Chapter 38

"Sōji-kun, absolutely don't peek. If you peek, I'll burn you♪"

"I won't peek."

"I don't really mind, though."

"That's not allowed. Only the husband should see a woman's skin."

"You're already seen in your underwear."

"Absolutely no nudity!"

Kūna and Anne are taking off their clothes inside the tent and wiping their bodies with cloths soaked in water. Each of them uses a full basin of water, so if they wanted to, they could wash their hair as well.

This is a luxury we can afford because we have plenty of water.

For a regular party, they might only wipe their bodies with a cloth squeezed as dry as possible once every three days. It seems particularly difficult for women, and the deeper the level, the fewer female explorers there are. Even among the top-tier explorers, many women have short hair to save water for hygiene.

I'm on lookout outside.

They seem to be resistant to being seen naked, and Kūna kicked me out. I have the urge to peek, but I'll try to be patient. I plan to enjoy it thoroughly when we become that kind of relationship.

I don't mind being seen by anyone since I'm a man. I wipe my body with a cloth and a pair of pants, and then splash water over my head, scrubbing it vigorously before drying it with a towel. As I do this, I can hear voices from inside the tent, drawing my attention.

"Anne, your skin is so beautiful. You're so slim and it's unfair."

"Really? I think Kūna's skin is even better. Besides, I envy your chest."

"Anne, what are you touching! Retaliation... Ah, sorry. I can't grab it."

"...Hey, Kūna, are you deliberately making fun of my chest?"

"Anne, it hurts, it hurts. Don't rub so hard. I'm still growing, so it hurts."

"...Do you really expect it to grow more? I feel like cursing the gods."

Tempting voices come from inside the tent.

They're trying to keep their voices down, but with my enhanced hearing, I can hear them. It's a challenge to my self-control.

Kūna's womanly body and Anne's slender, model-like figure are both attractive.

While eroding my self-control, they spend about thirty minutes wiping their bodies.

◇

"Sōji-kun, we're done. You can come in now."

Kūna pokes her head out of the tent door. Her cheeks are slightly red, and she looks more alluring than usual. Her hair is still a bit damp.

She's changed into comfortable loungewear. While it might seem like it just adds to the luggage, wearing exploration gear that prioritizes durability and defense for 24 hours can be exhausting. Having a change of clothes also allows you to wash and dry them overnight.

The recovery of magic and blessings depends on your physical condition. Proper stress relief is one of the essential skills for top-tier explorers.

"Okay, I understand."

"Sōji-kun, you look unusually refreshed?"

"Huh? No, I'm just the same as always."

It couldn't be helped. I had to act gentlemanly in front of them, even though it was embarrassing. ...There were other explorers around, but that's just how it is. There's no time to worry about such things. The other explorers around here are also doing this around the campfire.

In the underground labyrinth, this is a useful way to relieve stress without costing much. Of course, any romantic activities are done inside the tent, so there are no couples enjoying themselves outside.

At this age, the body is difficult to handle. It's almost like walking sex drive, with all sorts of urges rising up.

No matter how much you train your mind, it's hard to avoid being driven by your body.

"...Sniff, sniff, there's a strange smell. This smell is the same as when I went to my brother's room in the past."

Kūna sniffs. As a fire fox, Kūna has a better sense of smell than humans.

Cold sweat runs down my back.

"Really? Your brother..."

"Yes, when I'm not around, he sneaks girls into his room. Afterward, this smell is usually there. When I mention it, he tries to kick me out of the room desperately."

...Kūna's brother must be quite popular. Well, if he's Kūna's brother, he's probably very handsome. It's understandable that he's popular.

"Well, it's fine. Let's focus on leveling up. Are you both mentally prepared? I'm especially worried about Kūna, who was exhausted by the magic stone last time."

"I won't lose to the pleasure of the magic stone!"

Kūna, who was reduced to a puddle by the magic stone's pleasure for the first time, declares her determination. Her usually drooping tail is now pointing straight up, fueled by her resolve.

"Kūna, I can only imagine you becoming a puddle in a few minutes."

"Anne, that's mean! I've overcome it! I'll endure it with a cool face. I can handle anything!"

"Then I'm looking forward to it. We have plenty of magic stones today."

"Bring it on!"

Kūna pats her chest proudly. I etched that expression into my mind.

Yes, to tease her later.

◇

"I can't take it anymore. I couldn't resist the magic stone after all."

"You say that, but you still want more, don't you? You greedy thing."

"Y-Yes, I still want more. Give me more, Kūna wants more magic stone!"

"Good girl."

"Ah, it feels so good."

In the end, Kūna, overwhelmed by the pleasure of the magic stone, is sprawled out in the tent. She still looks erotic.

Her face is flushed, her breathing is heavy, and she looks somewhat happy.

With a dazed look, she thumps her tail on the floor, pat-pat.

"You've become quite strong."

On the other hand, Anne is relatively calm, with only a slight blush. I feel a bit disappointed.

"Yeah, we're at the mid-rank 1, close to the upper rank."

We used all the magic stones we obtained from defeating monsters and the ones we received as payment for the steaks to level up both of them.

Thanks to this, they have rapidly grown to mid-rank 1, close to the upper rank.

"With this, we might be able to reach rank 2 quickly."

"It's not that easy. The amount of [Rank] needed to go from mid-rank 1 to upper rank 1 is huge, and the hurdle to go from upper rank 1 to rank 2 is even higher."

Indeed, the difficulty of leveling up increases exponentially.

Even if we use all the magic stones we earned today, I won't reach the upper rank.

There's a secret to their rapid growth. In addition to the effect of removing miasma, which doubles the effectiveness, the higher the rank of the magic stone, the higher the rate of rank increase.

For a regular party, high-rank magic stones, which are too miasma-heavy to endure, are not commonly known.

That's why they've grown so quickly.

"But, was it good that we used all of them?"

"It's fine. I have this."

As Anne said, we used all the magic stones except for the monster pig's.

In exchange, I kept the special one for myself. I take out the monster pig's magic stone from my pouch. This is an abnormal individual that appeared using the miasma of dozens of pigs on this floor.

It's a rank 1 top-tier magic stone. Using this one is more effective than using all the other magic stones.

"Why don't you use it?"

"I don't have enough magic to [Purify] it. I used a lot of magic to [Purify] the magic stones for Kūna and the others, and purifying a higher-rank magic stone requires several times the power. To [Purify] this, I need to be in top condition and have full magic. Even then, my magic will be completely drained, and it won't recover in a day or two."

Moreover, completely draining my magic is quite risky.

I don't intend to [Purify] this magic stone during this exploration. I'll do it when we return to the dorm.

"That's a shame. I thought I'd see a stronger Sōji."

"That's for another time. ...By the way, you have something you want to ask me, right?"

Hearing my words, Anne's eyes widen.

"You figured it out."

"Well, yeah."

We've been together for a while, and I'm confident in my observational skills.

"[Moon Slash]. I'm concerned about the difference in power with Sōji. I watched you use it to dissect the monster pig today. The magic power we used wasn't much different, and the concept enhancement of the slash was well done. The only difference is pure sword skill. I can't accept this difference."

Anne clenches her fists so hard they turn white.

I understand her feelings. She's a pure swordsman.

"Got it. Let's practice. You'll learn faster by doing it than by just talking. Do you have the energy to practice now?"

"Of course. I'll do my best, Sōji. ...No, Master."

Anne has asked me to call me Master only when teaching her sword skills. It would be uncomfortable to be called Master all the time.

"Let's do our best, then."

We step outside the tent.

Here, I have to point out her biggest flaw. It will negate her past efforts.

But if Anne wants to become even stronger, this is an issue that can't be avoided.

"Is it okay to leave Kūna in that state alone?"

Anne's concern is valid. Not many men can maintain their composure when they see Kūna, who is reduced to a puddle and exuding allure.

"Don't worry. If anyone other than us enters the tent, a trap will activate. It's my special magic."

The intruder will regret it, and I'll immediately notice the intrusion.

"When did you prepare something like that?"

"Secret. Let's focus on the sword for now."

With Anne tilting her head, I start walking.