~ Chapter 5: Hi! My name is… ~
“This is erm... for research purposes?”
I said as I stretched the panties one more time and looked back at her.
Technically speaking, it WAS for research purposes... I thought, but there was nothing else I could do. The incriminating evidence; the weird title pop-ups; there was too much indicating in the wrong direction.
“Oh? Research purposes? OK!” said the girl with a happy smile and then walked out from behind the door.
Huh? What just happened? I asked myself dumbfounded.
The girl looked no older than fifteen, she wore a knee cut black skirt with white frills at the edge, but on her top was a leather jacket with long sleeves made out of silk. Strange golden runes were embroidered on the sleeves. She didn’t seem to carry any sort of weapon or bags with her, most likely because she left them somewhere after I ‘stole’ her holy items.
“Do you still need them for your research?” she asked as she leaned a bit forward and looked at me with upturned eyes.
“Huh? What?” I asked confused.
“My pantie... and bra.” she looked down shyly.
I blinked surprised and immediately remembered why she was here.
“Oh! Sure, sorry about that! I totally didn’t mean it! It’s just that I was testing the spell Colly Tos and...”
I felt magic energy being subtracted from me, and a flash of light appeared on top of the panties and bra.
Crud...
I was beginning to suspect this spell, unlike the others, activated every time I spoke the magic words, no matter if I willed to use it or not.
“Ara?” the girl said as she looked surprised at the light.
Luckily, there wasn’t another pair of panties there, just a black skirt with white frills.
…
…
I slowly turned my gaze towards the girl.
Aaand it’s gone! Full view of the hidden treasure!
She slowly looked down, and her cheek turned from a light pink to a bright red.
“KYAAA!” she screamed as she dropped down and covered her nude bottom.
“Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! I totally didn’t mean it! Not my intention!” I excused myself as I quickly turned my head away.
Well, it wasn’t like I hadn’t seen a naked woman before. In my past life, I was in a happy and healthy relationship with my girlfriend Alina, but this girl wasn’t Alina, and there was a high chance she was nothing more than a child.
I’m not a pervert. I’m not a pervert. I’m not a pervert. I’m not a pervert. I began to mutter in my mind in an attempt to brainwash myself from ever thinking such a thing.
“You are a meanie! Why would you do that?” she asked with a sniffle.
My heart was shattered into a billion pieces... I made a young, cute girl cry. The gods were sure to send lightning bolts my way for such a crime!
“I’m sorry... the spell... it’s not working properly...” I said and then noticing the clothes ‘I stole’ next to me, I told her “You can get dressed. I’m not going to peek. I promise!”
With a sniffle, she asked “You really promise?”
“Yes! Now please... before you catch a cold.”
Looking away, I heard her moving to get her clothes back. Judging by the rustling sounds, I could guess that she was putting them on.
Of all things to happen... Stupid spell... I grumbled in my mind.
“I’m done!” she said after a while.
“Good... again, sorry about that.” I truly apologized and then turned around.
She was standing in front of me, and she was fully dressed. The holy items had been placed back on their holy altars.
Too close! I wanted to shout.
The girl was literally so close that I could almost kiss her. It didn’t seem like she was frightened of me, but rather it looked like she was curiously looking at me, almost excited to see what I was.
“You are a Dungeon Core, right?” she asked.
“Yes? I think...” I replied confused.
“I never seen one so friendly! Not to mention one willing to speak with others.” she said.
“Really? What were the other Dungeon Cores you met before like?” I asked curiously.
“They were ugly and mean to me! They always tried to kill me after I defeated the last boss! Can you believe that?” she crossed her hands at her chest and showed me a disapproving expression.
“So, you are an adventurer?” I asked.
Although I wanted to know what happened to those Dungeon Cores, I had a feeling it wasn’t going to be anything pleasant. They tried to kill her, she was alive, connect the dots, and you realize she destroyed them.
Is she strong? I wondered.
“Yes! I’m Nanya! I’m a 543 years-old Storm Witch and Emperor Class Adventurer!” she replied with a big smile.
“5…543? But you look no older than 16!” I shouted.
“Huh? What? But I am 543... I’m a Storm Witch...” she said as she stepped back, startled and confused by my sudden reaction.
“Sorry, but... it’s just that... really? Seriously?” I asked as I wasn’t sure what to believe.
“Mou! You are a Dungeon Core! You should be able to tell at least that!” she complained and puffed up her cheeks.
Aw! She looks so cute! Wait! No! Bad! She can kill me in the blink of an eye! Is she messing around with me? I thought as I looked at her and was partially glad a crystal couldn’t blush.
“Erm... how do I do that?” I asked.
“What do you mean? That’s basic! Any Dungeon Core can do that!” she replied with a ‘how can that be possible’ look in her eyes.
“But it’s the truth! I was born just a few hours ago... not like I know much...” I excused myself from the blunt insult.
“That can’t be true! A young Dungeon Core doesn’t have enough Magic Energy to use the Colly Tos skill!” she retorted.
“Well I can! I can use the Colly Tos skill!” I replied.
The magic energy points were subtracted from my pool, and her panties appeared between us. She grabbed them before they touched the ground.
“Don’t look!” she warned me with a strong blush and a half angered expression. “How come you summon only my panties? There are other adventurers here! What are you? A pervert?” she muttered as she got dressed again.
Bingo! I thought.
If only she could see my available esteemed titles: [Pantsu Snatcher] and [Pervert-kun].
“It doesn’t matter, I’m telling you the truth... I am a VERY young dungeon. Even my level is only 1!” I said after I was allowed to look at her again.
“You really are serious, huh?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Yes...”
“Then you must be from the Heroic race or at least the Legendary one, otherwise it’s impossible to have so much magic energy from level 1!” she explained.
“Erm... I’m neither.” I said with a low voice.
“Hah! Then you are lying! You are a high level Dungeon Core messing around!” she shouted triumphantly.
“I’m not! I’m from the Godlike race, and that’s why I have so much magic energy! Isn’t that the most common Dungeon Core around here?” I shouted a bit frustrated of her constant disbelief.
She didn’t reply.
There was a complete silence.
“Erm... Hello?” I asked a bit worried.
Did she break? I wondered.
“If you aren’t going to do or say anything, I’m going to use the you know what spell until you are butt naked.” I threatened her calmly.
543 means barely legal, right? I wondered.
“Cooo…” I began to say.
“What! Wait! NO!” she quickly said and dropped down on her knees, clenching her clothes.
She looked up at me with puffed-up cheeks and an angry look in her eyes.
“So, what just happened?” I asked.
“Erm... You said you are a Godlike Dungeon Core, but something like that... it’s impossible. They have been extinct for thousands of years... The strongest dungeon right now is a level 235 Ancestral one. They say that a Demigod Dungeon of half that level is considered to be much, much stronger than that Ancestral Dungeon. I can’t even fathom the strength of a Godlike dungeon... Then again, if you have so much Magic Energy that you can leisurely use Colly Tos, then you must be at least two or three times stronger than a Demigod Dungeon of the same level.” she explained without getting up from her position.
“Really? I thought I was the common type.” I replied surprised.
“Common? How could that be?” she asked tilting her head.
I wonder if I can invest in a skill called ‘Common Sense’... From the looks of it, I may actually be in need of it. I thought to myself.
“But anyway, if you really are a Godlike Dungeon Core, and a friendly one at that even if you are a pervert...” she spoke the last words in a low tone of voice.
I heard that!
“If you are a mere level 1, then you will become very strong in the future, that is if other adventurers don’t hear of you... Erm, you should say from this day forwards that you are a level 250 Heroic. If you do that, the power sort of matches. Just don’t use unique Godlike specific skills...” she told me.
“Alright, I’ll do that. Thank you, Nanya.” I said.
“No problem, I will be a teacher here starting next week, so it will be bad if you don’t do your job properly! Just... please don’t use the Colly Tos spell... I don’t want to walk around without panties! It’s embarrassing!” she said with puffed-up pink cheeks.
“Understood!” I replied quickly.
Goal in life set: Get rid of Colly Tos and Pervert titles! I thought.
“By the way, what’s your name?” she asked me shyly.
“I don’t have one yet.” I told her bluntly.
“No name? That’s bad... Hm, let’s see... erm... I know! From now on, you will be called Illsyore! And I’ll call you Illsy!” she declared with a bright smile after carefully pondering about it.
I have never heard of such a ridiculous name before, but I liked it!
[Name given: Illsyore]
[Nickname: Illsy]
Hm, but wait a minute...
“Erm, isn’t that a girl’s name?” I asked carefully.
“But you are a Dungeon Core. Even if your voice is that of a man, it doesn’t matter if you have a woman’s name! And I like it!” she said puffing up her chest.
“...”
So, in conclusion, I’m a titled perverted man with a girl’s name… I took a deep breath in and then let the air out Things can’t get any worse than they already are… I groaned.