Volume 2 - CH 7

"Wh-what happened……? Did something happened!?"

When Mars returned to the inn, Lilia and Hazuki hugged him at the door of his room.

It seems that they are both crying, and Mars can't quite understand the situation.

――I'm happy, but why are you crying? Did something happen?

However, there seems to be no injury or anything .......

After parting ways with Noah, Mars came back with a pile of sweets and other goodies to celebrate Lilia's recovery.

Lilia makes fun of humans, who are on average weaker than elves, but she seems to be interested in the elaborate diet and culture of humans.

In particular, she was very interested in sweets. So he buys them whenever he sees them.

Mars loved to see the relaxed look on her face when she ate them.

"Mars, Mars……I love you, I really love you. ...... I want to be with you forever and ever. ......!」

"Mars-san! I'm sorry, I told her about that...……"

With an apologetic Hazuki, He finally swallowed the situation.

――Ahh, so Lilia has found out what I'm up to. ......

Mars put the things he had bought on the floor and patted the heads of Lilia and Hazuki, who hugged him.

"I won't leave you alone again. We'll all live together."

"Yes……!"

Hugging her as hard as he could, Lilia started crying again.

Hazuki was apologetic, but Mars not angry, because from Mars' point of view, it was just a matter of time.

Lilia's emotions were exploding.

Her whole life had been spent as a slave, moving from one slave trader to another, and she had never had a moment to relax. Most of her life had been filled with pain, suffering, and loneliness.

There was no place for her anywhere in the world.

The different races, including the elves, had been defeated by the humans, and the land they lived on, their dignity, and everything else had been taken from them.

Even if she wanted to be killed, Lilia was kept alive so that she could be made an example of as a fool who stood up to the humans.

After she was bought by Mars, every day began to be filled with a glow that she had never experienced before.

It was natural for her to like him, and now she knew that he was sincerely interested in her.

The fact that it was coming from a third party, Hazuki, made it even better for Lilia.

Holding them both in his arms, Mars moved to the bed.

Of course, he would use the "Body Strengthening". If not, the weight of the two of them would be too much for, even for Mars.

"Oh, you cooked an awful lot of food.――But a lot of them are grilled?"

"I-I'm sorry……Sorry for all the salt and pepper flavors.……"

"You like it, don't you, Hazuki-chan? It's more of a man's dish, though, you know, just grill the meat and add salt and pepper."

"I like it a lot: ......"

The food laid out on the table, visible from the bed, was all grilled food. It was Hazuki's favorite dish.

Mars continued to pat them both on the head until they calmed down a bit.

Eventually, Hazuki broke away and Lilia was the only one holding on to him.

Lilia did not let go of Mars.

"My brother just told me about the Seven Great Dungeons. It seems that no one has ever returned to the dungeon. If I go there, I might be able to find the [Forbidden Magic Book] that can manipulate lifespan. So I'm thinking of going there next. I hadn't decided on my next destination, and I can't just laze around forever."

When Mars says it, Hazuki rolls her eyes.

Of the three of them, Hazuki knows the most about the Seven Great Dungeons.

"*sob* ......, that pervert ...... that pervert home is a place called the Neustein Valley ......."

"Hmm, what's up, Lilia?"

Lilia nuzzled her face into Mars' chest and suddenly said something that Mars couldn't understand because there was no connection between what she said and what she meant.

Mars couldn't find any connection between Hazuki's hometown and the seven dungeons.

"Mars-sama. There is a dungeon in my hometown, Neustein Valley. It's not that I was hiding it, I just didn't have the time to tell you. ......"

"――Could it be that those are the Seven Great Dungeons?"

*nod nod*, Hazuki nodded.

"Th-that's right. The dungeon that no one has ever returned from, the Great Gustav Tomb ......, neither father nor mother came back from there. That's why I didn't want Mars-sama to go in there. ......"

"――You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but why did Hazuki-chan parents go down to the dungeon?"

Mars thinks that if he is the Grave Keeper, he should not have to enter.

He doesn't know about the curse that Gustave has placed on the family, so he wishes he had guarded the entrance.

Then Hazuki begins to speak.

She tells him about her origin, which she has been hiding until now, and the reason why she left her village to travel with Xerius.

"――So, our clan has been challenging the dungeon many times to break the curse. I heard that my father was originally an adventurer and was in the party that went through the dungeon. But he never came back.……"

"――I'm sorry for your loss. So, if I go down to the dungeon and destroy the corpse of this Gustave guy, the curse will be lifted? I'm not sure how that works."

――Only women, the gravekeepers are a family like the Amazones. ...... Hazuki-chan looks too much like that, though. The only thing I understand is the sex drive.

Could it be ......  If we go to the village, we'll have to talk about making babies with all of them. ......?

I can't have that in front of Lilia. ...... It's not like I can have anyone.

"It's not a curse, it's more like a magic that is active all the time. You know, the magic in magical armor and things lasts forever, right? I think Gustave's body itself has become that."

"That might make sense. If you break it, it stops. By the way, is it far?"

"Yes, you're right. ...... Even if you use a carriage for the whole trip, it might take about two months. I walked, so it took me about a year to get here"

"It's too far! But, if I can avenge Hazuki-chan parents and lift the family curse, that would be the best. I might even be able to get my hands on some [Forbidden Magic Books]."

If we think about it calmly and rationally, we have a better chance of achieving our goal than going to a dungeon where we don't know anything.

Mars thinks that if there are people living in her hometown, he might be able to get their help.

――If there's a problem, it's whether I can conquer it.

Mars is not conceited.

He knows that his power is unique, but it is not a universal power that can be used for everything.

――We need a little more, a little more strength.

"In the meantime, let's eat what you two have cooked before it gets cold."

"Yes! I've been working very hard!"

"*sob!*……I think the pervert is just put it on fire.……"

Lilia complained about Hazuki's cooking as she squirmed.