Chapter 98

"Wow, there really is a grassland! Master, why is there a grassland here?"

"I don't know. Just accept it because it's a dungeon. Marco, you should have known, right? You were gathering information from adventurers."

"Right, it's because it's a dungeon. I knew, but it's still surprising to see it in person."

Marco nodded in agreement. While it was a bit awkward to be questioned, it was also a bit worrying that he accepted it so easily. Still, compared to his initial prickly and guarded attitude when they first met, this was definitely better.

Sara and the others carefully scouted and fought, easily breaking through to the sixth layer's grassland. They were now so strong that slimes and goblins were no longer a challenge.

With the spirit magic cast at Sara's command, the monsters were dispatched with a swift and precise strike. According to Sylph, floating spirits could handle orcs and the like without any issues.

However, their power had its limits, and they struggled against enemies with strong defenses. In this dungeon, the difficulties would start from the trolls on the sixteenth floor and the marshland lizards on the twenty-sixth floor, as well as the lizards that were the material for my armor.

Hmm, with a vanguard and a cannon role, it should be fine, but with only spirit mages like Sara and the others, they would likely struggle from the sixteenth floor's trolls onward.

"Master, we're going to hunt rough birds from this floor, right?"

"Yes, and we'll also gather herbs. Since it's our first day, let's return after hunting ten rough birds. The goal is the meat, so take them down cleanly. It's easier if you can sever their heads. Also, be aware that slimes, goblins, kobolds, and rough birds will appear on this floor, so don't get too focused on the rough birds."

One request is completed with the meat from two birds, so this will be five requests. By the way, one request for herbs is completed with thirty leaves. I wonder how many requests need to be completed to rank up? I'll ask the guild when I report.

However, with a reward of 40,000 elts for two birds that are about my height, the grilled rough bird must be quite cheap. Even with the cost of butchering reducing the edible parts, it might still be a bit more profitable since the parts usually not taken home can also be sold.

"Yes, Master."

"Master, I'm not good at cutting attacks. What should I do?"

"Hmm, since the goal is the meat, aim for the legs or head. You don't need to sever the head as long as you can take them down."

It's a simple thing, but it feels good to answer questions and get into the role of a master.

"Bel?"

Oh right, I promised to have her help. Fukuchan and the others did a great job with the guard, so I'll have them gather herbs.

"Bel, can you and the others gather herbs?"

"Sure, Bel can do it!" "Kyu" "Find herbs" "Kuku"

"Thanks. Oh, and this is for Sara and the others too, but it looks like there are quite a few adventurers around here, so let's avoid getting too close to other adventurers. It's just unpleasant to be near them."

When we encountered adventurers in the cave, they avoided me quite obviously, but it's better to be cautious.

They nodded at my warning, and Bel and the others took off enthusiastically. We decided to start exploring the grassland in earnest. Well, Sylph and I would just be watching from behind.

Mame went out to scout and walked in the direction where there were no people. Oh, Mame stopped in front of Kika. This pattern means she spotted an enemy.

"Big brother, big sister, monsters are coming."

"Got it." "Understood."

Sara and Marco prepared to face the monsters while flanking Kika. Oh, something is running towards us from a distance. The grassland provides a good line of sight, but it also makes it easier to be spotted.

Last time I came here, I cut through almost the shortest path, dispatching the enemies that attacked me one after another. I didn't pay much attention, but being cautious reveals a lot.

As they got closer, the identity of the monsters became clear. Kobolds... in light novels, they can be cute, but in this world, they are not.

They bared their teeth and growled, and their saliva dripped, showing no hint of cuteness. Well, if they were cute, it would be hard to kill them without feeling guilty, so maybe it's better they're not.

"Marco, Kika, five kobolds are coming. They seem faster than goblins, so be careful."

"Got it. I'll take the two on the right, and Sara, you take the two on the left. Kika, you take the middle."

Marco quickly gave instructions and prepared to face the kobolds. They waited... probably because they've been fighting slow enemies, they have a habit of waiting until the enemies get close before attacking.

Fukuchan and the others cast their spells, and the kobolds were easily defeated. After Sara and the others collected the magic stones, I called them over.

"Everyone, I noticed something. We don't need to wait for the enemies to come to us."

When I said this, Sara and the others looked puzzled and tilted their heads.

"Master, I don't understand."

"Well, you saw the kobolds running from a distance, right? We don't need to wait for them to get close. We can ask Fukuchan and the others to attack them as soon as we see them. It's safer to take them down from a distance. However, if the spirits are too far away, they'll be vulnerable until they can be summoned back, so it's best to have one stay behind."

Fukuchan and the others can fly and cast spells, so range isn't an issue. When Bel and the others went ahead into the undead nest, I had them take care of the skeletons first. Honestly, if I asked them to take out all the monsters, they probably would.

Of course, if we do that, we need to be specific to avoid wasting materials. Since Fukuchan and the others are floating spirits, it's best to keep them within visual range.

"Are you saying we could have attacked the kobolds as soon as we saw them?"

"Yes, if Sara had asked Fukuchan to take them down at that point, they would have."

"Right, Fukuchan can fly without being noticed and get close... We should discuss more about what we can do as a team."

The way they looked at me made me feel good. I hid my inner thoughts and continued the conversation, maintaining my dignity as a master, which is a bit challenging.

"Yes, the spirits can do a lot more than you think. It's important to communicate and build a good relationship with them."

"Understood. Marco and Kika, you got that too, right?"

"Got it." "Yeah."

"Good. Let's resume our exploration."

***

Sara and the others prioritized safety, focusing on scouting and launching surprise attacks from a distance before the monsters could spot them. While I said it, it's a bit one-sided. If Fukuchan and the others can deal damage, they can almost always land a critical hit.

It's quite dangerous to spread the way to communicate with spirits. While the spirits might not like it, if someone could persuade them, it could lead to rampant assassinations.

"Good job. The way you've been fighting is the safest. Next, let's try a different approach."

"A different approach?"

Sara tilted her head, probably not seeing the need since their current method was working well.

"Yes. So far, we've been fighting monsters that can be taken down with one hit, but as we progress, that won't always be the case. We need to practice different fighting techniques with weaker opponents."

"Master, what kind of techniques?"

"Well, I think it's best to come up with your own strategies, but as a hint... for Uri, if the enemy can't be taken down with one hit, you could ask Uri to soften the ground so the enemy's feet sink in."

"Sink in?"

Sara seemed to be thinking about my suggestion.

"Yes. For larger enemies, Uri can't make the whole thing sink, but making the ground unstable can slow the enemy down, giving you more chances to attack and take them down safely. So, from now on, let's also practice using supportive magic."

"I see... using supportive magic. Got it, I'll try my best."

We took some time for Sara and the others to strategize. I was looking forward to seeing what kind of magic they would come up with. As I observed them, I saw Bel and Rain flying towards us.

"Yuta, Bel got a lot!" "Kyu"

Bel, holding a bunch of herbs, floated down on Rain. ...Wait, do the herbs look like they're flying?

"Sara, can you sense Bel and Rain? What do you see?"

"The herbs look like they're flying."

"Right, thanks."

Of course, that makes sense. They can't fly quickly with the herbs... If other adventurers saw this... Hmm, maybe it's not a problem. It might become an urban legend, but that's all. I don't care if adventurers are inconvenienced. It's a problem if it scares regular people, but it's not an issue for spirit mages to have spirits gather herbs in the dungeon.

"Yuta?" "Kyu?"

While I was thinking, Bel and Rain had arrived. I should praise them.

"Bel, Rain, you got a lot. Thank you."

I thanked them, took the herbs, and petted them.

"Kyaf, Bel got a lot!" "Kyu kyu"

"Yes, you really helped. Thank you both. You did a great job."

I petted Bel and Rain again, savoring the moment. Then, Tsuru and Tamamo also returned with a bunch of herbs.

"Found a lot!" "Kuku kuku"

"You really found a lot. Thank you, Tsuru and Tamamo. You were a big help."

I thanked them, took the herbs, and stored them. Tsuru looked at me with sparkling eyes, and Tamamo wagged her tail excitedly. I knew what to do. I praised them enthusiastically, petting Tsuru's head and rubbing Tamamo's fur. As I did this, Bel and Rain joined in, and I petted them all thoroughly.

"Yuta, isn't it time to move on? We're in a dungeon, so we need to stay alert. Also, even if you can sense the spirits, to Sara and the others, it looks like you're just making a fuss by yourself."

"......Ah, cough. Well, we're almost at our goal. Let's resume our exploration."

Sylph's words brought me back to my senses. I straightened up and glanced at Sara and the others, but they didn't look at me strangely. It seems my dignity as a master was preserved. Thank you, Sylph. I nodded to her and resumed our exploration.

***

"That's it, we've reached our goal. Good job, everyone."

Sara and the others tried various fighting techniques against goblins and kobolds while hunting ten rough birds. They achieved their goal without any issues, but they were discussing the things they could improve.

They were so serious that I didn't have much to say. Even the youngest, Kika, was listening intently and occasionally giving her opinion. As a master, I should be happy, but I also wanted to remind them to stay alert and not let their guard down.

"Let's discuss this back at the inn. We still need to be careful on the way back."

I urged Sara and the others to leave the dungeon. Their first dungeon experience was going well, and it was a good outcome.

Thank you for reading.