Chapter 114: Return in the Late Night!
'Clang clang—'
The sound of excavation echoed through the 'Water City'.
A large quantity of 'Water Crystals' were being mined and extracted.
Ethan had excavated a vast majority of the exposed 'Water Crystals' in a short period of time.
Every place where there was ore was dug up.
He had thus obtained a large amount of 'Water Crystals', all now quietly resting in his 'Imaginary Space'.
Typically, even if adventurers had come to this place, they would have mined selectively, as the amount they could carry was limited.
So, it was unwise for them to be greedy and take too much back at once.
However, this was the least of Ethan's worries.
"Wow, we're getting rich, Traveler!"
Paimon, trailing behind the boy, was also overjoyed by this unexpected harvest.
After all, Ethan getting rich also meant Paimon getting rich.
If he had money, then she would also have it.
Ais, like an outsider, watched the happy duo.
She was more curious about where he had hidden all these 'Water Crystals'.
This adventure with Ethan in the dungeon had revealed so many amazing things about him, surprises that she hadn't experienced with anyone else.
"Alright, all done!"
Finally, after scanning the area to ensure no 'Water Crystals' were left behind, Ethan stopped.
Not to mention, just this haul of 'Water Crystals' made their trip worthwhile.
After returning to the surface, he could sell them and earn a hefty sum of valis.
Ethan and Ais continued exploring, venturing deeper into the dungeon.
Along the way, they encountered numerous water-attribute monsters: Blue Crabs, Kelpies, Crystal Turtles, Raider Fish, Aqua Serpents, and so on.
All of them were defeated by Ethan and Ais.
Finally, reaching the end of the 'Great Fall', Ethan successfully concluded today's exploration.
He had stood above the massive waterfall not long ago, and now he was standing at its base, feeling a sense of wonder.
However, that's it for today.
Ethan was ready to head back.
After all, this wasn't an expedition.
If he went too deep into the dungeon, it would take longer to return.
No, at this point, he was likely already late.
"It's a shame we didn't encounter the 'Amphisbaena'!"
Ethan was slightly disappointed.
If he had encountered Amphisbaena, he might have fulfilled the requirement(achievement) for upgrading to level 3.
However, the spawn rate of Monster Rex varied, and the stronger the Floor Boss, the slower their rebirth speed.
And, since the Amphisbaena had been defeated less than a month ago.
It would take some time for it to respawn.
Thus, Ethan and Ais hurried back to Orario.
After the two returned to Orario, night had fallen, and from the looks of the streets, it was already late at night.
It looked like they had spent a bit too long on this exploration.
"Ais, it looks like we'll have to wait until tomorrow to exchange valis. We won't be able to do it today."
It was too late. The Guild had already closed.
"Hmm~" Ais nodded.
She wasn't that keen on money.
Her last expedition had been a month ago, and she had no debts at the moment, so money wasn't a big concern for her.
Since it was late, they decided to go back home.
Ethan went straight to the Tower of Babel, reaching the top floor.
"Ethan-sama, you're finally back…"
Haruhime had been waiting for him in his room, but since he was late, she was a bit uneasy.
Most Girls tend to worry unnecessarily.
Especially since he had never been late like this before.
She was feeling worried and feared what would happen if something had actually happened to him.
Finally when Ethan returned late at night, Haruhime let go of her worries.
"Alright, alright, I'm back now, aren't I?~~~"
Having someone waiting for him at home felt good.
It was like coming home from late-night overtime work and seeing the lights in the living room light still on, knowing someone was waiting for you.
"Traveler, I'm hungry~~~"
At this moment, the warm atmosphere was instantly shattered.
Turning around, Ethan saw Paimon rubbing her little belly, looking dissatisfied.
It was late, which meant she hadn't eaten dinner.
This was not acceptable to her
Ethan was a bit annoyed.
Paimon was a Cursed Corpse, so she didn't need to eat, and she wouldn't even feel hungry.
"Hmm?"
Haruhime noticed Paimon hovering behind him.
Looking at the cute, unidentified flying object, Haruhime was a bit confused.
Was there a race like this in Orario?
She was tiny, could fly, and seemed quite young.
"Here, here, eat your fill!"
Ethan took out his reserve food from the 'storage' and dumped it all onto Paimon.
What a little foodie.
If he had known earlier, he wouldn't have given her the 'foodie' attribute.
Now it was too late, and there was no use for regret.
Paimon, for her part, was happy with the food.
Her tiny body was buried in the pile of food, munching happily.
Haruhime was stunned looking at this scene.
What was going on?
Ethan didn't know how to explain it.
He simply picked the dazed fox-eared girl up and walked directly towards his bedroom, locking the door from the inside.
There was now more than just him and Haruhime in his home.
There was also Paimon.
Although Paimon was a Cursed Corpse, she had her own consciousness.
Ethan didn't want anyone to see his 'live stream', so he closed the door.
However, knowing Paimon's personality, once she was done eating, she wouldn't wander around.
"Ethan-sama?"
Haruhime was bewildered by him carrying her like a princess, feeling a bit confused and excited at the same time.
After all, this Renard was a love-brained girl.
"I missed you~"
"Everything about Haruhime belongs to you, Ethan-sama."
Having tasted the sweetness, they were currently in their 'honeymoon phase' after establishing their relationship, yearning to be together every second.
Not to mention, in the current situation, both parties are already emotional.
The lights stayed on all night, until late into the night when everything came to an end.
Meanwhile, the Paimon that Ethan was worried about had fallen asleep after eating her fill.
The contract between them wasn't affected, and this was her home, so Paimon wasn't worried about anything.
She ate her fill and went to sleep, completely at ease.
On the other side, Ais, returning late at night, faced a barrage of 'questioning' from Loki.
The next day, after everyone in Loki Familia learned about what had happened, they were even more curious about Ethan's mystery.
Especially Loki.
She knew that Freya cared for the boy a bit too much, so he couldn't be ordinary, but she never imagined him to be this mysterious.