Chapter 9

It has been a month since Alyusha and I started living near the labyrinth.

Since then, I have been delving into the labyrinth to train Alyusha's physical strength and bringing back materials for daily use.

What I have learned about this labyrinth is that it is very vast and its ecosystem is chaotic.

Moreover, monsters are replenished within an hour of being defeated.

Thanks to this, we no longer have to worry about food.

On the first floor of the labyrinth, there are birds and wolves; on the second floor, there are tree creatures and slimes. When we went down to the third floor, we found a forest spreading out.

There, fruits and trees flourished, and since they regenerated in about an hour, we could obtain infinite fruits and timber. The monsters that appeared were wild animals like bears, boars, and snakes, so the meat was delicious.

Furthermore, there was a river, so we could also catch fish.

With large leaves, timber, and vines, as well as feathers, we managed to significantly improve the quality of our life.

Then, the fourth floor.

This floor was actually the sea.

The width was the same as the upper floors, about a few kilometers, but the entire floor was filled with seawater, and waves were mysteriously occurring, with fish and marine creatures breeding.

The stairs to the fifth floor were at the bottom of the sea, more than ten meters down, and the stairs were designed in such a way that water did not flow into them.

When I asked Alyusha about the mechanism, she said, "That's just how labyrinths are."

On this floor, we obtained the much-awaited salt and even attempted to make fish sauce, achieving some success.

Thank you, a certain survival idol! I never thought I would actually use the knowledge I gained from a variety show.

And the final blow was the fifth floor.

This floor was also about the same size, but it was a plain where monsters like cows, pigs, horses, sheep, and goats existed.

It's beef, beef!

Although it wasn't as tender as the beef sold in Japan, it was wild and hard, but the flavor of the fat without any peculiar taste made me almost cry.

We could also obtain milk from cows and sheep, so we could improve the quality of our beverages. Hurray for the labyrinth!

There were stairs leading down to the sixth floor, but since the quality of our life was already quite secured at this stage, we haven't gone down yet.

However, what we have learned is that the enemies up to the fifth floor are not very strong.

This labyrinth seems to be designed for beginners, as I had initially guessed.

When I told Alyusha this, she shook her head seriously and said, "No, that's not true."

Anyway, with the addition of salt, fish sauce, and the sweetness of fruits, our meals have become much more flavorful, and Alyusha is very happy.

We also built a small house a little away from the labyrinth using the timber we brought back, ensuring a place to shelter from the rain and wind.

We can't sleep soundly on a rock exposed to the elements, as we don't know when monsters might appear.

Additionally, we cut grass, dried it, and made hay, shaped it into blocks with vines, and covered it with fur to make a fluffy bed. We also made leather bags, filled them with feathers to make pillows, and used a similar process to make feather quilts. However, since they are wrapped in leather, the breathability is terrible...

Creating all these things in just one month would be impossible in reality.

But in this world, where we can skip the processing steps, the production speed is incredibly fast. Thanks to this, we could make things quickly and efficiently.

We have more than a hundred water bags, and we can now make them from the stomachs of horses, cows, and sheep, allowing us to transport large amounts of water.

Once Alyusha's physical strength improves, we can set out on a journey.

However, while her magical growth is remarkable, her physical growth is very slow.

It seems she is more suited to magic.

It will take some time to complete a long journey. Perhaps it would be faster to train a horse and make a cart? But the tall grass might get tangled in the wheels, so I can't decide.

Morning.

I wake up to the weight on my chest and a sweet sensation.

I'm already used to this, and when I look down, I see Alyusha sucking on my chest, having lifted my shirt.

Since she's still a child, it might be a replay of old memories.

Especially since she's been separated from her parents and is living in the labyrinth with me, she must want to be pampered sometimes.

However...

“N, no... Ah, no! Alyusha, wake up!”

My chest is still small, and the nipples are only about the size of a pea. When she tries to suck them, it feels both painful and pleasurable, making me feel strange.

Since she's a small child, I can't do anything inappropriate. I try to wake her up by gently shaking her.

This only amplifies the strange sensation.

Recently, this morning attack is the most difficult.

“Mm, good morning, Yune.”

“Hi, good morning. You made my chest all sticky again, didn't you?”

“Mm, hehe.”

“Don't try to cover it up with a smile!”

“Sorry...”

Recently, Alyusha has started calling me "Yune" instead of "Onee-chan."

It seems "Yumir Onee-chan" has been shortened to "Yune."

Not only has her way of calling me changed, but I also call myself "I" in my heart.

After using it for a long time, it feels silly to distinguish between "I" and "me," and I'm just used to it.

“Come on, get dressed quickly. We're going to wash our faces.”

“Okay.”

We go outside and transfer water from the water bags in our inventory to a bucket made of wood.

However, the bucket, which I made with gaps, can't hold water.

So, I lined the inside with leather to prevent the water from leaking.

We take out our toothbrushes and brush our teeth vigorously.

We fill a cup made by hollowing out wood with water, stand side by side, and rinse our mouths, spitting it out.

“Hey, Alyusha, you were imitating me, weren't you?”

“No, you were imitating me.”

“You're getting better at talking.”

“I'm growing.”

Her attitude has recently become very similar to mine.

Since I'm originally a guy, I sit with my legs spread wide and walk with my feet apart.

For a girl, this is a terrible way to behave.

It's not a good trend for Alyusha to imitate me.

“You need to interact with other girls.”

“But Yune, I'm here.”

“You can't say things that will ruin someone. I might fall for Alyusha.”

“Sure, why not?”

“Mm... Anyway, we're going to take a bath. Someone made my chest all sticky.”

“Okay.”

Alyusha changes into her outdoor gear.

As she has grown in level, the number of equippable items has gradually increased.

The one she is now holding is a robe with a rose design, which increases attack power against the four major elements—earth, water, fire, and wind—and is especially customized for fire.

However, since the size doesn't fit, she needs to tie it in various places to adjust the length.

She completes her outfit by equipping her usual angel wings.

“Done!”

“Good, you look cute today.”

“Hehe.”

Alyusha's smile, like the sun, makes me feel dizzy.

This girl will surely become a natural charmer in the future, captivating both men and women.

I change into a robe that prevents spellcasting interference and equip a two-handed sword. I don't need to equip a light source since we're near the labyrinth. Alyusha needs to be as light as possible to conserve her stamina.

I also put the empty water bags back in my inventory. We'll refill them while taking a bath. We still have plenty of dried meat, fur, and timber. Oh, we're running low on milk, aren't we?

“We'll go down to the fifth floor after the bath. We're running low on milk.”

“Then we'll dive into the sea on the way? Yay!”

She loves swimming and particularly enjoys the sea on the fourth floor.

Even though it's tough for her to dive to the bottom of the sea, which is more than ten meters deep, she has been eager to go since we made a float from wolf intestines.

It's been hot recently... Before I was reincarnated, it was winter, but here it feels like summer, and it's getting hotter every day.

“I don't really like it. The fifth floor is salty and sticky.”

“You can wash it off with water.”

“You make it sound so easy.”

Still, we have to go. Milk can be used for making cream.

As we leave the house and head towards the labyrinth, Alyusha suddenly shouts.

“Yune! Look! Over there, over there!”

She points in a direction different from the labyrinth and jumps up and down.

When I look in that direction...

“It's people... people! Hey!”

I see several figures walking towards us.

I wave my hands to get their attention. These are the first people we've met in this world besides Alyusha.

As they get closer, I can see what they are wearing.

Half of them are wearing metal armor, and the rest seem to be wearing leather armor. They are holding swords and staffs and are using mantles to protect themselves from the direct sunlight.

They all have deep features, with blonde or red hair, and they all seem to be in good physical shape. There are three men and two women, I think?

It's hard to tell because of the mantles.

They seem to have noticed us waving and are waving back. They seem friendly... but it's too early to judge.

“Hey, good morning, ladies.”

“G-good morning.”

I'm a bit nervous talking to people for the first time, but... well, I'm a girl now, so it's okay to be cute, right?

“We saw this house from a distance and came over. Could we have some water, please?”

“Sure, Alyusha, help me.”

“Okay!”

We go back to the house, fill the bucket with water, and bring it outside.

Regarding the item inventory... it seems to be a function that contradicts the world of swords and magic, so it's better to keep it a secret.

I remind Alyusha of this in a low voice when we go back to the house.

They seem like good people, but you never know what might happen. I'm still unfamiliar with this world.

We carry the bucket outside, and they start filling their bags with water. They are using water bags, so it seems the civilization level is not very high?

The other two men are scooping water with their hands to quench their thirst. They must have been very thirsty.

“Thanks. We had enough water to cross the plain, but we accidentally broke a few.”

“Really? You broke them...?”

“Yes, we were attacked by wolves.”

“Wow, you're lucky to be alive.”

“Well, we're adventurers!”

The man who was drinking water puffed out his chest. He looks ridiculous with his chest wet, but...

“Of course, you can tell by looking. And she's an adventurer too?”

“Really?”

“She's carrying a huge sword.”

I had equipped the sword to go to the labyrinth.

Well, it's better to not seem defenseless.

“By the way, we haven't introduced ourselves yet. I'm Arvin. I'm the leader of this party and a swordsman.”

“I'm Clavis. Nice to meet you!”

“I'm Luisa. I'm a mage.”

“I'm Rudis. I'm a priest.”

“I'm Dainit. I'm a scout.”

It's hard to remember all their names at once!

But it's polite to introduce yourself when someone introduces themselves.

“I'm Yumir. This is Alyusha.”

“Mm.”

Alyusha is hiding behind me, shy around strangers.

“No, really, thanks a lot.”

Arvin bows again in gratitude.

This was our first encounter with people other than Alyusha.

I will post the continuation tomorrow.