Chapter 90 - The Soirée and Their Many Colors
When I came to, I was back in the church. I checked on the others. All of Levante was here.
"Hmph!"
Cecily shoved my katana back at me.
"So you're alive."
"You are absolutely unbelievable!"
She seemed pretty mad.
"My bad. I'll do it next time."
"Too late! We already know it's safe now!"
She's so loud. I pulled her into a hug.
"Gah! You think a trick like this will work on me?!"
Cecily pushed me away. Aira sidled up to her, feigning concern. What a snake. I hadn't forgotten that she ran away just like I did. I looked around. Altair and the knights hadn't returned yet. We were the only ones here.
"Looks like no one else is back…"
"I believe they will return shortly," Maira answered.
"Still, I never thought there'd be an Area Guardian that could use a special skill."
Their very existence is terrifying enough, but if there are monsters that can use devastating, wide-range special skills in a place with nowhere to run, then dungeon diving is just impossible.
"I agree. Special skills are abilities said to be granted to humans by the gods. I've never heard of a monster using one."
"Weren't all the gods besides your five goddesses hostile to humans? It wouldn't be strange for them to give one to a monster."
"That may be so, but I have still never heard of such a thing."
Maira shook her head.
"…Well, if this dungeon was created by Mii using his special skill, it might be an exception."
I told them what Doris had told me inside the dungeon.
"The knight said to me, 'Magnificent.' It made me wonder if the Area Guardian was a knight who was buried in these catacombs."
"The monster said that?"
When I nodded, Maira's eyes widened. Was that really so surprising?
"Monsters don't speak."
"Goblins talk to each other, don't they? Even if we can't understand them."
"W-Well, yes, but there are monster types and biological types of goblins. Besides, while that knight had a human form, it was not human."
Maira seemed to be struggling to explain. If monsters could communicate with us through conversation, dungeon crawling would become much more difficult. I decided to just accept that monsters generally don't talk.
"Well, we won't get a conclusion on that. What do you think about Mii creating a dungeon with Crystal Control?"
It wasn't like Maira knew everything about how the world worked. I didn't want to grill her, so I changed the subject.
"He was just trying to create a diversion, wasn't he?" Mizuki joined the conversation.
"To stop reinforcements from reaching Nielen? If that was the case, shouldn't he have activated it much earlier?"
"Not for that. To escape."
"…I see. In that case, we might find more dungeons like this one on our path. A really annoying parting gift."
"If that's the case, I think Isaac is heading for Flucht, just like us."
Just as Mizuki finished speaking, Altair and the knights appeared. And then, the black circle that had been the dungeon's entrance vanished.
That night, a banquet was held in the castle's great hall. We were with nobles and the knights who had explored the dungeon. The king, however, didn't seem to be among them. It was supposedly to celebrate our success, but the preparations were too good. They must have been planning some kind of party anyway. As a reward, each of us, including the members of the Mateo Trading Company, received one gold coin. The six of us who defeated the Area Guardian received an additional gold coin on top of that. The Mateo Trading Company was also given an opportunity for a business negotiation. Mercedes was more pleased about that than the gold. He and Claire seemed to be deep in discussion, as I couldn't see them anywhere. Doris tried to give her gold coin to me, and Fang tried to give his to Mizuki, but we told them to keep it for themselves. They'd need a foothold after being freed from slavery. We were already giving them the pay from the caravan escort as well. Besides, Cecily and Aira had accepted their share without a second thought. The meal was a standing buffet. Silver platters and ornate bowls decorated with flowers lined tables covered in white cloth. Waitstaff moved with refined grace, beautifully arranging fresh fruits and spiced meat dishes. I had been lent and dressed in a splendid outfit made of something I couldn't tell was silk or velvet, but it felt nice to the touch. A cape that reached my waist fluttered with every step, and it was starting to bother me. Fang and Beers had been put in similar outfits. They both wore awkward expressions. I understood how they felt. I was sure I was making the same face.
"…This really doesn't suit us."
The three of us muttered in unison. A strange sense of solidarity was born in that moment.
"Feeling restless? Want a drink?"
I took a glass of wine from a passing servant's tray and took a sip.
"This is good. A rich, fruity sweetness accompanied by a sophisticated acidity that spreads through the mouth."
"A smooth texture. The lingering aftertaste on the back of the tongue is particularly nice."
I couldn't tell good wine from bad, but Fang and Beers were exchanging otherworldly comments and nodding at each other. After a hard day's work, I just wanted a cold beer. I put some of the arranged meat on a small plate and tried it. It was chewy and delicious. The spices did a good job of masking any gamey taste.
"Venison."
Fang was eating the same meat I was. I remembered him saying he used to be a hunter before he became a slave. Come to think of it, no one here seemed to mind his presence as a member of the Werewolf Race. If that was the case, Fam would probably be fine here too.
After we'd been gathered together for a while, the entrance doors opened, and the women entered, all clad in gorgeous dresses. Fam spotted me immediately and was the first to rush over. She was in a light blue dress. It was cut low at the chest and accessorized with a large jeweled necklace. She stopped in front of me and did a little spin. Her tail and the hem of her skirt swayed softly. A citrusy scent wafted from her. She was wearing perfume.
"S-So, how do I look?"
Her gaze was fixed on me, and I could feel an intensity that wouldn't miss a single word. I realized she was wearing makeup. It seemed to match the lighting in the room, giving her skin a lustrous sheen and deepening the red of her lips, making her look more mature.
"A-Adorable… Yeah, I like it."
I tried to praise her, but no more words would come out. However, my feelings must have gotten through, because her cheeks flushed red and she didn't press me further. Her gaze shifted to the wine glass in my hand.
"Master, today is a special day. May I have just one sip?"
"…Make sure it really is just one sip today."
Fam nodded eagerly. I had a bad feeling about this, but I handed her the glass. She took it firmly and tilted it. Today, it was a tiny sip. I breathed a sigh of relief.
"Is this a vintage? It has such a rich aroma and flavor."
Was she a gourmet critic too?
"What are you letting her drink?"
An exasperated voice came from beside me. Mizuki and Maira had approached without me noticing. They were also in dresses. Mizuki's was red, her hair done up and held with a silver ornament. The line of her neck was beautiful. She also wore a large, jeweled necklace. She was wearing perfume too, though I couldn't place the scent. It smelled nice.
"W-What?"
Mizuki said as I stared at her without a word.
"You really look good in anything, Mizuki."
With her striking features and great figure, I wondered if I was the only one who thought she looked amazing in whatever she wore.
"This was a huge pain to put on, so you'd better compliment me properly."
"R-Right… You're naturally beautiful, Mizuki, so you'd look good in anything."
Just like with Fam, the words wouldn't come.
"…Honestly."
Mizuki looked down, pouting. And next to her was someone else who was pouting.
"Look at me, too!"
Maira was also clad in a luxurious purple dress. It was modestly cut, with lace covering her skin, but it still managed to firmly accentuate her chest, which was so prominent it felt like I could be pulled in. The shawl draped over her shoulders swayed gently with her every movement.
"Want some wine?" I offered her a new glass I'd taken from a servant.
"Compliment me first!"
"…You look beautiful."
"Seriously!"
"No, I think you all look beautiful. I just can't find the right words."
"'All of us?'"
Maira pressed.
"…I mean, Maira, you're…"
At those words, Fam and Mizuki glared at me.
"Only my big sister?"
"No, Fam and Mizuki too… you're all incredibly beautiful."
As I fumbled, someone tugged on my cape from behind. It was Doris. She was wearing a green dress.
"…I may not be as stunning as everyone else, but how do I look?"
"No, Doris, you look cute too."
"R-Really? Thank you."
She replied bashfully, her face turning red.
Cecily and Aira were drinking wine together. Having escaped from Fam and the others, I was now with them.
"…I can pretty much imagine what happened."
Cecily said. She was in a white dress. Without her usual pointed hat, her blonde hair stood out beautifully. Next to her, Aira was dressed exactly like Maira. She normally had a rebellious attitude toward her older sister, yet she chose to use the same clothes and weapons. Maira was holding a wine glass with both hands. Was she planning on drinking all the alcohol served tonight?
"That was an ordeal."
"That's because you don't compliment them properly, so they keep pestering you."
Cecily replied to my words in a lecturing tone.
"I did compliment them properly."
"I bet you just stupidly repeated 'beautiful' or 'cute' over and over, didn't you?"
"…" She hit the nail on the head, leaving me speechless.
"Listen. You need to find what a girl is paying special attention to, and praise that along with everything else."
"…I see."
As I nodded, Cecily nudged me with her elbow. It seemed she wanted a compliment too.
"Cecily's face is very pretty, and it suits Cecily well."
"…Mash, I have no idea what you're trying to say, but I can tell you're trying to compliment me."
She sighed.
"I-I was just kidding. That white dress really brings out the color of your hair."
Cecily's face turned red at my words.
"W-Well, it's alright, I guess. Now, go compliment Aira."
"I-I'm fine. I'm sure he'll just say something stupid anyway."
Aira flinched at Cecily's sudden prompting. I looked at Aira. Her outfit was identical to Maira's in every way. I had a feeling she wouldn't be happy if I praised that. She looked uncomfortable under my gaze and, as if to escape it, downed her wine in one gulp. My eyes were drawn to the hand holding the glass.
"You painted your nails a color that matches the wine. It looks good on your pretty fingers."
"…I can't be genuinely happy about that since I heard your conversation with Cecily."
Even as she said that, she looked embarrassed and downed the other glass of wine as well.
Making my rounds, I found Avea and Zofia. They were talking but raised their glasses when they saw me. Avea was in her usual bikini armor, though she wasn't armed. Zofia, while not wearing her chainmail, was dressed in practical attire and wore a short sword at her hip. As I was about to call out to them, Cecily's words from earlier echoed in my mind. Avea's swimsuit armor seemed to have more of a shine than usual.
"Avea, is that your party bikini? It suits you."
A smile crept onto Avea's face at my words.
"Hmph, to notice my sublime bikini armor, you have a keen eye indeed. Instead of wearing that ridiculous outfit, you should prepare a pair of party banana hammocks for yourself."
There was no way in hell I'd do that, but I nodded to avoid a grueling training session the next morning. Zofia, who was listening beside her, had a conflicted expression on her face. She seemed to be a person of normal sensibilities.
"You did well defeating it. Allow me to thank you again."
The three of us clinked our glasses together. My report to her was that the tenth-floor enemies were a Worm and a knight, but I kept the part about the special skill to myself. She probably realized there were gaps in my report, since it wouldn't explain why the Royal Guard's finest were defeated.
"You said you were an adventurer. Why did you join the Knights?"
"Hmm? Want to join? I'd welcome you."
She laughed when I shook my head.
"I was a noble, but I had many siblings and no money. I became an adventurer to make a name for myself."
As she was speaking, the great hall's doors opened. A child entered, accompanied by several attendants. Behind them was a woman who appeared to be the child's mother.
"Our king," Zofia whispered in my ear. With his entrance, the musicians who had been waiting began to play, adding a new layer of splendor to the banquet.
"Can you dance, Mash?" Zofia grinned mischievously.
"I'm a commoner. I have no idea how."
"Alright, then I shall be your teacher for tonight."
"N-No way. That's embarrassing." I backed away.
"If you keep refusing like that, you'll be embarrassed forever."
With that, she grabbed the hand of my retreating form. And so, the night at the castle deepened.
Thank you for reading. To everyone who has liked, bookmarked, or rated this story, thank you very much. It encourages me to keep going. I'll do my best. Thank you for pointing out typos. It's a huge help.