Chapter 582 Ares Team – First Floor ~ Second Floor
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
(Ema’s POV)
”Leave the Goblins to me! Geoff! Anti-Magic!”
After finishing lunch, we pushed further into the First Floor, ready to face the floor boss.
Just as I detected, there were 5 Goblins and one High Goblin.
Olga and Mr. Garm spread out to the sides while Mr. Ares charged straight for the High Goblin in the center.
”Anti-Magic!”
With Mr. Geoff’s high-pitched voice, magic was unleashed, and I could see a thin ripple of magical power forming around the High Goblin.
At the same moment, Mr. Ares slashed at the feet of the High Goblin.
That strike expertly cleaved his knee in 2.
”You’re not getting past here!”
Olga raised her bastard sword, standing resolutely against 2 Goblins.
She skillfully sliced through one Goblin trying to slip past her and immediately kicked another one down.
I was awestruck by her swift movement, a feat unimaginable for someone in heavy armor.
”Watch out! One’s coming your way!”
Unable to hold back all 3 Goblins, Mr. Garm shouted over to us.
”I’ve got this…”
Mr. Willem answered in a low voice, backing me and Mr. Geoff further away as he drove his large shield into the ground.
Then he took a step back and readied 2 hand axes in his hands.
──GRAAAHH!
The moment I heard the Goblin’s menacing cry from behind the shield, the grotesque creature dodged Mr. Willem’s shield and emerged from the right side.
”Hmph!”
Mr. Willem sliced the belly of the lunging Goblin with the hand axe in his right hand.
──GUGYIYYYY!
With a deathly scream, the Goblin was slammed to the ground, lifeless.
”Is everyone alright?”
Mr. Ares’ questions echoed from behind the shield, and when I peeked out…the 3 vanguard members were already looking at me with worry. They had wiped out the Goblins.
* * *
”Sorry! One of them was really fast, and I lost them…”
Mr. Garm bowed his head with his hands clasped together.
”No… It’s understandable that you were outnumbered.”
Ms. Olga raised the visor of her helmet and gave Mr. Garm a smile.
She’s a beauty, which doesn’t quite match her full body armor.
”Don’t worry about it. That’s what I’m here for.”
Although her face is still hidden under her hood, Mr. Willem mumbles in a small voice.
”Well, at least everyone is unhurt. ──Geoff, thanks for the hindering magic.”
”Oh, um…”
Mr. Ares lightly pats Mr. Geoff on the shoulder and replies in a soft voice.
Both he and Mr. Willem are really quiet and gentle people.
Watching everyone’s conversation, I check the trap on the appeared treasure chest.
(The trap is…a concealed needle. A common trap for low-level treasure chests, Ms. Martina had told me too.)
Following the practiced steps, I easily disarm the trap and then examine the keyhole.
(Okay. The mechanism is simple. … Using this and this…)
I take out 2 thin tools from my favorite set and begin the lock picking.
* * *
”As usual, you’re quick. Good work”
When I hand some ore extracted from the chest to Mr. Bal the Porter, Mr. Ares lightly pats my back in appreciation.
”I studied ahead thanks to Ms. Martina’s lessons.”
I blush and look down as Mr. Ares lightly taps my head.
”No, you’re really good. Keep up the good work on the Second Floor.”
After checking our equipment, we head down the hallway towards the Second Floor.
* * *
”We made it to the Safety Zone on the Second Floor before night.”
”Whether we rest here or not, the fatigue of tomorrow is a whole different beast.”
Mr. Ares and Mr. Garm promptly laid themselves down on the beds, stretching out.
Having made it smoothly to the Second Floor thus far, somehow we managed to end today’s exploration within the Safety Zone.
”It’s nice to be able to sleep in a bed even inside a maze, isn’t it?”
I set my luggage down on the bed, sat down, and stretched to my heart’s content.
I was a bit tired, partly due to tension.
”Please take your time and relax, everyone. I’ll prepare the midnight snack.”
Mr. Bal, having placed his large backpack on the bed, started preparing the meal by putting another bag filled with ingredients on the table.
”Ah, I…”
”You must be the most exhausted, Ms. Ema? Don’t worry about it. Leave it to me.”
Indeed, I was tired from being on edge all the time as a scout.
Yielding to Mr. Bal’s words, I decided to take off my upper body armor to relax a bit.
* * *
After the meal and a brief discussion of tomorrow’s plans, leaving Mr. Bal, who volunteered to take the first watch, we all sneaked into bed.
(He didn’t take off his coat during the meal, did he?)
Unlike me, Mr. Ares, Mr. Garm, and Olga-san, Mr. Willem and Mr. Geoff stayed fully covered in their cloaks.
(They’re quite the mysterious duo…)
Lost in such thoughts, I quickly fell asleep.
* * *
”…hey… wake up… wake up, Ema-Ema!”
A slap on the cheek roused me from sleep.
Looking up, I saw a man leering down at me with a sneer.
(Wait… when did he…!?)
I realized my limbs were restrained to the bed.
It seemed I had been tied to the bed corners with rope.
”Stop! You guys, you’re not trying to get back at me, are you!?”
I heard Mr. Ares’s voice, so I tried to lift my head…
”Ah, Mr. Ares! Mr. Garm!”
The two of them were sitting on the floor, their hands tied behind their backs.
”You can put that on the back burner… still, I was surprised. You had 4 women at your party? ──And they were all lookers. You should have brought along some of the others too.”
(Four…!?)
Mr. Ares and Mr. Garm are definitely men.
The rest are…
(Could it be… Mr. Willem and Mr. Geoff are…)
”Don’t you dare lay a finger on Ema, Willem, or Geoff! I’ll… I’ll take you all on myself!”
With the creaking of the bed, I heard Olga’s shouting.
…She’s probably tied to the bed just like I am.
”I can’t believe you snuck in your buddy just because you want revenge on us. You guys really play small!”
Mr. Garm spat it out like venom.
Revenge against Mr. Ares and Mr. Garm?
Payback?
”You humiliated us in the guild, so next time──you’ll feel the same humiliation.”
”Eek!?”
I heard Olga’s scream, and I desperately lifted my head to look over, seeing 3 men surrounding the bed.
Among them… was Mr. Bal.
(The buddy they snuck in… is it Mr. Bal from Porter!?)
The truth of the matter was becoming clear.
These guys are the adventurers from fortress city Mundo who hit on me in the guild.
After Mr. Ares and Mr. Garm shooed them away, they snuck in their friend Mr. Bal as Porter to this party.
(So that means… the late-night snack…)
Even though I was tired, I fell asleep quickly.
I must have been drugged.
”It must be tough being picked on by 3──hey!”
”Yeah, we’ll just take the other women.”
”Right. ──I was aiming for that Thief girl.”
I locked eyes with Bal, who nodded with the others.
Then he slowly walked this way.
(No… absolutely not…!)
I shut my eyes in fear.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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