Chapter 196: Chapter 180: Huge Animals Dungeon 6

“”... Uniyu~””

During the night, the three knights and I split into groups to take turns standing the watch and resting.

We had set up a barrier stone so there wasn’t the need to worry about being attacked by monsters, and there were no signs of humans either, so I thought there was no need to stand a watch, but the three knights apparently can’t go to sleep without looking out for the surroundings.

The last night, I was joined by Najack-sama, but I stood a watch with Kevin-sama this time.

While I was talking the world with Kevin-sama, Allen and Elena who were sleeping peacefully awakened.

Although earlier than the knights planned, Allen and Elena sleep should have lasted long enough.

“Good morning, Allen, Elena.”

“”Morning~””

Allen and Elena were wrapped in blankets right next to me, so they immediately nudged close to me.

“Onii~chan.”

“So early~”

The twins wake up earlier than me in the mornings. They usually wake up earlier and keep watching me until I awaken.

But, I woke up halfway to stand watch, so it’s something the two are not used to.

It was the same as yesterday, but I had to get up carefully so I wouldn’t wake up the two sensitive children.

“Now then, it’s a little earlier than usual, but shall I prepare breakfast for you? What would you like to eat?”

“”Furench toast~!””

Because Al-sama, Najack-sama, and Claudio-sama will wake up soon, I have begun preparing the breakfast.

“That’s a dish name I have not heard of before again~”

“It’s a sweet bread. Would it be better if I don’t sweeten it too much for you and others?”

“No, including His Highness, all of us quite like sweet things, so we won’t mind eating the same.”

“Is that so? All right.”

Let’s see~ Let’s do a sweet French toast with the saltiness of a crispy bacon and vegetable soup~

“This looks like a delicious breakfast once again.”

Al-sama and the rest who woke up as I was finishing the breakfast were staring fixedly at the plates I lined up.

“With Takumi here, I might forget that we are currently in a dungeon.”

“Indeed. You are normally not able to have proper meals like this in a dungeon.”

Their words felt more like resignation than admiration.

But, meals like this could be prepared with the use of a magic bag, so it’s not like others wouldn’t be able to do it too.

Rather, I find it mysterious why other adventurers don’t do it. I mean, I would definitely get tired of hard bread and dried meat, and I don’t believe it can even supply you the necessary energy.

“Come to think of it, Al-sama, you brought food with you, right?”

“Yeah, well, we did. Although I say that, it’s only hard bread, dried meat, dried fruit, and a little amount of salt-pickled vegetables. In the end, we have ended up burdening you. I am reflecting that we did not prepare more beforehand.”

“Ah~ you don’t have to think that you are burdening me. I have lots of ingredients. It’s just the things Al-sama’s group brought has become a dead weight, didn’t it?”

“No, it’s possible to stray away from your group in the dungeon, so it’s necessary for all members to carry food on them, so you don’t have to worry about that, Takumi. Ah, I will make sure to give you proper compensation for the cost of the ingredients when we return!”

“......”

He really does not have to worry about the cost of ingredients, though. The amount of meat I received from Al-sama is much larger than the number of my own ingredients I have used, after all. I somehow have to come up with a way to offset each other.

Incidentally, I realized that it would be difficult if only one person was carrying the food when people might stray away from each other. So that’s why everyone is carrying food on their person, huh... that was a piece of valuable information.

Allen and Elena are carrying a flask, snacks, dried fruit and candies in their bags, but there is only a little dried meat for food. I don’t intend on losing sight of them, but should I put a bit more food in their bags...?

The problem would be simply resolved if I had a time-suspending type of magic bags, but that type is not easily seen... even royalty like Al-sama only has a magic bag with a large capacity, after all~

“N~”

“What’s the matter, Takumi?”

“I was thinking that Allen and Elena are not carrying any proper food on them.”

“The two... well, they will be fine!”

“Eh? Why is that?”

“Because the two wouldn’t ever stray away from you!”

Al-sama confidently declared so after taking a glance at Allen and Elena, and looking back at me.

“”Won’t ever stray away~!””

For some reason, Allen and Elena got on board with Al-sama’s words as they confidently declared.

Do they even understand properly? I believe that they really won’t stray away, but you know~ well, they are cute so let’s leave it at that.

“... Well, let’s leave it at that today. Let’s eat before it gets cold, Al-sama.”

“Indeed. Let’s eat.”

“”Yaay~! Dig in~!””

Allen and Elena were looking at their favorite French toast with “Still not yet? Not yet?” gaze, so when I prompted Al-sama to eat and he agreed, the twins stuffed their cheeks with the French toast the moment they heard his words.

“”N~~~””

They ate really deliciously, so it made me very happy as the cook.

Al-sama and others also found the French toast tasty as everything got eaten up in a short time.

After we finished breakfast, we resumed the capturing of the eigth floor.

“”There~””

Soon after, Allen and Elena quickly defeated a Jumbo Elk—a deer-type monster.

Living up to its name, the monsters that appeared were quite huge in size.

“Huge.”

“Meat~”

“It truly is a huge piece of meat, huh~ You are not injured, are you?”

“”No, not injured~!””

Allen and Elena returned with the loot.

The two were very delighted with the size of the meat that the two almost couldn’t carry by themselves.

“You really defeated it easily~ Moreover, it was much bigger than normal size of the monsters of the eight floor.”

“Eh? It was bigger than the monsters on the normal route?”

Hee, I thought it was only natural for the monster to be big as the dungeon has “huge” in its name, but I was apparently wrong.

“Yeah, normally, there would be more of the same but smaller-sized monsters. Monsters of that size should appear after the tenth floor. I have not seen them myself, but I heard that they apparently get even larger from the twentieth floor.”

“”Larger~?””

“Yeah, even larger apparently appear.”

“”Ohh~””

Ah! This is bad!!

Allen and Elena have totally bit onto the words of Kevin-sama.

“Kevin-sama, wait! You can’t talk about that!”

“Eh?”

It might be already late, but I stopped Kevin-sama from firing Allen and Elena up any more than this.

“Allen, Elena, we are going only up to the twelfth floor this time, okay!”

“”Go further~””

“Ah~... so you meant this...”

Just as I thought, hearing about even larger monsters, Allen and Elena were fully motivated. They will definitely want to reach the twentieth floor now... no, they will want to go until the end.

Kevin-sama who realized why I stopped him, made a “I did it now” expression.

“”Meat, meat~?””

“”......””

“Quickly.”

“Let’s go~”

Kevin-sama and I exchanged glances after seeing Allen and Elena sing happily.

“... If you stop them when the objective is accomplished, will these children be able to stop?”

“... Err, that depends on their satisfaction. If they can move a lot until the twelfth floor then... maybe?”

“... Maybe, you say?”

“... Yes, I am sorry but I can’t say for certain.”

“... I see.”

Kevin-sama and I exchanged opinions in a low voice.

I can’t say for sure, but if I tell them that we can return to the dungeon later, then Allen and Elena will willingly stop... probably.

“We can only tell what will happen when it happens, so let’s proceed for now.”

Al-sama who heard our conversation told us that we shouldn’t keep brooding over it now and urged us to go.

“——Rather than that, Takumi. The children already went off.”

“Eh?”

When I looked around for Allen and Elena in panic, I found the two already walking away just as Al-sama said.

“Onii~chan.”

“Quickly~”

“Wha!? Allen, Elena, you can’t go off on your own!?”

When I rushed out in panic to Allen and Elena, Kevin-sama and others pursued after us with wry smiles.

“”But~””

“But?”

“Meat~”

“Came~”

When I looked where Allen and Elena were pointed at, I saw five Jumbo Elks running towards us.

“”Will defeat~””

Well, no matter what comes at them, Allen and Elena will be able to defeat it, though~

Recently, my turn to show up has not been appearing, so the level difference between me and the twins has been increasing.