An Adventurer Mom, Who Awakened [Housewife] Skill Through a Login Bonus, Is Making the Most of Her Adventurer Life With the Weekly Flyers She Gets! - Chapter 18

A massive fireball erupted from Kachua’s ladle, engulfing the giant body of the Queen Hie-Hie Iron Ant in flames.

“Whoa!”

Ann and Org had been standing ready by the ant, hoping that Kachua’s fire attack would at least stun it for a moment, giving them a chance to strike. However, they hadn’t expected the sheer force of the fireball and had to leap back hastily to avoid being caught in the blaze.

“Eek! That was terrifying!” Kachua shrieked as she dashed away from the flames in panic.

And just like that, the Queen Hie-Hie Iron Ant was defeated!

As the giant creature fell, several drop items appeared, including a white stone that caught their attention.

“What’s this?” Laura gasped, her eyes widening.

“A Healing Stone…”

“Wait, this is the Healing Stone?”

“I see, most of the adventurers who stole the stone were probably eaten by the Queen Hiehie Iron Ant.”

It seemed the adventurer who had stolen the stone from the shrine must have encountered the Queen Hie-Hie Iron Ant afterwards. The poor thief had been eaten, leaving the stone undigested inside the creature’s body. The ant, known for being cautious, rarely left its nest, which was why the stone had gone missing for so long.

“Should we return this to the goddess statue?”

“Yeah, let’s do that.”

“Ah, I’m exhausted.”

“But once the goddess statue is restored, we’ll get a full recovery of health and mana.”

“Let’s go.”

“But… before that—”

There were still Moe-Moe Iron Ants lingering nearby. Although they were subdued for the moment by Kachua’s candy, there was no telling when they would attack again. As much as it pained them, they decided to eliminate the creatures before they regained their aggression.

***

“Is that it?”

Deep inside the shrine, they found the goddess statue resting in the farthest corner of the room. It was about the same size as the one on the first floor, bearing a warm and loving smile, but the white stone that was supposed to glow on its forehead was missing.

The statue stood slightly elevated from the ground. Rick, being the lightest and most agile of the group, leaped up to place the healing stone into its rightful spot. As soon as he did, the area was bathed in a pure, radiant light.

Kachua and her companions’ wounds healed instantly. Their health and mana were fully restored.

“Phew, that worked out well, didn’t it?”

“Yeah.”

“So, since we’re all healed, should we explore a bit more?” Rick asked.

But Ann shook her head. “Even if we’re physically recovered, I’m mentally drained. We should head back.”

Laura chimed in, “We also need to report to the Guild about fixing the goddess statue.”

“Plus, Kachua-san, you’ve got to pick up your kid, right?” Rick said, glancing at her.

Kachua hesitated. “…Are you sure it’s okay?”

This was the perfect opportunity to advance to the eleventh floor, and Rick and the younger members of the party probably wanted to go. Yet, Rick just shrugged.

“It’s fine. I’m tired too, and pushing ahead might be risky.”

“You’ve done a great job, Rick,” Laura said, praising him. 

He blushed and quickly replied, “It’s all thanks to Kachua’s candy, really.”

“Speaking of which,” Ann interjected, “what is that candy?”

“It’s monster-flavored candy. It has the effect of calming monsters down.”

“And what about that fire magic earlier? That was some serious power!”

“My ladle upgraded after I collected enough monster points, so now it has a fire attribute.”

“Your skills are unreal… but we’ll get into the details later.” Then Ann turned toward Org. “Hey, Org, before we head back, let’s fix up that bandage, yeah?”

Org touched his cheek, startled.

During the fierce battle, his bandages had come loose, exposing his face. Though he hadn’t noticed, the rest of the party had. Kachua, meanwhile, had been struggling with the overwhelming urge to reach out and touch him.

Org’s face was covered in fur, like a canine’s, and his head sported a pair of fluffy, wolf-like ears.

As Org hurried to rewrap his bandages, Kachua spoke, “So you’re a beastkin, Org?”

The city of Loa, where the dungeon was located, was primarily inhabited by humans. Beastkin were rare, but with their exceptional physical abilities, they were well-suited for adventuring. Some high-ranking adventurers were beastkin, but they were few and far between.

Org, his voice muffled by the bandages, murmured, “Once we’re back on the surface, I’m leaving the party. Just let me stay with you until then.”

Kachua and the others were taken aback.

“What? You’re leaving?” 

“We’ve come this far together…”

“Please reconsider.”

But Org’s voice was filled with sorrow. “You saw my face, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, we saw, but…”

Beastkin often faced prejudice and hatred, and many humans viewed them as dangerous. That was likely why Org always covered his face.

“To me, it doesn’t matter,” Kachua said firmly. “You’re still Org.”

Rick and Laura nodded in agreement.

“That’s right.”

“I don’t think it matters either.”

Ann, however, suddenly asked, “Org, you’re not a true beastkin, are you?”

Org remained silent.

“You mentioned you were searching for something. Are you… a werewolf?”

“Werewolf?”

“Beastkin are feared because they can turn humans and other races into their kind by biting them.”

“Is that true?”

No wonder people are wary.

“Though most beastkin only bite their partners when they want to turn them, sometimes, one goes rogue and bites indiscriminately. The ones that do this are usually from the wolf species. Those who are bitten and turned are called werewolves,” Ann continued.

“So… does that mean Org was originally human?”

With a heavy sigh, Org finally spoke. “I was born human. I came to this dungeon looking for a Supreme Status Ailment Cure Potion. It’s the only thing that can reverse my transformation.”

The process of turning into a beastkin was considered a powerful curse, and some said it could be undone with magic, though it was rare.

“…If it’s the Supreme Status Ailment Cure Potion, then yes, it might work,” Ann murmured thoughtfully.

“Do you know about it, Ann?”

“I’ve only heard of it. It’s made by combining more than ten rare herbs, and only master-level alchemists can create it.”

Org clenched his fists in frustration. “I’ve researched it, but I couldn’t even find out what ingredients I need.”

“Well, then,” Kachua said cheerfully as she brushed off her skirt and stood up, “let’s head back and figure out how to get that potion together, okay?”

“Yeah!”

“We’ll help find some leads.”

“Are you guys really okay with that?” Org asked cautiously.

“Of course! We’re friends, after all!”