This Is A Dungeon Date, Right?

“You’re naive――the Garudas are all decoys.”

The estimated Overall Combat Power of the A-Rank Dungeon Boss, the Gryphon, is――from past experience on par with the early Minotaur and Windine at 5,000.

I never expected to defeat it with attacks from a Garuda whose Overall Combat Power is 400.

The real purpose of sending the Garudas rushing in was――to block its line of sight.

“Kyoe!?!”

The Gryphon, having shaken off all the Garudas――let out a shocked cry when it saw me closing in.

As I sent the Garuda flying, I simultaneously summoned only the upper body of a Goblin Lord and used its shoulders as a stepping stone to leap.

Then, while in midair I summoned a Shadow again, performed a pseudo-midair jump――and reached the hollow under the Gryphon hovering just beneath the chamber’s ceiling.

“Don’t you go attacking me one-sidedly from a safe place――you bird bastard!”

――Slash!

Dullahan’s sword should have sliced the Gryphon――or so it was supposed to.

“I-It’s tougher than I thought, this thing!?”

Just before the blade could cut through the Gryphon’s torso――at the last moment the Gryphon curled its wing and took the longsword’s blow.

Its wing was harder than I imagined, and the blade was deflected.

“(Come to think of it, this thing… its feathers were strong enough to stab into the ground when it flew…)”

As I lost my footing in the air, the Gryphon swung its raptor-like foreclaw.

“That was close!?”

I tilted Dullahan’s sword sideways, gripped the hilt with my right hand and supported the blade’s flat with my left forearm, somehow stopping the Gryphon’s talon.

“Kye――――!!!”

But it charged headlong toward the ground.

I was slammed into the ground as if struck from above.

With a loud thud――the chamber’s floor cracked outward like a spiderweb around me, and dust billowed into the air.

“Master!!”

From behind came Rin’s voice, accompanied by the sound of Windine’s barrier being struck by a fist.

“Gieeeeeeeee!!!”

“Guuooooooo!!!”

The Gryphon leaned over me, putting its strength into their forelegs as if to crush me.

I refused to yield, supporting Dullahan’s sword from below and pushing back.

It was a clash of beak and the pommel of a longsword.

“Gieee!!”

Growing impatient with the stalemate, the Gryphon arched its hawk head and brought its sharp beak down toward my face!

“Not on my watch!”

The moment it swung its beak down――I dismissed the summon of Dullahan’s sword.

In an instant the longsword vanished.

“…!?”

With its foreleg support gone, the Gryphon lost its balance.

The beak that should have impaled my face plunged into the floor just inches from my head.

Its unsupported forelegs landed just a few centimeters away from my shoulders.

In other words――I had slipped into its bosom.

“There’s a cute maid watching today. I can’t keep showing her an ugly sight forever――time to finish this.”

What lay before me was the Gryphon’s defenseless, exposed belly.

In that spot the sturdy wings couldn’t reach――I drove Dullahan’s sword I had just summoned into it!

“(It’s accepted that quadrupeds’ belly—the part usually hidden—is their weak point!)”

“Gyeee―――!?!?”

“Shut up!”

The Gryphon’s scream nearly burst my eardrums――but even if they did burst they’d regenerate anyway.

Enduring the pain in my ears, I supported myself on my shoulders like a three-point handstand――and with both feet together I kicked up the pommel of the driven Dullahan sword!!

The blade sank in deeper――blood spurted as the Gryphon’s massive body was flung into the air.

It wasn’t flying on its own wings――it was blown away by being kicked up by me.

With a dull thud, the Gryphon writhed on the ground.

This was the chance for a follow-up attack.

“Rin! Cast Thunder Enchant on it!”

I backstepped repeatedly back to Rin, slid to a stop, and summoned Minotaur’s axe.

Thunder is effective against Wind-attributed monsters, after all.

“Yes!”

Lin eagerly activated the Enchantment magic.

The Minotaur’s axe crackled――buzzing as it became charged with electricity.

“As expected――Rin, you’re a proper adventurer too!”

I thanked Rin, braced the axe, and dashed toward the Gryphon.

I leapt about ten meters out――spun once in the air, and drove a full-powered axe strike loaded with gravity and centrifugal force!!

“Oraaahhhhh!!!!”

――――Slash!!

“Gyoe――――!? !?”

The Gryphon let out its death cry――its neck at the border between hawk and lion was severed.

The massive Rxperience from the A-Rank Dungeon Boss ――half of it went to Rin.

Level 31――in terms of stats alone, that’s strength comparable to a mid-tier C-rank adventurer, gained in just half a day.

By defeating the dungeon’s master, a Dungeon Core and drop items appeared.

“Two drop items? No, are those two pieces making up one weapon?”

The drop reward from the Gryphon was a pair of blades shorter than a longsword but longer than a dagger――a twin sword.

A twin blade designed to evoke the Gryphon’s steel feathers.

I’m used to daggers and longswords, but I have no experience using twin swords of this awkward length.

But for someone like me who values speed in combat, learning twin-sword techniques would be worthwhile.

Seizing the opportunity, I decided to train with twin swords and collected the 《Falcon Twin Blades》.

“Master, you’re amazing! At the end you grabbed that huge weapon and ran dash-dash-dash, then boing and flew and swish!”

Having confirmed the Gryphon’s defeat, Tin ran to me and threw herself onto my back in an embrace.

“Ah! I-I’m so sorry! I, um… as a slave, I shouldn’t be so familiar with my Master—”

“No, it’s fine. This is a victory for the two of us――well done, Rin.”

Still flushed with excitement, Rin pulled away from me.

I gently patted the girl’s head and praised Rin for her efforts.

Honestly, I’d rather she act her age and be cheerful—that makes me happy.

Tin finds comfort in being a slave.

As long as one is a slave, the master is obliged to guarantee the slave’s clothing, food, and shelter.

But for my part――I want Rin to live freely.

That’s because――it is the wish of someone who was once a slave himself.

Throughout this journey, the time I spend with Rin has increased dramatically.

It seems to be having a positive effect――I even think it was good to have started this journey.

“How was it? Your first dungeon?”

“Yes! It was so――much fun!”

Rin answered immediately with a beaming smile.

I thought Rin might unexpectedly have the talent for adventuring――and as I hoisted her up from behind, I had her retrieve the Dungeon Core, the trophy of the Boss’s defeat, sitting atop the pedestal.

Rin held the Dungeon Core in both hands, eyes sparkling.

“It’s beautiful, Master!”

“Yeah――it is.”

“(How long are those two going to keep smooching in the dungeon…)”