Having accepted Crate's request, I was hauling supplies to Alette and her group, who were camping on the fifth underground floor.
Traveling with Crate's party—people who took things far too seriously—was slower than the way we usually moved.
The way they took breaks, the way they carried themselves—there were all sorts of differences.
Since the personnel they brought along were different from ours, I understood that traveling together would feel off. That much was obvious.
My honest impression was:
(They're faithful to the fundamentals, but everything leans toward combat.)
When they encounter an enemy, the plan is to crush it with their prized equipment. Looking at the gear they had, I couldn't help but get the impression they were picturing themselves as a knight order.
(…Or rather, they're way too serious.)
We advanced through the Dungeon—a labyrinth that felt like a recreation of the inside of a cave—and arrived at the entrance to the sixth underground floor, where we delivered the goods to Alette and her group and watched as they checked the contents.
Crate was present as well, verifying that the correct number of items had been supplied.
Alette scanned the list and turned her attention to the food.
"Hmm, a few things are off, but close enough. Crate, and you too, Laiel—thank you for bringing these."
Alette finished checking the supplies with a smile, but it was Crate who had an objection.
"Lady Alette, what do you mean by 'a few things are off'? We were told the order was received without issue."
After a brief pause, Alette explained to Crate.
"…Most likely, there wasn't enough time to procure everything topside. I didn't double-check when I returned to the surface either. Things are pretty hectic up there, I imagine, so some items might simply be unavailable. I wasn't trying to complain, mind you—but if it bothered you, then I apologize."
Even as Alette offered her apology, Crate wouldn't let it go.
"Some items unavailable? That's unacceptable. We need to file an additional request right away and have them send the rest. My party will—"
Crate looked ready to say she'd accept the request all over again, and Alette gave a small, wry laugh while waving her hand dismissively.
It seemed she understood that it would be a hassle.
"No problem. I ordered with plenty to spare from the start, and with this much we should be fine even to take on the boss of the seventh underground floor. I'll tack on an extra request next time I need more."
It sounded like the amount of supplies was more than sufficient.
Crate muttered on and on.
"Well, but... we really ought to handle things like that properly."
She still didn't look satisfied, but Alette held the list she'd been carrying up to cover her mouth and said:
"The commission fee reflects all that, you know. If you keep asking again and again, I'll be running at a loss. Also, if you're staying overnight, I can lend you the space."
It seemed she was assuming we would spend the night before heading back to the surface. She picked up the pocket watch hanging at her hip, checked the time, and told us that if we headed back now, it would be dark by the time we arrived.
In a Dungeon where your sense of time went haywire, a watch like that would be essential.
(I should get one too. They're expensive, though.)
A watch durable enough to withstand Dungeon exploration was extremely pricey.
When asked if she would be staying overnight, Crate answered:
"No, a brief rest would be plenty. We need to make it back before the day is out."
Between the delay in arriving later than planned and the trek back, it would surely be night by the time they returned to the surface.
(I hope Novem and the others aren't worried. Though I suppose, this time around, it's kind of...)
Getting to observe Crate's party up close had been a major gain for us.
But at the same time, I couldn't help feeling I never wanted to work with them again. Their party's approach was different, and the rhythm, or rather... in short, they were way too rigid and it just didn't mesh.
There's a limit to how inflexible you can be.
"Is that so? Then go ahead and use the open spaces. And Crate — you should start tackling the sixth floor and below sooner rather than later. It's a pain for us to handle alone."
At Alette's words, Crate showed her refusal.
"I'm not. We haven't finished gathering our equipment yet."
Alette's expression turned somewhat awkward.
"O-Oh. Ah, Rael — could you stay behind for a moment? I have a quick word. Your companions too, if that's all right."
When I nodded, Miranda and Aria both looked equally worn out as they gave their assent.
It was clear that spending time alongside Crate's group had completely drained them.
"Then I'll go rest. Rael, make sure you don't leave late."
As Alette watched Crate walk away, she let out a deep sigh.
"Ugh… She's talented and she's diligent, but she's just *too* diligent for her own good. And honestly, I'm amazed she kept up with all that hauling all the way here. The payout couldn't have been that great."
The person who had originally put out the commission was the one wondering why we'd tagged along at all.
It was a small-scale job, but even so, she fully understood that splitting the commission fee between two parties left very little to show for it.
Aria made a face of distaste.
"It was Rael's call. But seriously, she's way too rigid. There are other ways to approach things, you know?"
At that, Alette laughed.
"You can't really imitate that level of dedication. But she is undeniably capable. She takes every commission seriously — sure, she can be too attached to doing things her own way, but on the flip side, that makes her cautious and reliable. The complete opposite of Albano and his lot. Those guys could stand to have a little more sense of danger, if you ask me."
If you averaged the two extremes together, you'd get a pretty well-balanced party.
Miranda turned to Alette and asked.
"Are you planning to challenge the seventh floor's boss as well?"
Alette, who had been smiling, turned slightly more serious and nodded.
"Yeah. We're planning to unlock it soon. Albano and his lot will probably start coming back down soon enough — they're itching for spending money. I'm counting on you lot too, though."
When our conversation with Alette ended, we took a break before heading back to the surface.
……Slowly.
When we returned to the surface, it was dark as expected.
The streets were bustling with noise and light, but under the cold night sky, we rejoiced wholeheartedly at having completed the quest.
From inside the Jewel, the Third Generation's voice came through.
"Good work, Laiel. So, what did you think?"
He was probably asking about Crate and the others.
I simply turned the Jewel with my fingertip — a gesture to indicate negation.
The Third Generation was smiling slightly.
"That's what I figured. Since it was different from the usual rhythm, it must have felt pretty tough. Well, I'll hear your thoughts later, but for now, Laiel — why don't you head to the Guild with Crate?"
I left the empty mini-Porter to Aria and Miranda and had them return to the Porter first.
As for me, I needed to head to the Guild with Crate to report the quest's completion.
(I'm more tired than usual. But Crate is...)
"Now then, let's get going, Laiel!"
With a bright, refreshing smile, he shot me a thumbs-up.
(That guy is seriously energetic, isn't he...)
I found myself a little envious.
This time, since there was no fighting against Monsters and no materials or Magic Stones to cash in, I was just heading over to collect my half of the reward.
But that was where I discovered one of Crate's best qualities.
Without any negotiation, he simply split the reward right down the middle. He hadn't made excuses like "you weren't tired since you were just carrying luggage" or anything of the sort.
He was almost too earnest, but when it came to handling money, he was every bit as principled as always.
The Next Day.
We were at the place where we were staying, looking over Monica's improved Mini Porter.
Actually...
"You made this?"
There was something sitting there that was entirely different from the Mini Porter.
A boat-shaped Porter. The container portion that had always been a square box for hauling luggage had been sculpted into the form of a boat.
On both sides, there were even mechanisms for paddling through water. Oars were included as well.
And, being ever the perfectionist, she had fitted the same paddling mechanisms onto all the other Mini Porters too.
Monica planted both hands on her hips, puffed out her chest with pride, and let out a booming laugh.
"Ohohoho, did you see that, you Chicken? This is Monica's finest work! It has legs for traveling over land, and when it hits the water, it doubles as a boat — an amphibious Mini Porter! Ah, this adorable form is simply beyond words."
Everyone stared in stunned silence at Monica as she embraced the Mini Porter Mark III. Nobody had anticipated that she would go this far.
Clara timidly raised her hand and asked a question.
"Um, aren't we going to take these little ones with us?"
To that, Monica explained that she had prepared rubber flotation rings for the Mini Porters.
"As long as we don't overload them with luggage, it should be fine. More importantly, next time, please take me along! I'll paddle with everything I've got! I'll be the engine for this little one!"
(Are these paddle things just for decoration?)
As I examined the devices attached to the Mini Porters, that thought crossed my mind.
I looked at Monica.
"Engine? What are you talking about? But, the eighth underground level seems to have plenty of water, so what about the team..."
I glanced around at my companions, and Eva deliberately looked away from me.
"Eva? You..."
Eva, covering her face with both hands, her ears red, spoke.
"I'm sorry. I can't swim. After drowning in a lake when I was little, water became impossible for me..."
If Eva dropped out, then Shannon was vigorously shaking her head side to side.
"No way! I'm not going to some place where there are weird frog people! I can't swim either!"
Shannon hadn't expected any less from her, but that meant it was down to May and Clara...
Clara also looked pale.
"Huh? Clara?"
"I-I'm sorry. I've never swum before... and besides, I'd really prefer it if the books I'm bringing didn't get wet."
Then, looking at May.
"Well, saying I can swim is a bit much, but I can walk on water too... so no problem."
I smiled.
"Don't walk on the water. Please, just act normal. Don't draw attention to yourself."
Then, from the Jewel, came the Fifth Generation's voice.
"Lyle, what May considers normal and what you consider normal are quite different, you kn—"
This sounded like the start of a long lecture, so I ignored it and looked at the remaining members.
Novem.
Aria.
Miranda.
Monica.
May.
— That would make six challengers, with those five added.
Looking at the amphibious mini-Porter, it seemed large enough to fit six people. As for luggage, we could simply load it onto the remaining mini-Porters, so that wouldn't be an issue.
The lineup for the Dungeon challenge wasn't a problem. The problem was the lineup staying behind.
"Well, six should be fine. But will three on their own be okay?"
Looking at the group that would remain behind, I felt a little worried.
We couldn't count on Shannon, Clara looked small and unreliable, and Eva would probably wander off into town and start playing around.
(Not every adventurer is a good person, so the thought of something happening makes me uneasy. I don't want to have to worry about what's going on up above while we're inside the Dungeon.)
I wanted to leave either the dependable Novem or Miranda behind, but—
That was when Miranda made a suggestion.
"You're a little worried, aren't you? Why not ask May to stay behind? She's reliable, and surely she'll behave herself until we get back, right?"
May, upon hearing this, glanced at Novem once before turning her gaze toward me.
I turned to Miranda.
"Huh? May? Are you sure that'll be okay?"
She looked small and unreliable, but May was a Kirin. As a combat asset, she was dependable, and if we left her behind, we'd have peace of mind on that front.
Aria, sounding exasperated.
"Seriously, wouldn't Novem or Miranda be better suited for this? If neither of them wants to stay, I will."
I thought to myself.
(Aria's more useful inside the Dungeon. Put another way, leaving her behind wouldn't really accomplish much...)
As I mused over this, May apparently didn't like being thought of as unreliable, because she spoke up.
"Hey, I'm not always buying food on the go, you know. If all I have to do is guard this place, I can manage that much. Go on, have fun. Oh, but... you better prep some meals before you leave."
Monica seemed happy, having understood she was included.
"I'll prep some meals, of course. Actually, how many days' worth should I prepare?"
I thought to myself.
(No, why not just eat from the food stalls? Why do these girls only ever buy prepared food? This is exactly what those are for, isn't it?)
A party returning from the Dungeon would be tired, and preparing a meal would be a hassle.
For times like that, you could say food stalls exist for that very reason.
I scratched my head as I addressed everyone.
"This time, we're also considering clearing the eighth floor of the Dungeon. Our main focus will be earning money on the eighth floor, but I'm planning to challenge the boss. The schedule is about five days."
I was calculating one day for the trip there and back, leaving three days to explore the eighth floor and defeat the boss.
The issue was that the enemies there were highly likely to be Monsters adept in water...
(Well, the Second Generation's Skills and weapons should handle it. Besides, it's about time we started aiming for the bigger targets.)
Up until now, I'd been surprised by the surrounding environment. But as an adventurer, if I wasn't earning money, it was pointless.
At the same time, I wanted to fight a Dungeon boss.
It was so I'd be called again next time. I had to be considered a viable fighting force. Not just by the Guild, but by the surrounding adventurers as well.
Novem agreed.
"If Master Rael says so."
Miranda glanced briefly at Novem before speaking.
"That's fine. Actually, maybe I should bring a spear too? Aria, lend me a spare."
Aria turned to Miranda.
"Don't break it, okay? I just bought a replacement, and it's a really nice spear."
As for Monica, it had been a while since she'd joined.
"Fufufu, watch me. I'll make sure you all remember once more that I, Monica, am the sole healer of the Amazoness Squad. Besides, a scenario where I gently dry off a wet Chicken with a towel is pretty nice too... oh, drool."
And so, for the next Dungeon—
Me.
Novem.
Aria.
Miranda.
Monica.
—those five of us would be taking on the challenge.
Fourth Generation(-@∀@) "Lately... Laiel's sleuth skill has been leveling up and it's gotten boring. Aaah, I hope she becomes a Laiel-san soon."