а∨天堂入口

Hey guys,

mranon here (again). Here’s your third and final Slave Harem chapter for the week. (Yes, it’s still the same week) See y’all soon™. Enjoy the read.

Yours truly,

Shiogama

Because the door is now open, we enter the boss room. Since there’s no boss in the room, the earlier party seemed to have safely killed the boss, although they took quite long. The door closes and smoke gathers at two points.

Two monsters appear. That the points where the smoke gathered at were high in the air, it was clear that the accompanying monster would be Bitch Butterfly. The boss, Black Diamond Tuna, is swimming in the air, too.

It doesn’t have feet like Ma Bream has. It’s truly a fish. A fish that swims in the sky. It’s a monster, after all, so it’s not surprising.

“I’ll sweep the small fry as usual.” “To serve my lord, to not just defend them with my body, but to worship them — Defense.”

Roxanne recites the incantation of [Defense] skill. Right after, Sherry and Miria confront the boss, too.

I approach the Bitch Butterfly and smash Durandal into it. The butterfly collapses under the barrage of [Rush]s. I join the attack on the boss.

As for Black Diamond Tuna, it’s a slightly-more-than-one-meter-long fish. Its name is tuna. It’s black from head to tail and seems to be tough. Its name is quite strong.

Roxanne dodges a charge from the Black Diamond Tuna. It’s quite fast. It advances to stab. I have no confidence in evading it.

It’s a relief that Roxanne can play with it. I approach it from around the side and smash Durandal into it. The tuna swings its tail fin and attacks Miria who was standing behind it. It has such a trick, huh?

Miria crouches half-a-foot down and dodges the attack. Finding the gap, when the tuna was trying to attack Miria, Sherry thrusts her spear. I take a hack at it with Durandal, too.

Even if the Black Diamond Tuna can attack front and back, it got nothing to take care of its sides. Perhaps, it can bend its tail fin up to 90 degrees? Wielding Durandal, I approach it carefully in order to confirm my conjecture. The tuna charges at Roxanne. Roxanne twitches. The tuna’s charge comes to a stop. While Roxanne was trying to regain her breath, it prepares for another charge. Was the last one a feint?

Roxanne maneuvers the upper half of her body and dodges it. During the exchange, Roxanne connects her estoc with the tuna. Although it used feint, it couldn’t see everything through. My condolences for the tuna.

When the monster comes to a stop after its exchange with Roxanne, I hammer in a [Rush]. The Black Diamond Tuna convulses and drops down. It’s lying on the ground. It looks like a tuna, indeed.

Before long, it turns into smoke and dissipates. The item it dropped is lean tuna. So Ma Bream drops white fish while Black Diamond Tuna drops lean tuna? Miria jumps at it and brings it over with slight disappointment about her face.

“Yes, desu.” “Is lean tuna no good?” “Like Ma Bream, Black Diamond Tuna drops a rare item. It’s called fatty tuna.”

Sherry explains the reason to me. So a tuna’s rare drop is a fatty tuna, huh?

“I see. How do you cook fatty tuna?” “Stew, desu. Roast, desu.”

So it can either be boiled or roasted? Like I speculated, there’s no sashimi in this world.

“Since we got whole fish today, tomorrow’s dinner will be the whole fish.” “Yes ,desu.”

Miria answers brightly. It’s so easy to dupe her. She’s shortsighted, just like a monkey. You tell them that you are reducing the quantity of their feed, that they will get three in the morning and four in the evening, at which they complain. Later, you tell them that they will get four in the morning and three in the evening, upon which they rejoice.

“Because there seem to be less people in Haruba’s labyrinth, we will keep fighting Black Diamond Tuna in Haruba’s labyrinth until we get fatty tuna. Miria will be cooking it.” “Okay, desu.”

Says Miria even more brightly. Were you not duped just now? Although I was intending to change the subject, I seem to have gotten further into it.

Was she just pretending to have been duped? It was wrong of me to think that she’s shortsighted, it seems.

At this moment, I’m Explorer Lv43. Upon reaching Explorer Lv 44; after allocating 63 points toward Durandal, 31 points toward Required Experience 1/10th, 31 points toward Gained Experience 10x, a point each toward Shortened Incantation and Character Reset; I will have 15 points left to allocate. I will then be able to select fifth job. When I will be able to select fifth job, I will be able to select Cook during the boss battles.

After fighting Black Diamond Tuna in Haruba’s labyrinth, I should be able to reach Explorer Lv44. Thereafter, I’ll be able to fulfill Miria’s demands. However, because of [Shortened Incantation], it’ll get noisy with the ‘Rush, Rush’ shouts.

“The monster native to Quratar’s 18th floor is Pig Hog.

While we were moving from the boss room to 18th floor, Sherry briefs.

“Pig Hog is resistant to earth magic, right?” “That’s right.”

The monster native to 17th floor, Ma Bream, was weak against earth magic but resistant to water magic while Pig Hog is weak against water magic but resistant to earth magic. Completely opposite. If both were to appear together, I would be in trouble.

“Roxanne, guide us to a place with both Ma Breams and Pig Hogs. We should try to fight them both once, at least. After that, we will move back to Haruba.” “Understood.”

Because Pig Hog is native to 18th floor of Quratar’s labyrinth, it will appear on 18th floor the most. Since Ma Bream is native 17th floor, it will appear on 18th floor the second most. 18th floor of Quratar’s labyrinth is quite difficult for the weakness and resistance of both the monsters are completely opposite.

Fortunately, I have already fought against Pig Hogs before. I have already confirmed that [Meteor Crash] is not as effective on Pig Hogs. After fighting here once, we will move back to Haruba’s labyrinth.

We have to explore Haruba’s 18th floor. There’s no such thing in Quratar’s case. We can simply go to the boss room of Quratar’s 18th floor and proceed to 19th. That said, because Pig Hog drops pork, I’ll be visiting this floor every now and then. Other than that, it’s worthless.

We advance through the cave under Roxanne’s guidance. After taking out two Pig Hogs in seven water spells, I finish off lone Ma Bream with sixth [Sandball].

“Un, I knew that it would be difficult.” “It’s not much.”

Even though I said that it’s difficult, all I do is cast spells from the back. Even if the duration of battles lengthens, it’s the vanguard, Roxanne, who’ll bear the brunt. Since you said that ‘it’s not much’, are you fine with it?

“Well then, let’s move to Haruba?”

After the battle in Quratar was over, we move to Haruba’s 18th floor.

Next day. We carry on the exploration of Haruba’s 18th floor. We finish the exploration ahead of time. Cooking being the reason.

“Because I’m already making soup for Miria, I’ll ask of you two, Roxanne and Sherry, to make one more dish.” “Understood.” “Since you are cooking the whole fish, I wonder if stir-fried vegetables would do.”

Sherry takes nutritional balance into account, it seems. As you would expect from her.

“That would be great.” “Hopefully. Sherry and I will make stir-fried vegetables, then.” “Alright. Then, Miria will be helping me.” “Yes, desu.”

Miria doesn’t seem to have any unpleasant expression about her face.

“Great, Miria.”

Well, this time, it won’t be as laborious a task as blending mayonnaise. This time, she’ll just have to be a fire watchman.

After returning home, I add some salt to an egg, whip it and spread it on a pan. As for the salt, it’s kobold salt. Miria was the one who ground it. It’s not a laborious task. I put the herb-dredged whole fish on the salt. After that, I coat the entire fish with the salt. It’s shiogama-roasted whole fish.

Because there was some room in the pan still, I put a pork rib next to the whole fish. With the second whole fish, I make soup.

“I have never seen such a method of cooking. As expected of Master.” “I’m seeing it for the first time, too.” “Wow, desu.”

They are surprised to see shiogama-roast. They have never seen it before, it seems. Even in Japan, it’s not that common.

“You first put it on fire for 30 minutes. After that, you take it off fire and steam it for an hour. Miria, can you please monitor the fire?” “Yes, desu.”

I put the pan on fire and entrust it to Miria. While it was being roasted, I heat the bath. After heating the bath, I make the whole fish soup. When you use dropped items as ingredients, it doesn’t produce any lye, so it’s convenient.

“Alright. It’ll soon be ready.”

Having carried the pot containing the soup to the dining table and returned to the kitchen, I announce so after having a look at the shiogama-roast. Since no cracks can be seen, the shiogama seems to have been roasted well. I hope that it won’t taste burnt.

I stick a knife into the salt. It’s hard.

“Let me do it.”

Sherry takes the knife from me. When Sherry sticks the knife into the shiogama, it splits open. From inside, comes out a nicely roasted whole fish.

“Ooh!” “Wow, desu.”

It’s pretty nicely roasted. It went well. The salt is stuck to the pan. It’ll be quite difficult to clean it. I’d just pretend that I didn’t see it.

I put the whole fish and the pork rib on a dish and bring it to the dining table. I first serve the fish soup. Starting from mine, I pour it in four bowls in order. I put the whole fish in Miria’s platter.

“Dig in.” “Thank you, desu.” “Are you not gonna eat?” “Yes, desu.”

I insert my knife into the shiogama-roasted whole fish. The knife cuts it like butter. It seems to be soft.

I take a spoonful and put it in my mouth. The soft meat of the bream explodes inside my mouth. It’s delicious. The salt seems to be in moderation.

“It’s delicious. Try it, Roxanne.”

I pass the dish with the shiogama-roasted fish to Roxanne. I try the soup next. The mellow and juicy, boiled whole fish melts inside my mouth. It tastes equally good.

“It’s tasty.” “The soup is good, too. Adding the whole fish to the soup was the right choice.” “Right choice, desu.”

While it was Roxanne’s and Sherry’s turn to try the shiogama-roasted fish, Miria takes some soup. They bite into the whole fish. Later, when it was Miria’s turn again, she grabs it. She grabs it with everything she has.

“So it’s holiday tomorrow, right? Would Sherry like to go to the library? Actually, won’t the library be closed?”

While waiting for Miria to calm down, I ask. Tomorrow is the holiday, the day when one season ends and another begins.

“Is it going to be a day off for us?” “Well, isn’t it a holiday?” “On the calendar but…”

So it’s a holiday in name only? When I was out, buying ingredients, I did hear that the bakery and the vegetables shop will remain open. But the guilds will be closed. Is the holiday perhaps not for slaves?

“Generally, it is.” “However, shops conduct their business like they normally do. The library remains open every day of the year. And there’s no such thing as ‘closed’ in case of the labyrinth.” “Is that so?”

Why can’t there be a holiday at the labyrinth? The art is a blast. (TN: Don’t ask me why it’s here)

“The orders of knights will be out of commission. The counters of guilds will be closed. Farmers will have a day off, too.” “I’ll be going to the auction tomorrow. Because there’s participation fee, I’ll be going there by myself. Like I said earlier, it’s in order to increase the battle strength of our party.”

I offer an excuse to increase the number of party members. Furthermore, it’s not a good decision to take these three with me as they’ll definitely object to the addition of a female party member.

“That’s right.” “We will enter the labyrinth early in the morning. After that, it’ll be day off.”

I propose, at which Roxanne nods.

“Thank you very much.” “Thank you very much. Then, can I really go to the library?” “Sherry will go to the library.”

I have no idea as to how large is the collection of books in the library but I’m sure that Sherry couldn’t possibly read them all in just two days.

“Then, I’ll spend some time shopping and relax for rest of the day.” “As usual for Roxanne. What do you want to do, Miria? Is there any place you want to go to?” “Sea, desu.”

That was a quick answer. Well, even if she said ‘sea’, it doesn’t necessarily mean ‘swim’, right? Yeah, I know that she intends to step into the water.

“Will you be fine?” “Fine, desu.”

Even though she said that she’ll be fine, I can’t help but feel uneasy about this.

“Except through fishing, if you catch a fish, it’ll be a big problem, I think.”

Sherry seems to be thinking the same thing as me.

“I thought so. Does fishing exist here?” “Yes, it’s a recognized hobby of nobles and retirees. Because nobles and influential people catch fish through fishing, it has been recognized as an exception to the fishery rules.” “Is fishing at the sea allowed, too?” “My grandfather used to go to the sea for fishing, so I believe that it’s allowed. There should be a fishing tackle shop in the Imperial Capital.”

Just like she said, her grandfather was a wealthy man. Are those who do fishing different from those who catch fish for food? I don’t get it.

“Well then, Miria, will you try fishing? Fishing. F-i-s-h-i-n-g.” “Yes, desu. Fishing, desu.”

Answers Miria. Will Miria really be content with fishing? If she’s happy, I’m happy. However, whether she understands what fishing really means or not is questionable.

[ | Table of Contents | ]