第１１９掘：選択肢をくれ (Part1)
**Dungeon 119: Give Me Some Options**
**Side: Yuki**
I am suffering more than I ever have in my life.
If someone could trade places with me, I’d let them in a heartbeat.
For someone like me, who has never once successfully wooed a woman, the difficulty level here isn't just "Hard"—it’s "Inferno."
Thinking these thoughts, I crawled out of bed, scooped up the three girls, and headed to the washroom to brush our teeth and wash our faces.
"Alright, time to wash up."
"Mmm... okay, Brother~"
I held Firia up to the sink to wash her face, then handed her a cup and toothbrush. After doing the same for Aslin and Labyris, it was finally my turn.
"…I look like a totally average guy, no matter how you slice it."
The face reflected in the mirror was undeniably plain. I could say with absolute certainty that I wasn't a handsome man. Up until now, I’d never regretted that fact. But who would have thought that not being a "pretty boy" would become such a source of agony?!
"Yuki~"
Labyris demanded to be held. *No, no, stay focused.* If I keep thinking so negatively, nothing will go right. I shook off the gloom and reached out to pick her up, but before I could even turn toward the sink, Labyris planted a kiss right on my lips.
"It’s okay. To me, you’re the greatest man in the world, no matter how you look at it."
"You taste like toothpaste..."
"Isn't that nice for a change?"
She said that and kissed me again. Aslin and the others started making a fuss watching us, and in the end, I was forced to share a morning kiss with both of them.
I don't hate it, though. In fact, I love it.
After breakfast, we had our usual morning break. This is when we go over the day's schedule so everyone has a rough idea of what the others are doing. Even though we can contact each other via Call at any time, it’s rude to interrupt someone during a meeting.
"Alright, everyone, let's do our best today."
"Yes!"
I tried to wrap it up, but—
"Wait a moment. Yuki-san, I’d like you to take charge of one of the new recruits starting today."
"That’s right. You did say you wanted an attendant like Quar, didn't you, Yuki?"
I froze at Eris’s voice, and Seraria’s comment confirmed my suspicions.
"Wait, isn't that a bit too rushed? You know, romance is something you should take your time with..."
"Yesterday, I confirmed four different men approaching Ria at the inn's cafeteria."
"..."
*You’ve got to be kidding me.*
No matter how beautiful they are, isn't that too fast? Keep that kind of stuff in the world of manga, please!
"Do you understand now? They might not have the luxury of being approached so soon after arriving, but we can't just leave them be."
"Don't you know, Brother?"
"Know what?"
"Ever since that wedding of yours, which was overflowing with love, applications for marriage ceremonies have been flooding the church."
*What is that!? A marriage boom!?*
"You didn't know? Even at the training grounds, tons of couples have formed, and many are working hard just to be able to hold a ceremony."
"Mhm, mhm. There are more people working seriously than before. Maybe they were inspired by that wedding; both the men and women are being very proactive."
Tori and Riel were looking at me with surprised expressions.
*Hiiiiiieeeeee!?* I want to punch my past self! I’m strangling myself here; this is practically a suicide mission!
"Why are you panicking? That wedding was meant to promote this exact situation, wasn't it?"
"Indeed, my husband said it himself. If he could make them want to be like us, people would work harder in all sorts of ways. Love is truly great!!"
Seraria looked at me as if to say, "Why are you so surprised?", while Rurua, perhaps remembering the wedding, was exaggerating things quite a bit.
I mean, I *did* anticipate that, but I didn't think it would turn into *this*!
"Anyway, that’s how it is, so please come with us. Actually, the four of them—no, three of them—will be taken in by me, Ratz, and Milly. So, it won't look suspicious if you take the remaining one, Ria, with you."
*Ugh, your work is flawless, Eris!!* As a husband, I’m happy, but damn it all.
Resigned, I went to the inn to pick up the four girls from yesterday. They must have been waiting at the front desk, because as soon as we arrived, they gathered around us.
"Good morning. Did you sleep well?"
"Yes, Eris-san."
"It was amazing. It was my first time using a futon, but it was so fluffy, I slept like a log."
"The food was delicious, just like you said, Yuki-san."
"…Yes."
Only one of them had low energy! Extremely low! And she’s clearly a Hero, right? That’s Ria-chan, isn't it!?
*Please, give me some options! Give me some easy-to-understand dialogue choices that raise affection like in a game!*
"Everyone seems well. In that case, would you like to come with us? If you'd like, I can start teaching you some work starting today."
"Is that alright? Please, I’d love to!"
"I’m ready too!!"
"Let me do it. I’ll make sure to learn!"
"…I’m fine."
"Then… I’ll take care of this one, Milly will take that one, and Ratz will take the other. Yuki-san, please take care of Ria."
"Yeah, got it."
Just like that, the three of them took the other girls and left the inn.
*Okay, I need to raise her affection.*
Wait, this inn is for adventurers, isn't it? They said they were looking for a place with vacancies, so that’s why they chose this slightly pricier inn.
In other words, there are wealthy adventurers here who saw Ria and hit on her.
Can I use this?
Some ruffian adventurer hits on Ria while I’m away, she gets scared, and then I swoop in to save her like a hero!!
It’s a bit cliché, but it’s easy to understand and easy to execute.
"Um… what should I do?"
"Ah, sorry. I’m juggling a lot of jobs, so I was just debating which one to start with."
"I see."
This is awkward. After that reply, she just stared at me and kept her mouth shut.
"Come to think of it, I haven't heard about the situation with the adventurers yet. I’m going to talk to the front desk for a bit, so wait here. Your work will be a little different from the others."
"…Understood."
*Good, that naturally separated me from Ria. Now, while I chat with the front desk, I just need an adventurer to pick a fight with her.*
Well, it’s not a lie that I wanted to check on the inn’s status, too.
"Well, if it isn't Staff Officer Yuki."
"No, 'Yuki-san' is fine."
"I’m on duty, and the owner would get mad at me. So, what can I do for you?"
"I just wanted to hear some impressions from lately. How are the adventurers who use this inn reacting?"
"Ah, I see. Shall I call the owner?"
"No, that’s not necessary. Besides, I’ve already told the owner to compile a report. What I want is the raw, unfiltered feedback."