Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? On the Side: Sword Oratoria, Vol. 8
Riveria threw an apologetic look at the girl in question—the very-much-alive Lena standing next to her—as Bete continued to flounder in silence.
“All of us, too. We only knew about it after we’d already taken care of everything,” Tiona added.
“As did I. Riveria was operating on her own with this one. And trust me, she gave me quite the earful after hearing I’d left it up to you to…resolve things,” Finn explained, his own voice remorseful.
Bete’s gaze, meanwhile, had yet to leave the grinning girl in front of him.
“I’m so sorry for making you sad, Bete Loga! Though, you know? Hearing that you were all down in the dumps ’cause of little old me? Made my heart skip, you know! I musta made a pretty deep impression on you! You just didn’t know how to express it, yeah?” she said with a smile, inching closer and closer to Bete, almost like a cat.
Bete lowered his gaze before shooting his hand out, letting it drop on Lena’s head.
“Wh-wh-what are you doing? We’re not gonna hug right now, are we? In front of everyone?! Bete Loga, you’re so bold!” Lena tittered gleefully.
Suddenly, Bete’s leg came flying upward.
KER-PHWOMP!!
“Guuwaaaagh?!”
His knee made direct contact with her abdomen.
The impact drew a curious squawking noise from Lena as her body curled in on itself.
And he didn’t stop there, either. KER-PHWOMP!! KER-PHWOMP!!
His knee kept coming. A rapid-fire barrage of knees to the gut that made Lena’s orange-pearl eyes practically bulge out of her head.
“M-Mister Bete?!”
“You’re gonna kill her, you idiot!”
“You think I care?! I’M GONNA MURDER HERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!” Bete roared, completely disregarding the surprised yelps from Lefiya and Tione.
His rage was unstoppable, entirely incomparable with his earlier anger, as he lit into the young Amazon. Not even Tione, frantically trying to pull them apart, could stop him. It finally took the entire familia, Raul and the others flying on him en masse, to bring the enraged werewolf, capable even of fighting off a first-tier adventurer, to a halt.
As the grand brawl ensued, Tiona darted in to pull the collapsed Lena out of the fray.
“H-hey! Are you okay?! You still with us—?”
“He-he-he…he-he-he-he-he-he-he…! My stomach…has been blessed again…I’ll definitely get pregnant now…!” Lena laughed, an almost euphoric smile on her face as drool leaked down her chin.
Th-the hell is wrong with this chick?! Tiona drew back with a start.
Meanwhile, Aiz and Loki, now completely forgotten, could only stare in blank disbelief at the chaotic situation in front of them. It didn’t take long for Loki to burst out in laughter, doubled over with her arms to her stomach. This was enough to draw in even Aiz, who brought her hand to her mouth with a giggle of her own.
Finn, Riveria, and Gareth looked on in shock at seeing the swordswoman laugh for what must have been the first time.
Was it because there was something funny about the way the red-faced wolf was howling in anger?
Or was it because there was something cute about the desperately apologizing girl darting in and out as she avoided the wolf’s fist?
Or was it because there was something absolutely ridiculous about the way her companions were flailing in panic, trying to put a stop to the melee?
Or was it simply because she was so, so happy at the wild scene taking place before her eyes?
“D-don’t be mad, Bete Loga! I’m suuuuper embarrassed at the whole thing, too, you know? But still, I can’t deny that it makes me really happy!”
“You think I care, damn cow?!”
“I’m just ecstatic that I get to see you again!”
Bete’s hand shot out in an attempt to grab her, his face completely red.
Lena, meanwhile, simply smiled, her eyes closed as tears dribbled down her cheeks.
On and on their voices continued, the wolf’s howls of anger mingling with the delighted laughter of the Amazonian girl.