Ero-Game: Power and Sword

Garth handed them their bowls of soup.
So it’s been decided that we’d camp out here for the night. Despite my desire to rush forward, I wasn’t so heartless as to completely ignore the needs of my team. So all I could do was rest my chin in my hands and  wait for my bowl of soup.

“How long were you guys…” Nikola scratched her head, “stuck down there?”
Inga heard the question and started tearing up.
Aase comforted her and said, “A few days, I think.” She started to become teary-eyed too. “We should’ve gone back after the 6th floor,  but…”
“It’s my fault!” Inga burst out. “I said we could go deeper.” She sobbed into her hands.
“It’s not your fault.” Aase hugged her. “We all thought we could handle it. We all wanted to go deeper.”
“I see.” Nikola nodded.
“Nikola, that’s enough,” Garth said. “Let them eat.”
She nodded.

***

We were a day late in reaching the 3rd teleportation point. Thanks to Nikola and the two we picked up.
But Aase and Inga looked a lot healthier now. They were very thankful to us. Though, I wish we’d rescued someone rich and powerful. Maybe  someone royal with invitations to high-class orgies. Aase and Inga were neither powerful nor rich; they were just simple adventurers from a simple family.
People dying in dungeons become more common as the rank goes up since there’s less human presence in high-ranked dungeons, and there are more unknowns to worry about. Anyway, we arrived at the teleportation platform.

Standing in front of the teleportation platform, I said, “Garth, guide them outside.”
“Oh? Okay.” He agreed right away.
“Also, when you’re out there, buy 4 gallons of water.” There were always  merchants right outside the dungeons selling water, food, potions, etc. “We need more for the insecticide.” I needed to make more. It was meant to be used at lower levels, but it couldn’t be helped. “Don’t worry, we’ll set up the camp, and I’ll cook something up.”
“Master… You can cook?”
“What’s with that look. Of course, I can cook.” I said confidently. I could make noodles, sandwiches, and even those frozen dinners you needed  to put in the microwave twice. So I was pretty much an expert at cooking.
“Are you sure?” Garth wasn’t convinced.
“Oh, ye of little faith.” I patted his shoulder while shaking my head. “Go. Go. Everything will be prepared when you come back.” I shooed him into the teleportation platform.

After they disappeared, Nikola and I went down to the 10th floor.
I took out the cookware and set it up the same as I’d seen Garth do many times. I took out the ingredients, put them all in the pot, put in some  salt, spices… lots of spices… I thought fondly of the hot sauce I used  to add to my noodles.
“Are you sure you know what to do?” Nikola asked.
“Of course. Just don’t ask me to cook all the time from now on.” I didn’t want them to bother me in the future just because they liked my cooking.
“Hmm…” She was still doubtful.
“Oh, ye of little faith.” I smiled.

Garth returned with the gallons of water, and I distributed the stew to everyone.
Both of them stared at the stew and didn’t eat it. I shrugged and poured  out a bowl for myself and dug in. It was a little gooey. I had added  too much water; it was something to keep in mind for next time, but I  thought everything else was fine.
Garth dug in and ate a spoon full. He paused for a moment, didn’t say anything but continued to eat.
So Nikola tried some too and immediately complained, “Why is it so spicy!?”
“What?” I ate another spoon full. I guess it is a little spicy, but I thought it was good.
“And so salty. Give me some water.” Nikola gulped-down water.
She was a hater, I realized. Only Garth ate his food quietly. “What do you think, Garth? How do you like my cooking.”
“It’s… It’s fine, master, but let me cook from now on.”

“What?”
“You need to cook the vegetables separately before adding them together, master. It doesn’t look like you did that. And the flavoring is… unique.”
“You!” My eyes twitched. These bastards! “Fine, you don’t need to eat it  if you don’t like it!” I yanked the bowl from his hand and got the stew  all over my shirt. I felt like an idiot for thinking they’d enjoy my superior cooking! I was furious. I had to take a few deep breaths to  calm myself down. “Fine,” I said and handed back his bowl.
“Master, I didn’t-”
I put up my hand and stopped him from saying anything else. I took off my shirt, rummaged through the space expansion bag, put on a new one, and said, “I’ll go kill a few cockroaches. You guys do what you want.” I found some cockroaches using [energy perception] and left to get some air, away from the two of them.

“Oh, you really pissed her off,” Nikola said, eating the bowl of stew. After each spoon, she drank some water to offset the salt.
“Should I apologize?” He asked.
“Well, she is your master, but no. She needs to get that stick out of her ass.” Nikola said. “But maybe you should cuddle her tonight. It  always helps me when I’m upset.”
“I don’t think she would like that.” Garth shook his head.
“Yes, she would. She’s a tsundere.”
“Master?” Garth tried to think back. His master has always been strict but kind. It didn’t look like she had any problems expressing herself.
But Nikola nodded. “Yeah, she’s like that. You should insist on cuddling her tonight.”
“What if she refuses?”
“Tell her it’s cold.” Nikola shrugged. “I don’t know. Just slap her bum.”
“Are you insane! She’ll kill me.”
Nikola shrugged her shoulders again.

***

When it came time to sleep, Garth scooched over to me and said, “Master, let’s cuddle.”
“What?”
“Ah.”
“What is this about? Nikola and I need to take turns during the night. Go back to your sleeping bag.”
“O, okay.” He was about to sulk back when Nikola interrupted.
“Hey, let him sleep with you. Aren’t you, his master? We’re on the 10th  floor now. It’s no place for a man, and you want to keep moving forward like it’s the 1st floor. Let him cuddle with you.”
“What?”
“Look at him. can’t you see he needs your support?”
“He needs me?” I looked over at Garth. “Are you scared or something?” The men of this world were more open to expressing their fears.
“Ah.” He looked over at Nikola, who nodded her head.
“Yes, he is. Do you need him to spell it out for you?”
I scratched my head. “Okay, fine.” I opened up the sleeping bag for him. “Get in.” Then getting in with him, I turned to Nikola and complained, “We need to find another woman.”
“Oh, do you want to cuddle with a woman?” She asked.
“You know that’s not what I meant.” Though, I would like that.
“Stop complaining, and don’t pretend like you don’t like it.” She said.
“Hmm.” I looked away. “Garth, turn around. I want to be the big spoon.”
“Okay.” He turned around, and I made him the little spoon. Though we were both the same height, his back was broader than mine.
I pressed my bosom against his back and said, “Okay, now get some sleep.”

***

Cockroaches the size of wolves started showing up on the 11th floor. Our pace slowed down considerably, and Nikola had to take the back seat more and  more. She had the determination and the will but not the power to carry through. She did what she could while Garth and I took over for her more  and more.
I made everyone cut down on sleep to keep up with the schedule.

On the 13th floor, I equipped her with the insecticide tank. Garth stood as the vanguard while the two of us provided support.

On the 17th floor, we encountered flying cockroaches. Garth had to use [air slice] a lot more. It greatly exhausted his Qi to use [air slice], and  our pace slowed down enough that it took us 2 days to get through the 17th and 18th floors, even with me shortening our breaks.

It took us 9 days in total to reach the end of the 18th floor - the 6th teleportation point. We were 3 days behind schedule.
As soon as she saw the teleportation platform, Nikola said, “We’re out of insecticide.”
I immediately looked through the expansion bag to see if I had enough  ingredients to make another batch. I pulled out everything I had, but…  “I don’t think I have enough to make another batch.” Did I overestimate myself? We should’ve been able to finish this dungeon in one go… The two of them looked exhausted. Going to the dungeon boss like this would be  dangerous. I realized I had rushed them too much. “We’ll have to rest.”  It was best to go out, gather the ingredients, take a rest, and then  come back. “Alright, I’ve made my decision.” Putting everything I’d  taken out back in the bag, I said, “We’re going out. Let’s take a 3-day  break, and then we’ll come back to the dungeon.”
“Oh, thank god,” Nikola said with a big sigh. “I thought you were  insane.” Then she shook her head. “No, you’re still insane for making us  go through the whole dungeon in 9 days.”
I rolled my eyes. Such exaggeration. “We still have three more floors to the whole dungeon.”

***

It was 1:43 in the afternoon when we came out of the dungeon.
On the ride back to the inn, I decided to ask Sterling for help. If  Nikola was level 12, too, we’d have a much easier time with the boss.
“What? Is something on my face?” She asked me. I was staring at her face.
“Nothing.” I shook my head.

When we reached the inn, I told them, “You guys go in. I’m going to a cafe.” While continuing to sit on the rickshaw.
“What like that? You should take a shower.” Nikola said.
Garth, guessing what I might be up to, said, “Come on, Nikola, let’s go in.” And pulled her along.
“Hmm.” She looked at me, then him, and said, “Okay, whatever.”

***

When I walked into the old cafe, Sterling came running to me like a purple-eyed puppy. He hugged me with a bright smile.
“Hehehe…” I laughed as he kissed me all over my face. “Okay, okay, that tickles.”
Then he suddenly stopped, sniffed me, and asked, “Why do you smell… You should take a shower, Sherrie.”
“What!?” I sniffed my suit. Maybe I should’ve listened to Nikola after all. “I just came out of a dungeon.”
“Ah, that explains it.” He hugged me tighter. “I still love you.”
“Love?” I whispered. “Right… Well, I came to ask for a favor.”
“Oh? Anything for you.”
“Waiter!” The woman at the other end of the cafe interrupted us.
“Ah, I have to…”
“Go ahead. We can talk when you’re not busy.” I said, and he ran to help the other woman.
I sat down at a table and wondered if I’d be able to finish everything I wanted in the capital by the end of the month. The schedule needed to  be rethought.

After he helped the other customer, Sterling brought me a cup of coffee and a donut. He sat across from me and watched me eat.
“It’s a new flavor, I suggested. Do you like it?” He asked.
“Ah, yeah. It’s creamy.” I said, and he nodded. “Right, what I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Ask me anything.”
“Right… My friend. I got a new teammate.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah. And I was wondering if you could help.” Most men wouldn’t do this for free, but Sterling was different; he was loyal to me.
“If that’s what you want, Sherrie.”
“It is!” I assured him. “It’ll be a real big help.”
“Okay.”
I smiled, glad I didn’t need to coerce him in any way. He’d accepted without any problems. “Thanks.”
“Anything for you, Sherrie.”
“Right… Hehehe…” I finished my coffee.