Because of what happened in the morning
We eating a breakfast in an awkward mood.
Lucy is still embarrassed about what happened this morning and, she still keeps apologizing for what happened.
Even though I said that, I didn't mind. Well her slap is really strong, with my weak stats and her strong stats. Because of that, my cheek is swollen.
Thanks to the healing magic of one of the stuff in the fuji-yan store, my cheek is healed now.
Breaking the awkward mood, I spoke.
"Fuji-yan....."
"Yes! Takki-dono!"
Looking at him. He ate the breakfast in a happy manner.
Well, he knows, what I will tell to him.
His cheat skills is still a secret so..... I have no choice but to tell him.
" Wanted to make a party with me?"
"Sure!!! Takki-dono... Let's start our adventures tomorrow."
"Hmm... Yeah, looking forward to it fuji-yan."
He nodding his head in a good mood.
"Since we finished our breakfast. I have to check some stuff in the store for now takki-dono, but I will come back this morning."
Fuji-yan said, his really a busy man.
"You can also go around the city if you want takatsuki-sama or perhaps... Go on a date with Lucy-sama."
"Uwahh" Lucy made a cute noise.
"Stop teasing her, Nina-san"
Ending our breakfast talk.
I go to one of the facilities in this store.
And as usual, I trained my water magic proficiency and learned the spirit language.
Even though I'm slowly processing, at least I'm moving forward but... There is one thing that happened, my water magic proficiency is not increasing anymore.
I trained this for a week now but it's still not showing results.
It's still in 99 proficiency and not showing a sign of going up.
I'm quite worried, what should I do?
Lucy and I go to various stalls and eat a lot in this city.
Going to buy something and play sometimes but most of all trained our magic.
Evening comes Fuji-yan comeback.
We decided to drink before we go on the adventure tomorrow.
""""Cheers!""""
At night, in the Cat Ears Garden.
Today we have Fuji-yan, Lucy, Nina-san, and me.
The food here is delicious and the variety of drinks is numerous.
Also, the employees are all cat-eared (beastkin).
I don't see the appeal of it, but regardless of cat ears, I think the employees are cute.
We were guided to a table in the deep areas of this restaurant that's always packed.
Fuji-yan is a frequent VIP.
"N-Nice to meet you, I am the mage, Lucy." (Lucy)
Because of the awkward mood in the morning a while ago.
They didn't properly introduce themselves.
"Nice to meet you. My name is Fujiwara Michio. Please call me Fuji-yan like Takki-dono does." (Fujiwara)
"I am Nina. I work in the Fujiwara Store, and am also working as an adventurer. I am Silver Rank." (Nina)
Even though, we both know Nina-san she introduced herself again.
Saying this, she shows us her silver badge.
"That's impressive." (Makoto)
"No no, not really." (Nina)
It is said that one of the walls of adventurer ranks is Silver.
Apparently, a decently good adventurer can reach around Iron Rank if they work hard.
Silver Ranks Up are called when there's an emergency quest where strong monsters appear, and they are trusted by the guild.
She is being humble, but Nina should be pretty strong.
"We are bronze rank. We have to work hard, Lucy." (Makoto)
"I-I have a Monarch Grade Skill after all!" (Lucy)
Oi oi, don't try taking the high ground here.
Fuji-yan who is an information network probably already knows that you can't use it properly at all, you know?
"Now now, go ahead, Lucy-sama." (Nina)
"Eh? T-Thank you." (Lucy)
Fuji-yan stretches, and Nina-san pours wine for Lucy.
"Weell, Takki-dono, you are good. To be able to get a beautiful elf mage like this as your party member." (Fujiwara)
Seeing Fuji-yan like this, I pull him a bit further to Lucy and Nina-san. Reading what I'm thinking.
"Fuji-yan did you get any lead where is Sa-san?"
It's been a year in a month now. I don't know if she summons here or not.
So if she is being summoned here then that will increase my worries.
Because I don't know if she is still alive or not.
Seeing me being like this.
"I'm sorry takki-dono but I still can't find Aya-dono. The only place that the other worlder like us are being summoned is only in the water temple."
I see... Looks like she's not being summoned here huh...
It's saddening but it can't be helped I hope wherever she is, she is fine and safe.
So the two of us go back where Lucy and Nina-san.
And continue our drinking session.
"Makoto, you are way too zealous!" (Lucy)
Lucy is drunk.
When Lucy gets drunk, she either falls asleep, or gets stormy; today it is the latter, huh.
How troublesome.
"He is training every day, every single day, without getting bored of it. And on top of that, Mary-san is wooing him." (Lucy)
"That last part has no relevance with me being zealous though." (Makoto)
She is just being kind to me and treats me like a younger brother. I don't hate it though.
"But I have heard talk about you two. Being able to defeat a Griffon even though you guys are bronze rank is impressive. Even I wouldn't be able to defeat one alone." (Nina)
"We were just lucky. I ended up burning myself." (Makoto)
"Burned?! The Griffons of this world can spit fire?" (Fujiwara)
"That's right. It is scary, ya know?" (Makoto)
"Makoto~, don't lie." (Lucy)
I was bullshitting there and Lucy retorted.
But telling him that I was burned from the magic of a party member doesn't sound cool.
We were having a fun talk there for a while.
Finished our drinking session.
We decided to go in a separate way fuji-yan slept in the store while Lucy and I we sleep in the inn. SEPARATELY OKAY!?
*****
"My head hurts…"
Lucy is holding her head from a hangover.
It is because you drank too much.
Cat Ears Garden has good food and liquor, so I understand how you feel.
"What should we do? Wanna rest for today?" (Makoto)
"No! That's how you will leave me behind and form a party with Fujiyan-san and Nina-san, right?! I will be ditched!" (Lucy)
Lucy shakes her head in refusal.
I wouldn't do something like that.
I have been thinking about this recently, but Lucy-san's assumptions are extreme.
"Then, let's go." (Makoto)
"Awuu…" (Lucy)
Lucy was walking like a zombie as we headed to the meeting point.
◇◇
We gathered at the south gate's front.
"Takki-dono, over here-desu zo." (Fujiwara)
"Good morning, Takatsuki-sama, Lucy-sama. I look forward to working with you today." (Nina)
Nina-san was waiting with us together with Fuji-yan.
Fuji-yan is wearing the same merchant clothes, but Nina-san is wearing light armor.
But the point that bothers me is…
"Nina-san, you don't hold a weapon?" (Makoto)
"Nina-san, you don't hold a weapon?" (Makoto)
"Nina-dono is a martial artist-desu zo. Her arms and legs are her weapons." (Fujiwara)
I see.
I have heard that beastkin excel physically and are strong even barehanded.
"Looking forward to working with you today." (Makoto)
"…Looking forward…" (Lucy)
Lucy is low-spirited.
"Then, let's go, everyone." (Nina)
We begin walking with the words of Nina-san.
***
We are walking inside the southern forest.
The southern forest is different from the Great Forest in the fact that the monsters here are weak.
We advance while clearing the way of Giant Rats and Horn Rabbits.
While we doing that... We talking to each other casually
Like how Nina-san is being a slave in fire country. Apparently, she lost the gamble and become a slave, then he was saved by Fuji-yan.
Nina-san said that the slave in the fire country is not treated very well.
So he was glad that Fuji-yan save him.
Then I asked Fuji-yan where we going.
"Be surprised! Actually, there's a dungeon that we discovered recently!" (Fujiwara)
"Eh?! There's still a dungeon that hasn't been found in the vicinity of Makkaren?" (Lucy)
The one who raised a voice of surprise was Lucy.
"Is that strange?" (Makoto)
"Cause you know, Makkaren is close to the Water Temple, and is a famous city for their good liquor, so it has a lot of beginners and even veteran adventurers. It is said that the dungeons close by have been hunted dry already." (Lucy)
"Hoh, is that so. I am surprised you were able to find it, Fuji-yan." (Makoto)
"Yeah, about that, I saw a dream telling me that I would find something good if I searched the southern forest." (Fujiwara)
"Dream? You believed that and investigated?" (Makoto)
That's quite the blind trust.
"Since becoming a merchant, I have made it a policy of mine to always investigate whatever my instincts tell me or whatever bothers me. Well, it misses most of the time, but this time around it was a hit." (Fujiwara)
Fuji-yan says with a proud expression.
"But if it is a dungeon that no one has entered, the difficulty is unknown. Wouldn't it be dangerous?" (Lucy)
Well, she's right for saying that.
"That's okay. I checked it beforehand." (Nina)
"Nina-san did?" (Makoto)
"Yeah, under the orders of Goshujin-sama, I explored the dungeon. There weren't monsters that strong in there, so I think even you two bronze ranks will be okay." (Nina)
"Every base is covered, huh." (Makoto)
As I thought, when I am together with Fuji-yan, it turns into a way too easy game.
My eyes met with Fuji-yan's.
"Well, an easy game is good every now and then, right? I heard you have been having it rough lately." (Fujiwara)
Oops, he read my mind.
"Right, lately I had to suddenly fight an Ogre, and a Griffon suddenly attacked us. It really has been harsh." (Makoto)
Let's take it easy this time around.
◇◇
After advancing for a while in the forest, there was a cave hidden between rocks and trees.
"We are here." (Nina)
"This is the dungeon." (Makoto)
At a glance, it just looks like a cave.
"Once you enter you will understand-desu zo. Let's go!" (Fujiwara)
Fuji-yan is pumped up.
There were lamps inside the cave for some reason.
"What are these lamps for?" (Makoto)
When I asked this, Lucy grins.
"Oh my, Makoto, you don't even know that? Dungeons are purposely made in a way that it lures in adventurers deep inside it." (Lucy)
"Hmmm, is that so." (Makoto)
"That's in the case of living dungeons. This one seems to be an artificially made dungeon-desu zo." (Fujiwara)
"Eh?" (Lucy)
Really? And Lucy.
What was all that confidence from before?
"It is probably some sort of research facility made by mages in the past. The owner seems to not be present, but the facility is alive and there's monsters living in it now." (Nina)
Nina-san explains.
"This is impressive." (Makoto)
"So pretty…" (Lucy)
After we advance into the cave, we arrive at a pathway of crystal.