Avalon's Dungeon

「Haaaaaaa...」

It was Fransisca who was crouching on the bed early in the morning without even getting dressed.

（I-I'm definitely going crazy...）

Fransisca was pouting with red cheeks.

She had been like that for a while now. She had been aware of the fact that she had been gradually losing her mind ever since Alexis had started to do naughty things to her.

But it was the first time since yesterday that she knew it so clearly.

（I-it feels so good, like I'm not myself anymore... w-why Alexis-sama...）

Fransisca closes her eyes and exhales.

「...I can't wait to see you...」

Fransisca's face turns bright red as she blurts out her own words.

「What...!? W-why am I...!」

Fransisca shakes her head, and then rises from the bed.

「I-I've got to pull myself together. I can't keep thinking about Alexis-sama!」

After all, today is the day they're going to start conquering Avalon's dungeons again.

（Alexis-sama still told us that we will continue to focus on getting crystals until the blacksmith is arrived. But how many days are we going?）

"Geez, soon, that place will be tingling again. But Fatima sounds like a good place to have an excuse," Fransisca thought and blushed.

「Wait...!? W-what am I thinking...?」

Fransisca reaches for the cabinet, reminding herself once again that she has to be firm.

* * *

「All right, we're going to collect crystals again today. The blacksmith will be coming to the fort in three days, so I hope to be able to bring back enough crystals to at least have enough for the members of this group to have their own weapons when we return next time」

Alexis said this to the four members in front of the fort, the meeting place.

After he said this, he tapped the carriage beside him.

The carriage in use is an unroofed type with only a seat in a wooden frame. In a corner of the carriage, a human-powered cart was loaded.

「I want Lorenzo to use this cart. I asked him to choose a small one because the dungeon is narrow, but it might be a little difficult to get around. ...Well, since we are only going to search in the first layer where the enemies are not so strong, I think we can cover it with our skills」

After explaining all this, Alexis said, "Well, that's it, let's go!" and everyone departed.

* * *

That being said, collecting these crystals is certainly an easy task for the body.

Unlike the time-consuming descent to the second leayerand below, they can easily return to the outside of the dungeon since they have decided to collect crystals only within the first layer

And outside the dungeon, there is an encampment, not quite a fortress, where soldiers keep a line of defense.

The encampment is more comfortable than camping in the dungeon, since it is well-equipped with tents, beds, desks, and chairs, and it is even possible to gather wild animals and nuts from the nearby forest and cook them over a fire for eating.

Although there are no bathrooms or toilets, there are plenty of places to hide and there is even a riverbank nearby where people can cleanse themself.

* * *

After a full day of exploring the dungeon, Fransisca, Fatima, and Sara gather at the riverbank where bonfires are lit here and there to cleanse themselves after the sun goes down.

「...Upstream of this river, there was a town called Asarea, wasn't there?」

It was Fatima who suddenly spoke up in this way.

Fatima's eyes were directed toward the darkness where the upper reaches of the river were swallowed up, but it was too dark at this time of the day to fully see the darkness.

「...Asarea town? What kind of place is it?」

Fransisca asked.

「I see. Your Highness never went out when serving as a Princess-maiden, did she?」

Fatima thought it was a pity.

But for Fransisca, that was the way things used to be.

「Yes. I was usually in the palace or the temple all the time. The first time I saw the outside world was when Fatima took me to the Krangal Kingdom to ask for help after the outbreak of Avalon...」

Fransisca's eyes narrow as she reminisces about the past.

「I used to long for the outside world... but now that I haven't had contact with singing and dancing for such a long time, I feel sad about it」

After saying this, Fransisca laughs, "...it's like asking for something you don't have."

「...Your Highness」

Sara, who had been listening to the conversation, suddenly took Fransisca's hand.

「If things go back to the way it was, we will be living in the temple again. Let's experience many things while we still can, okay? I'll teach many things too!」

「S-Sara will teach...?? I beg you, don't teach Her Highness anything bad...!」

Fatima turns pale.

Sara's lips pouted, but Fatima wanted to insist that she had no choice.

「I mean, you've been a priest for a very short time and you've been a troublemaker about the precepts since the time the state existed」

「Don't call me a troublemaker!? I mean, all priests from the right to the left have their heads in a bunch. Although I agreed to be recruited because the salary was good, it's suffocating」

「...Is that so?」

Fransisca tilted her head.

「Well, maybe Your Highness doesn't know because a princess is born to live like that...」

Sara's argument did not make sense to Fransisca.

Nevertheless, the night goes on as the three women talk in an adulterous and congenial manner.

「Hey, whatever you do, hurry up!」

But then, Alexis called out to them through the bushes.

For some reason, he had been assigned to watch the bathing of the three women.

He had wanted to ask another soldier to guard the baths, but Fransisca insisted that no other man would do it.

（You appointed me to do such a troublesome thing. I'll punish you later）

Due to this, he told Fransisca about it, but she nodded her head after her cheeks were stained and her gaze drifted thoughtfully for a while.

「I-I will come to Alexis-sama's tent around bedtime」

Fransisca whispered in his ear while fidgeting.

Yes, that was it. She didn't seem to mind being punished so much.

（Whatever, I had already told her that, so...）

Alexis is still doing it. Even though there is nothing else to do but to sit here with boredom.

「I-I'm terribly sorry...」

「Yes, yes, just a few more minutes!」

It was Sara who replied, interrupting Fransisca's voice.

「Oh, Sara?」

When Fransisca was puzzled, Sara said, "It's okay, it's okay, just a little bit is okay, right?"

Hearing this, Alexis is convinced that it's going to be a long conversation.

“...Anyway, if I can screw her later, that's fine,” Alexis thought.

And so, he takes this time to think about what he is going to do to her.