Adventurer's Guild Café: I Was Wrongfully Exiled by the Saint, So I Will Enjoy My Second Life with My Fluffy Friends - V 2.1 Chapter 3.4

“It should be fine soon.”

After watching the Crystal Slime regain its strength, I gave it one more thin slice of lemon from the bottle and put my belongings back in my backpack. After confirming that Lulu and the others were inside, I stood up. Yeah, it seems like the dizziness is gone.

“Are you feeling okay?”

“Yes.”

I nodded and smiled when asked.

While I was watching the shimmering slime, I started to feel better. As I stood up and tried to walk toward where everyone was, the slime bounced toward me, hopping.

“?”

I wondered what was going on. The slime stared at me intently, as if trying to convey something.

“Is it okay, Kuna? You’re not going to catch it?”

“Huh?”

“This slime is rare. Gem merchants often keep them. Just having one will give you high-quality magic crystals regularly.”

Gier said, looking thoughtful.

“With just one magic crystal, depending on the quality, you might be able to live without working.”

Hearing that, I looked at the slime.

The slime was still staring at me intently.

“…It’s fine. It seems happier living here.”

Lulu and the Mokomotts had followed me of their own accord, but really, things like this shouldn’t be owned by individuals.

It’s kind of a natural flow for us to be together, but if the slime has a place to live, it would surely be better for it to stay there.

“Slime, could it be that you still want some candy?”

I wondered if it was still hungry. I gave it food, so maybe it had gotten attached to me.

The slime wobbled and shook, indicating that it wasn’t hungry.

“…Sorry, we have something to do up ahead. I hope we can meet again on our way back.”

I waved my hand to the slime, and it stared at me blankly before freezing in place.

There was no sign that it would follow us anymore. It was a little lonely, but I was glad it had gotten better.

This is some kind of fate. I hope we can meet again somewhere, someday.

“Let’s go.”

“Yeah.”

We started walking toward the next floor.

Dungeons are truly mysterious spaces. They are not just underground cavities. A dungeon is a series of otherworldly spaces, with each floor having a completely different environment.

“Wow, now it’s a meadow? There’s even a sun.”

I couldn’t help but gape and look up at the sky.

Having left the 98th floor, we had walked further down to another floor.

The ethereal space from earlier had completely changed. Now, in the underground cavity, there was somehow a vast meadow and a blue sky.

A gentle breeze blew, making my white hair sway.

“That’s a fake sky.”

“Fake?”

Simon nodded.

“Yes. This space isn’t actually that large. There’s a magic spell on the ceiling that makes it look like the sky. This place originally has few monsters, so it’s safe to be here.”

“Why are there fewer monsters here?”

“Of course, it’s to prepare for the next floor. Dungeons, much like living creatures, assign roles to each floor. Just like how a floor might be peaceful to allow adventurers to rest, this one is calm.”

Simon smiled. I couldn’t help but be startled. I see. The hundredth floor was supposed to have a raid boss…

Our formation was centered around me and Simon, with Gear and the others protecting the front, and Rouge and the others securing the rear as we moved forward.

For a while, the peaceful meadow continued. But then, the front team started getting noisy.

I wondered what happened. The progress stopped, and the atmosphere became tense.

“What’s going on?”

Rouge peered her head out.

“I’m not sure…”

After a while, we figured out why the front team had stopped. From behind large rocks scattered across the meadow, some fluffy things were watching us.

“Ah…”

Could it be that those shadows…? As I was thinking that, my backpack rustled.

Pipi, Lili, and Lala came out and perched on my shoulder.

“Pii!”

“Piyo!”

“Pii~!”

With loud chirping sounds, the little creatures that had been hiding behind the rocks suddenly rushed toward us.

Mokomotts!

“Wow, this is amazing.”

Simon said with admiration.

From various rock crevices, colorful Mokomotts began to pop out and, for some reason, they came toward us. They were making a lot of noise, flying and hopping around, like chicks falling from the sky. Everyone was surprised.

Rouge and the other female members were greatly delighted, saying “So fluffy!”

“Wow.”

I called out, “It’s been a while,” and the Mokomotts gathered around me.

I bent down to the ground and let Pipi and the others meet them.

“Pii~!”

Pipi and the others flapped their tiny wings, excited to reunite with everyone.

Now that I think about it, during that explosion incident, for some reason, Pipi and the others wanted to stay with me instead of returning to the dungeon with their companions.

They followed me, so I took them back with me, but I wonder if that was the right decision.

Fluffy. Soft. Chirping.

“Hmm…?”

As I was lost in thought, for some reason, I was surrounded by chicks.

They clung to me as if I were wearing a fluffy dress.

“You’re still loved by spirits, aren’t you, Kuna-chan?”

Stella said and laughed.

“How nice, how nice!”

“Muimui and the others want chicks too!”

The twin fairies laughed and dashed toward me.

“Kyaa!”

I fell onto the ground with a puff, and somehow, I was surrounded by cute things like fairies and Mokomotts.

“Ah, they’re inside my clothes… fufu, that’s ticklish!”

I couldn’t help but laugh and squirm.

“What a peaceful scene.”

“Where are we right now?”

“Is this heaven?”

I heard Gant and the others’ voices.

Ah. No, we shouldn’t be here. We need to move forward.

I somehow managed to get the chicks off me.

“Looking at them together, Kuna’s Mokomott is really chubby, huh?”

Kiril said it with admiration.

Indeed, compared to the Mokomotto here, Pipi and the others had grown almost twice as big.

“Indeed… Maybe Pipi and the others would be healthier living in the dungeon…”

I murmured, and Pipi and the others suddenly turned to face me.

Then they flew over to me and nuzzled my cheek.

“…Hey, do you want to stay here? Or do you want to stay with everyone?”

“Piyo!”

Pipi and the others shook their heads. It seemed like they were saying they wanted to go with me.

“Are you sure?”

“Pii.”

They hopped onto my head, spreading their small wings and pointing forward, as if saying, “Go ahead!”

“…I see.”

If I can be with Pipi and the others, I would be happy too.

I stood up. Then the Mokomotts all scattered and lined up neatly, as if they were making a path. For some reason, they began to dance around in circles.

“Wow, how cute!”

As they danced and chirped, they saw us off.

Petals of flowers began to fall from somewhere, showering down on us, as if blessing us.

“I’ve been an adventurer for many years, but this is the first time I’ve seen something like this…”

Someone muttered while watching the chicks dance. I don’t know why, but somehow, I started to feel that everything would be alright from here on. Maybe it was because the Mokomott, symbols of our journey’s safety, were cheering us on.

We cheerfully set off toward the next hundred floors.

Soon, we would face the Gryphon.