Chapter 268 Convergence
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
(Noo’s POV)
They’re up ahead! There’s a mix of “fear” in the scent!
I can already smell Lady Gunilla and Lady Romy, the two girls known as ‘Porter,’ whom I got close to last night. But it seems like we need to hurry.
”Noo needs to rush! Everyone, please follow behind!”
I took off my backpack, stripped off my clothes, and transformed back into my original form before sprinting away. Everyone was saying something to me, but we really had to hurry, so I just started running desperately.
We’re still a bit far… I hope we make it in time…
On the uncharted Third Floor, I dashed through the corridor at full speed and encountered a few ‘Wandering Monsters,’ but I ignored them and kept running. The monsters didn’t show any hostility toward ‘me in wolf form’ and didn’t attack.
(They probably think I’m just another ‘monster.’)
While I was running, following the scent of the two girls, my nose suddenly caught a whiff of a ‘favorite scent.’
”It’s Sir Hiroya’s scent!”
It might take a little detour, but if the two of them are in danger…
(Definitely, it’s better if Sir Hiroya is there!)
Sir Hiroya should be able to run as fast as me and the others by concentrating ‘Physical Boost’ on his legs. So, I wanted him to come along. I turned at the intersection in the direction of ‘Sir Hiroya’s scent.’ After a short run, I spotted Lady Liz and the others walking toward us.
”Sir Hiroya! I want you to follow me!”
”No, Noo!?”
”We can talk later! There are people who need our help!”
Sir Hiroya nodded to Lady Liz, Lady Kazumi, and the others, then turned to me.
”Noo, lead the way.”
”I’ll run as fast as I can, but I hope you can keep up!”
With that, I took off again in the direction of the two girls’ scent.
Physical Boost: Legs!
I heard Sir Hiroya’s voice behind me, so I felt relieved and increased my speed.
Just a little more… It’s just around this corner!
Feeling reassured by Sir Hiroya’s presence behind me, I turned the corner.
* * *
(Gunilla’s POV)
(I’ve been spotted…)
In front of us, after the canvas sheet was pulled back, stood 2 High Goblins. They had already moved away a bit and were walking further ahead. I froze for a moment, unsure of what to do, but then I snapped back to reality when I saw the High Goblin in front of me snort and reach out toward me and Romy with a nasty expression.
──Whoosh! Whoosh! Boom!
I readied my Black Bow and fired 3 arrows into its belly. Since I was so close, even though it was a smaller goblin, the impact was enough to send it flying. However, the two High Goblins that had turned around because of the commotion were now running toward us.
”Romy, run on, quick-like!”
There was no response. When I glanced over, I saw Romy frozen in fear. But that brief moment of looking away was a mistake. When I turned back, the High Goblin I had shot was writhing in pain, and its flailing arm struck me hard in the side.
(It… hurts…)
As it raised its club to swing at me, the High Goblin suddenly collapsed sideways. I saw an arrow sticking out of its temple. Next to me, Romy seemed to have recovered from her paralysis and was now aiming her Black Bow.
”Gunilla! Gunilla!”
With tears in her voice, Romy was trying to help me up while I groaned, holding my side.
”Romy… you gotta try to escape, even if it’s just you.”
I was out of arrows, and the two High Goblins were already closing in. It was too late. There was no way we could escape from here. I tried to shield Romy by moving her behind me and standing in front of the High Goblins. Then it happened. With a short scream, one of them was sliced in half right in front of me. And the other High Goblin’s throat was cut by the sharp fangs of a ‘white wolf.’
(Ah… you saved me…)
After the boy split the high goblin in two, he relaxed and collapsed, and I hurried to support him.
(He’s so small… but strong enough to hold me up…)
I immediately lost consciousness.
* * *
(Hiroya’s POV)
After narrowly saving two girls from the Porter, I rushed into the nearby room, kicked away the 3 high orcs inside, and decided to take a short break there. The Lower Floor team, who had just joined us, was also in the room.
”Lord Hiroya, you were also searching for them, right?”
”Yeah. There was a party fighting the floor boss, and a dying fighter asked me, ‘Please help the two Porters who escaped to the Third Floor.’”
Gieze looked relieved as he watched Gunilla sleeping.
”Hey… is Gunilla really okay?”
A small rabbit girl asked Rena with a worried expression.
”She’s fine. She’s just sleeping deeply, probably because the tension has worn off. She had a bruise on her side, but I treated it with magic, so there’s nothing to worry about.”
Rena replied with a gentle smile to reassure the rabbit girl.
* * *
Anyway, we decided to share information with everyone.
- Gunilla and Romy were Porters hired by a party that lost their lives in the floor boss battle on the Second Floor. Last night, Gieze and Simona rescued them just before they were about to be sexually assaulted and protected them overnight.
- The men from the party reflected on their actions and apologized. They vowed to protect the girls properly.
- However, because of what happened, morale dropped, and teamwork suffered. They struggled against the floor boss. Just before Gunilla and Romy were freed, the magician and thief lost their lives.
- The leader and 2 fighters, along with one tank, risked their lives to help Gunilla and Romy escape.
- When the Deep Floor team defeated the floor boss, everyone was down. The only one who could exchange words was the leader of the group.
”We’re taking Gunilla and Romy back with us. The reason we came this far was to search for Gunilla and Romy, and our limit this time was… the floor boss on the Second Floor…”
Gieze spoke with a look of regret.
”Is that so? I thought we could go further… Look, we’re actually unscathed, right?”
Kazumi asked while distributing the slightly late lunch that Noo and Uu had prepared. It seemed the lower floor team had already finished their lunch, so they were just receiving tea and cookies.
”I made some mistakes during the boss fight. If Ms. Simona hadn’t been there… Lotta would have lost her life.”
Surprised by Gieze’s words, Simona looked over and nodded slightly. Lotta, perhaps remembering the incident, was trembling faintly next to Noriss. Noriss comforted her by putting an arm around her shoulder.
”Well, the important thing is that we came out unscathed. As long as we’re alive, we can reflect on those mistakes and use them for next time.”
Liz spoke up to encourage the downcast lower floor team. Asuka silently stroked Gieze’s head gently.
”W-w-wait, it was all of our… m-mistakes… b-but──.”
Sister Karina stood up.
”N-n-now we have a new goal! N-n-next time, I’ll definitely smash the Second Floor boss with all my might!”
Sister Karina raised her voice unusually high. In her tightly clenched fist… oh, it was the cookie meant for tea…
”Ah…”
With a downcast expression, she sat down and began to munch on the crushed cookie. Seeing Sister Karina’s determination, the lower floor team members stood up with slightly brighter smiles.
”Once everyone finishes lunch, we’ll head back. Then, we’ll discuss our next attack.”
”I also have a lot to reflect on, so I’ll look back and improve.”
”I’ll also work on improving my detection skills! I won’t fall for a surprise attack like that again!”
”I’m…”
”Even in a moment of crisis, I will stay calm and collected…”
Following Gorge, Eluda, and Noriss, Lotta spoke up but paused mid-sentence. She slapped my cheeks with a loud *smack!* and opened her mouth again.
”I will make sure to make calm judgments!”
”I am…”
After a moment of thought, Gieze continued.
”Faster, more accurately, and with more strength. So… Lord Hiroya, Ms. Asuka… please train me more!”
Her determined expression was so bright. Asuka hugged Gieze tightly to her chest.
* * *
Gunilla woke up safely and was greatly thanked by Romy. With the two of them, Gieze and the others set off on their way back. They planned to use the teleportation circle in the Safety Zone on the Third Floor to save on magic tools. We watched Gieze and the others as they headed back to the Third Floor.
”Simona, the adventure isn’t over until we get home. I’m counting on you all.”
I called out and kissed Simona on the cheek.
”I’ll take care of it, Hiroya♡──Alright, everybody, do your thing! I’m headin’ home first to take a nice, long bath!”
Simona waved at us and chased after Gieze and the others.
”Now, it’s our turn to do our best.”
”I can’t let those kids outdo me!”
”Yeah, that’s right.”
Dorothy, Martina, and Asuka all had motivated looks in their eyes.
”Somehow, Eluda seems a bit bigger now.”
”…Yeah. That girl is still a virgin, though…”
Aluda and Meluda seemed a bit confused by what was being said.
”Rena, I’ll be right by Hiroya’s side. Don’t do anything reckless, okay?”
”I kind of want to see a cool Hiroya doing something a little reckless, though?”
Rena and Kazumi wrapped their arms around my arms.
”Alright, let’s get going! We’ll find the route to the Fourth Floor by night!”
”No, that’s impossible, Liz…”
”That’s the kind of mindset we need to have!”
Liz smiled brightly.
”Alright! Everyone, follow Uu!”
We left the room. Of course, Uu wasn’t at the front; it was Martina leading the way.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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