REMANTIA'S LABYRINTH, EIGHTY-FIRST FLOOR
Once the store is closed and we've earned about 12 million yen in total sales, we shift to our usual labyrinth run and leave Puck at home as usual.
Right now, Yomogi, Chantal, Kimberly, Pinna, Salacia, Manas, Lilith, Brunhild, and I explore the seventy-second floor. At the front, Manas, Brunhild, and Yomogi walk side by side with Pinna's Observer Unit floating between them. Chantal walks in behind the front trio. The middle remains the same as Kimberly walks next to Lilith and Pinna, with the latter's Crawler Unit slithering on the ground between them. And finally, there is me in the rear with Salacia.
And of course, Manas is still holding her massive pavise shield in one hand, and Brunhild is resting her greatsword on one shoulder. Although there's a slight change in Yomogi's appearance, as her regular hand wraps used to wrap her wrist are replaced by the ones dropped by the Frankenstein Kampfer yesterday.
With the Needle Bees down and the Frankenstein Kampfer defeated, that means we've officially cleared the eight-monster floors, which were from sixty-fourth to eighty. And starting from here, from the eighty-first floor onward, we'll face nine monsters per floor. If it follows the same rhythm, that will continue until we reach floor ninety-nine, which will be my condition for my A-rank promotion. Also, since the second loop is still active, the monsters reappearing should be those last remaining ones from floors seventeen to thirty-five.
And just as I expected, the monsters on this floor are Greed Mites. We already encountered them back at the forty-ninth floor, and now they've returned once again with more armies and aggression. There are nine of them this time, emerging with the same oversized, clacking mandibles and jerking heads.
Manas lifts her free hand.
"Fire Stratos!"
"Kheeee...!" "Kheeee...!" "Kheeee...!"
In an instant, sheets of flame rise upward in perfect layers, and the six termites shriek as their bodies ignite and twist in midair.
"Mine king! Kimberly!"
"Wind Cyclone!"
"Wind… Cyclone…"
Kimberly and I raise our hands together and cast the same spell. Each cyclone catches three of the scorched termites, their bodies whirling violently until they disintegrate.
"Rraahhh!"
Yomogi bellows and charges ahead, raining multiple uppercuts straight into the seventh mite's abdomen. Chitin flies in all directions.
"Tch! Get off my face!"
Chantal shouts, her twin daggers slicing upward and across the eighth termite.
"Haaaahhh!"
Brunhild bellows and raises her greatsword, bringing it down and cleaving through the final mite.
After that, we reach out to collect the soil drops. Chantal sighs and mutters.
"At least this stupid loop only happens twice…"
Then, my eyes drift to Yomogi's new hand wraps.
"How are those new wraps, Yomogi?"
Yomogi lifts her fists and flexes, punching the air lightly.
"They feel… different, Motegi-chan. I can't really explain it, but my hits feel heavier than usual. Like the impact's deeper."
Then, she giggles.
"Hehehe... maybe they really are monster items after all."
"You're probably right."
And just like that, we continue forward, defeating more Greed Mites and gathering more dry soil until we descend to the eighty-second floor.
REMANTIA'S LABYRINTH, EIGHTY-SECOND FLOOR
Arriving here, more returning monsters appear, which are Charm Roses this time. They're actually from the eighteenth floor, and they already returned at the fiftieth floor. But once again, they reappear on this floor.
Usually, we'd already cover our mouths and noses with small fabrics to protect ourselves from their hypnotic scent. But since we have Brunhild, who can also purify negative effects such as that, we decide to try something new.
And yes, I also want to see what her purification spell looks like.
Once the roses release their mist, Brunhild raises her hand and casts a spell.
"Purify!"
A radiant wave of light bursts outward from her palm, and it sweeps the mist completely in an instant.
Yomogi, Chantal, and Kimberly are in awe, their eyes wide.
"It's… gone?"
"That's amazing…"
"That level of... purification… surpasses most... clerics…"
I'm stunned too, but I shake it off and turn to Lilith.
"No time to be amazed. Lilith, can you?"
"Of course, honey~..."
Lilith lifts one gloved hand and coos to the roses.
"Don't be such rude flowers for us~…"
Their petals twitch and sway the wrong way. With this, her illusion will keep them from spraying mist again, just exactly as planned. And then, we all charge forward.
"Rraahhh!"
Yomogi bellows, launching herself forward and planting her feet into the first rose's face with a full-force dropkick.
"Is it autumn already?!"
Chantal yells as she darts toward the second, slicing her daggers cleanly down the middle, and soon, petals float around her.
"Yup, I think it is."
"No more foul attacks!"
Brunhild shouts, dashing forward and cleaving straight through the third rose, then spins with a follow-through to destroy the fourth.
"They better be, right?!"
I answer to her, Yamitsuki cutting through the fifth and sixth roses.
"Engage."
CRASH!
Pinna's Crawler Unit shoots its wires, coiling around the seventh rose, spinning it into the air, and slamming it repeatedly into the walls until it shatters.
"Wind... Blades..."
Finally, Kimberly raises her hand, and two sharp arcs of air slice the last two roses in half.
After that, we reach out to collect the rosewater drops. And I turn to Brunhild for my late praise.
"That purification was incredible, Brunhild."
Brunhild's lips curl into a small smile.
"Thank you, my Lord. It was merely a purification spell, but I am grateful it impressed you."
Then, I see Salacia tending to Chantal's wrist, which seems to have received a scratch from the roses' thorns.
"Heal."
Salacia grabs Chantal's wrist with both hands and lifts her own hand closer to Chantal's wound, casting the Heal spell as Chantal laughs awkwardly and apologizes.
"Hehe... sorry, I got too excited."
"Be careful next time, okay~?"
In an instant, Chantal's wound is closed, and she flexes her fingers.
"Thanks, Salacia!"
"You're welcome, Chantal~..."
And just like that, we continue forward, defeating more Charm Roses and gathering more rosewater until we descend to the eighty-third floor.
REMANTIA'S LABYRINTH, EIGHTY-THIRD FLOOR
Arriving here, more returning monsters appear, which are Goo Frogs this time. They're actually from the nineteenth floor, and they already returned to the fifty-first floor. But once again, they reappear on this floor.
The first frog lashes out. Its sticky tongue smacks Manas's shield, and she laughs haughtily as she's mocking the frog.
"Hah! Foolish creature! Dost thou believe thine wretched tongue is mighty enough to breach mine ward?"
Brunhild then shouts at Manas.
"Go!"
And then, they both charge. Manas leading like a vanguard wall, Brunhild close behind, shielded by her from another barrage of lashing tongues. Mucus splatters harmlessly against Manas's defense as the pair rush forward.
When they're close enough, Manas suddenly pivots aside...
"Haaaahhh!"
Brunhild screams, and in a single, clean motion, her greatsword cleaves the frog down the middle.
"Hup!"
Two frogs lash out next to Yomogi, but she just grabs one in each hand and yanks them toward her, launching them toward me and Chantal.
"Chantal, Motegi-chan!"
"Got you now, you ugly frog!"
"Take this!"
Chantal drives her daggers deep into the second frog's eyes, then drags them down viciously to carve its face open. Meanwhile, I cleanly slice the third frog through its center.
"Wind... Boomerang…"
Kimberly lifts a hand, and a gust slices the fourth frog straight through. Then, the gust curves mid-air, tearing into the fifth frog, and then the sixth.
"Engage."
PSSSSHHH!
"Croak...!" "Croak...!" "Croak...!"
Finally, Pinna's Crawler Unit releases a thick cloud of tear gas into the last three frogs. And they're all shrieking as the gas eats into them, their gooey skin drying and turning brittle as they collapse one by one.
Honestly, that was kind of amazing.
Since that gas is laced with chili, of course it'd be torture for them since they breathe through their skin. And I can't help but be amazed by Pinna for being a genius and catching something even I overlooked.
Just like that, we collect the drops and continue forward, defeating more Goo Frogs and gathering more mucus until we descend to the eighty-fourth floor and teleport home from there.
MOTEGI'S HOUSE, REMANTIA
After we got back from the labyrinth, I headed straight to the kitchen. I open the fridge and take out everything I'll need, including the Blood Rabbit.
It's been a while since I last cooked rabbit, and I think tonight feels like the right time.
First up, I go to the terrace garden to pick up bay leaf, rosemary, and thyme before I return to the kitchen to start cooking. Next, I dice the Drill Carrots, celery, and onion into fine little cubes of mirepoix. Then, I crush a few garlic cloves and dice them too.
I heat a splash of Spring Olive's oil in a large pot until it shimmers, then drop in the meat pieces to brown them all up, seasoning with salt and cracked pepper. Once golden, I add the diced vegetables and garlic into the pot, stirring slowly and letting the vegetables soften.
Next comes the Heiligeichen's red wine, and the second it hits the pan, a burst of steam rises. I scrape the bottom, loosening every bit of flavor stuck there. Then, in goes the tomato passata, followed by sprigs of rosemary, a few bay leaves, and a final round of salt and pepper. I stir everything together and then let the stew simmer slowly.
As I wait, my eyes land on a small tray of croissants left from yesterday's breakfast. Since they're stale now, I think they're perfect for a quick dessert.
I tear the croissants into bite-sized pieces and drop them into a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, I whisk Misdaras's cream, eggs, and sugar until smooth and thick. Most of that cream mixture gets poured over the torn croissants, and I let them soak it up instantly. Then, I toss in a good handful of dried strawberries and chocolate chips, folding them in gently until everything is evenly coated.
I line a loaf tin with parchment, scatter a few more strawberries and chocolate chips across the bottom, and layer the bread mixture on top. I press it down lightly, pour the rest of the cream over the surface, and slide it into the oven.
Half an hour later, both the stew and dessert are done. I keep the former covered under the lid, and I take out the latter from the oven and set it aside to cool.
Lastly, I boil pappardelle in salted water for a few minutes. I drain the pasta and portion it neatly onto nine plates, topping each one with a generous scoop of the stew and a sprinkle of chopped thyme. For Puck, I set aside a small bowl with just a few spoonfuls of meat and little strands of pasta.
Finally, I call out to the girls.
"Everyone, can you help bring these out?"
"Yes!"
Each girl takes a plate, and I carry my own, along with the little bowl for Puck. Once we set everything on the table, Yomogi and Chantal lean in at the dish.
"What is this, Motegi-chan?"
"It's called cacciatore."
"Rabbit, huh? It's been a while, Motegi-kun."
"That's why I made it."
Salacia and Manas also have their eyes on the dish.
"Mmm~ it smells sooo good already, darling~…"
"Mine king, I hunger most grievously."
"Well, let's dig in now, shall we?"
At once, we grab our utensils... and the reaction is instant:
Yomogi's eyes light up, and Chantal is already halfway through her plate.
"Mmm!! It's so tender!"
"This rabbit is still as delicious as ever!"
Kimberly murmurs, clearly pleased as Pinna finishes her first bite and begins her usual analysis.
"Such a rustic… yet delightful… dish..."
"The meat fibers exhibit balanced tensile strength. The acidity of the tomato passata softens the gaminess. Nutritional density remains high. Overall... satisfactory."
Salacia and Manas savor their bites joyfully.
"Mmm~... this is sooo yummy~..."
"Verily, this bunny must be joyous in death, to become such fare."
Lilith moans through bites, and Brunhild's eyes widen in surprise.
"Mmnnhh~... this is so addicting~..."
"This is... incredible…"
Then, I look around the table.
"So? Do you girls like it?"
They all nod wordlessly in unison, cheeks full and expressions glowing. And then I turn to Puck, who is gleefully munching on its little bowl.
"You like it too, Puck?"
"Kyuu! Kyuu!"
"Good to hear that."
Finally, I take a bite of my own, savoring the tender venison that melts in my mouth and the slight tang from the wine and tomatoes with just enough herbiness.
"I really missed this..."
Once the plates of the main dish are cleared, I make my way back to the kitchen.
"I'll bring out the dessert, okay?"
"Yes!"
On the counter, the cake I left out earlier has cooled completely. I slice it into nine even pieces, and each slice goes onto a small plate. Then, I carry them onto the table and set the plates one by one.
"Okay, this one's bread pudding. I made it from the stale croissants."
"Stale... you say?"
As Brunhild repeats the word in disbelief, Lilith bites her lower lip, holding off her moans already.
"Nnhhh~... you're such a genius, honey…"
Pinna and Kimberly have their own comments.
"It demonstrates an efficient no-waste methodology. Repurposing surplus food materials into a dessert of this quality is highly commendable, Master."
"This looks like... a perfect... dessert... already…"
With no need for prompting, everyone digs in. Forks gently slice through the layers, and almost instantly, the table hums with happy, satisfied murmurs.
Yomogi and Chantal chew with delight.
"There's so much strawberry and chocolate, Motegi-chan! It's lovely!"
"This doesn't taste like stale bread at all, Motegi-kun."
Kimberly murmurs, and Pinna explains as they take their time with their slices.
"So soft… on the inside… and crunchy… on the outside, Motegi-sama…"
"The custard absorption softened the bread matrix while surface caramelization preserved texture. Flavor balance, mouthfeel, and caloric efficiency are optimal. This qualifies as a truly perfect dessert, Master."
Salacia says joyfully, and Manas declares with satisfaction.
"Mmm~... I love this bread pudding, darling~..."
"I care not if 'tis made of stale bread, mine king. This taste bringeth much delight!"
Lilith moans again, clearly enjoying herself.
"Mmhhnn~... even this one's so addicting too. It's so unfair, honey~..."
Brunhild chews slowly, her eyes wide with awe.
"My Lord... how is it possible… for stale things to become something so wonderful?"
"It really is possible, Brunhild."
Then, I look around them again.
"So? Do you girls like it?"
And I have the same answer. They nod eagerly with mouths full and cheeks puffed. Then, I cut off a quarter of mine and transfer it to the small plate beside me and slide it to Puck.
"Here you go, Puck."
Puck waddles over and sniffs, then dives in cheerfully.
"Kyuu!"
"You like it too?"
"Kyuu!"
"Good boy."
Finally, I take a bite of my own. The warmth, the softness, the sweetness... all come together perfectly.
"Maybe we should stock more stale bread in the future..."
And just like that, all of us share another warm, cozy dinner together like we always do.