Hoss's mixed-meat soup.
It had a nostalgic taste, and it was good.
Especially the mushrooms. Red-caps—the more you added, the better it got.
Gather a ton, add a ton. That was the right way to do it.
And it made me want green onions.
Leafy vegetables and root vegetables weren't bad either.
But nothing could beat mushrooms.
The mixed meat had all sorts of different textures to enjoy, too.
Maybe because they were offcuts, there was a lot of fat.
That added depth to the soup's flavor. An unexpected bonus.
I'd always avoided it because I couldn't tell what was in it, but I think I'll start buying some from now on.
Rel still hadn't come back.
"That guy... Can't be helped. Guess I'll wait just a little longer."
Axe let out a resigned sigh and headed back to the tent.
"Are you sure it's all right?"
"Don't worry about it. Rel just likes being alone sometimes."
"Even in the dungeon?"
"Rel. Turns out he's actually the son of a nobleman in this country."
"Huh."
"Doesn't know the specifics. But apparently she grew up surrounded by a whole bunch of sisters."
"How many are we talking?"
"Even I don't know. But Axe is the only guy among them."
"So that makes her the heir?"
"Nah. The family passes to the eldest daughter, apparently."
"I see."
At first I was surprised, but this world was different.
There was racial discrimination, sure, but no discrimination between men and women.
So a woman inheriting the family was perfectly normal.
That part still threw me a little.
"She said there was always someone around her. That's why she sometimes craved being alone."
"So even now—"
"Axe understands that too."
"Yeah, I get that. Everyone has times when they want to be alone."
I lived on my own, but that was exactly why I understood.
In those moments, I'd sit atop the tower of our home and just stare blankly at the twilight or the early dawn.
There was always a song playing in my head during those times.
Christopher Cross's "New York City Serenade."
And that time was mine alone.
It was ordinary and special—the kind of thing anyone can have.
After a while, Rel came back.
Hoss reheated the mixed-meat soup.
While Rel was savoring the soup, she suddenly mentioned that her fourteenth sister was about the same age as me.
She said something about how the sister had a quiet personality, so she'd probably get along with me.
Fourteenth... How many sisters does she actually have?
At least now I knew the fourteenth was a younger sister. Which meant there were more after that too.
More after that... Yeah, probably. Ha ha ha.
Apparently that sister was also working hard toward becoming a delver.
And to top it off, she had a Relic.
Rel said that among her many sisters, some had Relics and some didn't—it varied all over the place.
Rel's family never put much stock in Relics to begin with.
If you didn't have one, that was just how it was. If you did, it was a nice bonus.
Some kind of merchant's mindset, apparently.
When Rel finished eating, I washed the dishes and tidied up.
I was surprised to learn she used slimes for washing.
You dilute the dissolving fluid from a slime just right, and it works on soup bowls and pots.
They only made enough food to finish in one sitting—nothing carried over.
Lots to learn here, and not just about being a delver.
When I was about to use the bathroom and call it a night, I headed over to Mineha.
Of course, just walking right up to her wouldn't be ideal.
So I called out to her from a slight distance.
"Mineha. Are you awake?"
"What is it?"
Mineha landed on the rock and sat down cross-legged.
She had taken off her armor and was dressed casually now.
Wait—she was bare-legged. Was she not wearing a skirt?
Plus her hair was slightly damp.
Had she been washing herself?
Looks like I picked a bad time.
"Sorry. Um, you seem fine, though."
"Of course I'm fine. What do you want? Is that it?"
"Um, Axe said he was sorry."
"Hmm. Whatever."
I thought she might have some complaint, but her reply was indifferent.
It wasn't so much that she didn't mind—it was more like she didn't care at all.
Well then, maybe I'd try asking her something.
"Actually, there's one thing I'd like to ask."
"What is it?"
"Your teacher. About Axe's mother."
"My teacher?"
Did she say anything about Axe?"
When I asked that, Mineha's expression shifted.
Oh boy.
"Why are you asking about that?"
"Well… I was just a little curious…"
"Curious about what?"
I could feel Mineha's wariness spike all at once.
Sigh — this isn't going anywhere.
That caught me off guard. I only brought it up because I figured she wouldn't care.
"Sorry. If you'd rather not talk about it, that's fine."
I dropped it without fuss.
I was about to turn back when—
"Hold on. Master did say something once. That her son hates her."
"..."
"I thought, what's that supposed to mean, but she just said it couldn't be helped. That everything that happened, how things ended up like that… it was all Master's fault."
"..."
"Everything that happened" — she meant the kidnapping.
Sure enough, she was hated for it, and that's what led to Axe being targeted.
But at the time, Emmy had left home on a job.
He'd been saved by an explorer who was an acquaintance. His mother came back a month later.
"I don't know what that was all about… I wanted to find out, but I couldn't bring myself to dig that deep. But I did figure out why he resents the Master."
"You did?"
"Yeah… but here's the thing. The reason Axe resents the Master comes down to the Relic. He doesn't have one. And there's nothing anyone can do about that."
"Right."
"I did feel a little sorry for him, honestly. Not having a Relic… from where I stand, that's like a fairial being told to drop dead. So yeah, I sympathize."
"Then—"
"But even if I understand it, I can't accept it. Even if he is her own son, the Master is the person who saved my life and my mother's. I won't forgive anyone for hating the Master I love."
"The person who… saved your life?"
"That's right."
(But… I… didn't know… ten years ago………)
"Hm?"
"What is it?"
What was that just now?
It was like a voice inside my head…?
"No, it's nothing."
"Oh, hey. You. Your eyes."
Mineha was looking at me quizzically.
"Hm? What about them?"
My eyes?
"Mineha. What was that, I wonder?"
"Hm?"
"Well, never mind. Either way, this is something I absolutely won't compromise on — just like a Relic. That's why I've decided I'm done with Axe and the others. Master ordered me to go along with you this time, so I will. But after that, we'll never meet again."
That was practically word for word the same thing Axe had said — could it be...
"You were eavesdropping, weren't you?"
"Whatever do you mean?"
Her attempt at playing dumb was uncharacteristically clumsy.
If she really had nothing to hide, the usual Mineha would have...
...said something like "What's your problem?" with her irritation laid bare.
Nine times out of ten, she'd been listening.
No wonder she'd been so indifferent when I'd gone to apologize on her behalf.
I sighed and said the same thing.
"So what am I supposed to do now?"
"Just keep doing what you're doing."
"Got it. Well then, I'll be going."
I cut things short right there.
Just as I was heading for the tent, Mineha suddenly blurted out after me.
"All the same, you really are something else."
What was that supposed to mean?
That was not something I could just let slide.
"What do you mean by that?"
"That you're being a busybody."
"...I think so too."
That much I really did think. I'd been telling myself it was none of my business, after all.
And yet I'd gone and asked Mineha about a mother's feelings toward Axe.
What was I even doing? Even by my own standards, that was meddey.
Maybe she sensed what I was thinking, because Mineha gave me a look of exasperation.
"Stick your nose in and you might get burned."
"Yeah, that can happen too."
"You don't get it, do you? In a dungeon, it can kill you. As in, you die."
"I just won't let that happen."
When I answered plainly, Mineha snorted.
"Huh. Do whatever you want, then. It's got nothing to do with me."
"Right. I will."
"Well, good night."
Mineha stood up and headed back.
I went to my tent, too.
Night.
The dungeon shook just once— or at least, I thought it did.