Chapter 44

"Wow, that's amazing, Rick."

Marina, riding on Roland's back, sighed in admiration as she watched Rick push back the golem that resembled a tower.

"Yeah, finally showing our true strength, I guess."

Roland, looking satisfied, appraised Rick's status.

[Rick Dyer's Status]

Strength: 80-90

(His status is no longer fluctuating. As I thought, Rick is the type who performs well in the spotlight.)

"Roland, how about this? I've taken down the tower-like golem."

Rick waved at Roland, looking proud.

Roland gave a thumbs up in response.

"Alright, everyone, don't waste Rick's hard work! Let's push through while we can!"

Roland's group advanced through the gap Rick had created in the enemy formation.

The remaining tower-like golem turned to try and stop Roland's group, but its movements were slow.

While the tower-like golem had high strength, endurance, and health, its agility was extremely low.

However, one of them still tried to land a blow on Roland's rear guard, swinging its arm down.

A huge shadow loomed over Roland's group.

Its long reach made it impossible to dodge completely.

(Well, it seems we can't get through without taking any damage.)

Just as Roland resigned himself to this, Rick leaped to the rear guard and took the hit.

"Rick!?"

"It's fine, Roland. I'll hold them off here, so please advance while you can!"

Rick cast a healing spell on himself to recover the lost health.

"Are you sure? Fighting a tower-like golem alone...," Shukuma said, his face pale.

"...It's fine. Let's move forward and leave this to Rick."

Roland appraised Rick's status again.

[Rick Dyer's Status]

Strength: 80-90

Endurance: 70-80

(His strength hasn't been depleted at all. Rick's high endurance is a big advantage. Even if he takes some damage, his status won't be reduced.)

Endurance is a special attribute among statuses.

While statuses generally deplete when overused or damaged, high endurance can suppress this depletion.

Rick, after casting an agility boost on himself, disengaged once Roland's group had escaped the reach of the tower-like golem.

Aric's group was in an uproar, watching the new adventurer move the tower-like golem with his strength.

"What's with that guy!?"

"He pushed over the tower-like golem."

Aric also had a troubled look on his face.

(For a new adventurer to have that strength and endurance, he'll probably become as strong as Sebastien one day. No, it's not just that. He even has 'Agility Boost' and 'Healing Magic.' In terms of utility, he's better than Jill. He might have the potential to become a magic knight in the future... Damn, Roland was discovering such talent while managing the dungeon.)

"Captain! There are more tower-like golems in front of us..."

"Damn..."

Aric stopped looking at Roland's group and focused on his own opponents.

(We don't have anyone here with the strength to push back the tower-like golems.)

"Can't be helped. Deploy the formation. Shield bearers to the front, archers for anti-air, and mages to the rear!"

Aric's group shifted from a two-column formation to a combat formation, deploying their forces.

The tower-like golem charged in and clashed with the melee troops.

Two warriors managed to hold down one tower-like golem, while attack mages and support mages provided backup.

While Aric's group was carefully engaging the tower-like golem, Roland's group continued to advance in their marching formation.

By the time Aric's group finally dealt with the tower-like golem, there was nearly a kilometer gap between Roland's and Aric's groups.

When Roland and Aric broke through the fifth floor, the quest board in the quest reception area was crowded with adventurers.

The board displayed the current positions of the top adventurers in the dungeon.

The receptionist updated the board's content.

"Alright, adventurers. Roland's and Aric's groups have broken through the fifth floor of the 'Mine Dungeon.' Therefore, the quests up to the fifth floor will be announced."

"Wow, that's fast!"

"Already the fifth floor?"

"It's only been about two days."

The adventurers were amazed by Roland and Aric's rapid progress and began to chatter.

Diana, who was among the adventurers looking at the board, had a bitter expression.

(Roland and Aric seem to be almost evenly matched so far. I hope Aric can win somehow...)

Diana suddenly noticed a familiar face.

"Oh? You're... Clarice?"

"Ah? Diana!?"

Diana looked surprised to see Clarice.

A tense atmosphere hung between the two.

Diana had always felt a similar aura from Clarice.

Always looking down on others, yet unwilling to put in the effort, she sought to become someone's mistress to gain wealth.

Because of this, Diana had always been aware of her.

"What happened? I heard you were fired from the quest reception area..."

"Well, actually, after that, Roland hired me. I'm now working as Roland's secretary."

"Really? That's good to hear."

Diana looked at Clarice's attire.

She was wearing neat, tasteful clothes.

Though not flashy, the material and design were intricate, and they were undoubtedly expensive.

"You're wearing some nice clothes."

"Roland bought them for me. He said I should wear proper clothes."

Clarice said with a full smile.

"Really..."

(So, she became Roland's mistress, huh?)

Diana concluded this.

And she felt as if she had been one-upped.

With Lucius on a downward trend and Roland on an upward trend, their positions had reversed.

(Really, this girl. She was on our side not long ago. She must have switched sides skillfully.)

"Ah, I have to go soon. Being Roland's secretary is quite challenging. I have to go to the 'Spirit Factory' and 'Guardian of the Magic Tree,' as well as various alchemy guilds."

"Wow, really?"

Diana's cheeks twitched.

(Those alchemy guilds were originally on our side...)

To Diana, everything Clarice said sounded like a way to one-up her.

"Then, I'll be going. 'Golden Eagle' will have a tough time, but please do your best."

Clarice bowed and left.

Diana watched her go, feeling as if her insides were churning.

Roland's group, having reached the seventh floor, was rushing through the city.

"Enemies ahead. Ten life-sized golems, ten Zombie Archers, and ten Vampires!"

Monica said.

At that moment, Rilio started running.

"Zombie Archers, huh? It's going to be a ranged battle."

Roland said.

"Yes, so the archers should take cover in that building... Huh!?"

Monica's eyes widened as she saw Rilio already running towards the building she was about to direct them to.

(He's already running before I or Roland give the order. He's fast and makes quick judgments. This is what a true archer is...)

"Alright, archers, follow Rilio. Second squad, support the archers."

Roland gave the orders.

"Monica, use 'Impale' to reduce enemy strength. You don't need to rely on agility."

"Y-Yes."

Monica hurriedly prepared to shoot.

(Finally, Rilio seems to be getting into the swing of things. Maybe he was inspired by Rick's performance?)

Thanks to the archers' efforts, Roland's group managed to break through and reach the eighth floor.

"Here we are..."

Roland's group stood on a cliff overlooking a raging river below.

"Roland, this is..."

"Yes, it's the 'Raging River Dungeon.'"

The 'Raging River Dungeon' involved navigating through several floating plateaus to reach the goal.

Each plateau was guarded by monsters, and stone bridges connected the islands. If you fell off the bridge into the river, you had to start over from the beginning.

At the starting point, there was usually a special bridge called a 'Fragile Bridge.'

The Fragile Bridge would collapse if more than a certain number of people crossed it and wouldn't reappear for a while.

From Roland's starting point, five Fragile Bridges extended to different islands.

Each Fragile Bridge had the number 15 written on it in cracked letters.

(Only 15 people can cross. We need to split the group.)

"Roland, if we cross different bridges, we won't be able to regroup at the teleportation magic circle."

Monica, who had finished scouting with 'Hawk Eye,' said.

"That means we have to split up for an entire floor."

(But if we hesitate, Aric will catch up.)

"Alright, we'll split the group."

Roland balanced the group to ensure no side was overpowered.

He placed Monica, Marina, and Rick in one group and Shukuma, Yufine, and Rilio in the other.

Roland himself joined Monica's group.

(Monica's 'Impale' can't be activated without Marina, so they must be together. Monica performs better with a superior officer nearby, so I'll join her. That means the other group needs a commander. Shukuma and Rilio, with their high command skills, will lead the other group. The rest are Yufine and Rick, but Marina has the 'Potion Holding' skill, so she can also serve as a healer. Therefore, Yufine will lead the separate group, and Rick will stay with me. This should work.)

"Alright, Yufine will be the leader of the separate group. Marina."

"Yes."

"Supply Yufine's group with magic power recovery potions (made from Magic Cherries, which can restore magic power)."

"Understood."

"Shukuma, Rilio!"

"Yes."

"You two will command the separate group."

"Yes."

Rilio said a bit nervously.

"It's fine. Your command skills are sufficient to serve as a deputy. I'm counting on you, Yufine!"

"Yes."

Yufine, though slightly displeased, agreed.

"Captain, the item distribution is complete!"

Marina reported.

"Alright, everyone. We're splitting into two groups. We need to reach the goal at the same time. It won't do if only one group reaches the goal and the other doesn't. I'm counting on you."

The two groups crossed different Fragile Bridges.

Once they crossed, the bridges immediately collapsed into the river.

"Will Yufine's group be okay?"

Monica asked Roland, looking worried.

"Right now, we can only believe in them."

A few hours after Roland's group reached the eighth floor, Aric's group also arrived.

"...The Raging River Dungeon."

Aric muttered.

The Raging River Dungeon was always a headache for adventurers trying to clear it.

It required splitting the group and command structure, which often led to poor coordination and significant delays in clearing the floor.

(But this is a chance to turn things around. Roland's group is still inexperienced. They'll be confused about splitting the group. I'll catch up quickly.)

Aric chose the most experienced deputy and appointed him as the leader of the separate group.

Yufine, leading the separate group, was remembering Roland's words.

(Roland said such a thing!)

It was something said to her alone before entering the dungeon.

"You don't have the aptitude for a commander."

Yufine was irritated by Roland's words.

"How would you know unless I try?"

"No, I can tell. With my status appraisal."

Roland appraised Yufine's status.

[Yufine's Status]

Command: 40-50

"Your command skills... well, they're average at best."

Yufine looked unsatisfied.

"But you can be a captain."

"What do you mean?"

"You'll hold the title of captain, but the actual command will be delegated to someone else."

"Are you saying I'll be a figurehead captain?"

"No, not at all. It's just about separating roles and responsibilities."

"Huh?"

"Many people think that those in leadership positions must be proficient in command and management. But that's not always the case. In my view, a position indicates the ultimate responsibility."

"..."

"There's a concept called a 'staff officer.' Someone who reduces the commander's burden and can take command when necessary. You can delegate direct command to a staff officer. Your role is not to command but to delegate authority and bear the ultimate responsibility. Continue to focus on your healing role while taking responsibility for your subordinates' actions. If you can do that, I'm willing to let you be the captain."

Roland paused and looked at Yufine seriously.

"The 'Mine Dungeon' includes the Raging River Dungeon. It's a perfect opportunity to test your and Shukuma's and Rilio's command skills. Yufine, can you take responsibility for your subordinates?"

(Roland said such a thing. Fine, I'll show him. I'll reach the goal faster than Roland with my command!)

"Rilio, don't hold back. I'll take responsibility for everything you do. Give orders freely."

"Yes!"

Yufine temporarily divided the group into three squads.

For crossing the bridge, she assigned Shukuma to lead the front squad, Rilio to the rear squad, and herself to the middle.

The first enemy at the end of the Fragile Bridge was five life-sized golems.

They were blocking the way.

"Alright, shield bearers, clear them out. Let's go. 'Defense Boost'!"

Shukuma cast the spell, and the shield bearers were enveloped in blue light.

The shield bearers pushed the life-sized golems back without being hindered by their weight.

Rilio, while crossing the bridge, checked the ground.

(It's narrow.)

The bridge was just wide enough for three people to walk side by side.

(With this narrowness, it's almost impossible to change formation on the bridge. So, we need to complete the formation of the vanguard and rearguard before crossing. But what if we're attacked unexpectedly while crossing?)

The marching group stretched out the entire length of the narrow bridge.

If attacked from behind, Yufine's healing magic might not be able to respond immediately.

"Yufine."

"Hmm? What is it?"

"When crossing the bridge, the formation will inevitably stretch out. I think we should prepare for an attack on the rear."

"Attack from the rear? Is that possible?"

"I don't know, but it's too late to prepare once it happens."

"Hmm, but I want to focus on the front to advance quickly."

"Of course, we shouldn't weaken our attacks. The rearguard should focus on defense and cover with their stats. However, to avoid exhaustion, can you support with healing magic?"

"Alright. Rilio, let me know if you need healing magic."

"Yes."

Yufine's group crossed seven bridges without incident.

The eighth bridge was guarded by ten ghostly figures wearing hats.

"Attack mages to the front! Let's go. 'Attack Boost'!"

Shukuma cast the spell, and the attack mages were enveloped in red light.

They advanced on the bridge, scattering the ghostly figures with explosions and fireballs.

However, as all the members crossed the bridge, ghostly figures wearing hats emerged from the water below.

They attacked the rear of the formation.

The ghostly figures, effective against ghost-type enemies, were only at the front of the formation.

(Just as I thought! This kind of thing would happen.)

Rilio, who had anticipated this, responded immediately.

"Yufine, ten Ghost Hats from behind! Healing magic!"

"Okay. 'Wide Area Healing Magic'!"

Yufine activated the wide area healing magic, moving the magic circle to cover the rear of the formation.

"Yufine, life-sized golems have appeared in front. Move the shield bearers to the front!"

"Oh, this is busy."

Yufine swapped the lead attack mages with the central shield bearers.

The exchange on the narrow bridge forced the group to pause temporarily.

(Healing while commanding is tough. But I can't move from the middle of the formation... Did Roland foresee this?)

Yufine looked at Rilio.

(Please, Rilio. The rear is up to you.)

Rilio skillfully used the healing magic circle to fend off the attacks from the ghostly figures.

The next island had two bridges.

The right bridge led to life-sized golems, and the left bridge led to skeleton archers.

(Which way? If it's life-sized golems, we should put the shield bearers in front. If it's skeleton archers, we should put the attack mages in front...)

"Yufine, let's go to the life-sized golems. Put the shield bearers in front and the attack mages in the rear. That way, we can handle the Ghost Hats if they appear from the water."

Shukuma suggested.

"Right. Alright, let's go right."

Yufine's group ran towards the island guarded by life-sized golems.

(Shukuma's plan can handle the Ghost Hats. But what if other enemies appear?)