I can’t...take it anymore.
“Ugh...”
I eventually followed Shiro and Kuro’s lead and surrendered myself to the bedding. I flopped down, falling right asleep, like I’d plummeted from a great height into darkness. My whole body was wrapped in a pleasant heaviness as I lost consciousness.
And when I woke—
“What the heck...?”
I was shockingly refreshed. The drowsiness and fatigue were completely gone, replaced by a clarity I’d never felt before.
“My whole body feels light.”
There wasn’t a single ache anywhere, and even the remaining scars were completely gone. Incredibly, my broken teeth had grown back—proper baby teeth, at that.
It was as if every kind of damage I’d taken had been reset. It wasn’t just my body either; my mana was fully recharged. In fact, it felt like I had more than before.
I can’t believe sleep alone can restore you so much... It’s gotta be the regenerative power of my dragon body at work. That’s the only explanation I can think of...
I wasn’t out for days, was I? Honestly, in this place, I have no sense of time.
“Well, for now, I’ll wake up Shiro and Kuro, and we’ll eat something.”
The snake meat we had devoured right before bed must have been completely digested, because my stomach was already crying out in hunger.
Bummer. Looks like I’ve joined the bad-fuel-efficiency club too. We’re gonna need another massive meal. I should get cooking so Shiro and Kuro can eat the moment they wake up.
Never mind. The second I started cooking, the two of them popped awake anyway!
This time, I had focused on taste and quantity over magical effects. We have plenty of salt stored up, so it’s awesome I don’t have to be stingy with it! There was a mountain of stewed poison rat meat, but it vanished in minutes. Even the pot full of soup was gone in one gulping frenzy. Well, if they can eat like that, it means they’re healthy, so I guess it’s all good!
And after the meal...
“Listen, you two...”
I told them everything I remembered about what had happened in the dungeon. That the black shadow that had attacked us was Ares. That it was highly likely Ares and his friend Gailland had discovered our dragon bodies. That while we had dealt Ares serious damage, in a world with potions, he might still be alive. And that, because of the curse, we couldn’t run away. Even while we were being pursued by mercenaries, we had to keep pushing to conquer the dungeon. I told them that the exploration would be harsher and more reckless than ever before.
“We’ll conquer it!” said Shiro.
“I’m not scared of merrrcs.”
The two nodded without hesitation. Even though I’d explained it would be a forced march, they weren’t afraid at all.
Well, they’re only five years old inside. Beastfolk seem to grow quickly both physically and mentally, but that doesn’t change the fact that five years old is still young. Complicated things must not sink in for them.
Besides, since they saw me as their guardian, the idea of rejecting my proposal didn’t seem to even cross their minds. Maybe it was part of beastfolk instinct since they moved in packs. I remembered Carolina once saying beastfolk have a tendency to obey those above them.
They didn’t seem at all afraid of the dungeon either. They’d nearly died again since our battles against dungeon malice and the lord, but they weren’t showing even the slightest hint of terror. As for Ares, they were angry, but not afraid. In fact, they were fired up, brimming with animosity.
“How dare he bully Thor! He really was a bad guy! Next time we meet, I’ll beat him to a pulp!”
“I’ll turn him into rust on Kuro’s swooord.”
“Uh, no,” I said. “We’re absolutely not fighting him again. If we can ambush him, maybe, but if we cross paths with him, we run. That’s the only option.”
Shiro gave a dissatisfied groan. “Fine.”
“Too bad. Shame.”
Shiro said he bullied me... Well, I guess you could say that. But Shiro and Kuro had been wary of Ares from the start. Maybe they’d seen his true nature. From now on, I shouldn’t dismiss what they say as just childish talk. I need to take their reactions seriously.
“The compass is safe in storage,” I said, “but we left all our weapons in the dungeon, so pick out something new for the time being.”
“Got it.”
“Okieee.”
The stray loot and spoils taken from mercenaries were piled in the back of our hideout, among them plenty of weapons and armor worth using.
I gotta get changed too. The gear I’d been wearing had been reduced to rags now, so I slipped into a fresh set of black clothes. They were almost identical in appearance to my old clothes, but reinforced with more iron plates hidden beneath, which would hopefully provide a little extra defense. It probably won’t mean much against Ares, though.
“Whoa, Thor, you look so cool!” said Shiro.
“Yeah. Black looks good on you.”
“Oh, come on, it’s the same as it was. Anyway, you guys should be able to handle weapons you couldn’t before.”
After I chose my own equipment, it was time for Shiro and Kuro to do the same. Their armor would repair itself with mana, so there was no need to replace it. The real question was their weapons. With the dragon’s power stronger than ever, they could wield even heavier arms.
“Shiro wants this!”
“Kuro wants thiiis.”
Shiro gripped two short swords, one curved like a wakizashi blade. It was heavy, but she should be able to manage now. It had been taken from a mercenary’s remains but was fine work. I was sure it could withstand her mana.
Kuro hefted a massive iron hammer. She’d abandoned it once, since she couldn’t wield it, but she must’ve judged it to be usable now. She swung it experimentally, testing its weight.
We had spare eye patches and bandages too, so we were set on that front. I’d made sure to be prepared, since there was no telling what would happen in the dungeon.
“All right, let’s not waste any time heading back in. I don’t even know how long we were asleep for.”
“Myah!”
“Arf.”
Even as I tried to keep a serious face, Shiro and Kuro struck poses with their new weapons, sneaking glances at me. I guess they want compliments.
“L-Lookin’ cool.”
Shiro huffed with delight. “Thor complimented me!”
“Yaaay.”
Now I look like an idiot trying to be all serious. Well, rushing things isn’t gonna help. Maybe I have to try and have some fun.
I felt the tension ease, and with it, my resolve hardened.
We will conquer the dungeon...and survive.