Angel Volume 3, Chapter 4

Volume 3: Chapter 4 - Valkyries Philosophy

　After conquering the Fifth Floor, Erina joined the other members and proceeded with the explorations, keeping coordination in mind.

　Shinobu would go ahead and search for presence, and when the battle began, Erina would step forward to provoke the enemy.

　When the enemy's attention turned to Erina, the other members of the party would each see an opening and launch an attack.

　Of course, there were times when Erina herself would defeat the enemy.

「Man~, it's great to have a tank!」

「Yes, it makes me feel much safer.」

　Yae and Yumi's words made Erina happy.

　She was proud to be depended on and grateful to have friends she could rely on.

　Erina's training and exploration proceeded smoothly, and when she had conquered the 10th Floor, her Beginner's Period ended.

「Erina, I have something important to tell you.」

　The day after the end of her Beginner's Period, Erina was summoned by Souka.

　They sat facing each other in what looked like a reception room.

　Iced tea had already been prepared for both of them.

「What is the important thing you want to talk about?」

「We are aiming to completely conquer the dungeon.」

「A completely conquering the dungeon, you say?」

　This Valkyries has a history of its own and has had several complete conquerors in the past.

　However, in recent years, the number of people who take the conquer seriously has been decreasing, and the party's overall morals have been in disarray.

　So Souka, who was given the leadership position by her predecessor, set a new goal of completely conquering the dungeon and asked those members who could not follow it to quit.

　Though some of them were quite strong, she decided that it was inevitable and decided to restart the party with only serious members.

「What happens when you completely conquer the dungeon?」

「We can go back to our original world.」

「What!?」

　That was not written in the "Guide" and the guild did not tell Erina that.

「......, that was what they said. Actually, I'm not sure.」

「I see. ......」

　Erina gave a small pat on the chest at Souka's words.

　However, she did not understand herself why she was relieved when she was denied the information that she might be able to return home.

「Still, it is certain that we can get out of this city. I just don't know if that will result in us returning to the world from which we came, or if it will take us somewhere else.」

　There is a short silence, and then Erina opens her mouth.

「Souka-san, do you want to go home?」

「Yes, I want to go home」

　It was an immediate answer.

「No one wants to keep fighting in such a strange place, right?」

　Souka said, and then she sipped at her glass of iced tea.

「Right, I guess」

　Erina looked away awkwardly, but Souka, who was looking away from her, did not notice.

「I want to go home. If there's even the slightest chance of that, I want to bet on a completely conquer the dungeon. That's how Yae and Shinobu, who stayed behind, and the newly joined Yumi and Yui feel as well.」

　Souka puts the glass on the table and turns her serious gaze on Erina.

「Erina, why don't you join us for to conquer this dungeon?」

　Realizing that her throat was dry, Erina picked up the glass and downed the contents in one gulp.

「Um, if I say I can't keep up ......」

　Erina was concerned about the terms and conditions.

　She wondered if she would have to bear the costs incurred so far.

　Souka smiled, perhaps sensing her uneasiness.

「Don't worry. This is just an offer to force our convenience on you. If you refuse, we won't ask you to pay back your past expenses or leave immediately. We will, however, ask you to return the equipment.」

「I, see.」

「So, what about your response?」

　To be honest, Erika wasn't sure if she had any regrets about her former world.

　If she could go back, she would, but if she couldn't, that would be fine.

　It is certain that her life now is more fulfilling than her life in the original world.

　However, her life is now occupied with exploration and the accompanying battles.

　Although there has not been much danger up to this point, there are times when her life may be in danger if she aims to completely conquer the dungeon.

　It was also hard to say if she wanted to continue her current life.

「It has been less than a month since we added you to our party, but it has been a very fulfilling time.」

　Souka, who had been waiting for Erina's answer, opened her mouth.

「I have a feeling that this is going to be a very great party. With you, we will be able to move forward in our exploration, which has been a stumbling block up until now. A complete conquest is not just a dream」

　After saying that, Souka took Erina's hand.

「Ah, ......」

　Souka wraps her own two hands around Erina's confused hand, causing her to let out an involuntary squeak.

「I ...... We want to continue to fight with Erina. How about you? Will you come with us?」

　In response to Souka's words, Erina reflected on all that had happened so far.

　It was fun to explore with everyone in Valkyries.

　She was happy to have friends she could rely on and to be able to rely on herself.

　It was the most fulfilling time she had ever had in her life.

　I wished these days could go on forever, she thought.

　And just because she had completely conquered the dungeon did not mean that she could go back to the world she came from.

　The same happy days may continue again.

　Even if she had to return to her original world, she would be able to live a different life with the days she spent here.

　With this in mind, she made up her mind.

「I look forward to working with you from now on.」

　Erina put her own hand on Souka's hand.

「Likewise. Also, from now on, I would like you to call me and the other members by our first names. No honorifics either.」

「Errr......」

　Erina looked a little puzzled by Souka's offer, but immediately nodded her head and smiled as if she had made up her mind.

「Yes, I understand, Souka.」

　On this day, Erina became a member of Valkyries in the true sense of the word.

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