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 85

Just as Kachua and the others returned to the dwarf village after obtaining Fire Mole’s gas, Ann also returned from the Cave of a Hundred Ores.

“Kachua! Everyone, you’re safe!”

Ann ran up to everyone and gave Kachua a tight hug.

Kachua was surprised by Ann’s appearance.

“Huh? Are you all right, Ann?”

Og and the others, who had been chased around by the Fire Moles, were tired, but Ann was on another level. Her clothes were tattered, she was covered in wounds, her hair was a mess, and she was drenched in sweat.

And even though only a few hours had passed since they’d parted, she looked a little thinner.

They’d heard there were no monsters in the Cave of a Hundred Ores, but had she really gone through such a fierce battle?

Kachua looked around, but didn’t see Neoro, who was supposed to have gone with Ann.

“Um, where’s Neoro-san?”

Ann replied, her eyes blazing with anger,

“He ran away. He set us up and trapped us.”

“Huh? Trapped you?”

“We can’t just stand around! Bernhardt and Laura are in danger! We have to do something and go help them on the eighty-eighth floor!”

Ann’s words sent a stir through Rick and Og.

“Laura and Bernhardt-san are?”

Suddenly, the field near the entrance to the village lit up.

With an unfamiliar, strange sound—kyuiiin—a magic circle drawn on the ground began to glow blue.

From inside the magic circle, Bernhardt and Laura appeared.

They had used a teleportation magic scroll to return.

“Bernhardt, Laura, you’re safe!”

“What happened, Ann?!”

“Ann-san!”

Bernhardt and Laura were both surprised.

Laura started to cast the healing spell【Heal】on Ann, but Rick and the others were exhausted as well.

“Area Heal!”

She quickly changed the spell to a wide-range heal.

Everyone’s stamina was restored!

Having no idea that the whole team had nearly been wiped out by Neoro’s trap, Kachua asked Ann,

“By the way, what happened?”

“A lot happened. I can’t explain it in just a few words. First, let’s go to Neoro’s house. He might have gone back there.”

With Ann’s suggestion, everyone headed to Neoro’s house.

They broke open the door without permission and barged inside, but there was no one there.

“He hasn’t come back here?”

“Um, what exactly happened?”

Rick asked Ann.

Before Ann could answer, Board spoke in a gloomy voice.

“Neoro set you all up just because he wanted that lady’s spear, didn’t he?”

“Huh?”

Everyone except Ann stared at Board in surprise.

“That’s right” Ann replied.

Board let out a sigh. “I knew it.”

“No way, I can’t believe Neoro-san would…” Kurt was shocked, unable to believe it.

“But it’s true—if we hadn’t awakened to our new powers right then, we’d all have been in real danger,” Og pointed out.

“Yeah, if Kachua-san hadn’t come when she did, I don’t know what would have happened” Rick agreed.

“That’s not all. Neoro said he poured an extract into the lake on the eighty-eighth floor that amplifies monsters’ power.”

Upon hearing this, Bernhardt nodded as if it made sense.

“I see, so that’s what happened. I thought it was unusually tough, even for an eighty-eighth-floor monster, though the underwater battle put us at a disadvantage.”

“Kurt, didn’t you also think something was strange about the Fire Moles?” At Board’s words, Kurt fell silent.

“W-well, yeah, I did think it was a little odd. But since Neoro said it, I figured I must have just been mistaken…”

“You idiot! That’s why you’re hopeless! Have more confidence in yourself. Stop always relying on what other people say.”

Board shouted at Kurt.

His way of speaking might have been harsh but Board was the first to rush to Kurt’s aid when he was in trouble.

It seemed he also wanted to warn Kurt about always believing what others said too easily.

“I’d heard you were difficult, but Board-san, you’re actually a pretty good guy” Kachua praised Board.

Board snorted at her words. “Hmph,『difficult』is unnecessary.”

After that, Board stared intently at Ann.

To be precise, he was looking at the spear she carried on her back.

“That weapon of yours is made from Astral Stone, a top-class ore rivaling Hiraikane Metal and Orichalcum.”

“That’s right.”

“To dwarves, it’s the kind of material we’d drool over—something you’d want to work with at least once. Especially Neoro, who was desperate to be promoted to first class—he must have wanted it at any cost.”

Board let out a sigh.

“Neoro said he didn’t want to lose to you” Ann told Board.

“What a fool. The two of us have pushed each other to get this far” Board murmured sadly.

Then, straightening up, he bowed his head to Gamma Team.

“I’m sorry. One of our own caused all this trouble. I know it’s not much of an apology, but could you let me have the materials you gathered? I’ll make the Ring of the New Moon myself. Kurt, will you help me?”

“Y-yeah, of course. You all saved our lives” Kurt said, nodding vigorously.

“That would be a big help.”

＊＊＊

Despite it being late at night, Board and Kurt began crafting the Ring of the New Moon in the workshop.

Meanwhile, Gamma Team ate the barbecue Kachua had prepared to fill their stomachs, then searched Neoro’s house for any clues.

In the house, they found his diary. It seemed that for about a year, Neoro had been growing increasingly anxious and frustrated about not being able to become a first-class blacksmith.

According to Kurt, reaching second class was 『something any dwarf can achieve with effort』but being promoted to first class was extremely difficult even for those dwarves.

It wasn’t uncommon for training in the village to take more than ten years, so it was perfectly normal that Neoro, who had only been second class for about a year and a half, hadn’t advanced yet.

However, Neoro, who had rapidly advanced through the ranks until then and had been treated as a genius, found the current situation unbearable.

Seeing Board steadily improve his skills through steady training, Neoro had come to view him as a threat—and, in the end, he gave in to the temptation of the Serpent, Voracity.

“I suspect Neoro has probably become a Dark Dwarf and is now being sheltered by followers of Voracity,”

Bernhardt speculated.

“A Dark Dwarf… You mean the one who supposedly made that『Soul-Harvesting Scythe』that attacked you and the others, Bernhardt-san…?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“This has turned into something really serious…”

Dwarves possess a unique skill that allows them to sense the hearts of ores.

Because of that, depending on the state of their own hearts, there are materials they can no longer handle.

Now that Neoro has fallen into darkness, he can no longer touch ores aligned with the light.

Instead, he now has a strong affinity for materials of darkness and can create fearsome, evil tools.

“The enemies of those who live on the surface aren’t just demons. There are also humans and demi-humans who serve their interests.”

Bernhardt spoke in a somber voice.

“Let’s worry about the complicated stuff later. More importantly, Kachua, you’ve racked up some Monster Points, right?”

Ann asked Kachua.

After all, the main attraction of Team Mission #1’s completion bonus was:

【If you clear the mission, you’ll be awarded 1,000 Monster Points! Take this opportunity to collect as many points as you can!】

“Oh, that’s right. I think I’ve saved up quite a bit.”

Up until now, Kachua had accumulated 212 points.

But with this mission clear, she suddenly gained 1,000 points all at once.

Kachua eagerly pulled her stylish coin purse out and took out her Monster Point card.

“Let’s see…”

As she looked at the card, a status board popped up with a message.

【Monster Points: 300 Points Achieved! Congratulations! As a commemoration, you’ve received 300 Monster-flavored candies!】

At that moment, a drawstring bag fell from above Kachua’s head.

“Whoa!”

Just before it hit Kachua, Rick’s thief skill【Emergency】activated, and he caught it.

Inside, of course, were three hundred candies.

“Thanks, Rick-kun.”

It turned out the reward for reaching 300 points was a refill of candies. Since she used them often, it was actually a pretty welcome present.

【Monster Points: 400 Points Achieved! Congratulations! As a commemoration, you’ve received a handy pot, perfect for stews!】

【Monster Points: 500 Points Achieved! Congratulations! As a commemoration, you’ve received a frying pan with a non-stick coating!】

【Monster Points: 600 Points Achieved! Congratulations! As a commemoration, you’ve received a year’s supply of kitchen sponges and detergent!】

One after another, the pot, frying pan, and the set of detergent and sponges came tumbling down.

“Whoa—!”

Og and Rick caught the gifts just in time.

It seemed the rewards for hitting 400, 500, and 600 points were all kitchen goods.

“Oh, I’m so happy.”

They were all things she had just been wishing for.

【Monster Points: 700 Points Achieved! Congratulations! You’ve received a cute, floral-patterned eco bag with Magic Bag functionality—superb storage, folds up compactly when not in use!】

Next came a big, thin bag.

Apparently, it was an eco bag.

“Wow, it even has Magic Bag functionality, that’s amazing…”

“Yeah.”

Even though the tulip pattern was a bit dorky, the bag was high performance!

Kachua immediately stuffed all the gifts she’d received so far into the eco bag.

She’d been a bit worried about how to carry everything home, but the eco bag easily fit the large pot, frying pan, a year’s worth of detergent, and all the sponges.

“So convenient—”

【Monster Points: 800 Points Achieved! Congratulations! You’ve received a Link Stone, a teleportation magic coordinate stone!】

With that message, an orange stone about the size of a fist fell above Kachua’s head.

Danger!

Once again, Rick was there to save the day.

The Link Stone is used to set coordinates for teleportation magic. If you have several, you can specify multiple destinations. It’s a must-have for any intermediate or advanced adventurer, but it’s pretty expensive if you buy it.

“This is handy too—”

【Monster Points: 900 Points Achieved! Congratulations! A must-have for anyone who’s not a morning person! You’ve received 100 packs of Wake-Up Gum!】

A new item, Wake-Up Gum.

It looked like ordinary gum, but it was said to be a lifesaver for people who struggle to wake up in the morning.

【Monster Points: 1,000 Points Achieved! Congratulations! A huge hit with kids! You’ve received a Slime Coloring Book!】

This time, something that looked like a sketchbook fell down.

“Oh, it’s the Slime Coloring Book!”

Kachua cheered, but the rest of the team didn’t seem impressed.

“What’s that?”

“Never heard of it.”

“You don’t know? It’s a coloring book of monsters that’s super popular with kids right now. My kid has been wanting it, too!”

It was the second release in the Slime Series, a product so popular it was constantly sold out.

Kachua’s daughter Barbara had really wanted it, but it was always out of stock no matter where they looked.

She’d gotten it in such an unexpected way.

Barbara would be thrilled.

“Thank you, Goddess!”

Kachua gave thanks to the gods.