Sarah and Lola competed in a receptionist battle.
I wanted my receptionist, Lola, to win, so I went looking for rare items,
and on the seventh floor of the hidden dungeon I visited...
was a rather surprising sight.
This is the seventh floor?
I guess someone decided to recreate a forest on this floor?
Wolves?
Silver Wolf Lv.158
Skills [Sharp Fangs] Skills [Reflexes (Grade C)] Skills [Agility (Grade C)] Skills Leadership
Yeah, no... I'm only at level 63 right now.
I need to turn back for now.
You there.
I have a request.
Wh-What is childhood Emma doing here?
Here's my birthday gift to you.
I picked it because it's the same color as your eyes.
I'm so happy!
I promise I'll get you something nice for your birthday, too!
I-Is this an illusion?
#08 "A Little Girl's Wish"
A trap in the hidden dungeon?
Dryade Lv.55
Skills [Forest Sensitivity]
Dryade?
Having witnessed how powerful you are, I have a request.
Th-This seems kinda out of nowhere...
If nothing is done, I'm going to die.
Huh?
Please! I'm begging you!
I'll do anything!
Peek...
Hi-yah!
S-So what're you trying to do there?
Showing you that I completely surrender.
I-I'll at least hear you out.
Thank you so much!
You see, I'm actually a great tree within this forest.
A great tree?
Oh, right. A dryade is the spirit of a tree or forest.
My Forest Sensitivity skill allows me to spread my roots throughout the forest,
telling me everything that goes on in it.
I observed your powers, as well.
Can you read my memories, too?
No.
Then why do you look like a child?
Just because.
It just seemed like something you would like.
I-I'm not exactly... into little kids.
So what's this request you have for me?
There's something sucking on me.
What?
There's something creepy sucking away at my whole body.
Bad!
You're messing with me, aren't you?!
My real body cannot move.
Some kind of monster is taking advantage of that
to ravish me day and night while sapping my mana.
Ravish?
If you defeat the monster and save me,
I'll tell you where the two treasure chests are, and how to get to the eighth floor.
If I can get more rare treasures, I can help Lola win.
But then again...
I'll need to know more about the monster before I agree to this.
I'm a chicken, so...
Very well, Mr. Chicken.
My name is Noir.
Then... Nory!
I'm a Dryade, so call me Dory!
Okay.
So that's your real body?
The monster is near the trunk.
There are monsters called Bronze Bees on this level, but that one bee is gold.
I'm sure it's some kind of mutation.
It doesn't seem to have any friends nearby.
Golden Bee Lv.256
Skills [High-Speed Flight] [Intense Stinger] Skills [Slash Resistance (Grade C)] Skills [Blunt Force Resistance (Grade C)] [Magic Absorption]
Nory?
Sorry...
That thing will kill me the instant I attack it.
Its level is 256. That's four times mine.
I understand. It was rude of me to ask you that out of the blue.
Thank you for hearing me ouвЂ”
Dory?!
It's sucking up her mana from her real body!
A-Are you okay?
Yes... I feel better now.
I hate to admit it, but I can't defeat that bee right now.
I can't put my life on the line for someone I just met.
Her real body is falling apart.
If it stings her just one more time...
Thank you for hearing me out.
T-To thank you...
I'll show you how to get to the eighth floor.
She must be in so much pain...
She must be so scared...
And yet, she's smiling.
I'm a fool...
N-Nory?
I'm sorry for troubling you.
You don't have to worry about defeating the monвЂ”
No!
I can't leave you alone! Not when you're hurting so much!
Besides, you look so much like her...
Like my dear friend... when she was little.
Nory...
That looks like it hurts. If I lick it, it'll heal faster.
Noir
My LP is... going up?
I-If Master saw me in this situation...
Master?
Wh-What's the matter?
I had a breakthrough. Could you wait a little while?
And here it is!
The student relying on his master in his moment of need!
I've been waiting for this!
Th-That's great, I guess...
So this bee monster... Golden Bee, was it?
Yes. It seems like it's pretty powerful.
Honestly, I'd like you to just ignore this one.
What?
It'd be extremely difficult for you to win this fight right now.
I really don't want you to die.
But I don't have any choice.
This isn't like you. What's going on?
You fall for the loli tree spirit?
N-No!
It's just...
If I don't save her, she's going to die.
Plus, she looks just like a very close friend of mine.
If I just let her die...
I feel like I'd never be able to smile at her again.
Oh, very well. I'll tell you how you can win.
Thank you so much!
But you'd better not die.
I'll go all the way to Hell to punch you if you do.
Y-You don't mean Heaven?
Well, I won't be going to Heaven.
I'm a bad girl, after all!
7th Floor Again
We found the Golden Bee's nest using Dory's Forest Sensitivity skill.
It hasn't noticed us.
Yeah. First, let's go forward with step one of our plan.
I'll Get Creative, create the skill Target,
and use it on the Golden Bee.
Target
Allows hostile enemies to target the skill holder more easily.
And then, the second step...
This is where it gets dangerous.
You go hide somewhere, Dory.
Okay.
Make sure you come back safe.
I-I will.
And the rest is up to me.
Okay, this is just like that time with the dragon...
Th-They're way faster!
So far, so good. Now to make it to the Golden Bee's nest...
N-No! It was just at the nest...
The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter!
Lightning Strike!
It's fast!
I-It's no use. They keep coming straight for me.
I-I know! The Target skill I Bestowed earlier!
Target
Allows hostile enemies to target the skill holder more easily.
I can use Editor!
Allows hostile enemies to target the skill holder more easily, especially by Silver Wolves, who will consider it their natural enemy.
So how do the monsters in the forest on the seventh floor get along?
From what I saw, the Silver Wolves really seemed to look out for each other.
That might work to your advantage.
I call it the... "Yesterday's Enemy Is Today's Pawn" strategy!
Whatcha think?
Dory!
Nory...
You'll be fine now. All that's left is...
Water Drop
Creates a drop of fresh water. Droplets may be fired.
I'll use Editor on Water Drop.
Creates a drop of fresh or sea water. Droplets may be fired.
Sea water conducts electricity better. Now...
I can go for it!
Lightning strengthening skill! Water Drop x Lightning Strike!
It's over now, Dory.
I'm sorry... I couldn't help at all.
No, that's not true.
You managed to give me more LP.
Huh?
A-Anyway, the reason we were able to take down such a powerful enemy
is because we worked together.
Right!
Right in there is where you'll find what I wanted to give you as thanks.
Oh, I see them. But it's a pretty tight squeeze...
Then I'll go get them for you.
These were the two items inside the treasure chests.
I wonder what they are.
These are...
Get Creative and Create the skill Discerning Eye for Items.
Wind Selection
Grade A
This'd be great for Emma, since she has the wind attribute!
And this...
Fruitful Drop
Grade AAA
Yes! This is amazing!
This was definitely worth all the trouble!
Thanks, Dory!
I'm so happy.
Wow, this place was really hard to find. I never would've found it on my own.
Thanks.
Dory?
Nory, are you leaving already?
We'll see each other again soon.
Next time, I'll bring something yummy from my world.
Really?
Yeah. Let's keep doing our best together!
Right.
I then gave the rare item to Lola...
And the day of her battle against Sarah finally arrived.
I will now announce the receptionist ranking for the Adventurer Guild Odin.
We've been waiting for this!
We've already converted each receptionist's scores into chips,
which have been given to their respective adventurers.
Each adventurer will reveal one chip at a time,
and the last one remaining will be the victor.
Hurry it up!
All right. Let the count... begin!
The chips were placed one by one,
and the other adventurers around me tapped out one after another.
And then...
Only two remain. It all comes down to Sarah and Lola.
I knew it'd be these two!
You've both got this!
Has Lola run out of points?
So Sarah wins?
The winner is Lola! Lola is the queen of the receptionists!
No way... R-Really?
She cheated! She totally cheated!
That's the only way she could've won!
Do you have any proof?
P-Proof?
No?
W-Well...
I guess not. Unbelievable.
You can't say I cheated if you don't have any proof.
Anyway, I won, so don't ever steal anyone else's adventurers again.
Especially not Noir.
I can't believe this broke my streak...
D-Don't be so sad!
Coming in second is great, too!
Oh, you're the only one who understands me, Noir!
Th-This is...
how to get to Sarah's house?
Why, you little...
Yikes! A demon receptionist!
Who're you callin' a demon?!
Eek! How frightening!
Ugh! That's enough!
Well, anyway, everything's peaceful again at Odin.
Save me, Noir!
Alice Theater.
Say, Alice...
The thing is, I want you to... step on me.
Step on you?
There are some people who are into that kind of thing...
And my LP did shoot up with Ms. Elna sitting on me, too...
Excuse me, then.
I-Insult me, too.
B-But...
You can do it! I believe in you, Alice!
Aren't you embarrassed, making your little sister do this?
This is our little secret.
You can't tell anyone, understand?
Next time, "To the Gala."
#09 "To the Gala"
Illustration: Kiseri Matsumiya