"If we're talking secrets, there's something else I want to ask. …Is it still out?"
"Of course not."
She immediately denied it, glancing down at the skirt she was wearing.
She was wearing underwear, and it wasn't particularly noticeable, but still, this attire felt exposed.
The Leader muttered a comment—a mix of disappointment and relief that was hard to decipher—saying, "Oh."
"Why don't you keep it out?"
"…Are you actually into men?"
Ren's eyes narrowed slightly in mild disgust. The other person sitting close to the Leader also half-stood, ready to move away from his seat.
"Stop making accusations. …Come on, your discarded partner has returned, hasn't he? It's only natural to rely on it, isn't it?"
"Ah, so that's what you mean. Sorry, but it doesn't work that way. It seems to disappear if I don't consciously maintain it."
This was a conclusion reached after Ren and Foori had tested it, timed with the measurements taken after each level-up.
It didn't consume MP even when left out, but it reverted to its original state after a certain time unless Ren kept her mind focused on maintaining it.
Presumably, there was some mechanism to keep the body in its natural state.
"Natural state, huh."
"A natural state, indeed."
"What is it?"
The two who had made the meaningful remarks exchanged glances and then dodged the question in unison with, "Oh, nothing."
Incidentally, though Ren had no intention of telling them, Ren's newly grown thing was larger than when she was a man.
Its color matched Ren's current skin, and its texture was somehow smoother.
It was sensitive—a light touch was enough to make Ren gasp "Hngh!?" and Foori found it "amusing" enough to try to play with it. Leaving it out and walking around seemed impossible for that reason, too.
While she could alter its size and shape to some extent with conscious effort, it would revert to its default state if she wasn't paying attention. It seemed quite difficult to master.
"If you avoid men even with a new ability like that, Shou and the others don't have much hope."
"Oh, speaking of them. Are they doing well?"
"They haven't had any major injuries, and they're still trying hard. Though they are having quite a bit of trouble with the Goblins."
"Really? They were doing well on the first floor, except for the boss fight, right?"
While Shou's body wasn't fully developed due to his age, he was reasonably well-built. Ken, being a mage, should also have a certain potential, but…
"Goblins get stronger, too. The number of enemies increases, and if we minimize our support, it puts a burden on them."
"Is that how it is?"
If they had a warrior who could fight an Orc head-on, Goblins would be easy to handle, but there were different difficulties when they had to draw the Goblins' attention while carefully avoiding giving them too much damage.
While the Leaders were adjusting the difficulty, Shou and the others were forced to fight with everything they had, which certainly must be tough.
Their food supplies were also running low.
The Leader popped the last sausage into his mouth, casually ordered a new snack, and said,
"You know it, too. Your party is incredibly blessed."
"Yeah, I guess. In terms of personality and ability, my kids are all great."
"Exactly. It's not that Shou and the others are bad. On the contrary, they're doing well. It makes us think, 'If only we could coach them better…' But your kids are exceptional."
"You really mean that much? You guys are the most successful among our contemporaries, aren't you?"
Partly because Takuma and his group self-destructed, but their progress speed was still remarkable.
The team consisted of two men and two women, with a good balance of classes, and their guidance of Shou and the others seems to be working out somehow. Just talking to them, they're easygoing and not irritating.
They were impressive—at a level that one would normally admire—but then…
"You shouldn't be the one saying that."
"Exactly. You practically raised two juniors just by yourselves. What floor are you on now?"
"We finished the 13th floor the other day."
The two of them gave him a look that said, "This is exactly what we mean, you bastard."
"How much trouble do you think we went through with four people to reach the 16th floor?"
"I know, of course, I do. That's why I respect you guys."
"I appreciate it, but… I feel like I can't compete with you and Foori."
"You're not talking about combat ability, are you?"
The Leader waved his hands, saying, "No, no."
"Well, I'm skeptical we could handle your magic in a serious fight, but you can also fly, right?"
"It's more like floating, but… Ah, well, floating to a distance where a jump can't reach is the idea."
"That's it. …To get back to the point, Foori has incredible social skills, doesn't she?"
"Yeah, what she does is insane."
Ren knew firsthand from his past as a man how she could talk to the opposite sex without hesitation and take care of them.
"Shou and the others said your cooking was delicious, too. Our two got competitive about it."
"That was a collaboration with Iris, but… How is your cooking?"
"It's not bad. It's not bad, and they've gotten better recently, but in the beginning, they were screaming every time they cooked."
It couldn't be helped, as the cooking tools, and temperature control were completely different from Japan.
"I tried to complain carefully so it wouldn't sound like a criticism, and they said, 'Then why don't you do it yourself?'"
"Well, I think I agree with them."
"Wait, you're taking the girls' side there?"
"Of course. If you make them do all the chores, it's not balanced unless the men go into the dungeon alone."
Even if they said, "You stay in a safe place, and we'll earn the money," and the girls still said, "I don't want to do the chores," Ren would probably think, "That's unreasonable."
"Well, I say that, but I leave all the chores to them myself… All I do is start the fire and prepare the water."
"No, that's actually pretty amazing."
"In our group, Ken is woken up early every morning and put to work."
From his perspective, it's "just a quick spell," but without it, they would have to do it manually with great effort. For those doing the chores, it is a matter of survival.
Facing the newly arrived snacks, the Leader said, "Well, here's the thing," and,
"Cut Shou and the others some slack."
"? Ah. I plan to give them advice, and I'd be happy to hang out with them."
For some reason, the Leader clutched his head and said, "This is hopeless."
--------------------
While his build was not much different from a normal hero, the individual wearing more luxurious gear than the other Orcs—the Orc Lord—vanished with a cry of agony.
The boss fight on the 14th floor had concluded successfully, and silence returned to the room.
"The Orcs keep getting more important."
"The battles with only Orcs end on the 15th floor," Mariabel replied to Ren's grumbling whisper.
Being held and wrapped in her arms was honestly embarrassing, but it felt good in terms of warmth and MP replenishment.
Iris, lowering her bow, tilted her head.
"A Lord… that means a high-ranking person, right? What will the Orcs on the 15th floor be?"
"Orc Queen."
"The females are higher ranking among Orcs…!?"
Perhaps the Lord was a regional ruler—like a tribal chief—and the one at the top was the Queen.
Or, given that this dungeon felt like a game, perhaps the setup was just arbitrary.
"A Queen means it'll be as tough as the Goblin King, I guess."
"It's a multiple of five, after all. How many enemies will there be?"
"Eight. The Lord, the Queen, and two more Orcs each."
"...Is it not a little simplistic to just increase the number to raise the difficulty?"
It was understandable that Mei muttered with slight dissatisfaction.
However, that wouldn't change the enemy. In the end, they just had to be fully prepared and face it.
"We might need to increase our combat strength around here."
--------------------
The town had several weapons stores: for beginners, intermediate adventurers, veterans, and female explorers. Ren and the others mostly used the beginner or female-focused stores.
This time, they first visited the female-focused store.
"Welcome. …Oh, it's been a while. I knew you hadn't died, though."
"Haha, that's mean, old woman. See, we're the avoid-attacks type."
Being a female-focused store, the owner was a middle-aged woman.
Iris's bow and arrows were commissioned directly from a craftsman, so Foori was the member who used the shop the most. After exchanging pleasantries with the owner, she nudged the junior who was looking around the store.
"Today, it's not for me, but for her gear. Do you have any good leather armor?"
"This one, huh. …My, you brought a special one. Isn't her body tougher than any poor armor?"
"Do you really think so?"
The golem girl nodded, as if her feelings had been validated.
"I suggested that leather armor would be useless, like pouring water on a hot stone, and might even restrict my movement."
"Hmm… Well, it might be tricky. But isn't it better than nothing? Your mother was also worried about damage to her heart core."
"I see, my mother had such a phase, too."
"And now?"
"Now, since she has a satisfactory body, she says that as long as she can compensate for age-related deterioration, there is no problem, and she fights on floors where she can fight safely."
Since Mei acknowledged its certain utility, they decided to look for leather armor that wouldn't impede movement too much.
"Oh, old woman. Do you have any metal blunt weapons, too? Preferably something thick and sturdy."
"Like a mace? You should look for male-focused weapons for those. The ones we keep here are relatively slender."
Fortunately, they found armor in the right size—a light warrior type that only protected the torso and arms.
"You, Ren-chan, buy something too. I'll give you a discount on the fee for making holes for your wings."
"Wow, you're a shrewd one, old woman."
"Sorry, I'm fine without armor for now. If I buy one now, it might get too tight around my chest."
"…Having a cute race and a long growth period is incredibly enviable."
The owner, with a deadpan stare, collected herself and said, "We have staves, too, so come buy one if you feel like it." Ren himself was planning to buy a magic catalyst eventually.
However, today was about Mei's weapon.
It wasn't just "Mei for Mace," but the girl herself had requested it: a weapon that could be held with one hand, wouldn't break easily, and packed a punch. The issue of handling due to weight and center of gravity was manageable thanks to the golem's immense strength.
They moved to the beginner's weapons store, tested out several items, and then purchased the one they liked.
The payment came from the party's shared funds plus Ren's private money.
"I should pay for my own gear."
"It's fine, it's fine. Mei-chan's gear increases our survival rate, so it's a purchase for the whole party."
"Exactly."
Ren also contributed a portion of the cost because he was personally indebted to her.
Mei pondered for a moment and then nodded, saying, "Thank you."
"However, everyone, you are treating me like a child, aren't you?"
"We don't think of you as a child, but Mei, you are our junior."
When Ren gently patted her head, she said, "I reluctantly concede."
"I will repay the favor with my work. Please look forward to it."
"Alright. We're counting on you, Mae."
--------------------
In the boss room on the 15th floor, Mei's new gear proved useful.
Ren rained down a storm of the lightning spell, Lightning Arrow, to hinder the enemies' actions. A heavy blow of incredible power, unbelievable coming from her slender arm, was delivered to the Orc that charged in, enraged by the underhanded tactic.
While the hardness of the mace itself was not much different from Mei's arm, the increased leverage from her body weight and the extended reach were significant. She could also follow up the strike of the swung mace with a punch from her free fist, which significantly increased her attack power.
"I don't want to use it too much because it's a waste…!"
Foori skirmished, throwing small bags of flour at the enemies' faces as a distraction. While she didn't aim for the rare phenomenon of a dust explosion, merely hindering their breathing and vision was enough.
Iris also kept the enemies in check with as rapid a succession of shots as possible.
However, the Orc Queen was tough. It was the largest yet, and its ability to strengthen male Orcs prolonged the fight.
The level required Ren, Foori, Mei, and Iris to each draw an enemy's attention while attacking to keep up. In the end, Mariabel had to defeat one of them as well, and they somehow managed to clear the floor.
"I hope the fragments don't decrease…"
Perhaps thanks to their prayers, the fragments for Iris and Mei came in at the maximum number.
After gathering all the fragments scattered on the floor and counting them together, they all let out a sigh of relief.
The inscription on the stone monument, checked while catching their breath, read:
O Children of the World. You have continued to progress well. Henceforth, your burdens shall be slightly lessened.
They looked at each other with a hopeful expression, and then,
"Storage,"
Iris and Mei chanted. The extra-dimensional storage, already familiar to Ren and the others, opened up for their juniors.
============
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