"Where is this...?"
Raul glanced around the room. The floor beneath him looked like it was made of intertwining tree roots, and the walls were formed the same way. But on one wall was a transparent window made of a familiar-looking crystal—though he couldn't recall the name.
Cassandra, driven by curiosity, walked up to the window. The moment she saw the scene outside, her eyes widened in shock.
"This is... the City of Rivira!?"
"!?"
The other two, still dazed, quickly rushed over and peered out. As expected, they saw the City of Rivira standing tall in the center. From their elevated perspective, they could clearly see the entire city below them. That meant... they were even higher than the City of Rivira itself.
"This really is the 18th floor."
"We got sent to the 18th floor in an instant? That's insane!"
Both Daphne and Raul felt their entire worldview shatter.
They were sure they'd just been inside the Twilight Manor. But in the blink of an eye, they'd been transported all the way to the 18th floor of the Dungeon.
"Everyone, could you calm down a bit?"
The three turned at the same time to see Bell standing there in his cloak.
Aside from a brief moment of tension upon hearing his voice, the three quickly settled down.
"You probably don't know why Captain Finn asked you to help me. Before we begin, let me explain a few things.
Right now, I'm at a bit of a turning point. Besides my current 'Status' and the areas I specialize in, I've found some extra time on my hands. So, I thought I'd try expanding my expertise. That's why Captain Finn had you come assist me today."
Bell's explanation was clear and straightforward. All three understood exactly why they were there.
Still unsure about the details, Daphne raised her hand to ask a question.
"So how are we supposed to help you, exactly?"
"Put simply, I need to test how well I can support the front line. What I want you to do is fight monsters while I assist from the back. Your feedback—how effective the support feels—will help me find areas where I need improvement."
Bell laid everything out clearly to ease any unnecessary pressure on them. As expected, once they understood their roles, the three visibly relaxed.
"Raul, I'll need you and Daphne to help with testing weapons. Cassandra, your role is to evaluate the support side. Besides your staff, are you proficient with any other weapons?"
"I-I can also use throwing short swords."
"Hmm, that's a good fit for a support role. Cassandra, how about bows? Can you use them?"
"A little."
"That's good to hear."
Bell now had a clear idea of who would handle which weapons.
Raul, being Level 4 and usually stationed on the front lines, would handle heavy weapon tests.
Daphne, as a front-line commander, would be in charge of light weapon testing.
Cassandra, serving as a support in the rear, would test ranged and support weapons.
Bell waved his hand through the air a few times. Suddenly, several wooden weapons rose from the smooth ground—heavy weapons like greatswords, spears, battle axes, war hammers, and tower shields; light weapons like daggers, swords, twin blades, and whips; and ranged weapons like bows, shuriken, kunai, and throwing knives.
"Can you see if these weapons are usable?"
Raul stepped forward and picked up a greatsword. The moment it was in his hands, he felt its weight—it was made of wood, yet it didn't feel light at all.
He tapped it lightly with his fingers and was surprised to hear a metallic resonance.
"This isn't just any wooden weapon."
He immediately examined the blade. When he ran a finger across the edge, he could hear a faint ringing, and just a gentle touch left a cut on his fingertip. Raul stared at the greatsword in shock.
"So sharp!"
It clearly looked like a wooden weapon, yet it rang like metal and had a dangerously sharp edge. It was obviously a top-tier weapon—possibly even better than what he normally used.
He turned to Bell with a complicated expression.
"Bell-kun, did you prepare these weapons yourself?"
"Nope. These were all made on the spot to match the types of weapons you usually use."
Bell could hear the mix of awe and envy in Raul's voice but still shook his head, making it clear these weapons were created just now.
"Don't be fooled by how high-quality they seem—it's thanks to my understanding of weapon structure... and some really good materials."
"...Yeah, the materials are definitely something else. It looks like wood, but sounds like metal. I feel like I've heard of this material somewhere before."
Shaking off his envy, Raul racked his brain to recall where he'd encountered this kind of material.
He'd heard of it—he was sure of that—but the name was eluding him.
"Wait... could it be Spirit Tree?"
"Yes, that's it—Spirit Tree...!"
Cassandra's sudden comment jogged his memory. As the realization hit, Raul looked at the greatsword in his hand in astonishment, then hesitated before turning to Bell.
"Bell-kun, Spirit Tree is supposed to be exclusive to the Elves. I don't think something that rare is even available on the market."
Now Raul truly felt the weight of the weapon in his hand.
Using Spirit Tree as material for a weapon—that was pure luxury. Based on how rare and valuable it was, this greatsword alone could be worth tens of millions of Valis in Orario.
Looking at the other weapons laid out, if they were all made from Spirit Tree, their total value could easily reach 100 million Valis.
Dear gods.
The thought made Raul's hands tremble.
He had some savings, sure, but the weapons he used were far from high-end. As a commander in the Second Team and only a supporter in the First Team, he wasn't a frontline fighter and never needed anything this high-grade. At most, he used third-tier weapons worth a few million Valis.
Yet now, what lay in front of him were all second-tier weapons—and even among those, their quality stood out.
Seeing how careful Raul was being, Bell smiled and offered an explanation.
"While Spirit Tree materials are rare in Orario, the seeds themselves aren't particularly rare.
As for how the seeds turned into Spirit Tree material... well, let's just say my magic is a little special."
...What the hell!?
Raul was stunned. For the first time, he realized just how absurd magic could be.