「I see……so Daichi-dono came from your basement all the way here…」


  「Yeah, I thought to take care of the Dungeon Masters before they set my house on fire.」


  We encountered Dianeia and the others and spoke about what brought us all here…


  「How should I say it….Daichi-dono thank you for saving us and…sorry.」


  Dianeia said while bowing. But,

  「No, you don’t have to bow. I don’t remember doing any saving.」


  It wasn’t like we were having a contest with them, in fact it felt like we had stolen their prey. It wasn’t something we should be thanked for.

  「I-is that so…..? But it is true that you helped us so I feel like I should thank you nonetheless.」


  「You don’t have to worry about it though…….」


  I murmured while looking at the Dungeon Master stones we’d gotten. We waited for the Dragon Kings to arrive.

  The first to arrive was Karen.

  「I’ve just now returned…….oh it’s Princess Athena and Dianeia? Your work is appreciated.」


  Karen said as she sat down next to me.

  「U-un. I wondered why you left so early in the morning, but you went to Daichi-oniisan’s place Karen.」


  「Yes and we have been clearing up the Dungeon Masters.」


  Karen said tossing a large black magic stone in the air.

  「For Athena to be here…..you must be studying fighting methods?」


  「Un. That’s right. I followed Onee-sama.」


  「I see, it’s useful to observe those who grew up around a dungeon.」


  Karen nodded and then looked at me.

  「And so we come to…….Daichi. I was wondering for a while…but what is the meaning of this?」


  「Hm? What do you mean?」


  「I mean the 5 Dungeon Master cores rolling around here…….」


  Ahh, it sounded like she was talking about dried persimmons with how she’s referring to them (little odd here, it just means that she casually brought it up so it seemed unimportant.)

  So she couldn’t understand just by looking.

  「I defeated them a moment ago and they became magic stones.」


  「Is that so? ……I was wondering what happened when I felt those reactions disappear a little while ago, so it was Daichi after all…..I only got this one, it’s a bit of a pitiful result.」


  Karen said with her head hung in shame, when Anne and Ramiyuros appeared.

  「I only got one too, so it’s not pitiful Karen~」


  「That’s right, I myself haven’t found a single one Karen-anesama.」


  Then Hesty appeared behind them looking strangely exhausted as she walked unsteadily.

  「I got, two, of them. But, Anne has been, stuck to me, this entire time, so I’m tired in, a different sense……..!」


  She said and brought the two black magic stones over to me and sat down.

  「Good work leading them around. Go ahead and get a good rest.」


  I gave her a canteen of water which she began drinking from.

  「n, thank you. But, don’t worry. This is my role…….also, the reactions have all, disappeared so it’s all, ok.」


  「I see. It’s good that it was finished quickly and thoroughly.」


  I thought about how it had finished before we even ate lunch.

  「…….well, if you didn’t get five, of them I think it’d take, more time , you know?」


  「That’s right. I didn’t think that Daichi-sama’s speed would be that fast. I never thought we’d finish this fast.」


  Hesty and the others said as they looked at the black magic stones lying around.

  There was something else I was thinking though.

  「Though it may be out of your expectations it is a good thing. —–now we can find a nice place outside to eat our lunch.」


  Though the light from the magic stones may be pretty, eating in a cave was not especially nice. Let’s do that.

  「What are you going to do Dianeia?」


  「Ah Uhh…we still have more exploration to do, so I think we’ll continue…..for that I would like if you Dragon Kings could give us any information you have, could I invite you to the castle tonight?」


  「So she says, what would you like to do?」


  I asked Hesty and the others and they exchanged glances before nodding.

  「n? Our information? That’s ok.」


  「That’s great! Then I’ll meet you tonight.」


  「Ok.」


  It seems things have been settled.

  It’s about time to go.

  「Ok then, I’ll see you.」


  「Yeah, see you later. I’ll visit another time Daichi-dono.」


  And so we parted with Dianeia and headed back to my home’s garden.

  ***********************************

  「Hya, Hyahha~……a-as I thought Boss’s scale is completely different. That’s why we admire him.」


  「Yeah…….」


  As they watched Daichi walk away the shining heads spoke up in admiration.

  Hearing that Dianeia muttered to herself…


  「Haha, as I thought, my power still isn’t enough.」


  Dianeia looked at her hands that had been shaking not too long ago.

  「Onee-sama?」


  「Ahtnea. I think you can understand from the incident today, a strong enemy can appear at any time, it’s a frightening thing. So there is a need to become strong.」


  「Y-yeah.」


  She wanted to say that she was strong, but there was still a realm beyond.

  A realm far beyond that she hasn’t caught a glimpse of.

  ………A place where her admired person is….a far away place.

  For that reason she had to try harder, Dianeia thought.