Chapter 79

"Looks like the 'Poison Centipede Dagger' worked well, Luuce."

"I'm not a class with high firepower, so I'm really grateful for this knife that can cause status abnormalities on a successful attack! It feels like I've suddenly become much stronger!"

Luuce replied with a delighted expression.

"You seemed to have taken a bit of damage. Are you alright?"

"I got a bit too excited with the new weapon... We don't know what kind of monsters will appear next, so maybe I should use a 'Heal Potion' just in case? It takes quite a while for the effects to kick in..."

"Heal"

At that moment, Luuce's body was enveloped in a white light. Turning around, a girl with a large staff in her hand stood there, with kind, squinted eyes.

"Ah, thank you... um..."

"My class is Cleric, and my name is Meabel. I was brought along because I'm a healing class, but I'm still a C-rank adventurer. Please take care of me, you two B-rank adventurers."

"Even so, we're still newbies who just got promoted. I'm Elma, a Heavy Knight, and this is Luuce, a Jester. We also look forward to working with you."

In large-scale quests, it's a significant issue whether the companions are trustworthy or not. The more people there are, the more the personal relationships between individuals tend to become superficial. It's also an option to give up on coordination from the start, but it's not uncommon for adventurers to recklessly charge ahead or cause a fuss out of selfishness. It's a relief that the important healer seems to be someone we can trust.

"Don't use the precious MP of the healer here before we even enter the 'Dream Hole.'"

A man with a bow on his back interjected. The atmosphere in the room suddenly turned cold.

He was a man with light brown hair and snake-like, emotionless eyes, around thirty years old.

I'm sure he's a B-rank Hunter class adventurer... Celt. He's one of the higher-level adventurers participating in this large-scale quest.

"Since we're outside, it's easier to maintain distance. If you had taken a more defensive stance, the damage could have been minimized. It's better to leave reckless front-liners alone. It's a waste that the healer we hired can't manage the pace."

"Sorry, Celt. I'll try to think more before acting."

Meabel bowed her head repeatedly.

"That's just hindsight. When facing that many monsters, it's not a bad strategy to prioritize reducing their numbers and go on the offensive. The longer the battle, the higher the risk of taking a critical hit from a blind spot. At the very least, there's no need to deliberately create a bad atmosphere. In a large-scale quest, that's a much more unproductive action, I think."

I interjected.

"You don't understand anything. This large-scale quest will be a long one. Not only is it about dealing with the monster infestation, but the main objective is to investigate any suspicious traces inside the 'Dream Hole.' It's different from just exploring a 'Dream Hole.' Don't recklessly charge in, newbie."

He used his years of experience as a shield to start a debate.

"...You deliberately came to disrupt the atmosphere to gain control of the situation."

Celt smiled slyly at my words.

By creating an atmosphere where he could comment on the healer's actions, Celt also restrained the other front-line adventurers. The healer is the key in group battles. If he could direct the healing, he could guide the party to ensure he alone gains experience and items.

The same goes for his words to Luuce. If the front-liners struggle and focus on drawing the enemy's attacks, Celt, as a Hunter, would benefit by easily finishing off the weakened monsters and gaining more experience.

"Don't say things that make a bad impression, kid. You don't want to be targeted by senior adventurers, do you? Live smartly."

Celt patted my shoulder forcefully, as if threatening me, then turned his back on us.

"Well... we seem to be blessed with item drops this time. To avoid conflicts, the adventurer who lands the final blow gets the drop, right? I'll take them without hesitation."

Celt waved his hand at us.

Celt had already landed the final blows on many monsters in the previous battle, targeting weakened ones to gain experience and drops. While it's somewhat inevitable, it felt a bit too obvious. He seems to have cut his losses and doesn't mind being disliked.

"...But the drops are my skill..."

Luuce muttered.

In this large-scale quest, unless we face an extremely strong enemy, the right to claim the drop items goes to the person who defeated the monster. Ultimately, it's the least likely to cause conflicts to decide it this way. However, this means that healing and support classes will be at a disadvantage...

"He's not someone I can like."

But Celt is clearly experienced in such situations. I might have underestimated the wisdom of adventurers who have lived in this world for a long time, without the knowledge of players.

"Don't worry too much, Meabel. His purpose was to intimidate from the start."

"It's okay. As a healer, I often have to deal with people like him..."

Meabel smiled bravely and said, then opened her eyes slightly and glared at Celt's back.

"People like him will gradually become more subdued if you keep bowing your head and giving them reasons to delay healing. Once we enter the 'Dream Hole,' it won't be as spacious, and even hunters will have to take damage to gain experience, given their low defense."

Meabel shook her shoulders slightly and smiled mischievously.

"S-so that's how it is..."

"I want to get along well with you two, so please take care of me."

"...I also hope we can get along well."

Adventurers who have survived for a long time in this world might be much tougher than I thought. Now that I think about it, Meabel casting a white magic spell on Luuce was probably a move to secure a good relationship with a fellow adventurer. That timing was indeed a bit too early for a 'Heal,' considering what lies ahead.

Reincarnated Heavy Knight, achieved third place in the annual overall rankings! Thank you so much to all the readers who have been supporting me! (2021/7/29)