RVBCT 27

Chapter 27 …

The next morning, when I woke up, I was being held from behind. Ryuka was still asleep, his faint breathing brushing against my head—soft and peaceful.

Even in his sleep, he held me protectively. His large hand covered my lower abdomen as if guarding it, warming me from the outside. I could faintly feel his presence through the lingering intimacy of the night, and a gentle warmth spread through my chest.

However, if I moved too much, I would risk discomfort, so I quietly adjusted my own magic circulating through my body, converting Ryuka’s residual mana within me into my own.

After a while, Ryuka seemed to notice the change in mana flow and stirred slightly. He shifted, then opened his eyes a little and looked at me.

“…Zagan. Ah… it’s been a while since I opened my eyes and saw you right there. I’m really happy.”

His voice trembled with emotion as he pulled me closer. He held me tightly, his warmth deepening the already close contact between us. Ryuka looked genuinely happy, gently stroking my lower abdomen as if calming me.

I could feel his joy through his magic. Come to think of it, it had been about a month since we last slept together like this. I, too, felt a quiet warmth in my chest.

“Good morning, Zagan. I love you.”
“Mm. Good morning, Ryuka.”

He kissed my head, my ears, my fingers—each touch soft and affectionate. Then he rubbed his cheek against mine, acting completely spoiled.

For a while, I let him cling to me. But about thirty minutes later, I gently pushed him away and got up. I had to go to the dungeon today, so I couldn’t stay in bed forever. Ryuka looked visibly disappointed, but it couldn’t be helped. I was scheduled to conquer the 9th City dungeon.

After finishing getting ready—despite Ryuka occasionally clinging to me—we had breakfast brought to the room. It was a luxurious spread, and although it was a large amount, I finished everything since I had worked up an appetite the night before.

Once the dishes were cleared, Ryuka opened his magic bag.

“Zagan, there are a few things I want to give you.”
“Again? I haven’t given you anything in return…”
“You already gave me the Kingdom of Tail monster encyclopedia, remember? And this time, it’s not from me—it’s from Noel and the others.”

From Noel and the others? I tilted my head curiously.

The first item he took out was a black cloth.

“This is a hooded cloak sewn by Noel. It was made using the materials you gave us last time—thread and fabric you provided. Its defensive power is extremely high, so please use it. See? There’s a silver cat embroidered on the edge.”

It was made from Imperial Spider silk and Angel Worm silver thread from the Kingdom of Tail—both high-ranking S-class materials with excellent physical and magical resistance. I had given them to Ryuka because I had no use for them, but it seems they put them to good use. And Noel even made it personally for me.

I gratefully received it and immediately put it on. I could feel my defense increase compared to my previous cloak. This would be very useful going forward. More than anything, I was happy that Noel had made it for me.

I looked closely at the embroidery. As expected from Noel, who enjoys sewing, it was a beautifully stitched cat.

“…Could it be she saw Ryuka’s keychain?”
“Yeah. When I told her you had the same thing on your bag, she said she wanted to embroider it. She said you looked cat-like.”
“I see… Well, tell Noel I appreciate it.”
“Got it. And next is this.”

The next item was a staff.

About 40 cm long, with a black magic stone embedded at its tip and various materials decorating its body. At a glance, I could tell—it was a staff that amplified dark magic power and output.

“…W-what is this?”
“The magic stone is from the 8th dungeon boss drop, but everything else came from what you gave us. When the girls wanted to thank you for the materials, I told them you were struggling to find a good dark attribute staff. So Miranda carved the branch, Nina handled the decoration, and Camila combined everything with alchemy into a magic staff.”

So it was a joint creation.

I gripped the staff Ryuka offered me. Instantly, a surge of mana flowed through my body. My body grew warm, and a word surfaced in my mind.

“…I’ve learned a new spell.”
“Really?! It’s rare to learn spells through equipment. What kind of magic is it?”
“…Honestly, it’s difficult to use. Against most enemies, it’s almost useless just by chanting it. It also drains nearly all my mana. Without this staff, I’d basically run out of magic power.”

“I see… so it’s a dangerous spell.”

I nodded. It might be effective against a Dark Dragon, but the timing to cast it would be extremely difficult.

“Still, I can feel I’ve become stronger. Please thank them for me.”
“They were just repaying you for the materials you gave them. Everyone was really happy. But I’ll tell them. And lastly—this.”

The final item was a large paper bag.

Inside were dozens of boxes, all hand-sized and made of paper. Exactly what I expected.

“Bennett made 30 boxed lunches. He said, ‘Thank you very much for all the amazing ingredients.’”
“…I see. Thirty meals.”
“Bennett was actually planning to make even more, but I stopped him. I told him this was enough for your dungeon expedition. If he gave too much, you’d feel bad, right?”
“…Yeah. Even this feels like too much. I’m really grateful.”
“And Cindy said she had nothing to give you, so she apologized. But she’s been reading the book you gave her whenever she has time. She’s determined to discover even the smallest clues about the gods.”

“Tell her there’s no need to worry. And tell her to keep trying.”
“Got it. …Hehe, Zagan, you look happy. It’s good you got something in return for what you gave them.”

Yes. The things I gave were appreciated, and that gratitude returned in form and words. I wasn’t used to it—but it was definitely pleasant. My cheeks almost relaxed, but I held it back.

Then Ryuka kissed my cheek.

“You’re blushing. Cute.”
“Shut up…”

Before I could finish, he pulled me in and bit my ear, cutting off my words. I shivered slightly as he held me.

“I’m a little jealous. I want to be the only one who makes you this happy.”
“…I always receive a lot from you too. I’m always happy. That’s why I tried to give something back last night… though I wasn’t very good at it.”

Ryuka smiled and kissed me gently.

“Zagan. I’m happy just being by your side and seeing myself reflected in your eyes.”

“…Mm.”

I could feel once again that Ryuka always notices my feelings and comforts me.

When we left the hotel, it was time to part. Ryuka returned to the rented house where his companions were waiting, and I headed straight for the dungeon.

There was no need to hide my identity anymore. If the dark organization wanted to monitor me, they could. If they could catch up with me in the 9th Dungeon where A- to S- rank monsters appear.

9th Dungeon — Great Hall

It was still before noon, and only one party was present in the central area—knights, likely from the 9th City. They seemed to be deciding which of the 12 routes to take, clearly inexperienced with this “Star Fragment” type dungeon.

There are two types of knights: those like Ryuka who can use magic but prefer swordsmanship, and those who cannot learn magic at all no matter how much mana they have. Even so, both types are strong due to physical enhancement and sword skills.

Less than half of humanity can use magic. Basic life magic, body enhancement, and magic barriers can be used by anyone, but true spellcasting is different.

A mage is defined by the ability to cast large-scale magic. My father was a genius who could use such magic from childhood. I learned it at 13.

What about Ryuka? With his power, he might already have it… but he is still a knight. A sword suits him.

“Are you alone?”

A knight from the party spoke to me.

“Yes. Now hurry and move on.”

I showed my guild card to avoid unnecessary trouble. They were shocked.

“…An S-rank adventurer… so young?”
“Age doesn’t matter. In a dungeon, if another party is ahead, you must wait. That’s the rule. So hurry up.”

After a bit of pressure, they quickly chose a route and left.

They were likely nobles. Civilians raised as adventurers would have known proper dungeon etiquette.

Once they were gone, I proceeded alone.

I intended to clear this dungeon quickly. The faster I finished, the sooner I could confront the dark organization.

With the cloak Noel made, the staff created by Miranda, Nina, and Camila, and Ryuka’s lingering mana, I cut through monsters efficiently. I also ate Bennett’s boxed meals during breaks and solved dungeon mechanisms quickly.

At night, Ryuka contacted me as promised.

“Good evening, Zagan. Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine. My equipment has improved.”
“Good. As long as you’re safe, I’m happy.”
“You’re confident. Next time we spar, you might lose quickly.”
“…Then I’ll just get stronger. I’ll surpass you.”

Ryuka’s ambition was remarkable.

“I look forward to it. I won’t sleep tonight.”
“What?! You must sleep or I’ll get angry.”
“I still have mana left from you.”
“…Just this once. Don’t overdo it.”

“Good night, Ryuka.”
“Good night, Zagan.”

Even though progress was steady, reaching the deepest floor still took time. Days passed endlessly as I continued fighting monsters. It became a routine that felt almost unending.

At night, Ryuka’s voice helped calm me. Holding the plush toy he bought me made me sleepy as well.

Sometimes I even fell asleep mid-communication and apologized the next morning.

On the 25th day at noon, I reached the final floor.

As expected, I was the first.

The boss was an S+ rank Cocatrice.

I defeated it in minutes using enhanced speed and a wide-range spell from the staff, then retrieved the Star Fragment—a blue sapphire.

After restoring my mana, I contacted Ryuka.

“I’ve obtained the Star Fragment. I’m returning to the main hall via teleportation. Stay on the line.”
“Got it. Be careful.”

I returned to the hall.

And then I felt it.

The presence of the dark faction.

As expected.