Suddenly, the calendar turned to October, and the climate became decidedly autumnal.
It was the season for delicious chestnuts and saury, but both were hard to come by in this other world. As for potatoes, potatoes were prioritized over sweet potatoes, so they bought expensive sweet potatoes, one for each person, and ate them roasted.
About six months had passed since becoming a high school student.
More than half of that time had been spent struggling in the other world instead of studying at a desk. The fact that they hadn't even cleared the tenth floor after several months showed how terrifying a "thirty-year-old dungeon" truly was.
"The boss on the ninth floor, apparently another troublesome opponent is going to appear here. ...It's a Goblin Healer. The one who heals."
"The composition is three Soldiers, two Shooters, one Mage, and the Healer boss. The Healer at the very back constantly heals the Soldiers in front, so if we don't finish it quickly, the fight will drag on."
A strategy meeting was held in front of the ninth-floor boss room.
This boss was a bad match for Ren and her friends' fighting style. Neither Ren nor Iris had the power for a one-hit kill, and Furi's attacks also required aiming for vital points.
It would be much easier if they had a proper vanguard.
Takuma and his group had poor personalities, but their skill and courage were impressive. Takuma, in particular, repeatedly charged in without considering defense, crushing goblins with a single blow. That offensive power was what led to their speed of "clearing up to the eighth floor in one month." Their track record at the time must have been the best in the class.
Well, there was no use crying over spilled milk.
Having advance information was a boon. They had no choice but to find the best course of action they could manage, preferably without relying on Mariabell's help.
"We definitely need to take out the Healer quickly."
"Should Iris and I concentrate our attacks?"
"That might be a bit tough, don't you think? The Soldiers will try to protect it, and there are a lot of rear-guard enemies, so it'll be hard to hit."
It would be better if Ren could fly, but her current wings weren't strong enough yet.
"Then we have no choice but to have Furi stab it directly."
"If I aim for the heart, it'll be a one-hit kill, but won't I die before I even get there?"
"We'll draw the enemies' attention."
It was a very risky strategy, but if they were rushed by the healed vanguards, they would lose anyway. They judged it was worth a try.
"Maria-san, if things go badly, could you help us?"
"Understood. I will wait for the right moment to provide assistance."
"Thank you."
With a "Ready, set, go!" they opened the door, whose lock had been picked and traps checked, and charged in with momentum.
"Magic Arrow!"
"Firebolt!"
Forty magic arrows, a ball of fire, and tangible arrows. This time, they chose to combine their attacks with bows and arrows instead of an expanded spirit magic.
The attack that rained down from the start made the enemies momentarily assume a defensive posture. Just as that ended, or perhaps just before, the rear-guard enemies began preparing their projectiles—
Ren looked into each of their eyes sequentially and activated her "Charm Evil Eye."
Apparently, all the enemies were male. Their gaze was fixed on Ren. Unfortunately, it wasn't a "we'll do whatever you say" attitude, but more of a "get the hot chick" predatory glare, but drawing their attention was all that mattered.
Ren continued to fire Magic Arrow while using Magic Shell to defend against the enemies' attacks. She dodged what she couldn't block or used Heal after taking a hit.
Iris kept attacking during this time, giving the Soldiers no rest.
"Whoa, this is bad...!?"
The two Shooters and the Mage concentrated their attacks on Ren, while the Soldiers targeted Iris and rushed her.
Iris was dodging and attacking, but it didn't look like she could last much longer.
Managing to withstand the attacks directed at her, Ren cast Mana Bolt at one of the Soldiers facing away. The Soldier who took the full hit was severely injured—just as the Healer's recovery magic flew in.
"We were so close!"
"As expected, we have to defeat the Healer first," a voice came from Furi deep within the enemy ranks.
The Healer turned around in surprise, but it was too late. A knife thrust through its robe pierced its heart, instantly draining the boss's HP.
Unlike in games, the life force of each race is generally fixed. Thanks to that, if you aimed correctly, this was the result.
The boss vanished first, and the rear-guard enemies panicked at the appearance of an enemy so close (though she had merely snuck around stealthily). But if they turned to face Furi in a panic, they were wide open.
"Are you sure you want to turn your backs on me!"
There was no vanguard to protect them from the next Magic Arrow. Furi crouched down, hid behind a goblin to avoid the arrows of light, and as soon as the rain of arrows stopped, she danced through the ranks, slashing the enemies' carotid arteries.
"Ren-san, Furi-san! Help me!"
"Whoa, crap. Just a little longer, Iris-chan!"
While the rear-guard was being wiped out, Iris was in danger. She had thrown away her beloved bow and was fighting the three Soldiers with a knife. She was barely managing by kicking and punching the enemies in addition to using her knife.
Ren quickly cast a Mana Bolt, which finally made one Soldier vanish. Furi rushed over and swiftly defeated another.
"This is the end!"
When Iris's knife was slammed into the enemy's forehead, a sigh of relief escaped them.
They could say they almost lost.
No one was seriously injured. However, if such a situation had occurred, it would have meant defeat. The magic to resurrect the dead had not yet been found.
Unlike in games, there are no retries.
"Should we level up before challenging the tenth floor?" Ren muttered as she healed everyone's injuries.
Furi nodded with a slightly downcast expression, "Yeah, I think so."
"We'll break our once-a-week rule right away, but I don't think we can beat the tenth-floor boss as we are now."
"...The tenth floor is that difficult, then?"
"Because the Goblin King appears."
The tenth-floor boss was the "Goblin King."
It had the ability to strengthen its goblin allies and was accompanied by one of every type of goblin as a minion. It was heavily armed with a shield, armor, and a sword, making it difficult to defeat and forcing them to overwhelm it through conventional means.
Mariabell, the only one who hadn't sustained any injuries, nodded.
"For all of you, it might even be a higher difficulty than the eleventh floor and beyond. From the eleventh floor, the individual strength increases, but the number of enemies decreases."
"So this is the crucial moment. It would make a big difference if Iris and I could at least defeat one enemy each with our attacks."
They might need to strengthen their firepower, which they had been putting off.
They all agreed on a plan for the next exploration: instead of immediately tackling the tenth floor, they would revisit the cleared levels to gain experience. Iris, who was eager to progress, also agreed to this.
If Ren and Furi could gain one or two more levels, their fighting power should increase significantly.
"In that case, Ren-san. Would you be willing to sleep with me, too?"
"Eh?"
Ren couldn't immediately answer Mariabell's casual, yet significant, proposal.
--------------------
"This might be the first time the two of us have been alone."
Mariabell, a mature woman completely unlike the high school student Ren, came to her room that night.
Ren, whose body was flushed from having had a moderate amount of alcohol, couldn't suppress her desires and involuntarily looked at the other woman's body. The charm, different from Furi or Iris, made her gasp.
Smiling, she naturally sat down on the bed next to Ren and asked, "Shall we drink a little more?" showing the wine bottle and glass she held.
Ren took the glass as invited, and they clinked them together in a light toast.
The wine was surprisingly young, having been recently made. This kind of alcohol was easier for the young Ren to understand. She ended up drinking about half of it in one go, which prompted Mariabell to say, "If you increase your pace, the alcohol will go to your head faster."
"Has a man ever made you drunk?"
Mariabell was unfazed by the seemingly harassing question.
With a gentle face and a smile, she murmured, "Yes, well," and gently swirled the glass she held.
"When interacting with men, there are inevitably situations where you 'have to control your intoxication.' If a man isn't someone you feel 'it's okay to get that way' with, you have to be vigilant, or you'll just be preyed upon."
"...I'm really sorry for men, sometimes."
For men, the desire to have a relationship with an attractive member of the opposite sex is a natural urge, but for women, it can be bothersome at times. Although the level difference in this world allows for some defense, that's impossible if one is too drunk to be conscious.
It was inconvenient not to be able to drink as much as one liked.
Mariabell gave a soft laugh.
"You should be careful too, Ren-san. Don't let your guard down just because a man is an old acquaintance. Every man, when you scratch the surface, is a beast."
"I think I understand that well enough, but..."
"Do you? You haven't had that aggression directed at you yet, have you?"
"True."
The other woman seemed somewhat tipsy as well. Her candid talk was both unsettling and appreciated. For Ren, since becoming a woman, how she conducted herself was no longer someone else's problem.
"Since I no longer need to use the restroom, my body seems to be changing even without a level up."
"You are fully becoming a woman—a succubus?"
"Yes. Sometimes I feel a tingling sensation, and I realize, 'Ah, I'm being remade right now.'"
After the incident with Furi, her male functions had also ceased their role.
"In that sense, Maria-san and Iris might be safe now."
"Whether the aggressor is male or female, one can still be attacked."
Mariabell mentioned she preferred women. In this situation, Ren should probably consider herself "targeted," but she felt strangely unthreatened. As a man, being "attacked by a beauty" was a dream come true, so in a way, it was only natural.
Ren decided to take the opportunity to ask her a question.
"Maria-san, don't you have anyone you like?"
"I haven't had anyone I could call a lover for the past few years. If I had to say, I'm interested in you, Ren-san."
A mischievous smile came back.
"But that's not what you really wanted to ask, is it? ...Well, yes. I had a lover before coming here."
"A girl?"
"Yes. A classmate from junior high. We went to different high schools, so she couldn't come with me."
I see, Ren thought.
There were cases where people were separated from their lovers by the inter-world summoning.
If so, Mariabell must have desperately tried to return.
How long did it take before she gave up, accepting that even if she returned now, she couldn't reconcile with her lover?
"She must be happy now. She might even be married with children."
Ren couldn't visualize it concretely.
But just putting herself and Furi in that situation made her heart ache considerably.
"That's what I meant when I said before that I'd like to return if possible. ...Even if I go back now, I can't return to the past. Still, I want to see her face one more time."
Perhaps Mariabell might be happier in this world. Same-sex marriage is not yet recognized in Japan. However, in this world, it might not be difficult for two women to spend their lives together.
The Wise Man would say something like, "It's a serious loss not to leave children," but they could just ignore that man's opinion.
However, if she didn't wish to return, there would be no need to enter the dungeon.
Perhaps she was holding onto the desire to return to support those who fought.
"Yes. ...I hope we can return someday."
Ren lightly squeezed the hand holding her glass.
She quickly finished the remaining wine. Already somewhat tipsy, her body started to feel wobbly. Her body temperature had also risen nicely, and it felt good.
Mariabell smiled gently, took Ren's glass, and placed it on a nearby table, along with the wine bottle, which was still half full.
The bed gave a slight creak as the two lay down.
When Ren's cheek was gently and sweetly stroked, she almost let out a strange sound from the sheer comfort.
"Since we're here, please let me stroke you for a while, okay? Your skin is so smooth and comfortable, Ren-san."
"Be gentle. ...But you're beautiful too, Maria-san."
"Thank you. Then, please do as you like, Ren-san."
The two continued this strange skinship until they fell asleep.
Perhaps because of it, when Ren woke up, she had gained quite a bit of experience.
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