Chapter 55
Though many people have gathered here, most of them follow the rules.
But as the word most implies, there are bound to be some self-willed people.
The vanguard party must operate on the dungeon's front line to ensure every party's safe return.
But those guys had been blinded by profit.
“Those insolent bastards! Boss! Why didn't you just smash their heads in?”
“We should go catch them right now! Let's hang them from a tree!”
“You're leading us, Boss, and they have the nerve to...? That's practically challenging the Red Wolf.”
I hid behind Claude and watched the male Wolpis shout.
“There's no need to go that far. A monster might run amok, so we came to warn you.”
“As expected of a mage, you think things through.”
“You should tell the neighboring parties about this too.”
They insisted we leave it to them, as though they had been entrusted with an important mission.
“Hahaha! No matter what happens, don't worry, Boss!”
“We'll take responsibility for sister-in-law's safety!”
Who did they think they were, taking responsibility for my safety...?
Deep down, I wished Claude would say something like that to me.
But, Aris?
As a slave, let's not forget that I'm the one who should be risking my life to protect my master.
“You don't need to worry. I'll protect Aris.”
When he said things like that, I didn't know where to put myself....
“But—sniff, sniff—sister-in-law, are you all right?”
“What is it now?”
“Even though there's such a strong scent of heat...she looks perfectly lucid. That's strange.”
Honestly, males always talked about things like that whenever they got the chance...!
I quickly hid behind Claude.
Then Claude lowered his voice and said,
“Are you saying you want to challenge me?”
“N-no! We're worried! An ordinary female doesn't give off this scent normally!”
They lowered their tails to show that they had no intention of challenging him.
Claude remained wary as he listened seriously to what they had to say.
“They say Ains, unlike beastfolk, are always in heat, right? Is sister-in-law...like that?”
“Whoa, a female in constant heat? Lucky her!”
“What's there to be jealous of? Something seems wrong with her body.”
“So what? If you just fuck her often, it'll solve the problem.”
Their conversation sounded like nothing but vulgar sexual banter.
Well...it really was vulgar sexual banter.
However, that was simply how male Wolpis seriously expressed their concern.
If an ordinary female Wolpi had heard them, she would have thought, ‘How sweet those males are~.’
Claude seemed to understand the gist of it too....
But perhaps he didn't want to hear any more, because he took my hand and led me away.
“Good grief...aren't they the ones in heat? Aris, are you all right?”
“Yes, I'm fine.”
“Even though I'm using scent-blocking magic... How keen are their noses?”
He pulled me into his arms, pressed his nose to my head, and sniffed me.
The sound of his sniffing made me feel good.
“Hmm, I can't smell anything....”
“If it is ineffective, you may dispel the magic, Master.”
“Yeah. It can't be helped. Then let's go to the next party.”
We made the rounds, informing everyone of what had happened.
Each party began preparing for battle in case anything happened.
And it happened before long.
Shwaaak-!
An ominous surge of mana emanated from the entrance leading to the boss room.
It was merely the strongest monster guarding the waiting room....
Yet the mana it emitted was as powerful as that of a boss in an ordinary dungeon.
We joined Livnil's group as well.
“It looks like someone disturbed the central guardian.”
“Mr. Claude, what should we do?”
“Since things have come to this, it would be best to clear out the waiting room.”
The parties chose to maintain their formations at regular intervals as they advanced toward the center.
Since everyone was a veteran of battle, there should have been no need to worry.
But something strange happened.
Flash-! A pillar of red mana shot up, cleaving through the central forest.
Then—Kwaaang! A deafening boom rang out, followed by screams.
“Whoa, what's happening?”
“It seems it really is a Goblin King.”
A Goblin King was a monster that often appeared as the boss of a dungeon.
It could sometimes be larger than an ogre, and its magical prowess was at least Silver rank.
I had heard that some were powerful enough to rival even Gold rank.
Ruuumble…!
Along with the sound of thunder, lightning flashed and explosions rang out.
“It looks like the other parties have joined the battle too.”
“The advance party has no reason to take this much risk!”
The main role of an advance party was to assess the dungeon's scale.
What monsters appeared, and what gimmick-based traps it contained.
They had not entered with the goal of clearing it.
Of course, if they were confident, they could clear it first.
But since this was a new dungeon, nothing was known about what might appear, so it was not recommended.
In such a situation, everyone would establish a safe area.
Once the dungeon officially opened to adventurers, they would use this place as their base camp.
The Goblin King's presence in the center was clearly too dangerous for an advance party to handle.
But one party had gone and stirred up the hornet's nest out of greed.
“Everyone looked like they just wanted to finish mapping the dungeon and go home!”
“It can't be helped. Aris, watch over Chris.”
“What? Master, you....”
“I have to go after the Goblin King. Aris, stay behind.”
For some reason, he intended to keep me in the rear.
If Claude was going, shouldn't I go too?
“No, Master. I will fight alongside you.”
“The red mana makes things difficult for you. I'm doing this for your sake.”
For my sake... He was telling me to sit out the battle.
“N-no, I don't want to, Master! I-I can fight too!”
“Aris?”
“Please take me with you, Master...Master...!”
Thump, thump. My heart began pounding.
It wasn't pounding with excitement or happiness, but with intense anxiety.
I hated the idea of being kept out of the battle ‘for my sake.’
“Aris? What's wrong all of a sudden?”
“I-I am a combat slave, Master....”
“Why are you saying that?”
It had been the same in the mercenary corps.
The leader who had tried to keep me out of battle, saying, ‘It's for Aris's sake.’
Not participating in battle meant I couldn't establish my position in the mercenary corps.
It was no different for a combat slave.
Claude had once said this to me.
‘Work? I don't plan to have Aris do anything other than fight.’
That was a vital role for a combat slave.
If I didn't fight, what was I?
My value to Claude...would disappear.
What would happen to me if I lost my value as a slave?
I would be sold again...or abandoned....
There was also the option of becoming a sex slave, but would a rough female like me be worth that much?
Claude was human.
If he were choosing a sex slave, wouldn't he much prefer one who was docile and weak?
All I did was defy my master and growl at him whenever I went into heat....
If he didn't recognize my value through combat, I had no place beside him.
“Please don't abandon me!”
“W-what? Abandon you? What are you talking about?”
He pulled my anxious self into his arms.
That didn't make anything better, though.
“I am a combat slave. If I don't fight, I have no value.”
“Aris...I think you're misunderstanding something.”
“Misunderstanding? Aris's value lies in combat.”
I looked him firmly in the eyes and said,
“All right. The situation is urgent. Aris, don't overdo it, okay?”
“Y-yes! Thank you, Master!”
I felt better.
As I cut down the goblins pouring in from the front...let's prove my value!
“Master! Over here!”
At last, we encountered the elite unit of goblins that had been hiding.
I also spotted a huge horde of goblins, with three people struggling to fight among them.
“Are those the people?”
“Oh no... Yes, they are.”
The ones who had boldly set out to clear the waiting room were now in trouble.
They had been defeated. Now they were no more than toys for the goblins.
The Goblin King was sitting on a huge rock, watching them.
They spotted us too.
“P-please save us!”
“Ugh...people! H-here! Help us over here...! Aaaah!”
The mage who had been waving toward us was stabbed in the leg by a goblin's spear.
The goblin didn't finish him off. It pulled out its spear and backed away.
“I don't see the cleric....”
“Master...over there!”
Two men were being surrounded and attacked by the goblins.
The female cleric was near the Goblin King...being raped.
“We have to save her!”
Chris cried out.
It didn't look easy, but I could do it.
I could prove it to Claude!
“Grrrrrrrr…!”
“Aris.”
“Grrrrrrrr….”
“Aris!”
His call broke my concentration.
I looked up at Claude while lying prone.
“Don't get worked up. Follow my instructions.”
“Y-yes!”
Claude spoke to me in a gentle but firm voice.
“I'll knock away everything that comes flying at you, so don't be afraid. Break through the front.”
“Yes, Master!”
Following Claude's instructions, I ran to save the two men.
Livnil's group went to rescue the cleric.
“Kaaang!”
Countless goblins came running, but I wasn't afraid of them at all.
Claude's magic protected me. Nothing could be more reassuring for a combat slave.
My value to him....
“Ah, Aris!”
Kaaang-!
Three hobgoblins swung their hammers.
Claude came running and blocked one of them.
“Hahaha! Aris? What are you doing, leaving your back to a mage?”
“S-sorry!”
Once again, I wondered just how strong Claude really was.
He had casually blocked a hammer that even I would have struggled to stop.
Then he casually smashed a hobgoblin's head.
“No. You're doing well. Aris! Run!”
“Yes!”
Trusting Claude, I mowed down all the goblins surrounding the two men.
The two men collapsed when their legs gave out.
“Don't just stand there! Run!”
Startled by my shout, they hurriedly began moving.
Countless goblins were swept away by Claude's magic.
“Kwoooooor!”
The Goblin King climbed down from the rock.