I had planned for this dungeon visit to last anywhere from five to ten days. Since I wasn’t sure what to expect at the Eastern Dungeon, I’d blocked off a generous amount of time, but as it turned out, I was back after only two nights and three days.
Alfred, whom I’d left in charge, looked a little disappointed. Sorry, son. The same went for Red Armor and White Armor; they’d both been so fired up for their guard duties.
"Haha, there, there," I said, giving the spiders a pat.
Kuro and Yuki were as steady as ever, though they were sticking a bit closer to me than usual.
Then there was the Orthros, Ol. He was barking at me. I wondered for a moment if he’d actually forgotten who I was. Ah, it looked like he just remembered. He came trotting over, wagging both tails. I wanted to pet him, but I felt a bit hesitant after being barked at. Then again, it would be awkward to just ignore him.
"There, there..."
The moment I reached out, Ol bolted toward Guronde.
...
I chased him down, caught him, and petted him anyway.
"Guronde, sorry if I startled you," I said.
I also expressed my deep gratitude to Reginleiv and Suarlou, who had accompanied us as escorts. They had been on high alert the entire time, and I wanted them to get some proper rest. When I mentioned giving them Reward Medals at dinner, however, they turned me down.
"We aren't of much use on a daily basis," Reginleiv said.
"Exactly," Suarlou added. "We cannot accept Reward Medals for a task of that level."
I didn’t think that was true at all, but there was no point in forcing a reward on them if it only made them uncomfortable. I gave up on the direct approach and decided to leave the medals with Tia instead. I’d let her handle the logistics of rewarding them.
Elsewhere, Galf was teaching something to Gol and Sil. It was a rare sight; usually, Bron was part of that group.
Wait. On second thought, were Gol and Sil the ones teaching Galf?
I tried to get closer to see what they were doing, but they all had such strangely serious expressions that I decided against it. There was an unapproachable atmosphere around them. Even the High Elves and High Ogre Maids were standing back, watching the three of them with focused eyes. I wondered what was going on. Well, if it concerned me, I was sure they’d bring it up later. For now, I stayed away.
Back in my room, Raigiel and Jewel were curled up together on the bed. My room was the most comfortable place in the mansion, so I couldn't blame them.
"Oop, don't mind me. You don't have to get up," I told them. "I just came to change my clothes."
Then I noticed something else. "Oh? You're here too, Sake Slime? You're energetic even in the dead of winter."
...Wait.
I opened the hidden cupboard in my room to check the contents. Before I’d left, the sake barrel inside had been about eighty percent full. Now, there was less than thirty percent left.
"It was you, wasn't it?"
The slime wobbled. Well, I had to give it credit for being honest and admitting it.
"But you can't just drink without permission. What if it wasn't even sake?"
The slime seemed to suggest it could tell the difference just by looking. It sounded just like the Dwarves.
"Maybe you can tell, but still, no stealing. If you do it again, I'm telling Ann."
The Sake Slime looked properly contrite as it wobbled out of the room. Raigiel watched it go, then looked at me as if to say I was being far too soft.
Yeah, maybe I was. But there was a reason for my leniency. At the back of that hidden cupboard was another secret door, and behind that door was the truly delicious sake I’d received from the Dwarves. As long as that stash was safe, I didn't mind a little thievery from the main barrel.
I explained as much to Raigiel, but his expression didn't change.
...No way.
I reached into the cupboard and opened the second secret door. The barrel was there, right where I’d left it. But when I moved it, it felt incredibly light.
............
I told on him to Ann.
"I understand what the Sake Slime has done," Ann said, her voice dangerously calm. "Setting that aside, we consider managing the Village Head’s health—and his alcohol intake—part of our duties. It’s disheartening to realize we still aren’t trusted enough for transparency."
"I'm sorry."
I tried to argue that a secret stash of sake was part of a man's romance. I spoke quite passionately about it, in fact. It was not well-received. How disappointing.
Lu seemed busy with one thing or another, as did Flora. I decided I would catch up on everything that happened during my absence at dinner.
By the way, the other women in the house seemed to be in a frantic rush about something. I asked what was going on, but they told me it was a secret. Apparently, they weren't doing anything bad, and since I trusted them, I told them to just let me know when they were ready to talk.
Before dinner, I called for Urza, Alfred, and Tiselle. I’d made a promise, after all. I told them about the plan to head to the Coastal Dungeon. Originally, those three were the only children who had asked to go, but I had a concern.
"I have to be blunt," I said. "Is it really okay to leave Isree behind? She's Urza's Friend, isn't she? I feel bad inviting her here and then just leaving her alone. I also thought she might be lonely in a village without Urza around, but..."
"We can't let her do anything dangerous," Urza replied firmly.
"Well, I suppose that’s true. We are challenging a dungeon, after all." I looked at the three of them. "Does that mean you'll apply that same logic to yourselves and give up on going?"
None of them looked away. They were determined.
"Hm?"
I turned to see Ann standing in the doorway. "Is it dinner time?" I asked.
"How about you apply that logic to yourself as well, Village Head, and give up on going?" she countered.
...
"I-it seems to be a dungeon that Progenitor-san was involved with," I stammered. "He’ll be coming with us, so it should be perfectly safe. I’ve also arranged for the Demon King to send over several veteran adventurers. I won't be charging in at the front, I promise. We’ll have safety layered upon safety, and we’ll withdraw the second things look even slightly dangerous..."
I spent the time leading up to dinner giving Ann a thorough presentation on our safety protocols for the Coastal Dungeon expedition.
I’d like to believe I finally gained her understanding.