Chapter 33. Let’s Dance, Joyfully
Rizenova and the Centaurs finished preparing the meal.
We sat around the firepit, started eating, and continued our conversation.
【Pururu】─I have a question!
The Assistants asked what they were curious about on my behalf.
Of course, it wasn’t me but the Clown who spoke.
【Pururu】─Ask them how their mother initially mated with a horse monster.
［Kirik. Got it.］
The Clown read my thoughts using telepathy and conveyed Pururu’s message to the Centaurides.
［Kenta! How did your mom mate with your horse dad?］
The Centaurides swallowed the meat they had been chewing and answered.
［Hmm. It seems you don’t know how mating works. How should I explain this…］
［Kirik?］
The Centaurides turned their gaze toward me.
With confidence, she reached out her hand and made a suggestion.
［Explorer, would you like to mate with me here and now, if you don’t mind?］
【Pururu】─?
【Yumi】─Is she crazy?
【Mysticism】─🤬
What kind of nonsense was this?
I stared at her with a disgusted expression at the absurd proposal.
Then the Centaurides cleared her throat and added an explanation.
［Ahem! It seems there’s been a misunderstanding. I didn’t suggest mating with strange intentions. I just thought it would be easier to show you what mating is, rather than trying to explain it with words. It would help you understand better.］
【Pururu】─Her tongue is long. What a horny foal.
【Yumi】─Don’t try to justify sexual harassment. ㅡㅡ
【Mysticism】─🤬
It seemed she didn’t understand the meaning of the question at all.
To make it clearer for her, I added to the Clown’s question: how could your mother have bonded emotionally with a monster and mated with it? Did she have some kind of charm ability?
The Centaurides finally seemed to understand the question.
［Ah. I see what you mean. I must have misunderstood. I apologize.］
【Pururu】─If you misunderstood, at least look embarrassed.
【Yumi】─She’s so shameless. Do you think she pretended not to understand the question from the beginning?
【Mysticism】─😡
Once the misunderstanding was cleared up, the Centaurs started whispering among themselves in low voices.
［So, it seems our youngest’s ideal type is that kind of man.］
［Honestly, it’s understandable. The Explorer has muscles just as impressive as ours.］
［What a shame. I thought our youngest was finally going to lose her virginity.］
［Right? It’s the first time she’s ever suggested mating with anyone…］
Let’s just pretend I didn’t hear that conversation.
I focused on the Centaurides’ answer.
［My father’s great-great-grandfather said he fell in love with my mother at first sight. He even made the first move, courting her. That’s why they could mate without any issues.］
【Pururu】─What’s this, love that transcends species?
【Yumi】─Geon, you don’t have those kinds of preferences, right? Say you don’t.
It was an unexpected reason.
A monster fell for an Explorer first.
That female Explorer wasn’t all that unlucky after all.
【Pururu】─So does that mean all the other monsters also fell for your mother and requested to mate with her? Clown, pass that on.
［Kirik. Got it.］
The Clown once again relayed Pururu’s question.
［Kenta, did all the other monsters fall for your mother and request to mate with her?］
［No. The only one who fell for her right from the start was my father’s great-great-grandfather. The others opened their hearts after they were tamed.］
【Pururu】─Then how did she tame the others?
［Kirik. Then how did she tame the others?］
［My father’s great-great-grandfather knocked them out and presented them to my mother. She tamed them by assaulting them while they were unconscious.］
【Pururu】─Oh wow…
【Yumi】─So she knocked out the monsters and raped them.
【Mysticism】─😰
We decided to take a break from the questions for a while.
I was starting to lose my appetite.
***
The Centaurs had said they would offer me their help.
I wondered what kind of help they specifically had in mind.
After the meal, I asked a question, and the Centaurs responded like this.
［Originally, we intended to protect you from other Explorers. If there were other Assisted Explorers, we planned to help you form friendly relationships with them.］
However, I didn’t need that help.
Because I was the only Explorer of this generation.
So, did that mean they couldn’t offer any help?
Not quite.
［In this labyrinth, there is something called a Vending Machine. It’s an item that only the Assisted Ones can use. By the way, the Dominant Ones use a different item instead of a Vending Machine.］
One of the Centaurs drew a square on the ground with their hoof as they spoke.
Since I had mentioned that I hadn’t been an Explorer for long, they must’ve assumed I didn’t know about the Vending Machine yet.
“I’ve used a Vending Machine once. I was lucky enough to come across it.”
［Ah, I see. Then, there’s no need to explain the Vending Machine in detail.］
The Centaur erased the drawing with their hoof and continued.
［Anyway. We plan to roam the labyrinth, and whenever we find a Vending Machine or a Croc, we will rush to inform you of their location.］
【Pururu】─Looks like they’re a nomadic tribe.
It seemed that “Croc” referred to a neutral monster that sold items besides tickets.
［There aren’t many species as helpful as us in this regard. Our tribe is among the top ten fastest creatures in this labyrinth.］
They were brimming with pride.
Well, it was justified.
Even an average Centaur was unbelievably fast, so if the Centaur’s danger level was classified as S-rank, it was bound to be even faster.
“Thank you. But how will you know where I am? Do I need to give you my location?”
［That won’t be necessary.］
The Centaur turned their head and looked at the Centaurides, signaling her with a gesture.
［We have the ability to track the location of our kin. So, just take our youngest with you.］
【Yumi】─Why does it have to be a woman…?
【Pururu】─I don’t feel too comfortable with her.
【Mysticism】─😠
［I look forward to working with you.］
The Centaurides approached and bowed.
［Explorer. Please tame me first. You might worry about betrayal if you just take me along without taming me.］
I nodded.
I had already checked the location of her taming spot.
It was on the horse’s rump.
I gently placed my hand on the red-tinged mark on her hindquarters.
［…Why on the butt? Are you perhaps proposing to mate with me right now?］
【Pururu】─She keeps bringing up mating. She’s asking for it.
【Yumi】─Right? What a beast through and through. ㅡㅡ
“No. To tame someone, I have to touch the mark that only I can see, and your mark just happens to be there.”
［Ah, so you don’t get tamed by just touching anywhere.］
“Right. Also, taming doesn’t happen instantly. Depending on the person, it can take some time.”
［Does it take longer if the other party harbors strong hostility?］
“How did you know?”
［I had a feeling. My mother also had to mate several times to tame someone if they had strong hostility.］
As I talked with her, I checked the speed at which the mark changed color.
Since her hostility was faint, the mark was quickly turning green.
“By the way, does that mean she can’t tame a monster that’s already been tamed?”
I asked while continuing the taming process.
None of the other Centaurs had any visible marks.
At first, I thought it was because they weren’t native to the labyrinth.
Although they were born in the labyrinth, they had the blood of Explorers mixed in.
However, they weren’t considered Drifters either.
Feeling something was off, I looked more closely for the mark and found it on the Centaurides’ rump, realizing that they were recognized as beings of the labyrinth.
［That’s correct. Once tamed, they will never betray their Explorer. Not even after the Explorer dies.］
【Yumi】─So they follow only one master for life. That’s touching…
The Centaurides glanced sideways at the other Centaurs before continuing.
［My mother believed that even her children could betray her. That’s why she mated with my brothers to tame them. I think she didn’t tame me because I’m female.］
【Pururu】─So it’s impossible to tame Bobby?
“So, I guess taming wasn’t possible with the same gender?”
［I’m not entirely sure. My mother didn’t have a preference for mating with the same gender, so she never checked.］
【Pururu】─She’ll do it with animals and her own kin, but not with the same gender? What’s with this woman?
【Yumi】─Please stop saying ‘mating.’
【Pururu】─Then what should I call it? Sex?
【Yumi】─Just say intercourse.
【Pururu】─Lol, the Confucian girl is at it again.
【Mysticism】─🤭
As we continued our conversation, the mark had turned completely green before I realized it.
I took my hand off her rump and stepped back.
［This feels nice. So this is the feeling of being tamed…］
The now-tamed Centaurides stared at me.
I wasn’t sure if I was imagining things, but her gaze seemed full of affection.
［Explorer.］
“Yes?”
［Now that we are much closer, do you perhaps have any thoughts about mating with me?］
“No.”
［That’s unfortunate.］
【Mysticism】─🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬
That night, I decided to sleep inside the Magma Slime.
It just felt safer.
***
On the 5th day.
After parting ways with the Centaurs, we set off early in the morning to track down the Drifters.
For reference, the Centaurides were now with us.
She had become my personal mode of transport.
I didn’t have to ride her, but she insisted on carrying me, so I reluctantly rode on her back.
The ride wasn’t bad.
After traveling for about four hours, we entered a reed field.
［Kirik. They’re nearby.］
Psycho Clown suddenly stopped.
It seemed the Drifters were somewhere around here.
［Follow me.］
In a low voice, Psycho Clown led the way.
We pushed through the tall reeds, following behind him.
And after about three minutes,
［Doomba!］
［Doodoomba!］
We reached the end of the reed field, where a small clearing appeared.
In the clearing, countless monsters were wiggling their hips while chanting strange incantations.
［Doomba! Dance with joy!］
［Doomba! Shout it out!］
［Let’s dance joyfully! Doodoomba!］
In front of the monsters,
［Shake your hips more passionately!］
A normal-looking hedgehog was shouting at them.
“Doomba… joyfully…”
“Doomba… shout it out…”
I could see a familiar race, looking on the verge of tears.
“Doomba… Doodoomba…”
“Ugh, why am I in this state…?”
There was no doubt.
They were definitely the Drifters we were looking for.
They were exact copies of Rizenova.
Even the word “Drifter” floated above their heads.
【Pururu】─What’s going on here?
【Yumi】─Right? Is that the labyrinth’s club?
【Mysticism】─🧐
［Your voices are too quiet!］
“DOOMBA!!!!”
“Dance with joy!!!”
For some reason, Rizenova’s kin were dancing enthusiastically with the monsters.
They didn’t seem to be enjoying it very much.