I defeated the Caucasus giant stag beetle.
I don't even know what I'm saying.
Anyway, I defeated the Caucasus giant stag beetle.
If it had been the Miyama stag beetle, I might have hesitated a little.
Either way, I'd have defeated it properly in the end, so I guess it doesn't matter much.
"But so there are insect Relics for transformation too, huh…"
I'd thought it was all animals, but there's quite a lot of variety.
There might even be a transformation Relic that lets you become an Anomalocaris.
So what.
"…Still, how should I put it, I just sort of went and did it…"
I really didn't need to go all-out like that.
I mean, who would've expected the opponent to turn into a Caucasus giant stag beetle.
And that Caucasus giant stag beetle — if we'd fought fair and square, it would've been pretty strong, I think.
That's the one part I actually feel a bit sorry about.
Still, the fact that transformation takes a weirdly long time — I'm not sure what to make of that.
"But the biggest problem is…"
That I destroyed part of the 10th floor of the dungeon.
It wasn't on purpose. But I did collapse the ruins and the stairway down to the 11th floor — that's a fact.
I should be careful not to run into the "Five Sisters."
Now then, I'm currently inside a shadow.
Inside the shadow of Widow Suhardu… not the living room, but the dining hall.
I'm sitting in a spotless, gorgeous dining hall practically oozing luxury.
"Delicious."
I'm savoring a meal in this magnificent dining hall tucked inside a shadow.
A full-course luxury spread, no less — the kind of stuff I'd never normally get to eat.
Beef steak with foie gras sauce.
Caviar on truffle-butter toast.
Rich American-style pasta with shrimp and crab.
Green soup with salmon and tomato.
High-end dishes just keep on coming, one after another.
Incredible. This is like a dream.
So how did this happen. Right, the job was finished.
When I tried to leave the dungeon… my stomach growled.
The instant it did, I got dragged into my own shadow and materialized at a dining table with a napkin folded around my neck.
And then course after course of fancy food was brought out, and I've been eating it all.
Oh, dessert is custard pudding.
"Good."
Man, this is the life.
I wonder if the witch eats like this all the time.
I'm jealous.
"Whew. Thanks for the meal. I'm full now."
When I said that to Widow Suhardoo, um, something happened and I was guided somewhere.
When we left the dining hall, we were in a white corridor. Between rooms, I mean. Where on earth was this place?
Could it be a mansion? A house in the shadows. That seemed possible. Actually, probably exactly that.
I was guided to a room.
It was a beautiful room. White walls, a large white bed. A desk, a closet, a table and chairs.
There was a door at the back too, so I went through and found a toilet, a washroom, and a bath.
A hotel, maybe?
"Does this mean I can rest here?"
Widow Suhardoo gave a small nod.
"Wait, does this mean I can rest here, and when I get hungry again, go back to the dining hall and eat that whole course meal?"
No, no, that had to be way too much to ask—Widow Suhardoo gave a small nod.
Wow... That's incredible.
"But if I did that over and over, I'd get fat..."
That was when I realized something.
Widow Suhardoo looked puzzled.
"So, um, let me get this straight. Yes means one nod. No means two nods. Got it. Please."
Widow Suhardoo nodded once.
Good.
"So, before — there was Dagaa here. There weren't any small creatures, were there?"
Widow Suhardoo nodded once.
As I thought.
"Did you just eat and sleep over and over?"
Widow Suhardoo nodded once.
Just as expected.
"Did you get bigger?"
Widow Suhardoo nodded once.
Right. Confirmed.
So Dagaa had just been eat-and-sleeping here and packing on weight.
But the whole time, it had been a knife.
I wondered if growing fat as a spirit or soul had affected its physical body.
I mean, it was a mysterious creature, so something like that was entirely possible.
"Wait — so that means you've been inside my shadow this whole time?"
Widow Suhardoo nodded once.
Yeah, but why?
"Were you ordered to by the witch?"
Widow Suhardoo nodded twice.
Not that, huh. Then why?
Well, at least I figured out why Dagaa got fat.
Eating and then sleeping in a place like that — no wonder you'd get fat.
"Um, I'll be heading back to the surface now."
Widow Suhardoo nodded once.
I stepped out from the shadows.
From there, it took a little while, but I made it out of the dungeon.
I headed for the Delvers' Guild.
It was noisy, but I paid it no mind and handed over what I'd collected at the quest completion counter.
"Good work today."
"Thank you."
We exchanged greetings, and I received my quest fee.
With this, I could avoid getting demoted — at least for now.
"By the way, it's pretty noisy in here. Did something happen?"
"A witch showed up earlier."
"Ah..."
Yeah, that'd cause a ruckus.
"Also, apparently a delver was found, and it was supposedly the work of a clan, so the Guild Master, the witch, and several delvers headed out."
"I see..."
They probably raided the hideout of the clan "Nebulaborn."
The Caucasus Giant Stag Beetle was a sub-boss, so the clan boss should still be in there.
Well, I'll leave that to them.
Well, time to head home.
Oh right. Maybe I'll stop by the butcher on the way and pick up some cheap cuts.
"Then again, if my soul is overweight, even diet medicine probably won't cut it."
I need to slim down my soul.
But how exactly do you slim down a soul?
"Hmm."
"What are you worried about?"
"Oh, Shiro."
"Hello."
A pure-white Gothic Lolita beauty curtsied and called out to me.
She was carrying a tea table on her back, which was truly surreal.
Head to toe, she was entirely white, yet despite appearances, she was a First-Class Delver.
And also the King of Death of Light.
The King of Death of Light… I might actually know that one.
"Hello. I've actually been worrying about how to slim down a soul."
"…………"
Shiro tilted her head to the side with a blank expression.