Because everyone's dreams had been linked together, the world now took the shape of everyone's combined imagination.
Ais didn't really want to admit it.
But she really had entered the boy's dream with her mind full of indecent thoughts.
So—
Was the slime in front of her actually a manifestation of what she herself had been imagining?!
Because of those terrible thoughts of hers.
Had the Monster become something so "scary," the kind of thing that would "eat" a person?!
!!
All at once.
A flood of strange images burst into her mind.
Ais had clearly already figured out what "taming" a monster would actually involve.
And what one might do with it afterward.
Countless even stranger scenarios had already sprung to mind.
Because she knew for certain this was a dream.
Once the girl's thoughts started running wild, there was no reeling them back in.
Until—
"Get ready to fight!"
Fight?
Could it be that it was starting already...
Just as Ais was lost in her wild imaginings, Isagi had already drawn the longsword from his back and charged at the slime not far away.
And at almost the same instant.
The slime girl, who had been so cute a moment ago, suddenly turned hideous and terrifying, as if wearing a human shell over a Monster's true form — abruptly becoming a fearsome Beast, and charging at the boy in turn.
"Huh?!"
Ais froze completely.
Wasn't this supposed to be that strange, indecent sort of scene? Why had it suddenly turned into a proper battle?!
Could it be—
Yes, the girl had guessed right.
This was all the influence of Isagi's own dream.
The longsword hacked into the slime's soft body, but had no effect at all — it just sank in without resistance.
"So it's the type immune to physical attacks?"
Don't say something that composed right now!
Was this really turning into an actual battle?!
It really was.
Because Ais quickly saw flames wreathe the surface of Isagi's blade, searing the slime until it shrieked, and before long, he actually managed to defeat it, reducing it to a puddle of goo.
"..."
"Let's go, we keep moving."
A chime sounded in her ears, announcing experience points gained.
At this point.
Ais had completely given up trying to make sense of any of it — what was happening in front of her was simply too absurd.
Especially once they entered the forest, where all kinds of Monsters — or rather, "Monster girls" — came pouring out one after another!
There was a cute little green-haired girl with a flower on her head, who turned out to actually be a terrifying Viola rooted in the ground;
There was one with the upper body of a cute girl but insect wings and a huge abdomen, who bared fangs and claws and turned utterly monstrous the moment anyone got close;
And there were fluffy little puppy-girls who could transform into gigantic Beasts — werewolves.
The boy fought them all, stubborn and relentless.
It had to be said.
Isagi's figure was still stirring to watch — but this wasn't right! This wasn't the dream she wanted!!
Ais shook her head, desperately trying to deny the scene unfolding before her.
But it did no good.
Could it be that her own indecent desires simply couldn't compete with Isagi's hunger for battle?!
This was too absurd!
Ais was floored — no, she had to think of something, or else...
Right!
Where was Goddess Aphrodite?!
This woman wasn't just going to stand off to the side and watch the whole time, was she?!
Wasn't the deal—
Just as the golden-haired girl was puzzling over this, deep in the forest, the golden-haired goddess was quietly dodging the hunt of some "terrifying figure."
"Mm!"
Beneath the small hood of her red cloak, Aphrodite had a pair of cute wolf ears.
And right now, the direction she was fleeing toward was a pink, candy-colored cottage deep in the forest!
This was, of course, all because she habitually pestered Isagi whenever she had nothing better to do.
She'd get him to tell her stories, and the result was that all the jumbled plots the boy had told her got mixed together in her head.
Hup, hup, hup, hup...
Guided by a rabbit in a top hat, Little Red Riding Hood Aphrodite escaped the pursuit of the terrifying huntress "Artemis" and made it back to her own candy cottage.
And then!
As the resident witch, it was time for her to get to her main job — brewing a potion that would make people "strange"!!
Strange in that particular way!!
As Ais's "accomplice" for this operation, and as the Goddess of Beauty who presided over love.
Aphrodite's dream naturally carried a bit (probably) of that same indecent plotline!
Heh heh heh~
Once he drank her potion.
The boy would turn into a fearsome Beast, and then—
It would be passionate, unrestrained "love"!
Yes, that was "love"!!
"Love" was a very complicated thing, but also a very simple thing — in any case, deep inside it, that indecent element absolutely had to be present!!
As the saying goes.
Love without that isn't really love; once you fall for someone, you definitely want...
That was what the Goddess of Love herself said, so it couldn't possibly be wrong.
Aphrodite was in an excellent mood right now — after all, this was exactly what she was best at!!
So she kept brewing away!
Stirring the great ladle in her hand, watching the thick, rainbow-colored liquid bubble away in the cauldron!!
Until.
The rabbit finally led Isagi and Ais here.
Good!
She could also feel the golden-haired girl's hopeful little gaze fixed on her the moment their eyes met.
Don't worry, just leave it to Lady Goddess!
And so.
Not long after, once the boy and girl entered the candy cottage and were seated at her table under her hospitality.
Aphrodite, in her role as the "forest witch," gracefully ladled out a large bowl of that thick, rainbow-colored "soup" from her cauldron.
"Chicken soup's here, eat up!"
"..."
When Lady Goddess set that pot of "chicken soup" down in front of Isagi, not to mention the boy — even Ais was floored.
What on earth was this woman even trying to pull?!
Could she at least try to disguise it a little?!
Would it have killed her to call it some kind of health-restoring or blood-refilling magic potion? No matter how you looked at it, there was no way that thing was actually "chicken soup"!!
Although she had no idea what it actually did.
Ais could more or less guess.
After all, whatever else she was, Aphrodite was still a "teammate" — though at this point, the girl had pretty much given up hope on this particular goddess of love.
Fools were beyond saving.
"Mother" Riveria had been completely right.
She'd been so naive to actually trust such a foolish goddess!
And now the woman was even turning to wink at her and give a silent thumbs up — where did that confidence even come from?!
Just as Ais had predicted.
Aphrodite's plan had absolutely no effect. After staring at the bowl of chicken soup for exactly one second, Isagi, without the slightest hesitation, picked up the bowl and poured it directly over the young goddess's head.
In an instant.
The air seemed to freeze solid.
Ais was floored, because right after, she watched a puff of white smoke rise, and the clothes on the goddess's body — which had been wrapped in that red cloak — completely dissolved, leaving her stark naked in the blink of an eye.
So this wasn't just a strange potion that turned people into "Beasts" when drunk — it was also a strange potion that stripped people bare when poured on them!!
Quite the multi-purpose brew.
Perfectly in line with the strange, indecent theme of the whole affair, really.
But that wasn't the point right now, damn it!!
Ais was shocked. Aphrodite was shocked too.
[Fully exposed — no one will ever marry me now!]
The Goddess of Love, who normally harbored all sorts of scheming thoughts, apparently also had that peculiarly "maidenly" and "pure" side that love brings out.
Well.
That was part of love too, in its own way.
As Lady Goddess fled shrieking, Isagi calmly went about searching the cottage.
Rummaging through every drawer and chest, missing nothing.
It had the distinct air of someone who had just cleverly defeated a boss and was now moving on to the loot-gathering phase.
No.
The boy probably genuinely thought of it that way!
After all, in his dream, this really was just a "battle game" of grinding monsters and defeating the Demon King!!
Exhausted.
Ais really did feel exhausted.
Watching her one and only teammate go down in complete defeat, the golden-haired girl let out a sigh, then left the candy cottage with the boy, crossed the forest, and arrived at a small town on the other side—
And it was at that very moment!
By the roadside outside the forest, a goddess with beautiful, sky-blue long hair was, of all things, waiting there.
Was that Goddess Artemis?!
Ais had no idea why the moon goddess was here.
As for that.
Artemis herself just felt a bit awkward about it, because while chasing Aphrodite through the forest earlier, she'd ended up getting lost.
That's right!
Even though she was the goddess of the hunt.
And a goddess who often spent her days in the wilderness and forests.
Artemis actually had no sense of direction at all — normally, it was always her Familia children who left markers, drew maps, and guided the way.
As for herself, she had absolutely no wilderness survival skills whatsoever — couldn't start a fire, couldn't cook, couldn't pitch a tent, nothing...
Because all of that was always handled by her Familia children!
As a goddess, they always insisted she just relax and "enjoy" the results.
Gradually.
Artemis had ended up a little "spoiled."
[Her so-called Familia children might as well just be called maids~]
The other gods loved to tease her about it.
At that, Artemis's small face would flush slightly, but there was nothing she could do about it.
So—
Now, seeing the boy and girl approach, the moon goddess could only clear her throat twice, then quickly slip into her own...
So-called dream, naturally vague and hazy.
One could neither fully confirm what was real, nor act perfectly according to one's own will.
And to some degree, one would inevitably be influenced by the dream itself.
Just as Isagi had been consumed by his obsession with battle, and Ais by her obsession with indecent things.
At this moment.
Artemis's role here was "a princess from the kingdom" — also the Braver's traveling companion!
But being a companion wasn't the important part — being a princess was!!
And a princess, naturally, needed to be taken care of.
This was the fragile side of the moon goddess that she normally kept buried deep inside — the huntress goddess, so overwhelmingly strong and fearsome on ordinary days, was in truth a completely helpless "little girl" who put on a brave front.
"I'm tired, carry me back!"
That was the first thing the goddess said upon seeing Isagi and Ais.
Artemis herself had no idea why those words had come out of her mouth, and when Isagi, without the slightest hesitation, hoisted her onto his back, her mind went completely blank for a moment.
[What on earth is happening?!]
Never mind the moon goddess — Ais herself was floored too.
Because she wanted that too!
And it was really that simple?!
She figured Isagi probably just treated it as some kind of "quest," the same way he'd helped the uncles and aunties in the village buy candles or collect eggs before.
But still, she was so envious.
Damn it!
Gritting her teeth for a moment, the girl could only trail resentfully behind the boy and the goddess — no wait, the "princess" now — as they headed toward the small town not far away.
"I'm hungry! Find somewhere to eat first!"
"Mm."
"After we eat, we rest — straight to the inn!!"
"Mm."
"And another thing—
Every one of Lady Goddess's demands was met, one after another, until, somewhat inexplicably, by the time Artemis snapped back to her senses, she was already in a room at the town inn.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, she was demanding that Isagi wash her feet.
"?"
For the first time, the boy looked genuinely puzzled by this.
And at that moment, the goddess, truly registering what she'd just asked for, flushed a deep red and couldn't get a single word out.
Wash her feet?!
How could she have made such a request?!
Although... she really did love washing her feet, it was true.
In the quiet forest, under night's veil, with the moon hanging faint overhead, beautiful stars reflected in cool river water, dipping her small feet into that cold, clear stream was some kind of indescribable bliss.
This could be counted as one of the moon goddess's little secrets, buried deep in her heart.
But!
Washing her own feet and having someone else wash them for her were completely different things!!
Didn't that mean the boy would be holding her small feet, kneading them, pressing them... had she really secretly imagined something like that before?!
To be fair.
Loving to wash one's own feet, and having imagined someone else washing them for you, were both perfectly normal things on their own.
What wasn't normal was why it had all come bursting out in the dream, right now, like this.
Artemis was completely frozen.
Until.
She noticed something extraordinary.
One of the staff downstairs at this town's inn looked incredibly, incredibly familiar—
It was a beautiful golden-haired elf girl.
Ryuu Lion!
At that moment, never mind the somewhat dazed Artemis up in the room — even Ais, down in the inn's dining hall eating a meal, noticed it too.
[Why is Ryuu here too?!]
[And why is she working here as a server?!!]
And most importantly...
It looked like Ryuu had just said something to Isagi, and had even taken out something that looked like a jewel, or maybe a pocket watch, its surface covered in swirling spiral patterns, dangling it back and forth in front of the boy.
That couldn't possibly be—
—
____
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