That once-in-an-age beauty's golden hair was left completely loose, trailing over her body.
I wondered if that wasn't a nuisance, but she herself was entirely unfazed.
She wore a dress that bared her shoulders, and it suited her wonderfully.
But with so much on display, I had nowhere to look. Haiyan murmured beside me.
"She's got a body and beauty on par with the Witch."
"But the vibe's completely different."
The Witch could bring a nation to its knees.
This woman was a once-in-an-age beauty.
The Witch had a sultry, almost harlot-like allure.
She had a natural, innocent radiance.
If the Witch was darkness, then she was light.
"Huh? What do you want?"
It was a cool, clear voice — but the tone of a street punk.
"You wouldn't happen to be from Tassan, would you?"
"Huh? Yeah, I am. So what? Hey."
Why does she have to get hostile over every little thing?
Is she seriously a punk?
"Rel's been very kind to me."
"Who the hell are you? A friend of Rel's?"
Maybe some punk's soul had taken over.
"Y-yes. I'm Wof."
"I am Haiyaan."
"Name's Shuu. Shuu-Tasan. Nice to meetcha."
She flashed a wide grin. That bright, sun-like smile was genuinely captivating.
I was led not to Riv's room, but to the living room.
"See ya."
"Y-yes."
And off she went.
Lupinus was in the living room too. Pakira was probably with Megadia.
She is Megadia's
bound retainer.
.
Riv said.
For some reason, in a strangely sultry tone.
"Mm... you called on me... thank you... I'm... Riv..."
"Well, I did call on you, but—"
That's not what I meant.
"Now now, Wof. Haiyaan. Have a seat."
Lupinus gestured for us to sit, so I settled onto the sofa.
Lupinus served us tea.
Haiyaan greeted Lupinus.
"Lady Lupinus. How is the monster shriek sample collection going?"
"It's going well. I'll be able to hand them over soon."
"Mmm... collected various voices... like Lupinus's screams..."
"Forget about that! Delete it!"
Lupinus, face bright red, shouted.
She cleared her throat, flustered.
"Ahem. I'm terribly sorry about that. So, Riv, what business do you have with me?"
"Yes. Actually, I'm thinking of making something mass-producible at the lab and selling it."
"That sounds interesting."
"Arc... lab... honestly... until now... it was a waste..."
"We'll need money from now on. Research costs money too."
"That's true."
"Yes. So if possible, I'd like permission to mass-produce and sell."
"Mmm... what is it...?"
"Light orbs."
Light orbs. The ones I got from Riv.
They float gently and emit light. That's all they do, but they're useful in the dungeon.
Dungeons are generally dim with moss and such, but occasionally there are places that are pitch-black.
That's when the light orbs come in handy. Hayan was the first to notice.
"Oh, right. Those things! Yeah, if it's those, we can definitely mass-produce them!"
"Yes. I think there are plenty of delvers who'd want light orbs."
"Indeed. Being able to mass-produce them would be a strength in itself."
"Hmm... I see... Sure."
The approval came just like that. Lupinus looked skeptical.
"Are you sure about this?"
"Yeah... It's not really... something Riv made, exactly..."
I was pretty sure it came from the Planetary Emergency Survival Kit.
Still, its owner was Riv.
"Ms. Riv. We'll pay you a usage fee."
"...Mm... In that case... I have a favor to ask... of the boy."
"Me?"
"...The Minotaur... I'd like to hire her as a maid... here."
"Wait, a Minotaur?"
That was unexpected.
"I had no idea what she was going to say, but it's not a bad idea, actually. We've been in talks with the Tassan household about hiring a maid."
"I see. But a Minotaur?"
"Mm... Minotaur. Very good. A strong one would be nice too."
"Hoh. They'd certainly make perfectly capable guards as well."
"Ah, sure."
The Minotaur units were about as strong in their base bodies, so they were better than average at the very least.
As maids, they'd been trained by Munieka, so they could handle the work well enough.
Most importantly, they never forgot what they were taught, and could carry out tasks with unmatched precision.
Wasn't that perfect?
"Um... as the master of Munieka's 'auto doll'... give it orders..."
"That's going a bit far... but I'll pass it along. I'll be heading back soon."
"...
Obedient servant
...wasn't that the term?"
"Yes."
"Honestly, I'm worried about Pakira, but if Megadia is there, I can rest easy."
"I'll be there too, and so will Mineha."
"Oh, that's right."
My throat happened to be dry, so I picked up my cup.
"Um... but... with conquering the 'Impregnable' dungeon and all, wouldn't the boy be... busy...?"
I sprayed my tea everywhere.
"Oh my, are you alright?"
Lupinus held out a handkerchief and wiped me down.
"Koff, koff, koff — wh-what are you saying?!"
"...S-clearance... I'll... become..."
"You will NOT!"
Riv was... honestly, she was too much.
Why was Lupinus laughing too?
Haiyaan was laughing way too hard. I oughta string her up.
And just like that, I got my permission.
I sent Haiyaan to the lab and headed back.
On the narrow side path I used as a shortcut along the way, I spotted a fairial.
She seemed to be in some kind of trouble... This area was pretty dangerous, though.
"Um, are you okay?"
"Oh my."
The fairial turned around at the sound of my voice.
She was a stunningly beautiful woman who looked considerably older. I gathered that from her aura alone.
Appearance-wise, she looked to be in her late twenties. She had honey-colored hair neatly arranged and deep cerulean eyes.
Huh, her hair color was the same as Mineha's.
Cool impression with doll-like, perfectly symmetrical features.
She wore a crimson dress that clung to her body, which was rather alluring.
There was a curious blend of cool composure and gentle warmth about her.
"This area is quite dangerous, you know."
The Great of the Browns was about to kick off, and all of Hydrangea had been thrown into a commotion.
And with that, the number of people streaming in from outside had surged, and all manner of crimes were on the rise.
The guards had increased their numbers to cope, but they were falling behind.
Crimes targeting women, delvers or otherwise, were especially prevalent.
Just recently, some nobleman's young daughter had been assaulted — things had gotten that bad.
"Oh, how very kind of you."
"So, is something the matter?"
"Actually, I've gotten a bit lost. I'm trying to reach the Hero Statue Fountain in Hydrangea Central Park."
"Then you're headed in the completely opposite direction. Don't you happen to have a map?"
"I do. I just can't make sense of how to read it."
There really were people like that, huh.
"In that case, I'll show you the way."
"Oh my, are you sure?"
"Yes. I can't just walk past someone who's in trouble."
"Well then, I'll take you up on that."
"Right. First, this way."
I guided her along, pointing out the route as we went.
"Sorry about this. Here I am, a delver, and I can't even read a map."
"You're a delver?"
"Yes. My role was close-to-mid-range offense. That sort of thing was my husband's specialty."
"Your husband?"
"Yes, it's been quite a while since he passed away, though."
"I see."
"But the places I know well, I can manage even like this. There's a dungeon near the fairy village — I can get there without even looking at a map. But that's no good. I really should learn to read maps. It's embarrassing."
"It's only natural not to know your way around an unfamiliar place. When that happens, asking someone is always the best approach. When I first came to this city, I didn't know anything either. Then I started asking around, and little by little I figured things out."
"Oh my, if only my daughter were as straightforward as you."
"You have a daughter?"
"Yes, also a delver. She's stubborn, just like me."
"Somehow I get the feeling she's a kind person."
"Oh, how nice of you to say that."
"We're here."
Hydrangea Central Park.
The fairy woman looked around.
"The Hero Statue Fountain is over there."
"Oh my, how splendid. I'll be fine from here. Thank you."
"Not at all. Please take care."
I left in short order.
Still, a fairy with a daughter who's a delver — just like Mineha.
The stubborn part fits her perfectly, too.
Could it be… … …ah, well, whatever.