Chapter 261: Miss Eina Has Something to Say
"Your current condition isn't good enough to take on another Infant Dragon," Liam stated. "You can either return now and we try again tomorrow, or you can actually try to work as a team and we kill one today."
After a great deal of persuasion from Liam, Reche and the others were finally convinced.
Iglin hesitated for a long time before finally nodding. "Fine! We'll listen to you. We'll try cooperating. Our progress is already lagging behind everyone else's."
Kris and the others nodded in agreement and immediately sat down to rest. They all shared Iglin's concern; their lack of cooperation over the past few days had allowed many other squads to pull ahead of them.
Aside from Liam, the others had already been through several fights, and their stamina was running low. However, their individual skill was undeniable. Even fighting as lone wolves, ignoring the team completely, all of them except Nina could have reached the 12th Floor on their own. Therefore, after a short recovery, they had no doubt they could take down one Infant Dragon as a team.
From his position in the rear guard, Liam had been observing their performance. He was almost always his team's main attacker; being in the rear like this was a rare experience. But because he was in the back, he was able to get a clear grasp of everyone's abilities and how their formation and positioning could be adjusted for greater effectiveness. Watching them fight, he almost felt like he was managing units in a tower defense game.
Of course, that was just an illusion. Tactical command had to account for each person's skills and personality, and even required a backup plan in case they disobeyed.
The reason Reche and the others were willing to listen to Liam now was largely because he had single-handedly slain the wyvern. Although they had no idea how a Level 1 had managed it, they reasoned that he must have something special up his sleeve to have been admitted to the Combat Division just before the internship. Clearly, this combat power that defied his adventurer level was his trump card. Even if they were unconvinced, they were at least willing to listen to his opinion.
In fact, Reche was already wondering if she could learn a trick or two from him.
"Alright, here's the plan," Liam began. "We will set up a hunting formation for the Infant Dragon. Kris, you'll use your Pallum eyesight advantage to scout. Reche, you will set up magic landmines in advance. Iglin will be the frontline, taking it head-on. Nina, the moment the fight starts, you begin preparing healing magic. This level of combat isn't a true emergency, so I will not be participating unless it's a life-or-death situation."
No one objected to this plan. In fact, hearing that Liam wasn't planning to compete with them for the kill was a relief to the three combatants. As fighters, defeating a strong enemy on their own was a huge source of achievement. And with Liam, the strongest person on the team, holding the rear, their morale was actually more stable.
Thus, the squad's formation changed to three in the front and two in the back. The three fighters formed an inverted-V formation, with Kris at the point and Reche and Iglin flanking him, while Liam and Nina watched from behind.
Once Kris spotted an Infant Dragon, the entire squad froze. Reche began laying magic mines, and when she had exhausted her magic, she and Kris moved to approach the wyvern, preparing to lure it over. Iglin stood just behind the minefield, ready to block the dragon's attack.
Reche and Kris acted as bait, successfully luring the Infant Dragon toward them. The monsters on this floor didn't have high intelligence, and under the cover of the dense mist, the wyvern didn't spot the mines.
"ROAR!"
The wyvern burst through the fog, charging toward Iglin. As it was only an infant, its wings only allowed for short glides. It was running at full speed on the ground when the magic mines instantly detonated. A black magic circle flashed, and the mines exploded. The wyvern had a large pack of other monsters following it, and they were all caught in the blast, the goblins among them being instantly blown to smithereens.
Kris and Reche charged in with their weapons to attack the now-wounded wyvern. With its entire body mangled, it was moving sluggishly. The remaining smaller monsters that were approaching no longer posed a threat. Iglin then swung his hammer, taking advantage of the dragon's slowed state to land a crushing blow on its back.
The wyvern died, its body turning to ash, leaving behind another magic stone and an Infant Dragon's Fang.
"Awesome! The plan worked!" Nina cheered, excitedly shaking Liam's arm.
Reche and the others were also visibly thrilled. After clearing the battlefield, they now had two fangs. They only needed to turn one in, leaving the other one to sell for a little spending money.
Kris walked at the front of the group. "Looks like fighting as a team is pretty fun, isn't it? What do you think, Iglin, Reche?"
"It's fine," Reche replied curtly. It was obvious she approved.
Iglin looked a bit embarrassed but also agreed. "Fine! Teamwork is fine, just as long as you don't drag me down!"
After another short rest, Liam's team left the Dungeon and headed to Guild Headquarters. Just as they arrived, a voice called out.
"Nina? Is that you?"
Hearing this voice, Nina's entire body went rigid. She immediately turned and ran.
Liam saw Eina's mournful expression, and he saw Nina fleeing. While the others stood there dumbfounded, Liam chose to go after Nina first. It would be completely out of character for his "Gieg" persona to strike up a conversation with Eina now. Even if he was going to contact her, he needed to get the story from Nina first—and change his clothes.
Liam ran out of the Guild, following Nina until she finally stopped in the Central Plaza.
"Nina, what's wrong?"
Nina looked depressed. "It's nothing. I'm just... useless. I'm heading back to the Academy."
Liam sensed someone was tailing them, but he paid it no mind. He didn't sense any malice from them. Besides, no adventurer would dare attack an Academy student on the surface. He led the way, ducking into an empty alley, and easily lost the person following them. After, Liam removed the magic items that disguised him and changed out of his clothes.
Now looking like himself, Liam Moon returned to the Guild. He walked right up to Eina. "Miss Eina? A moment ago, I saw you and a girl who looks a lot like you. Did something happen?"
"What a coincidence." Eina hadn't expected Liam to seek her out for this. She must have been so focused on Nina that she hadn't noticed him nearby.
It was already the end of the morning shift at the Guild. Eina quickly handed off her duties, followed Liam out, and went home to change. They then met at an outdoor restaurant and ordered some food.
"That girl was actually my sister, Nina," Eina explained. In front of Liam, she felt no need to hide anything. In fact, she was more than willing to share everything with him.
"My mother's health isn't good; she's often sick. So my father is always working. I wanted to start earning money as soon as possible to help the family, but my mother insisted that I go to the Academy first before thinking about work."
So, Eina had gone to the Academy at the age of six, not long after Nina was born. By the time Eina graduated, Nina was enrolling. As a result, the two of them had never had much contact.
"The only reason I came to Orario to work at the Guild was because the salary is excellent," she continued. "But... maybe my sister just sees me as a stranger now..."
As Liam saw it, it was highly unlikely that Nina resented her sister. Nina had probably gone to the Academy and joined the Combat Division to intern in the Dungeon for the very same reason Eina did: to lessen the burden on their family.
"After a certain point, she just stopped replying to my letters," Eina said, her voice trailing off. "And today, too... maybe she hates me..."
Hearing her story, Liam could almost see a golden exclamation point appear over Miss Eina's head. She was like a main quest NPC, demanding all of his attention.
Liam thought for a moment, then looked at her. "Based on what I sensed, she definitely doesn't hate you. The emotion she showed when she saw you... it was more like anguish. Perhaps she has her own reasons she can't talk about."
"Thank you, Liam."
Eina's heartfelt thanks made Liam sigh in relief. The look on the girl's face was so intense her eyes were practically sparkling with adoration. What is this? Is today the day I 'capture' Miss Eina?
Just as he was thinking this, the faces of Hestia and Lili appeared, pressed flat against the restaurant window.
To be honest, it startled Liam, mostly because he did feel a little guilty. Not only that, but through the window, he could also see Ryuu, Mikoto, and Ais.
Lili looked at Liam accusingly. "Lord Liam, why aren't you staying put at the Academy? What exactly is going on here?"
"Today I just happened to have something I needed to discuss with Miss Eina..."
"Really? I don't believe you!" Lili's gaze seemed to see right through him.
Hestia looked Eina up and down with suspicion. "Miss Advisor, did you dress up so stylishly just to seduce my Liam?"
"I did not!" Eina, defeated by Hestia's blunt words, turned bright red. She did have strong feelings for Liam, but "seduce" was just too embarrassing. She just wanted to date him... and maybe get a little close...
"You totally want to! Look at the way you're staring at him! Your eyes are practically melting! You can't hide it from Lili!" Lili warned Eina.
Seeing how hostile everyone was being toward Eina, Liam felt a pang of guilt. He stood up and shielded her. "Everyone, calm down. We're still in a public place."
Mikoto, taking a gap in the conversation, added, "It was actually Lord Hogni who notified us. He was monitoring the situation in Orario and happened to spot you..."
Liam thought back to the gaze he'd felt while he was in disguise. It must have been Hogni or one of the other former Freya members. He had thought he'd lost his tail after changing, but it turned out they had just swapped trackers. And as soon as they confirmed he was with another woman, they couldn't wait to alert Hestia.
"Also," Mikoto added, "Heith impulsively ran to the kitchen to get a knife. We were lucky we knocked her out in time."
That was a terrifying thought. Heith really was impulsive. Knowing her personality, she'd probably only try to stab him, but there was always the chance of someone else getting hurt in the crossfire.
Haruhime just wrung her hands, unsure what to do in the chaotic scene, her expression conflicted.
Ryuu glared angrily at Liam. "Liam, are you out philandering again? And I already confessed to you! What is your answer?"
Eina, who had been stunned, looked at Liam. "Oh, that's right. During the War Game, Ryuu really did say that. Through the divine mirror, the scene was broadcast to all of Orario..."
The moment Eina finished speaking, Ryuu turned completely red from head to toe, like a ripe apple or a strawberry.
"The entire city saw it? My life is completely over!" she wailed.
To resolve the chaotic scene, Liam dragged the entire group back to the Hearthfire Manor. After hastily putting an end to the drama, he returned to the Academy.
It was already very late. When Liam arrived at the Third Squad's dormitory, Nina was still in the lounge, reading.
"Gieg! Why are you back so late?"
"I ran into some things. I have to attend a Familia trial tomorrow."
Nina's expression fell. "Have you already decided on your future?"
"It's very likely I'll become an adventurer."
...
After returning from the Academy to the Hearthfire Manor, Liam began exploring the Dungeon with his Hestia Familia members for the first time in a while. This wasn't the babysitting expedition he was on with his classmates; this was a true dungeon crawl focused on teamwork and mutual improvement.
They used the artificial labyrinth to go directly to the 18th Floor. From there, Liam's Team One and Team Two combined forces and pushed all the way to the 22nd Floor in one go. To put more pressure on Team Two and forge their skills, Liam had them take the front line. Even so, the newer members showed extremely strong combat discipline.
While Team Two fought, Liam was also putting the knowledge he'd learned at the Academy into practice, experimenting with how to switch from a swordsman to a caster and, ultimately, become a true magic swordsman. He was no longer relying purely on the Sword Soul template and his adventurer stats, but efficiently converting his new academic knowledge into combat power.
Lili clearly noticed the change. "Captain Liam, you've evolved again! Even as a caster, you're outrageously skilled!"
Ryuu also nodded. "I can feel it. Your level of magic release is incredibly high. This isn't something you can achieve just by deciding to try it."
Ais, too, was staring intently at Liam. "Is this the knowledge you learned from the Academy? I want to learn it, too."
Seeing the eager looks from his teammates, Liam had no choice but to agree. "This is all still in the experimental phase. Once I've worked it out, I'll think about how to make it useful for all of you."
"The Captain is the best!" Lili cheered.
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