"So this is how a Sanctuary is meant to be used."
Shion murmured deeply, curled up in a loaf position on the floor in front of the boss room.
Currently, her Sanctuary was established throughout the area.
She had raised the skill level to 2, increasing the limit of simultaneous uses to two. This was a necessary measure for their dungeon conquest.
"We didn't need this kind of thing before. It makes sense," Furi commented.
As Furi said, the trigger was the appearance of Wandering Monsters from the 26th floor onward.
In the previous dungeon levels, they could stop and take a break after every battle. However, with wandering enemies, they needed to seriously guard against ambush.
They had always been alert just in case, but the necessary level of vigilance was now different. Immediately after heavily consuming MP in combat, they also had to worry about being attacked by another enemy. Coupled with the fact that enemies grew stronger with each floor, their desire to "calmly prepare themselves" intensified.
It was deemed crucial, especially before a boss fight, so Shion was asked to acquire this skill.
With the Sanctuary active, Wandering Monsters wouldn't approach, allowing them to recover at leisure.
However, the Sanctuary was ineffective against the enemies in the boss room.
They had tested whether they could win by attacking the enemies with magic from outside the room while the Sanctuary was deployed in front, only to have the enemies walk right through it.
It seemed such a convenient solution wasn't possible.
"Master. How is your MP?"
"Good. It's almost full. ...Alright, done."
Ren, who was checking her status window in detail, nodded when she saw that the current MP field had stopped increasing.
Iris also nodded, looking at the closed door.
"Then, it's finally time."
The door to the 29th-floor boss room opened, and a deafening sound of magic filled the chamber.
-----------------
"The 30th floor."
"The 30th floor."
"The 30th floor."
After raising a toast with the feast they had gotten takeout from their favorite Western restaurant, and exchanging impressions about the 29th floor, the conversation shifted to the next level.
Most of the information had been confirmed from the strategy guide.
Aisha, the only participant in the meal who was unfamiliar with the dungeon, asked everyone (mainly Mariabelle), "What is the 30th floor like?"
"It's the same as the 20th floor: an open-field battlefield. The enemy is the Lizardman, and this time, we will be attacking a large-scale enemy settlement."
"Settlement... How many enemies are there?"
"It's hard to count accurately, so this is a rough estimate, but about two hundred."
"Two... hundred!?"
Aisha gasped, dropping a French fry from her fork.
It was understandable.
The 29th-floor boss room had a decent party composition, but the number of enemies was still only twenty. An instant tenfold increase was a bit much.
Though, purely in terms of numbers, the total in the 20th-floor annihilation battle was higher.
"This time, we have to attack them, right?"
"Yes, that's the big problem. The enemy will obviously react to us, and they will have preparations for an engagement."
If they tried to lure them out of the settlement, the enemies would fight back from a distance, and they would also counter with a sufficient number of bows and spells against attacks from the air.
If they took too long, the enemies might flank them, not just from the front. Given how scattered the enemies would be, there was a high risk of being split up from their allies in the ensuing melee.
"I wish we could just ignore all that and punch them all down."
"I don't think even Mei-sama can manage that..."
Mei's body isn't invincible.
Even a single Lizardman blow would cause her to chip and crack gradually, and if she were surrounded, they would be outnumbered.
"Mariabelle-san, you've conquered it before, right?"
"Yes. With a party, of course, not solo. Even then, it was by no means an easy battle."
"I see. Hmm, it still seems quite difficult..."
The difficulty had certainly increased beyond the 20th floor.
"Can't we ask for reinforcements, like we did for the 20th floor?"
"We can, but Sho and the others are on the 26th floor now, so it will still take a while."
They could, of course, ask other people.
For instance, they could easily conquer it by asking high-level elders to accompany them, but veterans take the lessons learned from failed power-leveling attempts seriously. They might agree to temporarily fill a deficiency, such as a lack of a healer or vanguard, but it was questionable whether they would agree to a full-scale participation request. Furthermore, Ren and the others were already in the position of being helped by a mentor, Mariabelle.
Also, the more people they called, the more the reward and experience would be divided.
Even the raw experience that doesn't reflect in their stats would be diminished. It's different to find a way to win easily within their party versus being helped by others.
Winning on their own was the best option.
Before they realized it, November of their second year was drawing to a close.
If they could conquer the 30th floor by the New Year, they would greet the new year in high spirits, but,
"For now, let's spend some time leveling up and raising funds on the 25th floor or so. We can use that time to strategize."
The companions agreed, and the discussion ended for the time being.
-----------------
"Shion. I'm thinking of going to the shrine; would you like to come along?"
It was a holiday.
When Ren addressed the cute little fox in the living room—who could hardly be called a little fox anymore—she jumped up and settled into Ren's arms, saying, "I will accompany you."
Her presence was proportional to her size.
Frankly, her weight had increased, but I was scared of dropping her when she was tiny, and this size was also more comfortable to hold.
After holding her securely, Ren informed her companions that they were "going for a walk" and stepped outside.
It was close enough that there was no need to fly.
The weather outside was quite nice.
Although the sun was mostly obscured because the perimeter of the property was covered in darkness, the sunlight still managed to reach them somehow. I couldn't help but wonder why the rain clouds also managed to cross the barrier.
Some houses were also cultivating plants.
There was a small kitchen garden in our own yard, created by Iris. Perhaps due to the influence of her spirit magic, the plants were growing well and looked like they would be delicious once harvested.
"Perhaps because there are more trees nearby, the air feels even fresher."
"Yeah. It seems setting up camp close to the forest was the right choice after all."
When entering Shion's Sanctuary, Ren felt something subtly on her skin.
Even in Japan, some people claimed that "the air is different in power spots." While the former Ren didn't believe it at all, perhaps there really are people with such sensitivity.
Inside the Sanctuary, the area around the shrine had a distinctly pure atmosphere.
The building, completed a short while ago, was located deep within the property, near where it intersected with the forest. At the end of a short stone path stood two fox statues, similar to what Shion might look like if she grew bigger. Beyond that was a small wooden building.
In front of the entrance was a modestly sized offering box (saisen-bako) and a main bell (hon-tsubo suzu). Ren rattled the bell and clapped her hands in prayer. Shion, the one being enshrined, also devoutly lowered her eyes and assumed a posture of prayer.
"Oh, there's some money in the offering box."
"There are people visiting to pray."
The shrine was in a secluded spot, and only women were allowed to enter, so Ren hadn't expected much. She had intended it to be just a token structure, but there were unexpectedly some devout or simply curious people.
"How about the inside?"
The main hall was accessible to everyone.
Since there was no main deity statue, the interior was just a simple wooden floor space. One could argue that its true meaning only came into being when Shion was present.
Propping the cleaning tools she had brought near the entrance wall, Ren walked toward the box placed in the center.
This was a magic item obtained using a Divine Artifact.
It had a function to dispense items when a specific item was inserted. It was essentially a safe, but it could also be used like a vending machine if a set amount of money was required as a condition.
Ren used the other key item—the box's key—instead of money to open the box and peer inside. Inside were several potions and some cash.
"These are selling...!?"
"That's wonderful, but I also feel a little guilty."
The item being sold was a simple HP Potion. Moreover, the price was set slightly higher than the market rate. While it felt counterproductive given the cost of the box, the difference from the cost price was the profit. To think people were buying it anyway. Was it due to impulse, or the power of being a lucky charm?
For now, Ren added the extra potions she had brought. The money was collected and placed into the party's shared funds.
"Wait, the color of the potion seems a little different?"
"Huh?"
"Look at this. Did I buy the wrong one?"
She held up one of the potions that had been in the box for about a week and one of the new ones. Shion also tilted her head, saying, "You're right."
The potions were sealed and of quite high quality, so they shouldn't have deteriorated this quickly, especially when stored in a cool, dark place.
"I was present during the purchase, and I confirmed that you bought HP Potions..."
"Then why is it like this?"
Puzzled, Ren thought for a moment.
"Maybe the shrine's sacred power influenced it?"
"That would be good, but it makes me a little uneasy."
The two looked at each other and decided to resolve the mystery.
They put the two potions into Storage and flew to the town's appraiser. After paying the appraisal fee and having him check them with his skill, the result was:
"Ah, this one has improved in quality."
"Seriously?"
"Seriously. It's not quite a High HP Potion, but for a price not much different from the usual, you could call this a 'miraculous special potion.'"
"I never would have guessed..."
To think the effect of the Sanctuary would manifest in this way.
"Should I advertise it in my shop?"
"Um... Well, if you mention it casually in conversation, it might make for some pocket money."
"Will do."
The appraiser readily agreed.
After thanking him and leaving the shop, they stopped by the temple to buy more potions. They didn't think they would sell much, but it was just a precaution.
"Ren-sama. If the quality doesn't improve until some time has passed, wouldn't people be disappointed if they bought a newly placed potion?"
"Ah, you're right."
With that thought, they bought another box for storage.
To pay for the boxes, they would need to sell a considerable number of potions. It looked like this would be a hobby rather than a source of pocket money for quite some time—perhaps a year.
"However, if it helps people even a little, it's worth doing."
"Mhm, Shion is such a good girl."
When Ren praised her, the girl blushed shyly.
The walk had turned out to be longer than expected. After setting up the new box and working, Ren quickly cleaned the main hall. In the meantime, Shion curled up on the short wooden stairs at the hall's entrance and sunbathed.
When Ren finished cleaning and returned, she could hear comfortable breathing. Ren sat beside her and enjoyed the sunlight and the forest air for a while.
"Ren-san, Shion-san, lunch is ready!"
"Thanks, Iris. We'll be right back."
"...Mhm. Oh, I apologize. I dozed off without realizing it."
"Don't worry about it. I enjoyed it too."
Since then, Ren and Shion occasionally spent their free days relaxing at the shrine.
While the succubus Ren was mostly overlooked, the Yōko Shion became a topic of conversation among some, with rumors spreading that a "genuine deity was napping," helping to increase the number of worshippers.
When Shion was asleep, people would quietly pet her instead of ringing the bell before leaving. Several people were heard saying that meeting this child was worth the small offering.
Some people also bought the potions, and as a result, the shrine gained a minor popularity and became quite active.
Later, they got carried away and added a vending box for MP Potions, which further increased their capital investment and pushed the prospect of pocket money further away, but that's another story.
============
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