Chapter 73: 70

Lily suggested that we go to a special dungeon called <Cave of the Flickering Moon>.

 

This place’s gimmick was that the dungeon itself was imbued with special magic power, so normal equipment and magic couldn’t be used, and the players had to fight with specially prepared weapons and equipment.

 

The difficulty level was surprisingly low.

Although your equipment was forced to be downgraded to almost the same level as Initial Equipment, the strength of the enemies was at a beginner’s level.

 

As I had stated earlier, being that “you can’t use techniques or magic”, it’s true that you couldn’t use magic, but due to the devs’ policy of favoring B&B’s selling point, the Manual Arts (or perhaps, giving favorability to those who use Dynamic Motion Z), you could use Arts if you activate them manually.

 

And above all……

 

 

[————-I will start my performance!]

 

 

Her “musical performance”, which was similarly not restricted by this dungeon’s “magic prohibition” policy, made combat easier.

 

She doesn’t swing her weapon at the enemies even when they appear.

She would simply hold a harmonica to her mouth in a graceful manner and play a tune, sometimes wildly, sometimes sadly, she would play her harmonica in a variety of ways.

That is how a <Bard> fights.

 

The Bard is a Second-Tier Class, and although it’s an advantage to be in this Class at the Initial Level 5, its stat compensation is exceptionally low compared to the others.

 

The total stat compensation of a Bard is 8, giving you an additional 2 for MND and FOC and 1 for other abilities, making it almost useless in face-to-face combat.

It’s truly a Class that specializes in performing for others.

 

However, that was already enough.

Although she can’t attack while playing, me being the attacker was already enough.

 

The buffs that she keeps on giving me increases the speed of monster subjugation, and the pleasant melody she plays raises the tension just by listening to it.

As an effect that doesn’t appear in numerical values, I could somewhat feel like my attacks were being integrated with a good rhythm.

 

 

Just by being able to listen to her play, I have no doubt about her usefulness as a companion.

 

 

Just like that, we proceeded along with no problems, and there were no gimmicks or factors in the dungeon that we struggled with.

The dungeon is filled with mechanics that could be easily cleared if two people cooperates, for example, two people pressing a button on both sides from the same time, or while one person pressing a switch floor, the other person pushes the switch floor behind the door so that the person who had been pressing the first switch could pass.

 

(Frankly, this dungeon is a disappointment.)

 

There’s no factor that would make you struggle, either in terms of ability or tricks.

Moreover, knowing her “secret”, I already knew what she wanted to tell me.

 

Circulating these villain-like thoughts like that, I moved ahead smoothly, desperately fooling my racing heartbeat just by walking next to Lily.

 

After we had gone through all the gimmicks and were approaching a long passageway, Lily, who had been leading the way, began to tell her story.

 

[My parents traveled all over the world when they were young.]

 

She says as she proceeds through the cave, facing forward.

 

[That’s why, they told me stories of their various trips and wonderful places.]

 

As I looked at her profile, the thought “she’s beautiful” inadvertently popped into my mind.

Even if I kept on thinking how such a person was just a fictitious creation by someone, Lily’s expressions and gestures kept on stealing my gaze.

 

[Of all the things they talked about, the one they talked about most passionately was the view of the deepest part of this dungeon.]

 

She walks in her usual graceful manner, and in her hand, I see a Video Recording Crystal.

 

Well, in short, it’s a video camera.

It’s an item that is typical of this game, a mixture of modern and fantasy.

 

[This is also where they ended their journey. My parents visited this dungeon all on their own for the last time, and my father confessed his feelings to my mother in the midst of the most beautiful scenery.]

 

Thereupon, she looked at me, and saying “They’re quite the romanticists, aren’t they?”, she laughed.

 

[However, they’re quite mean. I had been asking them what the view was like, but my parents just smiled and didn’t answer me. And then, they would always just answer me with the same answer. “You have to go and see it for yourself”.]

 

Saying this, she turned around again and moved her gaze forward.

 

[That’s why, I’m……]

 

She was about to say something, but she decided not to finish her words and closed her mouth instead.

 

The long passageway has come to an end.

At the end of the path, there was a small circular space.

 

[Is this…… the deepest part of the dungeon?]

 

She sounded puzzled.

 

The place we arrived in was a small room surrounded by inorganic rock walls, and no matter how you looked at it, this place isn’t a beautiful sight at all.

 

However, there was a pedestal made of stone in the center of the room, seemingly asserting its presence.

In that pedestal, there were two hollows in the shape of a person’s handprints.

""

 

[Is it telling us to put our hands in there?]

 

Dubiously looking at the pedestal, we put our hands into the hollow.

At that moment……

 

[Eh!?]

 

The ground beneath us disappeared.

 

 

—————-It’s a trap!

 

 

By the time I thought that though, it was already too late.

The floor of the room disappeared in an instant, and my vision was sucked into the darkness.

 

A shuddering chill ran down my back as I felt my body falling.

My vision drifted away, my body involuntarily shrunk, and then……

 

“Bam!”, the falling stops.

 

[……Are you alright?]

 

Hearing Lily’s voice coming from behind the darkness, I breathed a sigh of relief.

It seems that she’s safe.

 

(Even so, I didn’t expect that there would actually be a trap in this place. I let my guard  down.)

 

I wonder how many meters we had fallen?

I tried looking up, but behind this darkness, I could no longer see where we had fallen from.

 

I was about to turn to Lily and ask her what happened but……

 

[Eh?]

 

Lily’s surprised voice made me turn my gaze to the front.

What I saw there certainly wasn’t a scene I would imagine seeing from a place like this.

 

[What in the world……?]

 

Deep in the dungeon, in a place where no one ever steps into……

The space was filled with pure white flowers that emitted a pale light, brightly decorating the place.

""

 

It was like a paradise of flowers.

Pretty white flowers were blooming everywhere, and gentle light was rising from them.

 

[I have heard about this before…… that flowers imbued with strong magic power sometimes emit a faint light.]

 

Perhaps, this may have been a miracle born of the dungeon.

It’s a spectacular view that can be experienced for the first time within the darkness, where the faint light of the flowers is noticeable in the space with dense magic power deep inside the dungeon.

 

For a while, I gazed at this beautiful sight without speaking any words.

 

[I see. So that’s how it is. This is why……]

 

At that moment, I heard the nearby Lily’s murmurs.

When I turned to look at her in response to those words, I noticed tears falling down her cheeks.

 

[A- Arehh? I’m sorry, ummm, I shouldn’t have……]

 

Transparent teardrops were trickling down her cheeks.

 

The moment I became aware of this, “my” body moved of its own accord.

""

 

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I hugged her shoulder.

Her confused face, still wet with tears, yet it doesn’t diminish her beauty, looked picturesque.

 

My heart was racing.

 

No matter what excuses or rationalizations I made, I was attracted to her.

And the situation forces me to make the ultimate choice.

 

(What should I do? What’s the best thing to do here?)

 

Her moist eyes, wet with tears, seemed to dull down my senses.

Nervous, my mind filled with various thoughts, I gulped.

 

 

—————-Should I “confess” to her or “comfort” her?

 

 

Both answers seem right, but both of them feel wrong too.

Should I push here, or should I wait and see?

 

To be honest, I’m afraid to push forward here.

However, to make her become our comrade, I probably have to make her fall in love with me!

 

Besides……

 

Besides, the current me isn’t just some dull nerd!

I’m good-looking enough to be the star of my own movie, the Hero admired by the masses!

 

That’s why……

 

 

 

[—————Lily. I love you.]

 

 

 

I choose to move forward.

 

That’s right.

Telling her “It’s okay to cry” here are just extremely weak words to say at this moment.

 

A place of memories.

Just the two of us.

A spectacular view.

Tears.

 

It’s hard to imagine a better setting than that!

 

[Eh……?]

 

At my words though, she looked surprised.

 

[W- wait. I- I was…… ah.]

 

Long eyelashes and moist eyes.

Her face, somewhat fragile, dominates my vision and my heart.

 

[……Ah.]

 

With a long exhale, she slowly closed her eyes, and then……

 

 

—————Don!!!

 

 

My vision suddenly shook.

 

[Huh?]

""

 

My voice reflexively leaked out of my mouth.

 

Just as her face rapidly blurred out of my vision, I suddenly blacked out.

No, even though I understood that what I was currently looking at was the ground of the cave, I have no idea what had just happened.

 

My vision aimlessly wandered about.

As I struggled to get up, cold words poured out of her mouth.

 

 

[Arehh? I kicked him with the intention of crushing his balls, but he can already move. What, is his VIT as large as an Orc’s? Gross.]

 

 

The moment I could understand the meaning of those words, my mind went blank.

 

Feeling like what just happened must have been a mistake, I looked at her with a feeling of reluctance……

 

[Well~~ I knew I was right to meet up with you in a dungeon with equipment restrictions. As expected of Hero-sama! You have great skills, amazing, amazing!]

 

————–The words of praise were so light that they seemed to poke a person’s nerves.

————–An unpleasant voice that seemed to really make fun of a person.

 

I don’t understand this woman standing in front of me.

Or perhaps, I just didn’t want to understand.

 

[Nfufufu.]

 

But in front of the dumbfounded me, she smiled and slowly raised her leg……

 

 

—————-Gan!

 

 

With a crash, the brown color of the ground spreads out in my vision again.

It wasn’t until I heard her voice that I realized that she had stepped on me as I was crawling on the ground.

 

[You’re still acting like the victim! You sure piss me off. ……You do know what’s going on here, right? Hey! Hey! ……Hey!!!]

 

Every time she raises her voice, her foot and her curses mercilessly stomp on my head.

 

Even still, I’m a Hero.

There was no way I was just going to yield to the violence of a woman who wasn’t even a warrior.

 

Little by little, the ground moves away from my vision.

As her face became reflected in my raised sight, I unconsciously glared at her……

 

[You still got an impertinent look on your face. ……Ahh.]

 

Thereupon, looking as if she thought of something, she deliberately clapped her hands.

 

[Ahh. Could it be, were you thinking that if it’s just a delicate woman, you should be able to overpower me with the strength of a man?]

 

As if she found something funny.

She brought her hand to her mouth and giggled.

 

[Ahh. I see, I see, sorry~~]

 

After such a meaningless apology……

 

[Wha!]

 

She put a finger on the buttons of her own clothes, moving them above her clothes that were pushed up by her ample breasts.

 

As if to release them, she started undoing the buttons of her clothes……

 

[However, too bad. That’s impossible! After all……]

 

With a smirk on her face, she stripped off the front of her dress at once without any sign of hesitation!

 

[—————-!]

 

I reflexively almost closed my eyes.

However, as it turned out, I didn’t have to.

 

[……Eh?]

 

After all, behind her clothes wasn’t the spectacle I had been expecting to see.

 

The moment Lily unfolded her clothes, two blue things fell off her chest.

When I realized that the crumpled-up semi-circle-shaped objects that fell to the ground were stuffing made of slime, I finally realized the truth.

 

She is……

No, this person I had always thought was a girl……

 

 

[————–After all, I’m also a guy.]

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