Chapter 69

"…Did we win?"

"Yeah…! It's our victory!"

"Yay!"

"Haha, we finally won!"

The four of them, with tears welling up in their eyes, expressed their individual emotions.

It's really great… Everyone's efforts have paid off.

I move away from the four to retrieve the Schwarzhase. As an outsider, it's better for me not to be around them. This is their time.

Still, the [Sword and Magic Fusion] has a lot of room for improvement. There's too much lag in the shape transformation. The form isn't stable. It lacks endurance. There are countless other issues to point out. Well, there's no choice but to keep trying and making adjustments.

After storing the Schwarzhase, I crouch down and check the magic stones and drops. Naturally, there are fewer compared to the entire corpse, but there are the severed tail and legs, so the amount is pretty good, right? There should be enough to make a few weapons and pieces of armor.

"What are you doing alone? Orun, join us too!"

Suddenly, Will wraps his arm around my neck from behind, speaking in a cheerful voice.

"…I can't. I don't have the same years of feelings as the four of you. It would be out of place for me to join."

Honestly, I want to join. I want to celebrate with everyone.

But as a newcomer, someone who didn't experience the previous defeat, I don't have the right.

I'm afraid of being rejected. I don't know why, but my heart and emotions are afraid of it. If I get rejected now, I'll definitely be hurt. So, it's better not to get too close in the first place.

"You're out of place? You're one of my important friends. Time doesn't matter. Even without years of feelings, you fought with us. That's reason enough. Let's keep working hard together!"

"That's right. I kind of knew you weren't getting too close to us. But since it's a good opportunity, let me say this: You don't need to be afraid. No matter who you are, I can accept you."

"Orun is smart, you know. You probably think about a lot more things than I do, but in situations like this, it's better to think simply! What do you want to do?"

"I—We like Orun Doura as a person. At first, it was because you were a former hero party member or a dragon slayer, but after spending a month with you, I truly want to continue the party with you, regardless of those reasons. No matter what anyone says, Orun is one of our important friends!"

The words of the four sink into my heart.

My head goes blank, but my heart feels warm and filled with something strange.

"Huh…?"

I realize I'm crying.

"…It seems the real Orun has finally shown his face. If we're going to say it, now is the time, right?"

"Yeah," "Right," "Yeah, yeah,"

The three nod in agreement with Selma's words. My head isn't working well, and I don't understand what they're talking about.

"Orun, once again—"

"Welcome to the Silver Hare of the Night Sky!!!" they all say with full smiles.

Maybe I've finally found my place.

I wipe away my tears, stand up, and look at everyone.

"I might be a burden from now on. Don't say I didn't warn you if you regret letting me join."

"Heh, I won't regret it."

"Being a perfect younger brother is nice, but it can also be lonely. Feel free to lean on your big sister!"

"The amount of trouble we cause is no less than yours, Orun and Will! We're free spirits!"

"No way. —But I refuse to be treated as your equal! I'm better than you!"

"Ah, we're the same!"

Will and Lecre start their usual banter.

What Dad said was true.

(Dad, I've made friends—companions.)

◇

"Finally here!"

Lecre exclaims happily. We've stepped into the 93rd floor.

The 93rd floor is a forest of trees. The trees are so dense that they cover the sky, and in some places, light doesn't even reach. There are also more diverse and varied monsters than in the deeper floors.

"There are more plants than I expected. This makes me worry about unexpected attacks from the monsters."

"Yeah. Well, let's think about it as we go."

"Ah, let's call it a day as planned."

Our goal today was to reach the 93rd floor. The black dragon battle went as expected, so we have some energy left to explore a bit, but it's not a good idea to push ourselves.

The four of us swipe our guild cards on the 93rd floor's crystal and leave the Great Labyrinth.

"Hehe, it says '93' on the guild card! We really went to the 93rd floor!"

Lecre is in high spirits. The other three look relieved, as if a weight has been lifted from their shoulders.

When we return to the guild headquarters, there are a few members near the gate. It's unusual for anyone to be here, as we don't have a gatekeeper.

"Ah, welcome back, everyone!"

"Yeah, we're back. What are you doing here?"

When Selma asks the member, they respond with a wry smile, "I couldn't focus on my work…"

Well, they were curious about the results.

"So, how did it go!?"

One of the members asks nervously.

"Hehe, we went to the 93rd floor."

Rain smiles and announces it.

The members' faces brighten, and they cheer as they head into their respective buildings. …Maybe they were messengers from different departments?

"Everyone, let's move to the main building early. From their reactions, it looks like there will be a commotion. It might be a nuisance to the neighbors if we stay near the gate, so it's better to move further into the grounds."

"Yeah. It was pretty noisy in the morning too. We should avoid making more noise here."

Everyone agrees with my suggestion, and we start moving to the main building.

By the time we reach the main building, as expected, we are surrounded by many members.

"Congratulations, really!"

"I believed you could do it!"

Everyone throws their heartfelt words at us.

I don't particularly like noisy situations, but I don't mind this at all.

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