93 – Level Grinding
Deep in the midst of the Cal Mira island. A humid and jungle-like area dense with foliage.
Wielding Fragarach in my hands, the two-handed sword flickered with blue light as if excited it was remembered.
Lia giggled as she idly twirled False Mercy, the sword that I forged for her to vent her frustrations out on her former owner. "It seems like your sword is excited, Naofumi-dono!"
I paused. "Phrasing, Lia. Especially when I'm with you and Sylvia. People could misunderstand."
Lia tilted her head, a clearly fake innocent smile on her face. "I don't know what you're talking about, Daddy- I mean, Naofumi-dono."
I felt a visceral wave of disgust and shivers run down my spine. "Don't. Please, don't. Anything but the D word."
"Aw... But I wanna call you Daddy too." Lia looked disappointed. But the way her lips twitched revealed her intentions.
I gave her a blank look and said, "You're doing this on purpose."
Sylvia draped her arms behind me and said, "What's wrong, Papa? Is it that bad?"
I reflexively slipped out from her arms and jumped ten feet away. "I SHOULD NEVER HAVE LET YOU TWO MEET MOM!"
Lia giggled and said, "It works, Sylvia!"
Sylvia laughed and said, "It really does! Master's weak to flirting~"
"I am NOT weak to flirting. It is just VISCERALLY unsettling to be flirted with by family members!"
Lia nodded. "Mmhm! It is... but seeing you react like that makes it worth it!"
Sylvia chuckled. "I wish you could see the look on your face, Master. You're usually so serious, but right now you're all red and everything!"
"Ugh. Whatever." I swung Fragarach at a tree.
The moment the blade connected, the tree screamed and then let out black smoke, crumbling to ash.
> You have gained [Soul Ascension Dust] x1!
> Collect 10,000 to raise your soul's quality!
Lia froze.
Sylvia's eyes widened. "...That was a monster?!"
"Everything here is a monster."
I glanced at the pop-up and clicked my tongue. "...And I guess I really do level up like an idle clicker game..."
Sylvia cautiously stabbed a tree, her violet eyes widening in surprise and interest as it let out a death scream. "...Is this a mimic?"
"Dunno." I swung Fragarach at another tree. "But they're pretty good at hiding."
That time, no smoke or screams came out of the tree, just a gash.
I clicked my tongue and used my magic to heal it before walking to another tree.
But as I did that, Lia's eyes lit up.
"Ooh! If they're hiding..." Lia immediately started swinging her sword around with reckless abandon.
I opened my mouth to warn her.
But then as she did, a few trees randomly screamed and started uprooting themselves.
Sylvia immediately lunged forward with a stab, punching her blade through each.
When she did...
> Karma Dryads x3 killed!
> Your party members gain 3,000 experience!
> You have gained [Soul Ascension Dust] x3
...The usual pop up appeared, confirming the kills.
Lia smiled and said, "I did it, Naofumi-dono! Aren't I smart?"
"...Okay, that WAS pretty smart. I was just going to deforest the entire place, but that's a good way to conserve nature."
Sylvia rolled her eyes and said, "Is the first solution in your mind always overwhelming firepower, Master?"
"Yes. Hasn't done me wrong yet." I nodded as I poked a few more trees, healing the ones that didn't scream.
We moved together, casually murdering more Karma Dryads for experience and drops.
It was a relaxing change of pace for once... Maybe that was why they said to move your body more often.
Swinging Fragarach around like this was definitely putting me in a better mood.
Sylvia stabbed an eye that peeked open on a shadowy tree before saying, "It's been a while since it's just been us, hasn't it?"
Lia giggled. "That's true! Naofumi-dono decided to change the world so he's been super busy until now."
I cut down a shadowy wolf that jumped out from behind a tree and said, "Well, it's not like I decided to set out to change the world. I just decided this world needed fixing and no one else was doing it. Then I realized how much leverage everything gave me."
Honestly, Mirellia's dead husband didn't bother to try and pin everything on me, and if his knights didn't try to off me in the first wave, I might just still be wandering around playing a normal JRPG style life.
Leveling up, trying to live a leisurely existence...
...Oh, who am I kidding.
I probably would have eventually got annoyed and decided to run things for myself instead.
This was probably just the least hands-on approach.
Sylvia rolled her eyes and said, "Considering that you gave me a divine elixir just to heal my body from the very beginning instead of using it on yourself, I question your decision making capabilities, Master..."
I paused, my sword mid-swing towards another tree. "...I DID do that, didn't I?"
Spending all of my resources to make a divine elixir that completely rewrote and optimized the body.
Then NEVER doing it again...
"...Hm. I might be on the spectrum. Hyperfixation is a symptom, right?"
Lia tilted her head. "Spectrum?"
"Don't worry about it. If it's not diagnosed, it doesn't exist."
Yeah.
It was just normal stuff.
I'd keep telling myself that, and it'd keep being correct.
"But this is pretty nostalgic." I cut down another tree, watching as it dissolved into black smoke and ash. Then I said, "It's barely been two months, but it feels like forever ago since you two were tiny kids."
"Right?!" Lia nodded. "And now we're all grown up!"
Sylvia nodded too. "That's right. Grown up, mature, and now 100% your problem, Master~"
"Oh my god the teenaged years are already here."
Lia giggled.
Sylvia's violet eyes twinkled with mischief.
I chuckled and said, "Well, I practically adopted you two, so I guess I"m stuck with it."
Lia's crimson eyes softened and she let out a warm smile. "That's right, Naofumi-dono. You're our Papa now, so no disappearing on us."
Sylvia's violet eyes softened too and she said, "You heard her, Master. If you run, we'll find you. We're family now. Always."
"Yeah, yeah." I brushed it off, but I couldn't help giving them a fond smile. "I know. Also, I reserve the right to terrify any person flirting with you. Either of you."
Lia nodded. "Of course!"
Sylvia chuckled. "You WOULD say something like that, Master... but yes. That is your right." She paused, then her eyes sparkled with mischief. "Just like your right to walk me down the aisle~"
"Don't even joke about that. I'm too young to be thinking about walking a daughter down the aisle..."
Sylvia smiled and said, "I think you are older than your father was when you were born though?"
I paused and looked at her. "Who told you?"
"You just did~"
I gave her a blank stare. Then I covered my face and shook my head. "...Never should have let Mom meet you two..."
Lia giggled.
Sylvia chuckled.
And I let out a long suffering sigh as I continued forward.
For a while, we just chatted about random things as we farmed monsters.
Because of various compounding power-up methods and factors, Lia and Sylvia both quickly leveled up. Especially since I was funneling experience directly towards them.
But after walking through the jungle for a while, we came across a clearing.
And some people.
As for the people...
Motoyasu was sitting on a log, relaxing. Meanwhile, Yuki was sitting on his lap, looking pleased. And Lyno was nearby, wiping her mouth with her face red.
I gave Motoyasu a blank stare.
Lia and Sylvia did the same.
Lyno noticed us first and froze.
Yuki noticed us next and giggled.
And then Motoyasu noticed me. His face paled. Then he reflexively looked at Yuki and Lyno before stammering. "I-I can explain!"
I stared at Yuki again. Then I compared how she looked before we headed out to Cal Mira. Specifically, how she had looked like a shy and naive young girl with short cropped white hair and pure innocence.
And now she had long white hair, a seductive smile, and natural sensual demeanor about her that practically screamed 'I know what I want and take it whenever I want.'
Not only that, but her body had developed too...
I gave Motoyasu another long stare.
Motoyasu averted his gaze.
Then I slowly said, "You know. You are very lucky the FBI doesn't exist here. Or the JSDF."
Motoyasu swallowed and let out a nervous laugh. "U-Um... Y-Yuki is an adult though? H-Her level was in the 20s and she was completely mature so-"
"I honestly don't want to hear it. Let's just pretend that it's okay, because if I think about it too much, I might want to cut some sausages in half."
Motoyasu immediately saluted. "Yes, Naofumi-san, absolutely understood!"
Yuki giggled and then draped herself around Motoyasu. "Mm~ Is it so bad, Naofumi-san? I love Mister Motoyasu, and he loves me~"
"...Urge to destroy the world rising. I'll be on my way."
I quickly pivoted on my heel and walked off in a random direction.
As I did, I noticed Sylvia and Lia give Motoyasu disgusted looks.
Lia turned up her nose and said, "Pervert."
Sylvia clicked her tongue and looked down at Motoyasu with cold violet eyes. "Moral degenerate. Corruptor. To think you would lewd a child... Even if she was physically mature..."
Motoyasu let out a nervous laugh.
"Come on, girls." I started moving faster. "I don't want to give the lolicon a pass, and at this rate I might be motivated to test the respawn system on him."
"Coming, Naofumi-dono."
"Yes, Master."