"My grandmother said the same thing when she was growing mushrooms..."
Hearing the words of Little Red Riding Hood, Amamiya couldn't help but glance at Chika again.
Mushrooms?
Weird hunger pangs?
"Chika, come here," Amamiya said decisively. "Lower your head."
"Huh? Why?"
Despite her confusion, Chika stepped closer and lowered her head.
Amamiya's tone turned serious.
"I'm checking if any mushrooms have started growing on your head."
"I'm starving, but that doesn't mean mushrooms are sprouting on me!"
The flag was planted.
With a sweep of the flashlight, Amamiya and Tsubame quickly confirmed it—a small mushroom, about the size of a thumb, had indeed grown on top of Chika's head.
"Well? No mushrooms, right?" Chika looked up expectantly.
"Congratulations," Amamiya said flatly. "From now on, you can officially call yourself a mushroom girl."
"Eh?! Hey, hey, are you serious?"
Panicked, Chika covered her head with both hands and turned to Tsubame for confirmation.
"A small mushroom has indeed sprouted," Tsubame nodded solemnly. "Amamiya-kun wasn't lying."
"How is that even possible? I haven't eaten a single bite of food or drunk a drop of water since we got here!"
Still in disbelief, Chika frantically searched her head until she found a small bump.
"Don't pull it out!" Tsubame warned hastily. "It could be dangerous."
"That's right," the loli guide nodded beside her. "Anyone who tries to remove it will die. Only the brave warrior can take it off."
Amamiya turned to look at Tsubame and suddenly said, "Senpai, lower your head."
"Huh?"
Tsubame blinked, then quickly caught on and nervously lowered her head.
Amamiya shone the flashlight over her scalp and announced, "I have good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?"
Tsubame straightened up and asked warily, "Wait… Do I have mushrooms on my head too?"
Amamiya nodded. "That's the good news."
"Hold on!" Tsubame protested. "If that's the good news, then how bad is the bad news?!"
Amamiya replied calmly, "The bad news is… the mushrooms can't be removed for now."
Tsubame: "…"
That was definitely worse bad news.
"The mushrooms have only just started growing. They're still small—about the size of a thumb joint—so they don't meet the criteria for harvesting," Amamiya explained, relaying the information he had just deduced. Then, he handed the flashlight to Chika and lowered his head. "Check mine."
The two girls leaned in to inspect.
"I see it," Tsubame confirmed. "You have one too."
"It's a tiny yellow mushroom," Chika observed curiously. "It actually looks kinda cute."
"The mushrooms must have started growing before we regrouped," Amamiya mused. "The common factor is likely the dungeon itself."
"That makes sense." Tsubame nodded thoughtfully. "Mushrooms spread through spores, right? Maybe there are invisible spores floating in the air... In that case, it's possible that mushrooms will grow on all the players' heads."
Chika crossed her arms, shivering even under her coat. "This is starting to sound like some kind of zombie virus."
"There are different types of mushrooms," Amamiya noted. "Let's identify what kinds have grown on each of us first."
The process was simple. By placing a hand on the mushroom, the game would provide an identification.
As expected, the mushroom on Chika's head was a Glutton Mushroom—the same type as Little Red Riding Hood's grandmother.
Tsubame's mushroom, on the other hand, was a Sloth Mushroom. That explained why, when they encountered the red dancing shoes, she had insisted on being carried downstairs.
As for the mushroom on top of Amamiya's head…
"Eh? Hey, hey?"
Chika and Tsubame instantly withdrew their hands as if they'd been burned by something terrible.
"The game's identification says… Slaanesh?!" [Note: It means Pleasure.]
Chika clutched her chest defensively, staring at him as if he were a werewolf. "Why do you have such a terrifying mushroom?!"
Tsubame took a cautious half-step back, her face flushing slightly as her mind drifted back to the encounter with the red dancing shoes.
No wonder I felt something pinching my thigh… Was it because of the mushroom's influence?
"There are actually Slaanesh mushrooms?" Amamiya intertwined his fingers, his expression dead serious. "You're all familiar with basic legal principles, right?"
"When a person cannot control their own actions, they are not legally responsible for them."
"So, hypothetically speaking, if I were to do this or that to you under the mushroom's influence… it wouldn't count as a crime."
Chika clutched her chest tighter. "You're actually trying to evade responsibility?! Someone call the police!"
"You can say something like that with a straight face? No wonder you ended up with that mushroom." Tsubame sighed, exasperated. "You are so not a gentleman."
"Senpai, you're only realizing that now?"
"…"
For now, the mushrooms couldn't be removed. They needed to grow to a certain size before they met the criteria for collection.
Setting aside the mushroom issue for the moment, Amamiya turned toward the kitchen and called out:
"Miss Cinderella, could you come out for a moment?"
"…"
A faint rustling came from the kitchen. Moments later, a nervous and disheveled Cinderella cautiously peeked out, showing only half of her face.
"Sister Cinderella, don't worry," Little Red Riding Hood reassured her. "The brave hero won't hurt you. You can come out."
With Little Red Riding Hood vouching for them—and Chika offering food as thanks for taking her in—Cinderella hesitated for a moment before slowly stepping forward.
Her clothes were filthy, her face smudged with dirt. It was hard to tell whether she was actually cute or not, but… something told Amamiya that after a good wash, she would be.
There were many variations of the Cinderella tale, but in all of them, one thing remained constant—appearance was key. If Cinderella wasn't beautiful to begin with, no amount of elegant clothing would make a prince fall for her.
Next came the questioning stage: where she lost the crystal shoe, when she lost it, what it looked like—standard information-gathering.
After piecing together the details, Chika invited Cinderella to help search for the missing shoe. Unfortunately, Cinderella shook her head and refused.
"Alright, let's go."
Amamiya didn't push further. There was no need for too many people; one guide was enough.
As they stepped outside, a sharp gust of wind cut through the air.
"Brrr… It's freezing!"
Chika shivered, hugging her arms. "I thought the fairy tale world would be full of birdsong and flowers, but this is as cold as Snowstorm Manor!"
"Amamiya-kun, are you okay?"
Tsubame turned toward him, eyes filled with concern.
Back at Cinderella's house, Amamiya had given both his coats to Chika, leaving him in nothing but a thin sweatshirt—clearly inadequate for the snowy weather.
Without hesitation, Amamiya pulled the guide loli into his arms and said seriously:
"Senpai's concern has warmed me up already."
"There's no way that's possible."
Tsubame walked over, unimpressed.
"As the saying goes," Amamiya continued, undeterred, "A kind word can warm you through three winter months, while a harsh word chills you for six."
"It's obviously the badge," Chika pointed out bluntly. "After equipping it, your cold resistance skyrocketed. Stop trying to act cool."
"Fine, fine. What's our next move?"
Tsubame asked.
"Obviously, we regroup with Kaguya-chan and Hanamori-chan," Chika replied crisply. "It's way too dangerous to split up."
Amamiya pulled out the search compass and a few strands of the spy maid's golden hair, preparing to resume the search.
"Kaguya's shadow abilities are strong enough to handle herself, so let's focus on finding Hanamori first… Tsk, figures. She's in the direction of the forest we just came from."
With no other choice, the three of them trudged through the snow, heading back toward the outskirts of the village.
Before they knew it, evening had arrived. The sky remained overcast, and snowflakes continued to drift down endlessly, as if they would never stop until the end of the world.
"I'm getting hungry again…" Chika muttered, rubbing her stomach. "I feel like I just ate. This has to be because of the mushroom, right?"
Amamiya mused, "There's another possibility—what if the mushrooms are actually the physical manifestation of inner emotions? For example, food lovers might be more prone to growing glutton mushrooms."
"Manifested emotions, huh?" Chika tilted her head, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. "Then, Amamiya, care to explain why you ended up with a Slaanesh mushroom?"
"I'd love to know the answer to that myself." Amamiya sighed. "I'm such a virtuous and pure-hearted person. Why would I grow something so indecent?"
"Ptuh!"
Chika and Tsubame both simultaneously scoffed in disbelief.
"Mushroom growth might just be random," Chika speculated. "I mean, Tsubame-senpai is one of the most hardworking people I know. How does she end up with a sloth mushroom?"
"Well… not necessarily random…" Tsubame coughed lightly before admitting, "Studying, club activities, maintaining friendships, family obligations—there's so much to juggle every day. Sometimes, I feel exhausted… Like I just want to disappear to a place where no one knows me, do absolutely nothing, and just… stare into space."
Amamiya sighed dramatically. "Ah, the struggles of the elites."
Chika nodded sagely. "Exactly. Only people constantly busy with life would crave moments of idleness. Someone without friends wouldn't want to be alone—because true loneliness is unbearable."
Tsubame: "…"
The mushroom discussion came to a natural pause, as there were no new cases to examine.
Guided by the loli, the three of them pressed onward and soon found themselves back at the forest's edge.
Crunch.
Their footsteps sank into the thick snow, the soft creaking sound filling the otherwise silent woods as they followed a narrow forest path.
"Something's… off."
"There's a mark I left on that tree," Tsubame murmured, eyes widening as he scanned his surroundings. A sense of familiarity nagged at him. "Strange… Why does this place feel so familiar?"
"Be more confident, Senpai," Amamiya said, pointing ahead. "Instead of relying on vague feelings, just look at that tree."
Tsubame stepped closer to examine it. The moment he recognized the markings, his eyes lit up.
"It's that mark! The one we left when we exited the forest earlier!"
It was the first time she had ever marked a trail, and now that it was proving useful, she couldn't help but feel pleased.
Following the markings, the three of them pressed forward, trudging through the snow until they reached a barely visible fork in the path. Amamiya pulled out the missing person compass, checking for direction.
"...Hanamori's location seems to be leading toward the valley."
Tsubame's expression turned serious. "Could it be that Hanamori-san ended up in the valley?"
Chika tilted her head. "What's in the valley?"
"The dwarves," their guide responded crisply. "They're about my height and have beards covering their faces."
You're just small yourself. No wonder you think they're dwarves.
Chika's eyes sparkled. "Dwarves?"
Amamiya added, "And there are seven of them."
"Wait… is it Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs?" Chika's excitement grew. "Does that mean we'll get to see Snow White too?"
As one of the most famous fairy tales, SnowWhite was practically ingrained in childhood stories. The idea of meeting the most beautiful person in the world piqued her curiosity.
Amamiya, however, shook his head.
"I wouldn't get my hopes up. I was only passing through, so I don't know the full details. Maybe there's no Snow White at all—just seven evil dwarves."
"Shut up," Chika huffed, puffing up her cheeks. "You're ruining the magic."
—
Adjusting their course, the three of them, led by their pint-sized guide, made their way toward the valley of the seven dwarves.
"I was gathering things in the forest and accidentally wandered into the valley," Little Red Riding Hood chatted. "The dwarves were really nice! They gave me all sorts of things. Grandma always said they were kind and wouldn't hurt me."
She paused, a hint of worry flashing across her face. "I wonder how they're doing now… Do you think they have mushrooms growing on their heads too?"
"If they do, you'll see soon enough."
Amamiya lifted the tiny guide into his arms as they stepped around a massive rock. The landscape opened up before them, revealing a small valley nestled in the snow.
A single wooden house stood beneath a towering oak tree, its windows glowing faintly from within. The warm light flickered against the darkness, radiating an oddly comforting atmosphere.
"Senpai, turn off the flashlight," Amamiya whispered.
"Got it."
Tsubame nodded and clicked it off.
The last thing they needed was to startle the dwarves and create unnecessary trouble.
"Wait here for a moment." Amamiya set Little Red Riding Hood down. Lowering his voice, he instructed, "I'll go check things out first."
Chika whispered, "Be careful, Amamiya."
—
The entrance to the valley wasn't far from the wooden house. Moving cautiously, Amamiya made his way forward, sticking to the shadows. Instead of approaching the front door, he slipped around the back, keeping himself hidden.
Soon, he spotted a small window. Quietly, he peered inside.
A long wooden dining table dominated the center of the room, lit by several flickering candles that cast shadows against the walls. The warm glow illuminated five dwarves gathered at the table.
"One, two, three, four, five…"
His quick count confirmed the number.
"Yep. Definitely short."
Even from this distance, he could tell—these dwarves weren't much taller than Little Red Riding Hood.
More importantly…
Each and every one of them had mushrooms growing on their heads.
"What the hell…? Is this a mushroom nest?!"
Suppressing the urge to sigh, Amamiya remained patient, continuing to observe.
A moment later, a familiar figure entered his line of sight.
A girl carrying a tray of food stepped into the room. Her golden hair framed striking blue eyes, and her elegant features were unmistakable.
Hayasaka Ai.
The sight of her in a maid outfit, serving the dwarves like a natural, made his eye twitch.
You're a maid in real life, and now, even in a dungeon, you're still a maid?
Guess that just proves being a maid is your true calling.