With Roxy joining us, our dungeon conquest resumed.
As planned, we descended straight to the third floor.
The enemies on the third floor were Red-Fierce Spiders, Iron Crawlers, and now a new addition: the Mud Skull.
The Mud Skull was an A-class monster.
In appearance, it was a headless mud giant.
About two and a half meters tall, perhaps.
Wide-bodied and stocky-looking, with a skull embedded in its chest — that being its weak point.
Hmm, something like a Golem or a Skeleton, I suppose.
Its movements were sluggish, but attacking the mud portions was pointless. When it sensed danger, it would retract the chest skull into its body to protect it.
In terms of offensive ability, besides smashing things with its mud body, it could also launch rock projectiles like magical artillery.
But that wasn't what earned it an A-class rating.
This thing could command low-intelligence monsters.
The Mud Skull used Red-Fierce Spiders and Iron Crawlers as its subordinates.
Despite its Golem-like appearance, its intelligence was remarkably high. It would form formations — Iron Crawlers as the front line, Red-Fierce Spiders as the midline, and itself in the rear — and attack accordingly.
The Mud Skull was a commander-type monster.
Iron Crawlers charging in, Red-Fierce Spiders binding with sticky threads — that was the second floor's tactics.
Add the Mud Skull's command and rock projectiles on top of that.
For Paul and the others, who had been struggling on the second floor, this combination must have been brutal.
They'd have been too busy fighting to even think about searching for Roxy.
However, with Roxy and me in the party, there was no problem at all.
In the end, the Red-Fierce Spiders in the midline were nothing special — all Paul's group of three needed to handle them. I would take out the Mud Skull in the back, and Roxy would focus on the Iron Crawlers up front.
I attack from behind, Roxy from the front. Paul's group mops up the enemies that get reduced along the way.
The Mud Skull was weak to water.
Because it was made of mud.
If the moisture content became too high, it would simply flow apart.
Or fire — if you dried out the mud completely, it couldn't move.
But for me, the stone cannonball was enough. Using my Magic Eye to snipe, I could pierce its weak-point skull in a single shot.
One shot, one kill.
I was a sharpshooter. A sharpshooter who didn't move from his starting position like a slug, but still.
"Phew."
After we annihilated the enemies, Roxy let out a sigh.
I peered at her face from under the brim of her hat.
Her mana was running low — she looked somewhat tired.
Suddenly, Roxy turned toward me.
Looking up at me slightly, with a bit of an upward sidelong glance.
Our eyes met, and she quickly looked away.
"I'm about to run out of mana. Could we take a break, please?"
With those words, we headed back toward the corridor and settled down to rest.
I still had plenty of mana to spare.
In fact, I'd probably used less than half.
I'd basically only been firing stone cannonballs.
Roxy, who was using Frost Nova to freeze enemies, naturally burned through her reserves faster — there was nothing to be done about that.
"Sorry, my total mana pool really is on the small side," Roxy murmured as she sat down.
"No, I think you have plenty," I said.
Roxy's spell precision was extremely high.
She was firing off area-of-effect spells at full speed with shortened incantations, yet never missed. Occasionally, the spray from her Steam spell would splash Paul and the others, but the follow-up Freezing Field was astonishingly precise, freezing only the enemies.
That level of precision meant she was expending that much more mana.
And yet, she could keep fighting for an impressively long time.
Her total mana pool was by no means small.
It was probably on par with Sylphie's, or even greater.
"Say, I'd love it if we found the magic circle to the fourth floor soon," Geese muttered, scratching his chin as he compared the book to his map.
We'd been on the third floor for nearly two days now.
The book's author had taken five days to clear it.
We were moving at a faster pace, and since we'd already made several trips through the third floor, we had a map.
Surely we'd find the circle to the next floor soon.
"Rudy, could I lean on your back for a bit?"
"Sure."
As soon as I answered, Roxy settled her weight against my back.
During breaks, Roxy would rest by leaning against me.
It must be more comfortable than leaning against a cold stone wall.
A nice perk, I supposed.
"Still, I never would have imagined I'd end up delving into a dungeon with you, Rudy."
"Right. Is there anything about my movements you'd like me to watch out for?"
"Hmm? Well, your fundamentals as a party member are solid, so I have nothing to say."
"Thanks."
"Spells with no incast, and at extremely high precision. It's impressive."
"Oh, I still have a long way to go."
A long way to go.
Yes, still a long way to go.
When I watched Roxy, I truly felt that.
She wasn't adding new cards to her hand — she was doing more with the ones she already had.
She overwhelmed her opponents through card combinations.
I used to do the same, but somewhere along the way, I'd fallen into relying on nothing but stone cannonballs and mud swamps.
This wouldn't do, though against a certain level of opponent, it was enough to win.
But the opponents I was aiming for wouldn't be vulnerable to cheap tricks.
And there was nobody of the right caliber to practice against.
My goals were high, but I had no short-term targets.
I'd never improve like this.
"Rudy."
"Yes?"
"If we manage to rescue Zenith-san, and things calm down a bit — would you like to explore a dungeon together? Just the two of us?"
"Just the two of us?"
"Yes. Right now we're in a rush, but dungeon exploration is really fun. Why don't we party up and try a simpler dungeon together?"
A dungeon, huh.
Honestly, without Geese, I'd probably stumble right into every trap.
But Roxy was someone who could explore a dungeon on her own.
She was a bit clumsy, sure, but she had the track record to back it up.
If I followed her lead, maybe I could even clear one.
"That sounds great. When we get back, let's go explore a dungeon together."
"It's a promise."
"Yes, it's a promise."
In the corner of my vision, I saw Roxy's hand clench tightly.
"...Ah, I'm getting sleepy. I think I'll nap for a bit."
"Of course. Good night."
After a moment, the weight against my back went slack.
I'd agreed a bit too quickly — dungeon exploration took quite a few days, didn't it?
I still had parenting to do. Did I really have that kind of time?
...Well, it wasn't an immediate thing.
We'd go when we had the free time — after the kids were born, old enough, and both Sylphie and I had some breathing room.
I'd probably be over twenty by then, but I didn't think that would be a problem.
Still, I was happy.
That Roxy had invited me to party up.
It felt like she was acknowledging my ability.
I'd have to be careful not to show my weak side in front of her.
Lost in those thoughts, I drifted off to sleep for a little while.
---
After discovering the magic circle to the fourth floor, we thoroughly searched the rest of the third floor.
But Zenith was nowhere to be found.
---
We reached the fourth floor.
The moment we passed through the teleportation circle, the surroundings were completely different — I knew at a glance.
Familiar stonework walls.
It was just like the ruins where we'd found the teleportation circle.
Perhaps a related set of ruins had become part of the dungeon.
"Geese, what should we do?"
"Hmm? We've still got some energy left."
"Alright, then let's scope out the fourth floor's atmosphere before heading back."
Paul said that to me with a sharp look as I glanced around.
When Paul was feeling down, he looked like a washed-up loser no matter how you looked at him.
But when he was on the job, Paul really was cool.
Even if Zenith had fallen for that version of him, I couldn't say it was strange.
If that blood ran through my veins too, maybe the compliments Sylphie always gave me weren't just flattery.
"Sensei, do I look cool when I'm being serious?"
Without thinking, I asked Roxy that.
Maybe it came across a little narcissistic.
Roxy glanced at me from under her hat brim and fumbled for words.
"Hm? Ah — uh — well — I mean, sure, you look cool?"
Then she quickly looked away.
Okay.
That reaction was enough.
The feelings came through loud and clear.
I asked something hard to answer, didn't I.
My apologies. I was getting a little ahead of myself.
But if Roxy ever came up to me with a shy "Do I look cute?", I'd be in the front row with glow sticks in both hands cheering my approval. Every single time.
A man's not about his face.
It's about his heart.
A heart forged from white-hot steel.
With a heart like that, one punch would knock anyone out cold.
"Rudy, enemies."
I looked ahead to see two four-armed knights in full plate walking toward us.
Armored Warriors.
Apparently, this type of armored foe fell under the undead category.
And what worked against undead was divine attacks and rock.
Hit them with a large, heavy stone cannonball, and they'd shatter in one blow almost every time.
"I'll open with a stone cannonball."
"Ah, Rudy — wait."
I'd already raised my staff, but Roxy stopped me.
"I've heard that Armored Warriors use techniques from the Water God Style.
If you recklessly fire a spell, a counterattack will come flying at you."
The Water God Style.
I hadn't encountered it much, but it was a sword style built around deflection and counters.
For some reason, these deflections and counters were effective even against magic.
I had no idea how that worked mechanically, but there existed a technique that launched a sword flash as a counter to offensive magic.
Normally I'd think it'd be fine, but this opponent had four swords.
They weren't human — they could fight all four of us simultaneously and try to counter every single attack.
"I see. So what should I do?"
"Stop moving and focus on support. These are new enemies, so let's be cautious first."
"Got it. Dad, I'm using Mud Swamp — watch your footing!"
"Right!"
Armored-type monsters had power and terrifying swordsmanship, but they were slow.
Plus, their armor was heavy — they sank easily into mud.
That said, if I made the mud too deep, I might cause a collapse.
It probably wouldn't lead to a cave-in, but I should keep terrain-altering magic to a minimum.
Knee-deep, perhaps.
"Mud Swamp!"
I spawned a mud swamp right where the Armored Warriors were about to step.
Both of them sank up to their thighs with a heavy splash.
That was when the two frontliners charged in.
"Paul, I shall take the one on the left."
"Got it... You always go for the left, don't you."
"It's hard to fight when there's a wall on that side."
"Such a princess... Whoa, watch out!"
Paul looked relaxed.
He deflected the Armored Warrior's slash with his right-hand sword, then in a flash severed one of its arms with the short sword in his left.
The armor looked tough, but apparently that didn't matter.
Sword God Style swordsmen were monsters.
Or maybe it was just that short sword's cutting edge.
Elinalise was being pushed back slightly.
She wasn't taking any major hits, but with her attack power, she couldn't deal effective damage.
"I'll provide support. Rudy, we'll cast simultaneously — target Elinalise's opponent."
"Got it."
I raised my staff.
Stone cannonball.
With them stationary now, there was no dodging.
The only question was how much of it they could deflect — I'd have to try and see.
"Talhand!"
"Right on!"
Talhand planted his shield and stepped in front of us.
He was going to be our wall if any slashes came flying.
As long as it wasn't an instant kill, I could cast Advanced Healing Magic.
Just aim for non-vital areas, please.
"Stone Cannonball!"
"With the valiant ice sword, I pass judgment upon thee! Frost Blade!"
Roxy and I launched our spells nearly simultaneously, with a slight time offset.
A projectile cannonball and a spinning, eight-pointed ring of ice flew through the air.
The Armored Warriors tried desperately to deflect them.
Two of their swords moved to intercept — and just then, Elinalise smacked them with her shield at the perfect timing, throwing their stance into disarray.
The stone cannonball ripped one of the armor's arms off, and the ice blade plunged deep into its chest.
The Armored Warrior froze, then crumbled apart into pieces.
At the same time, Paul's fight had already ended.
"Even at A-class, they don't go down in one hit, huh."
That was what he said, but the whole fight had lasted about a minute.
All he meant was that it wasn't a one-shot kill — he hadn't struggled in the slightest.
As expected of someone who'd achieved Advanced rank in all three great sword styles.
In terms of talent, he probably had the level to reach Saint-class.
Actually, Paul might already be Saint-class strong. Human strength wasn't easily measured by rank.
"Dad, did you maybe... get a little stronger than before?"
Oh no.
I'd said something that was only going to make him boast.
He'd probably launch into an extravagant tale of his own glory.
"Hmm? No, not at all. I'm weaker than I used to be, if anything."
But Paul just gave a slight smirk and glanced my way before looking straight ahead.
"Come on, stay sharp and keep moving."
With Paul's words, I pulled myself together.
He was right.
We were inside a dungeon — I needed to stay focused.
Still, Paul was really cool today.
If I told Norn about this, she'd probably be thrilled.
"Oh my?"
Just then, Elinalise peeked at Paul's face with a mischievous tilt of her head.
She covered her mouth and grinned.
"Paul, what are you grinning about? It's creepy."
"You really don't need to say things like that out loud."
"You must have been really happy that Rudeus complimented you. I totally get it. Hee hee."
"Shut up, will you."
I take it back.
Paul was still Paul, after all.
After that, we took down several more Armored Warriors and Mud Skulls before heading back.
About fifteen hours on foot.
It really did take a while.
Was Zenith alright with us being so leisurely about this?
No — rushing and ending up like Roxy, with a secondary disaster, was something I had to avoid.
Carefully. That was the key.
So far, things were going well.
I was tense, but not overly so — I could still keep a little breathing room in my heart.
My condition was at its best.
This was the way to go.
---
We returned to town once, checked our equipment, and headed back in.
Then came a meeting immediately after.
A few necessary items came up, so we went out to buy them.
The scrolls for Light Spirit magic were running a bit low, so I wrote up some more.
Being the labyrinth city of Rapan, they naturally had magic-circle dyes and parchment on hand, so there were no problems.
I made one, and then Sheila took over and did the rest.
Apparently, one of the side jobs at the Millis Church was writing scrolls, and she was good at it.
She said she could produce fifty in a single day.
Reliable.
Geese had purchased potions effective against armored-type monsters.
Apparently, when they hit, they clung to the joints and slowed movement.
I suggested that since armor was heavy anyway, why not just scatter oil on the ground instead — and he laughed at me, saying Paul would be the one to slip.
I conceded that point, and he laughed even harder.
Paul and Elinalise were shopping for swords.
They were looking for a bargain sword that suited Elinalise.
Her estoc was a mana-imbued item.
It had the ability to release a vacuum blade from its tip when swung.
But it was somewhat inconvenient against Armored Warriors.
Even setting that aside, she'd been struggling against tough opponents like Iron Crawlers.
I could understand why.
The short sword Paul held in his left hand was apparently a mana-imbued item he'd purchased in Rapan.
It had an ability called Armor Piercer — the harder the opponent, the sharper it cut.
A rather rare ability.
So rare, in fact, that the market couldn't properly identify its capability. It was treated as a dull blade that couldn't even cut dried meat, and had been practically given away.
Paul had said something like, "My keen eye saw through this sword's true power."
But I knew better.
This same ability appeared on the weapon of a warrior in "The Legend of Perugius," which I'd read back in Buena Village.
There was a magic sword that couldn't cut dried meat, yet could split a chunk of steel clean in two.
Paul must have latched onto the "can't cut dried meat" part and immediately understood.
Well, no wonder he was showing such devastating attack power against Armored Warriors.
If he could deal effective damage even with his off-hand, that was genuinely impressive.
Elinalise purchased a gladius.
It was imbued with an ability that generated a shockwave upon stabbing.
The damage wasn't high, but in a pinch it could knock the enemy back and create distance.
Because the ability was so practical, the price was相当 steep, but Elinalise pulled several round mana crystals from her pocket and paid with those.
How many of those mana crystals did she have, anyway?
That night, I drank with Talhand and Roxy.
You were an adult now, so you could certainly have a drink.
That said, getting wasted in front of Roxy wasn't an option.
Just enough to be sociable.
The agenda was supposed to be a strategy meeting between the three mages, but before long it had morphed into one of Talhand's lectures on "What It Means to Be a Man."
The gist of it was that men were muscle, and that a golden spirit dwells within a golden body.
Not exactly mage conversation.
But it was meaningful in its own way.
He was right — a man had to be strong and tough.
Roxy, for her part, didn't seem to care either way and was dozing off.
Can't blame her.
After spending the day off like that, we received a cheerful "Have a good trip" from Lillia and re-entered the dungeon.
---
The fourth floor was cleared with ease.
Between our equipment upgrades and thorough preparation, plus a bit of luck, we made it almost in a straight line to the goal.
About three hours, I'd say.
We barely encountered any monsters.
We looped back to the fourth floor and walked around to fill in the map.
Zenith's presence was still nowhere to be found.
After that, we returned once more, then began tackling the fifth floor.
From the fifth floor onward, in addition to Mud Skulls and Armored Warriors, Eat Devils appeared.
Eat Devils were demons with enormous mouths and razor-sharp fangs.
They had long limbs and claws sharp enough to cling to ceilings.
In a word, they looked like something out of an alien movie.
They weren't quite that terrifying in appearance, though.
Eat Devils were tough opponents.
They moved along ceilings and walls.
Which meant formations were useless.
They'd bypass Paul and Elinalise, who were fighting Armored Warriors, and come straight for us.
A spine-chilling sight.
We managed to fend off the first assault.
Eat Devils themselves weren't that strong.
They had speed and seemed to hit hard, but their defenses were low and they weren't tough.
If you knocked them off the ceiling, they went down — so when Elinalise took the initiative to use her new weapon, we made it through without incident.
Eat Devils could be defeated.
Even at A-class, once you got used to their unpredictable movements, the Armored Warriors with their solid fundamentals were arguably the harder fight.
But looking upward was dangerous.
Drawing your attention to the ceiling meant you wouldn't notice the traps on the ground.
One careless step on a teleportation trap, and you could end up somewhere completely different.
"Well then, let's use that."
Normally, this would be the point to retreat and deliberate, but we had our guidebook.
"Labyrinth Exploration: A Record of Teleportation" contained a groundbreaking countermeasure for Eat Devils.
They were extremely averse to a particular scent.
If you burned the root of the Tarfro tree — the kind sold as food — as incense, they'd come down from the ceiling to the ground.
Moreover, they'd crouch low near the surface, trying to escape the smoke as much as possible.
Which made them incredibly easy to fight.
At that point, you wouldn't even need a B-class party — a C-class group could handle it.
The book's author had really done his research.
And so, we cleared the fifth floor in no time at all.
We had to wander around a bit since we couldn't find the circle to the next floor, but our goal wasn't to conquer the dungeon — it was to find Zenith.
No problem at all.
If anything, it worked in our favor.
---
And then, we arrived at the sixth floor.
"Geese, how's it looking?"
"We can do it."
Paul's curt question received an equally curt answer.
We'd barely expended anything.
Our preparations were complete.
And we had momentum on our side.
"Alright, then we're not going back. We're pushing straight through."
"Understood."
We were ready, with nothing spent.
There was no reason to turn back.
The conquest continued.