Finally on with the main story again. Next chapter later tonight and a few more tomorrow morning probably since I'm feeling a bit better. Also just a note I forgot to mention a while back, the Japanese characters for {Sooner} is like "very soon" or "just a bit more", so it's that meaning in {Sooner}.
Year 7445, Month 8, Day 4
After the seven of us arrived at the teleport room on the 6th floor around noon we just took a light shower before taking a reasonable break and then stepped foot on the 7th floor. Since it's necessary to properly make the teleport room on the 7th floor into a front line base, while the second and third parties, no, the {Butchers} and {Sooners} are starting over from the foundations on the upper floors I intend to do a number of round trips carrying in the various materials and luggage we need.
Zulu and Angela stand at the front and Gwine and Basutoral support them with spears. Miduchi accumulates damage with magic and bow and gives out instructions to everyone from behind. Giberuti and I carry the luggage while watching that from a bit of distance away. If it's up to three ogres then I can almost afford to watch safely. These guys have already been fighting ogres for close to a year. They're already considerably used to them. Giberuti has already passed through the 7th floor before as well so he doesn't seem to be showing any sort of fear towards the vicious looking ogres holding clubs.
Even Basutoral who was always nervous and afraid when he entered the {Slaughterers} can calmly deal with the movements of the ogres without overdoing things, Gwine is doing a good job of keeping track of Zulu and Angela's movements at the front as she keeps the ogres in check, and Miduchi is luring them into easy to attack positions.
If they can properly deal with three ogres with these numbers then there shouldn't be anymore problems with the 7th floor. After all, I guess the cause of last time was confusion after they were suddenly ambushed and lost all of the front line except for Angela huh...
Come to think of it on the occasion of taking short breaks this time they were always trying to setup two people as sentries. There's far too many unknown factors as to when, where, and how monsters will revive in the dungeon. Even if they have the main group sit with their backs together if they suddenly revive in the middle of the sentries then there's not much meaning to it, since it could result in a crisis from splitting up the forces I had them stop it. It's something that can be resolved if everyone just sits in a circle and keeps an eye out behind the backs of those across from them after all.
The cause of the last time was they were too focused on a single direction and let their guards down from behind. If they even had just one person watching behind they wouldn't have been ambushed. Since I was going to arrive in another dozen seconds and it was unknown if I was alone or not so Miduchi said they intended to confirm the moment I entered the range of the spell {Detect.Life}.
Since I'm making use of spells as well I can't say it loudly but I feel like they're relying too much on spells. Putting it frankly whether I was alone or not it wasn't a very big problem. If I was alone they could have just called out to me when I approached and if I wasn't they would have been able to tell after I got close.
In the first place the reason why everyone was hiding behind the rocks was because we had assumed that would be the case.
Close to evening, we arrived at the teleport room on the 7th floor. We dig a hole in the ground and bury a bucket, make a foot bath, spread out a rubber cloth and spread it out on the raised ground to create the base for the shower. Then after cutting down some adequately thin trees near the entrance of the room and using those to make the frame of the shower we returned to the surface. We properly rested in our inns and the next day we carried even more materials.
...................
Year 7445, Month 8, Day 5
We're carrying luggage again. This time we need to carry the rubber cloth that will act as the walls for the shower room and various types of tableware. We've already finished carrying in the stove so there's no need to worry about the kitchen. When we arrived in the teleport room on the 3rd floor that evening and the third party {Sooner} had setup camp. It's a total of 9 people including Ginger, Hisu, and the Faruergaz party, lead by Toris and Ralpha. Since the spot next to them was conveniently opened we decided to setup camp for tonight there as well.
"What is it? Since when have you been here?"
Why are you on the 3rd floor? Bel and the others were properly in the inn.
"Ah, Al-san. We've been camping here since the evening of the day before yesterday."
Toris replied to my question.
So when we arrived at the 5th floor {Sooner} was in the 3rd floor huh...Though I say that, it's an unthinkable speed for the previous {Sun.Ray}.
"What about injuries?"
"One person got a bone fracture in their leg, after that it was three people with stabs and cuts to the arms and legs or so."
Ralpha replied.
If it's a bone fracture then as long as they have Toris who can use {Cure Serious} then they can recover to being able to move right away and since Ralpha and Faruergaz can use healing spells as well it didn't end in anything serious it seems.
"I see, how was the state of combat?"
"Ah, there's not much to worry about on that end. As expected of the former {Sun.Ray}. They're properly remaining cautious towards monsters and no one was afraid of them either."
"But it was after all just as we heard. It seems that they've even spent an entire day in the dungeon before without entering combat even once."
Since that reply was something I imagined I wasn't surprised.
"Also, on the map we confiscated the locations you can dig up ores were listed. What should we do? Should we aim for it?"
"It should be fine to just ignore the level of ores that can be found on the 3rd or 4th floors. Rather than that let them accumulate as much experience in combat as possible. There's only pitfall traps on the 1st floor so return to the 1st floor starting tomorrow. There's no need to push yourselves continuing to camp inside of the dungeon either. It's fine if you just fortify your formation and use {Audible Clamor} to lure monsters. If it's the entry tax then a couple of gnolls is plenty to earn it back right."
"I understand."
"It's fine if you just test out reorganizing the formations as you think is necessary against goblins and gnolls. It's fine to enter the rooms as well but make sure you're confident that it's definitely an easy win before you enter. Anything after that I won't say anymore."
"If it's the 1st and 2nd floors then if Toris and I are here then the room bosses are fun.."
When I glared at her she shut up. So she still didn't get it...
"Listen carefully Ralpha. Alright, I won't say it twice. The fact that you all can fight decently is something I've long since known, that doesn't matter at all. Think carefully about for what reason I've left these guys in your care. Also, why I still can't let you alone look after them as well."
I pulled Ralpha's ear and whispered to her. Ralpha made a frown from the pain but nodded unexpectedly honestly.
After confirming that I returned to the {Slaughterers} camp. It's right next to them though.
"Did Ral say something again?"
Gwine was combing her beard after washing her face with some water Miduchi made.
"Nn..Well yeah. It's nothing important. Rather than that let's eat."
I look at Giberuti who's stirring the soup while replying.
....................
Year 7445, Month 8, Day 7
While we were making progress with turning the teleport room on the 7th floor into a base by the time things started to get dark we returned to the surface. We went to the magic stone dealer right away to sell our magic stones and then I paid each member their bonuses. I told the three slaves that we'd be having dinner at the usual Murowa before sending them ahead to Shuni their inn. By the time we returned to Boil Manor the sky was considerably dark and the lights started to appear in the restaurants of Baldukk.
We returned to the inn, took a shower, and I was thinking of going to eat dinner but I still don't see Toris, Bel, Zenom, and Ralpha anywhere. Either they're still in the dungeon or since we got back late they've already gone ahead to eat.
Since it couldn't be helped I decided to go to Murowa together with Miduchi, Gwine, Basutoral, and Cathy but in Pegizu which is along the way we found Toris and the members of {Sooner}.
I stopped Gwine who was about to call out to them and after slowly shaking my head we went towards Murowa. It seems they've started to get it a bit. If it's like this then around now Zenom, Bel, and the {Butchers} should be eating somewhere as well.
I guess I must have been smiling since I was in a bit of a good mood. When Gwine was looking at me with a strange face I said, "It's fine so don't worry about it. Let's go." and started walking towards Murowa.
After finishing up our meals we returned to Boil Manor and I heard simple reports from the four who were being transferred. Miduchi was laying in my bed with some thinly sliced cucumbers stuck to her face. Since it's creepy when I told her to stop she said, "If I don't do proper maintenance when I'm still young in my teens then I'll be troubled 10 or 20 years later!" so I decided to ignore her.
The {Butchers} did nothing but continue combat and hunt monsters on the 1st floor these past six days it seems. While there were a considerable number of members with light injuries there doesn't seem to have been even a single serious injury. If you think about the combat potential then it's only obvious but I wonder if it was also largely Zenom's ability after being placed at the front line by Bel?
In terms of results they earned over 3,000,000 Z (3 gold coins) in magic stones these six days. That's about 500,000 Z (50 silver coins) per day in earnings. In terms of each individual persons cut, Bel, Zenom, and I each get about 300,000 Z. However, as expenses there's 540,000 Z for the entry taxes and 60,000 Z or so for food expenses, so I'm about 300,000 Z in the red. It seems they were gathering all of the magic stones from goblins as well, but well I'm sure that sounds about right. Bel was making a mortified face as she looked down and whispered "I'm sorry." before going silent.
I guess because he's the elder, Zenom paid in advance on the expenses but after looking at Bel like that with a kind expression he apologetically lowered his head and said to me, "Sorry that we ended up causing you some losses Al." However, he also whispered in a voice just I could hear, "Even then for that port, Bel earned some valuable experience. I'm sure she'll make good use of it."
Furthermore, while the members of {Butchers} earned more than they did during their time in {Sun.Ray} it seems they were making very satisfied faces. Most likely, they still remember the sensation of splitting up the profits from the 26 ogre magic stones we split up between the remaining seven of us in the first party when we went to the 7th floor. It exceeded just over 3,000,000 Z per person after all so it can't be helped.
In comparison {Sooner} not only experienced some heavy injured like bone fractures but they made an amount that barely didn't reach 2,000,000 Z. That's a share of 200,000 Z per person but since they only re-entered the dungeon three times the entry tax was half that at 270,000 Z aw well as food expenses of 60,000 Z for a total of 330,000 Z. Even on this side I was about 130,000 Z in the red. Well, I'm sure their abilities are lower than the {Butchers} after all and in essence the number of times they entered combat was probably low as well so that sounds about right.
Ralpha said, "Since I thought this would be the case from the first day I told Toris we should aim for ores on the 3rd and 4th floors.."
I gave the brat saying cheeky things a flick to the forehead while saying "It's fine if you don't worry about something like that. I already included this happening in my calculations from the start. It's fine if you just be aware of the fact that you're eating that much money." and laughed while Ralpha was holding her forehead.
Seeing that Bel and Toris both were making similar regrettable faces as they apologized. It's fine as long you understand. Something on this level, it doesn't even add up to 1 magic stone from an ogre.
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