Is It Wrong to Try to Tame Monsters in a Dungeon? (Written seriously)

(This chapter was uploaded on Saturday 24/August/2024 8:00 PM, timezone GMT+3)

Greetings, dear readers

I have some good news for you. For those who wanted Orario's part of Henryk's adventures, rejoice! Chapter 18, which will be placed at the 19th spot, is when Henryk arrives there. But, like everything in this world, there is a catch. The map I relied on was a fanart, and I need permission to use it as a reference. More on that later.

Please, enjoy.

(Line Break)

('1), ('2), ('3), etc. means that there is some explaining for the thing in the chapter's footnotes.

"..." small moment of silence.

"Talking"

[Different Language Dialogue] (What language it is: Accent if necessary)

"He-" Someone was interrupted.

'Inner Dialogue'

{Skills' names, chanting, spell keys and spells' names}

(PoV)

(Flashback, including the text)

Don't shy from commenting on typos and/or inconsistencies. That and/or suggesting a modification to certain things that didn't make sense to you.

I hope you enjoy reading this chapter.

(Line Break)

(Henryk's PoV)

"Now that I'm in, I must know. Why did you actually accept me joining your familia?" Henryk said as he looked at his falna, analysing it with his imagination flying everywhere. 'If it could really control growth to any length, then that means I could prevent my body from aging, should it apply to me' 

"I wanted a familia of members who did not get involved in indecent relationships, the romantic and the carnal. And since I am a woman, a familia of only women was the surest way to achieve that. But, should someone, woman or not, be able to make the spear glow, then they can join" Artemis answered. If Henryk displayed any lust or improper desire towards her or her familia members, she would make him regret it. She was looking at his back while thinking of that, which made Henryk go on alert mode. He did not make it apparent even though he knew for a fact there was none other than them inside the tent, even behind some other set of crates. 

"Glow? Then what about hearing its voice?" Henryk raised a brow. 

"That was something I did not expect, not at all. There is no need to dwell on it" Artemis' eyes twitched, though barely. 

'She almost looked away. She's hiding something very important about that voice. Now, I'm ever surer about my deduction. Staying away looks even more preferable now' Henryk noticed it and immediately decided to distance himself, just like he promised the goddess. 

'Right. She's still lying about it being a damned spear, when it's actually an arrow' His mind returned to the true nature of the weapon that just spilled a misfortune on him. 'I'd rather it didn't shine, and I didn't join. But since it did, I'll make use of this opportunity' 

For the remainder of the day, Henryk rested back in Preblica. He decided to test his magic the next day. 

(Wednesday, 19/2/1057) 

(Henryk's PoV) 

I woke up today with the world looking much brighter. 

After exchanging lighthearted greetings with the village chief and his wife, Sharon, we all ate breakfast together. 

After we were done, I told Shira to lock the door and have not a soul approach the room. 

"Now, let's test this" I took out the part of the parchment that contained my only spell's chant. The rest of the parchment was burnt to a crisp already. 

{I ask thee, thou who oversees the fate of every living being, thee who directs the flow of things. Answer my prayer and grant my humble wish} {Incrementum Imperium} Through the cringe-worthy lines, ones that I already didn't want to utter, I applied the spell to myself. The goal was to test if I could use it on my own body. The result was a yes. I chose a small thing, enhanced physical recovery, and felt my mind growing somewhat tired. It felt as if I was in the middle of the day, rather than at the start of it. 

'Now, to counteract that' {I ask thee, thou who oversees the fate of every living being, thee who directs the flow of things. Answer my prayer and grant my humble wish} {Incrementum Imperium} This time, I enhanced my cells' ability to recover DNA that's lost on cellular division. I felt mind seep out of my body again, but mostly from my head. 

'Is the head the main storage of this world's magical energy?' 

By now, I felt slightly sluggish. That, and I felt spent more than when I casted the first time. It seems the cost isn't fixed. Depending on my goal, the cost fluctuates. 

'I'm afraid to think what happens if I didn't have the mind to cast it. Say, what if I wanted to change the length of something, and that equated to stimulating or restoring a gland, and the process stopped mid-way because I didn't have enough mind? That... wouldn't lead to deformities... Would it?' 

"Eat?" Fey was hungry, so we got down for a snack. 

(Line Break) 

"Are you seriously getting out there right now?" Some of the guards gave me looks that agreed with Gheram, the bow-wielding dwarf. They were looking at me as if I was some lunatic who seeks death at every corner. 

"Not really. We're only getting out there to get her a snack, nothing big. And we'd go the other way, away from the area recently occupied by the loup garou" I told them. I wasn't planning to endanger Fey or myself. 

Our little trip was successful when we found some squirrels. Fey hunted 2 of them and I sniped the 3rd. We returned afterwards, washing in the river on our way. Of course, I was almost dead when we returned. I dropped on the bed like a corpse. 

'Yeah, not planning to throw away my and Fey's safety... My ass! My muscles are tired and my breaths are heavy. My bones scream and ache' 

I decided to cast the same things I did to myself on Grysia the next day. I would cast them on Fey before bedtime, where I'd surely drop unconscious from mind exhaustion. I can feel it. 

I apologized for not being able to eat lunch with my hosts and remained in bed. 

"You really needed to do that?" Shira was looking at me with disapproving eyes. 

"For Fey. If I let her instincts wane, that's gonna backfire on her later. Not to mention, only loup garou are of any real thre- Ugh!" Cutting me off, Shira poked my side, pushing against a wound she knew was there. 

"Take this, haughty. If a young woman's thin finger did this, what would a monster's claws do?" She reprimanded me. 

"Surface monsters wouldn't be reaching me any time soon" I said while clutching my side. 

"Lieabe- ... Papa!" Fey flew to Shira's side and flared all her feathers. She was trying to appear as big as she could with her wings wide open, trying to be threatening. 

"Fey, you say it like this, 'Leave'" Shira wasn't at all affected by Fey's attempt at intimidation. She instead lectured her. 

"Right back at you. What'd you do if I didn't prevent Fey from attacking you?" And it was then that I saw Shira be petrified with a twinge of fear. She put up a mask of calm pretty quickly for someone who currently looks directly at the source of their fear. 

"I know you would" She said it as if it was a guaranteed thing for me to do. That was then backed up by her exiting the room before something happened. 

'I mean, she isn't wrong. I'd stop Fey before she attacks Shira. But she doesn't know that for sure yet' 

... 

'Young woman? Not a minor? Oh, dear me. Maybe I was too quick to judge her age? Is she over 18?' I already knew that 15 is the coming of age in this world. I was making fun of her for no reason. 

'In all seriousness, how should I treat them? Should I consider them adults when they become 15? Or should I treat them as minors according to my country's laws?' 

(3rd person PoV) 

"Shira, you should mind your distance with him. He is always accompanied by that giant eagle of his. You never know when those get temperamental and go out of control, nor how bad it could get when it happens" Arnold tried deterring his daughter from staying near Henryk. He was worried for her safety. When they are with her, he could allow it since he and his wife would interfere should something happen. But when Shira was alone with him and his eagle, there was no way of him making sure his only daughter can get out unscathed. 

"Don't worry, father. I know he would stop Fey from attacking me if it came to it" Shira said, trying to assure Arnold that she was safe doing what she does. 

"All the same, be careful. If not of the eagle, then the man who commands the eagle. We kept vigilant, with one of us staying awake to make sure he doesn't do something out of line. But even now, we aren't sure he is safe to be around alone. Even if you think you are sure, I ask that you are careful around him" Arnold did not deny her to make a choice and bear its weight, but he was going to bear it with her at any cost. 

"Thanks, father" Shira smiled brightly. She knew how much her father cared for her yet respected her wishes. She loved him dearly for what he did and said for her. 'He was standing behind the door until he felt that I was going to step out of the room. I could barely hear his footsteps, but I am sure of it' 

"My daughter, go help your mother around the house" Arnold off-handedly told her as he was thinking of finally introducing Henryk to the other hunters. There were 4 of them, without counting the young man. 

For the rest of the day, Arnold went around, visiting the hunters, an old man, his 2 sons and an unrelated middle-aged man. He informed them that they should talk it out with Henryk during the coming days. A month from now, fall arrives. And a month and a half after that, the first snowfall happens. 

(Parts of Henryk's Diary) 

Thursday, 20/2/1057: 

As planned, I used the spell on Grysia. 

Yesterday, I did some research. Getting Fey some snacks was my main motivator to venture out in spite of my injuries. The other major reason was to test the skill. I tested it on plants, and that seemed to have a 100% success rate. When I tried it on the second squirrel Fey caught, it resisted my skill vehemently. 

So, I poured magic stone-infused water to use my skill on Grysia. 

Like before, I felt no mental load, even though a link was formed. It seems that I could only feel their direct emotions of being in danger or comfort, but nothing else. 

I did something that wasn't part of my plan. I added a 3rd cast, to increase Grysia's sentience. That drained me of everything I had and I fell unconscious. 

Friday, 21/2/1057: 

Shira nagged me because I collapsed. She said that I should be more mindful of how much stress I subject my body to. She didn't know that my mind was the one spent. 

Regardless, I felt a new thought, one that wasn't mine, bubble into my mind. It wasn't coherent, nor was it clear. It felt muddy, even. But it conveyed a feeling and a strong desire to survive, to live yet another day. 

I assumed that this thought was Grysia's. I tried to send my own thoughts to the other side, and it resulted in a feeling of sluggish surprise flooding back into my head. 

It seems I need to cast that 3rd one a few more times. 

Before I forget to note this down, I should be mindful of the sheer size of my target. Casting the recovery enhancement pair on Grysia drained me far more than it did when I applied them to myself. 

But, enough of that. I discovered that I could only cast my spell on myself or those affected by the skill. 

How? That's because the spell wasn't activated when used on Fey. I pushed this back another day for now, selfishly focusing on my own recovery. 

I decided to keep away from noting things here. And, instead, noting them down in a separate notebook. Once I have more solid data, I'd write it down in my diary. 

Sunday, 23/2/1057: 

Today, I met the 4 hunters who I'll be working with for the following year. 

There was Mort, an old man, and his teenage-looking sons, Bart and Fenton. Who gave them their names? 

Then there was a middle-aged man with a long scar across his face, Ronan. 

We talked about the layout of the hunting areas they used, and rearranged them so there was space for me to work in. When I asked them why they were sacrificing precious hunting opportunities, they said that it was only temporary until I went on my way as promised. 

Not to mention, they wanted to have enough time to rest, to spend time with their families, to teach Bart and Fenton how to hunt properly. My inclusion in this made it infinitely easier for them to arrange time for all of that. 

Tuesday, 25/2/1057: 

After a few days of enhancing my recovery rates and preventing it from affecting me, I was finally fully cured. 

I had to be inspected by Helix and she said that It's miracle to be this well by now, considering I took no extra potions. 

She said that I should be able to hunt safely after resting for another day or two. 

Wednesday, 26/2/1057: 

I had to start regaining my muscles and their stamina, and fast. I wouldn't be able to hunt things safely with my bow if I couldn't draw said bow without straining myself. 

Shira entered while I was training and saw me sweating heavily. She glared at me before silently exiting the room. She returned shortly after with a jug of water and some cups, still glaring. 

She asked me what I was doing, surprising me. I then explained what my exercises are and she looked thoughtful for a second. She said that she wanted to try them, all the way through reminding me to take it easy on my body as I was only recently recovered. 

I had the awkward moment trying to explain that some of them would need clothes that had pants, as skirts both made it difficult and also made it possible to show what was under them due to some movements. 

She said that she would wear pants, which resulted in both of us getting an earful from an angry Arnold. He was furious that I planted the tomboyish idea of wearing pants into his daughter's head. Once he was done and cooled down, he told us that he wouldn't support it, even though she could do it if that's what she wanted. 

Shira, with a blindingly bright smile, settled with only wearing them inside the house, when it was time for training, or when we go on a morning jog to warm up. 

(Friday, 28/2/1057) 

(Henryk's PoV) 

Today, shortly after returning from a light jog, we ate breakfast. We were resting in the house before we started today's exercises. 

"Say, Henryk, how old are you?" Shira said while fanning herself. It seems that the young lady didn't do much labor in her life. 

"Well, I became 20 at the 5th of the month. Why ask?" Thinking nothing of it, I shared my age with her. 

"It seems that you are older than me by only 3 years! I became 17 at the 24th of July!" She said brightly through rosy cheeks. 

'Her smile gives me all the signs of trouble' 

"A minor, then" I jested. 

"What did you say?" And my jest was taken seriously. Shira said in a very offended tone. 

"Calm down, young lady. It's just some cultural differences, where the coming of age in my country's at 18" I explained it to her. And that seemed to calm her down. 

'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Right, mom? And it seems that I lack enough experience with some things. I didn't expect her rosy cheeks to be her relief at someone treating her like an adult, at least on a surface level' 

"So that was it?" She was still frowning. "Please, don't make that joke again" She turned her face away from me, assumingly feeling bitter about it. 

"Someone treating you like a child even though you came of age?" I intruded with some caution. If she refused to answer this question, I'd stop here. 

"Yes. People around the village refuse to acknowledge it, merely because they want someone to pamper and dote on. It's frustrating, to be an adult who's treated as a child" She slightly shook while biting her lips. 

'Maybe that's another reason why she wants to go out of this village, her comfortable home' 

"And it would especially hurt if my only friend who treats me completely normally started estranging himself around me because of it" She was frustrated to high heavens. Her frown was a deep one. "For Grysia's sake! I will become 18 in the middle of next winter!... Promise me, you wouldn't make that joke again, neither before nor after then" 

"Then excuse me, young lady" I knelt in apology. 'Oopsie! Some of the etiquette burned into me got out!' 

(Parts of Henryk's Diary) 

Friday, 28/2/1057: 

Today, I learned about some of Shira's insecurities. She felt like others wouldn't stop treating her like a child, and it scared her as much as it frustrated her. 

For the rest of the day, I worked on convincing Fey to accept the effect of my skill. After the 5th magic stone, given with intervals of 2 hours at least between them, she finally accepted it. 

I felt her thoughts and emotions flood into my head, encumbering my mental facets. 

Note to self, never link your mind with more than a single sentient being without waiting for at least some days between it and the one before. 

I had the sinister, intrusive thought of trying to link my mind with that of another human. I quickly dismissed it and moved on. Doing that will possibly result in many things, and all of them're unpleasant. 

Today, I only used my spell on Grysia in the morning, voice hushed and toned down so Shira couldn't hear it, and on Fey before going to bed. 

When I wrote this entry, I decided to ask if this was a leap year so I could document tomorrow correctly. I had to then explain the naming, since there seemed to be another cultural barrier in place. And guess who was right? 

They call it a blessed year when February has 29 days. 

Saturday, 1/3/1057: 

I started rotating who gets enhanced with my skill. 

And in doing so, I also decided to help Fey overcome the hurdle of spelling her letters. I started giving her small boosts in sentience, planning to switch them for intelligence at a later time, not to make her mature too fast that it warps her mind. 

Before the day ended, and before I wrote this day's notes down, I asked them about the year. This one wasn't a leap year, nor will any other be. 

Here, they call them "Blessed Years", when February becomes 29 days for that year only. 

The next "Blessed Year" would be year 1060. 

Thursday, 6/3/1057: 

Fey had hit a limit for both sentience and intelligence. It stopped with what I assume is the equivalent mind of a human child at the age of 5. Grysia as well, it stopped maturing further. 

By now, Grysia thought like an old man/woman. The tree's gender was ambiguous. But even then, it still was transmitting thoughts that're childlike in form, even with the evident age in its tone. 

Grysia's thoughts were simple, consisting only of 3-6 word sentences at the maximum. It seems that a tree has a lower limit to how sentient it could be and how interconnected its thoughts are. 

As for Fey, she was talking somewhat okay. She still fumbled many words and tattered most of her sentences. But she saw improvement in her spelling. She said a 14-word sentence, about how she loved to play, without misspelling more than 2 words. Misplacing words, however, that was its own can of worms. Key words are there, but some extra ones're also there.

(End of Chapter)

Greetings again, dear readers

Like stated above, at the start of the header note, I wrote up to chapter 18. And in doing so, I happen to have Henryk reach Orario in that chapter. If you were bored of the build up, then wait until chapter 18 comes out.

I need to get the permission of the creator of that map. If I don't get permission by next week, I'll create my own version of the map and use it, though I won't upload it since I'm bad at drawing things digitally. For those who want to know, the reddit post containing the map was made by reddit user worev11. Credits go to worev11 for such a good map

I'm planning on only uploading chapters up to 17 maximum for today, maybe even through the night if I felt I could edit them in the 2-3 hours I have before it's midnight.

A thing I want to clarify is that chapters 14-17 will be mostly parts of Henryk's diary, with some of the more important things getting more attention.

Now, this is where I ask you about your opinion of the chapter. How do you see this one?

Does the interaction between Henryk and Shira in the middle seem good to you? Either way, write why you feel that way about it.

What do you think about the wall Henryk is currently facing with his skill and magic spell?

Have a great time, ladies and gentlemen.