Chapter 180 New Dungeon Exploration – Second Floor (Part 1️⃣)
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
I was caught off guard when Gièze jumped on me and hugged me tightly.
”Mr. Hiroya… Mr. Hiroya, thanks to you!”
Her voice was shaking. I see. She must have been overwhelmed after taking down a High Goblin with the team.
”N-no… Gièze, you’re already fast with the sword, and your movements are quick too… so, you really match well with the Iaido technique, and you’ve been practicing hard…”
Why am I talking like Sister Karina?
”G-Gièze has… been working really hard… for me. I-I’m always… so grateful.”
Sister Karina gently patted Gièze’s head.
* * *
”I’m so sorry for losing my composure…”
Gièze, calmed down by Sister Karina, had her face all red and was looking down.
”When we get back, let’s move on to the next floor. With your skills, you’ll master it in no time.”
”! …Y-yes!”
This girl is really going to get strong.
”This way! The stairs are up ahead!”
Martina came running from the corridor that extended from the hall.
”Oh! Finally, we’re at the second floor!”
”No need to rush. How about we have lunch here first before heading down?”
Dorothy gently held back the eager Liz. She’s really playing her role as the sub-leader well.
”Okay, I’ll get things ready!”
”I’ll help too!”
Suu started preparing lunch, with Asuka, Kazumi, and Gorge pitching in.
* * *
”Marti, there’s a box here!”
Over there, Aluda and her 2 sisters found a box, while Martina gave advice as Noriss tried hard to unlock it.
”To use magic at the right moment, you need to──.”
Meanwhile, Rena was giving magic usage tips to Sister Karina and Lotta.
”Something about this feels… nice.”
Those words slipped out unexpectedly.
”Yeah, Hiroya. It’s a good clan.”
”I’m really looking forward to diving into the deeper floors with everyone.”
Liz and Dorothy were watching everyone with kind eyes.
”Do you think… we’ll be able to keep up in the deeper floors someday?”
Gièze whispered next to Liz.
”We will… if we keep working hard like we are now, it’ll be soon.”
Liz patted Gièze on the shoulder, and Gièze smiled shyly.
* * *
Suu’s homemade bacon, which she learned to make from Ms. Hanna, was lightly heated and sandwiched in bread for lunch, and it was a huge hit. It’s really a blessing to enjoy such delicious meals in a dungeon.
* * *
”Alright, we’ve filled our bellies… let’s get going soon.”
Liz stood up, and everyone followed suit.
We headed down the stairs to the second floor, with Martina and Noriss leading the way.
* * *
The scenery of the second floor wasn’t much different from the first floor.
But…
”Hiroya! Don’t let this thing bite you!”
In a surprise encounter in the corridor, Asuka and I faced off against 2 large snakes raising their heads. Considering the remaining arrows, we decided that we, the last vanguard, would take them down.
”Poison snakes. They’re pretty big, so be careful!”
Martina called out from behind.
”…Well, it’s better than being ambushed by a smaller one…”
The two snakes looked ready to pounce, opening their jaws wide in a threatening manner.
”We’ll strike when they jump at us. Is that good, Hiroya?”
”Yeah──here they come!”
Both snakes lunged at Asuka and me at the same time.
We dodged to the side, Asuka slashed down from above, and I sliced upward, cutting the snake in half.
”Looks like a poison monster showed up in the second floor. We definitely need an antidote or some magic to detox.”
Liz quickly jots down notes.
”Is it a bit bigger than the ones in the first floor?”
Kazumi, holding a magic stone, asks.
”…It’s hard to say. The value might not be that different.”
”I see. So, we really need to gather more of these small magic stones to make a profit.”
Kazumi mutters disappointedly at Rena’s reply.
* * *
The monsters we encounter on the way are either giant ants or poison snakes, bigger than those in the first floor. In the halls, there are groups of high goblins and goblins, or high orcs and orcs. The monster floors have definitely gone up a bit compared to the first floor.
We can’t just leave the tougher monsters in the halls to the rookie team, so Asuka and I join in the hunt.
”I don’t want you to forget that Aluda and the others can fight too.”
”Right? I hope you can leave it to Eluda and the others next time.”
”Meluda wants to help too!”
”Okay, then let’s try leaving it to you three next time.”
Liz gives Aluda a light pat on the back.
”””Yes!”””
* * *
”Eluda! Meluda! I’m counting on you for the high orc!”
The 3 sisters jump into the hall, with Eluda and Meluda raising their shields and charging at the high orc. Aluda blasts away a nearby orc with her hammer, swinging it around to knock back another orc that jumps at her from behind.
”Wow… they’re swinging that wildly…”
Gièze watches their brute-force fighting style in disbelief.
”That’s their fighting style. It’s a fight that makes use of their strengths as dwarves.”
Gièze nods deeply at my explanation.
Eluda desperately blocks a powerful strike from the high orc’s club with her shield held high.
”Got it!”
Taking advantage of the opening, Meluda slashes at the high orc’s leg with her hand axe.
──Gubooooo!
Letting out a scream, Eluda swings her club sideways, but it’s caught strongly by the shield. Even though it was taken from the side, her position doesn’t budge at all.
”One more time!”
Meluda’s hand axe pierces into the side of the high orc.
”This is the end!”
Aluda jumps up and brings her hammer down on the high orc’s head.
The high orc’s skull cracks open, and it falls to the ground.
”””We did it!”””
Despite the powerful battle, the 3 sisters cutely clench their fists. Well done.
”…We’ve been feeling unsatisfied since we teamed up…”
”For letting off steam, we sure went all out…”
”When Aluda was separated from Hiro in the S-rank dungeon, it was a real mess, not just unsatisfied…”
Aluda glares at me as if blaming me while talking to Gièze.
”Ah, I’m sorry about that time…”
I heard she was almost attacked by a horde of orcs. I really am sorry.
* * *
”Inside the box, 2 daggers came out.”
Martina hands the loot to the 3 sisters.
”Hmm… They’re not much as weapons, but the flashy design is nice.”
”I think they have decent value.”
”I’ll try selling them at our shop.”
The daggers are handed over to Aluda and the others, and we move on.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.