Chapter 43

"Three on the ceiling, and two in that deep water, making a total of five."

Shiela's ears twitched, and she occasionally sniffed the air, declaring it as if it were a prophecy.

"Milady Grace, I'll take care of the bats."

"Then, I'll handle the frogs."

Grace headed for the depths, while Ashley approached the dark corner where the bats were hiding, chanting a spell. Suddenly, a frog leaped out of the water. Another frog's tongue stretched out with a groan. However, Grace slashed the one that leaped at her with her left axe and caught the other's tongue with her right axe, pulling it forcefully. She casually swung her arm, which was wrapped in a chain, and the frog was thrown straight into the wall, flattening against it.

"---Venom Mist"

The bats that flew from the ceiling plunged into the purple smoke released by Ashley, suddenly losing speed and falling to the ground. It was a fourth-class water magic, which was one of the more difficult spells for Ashley to cast, but if she knew the direction they were coming from in advance, she could prepare the spell with ease.

"Good. There are no surprises, so we won't be caught off guard."

Grace smiled. Indeed, Shiela's five senses were extraordinary, even without any magical enhancements. Her vision, sense of smell, and hearing were far beyond that of a human, giving the impression of a living radar. She had every reason to offer her skills.

There are also detection spells like Life Detection, but the more methods and eyes for detection, the better.

Well—after that, since Ilmehilt was still recovering from her illness, we decided to cut our conversation short and proceed with our plan to explore the dungeon. The victims of the kidnapping were apparently not treated roughly to maintain their 'quality'—meaning their value. Ilmehilt herself had been hiding the fact that she was a lamia, so she had only weakened from not eating, which wasn't a serious condition.

Why was Shiela accompanying us on the dungeon exploration? There were two main reasons. First, our interests aligned, and second, Chester's behavior regarding Ilmehilt had greatly angered her. She offered to gather information on the knights for the event in five days.

Ilmehilt's position was somewhat delicate compared to the other two. She had been living in the city while hiding her race, and the fact that the demon Linette had been disguised as a human had been discovered at the same time, which was unfortunate. Shiela believed that her treatment was somewhat uncertain.

Ilmehilt was registered as an adventurer and had accumulated a fair amount of experience through quests and dungeon explorations. She had also been encouraging the other kidnapped victims, so the Adventurer's Guild was on her side. There were likely other adventurers who would support her, but that was only from the Guild's perspective, not the kingdom's.

Therefore, it was very troublesome for Shiela to be approached by someone in a public position whose actions and procedures were unpredictable. There was a risk that such a person might judge Ilmehilt unilaterally or spread rumors based on personal bias after returning to the knights.

In addition to her resentment towards Chester, Shiela wanted to establish a connection with me, considering Ilmehilt's current position. She believed that my presence, with Grace by my side, was trustworthy.

Well... if it was a give-and-take, I was willing to welcome it. Having more information or the means to gather it was a powerful weapon and shield.

I didn't particularly like the Thieves' Guild on a personal level, and I didn't have many acquaintances here. If I were to use informants in the future, it would be easier and more comfortable with Shiela's involvement.

That's why we decided that Shiela would join us on the dungeon exploration. Even though it was a give-and-take, it wasn't just about receiving information and providing Ilmehilt with some favors. I wanted to make it clear that I was backing her when she gathered information.

If Shiela were acting on her own, her treatment would be different if she were captured during the information gathering. In this case, it didn't matter who initiated the plan; I felt responsible for it. While I didn't have a significant network of connections, it would help protect her to some extent.

I had also mentioned to Heather that we might form a party with Shiela, and by exploring the dungeon together, I wanted to make it clear that we had a connection.

After discussing these matters with Grace and the others, we concluded that having a thief or scout in the party would be beneficial for the dungeon exploration. There were some unknowns about Shiela's abilities, but I wasn't too worried about bringing her to this level of the dungeon. I knew about her high information-gathering skills and sharp senses.

"Should I take the lead this time?"

"Are you sure you can handle it?"

"I have confidence. I want to show what I can do since I'm offering my skills."

"Understood."

With Shiela leading, we explored the cave area. After advancing for a while, she stopped.

"I found it. Let's go."

Shiela gripped her dagger in a reverse grip and ran towards what seemed to be an empty wall. Despite her high speed, there was no sound of footsteps. She climbed the wall and leaped high, slashing the air with her dagger. A bat that seemed to be sucked out of nowhere was cut in half and fell. She landed on the ground after a mid-air spin.

"Excellent, Shiela."

"Thank you."

I see. She could predict the movements and attack before the enemy could act, thanks to her ability to pinpoint their location. Her physical skills were impressive, and in a fight, the enemy would likely feel her movements were faster than their actual speed. Her agility and lightweight weapons were well-suited, but her role wasn't to be a front-line fighter.

Well, it seemed Shiela wouldn't be a burden. At this rate, we could progress more efficiently.

"---Next. They're coming."

From the depths of the cave, the pig-headed monsters appeared. They were orcs. Four in total. They were strong and tough warriors but not very intelligent. They started appearing from the 17th floor. Orks were known for their strong reproductive abilities and chasing after females of other races, but the orcs in the dungeon didn't do that. ...Well, they did seem to target Grace and the others more than me.

"Boooyah!!"

One orc raised its battle axe at Grace, but she met it head-on. The orc's battle axe and Grace's Lovris clashed, making a metallic sound. However, there was no contest. Grace overpowered the orc, bending the iron handle like heated candy and sweeping it aside. She then spun like a tornado, crushing another orc.

The orc distracted by Grace was decapitated by Shiela, who silently leaped down from above. Blood splattered, and Shiela kicked off her shoulder to jump back.

One orc remained. Ashley stayed back, and I moved forward, unmarked. I spun my magic staff like a windmill, slamming the orc to the ground headfirst. I stomped on its throat and activated a magic circle, delivering the final blow with a lightning strike from my foot.

Well... orcs. They are technically edible, but knowing they are humanoid, it's hard to feel hungry.

We decided to retreat after finding the stairs to the 18th floor and a stone monument. We had to consider that Shiela had a lot to do afterward.

"Theodore is strong, I knew that... but now I'm starting to lose confidence."

Back at the temple, Shiela said this. Grace was in a league of her own, and Ashley was exceptionally talented for her age. Shiela probably felt she hadn't done enough to impress, but I didn't have such high standards. I was curious about how she felt.

"No, you did well. I look forward to working with you in the future."

"...Okay. I look forward to it too."

Shiela nodded.

"Since that's settled, I'll start the investigation today."

"Please don't cross dangerous bridges alone. We'll discuss and decide together. I'll lend you a familiar when necessary. Since it's only five days, it's enough if you can gather information on key figures. Also, if you can show up once a day, it will reassure us that you're safe."

"Understood."

When I explained the plan, Shiela smiled slightly.

I didn't want Shiela to overexert herself. Just knowing who to watch out for and who to trust would make things easier for me.

Well—five days from now. I wonder what will happen.