"Water"
The water in the bathtub gently sloshes as it fills up.
"Fire"
Each time the flame is cast, the water's temperature rises, and soon the bath is ready.
"Freeze"
The hot water's temperature drops, and soon it turns to ice.
"Fire"
Repeat the process.
"Ugh. This is incredibly tedious, after all."
This is the method Ren came up with to endlessly grind for experience points using magic. She tried it, but it's proving to be quite the painstaking chore. She's the type who doesn't mind level grinding in games, but even this is starting to get to her mentally. The fact that it's certainly better than letting the MP go to waste is the real problem.
After watching the status screen and checking the experience gain per cycle for a while,
"You must be tired, Ren-san."
"Iris."
A soft hand gently touches Ren's cheek, and the beautiful blonde girl, Iris, crouches down beside her. A faint flow of the girl's vitality transfers from the point of contact, making Ren feel comfortable.
"How is it?"
"It's extremely tedious."
Repeating the process of heating and freezing makes her wonder, "Is this even meaningful?" She tried using Mana Boost with Magic Amplification to reduce the number of repetitions, but the experience efficiency dropped. Perhaps repetitive practice is the absolute foundation of everything.
"Instead of training during the day, if I just want to use up my MP before bed, it might be better to just install a bunch of lights in this room."
The bathroom is only used for bathing, and the inside is concealed, so having many lights won't be an issue. As long as she doesn't use a strange boost, the light will probably fade by morning. If she uses Energy Drain while sleeping, the spent MP will be recovered, killing two birds with one stone.
"Then, can I sleep with you again?"
"Ah, of course."
"I'm happy."
Iris smiles at a distance where their shoulders are touching. Ren thinks, We've grown closer. It's only natural, considering they've been sleeping and flying while embracing each other.
"The dungeon has been getting tougher, hasn't it?"
"Yeah. The enemies are one thing, but it's also getting wider and wider..."
Ren and the others rely on a strategy guide for checking the dungeon's structure. The map of the first floor easily fit onto one page with plenty of blank space, but the map of the twelfth floor, which they recently cleared, was completely packed onto a single page. The effort required to explore everything will certainly skyrocket. They're already saving considerable effort by not having to map it themselves and not having to worry about getting lost.
"We might need to switch to clearing one floor in three attempts."
The first two attempts would be spent thoroughly exploring the floor, and the third would be for defeating the boss. This way, the effort required for each run could be returned to their previous levels.
"That might be a good idea. Let's discuss it with everyone."
"Sorry. It means slowing down the pace again."
"Don't say that. I understand what's important, too, you know?"
"Yeah. I'm counting on you, Iris."
Incidentally, the reason they explore every corner, even with map information, is, of course, "for treasure and experience." Taking the shortest route to the boss room would save time, but their combat power reserve would steadily dwindle. There's no problem in exploring everything from the start if it means avoiding the need to repeatedly circle the same floor to gain experience.
"I need to work hard until Iris and the others can receive a 'Blessing' or until Maria-san can genuinely participate in combat."
Furi, the Thief, is not a pure combat class. Now that the enemies have become Orcs and their attack power has increased, Ren can't let her push herself too hard. In that case, Ren, who has gained a Class and an increased number of Skills, should be the one to step up.
Iris narrowed her eyes and whispered, "Thank you," before asking,
"What kind of skill are you going to take next?"
"Hmm, I think I'll continue enhancing the Class side smoothly, but the Succubus side is tricky."
Since she has the chance, Ren displays the skill list. The skills she recently acquired through Succubus level-up were "Drain Magic (Level 2: grants a minor Energy Drain effect to offensive magic)" and "Cure (recovers from status ailments + minor HP recovery)." Since some skills increase based on the skills acquired and the Succubus race level, it's quite difficult to decide what to take next. The straightforward choices would be to further increase MP efficiency or maximum MP, but...
"...Um, Ren-san. This one..."
Iris's finger touches one of the skills. The screen changes, and the details of that skill—"Drain Kiss"—are displayed.
"Ah... as it says there, it's a skill that performs a major Energy Drain upon kissing."
"A major Energy Drain..."
"When I say 'major,' I mean the absorption speed and conversion efficiency. The amount of HP drained itself doesn't seem to change, so there shouldn't be any danger."
Ren hurried to explain. Well, she hadn't said she would take that skill, but as someone who used to be a man, she hesitated to discuss this kind of thing with a girl.
Despite that,
"If we use this, can Ren-san's MP be recovered easily...?"
The girl turned her face sideways and looked into Ren's eyes.
"Well, I think it will be significantly faster than before. Though there are various issues."
"I think it's a good idea."
"...Are you sure?"
Honestly, Ren thought Iris would be the one to have the most resistance. Furi probably wouldn't object now, and Mei would be the same. Mariabelle would likely consent readily. But Ren thought Iris would be shy.
However,
"Do you dislike it, Ren-san? Kissing me?"
"If you say things like that, I'll kiss you right now."
"It's... fine."
Ren raised her right hand, took Iris's hand, and operated the window together. Drain Kiss acquisition confirmed.
"...We took it."
"We took it."
The clear blue eyes of Iris gradually became more moist. Knowing that it wasn't from sadness or fear, Ren gently brought her face close to Iris's lips.
"...Mmmph."
Just for two or three seconds. When Ren pulled her lips away, Iris, who seemed to have been holding her breath, took a deep gasp, "Haah." Her cheeks flushed, she gazed intently at Ren from close range and said,
"We did it."
"We did."
"...Will you take responsibility?"
Responsibility. Unfortunately, having become a woman, Ren couldn't easily say, "I'll marry you," nor could she stop her interactions with Furi and the others. Ren looked straight into the girl's eyes and replied.
"If any other party ever asks for 'Iris,' I'll definitely say no."
"Then, we'll be together forever."
Ren smiled at those words.
"Yeah. Until we clear the dungeon, someday."
--------------------
Changing into cute, clean underwear, Iris recalled a conversation she had with her mother some time ago.
I think Ren-san is a person I can entrust you to, Iris.
At the time, she was incredibly flustered hearing that. Even though it was her mother—no, especially because it was her mother—receiving straightforward advice about love was embarrassing. To Iris, who had no experience, "that" was an unknown world, which made her afraid to take the plunge.
Yet, she couldn't bring herself to say, "Let's stop," because she didn't want to miss out on the conversation. Hesitantly, she quietly asked her mother,
Why do you think Ren-san is good for me?
The main reason is that she's a race that will likely live as long as I do.
Her mother, a pure Elf, still looked like a young girl despite being over forty. Not "youthful," but truly not yet at an age where she would show signs of aging. Recently, when she stands next to her father, they almost look like parent and child. Iris doesn't know exactly how many years an Elf lives. However, Iris, who has her mother's blood, will certainly live longer than a human.
If she were to marry a human, she would have to see her partner grow old and pass away.
Succubi have physiological functions superior to humans, don't they? That means their bodies are less bound by physical limitations than humans. They can maintain a young body and mind and live on for a long time.
With Ren-san, I can be together forever.
Exactly. That way, you won't have to watch him pass away, like I will with your father.
Saying this, her mother smiled a little sadly. Unless her father is killed by a monster in a dungeon, it's a definite future that her mother will be left behind. She would have to continue living long after the person she loved had passed away. Imagining this, Iris shivered with terror. Her mother saw her reaction and smiled.
I don't want you and your sisters to experience the same pain I will. So, I would be happy if you chose a long-lived partner. ...Of course, that's not the only reason.
Her mother also liked Ren's personality. Her younger sisters were also fond of Ren and begged her to "play with them" every time Ren visited. Even Iris's warnings (tinged with a bit of jealousy) did nothing to change their behavior. Ren's abilities—an offensive magic that takes life force without leaving external wounds, the ability to levitate and access out-of-reach places, and the potential to tame bad guys through Charm—also made her perfect for living in the forest in the future.
Besides, you like her, don't you?
...Yes. But we're both girls.
Iris was implicitly saying that they probably couldn't have children. Her mother simply said, "That's fine."
Of course, it's up to you, Iris. But don't worry about what the Sage says. If you really want to, we can look for a magic or item that can make it happen.
Is there such a method?
If there wasn't, would you give up, Iris?
Putting on her nightclothes over her underwear, she tightly clasped her hands.
"...I don't want to give up."
Stepping into the hallway, the house was quiet. Activity at night requires light. Since candles and oil cost money, most households finish their activities early. Ren's party has magic users who can cast light, giving them relative freedom, but after dinner and a bath, they mostly spend time quietly in their rooms. It was precisely the time when "all that's left is to sleep." The bathroom was already full of the light magic Ren had used.
Iris crept as quietly as possible to Ren's door and gently knocked.
"Ren-san, may I come in?"
"Ah, yes, please."
A gentle, calm voice. She swallowed lightly and opened the door. Ren was sitting on the bed in her underwear, dangling her feet aimlessly. When their eyes met, Ren smiled, then tilted her head in confusion.
"...What's wrong? You seem nervous."
"No, it's just..."
Ren had been beautiful since they first met, but she had become even more beautiful since they started adventuring together. The remnants of masculinity that were there when they met were gone, and she was now a completely beautiful woman. She had started wearing women's clothes and underwear and no longer got extremely embarrassed when Iris and the others saw her skin. While Iris was happy to see her loved one so defenseless, her heart pounded at the sight. Usually, she could distract herself by thinking, "This isn't the time for that," but now she had come with that intention.
"Can I sit next to you?"
"Of course," came the reply. Ren shifted over a little, and Iris said, "Thank you," and perched on the edge of the bed. Leaning gently so their shoulders touched, her already racing heart started to beat even louder. She even felt like Ren might be able to hear it.
"Iris?"
"Ren-san."
Instead of answering, she called Ren's name and looked into her eyes.
"What exactly do you do at night with Furi-san and Maria-san?"
"W-well, that is..."
Ren slept with a different party member each night. Mei was currently refraining, saying, "I don't think it's the right time yet," but the other two were quite enthusiastic. What exactly were they doing? Iris wasn't completely naive. She had some idea, but she didn't know the details. She honestly wanted to know. Ren blushed and averted her eyes.
"...It's embarrassing to say."
Iris thought she was "cute." At the same time, she knew that Ren was probably being considerate of her. So, she summoned her courage and took a step forward herself.
"I'm not a child, you know."
She placed her nearest hand on top of Ren's, feeling a small tremor.
"You're going to take responsibility... right?"
"Iris."
Ren let out a sigh. Her deep purple eyes looked straight at Iris.
"Sorry, I shouldn't let a girl say that much."
"Hehe. But Ren-san is a girl too, isn't she?"
Smiling eased some of her tension. As she felt Ren gently lean down, Iris looked up at the lips that had touched hers just hours ago and slowly closed her eyes.
============
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