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 70

From the author:

~Summary of Chapter Four~

The holy sword, a sacred treasure that calms the monsters of this kingdom, has vanished from the royal family’s treasury. Unless it is retrieved quickly, a great disaster will occur.

The only way to obtain the holy sword is for Kachua to accumulate 20,000 points on her Monster Point Card.

Aiming for that goal of 20,000 points, Kachua and her companions continue their point-gathering quest!

Kachua’s puppet stuffed animals—Kumakichi, Kumanosuke, and Kumatarou—fought monsters in her stead, bringing her Monster Points total up to 197.

Just a little more, and she would reach 200 points.

At 200 points, she would receive the achievement reward:『The Secret Whistle to Call the Informant』.

With that whistle, Kachua and her companions planned to summon an informant and ask about the location of the monster Happy Box, which was said to drop《Slim Grass》.

Slim Grass was an ingredient for a magical potion that would let the drinker instantly lose three kilograms. If they could obtain that potion, Ann would finally be able to complete her mission:『Lose 3 Kilograms』.

That would also clear Team Mission No. 1, rewarding them with 1,000 Monster Points.

And that, in turn, would bring them one step closer to claiming the Holy Sword.

The members of Gamma Team had all completed their personal missions—except for Ann.

Even so, Ann was giving it her all.

She had switched her snacks to healthier ones and with the help of Minerva Galfa, she had been drinking a special health tea said to be good for dieting.

Thanks to that effort, Ann had managed to lose one kilogram and she was now just two kilograms away from her goal.

But…

“These last two kilos are the hardest…”

Ann was already starting to sound worn out.

As a combat class, she had to be careful not to lose her strength while dieting. The first kilogram had come off quickly, but after that, her weight hadn’t been dropping so easily.

“Well, thanks to Kuma-chan, I’m almost at the point where I’ll have enough points, so don’t push yourself too hard”

Kachua comforted her.

“Thanks. I thought I could manage it on my own, but… it might be impossible”

Ann replied, uncharacteristically discouraged.

Gamma Team finally reached the 46th Floor.

“Whoa, it’s dark”

The moment they stepped onto the 46th Floor, Rick raised his voice.

Just as Rick had said, the 46th Floor was extremely dark.

After their eyes adjusted a little, they realized it wasn’t pitch black but it was still so dim that they could barely make out what was around them.

Normally, this would be the time for Lantern Frog Kero-chan to shine, but ever since their adventure at the Loa Academy Junior Division, Kero-chan had gotten close to Ed and had been with him almost constantly.

Today, Ed was studying at his usual elementary school, and Kero-chan had snuck along with him.

Bernhardt pulled out what looked like an ordinary torch, though it was actually a torch-shaped light magic tool designed to be safe to touch without heat.

Looking up at the sky, he murmured:

“The cloud cover is really thick”

“It is. You can’t even see the moon or the clouds”

“Wait, is there even a moon down here?”

Rick asked Bernhardt and Ann.

“Last time we came here, we could see the moon”

Apparently Ann and the others had been to the 46th Floor before.

According to Bernhardt, this was a fixed-time Night Map.

With so little light, it was hard to make out their surroundings but from where the team stood, they could see a large forest.

Gamma Team was standing on a dirt road.

That road stretched on into the forest.

The night wind was chilly, and the forest looked even darker than where they stood now—pitch black.

Kachua shivered involuntarily.

“Is this the road we’re supposed to follow…?”

“Ah, there’s a sign”

Rick spotted a sign nearby.

Since it might contain something important, the team turned their attention to it.

Written on it was:

『Caution: Women and Children Dashing Out!』

“Eh… dashing out?”

It was a strange sign to find inside a dungeon.

Ann turned back to the rest of the team.

“Everyone, be careful. This is the Night Road Area. Various animals and monsters will suddenly jump out from the shadows. Most of the time they’re enemies, but occasionally non-combatants are mixed in”

“Non-combatants?”

At Ann’s words, the other four tilted their heads in confusion—except Bernhardt.

“Yes. Animals, human children and women”

“Eh, human children… in a place like this?”

Rick asked in surprise.

Ann shook her head.

“I don’t know the full details either. But they’re probably not real children or women. One theory says they’re shadows projected by the moon… but their true nature is still unknown”

“Shadows projected by the moon…”

“This place is most likely a map that tests good and evil”

Bernhardt said.

“A map that tests good and evil?”

“Yes. On a dark night road, visibility is poor. Witnesses are few and crimes are less likely to be discovered. It’s the perfect environment for criminals. And the quiet and darkness of night also stir up unease and fear in people, which can push them into aggressive actions they normally wouldn’t take”

Ann continued:

“And sometimes those non-combatants carry things that a team might feel the urge to『take away』.”

“Things you’d want to take away…?”

Og muttered, sounding bewildered.

“Yes. It could be a huge gemstone, or a pouch of gold coins. What each person sees varies wildly. But the common point is that it’s always some kind of treasure that tempts you to lose your reason and attack”

“Did you and your team ever see such treasures?”

Kachua asked.

“Hmm, I don’t really remember clearly” Ann scratched her head.

“How was it, do you recall?”

Ann asked Bernhardt.

“Back then, our main goal was simply to advance. So we didn’t fall for that kind of trap”

Bernhardt replied.

“Trap?”

“Yes. If you attack the non-combatants, the path keeps stretching endlessly, and you’ll wander forever. On the other hand, if you save non-combatants who are under attack, you get a bonus and can move forward. And above all, don’t stray from the path! If you get lost in the forest at night, you’ll end up stranded”

Kachua and her companions quickly decided to move forward.

As expected of a Night Road Map, it was dark.

Cautiously, they pressed on, when suddenly they heard a rustling sound.

From the nearby bushes emerged—『A Man Wearing Nothing Under His Cloak』!

“Heh heh heh, hey pretty lady, mind if I have a word with you?”

The man said, starting to open his cloak.

Kachua screamed.

“Kyaa! A pervert!”

“There it is!”

Before the flasher could spread his cloak, Ann attacked!

Ann defeated『A Man Wearing Nothing Under His Cloak』.

“Hand over your money!”

Next appeared a group of five bandits!

Bernhardt and Og immediately took them down.

And then—

“Don’t you care if this kid dies?”

A thug was pressing a knife to the throat of a boy about five years old.

“Uwaah! I-I’m scared! Help meee!”

The child cried for help through tears.

“Eh, what should we do?”

“If we act recklessly, the child…”

Rick and Laura panicked, unable to decide.

But—

“How dare you do that to a child!”

Kachua’s ladle blazed with flames as she skillfully struck only the thug, sparing the boy.

Kachua defeated the thug!

The child was rescued safely!

“Are you all right?”

Kachua called out, but the boy suddenly dissolved into the darkness and vanished.

“Eh? He disappeared?”

Kachua gasped in surprise.

Ann murmured:

“As I thought… it doesn’t seem like they’re real children. Before, they also vanished without a trace”

It was likely the bonus for rescuing a non-combatant.

Thanks to that, Kachua and the others managed to pass through the forest.

This time, they found themselves in a meadow-like area.

But the road still continued onward.

Gamma Team pressed further ahead.