A Breather Before The Boss.

“Shall we take a short break? It looks like the fairies found something good.”

“Oh, again? They really are amazing.”

Just ten minutes ago, they had found a thicket of Mannen-ro (Labyrinth Rosemary) in white bloom. Before that, they had discovered a cluster of Koshikake-take (Shelf Mushrooms) and tracked down a Ki-wata (Yellow Cotton) tree that hadn’t even budded yet. When it comes to flora, the fairies seem to have incredibly sharp eyes.

The “Mannen-ro” is indeed rosemary, a long-awaited spice with a delightful, strong aroma. I’ve already used to dry the leaves I collected, so I’m dying to grill some meat with them. The “Koshikake-take” is a strange mushroom that grows flat and horizontal on tree trunks; apparently, the name comes from being the perfect size for a fairy to sit on. Eating it raw causes an upset stomach, but when cooked, the texture is firm and chewy—Ethan says it tastes exactly like chicken.

Finally, there’s the Yellow Cotton tree. Surprisingly, the bark yields the much-needed wood tannin for leather tanning. Thanks to this, I was finally able to tan the pile of wolf pelts in one go, which was a huge weight off my mind.

It’s been three hours since we began exploring the eighth floor. Already, the northern back wall is visible through the gaps in the towering trees. By a rough estimate, the eighth floor is about the same size as the fifth. It’s just past 3:00 PM, the perfect time for a snack. We’ve cleared out a significant number of Black-Fur Wolf packs, so taking a moment to relax before the boss fight is a sound proposal.

“Well then, let’s let our guard down for a bit.”

Before we’ve walked even three minutes, the familiar high-pitched laughter of the fairies echoes through the air. Judging by the number of voices, almost all of them have gathered.

“I-is everything okay?”

Seeing the fairy “containment net” completely collapsed, I couldn’t help but ask Ethan, our tactical lead. This feels like a bit more than just “letting one’s guard down”…

“Yes, it should be fine. They said they didn’t sense anything like that nearby.”

Even being told that with such a sharp, serious look on a cute face doesn’t entirely put me at ease, but given how active Ethan and the others have been, I suppose we’re safe. While we are almost completely unscathed, our kill count for the Black-Fur Wolves is already nearing fifty. This exploration has really hammered home how easy combat becomes when you can consistently land pre-emptive strikes.

As a result, Ethan and the fairies have easily reached Level 20. Since the base level for monsters is usually the floor number plus ten, the wolves are around Level 18 or 19. Just by initiating attacks, we can earn a decent amount of experience.

Ethan’s specific traits have also played a large part in this.

Being small, his physical attack is undeniably a bit low, but his overall stats are stable. His high Speed and Magic Defense, in particular, provide a sense of security. The most noteworthy trait is the Treant-specific . Originally intended to aid plant cultivation, it also slightly boosts the experience points earned by the entire party. He’s perfect as a scout, and I’m truly grateful he joined the exploration.

As we approached the thicket where the fairies were making a fuss, we found small blue berries growing in clusters. They were plucking them frantically, clutching them in both hands and devouring them. Their adorable golden curls were already messy with blue juice.

“Oh, it’s Ao-suguri (Blue Currants)! I didn’t know they grew here!”

Mia raised a cheerful voice, dashed over, plucked a small blue berry, and popped it into her mouth. She puckered her lips happily.

“Ooh, sour! But so good!”

The “Ao-suguri” isn’t technically a currant; it looks and tastes exactly like a blueberry. This, like the rosemary, is probably due to the Dra-Chro series’ tradition of insisting on Japanese-style names for everything.

“Here, Yoru-tchi, Kuu-tchi, they’re yummy! Eat up, eat up!”

Invited by Mia, the two approached the thicket, reached for the lower branches, and plucked blue berries. The moment they chewed, their eyes went wide as the juice burst forth. After a brief, intense wince, they flashed brilliant, satisfied smiles.

“Sweetness—!”

“Kooooo!”

“Wait… have I never fed them sweets before…?”

The monster-kids, eyes wide, began plucking the small berries one after another and tossing them into their mouths. Their faces relaxed into sloppy grins as their mouths were quickly stained blue. Seeing Yoru and Kuu’s ferocious momentum, the girl who had been leisurely picking berries suddenly changed her tune.

“Whoa! I guess I have to get serious too!”

Mia started gathering blue berries with both hands, showing a distinct lack of adult restraint. At the newcomers’ “outrageous” behavior, the fairies began flying around and making a ruckus.

“Kee-hee! Kee-hee-hee!”

“Kehe-hehehe!”

“Hehe! Ao-suguri belongs to whoever gets there first! Even if we’re friends, I won’t show—whoa! Bright!”

Struck by a point-blank , Mia rolled onto the ground clutching her eyes. Naturally, the blue berries in her hands spilled everywhere. The fairies, furball, and feather-ball swarmed the spoils instantly. Then, without a moment’s delay, another !

But Kuu wasn’t going to lose. While cutely covering his own eyes, he spat out sticky thread from his mouth to capture the fairies in return. Next to him, Yoru was picking up berries by feel and tossing them into her mouth with single-minded focus. Mia, having scrambled back up, unleashed in a desperate attempt to protect the berries she had gathered.

“Everyone is so mischievous.”

Ethan smiled softly, but I wondered if a single sentence was enough to sum this up. As I stood there exasperated, a bewildered Paula asked me:

“Will you not have some as well, my Lord?”

“Yeah, I’ll take a few. Are you going to have some, Paula?”

“I have never eaten something like this before, so I’m not sure of the proper etiquette…”

“You just pluck them and eat. Look, like this—”

Intending to demonstrate, I touched the thicket. At that instant, every single berry vanished from the bush. Habit had gotten the better of me—I had opened my item list. Realizing that I could harvest olive berries in bulk, I’d done the same here, only to notice an eerie silence behind me.

I turned around to find the fairies and Mia staring at me in stony silence. As for Yoru and Kuu, the light had completely vanished from their eyes. They looked a little too much like creepy stuffed animals; it was scary.

“S-sorry.”

When I apologized, Yoru and Kuu rushed to my feet. I thought they were going for their usual hug, but they clenched their fists and started “poka-poka” drumming on my legs. Then they flopped onto the ground and started throwing a tantrum, kicking their legs. The fairies gathered and began a similar protest.

“I said I’m sorry! Here, I’ll put them out now.”

When I opened my palm and brought out the freshly harvested blue berries, the two leaped up and charged. Then, yet another !

It seems this battle without honor or humanity isn’t over yet.