Evil Avalon

Chapter 134 Unpopular Heroine

(TL:By Rafael,valhallatls.blogspot.com)

In front of the newly built house, there appeared a monster from the cat family, covered in long white fur. Its length easily exceeded 5 meters, dwarfing the width of the house. With its large ears and thick tail, it appeared fox-like at first glance.

"It's huge... and its magical power is amazing."

"It looks similar to the 'Ugalm' we saw at the foothills of the mountain. Though the color and size seem different."

"Kyiii... kyiii?"

Hanano expressed surprise at its size. At the foothills of this mountain, a cat-like monster about the size of a tiger, called "Ugalm," frequently appeared. It was a speed-focused monster, attacking with incredible velocity from a distance and then swiftly retreating, considered the most dangerous on this 22nd floor.

On the other hand, the creature before them was the king species of Ugalm, supposedly the "Ugalm Queen"... but it was much larger than expected. Arthur the spider seemed to think the same, voicing its puzzlement.

In DunEx, Ugalm typically reached lengths of 3 to 4 meters, with light gray fur. However, this one was at least two sizes larger and pure white like snow. Its gathered magical power felt heavy on the chest, confirming that its monster level was higher than anticipated. There might even be a possibility of it being a different species.

"Um, Mr. Kurosaki. That's the 'Ugalm Queen,' right?"

"Indeed. However, it has leveled up due to annihilating several raiding clans. Are you sure we'll be okay?"

Kurosaki brandished her longsword, glaring menacingly. The monster had repelled dozens of raiding clans, even leveling up a few times, as she confirmed. 

Just as adventurers gain experience and level up by fighting monsters, monsters also level up by fighting adventurers. When the original powerful floor boss follows this pattern, it becomes nearly impossible to handle, sometimes leading to disaster classifications depending on the extent of damage.

"That one has been considered for disaster classification several times by the Adventurers Guild, it's a wicked one. If there's a way to defeat it, tell us now. You understand the consequences if something were to happen to the young lady, right?"

"I understand, but since it won't attack unless we provoke it, please calm down and sheathe your killing intent."

"But that kitty started rubbing against the wall. Isn't that an act of intimidation?"

Kurosaki demanded a method to defeat it, partially unsheathing her sword and glaring. As a former top clan member and leader of the combat-oriented butlers and maids, her intimidation was too effective for my small chicken heart, so I pleaded for her to stop immediately. Meanwhile, Tenma, who was stuck to the small window, informed us of movement from the floor boss.

"That movement... it's not intimidation. It looks like marking, like what cats do."

"Exactly. It's sensing the scent of catnip and getting intoxicated. Look."

Recognizing the familiar movement as marking, Kuga speculated, and indeed, I pointed to a plant with leaves placed in a corner of the house. It was catnip brought from outside. While typically a plant similar to kiwi fruit growing inside the dungeon would be usually used, catnip from the nearby mountains worked, as tested on the Ugalm at the foothills.

Usually, floor bosses have high resistance against mental attacks or abnormal states, but the Ugalm Queen had a fatal weakness: it got intoxicated by catnip. When intoxicated, its judgment, speed, and attack power all significantly decreased, weakening to the point where it was hardly different from a regular Ugalm.

Already, the giant cat queen visible from the small window seemed intoxicated, rubbing its back against the outer wall vigorously. Despite being renowned for its strength, it was a rather delicious... I mean, a truly delectable floor boss. How delightful.

"Once it's a bit more intoxicated, let's go outside and gang up on it. Arthur and I will lead the charge."

"...To think this infamous floor boss would succumb to catnip. But, this means farewell to this leather armor... It's been a long time."

"Wait a moment, Koto-chan, Narumi-kun. Attacking such a cute creature is no good. Besides, it's not attacking us, right?"

As I explained the procedure for defeating it while donning armor, Kuga also took out a dagger, excited for a gear upgrade. It's time for the floor boss battle, acquiring valuable drop items. As we pumped ourselves up, surprisingly, Tenma started saying that the floor boss was cute. At this, even Kurosaki hurriedly intervened to stop her lady's strange actions. 

"Y-your Ladyship. That is a ferocious floor boss that has annihilated many clans. If there's an opportunity to defeat it, we mustn't let it slip by."

"But, it's undeniably fluffy and cute, right? Big brother, Arthur-kun. Can't we figure something out?"

"...Kyiii?"

The debate began: "It must be defeated," countered by, "But I want to pet its fluffy fur!" The floor boss here respawns every week, so ideally, I'd like to defeat it quickly for the drop items. But... I've never seen such a giant, pure white Ugalm Queen in Danek before, and I have to admit, it might be cute. Hanano also seems troubled, wondering if there's another way.

"Kyiii, kyiii, kyiii!"

"What... are you saying there's magic to make it a pet, Arthur-sama?"

"A pet? Really?! Can we use that too?"

"Please wait. Didn't Milady vow to master the Warrior job?"

Tenma argued that she enrolled in the Adventurer School to master close combat as a Warrior and had no room for unnecessary skills. In this world, the Warrior job is the pinnacle of close combat. If the legitimate daughter of the Tenma Commerce Company can gain fame in this job, it would be a significant profit.

However, the Warrior job is only intermediate, so its skills and status boosts aren't particularly strong. If she promises not to speak of it with anyone else, I'm willing to teach her some advanced jobs...

"Isn't that the job you mentioned before, 'Tamer'? It's a very dangerous job."

"Yeah. If a pet loses loyalty, there's a risk of betrayal. Plus, at the moment, there's nowhere to leave tamed pets. If we go outside, we'd have to release them every time."

While tamed monsters become powerful allies in battle, they can turn on their masters if their loyalty wanes. If a powerful monster like the Ugalm Queen were to betray them, it would be a disaster indeed.

Moreover, unlike in the game, they can't take monsters outside, so they need a place in the dungeon to leave them. However, they need to delve deeper into the dungeon to reach such a facility, and they lack the necessary levels. Additionally, it requires a considerable amount of dungeon currency, which would quickly deplete their funds. At least for now, it's safer for us not to delve into the Tamer job.

"Until we're ready, can we avoid defeating it?"

"...Then we won't get the Queen's fur."

As Tenma fidgeted, wanting to avoid defeating it, Kuga pouted at the thought of not being able to update her gear. But I want to respect Tenma's opinion. I promised her that there would be many opportunities to gather materials in the future, so we could make up for it then. I ask for her understanding.

From the small window of the house, they could see the thoroughly intoxicated Ugalm Queen, sticking out its tongue and rolling around. Even if they don't defeat it, they'll need to pass by it to leave the house. They really need assurance that it won't attack, but...

"Kyiii, kyiii!"

"Is it saying it'll go out... Arthur-sama?"

Arthur offered to scout, tapping his chest with his front legs. Currently, he was just borrowing the body of the summoned spider Arachne, so even if he were attacked, he wouldn't die. He was the perfect candidate.

Cracking the door open a little, Arthur skillfully used his eight legs to inch closer to the Queen, and then...

"Ah! It's diving into its fluffy belly. I want to do it too!"

"...For the Beast King to do such a thing, it's beyond reckless..."

The Queen seemed indifferent to Arthur's presence, simply lying on its back and wriggling around. Indeed, unlike a normal Ugalm, it didn't seem aggressive.

Taking advantage of this, Arthur buried himself in its fur, enjoying the fluffiness. Watching this, Kuga and I observed from the window for a while until something else... rather, someone else, reflected light and joined them.

Well, it didn't take much thought to know who it was—Tenma. Unfortunately, one of the maids behind her began trembling.

"L-Lady...!"

"Please calm down, Kurosaki-san. It's alright. Look at that."

"You! Stop this! You must protect the Lady at all costs!"

Outside the window, in competition with Arthur, a fully armored figure was also burying its face in the fluff. While the Queen narrowed its eyes and lay there, showing no signs of attacking, it would be best for Kurosaki to calm down, as provoking it might lead to an attack. I desperately tried to calm her down, but... really? You too?!

"Fluffy and soft! I feel like I could go anywhere if I had a pet like this, big sister."

"Indeed. Ahh, it's so soft... If only it weren't for the armor, we could enjoy it even more."

Sneakily, Hanano also slipped out and started rubbing her face against it. While it seems unlikely there will be a battle for now, I'll need to scold them later for being a bit more cautious. Meanwhile, Tenma, while lamenting being in armor, gently stroked the Queen's white throat. As if in response, the Queen purred while rubbing its large face against the shiny armor.

"Lady... you are so compassionate."

She wants to throw off my armor and cuddle with all my might, but she can't because of the curse. Tenma always behaves cheerfully, so it's hard to notice, but even at this moment, she continues to suffer. In Kurosaki's words, "poor thing," spoken as she watched closest, there lay a deep and heavy sadness.

Outside the window, even Kuga, who had a discontented expression, had somehow ended up burying her face in the Queen's belly. With Hanano and Tenma doing the same, it now looked like three kittens suckling on their mother cat.

For now, the original goal of establishing the base has been successfully achieved, and since it's confirmed that the floor boss poses no threat, it should be fine to put off dealing with it for now. Only one thing remains. Let's focus on the main objective of this dungeon dive... since it's convenient to discuss it with Kurosaki while we're alone.

"I have something to discuss--"

I turn to the maid and convey, "I have an idea about Tenma's curse. I want to attempt to lift it during this summer vacation." Arthur, of course, as well as Satsuki and Lisa, are willing to cooperate fully, but in terms of cooperation, the maid in front of me... and also the cooperation of Akagi-kun, the game protagonist and trigger for the curse-lifting event, are absolutely indispensable. I earnestly bow my head and request Kurosaki's cooperation.

For a moment, the maid looks bewildered, not understanding what I mean, but soon her expression sharpens.

"You are not saying that in jest, are you...?"

"Of course not."

It's not her usual intimidating act... but rather, a genuine intensity akin to murderous intent, as she scrutinizes to determine the truth. Tenma is more precious to Kurosaki than her own life. If I were to intervene in that future, it wouldn't be something to be taken lightly, as conveyed by the determination in her eyes.

- DunEx heroine, Tenma Akira.

The unique heroine Tenma Akira, clad in full-body armor, was what one might call an "unpopular heroine" in DunEx. With few exceptions, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that she was avoided by many players. There are several reasons for this.

Firstly, her high difficulty level for conquest. As the second in command in the A class where nobles and elite gather, and always surrounded by the Black Butler, it's extremely difficult for E class players to make contact, let alone deepen their relationship. Conquering Tenma requires so much effort that it's said if one focuses on her conquest, they won't be able to woo any other heroines. If one aims for a harem ending, where multiple heroines are charmed and a powerful party is formed, she should be the first heroine to be given up on.

And then, there's the issue of the curse-breaking event.

To reach the place where the curse is broken, one must overcome a difficult journey ahead. The boss monsters that appear at the end wield various powerful magics and are as strong as floor bosses. There's no simple strategy like with the giant cat queen lying on its back outside the window.

To clear such an event, it's only natural that Akagi-kun requires a suitable level of growth, and realistically, even if one were to conquer it early, it would be around the middle or late stage of the story.

Until that time, if one cannot break the curse, Tenma will remain in her armor with limited abilities. In other words, she's evaluated as a heroine who can only shine in the late stages. This was compared to other glamorous and powerful DunEx heroines, casting a significant shadow.

With all these issues, Tenma, no matter how charming she may be herself, is inevitably unpopular among DunEx players. But for me, such a thing is a trivial matter.

Because despite Tenma's supposed difficulty in contact, we've already built a good relationship, and even if she wears full-body armor, it doesn't diminish her charm for me in any way. I believe that with the use of player knowledge, we can somehow manage the highly difficult curse-breaking event by mobilizing everyone's efforts.

The question is whether we can get cooperation from Kurosaki-san and Akagi-kun. As a first step, I must first shake the heart of the maid in front of me.

"I want Tenma-san to be saved."

"...?"

Kurosaki-san stares into my eyes, trying to discern what I'm thinking, what my aim is. Of course, I have my own motives.

As the game story becomes unstable, in order to avoid a tragic future, it's necessary to have as many reliable strong allies as possible. In that regard, Tenma is someone worthy of entrusting one's back to, and if she's freed from the curse, a powerful heroine like a balance breaker comparable to awakened Kaworu or final boss Sera-san would be born early in the game. That's a ray of hope for us players.

That's why I want to expedite the curse-breaking plan, even if it means pushing ourselves. Of course, I won't admit to such intentions.

What's important is the "wish" for Tenma to be saved. It's clear that there's not even a trace of trust between Kurosaki-san and me, but we strongly share this one point. It shouldn't be that such a good girl's cheeks are wet with tears. She should always be smiling. For that reason, we have a value in joining hands.

But this proposal would be humiliating for Kurosaki-san.

Despite all the efforts she has made, she couldn't save the master, couldn't even find a way to save her. If a newcomer were to suddenly claim that they could "save Tenma-san," it's easy to imagine that it would irritate her and hurt her pride. Nevertheless, if there's anyone who wants Tenma's happiness more than anyone else, it's Kurosaki-san. I believe she will accept this proposal. 

The maid, with tightly clenched fists, suppresses her inner conflict and speaks quietly.

"...There shouldn't be any falsehood in those words. But if you dare to play with the young lady's feelings, you... won't get away with it."

"I'm serious. If you're willing to cooperate, I'll tell you everything about the curse-breaking plan I'm considering."

Because of the curse, Tenma-san is still locked in armor, unable to be touched except through metal, shedding tears. Peeking through the small window with a determination to wish for her happiness and to save her absolutely...

"Waaah! So fast! Aaaah, there it is!"

"Sister! I want to ride next!"

Tenma-san, riding on the Ugalm Queen, rushes past the small window at a tremendous speed, hitting the trees with too much momentum and flying off. Even though she was just nuzzling her face into her belly and fluffing it up a moment ago, she's too spirited.

"Oh... oh, young lady~!"

Kurosaki-san, with a pale face and teary eyes, hurries to chase after her. Truly, having a reckless and energetic mistress like this seems to be a constant worry.

TL Note: Without any Doubt the Star of Today's Chapter is Tenma Akira and now I am liking her much more than Sera.....Sera is now below Kowaru.....

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