"An Alluring Skull doesn't just attract monsters — it draws a wider range of beasts too. Can it even pull in beastmen with a heavier concentration of beast blood?"
"I'd guess a Dung Pot, liquid contents and all, might have an even stronger pull on beastmen — canine types especially."
"Shopkeeper! It's nearly lunchtime! Could you please stop describing that disgusting stuff?!"
Bedford City, Maldron's Magic Item Shop.
Luluwo mimed a gag.
"Urgh!"
She even added the sound effect.
Maldron — or rather, Wade — casually tossed a paper bag her way, gesturing for her to go ahead.
Luluwo pursed her lips, clearly unimpressed.
"Could you at least maintain some manners in front of a beautiful woman?"
If I actually wanted to, I could fill this entire city with women prettier than her — good enough to leave the elves eating their fists and send the succubi packing.
Wade smiled to himself at the thought — one that would probably send the little bat into a rage if she ever heard it.
Luluwo took the bag and stuffed it inside her thoroughly chuunibyou-looking black cloak.
In this world, apparently, that counted as fashionable.
She pulled out a long shopping list next and slapped it onto the counter.
"Same as always. Everything on this list, and only the good stuff."
"By the way, Shopkeeper — you're barely ever here lately. Don't you want the shop to actually make money anymore?"
"Don't worry about me. Even if I lie flat for the rest of my life, I won't starve."
"Lie flat? Strange way to put it."
Luluwo leaned against the counter and watched Wade head into the back room to sort through inventory.
She found herself drifting back through memory.
There'd been a stretch, not long ago, where the combined weight of Sein Dungeon's difficulty and her own real-life frustrations had pushed her into a genuine depression. Then the Guardian Ape's roar had knocked her further down, into a period that had been genuinely dark and miserable.
Then Leon had shown up, carrying something from a certain item shop along with a rather philosophical little phrase:
"The shortest shortcut is to take the long way around."
That had helped pull her out of it. Given her something to hold onto while she recovered.
She'd gone back to exploring the dungeon with the Skyrim Group afterward, and things had turned around considerably since.
Leon was also where she'd first heard about Maldron's shop.
Made sense — both the Pacifying Agent and that phrase about taking the long way around had originated right here.
Later, she'd discovered the shop carried a whole range of dungeon-sourced items, generally solid quality. Occasionally, genuinely rare finds turned up too.
Sein Dungeon's output varied in quality across the board — even something as simple as a Green Blossom differed noticeably depending on size.
On top of all that, the shopkeeper made for pleasant company.
Luluwo's opinion of the place had climbed fast.
Once she'd learned that Leon sometimes stopped by purely to talk with Wade, she'd started doing the same herself — dropping in occasionally to pass the time.
Officially, of course, always to restock supplies.
She sprawled across the counter like a melted slime, sunlight pooling warm across her back through the window.
She had zero desire to move.
There's genuinely a lot of merchandise in here.
I wonder what Maldron's actual background is. Who's supplying him?
The thought crossed her mind now and then. But if Wade never volunteered the information himself, she wasn't going to go digging for it.
Whether it was her, Leon, or anyone else who frequented the place — they all operated the same way. Simple respect for someone else's privacy.
Here was this mysterious, clearly powerful figure who happened to be genuinely enjoyable to talk to, and who'd apparently opened a shop just to pass the time. Passing up the chance to build a good relationship with someone like that would be foolish.
Why go digging into his history?
Even if they found something, it wouldn't change anything meaningful.
And it might just make him angry.
So, unspoken and unanimous, everyone left the subject alone, and things stayed comfortable that way.
Beyond the occasional rare item, honestly, Luluwo didn't have much practical need for the shop at all. She simply found Wade genuinely interesting company and dropped by for conversation.
The shop stayed closed for days at a stretch, and even when open, kept short hours. Actual customer traffic stayed thin — mostly just regulars like her.
The place had, in a quiet way, become something like everyone's shared secret hideout.
"By the way, Shopkeeper — any advice for helping a team bond better?"
Luluwo asked it casually.
"We've brought on a whole batch of newcomers recently, and something still feels like it's missing between everyone."
"Depends on what your team's actual spirit is," Wade's voice drifted back from the storeroom.
"Team spirit? Like — the soul of the team?"
"Everyone's presumably here to make a name for themselves, or for the money."
"Then your team spirit's running a little thin. Either throw money at the problem, or organize more team-building activities."
"Ahem — I mean, organize more group outings."
By then, Wade had finished packing everything on Luluwo's list.
"Here. Top-quality Alluring Skull. Guaranteed — monsters won't be able to walk away once they've seen it."
Luluwo glanced at it and found she genuinely couldn't look away. That alone told her this was a quality tier she'd struggle to find on her own inside the dungeon.
"Oh, and — an astrologer mentioned a once-in-a-century meteor shower coming in a couple of days. Why not take your newcomers out to watch it?"
"A meteor shower..."
Luluwo genuinely couldn't remember the last time she'd seen one.
"Thanks, Shopkeeper. I'll take everyone out for it."
Not just watching the meteor shower, either — a picnic, some games, the whole arrangement.
Alcohol, obviously, non-negotiable.
Get everyone loosened up, build a genuinely lively atmosphere, let people actually get to know each other.
On the walk back to the Skyrim Group's temporary Royal Capital headquarters, several heavy bags of supplies in hand, Luluwo turned the planning over in her mind, entirely absorbed.
She never noticed the two figures trailing quietly behind her.
"Did you catch that? They're heading outside the city soon to watch some meteor shower."
"Good opportunity. Get back and report to the commander, fast."
"Yeah — figured we'd be tailing them for months before anything opened up. Didn't expect it this soon."
After a brief exchange, the two slipped through the portal into Sein Dungeon.
Not long after, word of the "once-in-a-century" meteor shower began spreading through the population, eventually snowballing into a genuinely massive public viewing event.
On the night the shower was expected, a huge crowd of stargazers had already claimed the countryside outside the city.
It happened to fall on a holiday too, which meant plenty of people with nothing else to do.
"Good grief, why is it this crowded? Way too loud out here."
Luluwo wore open disgust.
She'd finally traded her cloak-and-bodysuit combination for something else entirely — a bright, loose-fitting long dress. Genuinely dressed up for the occasion, clearly treating tonight's team outing with real seriousness.
"Should we head back to Bedford City instead, Captain?"
Belto had also swapped into casual clothes.
"With everyone from Bedford away at the Royal Capital for the holiday because of Sein Dungeon..."
"...the city's practically empty right now. Watching the meteor shower there would actually be great. I already reserved takeout from the tavern."
Luluwo sighed.
"Fine. Let's go back."
"I know a decent cliff just outside the city."
And so Luluwo led Belto, along with the rest of the Group's veterans and several newcomers including Tami, back through Sein into Bedford City.
Just as Belto had said — the city sat unusually quiet tonight. Seemed like everyone's heart had wandered off toward the bright lights of the capital.
The only people left behind were those who hadn't yet unlocked the teleportation route between Bedford and the Royal Capital. Still a decent number, but nothing close to the city's usual liveliness.
Luluwo felt confident they'd find a viewing spot tonight with absolutely nobody around to bother them.
That night. A remote cliff outside Bedford City.
"Awooooo—"
A distant, wolf-like howl carried through the dark.
It did nothing to rattle the Skyrim Group as they set up tents and gear along the cliffside.
The countryside outside Bedford City wasn't heavily populated with monsters. At most, a few wild animals wandered through. Tami could snap one's neck bare-handed without breaking a sweat.
Besides — tonight was a team-building outing. Nobody had brought their usual weapons. At most, a few small concealed daggers, tucked away enough not to affect anyone's outfit.
Overhead, the night sky sat thick with stars — brighter than usual, somehow. Even without a single meteor showing up, the view alone would've been worth the trip.
"Cheers!"
The Group's shout, followed by the clink of glasses, cut through the cliffside quiet.
One good cup of alcohol down the throat, and even the quietest members loosened up considerably. Conversation flowed easily around the group. For a while, the atmosphere was genuinely excellent.
"Ahem. On an occasion this important, allow your captain a few words."
"Clap clap clap!"
Tami led the applause first.
Belto, caught off guard, hurried to join in — unwilling to be outdone.
Is this newcomer angling to climb the ranks a little too eagerly?
"Well... then... so... therefore..."
Everyone listened attentively at first.
Nobody had expected Luluwo's speech to keep going. And going.
Eventually she'd simply started circling — repeating essentially the same handful of points over and over, entirely oblivious, clearly enjoying the sound of her own voice by that point.
For the audience, it was pure endurance.
But there wasn't much to be done. Enduring the leader's speech was, apparently, a non-negotiable part of any team-building event.
Luluwo had somehow mastered this instinct without anyone ever teaching it to her.
Tami and the others turned toward Belto with pleading eyes.
Belto coughed twice, subtly angling his gaze toward Luluwo — a hint she completely failed to catch.
Instead, she turned to Tami.
"Tami — go grab those party games I packed. Should be right beside the food supplies."
"On it!"
The "party games" amounted to nothing more elaborate than playing cards and a set of chess pieces. Tami remembered he'd been responsible for carrying them. Shouldn't be a problem.
The moment that thought settled —
A problem appeared.
"Huh?"
Tami froze after tearing the package open.
No games inside.
Instead — packed full, edge to edge, with Alluring Skulls.
Oh no. Grabbed the wrong package.
"Tami, you done over there? Come have a drink."
"Oh — right, coming..."
He forced himself back over, raised his glass, already mentally drafting the apology he'd need to give Luluwo later.
"So — to today's gathering, and to everything ahead of us — let's raise our glasses!"
"Cheers!"
Finally, done.
Relief spread across every face at once. Genuine clinking, genuine celebration. Everyone drank deeply, quietly grateful their ears had finally been set free.
"Captain, actually — about that..."
Tami approached Luluwo, already rehearsing how to explain the mix-up.
Right at that exact moment —
Underneath the sound of clinking glasses, something else cut through the air. A tearing whistle.
Whoosh—
A burst of blood bloomed suddenly across Luluwo's chest.
Her wine glass slipped and hit the ground.
The smile still forming on her face froze in place.
She had time for exactly one word.
"Eh?"
An enchanted crossbow bolt had punched clean through her chest. Its tip protruded out her back, magical runes along its length flashing wildly.
"Captain!"
Everyone surged toward her at once.
But Luluwo, drawing on every last scrap of remaining strength, kicked Tami — closest to her — hard, throwing him clear.
BOOM!
An instant later —
The bolt lodged inside her body detonated.