Kazuki was many things—accidental hero, soup enthusiast, professional slime wrangler—but "fancy dinner guest" was not one of them.
Especially not when the invitation read:
Formal Banquet. Attendance Mandatory. Seating will be assigned based on your valor. No slimes on the table.
Kazuki reread it three times. "What does that even mean?!"
Tala snorted. "It means nobles will stare at you and try to figure out whether you're a hero or a hick."
"I'm not a hick."
"You tried to use a fork backwards last night."
"Once."
Smile, of course, thought this was hilarious and had already dressed himself in… pudding. Somehow. It dripped off him like golden robes.
"Right," Kazuki muttered. "There's no way I'm surviving this dinner."
Tala raised an eyebrow. "You're not planning to ditch, are you?"
He looked at her innocently.
She narrowed her eyes. "You are."
"I'm exploring," Kazuki corrected. "Someone's gotta scout the palace perimeter in case of evil magic or cursed soup."
"Evil soup?"
"Trust me. It's happened."
✦
The Forbidden Lower Spires – Palace Underside
Behind the grand banquet halls, past the lacquered corridors and ceremonial tea gardens, the floating palace had a forbidden zone.
The guards called it "Lower Hinoyama."
The scholars called it "The Root Spires."
The servants just called it "don't go there."
So obviously, Kazuki went there.
"I'm just gonna peek," he told Smile, who rode in his hood like a globby halo. "If we're quiet, maybe no one will even notice."
Smile gave a stealthy squish of agreement.
They crept through the mist-choked lower passageways, the polished tiles giving way to cracked stone and hanging roots. A faint hum vibrated through the air—like ancient magic waiting to exhale.
"Ooh, spooky," Kazuki whispered. "Definitely not haunted."
A breeze blew a skeleton past his foot.
"Okay, maybe slightly haunted."
[System Notification]
You have entered a Forbidden Zone: Lower Hinoyama Ruins
Warning: Uncharted territory. Danger level: ???
Bonus XP for exploration!
"Oh come on, now you give me XP?"
A low rumble echoed through the hall. Symbols lit up along the walls, casting eerie gold and violet shadows.
In the center of the chamber stood a door. It was ten feet tall, shaped like a crescent moon, with crystal sockets pulsing in a slow rhythm.
Kazuki reached out. "This totally doesn't scream trap, right?"
Smile pulsed anxiously on his shoulder.
"Yeah, yeah. Just a peek."
The moment his finger touched the crescent seal, the door whirred open.
And immediately sucked him and Smile inside.
✦
Somewhere Else – Fast!
Kazuki tumbled down a spiral of light and mana, bouncing off rune walls and faceplanting into glowing moss.
"Ow. Yep. That was a trap."
Smile landed next to him like a pudding parachute.
They sat up.
The chamber they were in looked… ancient. Circular. Like a planetarium made by someone who loved nightmares and moonlight. Floating stones hovered in perfect balance, orbiting a glowing spire in the center.
"Where are we?" Kazuki whispered.
Then a voice boomed.
"Who disturbs the Moonbound Vault?"
Kazuki slowly turned to see…
A floating wolf made of starlight, eight tails waving behind it like comet trails, hovering above the central spire.
"…Oh no," Kazuki said.
Smile was vibrating.
The wolf narrowed its glowing eyes. "Another hero? Or merely another fool?"
Kazuki raised a hand. "I'm… technically both."
The celestial wolf floated downward, massive paws gliding through air as if walking on the stars themselves.
"I am Getsuryu, Guardian of the Moon's Secret Flame. You were not meant to find this place."
Kazuki scratched the back of his neck. "I wasn't even looking for it. I was looking for soup avoidance, to be honest."
Getsuryu's eyes narrowed. "You are the one who tamed the Kodomoku. The wind wyvern. The Chaos Slime."
Smile burbled proudly.
"You should not exist," Getsuryu said bluntly.
"…Gee, thanks."
"And yet… fate walks with you." The wolf's voice dropped into a purr of contemplation. "Perhaps not by choice. But you are marked."
Suddenly, the center spire split open—revealing a glowing orb.
Kazuki's [System] dinged again.
[You have unlocked the Lunar Bond Trial!]
Trial Objective: Earn the wolf's respect.
Optional: Don't die.
Getsuryu bared its teeth. "If you seek my blessing, you must prove your soul."
Kazuki blinked. "Wait, hold on—I didn't ask for a blessing—!"
Too late. The runes flared. Magic circles spiraled upward. The celestial wolf roared, launching itself into the air as the spire chamber became a battle arena.
Kazuki stood up, heart pounding.
He turned to Smile.
"Alright. Time to do what we do best."
Smile blorped in agreement.
"Accidentally win."
✦
Meanwhile… Back at the Banquet
Tala stood in her borrowed gown, sipping something pink and dangerous. Nobles gossiped around her. Somewhere, music played.
She frowned.
The Princess stood beside her. "He didn't show, did he?"
Tala sighed. "Nope. Slime's missing too."
The Princess raised an eyebrow. "Then where did he—"
A distant rumble echoed beneath their feet.
And a blast of lunar mana pulsed up through the floor.
Tala closed her eyes. "Oh no. What did he touch this time?"