Chapter 266 Lower Floor Team (Part VI)
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
We move through the corridor leading to the floor boss on the Second Floor.
This is the place we decided to reach for our exploration goal.
”Can we use the ‘teleportation circle’ from the ‘Safety Zone’ we finished exploring last time?”
It seems Lotta is asking Karina, who is walking next to her.
”W-well, when we set it up… um, if we chant the password… a-and consume some magical power… i-it should be fine…”
”Are you asking what that password was?”
”I-I’m… n-not sure…”
”It’s ‘Famière.’”
I interrupted the conversation while looking at Noriss, who was walking a little ahead of me.
”Ms. Gieze, you really did ask Rena about it, huh?”
As expected! Lotta added, engaging in the conversation.
”I thought we might be able to use the ‘teleportation circle’ at the Third Floor ‘Safety Zone’ when we return. So, before we left, I asked Rena about it.”
”Then, if we can get that far… we can save this ‘teleportation scroll’ for later.”
”Exactly, Ms. Eluda.”
It’s a scroll worth a single gold coin.
If we can save it, that’s definitely a win.
”…It’s just ahead… I’ll go take a look.”
Noriss, who had been walking a bit ahead, turned back and said that before quickly running ahead down the corridor.
”We’ll wait here for Noriss’s report.”
I raised my right hand to signal everyone.
At the same time, I instructed them to prepare the Black Bow.
Since Ms. Simona and I had already handed them to Gunilla and Romy this morning, we each checked our swords.
”D-Danger! Please come quickly!”
From the depths of the corridor, I could hear Noriss’s voice.
I nodded to Mr. Gorge, then dashed forward.
Everyone else tried to follow, so I told them all to wait right there.
* * *
”What’s wrong? What happened?”
I called out to Noriss, who was standing frozen at the entrance of the boss hall.
”Uh… that…”
Noriss pointed inside the hall.
When I looked in that direction…
”Uh… that is…”
Just as I whispered that, Mr. Gorge rushed into the hall.
”I left everyone waiting at the previous spot. Can you go call them, Noriss?”
Nodding to my instruction, he ran off.
* * *
”…Just as I thought… these guys are the employers of Gunilla and Romy…”
Mr. Gorge glanced at me before returning his gaze to ‘them.’ I looked down at the 6 bodies neatly lined up in the corner of the hall.
Someone must have paid their respects.
”Maybe the adventurers who buried them took them away…”
Mr. Gorge knelt down to examine the body of the leader, a Fighter.
”Yeah. No adventurer cards here.”
”What do you think happened to Gunilla and Romy?”
”…The fact that there are no bodies here means they somehow managed to escape.”
He murmured that and shifted his gaze to the entrance of the hall.
I followed his gaze and saw Ms. Simona and the others entering the hall.
* * *
”The absence of Gunilla an’ Romy’s bodies here means these guys kept their promise an’ somehow helped those girls escape.”
Ms. Simona said this, closing her eyes and looking down.
”S-so, what happened to those girls…?”
”I don’t know. I’m sure they managed to get out of this hall, but…”
When I replied to Karina, who looked like she was about to cry, I noticed several Black Bow arrows lying on the floor.
”This… is an arrow from Eluda’s shop. For Gunilla and the others to have used them… there aren’t that many, right?”
After Ms. Eluda picked up an arrow to examine it, she looked around at the scattered arrows in the hall.
Ms. Simona crossed her arms and smiled a little.
”I see… Ms. Liz and the others just happened to encounter a battle and defeated the floor boss here…”
”Th-then those girls are safe! They must be with Mr. Hiroya and the others!”
”Oh, oh, the bodies of those adventurers… H-Hiroya and the others held a funeral for them, right…!”
Noriss and Lotta’s guesses seemed overly optimistic, but I wanted to believe that too.
”──!”
Noriss looked up at the high ceiling of the hall.
His expression was serious.
Noo was also looking up.
”…Something is coming! Monsters from the ceiling!”
”Everyone scatter! Two big ones are coming down!”
”Everyone spread out! Get to the corners of the hall as much as you can!”
I immediately gave the orders in response to Noriss and Noo’s voices.
Noriss must have sensed it with his Thief’s detection ability, and Noo with her instincts as a Snow Wolf.
A new ‘floor boss’ was about to appear.
* * *
(Gunilla’s POV)
A few times, wandering monsters passed by…
but they didn’t notice us and just went on.
Each time, I felt like my body was shaking from fear, but I managed to hold it together.
If we moved and got caught, it would be the end for both me and Romy.
Both Romy and I had dozed off a few times while hiding.
When I regained consciousness, I often thought, ‘What if this is just a dream…?’ But the cold rock against my back and Romy’s warmth reminded me that this was reality.
How much time had passed? After what was probably the fifth encounter with a monster, Romy finally started to cry.
”Sniff… Gunilla… I-I could die with Gunilla and be okay…”
”Don’t give up. We will definitely be saved.”
”But just sitting here… sniff… if we move, the monsters will…”
Tears were streaming down Romy’s face.
”We will definitely be saved. Other adventurers will show up. If somethin’ happens before then──.”
I gently patted Romy’s head.
”──I will definitely save ya, Romy.”
Romy looked up at me with a tearful smile.
”I’m sorry, Gunilla… Yeah. It’s a relief, right? The two of us can definitely make it back alive!”
”Shh!”
Footsteps could be heard again.
A few slightly larger monsters.
They were probably the ‘High Goblins’ that the adventurers had mentioned.
If it were a High Orc, the footsteps would be a bit louder.
I tensed up as the footsteps got closer.
I had 3 arrows ready in my Black Bow, crouching down and preparing to shoot at any moment.
* * *
Eventually, the footsteps stopped right nearby.
(Did they notice us…?)
Holding our breath, we waited for the next move from the owners of the footsteps.
It felt like a long time had passed.
The canvas sheet still hadn’t been lifted.
Then the footsteps echoed and finally faded away…
Just as we let out a sigh of relief, the sheet covering us was suddenly pulled back.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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