Volume 2 Chapter 6 Aniki
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
By successfully completing the escort mission, I’ve finally ascended to D-Rank—the true threshold of a professional adventurer. We’ve pushed into the fifth floor of the dungeon, and the place is crawling with Giant Ants. Their carapaces are relentless; I’m talking impenetrable.
Their head-shields and mandibles are especially reinforced, and with my current strength, I can’t land a meaningful blow. I’m forced to target their softer abdomens or strike at the joints. Of course, hitting the joints of a creature that’s constantly scurrying is easier said than done. Usually, the Vanguard has to pin them down while Takuya the Ninja or Kazuya’s summoned spirits deliver a killing blow. If they connect, it’s a clean sever, but it’s a hell of a gamble.
The real nightmare starts when we’re surrounded. If I actually cut loose, an Earth Magic¹ wall could stop them cold, but I’m desperate to keep my Skill levels a secret. Instead, I suppress the wall’s durability, letting the Ants chew through it just enough to look “normal.” I manage the chaos by layering barriers or stacking them with Fire Magic and Lightning Magic.
I’ve even tried a “Soak and Zap” combo with Water Magic, but that’s more of a lethal offensive play than a stalling tactic. If I just stopped pretending to be a low-level amateur, I could handle this in my sleep. (I try to stay sharp with Presence Detection² and Danger Sense³, but even those aren’t foolproof.) Still, while they’re a pain to kill, those shells fetch a high price. They make for solid armor at our current level.
Speaking of magic, it struck me as odd that none of those bandits could use Water Magic. Apparently, magical aptitude is rare—maybe only 10% to 20% of the human population. I haven’t done a census, so don’t quote me on that. You can learn it with enough Skill Points even without natural talent, but the “growth penalty” makes leveling up a miserable slog.
Unless it’s a hobby, nobody’s going to make that trade when their life is on the line. Most people sink their points into whatever grows fastest. That said, certain classes like “Housekeepers” have a knack for low-level Fire and Water stuff—basically “Utility Magic” for chores.
For actual Sorcerers, you can usually guess their element from their Class name, like “Ice Mage Rin” from the JK Party. Within Water Magic, she clearly specializes in ice. For Magic Swordsmen, it’s in the Title. Kenta-kun is a “Water Swordsman,” and Ines-san is a “Wind Swordsman.”
Having an aptitude for two or more elements is rare. If you did, you’d be a “Hydro-Aero Ritualist” or something. Usually, opposing elements cancel out, so finding someone high in both is like finding a unicorn. Even Kenta-kun’s Fire aptitude is just “average”—he probably only has that because of his Reincarnation Cheat.
* * *
I keep bumping into the JK Party⁴ and the Working Women Party in the dungeon. We usually cross paths at the Safe Zones for a bit of small talk. Since we’re all reincarnates, we’re practically comrades, and the conversation flows easily. Today, I caught the JK Party during a break. Rin, the Ice Mage, was her usual silent self.
”Rin, you’ve got a real knack for Ice, right?” I asked.
”…Mm,” Rin replied.
”Must be nice. I’m jealous of anyone with that kind of specialized talent.”
”…Sure.”
”……”
”……”
She showed some fire during that Guild drama, but day-to-day, she’s a total ice queen. She’s a “Hard Mode” conquest, right up there with that salty receptionist, Dietlinde-san. (Also, I heard that calling girls ‘-chan’ makes you sound like a creepy old man, so I’m sticking to just their names. For a guy in his late thirties, this ‘no honorifics’ thing is a pretty high hurdle to jump.)
Hina, the “Instant Swordswoman,” is much more approachable. She’s tight with Mizuki the Saint and Nanami the Stealth.
”Hina, were you an athlete back in our world?” I asked.
”Yeah, basketball club,” Hina replied.
”Oh, Hina was a total legend!” Nanami chimed in. “They called her the ‘Vanguard Captain’ and the ‘Speedster’!”
”Nanami, stop! That’s so embarrassing!”
”Heh, sounds like you were the real deal. Guess that explains the ‘Instant Swordswoman’ title,” I said.
”I-it wasn’t that big a deal… Nanami was the one they called the ‘Mermaid,’ and Mizuki was the ‘Saint’!” Hina countered.
”No way,” Nanami laughed. “I wasn’t even that good.”
”Wait, really? I figured you were famous with a nickname like that.”
”Nah, I didn’t love swimming. I just loved staying underwater.”
”You got disqualified for diving too far once, remember?” Hina teased.
”Oh yeah… well, there are no pools here and the ocean is miles away, so I guess my diving days are on hold,” Nanami said.
”That’s a shame. Hopefully, you can find a beach eventually. But Mizuki, why were you the ‘Saint’?”
”I was raised by very devout parents,” Mizuki said softly. “I prayed with them constantly, and since I offered grace before meals even at school, the name just stuck. I can’t feel ‘Our Lord’ here the way I used to, but I will keep my prayers alive.”
”O-oh… okay…”
Mizuki was a legit Saint in her past life. If she actually “felt” a presence, she definitely has the core stats for the role. Sakura, meanwhile, was just radiating a “Don’t you dare talk to me” aura, so I left her be. I tried being friendly once so she wouldn’t feel left out, but she just clicked her tongue and looked at me like I was garbage. I’m not going out of my way for that.
* * *
Further in, my Danger Sense and Presence Detection start screaming. Ants. A lot of them.
”Agggh!”
”Run! Make for the Safe Zone!”
Other adventurers are being hunted. We need to cover their retreat and get out ourselves.
”Ant swarm ahead! Massive numbers! We’re backing off—cover those guys as they come through!” I shouted.
”Got it!” Makoto yelled back.
I threw up several Earth Magic walls with narrow gaps for people to squeeze through. Five young adventurers came sprinting toward us. Their rearguard was gassed, looking like they were about to drop.
”This way! We’ll buy you time, just keep running for the Safe Zone!” I called out.
”Thank you! We owe you one!” one of them shouted.
”Just move!”
There were dozens of Ants right on their heels. This was bad. You usually only see six at a time; they must have “trained” a whole room or tripped a spawn trap. (No time to think—just orders.)
”I’m holding the walls! You guys pick off anything that tries to squeeze through the gaps!”
The pressure of that many Ants was terrifying. I secretly reinforced the walls with extra MP. If I didn’t, they’d be gone in seconds. Kenta-kun scattered ice to drop the temperature and slow them down. Makoto held the line at the gaps while Takuya lopped off heads. Kazuya brought out a Vanguard-type summon. I kept backing us up, raising a new wall every time the old one started to crack. Having to extend them to the ceiling so they didn’t crawl over the top was a pain, but we managed.
After five rounds of retreating, we made it to the Safe Zone. The group we saved was there, safe and sound. They were a young party—maybe not even twenty yet. Two guys, three girls. The leader was a Beastman girl—tall, dignified, and giving off a real “Big Sister” vibe. She was cool, and honestly, pretty cute.
”You saved our lives. About the reward…” she began.
”Don’t sweat it. Whatever you can spare is fine,” I said.
”We can’t do that. But… we’re honestly pretty broke right now.”
(Look, there’s a market rate for this. If you save a party from a wipe, you usually get everything they own. But I’m not that desperate for cash. I’m not going to bleed a bunch of kids dry just because I can. And no, I’m not just doing this because the leader is cute. Totally not.)
”Tell you what—give me five gold coins, but you can pay me back when you’re famous. Everyone cool with that?”
”No objections—degozaru,” Takuya said.
”I agree as well, desu-zo,” Kazuya added.
”Works for me,” Kenta-kun said.
”Same here,” Makoto finished.
One gold coin each was a steal. And “on credit” basically meant I was never collecting.
”Are you sure? That’s incredibly generous,” the girl said.
”If it bugs you, just pay me in intel. If you hear something good, pass it along. Call it interest.”
”We’ll take that deal. We just spent all our coin on new gear… then we found a chest in a side room, tripped a trap, and a whole army of monsters spawned.”
”Rough luck.”
So that was the room my Danger Sense was pinging. Dodged a bullet there.
”You guys don’t have a Thief?” I asked.
”Sadly, no,” she replied. “The three of us Beastmen are from the same village. We met these two Humans and formed a party. We’ve got a Priest, so for a mixed group, we aren’t doing too bad. We missed the magic trap, but usually our senses keep us from getting jumped.”
Beastmen have terrible magic aptitude, but their physical buffs and senses are top-tier. They’re great vanguards.
”I’m Daisuke, leader of The Leemans. This is Makoto, Takuya, Kenta-kun, and Kazuya.”
”And we’re the Wyvern Slayers. I’m Franziska, the leader. That’s Edgar, that’s Grete, the one passed out over there is Hans, and the big one is Irene.”
”I’m Grete! Thanks again! We totally blew it, tee-hee!”
”I-I’m Hans…”
”…Irene. Grateful.”
”Nice to meet ya, Big Bro!” Edgar beamed.
”Wait, why did he just call me ‘Big Bro’?” I asked my team.
”Not me—degozaru,” Takuya said.
”Not I either, desu-zo,” Kazuya added.
”Don’t look at me,” Kenta-kun said.
”I’m talking about you, Big Bro Daisuke!” Edgar insisted.
”Huh? What did I do?”
Franziska sighed. “Don’t mind him. He’s always been the type to get swept up.”
”I saw those Earth Walls, man! To make them that tough against Ants… and the way you led the retreat? So cool!” Edgar shouted.
”He’s right,” Franziska added. “It was impressive.”
”I wish we had an Earth Mage like that~” Grete added.
The praise felt good, but my “Love Gauge” wasn’t moving an inch. I felt their respect, but there was zero romance in the air. (I could almost cry.)
”It was a team effort,” I said, trying to play it cool.
”Anyway,” Franziska said, “your party doesn’t have a Healer? And you’re traveling really light.”
”I handle most of the healing, though Kenta-kun and Takuya also have Healing Magic, but we use the Item Box⁵ to keep our loads light.”
”No way! I’m so jealous. You guys all have black hair… are you part of the Hero’s summon?”
”Yeah, that’s us.”
”You’ve only been here two months and you’re already on the fifth floor? That’s insane. It took us two years.”
”We got some Blessings from a god. Well, the Ants should have thinned out by now. We’re heading back in. You?”
”Hans is done. We’re heading back for today.”
”Fair enough. Be safe.”
”You too. Seriously, thank you. When we see you in town, dinner is on us!”
”I’ll gather some good info for you! Bye-bye!” Grete waved.
”See ya, Big Bro!” Edgar called out.
I waved them off. If my walls are still standing, I should probably go knock them down. Can’t leave too much evidence of my real power lying around.
—
Summary:
Daisuke’s party reaches the fifth floor of the dungeon, encountering difficult Ant-type monsters. They cross paths with the JK Party during a break and later rescue a struggling rookie party called the ‘Wyvern Slayers’. Daisuke earns the admiration of the rookies, particularly Edgar, who begins calling him ‘Big Bro’.
—
Trivia:
- Daisuke is intentionally suppressing his magic power to appear as a standard D-rank adventurer.
- Beastmen have naturally high physical stats and senses but poor magical aptitude.
- Mizuki’s ‘Saint’ title comes from her real-world religious background, not just a game class.
- Housekeeper classes have access to low-level utility magic.
- The ‘Wyvern Slayers’ are quite low-level despite their ambitious name, taking 2 years to reach floor 5
—
Character Insight:
Daisuke continues to struggle with social interactions, particularly his ‘uncle’ status versus the high school girls. Despite his desire to stay low-key, his natural leadership and competence earn him unwanted attention from the Wyvern Slayers.
—
Behind the Scenes:
The title ‘Leemans’ is a pun on ‘Salarymen’, emphasizing the mundane origins of the reincarnated group.
—
TL Notes:
Notes:
• Kazuya – Scrawny, low‑key summoner in Daisuke’s party, rear‑guard of The Leemans. He grades his Summoning Magic (≈20+) in his room, picturing a dancer‑like woman and a weak slime to aid combat. Speaks with a junior‑slacker cadence, has a 2‑D little brother, and relies on summoned entities.
• Takuya – Reincarnated ninja in black garb and mask, once spurned by the Hero’s party, now mid‑guard of the Salarymen and a Leemans member. Class: Ninja. Part of Daisuke’s crew, he speaks in a faux‑samurai tone, stresses stealth and pragmatic combat, is level 20+, and trains as a ninja.
• Kenta – Black‑haired magic swordsman, known as the Water Swordsman of the Leemans, wields Water Magic and toggles vanguard/mid‑guard. Reincarnated and summoned, he serves both Salarymans and Leemans parties, is a young, inexperienced companion of Daisuke, Level 20+, visibly drained after a red‑light district encounter, and hesitates to kill.
• Ines – Leader of the Twin Winds duo, a 170 cm human with long green hair, heavy metal armor and a voluptuous build. A D‑Rank, Level 21+ magic swordsman who fuses wind magic with swordplay, she accelerates with wind, moves swiftly, and is cool‑headed yet shy and pouting when teased. Dignified instructor for the party, light‑weight drinker.
• Rin – Ice Mage of the JK Party, she’s a tall, large‑breasted high‑school girl with long shaggy hair and thick chest armor. Physically imposing yet fragile (low VIT), she speaks rarely; her quiet, salty mask cracks only in intimate moments, and her overwhelming presence dominates those around her, especially in Daisuke’s opening delusion.
• Rei – A 155 cm, standard‑built member of the Working Women Party, she sports twin‑tails, thick chest armor, and a bright, high‑energy aura. Formerly a cosplayer, she now wields the unique “Rainbow Raiment” skill, brightening her allies and standing out in the magic‑clad class.
• Dietlinde – Noble lady and Adventurer’s Guild receptionist, a slender sheep‑type beastman with white curly hair and horns. She coolly and saltily greets Daisuke, even seeing him off at the chapter’s start.
• Mizuki – 165 cm tall, standard-built girl with long hair, wearing modest chest armor and speaking politely; reincarnated as a Saint-class high-school student and member of the JK Party, deeply religious and devout. Morally driven and emotional, she bravely confronts slave abuse despite legal risks and earns respect by defending the vulnerable.
• Nanami – A 165 cm slender high‑school girl with short hair and modest chest armor, relaxed in speech and quirky in nature. Reincarnated as a Stealth‑class student in the JK Party, she’s easy‑going, often nicknaming friends, and blends smoothly into school life. Known as Mermaid for her underwater diving hobby.
• Hina – Standing 160 cm, she’s a muscular, beautiful girl‑knight with a charming ponytail and thin chest armor, exuding an honest, serious aura. Reincarnated as an “Instant Swordswoman” high‑schooler, she’s level‑headed, fiercely protective of Mizuki, and a member of the JK Party, formerly in the basketball club.
• Sakura – Reincarnated high‑school girl, Destroyer class, 160 cm slender with twin‑tails, perpetual scowl, thin chest armor and short‑hair yankee look; member of the JK Party, high‑tension toward Daisuke, double‑dates Hero Shouta and Holy Knight Takumi, and is the girl the protagonist openly dislikes.
• Makoto – A short, chubby Earth‑summoned blacksmith of the Leemans, level 20+, speaks in stiff samurai‑style “sogashi” first‑person. With high STR and VIT he tanks goblins and never kills humans. He dreams of mastering the forge under a mentor, frequents the workshop, and gazes in quiet awe at an elegant elven girl—his elven enthusiasm legendary among the party.
• Franziska – Leader of ‘The Wyvern Slayers’. Class: Swordsman. A tall, dignified Beastman girl with an elder-sister vibe.
• Edgar – Member of ‘The Wyvern Slayers’. Class: Warrior. A cat-like Beastman male.
• Grete – Member of ‘The Wyvern Slayers’. Class: Spearman. A cheerful Human woman.
• Irene – Member of ‘The Wyvern Slayers’. Class: Axeman. A large Beastman woman, possibly bear-type.
• Hans – Member of ‘The Wyvern Slayers’. Class: Priest. A Human male.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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