The Unaware Harem Adventure Tale of the Strongest Enchanter ~~I Don’t Know My Companions’ Faces or Identities, but I’m Pretty Sure They’re All Guys~~ - 12. Backflow Ruins (4)

12. 12. Backflow Ruins (4)

I carried Felice on my back and returned to the inn.

I left everything afterward to Klein, the leader of the investigation team.

Just then, reinforcements from the guild had arrived. So we decided to return using the teleportation magic circle we had used earlier.

Even though it’s disposable, it can still be used for a while.

Eventually, those who investigate that place will probably find a proper exit.

I left the magic tool on the pedestal behind.

I was more worried about my companion than treasure.

I did give her first aid on the way back, just in case.

There were potions, and I also used healing-boosting enhancements. So she should be okay.

“It’s become a bit of a problem. I was keeping quite a few secrets, you know.”

“I wonder what’s for dinner tonight. I’m looking forward to it.”

“Don’t change the subject. You saw it, didn’t you? Under my mask and under my armor.”

“Hahaha, what are you talking about? Lux doesn’t know anything~”

“This guy…”

I saw nothing. Yes, I saw nothing at all.

No matter how you look at it, this smells like trouble.

She’s a woman—no, a super beautiful woman—and if she’s gone so far as to disguise herself as a man, then I really don’t want to know why.

Because if I know, I’ll have to get involved.

It’s fine if she stays the mysterious and dependable comrade she’s always been.

That’s best. Come to think of it, there was no need for her to be truly trusted.

We’ve worked well together so far. So we could’ve just continued that way.

Right now, Felice is wearing a cloak. She’s pulling the hood deep over her face to hide her appearance.

“Be honest. You *did* see it, didn’t you? M-my underwear!”

“I don’t know anything about cute pink underwear.”

“Pervert! Lux, you pervert!”

Felice blushed furiously and buried her face in my back.

Yeah, I saw it. I saw it clearly.

Pink underwear.

I never imagined she was hiding *melons* like that under her armor. What a surprise.

“Hey, Lux-san!”

The newbies waved at me from in front of the inn.

Looks like they also just returned. Still all beat up, just like yesterday.

But the difference today is that all three of them looked cheerful.

“Listen, listen! We succeeded in the subjugation!”

“Getting it into the barrier was the hard part, though.”

“It was… tough.”

The swordsman girl puffed out her chest, the mage girl gave a shy smile, and the thief girl showed off with her usual blank expression.

That’s some crazy growth.

Just the other day, they were fumbling around in beginner dungeons.

They really might be the promising newcomers the Guild Master talked about.

The swordsman girl tilted her head. 

“Huh?” 

She noticed Felice on my back.

Felice quickly bowed her head and pulled her hood even lower.

“No way… Felice-san, did you get hurt!?”

“We ran into a strong monster. But don’t worry. Thanks to Lux’s enhancements and treatment, it wasn’t serious.”

“Let’s lay her down right away! Lux-san, quick, to a room!”

The swordsman girl opened the inn door and beckoned us inside.

The mage and thief girls rushed off to find a tub and towels to wipe down her body.

“They’re good girls.”

“Yeah.”

With her mask off, Felice smiled softly like a girl. Her tone was gentle.

◇

When I returned to Avantale, the Guild Master was waiting for me.

“Rescuing the missing person, defeating the Arachne, discovering an unknown magic tool—let me first commend you for your great work.”

“Thanks. But why are you including the discovery of the magic tool? I prioritized Felice and left it behind.”

On the table was the golden cup I saw back then.

The Guild Master was seated across from me. He slid the cup toward me.

“Once you reached that room, you were officially registered as the discoverer—Unknown. Since it was displayed so obviously, it’s hard to believe you didn’t find it. Consider it a token of appreciation from the guild headquarters.”

“I appreciate it, but I assume it’s already been analyzed, right? What kind of magic tool is it?”

“Grade: Gold. It has the power to turn poured water into wine.”

 
(Note: Da hell??? Did Jesus get iseaki’ed too?)

“That’s insane. Sounds like the kind of magic tool the people at guild HQ would drool over.”

“If it produced *good* wine, maybe. But the taste is about on the cheap side. Still a rare item, but… not something the guild cares to secure unless it’s something nobles would want.”

Ah, so it’s not useful for negotiations.

Cheap wine can be bought with money.

Might work as a bragging piece. But it’s hard to imagine using it every day.

If they’re giving it to me, I’ll gladly take it.

As someone who enjoys cheap booze, this is a pretty good item.

“The Arachne is dead. So it should be possible to explore deeper now. We might find even better magic tools from here on out. I’m gonna push through to the deepest part.”

“About that—there’s a report. Exploration of those ruins will now be taken over by the Silver Blade.”

“WHAT!? They’re snatching it from us!? You’ve got to be kidding!”

“I understand how you feel. But the guild HQ has more trust in the Silver Blade. This time, they just happened to be unavailable. So we had you—Unknown—do it. Now that it’s time for a serious expedition, it’s only natural to rely on Silver Blade, who has a solid reputation.”

I swallowed the words that almost escaped my mouth.

Yelling won’t change anything.

No matter how strong I shout I am, if I can’t prove it, I won’t be trusted.

Especially since Unknown is often seen as a bunch of weirdos.

Even appearances alone make it obvious who seems more reliable.

A leather pouch was dropped in front of me with a thud.

Judging by the sound, it’s the reward.

“As an apology, they added a little extra. And this is from me.”

“A coupon? For… Meow Meow Massage?”

“Go refresh both body and mind. Of course, it’s a *normal* massage.”

“A *normal* massage, huh. Normal.”

I quietly stored the coupon with the cute girl illustration into my magic storage.

Man, I’m so tired. My body’s all stiff.

If I don’t go to the massage place soon, I might collapse.

Yeah, the Guild Master gave me that coupon…

I need to loosen up before it affects my next job.

Definitely not going because of any weird reasons. Nope. Totally justified.

“See you again.”

“Mm.”

The Guild Master and I shook hands firmly.

Today, we acknowledged each other as gentlemen.

Geez, if you knew about that place, you should’ve told me sooner.

I had the wrong impression of you.

With a wink, I exited cheerfully.

◇

Back at home, I ran into Felice.

She—yes, she—was apparently preparing dinner. And the basket she carried was filled with vegetables.

“Welcome back. How was the reward?”

“They added a little extra. And the magic tool we missed is now ours.”

“Then that request was a huge success.”

“Pretty much. It’s gold-grade. So even if the effect isn’t great, it’ll sell for a good price.”

Even if we don’t sell it, it’ll help cut down on alcohol expenses.

We might’ve gotten something surprisingly good.

Grannaughts’ booze expenses are no joke.

With this, we can reduce costs.

We won’t always have work. So we should save when we can.

No telling how long we can keep doing this either.

“By the way, Felice, you’ve kinda… become more feminine.”

“Ehh!? Really!?”

“I think I like you better this way.”

“H-hmph… So this is more your type, huh, Lux?”

Playing with her hair tips, Felice looked shy.