After a meal with a somewhat unfairly tense atmosphere, we finished preparing our camp.
And thanks to Kaiden's consideration, I took the first watch.
If he was going to be considerate, it would've been better if he'd just exempted me entirely.
Staring blankly at the gloomy cave passages shrouded in shadows all around was unbearably boring.
The only things relieving that boredom were mana grass and booze, somewhat.
지이이이이이—
A gaze prickled at me.
A cat's stare directed this way from a pupa-like sleeping bag.
"...Aren't you sleeping, Miss Miella? It's still a long time before the watch change..."
"..."
"No way."
But Miella just continued glaring at me with that intense gaze, ignoring my question.
"Do you have something to say to me?"
Still no answer.
Hmm.
She seems like she has something to say.
Maybe it's hard for her to bring it up herself.
Perhaps?
"...Want to have some together?"
"I knew it!"
"...Not that, huh?"
"Isn't that obvious? You were planning to drink while on watch too, weren't you? Unbelievable!"
Miella chattered on with a hiss, as if she'd expected as much.
I regretfully tucked the canteen I'd pulled out back into my bosom.
"...Shouldn't you go to sleep?"
"I can't sleep because you're on watch and it makes me anxious."
That's rude.
I've stood plenty of watches so far, and there were never any problems.
It's fine, it's fine. No one's dying.
"...You really think dungeons are a joke, don't you."
Not quite that much.
Just... a reliable meal ticket I can squeeze money from when things get tough?
I don't know how she read my expression, but Miella, who had been shooting me displeased looks, suddenly wore a thoughtful expression.
Then she wriggled out of her sleeping bag and approached me on watch.
"..."
"..."
She settled a short distance away and maintained her silence.
She seemed like she wanted to say something, but her hesitant demeanor was frustrating enough that I was considering prompting her.
"...Hey."
Miella broke the silence and spoke up.
"Are all priests like you?"
"Hmm... What do you mean?"
"...Just what I said. Are all priests like you?"
"It's too broad a question; I'm not sure I get it."
In response to my answer, Miella gestured vaguely in the air.
"You know, blessings and stuff. Are other priests' blessings like that too?"
Before I could answer, she continued.
"You don't really fit with us."
"Hearing that to my face still stings a bit."
"No! Not like that! ...Okay, I did think you were a bit of a jerk at first, but it's not about your personality."
"If you're going to explain, you didn't have to add that last part."
"Anyway!"
She shrieked as if realizing we'd go on forever if I kept responding.
"...Honestly, I thought our party was fine on its own. I wondered what difference one more supporter would make."
"But after today with you, I realized."
"Oh, our party has this kind of potential too."
"Maybe... no, it might actually be good to have a member like this if possible."
"...You're a weird guy, but in a dungeon, it's harder to find someone who's not weird."
"So even someone weird like you, if they join the party, I wouldn't complain."
"But."
Miella's expression twisted.
"To you, our party must seem really lacking, right?"
"That leisure you show in the dungeon is probably confidence from your skill."
"To you, a party like ours that stays cautious even in the upper layers might look laughable."
"And your weapon—you haven't used it once, for whatever reason."
From the moment we met, she'd shown pride and affection for her party.
Now, speaking down about that party seemed to wound her pride deeply; her cat ears, usually perked up straight, drooped limply.
Even so, Miella suppressed her emotions and met my gaze squarely.
"Our party probably can't keep you. It'd be lacking for you. So we have to think about what's next."
"Hmm. How do you feel about telling a party member to their face that you're replacing them?"
"...You weren't planning to stick with our party anyway."
I smiled wordlessly.
Not liking that, she pouted and turned her head away.
"Hmm. Yeah. Other priests, not me."
The difference between me and other priests...
"Other priests... they have no business ethics."
"...Business ethics?"
To Miella, who tilted her head in confusion, I recalled the priests I'd met in the dungeon city and spoke.
"These guys aren't just undercutting prices—they're going into dungeons for free, which is massively distorting the market for priests. Thanks to them, small-timer priests like me are bleeding money."
"...What the hell are you talking about?"
"They act all high and mighty because they're loaded enough to show off, but when underdogs like me try to climb up, they bully us to protect their turf. I think the city needs regulations on those big corporate temples to protect us little folk shrines."
"Stop! Stop! That's not what I asked!"
She cut me off with another shriek of disbelief.
"...Why are priests so obsessed with money anyway?"
"You can't survive in this world without money."
"...That's not wrong, but..."
"Small shrines are pretty desperate about it."
Temples serving gods with large congregations can get by on income from resident priests' healings or donations from believers alone.
But for minor gods, there might not even be a temple, or if there is, they can't charge much for healings.
In this world too, humans are obsessed with health—they'll pay extra for efficacious temples over cheap ones.
Like country folk distrusting local doctors and heading to the capital for treatment.
With fewer believers, donations are lower too.
For our Goddess, whose entire religious facility is just a prayer room, the money I bring in is crucial.
'Though she nags me every time about being too money-grubbing.'
I don't know if she was raised sheltered(?), but even accounting for being a transcendent being, her sense of reality is a bit lacking.
'That's why she's just wasting away alone in that crumbling shrine.'
As irreverent thoughts surfaced amid our severed connection due to the dungeon, Miella spoke in a more cautious tone than before.
"...Oh, so you're scraping together support fees that desperately for your shrine?"
"No, not really. It's just that those self-proclaimed protagonists don't know their place, so I'm simply suggesting a fair market price for supporters."
"..."
"Just kidding."
"Doesn't sound like a joke at all."
Well, it's not entirely a joke, really.
Seeing Miella's serious face, I smacked my lips briefly and answered her earlier question.
"Excluding humility, priests at my level aren't common."
"...I figured. Yeah, that makes sense. If other priests were this good, parties would be scrambling to recruit them no matter what."
I gave a small smile at Miella's words.
It's true, but even if other priests had my baseline ability, it wouldn't be easy.
Priests in this world have higher status than doctors back home.
Weirdos willing to live as field medics beyond ER-level trauma centers like dungeons aren't common.
Usually, it's due to their god's nature forcing faith-based reasons, or young priests pushed out by major temples to survive.
Even if skilled, they'd prefer sucking honey as temple medical experts rather than heading into dungeons.
This is a human world too, after all.
"In that sense, recruiting a regular priest for your party would be tough too."
"...So our party is lacking after all?"
"More precisely, it's ambiguous."
Kaiden's party's skill isn't bad.
But the issue is they're a mid-layer party.
With few dungeon-exploring priests, parties reaching high floors with middling ability are rare.
Unless recruiting total upper-layer newbies, priests adaptable to mid-layers and beyond are scarce.
Supporter shortages can't be solved with money alone—it's a chronic dungeon city problem.
Even veterans like Kaiden's party lack experience syncing with proper priests.
Hmm.
Seeing it this way, dealers bringing tribute to supporters seems entirely natural.
"Then... recruit an upper-layer priest and..."
"Possible, but I don't recommend it unless you're planning to stay upper layers long-term to train them."
The gap between upper and mid-layers is extreme, even across one floor boundary.
Members unable to adapt to sudden changes are fatal in dungeons.
More likely to be baggage than synergy.
And even if Kaiden's party, which reached mid-layer 20th floor, lingers upper to train a priest...
"They might leave for another party once equipped for mid-layers."
"...Is that how it is?"
As Miella hung her head with a gloomy expression, I added,
"If priests are hard to find, recruiting a white mage is an option."
"White mage?"
Mages are rare, but not as much as priests.
Though eccentric, their curiosity drives many into crawler life despite stable professions.
White mages lag priests in buffs/heals but excel in attack/utility.
This advice suits Kaiden more than party member Miella, but...
Their tight-knit group will relay it eventually.
No obligation to care since we're parting after this dungeon run anyway.
Miella pondered my explanation briefly.
Conversation halted; only the crackling campfire echoed faintly in the cave for a moment.
"Hey."
Whether she'd finished thinking or couldn't bear the silence, she spoke again.
"How deep have you gone?"
"I've been to the 42nd floor."
"...42nd!? That's almost deep layers."
Miella's ears perked straight up in shock at my answer.
"...At that level, you shouldn't be lingering in mid-layers like this."
"No need to make a fuss. It was basically a free ride."
"Free ride...?"
"Yeah, something like hitching a ride."
"You hired a carry?"
"Not exactly... Supporters like me can tag along as spares, unlike standard roles."
"Ah..."
Miella's a mid-layer survivor crawler too.
From what I showed today, she seemed to grasp my role.
"Of course, for the agony involved with no gains, I won't do it again."
Even if helpful, the experience wasn't pleasant.
"I see..."
"Up we go."
"Huh?"
As I stood, Miella tilted her head and looked up at me.
Her big eyes, full of curiosity, gazed upward.
"My watch is over. Next watch, take care."
"Oh."
She was a bit annoying, but thanks, kitty.
Thanks to you, the boring time passed easily.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"I thought about it during last night's watch."
Once the party woke, Kaiden gathered us and spoke.
"Considering yesterday's performance, staying here another day seems pointless to me."
Kaiden met eyes with Miella, Rask, then me last, continuing,
"Let's head to the mid-layers today."