Volume 4 Chapter 23 What About the Spellbook？
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Soaking in the afterglow of victory, I decided to check out the red magic fish I’d taken down.
I approached the creature rolling on the sandy ground and poked it gently with the tip of my sword.
”It’s hard.”
The texture felt off.
This wasn’t like a normal magic fish.
The regular ones were soft and cut easily with a sword.
But this red one was a whole different story.
Prodding it felt less like hitting a living thing and more like striking an inorganic object.
I picked it up to take a closer look.
It reflected light, shimmering brightly like a deep red gemstone.
The shape was unmistakably that of a fish, but its texture was completely like a mineral.
The surface was smooth, almost as if it had been carved from a ruby.
”It’s like a magic stone, isn’t it?”
”When it was alive, it swam softly, right?”
”It’s like a gemstone fish.”
Lifia and the others peered at it curiously.
Does it harden when it dies?
What a mysterious creature.
We played with the gem-like remains of the magic fish, pondering.
There’s still so much we don’t know about monsters.
Even so, this monster was particularly unique.
”──! Master, another monster is coming. And it’s a big one!”
That’s when Lifia’s voice cut in.
Our fight wasn’t over yet.
Speculating could wait.
”Alright, everyone ready?”
I tossed the red magic fish remains onto the pouch and scanned the area.
”We’re ready!”
Kéa was gripping her dual swords, already in battle stance.
Yomi had her spellbook open, all fired up.
Then, a heavy vibration came through.
”Here it comes.”
From the depths of the water, a massive shadow slowly revealed itself, twisting its long body.
It was a long, slender monster.
Much thicker than a human body.
Its silver scales reflected light, dull and mirror-like.
It was a huge eel.
Its movements were graceful, gliding through the water.
And it was definitely targeting us.
Now, how do we take it down?
I gripped my sword and pondered.
That’s when a confident voice piped up from beside me.
”Leave it to me!”
Yomi opened her spellbook and began chanting with a bright, eager expression.
A new battle on the fifth floor of the dungeon was about to begin.
* * *
”This is the magic stone, right?”
Holding the remains of the red demon sardine, Tifi gazes at it with deep interest, muttering to herself.
After the exploration, we had returned to the room inside the Love Hotel.
”I guess so.”
I pick it up again to take a closer look.
It catches the light with a dull gleam, almost like a gem with its own kind of beauty.
”I’ve heard of monsters made mostly of magic stone, but I’ve never seen one this big before.”
The unexplored 5th Floor of the dungeon is still full of unknowns.
Nothing would surprise me anymore.
”So what should we do with this magic stone?”
”There are lots of ways we could use it… but I can’t explain where it came from.”
Tifi rests her chin on her hand, pondering.
”We could break it up and sell it, but that seems like a waste…”
Maybe we should just keep it hidden.
We’re still officially active on the dungeon’s 3rd Floor, after all.
We’d rather not show off drops from the fifth level.
”If it’s a magic tool, we might be able to pass it off as a treasure chest find, though.”
”Guess there’s no helping it.”
Well, whatever.
Adding to the Love Hotel’s collection is business as usual.
”So…”
Tifi glances over at the corner of the room.
”Why is Yomi acting like that?”
Yomi had been huddled in the corner, looking down and dispirited.
Her expression is dark as she mumbles something to herself.
”Ah, actually…”
It’s because of the battle with the squid earlier.
When fighting the squid monster, its silver scales reflected the light.
That meant we couldn’t deal any damage.
It wasn’t completely ineffective, but it wasn’t a one-hit kill either.
We couldn’t get the results we needed.
Yomi’s magic is powerful, but it burns through energy fast.
She can’t keep shooting it over and over.
In the end, Lifia and I held it back while Kéa leaped into its chest and finished it off in one go.
After being so useful in the demon sardine fight, getting her nose broken was a real downer.
That’s what’s got Yomi feeling so low.
”Here”
”Eek!?”
I carry Yomi princess-style to the sofa.
”Wh-what are you doing!?”
Ignoring her protests, I sit her down next to me.
Yomi clings to my arms and looks down.
”…I, I wasn’t any help…”
Her whisper was small and feeble.
I comfort Yomi.
”This enemy was just too much. It’s not that Yomi’s power wasn’t enough. It’s just that your spellbook wasn’t a good match.”
I say this while looking at the spellbook Yomi holds.
Yomi’s battles rely on her spellbook.
If the spellbook isn’t suited to the opponent, she’s forced to struggle no matter what.
”If you get a new spellbook, you’ll have more options in battle.”
I tell this to the dejected Yomi.
Currently, Yomi only has one spellbook, ‘The Magic of Light Trajectories,’ specialized in beam magic.
She also knows some basic magic she learned on her own, but it’s not much use against the enemies on the deeper dungeon floors.
She needs to expand her arsenal.
”A new… spellbook…?”
Yomi looks up at me with uncertain eyes.
”Do those even exist?”
”Let’s check out the magic item shop tomorrow. Maybe we’ll find something good.”
I say this while gently stroking Yomi’s hair.
”So cheer up.”
I lightly press my lips to hers.
Her soft, plump lips feel nice.
”…hmph.”
Yomi’s shoulder twitches.
Her cheeks turn red, and she looks away, embarrassed.
”Mhm…”
She nods slightly, and a bit of light seems to return to her expression.
Once Yomi’s cheered up, I decide to change the subject.
”Now, we made quite a few finds on this exploration…”
Thanks to Yomi, we’ve got a lead on the 5th Floor now.
And actually, there were other gains too.
I open the menu.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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