"...It's been two years already. Time passes quickly, doesn't it?" Ren mused.
"What's wrong? Two years is nothing," the Princess countered.
As Ren rested her chin on her hand, gazing into the distance at the living room table, the brown-skinned Princess pressed her body close, hugging Ren from the side. Ren reached out a hand and stroked Meteora's hair, and she narrowed her eyes happily, letting out a soft "Mmm." It was a cat-like reaction.
"Two years is a long time for a human. It's one-fortieth of a lifespan. For Elves or Dark Elves, that would be... how many years?" Ren wondered.
"That's difficult to say. For us, most causes of death are outside of old age. Since we have fewer individuals compared to humans, it's hard to generalize," Meteora explained.
"I see."
"Yes. But generally, we live for about a thousand years if we live normally."
"That's a difference in magnitude."
Even in modern Japan, a hundred years old is considered quite elderly. So, that was roughly ten times longer. Given how casually Meteora mentioned it, the actual difference was likely even greater.
"Wait, humans have a lifespan of eighty years? You live quite long, don't you?" Meteora asked.
"It sounds like an insult coming from a Dark Elf... But when you think about it, the average lifespan was lower even in our world in the past," Ren pointed out.
"Your quality of food and preventative measures against illness must have been thorough. Human ingenuity is not to be underestimated."
Meteora, who had an expression like an old person complaining about "kids these days," returned to her usual look and tilted her head. "And?"
"Were you thinking about that issue? The one about twenty or thirty people being transferred from your world every year?"
"Yeah. You're perceptive."
"It's easy to guess from the flow of the conversation. Besides, what good is it if I can't perceive what the person I love is thinking?"
She was frustrating because she was usually so stubborn in strange ways, yet she could say things like that without a care. The closeness of her face made Ren want to kiss her, but since that would definitely derail the conversation, Ren suppressed the urge.
"I was thinking things like, 'Oh, there will be more victims,' and 'If we clear the dungeon quickly, we might prevent new transfers.'"
"That's not something you should worry about. If you're going to complain, you should direct it at the people who have only managed to conquer just over fifty floors in thirty years."
"No, well, yeah."
Apparently, the lowest floor they had currently reached was the 54th. The reason for the slow progress wasn't just the strength of the enemies, but also the time spent gathering information and preparing to conquer the 55th Floor.
So Ren couldn't complain much, but she felt they were going to catch up if the veterans didn't try harder. When Ren complained about this to the Sage before, he had retorted, "Don't compare us to your party."
Even you have only reached the 40th Floor in two years, haven't you? In two years, people fall in love and get married. Once they have a family, they inevitably become more conservative, and when children are born, they are preoccupied with their care. It is only natural that the conquest slows down, the Sage had said.
Getting married around eighteen years old is like the old days, Ren had commented.
I hear that even now, high school graduates tend toward early marriage. It is natural for the age of marriage to change depending on the living environment, the Sage had replied.
Ren and her companions, who were exceptional cases because they could use race skills and didn't need to rush into marriage, were an exception to the rule. And precisely because of that, great things were expected of them.
"And, the old man asked me to help him greet the newcomers," Ren continued.
"Oh. Is he planning to step down and make you the leader of the city?" Meteora asked.
"I'm genuinely scared that might happen if things continue this way."
The issue of the Sage's successor was indeed important. Entrusting the leadership to the wrong person could result in a dozen or more casualties. On the other hand, holding mayoral elections every few years would be too troublesome. It was rational to entrust the position to someone with a long lifespan and have them serve as an elder figure. Ren would agree, provided she wasn't the one being asked to do it.
"Well, I can handle just greeting them. It might be better than just one suspicious old man," Ren conceded.
"...Isn't that exactly why they rely on you? Because you are so accommodating?" Meteora asked.
Ren thought that might be true, but it was just her nature, and she couldn't help it.
-----------------
After discussing with the Sage, Ren's role was settled as assisting with the persuasion of the transferees. The Sage would handle the basic explanations, and Ren would step in if the newcomers expressed reluctance or asked too many questions. Although there was concern about being called a demon again, Ren's appearance had an undeniable impact, which would at least make everyone stop talking. Furthermore, a girl close to their age speaking to them would likely make them listen.
The outcome proved this strategy was effective.
When Ren emerged from behind the screen set up in the corner of the Shrine at the right moment, everyone's eyes (especially the boys') were glued to her, and they listened to what she had to say. The topic that garnered the most enthusiasm was the one about the naughty shops, though.
Well, thanks to that, the boys eagerly volunteered for dungeon conquest, and several girls who seemed to have crushes also expressed a desire to "fight together," perhaps out of a sense of urgency.
"Well done, Ren. With this many newcomers, we should be able to make up for last year's shortfall," the Sage rejoiced.
Last year, the transferees came from a completely ordinary public co-ed school, unlike the girls' school or the group of problem children. Ren was relieved that the opening day didn't turn chaotic.
Well, there were boys who got excited about X-ray vision, but they couldn't be disciplined before they did any harm. They didn't seem to pose a physical danger like Takuya's group, so getting angry could wait until they actually messed up.
(In the end, they would mess up and be forced to bow in apology, but that is another story.)
"Ren, you're going to be super popular with the younger adventurers," Fūri commented at the breakfast table the next morning.
Fūri, smiling, didn't seem worried at all. She didn't think Ren would be swayed by the advances of some unfamiliar boys now. In fact, Ren felt that while she would be happy if someone confessed to her, she wouldn't want to accept the confession.
"I'm truly glad we moved here," Ren said.
"If they try to come see you, they'll attract unwelcome attention," Mariabelle noted.
Shion nodded and murmured, "I wish we could set up a Sanctuary at the entrance, too." The Sanctuary she maintained at the shrine and the water source had been expanding with her level-ups, so they might be able to merge them soon. If a slot became free, setting one up at the entrance would be a good idea.
"We reached the 35th Floor in two years, so maybe we can reach the 100th Floor in six years!" Iris speculated.
"Iris-san. That calculation is far too optimistic. Let's aim for at least seven years," Mei suggested.
Mei's estimate was still quite lenient, but Ren took it as a sign of confidence.
"Yes. We need to be cautious from here on out. We'll probably have to level up more often."
"Don't say that. Are you planning another forceful breakthrough?" Meteora asked.
"I plan to prepare carefully and then forcefully break through," Ren corrected.
If they aimed only for the shortest clearance time, they might actually reach it in six or seven years. However, if Ren and her group alone reached the lowest floor, the final boss battle would definitely be hell.
"Um, Ren-san. About the mountain project, I finished the sketch, so could you take a look?" Iris asked, remembering it as the meal drew to a close.
It had been several months since the river was completed. The mountain creation plan was progressing behind the scenes, but it hadn't reached a concrete stage yet. Ren and the others were busy, so being given complete freedom on the design was also difficult. Creating a mountain would require a vastly larger number of sketches compared to the river.
"That sounds interesting. Show me too," Meteora demanded.
"...Are you planning to complain again?" Iris asked.
"Don't be rude. I won't complain if the work is good," Meteora asserted.
Since Meteora also showed interest, the two of them looked at the sketch together. As they leaned over the table in the living room:
"It's beautiful. Iris, did you improve your skills again?" Ren praised.
"D-do you think so? Thank you," Iris replied, blushing.
The drawing of the mountain was, as always, rendered with delicate touches, with a deliberate focus on realism. It looked usable as an image when they used the fragments. As Iris loved forests, the mountains were richly green, and they seemed like places where they could gather plenty of mushrooms and berries.
Iris looked shy at Ren's praise, but then her expression tightened as she looked at Meteora's face. "What do you think…?"
Meteora continued to look at the drawing for a while, then smiled. "You're skilled."
"It's better than I imagined. You might have a talent for drawing."
"...Thank you. I didn't actually expect you to praise me."
"I told you I would. Well, I'm only praising your skill in drawing, though."
"Meaning?" Iris asked.
The Princess, feigning aloofness, declared simply, "The mountain design is weak."
"It fails to capture the randomness of a truly natural terrain. Also, I can't shake the feeling that it's a patchwork of several different regional mountains combined. You wouldn't have this issue if you had experience scrambling through real mountains."
"W-well, I've only ever seen mountains in books…!" Iris protested.
"That's true. I'm pretty much the same," Ren admitted.
Iris, born in this world, only knew what existed here. Since their knowledge of Earth was dependent on books recreated from the transferees' memories, their knowledge was inevitably biased. The mismatched terrain was probably the result of having to imagine the overall shape from photos in books, forcing her to reluctantly reference pictures of various different mountains.
Ren had seen mountains countless times on TV. She had even climbed one on a primary school excursion, but she hadn't scrambled around enough to grasp the overall structure. She was, fundamentally, a modern kid who mainly played games or watched TV.
Seeing the two of them, Meteora gave a wry smile. "Both of you are hopeless."
Iris puffed out her cheeks.
"Well, what about you?"
"I certainly have experience. I've lived much longer than you all, after all."
Taking a pencil, she narrowed her eyes. "This is a useful tool," she murmured, and smoothly moved her hand over the blank paper.
"How's this?" she asked.
"...That's amazing," Ren breathed.
"...I hate to admit it, but it's really good," Iris conceded.
The atmosphere was slightly different from Iris's drawing. It was a rough sketch, but if she drew it seriously, it would probably be a precise image like a photograph.
As she claimed, it had a natural atmosphere. This was backed by her rich memory and actual experience.
"They say people in the past had good memories, and it's true," Ren marveled.
"Who are you calling a person from the past!?" Meteora demanded.
Ren quickly dodged the attempt to grab her tail. Since Meteora let her off with just a pinch on the cheek after Ren apologized, she decided it was fine.
"Iris. How about collaborating with Meteora on this?" Ren suggested.
"I think that would be very good... even though it frustrates me," Iris admitted, reluctantly.
Someone who knew mountains, could draw well, and had a commitment to nature was rare. Even Iris couldn't bring herself to say, "I don't need a Dark Elf's cooperation," and grudgingly acknowledged Meteora.
The girl, who was happy to be praised for her skill, smiled broadly and puffed out her chest.
"If you insist, I suppose I can help you."
"Meteora, don't get carried away. You're a comrade, so help her out."
"Hmph. ...If Ren says so, I suppose I have no choice."
Thus, a powerful Half-Elf and Dark Elf team was formed.
Following this, sounds of bickering occasionally drifted from Iris's room. Sometimes, the two of them would even visit Iris's parents to ask for help from Iris's mother.
Whether this collaboration instantly improved their relationship was debatable—it wasn't that easy—but they seemed to have acknowledged each other's skill with a "not bad," despite their incompatibility, and their relationship became slightly better than before. Since the two were already quite synchronized during combat, that was probably sufficient.
This is a story for later, but incorporating the opinions of the city residents who desired a mountain view, the mountain sketch designed by the two was finally completed by the end of the third year. By the end of the third year, they were finally able to start climbing the mountain.
============
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