Chapter 100 Statue
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Well, it looks like… a lot of things got found out…”
It was my turn for night watch, and I was sitting with Kazumi and Dorothy, looking up at the sky by the campfire.
”I’m sorry… Ms. Liz and I just…”
Kazumi mumbled, and Dorothy bowed her head.
”I’m not blaming you, Dorothy. Hiroya is popular, so if people find out that me, Dorothy, and Liz are with him… you know.”
”That would definitely stir up feelings of superiority and jealousy… it’s pretty complicated.”
”Hey… this is my topic, and I feel totally left out…”
I raised my hand a bit to speak up.
”Aluda, Eluda, and Meluda are all girls Hiroya likes, right?”
Kazumi snuggled up to me, looking up from below. Yeah, she’s definitely cute (love her).
”That small body with those… chest and… hips is definitely a weapon.”
Dorothy, sitting on the opposite side from Kazumi, took my hand and intertwined our fingers. Yeah, that’s pretty naughty.
”Well, she’s a girl borrowed from Toldo, so we can’t do anything weird.”
”What if they want to?”
”I’m (Ore) super satisfied with Kazumi, Dorothy, and Liz.”
”That’s why we’re still waiting for Martina.”
I looked at Kazumi, who was puffing her cheeks, and remembered when Martina woke me up in the morning.
(I got those feelings for Martina too after we had fun the night before…)
Stuck on what to say, I kept petting the snow wolf resting its head on my knees.
* * *
”Alright, it’s almost time to switch. Liz, Rena, and Martina are all sleeping in the same tent, right?”
”It must be cramped since it’s a 2-person tent…”
”…there’s a reason for that. They were arguing before bed.”
Dorothy smiled and walked towards the tent where the next 3 were sleeping, waving for Kazumi and me to follow.
”Oh, I see.”
”If they don’t sleep together, they’ll keep arguing…”
When I peeked in, Rena, Liz, and Martina were all cuddled up to a snow wolf while sleeping.
”This fluffiness is addictive… Ms. Rena, Ms. Liz, Ms. Martina, it’s time to switch!”
Dorothy woke them up. The snow wolf they were clinging to woke up too but looked at me with a pleading expression, unable to move.
”…wait a second…”
I ran towards the carriage.
When I quietly peeked inside…
”…just as I thought.”
The 3 sisters were all sleeping around a snow wolf, enjoying the fluffiness.
”I’m looking forward to this too.”
Kazumi peeked in from behind me.
”Will you sleep with us?”
Kazumi asked the snow wolf at my feet.
”…Gau.”
Looks like that’s a yes.
I managed to wake the 3 up, and we took turns crawling into the tent with Kazumi and Dorothy.
”Come on in!”
The snow wolf that helped us with the night watch came into the tent and lay down right in the middle.
”…it seems like it’s saying we can do whatever we want.”
Dorothy laughed.
”Then I’m going to enjoy this fluffiness.”
Kazumi hugged the snow wolf’s neck and lay down.
”Then I’ll join you.”
Dorothy buried her face in the snow wolf’s chest.
”Can I use it as a pillow?”
”Gau.”
Sounds good, so I rested my head on its belly.
”…wow… this fluffiness is amazing…”
”Yeah. It feels so calming.”
”…it’s warm, and I think I can sleep really well.”
Yeah, this is definitely going to be a habit.
* * *
After a good night’s sleep, we got ready in the morning, had a light meal, and packed our things to head to the dungeon.
”Let’s keep our food supplies to a minimum. We need to be light when we go in.”
Just like Liz said, I didn’t carry a backpack and carefully picked what to pack into my pouch.
”You guys stay here. Protect the horses.”
”””Gau!”””
Good response.
”I buried the transfer magic stone. We’re all set!”
Rena came running from the side of the dungeon entrance towards us.
”Okay! So we’re off to explore the dungeon. Martina and Aluda will lead the way, with Hiroya and Kazumi following closely. I’ll walk with Eluda and Meluda, keeping a slight distance, and Dorothy will stay at the very back, paying close attention.”
Everyone nods in agreement to Liz’s instructions.
”We have the maps from the guild, but they’ve changed quite a bit, I think.”
Martina looks at the dungeon map given to her by the guild.
”The number of floors might not have changed much… ‘Wisps’…”
Rena casts the spell ‘Wisps’, illuminating the area behind Kazumi and me.
”Wisp.”
Kazumi casts it too, lighting up a bit ahead of Martina.
”Alright! Let’s go!”
With Liz’s shout, we head into the dungeon.
* * *
We walk through the hallway that Dorothy and I passed before.
We reach the same door.
”…There weren’t any traps or keys last time, right?”
Martina turns to me and asks, and I nod in response.
Martina sits in front of the door to check it.
”…Looks good. I’m opening it, okay?”
She opens the door and peeks inside.
”Yeah. This is where we fought Otto before. I don’t think anything has changed.”
It’s a big, empty hall. Everyone steps inside.
”It seems like this part of the dungeon hasn’t changed. The door over there leads to the main entrance. There should be a hidden door in that corner… and stairs going down.”
Martina points to the corner of the room. It seems like she has the map memorized.
Then, I notice something different from when I fought Otto.
”Huh?”
”…What’s wrong, Hiroya?”
”I noticed it too, Mr. Hiroya…”
”Yeah… that’s right, Dorothy. Liz, there weren’t any statues like that last time.”
Above on the walls, there are several statues that look like demons.
”…Everyone spread out. The 3 sisters protect Kazumi here. I want Martina and Rena with me. Hiroya, run with Dorothy to the other door.”
”Okay… those are gargoyles…”
Rena whispers.
”They’re coming… spread out!”
At Liz’s signal, Dorothy and I run toward the wall. At the same time, the statues spread their wings and take off.
”Don’t waste your crossbow shots! It’s hard to hit something flying!”
Liz gives the order and loads an arrow into her composite bow.
The arrow flies and hits one of the gargoyles in the head, making it fall to the ground and stop moving.
”Kazumi and Rena, fight back with magic! Everyone else, slash at them when they get close! They have to come down to attack!”
”Light Arrow!”
”Flaming Arrow!”
Rena and Kazumi’s magic takes down more gargoyles.
A few gargoyles come flying toward me.
I grab ‘Yamikirimaru’ and wait for their attack.
Two gargoyles come at me from the sides. One swings its arm, and the other charges with its claws.
”Physical Boost!”
I jump at the gargoyle swinging its arm and slice it in the body as I pass. I turn and cut the other one in half from the head down.
I put ‘Yamikirimaru’ back in its sheath and glance at Dorothy, who is using her estoc to support herself, soaring through the air like a pole vaulter.
She jumps high and lands a ‘heel drop’ on the head of a flying gargoyle. It’s a beautiful move that makes me stop and stare.
Liz’s arrows hit the flying gargoyles, and Rena keeps casting magic. Martina takes advantage of the openings created by Liz and Rena to slash at the incoming gargoyles with her short sword and man-gouge.
The 3 sisters also hit the approaching gargoyles with their hammers to protect Kazumi as she casts magic.
(Everyone is moving well.)
I slice through a nearby gargoyle while keeping an eye on everyone’s movements.
* * *
It seems like it hasn’t even been ten minutes, but all the gargoyles are taken down.
(As I thought, this team is strong…)
I felt really good about my teammates… no, my family’s strength.
”The enemies were tough, so I couldn’t use my arrows…”
Liz grumbled while picking up the arrows stuck in the gargoyles.
”How about it! Meluda and the others can use them too, right?”
”Yeah, it’s really reassuring.”
I nodded honestly.
”Everyone! Are you all okay? No injuries?”
Liz checked on everyone. No one had even a scratch.
”Alright, Martina, can you look for the drop door?”
Now, we’re finally heading down to the lower floors.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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