Chapter 174 Neglect and Necessity꞉ The Decades’ Choice
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Two years. That period, they say, is roughly the limit for a person to maintain a single, sustained fighting spirit.
Of course, the intensity of the goal and the inherent qualities of each person make a difference. But precisely because of that gap, the collective unity of any group will inevitably begin to creak and splinter.
It always starts with one person’s moment of weakness, which leads to a rejection of those who try to encourage them. The reason it becomes impossible to convince someone whose spirit has wilted is that no matter how much you preach the immediate importance of the task, you can’t stop the everyday life they left behind from fading into oblivion.
With individual differences aside, the first signs of this weariness usually start to appear around the two-year mark. Furthermore, if the period of separation stretches to ten or twenty years, the fading of memory will dilute the very meaning of the initial resolve.
That same timeframe caused even Marina—who craves the dungeon’s help for the stability of her nation—to hesitate about forcing this path onto others. This bright, intelligent princess knew that what she could instantly resolve to do wasn’t possible for every person.
”…And so,” Marina said, cutting off her terrifying proposal with a slight, playful nod. “I merely presented one option that we, who feel backed into a corner, can still take.”
Great feats cannot be achieved by one person’s decision alone.
Assuming they were going to make the choice to sacrifice their normal lives, Marina judged that they needed ample time to reaffirm their resolve. In the ensuing silence, Yuuri felt the weight of a young woman on his back as he contemplated the invitation to step outside the framework of human life.
Frankly, Yuuri never had a clear idea of what state he would be in after all this chaos. But wasn’t it obvious that after laying hands on a princess and a count’s daughter, and then securing the dungeon, he couldn’t possibly hope for a peaceful, ordinary existence?
Trying to gamble on the growth of the Holy Armor by consuming real-world time was nothing more than a defensive measure, wishing for that ‘peaceful, ordinary existence’ that was clearly impossible. The political landscape above was already volatile, and having taken responsibility for the lives of three high-status women, Yuuri couldn’t turn away from the difficulty if he was to secure their position.
If the learning is not achieved, do not return even if you die. The ancient proverb of his previous life stated that even if the goal wasn’t ‘learning,’ such a feat still required the resolution to never return, even in death. And the matter at hand affects not only Ashley and the others but the lives of everyone in the entire kingdom.
How could Yuuri seek such power and influence for his own sake and then balk at decades of relentless self-improvement? His body was now bound to the life of a single dungeon guide, so long as he wished to keep living—
”I agree. For me, I mean. If Marina wants it… no, if all of you agree to it, I’ll accept the plan. Honestly, it makes me sick to my stomach. But if we only make easy choices, we’ll eventually come to undervalue the lives of others. Considering what we’re trying to achieve, making the easy choice here feels incredibly irresponsible.” Yuuri spoke, his voice low and firm.
”Yuuri… Thank you. You’re so cool when you’re like this—even though you’re usually—” Marina cut herself off. Yuuri didn’t think she accepted all of him; she certainly had her dissatisfactions. So, he appreciated her intentionally vague compliment and merely enjoyed the praise. Without speaking further to Marina, he remained face-down on the mat, a girl still settled on his back.
That was Yuuri’s way of stating his opinion and stopping. If he continued talking to Marina after agreeing, it would put undue pressure on Ashley, who hadn’t yet given her answer.
Determined to let Ashley decide based purely on her own beliefs and self-interest, Yuuri kept his mouth shut. Marina, by way of thanks, casually patted his back with the hand she’d been resting on him.
”So, what about you, Ashley? Of course, you’re free to refuse if you simply feel negative about it. What I proposed is a procedure that is beyond unorthodox. And making you devote ten or twenty years of your prime to pseudo-training just to satisfy my selfish wish—” Marina began, listing the reasons Ashley should refuse, making sure not to hide behind her status as a princess.
Firstly, Ashley could live out her life normally, with just a slightly longer lifespan than others. But if she gained the blessing to shrug off the attacks of deep-layer monsters, even that simple life would be impossible.
Furthermore, thinning out the concentrated time she had spent cultivating her identity as a noble’s daughter in this cramped garden of a world felt awful.
Marina clearly wanted Ashley’s agreement but didn’t want her to lightly step outside the bounds of human life. She was trying to prompt a fair judgment, but she stumbled a few times while explaining the issues against social convention.
”—I accept.”
”Eh?”
Ashley’s brief acceptance was startlingly quick, cutting off Marina’s choked-up words.
Her easy, nonchalant tone made Yuuri turn his head back toward his childhood friend. Marina, who had also been struggling to make the princess understand, was similarly speechless, unable to fathom Ashley’s true intentions.
”I accept.” Ashley repeated, more clearly.
”Wh-Why? Right now, you could still end up with a life that’s just a little blessed by skills. And, wasn’t Ashley just against being too separated from the secular world? What changed your mind?” Marina stammered, deeply surprised. Even if the increase in power was worth the risk, the growth of the blessing entailed a dizzying passage of time and a divergence from social norms. They had expected the decision to be made only after long, painful consideration, but Ashley’s immediate decision seemed to ignore all that. However, Yuuri’s childhood friend, who looked so composed, offered them a brief, knowing smile before focusing her gaze on Marina.
”No, you see, if there’s a massive time difference on the surface, wouldn’t we be forced into a hermit’s life even with the dungeon? But… if the blessing means almost no visible aging, we can spend a long, peaceful time with Yuuri and everyone else before returning to our normal lives, right? Then that’s nothing but good news!” Ashley beamed.
Yuuri had probably assumed Ashley would be the one most reluctant to abandon the human path. Marina had already resolved to sacrifice herself for the country, and Suzuri and Yuuri saw the dungeon’s conquest as a point of honor—they could endure decades of isolation.
But Ashley had left a privileged life on the surface, far removed from their concerns. Yuuri thought she would agonize, yet the moment she saw the possibility of having both—her love and her old life—she chose the difficult path without hesitation.
”I guess I’m an idiot for expecting normal sensibility from Ashley,” Marina muttered in exhaustion.
”Hmph! I can’t let that stand! It only means decades with Yuuri won’t be a hardship! Are you doubting my affection, Princess?” Ashley challenged. Marina, who had gotten worked up over nothing, flopped back down onto Yuuri’s back with a sigh of relief. Ashley, who thought she had answered properly but was met with the Master’s new lover fawning over him, immediately rose from the mat, jealous.
”I’m not doubting you. But still, there’s a proper order to bringing up these things. I couldn’t just decide that you’d endure this because you’re with the man you love.” Marina reasoned.
”That may be true, but…” Ashley conceded.
With Ashley, the biggest perceived hurdle, having opened the door so easily, the only one remaining was Suzuri—the fiercely loyal girl who would be left behind alone by the passage of time.
They’d ultimately need a full group agreement, but Marina was so confident Suzuri wouldn’t refuse that she sighed in relief, leaning back against Yuuri like he was a comfy chair. Ashley, suddenly envious of Marina’s relaxed state, approached the mat without sitting back down.
”Hmm, what is it, Ashley? If you want to take my place, you need to ask nicely. This is supposed to be for Yuuri’s training, you know.” Marina teased.
”Yeah, I really want to do something besides just push-ups—ow!” Yuuri complained, trying to switch exercises. But the two women were now locked in a silent contest, glaring at each other over his broad back. As he voiced his desire to move on to other exercises, Marina, who hadn’t moved an inch, secretly pinched his butt from his blind spot.
Since this was turning into a no-holds-barred struggle, fighting the women was a bad idea. Yuuri resigned himself to becoming the winner’s prize.
”P-Princess, shouldn’t you tell Suzuri-san about the plan?” Ashley asked indirectly, trying to get her to move.
”Ah, you’re right. And?” Marina murmured, half-listening, and folded her legs, using her heel to grind and massage Yuuri’s relaxed buttocks. Yuuri groaned softly from the perfect amount of pressure. Ashley, who was being treated with neglect because of this, pouted and raised her voice.
”I’m much more helpful for Yuuri’s training! Princess, you should hurry and go to Suzuri-san to get her agreement!” Ashley demanded.
”Pfft… Fine, I’ll let you take over. See you later, Yuuri. You can let Ashley help you now.” Marina laughed. Marina probably didn’t mind giving up her spot on the Master’s back. But since she was relinquishing a comfortable position, she likely wanted to be mischievous and make her senior maid beg for the spot as proof of her affection. Her voice sparkled with genuine delight at having successfully prompted the maid’s plea, and the weight of a young woman disappeared from Yuuri’s back.
”Uh… Y-Yuuri, excuse me…?” Ashley asked timidly.
”Go ahead. Don’t be shy. Come on.” Training be damned. This had become a scene of affection and physical closeness among his beloved women, and it was Yuuri’s duty, as the recipient of that love, to accept it. As he waited, lying on his side and ready for her, Ashley—who was clearly more awkward than Marina, who had curled up perfectly—clumsily climbed onto him, trying to align her entire body with his.
”A-Am I heavy?” she asked anxiously.
”Someone your size won’t be heavy. Now, hold on tight. I’m going to move.” Yuuri assured her. The truth was, he wasn’t so poorly trained that Ashley’s weight would bother him. He could hold her and run even before he had the blessing, as long as he supported her correctly. Now, he could support Ashley’s full weight without even changing his expression, no matter how awkward the posture. He told her to sit on his back just like Marina, to prove it. But Ashley, who was far from being a warrior, couldn’t maintain her balance while sitting cross-legged, and she lost her footing on the first push-up, clinging to his upper body.
Ashley squealed softly in surprise as she steadied herself. She marveled at the strength beneath her, breathing heavily with admiration.
”H-Hey, that’s enough stroking. And stop rubbing that! It tickles!” Yuuri protested. His role was simply to be a weight to increase the resistance, but the moment she was pressed close to her beloved master, Ashley’s servant instincts took over. She gave up all effort to stabilize her body, instead running her hands freely over the muscles that bulged to support her weight, pressing her form against him with tender fervor, and burying her face in the back of his sweaty head, breathing deeply with emotion.
”C-Come on, stop! Hey, Marina, is this okay? It’s not okay!” Yuuri demanded.
Ashley sighed contentedly, her voice filled with joy as their shared warmth stirred deeper desires within him.
The prohibition of intimate acts outside the bedroom, established soon after unlocking the Familial Workshop, was still in effect. Therefore, this situation was forbidden, but Marina, who was half-responsible for egging her on, was just watching Ashley cling to Yuuri with a beaming smile, still not heading to Suzuri’s location.
”Damn it. So that’s what this is about,” Yuuri muttered.
It was true that he hadn’t always been able to suppress his rising desires over the past year.
In those instances, they would agree and rush to the bedroom to resolve the tension. They were trying to get him to suggest that now.
”If you make an instant decision while you’re stressed, you’ll definitely regret it later. Let’s all clear our heads once and then talk!” Marina suggested playfully.
”Fine, I’m washing my hands of this. You two, don’t expect any mercy!” Yuuri warned.
Ashley squealed in delight as Yuuri moved decisively. Indeed, the choice of how to live the rest of their lives felt too rushed. He hesitated for a moment about relying on their shared passion to ease the tension, but then he realized that in this cramped, little world, this was their only form of entertainment. With that settled, he couldn’t hold back anymore. He pulled Ashley away from his back where she nestled against him, lifted her gently by the waist, and hoisted her onto his shoulder. Holding her close with firm affection, he stood up with force and looked down at Marina, who was still standing there.
”You tempted me, so now I can’t hold back. You’re all going to be my partners now.” Yuuri declared.
His gaze, charged with tender longing, locked onto the beautiful, golden-eyed girl. It immediately stirred her deepest affections, and the sacred bonds of their union enveloped her heart completely.
Marina let out a soft, breathless sigh of surrender. She turned on her heel with graceful poise, as if the pull of desire only strengthened her resolve. Yuuri watched her back as she headed toward Suzuri and then spoke to the most alluring person he held on his shoulder.
”You’re first. You’re going to take responsibility for stirring my heart.” Yuuri ordered.
”Y-Yes! I’m so happy to be loved by Yuuri first!” Ashley cried out happily. All of this was on the beautiful servants’ terms. He knew he had been baited, but if he refused to play, he couldn’t be the Master of the Workshop. Firmly holding his childhood friend, who swayed gently even while perched on his shoulder, Yuuri strode toward the steel door that towered before them.
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Summary:
Faced with a time-skip of decades to grow the Holy Armor, Yuuri decides to accept the enormous burden of responsibility. Marina’s strategic proposal is immediately accepted by Ashley, whose boundless devotion to Yuuri overrides all logical concerns about her normal life. This surprising agreement leads to a playful but manipulative contest between the women for Yuuri’s attention, culminating in Marina successfully teasing Yuuri into abandoning training for an immediate, intense group session as a way to relieve the massive pressure of the decision.
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Character Insight:
Yuuri’s core motivation is his responsibility for the women’s lives, making him choose the hardest path. Ashley’s identity as a servant completely eclipses her identity as a noblewoman, showing her priority is only Yuuri. Marina uses sexual play as a calculated tool for both emotional regulation and to ensure the group’s unity.
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Behind the Scene:
The chapter title ‘等閑’ (Tōkan or Ozānari) means both neglect or perfunctory (the way Marina treats Ashley’s request) and negligence or inattention (which is how the characters must avoid treating their massive, future commitment). This duality underscores the seriousness and the levity in the scene’s emotional shift.
Notes:
• Marina – First Princess of Restea—needs labyrinth escort.
• Ai – The recently-formed sub-divinity/ego who manages the world’s Skills. Her sudden, intense burst of divine will (‘ki’) almost bleached Yuuri’s wicked thoughts. Called Yuuri ‘Elder Brother’ and declared genuine affection and trust based on his efficiency with her Skills.
• Ashley – Count’s daughter, royal attendant, has a crush on Yuuri.
• Suzuri – A scout who braved the labyrinth and lured a petrifying monster to protect her friends. Tall, statuesque, flawlessly pale skin, powerfully toned yet soft and feminine, with long, flowing black hair identical to Marina. Her body have muscles but slim. Her breasts are very large, full, high-set, and overtly described as “too big for her frame,”
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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