Chapter 8: The old man relaxes at the oasis .

While exploring the desert dungeon Sand Ca.n.a.l, we came across an oasis . Since the oasis’s location changed randomly every week, it was a rare occurrence and it can be said that we are extremely lucky .

 [Luna, it’s water! Water you know . ] (Til)

 [Uhn . It looks refres.h.i.+ng . ] (Luna)

In the center of the oasis, two lovely girls, the elven girl Til and fox-eared Luna had taken off their clothes and began swimming in their underwear .

 [It feels soo gooodd . ] (Til)

 [So cold~ . Feels great . ] (Luna)

The sight of Til and Luna playing with water in their underwear looked like it’ll make a good painting .

 [I feel like bathing in the lake as well, however it feels embarra.s.sing to take off my clothes in front of you . ] (Selene)

The former princess, Selene seemed to be less wild than Til and Luna as she was controlling herself from diving into the lake despite struggling against the desert heat . However, from the back, someone was covering my eyes with her hands .

 [Youya, you aren’t allowed to look . ] (Phil)

The person in question was Phil as her voice was filled with jealousy . Phil had always been conscious of the fact that her chest was smaller than her younger sister, Although it could also be her worrying that I may have a younger sister complex from seeing her younger sister in her underwear . Although this side of her was cute as well . I’ve never really felt concerned about the size of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, or rather I felt that it was perfect for the beautiful Phil right now .

 [Uhm . It’s that you know . I’m about to head over there to prepare dinner and the tent . So Phil and Selene should just go over and enjoy your bath in the lake . Don’t worry since I won’t peek . You can rest a.s.sured about that . ] (Youya)

Phil and Selene should also rejuvenate their spirits by bathing in the lake . Since they were concerned about me, then I should move away to let them enjoy themselves .

 [Youya, let’s bath together!] (Luna)

 [Youyniisan should be feeling hot too right?] (Til)

Without any reservations, the two girls who came over unexpectedly grabbed my hands, dragging me into the lake .

 [Puha, what are the two of you doing so suddenly . ] (Youya)

 [Youya should come and play together with us . ] (Luna)

 [Uhn uhn . Just kick back and enjoy yourself . Don’t worry about the people who are too embarra.s.sed to enjoy themselves . ] (Til)

It feels bad to neglect Phil and Selene but the lake certainly feels refres.h.i.+ng . My body which felt burning hot was beginning to cool down . While I was in the lake, Luna and Til both entered the water . As a guardian, I am starting to feel worried about their lack of shame .

 [Mou . I can’t take it anymore, I’m entering as well . ] (Selene)

Selene began to move as she took off her clothes and armour, jumping into the lake in her underwear . I felt my eyes being stolen by her attractive body tempered by the training she has done her entire life .

 [This really feels great . It’s embarra.s.sing but you can’t replicate this rejuvenating feeling anywhere . ] (Selene)

 [Selene, aren’t you a princess? Won’t this cause any problems?] (Youya)

 [There may or may not be some problems, but it should be fine if it’s uncle Youya . ] (Selene)

Selene smiled despite her embarra.s.sment, invoking a s.e.xual appeal that wasn’t present in the two girls .

 [Uwahh . As expected of my sister’s rival . Onee-chan, if you stay there then Youyniisan is going to be s.n.a.t.c.hed away you know . ] (Til)

Just one sentence from Til was enough to make Phil’s elven ears tremble as Phil prepared to enter the lake, taking off her clothes in a hurry .

 [Mou, if that’s the case then it’ll be bad . I’m entering as well!] (Phil)

Then, she jumped into the lake in her underwear . Although I’ve seen Phil’s naked figure several times, watching her figure under the bright sun was a refres.h.i.+ng sight .

 [Un~~ . It’s feels good . It’s been a long time since I’ve bathed in a lake . ] (Phil)

Phil started to laugh .

 [Just for future reference, everyone please be sure to control yourselves if there is another man besides myself in the party . Other men aren’t as gentle as I am and could even a.s.sault you if you lower your guard . ] (Youya)

Most men who are adventurers are always hungry for a women . If such beautiful girls such as themselves were to expose their skin, it is likely that they would immediately pounce given the chance . It is also like men to easily misunderstand your intentions if you even just a little bit kind to them .

 [It’s ouhh-kayyy . Luna and Youya will always be together . ] (Luna)

 [Uhn uhn . Other than Youya, I would never go adventuring with another guy . ] (Til)

 [I have to agree with their sentiments . I only decided to join the party since it’s uncle Youya’s party . ] (Selene)

 [Youya is loved by everyone here . I’m the same . It is because of you that I decided to be an adventurer again . ] (Phil)

Listening to their words made me happy as I knew that they were a bunch of good girls . I wished that I could continue to be an adventurer together with them forever . However, that also makes me uneasy . What would happen, if I happened to be gone? I won’t be able to stay with them and continue to protect them forever .

 [Thanks ladies . Also, since we’re already swimming in the lake, let’s catch some ingredients for our dinner . Since we’re here, let’s catch something that can’t be eaten anywhere else!] (Youya)

Everyone responded enthusiastically to my proposal . At this rate, it’ll probably be noisier the moment dinner begins .

After our play session at the lake, we began preparing to set up camp . It was our first time spending the night in the dungeon with this party as I began to set up both mine and Phil’s magic tent onto the ground . Magic tents were extremely convenient to use in a dungeon as they were stored in a small capsule . After pressing the b.u.t.ton and throwing the capsule onto the ground, a tent capable of fitting two people would appear and the b.u.t.ton could be pressed again to return the tent to the capsule . Not only does it make it easier to set up camp, it doesn’t take up a significant amount of s.p.a.ce in the magic bag . Furthermore it has two unique features .

First, when there is a monster detected within 50 metres of the tent, an alarm will be triggered, alerting the people inside the tent .

Second is the characteristic that allows the tent to withstand up to three attacks, regardless of how powerful it is . After three attacks, the tent reverts to a normal tent . However, three attacks is more than enough time for us to get up and intercept the demon . Just by having this item, it makes our time in the dungeon much safer .

 [Youya, I scooped up the water!] (Luna)

 [I gather a lot of fruits Youyniisan!] (Til)

Luna and TIl who were in charge of procuring food were about to return . For the oasis-exclusive dish, we were using the fruits which could be gathered around the lake . There are two main fruits present around the oasis, bananas and coconuts . We peeled the bananas, cutting it into equal pieces and seasoned them with salt before coating it in plenty of cheese and baking them . It is a sweet and delicious fruit which can be eaten as it is, however doing this turns it into a delicious side dish with plenty of nutritional value .

For the coconut, we broke the sh.e.l.l open and poured the juice within into a cup . Then, we peeled the white flesh inside the sh.e.l.l and sliced it . Eating it like this was delicious as well . By eating the slices of flesh with fish sauce, we can enjoy the texture of squid meat without the strong fishy taste with a slight sweetness and saltiness .

 [Everyone, dinner is ready . ] (Youya)

Baked bananas with coconut sas.h.i.+mi and a dried fish with vegetable soup . Fresh bananas and coconuts were fruits that we couldn’t enjoy without coming to an oasis .

 [Youya, it tastes delicious!] (Luna)

 [Sweet and it has a nice smell . ] (Til)

The two girls started to drool as they stared at the dishes .

 [Let’s start dinner immediately . Since oases are hard to come by, let’s enjoy ourselves as much as possible for discovering the oasis!] (Youya)

Everyone began nodding as we started to have dinner .

 [I like the coconut sas.h.i.+mi . It tastes delicious with a well-balanced sweetness and rich flavor . ] (Selene)

 [The baked bananas are delicious too . It doesn’t feel like the taste of the cheese and fruit is overwhelming the other . The dishes have a feeling as if they wouldn’t lose to any ordinary store . Youya has always been good at cooking dishes like these for survival . ] (Phil)

Selene and Phil began to praise my dishes .

 [I’m glad that you girls like it . I wasn’t very familiar with the ingredients so I did the best I could with them . Although I am still pretty confident in handling ingredients . ] (Youya)

Magic bags were items that only adventurers with thick wallets could afford . Since I wasn’t always a successful adventurer, back when I was just a normal adventurer I had carried an ordinary backpack with me and was unable to carry a large amount of supplies with me . This was how my cooking skills along with ingredient procurement improved over the years being an adventurer . Ordinary adventurers often sold any rare or higher value items as soon as they obtained them for money, that was how we made our living . Even I fell into that category once upon a time . Selling every item that was worth selling: Magic Bags, Return Stones, Magical Compa.s.ses . I knew that they were convenient items but I wasn’t able to prepare my own equipment and supplies without the money for it, leaving me no choice but to sell them .

It is the privilege of a successful adventurer to be capable of keeping and using expensive items for their own convenience .

 [Youya, the coconut juice is delicious!] (Luna)

 [I want to keep it in my bottle instead of water!] (Til)

The two girls began going crazy for the coconut juice .

 [If you like it that much, then you can go ahead and collect some after the meal . Only then are you allowed to pack them in your magic bag instead of water . ] (Youya)

The moment they heard my words, the two girls began glimmering with excitement .

Looking at them, they were definitely going to go coconut-hunting after the meal . Coconut juice was effective for us as a nutrition supplement while providing some water at the same time . Looking at our pace, it’ll definitely come in handy for the rest of our journey in the dungeon . The meal continued to pa.s.s pleasantly as the large amounts of baked bananas and coconut dishes disappeared, entering into everyone’s stomachs .

 [Luna, come over here for a bit . ] (Youya)

 [Okay . ] (Luna)

Luna walked over and began sitting on my lap even though I didn’t mean for her to do so . Smiling bitterly, I opened my Magic Bag and retrieved a necklace with a blue jewel, putting it onto Luna’s neck .

 [It’s pretty . Youya, what’s this?] (Luna)

Luna’s eyes began sparkling as she awaited my answer .

 [I got the jewel from the hidden room where I first met you . It’s a piece of the crystal which you were trapped in . I thought that it was something you would like to have and decided to prepare an accessory for you . ] (Youya)

The crystal was a Blue Crystal, a crystal with a deep ocean blue colour containing magical power within .

 [Nostalgic… looking at it feels very calming . Thank you Youya . ] (Luna)

Luna kissed my cheek and Til began screaming *kya kya* while Phil puffed her cheeks .

 [I’m relieved that you like it . I’m hoping that it’ll help you to restore some of your lost memories . ] (Youya)

 [Uhn . Then, if Luna remembers anything, she will talk to Youya . ] (Luna)

Luna hugged me, rubbing her cheeks onto my chest as her tail shook energetically . After snapping out of the atmosphere, I continued with another instruction .

 [Now that dinner is over, it’s everyone’s’ free time . However, be sure to head to bed early since we didn’t progress as much as I expected initially . So we’ll be making up for our lost progress tomorrow . Expect a difficult journey tomorrow! . ] (Youya)

Everyone nodded their head in response . I’m glad that everyone recovered from their sorry states earlier today . We’ll definitely be able to travel further than we did today .

In the middle of night, we were attacked by several monsters however we were successfully able to repel all of their attacks . After all, having a magical tent which was capable of alerting us whenever a monster was within a distance of 50 metres is convenient .

I’m not trying to say that it’s nice to be defeated in direct combat, however it is definitely much s.h.i.+ttier for us to be killed in our sleep .

Furthermore there was a much more pressing matter at hand, which was the number of tents we had . I had suggested for me and Phil to have our own tent while the other three girls were to sleep in their own tent, however Luna was strongly against it . The allocation of tent wasn’t influenced by our party’s balance since we would be able to get in formation whenever a monster approached us, so there wasn’t any issue about that . However, I wanted to spend the night alone with Phil so that we could indulge ourselves .

Reading the atmosphere, Til and Selene agreed to the allocation however Luna continued to oppose it, saying that we should be sleeping together . Eventually she relented, however I hadn’t expected her to enter the tent in the night while we were in the middle of the act . It was extremely difficult for us to resolve the situation without needlessly explaining anything .

 [Now then, before we leave, let’s secure all the treasures of the oasis!] (Youya)

I raised my voice early in the morning . Although we had stripped the oasis of most of its fruits and collected the water, there was still a hidden treasure hidden at the bottom of the lake . If someone were to go swimming in the lake, it would be easy to notice something unusual happening at the bottom of the lake . Even though it was a lake with its own current, there was a point where water was continuously being sucked in . Following the flow of water, you would arrive at the hidden chest . However for some reason, this only occurs in the early morning and we were about to collect it .

 [Youya, Luna will go!] (Luna)

Luna whom we decided was the best swimmer yesterday during our bathing session was raising her hand . Since there wasn’t any monsters in the lake, it’ll be safe for a single person to dive down .

 [In that case, can I leave it to you?] (Youya)

 [Uhn! Luna is leaving now!] (Luna)

Luna immediately jumped into the lake who was somehow already in her swimsuit . I had told everyone about the abnormal water current beforehand as the three of us continued to gaze at the surface of the water . After several moments, Luna appeared .

 [Look Youya! It’s a treasure!] (Luna)

Luna was holding a vial with a special medicine within .

 [Splendid work Luna . That is a pretty good item . ] (Youya)

The name of the item was Terrier . It had the effect of curing the user of all status abnormalities . Even with human technology, it was only possible to make potions capable of recovering a single abnormally . However, potions capable of curing every abnormally was still only obtainable from the dungeon . Furthermore, it was also capable of curing special status abnormalities that has not been discovered, making it extremely valuable .

 [Also, there was a strange voice in my head . ] (Luna)

 [A strange voice?] (Youya)

I didn’t know anything about the voice as I didn’t recall any special events besides the treasure chest .

 [Uhm . . The voice at the bottom said “Child blessed by the moon, gather the three prayers and at the place where the light s.h.i.+nes onto blue tears, a new door will be opened” . ] (Luna)

Despite hearing the words of the voice, nothing had particularly come to my mind . I hadn’t heard of such a line . Looking at the jewel s.h.i.+ning on Luna’s neck, there was a new crest engraved into the transparent blue gem .

 [Luna, is there anything weird going on with the necklace?] (Youya)

 [Uhm there is just a funny crest on it now . Is something wrong?] (Luna)

It looks like the event was triggered thanks to Luna, who I thought of as a special existence in herself along with the necklace in her possession . The three prayers . . Was what the voice said . It looks interesting . I’ll be sure to pay attention to the voice as we continue our journey . I pulled up Luna from the lake and she began wiping her body before changing her clothes .

 [Let’s go, let’s do our best today too!] (Luna)

Two more days left in the dungeon, from now on there will also be several gimmicks present along with the desert’s natural environment . Let’s keep our sense sharp for the rest of the journey . It’ll be tough however if it’s the current us, we’ll definitely be able to clear it .