Chapter 33

"Alright, let's rush through the shallow layers."

"Understood, Soji-kun."

"Guess we'll ignore the minions, then."

"Right. The ones here are only worth a few coins."

We had reached the B1F of the underground labyrinth, a field that resembled a green, sunlit forest.

The three of us were carrying backpacks.

We chose ones that were large but wouldn't hinder our movement.

This time, we planned to delve deep and stay overnight.

The backpacks contained folded tents, sleeping gear, and other essentials.

"Are you sure two days' worth of food and water will be enough?"

Kuna voiced her concern.

Indeed, veteran explorers carried backpacks twice the size of ours and brought along non-combatants to carry additional loads.

There was a reason for this. A person needs about 2 liters of water and 1 kg of food per day, totaling 3 kg. For a week-long expedition, including bedding, clothing, weapons, and maintenance equipment, the load would be around 30 to 40 kg.

Ideally, everyone should be a combatant, but in reality, it's quite challenging. To extend our stay, we let low-level adventurers carry the load while we protect them.

"Yeah, it's fine. We'll mostly gather supplies on-site."

Even with this amount of gear, we plan to gather water and food on-site, so it's not a problem. Regular explorers get sick from the miasma in the underground labyrinth, but I can purify it. Additionally, our party's weapons don't require maintenance.

I use [Mithril Melting] to fight, so no maintenance is needed. Kuna fights bare-handed, and Anne's sword is a genuine magic sword that never dulls.

"Can I borrow Anne's sword?"

"...Sure. Soji, take good care of it."

"Thanks."

I took Anne's sword and examined it.

I felt a bit nostalgic. In the days when I thought this world was a game, I had been entrusted with and used a similar sword by the king of the Coline Kingdom.

The blade was pure white, emphasizing sharpness over weight. Despite its thinness, it would never break or dull, no matter how it was used.

Even I couldn't understand its material or manufacturing process.

Moreover, this sword was alive. It chose its owner and revealed its true form only to those it recognized as its true master. In Anne's hands, it was just a sturdy and sharp sword, but its true nature was far more ominous and destructive.

The magic sword trembled, perhaps recognizing my potential as a master. I was at risk of being entranced by it.

"Alright, thanks."

I returned the sword to Anne.

I thought I might see a bit more of its true nature, but it remained inscrutable.

It was said to have been created by the hero Shujina, who saved the world centuries ago. If it were alive, I'd like to hear its story. High-level mages sometimes find ways to preserve their existence. My curiosity as an alchemist is hard to suppress.

"Hey, Soji. You know this sword? You looked nostalgic."

"Yeah, I've seen something similar."

"This Quval Besta? I can't believe there's another one like it."

"There is one. It wouldn't be surprising if there were more."

Though I haven't seen anything better than Quval Besta.

But I want to create something that surpasses it someday.

"Right. But if there is another one like Quval Besta, I'd like to know how to be recognized by it. Is it skill? Magic power? Or rank?"

Being recognized by Quval Besta is the Oclaire family's lifelong dream.

Except for the first generation, no one has truly been recognized by it.

The family once lost ownership of Quval Besta for this reason, but no one was recognized by Quval, and it eventually returned to the head of the Oclaire family, the strongest swordsman of the time.

Now, its true form is forgotten, and it's mistakenly believed that anyone who can manifest a small amount of power is recognized as its owner, like Anne's father.

I understand. What Quval Besta seeks is beyond the reach of ordinary people. It is...

"No, I don't know. But Anne will be recognized someday."

"Right, I'll definitely make it recognize me."

I won't say it. Anne needs to find it on her own; Quval won't recognize her otherwise. I have faith that she will eventually make Quval recognize her.

"Hehehe, being a weapon user is troublesome. I just need my fists, you know."

Kuna started shadow boxing, throwing sharp jabs.

Her form was so good it was almost annoying.

"You say that, but Kuna is actually a swordsman. Specifically, a dual-wielder. She targets vital points with hit-and-run tactics."

"Wh-what are you talking about?"

Kuna took a step back, her tail bristling.

"You can tell by the way you move. Your center of gravity and spacing are based on having a sword. During the fight with the fourth-rank, you were trying to correct the spacing, which was half a step too far."

"Soji-kun, you pay attention. ...Yes, I am a dual-wielder."

Kuna admitted it easily, realizing it was pointless to hide it from me. I'll give her a little lecture.

"Kuna, you're strong as you are. There must be a reason you don't use the daggers in your bag."

At first, I thought she didn't have a sword that could withstand her flames. So, I planned to make her a mithril sword.

But one day, I caught her secretly maintaining her daggers. They were masterpieces that could withstand her flames.

So, Kuna had swords that could withstand her flames from the beginning.

Yet, she chose not to use them.

"Don't pry into personal matters. I'm strong with just my fists and flames."

"Maybe. But can you say for sure that you're stronger with your fists than with a sword?"

"Th-that's..."

Kuna was speechless. Her movements were not something she could learn overnight. They were the result of extensive, specialized training and refinement.

"Kuna, you've ingrained these movements into your body. Starting something new now would be difficult. Even a slight discrepancy or discomfort would hold you back. You might be fine against weaker opponents, but you can't beat top-tier opponents without a sword."

"I know. I know, but there are things I can't compromise on."

Kuna spoke firmly.

Her resolve seemed strong. Even in the game era, she never used a sword.

"I'm not forcing you. But, Kuna, don't regret it. Being weak is a sin here. Your pride can affect others too."

"...I'll keep that in mind."

Kuna took a deep breath and whispered, averting her gaze.

"Let's go, Soji. Talking here is a waste of time. We have a long night ahead, so let's talk in the tent."

"That's a good idea."

Finally, we set off.

◇

"Soji-kun, you seem very confident about your path."

We were running through the underground labyrinth.

"I have a sense of where the entrance to the next level is."

"Soji, that's a bit scary to hear 'sense.'"

"I do have a reason, though."

I've been using magic since earlier. The [Elna Reading] I used to predict monster spawn points. But this time, I'm not predicting monster patterns.

"I can tell by the flow of Elna. The Elna is flowing towards the accumulation device at the lowest level. If I can read that flow, I can find the way."

"Soji-kun, you're saying you can see the flow of Elna as if it's normal, but it's not visible to most people."

"Right. I had my doubts too. Humans can't perceive Elna directly."

"I'm not seeing Elna directly. I'm sensing the movement of mana that's been pushed aside by Elna, which gives me a sense of its concentration and flow."

That's why the calculations are more complex, and it's a bit of a burden for me.

"It would be nice to have a map."

"Hmm, I think making one would be a waste. The underground labyrinth is growing, so preconceived notions can be dangerous."

The path can change not just from month to month but even from the way in to the way out.

A common scenario is exploring to the limit, then trying to return and getting lost due to the changed path, running out of food and water, and resorting to the underground labyrinth's resources, leading to a total party wipe.

The underground labyrinth's non-monster elements are far more dangerous.

"Still, it's vast. Our goal this time is to reach the 5th floor, right?"

"Right. The 5th floor has mainly mid-rank 1 monsters, which are profitable, and there are fewer people there."

The 4th floor and below are crowded, and there are rank 2 to 3 knights on standby for emergencies. I consider the 5th floor the true exploration zone.

"Soji-kun, how long do you think it will take to reach the 5th floor?"

"Hmm, about three hours per floor, so we'll probably set up camp on the 4th floor today. Hunting and exploring at night is dangerous. We need to prepare the camp before it gets dark. The fake sun will go out as soon as it's night."

The underground labyrinth isn't that large, but the straight-line distance to the next level is significant, and we need to take detours and be cautious of monsters. The tall, lush grass also hinders movement. With natural obstacles, we can only maintain a speed of about 10 km per hour, so it takes at least three hours.

"[Flame Spear]!"

Kuna stopped and cast a fire spell at the sky.

It's a piercing spell that creates a streamlined, burning projectile.

I developed this spell, but Kuna mastered it just by seeing it and hearing my explanation. Her talent with fire spells is so exceptional that the word "genius" seems inadequate.

The [Flame Spear] pierced a 2-meter-tall, warty frog-like creature that leaped from a tree branch, leaving a large hole in its belly as it crashed to the ground.

"Don't think you can surprise the fire fox Kuna."

Kuna pointed at the dead frog, delivering her catchphrase.

Even though I was focused on [Elna Reading], she noticed it before I did, which is impressive.

"I'm jealous of those ears."

Kuna's fox ears, golden with black tips, are far superior to human ears.

Her perception is likely due to these fox ears.

According to Kuna, she can even perceive sound in three dimensions and recognize it as an image.

"You can't have them."

Kuna held her ears, looking wary.

"Go for it!!"

"Both of you, save the comedy for later. I'll extract the magic stone."

Anne efficiently removed the magic stone.

From then on, we smoothly descended the levels.

If we keep this up, we should reach the 4th floor before dark.