Cursed Villainess' Obsession-Chapter 59

The party consists of Pedro, a swordsman; Klein, a spear master; and Triana, a priestess.

“By the way, doesn’t it seem like there are fewer monsters today?”

“Considering that, you look tired, Pedro.”

“No, I’m serious; I really think so.”

Pedro has slightly more experience as an adventurer than the other two.

It’s been quite some time since he first ventured into the tower, filled with admiration for the legends of Tarros.

Based on his experience, the number of monsters attacking today was definitely fewer.

While Pedro was deep in thought about this oddity, Triana called out.

“Uh, look over there… there’s another party down below. Doesn’t it seem like there are too many monsters over there?”

While briefly checking her gear, Triana looked down and pointed.

Currently, the first floor of the tower was an area of ruins, filled with tall ancient structures.

Pedro’s party was situated on a cliff, atop the rooftops of the buildings embedded in the walls.

What they were looking down at was the lowest part of the ruins.

Low-lying areas are often targeted by monsters, making it common for parties challenging the first floor to avoid these regions.

Thus, Pedro’s party was moving to higher ground, defeating the monsters that appeared along the way.

However, there was another party at the location Triana pointed to.

“…I’ve never seen that many before.”

“What… what kind of adventurer rank do they have?”

Pedro’s party couldn’t close their gaping mouths in surprise.

While it was understandable for the less experienced duo to be astonished, even Pedro, who was accustomed to Tarros Tower, had never seen such a sight.

A multitude of monsters swarming toward a party that handled them with ease.

The number of monsters encountered in Tarros Tower varies depending on the strength of the party.

The higher the rank of the adventurers in the party, the more monsters they face in the lower floors.

Thus, seeing the number of monsters charging at that party made it clear they were not typical adventurers.

“…That’s some incredible spear skill.”

Klein couldn’t help but be amazed as he watched a red-haired woman at the forefront of the party slaughtering monsters.

The luxurious spear gleamed golden.

She wielded it as if it were a part of her body, sweeping away the monsters rushing toward her allies in the rear.

“Hey, Klein. Have you ever seen a spear like that? How can she do that?”

“…I don’t know. It’s definitely something you can’t find in any ordinary weapon shop.”

What stood out the most was the spear she held.

It extended like a whip, striking down a goblin lurking beyond its range.

He had never heard of a spear that could change shape like that.

“Not just her, but the black-haired man beside her and the blonde man who breathes fire aren’t ordinary either.”

“Goodness, that ice magic is too fast to be a chant. She’s casting spells just by releasing her magic.”

“Is that a unique skill? Amazing. There are occasionally people like that—those who seem blessed by the world.”

Taking a break while looking down, Pedro couldn’t help but click his tongue.

Now he understood why there were fewer monsters today.

With a party like that on the same floor, all the monsters must have been drawn to them.

“By the way, the backline doesn’t seem special at all. Maybe it’s because the front line leaves such a strong impression?”

“Still, that blonde girl provides healing magic quite well, right? Triana, isn’t she your age?”

“Hmm, maybe? But she doesn’t seem to be a priestess.”

“Haha, look at that person at the very back. He must be the porter.”

Klein pointed to a chubby blonde man trailing behind the party.

“Seems like he’s not doing anything and is just stuck at the back. It must be nice being part of such a high-rank party.”

Klein chuckled at the sight.

In the world of adventurers, where only the strong are acknowledged, those perceived as weak are often looked down upon.

However, Pedro let out a sigh at Klein’s remark.

“Klein, is your eyesight just for decoration?”

“Uh? What do you mean? That guy is just a porter, right?”

“Look closely.”

At the words of his leader, who was looking at him with disdain, Klein reluctantly scrutinized the boy at the back.

And then—

“What just… happened?”

“Did you see?”

Klein thought the chubby boy was clumsily trying to follow the party.

But that wasn’t the case.

The boy was single-handedly taking down a monster that was sneaking up on the party from behind.

While protecting the girl casting healing magic.

More than that, what caught Klein’s attention was the boy’s hands.

“…Where is he pulling that weapon from?”

“I’m curious about that too. He was definitely empty-handed.”

“Moreover, how many of those high-end knives does he have? If they’re enchanted weapons, they must cost quite a bit…”

The boy sharply detected a monster approaching from behind and threw a knife.

The knife he threw clearly shimmered with magical energy.

And judging by the reaction of the monster that got hit, it was indeed a magically enhanced knife.

He was using them without holding back.

“What can I say, he’s really hard to understand.”

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“Anyway, it means that not everything is as it seems. If you accidentally provoke a guy like that, you might be in for trouble.”

At Pedro’s warning, Klein found himself at a loss for words.

He could only sigh as he watched the party sweeping away monsters.

“Huff! It’s finally over.”

Wiping her sweat, Emily collapsed onto the floor.

After finishing the battle on the first floor of Tarros Tower, we settled down in a safe area to take a break.

Fighting in a dungeon is quite different from combat in the wild.

Especially in Tarros Tower, the balance is set so that the higher the characters' levels, the more monsters swarm at them.

So, our party, experiencing mass monster battles for the first time, was initially challenging ourselves on the first floor to adapt.

“By the way, Ken! You were amazing! This is probably your first party battle, but you look like a seasoned adventurer!”

During our break, Emily, who was checking her equipment, spoke with sparkling eyes.

Adrian also smiled, intrigued, and added his thoughts.

“I was surprised too. Your commands during the fight, the placement of personnel, and even checking for traps… Wasn’t that something they don’t teach at the academy?”

Feeling a bit awkward under his questioning gaze, I sheepishly looked away.

The truth is, I had played Tarros Tower countless times in the game, but how could I say that?

I learned party dynamics and commands in a game where party play is fundamental.

However, they might find it odd if they didn’t know that.

As I pondered how to make an excuse, Zikfrit, who was polishing his sword beside me, spoke up.

“Ken sometimes shows incredible skill. Adrian, there’s still more you haven’t seen.”

He then smiled faintly.

It seemed he was proud of his disciple receiving praise.

“Oh, is there something I don’t know yet?”

“Haha, well, I’m not sure.”

I scratched my head and mumbled.

Zikfrit was probably referring to calorie burning, but there was no need to bring it up.

I didn’t want the conversation to drag on about me.

“Still, you all did great. Especially Adrian and Mary, your long-range support was amazing!”

To steer the conversation in another direction, I decided to compliment the other party members first.

That was the truth, and it was the best way to change the target of the praise.

Upon hearing my compliments, Mary perked up her ears and immediately scooted closer.

Although her expression was neutral, her cheeks flushed.

“Did I do well? Please praise me more, Ken.”

“Ah, yes, Mary, you were amazing. Your wide-area magic kept the monsters at bay, making things much easier.”

“…Hehe.”

Only after hearing my additional praise did Mary softly smile.

“Ah! I did well too! I killed so many in the front!”

“I did too! I cast so many healing spells! Can’t you see I’m exhausted?”

Then the other two glared at me and approached.

…Yikes.

“Ha, haha. Yeah, you two did well. Laphne did well too, and Emily was a huge help.”

“Chii, it feels like I’m lacking compared to Mary.”

“Ken, aren’t you being a bit careless? Put in some more effort.”

Mary, looking pleased while shrugging off the glares from the two, seemed to bask in the attention.

What more could I possibly say?

Ultimately, even after all the compliments, the two weren’t satisfied.

After taking a short break, we checked our gear and then I informed everyone about our plans moving forward.

“First, today, we’ll get used to fighting on the first floor and then head back.”

Today would be a day of training.

Battling a horde of monsters requires our party to be familiar with teamwork.

No matter how strong an individual may be, it’s challenging to withstand an endless swarm of monsters.

And in this challenge of the tower, we must master the method of dealing with the countless monsters that will continue to pour out.

So today, we would only circle around the first floor for practice.

The others understood this point.

Moreover, looping through the first floor would serve as excellent fodder for my skill grinding.

Recently, I had been throwing the knives I had made with quick crafting, allowing me to acquire throwing skills.

Given that we were fighting a large number of monsters today, reaching level 2 was definitely within reach.

“And tomorrow, we’ll go straight to the third floor. So we need to make sure to replenish our supplies after returning today.”

“Are we only going to the third floor?”

At my added statement, Mary tilted her head in confusion.

“I’ll explain in detail once we reach the third floor… More than that…”

I took a moment to choose my words.

What I was about to say was important for everyone here.

The party that came with me was all here to help me.

Except for Laphne and Adrian, they didn’t even know why I was challenging the tower.

I had been cautious during our travels, worried someone might overhear, but now that we had reached the first floor, it was time to share.

“What I’m about to say is… why I came to this tower.”

As I began with a serious tone, everyone focused their attention on me.

Observing their reactions, I slowly continued.

“First, I must explain about Laphne…”

And so I explained further.

That Laphne is a child of prophecy.

What would happen if she fell into the hands of the Demon King.

And that I was challenging the tower to eliminate that prophecy and, ultimately, about the ancient dragon Tarros that we needed to defeat.

I conveyed all the crucial information that my party members needed to know.

“L-Laphne is a child of prophecy too.”

Emily seemed the most shocked.

After all, she was another child of prophecy and had raised the biggest doubts regarding the prophecy-seeking events of the previous demon king's army.

Having completed the necessary preliminary explanations like this.

Now the most important question remained.

“…So, now that you know how dangerous the battles ahead could be, I’ll ask.”

I scanned the faces of my party.

Everyone looked at me with serious expressions, each meeting my gaze.

“If you want to back out, now is the time. It could be truly dangerous. I’m grateful just for having made it this far with you. No one will say anything if you choose to leave.”

It was possible to lose one’s life in the wrong move.

It made no sense to challenge such battles without understanding the risks involved.

And even though they were here to help me, risking their lives wasn’t something that should be taken lightly.

That’s why I explained everything and presented my party with a choice.

If most of them decided to leave, I would understand.

If something were to happen without any explanation, I would regret it even more.

So even if the numbers decreased, I would simply strive to do my best in the challenge.

With that resolve, I offered the choice to my party, presenting the opportunity to retreat.

Then—

“What are you talking about! If it’s a dangerous place, you can’t just send Ken alone!”

“If you’re going to the Demon King, I would have followed you anyway. Please keep me by your side.”

“I swear on my sword. If you challenge the ancient dragon, I’ll be your sword.”

I expected it, but each of them assured me they would stay, pledging in their own way.

Emily, Mary, and Zikfrit.

All three looked at me with unwavering determination.

“…Thank you.”

I felt a wave of gratitude, though I was also burdened with guilt for dragging them into such a dangerous situation.

But the greatest feeling was joy.

For them to take such risks for me and Laphne.

“Shall we check around and head back to our lodging?”

“Haah… Still, battles are tiring. There were so many monsters…”

Upon finishing my statement, Emily patted her shoulder.

Then Mary reached out her hand to Emily, smiling.

“You can back out. I’ll protect Ken.”

“Don’t joke around.”

Laughing similarly, Emily took her hand and got up.

Afterward, we engaged in a few more training battles, gradually becoming accustomed to facing large hordes of monsters.

After wrapping up the battles in the tower, we exited and returned to the lodging we had reserved in advance.

The tower battles had drained everyone as we had been dealing with numerous monsters.

After a quick meal, we returned to our rooms and went straight to bed.

However, I still found it difficult to fall asleep.

As I lay on the bed, organizing my thoughts, I sat up and addressed the two who were still awake like me.

“Hey, are you two… awake?”

My voice echoed in the quiet room.

Then, I heard some rustling from the beds, and the other two sat up straight.

“…What’s going on?”

With his usual indifferent expression, Zikfrit asked, sensing something was off.

I locked eyes with the two looking at me.

After a moment of contemplation, I opened my mouth.

“I have a request for you both.”