Chapter 197: Vol 4 Chapter 17: The Fey Amongst Us

Theo

Damn it! I screwed up! We shouldn't have gone for that chest!

This monster… it's an A-rank, isn't it? Even Tama isn't a match for it.

There's no other choice! We have to run!

But going between the trees isn't an option. With a body that big, it can just ram its body and clear a path to us easily, while we will be slowed down severely by the glass branches.

The only path is the one behind it. But how in the world are we supposed to get there without it swallowing us whole?

...I'm sorry, mother. But this is the only way.

"Tama, listen. I'll act as a distraction. You get out there and ask for help, alright?"

"Do you think I'm an idiot?! Stop acting cool and think up a way we can run from this stupid overgrown lizard."

“I’m not acting cool! I don’t want you to die because of me! You’re a lot faster than me! You can outrun that monster easily! You’re only still here because of me!”

“Shut up shut up shut up! You think I’ll just let my benefactor die on my watch?! Think again!”

"Arghh! Why must you be so stubborn?!"

Tightening my sword grip, I stared the overgrown lizard in the eye.

"Listen, I'm going to attack it from the left. You attack it from the right."

"Got it!"

I ran forward with all my might, lifting my sword for an overhead swing. She would do the same, no matter how big or scary the monster is.

Only for it to retaliate by swiping its tails, hitting me right in the abdomen.

"Gah!"

A surge of pain flashed through my body as I flew backwards from the impact, crashing onto the tree behind me.

Damn it! I was too slow yet again!

"Theo!"

Coughing up a copious amount of blood, I could feel my vision darkening.

N-not now… I can't… let her… fight on her own…

The idiot lifted me up. She should've ran instead.

And now she's calling for help? As if anyone would come.

…

Huh?

The lizard…

It… it just… disappeared…

"Now! Run!"

Tama’s voice brought me back to reality. That’s right! This is our chance to escape!

Only for me to trip in the stupidest way possible as I had yet to realize how wobbly my legs were, thanks to my injuries.

"G-go… Leave… me…"

"What? Are you an idiot?! I'll never do that!"

You're the only idiot here! Or so I would've shouted if I could still speak.

Damn it…

Damn it damn it damn it!

Why am I so weak?! I'm a burden to not only Tira, but Tama too!

I thought I could be more like her. Even after all that training, nothing's changed! I'm still as weak as ever!

And now, Tama's going to pay the price.

…

W-what?

Who is… who is that?

--------

Hugo

Deep Impact Dinosaur. It was a rare A-rank monster infamous for ambushing unsuspecting adventurers. Why was it named that, you might ask?

Simple. It attacked mainly by jumping really high before going down with the speed of a falling star.

Like it's doing right now.

"Now! Run!"

The catgirl dragged the boy on his arm, only for him to trip and fall. Judging by all the blood on his clothes, it was all too obvious his mobility was impaired by his injuries.

"G-go… Leave… me…"

"What? Are you an idiot?! I'll never do that!"

Oh boy. They shouldn't be arguing like that in the middle of a fight. No matter how dicey it might get, you must keep a calm mind while maintaining your attention at the enemy.

Naturally, the dino is now going to fall right on top of their heads.

Guess I'll have to interfere.

I dashed towards them, creating a Wind Wall large enough to cover all three.

Just in time to receive the impact.

"Grrrrgaaahh!"

The attack was surprisingly powerful, actually making me have to strain a little to maintain the hardened air. Still, the beast was no match for me as I took its life in an instant, slicing its head off its body with my sword.

As its blood poured out to the dirt, luckily not to where we were standing, I turned my attention towards the pair.

"You two alright? Here. Let me heal your wounds."

I summoned Spring Fairy to do the job. It's been a while since I summoned her, come to think of it. I'm not sure if fairies experience time the same way that we do though.

Manifesting from the moisture in the air, the great fairy flapped her wings all excitedly, clapping her hands as she had a big smile on her face.

"Yay! Master summons me again! I miss you, Master!"

"Alright, alright, just heal him up, alright?"

"Right away, Sir!"

With an all too cheerful giggle, she came over to him, turning him over so his back was facing the ground before feeding him her water.

"H-hey! What are you doing to him?"

"Relax. She's a spring fairy. Her water has rejuvenating properties."

"You… Aren't you the pervert who groped my tail?"

"Yep, that's me. Hugo Greenwood, at your service."

Heh, she's conflicted. I had molested her yet I also saved her boyfriend. Should she thank me or be angry at me?

"Milord!"

Moving my gaze to the entrance of the clearing, I saw Felicia and Victoria, all out of breath.

"Please… never… run ahead like that ever again!"

They'd be dead if I had delayed my rescue though.

"And you two are the girls with him."

Excellent observation skill, Miss Catgirl.

"U-urghhh.."

With a groan and a cough, the injured boy slowly sat up, his gaze fixated on his savior as blush crept into his cheeks. Oi oi, don't tell me you're falling for my fairy!

"Thank you, Miss Fairy. And you too, Mr…"

Giving a short bow and smile, I introduced myself.

"Hugo Greenwood. It's a pleasure to meet you. You're Theo, right? And the catgirl with you is Tama. Heard your names when you were speaking to each other."

"Y-yeah, that's right. Are Miss Fairy…"

"She's my summon."

"Summoning magic? That's pretty rare…"

With a grunt, he labored to stand.

"Theo! You can't just—"

"I-it's fine. My broken rib and back are pretty much healed."

After some staggered steps, and a help from his girlfriend, he now stood in front of me. He had to cock his head a bit upward though since I was taller than him.

"Thank you, Mister Greenwood. If not for your help, we would have perished for sure." He gave a short bow.

"Don't mind, don't mind! Adventurers should help each other, right?" He flinched when I put my hand on his shoulder. Why is he so nervous anyway?

Suddenly, I felt a pair of hands resting on my shoulders.

"Master! You didn't tell me you have a new fairy!"

Hey! We're in the middle of a conversation here! You can't just barge in like that!

"Uh, what? What are you talking about?"

"She's a fairy, right?"

My eyes traveled to where she pointed.

It was Victoria.

"I know she doesn't have the wings but she must be a fairy! Us fairies can sense each other, you know!"

She flew towards her, causing the knightess to take a few steps backwards before drawing her rapier and pointing it at her.

"S-stay back, you fiend!"

"Oi, Victoria! She's not an enemy! She's my fairy summon!"

"Your fairy summon, Sir Hugo?"

"That's right! I'm his very first fairy! As your senior, leave it to me to teach you the ropes on being a good summon!"

Victoria blinked. She looked just as confused as I was.

"I-I'm not a fairy. Or his summon for that matter."

"Really? You can't fool me, you know! You definitely are a fairy!"

"I-I have human parents! How can I be a fairy?"

I sighed. Guess I'll have to go there and separate them.

"Sorry about this. When she's excited about something, she just won't give it a rest."

After excusing myself from Theo and Tama, I walked up to the fairy and gently knocked my fist on the top of her head.

"Alright, you. Stop harassing the poor girl. She's an elf, not a fairy."

"No, she must be a fairy! You must believe me, Master!"

"Look, if you keep this up, I'm going to dismiss you without giving you a head pat."

"Whaaat?! Y-you can't do that!"

Heh, this girl really is simple-minded.

"Alright, alright, here you go. Thank you for your work as always. And sorry for not calling you more often."

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After receiving the headpat, she disappeared, but not before glancing at Victoria one last time.

She? A fairy? Maybe she's confusing her elven heritage for a fey one. Elves have a different mana network compared to humans. For starters, it's more efficient, allowing the average elf a higher magic proficiency than the average human. It's the same with a fairy. They have their own unique mana network inside their ethereal body, allowing the usage of their own brand of magic.

I learned all that from Felicia, by the way.

Hmm, why don't I take a look at her mana network? See how it differs with Felicia's.

I activated my Sight, focusing my mana to reach deep inside of her.

"S-Sir Hugo, what are you doing? Why are you staring at me like that?"

…

T-this is…

What the hell is this?!

She got two mana networks inside of her, overlapping with each other!

"Sir Hugo?"

"Sprite of Sacred Stones, come forth!”

As the skimpily dressed sprite formed itself out of the earth, I refocused my sight back at the knightess.

"I'm sorry, Victoria, but there's something I want to check. You stand there like a good girl, alright?"

"A-alright."

Her hands went to her breasts and crotch. What? She thinks I'm peeping at her? I'm trying to figure out your abnormal body here.

"Felicia. Stand here. Right beside my sprite."

She raised her eyebrows, but followed my instructions anyway.

"And you, Stone Sprite. You stay there. I need to examine you too."

"Examine me, Master?"

First, I looked at Felicia's network. Then, I looked back at Victoria's networks. Sure enough, one of them closely resembles the former.

Which means she has a human network.

I then moved to Stone Sprite's network before checking back on Victoria's.

...No way. That's a fey network she got there.

She has a human network and a fey network.

She's half-human, half-fairy.

"Master, is something the matter? I don't see any enemies around. And that girl over there… is she a new fey you've made a pact with?"

Spring Fairy was right.

--------

Rock Sprite soon left, though not without giving me her usual hug. Made the boy and the catgirl blush too. Oh, they're virgins for sure. Probably never even kissed.

Me? I'll consider myself a half-virgin. Look, when you already got a hot girl sucking you off, you really can't call yourself a virgin anymore. I won't stand for it.

"What was that all about? You're showing off your summons or something? A-and what's up with that hug?"

"The hug was the payment for her help. You need to pay something to the summon every time you call on them."

"A hug as a payment? What kind of a convenient arrangement is that?"

"She's the one who wanted it, not me. I already got a girlfriend, you know. Felicia over there."

"And yet you groped my tail anyway? You're the worst!"

This brat… I just saved your lover, you know. At the very least, you can offer me to fondle your ears or something. Yeah. That'd be nice.

"That's enough, Tama. I'm sorry for my friend's rudeness." The kid followed with a bow. Hey, at least this one knows his manners.

"No problem." Let's give him a relaxing smile so he'll be less tense.

"I-I have a request to make, Sir Hugo!" All of a sudden, the kid yelled his lungs out. "Can we… Can we travel together with you? Please? We… I don't think we're strong enough to make it all the way to the next stratum on my own."

...Oh boy, that's a request alright.

And this kid… What's up with him? Now that I see him up close like this, he really looks effeminate. That nervous fidgeting he's doing… it's actually kinda cute.

W-wait, I don't swing that way! Don't be led astray by traps, Hugo!

"Theo! I thought you wanted to—"

"No! I know now… even with all that training… I'm still too weak to even traverse the easiest stratum of this dungeon… I can't protect you… They're right to call me the weakest adventurer…"

H-hey, now he looks like he's about to cry. He shouldn't be that much younger than me. Why is he this big of a crybaby?

"Sheesh, alright, fine, you can come."

"R-really?" Oh God those puppy eyes…

"Yeah, really. In adventuring, there's a saying that the more the merrier. Since we only have three people in our party, I think two more would be fine."

"Milord! You can't just—"

"Oh, don't be such a worrywart, Felicia. They won't be a burden. In fact, they can be useful. Like Theo here. He can be a sparring partner for Victoria." I patted the kid on the shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile. There. That should raise his confidence.

"S-sparring partner?"

"Yes. She's just as poor of a swordsman as you are. You two would be perfect for each other." No insult intended, of course.

"N-no way! I can't fight against someone as strong as her! You're really strong, Sir Hugo, so she should be really strong too!"

"Oh no, not at all! She can't even beat a C-rank monster!"

He fell silent, a look of pure disbelief drawn on his face. He then gazed at Victoria, looking for her confirmation, no doubt.

"H-he's right! That's why he's been mentoring me! And he'll train you too if you want, I'm sure of it!"

Her bright smile was directed in my direction. Welp, guess I can take another pupil.

"R-really? You'll teach me, Sir Hugo?"

"Well, I guess it comes with the package. You help her and I'll help you back, alright?"

"Oh, thank you so much!"

As he grabbed my hands with sparkling eyes, I noticed the catgirl folding her arms, all with a lovely frown on her face. Starting to feel tsundere vibes from her.

With two more additions to our little merry band, we resumed our journey.

But not before I had a quick private chat with Felicia.

"Milord, about Victoria…"

"I know. We'll talk about it later."

The mystery of Victoria's fey heritage.

We need her to fess up about her home life. Can't do that out in the open.

-------

On the way to the floor teleporter, I asked Theo how they could get ahead of us. With how weak they were, it should take them weeks to get to where we were now.

"I… I think we skipped floors."

"Skipped floors?"

"Yes. I'm sure we didn't travel through 50 floors to get here."

"It's a shortcut teleporter, Milord. If you're really lucky, your teleporter will send you two, three, five, or even ten floors ahead. The scholars barely know about them so they can't tell if there's a limit to how many floors one can skip with it. Maybe they got really lucky and skipped fifty floors ahead."

Ah, thank you Felicia for the explanation. You really did read all those books.

We soon found the floor teleporter. Unfortunately, it was just a normal one. In fact, as we blazed through the next fifty floors, we didn't find any shortcut teleporters. Those two really must be lucky. Not only they found a teleporter that sent them straight to the fiftieth floor, their crisis happened close enough to us so we could help them.

Speaking of them, they could only watch with their mouths open as I obliterated both the forests and monsters with my magic. Heh, even tsunkitty can't hide her awe. I know that secretly, she's happy I'm here to help her boyfriend.

I let them take on one or two of the monsters, though, as I wanted to gauge their strength. For Tama, I'd say she's around B-rank in strength. She gracefully utilized her twin daggers to attack the monsters' weak points. Quite similar to how Helen fought actually, though the maid preferred throwing daggers instead.

Oh, and she often exposed her delicious black panties in the process. Why did she wear such a short skirt when she had to move around a lot like that? I would never know.

For Theo, he was just as weak as Victoria. His swordsmanship was clumsy and full of mistakes, from his stance, his footing, and even simple things like his grip. When I asked him about it, he explained that he was self-taught, with no proper teacher in the art. There were dojos in the city but they were too expensive for him.

No wonder he's so sloppy at it. Not everyone can be a sword genius like Alan.

Fine then. I'll be his teacher. Fiora said I'm good enough to start my own sword school. Time to test that theory.

Eventually, we reached the 100th floor. Another Convergence Floor and a Boss Floor as well. The teleporter wouldn't activate until you killed the monster guarding it.

It was where we met with the rest of the Fafnir Clan. They already set up an encampment near the boss. Just like the Emerald Exodus, they wanted to scout the monster first before fully committing their forces against it. After all, it was an S-rank monster. They could be wiped out entirely if they were careless against it.

The boss monster was named Carnivorous Alraune. It was a giant, rafflesia-like flower with a naked female sitting on top of it. It would attack through poison clouds, thorns, vine-like tentacles, and even a solar beam attack straight from Pokemon. In the wilds, alraunes would actually lure in adventurers with its naked female part. But since it's a boss monster here, it just gave a taunting laugh at the adventurers who dared to challenge it.

No, the female could not speak. It wasn't sentient. It was just a flower who could form the body of a naked female with its vines.

All that didn't matter though, as I took it out in one shot with my Super Boom Cannon.

"N-no way!"

"Just with a single spell?!"

Suffice to say, their look was priceless.

And so, we finally reached the second stratum.

Only took us two days.

???

Defeated with just a single spell...

Another adventurer possessing anomalous strength has come. How queer. Two right after another.

Is he another one of the Chosen? Or is he simply a young human blessed with an abundance of talent?

I must investigate further.

Hugo

"Uwaaahh, so this is how the second stratum looks like! Amazing!"

Amazing is the right word, alright.

The Silent Metropolis. It was the name given to the second stratum, fitting for how it consisted merely of a series of spiraling towers all interconnected together to create one giant maze. Every inch of the place was made out of the same pitch black, glass-like solids that made the trees back at the first stratum. As for the silent part, it came from the fact that the monsters here loved ambushes, only attacking when their foes' backs were turned. And so the air was filled with stillness. Unnatural, stifling stillness.

We were now standing on top of one of the towers. We could see the moon shining over our heads, unlike the first stratum with its really high ceilings. I wonder if that moon is actually a physical thing or just an illusion projected by the dungeon.

Looking down, I couldn't even see the bottom of the place. Is there even any bottom in the first place? It can just be a bottomless pit where you will fall forever and ever until you die of thirst and hunger.

And so the grind begins.

Why? Because the teleporter is located somewhere inside one of these towers. If I just destroy them all, I'll just end up sending us all down to the bottomless pit, along with the floor teleporter.

We have to do all 100 floors the tedious way.

"We should head down, Milord. The Stratum teleporter should be somewhere nearby."

Felicia was promptly proven right. After a flight of spiraling stairs, we entered a large room where a familiar glowing floor awaited.

For now, we'll regroup back in town.

I need to have a talk with Victoria after all.

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A/N:

So yeah. Victoria's a half fairy. That's the big reveal.

Someone predicted she will be a combat savant of some sort. Well, this is kinda it, I guess? Who knows if she'll ever actually unlock her fey powers?

In other news, I just dropped another big character in the story in my latest Patreon chapter.

Someone who knows Hugo's true past, back in Japan. And she even knows his Japanese name.

And also,

Hugo got a boobjob from Felicia.

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