As a thanks for me agreeing to go to her birthday celebration Belinda stayed till just past midnight to allow me to collect xp from her before heading back to Tobes. We talked for quite a while, and she told me to make my way to the adventurer’s guild after I woke up, and said the celebration would last all day, but I still am unsure exactly what to expect.

Early the next morning after waking up I check over the dungeon and make sure everything is in order before I head down to Tobes. The small hunting village is starting to grow in to a full-fledged village. The new buildings are being built close to the mountain trail, and it looks like they have even begun digging soil at the base of the mountain for even further expansion.

The far side of the village has less trees then before, and it seems they are beginning to plant more field crops. As I make my way through town the townsfolk are just starting to wake up and move about. Keeping my head down, I just quickly and quietly head to the adventurer’s guild.

Once I arrive the building appears to be empty, with the chairs still on the tables and no lights lit up, but while I debate on what I should do I see a familiar face exit from the back.

Amy: “Two-Twelve, you actually came. Belinda told me you two have been getting close lately, but I still had my doubts.” –She says while lighting a few of the lights around the room and taking the chairs of the tables.-

“I see you have returned? Is a birthday celebration really a big deal enough for you to travel a week for it?”

Amy: “She didn’t explain it to you? How typical. Generally a birthday is just a small party or something, but we are talking about a princess here.”

“I see.”

Belinda however walks in and interjects.

Belinda: “It is not because I am a princess, this is my 18th birthday. That means I am finally old enough to do what I want without having to take orders from others.”

“Haven’t you been doing that all along?”

Amy laughs, and Belinda puts her hands on her hips and shakes her head.

Amy: “It’s more like a technicality really, in the past 18 marked the age of becoming an adult, but now it is basically just a tradition.”

“So, what exactly am “I” supposed to do?”

Amy: “Traditionally you give the birthday girl a gift, but since she failed to mention anything to you I am sure we can skip that part. The rest of it is just socializing with the rest of the guests, eating, and drinking.”

“…”

Belinda: “Come on, I promise it won’t be that bad. If you stick around for the entire party I will stay are your place tonight”. –She says after seeing the look on my face.-

Amy’s opens her eyes wide and begins to smirk, and then Belinda seems to begin to panic as she quickly blushes bright red, and quickly cuts in again.

Belinda: “No! No! It’s a misunderstanding! It’s not like that!”

Amy eyes her suspiciously then says. “Yea I bet…”

“I am not quite sure I understand, but if the conversations continue like this I am not sure I am going to be able to keep up.”

Amy sighs then says. “Now sadly, I believe you…Well birthday girl you better get ready. I will take care of your “Friend” here.”

Belinda is still blushing and seems hesitant but eventually she nods heading back to the back room. Amy carefully watches Belinda leave then pulls me over to a table.

Amy: “Now tell me! What did she really mean?”

“I am not exactly sure, like I said I didn’t really follow any of that conversation.”

Amy: “Don’t give me that, what did she mean by saying that she would stay at your place tonight?”

“Oh.” –I scratch my head thinking of how to answer…- “She is just helping me…Yea she is helping me fix up my place… You know building and such…”

Amy: “You…Well you look like you are not entirely lying, but something is still not right with this whole thing… Oh well, it’s too bad really. If she was getting some maybe she would loosen up. She stays way too high strung.”

“You lost me again…”

Amy: “You really aren’t getting any of this are you? I knew some people in your situation are sheltered, but wow…”

“Yes, sorry it seems there is still a lot I don’t know about…”

Amy: “I kind of feel sorry for her now. You’re clueless, and she surely is not going to start anything…” –She seems to be thinking hard about something before she says.- “I will have to think of something.”

After a short time Belinda returns she has changed out of her normal clothing into a simple but colorful dress, and after a few whispers back and forth between her and Amy they begin to finish preparing the guild for the party.

I am only able to help a small bit, but after a few hours everything appears to be ready and people begin to arrive. Belinda greets everyone, and receives several wrapped packages. She adds the packages to a pile in the corner on a table, and once she makes her way around the entire room she then joins Amy and me at the table.

Belinda: “I figured most of the people would be adventurers, but I am glad to see some of the villagers as well. I was afraid they would be mad at me for turning their little hunting community upside down.”

Amy: “I am sure some of the older folk feel that way, but I am sure most of the younger ones are glad that something is finally happening around here. After all the bear attack that led up to the discovery of the dungeon, was the first exciting thing that has probably happened in their lifetime.”

Belinda: “I am sure it isn’t that bad living in a small village like this.”

Amy: “Why do you think so many of them joined in on the inn construction? It was so they could get some money to get out of this place. That’s why most quickly joined the guild afterwards. I am sure most of them are grateful to you for bringing life into this place.”

Belinda: “Well I didn’t really do much. It was mostly just because of the dungeon.” –She smiles at me winks her eye.-

Amy: “Ok, what is it you guys are not telling me?”

Belinda: “Oh, that is the village leader that just walked in I better greet him properly, excuse me.”

Belinda quickly flees the conversation to talk to an older man that just entered.

Amy: “Belinda has never kept secrets from me before. I think she is learning this behavior from you.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

Amy: “Yea yea.”

After a few more hours the guild is now packed with people, sitting around, talking, drinking, and eating. Most of the people are drinking the same kind of alcohol that I bought in the barrel a few months back. When I sent Belinda to retrieve more for the captives she explained to me what it was.

Amy has been pretty forceful, but so far I haven’t had to eat or drink anything. Belinda has stopped by a few times, but as soon as more people arrive she goes off again greeting them and such.

Many of the adventurers brag about the dungeon some embellishing stories from their exploits in the dungeon, while others flat out lie. Once adventurer claims to have made it all the way down to the fifth floor, and claims he had to fight off a group of trolls.

I wonder what kind of story it would be, if once I do have a fifth floor I actually fill it with trolls. Then again I can’t even summon trolls. I need to find a way to get my hands on more monsters so I can begin summoning more types of creatures.

Once the afternoon rolls around a large square food is brought out set on the counter, I think they called it a cake. Belinda heads over taking a knife that is practically a small sword, cutting it into smaller squares, and then begins handing them out to everyone.

Once everyone has one of the squares she comes over sitting down at the table with two in her hands. She slides one of them over to me, and tells me to try it. She knows I don’t eat food, but has asked me in the past if I was capable, maybe I should have told her no…

The “cake” looks to be some type of soft bread with something covering the top of it. Amy and Belinda both watch me as they munch away on their pieces. I pick it up and just smell it.

Amy: “Don’t tell you have never had a cake before either? What have you been doing all this time that you have been on your own?”

With the girls closely watching me I figure I have no choice but to at least try it, so when I bring it to my mouth to take a small bite Amy reaches up shoving the whole thing in my mouth. I have never eaten anything before but I somehow know that this “cake” is very sweet tasting, so much so in fact that I get a twinge in both sides of jaw and throat.

With no other option I quickly chew and swallow the cake, and both of the girls give me questioning looks.

Amy & Belinda: “Well?”

“It’s…Really sweet…”

Both of the girls laugh, and after they finish their cake we sit and talk. After a short while Amy slides me a large cup with some of the alcohol everyone seems to be drinking.

Amy: “Here you have to drink this as well.”

“I don’t know…”

Belinda: “He has never had any alcohol before, take it easy on him.”

Amy: “It’s only one cup!”

With pleading eyes I turn to Belinda but she has forsaken me by averting her eyes… I watch Amy closely as I try to take a small sip of it. The alcohol has a very bitter flavor, but I at least find it more enjoyable then the sweet flavor of the cake.

After taking a second drink from the cup the girls seem to resume their activities but Amy still tells me to take another drink every so often. After I empty the cup Amy instantly replaces it with another, and before long she has made me drink 4 cups of the alcohol.

After the second cup I began feeling weird. Amy insisted that was normal and just handed me another cup, but now that the 4th is just about gone I am having trouble following what the girls are saying. I don’t know how many cups Amy has drank but I know it’s a lot more than me. Belinda has even drank more than me, and although her face has reddened she still doesn’t seem in too bad of shape.

After I finished off the 4th cup Amy replaces it with another full one, but I begin getting a strange feeling in my stomach, I am not sure what it is but if I had to guess I think I have to expel some of the alcohol. The last thing I can recall however is standing up, the room spinning around in circles, and then the dulled feeling of my face colliding with the floor.

Belinda’s POV

I awoke this morning pretty groggy. I stayed up late last night trying to convince Two-Twelve to come to my birthday celebration. I even locked myself in one of his cells at midnight, so he could get some xp from me.

Honestly though, I don’t mind it really. It’s a bit far to travel in the morning, and the cot is not near as comfortable as my bed, but if he asked I would probably stay in the dungeon just so he could get the xp from me every day.

When I got back to Tobes last night, Amy was waiting on me, she traveled back from the capital to attend my birthday party, I told her I was just doing some research and we went straight to bed before she could question me further. She was the one that woke me up so early this morning. I wonder if all beastkin have her kind of energy.

I never noticed it before, but she always seems full of energy. If what Two-Twelve said about beastkin being descendants of dungeon monsters is true, maybe that has something to do with it.

Although if that was brought out in the open there would be a big uproar, after all beastkin have only now just started to be treated like everyone else.

I quickly get dressed when I hear Amy out in the main room talking with someone, and when I join her I find that Two-Twelve has already arrived. I honestly wasn’t sure he trusted me enough to show, but he even arrived early.

I almost slipped up telling Amy about Two-Twelve being a dungeon boss, but it instead it turned into a more embarrassing conversation. Amy tries to push me out of the conversation telling me to get ready, but I am sure it is just so she can question him. Two-Twelve will not slip up like I did, so I finally agree and head back to the room to prepare for the party.

When I return to the room people have begun to arrive, so I make my way around the room thanking them for coming and receive several gifts. Once everyone has been greeted I head to the table with Amy and Two-Twelve.

Two-Twelve seems to be holding his own with Amy, but now I am sure she knows that I am hiding something about Two-Twelve. I see the village leader enter the guild, so I take the opportunity to get away without any more pressing questions.

The party is rather small and progresses pretty slowly, but everyone seems to be having a good time. Two-Twelve had held his own in conversations with Amy and the other adventurers. I can’t tell if he is enjoying himself, but at least he is talking more. He seems like a very intelligent person, just naive about humans I am glad he has been able to fit in, even if it is just a small bit.

I made sure to ask Two-Twelve last week if he was capable of eating food in preparation for today, so when I cut the cake I take a piece to him. He doesn’t seem too fond of the idea but when he begins to try it Amy shoves the whole thing in him mouth.

It doesn’t look like he liked it very much, I thought everyone loved cake, but being his first food to try it might have been too much. Later when everyone has started drinking Amy gets Two-Twelve to take a drink. He seems fonder of the alcohol then the cake, and he even for drinking for the first time he manages to keep up with me for a while.

After his second cup he begins to slow down however. I can’t recall how many he has drunk now, but I just finished my sixth cup when he begins to stand up. I can tell he is about to lose it, but I can’t get up fast enough as he crashes to the ground.

“Two-Twelve! Are you ok?”

I say as I rush to his side, and with the quick movement even I seem to be getting a bit dizzy.

Amy: “Oye, that looked like a nasty spill is he still awake.”

“No, I think I am going to have to take him home.”

Amy: “Just put him back there in my old bed, he should be fine in the morning. Might have a little headache but he should be fine.”

“No, I better get him home something bad might happen if he doesn’t return.”

Amy: “See there you go again, what is it you are not telling me?”

My head is a bit fuzzy, I am quite dizzy, and I don’t think I can get Two-Twelve home by myself, so without much choice I decide I have to trust Amy.

“Just give me a hand. Please.”

With me carrying most of his weight, Amy takes his ankles and we carry him out into the street. The fresh evening air feels good on my face as we make our way awkwardly though town. It isn’t easy going and I almost drop him a few times, but once we pass the inn Amy speaks up.

Amy: “Where are we going? Does live up in the forest or something?”

“Something like that, now lift.”

It takes us more than an hour to make it up the short trail to the entrance of the dungeon. Any now I am starting to sober up, but now I am awfully tired.

Amy: “What are we doing here?”

“Promise me! You won’t tell anyone?”

Amy: “What are you talking about?”

“Promise me!”

Amy: “Ok, Ok, I promise…”

“Two-Twelve lives in the dungeon.”

Amy: “What do you mean he lives in the dungeon?”

“I mean he is the leader, or boss of the dungeon. He is the one behind the dungeon.”

Amy: “Oye! Have you lost your mind? If he is, that means he is some kind of monster. Why are we helping him?”

“You have talked with him, does he seem like a monster to you?”

Amy: “That’s not the point, how many people has he killed?”

“You know as well as I do. He is different than the other dungeon’s leaders. He hasn’t preemptively attacked anyone, only those who enter the dungeon. He even capturers and releases people that surrender, does that really sound like something a killer would do?

Amy: “Fine, whatever, but how are we going to get past all the kobold?”

“Oh, I come here all the time. Besides with him being with us surely they won’t do anything.”

But oh how wrong I was, as soon as the kobold spotted us they charges like normal feral kobold, one even setting off one of their own traps killing itself. Luckily the spikes block them from coming after us, and we pull Two-Twelve back to the entrance to the cave.

Amy: “Now what? Just leave him here?”

“Of course not, it seems they are acting just like that time he wasn’t in the dungeon. The kobold only act intelligent when he is here, maybe it’s because he is passed out?”

I gently try to wake Two-Twelve.

“Two-Twelve, we can’t get past the kobold, I need you to wake up…”

Two-Twelve sleepily opens his eyes waving his hand in the air a few times I feel a sharp grasp in my chest and with a tug everything blurs. Amy, Two-Twelve, and myself are standing in a small area, the floor seems to be giving off just enough light to see around, but I can’t see any walls or ceiling.

The light in the floor seems to be in a circle, but I can’t see anything beyond it but darkness so I don’t dare pass beyond that point. I see a small bed, and a desk off to one side of the room. On top of the desk sits a few books, two of which I can see are Two-Twelve’s adventurer IDs.

Amy: “Where the hell are we? That was teleportation magic…”

“I think this is his home…”

Amy: “So we are somewhere in the dungeon?”

“Maybe, although I have never seen any rooms like this in the dungeon before. Here, help me put him on the bed.”

Amy: “Forget about that, how do we get out of here?”

“Well I don’t know, but I am sure when he wakes up he can take us back.”

Amy: “If he doesn’t kill us for seeing this place.”

“I am telling you he isn’t like that!”

Amy: “You better hope you are right…”

Once I finally manage to drag Two-Twelve onto the bed, my fatigue finally catches up with me, and I end up falling asleep at the foot of the bed.

Two-Twelve’s PoV

I wake up the next morning with a mind numbing headache, both my legs and arms are sore, a got a pain in my stomach, and there is something tickling my nose.

I try to sit up but my movement is restricted, as I open my eyes, I find Belinda has both of her legs intertwined around one of mine, both of her arms around my stomach, and her face buried in my bare chest. In fact all my clothes have been removed and Belinda isn’t wearing any either.

What’s worse is when I start to look around I find we are in my bed in the core room. Amy is sitting across the room at the desk with a sly smile on her sleeping face, as she using Belinda’s dress and my clothes as a pillow.

“Hey, Belinda, wake up.”

Even talking causes my head to pound.

Belinda slowly beings to wake up raising her head to look up at me saying. “Good Mor…”

She quickly realizes the situation she is in pushing hard against my chest causing my head to pound. She quickly retreats to the far side of the bed taking the blanket with her. Belinda’s face is a brighter red then her hair as she sits at the foot of the bed. She stares at my crotch for a few long moments before covering her blushing face with her hands.

Belinda: “What are you doing!?”

I grab my head as it pounds at each one of Belinda’s words.

“Not so loud…My head…”

I casually get up while holding my head walking across the room over towards the desk. Belinda’s gaze follows me the entire way as she peeks at me though her hands. Once I reach Amy I swiftly tug the clothes from under her head as it thuds on the desk, and she swiftly sits bolt upright.

Amy: “Oye!” –She looks over at me standing there and tries to blow it off, but her bright red face gives her away.- “Well isn’t that a sight to wake up too…”

“What are you playing at?” – I toss Belinda her clothes and start getting dressed myself.-

Belinda quickly scrambles grabbing at the dress and her undergarments pulling them under the blanket with her, and she tries to put them on. Both of the girls are staring at me with bright red faces, but Amy tilts her head to one side leaning over a bit, while I bend over pulling on my undershorts.

Amy: “Now that’s not what I was expecting.”

“What is something the matter?”

Amy: “No, nothing at all.” –She says with a smile on her face.-

Belinda: “Amy!”

I think to myself as I get dressed, that she may be right.

“You know, now that you mention it. You two are both women, yet I don’t feel the slightest bit of embarrassment, and from past experiences that hasn’t always been the case.”

Amy: “Well you are a dungeon monster, you probably just see us as food.” –She says sarcastically.-

“Well I wouldn’t use term food, but… I wonder.”

Amy’s reaction changes as I put more thought into her sarcastic reply. Belinda finally quits fighting with her clothes under the blanket and gets out of the bed.

Belinda: “Maybe it’s best for now, if Amy and I just return to Tobes.”

“I have no problem with you returning, although I don’t know if I can trust Amy enough to let her leave here after everything she knows.”

Amy’s face turns pale as she quickly looks to Belinda.

Belinda: “You trust me though right? I promise you she won’t say anything.”

After thinking about it for a few minutes I finally agree, and send Amy and Belinda back to the entrance of the dungeon.

Once Amy and Belinda are standing outside the cave, they begin to argue about the events leading up to now, and Amy keeps insisting they should say something. I begin to worry, and I start to pull Amy back in, but Belinda finally orders her as the princess to keep it secret, Amy finally hangs her head and agrees.

Once they are done arguing Amy’s face then quickly changes into a sly smile as she nudges Belinda asking her how well she slept. Belinda quickly blushes and shoves Amy and they start making their way down to Tobes, bickering all the way down the mountain.

After they are gone I start checking the pending screens.

Intruders have entered your dungeon.

Intruder’s status changed to allies (Belinda Gowen, Amy Torres)

2 xp consumed

Allies have exited dungeon (Belinda Gowen, Amy Torres).

I can understand Belinda being added as an ally, but I wonder why Amy was added as well. Maybe it was just because they entered the core room. Thirty-seven was already registered as an ally before I took her to the core room though, and Madam Erin was an ally until she added monsters for me to fight in her dungeon.

Out of curiosity I check [Communication]

Allies:

Dungeon Core #712 [Sara]

Thirty-seven

Belinda Gowen

Amy Torres

Even Sara as listed as an ally, I am not sure how this works. The next list is neutral, and it contains Madam Erin, the other elders, Alex, and a few of the other dungeon cores I talked to but not all.

The next list is enemies and surprisingly it had Derek, Newt, and some of the other cores I talked too. I am not sure how they become enemies either. The final list is dungeon monsters which has every monster in the dungeon listed.

Over the next few days things seem to return to normal, I finally manage to gain another level, Belinda visits a few times but she can’t quit blushing every time she looks at me. Although each visit her face gets less and less red so maybe things will go back to normal soon.

She told me about the presents she received from her birthday, and about Amy’s return to the capital. She also reassures me that Amy won’t talk after I seemed worried about Amy’s departure.

On one slow day I try sending Belinda a message though [Communication] just to see what happens, but I get no response. However she visits me later that day asking how I changed her adventurer ID, and sure enough my message is shown on the bottom of her ID.

Once I delete the message it disappears, and together we both try to figure out how it works, but it seems like it’s only a one way message and she can’t send anything back. She even tries manually writing on the ID but still nothing shows up, in [Communication], but I am able to see what she wrote on the other ID of Belinda’s that I have in the book.

Maybe by writing notes on her ID we can send messages back and forth now. I have since removed her ID from the book, and check it every so often to see if she sends me anything.

She stays the night one evening, and now that she is an ally I can no longer get any xp from her, but when I tell her she doesn’t have to stay anymore she looks down. She told me it was the one thing she felt she could do to help me out, but it seems like there is more too it.

I have added an extra chair in the core room as we now just chat in the core room when Belinda visits. Apparently she still can’t see the screens.

One morning after checking the condition of the dungeon I look at Belinda’s ID. She has written in a hasty message that there is an emergency, and that she is one her way.

When Belinda arrives I bring her to the dungeon core room, she seems out of breath, and it looks like she ran all the way to the dungeon.

Belinda: -Breathing heavily she tries to talk. - “I just got word from Amy. My father has approved for a Hero to come into your dungeon.”