Floor twenty-nine.
Miranda checked the short sword and knives hanging at her waist.
She had picked out clothing that allowed for easier movement than before, which meant the lines of her body were visible.
Though it was light armor, there were still metal parts such as knee guards, but because she had prioritized mobility, it couldn't really be called heavy armor.
Even so—
"There, all done."
She hurled the short sword in her right hand at an Ogre clad in iron armor, and it pierced its eye.
The one who charged in from the direction whose vision had been taken away was Aria.
Once they reached the twenty-ninth floor underground, Aria finally began making extensive use of her Skills as well.
With more than double her normal strength, weapon hardening—and on top of that, she delivered a powerful blow to the Ogre's face.
She thrust her short spear into its head, and when the Ogre fell, Aria pulled the spear out and put distance between herself and the surrounding Monsters.
Just then, the head of an Orc that had been trying to approach Aria was blown off.
It was Laiel.
He readied his bow and used his limited supply of explosive arrows to whittle down the enemies.
Miranda, too, threw knives at the Monsters that drew near her.
When the Orc with knives embedded in both eyes wildly swung its weapon around, she threw the short sword she was holding at the Orc's neck.
Blood sprayed from where the blade had lodged, and the writhing Orc dragged down the allies around it in its thrashing.
While that was happening, another explosion went off, leaving only the Orc that had been rampaging among friend and foe alike.
It collapsed from exhaustion, and Aria delivered the finishing blow to end it.
Rael gives orders.
"Stay on alert for the surroundings, then take a short break. Clara, I'm counting on you. Novem, how are you holding up?"
Novem, the mage who served as the party's main source of offensive firepower, had been casting spells extensively even on the twenty-ninth floor of the dungeon.
Rael had been thinking about tomorrow and holding her in reserve, so she hadn't joined the current fight.
"I'm fine. Shouldn't I be joining in?"
Miranda thought to herself.
(Probably not. Rael's judgment isn't wrong, exactly, but he's underestimating things too much.)
Rael, deep in thought, spoke up.
"...We've also found the entrance to the thirtieth floor. I need you rested for tomorrow. I'll be using magic too, but the bulk of the casting will fall on Novem. We have more to deal with after that, so Novem — who also fills our healing role — needs to stay fresh."
Miranda looked toward the rear of the party, where they were keeping watch.
(If we weren't being tailed, Novem could've joined in and this would've been over so much more easily.)
A party had been shadowing them, and it was Shannon — her sister — who had first raised the alarm several days ago.
They were entering their seventh day in the dungeon, and they had been pushing forward at a brisk pace.
In previous runs, they would defeat the boss of the fortieth floor within a week and return to the surface.
By those standards, this run was slower — but even so, they were still moving at a plenty fast pace.
The knives and short swords they had used.
Clara had been collecting them and bringing them to Miranda.
"Miranda."
"Thank you, Clara..."
Miranda smiled at Clara, who had been invited to join by Rael last time — but internally, she felt somewhat conflicted.
Even though he had seen her ugliest parts, he had accepted her. But just how much had he truly accepted...
She couldn't even figure that out for herself.
(Companions, huh?)
It would be a lie to say she had no thoughts about Clara.
She hadn't been invited by Rael either. She had offered her assistance on her own.
They were registered as an official party, but it had been weighing on her.
What did Rael think of her?
His words had been close to a confession. Novem also seemed to consider her a member of his harem. That was strange too, but—
Right now, she wanted to be by Rael's side.
(Whatever, I've practically been cast out of House Cerclie, so it'd be fine to follow him to the end, right?)
The personality created by Shannon, and the personality she had shown to the world until now.
The current Miranda, a blend of those two, was no longer the type who was kind to everyone just to get hurt.
She glanced slightly toward Rael, who was talking with Clara.
Miranda walked over to Porter's side, checking her equipment while wiping away blood.
"Oh, this one really should be replaced."
Spotting a knife that would be better off swapped out, she called out to Shannon inside Porter.
"Shannon, bring me my backup knife."
Since she could sense no enemies nearby, she called out freely, and Shannon emerged from Porter by opening the metal door.
She had apparently been sleeping — her hair was a mess.
"You... were sleeping during combat?"
Miranda was exasperated, but Shannon spoke up.
"Well, we wouldn't lose to that many, would we? Besides, there was nothing to do and I was bored. I should have brought something to pass the time."
The sister who everyone had thought was blind — a frail, quiet girl — now appeared more adapted to the suffocating depths of the Dungeon than anyone else.
(I suppose this is also the power of her eyes.)
Miranda took the knife and handed the unusable one to Shannon.
"We still have to get back, and over half our equipment is already ruined. Is this really okay? The food, too."
When Shannon said this while glancing at Porter, Miranda replied.
"It's fine. The return trip is easier than the way down... well, not exactly. It's faster because we already know the route. But apparently, most people have a hard time on the way back because they're loaded down with Magic Stones and materials and such..."
Both Miranda and Shannon looked at Porter.
The companion that Rael and Poyopoyo had created was a truly reliable existence.
"...Well, there's supposed to be a boss tomorrow too, and if we fight it, we'll head straight back to the surface after. We know the way, so it shouldn't take long."
The entrance to the thirtieth floor had been confirmed.
They were going to take an early break today and rest up for tomorrow.
Miranda told Shannon to go back inside Porter, then tucked away the exchanged knife.
(I just hope nothing happens, but that's probably too much to ask.)
Glancing behind her, Miranda felt an unpleasant presence—
Near the exit of the twenty-ninth floor — that is, standing before the boss room on the thirtieth floor — we had retreated into a small chamber to rest.
Porter was stationed at the room's entrance, blocking anyone from getting in or out.
"We should have done this from the start."
I grumbled, but Clara disagreed with my suggestion.
"It'll be considered an act of territorial occupation within the Dungeon, so it's really not a good idea. In Aramsass, the Guild manages the Dungeons. With that being the norm, the Guild strongly frowns on adventurers feuding over territory among themselves."
Apparently, you could even lose your right to challenge a Dungeon altogether, so pulling stunts like that where there are lots of other parties around is a major breach of etiquette.
"So it's like a rule specific to Aramsass?"
"It's more of a local custom. I doubt it's the same elsewhere."
Clara explained to me that the general rules for adventurers could vary from one region to another.
I was chatting with Clara in the corner of the room, where she'd lit up her staff for illumination—but in truth, I was being watched.
A voice came from the Jewel.
It was the Sixth Generation.
"Lyle... mind turning around for a second? We can't see anything without your visual input."
(...You bastard. Think about why it's Clara who's standing guard, why don't you.)
Right now, behind me, the girls were—
Everyone except me was wringing out towels and wiping down their bodies.
The tub was filled with water Clara had conjured using magic. They were using it to wash away the sweat and Monster blood.
I spoke up.
"Hey—can you actually drink water that was created with magic?"
Clara shook her head.
"There have been researchers who ran that experiment over and over, but drinking it will basically give you an upset stomach. Some people can handle it, but... I wouldn't recommend it. Besides, the taste is rather... off."
I took in what Clara said, then asked.
"Have you tried it?"
"I have. I was thinking that if I could provide support by creating drinkable water, that alone would be enough to keep someone alive... but I failed."
What a challenger.
The Second Generation remarked.
*"Relying on magic for everything isn't really a good thing."*
The Third Generation agreed as well.
*"That's right. It's the same everywhere. Was it 'Village of Mages'?"*
The Fourth Generation, hearing that, spoke up as though recalling something.
*"It was a children's tale, I think? That kind of thing is necessary."*
"Village of Mages" — I had read it too, once.
But I thought Clara's case was a little different.
"Look, you really shouldn't push yourself too hard."
"Yes. I swear I'll never do it again."
Clara hung her head, and we chatted a bit more after that. Eventually, perhaps having dried off and freshened up, Aria came over to call us.
"I'm done."
When I turned around, the Sixth Generation let out a slightly disappointed voice.
*"She still doesn't get it. What I want is more, well... embarrassment."*
The Seventh Generation looked at Aria and added.
*"This girl is getting more and more manly..."*
Aria, who had earned their disapproval, was wearing bottoms but had on nothing underneath her shirt up top.
And she was utterly unbothered about it.
"What?"
I said.
"You should probably have more shame about this."
To that, Aria shot back.
"How can I worry about that when we're in a place like this!"
A perfectly valid point.
Then Clara chimed in.
"Lyle-sama, you're dreaming too much. Most female adventurers are like this. They're companions who sleep in the same quarters as male adventurers, after all... Though I think this party is still on the better side. There are some among them who go in nothing but underwear—or even fully nude. Ah, but only inside the Dungeon, when you've got companions around to guarantee safety."
Then the Fourth Generation spoke up.
*"What is that... I can see why adventurers avoid their own kind."*
The Second Generation added as well.
*"Men want to keep living in their dreams. But in this kind of environment, there's no helping it."*
While we were talking, Miranda came over.
"What are you guys doing?"
She had a towel draped around her neck, but she was properly dressed both top and bottom. The reason she looked so casual was probably because Porter was blocking the entrance behind her.
Her hair was a little damp, giving it a soft sheen.
There was something about Miranda that tugged at a man's heart, and my gaze was stuck on her.
Then the Fourth Generation spoke.
*"This is what I'm talking about..."*
The Fifth Generation as well.
*"She looks a lot like Mireia, doesn't she..."*
The Sixth Generation.
'This girl gets it, doesn't she.'
The Seventh Generation.
'Hmm. She's nothing like Aria.'
My face seemed to have gone red, too.
Clara and Aria were giving me flat stares. But what I was thinking right now was—
(Why am I listening to these kinds of stories from my ancestors... well, I can hear them, so I can't exactly refuse)
The next day.
Having finished our preparations, we descended the stairs to the thirtieth basement floor.
Novem asked.
"Putting Shannon on the Porter is fine, but it seems we won't be able to wait at the entrance inside the room."
The passage leading to the boss's room was too wide for the Porter to block off.
I was keeping watch for those chasing us from behind, but even so, I couldn't say I felt at ease.
"Because the fight with the boss is the most dangerous part."
As I said that, Poyopoyo stepped forward.
"Then, I, Poyopoyo, shall stand guard at the rear!"
I had been debating whether to bring Poyopoyo into the boss fight, but he was simply too strong — there'd be no sense of accomplishment.
Before the question of personal satisfaction, we needed to know whether we could actually take on the boss ourselves. For that reason, Poyopoyo had been holding back in a support role until now.
"...Stay near the Porter and protect Shannon. I don't think it'll happen, but if we lose, take the surviving members and Shannon and run."
At that, Poyopoyo looked at me with an exasperated expression, as if to say "good grief."
"What's the deal?"
"If Chicken dies, I won't receive any magic power or whatever strange energy he supplies, so I'll shut down. I'd still be able to move for a while, but in that case, I'll beat the hell out of whoever killed Master and make them regret being born."
Poyopoyo declared this with supreme confidence, and Novem gave a wry smile.
"Um, if it's dangerous, shouldn't you step in and help?"
At that, Poyopoyo's expression shifted as though she'd just realized something, and she grew flustered.
"I-I'm just talking hypothetically! I-I don't want to watch Chicken die either, you know!"
The Third Generation spoke up.
'I'm getting to the point where I can't tell if this Automaton is amazing or terrible.'
The Fifth Generation added:
'Even an Automaton this sophisticated makes mistakes — should I praise that or criticize it... It's a real dilemma.'
While that exchange was going on, we arrived at the boss room.
I gave instructions to everyone.
"Equipment check is done, right?"
Once everyone nodded to confirm, I reviewed the battle plan.
"Aria and Miranda will be the front line, moving around to draw the enemy's attention. I'll be in the middle line, supporting the two of them with magic. Novem, I'm counting on you for a powerful finishing blow. Clara, you operate the Porter while lighting up the room. Shannon stays inside the Porter on standby. Poyopoyo, you're her bodyguard."
Once the briefing was finished, I went over our contingency for the pursuers who were likely to intervene during the boss fight.
"...There's a chance they'll make their move during the boss battle. They could also ambush us after the fight. If they jump in mid-combat, we lure them into a pincer position between us and the boss. If that happens, I'll handle the intruders myself."
I explained that after the battle ended, we'd guard the entrance, use the Porter to erect a wall, and set up positions to watch for any assault.
The Second Generation was visibly displeased with my judgment.
'Well, if you think that's the right call, give it a shot.'
The Third Generation speaks as well.
"It's Laiel's call, so that's fine with me. Personally, I think there are some issues, though."
Retreat may be the safest option... but not necessarily.
We have far too little information about the enemy.
My reason for prioritizing the boss was also because I was relying on my ancestors' Skills.
(Defeat the boss quickly and prepare for any pursuers. That's one way to break through this situation.)
According to Shannon, the pursuers were still giving chase.
...I address everyone.
"Let's go!"
As I start running, Aria and Miranda surge ahead of me.
I can hear the footsteps of the members following behind, as well as the whir of the Porter in motion.
In the room, there stood an Ogre wielding a massive tube.
"I didn't notice before, but... it's bigger than a normal Ogre."
A lot of its skin is exposed, but it's wearing custom-fitted armor around its head, neck, and abdomen—not makeshift, but crafted specifically for itself.
The large tube was hollow inside, and upon seeing it, Poyopoyo remarked:
"Is that weapon a cannon? If we mounted it on the Porter, it'd be a real power-up."
At the tip of the tube was something like a square bludgeon. Only a colossal Ogre could wield something like that, and I'd rather not get crushed by it.
I draw my Saber and prepare magic with my left hand.
In the meantime, Aria and Miranda position themselves on either side of the boss, drawing its attention.
I cast my spell.
"Fire Bullet!"
Multiple fireballs struck the boss's head, and it seemed to temporarily lose its sight.
During that interval, Aria used her Skills to slash in.
Miranda also threw her short sword at a joint.
The boss's face was hidden by its helmet, but I could tell it was furious from the roar it let out, so I glanced behind me.
(Hasn't Novem finished preparing yet?)
Watching the boss, praying no attack would come from the rear, I continued to nag the boss's attention towards me with my magic.
Then, the boss, which had begun to swing a blunt weapon, threw it at Clara, who was illuminating the room.
"Clara, fall back!"
That blunt weapon was sent flying, striking the ground with a displeasing metallic clang.
That was Poyopoyo.
"Securing the rear is this Poyopoyo's job... I'm savoring the happiness of having such a useless master."
I thanked Poyopoyo, who was being sarcastic.
"Well done. I'll give you that name I was thinking of later. Just stay on rear guard!"
"Now what did you say? At a time like this... You should have said it yesterday..."
It was muttering something about "flags," but I ignored it and looked at the boss. Having lost its weapon, the boss was attacking Aria and Miranda with its bare fists.
"Lightning!"
The moment the two had created some distance, I cast my magic, dealing damage to the boss.
It wasn't a fatal blow, but it definitely slowed the enemy's movements.
(The First Generation's Skills were useful after all.)
Faced with a boss we were already struggling against, I was reminded of just how important Skills truly are when I thought about how it used to go down in a single hit.
And then, as we surrounded the boss and chipped away at it piece by piece, Clara shouted out.
"I'm ready!"
Clara's voice, normally so soft, cut through the air in a shout. We immediately backed away, and once we had retreated to the walls of the room, the temperature began to rise sharply.
"Fire Storm!"
A pillar of flames surged upward, engulfing and incinerating the target. The moment I saw it, I was certain of our victory.
The boss thrashed about wildly but couldn't break free, and it was on the verge of collapsing from sheer exhaustion.
"Yes!"
The instant those words left my mouth, the Second Generation spoke up.
"Ryel!"
Hearing that, I turned my gaze toward the entrance.
The ones who had walked in were other adventurers. It was perfectly obvious that we were in the middle of a fight.
Not only was this a flagrant breach of etiquette, but the weapons in their hands were bows and arrows.
"Everyone, fall back to the Porter!"
Aria and Miranda took off running.
Novem had just finished casting her magic, and with Clara's help, made her way toward the Porter.
But their movements were sluggish, and the arrows were aimed squarely at the two of them.
I could see light glowing at the tips of the arrows.
With the boss still burning and the room bathed in bright light, what I saw were exploding arrows — the very same kind I had used myself.
"—!"
The moment they started running, arrows were fired, hurtling toward Novem and Clara. From the angle, Porter’s shadow couldn’t fully shield them.
The one who stepped forward then was—
“Not on my watch!”
Several arrows struck Poyopoyo, causing explosions.
It happened in an instant.
Poyopoyo still stood there, maintaining its form.
And then, a well-dressed adventurer appeared.
I shouted.
“What the hell are you after?!”
The well-dressed adventurer wore a smug grin.
(He’s well-dressed. A noble? …The receptionist mentioned something about poaching Novem and the others… It *is* him!)
I’d heard from the receptionist about a noble who’d tried to poach Novem and her group before.
Several arrows flew toward me, and I dodged them.
The arrows that hit the wall exploded, and at the same time, smoke began to billow.
The Fifth Generation spoke.
“Lyle, cover your mouth with anything you can find!”
Something like poison.
While I was thinking that, the well-dressed adventurer looked at me and spoke. His gaze was fixed on my companions huddled around Porter.
(This guy is targeting Novem and the others—)
“Lyle, the one carrying you… I’ll be taking your ‘Porter’.”
For a brief moment, I couldn't understand what he was saying.