"So, can you tell me in detail what happened?"
Ren wanted to raise a toast at the Western-style restaurant, but given the state of the boys, a quieter, more comfortable location seemed best. Ren brought Shou and Ken back to the house, asked Furi and Iris to prepare dinner, and, for now, brewed some tea. After drinking the warm tea, the two boys seemed somewhat calmer. They started sharing their story haltingly, with difficulty.
"...We got scared." Shou admitted.
"Of fighting?" Ren asked.
"Yeah. I was okay at first, but then, somehow..."
It seemed today was their first time in the dungeon.
What they first felt was intense tension. After managing through the first battle, a joy emerged from realizing they could defeat goblins. They fought two, three times, accumulating monster kills. As they continued their exploration smoothly, a thought suddenly struck them.
Living creatures die so easily.
Then, if we make one mistake, won'twebe the ones who die?
They arrived at the boss room, pretending not to notice the doubt. While listening to the party leader's warnings, they simultaneously felt relief that "this will be over and we can go home" and the realization that a "stronger enemy than before is coming." They had defeated the regular goblins, but would the boss be the same?
"We were told we'd be fine if we did what we'd been doing, but when I tried to fight, my body just froze..."
The leader protected them, so they weren't injured. In the end, the boss fight amounted to them merely finishing off the injured goblins that Ren's classmates had weakened. The realization "if we don't kill, we will be killed" and "if we are killed, we will vanish from the world like that" was strongly imprinted on Shou and Ken's minds.
"I see."
Shou and Ken's eyes welled up as they spoke. Even though their tears had run dry earlier, this happened as soon as they had some fluid. They must have been incredibly frustrated.
However, Ren didn't think the two boys were pathetic.
"You both did well."
"Huh...?"
Ren approached the surprised boys and gently placed a hand on each of their heads.
"It's only natural to be scared to fight monsters like that when you're still young. Since you managed to get all the way to the boss fight, it's actually a huge achievement."
"But everyone else fights normally." Shou protested.
"We have the circumstance of 'wanting to return to our original world.' And we have a 'Blessing,' so we're safer than you. ...Besides, just because we have the power to fight doesn't mean we aren't scared." Ren explained.
"Is that... true?" Ken asked.
"Of course it is. Before coming here, I'd never even been in a fistfight." Ren said.
She was using magic for attacks even after coming here, but setting that aside...
"Honestly, I'm still scared now. Unlike a game, if you die, it's over."
"Then why do you fight?" Shou asked.
"Maybe it's habit. Or maybe it's having a reason you absolutely must fight."
A period of silence followed.
"Is just wanting to be popular with girls and look cool not enough?" Shou asked.
"I don't see why not. But the question is whether you want to be popular with girls badly enough to face death. Only you can decide that." Ren stated.
"..."
If they now said, "We'll stop dungeon exploring," Ren would have understood. It wasn't worth their lives. Even the Wise Man wouldn't want casualties.
It was a small world. They would probably find a spouse even without risking their lives to achieve fame. It could happen naturally with a neighborhood girl, or perhaps an arranged meeting would be set up.
"Hey, Ren-san."
After a moment, Shou lifted his head and looked up at Ren.
"If we work hard, will you go on a date with us?"
"Huh?"
"That's not fair, Shou. Ren-san, me too, please." Ken chimed in.
Ren was asked to do something strange. It was no joke; both boys looked serious. Would dating Ren, a former man, really be fun? Ren thought Iris would be a better choice... but the idea of Iris dating them made Ren feel slightly uneasy, so she decided not to mention it.
After thinking for a moment, Ren said,
"Alright, if you manage to clear up to the tenth floor, I'll go on a date with you."
"Really!? You won't lie to us, right!?" Shou's eyes lit up.
"No. ...However, value your lives, alright? Dying won't accomplish anything." Ren warned.
"We know!" the boys exclaimed.
Their expressions immediately brightened. Since they had just realized the terror of death, Ren doubted they would do anything reckless. But what exactly about "a date with Ren" had such an effect?
Afterward, they treated Shou and Ken to a dinner specially made by Furi and Iris and then walked them back to their party's house. The party leader bowed deeply to Ren and said, "Thank you." When Ren replied with a smile, "Don't worry about it," the leader was pulled back into the house by her party members.
"You really should go on a date with them, Ren." Furi said when they returned.
"I'll keep my promise. A date is just strolling around town and eating something, right? If they work hard, I'll keep them company for that much," Ren explained.
"Hmm... that's true, but not quite the point, you know? Anyway, it's fine."
Perhaps Shou and Ken would grow significantly from here on.
That was likely one of the reasons for allowing young boys to enter the dungeon. They had a long period during which they could endure dungeon exploration and a lot of room for growth. If they had chosen people whose bodies and minds were fully mature, they might have been older than the Transferees and wouldn't listen to instructions. On the other hand, if they chose Transferees from the second year onwards, they might be treated as "power-leveling" and have their World Fragments reduced.
It was a difficult situation to navigate.
"I wonder if Shou and Ken will form their own party if they grow stronger." Furi pondered.
"Ah, I wonder. In that case, maybe they'll team up with Iris-chan and Mei-chan?" Ren asked.
"Huh? Am I not allowed to stay with you all, Ren-san?" Iris asked, sounding hurt.
"I see no advantage for me to go to a separate party from my Master," Mei stated.
Iris and Mei were against forming a new party. It wasn't that they disliked Shou and Ken, but Ren understood their reluctance to leave their familiar companions.
"Yeah. If possible, I want to keep working with Iris and the others too." Ren agreed.
"Ren-san...!" Iris smiled and took Ren's arm. Furi naturally secured Ren's other arm.
Ren wondered what Mei would do.
"Master. May I embrace you?" Mei asked.
"Stop, you'll make it impossible to walk." Ren laughed.
Well, whether it was dating or party reorganization, any such discussion was still far in the future.
--------------------
The day after the dungeon exploration was another holiday.
Iris started working on the mountain drawing right after breakfast, frowning over her drawing tools and paper.
"Ren-san. This definitely won't be finished by the end of the year."
"The New Year is almost here," Ren agreed.
The lake creation had been difficult enough; there was no way a drawing of a long river plus a mountain could be finished in time. In fact, if it were that easy, what had the society members been doing all this time?
"Like Mei said, you don't have to rush to finish it. If you're worried, maybe just extend the river a bit for now?" Ren suggested.
"Is that really enough...?" Iris asked, her blue eyes reflecting anxiety.
Being too serious was a problem. However, Ren had never been entrusted with a town-wide project either. It was understandable that Iris felt responsible. On the other hand, because she lacked experience, she was able to take on the task in the first place.
"It's fine. If anyone complains, we'll tell them to 'Go look at the moon from the riverbank this year.'" Ren reassured her.
"It is likely that those individuals would be satisfied even with that," Mei said, stopping her cleaning in the maid outfit she seemed to have taken a liking to.
"I read in a book that the true horizon viewable from flat ground is at most about four to five kilometers away. Therefore, if one does not climb a mountain, the sunrise will likely be visible from closer by."
Of course, they wouldn't see the moment the sun rose in that scenario, but viewing it from the river would be better than viewing it from the town due to fewer obstacles. Since they didn't have clocks, they couldn't even make "Happy New Year" calls at 0:00, so being overly concerned with precision was pointless.
Mei thought for a moment.
"I believe Ms. Iris should create the broad plan, and leave the actual manifestation of the river to others. If several people divide the task, the resulting variety might be interesting."
"That might be a good idea. If one person does it, it will just end up looking the same for miles," Ren agreed.
"We have not received any significant complaints so far, but if anyone raises an unwarranted fuss, we shall have you, Master, appease them."
"Leave it to me. If all else fails, I'll use my Charm Evil Eye," Ren said.
It was a skill Ren didn't like to use actively, but it would be an unavoidable necessity in case of a major dispute.
Iris looked relieved and smiled.
"You really are reliable, Ren-san."
"That's not true. You and Mei are the ones doing all the hard work." Ren countered.
"You may praise me more if you wish," Mei stated.
"Mei might be a little too thick-skinned, but Iris, you should be more confident." Ren advised.
"Hehe. Yes, I will." Iris smiled.
The next day, Ren and the others submitted the portion of the drawing they had completed—about five kilometers worth—to the leader and left the actual river construction to the society members. Now, the pressure to "hurry up" would be on the society members, not Iris. The quality of the river would also be their collective responsibility. If they argued over who would be in charge, they might not even get a sunrise this year, but Ren and the others weren't too concerned about that.
What was important for the youth was the time just before the New Year.
"Merry Christmas!"
It was Christmas, the day of chicken, cake, and presents. The origin of Christmas? For most young people, that was quite irrelevant.
Ren's party held a modest party at their house. They could have gone to Iris's house (and Iris's sisters had invited them), but Iris's mother had told them, "It's important to make memories among your companions," so they decided to spend their first year with just their party.
The table was set with the finest meal Ren's party could afford: a whole roasted chicken, soup with more ingredients than usual, plenty of bread, cookies (with several jams) instead of cake, and a slightly expensive wine.
"It's a shame Mei can't eat the food..." Furi said.
"Do not worry. I have received a splendid feast myself." Mei assured them.
A pile of iron scraps, acquired cheaply from the blacksmith, was stacked in front of Mei's seat. Metal was crucial for body reinforcement, so Mei looked quite pleased, though her expression was mostly unchanged.
"Furi-san and I worked hard on the chicken!" Iris said proudly.
"The heat was perfect thanks to Iris-chan, so it should be delicious," Furi added.
"It smells absolutely amazing," Ren admitted.
Ren, who was mainly in charge of shopping since she couldn't cook, unconsciously swallowed. In moments like this, she deeply appreciated having skilled cooks in the party.
Mariabell, who planned to leave early to check in at the brothel, smiled.
"The wine is from us. I bought a lot, so please drink plenty."
"Haha. We're definitely going to be hungover tomorrow," Furi laughed.
Smiling, Furi used a knife to carve and serve the chicken. Though divided into four, the portions on their plates were quite substantial.
"Last Christmas, I had fried chicken with my family. This might even be more extravagant this year." Ren mused.
"It makes all the effort worthwhile to hear you say that," Furi said.
"Yes!" Iris agreed.
They said Itadakimasu and started eating the long-awaited feast. Ren took a bite of chicken, then popped some bread into her mouth, followed by a spoonful of soup. Of course, she thankfully accepted the wine from Mariabell and the courtesans.
"Delicious," Ren sighed in contentment.
"The Western food there is good, but your cooking is the best, Furi and Iris."
"Hehe. Do you want to keep eating it forever?" Furi teased.
"Yes, I do," Ren confessed.
Ren felt that she had become more honest in saying things like this since coming here. Was it the influence of the succubus transformation, or the effect of spending time with girls?
Mariabell murmured something ominous with a smile. "Shall we try to get you more intoxicated?"
"Iris-san. Would you pour some for Ren-san?"
"Ah, yes. Here you go, Ren-san." Iris complied.
"Thank you, Iris." Ren accepted the drink.
The alcohol was loosening her facial muscles. Ren hoped she wasn't looking sloppy, but Iris averted her eyes when she looked at Ren. Maybe it's bad. Just as Ren thought she should try to compose herself, Furi insisted,
"Ren, let me pour you some too."
"No, the glass is still full. Actually, let me pour some for you."
In their excitement, they forgot to restrain themselves. Tonight, other houses were likely similar. No one would complain if they were a little loud. They couldn't continue dungeon exploration without enjoying themselves to the fullest when they could and recharging their energy.
"Alright, let's do the present exchange at some point." Ren suggested.
"Agreed," Furi chimed in.
Ren gave Furi and Iris the manga and history book they had requested. She gave Mariabell a romance novel about women, also as requested.
As for the presents from Furi and the others:
"Here you go. A cute dress and underwear set." Furi said.
"We chose it all four of us together," Iris added.
It was a black dress that absolutely could not be worn in the dungeon, along with a matching bra and panties. The back had a large open design, so it wouldn't be tight even with her wings. It was indeed cute. But,
"This is the kind of thing you wear to a party, right?" Ren asked.
"We're having a party right now," Furi pointed out.
"Seriously?"
Urged to change into it immediately, Ren put on the outfit. The result was a huge success with Furi and the others. Although Ren was not entirely unpleased by the constant cries of "cute," she had to constantly watch out not to spill any of the feast and dirty the dress.
============
🚀 Want Early Access & Bonus Content?
"Loving this story so far? You can read ALL chapters RIGHT NOW by joining my P4tr3on!
✨ Unlock instant access to the full completed novel
✨ No waiting for daily updates
✨ Support your favorite degenerate author (that's me!)
Only $5.99 for the full experience!
🔗 Check my profile for the Link!!
Free readers - don't worry, I'll still be posting daily updates here. But Pa4r3on members get the VIP treatment!
Your support helps me create more wild stories like this. See you on the dark side! 😈"