In this world, there are countless people, and just as many preferences, but… universal tastes do indeed exist.
However, one must not be mistaken; universal does not mean all, but rather most people.
In other words, there’s also something called minor preferences that clearly exists.
Some people prefer short people over tall ones, some like the plump over the muscular, and others prefer the impoverished and unfortunate over the wealthy.
Some even enjoy aggressive and forceful touch instead of normal skinship.
Like someone happily relishing being squished under the backside of a much younger boy.
“Am I right, Benny?”
“Uh, no!”
“Oh come on, you say that but look here.”
Swoosh.
I ran my finger up Benny’s spine from bottom to top.
“Whoa?!”
“How honest you are. So cute.”
“Don’t say cute! Say pretty!”
“?”
I tilted my head, wondering what she meant… considering we’re in a world with gender-reversed norms on the Pan Continent.
Then I remembered that Benny has a complex about her frail body and is a bit obsessed with femininity, and nodded.
In terms of Earth, it’s like a cute boy insisting he’s cool and not cute at all.
“Yes, yes. Benny is pretty. Not cute at all.”
“…That feels a bit off.”
Benny tilted her head. I giggled at her sulky expression and gently fiddled with her shoulder.
Since I was perched around her waist, aside from her short spine, this was about the only obvious place to touch.
Her skin-tight clothes accentuated the outline of her shoulder blades. I teased her by lightly poking her round bones.
“Benny, saying this now but… aren’t you a bit too skinny?”
“Huh? Really?”
“Yeah. You know, breasts and buttocks are all fat, so if you’re this skinny, it’s only natural they’re small.”
“…Is Jonah into chubby people?”
“Huh? Me?”
I pondered for a moment and shook my head.
“No, not really to that extent. I think if someone is moderately pretty and has their own characteristics, that’s all good. I just said it because you seem to be concerned.”
I like Ellie’s slightly muscular build, Lydia’s short and well-endowed body, and Eve’s typical plush and glamorous style.
“Of course I like Benny’s small and emaciated body too!”
“Do you have to say it like that?!”
Benny, screaming, buried her head in the couch as if she were in despair. I gently petted her purple hair and continued speaking.
“What did you hear from me? I like you just the way you are!”
“…Stop lying.”
“I’m serious. Want me to show you proof?”
“Proof?”
Benny tilted her head slightly, and… surprisingly, her gaze was directed toward… my lower half.
“Wow. Benny really…”
“Ah, no! I didn’t see anything!”
What a totally unconvincing excuse. I shook my head and looked at Lydia, who had been drinking expensive alcohol non-stop by herself.
“Lydia, did you see that just now?”
“Yeah. If Benny’s going to sue you, I’ll be a witness.”
“You too, Lydia?!”
Benny trembled in betrayal at Lydia’s unyielding declaration. I chuckled and lightly swatted her backside due to the unexpected vibration feature.
Smack!
“Yikes!”
“Alright, now listen up.”
Pressing down on Benny’s back, I leaned close to whisper in her ear.
“Though Benny’s flat chest is a shame, I like the outline of your ribs that show a bit.”
“Huh?”
“It’s fine if your butt is small. Your hips are defined, after all.”
“Is that… really so?”
“Of course! And how about Benny’s hair and eyes? While human hair colors vary, such luxurious purple is hard to come by.”
“Purple is rare.”
“Benny might not like it much, but I also like the heart pattern in your eyes and your sharp teeth. It gives off a vibe that you’re not entirely human, in a good way.”
“Is that really a good thing…?”
“Of course! What I meant was your nature, not your race. It gives off a cute little devil vibe, doesn’t it?”
“What? Well, that’s the influence of being a Succubus, and a lot of the demon race has sharp teeth.”
Benny’s face turned red, as if shy. I leaned in closer, whispering softly in her ear.
“There are many beautiful people in this world, but none like Benny. Do you understand what that means… not yet?”
“Huh? Huh…?”
Benny looked dazed, her heart-patterned eyes brimming with perhaps some hope.
I smiled brightly and jumped from my seat.
“Eh.”
In an instant, Benny had a blank expression as I moved away, and with a relaxed motion, I snuggled next to Lydia.
No, I wrapped one arm around her shoulder and with my other arm, filled Lydia’s empty wine glass.
“Benny, what you need to worry about now is not such trivial matters, but what to teach me to prepare for the third floor! By the way, Lydia said she’d teach me how to use a greatsword.”
“I can handle all close combat weapons, but my specialty is the greatsword. Yay!”
With a blank expression, Lydia made a V sign with both hands. Probably due to her folded posture, the arm being tugged along pressed against Lydia’s side.
Soft and squishy…
Even a slight touch exceeded my expectations in sensation. While I was in wonder, Benny flailed like a fish and raised her body.
Then, in her quirky habit of jumping to a high spot when it’s time for serious talk, she leaped onto the backrest of the couch.
The couch is big and sturdy enough to support such antics despite Benny’s smallness and lightness.
At a height well above us, she pointed her finger at me.
“Ha! I admit Lydia is strong, but in a more unified place like the third floor, magic that targets that trait is stronger and more useful, okay?!”
“Oh. Is that a thing?”
“Of course! Who do you think I am? Creepy Witch Vanitas Benibeni!”
“It has to be a magic that’s not Shadow, and it should be simple enough that I can learn it quickly, right? I’m just a baby.”
-Crunch?
Was it because I said her name? In the corner, Shadow, who had been stacking the leftover bottles Lydia had, made an additional eye appear on its back to look our way.
A towering stack of six bottles.
However, perhaps due to losing focus while keeping an eye on us, it couldn’t control itself and dripped a gooey substance that hit the middle of the bottle.
Crash!
Thanks to catching it with its slimy body, it didn’t break, but all the effort made so far turned to waste.
-Gurgle!
Shadow sadly bubbled from all over.
Of course, Benny didn’t seem too concerned about Shadow’s mixed feelings.
“Acid magic! It’ll take time to master fully, but using it moderately should be something Jonah can master in a few days!”
“Acid, huh? I do know acids can corrode metals, but… wouldn’t it be exposed to that level of preparedness?”
“Of course, there’ll be a coating on the surface, and remnants of divine power will prevent any random acids from passing through… But the acid solution I create is a bit special.”
“Special… how?”
Benny wriggled her shoulders, spreading her palm. A dark brown droplet floated above her palm.
The pungent smell was enough to wrinkle my face in disgust. Just by looking, the danger was apparent.
But Benny continued, looking unfazed.
“Jonah, you can see it too; the mechanical devices on the third floor are quite sturdy and resistant to changes. Since each one is practically a small miracle imbued with divine power, that’s to be expected… But do you remember? The monsters at the bottom of the moat were corroded in various places.”
“Huh?”
Now that I think about it, that was true. Most of the monsters we encountered at the bottom of the moat were severely damaged.
They weren’t just broken; there were quite a few cases where the metal itself was rendered useless.
“Was there really that strong an acid at the bottom of the moat? It reeked, but I didn’t think it reached that level.”
“The order is reversed. There wasn’t an acid at the bottom of the moat that turned the fallen gear soldiers into that state… but rather, the acid solution was splashed on the gear soldiers in pain who threw themselves into the moat to wash it off and ended up dying there.”
“You sound pretty certain, so there must be records.”
The War of Divine Slaughter is the foundation of this world, but it’s a story from long ago that doesn’t get the spotlight.
It’s only natural I hadn’t given it much thought unless it was directly related to our current events or the labyrinth.
After all, what’s crucial to me is how the God of Mechanical Devices was born, what kind of thoughts they lived with, and how they met their end.
Not that they fought well against some and got wiped out by others.
Benny’s words likely represent one of the records of the War of Divine Slaughter that I don’t know, too.
“The representative follower of the Beast God, the Dragon. They say the breath and bodily fluids of a Black Dragon are acidic enough to corrode the metals of gear soldiers.”
“…You mean you reproduced the powers of the Black Dragon with magic? I can’t imagine being able to master that at all right now.”
“Well, I’m in the same boat. Even having swallowed a Black Dragon on the sixth floor, I couldn’t properly replicate it then. How could I mimic it after just starting on the third floor? This is like a downgrade of downgraded downgraded versions!”
“Swallowed…? Downgrade?”
What a bizarre topic. She likely meant to enhance Shadow’s acidic fluids. It seems that it ended up failing, however.
“It would only soften the alloys of the third floor a bit… but Jonah, you don’t fight only with magic, so that should be good enough, right?”
“Right.”
If I could slice through metal gauntlets with a Unicorn Dagger, it wouldn’t take multiple swings of a Minotaur Greatsword; a single strike would simply crush the opponent.
That would have made battles flow much smoother.
“The magic I’m going to teach you is something I created while climbing the third floor in the past and has been upgraded to a simpler version that others can learn now.”
“Wow! That’s amazing, Benny!”
I clapped in admiration for a moment, but then realized that my magical knowledge is just skimming the surface, forced into me through skills.
“…But if such magic exists, wouldn’t it be easier for you to just cast it for me as needed?”
“……?”
“But we’re comrades!!”
“……”
Benny’s expression began to sour.
It must have been because of the overwhelming stench of the acid magic she displayed.
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