CHAPTER 4

The Long and Busy Night

Part I: Refreshing Heaven

There were quite a few popular restaurants in the area around the Upper Guild in District Seven. But as far as I could see, there was only one Chinese restaurant, and it had a line out front for people who hadn’t made a reservation. REFRESHING HEAVEN—that was the restaurant’s name on the sign. Four Seasons was waiting outside just below that sign, and they started walking our way when they saw us.

“Ah, Teacher! You made it in time—we’ve still got a bit longer until our reservation.” They must have gone back home for a bit, because they’d all changed. Ibuki was wearing denim shorts and a weird shirt with kanji on it. Misaki cracked up at the sight of it and turned the other way, her shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter.

“See, they’re all laughing at it… You’re embarrassing us,” said Kaede.

“Th-that’s not true—Arihito isn’t laughing,” said Ibuki. “Besides, you’re the one who didn’t even bother spending enough time putting on makeup.”

“Wh-what are you talking about? We’re just eating. This is a perfectly normal amount to wear for that.”

“…I feel like Ryouko was rushed, too, but it’s best not to talk about that,” said Anna. Ryouko had been wearing her bathing suit before, so maybe she needed to hurry more than the other members. Her usual outfit of a boa coat over a bikini really did stand out too much. Now she was wearing a cardigan over a camisole with a skirt. It was actually quite normal. Even so, not many people in the Labyrinth Country dressed like that, so it was quite refreshing to see. People usually wore their regular gear when walking around.

“I see you put on the clothes you bought from the boutique before. That store did have a lot of nice things,” said Igarashi.

“Yeah, it’s one of the more popular shops in this area. It has more variety than the stores in District Eight. We were all amazed the first time we went,” said Ryouko.

“Sooo… Ibuki, where did you get that T-shirt with the kanji for sincerity on it? Just for my own reference,” chimed in Misaki. Anna was wearing one that said genuine in kanji. The store must have been selling those designs because they looked so cool. Ibuki and Anna had pretty good taste for buying them. I wasn’t against an odd T-shirt. My friends probably wouldn’t even look at me funny if I just wore it to sleep.

“There’s a stall that sells clothes near the Middle Guild. Anna and I bought them because we thought they were cute. Are you going to buy one, too, Misaki?”

“Uh, hmmm. Well, I do like a retro look like that, but I personally think, based on what’s in fashion this season, that a simple, casual look is better.”

“I’d love to buy something like that if any place sold it…,” said Elitia.

“As long as you have the materials, you can have something custom-made. You’d be able to have a look like the one Misaki described,” said Igarashi. They both had their own preferences for clothing. I wasn’t too worried about what I wore, but when I considered how the others must feel, I realized they’d probably be happy to wear clothes they liked.

“Kaede isn’t into rough appearances like this,” explained Anna. “She likes soft and cute things. She might be really tough while she’s fighting, but she’s actually a bit of a girlie girl.”

“Urgh… I-it’s not girlie—just normal! It’s not like I wore something I wouldn’t normally just ’cause Arihito is here.”

“Sorry about all these chatty girls, Atobe… No point standing around here talking. Should we go into the restaurant now? You first,” said Ryouko.

“Yes, let’s go. Thank you.”

The rest of the party continued to talk with Four Seasons while we went in. We weaved our way through the outdoor seating and entered the restaurant. As we did—

“Ugh, it’s them again: Beyond Liberty. Going around acting all important.”

“They probably rented out the big room. Must be nice getting to be one of their big bad leaders, getting to drink while surrounded by women.”

—some of the people waiting in line to get in—a young man who looked like some sort of warrior-type job and his companions—were standing by the entrance slinging insults. Apparently, we would be sharing the restaurant with the alliance that Gray was a member of. They probably wouldn’t pick a fight since their karma would go up, but I did prepare myself for the possibility.

“Their leader, Roland, wasn’t always like that, you know. People change a lot when they fall in rank.”

“And that’s probably why he got so greedy. If Beyond Liberty keeps increasing their membership like this, they’ll have control over everyone in District Seven for a long time to come.”

“Um, Daniella treated me in the labyrinth once, so I’d rather not say anything bad about them.”

“C’mon, Kasha… So you’re sayin’ an invite from the leaders of the Alliance wouldn’t be all that bad—”

“Don’t be stupid. I wouldn’t accept an invitation from a womanizer like that even if hell froze over. I’d punch him in the face if my karma wouldn’t go up.” What had Gray done to try and entice this woman named Kasha to join the Alliance? Four Seasons’s members all looked unhappy.

It was about that time when one of the restaurant staff noticed we’d come in. She rushed over to us, looking apologetic.

“I am very sorry—we are currently booked full. We won’t have any more tables for another hour…”

“Oh, actually… I’m Atobe; I have a reservation for a guard-dog-friendly room.”

“My apologies for the misunderstanding. Atobe, was it? One pet-friendly room for thirteen. This way, please.” She was wearing a uniform that resembled a cheongsam, perhaps to match the atmosphere of the restaurant. She led us to one of the private rooms with a single, large, round table inside, and we took our seats.

“Can I get you any drinks to start with?”

“That would be great. By the way… The room next door seems to be having quite the time.”

“Yes, a large number of customers have booked up two of our rooms.” Of all places, we had to be in the room next to them, though it was most likely because we were also a large party. It made sense that the large rooms were next to one another.

“Are you guys okay with this restaurant?” I asked Four Seasons.

“Thank you for your concern, Atobe…but we’re fine,” replied Ryouko.

“Yeah, we don’t come to fancy restaurants like this too often,” said Kaede. “It’d be a waste to let them get to us and leave now. Thanks for booking us a private room, Madoka.”

“This was apparently the only room that could fit more than ten people. I only managed to get the reservation because Arihito suggested I book ahead of time.”

“Atobe, you were always so busy at work but still managed to organize work parties…,” said Igarashi.

“…Arihito, you’re surprisingly social. I’ve never made a reservation like this even once…”

“No, it’s not a big deal. We can easily contact any restaurants that are members of the Merchants Guild.”

Despite my explanation, they all seemed impressed for some reason that I’d organized work parties in the past. People usually ended up doing that just because they were the kind of employee whose bosses could get them to do it… That was who I was as Igarashi’s assistant, so it was really just my job.

“Arihito, they have this ‘Refreshing Heaven House Shaoxing Wine.’ It says you can order it on the rocks or mixed with water. What’s on the rocks mean?” asked Misaki.

“That’s for people who can handle their liquor. It’s probably strong enough to make your throat burn… I’m fine with an oolong tea.”

“This wheat alcohol here is beer, right? I wonder if ‘Cool Breeze Beer’ is the name of the brand,” said Igarashi.

“It says here that it increases your resistance to attacks with the Wind attribute for a set period of time. I guess that’s why it’s a little more expensive than normal beer.” We noticed the note at the bottom of the menu when Suzuna pointed it out. It said a number of their drinks had additional effects. It didn’t seem like they’d make a massive difference when it came to seeking, since it was just a beverage; it was only a bonus.

“Arihito, you sure you wanna drink? You don’t have to worry about us. Go on, driiink!” Igarashi and Ryouko started fidgeting in response to Misaki’s urgings. They must’ve wanted to order something.

“You two don’t have to hold back for me. I’m going to make sure everyone gets home safe, so I’ll just have tea…,” I said. “Eh, actually, just one drink shouldn’t be a problem. All right, I’ll have one of these Cool Breeze Beers.”

“S-sorry, looks like we forced you into it. Can I have the same thing?” asked Igarashi.

“All right, I’ll also have a Cool Breeze Beer. I’ve had one once before. It was so refreshing. I’m pretty sure there’s nothing better to have after a hard day in the labyrinths…” Ryouko seemed quite fond of alcohol, because she put her hands to her cheeks in excitement. I wouldn’t say I loved beer, but I would have one every once in a while after getting home from work.

Another interesting thing on the menu was the “Treant Apple Juice.” Everyone ordered the drinks they wanted, along with some “Armored Goat’s Milk” for Cion, which most likely came from some sort of goat monster.

We chatted among ourselves for a little while, but then we heard some boisterous voices from the hallway. We might not have been on friendly terms with Beyond Liberty to begin with, but I still couldn’t help getting annoyed by them.

“I’m sorry I’m late!” Louisa had finally arrived.

“It’s all right, Louisa. You made it just in time. Would you like to order a drink?” I asked.

“Atobe said he’d have one drink with us, so we each got a beer,” said Igarashi. “Will you have one, too?”

“Oh, if you insist… May I place an order, please?” Louisa called over the waitress, who then listed the drinks they had available. Both Igarashi and I were wide-eyed with shock when Louisa didn’t hesitate a moment before ordering a Refreshing Heaven House Shaoxing Wine, on the rocks.

We clinked our glasses together in a toast and continued to talk for a bit while we drank and chose our food.

“Whoa… ‘Hellfire Noodles’? Sounds dangerous,” I said.

“…I like spicy food. I’ll order some,” said Melissa.

“A-are you sure? I think this ‘Noodles with Tender Dairy Cow Brisket’ is a better choice…”

“Were you thinking of ordering that, too? The food descriptions make everything sound nice,” said Igarashi, before ordering what Madoka had just suggested—not that it meant anything for her to order breast meat. If Ryouko and Louisa ordered that dish and I’d reacted the same way, they’d have all thought I was totally worthless.

“It’s written with the Chinese characters for supple and milk… So milk that makes the body supple?”

“O-oh, I see… So it’s tender. That’s what I thought,” I stammered.

“What’s wrong, Atobe?” asked Igarashi. “Your face is turning all red—are you hot? There’s no way the alcohol’s getting to you already. Do you want some water to drink?”

“S-sorry, I don’t get this drunk normally.”

“Alcohol can affect you differently depending on your condition. You just need to be careful,” cautioned Elitia. I wasn’t actually drunk, but I took the water Elitia offered me. It had some sort of herb in it, because it was quite refreshing. My mouth felt cleansed. Must’ve been something like lemongrass.

“…Wh-what’s up? Why are you both staring at me?” I asked Kaede and Ibuki.

“O-oh… I was just thinking how this all felt really comfortable. It’s so natural how Kyouka takes care of you.”

“So… You and Kyouka really are dating, aren’t you…?”

“Uh… N-no, we’re not. We worked at the same company before we reincarnated, so we’ve known each other for a long time…”

“So you were able to build a good, trusting relationship at your company before you reincarnated,” said Anna.

“Uh… Th-the thing is…I wasn’t exactly the best manager…,” murmured Igarashi. Everyone else would start to suspect me if I tried to help her now, and it’d just turn into an infinite loop. I instead decided to just change the subject.

“Have you guys decided what you’re ordering?”

“Oh, y-yes. I’m going to have this ‘Sea Hummingbird’s Nest Soup.’ And this ‘Drunken Mud Shrimp’…is that like normal drunken shrimp? I’d like to try that as well.”

“Me too. About this ‘Rising Dragon’s Treasure’… You read the kanji as xiaolongbao, right?”

“The description says they’re dumplings filled with meat and soup, so that must be what they are. I’ll have that and…”

Four Seasons went about ordering their food. Elitia also seemed interested in the xiaolongbao buns, so she asked Suzuna and Misaki if they’d like to split an order.

I let Theresia, who was sitting next to me, look at the menu and had her choose what she wanted.

“……”

“You’re gonna get the same thing as me? I’m not sure that’ll be enough for you. I think you should get two more small dishes.”

Theresia nodded. She chose salted fried noodles with vegetables and rib meat, and roast Sweet Bird. The latter seemed to be eaten a lot like Peking duck based on the menu’s illustration.

There was a rice-based menu as well, so everyone was able to pick something they wanted. Next was just to wait and see what it all would taste like.

Originally, soy sauce and other seasonings we were familiar with practically didn’t exist in the Labyrinth Country, but they’d been replicated to a certain degree after a lot of research from the reincarnates who came before us. When I said to a certain degree, what I meant was there were problems with perfectly replicating it. The soy sauce in District Seven didn’t match the flavor and intensity of the soy sauce in our memories. The ingredients in the food were slightly different in their flavors and aroma, but we all still enjoyed the food a lot.

Melissa was swallowing her Hellfire Noodles like they weren’t spicy at all, leaving the rest of us dumbfounded. Misaki took one bite and almost passed out in agony, so it definitely was spicy. I ordered some mixed fried rice and “mala power noodles,” a dish that was similar to ramen. The broth tasted like it was made with pork bone, but the stock was made from monster bones and meat, which was why it had the additional effect of slightly increasing your strength.

Theresia sat next to me eating quietly, her appetite making me smile like always. She’d occasionally stop to wipe her mouth and take a drink. She was like a competitive eater, bringing more food to her mouth even after she’d eaten more than anyone else in the party could manage.

“…Mm…”

It wasn’t proper manners to watch people while they ate, but eating was the only time that Theresia made a sound that wasn’t quite a voice. I found myself fascinated by it.

“Theresia, you are in top eating form…,” said Misaki.

“It’s all turned into energy. She must have a great metabolism,” said Elitia.

“I’m so jealous! It’s so nice being young… My girls here are still growing, so they can eat all the sweets they want.”

“Ryouko, you’re making it hard for me to order anything when you say that…,” said Kaede.

“So you’re not gonna order dessert? They have fried red-bean-stuffed sesame mochi,” said Ibuki.

“I can’t eat any more… My tum-tum’s gonna burst.”

“Uh, Anna…? What did you just say? Tum-tum?”

“…I’m full.”

I’d definitely heard Anna as well. She always seemed so cool and reserved, but she had her playful side. Though, she blushed slightly in embarrassment when her choice of words was pointed out. Actually, Anna wasn’t the only one with a red face. The air in here seemed to be affecting everyone except Melissa. The most delicate way I could put it was that it smelled like alcohol. There was some alcohol used in the cooking, but that wasn’t enough to account for it.

“…Mr. Atobe… Can I jusht have…one more?”

“L-Louisa, are you all right? I think you’re pretty tipsy.”

“I’m fiiiine, I jusht…love alcohol, ish so nice. I’m n-not drunk.”

I’m pretty sure you’d actually call this smashed. Louisa had been drinking the strong stuff, and apparently, too many too quickly.

“…I’m hot… Aren’t you hot? Ish so hot in here…”

“Uh… D-don’t do that, Louisa. Calm down—you can’t take that off in here… Ah, Atobe, do you mind going out in the hall for a minute? We’ll call you back when it’s safe.”

“S-sure…!”

This did happen sometimes when people went out drinking…maybe. It’d never actually happened to me before I got reincarnated. It might be best to serve Louisa only an appropriate amount of alcohol in the future.

Part II: The Alliance’s Internal Affairs

Someone once said you can drink, but you shouldn’t let the drink swallow you up. It was a good adage. Things would go downhill very fast if Louisa took off even some of the clothes that already barely managed to contain her large breasts, so it was a good call on Igarashi’s part to have me leave and let her handle it. I wasn’t upset by it, but I did feel a little sad to be away from the fun of the party. I guess I was adapting pretty well to the situation.

I wouldn’t say I hated the company parties we had, but there was more I needed to be careful about… I still need to be aware of things here, but it’s easier now.

I didn’t want to just stand outside the door and decided it’d be nice to get a bit of fresh air. I walked down the hallway and found an entrance to a courtyard. Apparently, you could eat out there and enjoy the scenery. I wandered that way and noticed something. There were some people just outside in the garden talking. It sounded like two men.

“How much longer until Roland can take the advancement test?”

“He should make the required total contribution points after his next expedition. There’s no other Seeker who’s made this much just by hunting crabs.”

It wasn’t right to stand and eavesdrop, but it was a valuable opportunity to get some inside information on Beyond Liberty. I paid attention to my surroundings so I could get out of there anytime I needed to and bated my breath in an attempt to make as little noise as possible.

“It’s not actually a bad strategy… Doesn’t matter how many crabs come at us—as long as our three parties are looking out for one another, we can hunt safely.”

“Even so, will they help us out even when Roland’s party moves up to District Six? It’s more efficient for them to seek there.”

“Originally, it was just Roland and Daniella in the party, so they call all the shots. I can’t stand how he’s always trying to have a word in what they do, though.”

“You mean Gray? He’s good at bringing other people in just because of his job. He was swapped into the main party just like that, with no explanation given to us. The hell is he up to?”

The man with the deep voice sounded like some thug—the kind who shaved their head bald and covered their back with tattoos. From what I could hear, they were one of the lower-ranked parties that made up the Beyond Liberty alliance.

“I mean, there’s always people better at making their way in the world. He’s just particularly good at it… I guess.”

“Well, the man’s a Suit, after all. It’s the kind of job that lets him climb the ranks with such ease. You need a little bit of muscle, you know.”

A Suit—I imagined a terrifying man in all black. Did that sort of thing even count as a job in the Labyrinth Country?

“Seriously, though, the ladies he talks to always end up acting really compliant to him. What’s with that? Even today, he’s just sitting around with a ton of women, and no one seems to object.”

“Saying It’s just the job he has ain’t gonna cut it… Men’ll get more and more jealous of him. All we can do, though, is keep an eye out and see what he does…”

I didn’t know if Gray had a particular skill or if he simply had a way with words. It’d be particularly bad if it was, for example, a skill that gave him advantages when trying to win women over. I couldn’t rule it out based on what these men were saying. I had no intention of letting my members get stolen away, but that meant I needed to be cautious of any interaction with him.

Apart from that, I wanted to hear more about the status of the Alliance. They had taken over the Beach of the Setting Sun—a three-star labyrinth. That meant we still didn’t have enough contribution points to seek there, but there was a chance we would someday, and I wanted information on it.

“Whether we like it or not, we’ll be reaching our goal the day after tomorrow. Roland will have twenty thousand contribution points… Then he’ll just have to hunt the required number of Named Monsters, and he’ll get into District Six.”

“He’s done it so carefully that it’s practically safe, but it’s taken a long time since each crab is only worth sixty contribution points.”

“And if you take out fifty of ’em, you have to wait a couple of days until more show up. There’s the fish, but we have to stay in position and not go to the beach… This strategy has both its ups and its downs.”

“Even with the crabs, if you let your guard down, you’ll lose a finger…and we can’t even compete against the spiders and mantises. Even the moles and beetles will get you sent to a Healer clinic for a ten-day treatment if you’re not careful.”

The moles, which burrowed below the earth, and the beetles, which flew high in the sky. Even though we’d managed to beat them by working together, all that fighting took quite a lot out of the party. Four Seasons had told me before, but these men confirmed that the spiders and mantises were fairly dangerous opponents. It’d be worth trying to beat them if there was a lot to gain from doing so, but considering how much easier this crab hunting sounded, I wanted to give that a try first.

There was one thing bothering me, though—were any of the labyrinths I’d seen before easy places where a strategy like that would fly? It sounded like these guys might have considered the same thing.

“But…is there any guarantee he’ll be able to beat the number of Named Monsters he needs to?”

“Nah, there isn’t. But with all the labyrinths in District Seven, there’s a chance he’ll get lucky and run into one he can defeat. Only those lucky enough or those strong enough to make it happen can move up. As long as we happen to be in the same place, it’ll count toward the number of Named Monsters we need to beat. It won’t be worth anything if we run.”

“Yeah, that’s the truth… Hey, I get it. Don’t make that face. I have no intention of going down here. We’d have no chance of moving up to District Six on our own strength alone. We’ve already taken a share of the contribution points and… Hmm?”

“It’s about time to wrap it up. Gray’s got his guy Basel running errands for him…”

Ah… Crap, I’m gonna be trapped!

The two men were about to come into the hallway from the courtyard, and this Basel guy was calling them from the room where Beyond Liberty was partying. I was so focused on listening to the conversation that I couldn’t find somewhere to hide right away. I started to wonder if I could play it off like I had just been passing by, when something unexpected happened.

♦Current Status♦

“Meeooow!”

“Mm? …Was that a cat?”

“The restaurant allows guard pets. Maybe it’s with one of the other parties?”

The two men were distracted as they were about to enter the hallway from the courtyard. I checked my license, saw that Melissa was somewhere nearby, and remembered I had a skill that could be used when I needed to make an emergency escape.

What the heck is “Cat’s Call”? …No, not the time to worry about that!

♦Current Status♦

After a brief moment of blindness, I suddenly saw the back of a girl with pale hair. Looked like Rear Stance worked.

“Ack… You scared me. You’re suddenly behind me,” said Melissa in a low voice as she turned around. She and Anna had come looking for me, before realizing I was in a tight spot.

“I gained a level earlier and acquired a skill called Assess Battle,” explained Anna. “I was able to use it to figure out you were in trouble.”

“I…guess a skill like that would help you as a Tennis Player, like you were gauging the flow of a match.”

Anna nodded. We watched from a distance as the Alliance’s members met up and headed into their own private room.

“Sorry it took so long, Atobe… What happened? You’re covered in sweat,” said Igarashi.

“How should I put this… I may have pushed my luck a little too far. There were some members of that alliance standing around chatting, and I wanted to gather some information if I could.”

“……”

Theresia stood up from her seat at the table after having finished all her food and came over to wipe the sweat from my brow. I felt relieved, but also, I realized that I was not suited to spying.

“……”

“Hmm? …Theresia, what’s wrong?”

“…She says don’t hesitate to take her along, anywhere,” said Melissa.

“R-really…?”

Melissa seemed better at understanding what Theresia was thinking than anyone else in the party. Perhaps that was because she had the blood of her demi-human mother in her veins.

“…Do you mean we’re always together, and you’re like my bodyguard anyway, so I don’t need to hesitate to take you along?”

Theresia nodded. Everyone smiled at the clear and emphatic answer.

“Mr. Atobe… It might be, nosy of me, but ish frushtrating to watch… You should let everyone…take care of you more…”

“Louisa, drink a little more water…,” pleaded Igarashi. “She’s calmed down a lot, but it was a real problem when she was trying to take her clothes off earlier.”

“It might be best to wrap this up soon and let her get some rest. Louisa, are you staying in the dorms for Guild employees?” I asked.

“…No… I’m your excluuusive caseworker… I’ll be staying with you…”

“So a room has been prepared for you in our lodging. Could you show me on my license where it’s located? Sorry to ask—I know you’re still in bad shape.”

Louisa was seated on her stool, leaning her upper body on Igarashi, who was next to her. She took my license and somehow managed to show me the location on the map there.

“…It’s this address… Your rank when you came to Dishtrict Seven was two hundred…ninety-four…so you are assigned a terrace suite…”

“A terrace suite?”

“It might be like a terrace house? We won’t know until we go,” said Misaki. If she was right, it could be a walled-off plot with a row of similar, attached houses.

“District Seven’s lodgings feel a bit small once you’ve experienced the Lady Ollerus Mansion in District Eight, but you should have plenty of room in a terrace suite,” said Ryouko.

“Aw man, sounds nice. We just have apartments. Each one can only have two people, so we use two. Everyone could live together if we had a terrace suite,” said Kaede.

“We need to work hard so we can move up to better lodging. We should be able to advance now that we’re working with Arihito and his party,” said Ibuki.

“…I’d like to visit you when we have time,” said Anna.

It appeared that while Four Seasons used the Upper Guild, their lodging was not the same level as ours. I thought back to when the party was just Theresia, Igarashi, and me. Even then, our lodging was almost too big for us.

“All right… Atobe, I know you just came back to the party, but…,” started Igarashi.

“No… I’m fiiiiine… I can…walk…”

Even Louisa’s speech was affected by the alcohol. She was definitely not fine.

“Okay, I’ll carry her. Is that all right, Louisa?” I offered.

“…Suuuuure…”

“Oooh, do you think Louisa planned this in advance so she could get him to carry her?” asked Misaki.

“A-as far as I can tell…she really is drunk. I think the drink was just stronger than she expected,” replied Suzuna. Igarashi seemed conflicted. Louisa was completely listless and mumbling something I couldn’t hear. She was very clearly wasted.

“Here we go… All right, this should work.”

“…Sorry…mmm…”

I slid Louisa onto my back so I could carry her piggyback, and everyone stared enviously. She wasn’t that heavy. My movements felt a little restricted from the way I had to hold my arms under her legs and support her against my back, but I was fine otherwise.

“…I knew it. She must have planned this so she could get that close.”

“R-Ryouko… Keep that to yourself,” chided Kaede.

“Arihito really is a man… He lifted her so easily,” marveled Ibuki.

“He’s so dependable,” agreed Anna. “Kaede, I see why you say he’s like an older brother.”

“Is everyone ready to go?” I asked. “Make sure you don’t forget anything… Madoka, would you mind paying since I’ve got my hands a little full?”

“Sure, no problem.”

I held Louisa firmly and left the restaurant. The members of Beyond Liberty had said their meal was wrapping up soon, but that must have been put off, because they were still quite boisterous. I should acknowledge how lucky we’d been, since we’d managed to avoid running into them.

Part III: Terrace Suite

We left Refreshing Heaven, and Four Seasons returned to their own lodgings. We agreed to meet in front of the labyrinth the next day to go seeking again. Our target would once more be Silvanus’s Bedchamber. We headed west from the Upper Guild’s Green Hall and found ourselves walking up a tall hill. Like District Eight, the fringes of the city seemed to have more space available, so there were more mansion-like buildings with gardens attached. The most extravagant one was even decked out with security guards. That would probably be where Roland lived.

A little farther down from that building was the row of terraces, with two-story homes of the same type set in a tight line and sectioned off with a fence. There was a small garden in the front and a hut for guard animals, which was where Cion would be staying.

“Personally, Cion, I’d be fine having you stay inside with us…,” said Igarashi. “I’m sorry. But you can come in if you get lonely.”

“Woof!”

“Kyouka, you and Cion have grown so close. You’re like sisters!”

“Oh… Y-you think so? Suzuna, you always say the sweetest things… I practically swooned just now.”

“Noooo, Kyouka! Arihito will be jealous! Besides, Suzu is miiine!”

I decided I wouldn’t be rude and point out that Misaki was the one who abandoned Suzuna in the first place. Plus, I’d been so hung up on my time as a corporate slave that I didn’t even think to form a party with Igarashi in the beginning.

“The most important thing is for everyone to get along. Madoka and Melissa seem to have opened up quite a bit, which is good,” I said.

“Yes, it’s been going so well with everyone. I find myself thinking like ten times a day how lucky I am that you invited me to join the party,” said Madoka.

“…Me too. I got to dissect a Named Monster. I got to destroy parts, and I gained a level. You can’t do new things if you don’t go seeking.” Melissa didn’t change her expression at all while she spoke, but if she claimed she was happy, then I’d just take her word for it.

Right then, a thought crossed my mind—I’d noticed that Melissa’s mannerisms seemed somewhat catlike. Everyone else except me and Melissa went into the lodging, so I decided to ask her about it.

“Melissa, you used an interesting skill to help me earlier…”

“…I meant to tell you about my skills at some point today. But I’ll mention this first: My mom’s a werecat—a demi-human.”

“By werecat, you mean…she has cat abilities?”

“Yes. But I can’t use everything my mom can. Only a little bit.”

It was likely thanks to her demi-human heritage that allowed her to swing that huge butcher’s knife around, despite her slender arms. Theresia was like that, too. Her physical abilities were significantly better than those of other girls her age. Elitia was quicker than either of them, so a person’s physical strength must go up as they gained levels. I’d noticed I could move more easily after I’d just come to the Labyrinth Country, but since I was a rearguard, my physical abilities weren’t that impressive unless certain conditions were met. When I’d used Rearguard General to its fullest potential, it had almost been like it wasn’t my own body that was moving.

“You really saved my neck back there. And you sounded just like a real cat, too.”

“It’s a skill that makes the target drop their guard. They believe a cat is somewhere nearby, which distracts them. It works on any monster that can hear, but it’s more likely to fail if their level is higher.”

“Good thing it worked, then. If you hadn’t come, my only choice would have been to play dumb.”

“…You’d be bad at that. You can’t lie; it’s not in you.”

“Ha-ha-ha… I mean, I’ve been told I’m honest to a fault.”

And that I wear my heart on my sleeve. I sort of wanted that skill Poker Face that Misaki’s job could learn.

Just then, Misaki’s voice came from inside the lodging. “Arihito, it’s pretty nice in here! If you don’t hurry, we’re gonna choose rooms without you!”

“…Mr. Atobe… Where…will I stay…?”

“Sorry, Louisa, I’ve just been standing here talking this entire time,” I replied. “Um, are you all right with staying at our place?”

“…Please don’t say I should go somewhere else… I’m not used to it—it’ll be lonely…”

“Uh… O-of course. I’ll ask everyone else about assigning you to a room.”

“…Thank goooodness…”

I had no idea what a drunk Louisa would do. I still had her on my back, but she was tightening her grip around me. She seemed to be getting impatient.

We went inside. The decor was quite rustic, with rugs over hardwood floors. Unlike a Japanese home, you didn’t have to take your shoes off inside. The entrance hallway extended back into the building. The first room on the right was the living room, which was where I heard everyone’s voices coming from. It also included the kitchen, which was delineated from the living room by a breakfast bar counter. A menu was placed on the counter. There was a service we could request where they would come to our kitchen and make food for us. We could, of course, make our own food as well, but I had a feeling we’d end up eating out a lot anyway.

“Atobe, you must be tired. Why don’t you lay her on the couch for now?” suggested Igarashi.

“All right. What should we do about a bath for her?”

“She should be able to do it herself once she sobers up a bit. She could even have one in the morning.”

I laid Louisa on the couch, and Igarashi covered her with a blanket she had been holding. Louisa didn’t seem likely to wake up for the time being, and she didn’t look uncomfortable. It was probably fine to leave her there to rest for now.

“Louisa must have drunk so much because she was as nervous about coming to a new district as we were.”

“I think we’d be better off treating her as a member of the party if she’s going to be with us every time we move to a new district…,” said Elitia. “What do you think, Arihito?”

“True… It’d be nice to find a way to help her unwind if she’s worried about coming to a new district. I want her to feel like she can completely relax around us.” Everyone else was as worried about Louisa as I was, so we were on the same page. We’d had so much happen up to that point; everyone was probably completely worn out. I wanted to have a nice, relaxing evening.

“Arihito, there are three bedrooms on the second floor, and ten beds in total,” said Suzuna.

“So there are extra beds? Maybe that’s so there’s enough if you have any subparty members. How are they divided among the rooms?”

“One room has four beds, and two rooms have three beds.”

We were up to nine people with Louisa, so we should just do three to a room. It’d be best if there were a smaller room that I could use, since I was the only man, but you couldn’t have everything.

“Should we do a lottery? Or draw straws?” asked Misaki.

“You’re awfully perky all of a sudden… Are you up to something?”

“No waaay! I wouldn’t cheat with room assignments. I’m totally fair and square about that sorta thing.”

“R-right… Sorry I doubted you. Let’s go with a lottery, then.”

“Yeaaaah! Okay, I’ll find something to write with.” Misaki went off to find a pen.

In the end, I wound up in a room with Louisa and Theresia.

“……”

“Haaah…”

“Guess it’s the three of us. Theresia, I’ll take Louisa into the room later.”

“Ooh, Arihito’s trying to take Louisa into the room alooone!”

“Don’t make it sound weird. Atobe just wants Louisa to be able to rest easily,” chided Igarashi.

“Um… Kyouka, it looks like I’m in your room.”

“…Me too.”

Igarashi was sharing a room with Madoka and Melissa, and the last room was for Misaki, Suzuna, and Elitia.

“By the way, Madoka and Melissa, you both gained a level, right?” I asked.

“Yes. Um, I actually wanted to ask you what skills I should take…,” said Madoka.

“I’d like to help with that as well. I still don’t quite know what skills either of you have.”

“…All right. I’ll take whatever skills you think I should,” said Melissa.

The other members were going to take a bath before us, so we could use that time to discuss skills. We’d put everything we got from the chests into the storage, so I’d have to ask Madoka to retrieve anything we would need for the following day’s seeking expedition. It looked like there were still things I needed to do; my day was not yet over.

Part IV: Battle Skills and Crafting Skills

The water for the bathtub was heated using something called a “magic kettle,” which needed a certain amount of magic put into the magic stone that acted as its source of power. We recovered a certain amount with a night’s rest, so we decided to spread the burden across the party. I could make an infinite magic-charging loop with Charge Assist and Ariadne’s Energy Sync, but that would require Suzuna to act as Ariadne’s medium. I chose not to use that method right now.

“…Atobe, I’m going to take a bath now,” said Igarashi. “Make sure you tell Theresia she has to wear her bathing suit when you two take a bath later.”

“H-hey, Theresia might want to bathe alone from time to time, you know.”

“……”

Theresia immediately shook her head. I had assumed as much, but I couldn’t help smiling at how clear she was in her response.

“Guess she really prefers joining you…,” said Elitia. “I wonder what Four Seasons would say if we asked them for help on this.”

“I’d prefer if you didn’t tell them…,” I replied. “Theresia’s just, like… Uh… How should I put this?”

“I think Theresia’s always grateful toward you. As am I… And Misaki, too,” said Suzuna.

“Y-yeah… Way to drag me into this, Suzu! But anyway, I just want to say I’d never take a bath with Arihito unless we had bathing suits on. No way Jose!” Misaki was joking, but she did seem quite embarrassed by the idea. She was pressing her hands to her red cheeks. I had a feeling she had to trust me a decent amount to even say she’d do it if we wore bathing suits.

“Anyway, she needs to wear the bathing suit. Right now, we only have one for Theresia. If everyone gets one… Um, we could look after Atobe with Theresia if we go in wearing bathing suits. I’d do it.”

“I-Igarashi, that’s a little…”

“I-it’s just… Y-you’re always, um, always taking care of us, A-Arihito…,” said Madoka.

“…I hate baths. I take them but want to leave right away,” said Melissa.

They were all practically saying they’d be happy to take a bath with me if they got bathing suits. It might be better to clearly decline that, or at least, that would be the normal thing to do.

“You two don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,” I assured everyone. “Depending on the situation, I’m sure it’s more efficient to have multiple people take a bath at one time, but I think it’d be best if I just take a bath by myself after everyone else… W-wait, Theresia, I didn’t say we couldn’t—”

“It makes me uncomfortable that you two always go together. I think it would be better if another person went with you both,” suggested Elitia.

“Don’t you think you’re being a little overprotective of him? You’re acting more like an older sister than Kyouka,” said Suzuna.

“Hmph…it’s not being o-overprotective or anything. There’s only one man in the party. Shouldn’t someone just watch to make sure nothing strange is going on…? N-not that I don’t trust Arihito—it’s just, normal men aren’t so relaxed about this kind of thing…” Elitia was saying everyone should take turns going with me, which seemed to have everyone convinced.

“…We could consider the bathing clothes again. If I could get a bathing suit, then I guess I can…w-wash his back… He’s always working so hard…”

“I-Igarashi, I appreciate the thought, but there’s other things you can do,” I softly protested.

“Uh…I—I suppose…”

I was really happy she felt that way, but I honestly wasn’t sure there was a bathing suit that could easily cover what her knit sweater emphasized even more. It did seem that everyone wanted a bathing suit, though, so we’d have to see if we could find and buy them, or perhaps even have them made. Hopefully, while we continued to be successful Seekers. We’re talking long term.

“We could try asking Ryouko. She should know where we could buy a bathing suit. Arihito, what do you think about competition-style swimsuits?” asked Misaki.

“Wh-what do I think…? Let’s just set this conversation aside. You go take your baths.”

“Hmph, you could tell us that much at least. Suzu’s suuuper curious, too.”

“…Arihito, do you like the kind of bathing suit that Ryouko wears?”

“I-if I had to say…ugh, don’t make me answer that.”

The answer I did give made it sound like I wasn’t against competition swimsuits, either, and sure enough, everyone clearly had their own ideas about what I liked. I’d never be able to say this out loud, but I thought it would be best if everyone got a bathing suit that suited them the most.

Igarashi returned to her room for a bit, while Suzuna and the others went into the bath first.

“Arihito, could you please help me with my skill selection?” asked Madoka. “I’d really appreciate it.”

“Of course, I’d be happy to. Could you pull up your skills page?”

She swiped on her license, then showed it to me. It was the same every time someone showed me their skills: I always felt a combination of excitement and nervousness.

♦Acquired Skills♦
Inventory 1:	Expands inventory to hold up to 50 items.
Negotiate Price 1:	Slightly reduces prices of items during purchase and slightly increases them when selling.
Appraise 1:	Appraises an unknown item. Can only appraise certain items.
Unpack Goods:	Selects and fetches items from inventory or in storage.
Hide:	Renders you undetectable to prevent the enemy from targeting you.

♦Available Skills♦
Take Inventory:	Controls and manages goods in your storage.
Abacus Calculation:	Completes calculations at high speeds when equipped with an abacus.
Document Creation 1:	Transfers any necessary documentation from your mind onto paper.
Sales Skills 1:	Improves business negotiation skills.
Purchase 1:	Gives someone money or valuables to make them agree to any terms and conditions you offer.
Remaining Skill Points: 2

“You have five skills already… Does that mean you’ve received seven skill points so far?”

“Certain jobs are given a skill at the beginning. Since I chose Merchant, I was given Inventory 1 without spending any points.”

“Really? I didn’t know about that. Thanks for the info. All right, what skills are you interested in? We’ll discuss a bit before choosing.”

“Oh… I’ve always wanted Take Inventory. The people in the Merchants Guild always said it’s a really important skill and that I should take it.”

“It does sound great… Whether or not you have it could really change how useful the storage unit is. I think it’s important to have.”

“Thank goodness… I’m glad you think so, too. You were so nice to let me into the party, but I haven’t been very helpful so far.”

Madoka was relieved. Merchant was definitely a support-oriented job, but there was no doubt that she’d proven helpful to the party ever since she joined.

“All right, so how about you learn Take Inventory? All the other skills look good, too…”

Document Creation seemed like it could have its uses, although I wasn’t really sure what those would be. I asked Madoka, but she shook her head.

“I can make my paperwork fast enough right now. It’d be a useful skill, but I think there’s others that would be better.”

That was one skill ruled out. Abacus Calculation and whatnot didn’t seem necessary at the moment. Purchase 1 could also be necessary, but again, I wasn’t certain. Perhaps it was best to hold on to one skill point.

“All right, so what if you learn Take Inventory and then hold on to the other point for now?”

“Okay… It’s been so long since I’ve learned a new skill. It feels nice.”

She had a lot of great skills, but I thought her ability to carry many items at once was perhaps the best. In the end, each person should decide what skills to take for themselves.

“…Congratulations.”

“Thank you, Melissa.”

Our group’s Dissector had been waiting her turn and came over once Madoka learned her new skill. She sat in the chair next to me, swiped through her license, and set it on the table for me to see.

“…Look.”

“Okay… Oh, I see. This is what you have…”

♦Acquired Skills♦
Knife Artistry:	Increases attack damage for bladed weapons.
Helm Splitter:	An attack that aims for the opponent’s head. Increases chance of Partial Destruction.
Lop Off:	On success, cuts off parts such as horns or tails.
Dissection Mastery 1:	Dissects the target and divides it into parts.
Magic Item Creation 1:	Modifies a piece of equipment by fitting it with a magic stone.
Cat’s Call:	Produces a call that distracts the opponent. Cancels the target’s action when successful.
Repository:	Teleports monster materials to a predetermined storage location.

♦Available Skills♦
Level 2 Skills
Scale Removal:	Increases chance of reducing the target’s defense on attack. (Prerequisite: Lop Off)
Hang and Cut:	Hangs the target up and then attacks. Increases chance of Partial Destruction. (Prerequisite: Dissection Mastery 1)
Frenzied Scratch:	A barehanded attack consisting of up to 8 consecutive strikes. Inflicts Bleed status. (Prerequisite: Scratch)
Magic Item Creation 2:	Conducts a Compound modification by using 2 or more different magic stones. (Prerequisite: Magic Item Creation 1)
Level 1 Skills
Assess 1:	Ascertains the quality of monster materials.
Cooking 1:	Adds additional effects to food when cooking a meal.
Scratch:	A barehanded attack consisting of 2 consecutive strikes. Inflicts Bleed status.
Ambush:	Conducts a surprise attack when the enemy is unaware of your presence. Increases critical hit rate.
Cat’s Landing:	User takes no damage even when falling from a significant height.
Groom:	Nullifies systemic status ailments affecting the target’s body.
Remaining Skill Points: 4

Melissa also had more skills than normal for her level. That could be because she was in a support job, or it could be because of her demi-human mother.

She’s got skills for battle, monster dissection, and installing equipment with magic stones… She can take level-2 skills now that she’s level 4. I see some skills that must be specific to werecats, too.

“…What do you think?”

“They’re all interesting, both the ones for fighting and the ones for dissecting. It looks like you’ve been very careful about your choices so far.”

“…It’s best to assume you can’t redo where you put skill points. I chose things I wanted to use or things that are necessary. I want to be better with my knife.”

Right now, she had plenty of skills to make the best use of her butcher’s knife, but she’d probably get even more that made it stronger in battle. The skill I was most interested in based on its description was Magic Item Creation 2. Because she could combine two or more magic stones, she’d be able to make powerful magic stones as long as we had a lot of them and all the necessary recipes.

“…Hmm? This Cooking skill…”

“I help with cooking at home, so I can cook a little already.”

One potential labyrinth-seeking issue was having food during long expeditions. Portable food just didn’t have much flavor to it nor any of the additional benefits you got when you ate at a restaurant.

“…I like cooking. I want to try out Cooking 1.”

“In that case, I feel like Assess 1 would be good, too. I imagine determining whether a monster’s meat is edible would fall under ascertaining quality.”

“It’s important for a Dissector to be able to tell the quality of materials.”

I didn’t know if that was something Rikerton had taught her—she looked like she was thinking about something for a moment, but then, she looked at me and gave me a small nod.

“So those two… Frenzied Scratch seems good, too, but I think it’s better to have you use your knife and aim to destroy parts for the time being.”

“That’s what I want to do. I want to take Magic Item Creation 2. Dad said he wanted me to.”

“All right. Let’s just put off any battle skills, then. You can take those when you get more skill points.”

Melissa used her license to take Magic Item Creation 2, Assess 1, and Cooking 1. However, she hesitated a tiny bit. She was looking at Groom. She seemed drawn to what was probably a special werecat skill, like she wanted to take it.

“…I don’t like taking baths. If I had this skill, I could groom Cion. Like a pet groomer.”

“Ah, I see… That’s a tough decision, then.”

“I can learn it after the next level I gain. I think Madoka might get there before me, since we don’t always work together. I’ll make it to level five sometime, as long as I’m in your party.”

As she spoke, I realized again that even those charged with support roles wanted to learn new skills. Examining potential new abilities, picking the ones you wanted—those moments made you all the happier when you considered how hard it was to gain a level. Even though I wasn’t the one learning the skills, watching people take them made my heart sing.

“Melissa—and you too, Madoka—let’s try to make sure your levels aren’t too behind the rest of the party. There’s got to be plenty of ways to boost you up, even if you don’t have battle-oriented skills.”

“Arihito…”

“…I want to groom Madoka, too. I think I can use the skill on humans.”

“Uh…I-I’m not really fluffy or anything, though… My hair’s just a little unruly…”

That sort of explained why she liked to wear turbans so much. She called it unruly, but to me, it just looked like it had a tendency to curl outward at the bottom.

“You don’t only have to take skills that are good in combat or that benefit the party. But that said, sometimes, I might literally get on my hands and knees and beg you to take a certain skill. If that happens, you can just laugh at me and let it slide.”

“Hee-hee… I’ll just bow even lower, then!” replied Madoka.

“…Me too. I can get very low.” Melissa must have the physical abilities of a werecat, meaning she’s likely very flexible. I thought of when cats crouch down then spring off after their prey—this could be very promising. If she equipped the Forbidden Scythe, then used Ambush to get a critical hit… Obviously, its instant kill ability wouldn’t work 100 percent of the time, but it could be an auto-kill combo if we combined it with Misaki’s Morale Discharge.

I wanted to have her take Ambush and Groom when she next leveled up. For that, it would be best to have her come with us and not sit on standby. But at the same time, she was capable of doing so much while she was on standby, making the decision incredibly difficult.

“Right… Everyone’s going to be finishing their baths soon; you two can go next,” I said.

“Okay. Thank you very much, Arihito!”

“…Thanks.”

The two thanked me, then went to their room to change. I decided to go check on Louisa, who was still asleep, and Theresia, who was with her.

Part V: The Receptionist’s Past

I knocked on the door, and Theresia opened it from the inside. I’d checked out the room a little when I’d brought Louisa in here, but there were three beds with just enough space to put a chest of drawers between each of them. The warm light of a magic-powered lantern filled the room.

I still wasn’t sure it was all right for us to share a place with Louisa. It must’ve been hard for her to live alone in a terrace suite like this, but I hadn’t asked if sharing housing with some of the other Guild employees was an option. She was normally so proper and put together. The fact that she’d gotten so completely wasted must’ve meant she was really stressed. With that in mind, I really just wanted to let her get plenty of rest—

“……”

Theresia was already ready to take a bath. On top of her bed was a large towel for drying herself, as well as a cloth bag. Her bathing suit was probably in there.

“So if I wear a bathing suit, there won’t be any problems… Hmm?” I asked for confirmation.

She vigorously shook her head. I tried to think about what she meant by that but, without many clues, could only make a guess.

“…Are you saying it’s better if I don’t wear one because I can’t get totally clean that way?”

“……”

“B-but it’s the same for you—I’m sorry, Theresia. Normally, you wouldn’t be able to take a bath with a man my age. I’ve only allowed it as an exception so far…”

There was no point arguing with her; she had no intention of listening. Instead, she handed me my towel, then went behind me and pushed me forward, trying to guide me to the baths.

“I—I understand. Louisa’s still sleeping, but I’m sure she’ll take a bath with you when she wakes up.”

“……”

“Uh… Theresia, s-sorry, it’s not that I don’t want to take a bath with you. It’s that I’m an adult, and people would say it’s wrong…”

Theresia started pushing harder and harder. It must be because she’s a lizardman or something, because she was quite strong despite her small frame, and I couldn’t resist. Even in a situation like this, I was reminded of the shortcomings of being a rearguard.

“Mmmm…”

“Ah… T-Theresia, wait a moment. Louisa seems uncomfortable.”

Theresia stopped pushing and waited for me. I was grateful she let up as I went over to Louisa’s bedside to see up close how she was sleeping.

“…Uuugh…”

Her face was flushed red; that alcohol must have been rough. She’d had two refills of the same stuff she first ordered, but she was normally good at holding her liquor. I’d thought she’d be fine, which was why I’d decided to let her go at her own pace. But more importantly, the greatest problem right now was that Louisa, who was lying on her back and had thrown off her blanket, was very exposed.

Th-this thought’s crossed my mind before, but… If someone doesn’t cover her chest more, any sudden movements could be really dangerous…

Right now was exactly one of those dangerous moments. I cleared my mind of all inappropriate thoughts and tried to put the blanket back on her, but she just pulled it off again. She must have been hot. She squirmed in bed, until she rolled over onto her side, her bare back to me. Again, she pulled off the blanket when I tried to put it on her. If I left her like this, though, she’d be chilly and could catch a cold. Potions generally had a lot of demand in the higher districts, so they were traded at very high prices, which made it difficult to even get medicine to help someone sober up. It probably wasn’t very realistic to hope I could get a Healer to come to the house and treat her this late. That left one option.

“Theresia, do you mind waiting a little bit? I’ll worry too much if we leave Louisa like this.”

“……”

She nodded, sat on her own bed, and watched, curious what I was doing.

I decided it was safe to assume that if someone was so drunk that they were unconscious, they likely had taken some damage to their vitality. My skill couldn’t sober Louisa up, but maybe it could help her get there on her own by healing her vitality. I could even target her with my skills despite the fact she wasn’t a member of my party through Outside Assist.

♦Current Status♦

It activated once every thirty seconds, so I had to wait a bit upon activating the skill. If her vitality was full, my license would display that she hadn’t recovered any. This was my chance to verify whether or not being drunk reduced someone’s vitality.

When exactly thirty seconds had passed, Louisa, still asleep with her back to me, was bathed in a faint, green light.

♦Current Status♦

…She should’ve recovered five points—was that not enough to fully restore her vitality? W-was she really in that bad of shape…?

“…Zzz… Zzz…”

Her breathing became steadier as I watched. When I first got hired by my company, I’d gone out with some of my new coworkers, who coerced me into taking part in a drinking contest. I had a really rough time of it, and that experience really showed how drinking too much too fast could actually risk your life.

“…Louisa, next time, let’s make sure you drink slower and order something not as strong.”

I knew she wouldn’t reply. I sat there and had Theresia wait until I could use Recovery Support to completely fill Louisa’s vitality. One great thing about my healing skill was that it didn’t take much magic—only time.

Everyone who’d taken a bath before us was in good spirits, but they did blush a little at Theresia coming to take a bath with me. I was uncomfortable, too, but for some reason, this was one thing that Theresia never turned red over. I asked her to wait in the changing room for a moment while I went in ahead. I used a wooden pail to scoop out some water and test it; you could never be too careful.

“…A little tepid, but that’s perfect.”

I was so concerned about the water because Theresia overheating and getting dizzy was the one thing I needed to avoid. I personally didn’t really care much about the water temperature, which made it easier to accommodate her.

I always imagined lizardmen would live by the water or in wetlands…

We still hadn’t run into the lizard monster that Theresia had fought before. I assumed it was in one of the labyrinths that we hadn’t explored.

Sometimes, I thought about this monster that still had all of Theresia’s belongings—that is, if it was still alive. But then, I thought about how Theresia would feel if we ran into the monster that took her life, and I realized it might actually be better that we hadn’t yet encountered it. Or perhaps, she wanted to be the one to defeat the monster that killed her. I felt like I’d come to understand her to a degree, but there’s no way I could guess everything she thought.

I saw her spirit or whatever you wanted to call it when we fought the Vine Puppeteer. Even then, she’d had a lizard’s tail, meaning that becoming a demi-human even affected your spirit… When I saw that, I decided I need to hurry even more to bring her back.

That’s when the door to the bathroom opened. I realized my expression had gone quite dark, so I patted my cheeks to get rid of it.

“Theresia, did you put your bathing suit—?”

“……”

The reason I stopped midsentence was that I saw her and was lost for words. Her face was, as usual, covered by the lizard mask and hood, and she wore a string bikini with light blue stripes—a type of bathing suit I hadn’t seen much of in my previous life. Parts of her body were covered in reptilian scales, but I could see far more pale skin than I was expecting. She was wearing a bikini, but I was having a very hard time finding somewhere safe to look. The first time she came to have a bath with me, she hadn’t been wearing anything, though. This was a huge step forward.

“……”

“Hmm? Oh, yeah… Will you wash my back? Thanks for always helping.”

Theresia took the washcloth and soap from me, worked up a lather, and cleaned my back. She used just the right amount of force without me having to say anything. It wasn’t a problem to let her handle it. She was only in charge of washing my back and arms; the rest was for me to do on my own. Theresia understood that, too, so she began washing herself. For some reason, she didn’t use the small stools to sit and do it, instead choosing to kneel on the bathroom floor. Her knees were covered in scales, so it must not have hurt.

It wasn’t appropriate for me to watch her, so I turned my attention to washing my hair. I usually lathered up my body first, but I wasn’t dead set on sticking to a routine. As I was lost in my thoughts—

“…Hmm? Theresia, did the door just…?”

Before I could finish my sentence, I realized there was someone else in the bathroom other than the two of us.

“…Mr. Atobe. I’m sorry you had to see me like that earlier.”

“—?!”

All the words in my head flew away, leaving me unable to form a sentence. I could sort of understand why Theresia wanted to come take a bath with me, but Louisa and I weren’t yet at a point in our relationship where… Actually, it’s normal for a relationship to never make it that far and for a person to spend their entire life bathing alone.

“Well… Everyone else has already finished their baths and gone to their rooms…and I was wondering if you and Ms. Theresia wouldn’t mind if you added one more person…”

I kind of started to understand what was going on as Louisa explained. It was the same as when Igarashi and Elitia said they wanted to keep an eye on what I did because it bothered them.

N-no, even if that were the case, would she do this…?

“…Would you prefer it be just the two of you? If so, I’ll…”

“N-no, you don’t have to… I just, I’m not sure what to say… I-I’m happy you’re feeling better…”

“Yes, I think it’s because you took such good care of me, Mr. Atobe… I’m really quite the lost cause. I can’t believe I got so sloppy and drunk. I do remember you speaking to me so gently, though, and I felt so much better when I woke up…”

That’s when I finally understood her completely. The reason she’d been bold enough to do something like this was because of what I’d done earlier.

Is it because…I used Recovery Support on her while she slept? It only took about a minute to get her back to full vitality…

“Oh… I—I…I’m sorry, you’re in the middle of washing your hair.”

“N-no, it’s okay. Actually, I can’t open my eyes now, so this is probably the best time for this…”

Theresia was there, too, but I couldn’t just sit there, losing my cool. I started trying to convince myself that Louisa and I were sharing a room and it would be all right to allow us to bathe together today as long as I was just really, really careful about not looking at her.

I could sense Louisa moving closer and closer, until she was right behind me. I couldn’t stop what was happening—my only choice was to give in.

“Mr. Atobe, may I just do a little something? What you did for me earlier made me so happy…”

Louisa took over washing my hair, but then, something happened that I never could have expected. She used her fingers to massage my scalp, and the tension drained from me; all of my fatigue and stress drifted away.

“Louisa, this…”

“It’s my skill Pressure Point Massage. I use it to help myself relax… How is it?”

“…It feels really nice. A-actually…it makes me want to fall asleep…”

Louisa giggled.

Before I got reincarnated, I once saw a show where someone went to Bali, visited a spa, and had a full-head massage treatment like this. I imagined this was what it must have felt like… That’s how good she was.

“Uh…this is out of the blue, but what’s your job…?”

“I am currently retired from it, so I’m going to keep it a secret for now. It’s not Masseuse, though.”

Her teasing whisper sounded nice. I was only sitting, but I felt like my mind was going to slip off somewhere… No, it’d already gone. I was going to be so relaxed when I finally finished my bath. While entranced, I felt like I could sense Theresia coming closer as well. For some reason, she was always fine when it was just the two of us, but now, I could sense her lizard mask had turned red.

Part VI: The Innocent Merchant and the Storage Unit

Louisa had a different job before she was a receptionist for the Guild. Her Pressure Point Massage skill sped up her party members’ self-healing processes, improving their physical condition and allowing them to sleep better. It could heal the Anxious status as well as the Paralyzed status, allowing her to administer emergency first aid while in the labyrinth. Even so, it seemed most useful for when the party had returned to their base.

I had a vague memory of Louisa telling me these things while she was massaging my scalp. Apparently, it wasn’t uncommon for people to fall asleep during the process. Like them, I hadn’t been entirely able to maintain consciousness, not really being fully aware of anything until I’d left the bathroom and gone into the living room. Louisa stood in the entrance to the living room, wearing a bathrobe and bowing profusely. Her hair was gathered up in a scrunchie; it seemed like she normally did that after taking a bath. This was my first time seeing a woman wear one, but this wasn’t the time to lose my cool.

“I—I am so very sorry… I must have been a little drunk still when I woke up, and I stepped over my bounds… I may be staying in the same housing as you, but it’s absolutely not acceptable for me to go into the bath while you’re inside, much less give you a massage while you’re bathing…”

“L-Louisa, please, lift your head. You’ve done nothing wrong. In fact, I should really be thanking you…”

I couldn’t heal myself with my own skills, and I had used some magic when I’d used Rear Stance earlier. Thanks to Louisa, I was fully healed, and I felt great. She must have been still coming to her senses throughout the massage. Since we’d left the bath, she had done nothing but apologize. As far as I could remember, she had never dropped her steel-wall-like guard in there with me anyway, which made me feel better about the whole thing. I thought of what would have happened if she hadn’t been wearing a robe and almost lost consciousness again.

And even when that robe got wet… I swear I’ll never mention that. I’ll just have to hope she’ll forgive me, considering I wasn’t even entirely conscious the whole time…

“……”

Theresia was still red even after we finished our bath. My best guess was that for some reason, she felt uncomfortable when Louisa had given me the massage. That was the general feeling she was giving off.

“…You just have so much promise, Mr. Atobe… It’s all so moving, and I find myself lost for words… You must think I’m taking advantage of you.”

“N-no, not at all… I’m so grateful that you’re our exclusive caseworker, and I’m happy that you can relax and recover here in our lodging. Our relationship is one where we help each other out when we need it. You don’t have to worry about taking advantage of me. And I’m really just happy that you think I have a promising future. Nobody ever thought that of me before I got reincarnated. Please stop bowing.”

I felt awkward sitting while she was bowing like that, so I stood and urged her to lift her head. They must have used different herbs in the soap in District Eight, because she smelled nice, although everyone else was probably using the same stuff. But that’s how close I was when she finally lifted her face and looked at me. She was normally so capable, but now she was showing me a much more vulnerable side. As a man several years her senior, I realized I should be careful not to give her the wrong impression.

“…Mr. Atobe…”

That’s when I realized it—how close we were, this mood… This was what most people would call an “opportunity.” It wasn’t simply heat remaining from the bath. Her eyes shone, and I couldn’t miss the glances she gave me as her lips tried to form her next words.

“Ugh… M-Misaki, didn’t I tell you this was a bad idea?”

“Here you go again, Ellie. You’re the one who said we should go see what they’re doing ’cause you were so curious.”

“Haaah… I—I don’t see what the big deal is, honestly. It’s not like there’s anything between Atobe and Louisa. You guys are just worrying too much.”

“G-goodness, everyone’s here…,” stammered Louisa. “How long have you been watching?”

It seemed the other three—Elitia, Misaki, and Igarashi—had been spying on us. It would be suspicious if we panicked and jumped away from each other, so instead, I cleared my throat and calmly placed an appropriate distance between me and Louisa.

“H-how should I explain this…? Since we’re in the same room, we decided that it would be all right to take a bath together as long as we were careful. Or something like that.”

“Y-yes… It’s exactly as Mr. Atobe says. This is my first time being anyone’s exclusive caseworker, so I’d never had an opportunity to use my skills. I was thinking that I would like to start using them again. Today. Would any of you like a Pressure Point Massage?”

“Wha—? You did that in the bathroom? …A-A-Atobe, are you sure you were okay with that?”

“Whoooa, I’ve never seen Kyouka this flustered! Suzu’s gotten really attached to him lately, too. You guys oughta realize how lucky you are that it was just the three of them in there.”

Misaki was just messing around, but I sort of wanted to tell her not to stir up trouble. It wasn’t really in me, though, to upset a girl who was young enough to be my little sister. The orphanage where I was raised had other kids there who were younger than me and called me their big brother. Remembering it always brought a lump to my throat. It wasn’t something I’d ever forget.

“…Sheesh, you look like you’ve just had an epiphany or something. I guess I have no choice but to trust you when you make a face like that.”

“No, not an epiphany—I was just remembering something from a long time ago. Anyway, Louisa was clothed the whole time. Nothing scandalous.”

“I—I apologize… It’s good I had that much sense left in me, at least…but it was still plenty embarrassing even though I was wearing a robe.” Louisa pressed her hands to her blushing cheeks. Even Theresia was red. Something really had bothered her, and with how things were now, there was a possibility the two were only going to aggravate each other more. Thankfully, Madoka came down the stairs from the second floor and broke up the situation.

“Um… Arihito, why are Theresia and Louisa so red?” asked Madoka. “Oh, was the bath hot, maybe…? It really is hard to get the temperature right in Labyrinth Country bathtubs.”

It wasn’t the most convincing explanation even though we’d just come out of the bath, but Madoka believed it right away. Considering her age, she might be reluctant to jump to conclusions regarding relations between a man and a woman. I hoped she would hold on to her innocence as she grew up.

It was shortly before bedtime, but everyone still had plenty of energy. Each residential area of the district was equipped with a teleportation door that you could use to go to your storage unit, so we decided to head there and allocate equipment. The hut with the teleportation door was monitored by guards, though they did give us a little space. Elitia explained that it was to keep people from trying to break into other people’s storage units.

“Sometimes, people will have someone else move the goods so their karma doesn’t go up… And you ought to know that by now, Misaki.”

“Oh man… D-don’t remind me. I won’t get any sleep tonight if I think about it too much.”

Monsters weren’t the only threats in the labyrinth—you also needed to be careful of other Seekers. It was a difficult topic, but you needed at least a little caution to make sure you could protect your friends.

“Arihito, I placed the items we got from the chests earlier in this section,” said Madoka.

The storage unit was smaller than the rooms used to open chests, but it had plenty of space to hold what we’d picked up so far. The room was actually about the size of a high school classroom, though the ceiling was ten feet high. The items Madoka had put in there had been organized onto shelves that lined the walls, and all our goods were stored safely. We decided to start with the items we got from the red chest that the Poison Spear Bee had dropped. First, we appraised the anklet. Madoka’s skill was easily able to ascertain all the information necessary.

♦Insect-Repelling Anklet +1♦

“I see… I’m not sure how exactly it’s ‘effective’ against insects, but Poison is strong enough that we can’t take it lightly, so defense against that would be good,” I said.

“Poison 1 can be fatal if your vitality is low, and anything above Poison 2 requires treatment within a certain amount of time—or to extend that time with a recovery item… Basically, it’s best to treat Poison as quickly as possible.”

Based on Elitia’s advice, there were likely to be labyrinths in the future that absolutely required some sort of countermeasure for Poison. She had something called a Blackcurrant Charm, which protected her from Poison 2 and below as long as she was carrying it with her.

“We should probably have someone who’s more likely to take hits equip this, don’t you think?” said Suzuna.

“How about we put it on Cion’s paw? There’s so little she can equip anyway,” suggested Igarashi.

“Oh, that’s a good idea. And she uses Covering to protect us… I’d prefer if she just never took damage, but I doubt things will go that well in the future.”

After listening to everyone’s opinions, we decided to equip Cion with the anklet. We hadn’t brought her to the storage unit with us—she was back at the house with Louisa. We needed to hurry back; I didn’t want them getting lonely.

“This Poison Honey…it’d have to be used every time, but it could be used to make poison arrows,” I said.

“I think so, yes. You can apply it by brushing it onto the blade of a weapon. One bottle should probably be able to make five poison arrows,” said Elitia.

“All right, I’ll take that, then.” Suzuna placed the vial of Poison Honey in her pouch. I did consider having Theresia use it on her dirks, but it would be hard for her to get it on the dirks in the middle of battle and then throw them. I assumed we’d use it for a battle we could prepare for.

“Next is the ricochet stone. It’s applied to projectiles of ranged weapons to improve their ability to ricochet…”

“Don’t you think we ought to use it on your weapon, Atobe? It’s the one I can most imagine ricocheting.”

“I have a feeling it’ll be hard to use it right… If we put it into Theresia’s shield, I imagine she’d have an easier time deflecting enemies’ ranged attacks.”

“Since we don’t really know how to use it right now, I think it’s best to use it for a weapon. You can choose whether or not to use any special attacks from magic stones when it’s in a weapon. If it doesn’t seem like it’ll work, we can take it back and think of another use.”

Listening to Professor Elitia’s class on how to do things, I realized I’d be better off following all her seeking advice. Everyone was looking at her in admiration, and she started to blush in embarrassment.

“D-don’t look at me like that… I’m just saying this stuff for your own information—that’s all.”

“You really do teach us a lot, though. I even like your advice on what skills to take,” I said.

“But that’s the leader’s job. I’m the vanguard; my job is only to protect you and attack things… We need someone to give commands so that we use tactics effectively in a real battle. Arihito’s the one who’s been doing that for us—and he’s good at it.”

“Yeah…you’re right. I’m in the rear, so I should be more aware of my role as a sort of controller in the back.”

“You go to the front every once in a while. You’re super brave even when we’re in a really tough spot. Even if I had your skills, I wouldn’t be able to use them,” said Misaki.

“And you’re pretty good at telling when we have a chance of winning,” Igarashi continued. “Back when we worked together, if there was no way we’d meet a deadline, you’d just tell me we weren’t going to. If it was close, you’d tell me you’d ‘manage somehow’…”

If you did a job enough, you started to understand your own capacity. Monsters, on the other hand—even if it seemed like the monster was going to go down with one more hit and I tried to get that attack in, it wasn’t because I’d properly analyzed the situation. I attacked because that was the only thing I could do. These decisions I had to make when the situation was so unclear could make the decision between life or death. I used Rear Stance as an ace in the hole, but I couldn’t forget that it had its risks.

“Let’s go ahead and put the ricochet stone on my weapon. Melissa, can you remove the poison crystal and put that on instead?” I asked.

“I can do two or three stones before bed. Four or more will have reduced effectiveness.” She was at her limit just with the requests the party had for her. The stones I wanted to prioritize trying were the heat stone, the explosion stone, the mole stone, and the fire garnet.

“…There’s so many. There aren’t many parties who hold on to them without putting them into their equipment. We need to take advantage of them,” said Elitia.

“You’re right. I’d sometimes get a weapon with a magic stone in stock, and it’d sell immediately,” said Madoka.

“From now on, I want to start using anything we get as quickly as possible. If we increase what we can do by even one ability, it’ll also mean we’re prepared for more situations,” I said, and everyone nodded. I felt that discussing everything like this increased the party’s knowledge as a whole, improving our capabilities. We discussed what to do with the rest of the stones, deciding to put the heat stone into Theresia’s shield, which would allow her to use a mirage-type skill to confuse the enemy. Then, we decided to put the explosion stone into Suzuna’s bow, giving her a blast-type area-of-effect attack.

Part VII: Trump Cards and Their Risks

Madoka researched the mole stone’s uses, and after some consideration, we decided to put it into Misaki’s armor.

“Huuuh, are you sure it’s okay if I get a stone, too…?”

“You’re an asset to this party. It’ll let you hide when things get dangerous, so make sure you use it well,” I said.

When attached to a weapon, the mole stone gave the user a “drill-type” attack, which was especially effective against enemies with heavy armor. When attached to armor, it had a special effect called “Mud Dig,” which we decided Misaki would likely be able to use for an emergency escape.

“If that’s what you want, I’ll do my best to use it as effectively as possible! By the way, what exactly does this Mud Dig mean?”

“You’ll see later. It works in only some situations, but it’s very effective during those times,” Elitia explained.

“We’ll attach the confusion stone to my armor so I can resist that status. Then, we can put the fire garnet on Cion’s anklet so she can have an attack with an attribute…,” said Igarashi.

“Good plan. Then she’ll be able to attack enemies that are immune to claw and bite attacks.”

Next was the charm that came out of the chest we got from Death from Above. It was a small charm with writing on it in the Labyrinth Country’s language. Madoka appraised that and the long, thin piece of fabric.

♦Ghost-Warding Grand Charm +1♦

♦Unicorn Ribbon +1♦

“Elitia, what’s this ‘Energy Drain’ thing do in the Labyrinth Country?” I asked.

“It’s an attack that absorbs your life force. Ghost-type monsters use it a lot, with skills like Cold Hand. Sometimes, they also steal your experience points…”

“…I-I’m not afraid of some silly little ghosts. Besides, I have Mist of Bravery if we need it.” The fact that Igarashi was insisting she wasn’t afraid of them, even though we hadn’t asked her anything, implied that she was, in fact, afraid of them. We could see her fear all too well even though she tried to hide it.

Considering the charm’s effects, it seemed best to give it to Suzuna since her job could be effective against ghosts. I looked at her, and she responded with a nod, accepting the charm.

“This ribbon’s color is a bit like the ones you’re always wearing, Elitia,” said Suzuna.

“Yeah…and it has great effects. I don’t prioritize critical hits, but I bet this would’ve been useful to have back when we fought the Paradox Beetle. But it says it has requirements, so I wonder if I’d even be able to equip it…”

“Ellie, can I try tying your hair up with it?” Suzuna tied the Unicorn Ribbon into Elitia’s hair, and she seemed to be able to equip it without any issues. I then realized what the unicorn part might mean.

Maybe, just maybe, it only trusts female virgins…? I mean, it says it can only be equipped by women, so… Uh, a-anyway, as long as she can equip it, that’s all that matters.

“Arihito, I’m sorry—I can’t fully appraise the next few items with Appraise 1,” said Madoka.

“Oh, really…I see. Can you try using a Mid-grade Appraisal Scroll?”

“Yes, I’ll try… Oh, that worked! Learning Appraise 2 will be so useful.”

The remaining nonappraised items were the Ambivalenz, the Dexterity Gauntlets, and the Netted Rags. For some reason, I felt like I’d seen something like these rags somewhere before. Madoka showed me her license, which displayed the appraisal results, and this was what it said:

♦Black Spider Tights +3♦

“Oh… Atobe, th-this, um… It’d be really, ahem, age-inappropriate to make someone wear this. You catch my drift, yes?”

“R-right, yes, I understand. They’re damaged anyway, so no one can wear them.”

“Yeah, but the effects are so good that I sort of wanna try ’em on myself. They’re definitely for mature ladies, though, like Kyouka or maybe even Louisa,” said Misaki.

“There’s no way you can wear tights with this many runs in them,” countered Igarashi. “Besides, it came from the chest we got from the Paradox Beetle, which means…”

I agreed it was almost certain that it used to belong to someone else, but if we had a problem with that, we’d never be able to equip anything that came out of a chest. I did want to double-check that it didn’t belong to anyone in Takuma’s party…but I felt it was somewhat inappropriate to show the tights to Shiori and ask her if she recognized them.

“…We only found these items because we defeated the monster that killed their former owners,” explained Elitia. “Once I realized that, I thought it would be better to put the items to good use. Those people died before they could accomplish their goals. I think they’d rest better if they knew their equipment was helping others.” No one responded. It was very likely that the items in the chests belonged to Seekers who died before accomplishing what they wanted to do. Not every piece of treasure was, but those rings showed that some definitely were.

“If you put it that way, we need to try and use these tights even though they’re broken…”

“No, not exactly… I think we can use them after we have them repaired. We can’t make Igarashi wear them as they are,” I said.

“Wha—? Why are you just going with what Misaki says? It’s not like adults are the only ones who can wear tights,” said Igarashi.

“Tights are pretty difficult to repair… But an expert should be able to do it with the right materials,” said Suzuna as she carefully inspected the torn tights. I realized that the spider part of the name might be a hint.

“Spider… What if that means it was made from materials that come from a spider-type monster?”

“…I think you’re right. This Unicorn Ribbon was probably made out of materials from a one-horned monster. It’s quite common for a piece of equipment to be made of materials from that specific monster if it’s in the name,” replied Elitia. Thinking of it, my Hardened Ox Leather Armor was made from Marsh Oxen materials. That meant it was fairly safe to assume that the spider tights were made of materials gained from the spider monsters we’d already heard about.

“Atobe, we can make Anna’s racket and your new suit with materials from the sheep monster, then we can repair the tights with materials from the spider… Looks like we’ve got a few goals to accomplish now.”

“Yes, good work, Igarashi. Let’s knock each one out.”

We would go as deep as we could into Silvanus’s Bedchamber. Once we gained enough contribution points, we would head into the Beach of the Setting Sun. We’d be able to obtain all the materials we needed on the way. I’d be all the more powerful in battle if I could get that magic gun from Corleone.

“We just have the gauntlets and this…strange spear thing left,” said Madoka as she started to appraise them with Mid-grade Appraisal Scrolls. Most unnerving of all was that even a Mid-grade Appraisal Scroll wasn’t enough to fully reveal the details of Ambivalenz.

♦Dexterity Gauntlets♦

♦Ambivalenz♦

Both of them would be very powerful without their inherent risks. Ambivalenz in particular was a big gamble, making it difficult to use in actual battle.

“It has its risks, but I think Elitia is the one who can best put these gauntlets to use. You already have good gauntlets, though, so I’ll leave it up to you to decide if you want to change or not,” I said.

“Oh… A-are you sure…?” Elitia sounded surprised to hear her own name come up. She was very clearly interested in the item.

“Only people with a lot of magic can make good use of them without much difficulty,” agreed Igarashi. “Since you’re level nine, I think the advantages gained from increasing the number of your attacks will outweigh the drawbacks.”

“…But I think the party would get stronger if we increase the number of Theresia’s or even Suzuna’s attacks…”

“We can think about changing who equips them once everyone gains levels and has more available magic. At the moment, though, you are our primary attacker. I think having more attacks in your Blossom Blade will help us in some difficult battles,” I said.

“…All right. I want to make sure everyone else gets good equipment, but…for now, I’ll use these and do my best to contribute to the party.” Elitia held the gauntlets to her chest tenderly, like they were something precious. Thankfully, they weren’t too big, and she was still able to wear them despite her small frame.

“I think it’s too dangerous to use this Ambivalenz right now. We can leave it in storage until a time comes—,” I started.

Igarashi cut in. “Atobe, would it be all right if I take it? It’s spear-shaped, so I think I’m the only one who can equip it right now.”

“Uh… B-but it’s dangerous. We don’t know how much damage you take when you attack.”

“It looks like it’ll have some effect even if I’m only carrying it. Just strapping it to my back should reduce the damage I take. Plus, I’m also curious about these hidden powers. Don’t worry! I’ll make sure to listen to your orders when I do use it.” Sounded pretty much like she wasn’t really open to discussing it. But it was like her to consider the party and decide to take it along with her, even though she was aware of the risks.

“…As long as you don’t do what you did before. Don’t do anything ridiculous just to protect us.”

“I wouldn’t even think of it. The pain was so bad that I thought I would die. I won’t do anything ridiculous.”

Since she said that, I couldn’t be overprotective and a worrywart. Ambivalenz wasn’t lightweight, but Igarashi lifted it, spinning it around like it was lighter than her current cross spear.

“It doesn’t weigh much, but I can see how formidable it’d be in battle… What an incredible spear.”

“Kyouka, it may not be cursed, but please be careful with it. There’s no guarantee these ‘hidden powers’ are anything positive,” cautioned Elitia.

“Yeah… But my vitality and magic aren’t going down just because I’m carrying it. I’ll use my cross spear most of the time. This will just be my backup weapon.”

“All right, that sounds good. It’s getting late—let’s go back home,” I said.

“““Okay!”””

I wasn’t expecting everyone to respond in unison, but it made me smile since they all seemed so relaxed and at peace. Surprisingly, even Melissa gave a normal response, although it lacked the energy of everyone else’s. I thought about how I’d like to hear Theresia’s voice someday. But first, I needed to be patient and explain to her that she had to actually rest in bed instead of trying to guard me and falling asleep standing.