Chapter 327 - 327. [Special Episode] Muu Tribe's Oath 4 (Today is)
This is the final episode of the special. The main story will resume from next time.
Fam, Mami, and Samueim continued advancing through the dungeon corridors, coming across monsters several times.
The main roles in battle were Fam and Mami, with Samueim watching over them from behind. The corridors were infested with mountain leech-type monsters, none of which were opponents for the three of them.
As they advanced like that, how much time passed? Before they knew it, they stood before a giant door. If it was the same structure as the dungeons so far, beyond the door should be the area guard's room.
"......It was longer than I thought."
"But with this level of enemy strength, the area guard probably isn't that strong either."
Mami's foot came to a halt as she was about to nod at Fam's words.
Simultaneously, she gripped her wand tightly. Fam and Samueim also tightened their lips and stiffened their bodies.
"A monster."
It appeared like a black shadow. It swelled up like a slime, undulating up and down as if repeating ragged breaths, stationed in front of the door. It was terribly distorted, but it seemed to form the outline of a person.
Whether the three's gasps reached it, the shadow picked up a rapier that had been discarded there, thrust it into the floor like a staff, and slowly raised its body.
"It seems different from the types we've seen so far. This is the first time a monster is lying in wait in front of a door."
Fam put her hand on the hilt of her katana and was about to step forward, at that moment.
"W, wait. That is..."
Samueim grabbed Fam's arm. At the same time, Mami lowered the tip of her staff.
That person wiped his face. The mud covering was removed, and a familiar face appeared.
"......Julius-dono."
The man, swollen and fat, was the Prince of Heilong. He also recognized Mami and the others and faintly smiled from the corner of his mouth.
"Mami-dono, you also were swallowed by this dungeon?"
His words were tinged with relief. Fatigue that couldn't be hidden seeped from his whole body. As if unable to bear the full weight leaning on the rapier, his hand and the sword trembled clatteringly.
"......Your body?"
"I was attacked by monsters and ran to escape. A giant mountain leech-like creature bathed me in its bodily fluids."
Saying so, he brushed off the mud-like substance clinging to his body.
"......Are you injured?"
"It's no problem. But my knees can't take it anymore..."
With ragged breaths, the rapier serving as a staff bent greatly. It seemed about to break and was worrisome. However, Mami didn't feel like offering him her shoulder. She just deeply sympathized with the sword.
"Did you not enter the area guard's room in the rear?"
"I can't even overcome the monsters on this floor. There's no way I can defeat them. It was fortunate to meet Mami-dono."
Hearing that, the three exchanged glances. To escape the dungeon, they had to defeat the area guard. Knowing his own limits and waiting for help in front of the door was Julius's minimal duty.
"......Even so. We almost attacked. It's a good thing you realized it was a human."
"Love's power."
"I don't have any love!"
As Samueim and Fam started arguing, Julius cleared his throat.
"I hate to interrupt your play, but we don't have time."
"Something wrong?"
In response to Fam's question, Julius indicated the back of the corridor with his chin. The direction opposite to the passage the three had walked through.
"Didn't I say I fled from monsters?"
Before his words even finished, they saw countless mountain leeches floating through the air from the back of the corridor heading toward them. The three involuntarily stared at Julius.
"I'm sorry." Julius bowed his head slightly.
After annihilating all the monsters, Fam and Mami were breathing heavily from their shoulders.
Julius collapsed heavily onto the floor. This corridor seemed like the inside of a giant's organ. For Mami, even touching the wall was unpleasant.
"I'm sorry for the trouble..." Seeing Mami's brows furrow, Julius muttered again as before the fight.
"Julius-sama, have this." Fam took a small bottle of health recovery potion from her bag and offered it.
"I don't know if it works on knees, but please drink it. We'll be entering the area guard's room now."
Julius looked at the small bottle, then looked at the three one by one.
"Do you still have more?"
Fam shook her head.
"Then keep it for yourselves." He waved his hand as if shooing her away, and Fam puffed out her cheeks slightly.
"I'll be troubled if you're a hindrance, so please drink!"
Pressed with the small bottle against his chest, Julius reluctantly accepted it.
As Fam and Mami's breathing calmed, the aftereffects of the battle with the monsters also faded. The three waited aimlessly for Julius to finish drinking the recovery potion.
"I keep bowing my head, but for this curse and the dungeon, I couldn't have managed without Mami-dono. Let me express my thanks."
".......The curse hasn't been lifted yet, it seems."
At Mami's words, Julius sent a glance to Samueim. His face contorted.
".......So, do you have any idea about this incident?"
Julius lowered his eyes for a while, then gripped the small bottle tightly.
"It's the priest attached to the King. That man has been sneaking around in the shadows..."
".......Then is that possibility the King's instruction?"
"Even if he wanted to eliminate me, cancelling the engagement and worsening relations with neighboring countries would put himself in danger. So that's not it."
Julius had the same thought as Mami. But then, why would the priest do something like this? She tilted her head.
"......Why would the priest do this? And is there evidence that the priest was involved?"
"No one else could handle the Crystal Core and cause something like this. That man is trying to sell the city of Heilong to the Demon Kingdom."
His eyes, crushed into a single line by his fat, opened wide. The imperial church worships the Fifty Gods. The Demon Kingdom does not deny that, but their main faith centers on the God of the End. Mami thought it impossible. However, Shamonto Island, where the Fifty Gods' followers conduct ascetic practice, is under Demon Kingdom control. It was quite possible that church members, under Demon Kingdom's influence, approached the priest with a proposal.
"Isn't the turmoil in Migul also from the same line?"
"......Migul was rather a conflict between otherworld heroes, and Mash..."
"That's not true. Someone must have incited it." Julius asserted, cutting off her words.
A certain demon's face floated in Mami's mind. She had been acting with Clovis and the others. And now she is with Levant. Nefy. Is there some scheme behind that gentle smile? She glanced at Fam, who was staring intently at the small bottle in Julius's hand. Inside, the bluish transparent liquid swayed.
"The knees seem fine. Let's continue after we get out of here."
Julius finished drinking the recovery potion. Then he placed his hands on his knees and lifted his heavy body.
Fam and Mami pushed open the door to the area guard's room. Behind them followed Samueim and Julius.
Entering, Mami furrowed her brows. It was a wide space. But unlike the arena-like spaces of other area guards, it was covered with something like biological mucosa. If the corridors they had walked were organs, this space was an internal organ. A dark red thing seemed to writhe. The floor was slimy and slippery if careless. There was no smell, but the muggy dampness was unpleasant. She waved her wand but it didn't remove it.
"Mo, please stay back. I'll stand in front."
Ahead of the tip of her blade, it was there.
"Gero..." The monster croaked once. It was a giant frog-like monster. Its whole body covered in wet mucus, it stood with its front legs wide open, ready to leap. It exceeded Mami's height. Its widely split mouth opened in a horizontal line. Deep inside, its tongue writhed like a separate creature, and the sheer hideousness made something crawl up Mami's spine, causing her to shiver. Its black crystal-like eyes moved in opposite directions to random places, and then fixed on them.
"Sam, take Julius-sama to the rear." At Fam's words, the two retreated near the door.
"Filthy woman." Julius's mutter was heard. When she turned around worriedly, the frog's tongue shot out, bent like a whip, and attacked Fam. As Fam and Mami dodged left and right, the tongue extended further and attacked Samueim and the others. Samueim shoved Julius, who was standing stunned, away with her shoulder.
"Gwah!" Julius fell like a frog, but thanks to that, he avoided the monster's attack.
"Which one is the frog..." Fam muttered quietly.
Timing the tongue's return, Fam lunged forward. The monster dodged by leaping backward.
"This frog is nimble!"
While listening to her, Mami raised her wand. Its tip glowed brilliantly and released lightning. The strike hit the monster's body. But the lightning spread along its body and dispersed, then vanished.
"As always, Mo's lightning strike doesn't work on area guards."
"......Hmph, you got dodged by the monster too, Fam!"
Receiving Mami's protest behind her, Fam charged. She swung at the body. But the monster jumped to the side with speed unbefitting its bulk, easily dodging the slash. Its landing front legs slapped the floor wetly, scattering mucus dripping from the monster. Fam tried to backstep to dodge but slipped and nearly fell.
"I can't get good footing."
Just as Fam was about to strike again. At that moment, the monster's belly contracted greatly.
Trying to switch to evasive, she slipped again. The monster spat mucus at her feet.
"Kya!" A slimy fluid clung to her legs, immobilizing her.
"Fam!" Mami released lightning strikes in succession, but again the mucosa dispersed her lightning.
Towards Fam, who was off balance, the monster's mouth opened wide. Along with a stench of rotting raw meat, a sinister-colored breath was exhaled. Fam covered her face with her arms, but her light blue haori turned purple and began to dissolve.
"Is this mist a dissolving acid...?"
Mami used wind magic to blow away the breath threatening to cover Fam. The monster's breath dispersed, falling on her dress, creating purple stains. It sizzled and dissolved the fabric.
"......We can't let this thing breathe on us."
"I know!" Fam gritted her teeth and readied her katana. The monster leaped, this time clinging to the ceiling and opening its mouth wide. If that breath spread throughout the room, it would be disastrous. Mami raised her wand and fired a fireball at the monster. But the monster dodged by leaping elsewhere. When she fired another fireball, this time it landed right in front of her.
"Mo!" Fam slashed from behind the monster. The blade slid on the mucus, failing to deliver a blow. The monster's tongue extended like a whip. Both of them took the hit squarely and fell to the floor.
"It's strong." Fam grimaced and tried to stand, but slipped and failed. Seeing that, the monster opened its mouth wide at them.
"Mami-dono!" Julius's shout echoed. Lifting her face, Mami saw him charging at the monster with his sword drawn.
But midway, his knees gave way and Julius collapsed. His momentum didn't stop, and he slid across the floor wet with the monster's fluids, crashing into the monster. Seizing that moment, he thrust his rapier into the monster's body.
"Gweeeeeee!" With the monster's scream, a loud metallic sound echoed. Julius's rapier had snapped at the base. The blade remained deeply embedded in the monster's body. The monster kicked Julius with its hind legs.
"Bughaa!" With a strange scream, his body was blown to the wall and splattered wetly.
Mami, watching from the corner of her vision, aimed her wand at the broken blade, but it was swallowed into the monster's body and disappeared. She changed her aim to the monster's mouth and fired fireballs. She fired repeatedly into its mouth.
Leaving a burnt smell, the monster jumped back. In that gap, Fam and Mami stood up.
Mami formed an especially large fireball and sent a glance to Fam.
"......Fam."
"I can still go." Seeing Fam wipe her mouth with her arm, Mami fired the fireball. It landed between Fam and the monster. The mass of flame unraveled and spread across the floor, evaporating the mucus. The steam rose, forming a white mist that enveloped the area. Through it, Fam ran.
The monster began to ready its leap.
"If the footing is solid!" Before the monster could move, Fam stepped sharply and lunged into the monster's embrace. At the same time, she swung her katana down. The blade caught the monster's body and ripped it.
"Gieeeee!" It screamed and leaped to break the distance.
"I won't let you escape! Kikuichimonji!" She slashed with a vacuum wave at the back of the fleeing monster in midair.
"The Muu tribe shouldn't be underestimated." Fam swept the tip of her blade down to shake off the monster's fluids.
Fam pressed the distance inch by inch. The wounded monster backed away, not wanting to lose to her pressure. Its eyeballs rolled asymmetrically. Just as Mami was about to fire a fireball to create a new foothold for Fam.
The monster's eyes, having caught their target, stopped dead still.
Its tongue shot out again like a whip. It didn't head for Fam or Mami, but extended toward the prostrate Julius. It deflected the kunai thrown by Samueim, wrapped around Julius's huge body, and pulled him back. The wide open mouth snapped shut, swallowing him whole. Its throat convulsed greatly.
"What?!" Fam and Mami stared blankly at the scene.
"Are you okay?"
"......I don't think so, but if we cut the stomach..."
Fam's hand gripping the katana loosened.
"We have to save Julius-sama quickly!" Samueim's voice rang out. As if spurred, Fam moved and slashed, but the monster leaped far to dodge. Its body began to squirm as if controlled by a different creature. And the outline of its body began to melt and distort.
Mami fired a fireball, evaporating the mucus covering the floor. Fam ran across. But the monster, expecting that attack, leaped far again. As its feet hit the ground, two arms grew from the monster's back.
"Those are Julius-sama's... arms?" In the hands, the broken rapier was gripped. The monster continued to change, its face transforming into something resembling Julius.
"Could it be that Julius-sama is taking in the monster?"
"......It's the opposite, isn't it."
The arm gripping the rapier swung down roughly. Fam parried it with her sword. Another swing followed immediately, and this time she twisted her body to dodge.
Trying to counterattack, Fam stepped forward but stopped. She stared at the monster, still in stance.
"What should we do... If we fight, Julius-sama will also get hurt..."
While Fam hesitated, the monster swung the sword down. Fam dodged while pulling back. She was being forced into a defensive stance. Watching this, Mami raised her wand.
"......Fam, dodge."
"Mo, do you have a plan?"
"......Just dodge."
The moment Fam jumped back, a thunderbolt shot through with a roar. It struck the rapier in the monster's grip, flashing intensely and covering the monster's body.
A burnt smell hit their nostrils. There stood the monster charred black. Holding the rapier aloft, it didn't move a twitch.
"Mo, is Julius-sama...?"
"......We were fighting two frogs."
"What are you talking about!"
While the two argued, Samueim rushed to the monster. The charred skin crumbled off, disappearing as pale light particles. From within, another frog-like figure appeared.
"Another monster from inside the monster!"
"It's not, it's Julius-sama!"
The frog-like appearance was a misperception by Mami and Fam. As Julius's body collapsed wetly, Samueim hastily supported him. She put her hand near his chest.
"He's okay. He's still alive." Samueim said. Julius's narrow eyes opened slightly.
"How rude... you filthy woman." Julius lost consciousness.
They safely escaped the dungeon, and the four returned to Julius's room. The three dragged Julius and somehow laid him on the bed.
Mami brought a cloth washed with a cleaning spell, and Samueim wiped Julius's forehead. Then his body moved.
"This is..." he muttered.
"This is Julius-sama's room."
He moved only his eyes to confirm the surroundings, then let out a long sigh of relief. Samueim knelt quietly beside Julius and wiped the dirt from the back of his hand.
"According to Mo, the curse seems to be lifted as well?"
"Did you carry me here?"
"No, the three of us did. It was more trouble than fighting the monster." Samueim replied flatly. Julius looked at her face for a while, then sighed again.
"I put you out." His eyes were still fixed on Samueim. He let his gaze wander as if deliberating, then opened his mouth as if resolved.
"I need to grant your wish. I could make you my wife."
"I refuse."
"Please do that with your fiancée."
Julius's eyes opened for a moment. Then he sighed again.
"Would that be forgiven?"
"She came all the way here on her own. Doesn't she wish for that?"
"......Yeah, I suppose." There was a hint of relief in his words.
On the way back, the three walked side by side on the cobblestone path. The footing was firm. The setting sun stretched their long shadows ahead, as if pushing them from behind. The light that dyed everything red reminded them of the dungeon they were in just before. Mami shook her head to dispel that thought.
"Should we have just left the Demon Kingdom's conspiracy alone?"
"......Actually, if we get involved, things will become more complicated."
Same reason they were not allowed to interfere in other cities during the Migul turmoil. Though both Migul and Heilong are imperial cities, they are in borderlands and have strong independent tendencies. There is a risk of being accused of interfering in internal affairs. From here on, they have no choice but to rely on Julius's strength to fight.
"Will the Prince and his fiancée get along well?" Fam murmured.
"......To be honest, Julius-sama is not my type as a romantic partner."
"Then why did you try to introduce him to Sam!" Fam shouted, then sighed in resignation. They've come full circle.
"Isn't that Prince a no-go?" Samueim muttered.
"......But it's a matter of family agreements, not likes or dislikes."
Hearing that, Fam sighed.
"We've come full circle again. But..." Saying that, Fam looked at Samueim and smiled. She gently reached out and took Samueim's hand. Samueim looked slightly surprised, but squeezed back tightly.
And then Mami took Fam's other hand.
"......The Muu tribe didn't lose this time either."
"It's good that we didn't lose, but why do slimy enemies always appear?" Fam's question fell into the shadows of the darkening city. The three continued walking slowly, not hurrying back to the inn.
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