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The next morning, after preparing for the labyrinth conquest, I met up with Fuuka and Hart-san and stepped into the target labyrinth.
The interior was a typical cave-like place.
"...Hart-san, did you see it...?"
Once we entered the labyrinth and the familiar air changed, I asked Hart-san.
"Huh, so you noticed too, Orun."
Hart-san lets out an impressed voice.
"With that much malice directed at us, it's impossible not to notice."
As we approached the labyrinth, I increasingly felt a gaze thick with ill will.
But rather than immediately attacking, it felt more like we were being observed, so I decided to pretend not to notice and enter the labyrinth to avoid unnecessary provocation.
Having a comrade with [Bird's-Eye Vision]—capable of perceiving the surrounding area as visual information—helped a lot.
And since Hart-san, like me, had noticed the malicious gaze and likely used his unique skill to confirm its source, I checked with him.
"This is our first time properly teaming up, yet you already know exactly how to use me."
"I'm honored by the praise. So, did you figure out who they are?"
"They were dressed as explorers. Even if they're imperial spies disguised as explorers, the fact that we sensed their presence means their skill level is limited. No need to be overly cautious."
Dressed as explorers, huh.
I had assumed they were imperial agents, but if not, what is their goal?
"——Orun, can I cut the goblins?"
While I was thinking, a magical beast registered on my alert net, and at the same moment, Fuuka asked permission to fight.
In this temporary party, I'm serving as the representative and commander.
Normally, Hart-san—being the elder and leader of "Copper Twilight"—should take the role, but he declined, and with strong insistence from Fuuka, it fell to me.
"Yeah, leave it to you, Fuuka."
Thinking a single goblin wouldn't require coordination checks, I gave her permission. Fuuka gave a small nod and walked toward where the goblin was.
From her direction, the goblin came running toward us with filthy cries.
Fuuka manifested a sheathed sword from the storage magic tool at her left hip and gripped it in her left hand.
She loosened the koiguchi (mouth of the scabbard) to be ready to draw at any moment.
Immediately after, her figure blurred—and vanished from the spot.
In the next instant, the goblin's head fell with a thud, and Fuuka—who had moved farther beyond the goblin—was sheathing her blade.
What she just used was shukuchi, the movement technique, if I remember correctly.
It's one of the skills permitted only to those who have reached the pinnacle of martial arts.
I was captivated by Fuuka's swordsmanship.
Her movements were so refined, with absolutely no waste, that they were mesmerizing.
"How about it? Our princess's sword skill."
"Yes, magnificent doesn't even begin to cover it."
I already knew, but I was once again reminded that my victory over Fuuka at the martial arts tournament was purely due to her holding back to observe me and a lucky surprise attack.
Reaching Fuuka's level will still require a lot of effort.
After that, we continued toward the deepest part via the shortest route while confirming our three-person coordination.
◇
"Twentieth floor reached. From here, instead of the shortest route, we'll pass through areas with more magical beasts on the way to the deepest part."
While registering the crystal at the twentieth-floor entrance on my guild card, I inform the two of the change in plan.
According to information obtained beforehand from the explorer guild, this labyrinth has twenty-two floors, with a massive magic stone—the dungeon core—below that makes it a true labyrinth.
From the twentieth floor onward, the number of magical beasts increases dramatically.
From here to the deepest part will be a perfect hunting ground.
As I mentioned during yesterday's dinner, I want to earn at least a little money along the way.
"Gathering magic stones and materials while progressing, huh. Got it. ...And something I've been thinking for a while—Orun, you don't have to use keigo with me."
"Eh, but..."
"You're technically our leader, after all. Plus, being spoken to politely by you feels kinda ticklish."
"...Got it. I'll drop the formal speech from now on, Hart-san."
"Yeah, thanks."
While taking detours, we steadily advanced toward the deepest part. When we were about halfway through the twenty-second floor, far more magical beasts swarmed than before.
They were low-tier magical beasts, so individually weak, but the place we were in was a relatively narrow passage.
With dozens of them coming, our path would get blocked.
We knew from prior info that there were many magical beasts, but the twentieth and twenty-first floors had far fewer than this.
This number is definitely abnormal, isn't it?
At the front line, our defender Fuuka cuts down magical beasts and maneuvers to keep them from getting too close to us, but that's only maintaining the status quo.
We could have Fuuka wipe them out alone, but leaving it all to her feels wrong.
I want a situation where all three of us can fight.
"Hart-san, do you have any way to temporarily clear a path?"
While cross-referencing the memorized labyrinth map with our current position, I ask Hart-san.
If he doesn't, I'll switch to wiping them out with attack magic, but while we still have leeway... I want to check both of their capabilities.
"Temporary is fine?"
"Temporary is enough. Or even wiping out the incoming swarm would be okay?"
"Wiping them all out is a bit of a hassle, so temporary path-clearing it is."
Without any particular tension, Hart-san lowers his center of gravity and takes a stance with his fists.
Then the area around his right hand begins to shimmer like heat haze.
(This shimmer isn't mana. Then this is ki?)
"Fuuka, let's go!"
Hart-san calls out to Fuuka, who continues to dance in front, cutting down magical beasts.
When Fuuka responds "Yeah" to Hart-san's voice, he twists his body.
"Our king's orders. Clear the way, you magical beasts!"
Hart-san stomps his left foot, rotates his hips, and swings his right fist with his full weight behind it.
The air shimmer unleashed from Hart-san's right fist passes through the swarm of magical beasts.
Those in its path crumple as if crushed, turning into black mist, creating a path free of magical beasts.
"[Rock Wall]!"
I immediately raise a rock wall to prevent the path Hart-san cleared from being blocked again by magical beasts.
"Hart-san, can you do the same thing two more times?"
"Heh, no problem! Five times, ten times—bring it on!"
"That's reassuring! Then keep going straight through the rock wall interval for a bit. There's a right-turn passage soon—clear another path there."
"Roger, my king!"
"...What's with the 'king' thing?"
"Hahaha, just going with the flow. You're our leader, so 'king' isn't exactly wrong."
"No, I think it's pretty wrong..."
"Don't sweat the small stuff! Alright, let's go!"
While bantering, we forcibly broke through the swarm of magical beasts and moved to an open area.
The previous passage didn't have enough space for three people to fight properly, but here we can.
"Now it's easier to move. ——Alright, annihilation time!"
At my signal, Fuuka and Hart-san begin moving.
All three of us have more than enough strength to handle these magical beasts solo.
When we coordinate to cover each other's blind spots, the outcome is obvious.
Without using attack magic, we turned the massive number of magical beasts into magic stones in no time at all.
"Whoa, so many! This should cover at least some of our food costs."
Hart-san cheerfully collects the fallen magic stones and materials.
"Fuuka, in case we face swarms like earlier again, do you have any wide-area attack methods?"
While collecting magic stones, I ask Fuuka—who is also collecting—about it.
"I do. But I'm better at one-on-one or small-number fights, so I leave that kind of thing to people who are good at it."
Very Fuuka-like division of roles.
I try to incorporate various techniques to handle any situation, but Fuuka seems to delegate her weak areas to those strong in them.
That's not a wrong approach, and in Fuuka's case, she's not good at handling groups but definitely has the ability to deal with them alone if needed.
"I see. If possible, I'd like to see that wide-area attack sometime soon. ——Oh, Fuuka, Hart-san!"
While talking to Fuuka, multiple magical beasts register on my alert net again.
I was about to tell the two about the magical beasts, but they had already sensed them.
"Yeah, I know. But this... doesn't add up."
Hart-san frowns while looking toward the magical beasts.
I agree with him.
"H-Help—!"
In the direction of our gazes, a young man dressed as an explorer was running toward us, fleeing from magical beasts.
The abnormal number of magical beasts earlier, and now this young man fleeing straight toward us... neither feels like coincidence.
We're right in the center of the twenty-second floor.
If fleeing from magical beasts, he should head toward the floor entrance we came from—not toward us.
There's a beast-repelling crystal there, after all.
He might have panicked and not thought of the entrance crystal, but...
"For now, take out the magical beasts coming our way. The ones chasing the fleeing guy—only kill them if you have spare capacity. We have no obligation to save him."
While doubts remain, I give instructions to deal with the immediate problem first.
Normally we should help, but something feels off.
Human nature shows most clearly in a pinch, so I want to observe and gather information for now.
As the distance between us and the fleeing young man closes, the desperate look on his face suddenly twists into a malicious grin.
(Haa... So this is definitely artificial.)
While thinking that, the young man passes right by us.
"Heh heh heh, don't hold it against us, you Tsutorail explorers!"
Saying so, the young man scatters magic stones around us.
Magical beasts have a habit of targeting magic stones.
With this many scattered, their aggro will shift to us—the closest targets.
In other words, he's dumping the swarm on us.
"Oh, giving us this many magic stones? How generous. Thanks."
"Tonight's dinner is gonna be fancy."
"Huh? Hey, Fuuka. You're not seriously planning to blow all today's earnings on tonight's dinner, are you?"
"...? Is that bad?"
"Of course it's bad! We're already tight on operating funds!"
"...Too bad."
Neither Hart-san nor Fuuka showed any particular surprise at the young man's actions—they were completely unfazed.
"Fuuka, capture that guy. Don't kill him. Hart-san, collect the magic stones. I'll handle the magical beasts."
I give instructions to the two again.
While keeping them in the corner of my eye as they follow orders, I begin converging mana into the blade of Schwarzhaese gripped in my right hand.
"—Heavenly Flash"
I swing Schwarzhaese downward, unleashing a jet-black slash infused with [Gravity Manipulation] and [Instantaneous Ability Super Boost Impact].
Drawn by the gravity emitted from the jet-black slash, the magical beasts converge in one spot. At their center, the jet-black mana diffuses, scattering destruction all around.
All the magical beasts coming toward us turn into magic stones. The young man who tried to dump the swarm on us has been subdued by Fuuka.
Now then—time for answers.