After climbing to the surface, I waved my hand at Ellie and Lydia with a sly smile as if nothing had happened and turned to look back.
For some reason, Lemon and Apple were standing in a salute posture, full of energy.
What’s this? Are they asking for a belly slap?
Tap, tap.
I pretended to hit their bellies with my fist for no reason, causing Lemon and Apple to twist their bodies and make strange noises.
“Aaaah! You can’t hit there, Jonah….”
“Are you being sneaky, Jonah….”
“No, it’s just a belly, you know?”
“Have you considered that it might not be just a belly?”
“It’s covered by clothes. It could be lower than you think….”
“Shut it.”
Flutter.
I scoffed at Apple’s nonsense and lifted both their clothes at once.
Of course, all I could see was their flat, white bellies without an ounce of fat.
They didn’t have muscles like Ellie nor were they as toned as Lydia. Just thin and delicate.
Though I wasn’t going to let it slide.
“Ugh!”
Slap! Slap!
Jonah’s belly thumping! The effect was fantastic….
“Gyaaah?!”
“Eek!”
Maybe they never expected to be hit in the belly all of a sudden. They hunched down with shrill screams.
In the realm of Pangrave, which was casual about female exposure, this was a rare reaction.
Well, to be fair, if a woman suddenly lifted my clothes to slap my belly, I don’t think I would react like that. Probably just a “Whoa! Ugh!” surprise, not a scream like that.
“What’s with that naughty sound? Are you enjoying it while getting hit?”
“N-No! What’s that supposed to mean?!”
“What are you saying in a public place…?!”
Both of them akwardly covered their bellies while shouting. Were they oblivious to how much attention they were gathering because of their reaction?
I chuckled and gave both of their bottoms a light smack.
Bang!
“Ow!”
“W-What was that for…?”
They looked wronged, but oddly their voices were quite excited.
Then again, it’s common in this world for a woman to smack a man’s butt, but a man smacking a woman’s butt can be brushed off as a joke.
Besides, I looked just like a kid. It would be weirder if someone had a problem with that.
…Lemon and Apple were a bit strange, though.
“Hihihi.”
“Did you just get a power-up, buddy… heehee.”
Both of them were staring blankly at the air, grinning. I’d seen them tied up enough in the labyrinth to think maybe they had strange tastes… and I wasn’t wrong.
Sighing deeply, I walked ahead.
“Ugh… enough, let’s hurry up. We need to get to Eden.”
“Ah! You can’t go alone!”
“We’ll protect you!”
“?”
I paused, wondering if I had misheard something.
“Protect?”
“Exactly!”
“Jonah can’t get hurt!”
“You guys?”
“What’s the problem?!”
“Tell us so we can fix it!”
“Me?”
“…Ah.”
“That’s too much…”
Only then did they realize reality, drooping their shoulders. The reason was simple. I was stronger than both Lemon and Apple combined…!
“Do you realize the gap in our strength?”
“…”
“…”
I shrugged and slowed my pace, walking alongside them.
“I get the feeling you both want to do something since I owe you my life twice already… but don’t waste your efforts. Just stick to what you normally do.”
“Ah. Now that I think about it….”
“Shh! Be quiet, Lemon.”
Lemon was about to mumble something as if he realized something, but Apple stopped him. Well, I guessed it wasn’t that important anyway.
“I might’ve taken my life debt from Eve last time, but since I took all her leftover money, if I don’t rob a store this time….”
“If we’re not careful, the boss might go bankrupt!”
“…Wait. You’re seriously thinking about leeching off Eve to the point of bankruptcy? Aren’t you grown men embarrassed?!”
Lemon and Apple rolled their eyes and shut their mouths. Then again, what could I expect from beginner adventurers just starting out while trying to shed their thug lives in the labyrinth?
“Forget it. I wasn’t going to ask for money this time anyway. Just keep one thing.”
“Whatever you say.”
“We’ll absolutely keep it!”
“It’s nothing big. Just keep today’s events a secret.”
“Everything?”
“How much do you mean?”
“Literally everything. Who caught us, how we were saved, the fights we had today, the results, all of it.”
Lemon and Apple, after thinking for a moment, nodded in unison.
“Understood! We swear.”
“Today’s events will remain a secret, even from the boss.”
“Good attitude. But Eve can be the exception.”
“Eh? Why’s that?”
“Of course with the boss….”
Lemon blinked blankly, while Apple smirked knowingly. I didn’t know what they were thinking, but I knew it was a wrong assumption.
“Why? Do you remember the promise I made with Eve last time?”
“Uh… it was showing her a dagger every time we met?”
“Specifically, proving whether it was an adan or not!”
“Neither of those, you idiots! Is that all that’s in your heads?!”
Smack!
I hit both Lemon and Apple on their heads at the same time. It didn’t seem like I hit them hard, but the noise was oddly loud.
“Ugh.”
“Gah.”
Both twin elves seemed shocked, holding their heads and moaning.
“Uh… huh?”
This isn’t how it was supposed to go, was it?
I looked at my hand in confusion. Of course, all I had were thin, fragile-looking arms and a pale complexion that seemed like it had never seen the light of day. No calluses, just softness welcoming me.
Meaning, nothing special had changed. If I had to point out one difference from before….
“Ah ha?”
It must be due to the growth reward from the dungeon.
This time, instead of running away from other random monsters, I took down the Guardian of the First Floor all alone. Not to mention I even killed that mentoring level of the One Who Devours the Twilight… Cena, by my own hands.
Pure combat experience, the achievement of first summoning the guardian, and the boss kill achievement added up.
All of this would have contributed to my growth. Plus, with the newfound power of Basilieus spilling over, my growth spurt was explosive.
It wouldn’t be strange if my physical abilities skyrocketed without me even realizing it.
“…Did it hurt a lot? I’m sorry; I can’t quite control my strength right now.”
“I’m okay now.”
“You can keep hitting my butt whenever you think of it!”
“What?”
“…Actually, it seems Apple is the most dangerous, so I’ll be running away!”
“Wahaha! Do you think Lemon will be any different? You’ll be the first to join in when the chance comes!”
Lemon was shocked, while Apple didn’t even bother hiding his tastes anymore.
Seeing them act as usual made a sigh of relief come out.
“Hah… you seem fine, so let’s hurry.”
“We’ll come with you!”
“Leaving you behind is not an option!”
With the two of them hastily trailing behind, we headed towards Eden.
*
Jingle.
As I opened the door and entered, a clear bell chimed.
Randomly displayed items without unity. The smell of grass drifting from the potted plants set up here and there, and in the back, a suspiciously shady half-eye elf with a dagger dripping blood came to greet us.
“Oh? I thought a rare guest had arrived, but it’s you, Jonah! Nice to see you. What brings you here today? I hope Lemon and Apple haven’t done anything wrong?”
Tsk! Sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong (X)
Nice to see you (O)
Despite the blood dripping from the dagger that looked like it had a person stuck to it and the merchant’s smiling face with a few drops splattered on it being unnervingly distracting… it was probably nothing serious.
I tried to smile and shook my head, while Lemon and Apple also stared in shock and shook theirs.
“Of course not. We just came to share some good news.”
“It’s a secret! Please spare our lives!”
“Lemon you idiot! Just say it’s fine at a time like this! Do you want to become the boss’s next hunting prey?!”
Eve, who was systematically scheming, received pressure from me as I cautiously turned the subject.
“Eve, what is that dagger? The blood keeps dripping, making it a bit scary….”
“It’s nothing. I was just tidying up a good child that came in earlier.”
“A good child…?”
“Of course, it’s a Mandragora!”
“…….”
Talking like she just sacrificed a victim for some ritual, and then it’s a Mandragora. Well, I suppose it would leave traces since the Mandragora’s fluids are red too.
But that’s just how Eve is; it’s to be expected, but it still dampens the mood.
With a grin, I naturally sank into the sofa.
“Eve, I have something important to discuss. Do you have a moment?”
“If Jonah says so, I’ll have to make time for you.”
“Oh no, let’s see what you’ve got (X) Proposal time?! (O)”
Hmm. Today, as always, I let my broken brain translator slip by while I gathered enough divine power to materialize Basilieus.
Whoosh!
A rough wooden crown of ash floated onto my head with a soft green glow.
Clang!
As soon as Eve recognized whose power it was, her eyes widened, and she dropped her dagger. Trembling, she stammered as she continued speaking.
“I…I can’t believe this is really a proposal…!”
The Guardian of the First Floor existed for real (X)
Why is it the power of the World Tree now! (X)
“?”
Something felt off…?
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