Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?, Vol. 5 (20 page)

The view of the eighteenth floor from the town’s central square is absolutely breathtaking. There’s a cliff right on the other side of this railing and the lake is far below. I doubt anyone could survive falling off. Even the craziest of daredevils wouldn’t even think of trying this one.

We all met up again after exploring the town in groups, but I came over here to check out the scenery by myself.

Lord Hermes offered to buy everyone a “Dungeon Sandwich” at a nearby café. The goddess and the others are eating there now. Sandwiches with liberal amounts of fruit between two slices of bread…including the honey cloud. I had to escape.

Also…The Dungeon heals itself after taking physical damage, so it’s impossible to break ground and build something sturdy or blast away rock to hollow out an area for a shop. They have to use the terrain as is. Although, I’ve heard that some rather enthusiastic adventurers brought building materials down from the surface and used them in combination with the natural features of the eighteenth floor to make a stove. I don’t know if they’re passionate or just crazy…but the fact remains that the town of Rivira has fresh-baked bread and other food readily available. It’s selling quite well, actually.

“The deepest town in the world, huh?”

A town run entirely by adventurers.

It’s literally the frontier base for Dungeon exploration.

Many adventurers use this area as a place to organize their final plans for journeying into the lower levels. Of course, this is just for upper-class and top-tier adventurers who are up to that challenge.

That’s where
she
is—at an extremely high level, one that I can only look up at and admire.

I take another look at the vast open space that is the eighteenth floor, while standing behind a railing made of rusty old swords and broken spears.

“Ah…”

I hear footsteps and immediately turn around, only to see her…Aiz is walking toward me by herself.

My body freezes as she comes to a stop in front of me. But her eyes, they’re looking past me and off into the distance.

“What were you looking at…?”

“Eh, um…Well, I-I was looking for the entrance to the nineteenth floor.”

I panic when she asked the question out of the blue and that’s the best I could do.

She walks up next to me and points somewhere on the eighteenth floor. She must’ve believed me. I force my body to turn around and take a look.

“The Central Tree…”

“The big one in the middle…The one right there?”

“Yes. The entrance to the nineteenth floor is between its roots…”

Her fingers, wrist, and elbow all extend straight toward the base of the behemoth tree.

As if to reinforce what she was saying, black shadows emerge from the roots almost on cue. The monsters take a quick look around before splitting up, a few heading north and the rest going east.

“…Um, Aiz, why did you come out here?”

“Because you weren’t with everyone else…So, um.”

…She was worried about me.

Those words send my beating heart into a tailspin.

Even just thinking about them makes me blush. She’s right there, looking at me with those golden eyes. We’re standing close enough that I could reach out and touch her, easily. I can feel the blood coursing through my veins. It’s hot.

“…Did you want to be alone?”

“I-i-it’s not like that! I’m really happy that you’re here—No, wait—what I mean is, um—”

The look of concern on her face makes me so nervous that I can’t speak straight, to the point that the truth comes out. It’s too late to try to fool her with a loud voice.

I quickly try to hide my face behind my right shoulder and cautiously peek out.

Once I finally do get a look at her…her eyes are wide open and she’s smiling. If I’m not mistaken, Aiz is blushing.

“Bell, you’re always so nervous…”

Her words are warm and filled with caring, like the way that she would speak to someone close to her.

She said my name. I can’t talk. My chest might explode.

My spirit is shaking to its very core.

I’ve never…felt like this before.

“…”

This is not good. My resolve is wavering.

If she keeps standing this close to me…

Even though I’ve never accomplished anything, even though I’m way out of my league, if my knees get any weaker in the warmth of her presence…

I might just give up pursuing her.

I quickly look down, hiding my eyes behind my bangs and blushing like no other.

My spirit is singing throughout my whole body. I squeeze my eyebrows together in a desperate attempt to keep myself steady.

All the butterflies in my stomach are making their way up my back. I can feel their heat as they move.

Then without warning:

The goddess suddenly jumps into my line of sight, as if she were trying to tear us apart.

“—Wow, what a view!!”

“Wha—?!”

Flip!
I take my eyes off the ground and, sure enough, the goddess has wedged herself between us.

Aiz looks just as surprised as I am. The goddess is forcing a smile, her eyes half lidded.

“No fair, Bell. Going to such a beautiful spot and not inviting me! We are more than just
companions
, you know!”

A ping of fear courses through my skin as I repeatedly apologize to the goddess’s smiling face. The way she emphasizes the word “companions” is absolutely terrifying.

“So as you can see, Miss Wallensomething, get lost! Don’t get in the way of our family time! This is reserved for just Bell and me!!”

“U-um…”

Shove, shove.
The goddess keeps nudging Aiz’s breastplate with her hand and Aiz has no idea what to do. I move in to try and stop her.

I manage to fit myself in front of the goddess—she’s almost
growling
—even as she keeps looking at Aiz menacingly. Sweat won’t stop pouring down my face.

“…? Goddess, are you wearing something new?”

“Oh, Bell! You noticed!”

She spins toward me, her expression completely different. She thrusts a small, open pouch out at me. There’s a clear vial inside.

“Isn’t that…perfume? Is this the one that you saw earlier…?”

“That it is—a girl has needs, after all! Don’t tell me you want some stinky, sword-swinging girl at your side, Bell?!”

She really does smell good, but I sensed something evil in her words. Aiz blinks a few times, brings her arm up to her nose, and—
sniff, sniff
. She smells like pure water, though…Why is the goddess being so aggressive today?

She tells me she borrowed Lord Hermes’s emblem to buy the perfume. She’s spent more than a day in the Dungeon, so I can’t blame her for being a little bit self-conscious about her aroma.

“Wha…Aiz, you defeated a floor boss by yourself, right?”

I have to clear the air, change the subject at any cost.

Also, I…need to hear this for myself.

The goddess’s head spins around to look up at her. Aiz just tilts her head to the side and nods with a quiet “Yes.

“But it was only because I had Reveria’s help…”

“Even still…”

“…Yes, I slew it.”

—All I was able to do was run from the Goliath.

—She stood up to one of them, alone, and won.

She’s still far away, far above me. In fact, the obvious distance between us is so great I wouldn’t be surprised if the girl standing here is an illusion. I got a little bit of notoriety, so what.

I reconnect with my true, cowardly self, as well as with what I’m aiming for, what I want to be.

“Nothing to worry about, Bell! With the two of us working hard together for long enough, you can do it!”

The goddess suddenly raises her voice.

I admit I’m a little bit flustered, but that makes me happy to hear.

I can work harder, become stronger, and reach my goal.

However, for the goddess’s sake, for my family, I won’t overdo it. I won’t leave her behind.

The promise I made a long time ago echoes in the back of my mind. I look at both of their faces, Aiz’s and the goddess’s…All I can do now is focus all of my energy on getting stronger.

It seems so clear again.

“Wallensomething, no wandering off again without my permission!”

“I am sorry…?”

Aiz and the goddess seem to be having some kind of argument.

I lower my eyebrows and force a smile. But before long, all my worries leave me and I smile for real.

“Afternoon” began on the eighteenth floor the moment Bell and the others returned to
Loki Familia
’s forest camp.

The light that came from the white and blue crystals covering the ceiling had noticeably intensified in the span of a few minutes. Monsters roaming the northern area of the floor howled as if celebrating the Dungeon’s gift.

“Hey, let’s all go take a bath!”

Tiona excitedly called out to everyone just before reaching the center of camp. All of the trees around them were bathed in the early afternoon warmth of the crystals above.

The group was just about to go their separate ways when she made the suggestion. First she looked toward Aiz and Tione, but also extended the invitation to Hestia and Mikoto’s group.

“Again—? How many times will it take until you’re satisfied?”

“What’s the problem? There’s plenty of time. And the water feels
amazing
.”

“Besides, wouldn’t the sight of Lady Hestia’s boobs make you go insane?”

“F-fat chance! W-why would it?!”

The twins’ comical argument showed no signs of slowing down. Not too far away, Lilly looked up at Hestia.

“What should we do, Lady Hestia?”

“Wellll…Of course, I
would
like to wash up a bit…”

Hestia looked down at her dirty clothes and less-than-clean skin.

Of course, her journey to the eighteenth floor made her sweat more than she’d like to admit, and she’d fallen to the ground so much since she’d arrived here that her normally white clothes were now a few shades darker. Even if washing them was a lost cause, she at least wanted her body to feel clean.

“How about you Mikoto, Chigusa? Want to come bathe with us?”

“If I am welcome, I would like to…Chigusa?”

“M-me too…Y-yes.”

“What about Miss Asfi?”

“…Lord Hermes.”

“Ahhh, sure, sure. I’m well-protected here, so you can relax for a while.”

Lilly looked up at Asfi when she asked. Hermes didn’t even look around when his follower asked him for permission, instead just waving his hand as though he didn’t care one way or the other. “Well then, I shall join you,” said Asfi as she pushed the bridge of her silver glasses higher up her nose.

“Aiz, too. Let’s go!”

“Sure…”

“Invite Leene and the others, too. We’ll take turns as lookouts.”

Tiona embraced Aiz from behind, smiling brightly. The blond girl nodded and the rest of the women started to move out of the camp.

Tione went around the camp to invite a few more female members of their battle party to come with them. Being naked and defenseless in a forest where monsters lurked was a very scary idea.

Tiona led the group out of camp and into the forest, all of the men staying behind.

“Ta-da, here we are!”

““““Whoa…””””

Hestia, Lilly, Mikoto, and Chigusa responded in unison.

The first thing they saw when they came into a clearing was a waterfall standing ten meders tall.

The water came down with enough force to release a fine mist, cooling the air around them. Their skin was covered in small beads of moisture in no time flat.

Tiona had taken them to an isolated lagoon at the base of the waterfall. It was completely encased by a wall of trees and crystals. The canopy of a large tree covered the lagoon from above. The azure color of the water’s surface sparkled in the afternoon light, reflections dancing on the trees surrounding them. They had found a hidden jewel within the forest.

“Isn’t this great? Found it myself the other day!”

“Agreed, this is a very beautiful spot…”

“Lilly has a question, if you don’t mind, Miss Tione. Where is this water coming from?”

“It’s different from glacier runoff or melted snow. There’s a special crystal even deeper in the forest that constantly produces pure water. It’s much cleaner than the water outside. You can drink it, no problem.”

Conversations between Tiona and Mikoto as well as Tione and Lilly filled their companions’ ears as the group made their way toward the water.

There was no shyness or hesitation among them at this point.
They shed armor and clothing while talking as if around the dinner table. Tione’s full, luscious breasts and Tiona’s sleek, slender body emerged. Mikoto and Asfi pulled off their clothing and set it neatly on the ground beside them. Chigusa, blushing from head to toe, was the last to start disrobing.

As for Aiz…After a series of clicks to detach her armor, she gently grabbed her underclothing. There was a certain pair of eyes on her—Hestia watched closely as Aiz exposed her curvy, yet well-defined feminine form.

A moment later, the goddess practically threw her garments to the ground.

“Heh-heh……Looks like I win!”

“Are we competing, Lady Hestia…?”