"Amazing...! I can see the entire forest...!"
The half-elf girl cheered in Ren's arms.
It was the day after Ren gave Mei her reward. This time, Ren and Iris went out together to help with Iris's drawing. The idea was to gain a better understanding of what the forest looked like from above, which couldn't be supplemented by the monster encyclopedia, to use as a reference.
Ren had flown over the forest before with Iris's younger sisters, so she had the hang of it. Although the Floating Movement skill didn't allow for much speed, it wasn't particularly dangerous.
The greatest risk was dropping the girl she was carrying in a princess carry. Iris was quite heavy. No, the girl was quite slim, not fat at all, but she was still the weight of an adult. Since she had practical, toned muscles from drawing a bow, this was no casual stroll in the air as in a fairy tale. That's why Ren paid the utmost attention to make absolutely sure she wouldn't drop her.
"Is this going to be useful for your drawing?" Ren asked.
"Yes! I can picture the image of the river extending from the lake!"
Since sketching in mid-air was impossible, Iris would have to burn the sight into her memory. Ren was using every bit of her total muscle strength—which had increased due to her level-ups, surpassing her strength as a human—to accommodate Iris.
Since they were floating over the inner part of the forest, near the lake, there were hardly any people nearby. Ren had chosen pants instead of a skirt, so there was no danger of her underwear being seen, but her concentration would have been broken if there were many people around.
"...Right now, it's just the two of us, isn't it?"
Perhaps Iris was also feeling the intimacy, as she shifted her gaze to Ren and said this. Being in such close proximity, Ren could directly feel the girl's body heat, scent, and softness. Even with her toned muscles, she was still a girl. She was completely different from a man. The atmosphere was quiet, different from the night when they sought each other's warmth in bed.
"You've been working hard ever since you met us. Sometimes you need a change of pace."
"I'm fine. Every day is fun thanks to you all. And we're gradually moving toward my goal."
"Is that so? Then I'm glad."
Iris's goal was to send her parents back to Japan. Her father, who was human, was already quite old, though her mother was an Elf. While haste was forbidden, they didn't have much time to spare. If she were only focused on conquest, there might have been a better party for Iris than Ren's. Ren sometimes worried if she was unintentionally depriving the girl of her full potential.
"It will take quite a long path to see the sunrise, won't it?" Ren asked.
"Yes. I think we need about thirty kilometers."
"That's far... The marathon race in my middle school was three kilometers."
They couldn't see the true sunrise without height, but a higher viewpoint meant they needed more distance to see over the horizon. Too far, and it becomes unmanageable, but too close, and it might interfere with urban planning, so the distance was tricky. Well, if it was thirty kilometers away, the forest animals wouldn't often come to the woods near the town.
"That will be a long river. We could probably fish there, couldn't we?" Ren suggested.
"The Wise Man asked if we could cultivate wasabi."
It was a common condiment, but it required a clear stream to grow, making the conditions quite difficult. If they had it, their diet would be richer, so it was definitely desirable.
"Don't feel too much responsibility. If anyone tries to rush you, we'll protest too." Ren reassured her.
"Yes. I want to take my time. ...So, can we stay like this for a little longer?" Iris asked.
"Ah, of course."
The two enjoyed their time alone in the sky for a while.
--------------------
"Well. We're back here again."
The eleventh floor of the dungeon. The types of enemies had been completely renewed, and Orcs now appeared. Although Ren and her party found them easier to fight than the tenth-floor enemies, it was hard to say that the difficulty had dropped across the board.
Furi, who was leading the way, looked back.
"Mei-chan, are you okay if a wash basin hits your head?"
"Impact to the head is not welcome. Although my core handles thought, I rely on my eyes for sight, and an impact would disrupt my actions."
"Right. Then, let's disarm the traps one by one."
The truth was, for the traps up to the tenth floor, the tactic of "sending Mei ahead and forcibly stepping over them" was possible. This method, sometimes called "Man Detection," would be suicide for a human, but for Mei, whose bare skin was her armor, it was quite rational. Needles and regular arrows would bounce off with a "clang!" which saved time. Although Ren felt it might create bad habits, since it was the second run for Iris and the third for Ren and Furi, they had relied on it. However, the new traps from the eleventh floor were, as Furi said, "wash basins from the ceiling." Despite the comical appearance, the impact on the head was genuinely concerning.
"Mei, be careful of the Orcs' attacks. It's better to deflect or dodge them instead of blocking them head-on." Ren warned.
"Understood. There are limits to the strength of my joints, after all."
The formation was Furi → Mei → Iris & Ren → Mariabell. They proceeded, disarming traps, and then came the first battle. Mei blinked lightly at the massive body of the Orc carrying a thick club.
"The oppressive presence is certainly different from a goblin."
She stepped forward, switching places with Furi. While Ren and Iris's long-range attacks flew past her, she closed in on the pig-like, bipedal monster. Frowning at the high-pitched squeal, she quickly dodged the brought-down club and slammed her fist into the enemy's abdomen.
"Piggy!?"
The Orc shrieked and shuddered but did not fly away, instead glaring at Mei. It likely weighed well over a hundred kilograms. Unlike the small goblins, it was certainly tough.
"Mei! Clear the line of fire for a moment!" Ren shouted.
"My apologies. Immediately."
As the girl jumped back, arrows + Firebolt + Mana Bolt flew, and just as the Orc was slightly staggered, Mei attacked again. After repeating this once more, even the Orc vanished into specks of light.
Finishing the fight, Mei lightly shook her arm to check the damage and muttered,
"I see. It is quite difficult if this level of opponent is considered a common enemy."
"The target is large, and the speed is a little slow, so in some ways, it's easier to fight," Furi noted.
Furi's knife struggled to penetrate deep enough to reach the heart or carotid artery through the Orc's thick flesh. They consumed a lot of resources with each battle, and the fight time was considerable.
"Then, provided we are prepared for a long conquest, this is an easy opponent for us to fight." Mei concluded.
"We have Ren, after all."
They could have Mariabell perform Energy Drain on Ren, apply Heal to everyone, and proceed while replenishing their resources. As they confirmed the procedure step-by-step with Mei, for whom this was in a sense her first "proper dungeon conquest," they reached the boss room entrance.
"Alright. Let's stop here for today." Ren decided.
"We are not going to clear the boss right away?" Mei asked.
"Even if we have plenty of HP left, we're mentally tired, right? It's better to proceed cautiously than to rush and make a mistake."
"Understood."
Incidentally, the stone on the eleventh floor, which had changed material, was "more delicious than the one on the upper floors," according to Mei.
--------------------
The next morning.
Just as the four of them gathered around the table after preparing breakfast, there was a loud knock on the door.
Ren exchanged looks with her companions.
"We weren't expecting anyone, were we?"
"No. ...It probably isn't Takuma and his group angrily showing up now, so maybe the leader?" Furi wondered.
"Hmm. I'll get it, just in case."
As Ren stood up, Furi stopped her.
"Ren. You're forgetting you're a cute girl, aren't you?"
"Ah."
When Ren was still a man, even if cute, it might have been okay, but the current Ren had no intimidating presence whatsoever. Frankly, it made little difference if another comrade went, and it might even be counterproductive if the visitor was a pervert.
"I'll go too. Iris-chan and Mei-chan, be ready to escape through the back door if anything happens." Furi instructed.
"O-okay!" Iris stammered.
"I am to escape, cause a commotion, and seek help from the neighbors, correct? Leave it to me," Mei confirmed.
They quickly finished their brief consultation. As Furi retrieved her knife and belt from the storage, the door was knocked again.
"Hey! Is anyone home!?"
A young man—or rather, a boy's voice.
They nodded to each other, confirming it probably wasn't the leader, and Ren called out, "I'm coming now," before opening the door. An unfamiliar face stood there.
There were two visitors.
One was the boy who seemed to have been knocking on the door. He was lightly equipped with leather gear and had a sword at his waist. The other was a boy in a wizard-like robe, holding a wooden staff. He wore glasses, which were a rarity in this world.
Both looked to be around thirteen or fourteen years old.
When their eyes met, they looked slightly taken aback.
"Is this the house of the person named Ren's party?" the boy with the sword asked.
"Yes, it is, but who are you? I don't think we've met." Ren replied.
"We came to see the person named Ren. We have something to discuss."
It was better to visit a dungeon explorer's house early. This was the same as when Ren's homeroom teacher had visited at a similar time. So, that was fine, but what was the matter they needed to discuss?
...Well, given their age, they couldn't possibly be Transferees. There was little worry that they were far stronger than Ren's party, and since they were of the native generation, it would be cruel to turn them away.
"I'm Ren. Have you had breakfast? Why don't you eat while you tell me what you need?"
Ren invited them inside. Furi didn't object and retreated to the kitchen, saying, "We have a little soup left, and there's still bread, right?"
The two boys stared at Ren's face blankly for a while.
"What's wrong?" Ren asked.
"No, it's just... that's cheating," the boy with the sword mumbled.
"?"
After saying something incomprehensible, they hesitantly stepped inside the house.
"It smells good."
"I told you, you came before breakfast."
Ren realized they were short on chairs. She quickly brought some in from the private rooms. She might need to keep a few extra chairs on hand. The two boys might have already eaten, but being growing boys, they readily took the spoons and said, "Itadakimasu."
"So, what brings you here?" Ren asked.
"Ah. We want to join your party." the boy with the sword answered.
"Our party?" Ren asked.
"It's about that thing. The Wise Man said something about allowing other kids to explore the dungeon," the boy said.
"Ah, that."
Ren had told the Wise Man, "We can take in girls, but please send the boys elsewhere," so they had likely been introduced to another party.
"So you came to us because you weren't satisfied with the party you were introduced to?" Ren concluded.
"Yeah. It's unfair if we can't join because we're guys," the boy complained.
"I can certainly understand how you feel," Ren admitted.
Ren was a former man, after all. She would also think it was "unfair" if girls were given preferential treatment.
"But still, he wouldn't introduce you to a bad party. Was it really that bad?"
"No, the skills and the leader's personality were fine. It's just..."
"Just what?"
"The four seniors are all dating, like, they're couples within the party, and it's awkward!"
Ren immediately understood which party they meant. It was likely her former classmates.
"Aw, that's sweet, though. Their relationship won't easily break down, so they probably won't disband over personal issues," Furi said, coming back in with the food.
"But then I won't be able to get a girlfriend!" the boy with the sword exclaimed.
"You're too honest."
The boy who had been doing most of the talking was the one holding the sword.
"By the way, what are your names?" Ren asked.
"I'm Shou. This is Ken."
"H-hello," Ken bowed slightly. He seemed to have a much quieter personality.
"Do you want a girlfriend too, Ken?" Ren asked.
"...Well, yes."
"And you want to join a party with only girls?"
"Because I heard you're all beautiful! It would definitely be more fun here!" Shou insisted.
"It's hard to strongly disagree with that."
It was a good thing they were motivated, even if their motive was to "get a girlfriend." However, Ren thought it was questionable that they were so honest about it with Ren and the others.
"But I don't want any strange trouble if I let you two join." Ren said.
"We wouldn't cause any! You won't start dating unless your feelings are properly communicated," Shou argued.
"You guys are surprisingly cute," Ren commented.
They were vastly different from Takuma and his group.
When Ren complimented them on being "cute," the young boys wore ambiguous expressions that seemed to say, "I'm happy, but my pride won't allow it."
Shou stared intently at Ren's face—or rather, slightly averted his gaze while doing so.
"Ren-san, you understand, right? If we're going to learn things, it's better to learn from pretty older sisters than from guys."
"I understand completely," Ren agreed.
"Ren? Whose side are you on, exactly?" Furi glared at Ren with narrowed eyes.
============
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