I slowly open my eyes, already noticing the morning light leaking through the window. My body feels heavy but satisfied.
When I turn to my side, I see Yomogi, still naked like me and lying close. Her orange hair spills over the pillow, and her amber eyes are already open, watching me like she's been doing it for a while.
"Good morning, Motegi-chan..."
"Morning, Yomogi-san…"
Then, she giggles, covering her mouth with her fingers.
"Your sleeping face… it's too sweet. I can't stop looking at it..."
That smile. The way she looks at me as if I'm something precious. Without thinking, I reach out and slide my palm gently across her belly.
But then, I realize something that I hadn't noticed last night. For an adventurer, she somehow doesn't have many muscles and instead, her body is so ripe and full. The swell of her hips, the softness beneath her breasts, and the faint curve of her lower belly that isn't fat — it's so mature, like a woman who'd carried life before and not just sexy. And the more I rub her belly, the more curious I am about her.
"Last night… you didn't answer my questions. Do you really not want to?"
The moment I ask that, she goes quiet.
But after a moment, she looks up at the ceiling, and I can see her smiling. Then, she begins to speak.
"That person... he was a proud wolf, the strongest warrior of our village."
I see...
"We went adventuring together from the bottom. We pushed through the ranks together, fought side by side, and always kept up with one another. No matter how dangerous the place, no matter how impossible the quest... we faced it. Together. We experienced everything."
Her eyes look distant, and I can hear the fragility in her voice, like she's carrying weight despite still looking calm behind that soft smile.
"When we thought it was enough, we got married. After all the battles and the years of living dangerously, we finally lived peacefully. Just the two of us."
As I thought, she is a married woman.
"And then, our little pup was born. He completed our lives. Everything felt whole. Our little one was perfect. I still can't forget his innocent laughs or the way he used to climb on everything, then fall and laugh like the ground was his playground."
She giggles playfully and turns to me.
"You know, my little pup had a face like yours, Motegi-chan..."
Her eyes twinkle for a second, and she chuckles.
And everything just makes sense now. She has built a family, a life, and a future. She isn't just gentle and mature because of her nature, it's experience. She's lived that life already. She knows what it means to love deeply, to raise someone, and to carry warmth that has nothing to do with romance.
And the way she used "-chan" with me, it's not because of her being playful, but somehow I remind her of her little pup, her son.
"But my world… it didn't last long."
Her voice is quieter, and I see her hands curl on top of the blanket.
"A storm hit our village. The worst in years. I was returning from the village store when I saw the smoke. I ran, I ran so fast..."
Her words are cracked.
"But when I got there, I found them. My husband and my little pup. They were buried beneath the rubble, lifeless."
A silence stretches between us. For that moment, I can feel the heavy burden she feels.
"At that moment, I thought I'd lost everything. I couldn't bear the guilt anymore, so I retired from adventuring."
"I'm sorry, Yomogi-san..."
"No, it's fine..."
That's all that I can say right now, but through all of that, I can understand more of her. She is kind because she knows what it means to lose something precious. She is warm because the world has once been cold to her in a way no one should experience. She smiles not because everything is okay, but because smiling is all she can do to keep going.
"But you still go adventuring anyway, don't you?"
"Not at all."
She gently shakes her head and answers my question that makes me confused instead.
"What do you mean?"
"I only return to adventuring once a year, and always in Remantia's labyrinth."
"Why?"
"Because that's where we took our little pup for his birthday."
Ah, so she's not fully retired but more like a seasonal or semi-retired adventurer. Although, I'm still curious why she and her husband chose the labyrinth in this city instead of the one in her home at Misdaras.
"We wanted him to see what his parents did, so we brought him here and its labyrinth. Just that one time."
I can see her amber eyes shine with something bittersweet as she continues her story.
"I still remember how amazed he was when he watched his parents fight like it was the most incredible thing in the world. He kept cheering, clapping every time we struck down a monster. And when we gave him the rare item we found inside, he held it so tightly, like he never wanted to let it go. That memory is the last one I can clearly see without pain."
My mind is able to picture it, two proud beastfolk parents, smiling as their child laughs in wonder, holding a little treasure in his small hands. It's such a pure image, and it's too sad at the same time by how this story would end.
"And since their deaths, I return to the same labyrinth every year when his birthday is near to obtain that rare item, and once I get it, I return to Misdaras and place it on my son's grave."
I don't know what to say.
She's adventuring in the same labyrinth every year to get a rare item, just to make sure that her little pup's birthday is never forgotten.
"That rare item you mentioned… is it the tendril from yesterday?"
I finally break the silence between us with that question.
"No. It's a flower. One that only drops at the eighth floor of the labyrinth."
A flower, huh?
"But it's not easy to get. I have to reach that floor and defeat the monsters along the way over and over again."
"Why?"
"Because my luck stat is very low…"
Ah, I see.
But, hold on. If she says that she needs to defeat every monster in those eight floors repeatedly, does it mean that she needs to keep returning to the labyrinth until she gets the item?
"Wait, you mean you've done that whole run more than once?"
"Yes. It's four times now, still no luck."
As I thought, she really goes a long way.
Then, I remember that I have the [Temporary Boost] skill, which I can also use on her. Maybe I can enhance her Luck stat to infinity for a while, and maybe I can get the taste of a labyrinth by myself. Honestly, ever since I battled the Blood Rabbit and Scourge Crows, I've been intrigued by the idea of adventuring.
With that, I turn to her and ask her a proposal.
"Yomogi-san, would you like to stay at my house for a while? Until you manage to get that flower."
"Eh?"
"You don't have to worry about renting an inn. I have food and space, and I think I might be able to help you find that flower."
She doesn't respond right away, thinking it over. And after a long moment, she turns to me and nods slowly.
"Agree."
Then, her cheeks suddenly tint a soft red as she requests something.
"Also, can you drop the '-san'? Just call me Yomogi."
Well, if that's what she wants, then fine.
"Alright. Let's work well together from now on, Yomogi."
"Yes, Motegi-chan!"
Then, we finally pull ourselves out of bed. She stretches with a soft yawn, her orange tail flicking behind her and her feet padding to her clothes that are scattered on the floor. I grab my tracksuit, putting it on and heading to the kitchen to deal with the forgotten dinner from last night.
Yomogi sits across from me, and we eat together. And the moment the food enters her mouth, she mumbles through bites and her puffed cheeks.
"Mmphh! Thish sho gooood... sho deelishious..."
Her ears twitch and her tail wags with every chew, which looks adorable. She looks more like a happy puppy than a wolf warrior who nearly broke me in half last night.
After we finish and clean the table, I lean back and glance at her, who is picking up her cloak and slinging it over one shoulder.
"Do you want to head back to the labyrinth, Yomogi?"
"Yes, I want to try again."
"Got it."
With that, we move to the door together. I pause and turn to her, then without a word, I gently cup her chin. Her amber eyes widen just before I lean in and capture her lips for a long, slow kiss.
"Mmmhh! Chuu... chuu..."
Her breath hitches halfway through, but she doesn't pull away. Our tongues dance until I finally pull back and see her cheeks are flushed as she wipes her lips with the back of her hand.
"Mou... Was that really necessary, Motegi-chan?"
"A goodbye kiss."
She narrows her eyes playfully at me.
"You naughty boy..."
"Hehe... sorry..."
We both laugh, then step outside and part ways as I go to open my stall.
FOUR HOURS LATER
"Here you go, sir. One large bronze."
"Thank you! My wife says I smell like a prince now!"
"Don't forget to visit our new store tomorrow, sir!"
"Yes!"
I glance at the nearly empty table and sigh.
"Next!"
The line keeps growing. Parents with kids, sweaty adventurers, and even wealthy nobles want my soaps, shampoos, toothpaste, sanitizers, and deodorants. And since I'll be moving to a permanent store tomorrow, I've decided to sell more toiletries than usual.
But still, they're sold pretty fast.
After the last customer takes my last shampoo, I close the stall and go somewhere.
Once I arrive at a Gothic-style building, I see many adventurers going in and out of that building.
"So this is it, huh?"
I walk inside, and I'm welcomed by the sight of so many adventurers gathered on the tables, drinking beers and laughing together. Then, a big, tall, bearded middle-aged man greets me. He has a sturdy body that almost scares me.
"Welcome to Remantia Adventurer Guild. I'm Freddy. What can I help you with?"
"I-I want to become an adventurer."
Then, he freezes and looks at me closely.
"Wait...are you that soap guy?"
And instantly, his question causes the adventurers inside to notice me.
"Yes, it is! He's that soap guy!"
"You want to go on a quest, soap guy?"
"Yes, I am. I guess I need to train my muscles occasionally."
With that, the adventurers cheer me up and raise their glasses for me.
"Now that's the spirit!"
"If you succeed, treat us some drinks, okay?"
"Of course, thank you!"
Then, I return to Freddy and see him suddenly laugh.
"Hahaha... you're really famous in this city, you know that?"
"I-is that so?"
"Well, adventuring, huh? May I borrow your card?"
"Sure, here."
"Thank you."
After I give him my card, it only takes a few seconds for him to return it back to me. The card has another stamp on it now, which was a red-colored adventurer guild's stamp with a letter 'G' on top of it.
"Here's your card, you are a G-rank adventurer. Adventurer ranks from lowest to highest are G, F, E, D, C, B, A, and S."
"Okay, thank you for the explanation."
"So, do you want to take a quest or enter the labyrinth?"
"I want to enter the labyrinth."
"Well, that's good. What about I give you the labyrinth's map?"
"Yes, please."
Then, he takes a piece of paper from the drawer and gives it to me.
"Here's the map. Well, since you are a beginner, you are only allowed to enter the first three floors. Those floors are intended for beginners to learn about combat, get used to fighting, and get stronger."
"I see."
"Slimes are monsters on the first floor, skeletons are on the second floor, and goblins on the third floor, and there will be a boss waiting for you at the end of each floor. Monsters on those floors appear alone, but when you reach the boss area, you might experience multiple battles. After you defeat those monsters, don't forget to collect their gels, bones, and swords. Those are the only valuable things from them because they are low-level monsters."
"Hmm...do you know who are the bosses?"
"The first floor is a Mega Slime, it can split itself if you attack it carelessly. The second floor is a Skeleton Lord, like the Mega Slime, don't attack it carelessly if you don't want it to resurrect or even worse, it will bring some skeletons. The third floor is a Hobgoblin, normally this is the area where you will be experiencing multiple battles because Hobgoblin is always surrounded by goblins. If you're lucky, you can get small magic stones from those bosses."
"Okay, understood."
Yes, if I really want to help Yomogi get that rare item, then becoming an adventurer and entering the labyrinth is the most logical path. I can't just sit around selling soap while she risks her life alone every day. But as I think about her, I know I have to find out more about the rare item she's searching for.
"Any questions?"
"Yes. There's a flower on the eighth floor. Do you know anything about it?"
Freddy's eyes narrow slightly, and he crosses his arms.
"Ah, that one. You're talking about the rare drop from the Puncher Wood, aren't you?"
Puncher Wood? That sounds like a carnivorous plant.
"I think so."
"Well, the flower only appears if you defeat that monster, and even then, the drop rate is just around five percent."
Five percent, huh?
That means, on average, you'd need to kill it at least twenty times to get one flower. No wonder Yomogi said she had to go back again and again. She wasn't lying about it.
"Okay, thank you, Freddy."
"You're welcome. Good luck at the labyrinth, soap guy!"
With that, I leave the guild and head towards the labyrinth.
REMANTIA'S LABYRINTH
The labyrinth is located on the south side of the city, and it takes me about thirty minutes to walk here. Right after I arrive at its entrance, the jackpot sound and pop-up notification screen suddenly come to me again.
CHING-CHING!!!
"New Item Obtained! Please check your inventory!"
"New item?"
With that, I activate my [Storage] skill. Then, I see there is a weapon, which is a katana, inside my storage. I take it out and activate my [Appraisal] skill to check it.
[Yamitsuki]
HP and MP absorption.
"Wow! That's amazing!"
I'm surprised when I see Yamitsuki's ability. It can absorb HP and MP, so it seems like a powerful sword.
And maybe with this sword and my [Temporary Boost] skill, my goal to help Yomogi obtain that rare item can become closer...