I go the living room right after ending the call with Sakuya. I see Enril curled up like a cat, sunbathing near a window, and Iris spread like melted ice. And Seren, watching the water tank where the fishman seed was.
“How is it, Seren?”
‘~~♪’
“Oh, I see. No change?”
I look at the water tank after being prompted by Seren, and see the seed has grown into vegetation like a small mangrove. At the tip of this mangrove there are two white fruits with faint azure lights.
The fishman seed already finished maturing by the time I came back from the dungeon core, and had fruits, but the time from planting to harvest is so long. I hesitated to harvest, and unlike the golden seeds that required me to wear sunglasses, these were never bright. That made me wonder if it was all right.
And so, I asked Seren to look after them, but days have passed with no changes. I feel like I can harvest them.
“I wonder what will come out. Since this is a pain to grow, I won’t be satisfied with just stat increase items.”
‘~~♪’
‘Gogo.’
“…Yes. Let’s just harvest them.”
I put my hand in the water tank, touch around the fruits, and they fall in my hand. I scoop them up, and they expand the moment they leave the water, releasing smoke like in a dungeon and changing into something else.
“This is…”
The two fruits became two skill orbs.
“Water Magic Lv1 and Bubble Magic Lv1? Do they turn into random skills mermen monsters would have?”
‘~~♪’
‘Gogo?’
“Haha, yes. We should check after getting a lot of them.”
As we talk, I feel the presences I love the most approaching. Looks like they’re back from shopping.
“We’re back!”
“We are back!”
“Welcome back.”
After greeting them, I tell them about the skill harvest from the merman seeds.
“That’s amazing. Bubble Magic only came from treasure chests, right? Getting it like this is very useful.”
“But growing them is too difficult. Maybe I overlooked something.”
“They can’t be grown without the high rank skill Ocean Magic, and the skills that come out are lower rank water skills. It’s too imbalanced.”
“Seren raised it to the end, so maybe it will find something if we go to the second floor of the Heart Dungeon.”
‘~~♪’
“Yes. So Maki has Water Magic Lv9, right? Max it out.”
“Yes.”
“And I’ll take Bubble Magic.”
We have tea after this. A few days have passed since the conquest of the Beginner Dungeon, but the training of Kasumi’s party hasn’t really begun. Apparently the idea is to get closer in the Heart Dungeon while training.
I heard they’re staying in a nearby hotel, but apparently it’s the same one where I stayed for a day before moving. It’s close to here, so I’m glad to hear it’s not inconvenient.
They tell me they bought various other things aside from swimsuits, but they’re not telling me what exactly. I’ll look forward to hearing about it, and tell them about the meeting and Sakuya’s warning.
“Foreign S ranks… Yes, that would make sense.”
“They understand the overwhelming difference between you, even if you’re the same rank. I can appreciate that, but… I see…”
“Rivals are coming!”
“I thought we could rest easy for a while with those girls… Ahh.”
Unlike what I expected, they seem more understanding than surprised. Like they saw this coming.
“Sakuya said all that, but did you expect it?”
Everyone nods.
“In your case Shouta, there’s a chance you don’t even know how far an S rank’s polygamy can go, uh?”
“Yes, Shouta always has us do that sort of paperwork.”
“Uu.”
“We aren’t angry. We are happy that you rely on us, and there is a lot we don’t tell you because it’s not related to adventures.”
“…By the way, what is the limit?”
It’s two people for C ranks, three for B ranks, and four for A ranks, right?
“Ten for A+, and unlimited for S ranks.”
“Eh…?”
Unlimited just sounds too thoughtless.
“Master, A+ and S ranks are rare. They are seen as hopes for the future.”
“In a second generation way?”
“Yes. Furthermore, you have the Vitality Boost LvMAX and Stud skills, so you might carry the expectations of a stallion.”
“Uhe. I’ll have to make sure Appraisal camouflage keeps that hidden…”
“Fufu, yes. But even without that, I believe you should keep in mind that master’s worth is seen as generally above a regular S rank. Even if you are popular, a regular woman or one C rank or below would not move in on you.”
“It’s a whole different class.”
“Although some might dare to dream.”
“Like a prince!”
“…I understand. I’ll be more wary of women.”
Could it be that they were talking about that breakwater with Kasumi and the others in the boss area?
They’re B rank, and both popular and strong. But judging by my conversation with Sakuya and their reactions, the breakwater might not be enough…
“Leaving that aside, master.”
“Hn, what?”
“Are you forgetting something?”
“Eh?”
What is it now?
Am I forgetting something…!?
It sounds like it’s about them, but I can’t think of anything. Then there’s the meeting and skills, I think I told them everything except what’s confidential…
“Hint, the Beginner Dungeon.”
“Beginner Dungeon…??”
“Did something happen? Ah… Is it that?”
“Yes, that wasn’t settled.”
“What?”
Aki and Maki seem to have realized something. Ayane and I on the other hand are completely clueless.
“You don’t remember, do you?”
“…Sorry, I don’t.”
“I forgot!”
“The treasure chests. The golden ones from the two Assassin Chameleons, the emerald treasure chest from the powered up one, and the amethyst from the dungeon boss. Four in total.”
““Ah…””
So much happened, that I completely forgot. Yes, I put them on the back burner.
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