Catgirls And Dungeons (Yuri)

It takes a long while to tell her everything.

The lantern's dim glow flickers, casting soft shadows across the small inn room. The air feels heavy. Eris sits across from me, her blue eyes searching mine, a storm of emotions swirling in them.

"I see… so that's what happened," Eris says quietly, her voice low and thoughtful.

"Nn," I nod, giving her hand a small squeeze.

"I'm so glad that you and Alter are okay. And Morvena… it's truly a miracle that she was able to fight back against the demonic corruption."

"Nn! It really is!" I reply, my voice brightening with a fragile smile.

But then Eris' expression darkens. Her hands tremble slightly where they rest over mine, and a flash of raw emotion burns behind her blue eyes.

"Still…" she murmurs, her voice tight. "To think that you had to sacrifice your soul energy for that sword…"

She trails off, her fingers clenching, her body stiff with anger she cannot quite voice. I can feel it, even though I know this anger isn't aimed at me. It's the kind of anger that burns from helplessness.

"Felicia, are you really sure you're okay?" she presses, her voice shaking. "You don't feel anything… wrong?"

"Well, I'm okay, really!" I reassure her quickly, squeezing her hands tighter. "Right now, um… colors are still a little faded, and my ears are not working perfectly either… but Alter said it's temporary! With some rest, everything will go back to normal!"

"Really?" Eris's brow furrows, her eyes searching mine for any hint of a lie.

"Really!" I nod firmly, hoping my enthusiasm would chase away her doubts.

For a moment, she just looks at me, her lips parting as if to say something, but no words come. Instead, she reaches out, her hand hesitating before gently patting my head. Her touch is soft, but it carries a weight that makes my chest ache. Then, she lets out a long, shaky sigh.

"I'm sorry…" Eris whispers, her voice breaking at the edges. She bites her lip hard, her whole body trembling. "If I'd been braver… if I'd stepped through that barrier from the start…"

Her words hang in the air, sharp and heavy. "I could've been there with you… I could've shared the burden. You and Alter wouldn't have had to face it alone…"

"Eris…" I start, but my voice catches. I can see it clearly — the regret, the guilt in her eyes — so raw it twists painfully in my chest. And now, the room is suffocating under the silence, the air thick with her guilt and my own jumbled feelings.

I do not want her to feel this way. Not after everything.

"A-anyway!" I say suddenly, forcing a shaky smile, trying to move the conversation somewhere, anywhere lighter. "H-how's the dungeon? Did you… report it?"

Because honestly, after everything that happened, I have no clue what became of the place.

I passed out long before I could even think about it.

"Of course not," Eris says quickly, shaking her head. "I was waiting for you to wake up first. I wanted to discuss it with you before doing anything."

"Ahhh…" A huge breath of relief escapes my lips, my whole body sagging back against the bed.

Thank the gods.

If Eris had reported that dungeon straight to the Guild, this could have turned into a complete disaster.

"Looks like I made the right call," she says, a faint smirk tugging at her lips.

"Nn," I nod, managing a small smile.

We both understand the risk without needing to say much more.

If news of that dungeon spread, adventurers would flood into it, hungry for loot and glory.

They would stumble straight into Morvena's prison, disturbing her rest.

And more, some idiot would undoubtedly try to touch Alter's barrier… and get themselves burned alive.

The consequences would be catastrophic, for the adventurers and for Morvena both.

"So, what did you do?" I ask, tilting my head.

"Nothing." Eris shrugs. "I had to rush you back for treatment, so I haven't done much yet. But I'll head back soon. I'm planning to collapse the entrance with a few big ice boulders. Seal it up properly."

"That's a great idea," I say, nodding.

"Yeah," Eris agrees, a small smile flickering across her lips.

It is a relief.

Now that Morvena is properly sealed again, there should be no more demonic energy leaking through the dungeon gate.

That means the chances of the dungeon being discovered are much lower.

Still… less likely does not mean impossible.

Hundreds of adventurers venture into the Vanessa Dungeon cluster every day.

No matter how well we hide it, sooner or later, someone could stumble upon it.

A heavy thought settles into the back of my mind.

"What about telling Karl?" Eris asks, her brow arching.

"Ah, that…" I hesitate, chewing my lip as my mind races. "That's a tough one."

On one hand, if we tell Guildmaster Karlogen, he could definitely help us.

He has the power to classify that dungeon, keep it off public records, maybe even cordon it off completely.

However…

The problem is not about trusting him.

The problem is about how much we tell him.

Or whether we should tell him anything at all.

After all, Morvena's situation is very complicated and delicate.

The fewer people who know the truth, the safer she will be.

"I think…" I say slowly, choosing my words carefully, "we should wait for Alter to wake up first. Then, we can decide together."

"Yeah, that would be the best," Eris says, squeezing my hand gently. "We'll decide then."

"Nn."

I nod, agreeing, a short silence then falls between us.

Outside the window, the giant moon is already up, shining brightly on the starry sky.

"Speaking of, how's Alter doing? Any idea when she'll be back?" Eris asks.

"Ah…" I hesitate, biting my lip. "I'm not really sure. She just said it'll be a long rest… but she didn't say how long exactly."

"I see…" Eris says, her gaze softening, her thumb gently brushing over my knuckles. "I hope she recovers well. And comes back soon."

"Me too," I whisper back, smiling faintly.