Live Dungeon!

”What in the world…?” Tsutomu muttered as he stepped into the Clan House, squinting at the bustling chaos that greeted him. ”When did this become such a huge event?”

He had only just returned from repurchasing Smith’s wine collection, but the kitchen was already swarming. Camille stood at the center in an apron, flanked by a few Guild receptionists. Oddly enough, members from the Scarlet Devil Squad, Golden Tune, and Silver Beast were all helping out.

Amy hurried to his side and leaned in close, speaking in a conspiratorial whisper.

”Sorry. Amira mentioned there’d be a wine tasting today, so I figured I’d invite the Guild Master and a few others. But since she’d partied with the Scarlet Devil Squad before, they kind of invited themselves along. Then the silver-haired Vulpeer girl from Golden Tune… uh, what’s her name, again? Well, she insisted she HAD to come because she wanted to bring something special. Silver Beast just… kind of forced their way in too.”

”Silver-haired Vulpeer? Milway, you mean?” Tsutomu guessed.

As he took in the bizarre scene, Alma from the Scarlet Devil Squad approached with a saccharine smile on her face and addressed him in a voice dripping with false charm.

”Looks like you’ve assembled the best wines in all of Dungeon City! Oh my, Tsutomu, you’re amaaaaaazing!”

”……”

”……”

”…I’m joking. Look! We brought something too! Something rare from the Scarlet Devil Squad’s collection.”

Faced with Tsutomu and Amy’s unimpressed expressions, she quickly pulled a rather expensive-looking ceramic jug from her Magic Bag, showing it off instead like a merchant hawking her wares. Tsutomu waved her off halfheartedly, then exchanged a few quick words with Weiss and Cecilia before giving the squad permission to stay.

Golden Tune soon followed suit, with the ever-boisterous Leon already halfway through attempting to flirt with Hannah. Tsutomu ignored him and instead focused on the silver-haired woman standing before him, Milway, who bowed her head apologetically.

”I’m sorry for the sudden intrusion,” she said. ”I hope we’re not being a burden.”

”I don’t mind,” Tsutomu replied. ”But would you tell me why you insisted on coming? Amy made it sound like you pushed rather hard.”

Milway hesitated, her gaze drifting briefly to the side. Then, with a resigned sigh, she met his eyes and dropped the formalities.

”It’s because Eunice has been feeling down. She’s been struggling with skill development. I thought speaking with you might help lift her spirits.”

”If that’s the case, then you could’ve said something yourself–”

Tsutomu’s tone grew distant and evasive, but Milway frowned at his deflection. She leaned in close, lowering her voice so others wouldn’t hear.

”You do know she respects you SPECIFICALLY, don’t you? Even if she’d never admit it, it’s obvious that she developed the Dumpling just to gain your approval. And when you finally acknowledged it… she was so so happy. And now, you act like she’s nothing to you? Isn’t that a bit much?”

”Why should I have to care so much about her all the time? Give me a break…” Tsutomu grumbled.

”…And yet you bend over backward to help Stephanie. Isn’t that unfair? You’re not fooling anyone, you know. I’ve done my research; Stephanie’s THE MOST trouble of all your students, way more than Eunice ever was.”

”……”

Tsutomu had no answer to that. Stephanie was indeed more of a handful, objectively speaking. Her volatile temperament, her borderline-obsessive behavior… even Tsutomu had been intimidated. Before he had finally managed to swerve the conversation to the topic of Healer performance, thereby talking her out of her episode, he was half-convinced she might physically attack him. There’d been danger, both personal and business-wise, given her ties to Ealdred Crow.

And yet, he had still gone out of his way to help. He was willing to do that for a former student of his, whose potential would no doubt carry her far in the future. And Milway was right; if he could do that for Stephanie, why was he so eager to cast Eunice aside when she also had the accomplishment of developing a whole new type of skill? Surely her being annoying would not be enough of a reason.

”Look, I’m not asking you to coddle her.” Milway said. ”But she takes your every word seriously. Especially what you said to her last time she showed up here. She’s been dwelling on it ever since. Could you at least clear up that misunderstanding?”

”…I can’t make any promises,” Tsutomu replied. ”There’s no telling how things will play out in the end.”

”Just talk to her. That’s enough. You always try to show everything through actions, but sometimes words are necessary too. Take a page out of Leon’s book for once, will you?”

With that, Milway gave his hands a firm squeeze, equal parts encouragement and warning… and perhaps to vent her frustration of having to rebuild Golden Tune’s main party. She’d had virtually no strategic experience; she must’ve been winging it by analyzing Monitor broadcasts and deciphering actual hints from the harsh words Tsutomu had said to Eunice last time.

Tsutomu watched her go with an exaggerated look of dread, already regretting what he had gotten himself into. Then, he went on to speak with Barbara, the Tank he had once coached, and Leon, the ever-flirty leader of Golden Tune.

Afterward, he found himself face-to-face with a certain rabbit-eared girl whose long white ears twitched comically as she fixed him with an intense, burning stare.

”You look well,” Tsutomu said carefully.

”Yes. Unlike Stephanie or Eunice, I’ve been challenging the ninetieth layer WITHOUT needing any encouragement from my mentor. Really, I’m feeling GREAT now. Not too long ago, I was seriously depressed… so depressed I thought I might die. I kept hoping SOMEONE would say something COMFORTING to me. But guess what? You didn’t even LOOK at me!”

”You’re… low-maintenance,” he replied dryly. ”Makes my life easier.”

”Can I kick you?”

”I’d rather you didn’t. Your legs could probably KILL a mid-tier monster.”

”Do you have any idea how much I suffered on the ninetieth layer, Tsutomu!? I came here JUST to tell you that! And yet you looked at me like, ‘What are you doing here?’ How dare you!”

With a frustrated growl, Lorena jabbed at him with her long ears like spears, thumping against his torso in dramatic fury.

”Oh, sure! Stephanie bites her own fingers in front of you and gets comforted like a child! Eunice gets her head patted and showered with praise! So what is it, huh!? Is it the boobs? Is that what it is!? Or does being cute and young just automatically get you sympathy!? Men are such pigs! Maybe I should’ve burst into your room crying! Would that have gotten me some attention!?”

”Have you already been drinking?”

”I have NOT! Are you mocking me!?”

Lorena surged forward, wild-eyed and brimming with the kind of energy that made it seem like she might grab him by the collar any second. She glared up at Tsutomu like a punk spoiling for a fight. He raised both hands in a pacifying gesture, gently fending her off.

”Easy, easy,” he said, trying to de-escalate her boiling emotions.

Just behind her, Misil reached forward with a sigh and gave one of Lorena’s long rabbit ears a firm pinch, holding her in place.

”Cut her some slack,” he said. ”She means well.”

”I don’t mind. It’s true I haven’t really spoken to her lately,” Tsutomu replied calmly. ”Still, it seems like Silver Beast’s close to clearing the ninetieth layer. Take today as an early celebration. We’ve got plenty of wine, dozens of bottles, in fact.”

”Now, now, no pressure,” Misil said with a wry smile.

”Hey! I’m not done talking yet!” Lorena barked. ”The other day, you also–!”

While waiting for Ollie, Maribel, and over a dozen guest helpers to finish cooking and setting the table, Tsutomu listened patiently as she aired out her grievances. He figured if he did not, she might actually barge into the Clan House uninvited eventually; better to let the pressure out now than deal with it in the middle of the night.

Meanwhile, what had begun as Xeno’s modest wine-tasting idea had spiraled into a full-blown banquet. Members from three different Clans, Guild staff, and even people from House Babenberg had shown up. While the Clan House living room was spacious enough to accommodate them all, it had never held this many guests before. Daryl and Korinna, visibly stiff with nerves, stood awkwardly among the gathering.

Then Xeno, clearly in his element, leapt atop a makeshift platform. Holding a wide-bottomed wine glass with graceful flair, he turned slowly to address the room.

”Everyone, raise your glasses,” he said, his voice ringing clear above the murmur of the crowd. He waited until each guest had done so, and then declared with a flourish, ”To all who are gathered here, cheers!”

With that, the tasting began in earnest. Xeno’s Martot wine and the many bottles Tsutomu had procured were uncorked and poured. Tsutomu, a complete novice when it came to wine, had expected a sharp, heavy taste. But the first sip surprised him with how light it felt; more fragrant than overpowering.

[What is this smell…?] he wondered. [There’s the grapes, obviously, but something else too. All I can really tell is that it’s not bad…]

The scent was subtle yet layered, blooming gently as it spread through his sinuses. He couldn’t put words to it, but it was pleasant — flowers, perhaps, and something reminiscent of the aroma diffuser Korinna used in her room. Considering the small amount poured into his glass, he contemplated finishing it in one gulp, but Xeno, sensing his intention, intervened.

”Let it breathe a bit,” he said. ”The taste changes with air exposure. It’s part of the experience. In the meantime, why don’t you snack on something and chat?”

”Huh… It changes that fast?” Tsutomu asked, intrigued.

”Oh, it sure does. You’d be surprised how different it tastes… And by the way, the glass also matters. You see, Martot wine is–”

With no knowledge of wine whatsoever, Tsutomu let Xeno guide him through the nuances, sipping the drink slowly while sampling food and listening to his impassioned explanations. Once the brief lecture had ended, Xeno looked around with a nostalgic smile.

”Honestly, I didn’t expect this to turn into such a large-scale gathering. I meant for it to be a simple party toast, but this… this isn’t bad at all.”

”Sorry,” Tsutomu said, smirking. ”I did bring some wine myself, but I doubt it’s enough to make up for the amount that’ll get drunk tonight.”

”No matter. Wine’s meant to be shared. What you see here, people enjoying one another’s company over a drink, I don’t dislike it at all.”

”I see. I’d rather hoard it for myself, personally.”

Chuckling at Tsutomu’s dry quip, his lips were looser now that he was starting to get tipsy, Xeno lifted a wine bottle and held it up to the light.

”Wine isn’t something you’re supposed to drink alone. Even the finest bottle grows dull without company. And half the joy of buying an expensive one is imagining who you’ll share it with.”

”Huh. I thought wine connoisseurs were all solitary drinkers.”

”Some are, yes. But still… ah, and here comes one of them now.”

He nodded toward Leleia, who approached with an unmistakably high-end bottle of wine in hand. Its label practically screamed ‘exclusive.’

”How about a glass of this? Only four hundred thousand Gold per pour.”

”MY Gold,” Tsutomu noted flatly.

”Which I earned. I did consider reselling it for a handsome profit, but wine is for the living, not the shelves. It’ll be split twelve ways among Absolute Helix, so not much, but enough to enjoy.”

”Thanks. That’s thoughtful.”

”…Well, well. You seem oddly cheerful tonight,” Leleia observed, watching him carefully. ”Try not to pass out before the night’s over, hmm?”

Even her suspicious expression and cold words, normally sharp as a blade, felt almost endearing to Tsutomu in his current mood. With unusual warmth, he merely thanked her and toasted with the glass she poured.

”Four hundred thousand well spent. This is amazing.”

”…Glad you like it,” she mumbled, taken aback by his earnest tone. Quietly, she moved on to serve the rest of the wine to their comrades.

Later, Smith uncorked a bottle that rivaled Martot’s finest and poured Tsutomu a glass as a thank-you. Alma shared a strong, local brew, and soon the air was filled with conversation and laughter. Tsutomu, typically reserved, was surprisingly relaxed, drifting from group to group and chatting casually more than doing business talk for once.

Sensing the change in him, even those who usually kept their distance, like Weiss and his Clan’s less familiar members, came to chat. Amy, tucked quietly near the back, leaned in during a lull.

”Hey, Tsutomu? Your parents… are they around somewhere?”

”Yeah. Somewhere quite far away,” he answered.

”Oh… sorry. I didn’t mean to–”

”I meant that literally. They’re ALIVE. Probably. Just don’t worry about them, all right?”

Even under the influence of good wine and good company, Tsutomu didn’t so much as hint at the truth. No matter how smooth the drink or inviting the atmosphere, some boundaries remained untouchable. He deflected with vague words, floating from one idle conversation to the next.

Then, amid the shifting crowd, he heard a hesitant voice.

”G-Good evening…”

”Ah, Eunice. Thanks for helping with the food.”

”Y-you’re welcome…”

Despite the lingering awkwardness between them, the two spoke without incident. Eunice seemed startled by how mild-mannered Tsutomu was that evening, while Camille and Alma, watching from a distance, blinked in disbelief at the rare sight.

[I definitely had too much,] Tsutomu thought as he chatted idly with Eunice. [But… it’s not so bad. I’ll leave healing for tomorrow.]

He didn’t notice how Eunice’s expression shifted during their talk. How the walls she’d built began to crack, little by little.

By the end of it, he had already forgotten the details of their conversation. But when Milway thanked him and departed with a satisfied smile, he had a feeling things had turned out okay.

The last thing he registered was the weight of Garm’s arms lifting him from the floor. And by the time he realized he’d been carried to bed, he was already asleep.