Chapter 33: After Completing the Empty Bottle Quest

Original: Chapter 33: After Completing the Empty Bottle Quest

I returned to the Plaza. So much had happened that I was completely exhausted.

“Miss Rilril, I’m home—”

Miss Rilril greeted me with a gentle smile.

“Welcome back, Miss Sayuki. Oh my, did your clothes burn up again?”

“This time, I ended up completely soaked.”

I was in my full tracksuit look with my hair tied up at the back of my head. I looked completely different from before I left on the Quest, so it was no wonder she was worried.

“I see. It was a battle in the Stream, after all.”

“Yes. I thought I was going to die after being thrown into the water.”

“But you still won. That’s amazing. You’ve become so much stronger, Miss Sayuki.”

“Have I really…?”

Miss Rilril picked up the Lantern that had been tied to the side of her backpack with a cord. It had a roof-like attachment and was a very stylish Lantern.

She opened the lid and brought her fingertip close to it.

Then, with a pon, a flame lit inside the Lantern. The fire grew steadily stronger, brightening the inside of the Lantern.

Miss Rilril closed the lid and set the Lantern down.

“Would you like to warm up a bit by the fire? Your lips look a little blue.”

Miss Rilril patted the spot next to her.

To be honest, it had gotten quite cold. My hair was still wet, and I hadn’t properly dried my body either.

So having a fire was a real help. I gratefully decided to warm myself up.

I thanked Miss Rilril and sat down next to her.

I held both hands close to the Lantern.

“Wow, it’s warm.”

It was cozy. I felt warmth seeping into the very core of my body.

“By the way, Miss Rilril, how did you light the Lantern just now? You just brought your finger close, right?”

“That was Magic. Fire Magic.”

“That was Magic—”

“Yes. It’s very convenient. Perhaps you should try learning it too, Miss Sayuki. If you continue adventuring in the Dungeon, you’ll definitely need fire eventually.”

Miss Rilril pointed her fingertip upward. Then, something like a match flame appeared with a pon. It was like a magic trick. Magic is amazing.

“There’s also a Skill for starting fires, like for a campfire, even without Magic. Learning that is another option. That Skill is very convenient; by raising its Skill Level, you can keep a fire burning just like a campfire, without even needing firewood.”

A campfire that doesn’t need firewood? That’s incredible. If I learned it, it might be good for camping inside the Dungeon. Or maybe it could serve as a substitute for a torch.

“But learning it requires Skill Points, right?”

“Unfortunately, both Skills and Magic require Skill Points to learn… Oh, wait, that’s not entirely true.”

“Huh?”

“Very rarely, a Magic Book can appear as a Quest Reward.”

“A Magic Book?”

“It’s an item that lets you learn Magic without using Skill Points when used.”

“Wow, that sounds really great.”

“But they’re truly rare.”

“If I ever get the chance, I’ll try that Quest. By the way, about Skills, are there ever ways to learn them without using Skill Points?”

“Yes. For example—”

Oh, a customer arrived. A girl student.

“Welcome!”

Since I was next to Miss Rilril, I ended up saying “Welcome!” too.

She seemed to want to buy a Potion. It was the Potion I sold to Miss Rilril. This was the first time I’d seen someone buy one.

I was so happy. I was truly delighted that my Skill had been useful to someone.

△

Ugh… This is so embarrassing…

While inside the Dungeon, it was tolerable, but walking outside was incredibly embarrassing.

A girl in the bloom of youth going home in a full tracksuit look…

And on top of that, not wearing any underwear…

I couldn’t stop being conscious of the space between the tracksuit and my skin. It was an unbearably itchy feeling, like my Defense Power was too low or it was just too shameful.

Also, I was hyper-aware of men’s gazes.

I was terribly worried about whether anything was showing through or if the zipper was open too far.

I rarely feel this embarrassed in my life.

I looked at my reflection in the train window. I checked my chest area especially.

“It’s fine.”

Nothing risqué was visible. I just looked like a plain high school girl in a tracksuit.

But it was still embarrassing. When I got off the train, I hurried home with quick steps.

As soon as I got home, I ran a bath and got in. I carefully washed my hair and body and soaked in the tub.

“Ahh, finally relaxed…”

Today was really tough in many ways. But it was fun.

It was my first battle near water, and there was an underwater fight too. I was happy I managed to defeat a Crayfish by myself. And most of all, I was really glad I finally got the Empty Bottle I wanted.

“Hehehe. Now I can make three Potions at once. I’ll get more Experience Points, so I’ll Level Up faster, and my income will increase too. It’s all good.”

A smile naturally spread across my face.

Ahh, so warm. I love baths.

“Oh, right. I wonder how other people defeat those Crayfish.”

Wild Crayfish, was it? Maybe I should look it up a bit. I picked up my smartphone from its waterproof case.

Let’s see… I operated my smartphone and opened a Dungeon strategy page.

“Found it, found it. The Wild Crayfish strategy page.”

According to it, Wild Crayfish have the characteristic of changing color when in water. Because of that, you apparently can’t see them unless you observe very carefully.

“So that’s why. I couldn’t find the Crayfish at all.”

It had changed color to match the water, so I couldn’t spot it, and before I knew it, it had gotten behind me.

“For defeating them, it’s recommended to challenge them with multiple people. One person becomes the bait with a solid guard, and when the Crayfish attacks, the remaining members should gang up on it.”

Huh. The person being bait seems pitiful. But it sounds logical and efficient.

“For their appearance, they’re surprisingly weak, so if you have a decent Weapon, you can defeat them even if you haven’t reached the Recommended Conquest Level. However, their Pincers are powerful, so be absolutely careful not to get pinched. Also, their movements in water are unusually fast, so if possible, lure them onto land before fighting. Wishing everyone good luck. Oh yeah, I tried eating that thing, and it was surprisingly delicious. There was a reason the Dungeon God wanted to eat it.”

Huh. They tried eating it.

“If it’s that delicious, maybe I’d like to try it too.”

But how would you cook it? I don’t have a pot or frying pan big enough for such a large Crayfish.

I wonder if there are gourmet sites for Monsters. There probably are. Let me search.

Once I started searching, I found it so interesting I couldn’t stop. I was having so much fun that I ended up staying in the bath for over an hour. My skin got all pruny.