Chapter 16

Feri reaches out and scoops up his tiny body. Lily yells out, “Wheeee—!” and flies onto his back, rolling around in his fuzzy fur. “M-meown—?” Tama isn’t sure how to respond to the two tiny creatures suddenly playing with him and mews awkwardly. “Ummm… You said your names are Lily and Feri, right? This is Tama. My name is Aria, and this girl here is Stella. It seems that you were observing us from within the brush. Is there something you want with us?” “Ah-ha-ha, his name is Tama! His name is just as cute as he is!” “So your names are Aria and Stella. We were watching you because Tama is so cute, we wanted to be friends with him…” “No, it’s because whatever you have in your bag smells so good, Aria! Won’t you give us a little bit?” While they play with Tama and pet his fluffy fur, Lily and Feri answer Aria’s question in turn. “Something in my bag…? Could it possibly be this?” Aria takes a small container out of her bag and opens the lid. The sweet aroma that wafts from it elicits goofy grins on Lily’s and Feri’s faces. “Ahhh! I want some!” “My goodness, what a lovely smell!” The food Lily and Feri are going crazy over is fruit preserved in honey. It seems they both were entranced by its fragrance and have been following Aria and company. “Hee-hee, you’re both so cute. Please have some.” ““Yayyy—!!”” Lily and Feri lunge at the container containing the honey-preserved fruit as soon as Aria offers it to them. Feri digs in with her hands but brings the fruit to her mouth with a delicate elegance. Lily picks up a piece with the strength of her tiny body and nibbles on it excitedly. “Wooow—Feri, human food is so good, isn’t it?!” “Yeah, you’re right—and it’s been so long since we had food a human prepared!” Lily and Feri banter while devouring the honey-preserved fruit almost immediately. Aria realizes something from their conversation and asks the girls a question. “Does that mean you’ve met other humans before? This labyrinth is newly formed, so there shouldn’t be any other humans who’ve set foot in here…” “‘Newly formed’? You mean…?” “Maybe this place reincarnated again?” Lily and Feri turn to look at each other while they speak. “The labyrinth reincarnated… Does that mean this is a ‘reborn labyrinth’?” There are a number of different types of labyrinths. There are those like the one in Labyrinthos that stay in the same place and continuously generate monsters. Some can also be relocated in space and time, and others, for unknown reasons, can be reborn once their initial purpose as a labyrinth has been fulfilled, at which point all their internal characteristics reset. That’s the “reborn labyrinth” that Aria mentioned. “That’s exactly right! Hey, human—I mean, Aria, if you want, we can guide you through this labyrinth. How about it?” “Ohhh! Really? Are you sure, Lily?” “Of course—! You gave us delicious food. We want to become friends with Tama, and you guys definitely don’t look like bad people!” Feri’s kind reply prompts Aria to quickly accept Lily’s sudden proposal. It seems both fairies are very interested in Tama. While they chat, the two start petting Tama’s fluffy fur again. “Grrrrr—! And I’m still not allowed to hold Tama! Get away from him, you little scamps!” “Wahhh—! I thought she was just mad, but she literally transformed!” “She looks just like a dragon!” Seeing Lily and Feri playing with Tama as much as they want, Stella’s jealousy boils over. She’s transformed into her dragonewt form and is frantically trying to chase them away. —Stella, that’s enough! —Erk. Tama… Just as Lily and Feri start shuddering in fear, Tama attempts to defuse the situation through telepathy. A direct command from Tama will quell even the fiery Stella. She reluctantly disengages her dragonewt form. “Well, there’s no other way around it. I concede—once we finish clearing this labyrinth and arrive back in Gladstone, I’ll let you hold Tama just once, okay, Stella?” Wh-what are you saying, master?! Don’t be hasty…! Tama is taken aback at Aria’s promise, and his eyes go wide as saucers. “What?! Are you serious, Aria?!” “It will be a reward for cooperating and fighting with us. But only once, you got it?” “This is excellent news! Okay, little pixie and dryad. Hurry up and show us the way so we can get out of here quickly!” Aria and Stella have hatched their accord without any regard for Tama’s feelings. He sighs, Oh, master…, as he watches how accustomed Aria has become to controlling Stella using him as bait. However, hearing that this is a one-time offer, Tama also realizes that Aria still considers Stella, another woman, a threat… “In that case, we’ll guide you! Tama, when we finish the labyrinth, you have to become our friend, okay?” “Petting Tama’s fluffy fur feels so good!” Lily and Feri are obliged to help Aria and company, if only for the sake of befriending Tama. A fairy’s senses are difficult to comprehend. However, for the party, this is an unexpected windfall—they’re delving into an untouched labyrinth with two fairy girls as navigators, after all. “Okay, so what kind of items are you after?” “Yeah, are you in the market for monster hides or medicinal herbs?” “Both are tempting, but what I really want is a treasure box. Have you seen any highly decorated chests before?” When Lily and Feri ask what kind of items Aria is after, she expresses her desire for a treasure box. In an untouched labyrinth, the chances of finding one shouldn’t be too low—at least, that’s Aria’s impression. “If that’s what you’re after, we definitely saw one, right, Feri?” “Yep, you’re right, Lily. Okay then, we’ll guide you to it!” The little fairies’ reaction confirm the elf’s hunch. Aria is uncontrollably happy and scoops up Tama, exclaiming, “Yes! We did it!” as she squeezes him tightly against her breasts. “Meown—!” Aqua Howl! Some time passes after the party delves deeper into the labyrinth following Lily and Feri’s navigation—and four small treants appear. They must have picked up on Aria and company’s scent. Small treants look like plant monsters, but they are carnivorous and violent. They’ve targeted the adventurers to eat their flesh. Tama activates one of his Elemental Howls, Aqua Howl, against a small treant. He’s aiming for the thick, armlike branches on both sides of the monsters. His high-pressure blast of water rushes against the appendages and rips them to shreds. “Wooow, that’s amazing, Tama!” “He’s so strong for being such a tiny little cutie!” Lily and Feri rave excitedly—they can’t believe that Tama has such incredible battle prowess, even though he’s so fluffy and cute. In reality, Tama could use Flame Howl instead of Aqua Howl to torch the small treants and clean them up all at once, but he chooses not to given that this is a forest labyrinth. If he uses fire-based skills here, the entire area will go up in a sea of flames. “Gi-gyaaaa—!” The small treant erupts in a scream of pain at having its branches blasted off—or was it anger? Probably both. The monster lashes out in a desperate final attack. Without its branches, that’s its only option. “I’ll handle this!” Stella steps up to the vanguard and faces the small treant. It’s not exactly the ideal formation, but she raises her shield to protect Aria and Tama, intercepting the monster. Stella’s Mega Shield and the small treant’s trunk collide. “Giii—?!” The monster screams in shock as the entire weight of its sizable body is blocked easily by Stella and her tiny frame. Stella ignores its reaction and puts all the strength she can muster into her Mega Shield, sending the creature flying backward. It loses its balance and falls to the ground, dragging the other treant behind it down with it. “Meown—!” Summon Tentacle! Tama activates his absorbed skill Summon Tentacle, and a number of tentacles sprout from the ground at lightning speed, successfully ensnaring the last two small treants rushing in from the rear. “Time to die!!” Stella brings her greatsword down with abandon on the pair of trapped small treants collapsed in front of her. With the other two trapped by Tama, she can obliterate the trunks of these ones without a care in the world. Stella tears into both at once, ripping through their midsections. “Gi-gyaaaa—!” Their death throes reverberate throughout the labyrinth. In that moment, a shadowy figure rushes with blinding speed toward the two small treants entrapped by tentacles. Of course, it’s Aria, who’s activated Acceleration. She’s holding her knives, specially made by Vulcan, in both hands. She approaches the immobilized small treants and thrusts her blades into a spot on the upper-left portion of their trunks. Small treants have a core that is necessary for all their life functions, located in the same place as a human heart. Aria knows this—she’s learned from Vulcan and studied the best way to deal with all sorts of monsters. Without emitting a sound, the two small treants begin spasming wildly before suddenly falling on the ground with a thunderous crash. “Phew! That wasn’t exactly perfect, but with Stella as our tank, me as the ambush, and Tama as our support, our teamwork has reached new heights…” After hearing that she’ll have the chance to hold Tama, Stella is more motivated than ever and has performed her role as tank with ease. She’s still treating enemies lurking in the rear as perfunctory and largely devoted to focusing her attacks on power, but Aria doesn’t have any complaints about her general progress. Her cooperation is more than enough for a labyrinth of this level, and with Tama’s precise support, the party should be just fine. At this rate, Aria expects an even deeper level of collaboration moving forward. When Vulcan, who’s currently holding down the fort in Labyrinthos, joins them in the vanguard, they’ll be able to take on their most optimal form yet. “Whoaaa, that was a surprise! It’s not just Tama—Aria and Stella, you’re so strong, too!” “Yeah, Aria’s as fast as the wind, and Stella has the power of a dragon!” As Aria sheathes her knives, Lily and Feri express their admiration. “Before this labyrinth reincarnated, what sort of fighting styles did you see in other adventurers?” Aria gets curious about Lily and Feri’s conversation and asks the two fairies, who respond: “Good question! All the people we watched from the shadows definitely worked together in battle!” “Yes, and I don’t think we’ve ever seen anyone like you guys, each with your own individual superior battle skills.” The girls haven’t seen many parties that suddenly activated unique individual skills. “But anyway! The treasure box you wanted, Aria—is that it?” As she speaks, Lily points forward to a tiny ornate treasure box that would fit in Aria’s hands, left behind carelessly. “This is a treasure box…?” Aria races forward toward it and slowly, cautiously reaches out her hand. Seeing this, Tama rushes to jump onto her shoulder, reminded of his experience discovering a Warp Crystal in the labyrinth in Labyrinthos and being teleported to a lower level. If that happened here, Aria would likely not return alive. Aria takes the treasure box into both hands. It’s made of gold and adorned with precious stones all over. The chest alone could garner an incredible profit. “Ah-ha-ha-ha! Whenever humans find those chests, they all react the same way!” “Yeah, Aria, you look so happy.” Seeing Aria shaking with excitement, Lily and Feri are thoroughly entertained. They’ve seen the same scene play out a number of times before this labyrinth reincarnated. “Okay, let’s open it! I wonder what’s inside…” Aria nervously opens the lid. Seeing its contents, Stella says, “Whoa, it’s so tiny, but the stuff inside is so shiny and pretty!” The treasure box holds a small, clear glass bottle that contains a translucent blue liquid…and the liquid itself glitters like the Milky Way. That color and that sparkle… Could it be?! “Teardrops of Truth…?” Just as Tama surmises what’s in the bottle, Aria has the same realization. Teardrops of Truth—a most sacred magical potion that causes anyone who drinks even a single drop to reveal the underlying intentions and truths that lie in their heart, without any prevarication. “I’ve heard that its method of refinement has never been known…and maybe this is why…?” Aria closes her hand on the Teardrops of Truth, visibly shaking. Just as she claims, the method of refinement used to create this potion is unknown—which is why it is considered sacred. The reason Aria speculated, “…and maybe this is why?” is that she surmises that perhaps Teardrops of Truth appear only in treasure boxes in labyrinths. “Stella, you must never tell a single soul that we discovered this item, okay? If our adversaries find out about it, they will certainly come hunt us down.” The effects of Teardrops of Truth are powerful, and for this reason, the potion can be used for evil. Aria pushes the reality of how important it is for their adversaries to never know they have it, but Stella clearly grasps the seriousness of the situation, saying, “I am only interested in Tama and eating food, so I don’t care at all about that silly liquid.” “Hey, Aria, you sure seem excited for some reason…” “There are still more treasure boxes, you know?” Aria’s eyes practically beam at Lily’s and Feri’s claims. Following the two fairies’ lead, the party presses onward. “Haaah—!” Aria’s powerful voice echoes across the labyrinth as she rushes forward with her innate speed. She’s aiming to step inside the stance of a giant ape looming before her. With her rapid approach, the beast doesn’t have the chance to move. It doesn’t even matter. The ape already has a massive gash running across its stomach—an open wound caused by Stella’s greatsword. In addition, Aria has stuck throwing knives in its shoulder and arm. Squelllch—! Aria takes a knife in her hand and plunges it into the weakened giant ape’s heart. “Wow, our collaborative powers are even more refined now!” “Yeah! If we flip the switch, this is a cakewalk!” Shortly after obtaining the Teardrops of Truth, Aria and company have come across a few monsters, but they’ve successfully taken them down by working together. It hasn’t been very long, but their synergistic skills are increasing faster than the eye can perceive. “Ummm, I think it was around here…” “Look over there, Aria—!” Feri’s glance starts to dart around their area and Lily points in a specific direction, where another of the adorned boxes—a treasure box—lies waiting for them. “Hee-hee, I wonder what will be in this one?” Aria excitedly reaches her hand toward the chest. Of course, Tama is stuck right to her shoulder, a preventative measure in case the box contains a Warp Crystal. This treasure box is really small, too. “Is this…a key, I guess?” Aria removes a small key-shaped item crafted from iron ore that fits in the palm of her hand. It must be a magic item. Sparkling blue ripples pulsate intermittently on its surface, spreading in all directions. “Oh wow, that key was hidden in a treasure box?” “What do you mean, ‘that key’? Does it fit into a door in the labyrinth, Lily?” “Yes, it does. Because it’s a magic item that unlocks the boss room!” Aria is a bit shocked by Lily’s explanation and she responds, “‘Boss room’…?! That means that this isn’t a multitiered labyrinth—and it explains why we haven’t seen any stairwells.” A boss room is the space in a labyrinth where the strongest enemy lies in wait. In the labyrinth in Labyrinthos, this space is where Stella spent her time as an earth dragon. Among the different types of labyrinths, there are multitiered versions where the monsters get stronger as you proceed down through the floors and single-tiered versions that don’t have upper and lower levels. Because the latter doesn’t have levels, most examples of single-tiered labyrinths have a separate space locked by a special door, known as a boss room. The key that Aria has just found is the magic item required to enter that room. “Lily, Feri—do you know what kind of monster the boss of this labyrinth is?” “Ummm, it’s like a huge tree monster… What did the last party of adventurers call it?” “I think it was ‘treant drake,’ right?” Lily and Feri confer to answer Aria’s question. A drake is a wingless dragon that walks on two legs. They’re approximately fifteen to twenty feet long and exist in every possible elemental distinction. For this reason, their strength can vary in rank from C+ to B+, depending on their element. “A drake, hmm… That shouldn’t be too much of a problem for us…” Aria ponders. If she can defeat a drake, she’ll definitely make a lot of money from its materials. And that’s not all—there is a high possibility that a treasure box containing high-ranked items can be found in the boss room. Given these facts, Aria would love to take on the battle and collect the rewards. However… “Let’s call it a day for now. Everyone is getting pretty tired, and we have the key, so we don’t need to worry about someone coming in and taking it.” Nice! I’m so impressed by my master stepping up to make tough calls. Tama mews in admiration at Aria’s decision-making and nods repeatedly. Stella responds with a touch of dissatisfaction, saying, “Hmph. We’re done already?” However, when Aria suggests they go back to the city and eat some delicious food, her eyes light up like stars, and she follows suit. “Hey, Aria, bring us with you, too!” “Yeah, now that we’re friends with Tama, we don’t want to leave his side!” As they speak, Lily and Feri surround Tama and start rubbing his fluffy fur. “Grrrr—! Get away from him! …Although, since I’ll get to hold him once when we’re done, I’ll tolerate this for now.” Stella gets jealous of Lily and Feri surrounding Tama, but remembering that Aria will allow her to hold him, she quickly concedes. “Hmm, well, we do owe you, Lily and Feri, for showing us the way through the labyrinth…” Aria looks at Tama, who’s a bit troubled by Lily’s and Feri’s incessant touching, and mulls over her options. The idea of Lily and Feri joining them is more than welcome. If they stick together, there’s a good possibility the two will guide them through the labyrinth again in the future. Above all else, Aria is quite fond of the pair of pure, adorable little fairies. “Lily, Feri—you’re welcome to tag along with us, but human cities can be very dangerous. Are you sure you still want to come?” Just as Aria states, human civilization can be quite dangerous for fairies. Members of the fairy family are rare, and some megalomaniacs practice the buying and selling of them at high prices. This is not commendable behavior, but it isn’t specifically outlawed, either. Lily and Feri are particularly good-looking, even for fairies. If someone sees them, there’s no guarantee they won’t be preyed upon for their monetary value and sold for ransom. “Not to worry!” “Yeah, we have battle skills, too, and if you and Tama are with us, we’ll be fine!” Lily and Feri do their best to allay Aria’s concern. It’s certainly true that anyone living in a labyrinth needs a certain level of skills to survive. That means that Lily and Feri must have some degree of battle prowess. “Understood. In that case, let’s head to the city together! I’ll get you both as much sweets as you want as a token of thanks for today.” “Yayyy!” “That’s the best news!” The fairies are delighted by Aria’s proposal. They prance around shouting with joy as they circle Tama. They clearly love sweets just like little kids. Hmm, looks like a group of adventurers. Heh-heh… They’re glancing this way, surprised. As Tama bounces up and down on Aria’s jiggling breasts, he uses his superior vision to pick up on a group of individuals dressed like adventurers within the city limits. They’ve likely obtained information about the new labyrinth and are planning their own siege. They thought they had the jump on fresh information, but seeing Aria and company coming from that direction, they’re clearly shocked. “Hey, you chumps, could you possibly have already dug into the labyrinth—? Wait, fairies?!” As the man who looks like the leader approaches Aria to question her, he spies Lily and Feri following behind and goes into shock. “Yes, we just investigated it now. We befriended these two along the way.” “Y-you became friends with fairies? And what’s with the smug look? You must have really hit the jackpot…” The male adventurer sees Aria looking jolly and gets the gist of the situation. He looks slightly dejected at not having been the first to explore the labyrinth. “No matter! There’s no way you scoured the entire thing with just the few of you. That means we still have a chance. Don’t let it deter us, everyone! Gear up!” “““Raaah!!””” The man is the leader after all. As he switches gears, he calls out to his followers to psyche themselves up and press onward. They’re more than ready to rumble by now. “Sorry to bother you.” “Not at all. The labyrinth is filled with small treants, giant apes, and poison bees. Make sure to be careful, okay?” “Is that so? We owe you one for that bit of information. My name is Joey. If we meet in the city again, please let me buy you a drink.” “My name is Aria. This girl here is Stella, and this is Tama. These two are Lily and Feri.” After exchanging thanks and introductions, the two parties head their separate ways. Having closely watched Joey from in between Aria’s breasts, Tama thinks, Hmm. This Joey character is certainly full of ambition, and he didn’t seem to leer at my master. He’s made a pretty good impression on me. “A kind welcome to you, Aria and Stella. I have heard all about you from our president. Please, this way.” Aria and her party have headed directly to Leis’s company facility after returning to the city, where a woman dressed in office garb greets them warmly. “It’s so great to have you back, Aria, Stella, and Tama. How did everything go—? Huh?!” Immediately after the group was welcomed inside by the office lady, Leis appears from the back with a cheerful smile on his face. However, just as he asks about the success of their journey into the labyrinth, he stops short and falls silent, eyes wide. He’s looking directly at Lily and Feri— “Leis…?” “Ahhh…please forgive me. A pixie and a dryad—this is my first time seeing fairies with my own eyes…” Aria reacts in puzzlement, but Leis quickly gets ahold of himself and smiles at Lily and Feri. “We met these two in the labyrinth. It seems cute li’l Tama caught their attention, and they came with us all the way here.” “W-wow, it’s rare for fairies to become so enamored… Well, at any rate, let’s go ahead and appraise the items you collected from the labyrinth.” “Okay! Yes, please. We definitely acquired quite an assortment…” At Leis’s behest, Aria prods Tama to use his Storage skill, and he produces the different monster corpses they collected. Leis and his staff are surprised by Tama’s Storage skill, but seeing the different monster corpses in such high quality, they quickly begin the work of appraising each item. However, Aria and company don’t notice. As Leis begins the appraisal process, his occasionally glances furtively back toward Lily and Feri. When he does, his eyes are tinged with an indescribable dread. “Mwa-ha-ha, Tama is all mine…!” In a room of an inn in Gladstone— Stella is breathing quietly and murmuring in her sleep, looking content as can be. Tama is ensconced in her bountiful bosom, sleeping soundly… After selling the monster raw materials they collected in the labyrinth at Leis’s company storehouse, Aria and her party found a reasonably priced inn and decided to rest until the evening. Stella immediately used the “Hold Tama Just Once Ticket” that Aria had bestowed upon her and was able to cradle and sleep with him, finally. Because Aria made the decision without consulting him, Tama attempted to resist, but… The second he ran away from her, he saw how devastated Stella looked, and he gave in. As a virtuous, noble knight, Tama could not force a lady to tears, even if she had been a monster in a past life. Stella had so eagerly yearned to hold Tama. She must have imitated Aria, because even though she has the heart of a monster, she gently held Tama with deep affection and stroked his head as she carried him into bed. Seeing this, Aria was assured that Stella wouldn’t actually make a move, and she let her guard down. Aria is also sleeping quietly and adorably in the bed next to them. The pixie Lily is lying down to sleep on Aria’s melons as they rise and fall, and the dryad Feri is right next to the elf, where she fits perfectly. The two fairies saw Aria and company resting comfortably and became quite sleepy themselves. Lily and Feri are breathing quietly and peacefully like two contented children. They’re both reposed in peace and security, thanks to Aria’s soft, enveloping melons and her affectionate, saintly aura. That evening— “Oh! If it isn’t Aria and her crew!” “Hey, Joey, you’re back from the labyrinth, I see.” After their naps, Aria and company set out to find a tavern to get a bite to eat. A voice quickly rang out to them from the corner—it’s Joey, the adventurer they met on their way back from their adventure. His face is red as he pours drinks for his comrades. Their expressions are all brimming with satisfaction. They likely didn’t find as much as Aria and her party, but their harvest from the labyrinth must have been great. “Given the promise I made this afternoon, why don’t you join us for a drink?” “Don’t mind if we do, then.” Generally, Aria would never accept the invitation of a man, but given that Joey doesn’t look at her lecherously and his party also contains female adventurers, she’s decided it will be okay. That said, even though master would usually partake in alcohol in this situation, tonight she’s ordered a nonalcoholic drink. She’s staying vigilant. That’s a relief. As Aria orders a juice, Tama nods repeatedly in satisfaction. A while after Aria and company sit down, Lily and Feri cry out, eagerly seeing the food laid in front of them. “Wow! What is this—?!” “It’s so sweet and fluffy and delicious!” Lily and Feri squeal with similar glee once they’ve tasted their meal: a stack of pancakes covered in whipped cream and honey. They both wanted something sweet rather than vegetables or meat, so Aria ordered it for them. Feri looks content as she holds her cheeks with her tiny hands, and Lily has taken flight from her overwhelming enthusiasm and buzzes around the room, flapping her wings. “Meown—!” This is so good! “Meat is the best!” Next to Lily and Feri, Tama is stuffing his cheeks with roast meat that Aria cut into small bites for him, and Stella is tearing into a bone-in cut ravenously. The waitress tells the party that the meat dish is the house specialty, marinated with a special sauce made from fruits and spices. It’s second-to-none deliciousness, even compared with the food at the inn in Labyrinthos. “So, Aria, you guys must have sold your materials directly to Master Leis at his company facility, right? That makes sense—the guild staff said they didn’t remember buying anything from you or your party.” “Yes, we just happened to take on a quest to escort Leis, and thanks to that connection, we were able to sell directly. By the way, Leis looked a little bit off earlier, and I’m worried about him…” Aria smacks her lips while enjoying the meal and raises her concern with Joey. She recalls Leis’s flustered temperament at his facility and once again worries if something is the matter. “‘A little bit off,’ huh…? Maybe he was remembering the past again?” “The past? Joey, what happened?” “Hmm, well, if you’re going to be staying in this city, for your own safety, you should probably know the facts… I’ll need to keep my voice down about this, but the lord of this city—the Earl of Gladstone—is a real indomitable son of a bitch. If he sees a pretty young woman, he’ll use any means necessary to abduct her and abuse her in whatever ways he desires.” Joey speaks to Aria in a hushed tone as his eyes dart around the room. Aria responds, “The earl would do such a thing?” in shock and asks why such actions would be tolerated. “It’s not that anyone actually tolerates it. It’s just that the earl has a litany of scurvy tricks up his sleeve. He never leaves behind decisive evidence, and if anyone tries to speak up, he uses his position to silence them real quick.” “How can such a person be the lord…and how does this relate to Leis?” “I’ve only heard this secondhand, so I don’t know all the details, but apparently, Master Leis’s fiancée was abducted by the earl. And after a while, one day…her corpse turned up, mutilated beyond recognition…at Leis’s home.” “……” Aria falls silent when Joey finishes speaking. Leis’s smile is so cheerful—Aria cannot believe the horrors he’s experienced. Next to Aria, Tama stopped eating once he got absorbed in the story. “Sorry to raise such a strange topic. Let’s drink up! You best believe we’re getting the tab tonight.” Joey apologizes for creating a tense and awkward atmosphere and orders a new round of drinks to help the group get back to feeling good again. Aria laughs in response, but deep down, she just can’t manage to enjoy this party. “Heh-heh-heh-heh…” Leis chuckles in his moonlit company facility. He’s gripping a magic item in each of his hands. In the right, he holds an object resembling a silver bell, and in his left, a reddish-black arrow— “I never thought that, after so many years, I would obtain these two items from the skeleton of an earth dragon, but what’s more, a pixie and a dryad have appeared… What incredible timing…” Leis speaks quietly as he looks toward the earth dragon corpse stashed away in the rear of his storehouse. In the next moment, his face twists into an unbelievably contorted, grim smile that belies his usual cheerful expression. “Ahhh… Eliza—it won’t be long…not long now.” Leis softly recites the name of a deceased woman. The next morning, in the labyrinth— “So this is the door that leads to the boss room…” Aria and company are standing near the labyrinth’s center. A black stone slab is floating in the air in front of them… It has a keyhole-shaped indentation in it, leading them to believe this is the entrance to the boss room, a door imbued with mana. Blue ripples pulsate ceaselessly from its center. “Okay, Aria, if you put the key in the door, the path to the boss room will open!” “I’m sure you guys will be fine, Aria, but please do take care!” Lily and Feri call out to Aria and her party, having guided them here on the shortest possible path. “Thank you for everything thus far, Lily and Feri.” “What are you talking about, Aria? We’ll be right here waiting until you come back out.” “Yeah, we’re so happy to become friends with you all. We want to stay with you forever!” “Lily, Feri… Hee-hee, okay, I got it. I guess we better hurry up and take care of the boss inside, then. Okay, let’s go, Tama and Stella!” “Meown—!” Roger that, master! “All the enemies so far have been chumps. I can’t wait to finally let loose!” Tama and Stella both respond to Aria positively—they’re raring to go. Hearing their resolve, Aria nods and takes the key she discovered yesterday out from between her breasts. It’s the exact same size as the keyhole before her. She inserts and turns it, resulting in a loud clack. The key disappears into thin air as a brightly lit path appears before them—a path that wasn’t there before. “So this leads to the boss room—?” Hmm. I definitely sense a fearsome level of hostility that I haven’t picked up from our enemies so far. Aria shudders while Tama broods over the situation. The idea of a powerful enemy at the end of this path seems to be giving Stella a rush. “Okay, Lily and Feri—see you later!” Aria sounds confident as she bids farewell to the two fairies and accompanies Stella and Tama onto the path. “Goh-hhhhhhh—!!” A thunderous roar erupts. The trail that Aria and her party have taken is void of both trees and grass and leads to a mysterious chamber that is nothing but empty space. A fifteen-foot-tall bipedal dragon monster with a massive tree for a body is reposed in slumber in the center. As Aria and her crew approach, the dragon opens its eyes and roars. “I knew this drake would be extremely powerful! But we will not be afraid! Right, Stella?!” “Yeah, I know! Hmph…!” Aria falters for a moment in the face of the first treant drake she’s ever seen, but she quickly gathers her wits and focuses, calling out to Stella, who is staring into the drake’s maw. Stella plants herself directly in front of the treant drake, hoisting her Mega Shield. “Gohhh—!!” Seeing Stella jump out before it, the monster has determined that she will be its first target. It slashes its massive claws in her direction. Shrrrring—! The treant drake’s claws collide with Stella’s Mega Shield, sending sparks flying. It’s relatively low-level, but this is still a dragon-type monster they’re contending with. Stella has transformed into her dragonewt form. Even though she’s also been restored thanks to the benefits of Tama’s Divine Lion Protection, the force of impact sends her backward, albeit slightly. However, Stella has not simply deflected the attack. She brandishes her greatsword in her other hand and brings it down against the beast’s claws. “Gohhh-bhhh—?!” The treant drake screams in pain. Its claws have likely been damaged. Stella has attacked only once from a defensive position, but the drake’s body is made of wood. Given Stella’s power, landing a single blow is more than satisfactory. “Meown—!” Now! Tama races forward from Aria’s feet at high speed. With the godlike speed he’s gained from Divine Lion Protection, he slides around to the treant drake’s flank while it’s recoiling in pain. “Meown—!” Eat this! Flame Howl! Tama unleashes one of his Elemental Howls, Flame Howl, aiming for the monster’s feet. His howl immediately emits a rush of flame that engulfs the treant drake’s leg. It spins and rolls around, trying to put out the blaze, but its leg has been reduced to a hunk of ash in an instant. When the flames finally subside, its charred branch snaps with a shrill crack. All that thrashing has caused the treant drake’s leg to break. Whoosh—! In that moment, Aria—who had been watching closely for an opening—rushes forward like a speeding bullet. She intends to strike the beast in the heart. This could be bad. The treant drake realizes it’s in extreme danger and lashes out at the elf with its undamaged claw. “Meown—!” Fat chance! Summon Tentacle! In the split second that their foe begins to move, Tama has already sprung into action. He activates Summon Tentacle and wraps up the treant drake’s arm, throwing it off course and protecting his master. Aria has sensed that Tama would protect her, and she doesn’t falter, rushing the treant drake’s chest. And then— Thisssp—! Aria pierces the creature’s chest with both her knives. “Goh…ohhhhhhh…!” The treant drake cries out in anguish. The source of a dragon-type monster’s life force is hidden in its chest. Aria was waiting for the perfect moment to pierce it. Between Stella’s defense, Tama’s Elemental Howl acting as a distraction, and Aria going in for the kill the moment the treant drake was immobilized—everything went according to Aria’s plans. “Tama, Stella! We did it!” The instant Aria confirms the light has left the boss’s eyes, Aria cries out with joy. “Meownnn—!” Very well done, master! “Yay! Now I can eat some delicious food again!” Tama is beyond pleased that Aria’s battle plan was a success, and Stella goes wild imagining the huge feast she’ll get to enjoy afterward. “Tama, are you able to store the treant drake’s corpse?” “Meown—!” No problem, master! Tama activates his Storage skill and stashes the entire husk inside. “I—I can’t believe you can store something so massive…” A sheepish grin is stuck on Aria’s face as she tries to comprehend the sheer volume that Tama can sock away with his Storage skill. However, she quickly has a different reason to be surprised—in the spot from which the treant drake’s corpse vanished, a beautifully adorned chest appears. “A treasure box…and from the boss room… I wonder what could be inside?” Aria opens the chest to find a rolled-up piece of sheepskin paper within. “Huh, is this a scroll?” “A ska-roll? Is it tasty?” “Stella, a scroll is a magic item that grants its user a skill. This scroll is—huh, no use—it’s written in ancient language. I have no idea what skill this scroll will grant.” “Meown?” What?! A scroll inscribed with ancient language?! Master, you must use it for yourself! A shocked Tama tries to pantomime with his hands and feet (?) to communicate that Aria should definitely use the item. He does so because this parchment is inscribed with ancient letters, meaning the scroll itself could contain an “ancient skill.” There are different types of ancient skills, including low-level, mid-level, high-level, ultra-high-level, and above that, rare-level ancient skills that hardly anyone is able to wield. Furthermore, there are also innate ancient skills that have only a single user in the entire world. The skill rankings above ultra-high-level almost always indicate extremely powerful abilities. If this scroll indeed bestows its user with an ancient skill, it will likely be a huge help to Aria, who still has reservations about her battle prowess. “Tama, are you trying to say I should use it? But Stella might want to, or we could sell it…” “Meow!” Selling it would be an absolute waste, master! “Hmph. I have no need for new skills. Not to mention, I’m still hiding an ace up my sleeve! Aria, you are weak, so you should use it for yourself.” Stella seems to understand what Tama was trying to say and repeats it for Aria. Both she and Tama encourage her to put it to use. Then Aria says: “I understand. In that case, I will. Here goes… Activate scroll!” The second Aria utters those words, the parchment turns to dust, and a dazzling light envelops Aria immediately. “…! O-oh my gosh! It’s an ancient skill, of all things! It’s called ‘Sacred Blade.’ And its elemental attribute is… It’s a holy elemental skill…?!” “Meown!” What?! A holy attribute?! After using the scroll, details regarding her newly acquired skill fill Aria’s mind. She whispers, shocked at the information presented to her. Tama is similarly bewildered. The holy elemental distinction is an immensely powerful elemental attribute that dwells within individuals known as heroes who are strong enough to contend with a demon lord, or others with similarly formidable prowess. Holy elemental attributes are well-known as the weak point of all monsters in existence. The same can be said for demons and demon lords. If this elemental skill…this powerful brand of ancient skill has indeed been added to her repertoire, Aria and Tama have due reason to be shocked. “Let’s give it a try! Sacred Blade!” Aria slashes the air with her knife, and a beam of silver-white light surges from her blade. Before she realizes it, the beam slices through the floor like butter. In the moments after Aria activated the skill, a high-pitched sound resembling angelic singing fills the chamber… “Th-the ground split in two…and it seems its range is about three feet. This skill is very formidable…”