Is It Wrong to Try to Tame Monsters in a Dungeon? (Written seriously)

(This chapter was uploaded on Saturday 24/August/2024 11:00 PM, timezone GMT+3)

Here it is, the last one today. I just can't keep awake after this hour without my thoughts going everywhere. I'd rather not mess up the next two chapters for the sake of a vain attempt to upload them today.

('1), ('2), ('3), etc. means that there is some explaining for the thing in the chapter's footnotes.

"..." small moment of silence.

"Talking"

[Different Language Dialogue] (What language it is: Accent if necessary)

"He-" Someone was interrupted.

'Inner Dialogue'

{Skills' names, chanting, spell keys and spells' names}

(PoV)

(Flashback, including the text)

Don't shy from commenting on typos and/or inconsistencies. That and/or suggesting a modification to certain things that didn't make sense to you.

I hope you enjoy reading this chapter.

(Line Break)

(Tuesday, 16/9/1057) 

(Henryk's PoV) 

Today marked the start of spring. Snow's already naught. The resulting water was absorbed by the soil or taken away by the minor rivers. 

We piled logs and branches in square bonfires, 4 of them, arranged around Grysia. 

Looking up at Grysia, I smiled at the beautiful site. Under the light of the setting sun, Grysia's lush, green, new leaves and its giant crimson flowers gained a golden hue. It was a beautiful sight. 

When the sun finally went below the horizon, the old folk let the new couples light the flames of the bonfires together. Many raised their hands to participate, a custom that they take for the couple's promise to keep the other happy, feeling warm inside, for the rest of their lives. It was a silent vow given by both sides. 

There were no grand ceremonies, no announcements that happened weeks, months even, before the marriages. They simply celebrated spring together, dancing and eating delicacies together. 

Wreathes of Grysia's smaller flowers adorned the heads of the new couples, a blessing from the tree. Grysia itself felt revered, worshipped, and it accepted it. It started producing more of its monster-repellent. Its intent to remove monsters from the couples' coming days. 

Lady Artemis was being nagged by Lante, who by turn was struggling against captain Rethusa's hold on her, all so she could corrupt our lady's mind to have her dance with me of all people. 

Shocking every member of the familia but not the villagers who were busy drinking and dancing, our lady looked at me then huffed and looked away, disgruntled. Whether she was dissatisfied with me or with herself, her hesitant and uncertain self might I add, I didn't exactly know. 

The night was about to be over when I was approached by Shira. 

During the last days of winter, she had grown somewhat distant. And from her reactions and flushed faces, I knew why. I already readied myself to have it be awkward between us if she came forward with her feelings spilling out. 

But she didn't. Rather than approach me, she halted suddenly. And next thing she did was to stand around somewhere amongst the merry crowd. 

Bewildered, I approached her with a cup of warm herbal tea and another of my own. I extended one to her, which she thanked me for before taking it. She took a few sips before looking at me, before feeling awkward and turning away. 

"What makes you feel so awkward? Have you decided to fall for the handsome me?" I asked her, cutting to the chase in an irritating manner to spite her a bit. Replace an unwanted emotion with another, as they say. 

"You? Handsome? Don't make me laugh!" She gained back some of the familiarity that we built before winter. 

"What is it, really? Is it something your father said to you?" I asked, fully knowing what it was on her mind. The signs were pretty clear when the person in question, me, pays it any mind. 

"It is, Henryk" Shira sat down on a barrel behind her. It was tightly closed and safe to sit on. Although, I couldn't suppress the intrusive thought of what might happen if the lid slid from under her and she fell into it. The barrel was filled to the brim with a strong liquor. 

"I know that you treat me as nothing but a friend, yet my feelings for you grew the more I thought of father's words. The problem isn't his words, however. It is me" She turned away from me, presumably ashamed of herself for something. 

"How so?" I asked her, absentmindedly observing the stars. 

"When father asked me about it, I could swear that, without a doubt, I wasn't in love with you. But the more I thought about it, the more my damned mind grew fond of the idea. And it became harder to start a conversation with you" She confessed. It was both a confession of love, and also one of guilt. She was openly saying that it was her own thoughts that made her fall for me. 

'Admitting it requires a bit of courage, doesn't it? But that aside, I didn't expect myself to take it this well. I thought and thought on how to reject it, but I'm feeling neither negative nor positive over this matter. I'm feeling something, but it's neutral. I don't know what to do, for once.... Doesn't that make me indecisive?' 

"What a sad state of affairs, really. You just had to fall for the one guy who doesn't have the desire for a wife!" I said in a self-deprecating tone. She didn't understand it, but looked at me weirdly. 

"Don't look at me like that. I ain't gay" I denied it. I prefer to be romantically involved with women, not men. As for homos, they can love each other all they want. It ain't my business so long they don't approach me. 

Hearing my denial, she looked relieved. 

"Why are you getting relieved?" I raised an eyebrow. 

"Even though I never started a conversation with you after I made myself fall for you, I have laid my heart out in front of you. I will try to be your bride one day" She said with a bravado smile. It was, however, shaky. She was truly putting up a front. 

"If your only chance was today, what'd you do to have me?" I asked her plainly. I was looking at her now, focusing all my attention to her. 

She looked startled. For a fraction of a second, I saw a passing belief in her wide, violet eyes. When she saw my teasing smile, she started fuming. She started pummeling my abdomen with both hands while I laughed to my heart's content. 

"But in all honesty, what'd you do in that situation?" I reinstated my question, this time seriously. 

Shira took a moment to think it over, not hastily rushing for an answer that could be very wrong. 

"If that was the case, and I knew for a fact that it is, then I would try asking that today. Skipping engagements isn't strange here, in Preblica. If you asked people, a large number of couples joined in the village skips the stage of engagement and marries immediately" She said as she looked around. Her eyes then fell on Arnold, who was being festive along with his wife. "In fact, my parent did just that. I have a living example of why it is possible to succeed with such a radical solution" She looked up, at the sky and its starry night, while her hands were clasped together behind her. Due to my height, I still saw her expression, a tense face laced in uncertainty. 

When she remembered how tall I am, she looked me straight in the eyes, pouted heavily, then huffed as she looked away, down this time. 

'Enough playing with her emotions, me. And wasn't it you who wanted to start anew? Trusting others again comes at the cost of risking getting backstabbed. And here I stand, not backstabbed. I want to have a wife, have children of our own, be happy, but that isn't possible if I never gave a woman the two-way trust that she needs to feel like she's married, and not enslaved' 

"Let me tell you about what happened with a younger Henryk" Her ear twitched. She was interested. I don't blame her, since I never really revealed anything about my past. 

"That little brave man, who was handsome already at the young age of 8-" "Be honest, you would look cute or ugly, but not handsome!" She cut me off with a cheeky smile. I immediately pulled her cheeks to the sides. "Sowwy!" She fretted and was released after a few seconds of struggle, rubbing a reddened cheek that's mildly pulsating with stinging pain. 

"So, we were talking about a young Henryk. At age 8, he was happily engaged to a young lady his age, planning to get married to her 10 years later, or so he thought" I said, my thoughts wandering to the main reason I avoided interacting with women when I inevitably went to restock every other week. 

"Why did you say it like that? Did something happen?" Shira looked curious. She remembered the cup of tea I handed her at the start of our conversation, took a sip, then proceeded to tense up. I reckon it became cold now, bringing out its unholy bitter taste and reinforcing it. By the way, I already finished mine while it was warm. I smiled at her, to which she replied with a blank and soulless face. 

"I was getting to that. So, one day, the little moron demanded his parents take him out to play and they boarded their carriage" I didn't call it a car because she wouldn't get it. And a car is simply a carriage without the horse. "Once they were on the way, him getting merry with his doting mother at the back of the back of the carriage, while his father drove the carriage himself" I saw her questioning gaze, so I remained silent for a second. 

"Why did your father drive the carriage? From the little things that leak out from under your act on occasion, you seem like someone from a noble lineage?" She asked. 

"I am, though the system of nobility was shut down centuries ago. We kept the etiquette of our family in an effort to preserve a part of the country's history. Not to mention, that's from my maternal side. My father came from a family who were descendants of a family of knights, though the only thing that remained to prove it was the family's swordsmanship manuals, ones that involve the use of a greatsword of the Zweihander variety. A lousy manual, I tell you. But regardless of that, the carriage was hit with another one on the road, leaving the young boy as the only survivor. His parents both succumbed to injuries and died before any form of potion or care could be administered to them" Shira gasped in horror. Good thing I didn't mention my unborn sibling, then. 

"M-My condolences" She looked away awkwardly. 

"The tale doesn't end here. The thing I told you cause a few other things happen, and one of them is the one I want you to know" I waited for her to return her attention to me before I continued. 

"So, you see, the vile woman who was my fiancée annulled the engagement one-sidedly, and then mocked me over it when we met as adults, calling me a parentless runt and an orphan. She didn't even grow up, got even worse than before, and got pleasure from picking on those who were down" I wanted to describe that thing's appearance, but that was completely unnecessary. If I mention their similarities here, except their eye colors, I might lose even my friendship with Shira. I barely made a friend other than Norman... I made my first good friend this time. I'd hate to lose her. 

'Never forget to give him what he deserves, me' 

"..." Shira's eyes widened in alarm. "I... didn't step on a spike trap, did I?" She asked in a choked voice. 

'Is that this world's equivalent of a metaphorical landmine?' 

"Not quite. You see, I had my old man to thank. He spent the last of his years teaching me how to live, how to deal with painful things and put behind me in case I couldn't" She looked hopeful now. But I never allowed her to push it. "Although I have developed an aversion to women, and it isn't part of my plan, I'll stay until the next spring festival. Try to get me to want you as my wife till then" I walked away, leaving her with her thoughts. 

A little while later, a dangerous realisation crossed my mind. 'This doesn't count as an act of grooming, does it?.... No, it's alright. She became 18 during winter, and would be 19 next year, so it's fine. She's already an adult by this point, even by my country's standards' 

I wanted to drink alcohol, to wash away those thoughts, but I remembered not to. Normal always reminded me to never drink any and also refused to elaborate on his reasons. 

(Parts of Henryk's Diary) 

Tuesday, 16/9/1057: 

I spent the day hanging cloth-lines with the little triangular flags hanging from them with other villagers. We went about preparing for the spring festival while having fun, making merry jokes and laughing together while working. 

I have truly become a part of this village now. 

During the festival, I mended my friendship with Shira, with the unexpected addition of her confessing to me. 

I tried my best to avoid making it awkward for the both of us, and I hope I succeeded. 

Wednesday, 17/9/1057: 

I regret... everything... again... 

Following what I said yesterday, Shira started cooking independently. The problem here lies with her inability to prepare the food to be cooked. She only learned the cooking part of the process. 

The food was not at all savory, nor was it tasty. But, at least, it was serviceable, so I ate it without complains. 

Catching onto something being wrong, Shira asked about my opinion. I was forced to tell her that, although the meal was cooked well, the taste was off. 

She walked out of the room with a hunched back, dejected. 

Thursday, 18/9/1057: 

Although this goes against what I wrote before, I just had to include it. 

So, today, I started applying a mental resistance and a charm resistance effects on myself and Fey. If I ever cross paths with that trouble-making shorty (AN: Aphrodite), I'll strike her up the head with zero hesitation. 

Her charm be damned! 

Monday, 22/9/1057: 

Shira has become more observant. It's frightening. 

Where she spends the same amount with us, and having fun all the same, she started picking out things I like or dislike more accurately now. 

FELLOW MEN! IT'S ONLY BEEN A FEW DAYS SINCE THEN! SOMEONE HELP ME UNDERSTAND WOMEN! 

In all seriousness, I'd never understand what truly motivates a woman to do certain things. 

Friday, 10/10/1057: 

Shira didn't abandon her character to mold herself into the perfect woman for my tastes. She just focused on what I liked about her and worked it out from there. That in itself is something I appreciate. I didn't want a puppet, but a woman I can lean on when it's hard to stand alone. 

Now that I think about it, it's gonna be a problem if she collapses, due to my lumbering body, once I lean on her. 

Tuesday, 14/10/1057: 

The mother wolf, after a bit of 'Convincing', agreed to allow my skill's influence to seep into her mind. Afterwards, I learned that her name, in their language, is Futura. 

For some unknown reason, her thoughts were too clear and easily transferable. It was much clearer than either Fey's or Grysia's, and those are the ones getting their thought processes enhanced by my spell. 

It speaks volumes about how sentient and intelligent these wolves are, though the pups are still goofy as heck. 

This discovery meant another number of things, and among them was that there was no language barrier. The skill translates the thoughts into brain waves that will perfectly translate back to their original meaning when perceived by the recipient. 

Wednesday, 15/10/1057: 

The younger wolves were convinced to accept my skill. 

The pups didn't have names yet, as it was a tradition to be successful in a hunt first. Before that, they were considered minors, puppies to be more accurate. 

A warning for my future self, "YOU FUCKING IDIOT! DON'T LINK MINDS WITH MORE THAN ONE BEING AT A TIME! AT LEAST PUT A DAY BETWEEN THEM! MORON!". 

Thursday, 16/10/1057: 

Spent the day recuperating, mental resistance helped. 

Note from the next day: I was too mentally drained to write anything meaningful for this day. 

Friday, 17/10/1057: 

Ronan, Mort, Bart and Fenton, all adamantly advised me to avoid hunting with the wolves. 

Me being me, I refused to head their advice. I knew that I could detect their desires to play-ambush me now. Though, I reckon that isn't what they were worried about. 

After a day of successful hunting, with the young pups catching some deer with my help, they were recognised as adults by Futura. 

The one with an abnormal golden hue to his fur was given the name Ouros while another was called Prata. The third one was a dilemma for me, that was until I decided to hazard a name, Platina. 

That last one was thankfully a female, and the name sounded right on her, seeing as her fur wasn't exactly silver, but greyish-white with a silver-like sheen. 

(Wednesday, 29/10/1057) 

(Henryk's PoV) 

Yesterday, Shira, after building some muscle and endurance daily ever since we started, expressed her desire to be trained in wielding a weapon. 

"I only know how to use 4 things as weapons. A bow, a knife or dual knives, a greatsword and a spear. Do note that I mastered none beside the bow and the knife. My knowledge on the other 2 is at best rudimentary" I prepared a replica made of wood for 3 of the 4 weapons. The bow was the only one I didn't make. I borrowed it since making a small one that accommodates Shira's height would take extra time. 

"Let's start with the bow and a knife, in case things got personal" I handed her a bow I borrowed from the others. 

"Why, though? I want to fight things up-close" She whined. 

"Is that what you want?" I pointed at myself. That pronoun was directed not at her desire, but at my body, my scars. Her face was drained of its colors for a moment before she weakly accepted the bow. 

"With a bow, you can shoot things down while I make them busy. An immediate danger covers for the danger that actually kills a person. That also applies for animals. They tend to focus on the closer assailant while the further one is the greater danger of the two" I stood behind her and knelt down so I could assist her in performing it right. 

"Henryk? You know how I react to this, right?" She said, warning me of the feeling of getting closer to me that she will get from this. 

"That's the way you learn faster. Without this, it might take you a few more days before you get the basic shooting stance right" I said, intently talking beside her ear, fully knowing how that affects her. I could practically hear her heart throbbing right now, as her face became so red it might explode. 

"Stop playing with me!" Shira exploded, rightfully so. 

"Alright! Alright! HAHAHA!" I laughed for some time before we started for real. 

Shira was an excellent archer, if I say so myself. She was already performing the basic shooting stance right most of the time by the end of the day. That's still not translating to more accurate shots. 

All that remains is to shoot her arrows until the day comes, when she could shoot 100-200 arrows per day. 

'That reminds me, my own bow's reached its limit' 

I had to spend some time making a new one the following days while I make some use of this one. 

(End of Chapter)

Greeting- You know the thing. This is the third chapter today.

So, in this chapter, some people's fuses are gonna blow up into chunky pieces, outraged by what direction a certain, obvious, thing has taken course. Henryk's relationship with Shira was an obvious one, folks. And although you didn't see it, the change was gradual from their points of view. It was so slow in its creeping crawl, that Henryk didn't really outright reject Shira without a viable reason.

But, regardless of my poor attempt to excuse myself, how do you see it? And how do you think things will unfold between them? They are still not in love, not both ways at least. Give me your honest opinion, please.

Have a great time, ladies and gentlemen.