Youmina let loose with a crisp, drawn-out arrow. It's a good idea to be able to have a good time with your friends and family. And then it disappears like a game, and the number "20" appears. So the zombie is a 20.
　Both zombies and skeletons can be defeated with a single blow, regardless of the weapon, so they don't suffer. I don't, but........

''No, isn't this too many?''

　Enemy after enemy will attack one after another. No matter how many times you defeat them, they keep coming at you, one after another. It's a wanko soba (buckwheat noodles) situation, where every time you eat it, you get a buckwheat noodle in it.

Ugh......... I want to eradicate them with magic........
I agree.

　Linse and Leanne mutter such things with a sigh. I know. It's tempting to use wide-ranging magic to get rid of them all at once, isn't it?
　While me and the rearguard group are like that, the vanguard group was happily defeating the zombies and skeletons that were approaching them.

''Ah!　Mother, that's my stuff!　It's not fair!
The sooner the better. If you're frustrated, train harder.

　In front of me, Frey and Hilda's mother and daughter are destroying the skeleton without mercy. And then...

Yo!　That's 500 points!　Where's your father?!
I'm almost at 600 points.
'Mmm!　I'm going to lose!

　Elsewhere, Alice and Ende's father and daughter are beating down zombies, competing for the number of defeats. That sounds like fun.

'Yup!　Yae Okaasan!　I'm over there!
Mm, you're in charge, that I am!

　The eightfold sword that received Linne's voice flashed into a horizontal cleave. The two zombies disappeared at the same time under the attack.
　'Yae Mother'? Although there's no blood connection, Yae to Linne's mother, Linse, and Yae, both of them are my wife, so it's not strange for a relationship.
　Yae is grinning a little bit, as if she's happy to be called mother. It would be nice if Yakumo could come over here soon too.

''Ah, Fuyao-san, that........!
Wow.

　Linze pointed to a graveyard further back, where the zombies were in the straw. The ground suddenly rose, and with a sense of danger-inducing background music, a giant dragon with a rotten body appeared.
　A dragon zombie?　Is that the boss here?

Yeah!

　Alice struck the dragon zombie with her knuckle-equipped fist.
　The area that Alice had hit flashed partly and eventually discolored. But that's all, the dragon zombie didn't disappear and continued to exist in its place.

''That is the last enemy. You can't defeat it with a single blow.''

　Mmm. It seems he needs a few hits to defeat it. It's true that one hit isn't enough to defeat such a huge thing.

"Gogaaaaaaaah!
Shit, everybody avoid!

　The dragon zombie spat out a purple, poisonous breath. I don't think it's a real Poison Breath, but I'll avoid it for now. With that.........

''It stinks!

　I pinch my nose at the stench in the air. What the hell is that?
　It's not unbearable, but the smell of rotten eggs mixed with the smell of ginkgo nuts on the side of the road...!
　It's much better than the dead Hedroslime, but everyone else is also contorting their faces and holding their noses.

"Don't worry. It's just that it's crappy, but it won't affect you. It will just disappear as soon as the dragon is defeated.

　No, no, no, my nose is bent!　I can't stand it. I'd like to get this over with, but....
　Apart from our frowning faces, Mel, Ney and Lise were keeping a cool expression on their faces. Huh?

Are Mel and the others okay with this?
'Oh, because we can cut our senses at will. Alice doesn't seem to be able to go that far, though.

　Mel looks at the daughter Alice who is holding her nose next to her.
　It's not a pure flasher, is it a function that Alice doesn't have? You're going to be able to get a good deal more than just a few hours of sleep.

Wait, Alice, I'll take care of this. I'll take care of this stuff.
Hm. You know, Ney's right. You should let your moms do their thing.

　Nay with the great axe and Lise with the twin swords try to get in front of the dragon zombies. Wait a minute!　
　I pull them together and advise them in a whisper.

"We shouldn't be the ones depriving the kids of fun. We're only supportive, and those kids need to be the main fun...
M..... So you want me to leave everything to Alice and the others and just watch?

　Nay glares at me with a disgruntled look on his face. No, it's not that. When I wasn't sure what to say in return, Ende's answer flew in.

'It means you should do it with the kids, not just Ney and the others. Isn't that right, Winter Night?

　Yeah, well, I guess that's the way it is. It's no fun and no fun if the parents have to complete the game instead of the kids because it's a difficult game.

'I see.... Okay, Alice!　We're going to take that thing down together!
Yeah!

　With Alice in tow, Nay and Lise headed towards the dragon zombies. Inspired by this, Frey, Kuhn, Erna, and Linne also attacked the dragon zombies with their respective weapons in hand. Else, Hilda, Yae, and Ende followed suit.
　The rest of us took out the surrounding zombies and skeletons one by one, not letting them get in the way of everyone fighting the dragon zombies.
　I also wielded my spear to clear the zombies away. If these guys get 10 or 20 points, how many points will the dragon zombies get?

"Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

　The dragon zombies finally turned into grains of light as the attacks were slammed into them continuously. Everyone who attacked the dragon zombie was given a score of '520' or '750' or some other half-assed score. Is this the dragon zombie's score assigned?　

I did it!

　Frey thrusts his big sword up and shouts. The other kids seem to be happy to see him. The parents' side of the house is smiling at it.
　The stench disappears and the fanfare rings out. I guess that means we're clear?
　The area brightened and the monolith appeared again in the pure white space.

'Congratulations. I'll give away a prize for each point you earn. The list is here.

　Sheska touched the monolith with a beep, and what looked like a list of prizes appeared in the air in a row. The children, who were looking excited, raised their eyebrows in unison when they saw the list.

''Well I can't read what it says.
Ancient Parthenos. I suppose it's not surprising since the facility is over 5,000 years old.

　Lean replies to Frey's murmur. Dr. Babylon was five thousand years ago in the Holy Empire of Partheno, a great empire that occupied almost a third of the continent. The letters of that country must have been used.

'Otto, please excuse me. Please wait a moment.

　When Sheska placed her palm on the monolith, a small magic circle appeared on the monolithic surface, shining and swooshing away. Soon, the words on the list that were floating around were translated into characters that we could understand. Did they install a translation tool? No, that's okay.
　Looking at the words on the list, I was somewhat regretting it. It was that doctor's giveaway. I should have expected it to be impossible to be decent.

What is "Merorobiyaku", mother?
'What?　Uh, uh, yeah, Lynne. Well, I mean, a man and a woman, you know, a pill to get along with, or....
''No-satsurant-li-get...''...?　Mom, this.....
'Yes, yes, Erna!　I don't think it's too early for Erna!

　Not everything, but about half the items on my list are, as far as I can tell, crappy. Alright, I'll deal with it later.
　Erna, Lynne and Alice made faces like they didn't understand, and Kuhn had a rather cynical smile on his face with a grin. .........This kid seems to know what's going on.
　At the age of ten, he might have some knowledge. And even if that's not the case, Kuhn is a child with a thirst for knowledge.



　What was surprising was that Frey was blushing and looking away from us. Well, she's the oldest of the kids, and she's only a year older than I was when I met Yumina, so it's an age appropriate reaction.

'Hey, this 'bath salts set' is normal, isn't it?'
It's effective for stiff shoulders, coldness, neuralgia, lack of sleep, and fatigue. Not much else.

　Sheska replies to my doubts. Apparently it's a decent one.
　I managed to get the kids to lead the kids and avoid acquiring any strange items.
　But more troublesome than the kids were Ney and Lise.
　Mel is the dominant species of the Frays, but she has traveled through various worlds and has evolved into a different being. Furthermore, when he was imprisoned in Babylon, he had been reading books in The Library, so naturally, he had that kind of knowledge. Maybe it was worth it, and Alice was born a few years later.
　However, Nei and Lise, who were purely dominant species, lacked such knowledge, and like children, they would honestly voice their doubts.

'Hey, Endemuon. Is this 'triangular horse' thing a horse meat dish?
No, well, you know, I don't think it's something to eat...
What's so dangerous about this one?
Oh, that's just it... hey, Winter's Night!　Do something!

　No, I don't want to do anything about it. Ende cries to me, but I don't want to elaborate on it either.
　As we were both in trouble, a helping hand was given to us from the side.

"Nay, Lise. What do you think of this '10-piece accessory set'? I think it would look good on Alice...
'Oh!　When it comes to accessories, it's an ornament!　I see!　That's what I call Master Mel!
'Alice would look good in anything. And even prettier and more beautiful.

　Ney and Lise easily catch Mel's lead. Isn't that too choro?
　Everyone chooses something safe, too. To be honest, there are some things that are not without interest, but choosing them in front of the children is still hesitant.
　I'll just go with this "kemosu-ear set" or something like that...oh, why are people looking at me like that?

Oh, that's cute...

　Seeing one of the 'Beetle Ear Sets' that appeared in my hand, Erna showed interest.

''Huh?　Oh, Erna, do you want to try it on?
Yeah!

　Erna ran up to me with a smile on her face, "Pah! My girl is cute, after all. Okay, let's give her this saggy Inumimi.
　When I put on the catshirt-like Inumimi, the color of the Inumimi changes to match the color of her hair.
　The color of the inu-mimi changes to match the color of her hair, and the inu-mimi twitches. Oh?　And before I know it, there's even a tail?　Oh, the tail is a three-dimensional image.
　I wonder if it's synchronized with Erna's emotions, the tail is wagging. Whoa, my child has turned into a beast.

Oh, oh. You have chosen it to give to your children, that you have. I see, that makes sense.

　Well. Although I think it would look good on Yae. And everyone else, of course. I didn't pick it for your wife.

Elna, your sister is a good one. Hey, Dad, I like you, too!
Yeah.

　Okay, give Lynne these wolf ears. It's a dog type like Erna.
　Just like Elna, Linne's tail appears and she swings her tail from side to side.

I'm not going to be able to tell the difference. Double the cuteness!　To become even prettier when you're already pretty... foul!

　Linse is stroking Linne's head while running her mouth about something unintelligible. She says she's cute from the get-go, but it's a word that could be taken as self-praise since she looks just like her parents' daughter. I won't deny it, though!　They're both cute, that's a fact!

'Oh, lovely. Father, please give me one.
Oh, I want one too!
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty!　Me too!

　After Kuhn and Frey, even Alice comes running up to me. Ende's frustrated gaze flies at me, but I'll ignore it.
　Alright, then, let's put fox ears on Kuhn, cat ears on Frey, and bunny ears on Alice.
　The children, whose cuteness has jumped up and down, are looking at each other and praising each other. Goodness, goodness, goodness, goodness.
　There was also a mouse-eared one, but I decided not to do that because it was going to be a lot of trouble in an amusement park.

I'm glad you're having fun.
Yeah. It's a game that people like to play when they work together to get something done.

　Watching the children who are wiling and buzzing, Yumina and I formulate a plan for the amusement park. After all, it's an amusement park to have fun.

The next time we'll go to the place where the place is located next?
Well..... Now that we've played with our bodies, is there some kind of playground where we can use our minds?

　Leanne suggested such a thing in response to Sheska's question. A playground to use your head?　What is it, a quiz corner or a puzzle corner?

Hm. It's an intellectual playground? Let's go to the tree area. Here you go.

　Sheska touched the monolith and the gate 《Triliton》 was activated again. As she passed through the open transition gate, another dazzling light spread out before her, and another view spread out before her.

''This place........''

　What appeared was a garden. And not just any garden. The garden, which can be seen from the position of the gate on the hill, is large and lined with hedges like a maze.
　It's a rather large green labyrinth.

''Wow, wow!''
This is the Labyrinth Garden. For all intents and purposes, this is a facility produced by me, Francesca.

　Sheska explains with a smug look on her face and her chest. Oh, really?
　Sheska manages the 'gardens' of Babylon. This guy's landscaping skills are outrageous to say the least. The gardener of the royal castle was even surprised.
　The huge maze in front of us was not just a hedge, but also had gazebos in places, as well as a rose garden full of beautiful flowers. There was a maze garden like this on earth too.

'This could be made in Brunhild.

　If you can use earth magic, you could do it in other countries. It would be interesting to have a small maze in the garden of a nobleman.

"Oh, don't underestimate my labyrinthine garden. It's a dreamy facility full of fun gadgets that can't be compared to your average garden.
I'm starting to have a shitload of anxiety.

　As far as I'm concerned, this guy's 'fun gimmick' is, as far as I'm concerned, a rubbish gimmick. Normally, I would like to turn around and go home, but.....

"Huh?　That open area at the end of the hall is the goal, right?　Where does this maze start?

　Leanne poses such a question as she looks down at the maze she can see from the high ground. Hmm?　.... there's definitely a goal, but not a start. What does that mean?
　In response to Leanne's question, Sheska points to a round stone platform the size of a manhole in the corner of the high ground. The surface seems to be carved with a magic circle. There are two stone bases of magic circles, a white magic circle and a blue magic circle, respectively. What's this?

This magic circle is a transition circle, the blue one leads to the exit, while the white one is randomly transferred to a maze that is some distance from the exit.
I see. So it's a random starting point.
Yes, sir. After a certain amount of time has passed, everyone in the maze will be transferred to the exit, so you will not be stuck in the maze. Those of you who do not wish to participate in the maze can head to the exit with me from here.

　Oh, you don't have to participate. It's true that this is going to be a bit of a challenge. Then I'll have to say no participation this time....

''It looks interesting!
Hey, fellas!　Come on!　Let's get going!

　Frey and Lynne pull on my arm as they frolic. Their tails are wagging as hard as they can. d*mn, how can I say I don't like it when such a pretty girl pulls both my arms!　Join us!
　Else, Linse, Hilda, and Lean, who have children, and Sakura and Sue, who are curious about the maze, will be participating, but Yumina, Lou, and Yae will not be participating. All three of them are not good at this kind of thing.
　Else and Hilda also seem to be bad at it, but it seems that they had a hard time saying no in front of their daughters. Lean doesn't seem to be too keen on it either, but Kuhn is also there, and most importantly, it's what he designated as a 'head area', so maybe he couldn't say he wasn't participating.
　As for Ende and the others, it seems that Mel and Lise are not participating. Alice seems to be full of motivation, though.

Then, one by one, you can start at the transition camp here. They'll be sent to a random location at the same distance, so the order is irrelevant. The maze has blue transfer stations along the way, so use them if you want to abstain.

　So you have an escape route. Then you can do it comfortably. If you're tired, you can just retire as soon as possible.

Then I'm off!

　The wolf-eared Linne rode the white transition formation first, and then she disappeared from the scene with a swoosh.

''Ah, Fuyu-sama. Linne is over there.''
What?

　When I turn my gaze to the spot pointed at by Lou, I see a small figure of Lynne at a considerable distance from the goal. It's quite a bit of flying, isn't it? If I aim for the goal from there.............................. Hmm, I don't understand....
　While I'm staring at the maze, people are jumping into it one after another.
　Eventually it was my turn, and as I stood on top of the transition team, the landscape changed in an instant. In front of me was a path surrounded by a three-meter-high hedge, and beyond that was a dead end. Behind me is a dead end.
　I continued forward for now. Now, which way to go, right or left at the junction?
　There are several ways to escape from such a maze, but the most famous one is to put one hand on the wall and follow it to the goal someday.
　However, I feel that this requires that you start from a proper start. If this was near the center of the maze and I had my hand on the wall on the center side, there's a chance we'd just end up going around in circles in the same place.

''Well, let's just go on in the right direction for now...''

　I decided to take a right at the crossroads. Why?　I'm right-handed. No other reason.
　I turned further to the right on the road where there was no fork in the road. There was a door standing in the middle of the road.

"What's this?

　I grabbed the knob and tried to open it, but it wouldn't open, no matter how hard I pushed or pulled. If you look closely, you can see that there is a golden plate attached to the door with some kind of writing floating on it. It's an ancient Partheno script, isn't it?
　When I tried to touch the plate to use the translation magic [Reading], the letters were translated into readable characters on their own. Hmm?　I wonder if Sheska manipulated it like before?
　Oh, well. Um... what...?

"Sing one song as loud as you can and the doors will open.

　Oh, I just have a bad feeling about this. I should not have participated after all.