The months that followed were spent in grueling daily training with Vampire Eudite.
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Skill Points have been consumed.
Conditions for Level Up have been met.
The Skill <Swordsmanship> has leveled up.
Swordsmanship Lv2 ▶ Swordsmanship Lv3
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My Skill Points had accumulated steadily until my Swordsmanship finally reached Lv3.
"At this rate, the day we escape this Dungeon together may be closer than I thought."
Lately, Vampire Eudite had begun to say such things more often.
"I’ll make sure of it. Once I’m strong enough, I’ll take you to the surface, Lady Eudite."
"Heh, you’ve certainly grown bold with your words, haven’t you?"
Eudite let out a playful laugh.
Perhaps it was because of the months we’d spent together, but our bond had deepened significantly.
"Well then, I’ll handle the monster dismantling again today."
I shrank Puppeteer down to the size of a small knife and set to work. Dismantling, once an arduous chore, was now second nature to me.
"I feel bad always leaving the butchering to you."
"Please, don't. I am your apprentice, Lady Eudite. I should at least do this much."
"Is that so? In that case, I shall head back to the hideout ahead of you."
"Understood."
Eudite headed back toward the hideout alone.
By now, I knew the internal structure of this dungeon layer like the back of my hand, so I had no trouble finding my way back to our base.
"That should do it," I muttered to myself once the task was finished.
I carefully drained the blood for Lady Eudite into a specialized pod. Then, carrying the meat and the container of blood, I made my way back to the hideout.
"Oh, you’re back early."
When I stepped inside, I found Lady Eudite standing there, completely nude.
Nude—as in, entirely naked.
She must have been in the middle of changing, as she was holding what looked like a bedsheet in her hands.
Her skin was a translucent white, her breasts full and shapely, and her long hair was as silky as thread. Every feature, down to her sharp red eyes, was so perfectly proportioned that she looked less like a person and more like a masterful work of art.
I stood there for several seconds, utterly captivated by her naked form.
Then, the realization of my transgression hit me.
"S-Sorry!"
Panicked, I rushed back outside the hideout to get her out of my sight.
"Kiska!"
When Lady Eudite called my name, a flash of dread washed over me, fearing she was about to be furious.
"You really do have the most amusing reactions."
Contrary to my fears, she sounded delighted. She wore a mischievous grin, as if she had just witnessed something particularly entertaining.
"Please, give me a break..."
All I could do was offer a pained plea. This only seemed to make it funnier to her, and she let out a soft, melodic giggle.
"Lady Eudite, I’m going to sleep now."
There was only one bed in the hideout. Because of that, our routine was to sleep in separate hideouts, each using our own bed.
"Say, Kiska. Why don't we sleep together tonight?"
When she said that, I honestly doubted my own hearing.
"Um... what brought this on?"
"There is no particular reason. I simply feel like it."
"If there’s no reason, then I’ll just sleep in the other hideout like usual..."
"Kiska, you’re being quite difficult tonight."
She pouted. Honestly, it was a low blow. Not only was she incredibly cute, but the look on her face made me feel as though I’d be haunted by guilt for the rest of my life if I refused.
"Fine, I understand. We’ll sleep together tonight."
It was just sleeping, after all. There was nothing inherently shameful about sharing a bed. Telling myself that, I lay down beside her.
"The day we first met feels like a lifetime ago," she whispered.
"It does..."
When we first met, I saw Vampire Eudite as nothing but a terrifying monster. It felt surreal to be lying right next to her now.
"Lady Eudite, you were actually trying to kill me back then, weren't you?"
"Oh? You noticed?"
She probably thought I’d read her mind, but I only knew because I’d actually been killed by her more times than I could count.
"You must forgive me. Every human I have ever encountered tried to kill me the moment they saw me. I was simply on my guard."
"I don't hold it against you."
She had killed me repeatedly, but I was only who I was now because of her. I felt gratitude, not resentment. Though, looking back, I couldn't help but feel she had enjoyed the killing a bit too much for someone who was just "on guard."
"It is a relief to hear you say that."
"...I see."
"Hey, Kiska."
She turned to meet my gaze and placed a hand on my cheek. I felt myself being drawn into those magnificent, translucent eyes. She was breathtakingly beautiful.
"What did you think when you saw me naked?"
She broke into a wide, teasing grin. I knew immediately that I was being played with.
"What did I think? Well..."
"You can be honest with me."
"I... I thought you were beautiful."
"And...?"
"I thought you were lovely."
"And...?"
"Um, I thought you were cute."
"Surely there’s more than that?"
"I thought you were... sexy, I guess..."
"You really are a pervert," she whispered into my ear.
I could feel my face burning a deep crimson. Why did I have to be subjected to this kind of humiliation?
"Please, stop teasing me."
"Oh, my apologies."
She laughed again, the sound like the ringing of silver bells.
"Say, if I told you I would show you one more time, what would you do?"
"Show me what...?"
"Well, that’s obvious, isn't it?"
After a brief, meaningful pause, she spoke slowly.
"My naked body, of course."
In that moment, I instinctively understood that it was going to be a very long night.