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Chapter 41: Collaboration — Tensura x Laurier (Volume 1, Part 2)
5090 Words
. . .
"A slime?"
Suddenly, the horde of monsters parted. From the gap emerged a semi-transparent, jelly-like entity—a creature that practically oozed the sound effect boing.
Thanks to a certain game, slimes were widely considered the weakest of all monsters. In Orario, however, slimes were liquid horrors found only in the deep floors. If an adventurer let their guard down, the creature would invade their body and dissolve them from the inside out—a horrific fate universally recognized by anyone daring enough to brave the depths of the Dungeon.
Naturally, Bell didn't drop his guard. He stood completely still, quietly observing the slime with the sharpened gaze of a beast locked onto its prey.
I'm already shocked that it can talk… but this slime doesn't even have a Magic Stone!?
Bell's gaze pierced straight through the slime's translucent body. No matter where he looked, the familiar glow of a Magic Stone was entirely absent. The sound of his own common sense crumbling echoed in his mind. An unfamiliar city, talking monsters, and a slime without a core. His brain was struggling to process any of it.
"..."
Yet, his expression didn't so much as twitch. The fact that he didn't let a single ounce of his internal turmoil show was proof of his caliber as a first-class adventurer.
"To remain so calm and collected in the face of such a blatant anomaly—as expected of my Bell!"
"This is no time for praise. Hurry up and turn the page!"
"So this is a slime. It's quite a bit more adorable than I imagined."
Hestia puffed out her chest with pride, Lili impatiently urged her to keep reading, and Haruhime gazed at the slime illustration with a gentle, airy tone. Experiencing the emotional rollercoaster of the story together, the three of them moved on to the next page.
"Alley-oop! Ah, you really don't need to be so on guard. I have no intention of attacking you, so relax."
"Wha—!? The slime turned into a person!?"
The slime gave a little hop. In an instant, the liquid body morphed, shifting into an entirely normal human form. With blue hair and androgynous features that could belong to either a young boy or girl, they looked absolutely nothing like the gelatinous blob from a second ago.
Faced with an endlessly escalating series of bizarre events, Bell was finally failing to hide his shock. Still, he kept his knife raised and his guard up—partly because of his instincts as a seasoned adventurer, but primarily because he had someone behind him he needed to protect.
"Calm down, Bell. If it's capable of speech, we should attempt communication first."
"Y-You're right…"
At Laurier's word, Bell lowered his knife. He wasn't the belligerent type to begin with. The sheer lack of hostility radiating from the other party played a big role, too. Deep down, however, he remained cautious, quietly observing their new acquaintance's next move. Noticing his posture, Rimuru gave an impressed nod before speaking.
"Maybe I should start with an introduction? Let me try this again. My name is Rimuru Tempest. I'm the Chancellor of this nation, the Jura Tempest Federation."
"Nation!? Chancellor!? A-Ah, right. My name is Bell Cranel. I'm an adventurer. And this girl here is—"
"His wife, Laurier Swar."
"Wait, wife!? You two are married!? You look so young—uh, never mind. Nice to meet you!"
"Guh-ffuh!" x3
Laurier's brazen declaration inflicted fifty points of psychic damage directly to Hestia and the others' souls. They had already witnessed the wedding scene, sure, but hearing her explicitly claim the title out loud carried an entirely different kind of emotional trauma. All three clutched their chests, dropping to their knees as their eyes practically rolled into the backs of their heads.
"I-Is this… the terrifying power of that Lauri-whatsit you've been warning me about, Supporter…!?"
"It doesn't end here, Goddess Hestia. This is only the beginning! I can guarantee the ending will be far worse!?"
"Given how profoundly stimulating and deeply moving Lady Laurier's previous book was, I am certain there are scenes within these pages that defy our wildest imaginations!!"
Stunned by their grim expressions, Hestia was at a loss for words. "Is this… Lauri-whatsit… a Monster Rex from the deep floors or something…?" Her voice trembled, sounding exactly like a rookie adventurer listening to a campfire ghost story about the Dungeon's horrors.
"In certain circles, Lady Laurier's books are treated as Special Grade Cursed Objects. They call them the 'future blueprints of a lovestruck monster,' you see."
"What kind of book is that!?" Hestia shouted. But despite her outburst, it went without saying that Lauri-whatsit's threat level in Hestia's mind had just skyrocketed to perfectly rival Wallen-whatsit's.
"Now that introductions are out of the way, mind if I ask you a question? Could you tell me exactly how you ended up here?"
"Um, well… I'm not sure if you'll believe me, but we were traveling on our honeymoon. We were sightseeing in a village we stopped at when, suddenly, a rift tore through the air. We were swallowed up by it, and the next thing we knew, we were here."
As Bell explained, Rimuru frowned and rested a hand on his chin. Seeing that expression, Bell's chest tightened anxiously. Laurier nervously pinched Bell's sleeve. But a moment later, a voice piped up in their defense.
"Um, Lord Rimuru. I don't think they're lying. I was actually watching. A tear opened up right in the middle of the road, and those two came tumbling out of it like they'd been spat out."
A goblin-like man stepped out from the surrounding crowd to testify on their behalf. Bell and Laurier stared in shock. Their faces clearly read: We're actually being vouched for by a monster?
"Hmm? Oh, my bad. Did I give you the wrong idea? I wasn't doubting your story. It's just, if you were dragged here by a dimensional rift, then it's basically a massive accident. I was just trying to figure out how to get you two back home."
"Y-You actually believe us!?"
"Of course. It's not like lying about something like that would do you any good. Besides, there's not a hint of deceit in your eyes. If there's one thing I'm confident in, it's my ability to judge charac—wait, what's wrong?"
Rimuru cut himself off and turned fully toward Bell and Laurier. The two of them were staring at him, absolutely dumbfounded.
"Um… does that mean you're willing to help us get back home?!"
"Hm? Well, yeah. Of course."
"Thank you so much!! Truly…!!"
Seeing Bell bow his head so deeply, Rimuru's expression softened into a gentle smile.
"Yeah, leave it to me. Dealing with crazy stuff like this is kind of my specialty."
Rimuru gave them a confident thumbs-up. His casual demeanor was the complete opposite of the majestic dignity one would expect from a nation's Chancellor—but ironically, that was exactly why his words resonated so easily within Bell's heart.
The taut thread of tension finally snapped, and the stiffness drained from Bell's shoulders. Laurier pressed a hand to her chest, letting out a heavy sigh of relief.
"Lord Rimuru… thank you, truly…"
"You don't need to add the 'Lord.' Just call me Rimuru."
"I couldn't… no, actually… Thank you, Rimuru!"
"From both myself and my husband, thank you, Rimuru!"
Rimuru responded to their gratitude with a warm, affirming nod. Meanwhile, in the real world, Hestia and the others were squirming in agonizing frustration as they read the exchange.
"Mmm… the more I see of him, the more he feels just like a kind-hearted Xenos. But this whole setup of Lauri-whatsit being Bell's wife feels completely and utterly wrong!!!"
"I completely agree! It goes without saying that Lili becoming Master Bell's wife would feel the most natural."
"That is unfair, Lady Lili!! H-Haruhime would also like to be Master Bell's wife…"
"I won't accept either of you!!! Boys and girls dating within my Familia (especially if it involves Bell) is strictly forbidden!!!"
"Stop being ridiculous. Lili refuses to acknowledge such an arbitrary divine rule!!"
Lili shot back against Hestia's soulful scream. It seemed another catfight was about to break out, but Haruhime quietly asked, "May I continue reading?" That alone forced a temporary ceasefire, and the three of them turned their attention back to the pages.
The scene shifted. Bell and Laurier were led to a magnificent building—something that looked far too grandiose to exist in a nation of monsters. Guided by an incredibly buff goblin, they were escorted to a room that resembled a waiting area, where a pink-haired woman with horns served them tea and snacks.
"Yo. Sorry for the wait."
"Not at all. You even treated us to these delicious sweets."
Arriving slightly after the two of them, Rimuru was carried into the room by a purple-haired woman with a single horn. The problem wasn't that he was being carried, but rather where he was being carried. Resting right on top of Rimuru's round slime body were two distinctly large mounds. Naturally, the healthy, adolescent Bell found his gaze drifting just a tiny bit upward.
"Bell? Exactly what are you looking at? Hmm? Hmm?"
"Hweh!? Wh-What do you mean! I'm just looking at Rimuru—I'm sorry."
"Jeez!"
Though Laurier was smiling, terrifying flames of pure jealousy raged behind her eyes. Bell instantly caved under the pressure and meekly bowed his head in apology. Watching this unfold, Rimuru mentally offered Bell some silent sympathy: He's a teenage boy. You really can't blame him.
Reaching that point in the story, Lili clutched her head and shrieked.
"Guh, so Master Bell truly does prefer them on the larger side!?"
Beside her, Haruhime puffed out her chest, offering a modest, yet hopeful, counterargument.
"I-If he prefers women with large chests, then Haruhime also has a chance…"
But the most confident of them all was—unsurprisingly—Hestia. Cupping her ample assets with both hands, she flashed a wildly triumphant grin.
"Heh heh! Looks like I win. After all, these girls of mine are undeniably magnificent. Oh dear, whatever shall I do? Bell's gaze is just going to be glued to me all day long."
Irritated by Hestia's immensely smug expression, Lili snapped. "Has Master Bell ever actually looked at you that way?" she taunted. In an instant, Hestia's overwhelming confidence vanished, replaced by a devastating, gloomy aura of depression.
"Um… what exactly happened to her?"
"Ah, well, you could chalk it up to them being at that age, or maybe just their own marital issues. Anyway, Shion, you're banned from holding me for a while!"
"Wha—No! Lord Rimuru!!"
Rimuru transformed back into his human form and gracefully took a seat on the sofa. Standing behind him, Shion curled her large frame inward, weeping massive, comical tears. Seeing this, Bell asked Rimuru with a worried expression.
"Um… is she going to be okay?"
"Yeah, don't worry about her. Anyway, about you two… How about you work for us in the meantime?"
Bell and Laurier both froze. The sudden proposal caught them completely off guard, but as Rimuru elaborated, their surprise slowly shifted into deep understanding. There was no telling when the dimensional rift would reappear. Until they found a way back, they needed a foundation to live on. Rimuru had treated securing their livelihood as a completely natural given. Laurier drew in a sharp breath.
"…You would do so much for us…?"
Bell nodded profoundly in agreement.
"Thank you, Rimuru. Getting suddenly thrown into an unknown place… we honestly didn't know what we were going to do…"
Rimuru casually waved off Bell's gratitude.
"Don't sweat it. Helping people in trouble is just basic decency, right? Besides, our nation is still developing, and we're severely short-staffed. If you're willing to work, we'll welcome you with open arms."
He phrased it like a joke, but to Bell and Laurier, his words felt like a warm hand supporting their backs, silently telling them, It's okay for you to stay here.
"Mmm, this Rimuru fellow is a very good kid."
"I suppose it's true that the Xenos are all good-natured, aren't they? Though there are certainly a few stubborn hardheads among them…"
"Could you by any chance be referring to Lord Gros?"
Haruhime quickly picked up on Lili's muttered comment. Lili cleared her throat, clearly deciding to shelve that particular topic, and cast her eyes back to the book.
Thus, Bell and Laurier found themselves working under a slime named Rimuru Tempest in the monster nation of the Jura Tempest Federation. The narrative showcased a montage of Rimuru giving them a tour of the country. Everywhere they looked, humans and monsters alike wore bright smiles; it seemed scarcely different from the daily bustle of Orario.
Orcs playfully roughhousing with goblin children, Lizardmen welcoming them with spirited song and dance, and an elderly, white-haired man with horns disciplining a goblin slacking off on his training—through Bell and Laurier's eyes, none of them looked like monsters. They simply looked like slightly unusual demi-humans going about their normal, human-like lives.
"How do I say this… this place is incredible. It completely changes how we view monsters…"
"Perhaps, Bell. But remember, that's only because we are in this specific country. Carrying that mindset into the Dungeon we know will only invite lethal danger. Do not let your guard down."
Seeing the monsters going about their lives, Bell had muttered his awe, prompting Laurier to issue a stern reminder to stay sharp.
"Indeed. This is likely a warning to the readers so they don't develop misplaced sympathy for the Dungeon's monsters and get themselves injured as a result."
Lili astutely deduced that the line wasn't just Laurier speaking; it was a deliberate, meta-textual message from the author.
"Well, that concludes the tour of Tempest. Out of everything you've seen, did anything catch your eye as something you could do?"
"Let's see. I'm an adventurer, so I'm mostly suited for combat-related roles. I'd love it if you let me participate in the town patrols or help hunt the Magical Beasts that wander out from the Great Forest of Jura…"
"I am an adventurer as well, but I am nowhere near as strong as Bell. If possible, I'd like a job that allows me to support him."
Rimuru didn't show a hint of displeasure at Laurier's request. He simply rubbed his chin in thought.
"In that case, how about helping out Shuna? Her work mainly focuses on cooking and sewing, so it's absolutely perfect for bridal training."
"Bridal training, huh? True, considering our future, it certainly wouldn't hurt to learn…"
The subtle, upward glance she gave Bell was entirely the gaze of a "blissful newlywed dreaming of her future family."
"Dammit! Bell is supposed to be mine!!"
"Bridal training!? Exactly how systematically is she trying to corner him!?"
Naturally, this instantly drew immense hostility from Hestia and Lili. As for Haruhime, who had remained entirely silent—it seemed the mere phrase "bridal training" had struck her heart with such direct, overwhelming force that she was rendered completely speechless by the shock.
The following pages illustrated Laurier learning the fine arts of cooking and sewing under Shuna's careful tutelage, while Bell was depicted enduring grueling martial arts training from Hakurou alongside Gobta. It was a picturesque scene, perfectly embodying the ideal of harmony between humans and monsters. This would inevitably draw massive backlash from certain factions in Orario, but that hardly mattered now. The fact that the author was brazenly using an adventurer from the Loki Familia—Orario's strongest faction—as a model proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that they had zero fear of making enemies.
After finishing a Magical Beast subjugation run on a patrol led by Gobta, Bell headed toward Tempest's famous hot springs to wash away the sweat and grime.
"Um, the hot springs should be this way, but… a fork in the road? There's a sign, but which way am I supposed to go?"
The sign planted at the intersection was written in a language completely foreign to the common tongue Bell knew. While he was standing there utterly perplexed, the young goblin girl he had seen playing with the orc earlier happened to walk by and pointed him down one of the paths, saying, "That way." Deeply touched by the kindness of a child in an unfamiliar land, Bell offered her his sincere thanks.
However—that brief encounter proved to be a massive, fate-altering crossroads for him.
Following the girl's directions, Bell happily pushed his way past the red curtains and entered the changing room. Finding it completely empty, he stripped off his clothes, wrapped a single towel around his waist, and headed straight into the bathing area.
"H-Huh?"
The sight that violently barged into his vision was Laurier, submerged up to her shoulders in the steaming water. And surrounding her were Shion, Shuna, a Goblina, and Treyni. Furthermore, leisurely floating inside a small wooden bath bucket was Rimuru, back in his slime form.
"Wh-Wh-Wh-What!? Bell!!?"
Laurier's panicked shriek echoed through the cavernous room. Bell's eyes desperately darted around. They swam wildly, gravitating entirely of their own accord toward directions they absolutely shouldn't be looking. The manga panel transitioned into an indulgent fanservice shot—a dangerously close-up angle of the otherworldly monster beauties' chests, framed just perfectly enough to obscure the vital bits.
As Bell's gaze helplessly wandered, inadvertently drinking in the sheer volume of breasts on display, Laurier shot up from the water, furiously clutching a towel against her chest.
"Exactly what do you think you're doing, Bell?"
"E-Eh? Ah, no! I had no idea this was the women's bath! I-I swear…"
"Hmph, is that so? Then kindly get the hell out of here!!!"
"Eh, ah, wa—!!?"
Snatching the relaxing Rimuru right out of his bath bucket, Laurier pitched him straight at Bell's face with the velocity of a major league fastball.
"I'm sorr—Bffgghh!!"
Catching Rimuru square in the face, Bell was forcefully ejected from the women's bath.
"Good grief, Bell is peeping again!!"
"As incredibly in-character as this is for Master Bell, to think he'd suffer this exact same fate even inside a fictional book…"
"So this is what they call a 'lucky lecher' scenario."
Despite the fact that Bell hadn't gone there with the intent to peep and had genuinely just entered the wrong bath by mistake, Hestia and Lili found themselves both angry and exasperated by his immediate expulsion. Haruhime, meanwhile, was quietly buzzing with intense excitement all by herself.
Having been kicked out of the women's bath, Bell was finally led safely to the actual men's bath by Rimuru, who had essentially been collateral damage in the ejection.
"Ah, that's right. You and Laurier can understand our spoken language, but you can't read our writing. I completely forgot about that. My bad."
"No, don't worry about that part, it's fine. But hey, Rimuru… Why exactly were you in the women's bath with Laurier?"
Radiating an overwhelmingly menacing aura—practically manifesting a physical rumble in the air—Bell flashed a terrifyingly dark smile. Sweating profusely, Rimuru frantically made his excuses: "I-I'm a slime! I don't really have a gender, so please don't worry about it!"
Ultimately, since Bell owed him a debt of gratitude, he agreed to let it slide this once. But the instant Bell offered a perfectly sweet, angelic smile and said, "There won't be a next time," a cold sweat ran down Rimuru's spine as he nodded furiously in agreement.
S-Scary…! Bell is usually so incredibly gentle… but he turns into a completely different person the second Laurier is involved…!?
Still clutching the internally trembling, slime-form Rimuru against his chest, Bell finally sank into the hot spring.
"Grrr…! To think Bell would get this fiercely jealous over her!? Damn that Lauri-whatsit! Exactly how far is she going to go to cement her position!?"
"I couldn't agree more!! The sheer audacity to indirectly brag about how much Master Bell loves her!!"
"Oh, how happy Haruhime would be if Master Bell loved her with such intensity…"
Witnessing this entirely new, aggressively possessive side of Bell, all three girls were overcome by a tempestuous mix of boiling rage toward Laurier and bitter, agonizing envy.
The scene shifted. A freshly bathed Bell, now dressed in a light yukata, was guided to his designated guest room. He opened the door to find Laurier waiting for him inside. Having just stepped out of the bath herself, her skin was still slightly flushed and damp.
"I've been waiting for you, Bell."
"Ahahaha…"
Laurier offered him a blindingly beautiful smile, looking as ethereally gorgeous as a fairy. The sight of her in a yukata, radiating that sensual post-bath glow, nearly stole Bell's breath away. However, his instincts immediately picked up on the terrifying, molten fury boiling just beneath that perfect smile, forcing him to let out a dry, awkward chuckle.
Standing perfectly still by the door, Bell could do nothing but frantically escape reality, mindlessly thinking to himself: Wow, the architecture here really looks like the Far East. Terrified of whatever gruesome punishment awaited him, Bell remained frozen until Laurier grabbed his hand and forcefully dragged him inside. Futons had already been laid out on the floor. But rather than two separate sets, it was a single, oversized futon clearly designed for couples.
"Say, Bell. I understand you didn't enter the women's bath on purpose. Truly. But logic has nothing to do with my jealousy. Bell… do you find this ugly side of me repulsive?"
"N-Not at all! I love every part of you, Laurier! In fact, seeing you get jealous over me… it actually makes me really happy!"
Despite being paralyzed by fear just seconds ago, Bell fiercely shut down her self-deprecating words with an almost angry intensity. Hearing his answer, Laurier nodded in deep satisfaction. She wrapped her arms tightly around him, pulling him close as she whispered into his ear.
"I'm so glad. I knew you would say that, Bell~"
"Laurier? —Hn!?"
Cradling his cheeks with both hands, Laurier forcefully pressed her lips against his. The kiss was overwhelmingly passionate, overflowing with raw, unfiltered love. After a long moment, she slowly pulled away, flashing a bashful, slightly wicked smile. And then—
"Whoa!"
Thump!!
Laurier shoved Bell down onto the futon and reached up, pulling the string hanging from the ceiling light. The room plunged into darkness, illuminated only by the faint, pale moonlight filtering in through the window.
"Every single thing you saw in the bath today… I'm going to completely overwrite it with me~"
Loosening the sash of her yukata, she let the fabric slip open, exposing her skin as she offered him a dangerously sultry, melting smile.
In the end, what exactly happened to the Bell who had angered his wife by accidentally wandering into the women's bath was entirely left to the reader's imagination. The narrative merely noted that, the following morning, both of their complexions were positively glowing.
Reading that final sentence, Hestia used every ounce of strength in her body in a desperate attempt to tear the book in half.
"Ah—Goddess Hestia! What are you doing!?"
"Isn't it obvious!? I am annihilating this Special Grade Cursed Object before it can steal away my Bell's purity!!!"
"Destroying that copy won't do any good! A massive number of them are already in circulation across Orario! And it's not just this book either—there are plenty of others that are far more indecent!!"
Hearing Haruhime's agonizingly factual words, Hestia suffered a catastrophic mental blow. Her grip weakened, and the tearing force vanished from her hands. Seizing the momentary opening, Lili snatched the book right out of her goddess's grasp. While the doujinshi had survived the assault, both Lili and Haruhime were absolutely certain that Hestia's psyche was too broken to continue reading.
"Ughhh… N-Not yet! I'm not finished yet!!"
"Goddess Hestia!?"
Tapping into a well of willpower that arguably shouldn't even exist, Hestia miraculously recovered from her psychological trauma. Lili and Haruhime stared at her in utter disbelief.
"Don't underestimate me. I am Bell's guardian, after all. I will see this through to the bitter end!"
With that bold declaration, Hestia climbed to her feet, snatched the book back from Lili, and resumed reading.
"Oh my. Judging by the look of you two… could it be that you had a little too much fun last night?"
At Rimuru's teasing quip, Bell and Laurier's faces erupted in bright crimson blushes, aggressively averting their eyes.
"Doba-bweh!!"
Instantly met with such a painfully clichéd, overly-familiar trope immediately after her dramatic revival, Hestia unleashed a bizarre, retro-game-over-sounding shriek as she metaphorically vomited blood. She collapsed to her knees, looking so close to death's door that even the eternally frugal Lili genuinely panicked, thinking she needed to administer an expensive potion.
"Heh. Don't panic, Supporter. I haven't been counted out just yet…"
"Goddess Hestia…"
Pushing herself up off the floor looking like a battered heavyweight boxer going into the twelfth round, Hestia fueled herself on pure, unyielding fighting spirit and continued flipping the pages.
Just as Rimuru's thoughtless comment had thoroughly awkwardized the atmosphere, a boisterous voice cut through the air.
"Oho! The ones standing over there must be the humans who traveled here from another world!"
A blond man with tanned skin cheerfully approached the group the moment he spotted Rimuru. Thanks to his boisterous interruption, the tension eased and the awkwardness quickly evaporated.
"Um, Rimuru. Who is this…?"
"Ah, this is Veldora. He's a biiiit on the shy side, but please try to get along with him!"
"What!? Hold on just a moment, Rimuru! As I have told you before, I am not the least bit shy!"
Veldora's rugged appearance initially gave off an intimidating, unapproachable aura, but Rimuru's playful teasing instantly lightened the mood, allowing Bell to relax.
"Um, it's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Bell Cranel. And this is my wife, Laurier Swar."
"A pleasure. Both my husband and I owe Rimuru a great deal."
"Umu! Good manners are always a virtue!! As Rimuru has already stated, my name is Veldora Tempest! I am also the Storm Dragon that guards this nation!"
Though Bell was slightly overwhelmed by Veldora's majestic, imposing presence, it was that final declaration that sent true shockwaves through him and Laurier.
"I see—wait, what!? A dragon!!"
"Hm? What is with that reaction—ah, right. I am currently in my human form. Very well, allow me to demonstrate my true form—"
"Don't you dare show them!"
Veldora flexed his muscles, preparing to transform, but Rimuru frantically leaped in to stop him.
"Why must you interfere, Rimuru?"
"If you transform back to your original size in the middle of town, it'll cause a massive panic, you idiot!"
Scolded by Rimuru, Veldora visibly deflated and obediently backed down. Watching the exchange, Bell and Laurier couldn't help but feel like they were watching a child getting chewed out by their parent for trying to do something reckless.
"Er, ahem! Well, I suppose I cannot show you my true form here. But if you truly wish to gaze upon it, you need only come to the deepest depths of the Dungeon where I await!"
"A Dungeon!? There's a Dungeon in this country too?"
"Oh, are you interested in Dungeons? Now that I think about it, our tour yesterday mostly focused on finding you two some jobs, so we completely skipped over the tourism and entertainment districts."
Seeing Bell's interest pique, Rimuru happily steered the conversation toward that topic. Before he fully realized what was happening, Bell had somehow agreed to meet Veldora in the Dungeon's deepest depths—a promise that inevitably led to Hakurou drastically ramping up the sheer brutality of his daily training regimen.
Amidst this montage of peaceful, slice-of-life moments, the book finally reached its last page. There, practically winking at the reader with a massive spoiler, was a haunting illustration. Deep within the darkest heart of the forest, radiating a terrifyingly ominous aura, a massive scale belonging to the Black Dragon lay silently pulsing.
And right in the corner of the page, a small, dramatic tagline had been printed: The awakening of the Black Dragon begins in silence.
"What the hell is this!!?"
"Wait, does this mean Master Bell will fight the Black Dragon in the next volume!?"
"If that's the case, then surely there will be even more intense, explicit scenes of this and that with Lady Laurier sandwiched in between compared to the previous battle with the black Minotaur!?"
Hestia screamed, her eyes glued to the ominous final page. Lili mirrored her horror, but Haruhime was vibrating on an entirely different wavelength of excitement, letting her vivid delusions run wild.
"Guh, if it ends on a cliffhanger like that, we have to read the next volume right now!"
"Right!"
"Yes!"
Desperate to know what happened next, the three girls simultaneously reached for the second volume resting on the nearby table. That was when it happened.
"I'm back!"
Bell's energetic voice echoed from the front entrance. Reacting instantly, Hestia and the others frantically exchanged glances, silently communicating their emergency protocol.
The telepathic eye contact lasted a mere two seconds. Then, the three moved as one. Hestia grabbed the book, Lili swiftly wrapped it in a piece of cloth, and Haruhime cleanly slid the bundle into the deepest corner of a nearby shelf. Their coordinated movements were perfectly synchronized, devoid of a single wasted motion—like a party of seasoned adventurers executing a flawless combat maneuver.
By the time Bell stepped into the living room, all three of them had already smoothed out their expressions, acting as if absolutely nothing out of the ordinary was happening.
"Oh, you were all here, Goddess?"
"A-Ah, yes. We were here. Yep!"
"Welcome home, Master Bell."
"If you're tired, I can draw you a bath… or would you prefer to eat first?"
Bell felt a slight, inexplicable sense of incongruity from their overly polite demeanor, but ultimately chalked it up to his imagination and decided not to think too deeply about it. Thus, despite their burning curiosity over the cliffhanger, the three girls wore perfectly innocent faces, quietly biding their time until Bell fell asleep so they could crack open the next volume.
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