I receive the rank up badge in front of the entrance to the association like an award ceremony, and then we’re taken to the same conference room as always.
I sit down, and the girls take their usual positions. Aki and Maki on either side of me, Ayane on my lap, and Aira massaging my shoulders behind me. And Enki and Enril are on the table.
“Ahh… I feel like I could fall asleep here…”
“Are you tired, darling?”
“Master, your shoulders are stiff.”
“It was Shouta’s first expedition. We should have a nice rest when we get back home.”
“What are you talking about? I’m not tired because of the dungeon. It’s mostly because of what happened last night…”
““!””
The girls on my left and right shudder.
“That was an oversight on our part, but was it not you who maxed out the skill?”
“Maxing it out just means I’m not in an even worse state. Actually, my memories just before and after I maxed it out are fuzzy…”
I remember taking Libido Boost Lv1 until level five. But then the next morning I saw it was maxed out. Skills don’t have a will of their own, so they can’t just have themselves be taken.
I can only imagine I lost control of myself and took them…
“Yes. Do you not trust us?”
“I don’t trust what you say, Aira.”
“Oh, how can that be?”
She says, but I can hear laughter in her voice behind me. I can tell she’s grinning even without turning around.
“But even if you are tired, there were no problems. Let us rest starting tomorrow.”
“Yes yes. You promised we would travel again! Let’s stay somewhere for a few days!”
“If you’re going to that dojo again, we could use that ryokan.”
“Agreed! The open air bath there was great. It felt so good~.”
Ayane is ecstatic.
“I guess that was nice.”
“I wanna go to different places, not just there. There’s lots of stuff I can recommend as an employee of the association and exclusive.”
“You’re right, but Shouta wants to train too, so that ryokan would be ideal. And I’m grateful that the ryokan can be a little flexible, or rather…”
“Hnfufu. You’re so hasty, Maki.”
And as everyone thinks about our plans starting tomorrow, the branch manager walks in.
“Oh, you’re traveling again? I’m jealous that you get to go out so much. I haven’t been able to take a big break because there is so much work to be done here.”
“Ah, mom. Good job out there.”
“Hum… Is that my fault?”
“Yes. But don’t worry. This dungeon is thriving more than ever thanks to you. And even though it hasn’t been that long since the videos were made public, we have been getting more skill orbs. This is no doubt a good thing. And judging by the way things are going, I might be able to look at my grandchildren’s faces within a year. Fufu.”
“M-mom!?”
“W-w-what are you saying…”
“Oh? I can see through this much at least. But don’t go overboard with it in a dungeon. Even if you were using a soundproof barrier, we still received reports that you were very active.”
““Eh!?””
There were reports?
“We really do need to buy a house we can carry, rather than a tent.”
“Oh? Was that a problem you were considering?”
“Yes, it was that kind of problem.”
Says Aira full of confidence. Oh well.
It won’t have an effect on my hunting, and if it provides a comfortable dungeon life, I can leave the improvement of our living standards to them.
“I’ll leave it to you then.”
“Very well.”
Well then, as I’m thinking about that, the branch manager is still teasing the now trembling and red-faced sisters, so let’s give them a hand.
“Branch manager, can we leave it at that and go into the report?”
“Oh dear, yes. May I see the rare monster data first?”
Her expression changes in an instant, and we show her the edited footage filmed by Maki and Ayane.
And we also show her their stats.
Commander Goblin, Kaiser Goblin, Goblin Hero Gadaga, High Orc, and Orc King. And also the two powered up ones along with the priest goblin and dark knight goblin.
“…You conquered the whole fourth floor in three days and two nights. You even found and took down a rare III. Your growth and conquests really are unprecedentedly fast.”
“Well, there were few rare monster spawning spots, and it was easy to move around that floor. There wasn’t much trouble. I don’t feel fully confident facing a Lamia head on yet.”
“That’s how dangerous monsters that cause status conditions are. But that’s good. Even after defeating such powerful enemies, you’re aware of your limitations. Be careful when facing dangerous opponents and continue improving.”
“Yes. I don’t want to worry or disappoint them again.”
“Fufu, good boy.”
It seems like the branch manager is happy.
…Ah, that’s right.
“Hum, branch manager.”
“Oh? What is it? You sound so formal.”
“Hum… Should I call you mother-in-law?”
“…Eh!?”
She freezes like she wasn’t expecting to be called that.
Well, I had opportunities to call her that, but I always stuck to branch manager. It makes sense for it to be unexpected.
“Well, I call Sakuya that, so I figured I should do the same to you… But is it bad?”
“I-it’s not, but…”
She starts fidgeting, and the sisters see an opportunity to strike back.
“Mom, we are planning to get married, so it’s not a problem, right?”
“I-it’s not…”
“Hahaha, mom’s blushing.”
“I-I’m not!”
“Ah, she reacts just like Aki.”
“Eh? Me!?”
“Fufu, it’s true.”
“It is quite similar.”
And then the branch manager… My mother-in-law, gives me permission to call her that unless we’re in public.
Still, I remember the branch manager once said she felt like there was a lot of Aki in her. And this reaction… Tells me that wasn’t wrong.
Join my patreon to support me and read ahead.
Thanks for the treat.