Spider Queen Arachnainera – 1

“Erica, do you have a moment? There’s something I want to ask you.”

“Ah, yes. Delta-ssi. It’s fine.”

Approximately three days after the banquet and the day I received the new name ‘Delta,’ I approached Erica, who had just finished sparring with Claudia in the training ground, and subtly spoke to her.

Erica suggested that talking while standing would be a bit awkward, so we should sit and talk. We walked over to the long chairs placed against one wall of the training ground and sat down on one of them.

In the training ground, Iris and Rije’s sparring was in full swing. Ice mixed into the swirling vortexes, scattering frost. Ice crystals reflected the sunlight, sparkling brightly.

It was a large-scale spar, consuming nearly half of the training ground with just two people, but what was even more shocking was that this wasn’t their full power.

The scale was much larger than in the game.

“What do you want to ask? Is it important?”

“It’s an important question, if you consider it important. Do you perhaps dislike spiders?”

“Spiders…? You mean?”

Erica made a bewildered expression. I knew this was a question that would sound absurd at first. However, it was also something I absolutely had to confirm to decide the order of subjugation.

Because depending on whether Erica participates in the subjugation or not, it would determine whether we should hunt the Spider Queen Arachnainera or the Blazing Golem first.

If Erica could participate, we could go hunt the Spider Queen first. If she couldn’t, we would have to subjugate the Blazing Golem first to obtain a specific magic, and then go after the Spider Queen.

In Vanilla, you could just ignore everything and beat down the closest enemy, but that’s not possible in Dark Lord Mode. Going after Arachnainera without area-of-effect magic was simply an act of suicide.

“I don’t utterly detest them, but I certainly don’t like them. Why do you ask?”

“It’s nothing much, just that there’s a monster we need to subjugate soon. I was thinking of taking you and Rije along.”

Ever since it was revealed at the banquet that I was hiding a secret, I decided to act brazenly, openly displaying my knowledge without any further caution.

After all, since it was already exposed that these actions were related to that secret, there was no longer any reason to think of excuses.

‘The more I do that, the more curious they’ll get, though.’

That couldn’t be helped. To reveal the truth, I needed more time to assimilate here.

If I were to confess now that this is actually a world within a game, that you are merely bosses and NPCs who existed within that game, and that I was the player, it would only cause more confusion.

“I understand what you mean. You’re saying we’re going to hunt a spider-shaped monster, right?”

The correct answer immediately came out. The question of whether she disliked spiders, and the fact that there was a monster to be subjugated. Combining these two wasn’t a particularly difficult conclusion to reach.

Perhaps remembering encountering a centipede the size of her own body in the Rune Dungeon, Erica’s expression as she said that was mixed with a hint of disdain.

“That’s correct.”

“Even as I said it, I secretly hoped it wasn’t true. But it seems my bad premonitions never miss the mark.”

Erica let out a small sigh. It seemed the monster’s appearance made her shudder. Moreover, since it was called a monster, it probably wouldn’t be of ordinary size.

“I certainly don’t like spiders, but… that doesn’t mean it’s a reason to back down when there’s a monster to be subjugated, does it? When will you be departing?”

“You can go whenever it’s convenient for you. There’s no time limit. I’ve already made all the plans, so it doesn’t matter when we go.”

“It doesn’t matter to me when we depart, either?”

“…….”

“…….”

It must have been my imagination that the scene just now overlapped with a family saying ‘anything is fine’ when deciding what to eat out.

“Uh… alright, I got it for now. I’ll talk to Rije and let you know.”

“I understand, Delta-ssi.”

‘I’m just not getting used to that.’

It had already been nearly three days since I was called by the name Delta, but every time I heard that title, I still felt strange.

It was because the thought of a child protector of an underwater city, wearing a diving suit and holding a drill in one hand, came to mind a step before the thought that this was my name.

I don’t know when I’ll be able to adapt.

“Erica, it’s your turn.”

“Yes. I’ll be right there, Iris. Then, please tell me once you’ve decided. I will be waiting.”

Erica reached for her waist and departed. Iris, looking perfectly fine as if she hadn’t gotten tired, was waiting for Erica.

Clank, the sound of a katana being drawn from its sheath was heard, and flames began to rise around Erica’s body.

“What were you doing with Erica?”

Rije filled the empty seat. As she plopped down onto the chair, her chest, slightly damp with sweat, vigorously heaved up and down.

The already form-fitting white sleeveless top clung even more tightly to her skin, and beyond it, a bit of bare skin was visible. It was an even more provocative sight than usual.

Strangely, there was no smell of sweat; only Rije’s unique skin scent could be detected.

“There’s a monster we need to hunt next. I was talking about that.”

“Going to hunt monsters? Again?”

Rije’s eyes were bewildered. Indeed, since they wouldn’t have the concept of leveling up and raising stats by hunting enemies, they probably wondered why I went on monster subjugations so often.

After all, just the day before yesterday, I had spent the entire day just leveling up. Anyone seeing me would think I harbored a deep grudge against monsters.

“We rested for a day, didn’t we? It’s about time to get moving again. This time, it’s a slightly bigger one.”

“Then what about me? Aren’t you taking me?”

Her face was brought close. Rije’s unique skin scent wafted strongly into my nostrils.

“I was going to ask you anyway when you came, so you don’t have to worry. So, speaking of which, do you perhaps dislike spiders?”

“Spiders? Hmm… I don’t dislike them to the point of not being able to look at them, but I don’t like them either. Erica probably answered similarly, didn’t she?”

As it was, I was already surprised internally by how similar their answers were.

“That’s right. How did you know?”

“She and I have similar tastes, you see. It’s like we’re sisters, even down to things like this, huh? What I dislike, she dislikes, and what I like, she likes. She always says we’re not alike, and our personalities are so different that it doesn’t show much, but she can’t fool my eyes.”

‘……I totally didn’t expect that.’

They seemed like sisters who were complete opposites in every minute detail, yet their tastes were similar. That was a very unexpected fact.

“From what you said, Delta, it’s a spider-shaped monster. This is also correct, right?”

Instead of answering, I nodded my head.

“But you know, Delta. There’s one thing you should know.”

Rije pulled her face back slightly. Her usual playful demeanor was gone, replaced by a very serious expression. It wasn’t the first time I had seen Rije with such a face.

“If we’re going to hunt a monster, our preferences are meaningless. No matter how repulsive its appearance is, or how familiar it is to us, a monster is a monster. Remember that a situation where we refuse to do what needs to be done because of their outward appearance will absolutely never happen. Understood?”

A serious voice befitting her serious expression.

It was a completely unexpected statement. It made me realize anew that Rije was also a Knight Commander. It meant she prioritized her duties as a knight more than her own feelings.

Feeling that she was somehow admirable, I reached out and gently stroked her head.

“……What? Why?”

“Because you’re admirable.”

“……I roughly know what you’re thinking right now, but I’ll let it slide because I’m in a good mood.”

I stroked her head for a bit, then took my hand away, and then watched Rije, who had been called out by Claudia, spar.

Rije was skillfully parrying a greatsword, almost the length and weight of a person, with a dagger barely the length of her forearm.

The key was to deflect attacks that could be deflected and never engage in a contest of strength. It seemed she had thoroughly exploited the fact that Claudia’s greatsword was so massive that quick changes in direction were difficult.

‘It’s a good thing I told them beforehand that I didn’t need to spar.’

Among the Knight Commanders, due to HP correction, no matter how hard they were hit, they would only get minor scratches until their health was completely depleted, but I would die even if an attack merely grazed me. I didn’t want to take such risks.

Moreover, there was no reason to spar when I wasn’t going to fight a boss battle with the Knight Commanders anyway. What meaning would swordsmanship or anything else have for me?

“Let’s rest for a bit. Everyone worked hard.”

As Iris’s words fell, the elements that had been scattering throughout the training ground abruptly ceased. The wind subsided, the flames died down, the ice melted, and the lightning dispersed.

The Knight Commanders, having finished their spar, walked over to where I was. Every one of them had their sleeveless tops clinging tightly to their bare skin, slightly damp with sweat. Their individual skin scents instantly filled the surroundings.

While I took Rije occupying the seat next to me for granted, the other Knight Commanders also sat down, as if surrounding me. For a moment, I wondered why they were doing this.

Aren’t they hot?

“That’s right, Delta. Since we’re resting anyway, explain that monster from earlier in more detail. What are we going to hunt this time?”

Rije nudged me with her elbow. Iris and Claudia, perhaps because they were hearing this for the first time, perked up their ears with a ‘Monster?’ reaction and looked over.

“Well, it’s nothing much.”

Right. It’s a boss that’s nothing special, except for one pattern.

“You just need to catch about a thousand spiders.”