CH 48

Chapter 48 – The First Team of the Family

The agricultural city of Shikuro, where I’m renting a 2LDK property for 150k Piro.

And in that place, I’m currently moving Celeste’s luggage inside.

She’ll be living with us before she finds another property in Shikuro, that’s why we’re moving all her stuff to our home for now.

By the way, I decided to stay in Emily’s room for the time being.

Since it’s a 2LDK, there are only two rooms. At first I wanted to let the two girls use the two rooms, but Celeste strongly refused that idea, so we decided on sharing a room, obviously it’s Emily and Celeste in one room.

I’m planning to get an even bigger home once we’ve settled down.

What’s more Celeste has asked to make the [Ryouta Family], so of course I would be the one that will have to manage it out.

I formed two plans.

It’s either we rent a 3LDK and the three of us will live there, or I would go and rent a one room studio above the home we’re living and move over there by myself.

Why a studio one might ask, that’s because when I suggest to them that if I let them stay at the 2LDK right now, and buy a cheap 20k apartment by myself, both of them strongly rejected that idea.

Plus if I’m the one moving out, then I would have to live in a place one rank higher than them.

But well, I’m just having these thoughts whilst carrying Celeste’s luggage over to our home.

[Kya.]

[Woops! Sorry.]

Because I my mind was full of thoughts, I did not see what was in front of me and knock into Celeste, dropping her luggage.

The cardboard box fell onto the ground and opened up abruptly, resulting in a piece of luggage inside protruded.

[Sorry, was preoccupied with something.]

[Uun, it’s also my fault for not looking ahead—Kyaaa!]

The fallen luggage, no, more accurately, it’s the stuff that came out of the cardboard box. The moment when Celeste saw it she screamed.

She immediately snatched it away and hid it behind her back.

I’ve seen it completely…more like I can still see it jutting out from behind her.

The thing that Celeste wanted to hide, was also visible when the box was wide open.

It’s a girl’s hobby, which is having fancy stuffed toys.

I can’t imagine that the image I had for this tall beauty that looks like a model would give off such impression of liking these sorts of things.

[You, you saw it?]

[I didn’t.]

Though I immediately responded her, the other side seemed to know that I was lying.

With a bright red face, Celeste said.

[Ple, please forget about this ever happening.]

While pleading me to forget about it, she then rushed into the home to hide it.

I blew it…..Guess I should follow her from behind.

☆

After we finished moving all the stuff, I went out to the city with Celeste and Emily.

There’s quite a few things to do, but first is to find a job for Celeste.

Saying it like I’m already used to this, we first went around searching for a job for garbage disposing.

[O, oi. Look at that.]

[What’er beauty. Was there someone like that around ‘ere?]

[Maybe it’s an adventurer that came from outside.]

[Wow…..]

Even though we just started walking for a couple of minutes, we can already hear people talking about us.

I do understand their feeling, because I have the same opinion as them.

Back when we were at Selen Dungeon, we didn’t really have the chance to walk around like this, but now that we are actually doing so, I can sort of see why.

Celeste, who has a tall figure while standing straight, with her long and beautiful luscious hair fluttering is indeed captivating to the eyes.

Her beauty is really through the roof that any modifications are unnecessary to display hey beauty.

A totally eye catching beauty.

She’s the most beautiful person I’ve seen so far.

Walking beside such beauty really gave me a sense of superiority.

Ah, I just remembered. I wonder what she does with those fancy stuffed toys.

Does she hug it while she sleeps, or does she talk with it?

[Kusu.] (TLN: SFX of sneeze)

After having different thoughts, I unconsciously let out a smile.

[Eh? Isn’t that Ryouta-san?]

[Elza.]

The person that was in front of me is the shopkeeper Elza.

As she was looking at me, she had a smile on her face as she gently walked towards me.

[Long time no see, I see that you’re back.]

[Aah, I had some business to attend at Selen.]

[I’ve heard of the rumours. I heard that it was a huge success for you. I can also stand proudly that one of my frequent customers is this famous now.]

[Is that so.]

[Though rumours are still rumours, there are a lot of things I want to talk to with Ryouta-san. If you’re free you can come by and visit me to have a chat.]

[I got it, I’ll do just that.]

When we finished our talk, from behind she saw Emily standing.

[Uhm, who might that be?]

There, Emily and Celeste were standing side to side. Since she knew about Emily, so I guess the person she was asking about was Celeste.

[I’ll introduce her to you. Her name is Celeste.]

[Pleasure to meet you.]

[My name’s Elza, it’s a pleasure to meet you too!]

(Transition)

[Your friends…..wants to be in a family? You mean that family? That’s going to be something.]

[Is that so?]

While Elza was surprised, but right after she looked sort of depressed, and quickly frowned at me.

…..Why was she depressed?

[Well, so it’s about time that you are going to enter into the sixth floor.]

[Un, wait what does that mean?]

[Eh? Isn’t that the reason why you wanted to form a family in the first place?]

[Well, lot’s of things happened….I guess my wish right now is to just form a normal family?]

[Yes.]

Elza nodded, and with her usual employer smile she explained it to me.

[When you venture forth after the fifth dungeon, there are various difficulties to take note of, for example the method of defeating the monster, or how to defeat it at a high rate.]

[I see, so that’s the reason why we need a license.]

[Yes, normally one would form a team before going to the sixth floor, it’s better to challenge it with more people.]

[Ah, I see.]

While nodding, I looked at Emily and Celeste who was standing upright.

The both of them nodded back.

Since we’re here why not head there now, conveying with them through eye contact.

[Thank you Elza, I’ll bring in the drop items later.]

[Yes, I’ll await for your return.]

After Elza gave her employer smile, we had a change of plans and decided to head off to Teruru.

☆

After Elza sent Ryouta off, she made an envious expression.

While having such expression, she was staring at the newly appearing tall beauty, Celeste.

[Seems like a rival appeared.]

[E, Ena. Don’t say such weird thing. It’s not like I’m….]

Ena, who is Elza’s friend, abruptly appeared and said.

This is a common tendency among close friends to meddle on their friends in a funny way.

[I see? “I also want to join his family.” is clearly written on your face.]

[I never had such thoughts at all. I, if I were to go into the dungeon, I would just be a burden to him.]

[You just don’t understand.]

Ena then leaned behind Elza’s back.

The only reason she could do that was because they are best friends.

[Well, the only thing we can do properly is to buy off the drop items, and if there’s any news coming from the dungeon we will be the first to inform, I guess.]

[Un, if we can give them a heads up about the news then I think it’s plentifully helpful.]

[I guess that’s how it is.]

[Thank you Ena.]

[It’s fine, it’s fine. Aren’t we friends forever?]

Ena then gave a thumbs up, and winked at Elza.

I guess this is just how friends help us out, she thought.

What’s more Elza had regained her mood, and the two of them walk out of the shop.

[Oh, by the way Ena, you said something about us just now?]

[Eh? Did I~]

[You did~]

☆

Teruru Dungeon, the sixth floor.

The first time we step foot in it, there was a slightly different atmosphere around here.

Even though it’s clearly a dungeon, it doesn’t feel like one.

There’s tree standing around. I wonder why and though it’s slightly dark but I can see something like a sky above.

[Is this even a dungeon….]

[It’s as if we’re outside nanodesu.]

[It looks kind of like Selen.]

[I know right.]

Afterwards, we walked around the dungeon, and we immediately encountered a monster.

It’s a huge Slime, and ten other smaller ones appearing together.

[Mu? There’s two types of monster? Is this common?]

[You’re mistaken, that is a <Parent-Child Slime> , that whole thing is 1 Slime. The big one is the main body, and the little ones are somewhat of it’s hands and feets.]

[You’re quite informative, Celeste.]

[I was listening in on some information from someone just a moment ago.]

[Oh.]

[I’m good at these sorts of things, so leave it to me.]

[That’s rather helpful.]

I’m actually rather bad when it comes to collecting information.

After sorting out my thoughts I looked at the Parent-Child Slime.

A main body and it’s limbs, if I were to think of it that way, it does look like a parent protecting its children.

[If that’s the case I guess I just have to hit the main body first.]

I loaded my gun with the Homing Bullet and simply fired.

The bullet went in a law defying trajectory, and goes through the child slime and hit the parent.

[Aah…..]

[Ah?]

Celeste response was odd, though I immediately understood why.

The Homing Bullet was only suppose to aim at the parent slime and defeat it.

But when the parent disappeared, the children also disappeared along with it.

Everything vanished—and no there was no drop at all.

There’s no drop at all, this was the first time something as absurd as this happened.

The reason was—I do not know either but somehow Celeste seemed to know why.

[I’m sorry that I cut you off. There’s still some other information right.]

[Un. The Parent-Child Slime’s drop is, dependant on the number of child you kill(wow). Only after you kill all the children and then killing the parent, will you get the respected drops.]

[So that’s how it works.]

[So what you’re saying is that if I were to defeat a lot of those child than I would gain a lot of drops too.]

[That’s true but, the more you defeat it’s children the stronger the parent gets. If you were to defeat all of it’s children, then it would become an opponent that is not to be taken lightly.]

[So I just have to be careful of how many I defeat.]

Most probably, adventurers who are venturing on this very floor would decide on how many children they can afford to defeat as their limit before fighting the parent slime.

Well it’s not like they can always get the amount they like all the time, since the monster moves around, what’s more it will obviously attack on sight.

Now I see why they want to test us first before coming to the sixth floor.

[……]

Inside my head, I was currently simulating a way to fight it.

☆

We finally encountered a second Parent-Child Slime.

Emily, Celeste and I were conveying messages through eye contact.

We nodded, and I first use my Freeze Bullet to attack.

I momentarily sniped, and aimed at the Parent Slime with the Freeze bullet, and stopped it for a moment.

[Inferno!]

At the same time Celeste chanted her magic, with her long hair fluttering around while a magic circle is being cast beneath her feet. She casted it towards the Parent-Child Slime, hitting all of them.

Besides the parent slime that was frozen, the child was burned in flames.

Cracked, the block of ice shattered.

Inside the center of the parent slime, it’s semi-transparent body began flashing with intense light.

[Yaaaa!]

Emily flew towards it, and on top of her head was her hammer spinning round and round. She aimed at the parent slime and slammed it down.

Clink.

The sound seemed to be like metals colliding with each other and the parent slime still looked intact.

Even with Emily’s full strength it did not get any injuries at all—but I’ve predicted that happening to.

There was also a reason why I send Emily flying at it first.

[Annihilation Bullet! We need at least 4 shots nanodesu!]

[Yoshya!]

The moment Emily responded, she kicked the Parent slime and left.

I, who was on standby, took both my gun and fired relentlessly.

On my left is the Freeze bullet, and on my right is the Flame bullet.

When the two of it fused it will become an Annihilation Bullet which will hit the Parent Slime.

The bullet hit the Slime, and the body that could repel Emily’s hammer was knocked back.

The Slime was wavering back and forth, and finally as if losing its strength, it fell to the ground flat.

After a ‘Pon’ sound resided, ‘po-po-po-po-po-pon’ rhythmically resounded and a huge chunk of drops appeared.

Because we burned a lot of the children slime to a crisp, there was a huge chunk of potatoes being dropped.

[That’s amazing.]

[We did it desu!]

Emily and Celeste both shouted joyfully, and I secretly fist bumped.

And thus a strategy has been made

It was not done by just one person, but with the power of three person, it has given us an unprecedented sense of satisfaction.

We celebrated the coming of Celeste into [Ryota Family]’s first team.

With us three, I wanted to try out more things together.