While the chaos of the celebration was taking over the entire city, Rudy and his companions sat in the already stacked inn. There wasn't a foot's space to stand, and so they remained seated with no hopes of getting up anytime soon. Freya was offering free booze alongside any ordered meal to celebrate the victory; even so, deep in her mind, the victory itself was troubling.
A single day, and the war was won? It wasn't even night when the army had marched back home. Just exactly what had happened out there in the forest? Such thoughts plagued her as they did the others. Perhaps had it not been for the pile of corpses brought back to Lumenos, she would've never believed that a battle even took place.
"Damn it, feels like we didn't do much to help." Rudy felt much the same despite having been in the middle of the action. "Glyea did most of the heavy lifting and the others–"
"Just be glad that we're not dead," hitting his sides with her elbow, Charlotte poured him a glass of ale. "You don't always have to be in the centre of the action, besides…"
Blankly staring at the glass as she overpoured a little, Charlotte brought the entire jug to her mouth and took a hefty sip. Setting the jug back down, she heaved a sigh and looked around the table.
"That vampire could've easily killed us all."
"Right? I froze the moment I saw her." Curling her fingers around her mug, Roxanne closed her eyes. "To think someone like her was so close to our town? I can't imagine what else is out there."
As she opened her eyes, Audrey spoke up.
"Can I say something?" Bringing everyone's attention to her, the fox girl forced a weak smile on her face. "I know that we're supposed to explore that dungeon soon, but… You know, if we can't even handle zombies or those reptiles on our own, then what hopes do we have of clearing that dungeon?"
Quiet swooped across the table, though the chaos from everyone around them echoed in their heads. Letting their gaze fall to the ground, the party members began to consider Audrey's words. They hadn't gained a single level during the war, and somehow the month-long venture hadn't been enough to push them forward.
"We've been hunting the same monsters," lifting her head, Roxanne leaned forward on the table. "No wonder we haven't gained much experience. Hunting the same again and again, we're not learning anything new–the same old tactics, the same old stuff. And what little experience they do give is probably diminished so much that it's not even worth it for us to hunt them anymore."
"Hmm," clicking her tongue, Charlotte placed her right hand forward. "So we're not strong enough, but to get stronger, we need to go further from this town. But if we do that, we can't exactly come back very often."
"Yes, that's what I mean." Nodding her head, Roxanne looked at Audrey. "We have to go into the dungeon and fight those monsters, or at least learn more about them, and then, with a plan, try to kill at least a few to gain some levels. Otherwise, our only option is to either head deeper in the forest or try to make our way into the Lakran academy."
Fanning her hand in front of her face, Charlotte scoffed.
"As if they'll accept anyone from this town. We're better off wishing on a star to strike that dungeon off the face of the world."
"It's that hard to get in?!" Rudy spoke up again, his eyes narrowed with doubt and a flicker of resolve.
Staring right back into her nephew's eyes, Charlotte shook her head.
"I'm thirty-something, and I've never seen a soul being chosen from this town, so I won't get my hopes up. The academy is basically a melting pot for the children of nobles to mingle together and form connections anyway. It's nothing special, I've seen how useless some of those kids were the last time I visited."
Faking a cough, Roxanne tapped the table. And as everyone's gaze returned to her, she brought the conversation back on track.
"Our real options are leaving the town for a good time and facing monsters that might be just as strong or slightly weaker than the monsters in the dungeon. Or we study the dungeon carefully and make our move while staying here. In both cases, we're going to have challenges; it's up to us which ones we decide to ultimately face."
Having overheard their conversation, Aura planted a hand on their table. Greeting them with a smirk, she pulled herself up and sat on the edge of the table.
"I'd advise you to choose the latter option. After all, if things get dicey, that ring we gave your friend here should bring you back home uninjured." Snapping a finger at Rudy, Aura blew air at his face–making him blink away. "You still have it, don't you?"
"Y-yeah…" Rubbing his eyes, the hero slowly turned his head back at her. "Don't… do that again."
"Oh come on, if a puff of air hurts you so much, what chance do you have against monsters?" Shaking her head with a smile, the succubus turned her attention to the girls. "Anyways, how about we help you guys in advance with an item this time? Hmm?"
Narrowing their eyes, the girls were drawn in by the offer.
"What item?" Roxanne asked.
"A belt, it–well," crossing her legs, Aura moved her body entirely on the table. "It goes around your and under your nether region, but it will help boost the experience you gain to twice as much! As long as the conditions are met."
'What?!' The word erupted in everyone's head, but none had the courage to ask a question about it outright. Especially since the tool went around their groin like underwear. Flustered by the suggestion, they blankly stared at the succubus as she explained the effect further.
"But you have to be careful about not breaking the condition, or else you might lose experience!"
"W-what's the condition?" Rudy asked, gulping anxiously.
With a smirk on her face again, Aura made the big reveal.
"No sex or masturbation~ The resolve of the chaste, the skill granted by the belt. But of course, if you guys wanna take forever clearing this dungeon, you can do it at your own slow and painful pace~."
Red as roses with their chests tightening up to the lewd reveal, the girls and the hero just watched Aura getting off the table and walking away. She'd given them an option–an easy way, but before they could make a decision, they decided in the end to pay the dungeon's first floor at least a single visit.
But even there, something corrosive was waiting, and it was only a matter of time before the fall of the girls began as well.