No one's POV

As, Sora, Hajime, Yue, Aishia, and Shea were on there way towards the Raisen Gorge Labyrinth, the 5 of them decided to take a pit stop on a nearby village. Eventually, when they reached the town, two armored men came out of the huts on either side of the gate. They were covered in simple leather breastplates, and the longswords strapped to their waist were the only arms they carried. Rather than soldiers, they looked more like adventurers. They called for Sora and Hajime to stop.

Guard: Halt. Show us your status plates, and tell us what you're here for.

Standard procedure. The guards knew it too, and didn't seem all that alert. Both Sora and Hajime dutifully took out his status plate and offered it to one of the guards.

Sora: We're mostly here to stock up on supplies. And to sell material.

Hajime: We're on a journey.

Guard: Then you both should go to the adventurer's guild. You'll get a map of the village there, should be useful.

The soldier-adventurer hmm'd disinterestedly and took a look at their status plate. His eyes went wide. He quickly held it up to the light, then rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't just seeing things. Realizing what must have happened, Sora and Hajime knew they must have forgotten to disguise their stats.

Guard: T-They're all over 10,000...? Both of them! And how many skills are threre?!

Hajime: Shit, we forgot to hide them...

There actually was a skill that let one alter the numbers on one's status plate. Adventurers and soldiers made use of it extensively as having their information get out to the wrong people could be fatal. A dozen different lies flashed through the back of Sora's mind, so he just picked one at random.

Sora: We were attacked by monsters a while back. It's been broken ever since.

Guard: I never heard of damage like this though...

It was only natural. Not only was level listed as unknown, but his stats and skills were utterly ridiculous. Status plates could break, but usually only in the physical sense, never something like this where it looked like it was glitching out. Normally, the guard would have laughed at him for telling an obvious lie, but with both Sora'a and Hajime's numbers being so stupidly high meant he wasn't sure what to believe anymore. Sora just shrugged his shoulders helplessly, then followed up on his previous statement.

Sora: How else do you explain those numbers? If it was real, then me and him would be some kind of monster. Do I look like the kind of person who could blow this whole town away just by lifting my finger?

He spread his arms wide like he was joking, and the guard smiled with him. If the status plate really was telling the truth, then both Sora and Hajime were a monster far more powerful than any hero or demon lord. Even if it was unheard of, it still made more sense for his plate to be broken.

If the soldier-adventurer had known the truth, he would have fainted on the spot. Hajime, Aishia, Yue and Shea watched on in amazement as Sora spun his lies without batting an eyelid.

Guard: Haha, yeah, you certainly don't look anything like a monster. I've never heard of a status plate breaking like this, but I guess there's a first time for everything... Anyway, moving on to you three...

The guard switched his gaze to the two girls standing behind Sora. They'd been partially hidden by Sora's frame before, so he hadn't gotten a good look at them earlier, but he froze when he saw who Sora was traveling with.

A crimson blush slowly spread up his face as he stared at Aishia, Yue and Shea. Yue was, of course, a stunning beauty who resembled a masterfully crafted bisque doll. Aishia on the other hand, was so beautiful that she gave off a divine aura that almost feel like a beautiful Goddess. And Shea was just as alluring, as long as she kept her mouth shut. Basically, the guard were completely smitten.

Sora cleared his throat loudly. Returning to their senses, the two quickly looked back at Sora.

Sora: These two lost their plates when we were attacked by the monsters I was telling you about earlier. And this bunny girl here is, well... you understand, right?

The two of them nodded knowingly and returned Sora's and Hajime's status plate to them.

Guard: But man, you sure got your hands on a cutie. I hear light-haired rabbitmen are pretty rare. You must be pretty rich, huh? Well, whatever. You're free to pass.

Sora: Thank you. Well, if you'll excuse us.

Sora and the others headed into town. According to the sign hanging from the main gate, the town's name was Brooke. The town was bustling with activity. Horaud, the town Hajime had been to when they'd first gone to train in the Orcus Labyrinth, had been bigger, but a number of stalls could still be seen lining the main road, with merchants hawking their wares and customers heatedly haggling.

Hajime: You sure are a smooth talker...

Sora: Can it.

Yue: Your like a different person Big Brother. Your so polite, and extremely humble.

Aishia: When deep down, it was just a poker face, to hide his true self.

Sora: Anyway! This seem to be a lively city isn't it!

Aishia: Mm...

For some reason, seeing all this activity around him made Hajime giddy with excitement. Yue, too, was grinning happily. Sora and Aishia were no different. Only Shea was trembling uncontrollably, glaring at Sora with teary eyes. She didn't yell, but simply glared angrily at him. Unable to ignore her any longer, Sora let out a tired sigh. Grumbling to himself, he turned to face Shea.

Sora: What is it? I finally get to enjoy being around other people again, so what are you glaring at me for?

Shea: Stop pretending like you don't know, Sora! This collar! It makes me look like a slave! In fact the gatekeeper probably thought that! Forcing me to wear something like this is too mean!! Weren't we supposed to be companions?

Even when she was angry, Shea didn't really sound like it. Though she'd still found it quite a shock that her supposed companions were trying to make her look like a slave. Of course, the collar Sora had put on her wasn't an actual slave collar, nor did it really have any ability to bind her. Shea knew that as well. Still, it was a shock. Seeing her in honest distress, Sora scratched his head awkwardly.

Sora: Look, do you really think a beastman could walk around town in the open if they weren't someone's slave? Especially a little bunny girl like you, since you're so popular. Plus, you have white hair and a nice figure. I can guarantee you that if you weren't wearing that collar, someone would try and capture you the moment we entered town. And then it'd all become one huge mess of kidnappers. And that would be a pain... Wait, what are you blushing like that for?

Over the course of his explanation, Shea's angry glare had been replaced by a shy blush. By the end, she was cupping her cheeks in her hands and squirming in embarrassment. Yue just glared at her coldly. Aishia still look emotionless, but deep down, she was a bit jealous that Sora is paying attention to someone other than her.

Shea: What you're saying is that I'm the most cutest and charming woman in the world. My, how embarra— Bugaah!?

Yue's fist interrupted Shea's exaggerated delusions. Her subsequent scream had not an iota of cuteness to it. Also, since she hadn't defended herself with body strengthening, her cheek had a big red welt on it.

Aishia: Don't get ahead of yourself.

Yue: And don't get carried away...

Hajime: I agree...You're low average at best.

Shea: I'b shorry, Aishia, Yue.

Shea trembled at the coldness in Aishia's and Yue's voice. Tired of their little skit, Sora cut them off by continuing his explanation.

Sora: Anyway, pretending you're a slave when we're in human territory is for your sake. I'd rather not end up having to save you from trouble every time we go to a town.

Shea: I... get that, but...

She understood logically why Sora was doing it. But she still found it hard to swallow. She'd placed great importance on the idea that they were comrades, and she was loathe to throw it away, even if it was just a pretense. This time, it was Yue and Aishia who tried to convince her.

Yue: It doesn't matter what everyone else thinks you are.

Shea: Yue?

Aishia: All that matters is that the people important to you know the truth... Right?

Shea: Yeah, you're right. You're absolutely right.

Yue: Good. Though it kind of irks me. You're someone me and Big Sister recognized Shea... so stop getting worked up over every little thing.

Shea: Yue, Aishia... Ehehe... Thanks.

Sora, Aishia, Hajime, Yue, and the other Haulia all knew she was their comrade, which was all that mattered. There was no need to shout it to the rest of the world if that would bring unnecessary trouble. Of course, that still wouldn't stop her from wishing she could... Shea smiled shyly at Aishia and Yue before turning to look back at Sora and Hajime. There was a hopeful look in her eyes.

Hajime(mind): Guess I've gotta say something too.

Hajime shrugged his shoulders.

Hajime: Well, if word gets out and slavers come after you, we won't abandon you at least.

Shea: Even if you both have to turn everyone in town into your enemy?

Sora: You know we've already killed a bunch of imperial troops, right?

Shea: So you'd both help me even if it meant making the entire kingdom your enemy? Fufu...

Hajime: Don't be ridiculous.

Sora: Even if I have to go up against the entire world, or the gods themselves, if they make themselves our enemy, we'll fight them.

Shea: Fufufu, Yue, Aishia, did you hear that? Sora sure says some pretty embarrassing things. He must really care about us!

Yue: The only one Big Brother cares about is me and Big Sister.

Shea: Hey, come on, read the mood! You were just supposed to say '...Yeah.' like you always do there.

Though she was complaining, Shea still had a smile on her face. Hearing Sora say that he'd fight the entire world for her sake had made her feel extremely happy. Especially since she'd fallen in love with him. Sora and Hajime ignored their antics and continued explaining his decision to put a collar on her.

Sora: Also, that collar has a telepathy stone and a sight stone packed into it, so you can use them in an emergency. Just pour some mana into it and they'll activate.

Shea: A telepathy stone and a... sight stone?

As its name suggested, the telepathy stone allowed its wielder to telepathically communicate with others. Sora had created it using the creation magic he'd learned in the labyrinth. The distance one could reach another with it was dependent on the amount of mana put into the stone. However, any transmissions made with the telepathy stone would be broadcast to anyone in range who also possessed one, so they weren't suited for secret conversations.

The sight stone was also something he'd crafted with creation magic. He had added Sense Presence [+Precision Sensing] into a regular stone. This skill allowed a previously marked target to be pinpointed among a group of other presences. Thus, the collar also served as a kind of beacon for Sora to find Shea at any time. The strength of that beacon, much like the range of the telepathy stone's transmissions, was dependent on how much mana Shea poured into it.

The longer she listened to the explanation, the more grateful she grew to Sora.

Sora: Oh also, you can remove it by putting a set amount of mana into it, okay?

Shea: I see. So in other words... you gave this to me so you could hear my voice whenever you wanted, and so that you'd always know where I am, right? Are you really that obsessed with me? That's a little weird, but, well, it's not like I hate it or anyth— Bragahgwa!?

Aishia: Don't get ahead of yourself.

Shea: Ugh... I'm sorry.

Aishia's hand carved a perfect arc before connecting squarely with the back of Shea's head and sending her sprawling to the ground. Her voice was as cold as ice. Just because Yue and Aishia had allowed Shea to accompany them, that didn't mean Aishia appreciated her making passes at Sora. Though it was in doubt whether or not Shea's actions could even be considered "making a pass."

(Timeskip)

After a few more minutes of walking, the merry troupe found themselves staring at a building with a big longsword drawn onto its signboard. It was the same sign Hajime had seen in Horaud, the mark of the adventurer's guild. Though this building seemed to be only roughly half the size of the one in Horaud.

???: Welcome to the adventurer's guild of Brook! What can I do for you? Even though you've both got three gorgeous girls with you already and you're still not satisfied? Well, unfortunately for you, this receptionist's no beauty.

Sora: -_-

Hajime(mind): Can this lady use mind-reading magic or something?

Hajime: No... We weren't thinking anything like that.

???: Ahaha, don't underestimate a woman's intuition, boys. We can read you men like an open book. Your three friends over there won't like it if you keep looking to ogle every girl you meet, you know?

Sora: We'll keep that in mind.

When she heard his despondent reply, though, she apologized immediately.

???: Oh, look at what age does to you. I'm sorry for lecturing you when we've only just met.

It was hard to hate someone like her. When both Sora and Hajime glanced back at the other adventurers, they saw they were all giving them looks of pity, as if to say "poor kids, so she got you too, huh?" It appeared the reason the adventurers here were all so mature was because of her.

Sora: Leaving that aside, we want to trade materials.

???:  I see. May I ask to see both your status plate?

Hajime: Huh? We need to show you our status plate just to sell things?

The old lady gave Hajime a puzzled look.

???:Are you not an adventurer? You don't need your status plate just to sell things, but if you're a registered adventurer you get a 10% bonus to your sales.

Sora: Oh... we didn't know that.

According to the lady's explanation, there were a lot of other benefits to being a registered adventurer. As they were the ones who went out to gather the mana crystals and medicinal plants most towns needed, they were treated well. Since the areas outside of cities were always crawling with monsters, regular people would have a hard time harvesting anything. It was only natural for those that took up the more dangerous jobs to have special privileges.

???: A lot of inns and shops that do business with the guild will give adventurers 10-20% off for their services, and if your rank is high enough you can charter carriages for free. What do you think? Would you like to register with us? The registry fee is only a thousand Luta.

Luta was the standard currency used throughout the northern part of Tortus. By combining zagalta ore with various metals, one could create alloys of varying colors. Luta was made from those alloys, and marked with a special seal. The denominations came in blue, red, yellow, purple, green, white, black, silver, and gold. They were worth 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 500, 1000, 5000, and 10000 Luta respectively. Interestingly enough, it was the same values Japanese bills and coins came in.

Sora: Hmm, I see. In that case, I guess we might as well register.

Hajime: Unfortunately, we don't have any money on us right now. Could you just deduct it from the value of all the stuff we're selling? I don't mind taking the base rate for however much we need to register.

???: What are you both doing, walking around penniless with three cute girls like that? I'll give you the bonus for everything, so just make sure you treat them right, okay?

Hajime(Mind): This old lady's actually kind of cool.

Sora(telepathy): -_- Are you seriously into that?

Hajime(telepathy): Fuck off! Stop reading my mind!

Hajime and Sora graciously accepted her offer, then handed over their status plate. After they were done, the guild chief hand them back their status plates.

???: If you're a me, you better aim for black, you hear? You don't want to look uncool in front of your lady friends, right?

Sora: Yeah, I'll work hard.

Hajime: Alright, so we can sell our stuff now, right?

???: Feel free. I'm a qualified appraiser, so I can take care of it for you.

So not only was she a receptionist, but she was also an appraiser. What a talented woman. Hajime had put some of the materials in his Treasure Trove into his bag beforehand, which he now pulled out. It was an odd assortment of monster pelts, claws, fangs, and mana crystals. He put them all in the little container on the counter designed for this purpose, and the old lady stared at them in awe.

???: Wha...! These are from the monsters of the see of trees...!

Sora: Yep, that's right.

???: No matter how long you both trained, a normal adventurers couldn't handle them. Are you sure you want to trade here? In a bigger city you could sell it to a higher price.

Sora: No, we appreciate your concern but here is fine.

After appraising all of the goods, the old woman offered a price of 487,000 Luta for the entire stash. Quite a large sum.

???: I have registered you both as an adventurers. Also I'll give you a map of the city as a service.

Sora: Thank you. That will help a lot.

???: The inns and shops I recommend are all marked on it.

The map she'd handed over was minutely detailed, and all of the most important information was easy to find. It resembled tourist pamphlets Hajime was used to. He couldn't believe the guild gave away something this nice for free.

Hajime: Hey, is it really okay to just take this for free? This is a really good map. Hell, I'd totally be willing to pay for something like this...

???: I don't mind. I just draw them for fun in my spare time. Actually, my job is Scribe, so something like this is easy for me.

Hajime(mind): Is this lady Perseus or something? What's someone so skilled doing in a backwater town like this?

Hajime was certain the story of how she ended up here would make for an interesting tale.

Sora(telepathy): -_- Did you seriously just take Perseus from one of my manga [The Flash]? You and your otaku...

Hajime(telepathy): I thought I told you to stop reading my mind?!

Sora: Well, thanks then.

???: It's fine. Anyway, since you've got a decent amount of money now, I'd recommend staying somewhere nice. This town's pretty safe, but I'm sure there's at least a few guys that'll try and do something stupid since you have those two by your side.

Helpful until the very end. Sora smiled appreciatively, thanked her, and headed for the door. Aishia, Yue and Shea bowed to her too before following after the,. The adventurers were all whispering furiously to each other as they watched the girls leave the building.

???: Heh, what an interesting bunch...

The old lady muttered to herself.

(Timeskip)

Hajime and the others looked over their map, which was more of a guidebook really, and decided to spend the night at the "Masaka Inn." According to the blurb on the map, it had very good food, was in a safe neighborhood, and most importantly, it had a bath. That last one was what decided it for Hajime. It was a bit on the pricey side, but since they were rich, that wasn't a problem. He was a little bothered by the name, but... The entire first floor of the inn was its restaurant, and when they arrived they found a few people eating dinner there. And just like with the adventurer's guild, everyone's attention was drawn to Yue and Shea. They ignored the stares and walked up to the counter, where a lively girl of maybe fifteen came out to greet them.

Maid: Welcome to the Masaka Inn! Are you here for a room or for a meal?

Sora: I'd like to rent a room. We came here following this guidebook, is the price still the same as what's on here?

Sora showed her the map, and the girl nodded in understanding.

Maid: Oh, you came here on Catherine's recommendation. Yep, our prices are still the same. How many nights will you be staying?

She continued briskly. However, Hajime's mind was elsewhere. It had come as quite a shock to him that the old lady's name was Catherine.

Sora: One night. Also, we'd like dinner and a bath too.

Maid: Okay. It costs 100 Luta for every 15 minutes in the bath. Right now, we have these time slots free.

She held up a little board with time slots written on it. Hajime wanted to take his time in the bath, and they'd have to split up the guys and girls, so he'd need 2 hours at least. Yue cried out in surprise when he mentioned as much, but as a born-and-bred Japanese, Hajime would settle for no less.

Maid: A-Also, umm, how many rooms would you like? We have both two- person and three-person rooms available, so...

There was a hint of curiosity in her eyes as she asked that. She was around that age where she was interested in things like romance. Though Sora wished the other guests would stop trying to eavesdrop on the conversation too. He'd known Aishia, Yue and Shea were very good-looking, but this exceeded even his expectations. Considering how they'd met, it wasn't that surprising that Sora was a little ignorant of how others would see them.

Sora: Two rooms. One a two-person and the other is a three-person room should be fine.

There wasn't even a hint of hesitation in his voice. The surroundings guests all stared in awe. The girl too, blushed slightly. Sora was implying that he and Hajime shared room, while the girls are on the other. However, there was someone who objected to Sora's choice.

Yue: No. Three rooms. Two of them is a two-person room, while the last is a one-person room. One for me and Hajime. The other is for Big Brother and Big Sister. You can have the last, Shea.

Shea: Hey, why!? I don't want to be all on my own! Come on, I will share room with Sora and Aishia!

Shea protested hotly.

Yue: Because you'll get in their way.

Shea: Get in the way of what... Wait, what do you think they're planning on doing in there?

Yue: Isn't it obvious? Big Brother and Big Sister are gonna have sex like me and Hajime.

Aishia just blush slightly at those words, but she didn't object since she and Sora had slept multiple time at the stone house, with her naked most of the time.

Shea: Bwah!? H-How can you just say that with so many people around!? Don't you have any class!?

Yue's words thrust all the men present into the depths of despair. Eyes burning with jealousy, they glared at Sora and Hajime. The innkeeper had gone red as a tomato as she glanced between Sora and Aishia, along with Yue and Hajime. Hajime and Sora tried to step in before the two girls could embarrass them any further, but they were a hair too late.

Shea: F-Fine, then Aishia will go in the other room,! I'm the one who'll share a room with Sora!

Aishia: No. I will sleep together with Sora.

Yue: And why do you have to sleep with Big Brother?

Even Aishia's gaze was starting to be as as cold as a winter blizzard. That cold gaze brought back traumatic memories of her training, so Shea started trembling in fear, but she steeled her resolve and glared right back.

Shea: S-So that I can give Sora my virginity!

Silence descended upon the room. No one said a word, or even made a sound. Everyone's attention was firmly fixed on Sora and Hajime and the others. Even the girl's parents had come out from inside the kitchen and were watching their exchange with a "must be nice to be young" kind of expression on their faces. At this point Yue and Aishia could have frozen hell over with their glare alone.

Aishia: Any last words...?

Yue: No, today is going to be her last...

Shea: Ugh. I-I won't lose to the two of you! Today's the day I beat you two and take over the role of main heroine!

Yue: Allow us to teach you that there is no disciple who's stronger than their master.

Aishia: And as the Master, you need some punishment.

Shea: Well, it's time for this disciple to surpass her master!

An intimidating aura began wrapping itself around Aishia and Yue, while Shea drew the hammer strapped to her back with trembling fingers. Everyone gulped nervously, too scared to make a move. It was in this tense atmosphere that...

Yue: Hii!?

Aishia: Ouch...

Shea: Hakyuu!?

A fist came down on the girls. They crouched on the ground, tears streaming from their eyes. The one who had struck them were Sora and Hajime. Hajime hit Yue, while Sora hit Aishia and Shea.

Hajime: You three are being annoying.

Sora: And stop bothering the other guests. And more importantly, stop embarrassing us.

Yue: Uuu, your love hurts, Hajime...

Aishia: Sora... I can't believe you hit me...

Shea: Y-You could have held back at least a little... I was even using body strengthening and it still hurts...

Hajime: That's your own fault, moron.

Sora and Hajime gave them a stern glare before Sora turn his attention back to the girl at the counter. She straightened up with a start.

Sora: Sorry for the commotion. Like I said before. There will be two rooms. One a two-person, and the other is a three-person.

Maid: I-If you're getting a three-person room... d-does that mean you're going to do the pink hair and bunny both at once? A-Amazing... Wait, is that why you wanted two hours in the bath? Are you going to be washing each other's backs and stuff!? And then... do something a little more... How scandalous!

The poor girl had lost it. Unable to keep watching any longer, her mom, who was presumably the owner, dragged her away from the counter. Her father took her place and finished completing the paperwork.

Father: Sorry about my daughter.

He said apologetically as he handed over the room key. But just like the other guys, his eyes were full of jealousy too.

Sora(mind): Are the people here all perverts? I was implying that me and Hajime shared rooms, while the girls are at the other.

Sora and Hajime just silently took his key, Hajime picked up Yue, while Sora picked up Aishia and Shea, put them on his shoulders, and escaped to their room on the third floor. It took a long time before noises could be heard from downstairs again. The whole ordeal had tired them out, so they just tried not to think about it. But, as soon as they arrived on their rooms, Sora and Hajime glared dagger towards Aishia, Yue and Shea.

Sora: Well then...

Hajime: We will start working on creating a certain something, but...

Sora: I think some lecturing is needed.

Shea: Ah... I remember I was thinking of buying adventurer clothes...!

Yue: Ah...I remember that there were shops I wanted to see too...!

Aishia: Ah... For some reason, I'm getting kinda hungry...

Shea: Good idea! Then let's get something to eat while we shop!

Yue: That's good...

Aishia: Yeah...

They turned away and began talking about shopping. The three of them knew it was their fault, but neither of them wanted to admit it, so they had simultaneously decided to change the topic.

Hajime: You guys actually get along quite well right...

(Timeskip)

It's been a few hours, and after awhile Aishia, Shea and Yue walked into a room with Sora and Hajime in it, as Shea showed off her new outfit to Sora, which was a blue top and mini skirt, along with a black hooded long jacket.

Shea: Ta dah! Sora, look! How does it look on me? Does it look good?

Honestly speaking, her new clothes were about as revealing as her old outfit. The only real difference was that her threadbare sandals had been replaced with sturdy boots. That being said, they laced up only to her ankles, so nothing much had changed even there.

Sora: What did you guys even go to buy? Looks to me like your still wearing the same revealing outfit as before...

Shea: Come now, what are you saying, Sora? Look closely. Even if my skirt gets flipped up, these hot pants will keep anyone from seeing my panties. See?

Somewhat bashfully, Shea lifted up her skirt to show Sora. Indeed, there was a pair of white hot pants underneath, which looked surprisingly durable. Apparently the upper part of her outfit, which resembled a swimsuit more than anything, was also a kind of bikini armor, so it actually protected her vitals effectively.

Sora(mind): But even so, how's this supposed to protect her stomach, or her thighs, or any other part of her body?

Aishia: It's fine. Shea said all the other clothes were too tight and made it hard to move.

Aishia answered for her. It seemed Shea emphasized flexibility of motion over any amount of protection clothes might offer. Thus, the bunny girl was outfitted in a new ensemble that was practically no different from her old one, with the exception that it was a bit more stylish, and offered marginally more protection. The getup was topped off with one of Yue's handmade coats.

Hajime: Well, whatever. If she's fine with it, then I guess it's fine.

Sora: Anyway, as long as we got everything done, that's all that matters. Thanks for doing the shopping. Oh yeah, it was pretty noisy outside a while ago. Did something happen?

Sora ignored Shea, who was still twirling about in her new clothes, and changed the topic. While Sora and Hajime were in their room, working on some new artifacts, they heard a huge commotion outside the inn. Shea deflated a little when she saw Sora ignoring her attempts to show off her charm, while Aishia and Yue answered his question.

Aishia: Some mens gang up on us, asking us to go out. But we took care of it.

Yue: They won't be able to produce anymore children...

Hajime: Ah, I see. That's good, then.

Sora: May your balls rest in peace.

Hajime: Do we have everything we need?

Yue: Yeah. We got it all.

Sora: Now then, Shea. This is for you.

Sora held out a cylindrical, mechanical object that was about fifty centimeters long and forty centimeters in diameter. The whole thing was a glossy silver, and there was a little grip- like thing attached to the side.

Shea reflexively took it in her hands, and the unexpected weight of it caused her to stumble backward. Hurriedly, she used her body strengthening to steady herself and lift it up.

Shea: It's so heavy...

Sora: It's the new warhammer I made for you. Heavier's better, right?

Shea: Huh? This is... a hammer?

Shea's question was to be expected. The cylindrical handle part did kind of resemble a hammer, but the grip was too short to swing properly. It was far too unbalanced.

Sora: Yep. That's what it looks like when it's in standby, or in bombardment mode. Now, go on, try pouring some mana into it.

Shea: Umm, like this? Ah!?

When she poured her mana into it, the oddly shaped hammer made a bunch of mechanical clinks as the grip extended backward, so it was in the perfect place to hold a hammer.

This was a battle artifact Sora had created, that he'd named Drucken. He'd added a lot of extra features to it that a normal hammer didn't have. In its base bombardment mode, the grip was kept close to the end because it was used as a trigger to fire massive shells at enemies. Pouring mana into a certain section of it made it transform into the more familiar hammer shape Shea was used to. Shooting bullets wasn't the only gimmick this hammer had, either.

Shea: Amazing...!

Hajime: Sora asked me add a few gimmicks to it. So they can draw out your power to the maximum.

Sora: This is the best we can do for now, but once we polish our skills some more I plan to improve it. There's no telling what we'll run into where we're going. I know Aishia and Yue trained you, but it was still only for ten days. It's dangerous for you to come with us, so I made this weapon to bring out the most of your power. Make sure you get used to it, alright? You're our comrade now. You better not die, or I'll kill you myself.

Shea: Sora...Fufu, that doesn't even make any sense... Well, don't worry. I'll get even stronger, so I can follow you no matter where you go!

Shea happily held Drucken close to her chest. Even when she was happy it was pointlessly over-exaggerated. Yue just shrugged her shoulders helplessly, while Hajime smiled wryly, Aishia just smile gently, while Sora shook his head, sighing.

Sora(mind): I know I'm the one who made it, but it's weird seeing a girl get so happy over receiving a warhammer.

They went to go check out of the inn, with Shea following ecstatically behind them. The innkeeper's daughter still blushed when she saw Sora, but he decided to ignore that. It was high noon when they stepped outside, and the sun's warm rays blazed down on them. They all started walking forward. And thus, their journey resumed.

(Timeskip)

The 5 of them head back towards the Reisen Gorge trying to find the entrance of the Labyrinth. But even after three days of searching for the entrance, they were no luck in finding them. The moon's light began to illuminate the ravine, Sora decided to make camp. They set up his stone house and began preparing dinner.

After they finished their dinner, Sora and the others settled down to chat for a while, as they did every night. Thanks to the stealthstone in the stone house, they didn't have to worry about monster attacks. When it was time for bed, the three of them would rotate the watch until morning.

Tonight, it was Sora's turn to be on first watch. Hajime, Aishia, Yue and Shea prepared for bed while he got ready. Right before they fell asleep, Shea walked out of the tent. Sora gave her a questioning look, and she replied casually.

Shea: Just going to pick some flowers.

Sora: There's no flowers down here.

Shea: So-ra!

Her nonchalant facade crumbled and she glared reproachfully at Sora.

Sora: My bad.

He said without remorse, realizing what she actually meant. Shea pouted angrily as she stepped out of their camp and trotted off. A few minutes later...

Shea: Sora! Aishia! Hajime! Yue! I found something! Come over here!

She had forgot that monsters still swarmed the ravine outside of their camp and screamed for help. Sora, Aishia, Hajime and Yue all exchanged glances before running out of the stone house. Shea's voice was coming from where one of the boulders had fallen against the ravine wall, creating a small gap. She was waving her arms wildly right in front of it, her face filled with excitement.

Shea: Over here! Look at what I found!

Sora: Alright, alright, stop pulling me. Your body strengthening's on full blast. Just calm down.

Yue: So annoying.

Shea grabbed Sora's hands and pulled them deeper into the crevice. As she led them inside, Hajime saw that the wall had been hollowed out on one side, making for a surprisingly spacious room. Shea puffed out her chest proudly and pointed to a section of the wall that was halfway between the entrance and the back. Sora, Aishia, Hajime and Yue looked at what she was pointing at and blinked in confusion. A rectangular signboard was carved directly into the stone wall. Written on it, in cute cursive letters, was this:
—Welcome everyone! Welcome to Miledi Reisen's heart-pounding dungeon~
The exclamation marks and tildes only served to exacerbate the reader.

Sora: Wha... Is this for real?

Hajime: The hell is this?

Yue: What?

Aishia: Eh...?