Volume 4 Chapter 114 Her Eyes That Survey the World
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The day after I slept with Sphica, the Chieftain of the Elves.
I stood before the Elves gathered in the center of the village.
Looking around, I saw more than just the newlyweds I’d met yesterday. There were parents, long-time couples, and even the village elders. Since they were all Elves, I couldn’t tell them apart by looks alone, but I was starting to pick up on the aura that came with age.
In the quiet forest air, every single one of them had their eyes fixed on me.
There was confusion, caution, and a mix of complicated emotions.
It made sense. I was a human about to give a speech in the heart of an Elven village. To make matters worse, the topic I was introducing was practically a centuries-old taboo to them. Still, they had gathered because Sphica, their Chief, had commanded it.
Sphica stood right beside me.
She wore her usual dignified expression, but her cheeks seemed softer somehow. To put it bluntly, she had a certain glow about her. After our time together, she had truly become a “woman,” and I could tell some of the other Elves were sensing the change in her atmosphere.
I began to speak.
”I know many of you think the intimacy between a man and a woman is something to be ashamed of,” I said.
A murmur rippled through the crowd, but I pressed on.
”But listen. A little modesty is fine. I’m not saying you should talk about this with just anyone, or that you should be vulgar with people who aren’t your partners,” I explained, pausing to catch my breath. “However, sharing this as knowledge among trusted friends isn’t a taboo. In fact, it’s what will save your village.”
Silence fell over the square.
Then, Sphica stood up quietly. Wrapped in her authority as Chief, she uttered a single sentence.
”Trust in husband-dono’s words.”
Rozmiaque followed with a nod. The words of an elder who had watched over the village for centuries carried immense weight.
But more than anything, it was Lifia, standing on my other side, who truly convinced them.
The moment she spoke the names of the spirits, the air itself trembled.
The wind howled, light danced, and the forest responded in kind.
Witnessing that power, the Elves were struck dumb. One by one, they dropped to their knees in reverence.
After that, I opened up a room in the Love Hotel¹ once again and held a viewing party. I managed to provide the village leaders with actual s*xual knowledge.
Naturally, the secret of my power got out too-the ability to create rooms in another dimension and manifest the amenities of modern Japan. The Elves’ reactions varied, but overall, it was pure awe.
Well, that was fine. The rest was up to them.
The day new life would sprout in the Elven village wasn’t far off. If I managed to be useful, I’d take that as a win.
* * *
”Husband-dono, a moment of your time?”
That evening, as the excitement from the meeting died down, Sphica approached me. Her pale cheeks were slightly flushed. Gone was the face of the cold Chief; she looked like a woman in love. She slid her arm through mine as she spoke.
”You mentioned an interest in the Sky Continent², did you not, husband-dono?”
Last night, Sphica and I had talked about a lot of things. My journey so far, the state of the dungeon, and my companions. It was classic pillow talk, and she had listened intently to every word. The Sky Continent had been just one of many topics.
”I spoke with the elders and dug through some of our ancient records,” she said.
Apparently, she’d gone out of her way to gather information for me. Given how long Elves lived, their records held knowledge you couldn’t find anywhere else.
”It seems the time the Sky Continent vanished perfectly coincides with the era this dungeon was born.”
That couldn’t be a coincidence. There had to be a connection. It was the first I’d heard of it.
I see.
The dungeon and the Sky Continent. I’d thought they were two separate legends, but they might actually be linked. If that were true, exploring the dungeon took on a whole new meaning. I had one more reason to reach the bottom.
Suddenly, I felt a surge of motivation.
”Sphica, why don’t you come with me?” I asked.
”To the dungeon?” she replied.
”Yeah.”
Lifia was currently pregnant, so I couldn’t take her along. That left a massive hole in my party. Having Sphica with me would be a huge boost, but her expression darkened.
”I would love to, but… I cannot leave the village for so long.”
”You could just come back periodically, couldn’t you?”
”Husband-dono, I have heard the dungeon takes weeks to traverse one way. Even with an airship, surely…”
Right. The problem was the travel time.
Instead of explaining, I led her toward the Love Hotel.
We stepped into the lobby, and I had the Brownie on doorman duty open the front door. The world that greeted us on the other side was no longer the Elven village.
I heard Sphica catch her breath.
Stretching out before us was a landscape of jagged, reddish-black rock. Rivers of glowing, viscous lava flowed through the plains, and volcanoes belched smoke in the distance. High above in the scorching sky, flocks of wyverns cut through the air. The heat hit us instantly, accompanied by the sharp stench of sulfur.
This was the deep floor of the dungeon: “Burning Dragon Peak³.”
”With my power, I can make this a day trip. When we’re done, we just walk back through this door. You won’t have to be away from the village for more than a few hours at a time.”
Even after I shut the door, Sphica didn’t move. Her eyes were glued to the spot where the hellish landscape had been just moments before.
”Was that… the inside of the dungeon?” Sphica asked.
”Yeah, the 6th Floor. We’re pretty deep in.”
”From here… through a single door…”
When Sphica finally looked at me, she didn’t have the calm eyes of a Chief. They were wide with shock, her composure completely shattered. She let out a long, slow sigh.
”Truly, husband-dono… you are something else.”
There was more than just surprise in her voice. I could hear a hint of excitement too.
* * *
The next day, we resumed our exploration with Sphica in the party.
”I see it! I see everything!” Sphica’s joyful voice rang out from the deck of the airship.
Faint particles of light danced around her. Sphica’s Guardian Spirit, Lumera Aerius, governed both wind and vision.
On the 6th Floor, “Burning Dragon Peak,” we’d been using the Spirit-Seekers’ Compass I’d found on the 5th Floor to stay on track. But the compass only gave us a general direction. It didn’t tell us how to survive.
Simply flying the airship in a straight line was impossible. This floor was a nightmare. Between the thousands of wyverns, the constant volcanic eruptions, and the lethal terrain, we’d been forced to take long, cautious detours.
But Sphica’s spirit magic changed the game.
”Behind that rocky mountain to the left, there is a safe path that continues for some distance. The wyvern flock is currently heading north.”
Checking the compass, we wove through the shadows of the mountains. Before, we would have moved at a snail’s pace, scouting every inch. Now, Sphica’s magic cleared the way.
”That volcano is about to blow. We should head east while we still can.”
”Got it, let’s move!”
As we raced across the scorching rocks, the roar of an eruption thundered behind us, but we were already long gone.
Until now, Sphica had used that power to watch over and protect her village. Now that she’d unlocked seven characters of her spirit’s name, her power had evolved into a form of clairvoyance that let her see miles ahead. Combined with her control over the wind, she was more than a match for Lifia’s usual role.
”Your magic is incredible, Sphica. You’re a life-saver.”
”Nonsense! This is all thanks to you, husband-dono!”
It was true. I had taught Sphica the true name of her spirit. Elven spirit users drew out their power by calling upon those names; the more of the name they knew, the deeper their bond and the greater their strength.
Sphica had only known six characters before. I taught her eight. I’d actually offered to teach her all nine, just like I had with Lifia, but she had politely declined.
”Lifia is special to you, isn’t she, husband-dono?” she’d said.
She’d seen right through me. I couldn’t help but give her a wry smile.
”I have been granted this much power, so I will surely be of use to you!” the blonde Elf exclaimed, puffing out her chest with pride. She was certainly dependable.
With her scouting the terrain, tracking the wyverns, and finding the gaps in the volcanic ash, we were flying through the floor. Reaching the end of the 6th Floor was finally starting to look like a reality.
* * *
After several days of pushing through the heat, Sphica’s eyes finally found what we were looking for.
She stood at the very tip of the airship’s bow, eyes closed as she felt the wind. Suddenly, she gasped.
”Husband-dono, I found them! I think those are the stairs to the next floor!” she shouted.
”Finally!”
I leaned over the railing, though I couldn’t see anything yet. If she said they were there, I believed her.
But then, her voice wavered with confusion.
”Wait… there is something in the way. What… what the hell is that…?”
—
Summary:
The protagonist provides s*xual education to the Elf village, breaking long-standing taboos with the help of Sphica and Lifia. Sphica joins the party for dungeon exploration after learning she can use the Love Hotel as a portal to return home daily. Her enhanced spirit magic proves vital in navigating the 6th Floor, leading them to the stairs where a mysterious obstacle awaits.
—
Trivia:
- Sphica uses the archaic first-person pronoun ‘Washi’.
- Elves are visually indistinguishable by age; only their ‘aura’ reveals it.
- The 6th Floor is named ‘Burning Dragon Peak’.
- Sphica refused the 9th character of her spirit’s name to respect Lifia’s ‘special’ status.
- The Sky Continent’s disappearance aligns with the dungeon’s creation
—
Character Insight:
Sphica shows growth by balancing her duty as a Chief with her new feelings as a woman. Her refusal of the final spirit name character shows a humble and respectful side regarding the protagonist’s other relationships.
—
Behind the Scenes:
The connection between the Sky Continent and the dungeon suggests a world-ending event or a high-fantasy ‘Fall’ that moved civilizations or created the dungeon as a trial/prison.
—
TL Notes:
Notes:
• Sphica – Matriarch of the Elf Village. Elder sister to Rozmiaque. She has long golden hair, blue eyes, and looks like 20s.
• Rozmiaque – High-ranking elf investigating large-scale Spirit Magic usage. Condescending, believes a High Elf is involved. Uses 6-letter Spirit Magic to trap targets. Displays contempt for half-elves and humans. Aggressive interrogator, possibly capable of sensing hidden information.
• Brownie – A little sailor fairy.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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