[So days later]
Luki was in his room at the Fertility Hostess, sitting on the edge of the bed as he put on his new set of equipnt.
The armor was simple: a hardened leather chestplate, dark brown in color, made with plates about 0.5 cm thick, stitched over a base of coarse raw cotton fabric. The piece covered his torso from the collarbone to just below the waist, approximately 50 cm in vertical length and 40 cm wide at the broadest part of the chest. Darkened bronze buckles adjusted the side straps, tightening the set around his body.
Under the chestplate, he wore a thick, long-sleeved wool shirt. Dark, almost black, and form-fitting, its main purpose was to prevent the leather from rubbing directly on the skin and to minimize the feeling of stuffiness.
On his arms were light protections called bracers: leather strips 25 cm long each, tied with rustic cords, covering from the wrist to just below the elbow. On his legs, sturdy fabric pants with leather reinforcents on the knees and shins, where simple leather greaves were secured, about 30 cm high and 10 mm thick.
The boots, though heavy, were the most reliable his budget allowed: reinforced cowhide leather with thick soles of recycled rubber, 3 cm thick to absorb impact and provide stability on the dungeon's uneven stones. They reached halfway up his calves and were fastened with crisscrossed laces.
The sword, fastened to his waist by a simple leather belt, was a standard short sword for beginners. The blade was 55 cm long, made of bronze, with a straight guard and a wooden hilt wrapped in leather for grip. It wasn't particularly sharp or well-balanced—just enough to get the job done.
The whole set weighed about 15 kg, light enough not to hinder mobility, but heavy enough to remind Luki that he was about to risk his life for money and glory.
He stood up from the bed, stretched his arms, bent his knees, and took a few short steps around the room, feeling the friction and tension of the new equipnt against his body.
'It's kind of tight,' he thought, frowning as he adjusted the chestplate. 'But that must be on purpose. Loose armor is probably about as useful as a wet piece of paper.'
He tested his mobility a bit more: squatting, standing, twisting his torso. It was a little uncomfortable, but bearable, a fair price to pay for at least so protection.
His eyes then landed on the backpack lying in the corner of the room. It was a thick canvas bag, with a capacity of about 50 liters, reinforced with heavy stitching and leather straps fastened with simple buckles. An illogical doubt struck him. For the seventh ti, he bent down and pulled it toward him, determined to check the contents once again.
Inside were the usual items: three red potion bottles (150 ml each), a three-liter water bottle, two packs of jerky, a slightly bruised apple, a 10-ter rope neatly coiled and secured with a scout's knot… and the map of the first five dungeon floors.
With an almost childlike air, Luki picked up one of the potions and held it up to the light. The liquid shimred a vivid red, swaying softly from side to side inside the thick glass.
'Potions. If there was ever any doubt that this is a fantasy world… I guess it's gone now. To think a little bottle like this can close a cut in seconds.'
This was the first ti he bought a potion for his expedition, partly because he hadn't had the funds before and partly because it wasn't strictly necessary, but now that he could, it didn't hurt to have a few.
With almost ceremonial care, he returned the potion to the backpack, treating it as if it cost three tis what it actually did. Which, thinking about it, might not be far from the truth—the glass bottle alone was worth a few hundred Valis, and the liquid inside… well, better not drop it.
Next, he grabbed the map. A folded sheet of thick paper, hand-written and drawn with irregular but careful strokes.
— And to think I made this myself.
Yes, that map didn't co from any equipnt shop, nor was it bought from so shady stall in the Guild alley. He had drawn it with his own hands.
He did it for two reasons.
The first was simple: free ti. When you're bored, you end up doing unthinkable things just to occupy your mind, and to his surprise, he had enjoyed it. From morizing the routes and layout of the tunnels to sketching the corridors, every step brought unexpected satisfaction. There was pride there, even if he knew he could have done better.
The second reason was a bit more practical (and economical): maps were absurdly expensive. Not "unaffordable," but "annoyingly overpriced." A diocre map of the first floor, made by a dubious author, cost thousands of Valis. And maps signed by renowned cartographers? Don't even ntion it.
At first, he considered splurging, buying at least one reliable map just so he wouldn't get lost inside.
But after seeing the price?
— No way. — he muttered, laughing to himself.
'Who needs a map? Just pay attention to the path. Not that I got lost last ti… just took twenty extra minutes to find the exit. No big deal.'
He put the map back, closed the backpack securely, slung it over his shoulders, and sighed, feeling anxiety mix with a twinge of excitent.
Today would be his first return to the dungeon since the "forced suspension.", totaling 27 days in another world. Although he had done this several tis before, it seed that after a week of inactivity, the sa initial anxiety had returned.
Without giving himself ti to overthink, or to hesitate, he simply adjusted the backpack, took a deep breath, and left the room with a determined look.
As he descended the stairs of the Fertility Hostess, the hall was still being cleaned and arranged for the day. The mixed sll of old alcohol, soap, and fresh bread lingered in the air. The waitresses were scattered throughout, busy with their morning tasks.
Then a booming voice rang out:
— Oi! Brat! — called Mama Mia, drying her hands on a cloth and pausing behind the counter. — Finally heading to the dungeon?
Luki nodded casually. — Yes.
Anya, carrying a stack of dishes, perked up with a mischievous smile. — Nya~, careful not to end up as kobold poop out there, little boy!
Chloe, sweeping a corner, stopped to lean on the broom handle. — If you don't co back by dinner, I'll assu you ran away just to avoid washing yesterday's dishes…
Interestingly, seeing that Luki had a lot of free ti, Mia had him work as an assistant outside regular work hours.
Runoa, quiet as always, rely cast a quick sideways glance before returning to stack chairs harder than necessary.
But the one who really seed nervous was Syr. She held a cloth but had clearly stopped cleaning, staring at Luki with slightly widened eyes and an indecisive expression. She bit her lower lip and hesitated before stepping a little closer.
— Luki-sama… are you sure you're okay? You still look… a little tired — she said softly, trying to sound casual, but concern was clear in her voice.
He forced a warr smile for her.
— I'll be fine, Syr-san. I just need to get moving again. Standing still is driving crazy.
anwhile, he thought:
'Tired, my ass! If a certain soone stopped sniffing my neck while I sleep, then I could really rest.'
Another interesting fact: Syr, or most likely Freya possessing the waitress, had snuck into Luki's room while he slept to watch him and do your fanatical woman things for people with pure souls that only knows how to do. The problem was, she wasn't as subtle as she thought and woke him up in the process.
And… well… things were seen.
She nodded with a subtle "hmm," but didn't look convinced. Her hand nervously clutched the edge of her apron.
Leaning against the wall next to the stairs, Lyu observed everything silently. She said nothing. Her face remained calm and expressionless as always, arms crossed over her chest, eyes half-closed. But anyone paying attention would notice that, for a mont, her gaze lingered on Luki longer than usual.
— Be careful down there, okay? — Mama Mia repeated, calling attention again. — I don't want to have to hire soone to fetch your bones. That would be a huge waste of a room… and of ti.
— Ahhhh… hahaha… yes… of course… — Luki laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck.
He just waved at everyone and turned. He stepped out the front door with strides that tried to be firm but betrayed a certain contained urgency.
But, in any case… it was ti to return to the underground!
— LUKI-KUN!! Wait!!
The unmistakably loud female voice made him stop imdiately. Along with it ca the sound of quick, determined footsteps.
Turning around, he saw Hestia running toward him with a smile that lit up her entire face. She wore the new hostess uniform, a white apron over a short green dress, giving her an almost professional look, if it weren't for the childlike excitent radiating from her.
— LUUUUKIIIIII-KUN! — she shouted, extending her arms.
— Whoa! — was all he could say before she leapt and threw herself onto him like a human koala.
He almost fell backward into the street but managed to plant his feet just in ti, holding her by the thighs to keep her in place.
— Hestia-sama?! Problem? — he asked, confused, trying to maintain his balance.
It's worth ntioning that, thanks to the awkward position, his head ended up wedged right between the goddess's "lons." A detail they both imdiately noticed… but since neither comnted, they continued pretending everything was perfectly normal.
— Ufufufu~ Problem? Maybe the fact that my favorite child is about to enter the dungeon without saying goodbye to his loving, devoted goddess isn't exactly a "problem," so… no, everything's great! — she replied with a bright smile, her legs still wrapped around his waist.
— Ah… soRRy! I didn't an to…
— Ah-ah-ah! — she interrupted, wagging a finger in front of his face. — I don't want half-hearted apologies. If you really want to apologize, you'll have to give sothing in return.
Luki raised an eyebrow. — Like… what?
She smiled, eyes sparkling with mischief.
— Like… a kiss.
Luki froze for a second. His eyes t hers. That small distance between them now seed huge.
— …You're jokKing, right?
— I'm always joking. Or am I not? — she said with a wink.
He sighed, laughing awkwardly. — You're not letting go down there until I do, huh? — he said fluently.
—Exactly.
Luki looked around, checking if anyone was paying attention. So passersby definitely were, and he swore he saw a few little heads peeking from behind the Hostess's door.
With a resigned sigh, he leaned in, but instead of going straight for her lips, he pressed his lips gently against her cheek.
—Does this count?
Hestia pouted, but then genuinely smiled. — Hmm… I'll allow it, just because I'm in a good mood today.
She finally released her legs, jumping to the ground with the lightness of soone who had done this a thousand tis.
— Take care down there, okay? And co back in one piece.
Luki nodded. — You got it.
They laughed together, and then Luki turned again. Now, with his heart a little lighter.
'Now it was ti to-'
Suddenly, Luki froze in place, still mid-step.
He looked around as if confirming sothing, and seeing nothing nearby, he sighed and said:
— Now… it's ti to go back underground — he repeated, more to himself than to anyone else.
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