We arrived at the location where the adventurers had gone missing, climbed down from the wagon, and looked around.
In Darion, wherever you get far enough from human settlements, you'll find forests springing up.
Apparently, they had once tried to establish a pioneering village here, but it ended in failure after repeated attacks from Monsters.
A forest where Monsters have taken up residence is, strangely enough, impossible to burn down.
Even if you cut the trees down, new ones sprout right back up.
As a result, the speed at which the forest spread was absolutely staggering.
Many scholars theorized that the cause lay with the Monsters themselves.
The Monsters take up residence, the forest absorbs their mana and grows rapidly —
From the perspective of anyone trying to manage the land, it would be an incredibly troublesome forest.
However, the First Generation and Second Generation had a different take on this.
The First Generation said —
"If we set up a village here, we could sell off massive quantities of lumber!"
The Second Generation, too —
"We could make a fortune in the timber business. What a waste… In my day, we couldn't do it because someone had already cleared out a Monster-infested forest like this before I got the chance."
Now those are opinions befitting a truly powerful generation.
You could say they solved in a single generation what should have been an ever-expanding problem forest. Well, the Second Generation does lament that his income dried up as a result.
Once we'd unloaded our supplies, we set out to survey the surrounding area.
We left one of the drivers in charge of the luggage, then split into two groups — our party of four and Rondo's group of three — to guard the supplies and conduct the investigation at the same time.
Zelphy gave us our instructions.
"You never know where the Monsters might be. If anything happens, fall back and head to the spot I showed you earlier. Also, there are still survivors out there, so keep medical supplies and meals ready to go at a moment's notice."
The driver nodded, seemingly used to this sort of thing.
Support personnel for parties like this weren't exactly popular, but they held a surprisingly important role.
In a six-person party, you'd normally have at least one.
Ideally, two support members were recommended.
When it came to mercenaries, though, support... rear-guard personnel were even more numerous.
Having more people in rear support than fighters on the front lines was considered the norm.
"We should bring in some support too," Rondo said.
But Rauf shook his head.
"You're going to hire support for a three-man group? That'll eat into your earnings. You'd want to bring in one person once your party's at least four or five strong."
Zelphy chimed in to the pair.
"Don't let your guard down. First priority is surveying the surrounding area. Rotate the lookouts frequently. If something unexpected comes up, think for yourselves and act accordingly. Got it?"
If you can't even protect your own life, you have no business trying to save someone else's.
That was something Zelphy had said before, or at least it felt that way.
I turned my gaze to Novem and Aria.
"You two tired?"
Novem shook her head, but Aria's face had gone pale.
Maybe the swaying of the supply wagon had worn her out.
The Second Generation offered me some advice.
*'Let Aria rest. She'll probably resist, but try convincing her to take a break now so she can stand watch later. Casually mention that if nobody rests now, no one will get a turn to rest afterward — she'll accept that.'*
Aria was currently running herself ragged, all enthusiasm and no traction.
I squeezed the Jewel once and made up my mind to talk her into resting.
But before I could, the Third Generation chimed in.
*'Hold on, Laiel — you should check with the leader first. Zelphy's the one running this party right now, you know.'*
Fair point.
Thinking that, I looked over at Zelphy. She was watching Aria with a worried expression.
*(If you're that worried, you could've just looked after her yourself.)*
I turned to Zelphy with a suggestion.
"Zelphy, could we let Aria rest? At this rate, it's going to be a while before she gets her break."
"W-wait a second!"
Aria, clearly dissatisfied, raised her voice and tried to step toward me. But Novem stopped her with her staff.
"It's Zelphy's call."
"B-but—"
To Aria, who was scowling in frustration, Zelphy said:
"She's right that if she doesn't rest now, swapping out lookouts later is going to be rough… Aria, you're going to rest. Don't think I'm going easy on you. When your shift comes, you'll pull lookout duty. Until then, get some sleep so you can do your job properly."
Zelphy's gaze made it clear there would be no debate.
Aria relented, albeit reluctantly.
*(She's probably telling herself she got benched because she's too weak.)*
The Second Generation was blunt with Aria.
*'Comforting her at a time like this won't help. She'll just find her own reason in her head and bottle it all up. Real pain in the neck.'*
The First Generation shot back with a weaker tone than usual.
*"He's still young, so what do you expect! Give him some time!"*
The First Generation was shamelessly favoring Aria, but if you asked me—
*(...I'm actually a year younger than Aria, though.)*
There were parts I just couldn't accept.
When adventurers subjugated Monsters, the general approach if you wanted to boost efficiency was to venture into the forest.
Even so, venturing in meant setting up an ambush near the entrance.
Like I did, you'd prepare a decoy, lure the Monsters in, and then take them down as a group.
This way, the main force could fight in open terrain while the lured Monsters walked straight into a waiting ambush — a far more efficient battle.
However, if the decoy wasn't skilled enough, it would lead to casualties.
Once we headed into the forest, we tracked the trail left by the missing adventurers.
Near the forest, we found evidence of a visit using a horse-drawn wagon.
Traces of campfires remained as well, and a horse-less wagon had been left behind.
I used my Skills to survey the surrounding area.
*(...No Monsters here either, but there's no one around at all.)*
Peering into the wagon from a distance, I could see signs it had been ransacked.
"There don't seem to be any Monsters," I said.
When I spoke, Zelphy stared intently at my face.
"What is it?"
"No, I was just wondering — does Lyle actually have Skills? Support-type ones, too, from the looks of it."
During the bandit subjugation, I had split off from Zelphy.
This was the first time she'd seen me use a Skill. And I hadn't even declared I was using one, either.
As the Second Generation put it:
'You were pretty obvious about it. Well, no harm done even if she figured it out. Just go ahead and confirm it. Oh, and make sure to phrase it in a way that could be taken either way.'
So I nodded at Zelphy.
"It's definitely a support-type Skill. It's quite convenient."
Novem looked at me, seemingly wondering what I thought, but she was busy keeping watch over the area.
Zelphy just murmured, "Is that so."
"If that's settled, let's investigate the wagon. Or rather, there are bloodstains on the ground, aren't there?"
As the three of us walked closer, we found bloodstains.
Novem spoke up.
"Bandits? Did they get attacked here?"
Zelphy moved closer, knelt down, and shook her head.
"No. There's really nothing around here. It's especially difficult for Monsters to settle nearby. The amount of blood... well, time has passed, so it's hard to say for certain, but... it looks like a horse was attacked."
Nearby, there were bones and other remains scattered about.
The Guild had reported only the male instructor's death.
He might have already been dead when we arrived, or perhaps he escaped.
However, Zelphy looked around.
"There are no signs of a struggle. And the inside of the wagon... it's been ransacked pretty thoroughly."
The barrels and wooden crates inside had been smashed open. It seemed the contents had been taken.
Breaking into these without any locks and stealing the contents seemed to point away from bandits.
Besides, they left the Monster materials behind.
Bandits would have considered snatching those and selling them off somewhere.
They would have been better off taking the horses rather than killing them, and above all, taking the entire wagon.
"If it's not an infighting, then Monsters seem like the most likely explanation."
We searched around the area, looking for anything that might have been left behind.
But we didn't find anything useful.
"So they were camping around here, repeatedly fighting their way closer to the forest. But looking at it this way, it feels less like a battle happened here and more like the wagon was attacked afterward."
Based on her experience, Zelphy pieced together the situation.
However, it was all just speculation.
We couldn't rule out the possibility that some idiot bandits had done something like this.
Novem asked Zelphy what they would do going forward.
"What will you do now? Will you head back, or will you push further toward the forest?"
Zelphy thought for a moment, then checked the height of the sun.
"Let's go take a closer look at the forest. But we won't go in until tomorrow at the earliest."
We decided to observe the forest from a distance and left the scene.
But even from afar, there were no visible changes in the forest.
Zelphy seemed to have been here many times before, and she said it didn't look much different from before.
However, she felt it might have expanded a little compared to the past.
I used my Skills to peer into the forest and noticed something unusual.
The Second Generation, too——.
"Lyle, shall I tell you... that a Dungeon has been born?"
Night.
After returning to our campsite, I finished eating and rested until it was time to switch the watch.
Around me, Rondo and Rachel were lying down, asleep.
Generally, adventurers don't really segregate by gender.
Or rather, there aren't that many parties that can afford to prepare two separate tents at camp.
If you had the money, sure, but beginner and broke adventurers sleep in the same tent regardless of gender.
(This is my first time camping.)
I'd never gone far out to slay Monsters before.
Well, that was probably because they still thought I wasn't strong enough.
Then, I heard the First Generation's voice.
"Lyle, listen in your current state. The one sleeping next to you is an adventurer. If you make a sound, she might wake up."
The Third Generation had come to tell me about this matter.
"A Dungeon appearing in a forest isn't unusual at all. It's actually the norm. Forests, caves, and even abandoned mansions and fortresses accumulate mana and become Dungeons."
We figured this incident was caused by the forest entrance having become a Dungeon.
When I peered into the forest with my Skills, I could make out what looked like passages.
Perhaps because it had only recently formed, the Dungeon wasn't very deep.
Not too far in, there was a place called the "Innermost Chamber" where treasure was stored.
The largest room was there, and our ancestors' consensus was that it had to be the right spot.
Chapter 171: Into the Dungeon
Zelphy-san seemed to share this view, thinking they had strayed into the Dungeon or encountered some trouble.
The Sixth Generation spoke up.
"My Skills are useless unless I get close. In Lyriel as it is now, we probably wouldn't even be able to tell friend from foe from outside the Dungeon."
We checked from the outside, but we could only see the interior vaguely.
It was like a thin mist obscured everything, and we couldn't make it out clearly.
The Fifth Generation agreed.
"My Skills are the same. It's the limit of what I can do from outside. That's true for the current Lyriel, anyway. As for our opinion..."
As always, the Fourth Generation finished the thought.
"The First Generation says there's definitely something dangerous in there. Something that could take out a veteran adventurer... We can agree to enter, but we shouldn't go to the innermost chamber."
Hearing that, I gripped the Jewel tightly.
That morning, suspecting the Dungeon was compromised, we asked Raph-san to guard our carriage.
The team would be me, Zelphy-san, Novem, Aria, Rondo-san, and Rachel-san, and we would venture inside.
If we had taken our guard with us, we wouldn't have been able to rescue the adventurers trapped inside.
Moreover, we had to bring Novem, who excelled in healing magic.
If there were any injured who couldn't move, Novem would be indispensable.
As a result, the capable Raph-san was chosen to stay behind and watch the carriage.
He looked frustrated, but there was no other way, and Zelphy-san reminded him firmly to be ready to flee immediately if they didn't return within the time limit.
Stepping into the Dungeon, we found it was nothing like a normal forest.
In addition to the passageways made of trees, it was a true labyrinth.
Trees lined up unnaturally, and wide passageways stretched out before us.
More than anything, the heavy atmosphere made it feel like breathing was difficult. I could breathe just fine, yet it was suffocating.
Rondo-san, who had been looking at me, gave me a pat on the shoulder.
"Control your breathing. You'll tire yourself out if you breathe like that. It's only my second time too, but you get used to it quickly, so don't worry."
I nodded and regulated my breathing.
Then I activated my Skills.
Full Over.
Map.
Search.
I activated the Skills of the First Generation, Fifth Generation, and Sixth Generation all at once.
With my power boosted, I was forcing myself to use the Fifth and Sixth Generations' Skills.
When I did, I could perceive things far more clearly than when I'd looked from outside.
A detailed map of the Dungeon materialized in my mind, and I sensed where the Monsters were and where the adventurers were located.
(I keep thinking this, but the combined use of the Fifth and Sixth Generations' Skills is almost unfair.)
Rachel-san raised her staff and began chanting a spell.
The surroundings brightened.
"Sorry, but I need a break every two hours when I'm the only one doing this. Novem-chan, could you switch in partway through? Even just ten minutes or so would be enough."
"Sure."
The mages carrying staffs confirmed with each other who would illuminate the surroundings.
Novem needed to perform healing, and Rachel-san probably couldn't keep her mana going without taking breaks either.
I sent Zelphy a message.
"Go straight ahead, then turn left at the dead end."
Hearing that, Zelphy placed a hand on his chin.
"Is that the power of your Skills too?"
"Yes."
When I answered with confidence, Zelphy nodded and stepped forward.
"Rondo and I will take the front line. Raier, you stay at the very back and call out directions. The two mages will be protected by Raier."
It seemed I wouldn't be fighting on the front lines.
"Understood."
At my words, the Second Generation also nodded in approval.
"Using Skills drains mana, so they're planning to conserve yours. Besides, we should be fine following the directions of someone experienced here. Raier, use your Skills frequently to keep tabs on our surroundings at all times. We'll stay quiet as much as possible."
If that was the case, then the ancestors must have spoken up only when things were truly dire.
Following those orders, I had us avoid areas where Monsters were lurking and adopt a policy of only eliminating groups that might obstruct our retreat as we pushed deeper into the Dungeon.
Being able to pinpoint the enemy's location meant we held a significant advantage.
Pressing onward, we made our way toward the room where the adventurers were.
(If there's a reaction, they must still be alive.)
We'd avoid being attacked from behind and fight under the most favorable conditions we could manage.
That was when I truly realized just how formidable Zelphy and Rondo were.
Zelphy fought while weaving in magic. He smashed with his shield. He thrust with his sword. He blasted enemies away with spells—a remarkably versatile fighting style.
"Go flying! Fire Bullet!"
When he swept his shield to the side, a volley of small fire projectiles shot out from it all at once.
Each individual shot didn't have much attack power, but it was a spell that attacked in an area rather than a single point.
(Is this an enhanced version of Fire Bullet? If it's a unique spell, it might be a Skill.)
Among backline Skills, there were some that treated spells as Skills.
I'd heard that the mana consumption and power differed, but I hadn't expected Zelphy to be able to use one.
Novem spoke up.
"That's amazing, Zelphy. Is it a unique spell?"
When she said that, Zelphy answered with an embarrassed look.
"The spell that just came to mind is all it is. It's just a Skill where the standard Fire Bullet changed shape. Pretty lame, right? But it's really handy."
It seemed it had been refined to the level of a Skill.
"So you could use magic after all. You used to say things like you couldn't, though."
When I said that, Zelphy sheathed his sword.
"The only ones I can use are this Skill and Fire Bullet. Being able to cast just those two and then claiming I can use magic—too embarrassing to say."
In other words, he couldn't call himself a magic user if he could only cast one or two spells.
Aria was astonished.
"You could use it back when you were in the manor? Then the knight order too—"
When she said that, Zelphy gave a wry smile.
"After I became an adventurer, actually. More importantly, chatting it up in a place like this isn't very prudent. Talking about personal history and all."
Rondo nodded in agreement.
Rondo was just as impressive in his own way.
He may have only carried a sword, but his swordsmanship was incredible.
Aria was watching Rondo’s sword.
"Is that a Mana Tool?"
When asked, Rondo nodded. During a brief rest after the battle, they kept watch on their surroundings while catching their breath.
Conversations like this would sometimes happen.
In turn, Novem and I would take over guarding the area. Novem, for her part, was even using magic to illuminate their surroundings in Rachel's stead.
"It's a family heirloom and my partner. It has three Skills, so even with me wielding it, I can still produce these results. But please don't go telling just anyone about it," Rondo said with a wink at Aria.
Rachel promptly smacked Rondo's shin with her staff.
"Ow!"
"Don't flirt when she's right in front of you. Anyway, break time's over. Novem, switch with me. Thanks."
"Not at all."
After giving Rondo a glare, Rachel turned to Novem with a smile, thanking her for allowing her to take a break.
Novem gave a wry smile in return.
Zelphy came over to ask me a question.
"So, how much longer do we have?"
I used my Skill to check our position in the room.
They had taken care of the troublesome monsters, and it looked like they could make their escape without a fight.
In the innermost chamber, a large reaction was stationary.
It appeared to be guarding the treasure within that room.
"If we turn there, we'll be at our target room."
I pointed toward the entrance visible from the corridor and confirmed that we had reached the room where five reactions were present.
"Alright, let's move."
Zelphy headed toward the room at a brisk pace.
We rushed into the room and spotted five people collapsed in the back.
All of them were drenched in blood, but they were still breathing.
However, they appeared severely weakened.
"They're alive! They're still alive!"
Rachel called out in an excited voice, then quickly approached the five and illuminated them with her light.
One of the five seemed to notice us and opened his eyes.
"Hey, what happened?"
Rondo hurried over, handed him a water canteen, and slowly helped the man drink.
I approached the five as well and checked their injuries.
"Lots of contusions. Some broken bones, too."
As I said this, Novem began healing them with magic.
The injuries could be treated, but the five weakened adventurers didn't seem able to get back on their feet.
Perhaps reassured by the water, one of the ragged adventurers spoke up.
"It's... it's because of us that the instructor..."
Hearing this, Zelphy moved closer. It seemed she didn't want to miss a word.
"The Monsters around here were easy enough to handle, so we... we told her we wanted to go deeper, but she opposed it. We just wanted to become full-fledged already."
Zelphy clicked her tongue at the adventurer who had begun to cry.
"That bastard... Hey, what kind of enemy was it?"
Zelphy was clenching her teeth, trying to find out more details about the Monster.
"It was an Orc. It was green, and... it was carrying a huge club."
A tough enemy for newcomers, but not unbeatable if they had numbers on their side.
As a boss sitting in the deepest room of a small Dungeon, it was fairly ordinary.
But Zelphy didn't seem satisfied with that at all.
"So that bastard got taken out by a mere Orc! You lot got greedy for the Jewel and you—"
"N-no, that's not it. It was just an Orc, but we couldn't do a thing... By the time someone came to rescue us, we were already in tatters... So we were told to run first..."
The adventurer spoke through tears, though those were few.
He seemed to barely be holding on to consciousness.
Novem reported to Zelphy that the treatment was finished.
"Everyone's treatment is done. However, there's nothing I can do about their stamina."
Zelphy stood up and moved to carry everyone out in a retreat. But it was then that we noticed something was off about our surroundings.
Aria spoke up.
"Don't you hear something? There's a vibration too."
At that, Rondo drew his sword.
"...Something's approaching."
Then, from the Jewel, I heard the First Generation's booming voice.
"Lyle! Check the surrounding situation immediately! And... something big is coming."
I quickly activated my Skills, and my eyes went wide.
Novem noticed me and called out. At the same time, as if sensing something, she raised her staff into a ready stance.
"Lord Lyle?"
I drew in a breath and pulled my Saber from its sheath.
"...It's coming. The innermost boss has made its way this far."
There was no Monster signal on my map for what should have been the innermost chamber. And the boss's signal was getting closer and closer.
Moreover—
"It's fast."
The moment I murmured those words, Zelphy drew her sword and took up a fighting stance.
"I've never heard of a boss leaving its room! Tch, everyone get ready! If it's just an Orc, then—"
A tattered adventurer cut Zelphy off with a shout.
"That thing isn't normal! Our attacks didn't work on it at all! Because of that, even she... that thing is definitely not an ordinary Orc!"
The tattered adventurer's cry sent a ripple of shock through everyone.
Their attacks didn't work.
That was what he was saying.
"What the hell is going on?!"
Rachel shouted, and then the entrance to the chamber was blown apart as a single Monster revealed itself.
I looked at the Monster and muttered.
"I've never seen an Orc before, but... it's bigger than I expected, and isn't it red?"
I think it's perfectly understandable that I said that.
I had a certain image of Orcs—green skin, thick limbs, equipped with nothing but a loincloth. But the Orc before me had crimson skin.
It wasn't just a loincloth, either. Coarse hair grew along its arms, giving the impression that it was wrapped in fur.
The hair on its head was long enough to cover its back.
Fangs jutted out from beneath its jaw, sharp and menacing, and its breathing was heavy.
"Whoa, this doesn't look like any normal Orc."
Rondo spoke in a casual tone, but the tension in his voice was obvious.
Aria seemed unable to make a sound.
Zelphy quickly stepped forward.
She looked at the weapon the red Orc was carrying.
To the Orc, it looked like a simple sword, but in human hands, it would undoubtedly be classified as a greatsword.
Zelphy glared at the creature.
"So you're the one who took that guy's weapon? That takes some nerve... I owed him plenty, and I had every reason to buy him a drink. I'll take you down and send you off as an offering to him."
I gripped the Jewel just once.
Judging by appearance alone, I felt the opponent's strength wasn't impossible to overcome.
But something eerie lurked about it.
Not on Ceres's level, but that same abnormal sense of something being possessed—.
The Second Generation supplied the answer.
"It defeated an adventurer and 'leveled up.' It even has 'Skills.' Honestly..."
First Generation
's intuition is annoyingly accurate."
The Seventh Generation had warned me.
"Rael, think about retreating too. If it comes to it, cut loose the five who can't run and prioritize the surviving members."
That's correct.
It's a perfectly valid point.
I turned my gaze toward the five adventurers collapsed behind me.
(If we leave them behind, these five will certainly be killed. Besides, can we even make it out?)
I'm convinced we could escape if I used my Skill.
I know. I do know — but I didn't want to pick the option that meant choosing that.
The Seventh Generation speaks.
"Rael, sometimes you have to be heartless. Otherwise, you'll end up losing even more."
They could tell I was struggling.
When I lowered my head, the First Generation burst out laughing.
"Gahahaha! You lot underestimate Rael way too much."
(First Generation?)
While I was wondering what was going on, the First Generation issued me a directive.
"
Your
Skill's time to shine, isn't it?"
When the First Generation spoke to the Second Generation, I heard the sound of a tongue clicking.
I'd heard that the Second Generation's Skill only becomes meaningful when paired with something else.
"...This is way too soon. I wanted to wait a little longer for Rael to grow, you know."
While I was still feeling lost, the Fifth Generation cut in.
"That's all well and good, but check your surroundings. There's an irregular like this hanging around — I want to know how things around us are going to move."
Following his advice, I checked the map. Red dots were heading straight toward us.
"Zelphy, more and more Monsters are closing in."
The moment I said that, everyone reacted.
They must have figured that my Skill was a support type that gathered precise information about the area around us.
"You never say anything cheerful, do you? How about giving us some good news for once?"
I didn't know how to respond to Zelphy's exasperated voice.
The Second Generation was laid-back, too.
"Now then — shall I teach you my Skill?"
I hadn't expected to be told to use a Skill completely on the fly.
I never imagined I'd be told to use one with zero practice.
The First Generation spoke to the Seventh Generation.
"There's no running away now, is there?"
"Damn it — Rael, you have to survive no matter what. With the Second Generation's Skill, that's possible."
(No good — even if you tell me something like that...)
Just as I was thinking that, information about the Skill came flooding out of the Jewel.
(This Skill is...)
While I stood there with my head bowed, dazed, Zelphy called out to me.
"Pull yourself together, Rael! If you don't show some fighting spirit here, what's the point?! You're the one who said you'd participate, aren't you?!"
Then, the Orc before me let out a war cry as well.
I raised my head—I had been looking down.
It was Novem who noticed the change.
"Lord Rael?"
"...I suppose one alone wouldn't make much sense. But I wish I'd known sooner."
I slowly raised my saber toward the Orc.