Chapter 52

On the fourth day, I wandered around the 33rd floor... I didn't go up to the higher floors but switched to mainly collecting materials for alchemy.

Until the previous day, I had been steadily aiming for the upper floors, advancing floor by floor, but from here on, I focused on hunting plant-type monsters and gathering materials from collection points.

The progress is going well.

The highest floor of this dungeon is the 50th floor. However, this time, I won't be going that far. Apparently, it would be bad if an E-rank adventurer were to clear it. The principle is to enter after reaching C-rank, and I understood that.

When you clear the final floor of the dungeon, you receive a valuable item as a first-time reward. It could be an artifact, a weapon, or armor, depending on your luck.

However, each dungeon has its own characteristics, and this one is unpopular. Still, there are people who aim to clear it from the 40th floor onward.

Except for the adventurers who had various incidents on the first day, I haven't encountered anyone else, but apparently, the number of adventurers increases from the floors above.

So, I stayed on this floor to hunt monsters.

After the 30th floor, the one I particularly want to hunt is the <Mandrake>. It has a body made of plant roots, with its head part covered by leaves, but it is actually a fruit. It has wrinkles that look like a face, and it's a bit creepy.

As a material, it's very excellent. The root part makes up 90% of it. I've heard it's great for making recovery potions. The leaves are poisonous in their natural state, but they can also be used to neutralize poison. The fruit can be used as an aphrodisiac.

It might be hard to find, but my master told me to hunt at least one or two. As a result of searching, I've already defeated five today.

They are buried in the ground, so they should be hard to find, but my brother seems to have gotten the hang of it and finds them easily. Leonis is also happy to bring them back as a gift for the master.

Leonis often came to collect them, but apparently, finding one a day was already good.

There are also many mushroom and plant-type monsters. Their weakness is fire, so I hunted them easily with Naga's weapon.

Incidentally, my brother did most of the hunting. Naga was taking care of the kittens and not on the front lines. I gathered materials, and Naga helped me while taking care of the cats... and my brother scattered the monsters that approached him.

Leonis and the others didn't interfere. They just watched and didn't lend a hand, saying, "You don't need to help anymore." They were doing other things like gathering materials a bit away from us.

We've also become much stronger over these three days, and I can feel it.

When it was time to set up camp for the night, I took my brother's sword.

Since we defeated the floor boss last night, it was confirmed that there wouldn't be one today, so I got permission to enchant it. I had already done it in front of Fol, and Raz probably already knew. There was no one else around, so it wasn't dangerous to do it here.

Leonis made it a condition that I not drink MP potions, but since my brother promised not to make me drink them, he allowed it.

"Please... don't overdo it. Okay?"

"Yeah... I'm getting the hang of using the spear and greatsword, and I'm fine. My level has also gone up."

I was used to infusing magic stones with magic power. Since my enchantment level had also improved, I could now easily apply effects.

Regarding MP depletion... well, it uses 1000 MP for a large magic stone, so it can't be helped. Since I'm taking magic pills, my recovery is fast, so there's no problem without potions.

"My brother's sword... it's difficult to attach the magic stone."

"Indeed... can't we attach it like Naga's?"

"When I tried to flatten the sphere and make it oval for Naga, it didn't work well... for a katana. It's a bit protruding, and it feels off when I attach the magic stone."

I tried placing the magic stone on the katana and connecting it to the hilt, but I was struggling with how to do it. I could deform it a bit, but it was difficult to integrate something relatively large. Especially since the katana had few decorations.

"......What if we cover the tsuba (hand guard) with the magic stone?"

"......Hmm, could it work?"

"! ...Let's try it!"

I adopted Naga's idea, infused the magic stone with fire magic, and deformed it to cover the tsuba.

The result... the tsuba became much larger.

It ended up being much larger and thicker than a normal katana's tsuba, but it wasn't unusable. Also, since the enchantment was attached to the tsuba, I processed it so that magic power could flow through the katana.

The waves became redder, and it looked more like a flaming katana. The magic power flowed much more easily, but... my brother and Naga already had high base attack power, so it might not be necessary to channel magic power... well, it's fine. I'll leave the usage to my brother.

When I returned the katana to my brother, he observed it happily.

"Sorry for putting the burden on you."

"Huh?"

"Enchanting reduces MP a lot, right? And there was a battle afterward yesterday. Isn't it a burden?"

"Ah... my level has gone up, and so has my MP, so it's not that much of a burden. But, it's getting harder to level up, right?"

"Yeah. Tomorrow, we don't know how long we'll be in the dungeon, but even if we level up, it will be just one more."

The recommended level is 40. We didn't reach that level.

Also, I was supposed to be at a higher level, but I was overtaken by the two of them. In actual combat, I was a bit inferior, so it couldn't be helped.

"When we return to town, let's dissolve the party. We've gathered enough materials, so we'll focus on alchemy for a while... and my brother is a combat maniac, so he'll want to fight, right?"

"Haha... well, being cooped up in town would be boring. After we return, we'll make various preparations... but I plan to leave the town. What about Naga?"

"......I'll also leave. I want to hone my skills for a while. I still have a lot to learn."

"Yeah......I'll miss you."

Neither my brother nor Naga intended to stay in town.

I had a vague idea that it would be like this. After all, both of them were more lively inside the dungeon. It's natural for adventurers, I guess...

This is where I differ from them. I can handle it occasionally, but daily combat is mentally exhausting. After living in the dungeon for five days... I think a week is my limit.

I also want to take a bath and sleep in a bed. Ensuring a good night's sleep is important.

Considering that a long adventure once a month is good, I might not be suited to be an adventurer.

However, I also reconsidered some things.

Forming a party was more fun than I thought. I was worried about being overwhelmed by responsibility, but with the stable tank, Leonis, and Naga, there were no issues like insufficient healing.

I thought it would be nice to be in a party with my brother and Naga, but... the gap in abilities makes me feel like a burden. It was a complex feeling.

"......I'll leave Momo with you. You'll need treatment for a while. It might not be as lonely."

"Huh? Ah, yeah... that's true. We need to treat her, right?"

"Yeah... sorry, but I'll leave it to you."

I see. With Momo, it won't be lonely...? Well, pets can be healing, I guess. I've never had one, so I don't know.

But... I should check if it's okay to keep a pet without a tamed owner later.

"By the way, I plan to leave town, but I don't intend to dissolve the party."

"Huh? If we don't dissolve it, the rewards from the quests you and Naga take will also come to me, right?"

"It's fine. In fact, considering everything, you should take more money from us. Also, solo adventurers get a lot of recruitment offers. If you say you're in a party with us, you can avoid the hassle."

"...But"

"......When I can protect you, I'll come back."

"Ah! That's right. Naga is right. I also owe you. For your sake, I'll go out to train now. Wait for me. I'll become stronger than Leonis and the others and be able to do what you want. Both Naga and I will become much stronger. Well, during that time, train under your master. I won't keep you waiting for long."

"...What's that...? But, yeah... If I can be with my brother and Naga again... I'll train myself. I won't be a burden..."

What I want to do...

I haven't thought about it, but... it's not just about surviving. It's about what I want to do from now on.

Surviving is no longer a problem. I'll probably have enough money, and my foundation is more solid than before.

Maybe I'll think about it a little. About the future.