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Chapter 66 Part 2

After finishing things up on this floor, we pack up and get ready to leave this forsaken fourth dungeon.

To be honest, even without monsters, I never want to enter this dungeon again, considering how impossible it is to navigate through the second floor without Sybilla…

After Sybilla led us through the notorious second floor, we safely got out of the dungeon in no time.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

「We ended up returning this late at night, but thank you so much for your help today, Eve-chan.」

「I-it’s fine! I’m willing to do anything if it’s for ya, Sybilla-san! Seriously, anything!」

Hearing those words… Sybilla fell silent for a moment, then flashed this big, nasty grin on her face.

……Ah, it’s her face when she’s up to no good…….

「Right… I see. You’ll do “Anything”, huh?」

「Eh? Umm… W-Well, as long as it’s within my power to do so, then…」

Sybilla turned to me and simply gave instructions to me and Emmy.

「You two can go back first.」

「Ha?」

Without even looking back at us, who were too stunned to speak, Sybilla put her arm around Eve’s shoulder and quickly left. From a third-person perspective, that totally looks like kidnapping in progress.

My eyes met with Emmy, who looked similarly unable to keep up with what was happening, and I sighed.

「…Let’s head back.」

「Ahaha, yeah…」

I was looking in the direction Sybilla had left, and seeing that very, very joyful expression on Sybilla’s face, I felt something close to conviction.

——She’s definitely going to put her through some sort of hardship.

Good luck Eve, I really feel sorry for you that you’ve been caught up in Sybilla’s whatever bothersome shenanigans she’s planning this time, but hang in there.

Because there’s nothing I can do, yep.

As expected, going out, to the dungeon no less, after dinner when I was supposed to be resting at the inn, left me mentally exhausted.

I’m not as hazy as I was the other day, but I’m still not feeling refreshed at all either.

I guess I need to add some more hours to my sleep.

「Waahh~ this bed feels so good… I think I ate too much… I’m so sleepy~」

「Yeah, good work today, have a good rest.」

「Good night, O Black Kite Saint-sama~ Ehehe~」

I was taken aback by her strange way of calling me when she was about to end her day. While I’m trying think of how I’m going to respond, I can already hear her breathing in her sleep.

Although this was a different direction from Sybilla, she was also extremely laid back in her own way, huh…

Emmy, who was a glutton, ended up eating a considerable amount of meat, even from my point of view as a guy. Well, she was also eating a lot even at the seafood restaurant, so it wasn’t that surprising…

I wonder where in her body she would fit all that meat.

That must’ve been why she was so sleepy.

I then looked back on what happened today.

At Sybilla’s suggestion, we just spent the morning playing in the sea. Emmy and I did just that.

While Sybilla was… doing something else.

Letting us play on the beach was Sybilla’s way of being considerate, while also a part of her strategic moves.

And although Sybilla had been working just as hard when we were exploring the third dungeon, she was still fighting the Demon Lord behind the scenes since this morning.

She uncovered the hidden dungeon, the place where the monsters appeared from, thoroughly investigated the extremely vast second floor, and even played an active role fighting the floor boss.

During all this time, Sybilla’s brain had been working at full capacity the whole time, and she hadn’t had a moment’s rest.

……I was once again reminded that she’s a really amazing individual.

I don’t think there’s anyone who could ever replace her.

And then there’s Eve.

Having such a talented assassin on our side turned out to be a very fortunate thing for us.

Sybilla had assured us so clearly at the time that we at least had achieved some 『results』.

Considering the circumstances, the plan would’ve been impossible without Eve.

……I see.

Sybilla, who has not rested at all, is still not resting.

She’s going out somewhere with Eve, but I don’t think she would ever ask her to do something out of self-interest.

Although… since it’s Sybilla we’re talking about here, I can’t be 100% sure.

Haa~… I’m starting to get sleepy. Maybe this is coming from relief, I don’t know.

While accepting the dark curtain of drowsiness that had begun to descend on me, I’m looking forward to the 『next move』 by Sybilla, who had thoroughly outwitted that Demon Lord, and let the sleepiness take over me.

The next morning, I woke up when the sun was fully up and instantly recognized the bright ceiling.

The sunlight reflected off the white walls of the room, piercing the back of my eyes a little.

As my sleepy mind fully awakens and reality begins to set in, I realized that it’s already late in the day.

I raised myself up from the bed and——my eyes naturally met those of the woman relaxing in one of the chairs in the room.

「Good morning. You don’t seem to be as mentally fatigued by the looks of it.」

「……Yeah, morning.」

Sybilla, who obviously worked hard and should have gone to bed later than I did, seems to have been up earlier than I was.

Good grief… I’m really no match for this woman.

「You sure work yourself hard, don’t you? Wouldn’t it be good to take a break once in a while?」

I told her my honest opinion, but… she looked rather surprised.

「……You’re the most reckless of all the previous 【Twilight Sorcerer】, so hearing that from you will make even me dumbfounded.」

「I am?」

「Damn right you are~ From my perspective, fighting as a vanguard despite being a mage is already reckless enough, but you calmly going along without complaining when you were suddenly launched in the air with magic, you know? Haa, good grief, just how oblivious can you be.」

Is she praising or dissing me? Honestly, I can’t tell.

I can’t tell, but…… it doesn’t feel that bad to be described that way by someone who I know is working the hardest among all of us.

Right. If Sybilla says so, then I might as well acknowledge that I’m trying my best.

「Ah, good morning, Russell.」

Emmy, who possibly just went outside, comes into the room and waves at me with a bright face.

「Morning. Looks like you’re up earlier than me, huh, Emmy.」

「Nfufufu」, I could hear a chuckle from across the room when Emmy nodded her head.

「Oh she was, alright~ I mean, Emmy-chan was having her fill looking at your sleeping face and all.」

「Hyau!? T-That’s—Even though I told you not to say anything!」

「Oh right, you did, didn’t you~? But it was your mistake for trusting me to keep such a juicy fact a secret~」

……It’s still morning, and Sybilla is already being Sybilla as usual.

I guess it’s time for Emmy to finally prepare herself to deal with this piece of work, too.

「……Well, I did the same thing when I got up earlier than Emmy before, so I guess we’re even.」

「Eh? Ah, w-well, r-right! I-I guess so, un!」

「Yeah well, but Emmy-chan was like, this close and she rea~lly took her time to—」

「N-Noooo don’t say it!」

「That’s a great reaction, ahahahaha!」

I felt sorry for Emmy as Sybilla’s mischievous laugh echoed throughout the room, but then I noticed something on her wrist shining in the sunlight.

……Is that a bracelet? …Like the one I bought for Emmy?

I wonder if she bought it for herself because I didn’t give her one as a gift.

「Huh? Sybilla-san, were you wearing that bracelet yesterday?」

It stood out because it was shining brightly from that position, so it’s no surprise that Emmy noticed it too.

In response to her question, Sybilla smiled in amusement… and said something unusual.

「Oh this? This is, you see… is the key to our victory.」