God's Blessing on this Wonderful Dungeon

By Icura and Special FX

~o~

Chapter 18: Negotiations

~o~

Plans, negotiations, and alliances. It was all politics that Kazuma had vaguely seen from a distance. In the massive multiplayer online games that he used to play, the guilds that he had joined often participated in a bunch of that almost constantly. However, as he was never really into guild politics, he had merely watched on as a spectator with barely an eye open.

In the end, the result would usually be the same old story. Insults? Drama? A loan that they didn't want to repay? War, it was then!

That was essentially the extent of the politics that he had even bothered to pay attention to. He had acted mostly as another strong member within the guild, a vital person in raids who could keep up with an ever-changing meta. Oh? The new update introduced a new dungeon that dropped a piece of gear that increased a person's core stats by a few points? It was time for his guildmates to call in absent to school or work so they could do an all-nighter raid!

Hm? What about Kazuma? He didn't need to since he was already a shut-in!

Well, in the end, the reason that finally got him to step out of his house for once was to buy a singleplayer game, though he did consequently die in the process. He probably would have lived a nice and easy life if only he didn't violate his shut-in ways. Not that it really mattered since he did get isekai'd to another world in the end. Twice.

Why was he thinking about all of this?

That was because Kazuma was looking both ways to make sure there weren't any runaway carriages on the road. Only after double-checking, to ensure the irony of his nostalgia and reality didn't cause a medieval truck to suddenly appear, Kazuma crossed the road to the other side where a large building was. The building was very distinct in that there was no way to mistake it as anything other than the home of the Ganesha Familia.

Of course, that was because there was a gigantic statue of Ganesha sitting cross-legged on the floor. What was even more ridiculous was the fact that there was a stairway to the front entrance which was positioned right where his crotch would be.

A person entering that would probably either lose their dignity or simply not care. Fortunately, Kazuma was part of the latter. Having been born in the era of the internet, he was already used to plenty of lame sex jokes.

"Hm. Darkness would probably like it."

Or maybe, people were mollified that they were entering a god's crotch instead of a normal person's. Perhaps, they saw it as fine as long as it was divine. Well, whatever the case, he didn't really care.

Kazuma walked up those stairs.

There was a single guard sitting by the entrance, an older Amazonian woman as denoted by her graying hair and some facial wrinkles. Besides that, she actually looked much younger, was very fit, and wore revealing clothes that consisted of strips of fabric and see-through veils. She merely glanced at him with one eye open before standing up.

"You must be Kazuma Satou."

"Wait, how did you know that?"

"How could I not? News of you and your familia have most likely reached halfway across the world by now. I'd bet drawings of you and yours have reached even my home country of Telskyura. As such, you better be careful."

"Careful?" Kazuma furrowed his brow. "Why?"

"Because it's a country of the Amazoness." At Kazuma's blank stare, the older woman burst out into laughter. "You don't know? Forget I said anything! So, what are you here for?"

"...I need to talk to the captain of your familia."

"Really now." A mischievous grin came to her face. "Come, come then! We shouldn't leave little Shakti waiting."

She stood up from her seat and opened the door she had been sitting next to. She then walked inside.

"She can't be waiting if she doesn't know about it. And why did you call her little? Isn't she your captain?" Kazuma asked as he followed in through the door.

"I've watched her ever since the day she was born." She led him through the massive entrance hall. "Right here in this manor."

"Wait, so that means she's been part of the Ganesha Familia since birth?"

"Yes, many generations have grown up within these halls. Family names have been created and wiped out through the many centuries since Lord Ganesha had descended." Walking into a smaller hallway, the older woman moved past several closed rooms. "Shakti's mother and father were exemplary warriors until they fell, along with several of their children."

"That got dark quick," Kazuma muttered. "How did they…?"

"Perish? In a battle against an Evilus-aligned familia," she replied. "It's an unavoidable consequence of being the peacekeepers of Orario. Lord Ganesha is a god of the people so we fight for the people. As such, that sometimes necessitates sacrifices."

"...why are you telling me all of this anyway?" Kazuma asked. "All this seems a bit private."

"Why shouldn't I? As fellow peacekeepers, shouldn't our familias get to know each other?"

"I'm not really a peacekeeper."

"Oh, you say that, but the gods are good judges of character. They wouldn't bestow upon you your moniker without justification. Even Lord Ganesha likes you."

That stupid title was coming back to bite him in the ass again. Putting that aside though, when did he ever meet Ganesha? Never! Damn it, this always came back to that dumb title in the end! Stop piling on all of these expectations onto a former shut-in NEET!

"Auntie!" A cheery voice came from down the hallway. When Kazuma looked over, he found Ardee Varma staring at him in surprise. "Huh? Kazuma? What are you doing here?"

Before he even got a chance to answer, Ardee was already running down the hallway at a reckless speed, appearing before them out of breath.

"Ardee!" The older woman had taken on a chiding voice, as if she was a teacher dealing with an unruly student. "What did I say about running in the halls? You could've bowled over one of the kids!"

"Sorry, Auntie," Ardee responded in her patented 'sorry, not sorry' voice. "So, why are you here with Kazuma?"

"He wants to talk to your sister."

"My sister? Why?" Ardee looked over at Kazuma suspiciously. "When did you ever meet her?"

"I haven't," Kazuma admitted. "I just need to talk to her about familia business. From captain to captain."

"Oh, I see," Ardee said, letting go of her suspicions almost immediately. She turned her gaze to the older woman. "You can go now, Auntie. I'll guide him the rest of the way."

"If you insist. Don't let this old woman take up your time." Looking exaggeratedly depressed, the older woman gave an equally exaggerated sigh and began walking away in a slouched posture. "I'll just have to return to my dreary old post by the door."

"Bye, Auntie. Enjoy your sunbathing!"

When the older woman glanced back, Ardee waved cheerfully at her. The woman just laughed in response, dropping the joke as she straightened her posture. She walked away in a happy, carefree mood, leaving behind only Kazuma and Ardee in the hallway.

"Well," Ardee began, turning to look at Kazuma. "I don't think she knew, but she was leading you the wrong way. Big sis isn't in her office right now."

"Oh, then where is she?"

"She's probably doing an inspection of our tamed monsters." Ardee began walking. "Come on. It's this way."

Kazuma raised an eyebrow. "Tamed monsters…?"

"You don't know? Our familia has the only license in Orario to be monster tamers," Ardee said proudly. "We even host a huge festival each year to show off all the monsters we've trained. It's like a week-long event where the whole city is decorated."

"That big of a festival? Wouldn't that cost a lot?"

"Probably, but the Guild pays for half of it."

"It's government-subsidized?!"

"I don't know what that means, but like, probably?"

In a way, he supposed that it did make sense. The Ganesha Familia was at the forefront for protecting and keeping the peace in Orario. They were, in effect, the police force of the city even if they had never been given that official designation. As such, the administrators of the city, the Guild, would likely want to keep on Ganesha's good side. Now that he thought about it, were they even getting a paycheck?

"Is the city paying you guys to patrol?"

"No…?" Ardee spoke, looking confused. "Why would they?"

Free labor? That was Black Company work right there. Sucking down the marrow of dreams, aspirations, and motivation to spit out unpaid overtime and last minute due dates. Even better if the employees used their own bank account to fund the supplies for the project. And they would do it willingly, gladly even, not knowing the future that awaited most of them. After all, this justice talk must have originated from them in the first place since the Ganesha Familia had been around in Orario a lot longer than the Astraea Familia.

Besides, who else besides the justice-obsessed would bother with unpaid volunteer patrols?

Not him, that was for sure!

It felt a little intrusive to ask about that now though, especially with someone who he wasn't too familiar with, so he would just have to hold off his questions until he could talk to Alise again. That would probably shine more light on the situation. It wasn't like he would have cared if some random person was getting exploited like a worker in a Black Company, but he had gotten chummy enough with Alise by now to not just be strangers anymore.

It wasn't long before they reached a stairway that led down to a basement. At least, that was what he thought until the steps downward kept on going and going. There were magic stone lanterns lighting the way down, but it was still narrow and filled with enough shadows to give it a creepy atmosphere, as if he was entering a prison dungeon.

"...just how far underground does this go?" Following behind Ardee, Kazuma couldn't help but frown. "Why even dig this deep in the first place?"

"That was the only way the Guild would give us a license," Ardee explained. "Far enough from the surface that we can stop an outbreak in time. This stairway was made so that we can collapse it if we need to."

"What about the people who get trapped?"

"They'd probably be ripped apart by the monsters long before they suffocate or starve."

Kazuma just shuddered in response.

"All of us know the risks. It's why only my familia has a license," she continued explaining. "The requirements are pretty strict."

"I doubt that there are very many familias in the city that could afford to make something like this anyway."

When they finally reached the bottom, it opened out into a large, cavernous room. There were many cages in the room, lined up as if they were museum pieces. There were a few people around, and they gave curious glances at his presence, but they soon returned to what they were doing once they noticed Ardee.

Admittingly, Kazuma thought that it would have looked like a zoo, but that image had been way off. If anything, it looked more like a makeshift laboratory with each specimen caged off from each other. Then again, monsters weren't animals. They were a lot more dangerous, more violent, and more predatory. Not to mention, they weren't edible either since they disappeared once separated from their magic stone.

"Why are they all caged up separately like this?"

"If they aren't the same species, there's a chance they'll kill each other," Ardee explained while they walked down the path in between the cages. "If they are the same species, they might reproduce. Kobold babies can fit through the bars and are especially vicious."

"I can understand taming wolves and lions, but why kobolds?"

"Why not?"

Kazuma opened his mouth to speak, but soon shut it. Now that he thought about it, why not? Just because they were humanoid in shape didn't mean that they couldn't just capture them all like the rest of the exotic monsters and train them to be the very best that there ever was.

Then again, all of this seemed like a recipe for disaster. Pulling them around on a leash like a pet dog didn't seem like it would work, especially since their first instinct was to kill.

"Are you trying to breed them into domestication like farm animals?"

"No, all of the descendants would be weaker," Ardee replied. "You just have to take a look at all the monster herds and tribes on the surface to see that."

"Wait, are you trying to use them for battle then?"

"Isn't that the point?" Ardee stopped walking and turned to look at him. "Don't tell me you haven't thought about riding a minotaur into battle."

"I haven't," Kazuma immediately answered. "Not at all."

"Why not?"

"You say that as if it's a common thought!"

"Isn't it?"

"Just because you think it is doesn't make it true!" Kazuma quickly retorted. "Nobody thinks about getting a shoulder ride into a fight!"

"What about a black wyvern?"

"That's better, but I don't feel comfortable flying on something that wants to kill me either, especially from that high up. What if it does a barrel roll?"

"Hellhound then?"

"I'll admit it has heated seating, but still no."

"Eh…? What about—oh, there she is! Hey, big sis!" Ardee stopped in place and waved her hand enthusiastically. Turning his gaze to the direction that Ardee was waving at, Kazuma soon found the person that he had been looking for.

Wearing an orange and yellow tunic that ended in a slitted skirt, it couldn't be said that the color scheme matched her dark blue hair and azure eyes, but for this woman in her twenties, it worked well enough. Her arms and legs were lightly armored, and those seemed to be the extent of her protective equipment, giving a sense that the woman chose that style to maximize her agility and movement.

The woman, Shakti Varma, was standing outside of a large cage containing a Silverback, a giant silver-furred ape with a metal visor over its eyes. The beast was chained up and gagged, but it was still thrashing in its bonds.

When she heard Ardee's call, Shakti had glanced over, but that was only for a couple of moments before turning back and speaking to the bearded man next to her. Undeterred, Ardee jogged up to her older sister with Kazuma following behind. As they got closer, Kazuma could start making out some of the conversation above the rest of the loud ambient noises.

"...can't be tamed, then we'll need to dispose of it."

"I'll let our young'uns gain some experience." The bearded man glanced at the approaching two. "Leave the rest to me; I'll take care of it. Now, go be with your sister and the stranger."

"Thanks, as always." Shakti nodded her gratitude before stepping away to approach Ardee and Kazuma.

"Big sis!"

"Ardee…" The moment that Ardee got within range, Shakti put her palm against her younger sister's forehead to prevent the younger girl from hugging her. "Why did you bring him here? You know outsiders aren't supposed to be here!"

"It's okay. He's the 'Hero of Justice'!"

"That's not fine at all! You shouldn't be showing him this place." Releasing Ardee, Shakti brought her hand up to rub her temple. "We'll talk about your punishment later. Now, why is he here?"

"Ah! He wants to speak to you about something."

"Something, huh…" Shakti didn't look pleased. "And what is this something about?"

"I don't know. He didn't tell me."

"…" Shakti sighed before turning her gaze to Kazuma. "I assume that you don't want our conversation to be overheard by others?"

Kazuma nodded his head.

"Then we'll be going to my office. Follow me."

With Shakti leading the way, Kazuma and Ardee were led back up the long stairway from the underground back to the first floor. After walking through the hallways that he had previously been led through the first time by the entrance guard, they soon arrived at a section that he had never visited before. From there, they eventually came to a room that was located at the end of that particular hallway.

Shakti ushered the two inside before closing and locking the door. The room itself was utilitarian in design and decor, sporting only a pair of blunted swords on the wall as its sole means of decoration and personality. On the desk were two neat stacks of paper, all pushed to one side, though the stacks themselves were surprisingly smaller than what would be expected of a familia of this size.

Shakti walked over and took a seat behind her desk. Ardee skipped over to stand next to her older sister while Kazuma took a seat on the opposing side of the desk. Once they had all taken their place, she began to speak.

"So what is your business with Ganesha Familia?"

"I want your help dealing with Evilus."

"I see." Shakti nodded. "I assume you need support beyond our normal duties?"

"As much as you can do. Information would be the best for now."

"What can you offer in—"

The sudden sound of hard rattling attracted all of their attention to the door. The doorknob was shaking wildly as if to test its durability. However, after a few moments, it abruptly stopped.

"...as I was saying, what can you offer—"

Loud and rapid knocking interrupted her, enough that her eyes seemed to darken in response. When nobody answered the door, the knocking soon became heavy banging, further causing her face to worsen. After a couple more moments, she slammed her fist down on her desk, causing a resounding bang as well as sending a few sheets falling off from her stack of papers. The knocking on the door immediately quieted down.

"...who is it?"

"I am Ganesha!" The masculine voice, even muffled through the door, announced exactly who it was in a catchphrase that both members of the familia knew all too well.

"Lord Ganesha, we're in a meeting right now. Please come back later."

"I heard that the 'Hero of Justice' is here!"

"He is, but we're negotiating. You can speak to him afterward." Shakti shot Kazuma an apologetic look.

"I'll be back then!"

The occupants of the room listened as the footsteps went away from the door.

"Okay, as I was…" Shakti trailed off when she heard the sound of running from beyond the door. In fact, it was getting closer and louder.

The door busted out in an explosion of wooden shards and dust as an elephant masked god charged through, shoulder first. The three occupants of the room merely stared as the god came to a stop, not even bothering to brush the splinters off his shoulder amidst the cloud of dust that he had caused.

"I'm back!"

"Lord Ganesha…" Shakti rubbed her head. Right beside her, Ardee was laughing uncontrollably.

"'Hero of Justice', I am Ganesha!" The god laughed uproariously. "What are you here for?!"

"Well…" Kazuma slowly began as he stared at the strange god. "I wanted to get help for dealing with Evilus, so—"

"Done!" Ganesha shouted, folding his arms over his chest.

"No…this…" Shakti dropped her head into her hands and sighed heavily. "Ah, forget it... Fine."

"As the god of the people, I cannot allow them to come to harm!"

"Oh!" Kazuma's face brightened up, especially with the prospect of not having to pay anything. "You exude more of a divine demeanor than our resident lazy goddess!"

"Hahahaha, that is because…"

"Because…?" Kazuma prompted.

"I AM GANESHA!"

Ardee just continued laughing uncontrollably while her older sister looked like she was nursing a massive headache. In the middle of his own uproarious laughter, Ganesha suddenly stopped abruptly. He turned his gaze back to Kazuma.

"...wait, which goddess?"

"Nobody important."

~o~

Somewhere in a local bar, Aqua sneezed.

~o~

Kazuma stretched his arms over his head and let out a lazy yawn as he walked out of the Ganesha Familia's home. The meeting with the Ganesha Familia ended up taking a bit longer than he had expected. Funnily enough, just like it had been with Finn, there wasn't much of a negotiation at all. Most of the time was spent chatting with Ganesha who had agreed to help with his Evilus hunt for free.

While he would have liked nothing more than to call it a good day's work and go home to take a nap, he unfortunately still had a few more things to tick off on his checklist for the day.

One of those things was a meeting with Asfi to help her out with her new project and to buy some materials off of her to prepare for the next expedition. Maybe he could smack Hermes on the back of the head too if he ran into him. He still needed to get that damn god back for messing with him with that stupid title. Honestly, before arriving in Orario, he couldn't remember the last time he had been this busy…and these days were pretty much an everyday thing now as well!

Back in Belzerg, he had pretty much taken it easy most of the time. Sure, there were a few crises here and there, but very few of them stretched over this long of a period.

The only times he really did anything besides laze around at home was when they didn't have money or someone screwed up and dragged him into another mess that he needed to clean up. Now that he thought about it, what he did with his days before being isekai'd the first time wasn't much different either—he pretty much spent all his time at home playing video games.

Here in this world though? He was pretty much out and about every single day! Had he finally descended into becoming a respectable member of society—a normie!?

A sudden hand on his shoulder shook him out of his thoughts.

His right hand instinctively went toward the handle of his sword even though his [Enemy Detection] skill hadn't activated. After what happened with Evilus, he wasn't willing to take any more chances. However, when he turned his head and saw who it was that had grabbed his shoulder, he let go of his sword.

Rose Fannett—his handler from the Guild—glared at him with a very irritated look on her face. For a brief moment, he wondered why she was out in the streets instead of at the Guild, but when he saw that she didn't have her usual uniform on, it probably meant that it was her day off. And of course he would randomly run into one of the people he had been actively avoiding in the middle of a random street.

Was his luck stat taking the day off or something?

"H-hey, Rose," Kazuma sheepishly greeted. "Fancy seeing you out here today."

The hand on his shoulder pressed down even harder.

"...you've got a lot of nerve, Kazuma Satou," Rose growled.

For a second, Kazuma was tempted to sneak away with his [Lurk] skill, but with how tight her grip was and how angry she looked, it was probably better if he didn't tick her off even more. She had a pretty valid reason to be annoyed with him, after all; he had been pretty much actively avoiding her and skipping out on all of the meetings that she had arranged beforehand.

The reason for that? He got bored of sitting through all of her lectures.

Those dungeon lectures of her's felt more like detention than a strategy guide with Rose being the teacher and him being the student. At least with a strategy guide, he could stop reading or turn off the video whenever he wanted. And that wasn't even mentioning all the paperwork he had to fill out.

"Ah, yeah, about that." Kazuma scratched the back of his head. "I've been meaning to drop by the Guild when you're around, really! I just hadn't seen you when I did."

"Oh, really?" Rose dryly replied. "Even though I'm there six days a week from morning until the late evening?"

"Yeah, strange, right? Haha…" Kazuma forced a chuckle. "Well, don't let me take up any more of your time on your day off! I'll be sure to stop by tomorrow."

Having said his piece, Kazuma tried to end the conversation and walk away, but Rose pulled him back.

"Oh, no you don't," Rose said as she grabbed his wrist. "We're going to the Guild right now, and we're going to catch up on all those meetings you missed." Without letting him respond, the werewolf woman pulled him along, briskly making her way toward the Guild headquarters.

What the hell was wrong with this crazy woman? Wasn't it supposed to be her day off? What kind of psychopath would willingly work on their day off!? What the hell was wrong with all the red-haired girls around him? Was it something in the water here that just led to crazy redheads?

"You don't have to do that!" Kazuma quickly replied. "I wouldn't want you to have to work on your day off after all. I'll just stop by tomorrow."

That was a lie, of course. What kind of idiot would willingly give himself detention after all?

Rose stopped walking. "...willingly work on their day off, huh?"

For some reason, Kazuma suddenly felt a shiver run down his spine.

"Do you know how many extra hours I had to put in because of you and your familia's complete disregard for common sense?" Rose turned around with a smile that promised nothing but ill intentions. "You're going to at least fill out some of the paperwork I sent you weeks ago, right? You wouldn't want to give me even more work to do, right?"

Scary! Why was she so scary!? She wasn't even an adventurer!

"N-nope, not at all! Lead the way, ma'am!"

"Good."

Rose turned around and started dragging him away once more. There were some whispers among the on-lookers in the crowd as Rose dragged him toward the Guild Headquarters, not to mention the chuckles and giggles he could hear. Still, they weren't that far away from the Guild building so it didn't take long to get there. A few Guild employees gave them strange looks, but a quick glance from Rose shut them up before she all but threw him into her office.

Why did it feel like he was being sent to the principal's office?

Rose grabbed a stack of papers and placed them in front of him along with a pen. He recognized some of those papers since they had the Guild's insignia on them. They had received a bunch of them in the mail a few times after all. He let Aqua have them because she wanted to make some origami, changing them from objects of distress to works of art. A fair trade-off, in his opinion.

"Most of this is for the magic contest that Megumin participated in a while back," Rose explained as she took a seat across the table from him. "The other forms are for the joint expedition that you've decided to participate in with Loki Familia."

Kazuma raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"How do you know about that?"

"Finn already filled out his own paperwork and submitted it to us," Rose replied before she folded her hands over the table and narrowed her eyes. "...is there a reason that you ignored all of the advice that I gave you?"

"Did I?" Kazuma feigned ignorance as he pretended to read the paperwork so he didn't have to see Rose's scary glare. "I don't know what you mean."

"Kazuma. How long have you been in Orario?"

"Uh… Around half a year?"

"And what level are you?"

"Two…?"

"So tell me, what made you think it was a good idea to join an expedition into the deep floors?" Rose asked. "The floors that the Loki Familia plan on exploring are dangerous even for first-class adventurers."

He had to admit, she did have a point. However, he still wanted to have the Loki Familia as a card in his hand to deal with Evilus.

"Why did you even agree to participate in this expedition, Kazuma?" Rose exasperatedly asked. "I know it's not for the money. Are you really that desperate for strength?"

"Nah, it's nothing like that," he replied. "I made a deal with Finn. The Loki Familia will help me hunt down Evilus if I join their expedition."

Rose just stared at him for a moment before she let out a sigh. "...Kazuma, what do you know about Finn?"

"Uh…he's the captain of the Loki Familia?" Kazuma answered. He wasn't really sure what she was asking, if he was to be honest. "And he's a pallum?"

"...you're still new to the city, so I guess you wouldn't know," Rose replied. "Finn would have agreed to help with Evilus even without you agreeing to join their expedition."

Kazuma blinked. "Eh?"

"He fancies himself a hero," Rose dryly explained. "Someone like him wouldn't hesitate for the chance to add another feather to his cap."

"..."

He really did get scammed!

~o~

After god knows how many hours of filling out paperwork and being subjected to Rose's dungeon primers, Kazuma was finally a free man. It had taken so long that the sun had already begun to set, and it was starting to get dark out. The feeling of finally getting released from that torture was equivalent to escaping a classroom and finally commencing the activities of the go-home club.

As he made his way down the street toward Asfi's workshop, he couldn't help but think about shelving the whole meeting until tomorrow. It was getting late so maybe it would be better to just call it a day and head home. Since he was busy contemplating, he didn't notice someone walking up behind him and putting their gloved hand onto his shoulder until it was too late.

"Satou Kazuma." It was a familiar, feminine voice that spoke. "May I have a word with you?"

The immediate thought that entered his mind was: not this again. With a sigh, he turned around and saw a hooded figure wearing a lower face covering. He recognized her, though; it was that elven girl from the Astraea Familia who sometimes followed Alise around. She had dropped by a few times during his training sessions to watch, though she rarely spoke.

What was her name again? Something with an animal, right?

"Uh… Shuu Tiger, right?"

"It's Ryuu Lion!" The girl heatedly replied.

"Ah, yeah, right," Kazuma said dismissively. At least, outwardly. Inwardly, he was preparing to run. "So…what did you need me for?"

While the hand gripping him would be a detriment to escaping, it wasn't something that he couldn't slip out of, high-leveled adventurer or not. Then again, she was part of Alise's justice crew so she probably had a good reason for wanting to speak with him.

They didn't seem like the type to waste his time with something stupid.

"Let's take this somewhere private."

"...what's this about?"

"I'll tell you when we are in private," she repeated. "It's important."

Kazuma nodded. Since there were very few things that they had in common, it was most likely related to Evilus. That wasn't something that could be discussed out in the open, especially since anybody could be an informant for Evilus.

Only after his nod did Ryuu finally release her grip on his shoulder.

"Follow me."

The masked adventurer led him into a nearby alleyway. It was dank and narrow, lacking space for even sunlight to get through. Not only that, but the smell was just as fierce, as if urine had been poured onto the cobblestone recently.

Actually, that was exactly what it was. Kazuma took a step away from the stale yellow puddle.

"Here?" When Ryuu nodded, Kazuma stared at her in disbelief. "There are open windows, and these walls are really thin. I can even hear people talking through them."

"It's fine for our purposes," she said, though she looked a bit uncomfortable.

"Is this really fine?" Kazuma glanced at one of the windows where a blushing little girl could be seen peeking at them.

"...maybe not," Ryuu murmured. "Wait. I remember seeing a place nearby that we can use. Come with me."

Kazuma followed after her as she made her way through a maze of alleyways. It was pretty impressive how she seemed to know where every back alleyway led. Then again, she was a member of the Astraea Familia, so they probably patrolled around here often enough. Eventually, they both stopped in front of a small fancy-looking building with a sign that labeled it as a hotel.

The lobby welcomed them with a soft ambient glow while the walls were draped in luxurious velvet curtains that muted the outside world. A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, casting delicate patterns of light across the floor. The air was scented with a delicate blend of lavender and vanilla, creating an atmosphere that whispered of romance and discretion.

The receptionist at the desk greeted them with a warm smile.

"Welcome! Will it be a room for two?"

~o~

"Are you sure about this…?" Kazuma asked apprehensively.

"This is charged by the hour," Ryuu simply stated, as if that explained everything.

"That's not what I'm talking about…"

"I know it's odd, but it's cheaper than paying for the whole night like in most other places."

"The issue isn't about money…"

"If it's about time, then that isn't a concern either. This won't take more than an hour."

Kazuma couldn't help but wince in response.

"I really want to refute that, but this is the first time for me."

The room that the two were in consisted of a queen-sized bed and a connecting bathroom. However, everything about the room from the fluffy heart-shaped pillows to the aesthetically pleasing eastern decor of the nearby furniture and wallpaper screamed that it was a room in a love hotel. On the bedside table, he spotted a thin square package that was instantly familiar to him, though he didn't know that it was already being sold. In fact, he would probably ask Asfi about that later.

Kazuma started blushing, his nervousness reaching its peak.

First, it was Riveria's crush on him, and now it was an elven acquaintance whom he barely knew. Was he exuding elven pheromones or something?

More importantly, was today the day he would finally graduate?

Sure, there were some close calls before, but in the end, those had been just teases at his own expense. But now…

Now, it was really happening.

"We…" Kazuma began, licking his dry lips. "We should take a shower first."

"Hm?" Ryuu looked curiously at him. "Why?"

"Well, I mean, I guess it's okay without it. I just thought you'd like it better that way."

"I don't see how that's relevant to this matter."

"I'm fine either way!"

"Then let's sit down first."

They both sat down on the bed, unsure of how to start. As they both sat together in silence, Kazuma couldn't help but begin to get cold feet. Was he really going to do this? When the silence became uncomfortable, they both opened their mouths at the same time.

"Maybe we should wait until we get to know each other first." "What's your relationship with Alise?"

They stared at each other in confusion.

"Hah?" "Hm?"

Ryuu was the first to recover.

"Wait?" The masked elven adventurer narrowed her eyes. "No, I won't. This may be beyond the scope of what I should be asking, but what are your intentions with Alise?"

Kazuma blinked. Did he misunderstand something here?

"...she's my part-time teacher?"

"Is that really all?"

"Yeah…?"

Ryuu narrowed her eyes in response.

"You truly have no ulterior motives?"

"Uh… No?"

"...I find that hard to believe for a womanizer like yourself."

Womanizer? He didn't even have a girlfriend! In fact, he hadn't even graduated from virginity yet!

Ryuu moved her head until their eyes were mere inches apart and stared directly at him, as if trying to peer into his very soul. Kazuma couldn't help but feel his cheeks turn red in response. After a brief moment, he looked away. He wasn't high-level enough yet to maintain eye contact with a beautiful girl when she was staring at him so passionately!

"I knew it!" Ryuu narrowed her eyes. "You are hiding something!"

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Look me in the eyes and say that then!" Ryuu ordered as she grabbed his face and turned it toward her once again.

Maybe he hadn't misunderstood, but why the hell was this girl so aggressive!? Was she just jealous or something? Wait, was she actually a yandere? He paled at the thought.

Nope, nope, nope. He already had enough crazy women in his life. He knew he should have just called it a day and went home after the whole Rose fiasco. Nothing good ever came from putting in extra work!

Kazuma slapped Ryuu's hand aside, pulling his face free from her grasp. The moment that he did so, he rolled backward over the bed to gain some distance.

"Teleport!"

~o~

"Wow…"

In a dank alleyway, a certain pink-haired pallum stood in the shadows. However, her eyes were glued to a certain love hotel across the road.

"Kaguya is gonna love this."

~o~

Authors' Notes:

Special FX: Kazuma remembered the old saying to not stick it in crazy. (Kidding, don't kill me Ryuu stans)

Icura: Kazuma testifying in court would be like, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman."