Chapter 407: A Desire to Play in the Dungeon
The two Dark Elves who remained here are named Levantiska and Shellfarina. Both are said to be over a hundred years old, yet they appear to be in their twenties. Levantiska sports a light green bob haircut, and her expression reveals a spirited personality. In contrast, Shellfarina has long, straight dark red hair that cascades down to her waist, exuding a more reserved aura.
““Nice to meet you!””
“Yeah, nice to meet you too.”
Although they are scout-type Dark Elves, their overall status is higher than Ivan’s. If it came down to a direct confrontation, Ivan would likely not stand a chance. I’m not sure how strong my classmates have become, but I feel confident these scout-type Dark Elves could handle it.
“I’ll drive them away with all my might!”
“Is it okay to take them down if they intrude?”
“Only if they invade.”
These two, along with the two elf maids who came to assist in an emergency, were sent off to the Reception Hall.
After spending several days finishing the hot spring renovations, I returned home to find Rizelade relaxing on the terrace visible from outside.
“Why are you still here?”
“Well, once you experience the comfort here, it’s hard to leave, isn’t it?”
I couldn’t help but grumble, but it seemed Rio didn’t feel the same way. Perhaps my initial impression of the Dark Elves was skewed, as it was only me and El who had a negative view. After being set straight, they became quite docile, so Rio’s impression of them wasn’t too bad.
“Lord Shu!”
Noticing me, Rizelade stood up and stepped out from the first-floor terrace. It was quite bold of her to linger, especially since her two companions had already returned.
“You really don’t get bored, do you?”
“Of course not! Besides, if I went back, it would just be the same mundane routine waiting for me.”
“That’s true.”
“I’m paying my dues properly, you know?”
With a hint of “you should go home soon” in her tone, Rizelade furrowed her brows in dissatisfaction. It was true that she was receiving compensation. However, since currency wasn’t circulating in the Dark Elf village, she was merely doing the tasks I requested.
“The delicious food I’ve never tasted before, the spacious bath, and the intriguing facilities of this mansion have me brimming with curiosity.”
“I’m glad to hear you like what we’ve created together.”
In stark contrast to my exasperation, Rio seemed genuinely pleased. I had a nagging feeling that she might want to stay indefinitely. It might be best to keep the hot spring a secret for now.
“I’ll take you to the newly completed hot spring next time.”
Just as I thought that, my plan was immediately exposed.
“Onsen?”
The unfamiliar term made Rizelade tilt her head in confusion.
“Yes, it’s a place where you soak in naturally springing hot water. It’s outdoors, has a great view, and is very liberating.”
“Oh ho… I definitely want to visit that!”
While the facilities were complete, they weren’t operational yet due to staffing issues. If I did everything myself, I could enjoy the hot spring, but hospitality includes service as well.
Although my secret was out, I decided it was fine since I would take her next time. After all, it wouldn’t make sense to take her to a newly opened hot spring when we hadn’t fully enjoyed it ourselves yet. She could wait indefinitely.
…Wait a minute. Wouldn’t that mean she would linger here until I took her?
I might need to come up with a reason to send her away after all.
“Oh, you’re back!”
Just then, I bumped into Ivan as he stepped out from the entrance. Rizelade, who only understood Elvish, excused herself and returned inside the mansion. Not understanding the language can be quite inconvenient.
That said, for a Japanese person, the Otherworld Language is entirely incomprehensible, so the video I had taken went viral as expected. She seemed puzzled about whether this would count as compensation, but I had no intention of explaining the details.
By the way, it seemed there was some sort of Elf Festival happening over there. Not that I knew anything about it.
“Welcome back, big brother and big sister!”
Phonia peeked out from the entrance, her face lighting up as she rushed over.
“Welcome back.”
With a burst of energy, she jumped into Rio’s arms. As Rio caught her, Phonia’s tail wagged joyfully.
“Wuff—!”
Nil, who had also poked her head out from the entrance, let out a cheerful bark before dashing toward us. Today, Nil was small enough to be easily caught. I braced myself as she charged at me, and just as I was about to catch her, she suddenly accelerated.
As I caught her, I shifted my body slightly, spinning to absorb Nil’s momentum.
“There, there.”
I cradled her and ruffled her head, and like Phonia, her tail wagged excitedly.
“Big sister, um…”
Phonia, nestled in Rio’s arms, fidgeted with her ears, looking shy.
“What’s wrong?”
I approached her while still holding Nil, gently stroking her head.
“I want to go out and play with you and big brother tomorrow!”
Exchanging glances with Rio at Phonia’s adorable request, we couldn’t help but chuckle softly. It felt like we hadn’t spent much time with Phonia lately, as we had been busy working on the hot spring facilities.
“Is that so? Then let’s go somewhere fun tomorrow.”
“Is there anywhere you want to go?”
As we leaned in closer to Phonia, her previously downcast expression brightened as she looked up at us.
“Yes! I want to go to the dungeon again! You found a new one, right?”
I had been imagining amusement parks or aquariums like those in Japan, but this was entirely different. She wanted to go to a dungeon? Seriously?
“Bwahaha! You’ve been playing at being adventurers in the orphanage, haven’t you?”
Ivan’s booming laughter made it clear he understood. It seemed that such pretend play had become a trend lately.
“When I heard that you guys found a new dungeon, that’s what I wanted to do!”
It wasn’t just her; it was our fault.