just as he said, a herd of small treants is encroaching on the party. One, two, three… There must be at least ten of them. “Let’s prepare the carriage! Traveling by night is dangerous, but there could be even more coming!” “Understood!” At Aria’s command, Leis packs into the carriage as she jumps into the driver’s seat. Tama hops onto Aria’s shoulder and readies himself to attack monsters at any time. Stella gets onto the cargo platform with her sword brandished, prepared to leap out as necessary. “Meown—!” Divine Lion Protection! Tama activates the powerful buff skill again—this time on the six carrier lizards supporting their carriage. He’s given them night vision to navigate the dark path. “Hahhh—!!” Aria cracks the lead, and the carrier lizards cry out and stampede forth as the small treants all scream, “Grrr-awwwwrrr—!!” They’re upset their prey is escaping. “Is this…?” “It’s…a forest, I think? It’s growing very close to the road.” Leis responds to Aria’s query from inside the carriage. A while after setting forth with the carrier lizards, they came across a number of small treants, but Tama either annihilated them with Elemental Howls or Stella split them in half with her greatsword. Now, a forest looms in front of the party, and it isn’t included anywhere on their map. Shrill cries erupt from the tree line. “Keekeeee—!” Immediately after, a seven-foot-tall monkey monster flies out of the darkness. “It’s a giant ape…!” Aria’s eyes go wide as saucers at the monkey monster—a giant ape—coming toward them. They are formidable creatures, well-known for the pleasure they take in causing pain to humans. However, that’s not the reason Aria is in shock. Giant apes should also appear only in forest labyrinths or areas near one. However, this one flew directly out of the forest… In other words— “Is this forest a labyrinth in itself—?” From within the carriage, Leis is the one to verbalize Aria’s and Tama’s suspicions. “Let’s forget about that for now. Stella, can you handle this?” “Hmph, being of use to you offends me, but I do feel like causing a ruckus. I will accept and show you how it’s done!” As she speaks, Stella leaps from the cargo platform. At the same moment, her body morphs into dragonewt form, increasing her menace. “Meown!” Divine Lion Protection! Tama jumps down behind Stella. Giant apes are C-ranked monsters. They may not be a challenge for Stella, but Tama has cast a buff to bring up their base-level skills. He’s prepared to serve as backup and hasn’t forgotten to be ready to cast an Elemental Howl whenever necessary. “Keekeeeeeee!” The giant ape brings a fist down in a rush, but Stella welcomes and deflects it with her Mega Shield. Bonnng—! The creature’s fist and her Mega Shield collide in a thundering echo. “Rrrngah—!” Stella’s expression is indescribable as she whips her shield from side to side. The giant ape’s eyes widen in shock as it realizes that tiny little Stella has blocked its fist smash like a falling feather. Stella’s prowess with her shield has increased even further. Until now, she’s been able to use her shield only as a blunt instrument, but at this point, she has developed more advanced attack techniques. That makes all the difference. In a single flash, her greatshield rips across in a perfect horizontal line, splitting the giant ape’s belly in half. “Leis, if this forest is indeed a brand-new labyrinth that’s just been conceived…” “It would be a magnificent treasure trove for any adventurers who found it, I’m sure.” It is possible for labyrinths to suddenly appear in places where there was nothing before. Labyrinths that have just been conceived into existence are wholly untouched, filled with valuable materials and treasure boxes the likes of which one hears of only in fairy tales. For any adventurer who fancies getting rich quickly, such labyrinths are like a dream. However, first we must deliver the earth dragon skeleton and Leis safely to Gladstone. Aria is highly attracted to the prospect of a newly conceived labyrinth, but as an adventurer, she must properly carry out the quest with which she’s been entrusted. Though painfully reluctant, Aria puts Stella and Tama back in the carriage, and the party leaves the newfound forest in their wake. Just before dusk— “Phew, we managed to arrive safely somehow. I must express my thanks to you, Aria, Stella, and Tama.” Leis offers his thanks to his escorts at the entrance to Gladstone, their final destination. They’d encountered a number of monsters, were ambushed in the middle of the night, and what they thought to be a labyrinth had appeared suddenly along their path—without Aria’s quick decision-making, Stella’s battle prowess, and the night vision bestowed upon them by Tama’s Divine Lion Protection, he likely wouldn’t have made it safely. “Not at all. This is our profession. For now, let’s proceed and deliver the earth dragon skeleton to your company storehouse. Afterward, in the morning, we’ll have to inform the guild of our quest completion and about the labyrinth that cropped up so close to the road.” “It’s just that…but, Aria, how would you feel about heading back to the labyrinth right away?” “…Are you sure?” Aria’s response is immediate. “Of course. Once we deliver the skeleton, my employees will begin unloading it. You’ve been a great service to me, and I would love for you to make some money from that untouched labyrinth.” Any adventurer would die to enter a virgin labyrinth, and Leis understands this as he makes his proposal. “In that case…we’d love to take you up on that.” “Please, please. If it suits you, you may bring whatever materials you collect back to my company storehouse. I’d love to study them with you!” “That would be a great help… Stella, Tama, do you have another one in you?” “Meown—!” You got it, master! “No problem at all! If anything, after our battles thus far, I’m on fire and want to crush some skulls!” Tama and Stella are both ready to rock. Stella doesn’t quite understand the allure of an unexplored labyrinth, but that’s no bother. “Aria, if you’d like, I will loan you a carrier lizard. Because it’s dangerous out there, please command it to return here before you arrive. That does mean you’ll have to walk home…” “Thank you! That will be more than satisfactory.” At Aria’s reply, Leis smiles cheerfully and sends the party on their way. “Okay then, I will wish for your triumphant return.” Seeing his smile, Aria again senses a dark shadow or hint of remorse…something just not quite right. Yet, at this juncture, she can’t let it bother her too much, because in addition to the chance to delve into what they believe to be an untouched labyrinth, she will have the opportunity to sell the materials gathered to a merchant without the guild as an intermediary. Going through the guild means paying a commission. With a direct merchant connection, she’ll be able to profit without any extra fees. Aria is not particularly greedy. In the future, she wants to travel the world as a warrior of justice. To this end, she believes she’ll need to establish several bases for herself across the land. Furthermore, she requires a decent amount of savings to apply to Stella’s future. From these two perspectives, venturing into the labyrinth they’ve discovered is now her number one priority. Even on the off chance that someone else gets there before them, if the labyrinth has indeed just been conceived recently, they will be able to make a generous profit. “Tama, Stella—let’s drink a stamina potion while we’re at it.” While swaying back and forth on the carrier lizard’s back, Aria reaches into her leather satchel and brings out two magic stamina potions that heal exhaustion. She gives one to Tama perched between her breasts and the other to Stella sitting behind her. “Gehhh—this is so bitter! But I do feel less tired…?” Stella furrows her brow at the bitter potion and is perplexed to find that it already seems to be working. It’s no surprise, given she was a monster in her past life, so healing exhaustion with an item is definitely a first for her. All right—I was getting sleepy, but with this, I should be fine. The behemoth cub Tama was due for an afternoon nap, but thanks to the stamina potion, he’s fully alert. As Tama suckles the bottle and drinks it down, Aria thinks: Ohhh… It’s like he’s sucking a nipple… It’s turning me on! Her mind begins heading in a certain direction…but let’s forget that for now. Hmm. It seems nobody has actually set foot in here. Surely master will be pleased. Tama realizes it’s very likely that nobody has entered before them. After doing some reconnaissance, the party finds nothing but grass and trees, along with one spot that could possibly serve as an entrance or exit. They work feverishly to cut away the brush and attempt to enter, but an invisible wall prevents them from going any farther. The party surmises that a barrier of sorts separates the interior of the labyrinth from the outside world. This labyrinth isn’t an underground cave like the one in Labyrinthos, so they were excited to delve inside, but they aren’t having any luck currently. Aria isn’t aware of it, but only in very rare cases do labyrinths have more than a single way to enter and escape. The party is unable to confirm any footprints around the spot they’ve found, the presumed sole entrance. In other words, they’re treating it as proof that nobody has been in the area. And this sensation…it’s the bloodlust monsters emanate. This has to be a labyrinth. Tama’s feral instincts convince him of this fact. “Hmph, I can smell a bunch of pitiful small fry.” “I agree; I can feel the presence of monsters. I realize you’re tough, Stella, but don’t let your guard down, got it?” Stella was a dragon in a past life, and Aria was born and raised in the outdoors. They’ve both recognized the aura of monsters hanging in the air inside the forest. Stella’s mouth twists into a delighted grin while Aria rubs her arm in anxiety about the upcoming battle. “Meown—” “Ohhh, Tama…you’re encouraging me, aren’t you?” Tama nuzzles his head against Aria’s cheek from his perch in between her breasts, trying to lift her spirits. Aria’s shoulders drop and relax in response to his tender concern. “Grrrr… Why only you, always, Aria?! No fair!” “Stella, this time around, we don’t have Vulcan with us, so we need to cooperate even more than before.” “Hmph, if you want us to fight together so badly, then you’ll have to do it on my terms.” Stella doesn’t give a rat’s ass about Aria’s words of admonishment. Once she realized that Aria is weaker than she is, her attitude toward the elf turned pompous and hasn’t changed in the few days since. This is not ideal… Even though we have the rare chance to delve into an untouched labyrinth, we might end up having to fall back immediately… I wish there was a way to resolve this—Wait a minute! As Aria racks her brain for a way to get Stella to cooperate, one particular idea flashes into her mind… “Tama? You definitely prefer girls who cooperate with others to fight, right? Not girls who just go wild all on their own?” Aria turns to Tama and speaks to him with a loving smile. Seeing this unfold, Stella’s eyes grow wide in surprise. S-so that’s what you’re after, master… You’re going to use me as bait to get Stella to listen to what you’re saying, right? It’s a bit awkward taking advantage of Stella’s feelings like that…but what other choice do we have? Tama has read Aria’s intentions and come to a conclusion— “Meown—!” Of course, master! Tama mews adorably and nods to show his agreement. “Grrrrrrrrrr—! I’ve changed my mind! I will fight alongside you, Aria! I am a girl who can cooperate with others in battle!” The result is immediate. Stella had been tromping on ahead by herself, but she now rushes back to Aria and hoists her shield, as if covering Aria. “Hee-hee… Tama, it looks like Stella wants to work together after all! Isn’t that great news?” “M-meown—!” Master, I didn’t know you could be so ruthless…, Tama thinks. “Okay, for now let’s keep pushing forward… But first, can you put a buff on us, Tama? It’s to enhance all our faculties, but also, this is a forest labyrinth. There will likely be mid-level monsters that can cause status ailments dwelling within.” Wow…master, you knew that could happen? It’s apparent that you’ve been brushing up on your monster and labyrinth knowledge with Vulcan during your daytime study sessions. Tama is impressed. Until now, Aria has been invested only in refining her own skills. After forming a party with Vulcan, though, she’s been learning so many things that have proven indispensable when fighting monsters or venturing into a labyrinth. Partially thanks to this, the Aria who previously couldn’t tell the difference between a regular goblin and its mutated form, a goblin mage—and was ambushed as a result—can now calmly approach a brand-new challenge standing before her. And that isn’t all—Aria has also absorbed some of Vulcan’s battle strategy know-how. This is why the party was able to complete their mission, despite a number of incidents along the way. She’s also succeeded in reining in Stella. Aria is starting to develop as a person, not just as a warrior. Tama almost feels like he’s watching his daughter growing up—it’s a warm, fuzzy, and proud feeling. “Meown—!” Okay then, Divine Lion Protection! Tama cries out, and a bright golden aura envelops Tama, Aria, and Stella. All three of the party members receive dramatic buffs, allowing them to protect themselves from the monsters they were worried about—those that cause status ailments. Not to mention, this labyrinth is filled with thick brush, and hardly any light can enter from outside. Their field of vision would normally be extremely limited, but the night-vision effect provided by Divine Lion Protection allows them to proceed with ease. “Ki-ki—!” “Ki-kiiii—!!” A few minutes’ walk into the labyrinth, two giant apes appear in front of Aria and company. “Well hello there, ape brutes! I’ll slice you to ribbons with my sword—or whatever, just bring it on!” Stella instantly races forward to attack but then suddenly stops in place. She hoists her Mega Shield, ready to strike at any time. Tama thinks, Well isn’t that something…, and is impressed. He was convinced that Stella was all talk and that, when she had the chance, she would instantly rush out to attack with abandon. However, it turns out Stella’s desire to be loved by Tama is not superficial or halfhearted. As a dragon—an all-powerful being—even if she must cast her pride aside, she wants to fight alongside Aria and win Tama’s affection. “Tama, first and foremost, let’s see what kinds of combo attacks Stella and I can do! Please support us when you see an opening!” “Meown—!” Roger that, master! Tama mews in affirmation and hops out from between Aria’s breasts down onto the floor. In the same moment, the giant apes rush forward —one heading toward Stella and the other toward Aria. “In that case…ummm, let’s try this!” Stella transforms into her dragonewt form in the face of the giant ape bounding at her and unleashes a shield-bash attack. The beast is forcefully blasted backward. Seeing this, its companion recoils in surprise, stopping in its tracks for just a moment. “Nice one, Stella!” In the brief opening this causes, Aria activates her Acceleration skill and gives her movement a speed boost. And then—whoosh! Aria races forward and steps inside the giant ape’s stance, stabbing forward with her knife and aiming for the heart. “Gi-iiiiii—!!” The giant ape screams in the throes of death. It flexes both arms and uses all its strength in an attempt to strangle Aria, yet— “Meown—!” No chance! Tama is watching vigilantly and activates Summon Tentacle to wrap up the giant ape’s arms. It resists in vain and collapses to the ground. “T-Tama…! Send me some tentacles, too!” —You got it, Stella! Stella calls out to Tama, and he answers her through telepathy. The first giant ape is just standing up as Tama sends tentacles to trap it. “You’re finished—!!” Stella growls, rushes forward, and raises her greatsword toward the immobilized giant—the battle has been won. She feels extremely awkward, but in terms of properly cooperating, she has likely cleared with a passing grade. “Good job, Stella! You did a great job for disliking working together so much!” “H-hmph! It’s not for your sake, Aria. I only did it to show Tama that I’m a girl who can cooperate for the benefit of her party members!” “Hee-hee! You can be so cute, Stella.” Aria’s approval of Stella’s diligent partnership must have embarrassed the former earth dragon, as her cheeks flush red. She did it for Tama, but being praised by Aria makes her a bit happy, too. —Stella, great job. Keep it up. —T-Tama, you’re praising me, too? Okay, you got it! Tama’s telepathic message of support instantly lights up Stella’s eyes. Her face blossoms into a smile that makes her look so much like a cute young girl, one would easily forget that she was an oversized lizard in her past life. Hmm… Stella and Tama are staring at each other silently again. Just what is going on between them? Watching from the side, Aria notices Tama and Stella seemingly staring into each other’s eyes, and feeling a tinge of jealousy, the elf puffs out her cheeks. But let’s forget that for now. Aria shakes it off and switches gears, looking down at the corpses of the giant apes at her feet. “Normally, I’d like to skin their hides and bring them back with us, but there’s a limit to what will fit in my backpack, and since it will be cumbersome as we delve deeper, I guess we’ll have to give up on that…” Aria casts her gaze away from the giant ape corpses and sighs heavily. A giant ape hide will fetch a considerable price when sold. She wants to take them with her but also doesn’t want to be encumbered as they progress through the labyrinth. Plus, they might find some treasure boxes. Aria and Stella are both wearing backpacks, but they want to refrain from collecting too much baggage right away. Hmm… Giant ape hides… Leaving them behind is definitely a waste. I know—I’ll put a new skill on display. If we’re asking Leis to purchase the items, I’m sure he’ll keep the skill a secret for me, too. Tama has made up his mind and approaches Aria’s feet, mewing at her. “What’s up, Tama?” “Meown—!” She’s looking at me. Activate skill: Storage! “Wha—?! The giant ape corpses completely disappeared!” “Just what does this mean?!” As Tama activates his skill Storage, the giant ape corpses disappear into thin air. Aria’s and Stella’s eyes are wide as saucers in surprise. However, Aria quickly realizes something is up and looks back at Tama, as if saying, Tama…it was you, wasn’t it? “Meown—!” You know it, master! Tama mews while nodding and activates Storage again. This time, the giant ape corpses he just stowed away reappear in front of them. “T-Tama, were you hiding this skill from me, too…? Once again, you are such an incredible kitty.” “That was amazing! I knew you were the mate for me!” The skill Storage is extremely rare, often said to be one in a million. The amount of items that can be tucked away varies by user, and Aria has heard that, in most cases, the skill is usually limited to small items. For Tama to be able to stow away two entire massive giant ape corpses… Aria stares at him, slack-jawed, while Stella loudly exclaims just how amazing he is. “If Tama has this skill, we won’t need to leave anything behind! Tama, is there still room for more items using your skill?” “Meown—!” Don’t worry—there’s plenty of room, master! “Okay—let’s keep on going!” “Aria, why do you look so happy?” “Stella, selling monster corpses earns us money. With more money, we can eat a whole bunch of delicious food!” “Say what?! Aria, you must tell me these things sooner! Yes! We will kill many monsters and eat lots and lots of delicious food!” Aria’s simple explanation has Stella’s eyes burning brighter than ever before. Her mind is filled with images of all the food she’s eaten in the past few days. Aria leads her along as they march farther into deeper recesses of the labyrinth. It’s certainly a forest—thick brush threatens to conceal their path forward, and the configuration would leave anyone who lets their guard down for just a moment lost. Without Aria’s superior sense of direction honed from her upbringing in the wild, the party would have likely already lost track of the labyrinth’s exit. Additionally, this place has a very particular aura. Traversing the entire perimeter of the labyrinth from the outside didn’t take long at all, but no matter how deep they go inside, they can’t catch a single glimpse of the outside world. “Tama! Please use Aether Howl!” “Meown—!” Leave it to me, master! Aether Howl! At Aria’s request, Tama unleashes his Elemental Howl, Aether Howl. He’s aiming for two massive hornet enemies diving down on Aria and Stella with their stingers. They’re as big as a human head and called poison bees—C-ranked monsters in terms of danger. Just as their name states, the stingers on their rear ends contain a poison that not only quickly drains their victims’ life forces but also causes confusion. They’re a truly bothersome monster. Thanks to the effects of Divine Lion Protection cast on the girls by Tama, the poison won’t have any affect, but being stung in a vital spot is very dangerous regardless. Landing a hit on the poison bees buzzing around them with her throwing knives is a nearly impossible task for Aria. This is why she’s asked Tama to attack them with Aether Howl, a wide-range skill. Wrhoosh—! Tama mews adorably and sends a powerful blast of air rushing above Aria’s and Stella’s heads. The poison bees are blasted off-balance a split second before landing their attacks and are blasted off course, crashing on the ground. “That’s it—Acceleration!” “No way they’ll take us down!” Aria immediately boosts her speed with Acceleration and chases the poison bees. Thanks to the added effects of Tama’s Divine Lion Protection, Aria is faster than a speeding bullet. Stella also activates her dragonewt form and gains incredible speed, although she’s not quite as fast as Aria in front of her. Bzz-bzzzz… The poison bees’ wings flap wildly in an attempt to right themselves and fly. However, due to the damage taken when they were blasted against the ground, neither can get airborne. Shrrrring—! A fierce shrill pierces the air—Aria has sliced the first bee directly in half horizontally. The sharpness of Aria’s tamahagane-and-orichalcum-alloy blade combined with her speed makes it a piece of cake. “Not letting you get away!” Just as the second poison bee seems like it will succeed in taking flight, Stella uses the hilt of her greatsword to smash it flat. “Oh, what a waste!” Aria moans. Poison bee wings and stingers can be sold for a decent price—her reaction is understandable given that the monster is now flat as a pancake. Mm? What’s this presence…? As Aria pouts, Tama senses another unknown being. “There’s something hiding in this brush!” “It seems like you’re right. Stella, I’ll attack with a throwing knife. When the enemy jumps out in surprise, I want you and Tama to attack!” Stella and Aria can feel the presence drifting out from the brush, too. Aria gives Stella and Tama their orders and removes a knife from her garter belt to throw it in the enemy’s direction when… “Wahhh! Halt, human! I’m not your enemy!” “That’s right! Please don’t attack us!” Two adorable, tiny voices can be heard from within the brush. “Who are you? Show yourselves!” “O-okay, we’ll come out.” “Wahhh, wait, don’t leave me behind—!” In response to Aria’s demand, two different voices can be heard as the creatures emerge from their hiding spot. “W-wait…a pixie? For real?” “Meown—!” And a dryad, too?! Aria and Tama cannot hide their abject surprise at the two newcomers. One of them, a tiny peach-colored creature with wings on her back, is small enough to fit in the palm of a human hand. The other is the size of a little girl with dark-green hair and eyes and light-green skin. “Yep! I’m a pixie! Lily’s my name!” “And I’m a dryad named Feri. Pleased to make your acquaintance.” The winged girl sniffs proudly, and the green-skinned girl quietly introduces herself. “A pixie and a dryad? What are they? Delicious?” “Stella, they aren’t food. They’re both types of fairies who live in forests and forest labyrinths. I’ve only ever seen them in my study materials…” Stella looks perplexed as she asks about the two creatures, prompting Aria’s explanation. The elf looks happy, in a sense. Just as she said, Lily and Feri are a pixie and a dryad, both members of the fairy family. They are extremely rare, and even if you come across one, they usually run away immediately. However, if they do show themselves, whoever beholds them is said to receive a great fortune. “Ah-ha-ha! And look at you—such an interesting little fella, aren’tcha?” “Yeah, you’re so small and fluffy and cute!” While Aria gives her fairy lesson, Lily and Feri both come closer to Tama, wide-eyed with curiosity.
Chapter 15
40 min read