Chapter 86

“Alright! I defeated the final boss! The Demon Mountain Dungeon is cleared!”

With that, the two of us and one cat let out a cheer.

Although I took some hits, nothing life-threatening happened. The areas where I was blown away by the barrier and scratched on the rocky surface have already healed with healing magic.

The final boss of the Demon Mountain Dungeon was a Griffin. A majestic magical beast with the upper body of an eagle and the lower body of a lion. It attacked with troublesome thunder and wind magic, and it gave us quite a bit of trouble.

Not only magic, but sharp beak and claw attacks also came at us, so we used the Creator God’s barrier to deflect them and somehow managed to defeat it.

I wanted to handle it myself, so I refused Rei’s help this time.

It was tough, but thanks to it, my level went up a lot.

“Hey, my level’s 125 now, is that pretty strong in this world?”

I asked eagerly, but the divine beast, which was likely over a thousand years old, tilted its head slightly.

“Well, strength varies greatly depending on the species. For a High Elf, I’d say that’s pretty average.”

“Seriously…? I worked so hard to level up, and it’s just average?”

“High Elves are a long-lived species, so it’s natural for many to have high levels. The Dragonblooded Dragonkin are strong too.”

“Yeah, I figured.”

Joking around, I opened the dropped treasure chest. It was a pretty large chest, so naturally, I felt hopeful.

I hoped for treasure that could be exchanged for high points, or useful magical tools to come!

“Oh, nice! Gold-encrusted ornaments, jewels, magic stones, and a magic sword! The attribute granted is lightning. Cool!”

“Meow.”

“Hm? This? According to the appraisal, it’s a leather pouch that never runs out of holy water. Probably a magical item.”

“Rather, it’s a sacred relic. If you take it to a church in the Shirane Kingdom, they’ll buy it for a good price.”

“No way, that’s scary. The Shirane Kingdom is where those guys were summoned, right? Their church is the stronghold of demi-human discrimination. No way!”

I quickly shook my head, refusing.

The well-tanned, amber-colored leather pouch was a never-ending water flask.

Holy water? Does that mean purified, clean drinking water?

I thought I’d gratefully use it instead of converting it into points.

Since I have water magic, it’s not strictly necessary, but when I tasted it, it was deliciously cold and refreshing. It was soft water, very smooth and easy to drink.

It seemed like it could also be good for cooking.

Rei explained that pure water like this is also highly valued as an alchemy material. Holy water is said to be a key ingredient for high-quality healing potions.

Since I can use healing and recovery magic, I hadn’t planned on using potions for now, but it was clear that this magical item was valuable.

I was curious about the points, but it felt like it would be better to hold onto it. I quietly stored the holy water pouch in my [Item Box].

Ketsue, who was eagerly scavenging the treasure, climbed into the chest and dug out a small ceramic bottle with its adorable front paws.

It was about the size of a 500ml plastic bottle, with a flower pattern painted in dark blue on white.

“I wonder what this bottle is? Appraisal: Divine Liquor Soma… Hmm, I feel like I’ve heard of it somewhere.”

Was it in a game, a novel, or maybe an anime? It felt like a relatively well-known item.

What was it again? I tilted my head, and Rei, looking a bit exasperated, answered.

“Soma is a special liquor made from the fruit of the divine garden. It’s said to be a nectar-like medicinal drink that extends your life by one year with each sip.”

“Hmm? A drink that extends your life by a year? I don’t really need it. I’ll turn it into points.”

“The royal families of human nations fight over a single bottle of it…”

“Well, I’m a High Elf, right? My lifespan is already long. I don’t need it to be any longer.”

“Then perhaps it’s even more necessary for you? If you choose a partner from a different species, their lifespan would affect yours.”

Rei, with her clear amethyst eyes, spoke calmly.

Ah, right. This is a world where things like that can happen.

High Elves are a fussy and exclusionary species.

Because of their long lifespan, their birth rates are low, and no children have been born in the last hundred years.

Elves live for less than half the lifespan of High Elves.

Beastmen can live for up to a hundred years at best.

Humans, of course, have even shorter lifespans.

It was written in the magic book given by the Creator God that high-level adventurers or those skilled in magic can sometimes extend their lives by several decades.

“…Yeah. As Rei suggested, I’ll keep the Soma for now. Just in case.”

“That’s good. …It’s the fate of long-lived species. We’re the ones who watch others go. Whether they are partners, friends, or family. If there’s a way to save them, we should use it.”

Rei smiled softly.

Isn’t she quite the looker? I knew it.

As I casually looked away, Rei peered into the treasure chest exaggeratedly.

“The Griffin didn’t drop any meat. That’s a shame.”

“Yeah, it’s a carnivore. It probably doesn’t drop meat.”

Eating meat from that terrifying magical beast would take a lot of courage.

Its upper body was that of a bird of prey, and its lower body was the king of beasts.

There was no meat, but the chest was filled with riches.

The matching hand mirrors were communication magical tools, and Rei explained that these were sacred relics too.

The golden decorations made them beautiful, but were these artifacts?

“If you channel mana into these mirrors, you can communicate with someone across the country. A miraculous artifact.”

“It’s like a smartphone.”

“…Yeah, it’s a smartphone.”

Since I could contact my cousins with my own smartphone, it wasn’t necessary, but I noticed Rei looking a bit down as she gazed at the mirror.

“Ah… Is this a smartphone, or is it a hand mirror? Should Rei hold one of them?”

“! …Is that alright?”

Rei quickly looked up, showing the biggest smile of the day.

It seems she guessed correctly.

“Yeah. If we have this, we can contact each other anytime, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right. We can send both our voices and images, just like a smartphone. After all, it’s a divine tool!”

The dragon nodded happily with a cheerful smile.

Isn’t that kind of cute?

Additionally, a lot of expensive-looking large shields and luxurious jewelry were piled into a treasure chest, and all of it was neatly stored in the 【Item Box】.

It would be better to convert it into points later when we get back.

“Alright, let’s go home! Tonight, we’re celebrating the dungeon conquest!”

“Are we having Minotaur meat tonight?”

“Leave it to me, I’ll feed you as much as you can eat.”

“Meow!”

The Dungeon Core was hidden behind a cluster of rainbow-colored crystals, but we left it untouched and stepped onto the teleportation circle.

The dungeons in this world are a gift from the Creator God to the world. If destroyed, its benefits can never be obtained again.

The hearts of the three—two people and one animal—are united.

Thinking of it as a ranch to obtain delicious Minotaur meat, it’s only natural to treat it with care!

“When will the dungeon boss respawn?”

“In about a month, a new dungeon king will emerge.”

“Then, maybe we’ll challenge it again then.”

“With Tohma , you could probably clear it on your own by then.”

The teleportation circle began to glow. To make sure we wouldn’t get separated, I tightly held Ketsue.

After a brief sensation of floating, I felt solid ground beneath my feet and let out a relieved sigh.

We had teleported just outside the entrance to the Demon Mountain Dungeon, right onto our own property.

◆◇◆

“Tonight, it’s all-you-can-eat Minotaur meat sukiyaki!”

“Oh…! This is sukiyaki…!”

“Meow!”

We prepared three clay pots.

The main ingredient was Minotaur meat we obtained from the dungeon. We added spring onions and shungiku (chrysanthemum greens) from the garden, shiitake mushrooms and shirataki noodles bought at the convenience store, and some grilled tofu, all simmered in sukiyaki sauce.

Of course, we also prepared frozen udon noodles for the final dish.

“This is the sukiyaki I’ve always wanted to try, the one I read about in manga and novels…!”

“Sorry to interrupt your emotional moment, but Rei, are you okay with raw eggs?”

“I’ve actually been eating them raw all my life.”

“Okay, then here’s your beaten egg.”

Ketsue, being a cat with a sensitive tongue, obviously prefers the beaten egg. I carefully placed Minotaur meat, shirataki noodles, and shiitake mushrooms on a plate for him, while he happily slurped up the noodles, looking very adorable.

“Alright, let’s eat! Itadakimasu!”

“Itadakimasu!”

“Meow!”

We started with the Minotaur meat.

I carefully dipped a piece of the beautiful red meat into the beaten egg and took a bite.

I could feel the perfect pairing of the sweet sauce and the Minotaur meat as I savored it. By the time I was lost in the deliciousness, the meat was already gone.

“So good… Aah… My mouth is too happy…”

“I totally get you. Is this what sukiyaki is really like?”

“Meow.”

I gave some educational guidance to Rei and Ketsue, who were trying to grab more meat, and continued to devour the sukiyaki. I made sure to enjoy the final udon as well.

Since I wanted meat udon, I added Minotaur meat at the end and ate it.

What a luxury! Rei shivered in excitement as she slurped up the meat udon.

The dungeon conquest celebration ended with meat udon and a whole, expensive ice cream.