Chapter 27

"Yaaaaah!"

"Kyaah!"

A roar echoed through the quiet cave.

Porta's sword, which he had swung back carefully to avoid hitting the cave walls, cleanly bisected a goblin.

"Hmm, that's a good swing."

I couldn't help but comment.

It was unsettling to see them fighting so intensely in front while I stood back so calmly. But since it was part of the job, I had no choice but to do so.

So, I decided to focus on their sword techniques.

"You understand the limitations of this confined space well."

It seemed that Sarena next to me felt the same.

I can't say much about the average level of Bronze-ranked adventurers, but that kid Porta doesn't seem to be bad.

A short sword, along with a long sword, is an average weapon.

While its sharpness depends on the quality of the weapon and it lacks any standout features, its length and weight are just right, making it a versatile weapon used by beginners to experts.

A highly adaptable weapon that can handle a wide range of situations. However, every weapon has its strengths and weaknesses.

In the case of long swords and short swords... generally speaking, in such confined spaces, one must be careful about maneuverability. This is because they can easily hit the walls or ceiling.

"......!"

"Ga... gah..."

A different goblin, not the one Porta had sliced, was killed by Salicatz's dagger, which had crept up from the side.

In such narrow spaces, short swords, long swords, and broadswords are less manageable compared to daggers or rapiers, which are easier to handle.

Of course, daggers lack power and are difficult to defend with, but Salicatz seems to understand the characteristics of his weapon well.

He never engaged in direct combat but instead focused on finding openings from the side.

"Ha... uh!?"

"Kyaah kyaah!"

Oh dear, that's not good.

Nidori, perhaps out of frustration, swung her short sword widely, but it got caught on the cave wall and bounced back.

Seizing the opportunity, the goblin raised its club.

While it wouldn't be a fatal blow, it was time to act.

"Nidori!! Salicatz, help her!"

"Okay...!"

Well, I shouldn't interfere, right?

Porta, who had just finished off the second goblin, was the first to notice Nidori's danger.

To summarize the current situation: Porta and Nidori are fighting the goblins at the front, while Salicatz moves between them, providing support effectively.

There are three goblins left.

One is being dealt with by Porta, another by Nidori, and the last one is moving to attack Nidori again.

This is where Salicatz, the most agile of them, needs to step up.

It feels like I'm watching my children grow.

"......This...!"

"Guu!?"

It seems Salicatz judged that the dagger's killing power wasn't enough, so he charged at the goblin raising its club over Nidori.

The goblin, hit from an unexpected angle, stumbled and fell, still holding the raised club.

"N-Nidori...!"

"Y-Yes!"

Seizing the opportunity, Nidori quickly finished off the fallen goblin.

Now, only two goblins remain.

Goblins, who are already weaker than humans in terms of raw strength, are at a disadvantage now that their numbers have been reduced.

Without major overconfidence or negligence, they should be able to win. And I don't think this team will make such a mistake.

"Looks like it's almost over. What do you think, Sarena?"

"Pretty good for Bronze. Porta, in particular, is doing well."

"Agreed, he's moving well."

We exchanged our thoughts as we watched the three in front of us transition to a mop-up operation.

Nidori, who had recovered from her earlier mistake, was now actively cutting down the goblins. Yes, it's good to see her so energetic.

"...Sweeping... complete... moving on..."

The three, who had almost effortlessly defeated the six goblins, were now ready to proceed.

Salicatz, acting as the scout, confirmed that all the goblins were dead, marking the end of this battle.

However, this was just one scene in their training.

Their mission was to clear the entire dungeon.

It looks like just a cave, but...

"By the way, is this place often used?"

As we resumed walking, I asked Sarena a question that had just occurred to me.

After all, if this were a magical ruin, it would make sense, but this looks like a regular cave.

If it had been used before, the monsters here should have been cleared out. Otherwise, it would be sending beginners into an unknown cave.

"...This place, due to its environment, tends to be inhabited by small creatures if left alone for a while. There are other places like this, and they are regularly used for training new adventurers."

"I see... That makes sense."

So, the reason they don't completely manage the monster distribution is to use places like this as training grounds.

Indeed, the Adventurer's Guild has a practical approach.

Training in a practice field alone doesn't provide real combat experience, but sending inexperienced adventurers to the front lines would only increase the death toll.

The solution is to send new adventurers to places where small creatures tend to inhabit, under supervision, on a regular basis.

City folks sure think things through. I'm impressed.

After that,

Including the first battle, they cleared a total of twelve goblins, four big bats, and two cave worms, reaching the deepest part of the cave.

The training was successfully completed.

"Well, all that's left is to go back. It's good that we didn't have to intervene."

"...Yes, that's a good thing."

I don't intend to fall behind to the likes of goblins, but fighting while protecting someone is nerve-wracking. It's a feeling you can't experience in a simulation, and one I'd rather not experience.

"...Sarena? Is something wrong?"

I asked, noticing her unusual behavior.

She has been somewhat distant and seems to be deep in thought.

"No... the numbers are clearly too low."

"What do you mean?"

Sarena spoke carefully, choosing her words.

"This place hasn't been used for a while. There were fewer goblins in the cave, and we haven't been attacked since entering the Azaramia Forest. ...Normally, there should be more beasts or monsters."

"Hmm..."

Indeed, considering the size of this forest and the conveniently located cave, there should be more monsters.

Well, sometimes things just happen that way.

I guess we can conclude that there were fewer monsters this time.

"Resandela! Gardenant! We're outside!"

"Ah, got it. We're coming."

Porta, excited about the successful training, pointed to the end of the cave and called out.

As we approached the outside, I could feel the fresh air on my cheeks.

After being in the damp, confined space for so long, the outside air felt refreshing.

Porta eagerly headed outside, stretching leisurely.

It's still early, so we can take a refreshing walk back through the forest—

—Wait a minute.

It's still early, and the weather was good today, so shouldn't it be lighter even in a forested area? The darkness is unusual.

And the slightly distorted wind.

My senses were picking up a subtle but strong sense of unease.

—Something is up there!

"Porta!! Get down!!"

I shouted and ran at the same time.

Sarena turned to look at me in surprise at my shout.

At the same time, a large shadow fell over the dim cave entrance.

Porta, who was near the entrance, was thrown back and disappeared from view.