Chapter 611 Gieze Team, 18th Floor
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
(Gieze’s POV)
(I wonder if we can make it by nightfall…)
I drop my luggage onto one of the beds in the Safety Zone on the 18th floor.
Scanning the area, it’s clear that everyone is bone-tired.
(We did have a tough battle against those 3 Greater Demons on the 17th floor…)
I’m stripping off my armor while pacing back and forth.
This 18th floor is crawling with ‘demon-type’ monsters, including the wandering ones.
Against these regenerating foes, our only effective weapons are my Kaenmaru and Noriss’s pair of short swords: the blue blade (Detection assist) and the light blade (effective against the Undead).
(The rest of our weapons would need Karina’s ‘Enchant’…)
To relieve Karina’s burden, I’ve been holding back on magic support during battles.
(This is something we’ll need to work on going forward.)
The weapons of the Gieze Squad.
The magic they hold.
(We’ll need to consult with Master Toldo and Aluda’s group.)
After slipping out of the constricting underwear, I throw on a light peach-colored dress over my undergarments and head to the kitchen space in the corner of the room to help Gunilla and Romy prepare our evening meal.
* * *
”Ms. Gieze, we’re heading back before noon tomorrow, right?”
”Yeah, we’re all pretty exhausted.”
”Alrighty then, let’s feast tonight!”
Romy and Gunilla roll up their sleeves, planning to use up all the ingredients, saving just enough for breakfast tomorrow.
As a porter, and a valuable rearguard support, Romy and Gunilla have been working hard.
Especially Gunilla’s possession of the “Arbalest,” a relic from an ancient civilization, boasts formidable destructive power and has been a boon against large monsters.
* * *
”To be able to eat such delicious food during an exploration… it’s truly blissful, isn’t it…”
”I was truly envious of Liz’s team, with their wolfmaid companions, but this ain’t too shabby, either!”
Noriss and Gorge gnaw on a main dish, seared dried meat with a flavorful sauce.
”This sauce, Ms. Hanna uses it in her cooking too, doesn’t she? It’s awfully delicious.”
”Oh… it’s very delicious…Oh, oh, oh…both of you… your… cooking skills… you’ve been… diligent…”
Eluda and Karina also happily munch on their food, looking satisfied.
Romy and Gunilla, praised for their cooking, exchange glances and smile gleefully.
Lately, the two of them have been seen in the kitchen whenever dinner preparations are underway.
It’s clear they’ve been learning a great deal from Ms. Hanna.
”This is my first time joining an exploration… I heard the standard provisions were hard bread and dried meat, but to be able to eat regular meals… and so delicious on top of it…”
”Food isn’t just about filling the belly. It’s also about restoring spirit and healing.”
Charlotte sighs contentedly after savoring a corn soup, to which Violet replies, and I nod in agreement.
Indeed.
* * *
”Tomorrow, I’m hoping to reach the floor boss area of this floor.”
During the post-meal tea time, I share this with everyone, who are all relaxed and at ease.
”Yes. We aim to progress from the 19th floor and reach the deepest floor.”
Violet agrees, sipping her chilled tea.
She’s been enjoying Karina’s magic-chilled tea lately.
She says the refreshingly cool sensation is irresistible.
”If I recall… this floor’s floor boss area is…”
”Yeah, that place with the mithril vein,”
Gorge replied at Eluda’s words, leaning on the table with a casual air.
”Wasn’t that the Rose Hip’s Frieda Team’s target?”
As Noriss mentioned, the Frieda Team was supposed to have brought miners along for this delve.
”Th-th-the boss of the 18th floor is… um, it’s the Manticores, right?”
”Hm… Big bodies, yet nimble, and they even use magic. A real pain of a monster, aren’t they?”
Violet held out an empty cup to Karina, who was busy flipping through her notebook.
Karina quickly tucked away her notebook and accepted the cup, hurrying off towards the kitchen.
(Sure, Karina’s a princess of a fallen nation, but still…)
She shot a brief glare at Violet before taking a sip of her tea.
Well, Violet doesn’t know Karina’s true identity, and Karina herself doesn’t mind these tasks, so it’s all good.
”A mithril vein in the boss area… sounds like a tough spot to mine…”
”I heard Ms. Milia is preparing a powerful anti-monster barrier magic tool?”
”Bah… we don’t have that anymore, do we?”
Charlotte, Romy, and Gunilla chime in, and indeed, as Gunilla pointed out, Milia-sama had left for the Great Labyrinth with Gargantua-sama, so she couldn’t have prepared such a tool.
”Which means, after defeating the floor boss… we mine within that one hour before it regenerates. They must’ve repeated that over and over.”
It’s possible for the capable Frieda Team, but long-term, that method is far from efficient.
”I’m looking forward to seeing how they’ve managed the mining operation.”
”Once mithril is in circulation… we can craft all sorts of weapons and armor. And since we’ve learned enchantment magic, Aluda and Meluda and I will make gear tailored for everyone.”
Following Noriss, Eluda spoke with an excited tone that couldn’t be helped, clearly looking forward to it.
”Then, tomorrow, let’s aim to defeat the Floor Boss in the morning.”
My words were met with nods from everyone.
”Let’s rest up well for tomorrow. Thankfully, there are no other Adventure Parties in this Deep Floor, so we don’t need any lookouts either.”
Even if there were, they would probably be just the Rose Hip members.
After we finished cleaning the dishes and took turns washing up, we decided to head to our beds and get some sleep.
(Even though we couldn’t reach the deepest floor… next time, I’ll definitely challenge it!)
As I burrowed into my bed and fell asleep, I reaffirmed my resolve.
* * *
And so, the next morning when we set out… we witnessed an unexpected sight in the Floor Boss area of the 18th floor.
”The mithril veins run from that wall. Don’t dig where there’s nothing!”
There, a dozen or so miners were bustling about, and directing them was an elderly man in a white formal suit with a monocle.
Though, his back was straight, and his bearing was like that of a nobleman.
”Ah, the Adventure Party has arrived.I didn’t expect there to be a party with the strength to reach this floor besides ‘Famière’ and ‘Rose Hip’.”
That elderly man who looked like a nobleman noticed us and walked over.
”We are the Gieze Squad from ‘Famière.’ This is…”
I stepped forward in front of my fellow party members and returned his greeting.
”Yes. This is the Floor Boss area of the 18th floor.──Well, Hiroya and the others made a pact, so for now, the Floor Boss isn’t appearing here.”
”The Floor Boss isn’t appearing…? Come to think of it, that voice… could it be…”
”Nice to meet you. I am the one who has become the master of this Great Labyrinth Raetia…the Water Dragon, Wash.”
The old man with a smile, who extended his right hand, was a dragon god.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply