Chapter 12 (1/2)

New town

「××××××××」

There’s nothing in the dark, but I can hear voices.

Ever since I fainted, I’ve heard a joyful voice around me.

I can’t see the owner, and I can’t determine whether it’s a man or a woman from its voice.

It’s speaking one-sidedly. I can’t do anything in this darkness.

Eventually, the darkness dissolves, and I can see a faint light.

Ah, I’m waking up from a dream.

At the very least, I wanted to see who this nostalgic voice belonged to, but it doesn’t seem to be possible.

The light becomes larger and larger, and then my consciousness surfaces.

「Bye bye, let’s meet again!」

After I heard the voice speak to me for the last time, I woke up.

When I open my eyes, Charlotte’s face is in full view.

I feel like I had a nice dream, but I can’t remember what it was about.

Well, if I can’t remember it, it was probably a trifling dream.

「What are you doing?」

「Nuowa!?」

For the time being, I call out to Charlotte. Charlotte’s face solidifies. It seems she’s snapped out of it, and she rolls away on the floor.

「What are you doing?」

「I’m not doing anything! It’s not like I was planning on licking the delicious blood on your face again!」

That reminds me, Charlotte really is a vampire, huh.

Is it natural for her to want to drink blood because she’s a vampire?

While absently-mindedly thinking such, I take out a knife from the item box and go to slice my wrist.

「Wait, wait, wait! What the h.e.l.l are you doing!?」

「You want to drink blood, don’t you?」

「Mugu~」

Because I put it in Charlotte’s contract that she can’t attack people selfishly, she can’t drink blood from others.

Therefore, I have no choice but to let her drink mine.

I forgot about it until now. I’ll pay more attention from now on.

「I have returned. Charlotte-chan, were you watching over Maika-san carefu…」

Just when I was about to slice open my wrist, Celica came back with vegetables in her hands.

「Maika-san what are you doing!?」

「Charlotte wanted to drink my blood」

「I wouldn’t even dream about it!」

After that, Celica took the knife from my hand and pushed me back into the bed.

Charlotte just likes blood. I was told that she won’t die even if she doesn’t drink it.

However, since she couldn’t drink any even though she likes it, I’ll secretly let her drink some later.

「Still, I’m very happy that you woke up」

「When you suddenly collapsed I thought you had died」

「Actually, I died once」

「That joke isn’t funny」

I ain’t kidding!

While chatting with the two girls, I properly discuss with them the purpose of our journey, and that I will listen to their wishes.

At the beginning, I had bought these two so that Mira and Sara could have some friends, but after going into the dungeon together, I got attached to them as well.

That’s why I also want to grant these two their wishes.

After I explained why we were on this journey, I found out that when we had stayed at the expensive inn in the capital, these two had apparently already told the twins that they would cooperate.

Then, I’ll ask them what their wishes are.

「I want to get stronger. At the moment this is my only wish. Therefore, this trip is convenient. It would be good if you worked hard for my sake」

「Un, I understand」

When I obediently answered, for some reason, Charlotte looked at me with weird eyes.

Did I say something funny?

「I’m the same as Mira-chan and Sara. I want to get stronger so I can help people in need」

Just what I had expected from Celica. She’s a gentle child.

When I said 「Leave it to me」 Celica smiled happily.

When I asked Celica and Charlotte about our current situation, they said that we were about 100 kilometers south of the Imperial Capital. We’re at an inn in the town of Aranda. It seems 2 days has pa.s.sed since I collapsed.

In the meantime, they took turns nursing me and earning money to live off of by taking monster subjugation requests.

「I’m sorry」

「No, please don’t apologize. You are always helping us」

「I’m just doing what I want to do」

「If that’s the case, then we are just doing what we wanted too」

Uumu, when it’s said like that, I can’t talk back.

To do so much for someone like me though. I feel bad. Alright, let’s do something for the girls later.

Celica told me to stay in bed for the rest of the day.

Because I haven’t moved in a while, my body feels sluggish, so if possible I had wanted to exercise. I don’t want to worry the girls anymore though, so I’ll behave today.

Thinking about it, after defeating such a huge troll, everyone’s level has probably risen quite a bit, so I take a look at everyone’s status. Some skill levels have improved, but their levels didn’t change that much.

I wonder why?

While thinking about such things, I remember that the entrance to that fight had disappeared after I entered the boss room.

That room was probably isolated from the outside, so that means what happens inside won’t affect the outside?

I ask Charlotte if anything happened when they left the dungeon.

When she says nothing happened, even after that extreme battle I had, I’m convinced that my idea is correct.

In other words, if I go alone and defeat the boss, the experience only goes to the person that is in the boss room.