Amamiya noticed the subtle change in Tsubame's behavior. Earlier, circumstances had forced her to let him carry her, but now, she was allowing it voluntarily. That was... unusual.
If it were Umi, it wouldn't be surprising. She'd probably even insist he carry her. But Tsubame? Their relationship wasn't close enough for this sort of familiarity.It was just dirt on her feet, after all. She could easily clean them by stepping on the snow.
Amamiya cast a thoughtful glance at Tsubame, but no prompt appeared to clarify her motives.
"Senpai, can we discuss something?" he asked, scooping her up again. His hands brushed against her skin—soft and smooth, like delicate porcelain.
"W-what?" Tsubame stammered, her voice trembling slightly. A wave of regret washed over her. Why had she let him carry her in the first place? She could have walked herself!
"Please don't tell anyone about what happened today," Amamiya said as they descended the stairs.
"Huh?"
"If this gets out, my reputation will be ruined."
Tsubame's cheeks puffed in indignation. "...I should be the one saying that!" she retorted. I'm the one who's naked! Whose innocence is really at stake here?
But Amamiya wasn't finished. "Senpai, you're very popular. If people at school found out about this, I'd be branded as the public enemy of the entire campus."
"That's an exaggeration," Tsubame muttered, though she saw through his exaggerated concern. "Don't worry—I won't say a word to Shinomiya-san or anyone else."
"That's a relief," Amamiya said with mock gratitude.
As they reached the bottom of the stairs, Amamiya noticed the clothes that had fallen off when she transformed into a sheep. Shimizu had neatly folded them and placed them on a wooden stool.
"Senpai, do you want me to—"
"Absolutely not!" Tsubame interrupted, her face bright red.
"I wasn't even going to say anything specific," Amamiya replied innocently.
"I know exactly what you were thinking!" Tsubame snapped, biting her lip. "Put me down. I can dress myself."
She thought back to when she'd first met Amamiya and had considered him a gentleman. Now, she was beginning to question that judgment.
Amamiya shrugged, set her down gently, and turned to the door, flashlight in hand. Behind him, the sound of rustling clothes filled the air as Tsubame got dressed.
A moment later, she sighed with relief. "Okay, I'm dressed."
Amamiya turned back, noticing a speck of dust in her hair. "There's something in your hair," he said, stepping closer. He gently brushed it away. "All set. Let's head out."
"Um," Tsubame murmured, nodding.
The two emerged from the old house into the snowy night.
"You're finally out," Shimizu said from where she and the little guide stood, sheltering from the wind and snow under the corridor.
Amamiya nodded. "I'll leave taking care of Little Red Riding Hood to Tsubame-senpai for now."
"I'm heading back," Shimizu replied, disappearing into Amamiya's shadow to conserve her energy for emergencies.
"My brave hero and sister paladin," the little guide said, looking up at them with wide, trusting eyes. "I knew you'd be okay."
"I'm sorry to make you worry," Tsubame replied gently, patting the little girl's head.
"Little Red Riding Hood," Amamiya began, his tone serious, "do you know where Karen moved to?"
Completing the Red Shoes quest meant finding Karen, and for that, they needed information.
The little girl shook her head quickly. "I don't know."
Tsubame crouched slightly to meet the girl's eyes, her voice soft and encouraging. "Does Sister Karen have any close friends in the village?"
The little girl hesitated, biting her lip, as though searching her memory.
Ordinarily, when someone moves away, they let their friends know. But Karen seemed to be an exception.
The little girl thought carefully before responding. "Sister Karen was always by herself. She never played with others. After she moved, no one ever mentioned her again."
Amamiya considered her words and asked, "Do you remember what Karen looks like?"
"I do." This time, the little guide provided something useful. Her face lit up with the effort of remembering. "Sister Karen is very beautiful. When she smiles, she's even prettier than most people in the village. Once, she gave me a piece of bread with butter on it. It was super delicious…"
"Bread and butter, huh?" Amamiya mused. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a neatly wrapped bag of jam bread. He held it up. "How about this bread? What do you think?"
The little guide's eyes widened in disbelief. Her small mouth opened in awe as she took in the sight of the golden crust and the vibrant streaks of jam.
"So beautiful!" she exclaimed, her voice tinged with amazement.
A soft gurgling sound came from her stomach, breaking the moment. The girl's face turned crimson as she clutched her midsection and lowered her head in embarrassment.
"Here," Amamiya said, holding the bread out to her.
Though they saved her life earlier, it was always wise to offer something tangible in return when seeking help. Food was often found in daily game blind boxes, and while not prohibitively expensive, it was still valuable, especially because it could be stored in the game's backpack. Knowing this, Amamiya, Kaguya, and the others had stocked up on such items for emergencies.
"I-I can't accept it," the little girl stammered, taking a step back. She even tucked her hands behind her back as though afraid of tainting the pristine bread. "Something this beautiful must be very precious. I shouldn't take it."
"Senpai," Amamiya said, signaling Tsubame with a glance.
Catching on, Tsubame took the bread and crouched down in front of the little girl. Her natural charm and social grace made her adept at coaxing children. Within moments, she managed to convince the girl to accept the bread.
"Super… super delicious…" the little girl murmured, her eyes wide as though tasting pure bliss for the first time. Amamiya couldn't help but think that if he could see her favorability rating, it would have maxed out instantly.
No wonder some people could lure kids with something as simple as a lollipop—children really were easy to win over.
After just two bites, Little Red Riding Hood stopped eating and carefully wrapped up the rest of the bread.
"Why aren't you finishing it?" Tsubame asked gently.
The girl shook her head and blushed. "I'm full," she whispered, though her eyes betrayed her reluctance. "I want to save the rest for Grandma."
Amamiya raised an eyebrow. "If you finish that bread, I'll give you another bag to take back to your grandma. But if you don't, there won't be any more."
"Really?" the little girl asked, her eyes lighting up with hope.
"Don't worry," Tsubame said, smiling warmly. "He's a hero. He wouldn't lie to you."
Amamiya nodded, adopting a serious tone. "That's right. I'm an honest hero who never lies."
Tsubame shot him a skeptical glare and muttered, "That's the biggest lie you've told today."
"…"
Once the little girl finished the bread, Amamiya shifted his focus back to the task at hand. It was time to gather more concrete information.
"What color is Karen's hair?"
"Red, like a dwarf's flame."
"And her eye color?"
"Red as well."
"How old is she this year?"
The guide loli paused, starting to count on her fingers.
"Don't bother counting," Amamiya interjected, pointing at Tsubame. "When Karen moved, was she older or younger than big sister here?"
"She was about the same age as the paladin sister," the little loli quickly replied.
Amamiya nodded thoughtfully. "Then her height likely hasn't changed much."
Tsubame glanced over at him, her voice soft but firm. "...I could still grow a few centimeters, you know."
Ignoring her comment, Amamiya continued. Using Tsubame as a reference point, he asked, "Is Karen taller or shorter than her?"
"She's shorter than the paladin sister," the guide loli answered confidently. After a moment of thought, she added, "But sister Karen's chest is really small."
To emphasize her point, the loli cupped her own chest in a playful demonstration. "Not as big as the paladin sister's."
Amamiya nodded absentmindedly, finding the description plausible.
Tsubame's face flushed red. She crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at Amamiya with a mixture of embarrassment and indignation.
Amamiya resumed his line of questioning, carefully noting details: Did Karen have any scars? Disabilities? Distinctive features? Bit by bit, Karen's image began to take shape in his mind.
Red hair. Red eyes. Under 1.6 meters tall. Flat-chested. Quiet and introverted.
"Let's move on," Amamiya said, snapping his notebook shut after recording the details. "We'll continue searching."
The Red Dancing Shoes quest was merely a side mission encountered during their exploration. Their main objective remained finding Chika.
The group arrived at a wall blocking their path. Amamiya carried Little Red Riding Hood over first, then turned to Tsubame.
"Senpai, can I carry you?" he asked.
"Sure," she replied without hesitation, her tone frank.
Having already been held by him when she wasn't dressed, there was no reason to object now that she was clothed.
Amamiya lifted Tsubame with ease and carried her past the obstacle. Together, they continued their search, following the guide loli's lead.
A short while later, they reached another door.
"Time to spread some warmth," Amamiya muttered, intending to use his tried-and-true method to coax it open.
Before he could proceed, a familiar and melodic voice rang out from behind the door.
"Amamiya?"
The door creaked open, revealing a pink haired girl standing behind it.
Amamiya frowned slightly, lifting his little finger in a subtle motion.
In response, the girl's little finger twitched involuntarily, confirming her identity under the influence of the red rope.
It was her.
Chika Fujiwara: the bane of order, the beacon of humanity, and the harbinger of chaos.
Chika tilted her head in curiosity, her eyes gleaming with mischief.
"Amamiya, did you find Tsubame-senpai first?"
"No," Amamiya corrected, his tone calm. "When I entered the dungeon, Tsubame-senpai was right beside me."
Chika let out a small laugh. "Wow, Senpai is lucky."
Tsubame turned away slightly, her delicate face flushed. "Actually… it's not as lucky as it seems."
If she had a choice, she wouldn't want to end up like this—especially not as a half-naked lamb in such cold conditions!
Meeting like this in the dungeon was undoubtedly convenient, as it meant they could look out for each other in a dangerous place.
Chika's eyes narrowed slightly as she crossed her arms. "Any news on Kaguya-chan and Hanamori-chan?"
"Not yet," Amamiya replied, his gaze flicking to the shivering, pale-faced secretary. He raised an eyebrow. "Why aren't you wearing any clothes?"
Everyone, upon entering the dungeon, had changed into light, easy-to-move-in sportswear—Chika included. But now, with the snow falling heavily and the temperature biting cold, even someone resistant to the cold would need more layers. Chika, Kaguya, and everyone else had packed spare clothing in their backpacks. But Chika?
"I want to wear something, but I can't," Chika said in a resigned tone. "When I entered the dungeon, I was just standing in the yard, waiting. No one else was around, so I waited. And then…"
She trailed off, her arms hugging her own body, shivering again. The cold had quickly taken its toll.
"Cinderella invited me inside," Chika continued, gesturing toward the kitchen.
"Cinderella?"
Amamiya aimed the flashlight toward the kitchen entrance.
A figure emerged—covered in grime and looking like she'd been sleeping in a pile of coal.
"Ah…"
A soft, hesitant sound escaped the figure, and she hurriedly shrank back into the shadows of the kitchen.
Tsubame, standing beside Amamiya, frowned slightly. "If I'm not mistaken, her name is Cinderella, isn't it?"
"Exactly," Chika said proudly, puffing out her chest. "I met Cinderella from the fairy tale."
Unfortunately, her pride didn't last long. Shivering once more, Chika hugged her body again, her teeth chattering.
"Cinderella, huh?"
Amamiya reached down and ruffled the hair of the guide loli who stood nearby. "Girl, tell her your name."
"Hello, Warrior Sister," the little girl shyly introduced herself, lifting her small face. "Everyone calls me Little Red Riding Hood."
Chika: "…"
After briefly recounting her experience in the dungeon, Amamiya asked, "So why don't you have more clothes on?"
"Because I can't wear anything else," Chika explained with a pout. "It's freezing out there, and I didn't know when you'd come to find me. If I kept standing in the snow, I'd catch a cold. So I went inside. That's when I got a notification from the game—saying I triggered a side quest: the lost crystal slippers."
Chika waved her hand to show the quest interface. "Until I find the lost crystal slippers, my inventory is sealed. Nothing can be taken out."
"I see," Amamiya said with a nod. "Dungeon missions often have all kinds of restrictions."
As he spoke, Amamiya began to remove his coat, handing it over to Chika. "Here, put this on."
"I'm about to freeze to death," Chika muttered, taking the coat and slipping it on immediately.
Tsubame, standing nearby, watched the scene quietly, her eyes narrowing slightly. Would she have accepted a boy's coat so easily? Probably not.
She wouldn't be able to bring herself to wear something so openly.
But Amamiya and Chika—well, their relationship seemed far closer than she had imagined.
Humans, after all, tended to drop formalities and politeness when they trusted someone fully.
"I'm so hungry! I want to eat something," Chika said, extending her hand expectantly. "Amamiya, give me something to eat."
Amamiya pulled out some supplies and handed them over, frowning slightly. "I just gave you takoyaki and yakitori. Why are you hungry again?"
"I don't know!" Chika exclaimed, shaking her head. "Maybe it's because of the cold. I suddenly feel hungrier and hungrier. I just want to eat!"
"Well…" The little guide loli, shifting nervously, finally spoke up. "Grandma used to say the same thing before she grew mushrooms…"
"...Huh?" Chika blinked, tilting her head in confusion.
"Never mind," the loli mumbled, looking down. "Forget I said anything..."