Chapter 118: I Want a Banana

A group of dwarves huddled together, staring at four loot chests.

"Universal Trap-Breaking Method," "Rules Loopholes in the 'Adventure Guide'," "A Bottle of Antidote," "Iluvatar’s Underwear."

The notes attached to the four chests clearly listed their contents. The dwarves intended to divide the spoils, but they all had their eyes on one specific item.

"Say no more, Iluvatar’s underwear is mine."
"...No, it should be mine!"
"Are you kidding? I’m the one who found it!"

The dwarves argued over the undergarment. Failing the game meant they could always try again, but such a legendary treasure wasn't something one found every day!

"..."

A group of primordial elves walked past the dwarves.

"What’s the point of fighting over underwear?" one female elf remarked, twitching her nose. "Besides, they’re all poisoned."

She could smell the toxins; none of those four chests contained anything normal. The *Adventure Guide* mandated that the Demon King leave clues for challengers. While the forest was filled with chests, most were traps or poisons, with only a small fraction containing genuine leads.

The elves reached a crossroads.

"Woof, woof!"

A yellow dog sat at the intersection. Several dwarves were feeding the dog while constantly barking back at it, seemingly holding a conversation.

"What are they doing?" The elves were astonished.

"Ah, I get it, they're asking for directions," one elf said. The dog was tied to the crossroads; it must be a guide dog.

Sure enough, once the yellow dog had eaten its fill, it turned and barked several times toward the path on the right. The dwarves were overjoyed and raced off in that direction.

The elves followed behind. As they passed the dog, Sylvie asked in the beast tongue, "Little dog, is this the path we should take?"

"How should I know?" The yellow dog lay on the ground, looking perfectly content. "I’m just passing through. Those dwarves were kind enough to give me meat, so I’m not going anywhere."

"Agh!!"

Hearing screams from the right, Sylvie turned to see the elves sprinting back toward her.

"That was close! The place is crawling with traps!"

"Good thing we ran fast." Unlike the short-legged dwarves, the elves were built for the forest, and they had evaded numerous traps with extraordinary speed.

Since it wasn't the right path, it had to be the left. The elves headed that way and found a dilapidated cabin at the end of the road.

"Be careful when opening the chests; they’re likely rigged with poison gas or hidden weapons," the Dwarf Lord cautioned Reinhardt. He cautiously slid a cabinet drawer open just a crack, and only after ensuring it was safe did he pull it out fully.

Reinhardt wore a mask while inspecting a chest, his eyes shimmering with curiosity. Vivienne and a dwarf guard sat by the doorway, munching on candies in sheer boredom.

She had successfully established contact with Saint Valentine, and the Human Alliance would soon send troops to retrieve her. However, Caesar had ordered Vivienne and Reinhardt to investigate the matter of Linley, so they had joined the Lord on this adventure.

Vivienne, however, disliked Linley and had no intention of actually saving him.

"It would be better if we failed early; that way I could go home sooner," she muttered softly.

The dwarf guard nearby heard her and puffed out his chest. "Lord is the greatest adventurer in these parts; he will not fail!"

Vivienne curled her lip in disdain. That was exactly what she hated about him—the Lord was indeed skilled, and he had been so careful that they hadn't triggered a single trap the entire way.

"At this rate, we might actually reach Wolf Castle."

Just as Vivienne thought this, a panicked cry erupted from the room: "Vivienne, the Lord has been poisoned!"

Vivienne and the guard rushed inside to find the Lord collapsed on the floor, clutching a black garment in his hand.

"Lord!"

The guard scrambled over in horror to lift him up. "How could you be poisoned?"

"...Wicked... wicked woman..." The Dwarf Lord’s body was rigid. Poison surged from his hand into his system. He struggled for a moment before losing consciousness entirely.

The three of them used sticks to hook the garment away, then carried the Lord out of the cabin.

After they left, a group of werewolves emerged and cautiously picked up the black garment from the floor. "Lady Iluvatar is truly ruthless. Not only did she poison her own undergarments, but she also made us use them to deal with her husband."

"Put it away. Those dwarves wanted it, so it still has its uses! The next wave of adventurers is cunning; they can smell the poison and dodge the traps."

"Bring out the Master's secret manual."

The werewolves pulled out a small notebook and began searching for countermeasures.

"Found it—the Master says to put these things in the cabinet, lure them into the room, and then..."

"And then what?"

High in the castle, a girl sat on a windowsill, her long ears twitching as she listened to the werewolves.

Despite the distance, her ears allowed her to perceive everything happening in the forest. Hearing the dwarves falling into various traps, she flicked her fluffy tail in delight.

"Uncle Fu, this is so fun. I want to go play, too."

The girl looked toward her butler, but Alfred shook his head. "No, Princess, it’s too dangerous."

"Ugh..." The girl pouted. Her long ears suddenly twitched, and she looked behind Alfred. "That brother is here."

Alfred’s expression shifted. He spun around suddenly to find Linley standing in the room.

"How did you get in here?" Alfred asked, his face darkening.

"I’m here for the treasure." Linley’s earring glinted. He looked at the girl. "I thought it was a spaceship, but it turns out it’s a little girl."

She was the most beautiful girl Linley had ever seen. She possessed a pair of crystal-clear, bright eyes, and every gesture carried an air of nobility. She looked a bit like the reflection he saw in the mirror when he was a child...

Moreover, she had flowing, wavy pink hair, and the snow-white rabbit ears made Linley’s hands itch with desire.

"A Rabbit-kin? There really are Rabbit-kin!" Linley had found a new toy. He was secretly thrilled, but he kept his composure and offered a gentle smile. "Little sister, may I give you a hug?"

"Don't even think about it!"

Alfred blocked the girl, staring coldly at Linley. "If you want to get near the Princess, you’ll have to walk over my dead body."

Linley glanced at him. "You could have said so earlier. So, you’re a lolicon."

He shook his head inwardly; as someone who lived life exactly as he pleased, he despised lolicons more than anything.

"Little sister," he reached behind his back and pulled something out. "Would you like a carrot?"

"..."

The girl poked her head out from behind Alfred, her large eyes blinking.

"I want a banana. Do you have a banana?"