Sevens (LN) - Volume 4 - Chapter 50

Chapter 50 – Floor Boss
Arumsaas’s underground dungeon possessed several characteristics.

One of those characteristics was the existence of a floor boss on every tenth floor. Even if the troublesome floor bosses were defeated, they would revive after a certain period.

However, depending on the way you look at it, it was actually a convenient system.

If it were adventurers who had won against the boss once, it would be possible for them to prepare equipment and tactics that were suited towards the boss to defeat it even more effectively. Furthermore, the magic stone that a boss had was actually expensive. The size and purity were better than other magic stones.

What I wanted to say here was about periodically defeating the bosses on floors B10 and B20 that had the floor traveling device.

──Floor B21.

We defeated the monsters in the area and started preparing to camp for the night in a room that had its safety already secured.

I was setting up something together with Clara-san.

「A curtain?」

「Yes. Do this……with this the surroundings won’t be able to see what is behind this.」

If we were asked what we were making at the room’s corner, it was a toilet. We made a partition using a curtain and only put a collapsible bucket inside. On top of that we put a fold up chair that had an open hole on the seat.

Something was thrown into the bucket at the end.

「That is?」

「It’s deodorant. With this, it will become really comfortable.」

Just because we were inside a dungeon, there was no way a human could hold back their physiological needs……there was the necessity to rack our brains for various things like this.

I once heard that male adventurers became unable to perceive female adventurers as members of the opposite sex because the sense of shame of both sides thinned and the female adventurers becoming masculine in attitude.

……From the bottom of my heart I didn’t want Novem and the others to become like that.

Clara-san saw me feeling down and tilted her head.

「It’s just a simple thing, but it’s better than nothing.」

「No, I understand that but still」

When I said that, the Fifth thrust a fact before me apathetically.

『It’s also the same on the battlefield. Something like feces is common, and humans, if their stomach is split open──』

No, I understood so please don’t explain it to me intentionally like that.

Clara-san came out from the curtain and moved to carry out other preparations. I followed her too.

「Please wash your hands cleanly. Also please call me in case you need hot water. I will prepare the water anytime.」

I was honestly impressed seeing Clara-san moving around to do many things.

「Looks like you have a lot of work to do.」

Clara-san looked at me and sighed.

「……Well, originally it will be better if there were more supporters that came along.」

When I made a troubled face, she said 「I understand the reason for this though」 to me.

Even if I was told to hire more people, firstly I didn’t know whether they could be trusted or not. Besides, I was using my Arts in full capability. I wanted to avoid having this information grasped by some random people.

In regards to that, Clara-san was said to be an excellent supporter. In other words, those kinds of things──leaking information to other people, stealing magic stones or other items, playing hooky with work, those kinds of minus aspects were something she had never done until now.

It was really ironic that she caught the eye of the guild because she obtained high evaluations and ended up being introduced to Academy students who were nobles with bad characters.

「This time there was no time to do so. So I understand that you didn’t have time to gather more people. But, it’s better to think about it more from next time.」

We were working with the camp’s preparations even while she was explaining about various things like this.

.

The sound of a sleeper’s breathing could be heard.

When I opened my eyes, there was only Miranda-san who was awake. Originally there should be one more person who was awake, but Sophia-san was sleeping in a sitting posture.

p179

「……It’s unusual that Sophia-san is like this.」

The diligent Sophia-san had never dozed off until now. Furthermore she had also rested before in preparation of the guard duty today. She should be taking the guard duty after resting properly.

While I was hesitating whether to wake her up or not, Miranda-san smiled and said.

「Let’s allow her to sleep. It looks like she is tired.」

I scratched my head and looked at Sophia-san’s sleeping face. Her sleeping figure in a sitting position looked somewhat cute.

「I guess.」

The Second also acted unusually inside the Jewel.

『It’s not Aria but Sophia who is nodding off? How unusual. Even though this girl’s redeeming feature is her diligence.』

Inside the dark room, Miranda-san was checking her tools in front of a lantern’s light. She looked like an experienced adventurer like that.

She carefully checked her tools and sometimes she would do maintenance.

When I checked the time, it felt like it would be better to stay awake like this rather than going back to sleep. I woke up and stretched. Nearby Novem, Aria-san, Clara-san, and Professor Damian were sleeping.

It was dangerous inside the dungeon for almost everyone to sleep. Because of that I checked the surrounding area, but there wasn’t any particular danger approaching.

Floor B21.

There were two adventurer parties other than us here. None of them were moving. They seemed to be resting. When I sat down near Miranda-san, she prepared soup for breakfast. But, it wasn’t the leftovers from yesterday. She was making a new one from scratch.

「You are making a new one? What about yesterday’s leftovers?」

Miranda-san shrugged.

「Everyone ate more than expected. Well, we also had some surplus with the supply so it’s alright. Want to eat first?」

Miranda-san poured the soup into a bowl and handed it to me, then she also gave me some bread. The soup’s taste was different from Novem’s, but it was delicious.

「It’s delicious.」

「I see. I’m glad.」

And then time passed like that without any words. It felt really uncomfortable. The ancestors were talking inside the Jewel but it was about an unrelated topic.

『How about doodling on Sophia-chan’s face? I think that can be her punishment.』

『How can you suggest to do that with a girl’s face? If you do something like that……uh! Stomach, my stomach hurts!』

The Fourth recalled something from the Third’s suggestion and his stomach hurt. I learned a fact that even the ancestors who were nothing but memories could also get a stomachache. Just what happened in the Fourth’s past?

……I didn’t care I guess.

As expected it was too quiet, so I talked to Miranda-san.

「Come to think of it, what is Miranda-san studying at the Academy?」

Miranda-san politely answered my vague question.

「Let’s see……there are various things but, I think it’s mainly pharmacy. I focused on magic for a time because I wanted to heal Shannon’s eyes, but the result was no good. So I thought of trying it with medicine and started studying that. In the end it also looked to be hopeless though. After all, that girl, she actually couldn’t see since she was born. Various famous doctors said that it’s better to give up.」

The Sixth was getting tearful.

『So Miranda inherited Milleia’s kindness. And yet, why is Shannon like that』

The Fifth talked with a disgusted voice.

『A large man shouldn’t cry, it’s unsightly. However, she is a kind girl that is rare in this age. Someone like her was also rare in my era though.』

What the Fifth meant by rare must be in regards of among the nobles.

I looked at Professor Damian.

「Then, is Professor Damian a pharmacy specialist?」

I thought that because he was acquainted with Miranda-san, but it seemed I was wrong. Miranda-san smiled slightly while shaking her head.

「You’re wrong. I attend Professor Damian’s class, but I also attend various other classes. I have been clever since the past. I can do anything skillfully to a certain extent. But, I’m what they called a jack of all trades and a master of none.」

I denied those words of Miranda-san.

「That’s not true. Your movement today is far from being average──」

Miranda-san stared at the lantern’s light.

「In the end, those with strong individuality will be stronger. I don’t have speed like Aria or power like Sophia-san. I’m not as skilled as Novem-san in magic, and I also don’t have an Art that stands out. I also don’t have the capability to handle multiple Arts as well as Lyle-kun.」

I rubbed my nose shyly, but then booing came from the Jewel. It was the Third.

『Even though you were doubting us when we praised you, you will believe it when it’s a beautiful girl who said it? Lyle, you haven’t forgotten that you have Novem-chan and the others have you? You’re flirting too much just because everyone is sleeping.』

……This guy is noisy.

Miranda-san stood up.

「It will be time soon. Let’s wake up Sophia-san.」

Saying that, she went to wake up the sleeping Sophia-san.

「Eh? I, I!」

Sophia-san sprang up when she was called at and apologized to Miranda-san with a red face. She was already tearful even.

Well, it was possible that the party could receive great harm because she was dozing off during her time as lookout. Thinking about that, this was a great blunder.

Miranda-san smiled at the apologizing Sophia-san.

「……Now then, we will be busy today.」

Although I said that, there was no floor travelling device from below floor B25, so the number of adventurers challenging that area were few. Recently there wasn’t any report to the guild that the boss of floor B30 had been defeated.

The Second muttered with a low voice.

『I wonder why, it feels like we’re getting into a trap……it’s a strange feeling. I can’t erase this bad premonition.』

The Second who had a sharp instinct was speaking really vaguely.

Perhaps there was a need to be careful.

.

Floor B29.

We who advanced through a route that avoided encounters with monsters or other adventurers came to a stop in front of the passage that continued underground.

「……That’s troublesome.」

There were multiple monsters and a lizardman holding a torch in the dark passage. The number of monsters moving in the surrounding area was also a lot. If we made too much noise, the monsters would be lured here.

The Fifth explained my blunder.

『This is the price of trying to avoid everything. If you can grasp the whole picture, then you can also rampage loudly near the entrance to gather monsters there. If you don’t fight moderately, you will have it hard when going back.』

I reflected on my mistake while watching the enemy’s number and forming a plan.

「……This is manageable. I’ll take care of this.」

Novem grabbed my arm.

「Lyle-sama, please don’t be reckless.」

It wasn’t like I was reckless. It was just more convenient to do it alone in this case. The corridor was wide, but it would be a disaster if it became a free for all and friend and foe became jumbled together. Magic would become unusable then.

「No, I’ll be fine alone. Everyone wait here.」

I said that and started running while pulling out my saber. I headed towards the lizardman with a torch and fired magic with my left hand.

「Water Bullet」

Water was generated at my fingertips and created a water ball. It flew towards the torch. The monsters began making  a clamor when the fire vanished, but I could perceive my surroundings clearly with the Second’s Art, All.

With weapon in hand I approached the panicking lizardman and thrust towards his heart.

When the lizardman fell, the monsters started swinging around their weapons inside the darkness.

「──Oops」

As expected from monsters that were wandering around a dark place, it seemed they could see my position faintly. A club that was swung by an orc grazed above my head.

I aimed at the gap of the iron armor and my saber slid in. Blood spurted from the orc from its sliced neck and it collapsed.

A lizardman swung an axe towards me, but I dodged with a back step. Then the axe’s excessive momentum swung it to pierce deeply into a nearby orc.

Friendly fire. This was what I aimed for. As expected, it was the correct choice to fight alone. I slashed my saber at the torso of the lizardman that was troubled from being unable to pull out his axe, then I leaped on the back of the remaining orc that tried to run away and stabbed my saber into his unarmored neck.

「……I don’t really care but, why are the lizardmen not wearing armor on their chests or stomachs?」

It was mysterious because they were wearing armor on their shoulders or limbs.

Well, it would be nothing but trouble if they were wearing full body armor though.

The battle was over so I chanted magic of light at that place. Novem and the others came then.

Clara-san looked at me and she seemed to want to say something. But, in the end she prioritized her work and started collecting the magic stones.

Professor Damian rode on his puppet’s shoulder while coming my way. He spoke while looking at me.

「I cannot speak about other people but, you── No, as I thought it’s alright.」

「No, please say it till the end. Now you made me curious.」

The Fourth’s sigh came into my ear.

『It’s also important to notice some things by yourself. Lyle, you should think a bit more before taking action.』

Being told that, I wiped my saber’s blade and sheathed it. Novem looked at me worriedly.

「Lyle-sama, are you injured?」

「Ah, I’m fine. More importantly let’s hurry ahead.」

.

Floor B30.

The floor with a boss in it wasn’t structured like a maze. There was only a single straight path.

And then, a round large room existed at the center of the path. It was like a single line piercing through a circle……the floor was like that. Because of that, it was also simple to peek into the boss’s room.

The boss was a cylinder object floating unsteadily at the center of the room. It had one eye and four spheres attached below it.

Its appearance was really simple. Its height was three meters. Its width was around two people’s worth perhaps?

It sometimes fell and created cracks on the floor. It might be heavier than expected.

Clara-san explained.

「That’s the boss of floor B30. Previously the party that I joined brought shields and surrounded it from four directions. They would attack the boss from behind to defeat it. That single eye can fire light that melts various things with heat. Its body tackle is also a threat. If you get hit fully by it you will be flattened……although you will end up even more gruesomely than that in reality.」

We would get melted if we took distance, and got tackled with heavy weight if we came closer……the way to fight it was actually really simple too, but the monster was really troublesome with its great toughness.

Clara-san explained to us several ways to defeat it.

「There is a method to lure it to do its tackle attack, and then everyone will restrain it and beat it up all at once. In that situation, it’s important to not stand in front of its eye. Another way is to destroy that single eye. It won’t be able to counterattack properly after that eye is crushed.」

I listened to several methods and judged that it was more feasible to aim at its eye rather than surrounding it with our number.

Clara-san warned me.

「Please be careful. You won’t be locked inside the boss room, but once you provoke it, the boss will keep chasing you even into this passage. If you think that it’s fine even if you fail because you can escape, then there is the possibility of getting the whole party annihilated.」

That was scary. Certainly, if we were chased by that cylinder thing in this straight path, we would be fired with light from behind and everyone would be melted.

Then, the Third seemed to get an idea.

『Oh, in that case can that enemy be lured into this path? Don’t you think that it will be actually fun like that?』

The Sixth was also laughing.

『I see……rather than a spacious place without any place to hide, it feels like it will be far easier to fight like that.』

The ancestors started discussing as though they were scheming again.

『I see, so it will be fine if you fight it here.』

『Narrow path. Having no place to escape will also apply to the enemy here.』

『In that case, those two will be the key.』

『A bait is needed. Or rather, I want more information first.』

『Lyle can do it. Or rather, there is no one else who can do it here.』

『Lyle as bait? Kuh, even though I understand that’s the best but accepting it is……』

It seemed, there was a piece of information that the ancestors wanted. I asked about it to Clara-san. Hearing the answer to that, it was judged that there was no problem and I told everyone the plan.

.

──The passage towards the boss room. There were Aria and Sophia near the high ceiling there.

「That guy, there is something completely wrong with his head.」

Aria stabbed her spear into the wall and grabbed it tightly while carrying Sophia in her arm. The weight was lightened by Sophia’s Art so that she could hold on for a while even in this state.

Sophia was a bit nervous.

「I have to write off my failure with this……」

Sophia was still bothered by her dozing off when it was her turn as guard. Aria was exasperated.

「Just forget it already. Standing guard is just an addition anyway.」

They had Lyle and they had gone around defeating monsters in the area beforehand. Their safety was as good as secured.

But, Sophia shook her head.

「That’s obviously not good. The lives of everyone was entrusted to me. ……But, it’s strange.」

「What is strange?」

Sophia answered with a serious face.

「I had eaten and slept enough beforehand. Besides I was asleep until just before dawn when my turn to stand guard came you know? How could I doze off at that time when I had just woken up?」

From Aria’s perspective her only impression was 「You were simply still sleepy」. But, Sophia who was normally diligent nodded off to sleep.

It was a fact that she thought was strange.

「Was there something different than usual?」

They continued talking because they had nothing to do until Lyle arrived.

「There wasn’t really any? I received the leftover soup and bread from yesterday and ate them, but other than that……」

While they were talking about that, the entrance of the passage became noisy. Lyle ran away from the boss room into the passage, and then the cylinder object that was the boss came floating up and down into the passage in pursuit.

Aria immediately switched her thoughts.

「Its coming. Start preparing.」

Sophia also switched her worried face into a serious face while in her state that was being carried by Aria.

「I’m ready anytime.」

The cylinder that was chasing Lyle fired a beam of light from its eye. When it hit the floor, that place turned red and melted.

There was smoke and a burnt smell. Lyle skillfully ran around and guided the cylinder to the spot right below Aria and Sophia.

Aria thought.

(That guy is acting recklessly again.)

Lyle would think about various things, but he wouldn’t talk about his thoughts to Aria and the others. He had a habit of reaching a conclusion on his own.

And then, he would choose the best option but from the viewpoint of everyone, it only looked like he was being reckless. From that attitude it couldn’t be felt that he was trusting his comrades.

(If only he would talk to us more properly)

She wanted him to rely on them more. But, she also knew that her own strength was insufficient.

Aria felt chagrined.

「Aria, it’s here!」

When the cylinder came right below the two of them, Aria pulled out the spear from the wall and kicked on the wall while carrying Sophia. She landed on the cylinder’s head part.

Sophia immediately checked where the cylinder’s eye was located, then she flopped their body on the eye to block it and increased their body weight all at once.

「How is that, heavy right!?」

Aria listened to the remark that wasn’t really good as a woman while feeling the cylinder was collapsing. She was supporting Sophia.

When the cylinder couldn’t hold on and collapsed sideways, Sophia increased the cylinder’s own weight this time and it couldn’t move.

Aria let go of Sophia and wiped the sweat on her forehead.

「This thing, it was looking shaky because it couldn’t support its own weight.」

When she lightly kicked the cylinder with her toes, the cylinder talked.

『──Sy──yu……der-! Ha……ji……』

Aria took distance in surprise.

「Thi, this thing talked!」

She was shocked because the cylinder suddenly talked. The discomfort from watching a monster that wasn’t humanoid in appearance talking in human language was also strong.

Then Damian got down from his puppet’s shoulder and walked closer.

「I have heard the report about it but, it’s unclear what it’s talking about. I’m interested but right now I’m busy with other research so I can’t investigate it.」

His hand was holding a tool. Damian looked at the head part of the cylinder and dismantled it with his tool.

Mysteriously the head didn’t let out even a drop of blood.

「Tha, that’s scary for some reason. It’s not bleeding, like it’s not a living thing.」

Damian told such Aria with a disinterested look.

「That’s because it can’t be called a living thing. It’s not that rare in Arumsaas. Look, I’m opening it.」

Damian said about opening the boss’s head, so Aria imagined that it would be really graphic──like a living thing’s brain, but there she saw that the inside wasn’t really like a living thing at all.

「……What’s this?」

It couldn’t be helped that Aria was surprised. The inside was stuffed with metal plate and colored threads that were squeezed together into a jumbled state.

Damian was grumbling while pulling out one of the colored thread and severed it.

「Good grief, even though I said that I’m already used to seeing this so I’m not interested. Err~, is it this? Well, it’s in a good state but that’s all.」

Lyle who acted as bait was tired from running around and sat down on the passage while drinking water.

Novem was watching him looking like she wanted to say something, but Lyle was averting his gaze. He could guess what Novem wanted to say, but it seemed he had no intention to change his mind.

When Damian walked away from the cylinder, Sophia also slowly returned the cylinder’s weight to normal. There was no sign of the cylinder moving.

Clara also approached and began collecting the magic stone and materials.

「This is……we simply need to take out the magic stone and it’s over.」

Aria also moved to help, but Miranda placed her hand on Aria’s shoulder.

「I’ll do this so you can rest.」

「Bu, but」

「It’s fine. Look, I had no turn just now after all.」

Aria was argued down by the smiling Miranda and she nodded.

Aria saw off Miranda who was walking towards Clara and stood still on the spot while having nothing to do──

.

After a break in between, we advanced until floor B32.

But, as expected we ended up having difficulty to advance ahead.

There was also how the monsters were simply strong, but the problems were numerous.

After passing floor B25, the number of adventurers that were active past there became extremely few. Since I detected the adventurer party that was doing their best at floor B27, I didn’t discover anymore adventurers.

Because of that, the number of monsters were extremely high.

In order to prepare to make camp, we had to search for a safe room and exterminated the monsters in the surroundings. We secured the area’s safety while entering the room, then we immediately got into rest.

After a bit of time passed and I recovered my physical state, I used my Art and materialized the magic circle.

Sophia-san put the cylinder boss she was carrying on the magic circle too. We took out the items we needed, while moving the items we didn’t need onto the magic circle.

Professor Damian looked at a wooden box and thought.

「I wonder if I should make one puppet carry this. There is also no chance to use the four of them in battle after all.」

Professor Damian took out the necessary tools and immediately began modifying the wooden box so it could be carried on the puppet’s back. He was really a free person.

When we finished the item switching, the magic circle absorbed the luggage and vanished.

Sophia-san was watching that sight with a puzzled look. Her hand was holding a vegetable that was taken out.

「I still don’t understand the principle of how the item is stored. The vegetable is still fresh like this.」

I was being supported by Novem that had stood ready beforehand while answering Sophia-san’s question.

「Who knows, I also don’t understand the principle. But, I simply think that it’s convenient.」

Professor Damian was making his puppet to shoulder the wooden box while looking this way and sighing.

「That’s a very amazing thing though. If that Art can be reproduced as a magic tool, the world will surely change greatly. Well, I guess it’s impossible though.」

A magic tool was an Art that was reproduced into a tool artificially. Even people who didn’t have the Art could obtain the same effect in that way.

「Eh? It’s not possible?」

Professor Damian seemed to be finished with his work when I was asked in curiosity. He sat on the wooden box and ascertained the sitting comfort.

「It’s impossible. From what I saw the mana consumption is too great. Besides it looked complicated so it’s impossible to reproduce it with a magic tool. No, it’s not impossible if you take no account of the necessary budget but, just how many failures will there be before it succeeds……I’m not interested so I don’t feel like doing it though.」

The Seventh was irritated inside the Jewel.

『It will be maddening if my Art can be imitated that easily.』

Professor Damian was looking at Clara-san who was busily preparing the camp.

「There is the light magic she is using right? If it’s something that simple then it can be reproduced easily, but for something further than that, the size of the magic tool itself will become bigger and magic ore will be necessary to create it. Magic tools are not as all-purpose as you think. Well, you can obtain Arts more easily with it compared to the Gem that you have there though.」

A Gem would memorize Arts through a long period of time. Speaking about the Jewel that I had, it was the crystallization of the Walt House’s history itself. It memorized this many Arts through the period of over two hundred years.

But, with a magic tool you could obtain a simple Art right away.

Gems were left behind and it was the convenient magic tools that were spreading along with the era.

There was something that I wanted to ask a bit in front of Professor Damian.

「Come to think of it, Professor Damian is known as one of the Academy’s Seven Best isn’t it? Just what are you researching about?」

Clara-san and Miranda-san turned around towards me with a surprised face hearing my words.

Professor Damian jumped down from the wooden box and straightened the position of his glasses.

「……My research is it? It’s nothing more than a means to complete a certain thing. I have an ultimate purpose of doing it, but the research itself is nothing more than a process.」

It seemed he had something that he wanted to complete.

「What is that ultimate purpose?」

Professor Damian made a really nice smile. It was different from the fed-up look or disinterested look he was wearing until now. That smile was like the smiling face of an innocent child.

「It’s to create an ideal woman for me!」

「……Hm?」

As expected I couldn’t reply at the answer that was outside of my imagination. Professor Damian began to speak fervently.

「I have been thinking since the past. Even though there is this ideal woman inside my head, she doesn’t exist in this world. People around me would tell me to compromise, look at reality. But I’m different from those foolish commoners. If there isn’t one then I can just create her. I reached that conclusion. Like that I started researching, and before I noticed it I became distinguished as an assistant professor, and then a professor. The Academy gave me some research fund but, they also pushed the worthless job of teaching the students to me. Even though I only want to create my ideal woman!」

The story moved to the Academy’s treatment, the hindrance from the students, the research fund that was still insufficient, etc. It was gradually turning into him complaining.

And then, at the end Professor Damian said with a loud voice.

「However! If I can obtain a magic stone like I wish from the request this time, my research will advance further and my objective will come a lot closer. There is no doubt about that. That’s why, I want to obtain the magic stone no matter what!!」

For the time being I just nodded.

「I, I’ll do my best.」

「Even if you do your best it will be meaningless if it’s not accompanied by result you know?」

Professor Damian emphasized further 「Do your job right okay」.

Inside the Jewel, each ancestor said their respective comment towards Professor Damian.

『This is one of the Academy’s Seven Best? He is too out of it.』

『No, compromise some. The direction of your effort is mistaken isn’t it?』

『However it’s amazing. He has climbed up until becoming professor while touting such objective after all.』

『I can appreciate his tenacity but, I cannot comprehend this guy’s thinking, I also cannot agree with it.』

『Creating a person is taboo in a sense. Well, I hope it will end only as research.』

『This guy, he isn’t a person that can be left to his own devices. Isn’t it this guy who we should do something about rather than Shannon?』

The six ancestors were wary towards Professor Damian.

I also honestly thought. Please, keep it as just research.

.

──The next day.

Lyle’s party that advanced until floor B39 was executing the plan to reduce the number of the floor’s monsters.

Lyle was luring around the monsters as bait.

Novem was harboring dissatisfaction toward such Lyle.

「Why do you keep acting that recklessly?」

Originally it was safer to fight together with everyone. But, Lyle who prioritized efficiency believed in his own strength and acted with that as the basis. That was how it looked like.

Lyle was only asking for the minimum effort from Novem and the others.

From the surroundings came the shouts of the monsters and also explosion sounds sometimes.

Lyle must be using burst arrows or magic.

The voices of the monsters were gradually growing, and then they could sense them approaching.

The entrance of floor B39. There Novem and the others were waiting for Lyle to return with weapons in hand.

Clara called out from behind at Novem who was observing worriedly.

「Lyle-san is really skilled. Though it’s a problem that he is so skilled that he concluded everything by himself.」

「……I wish he would rely on us more.」

「I wonder about that. Because if I have to say, it can also be seen as everyone in the party being completely dependent on Lyle-san.」

There were Aria and Sophia ahead of Clara’s gaze.

Novem also glanced at the two.

The two of them were holding their weapons but they didn’t take a stance. They were talking about something. In contrast, Miranda and Damian had finished their fighting preparations.

(To think that they will be this relaxed)

Just as Clara said, the two of them were becoming remiss because Lyle was too skilled.

(With them like that it’s also only natural that he can’t rely……it’s here)

Novem held her staff with both hands and started preparing the magic that had been decided beforehand.

Miranda also prepared magic with her right hand. Damian was also preparing magic with a large staff that was larger than his own body. With three magicians available, the party’s firepower──the offensive power on the whole was absurdly high.

Lyle was running from the front while launching a light source with magic. Behind him there were a lot of monsters following him.

Novem pointed her staff forward in front of the number of monsters that made the passage look cramped.

「Here I go」

Damian nodded. Miranda replied.

「You can start anytime.」

When she fired her magic from the staff, Lyle avoided the fire ball Novem fired and slid towards his comrades.

Next the fire ball that Miranda fired right after it directly hit the monsters. It burst and flames spread out. There Damian added his magic.

「Wind Cannon……come, I’ll burn you all together.」

A lump of wind was fired. It swallowed the flame and increased its force, burning up the passage. The scream of death agony of the monsters resounded throughout the passage. And then the flames vanished after a while and the passage was scorched black.

The scorched monsters were lying down on the passage.

Clara put on a mask, called Aria and walked forward to collect the magic stones. Aria stabbed the corpses with her spear to check if any were still alive.

Inside the passage, the smell of charred monsters caused everyone to cover their mouth.

Lyle also did the same. He was covering his mouth with a cloth while breathing hard.

Miranda approached Lyle who was like that and talked to him.

It had happened several times that when Novem was about to talk to Lyle inside the dungeon, Miranda would beat her to the punch like this.

(……It’s not really a problem anyway.)

The slightly dissatisfied Novem stood guard against the surroundings. However, Sophia’s movement was bad. She didn’t even move to help, but she also didn’t watch the surroundings.

(Perhaps it will be necessary to scold her firmly once.)

Aria and Sophia’s movement suddenly became worse recently. Novem who was thinking about the two thought back to when they started to grow lax like this.

(They weren’t like this when we first came to Arumsaas……)

She looked at Miranda who was taking care of Lyle and opened her eyes wide.

(Since they met Miranda-san? No, as expected that’s……but, it seems that it’s also weighing on Lyle-sama’s mind.)

Novem who thought of Miranda as suspicious thought about her motive.

(Was Lyle-sama’s imprudent act the cause? But, she wouldn’t cooperate this much if that’s the case. If she wanted to take revenge, then there are many ways that doesn’t need for her to expressly come together to this dangerous place……)

Miranda forgave Lyle, introduced Professor Damian so they could enter the dungeon, and furthermore she also cooperated with them like this.

(Am I over thinking it? No, but……)

Novem looked at Miranda who was having a pleasant chat with Lyle and frowned.

(……Perhaps it’s better to be on guard against her.)

Was that the conclusion from thinking calmly, or a feeling that came from jealousy? Even Novem couldn’t decide which it was.

Lyle looked around to everyone, and told them to resume moving.

Everyone moved towards a room that was nearby the passage that connected to floor B40. It was spacious, and in addition there were also no monsters around, so they could immediately rest there.

The plan was to challenge the boss of floor B40 after they camped here. Everyone began preparing the camp.

However, Lyle was──

「Then, I’ll go down first to check the situation.」

──Starting to say such thing.

Novem felt a headache.

「Lyle-sama, I will also come with you.」

If she left him alone like this, in the worst case he might fight the boss of floor B40 by himself. She thought it wouldn’t happen but, Novem who had been watching Lyle’s actions until now felt really anxious.

「Eh? But──」

「Please allow me to come with you!」

When she said that with a strong tone, as expected even Lyle nodded 「O, okay」 in surprise.

Like that the two of them went down to floor B40 and walked through the long path.

They advanced while launching light source with magic. The light source didn’t follow the two. With this it could be understood just how convenient the magic that Clara had.

Lyle sighed.

「It would have been better to bring a lantern.」

「You’re right. ……More importantly Lyle-sama, aren’t you keep being reckless recently?」

Novem wanted to warn Lyle in this chance. It was because she was worried, but more than that she understood that at this rate it would become a big problem within the party.

「Is that so? But, there was no problem anyway.」

「It’s nothing but a problem. If Lyle-sama is the only one working hard, the others will be──」

「You mean Aria-san and Sophia-san? Certainly the two of them are getting lax but, it’s also not a concern right? We can just caution them later.」

The conversation brought up the matter of the difference in strength between Lyle and those two that was too far apart. There were also the Arts that Lyle had. The seven Arts could be said as the things that had supported the Walt House until now. They had that much strength.

And then, the true ability of Lyle who was using them skillfully like it was nothing could be said as abnormal even though it didn’t stand out.

To speak in the extreme, Lyle didn’t ask anything from Aria and Sophia other than for fighting. He was aware of the two’s lack of tension, but he was thinking optimistically about it because he wasn’t expecting any further contributions from the two of them than this.

(One day our party will breakdown with this kind of way. If that happens then it will be meaningless to gather the two of them──I have to make him realize no matter what.)

Novem turned a serious gaze towards Lyle, but Lyle stopped her with his hand. When she looked where his gaze was directed at, there was a large gate there.

Behind it was the boss room.

「……Well, naturally the boss is there. But, how should I say it? Is that a large box?」

The boss of floor B40 was an existence that was rarely defeated. That was why, although Lyle understood that the boss would definitely be there, he was bewildered when he actually looked at the boss’s figure waiting inside the room.

For Lyle the boss only looked like a large metal box, but Novem was different. She opened her eyes wide and tightly gripped her silver staff in front of the object that shouldn’t be there.

(Why is something like that……)

From Novem’s perspective, she couldn’t even accept that this kind of dungeon existed in Arumsaas. Passage and room that were created from “concrete”. The “light bulb” and “fluorescent lamps” that were illuminating the passage and room here and there. The device to move between floors……“elevator”.

It was dangerous for this dungeon to exist in Arumsaas where geniuses like Damian and a great number of bright people gathered.

「I can also see large wheels but, there is no horse so it doesn’t feel like a tank. If I remember right in the record it’s……」

Novem was taken aback by Lyle’s words, but she immediately felt relieved.

(That’s right. The one that is pulled by a horse is also called a tank isn’t it.) (TN: In Japan, the kanji for tank and chariot is the same. So you can mishear chariot as tank there)

Novem felt that she was feeling really flustered inside her heart. She stared at the box that was existing inside the boss room without moving, at the “armored tank”──