Chapter 37

"Sleep Cloud!"

When Ashley activated the spell without incantation, smoke blew from her hand, and the group of goblins that had appeared from the depths of the corridor collapsed, losing consciousness.

Grace stepped in and kicked them with all her might. The goblins stuck to the wall like rubber balls and remained motionless.

A pale blue magic arrow—Magic Bolt—flew from the depths of the corridor, but we blocked it with Magic Shield and countered with a lightning strike. The robed goblin shaman let out a short scream and fell.

Hmm, well, there doesn't seem to be any problem with the battle itself.

The spell Ashley used was Sleep Cloud, which generates a sleep gas. It's classified as a low-level spell but is considered a legitimate healing magic.

Usually, such spells that can be easily misused are not taught, but it seems Rosetta doesn't really care about that. Or perhaps she took into account Ashley's character and social standing.

"When did you learn to cast without incantation?"

In the future, if we continue to bring Ashley into the dungeon, we need to consider her as part of the combat force. When I asked her what she could do, she said she could use Sleep Cloud, so I was thinking of using it first before engaging in battle... but I was a bit surprised to find out she had already mastered casting without incantation.

"I heard that I might have to go into the dungeon with Lord Theodore. I spent most of my free time practicing magic to be able to cast some convenient spells without incantation. I was also getting the hang of the knack of casting without incantation through daily life magic."

...Now I understand why Rosetta said it was "okay."

"Are you not afraid, Lady Ashley?"

"It's fine. As a magic-using lord, I think such situations are inevitable. I also use Brave Wind to keep my legs from trembling in emergencies."

Brave Wind is a low-level spell that is said to boost courage. It seems she has a rather practical approach, probably thanks to Rosetta's advice.

Both Grace and I are careful not to make the defeated enemies too gory, and since Grace is in her released state, I have Caduceus on alert to protect Ashley from any attacks.

"Having the two of you with me is very reassuring."

I can't sense any unease in Ashley's expression or tone. She might be stronger at heart than I initially thought. Physical issues can be resolved with healing magic, and we also have a red transfer stone as a precaution... so let's proceed at this pace.

Now, we are on the 12th floor of the dungeon. It's best to wait for the situation outside to calm down. We'll stay holed up to avoid trouble while gathering information.

The 12th floor is where magic-using goblin shamans and huge spiders that wait for prey in their nests appear. While it's debatable whether it can be called "leveling up" in the real world, it's a suitable floor to get used to fighting monsters while maintaining a safety margin.

"Enemies!"

Five Wood Puppets appeared. The number of monsters appearing at once is gradually increasing.

"Light Bind!"

After confirming there were no other enemies, I bound them all together. This time, Ashley stepped forward and raised her long mace.

To get her used to close combat, we have her engage in melee after binding the Wood Puppets. Fighting puppets won't cause any trauma.

"Hah!"

Ashley's mace swung and beautifully decapitated the Wood Puppet. Her long mace, while not the best for spellcasting, is quite a fine weapon. It seems to have enchantments for lightness and acceleration.

It's designed to be lightweight for better handling, but the enchantments can be deactivated on impact to increase its power. This makes it easy for Ashley, who isn't particularly strong, to use it effectively.

While I, who excel in close combat, can handle it, it's not a bad idea for a mage to have a close combat option. However, the choice of a mace... it seems to be influenced by me and Grace, and I can't help but feel a bit responsible.

Grace, as usual, is chopping the Wood Puppets into pieces with her axe. To her, they are just like firewood. While Ashley was taking down one, Grace was swinging her double axes to finish off the rest.

"Excellent work."

"Thank you, Lady Ashley."

The two of them smiled at each other. It's oddly harmonious for a dungeon exploration... but that's because the enemies are weak.

After quickly looting the area, we continued down the corridor and found a door on the side. Opening the door, we saw a wooden chest in the center of the room.

Well, this exploration has an added element of fun. The treasure chests have returned because it's past the new moon. While we won't find anything significant on this floor, it's a good opportunity for Ashley's leveling and to share basic exploration information.

Treasure chests are usually placed in small or large rooms, but there might be monsters, so we need to be cautious when entering.

This room and the chest don't seem to have any traps. The contents of the chest were low-grade healing potions.

Potions are handy for healing minor injuries, but they take up a lot of space and have a good selling price, so it's a bit of a dilemma whether to carry them or transfer them.

"This area is still safe, but be careful as you go deeper. Traps can be set on entrances and treasure chests."

"Understood."

"Got it."

The two of them nodded.

"I'll handle the traps, though."

"Shouldn't we learn how to disarm them?"

"No, it's fine. I can handle it."

Identifying and disarming traps requires a lot of knowledge and isn't something you can learn quickly. Learning through trial and error... is not necessary.

Besides, it's best for Ashley to stay out of it. As the party's healer, she should avoid getting hurt. If I get hurt, Ashley can heal me with her more powerful healing magic.

Continuing to explore the small rooms, we found a staircase leading to the 13th floor.

We don't have enough transfer stones yet, but we can proceed without delay.

"From the 13th floor, Cutter Mantises will appear."

They are giant mantises with sharp scythes. The scythes can be used for magic stone extraction and are durable enough to be used as tools.

As we continued exploring, we saw a door that looked different from the others.

"What about that door? The pattern is different from the others."

"It's a large room. In the shallower floors, they are designed to be easily recognizable. There might be a lot of monsters inside, so be careful when entering."

"I see... What will you do?"

"Of course, we'll go in. If we can see a monster room, it's good to know what they look like for future reference."

I'm not sure if it's called "experience points" or "levels," but clearing a monster room will help strengthen our party.

"...Let's go. Ashley, stay near the entrance and don't go too deep. Caduceus will protect you, so you can cast spells calmly."

"Understood."

Ashley nodded and chanted loudly in the dungeon.

"Round Guardian!"

A sphere of light began to orbit around me and Grace.

It's a 4th-level light magic, a defensive spell. It orbits the target and acts as a shield against attacks from the back or blind spots. It's the most advanced spell Ashley can currently use.

As soon as the spell was completed, we opened the door and rushed into the room.

Sure enough, it was a monster room. A combination of spiders and mantises. I'm not a fan of insect-type monsters, though spiders aren't technically insects.

"Blizzard!"

A 6th-level spell, a mid-level combination of water and wind magic. A cold vortex swept through the room, visibly slowing down the monsters.

I left the back to Grace and Ashley's defensive spells and leaped at the nearest mantis. Swinging my magic staff like a windmill, I cut off its arms at the joints and crushed its head. The mantis disintegrated and flew apart.

"Air Bullet"

A huge spider tried to ensnare us with its web, but I pushed it back with wind magic. The spider was hit by its own web and flailed its legs.

Spiders don't get caught in their own webs because they use non-sticky threads for their footing. So, pushing the sticky threads back at them is effective. I finished it off with an Ice Lance and moved on to the next enemy.

Ducking under the scythe, I lunged into the mantis's range and performed a Heaven Thrust Kick. The magic-empowered kick sent the mantis flying vertically. I then cut it in half as it fell.

I glanced at the others.

Grace was crushing a mantis along with its scythe. She was throwing and pulling her axes back and forth at an incredible speed, dismembering the monsters.

Ashley was focused on casting. While she was vulnerable, a mantis that approached her was impaled by Caduceus. The spider's web was also blocked by Caduceus. Caduceus's defense was perfect. No one on this floor could break through it.

"Aqua Jail!"

A 3rd-level water magic that traps the target in a water prison and suffocates it. It's effective against insects as well.

The Cutter Mantis was struggling in a cubic water prison.

—They seem to be doing fine over there. I'll focus on my side.

"Thunder Cloud!"

A 6th-level lightning magic. A dark cloud charged with purple lightning spread out. While it doesn't have the speed of a direct lightning strike, touching the cloud will cause electrocution. In a crowded monster room, there's no space to avoid it.

The monsters in my line of sight were all charred black.

It didn't take long to wipe them out. There were about 30 Cutter Mantises and Huge Spiders. The lootable part of the spiders is their abdomen.

I fought without holding back, but there were still many looting opportunities. For severely damaged ones, I used a magic stone extraction spell to avoid waste. It's a hassle to be careful during battles.

The individual prices aren't high, but with the numbers, we can expect a decent harvest.