Chapter 11

As I approached the group of new recruits I was to lead, I found eight young boys and girls.

I heard a whisper from the children, "Yay, it's the hero!"

I'm not a hero, though...

I checked the lineup and found that the Ninth Squad had five members, and the Tenth Squad had three. Among the Tenth Squad was Sophia. Well, even as a new recruit, she had allowed more than ten orcs to approach while managing to survive for a while on her own. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call her a promising new recruit. By the way, Sophia's outfit was the same as the other new recruits. Honestly, her previous outfit was cuter.

"I'm Orun, as introduced by Selma. Please take care of me for the next three days."

When I greeted them, the new recruits responded, "Please take care of us!"

"So, is anyone from the Tenth Squad late?"

In principle, a party consists of five members, with a maximum of six. Too few members can make it difficult to handle unexpected situations, while too many can increase the difficulty of coordination. Additionally, monsters tend to attack groups of people, making it hard for defenders to concentrate their attacks. Therefore, five is considered the optimal number.

"No, we are a three-member party."

A boy with golden hair and purple eyes from the Tenth Squad answered. By the way, the two parties were composed of three men and two women in the Ninth Squad, and one man and two women in the Tenth Squad.

"A three-member party? That's rare."

I couldn't help but say what I really thought. In a party, fewer members increase the risk. The clan must know this, so why are they forming a three-member party? From what I saw earlier, there were two six-member parties. It would have been better to transfer one member from each to the Tenth Squad. Changing parties should be easy for new recruits.

"That's because there's no one who can keep up with us."

The boy said this with confidence. I see. As a promising new recruit, he must be far more advanced than the others. Still, for a boy his age to have this attitude already...

Some explorers become more arrogant as their skills improve. If he's already like this, I'm worried about his future. ...Could correcting his attitude be part of my job? ...No, the clan must have some intention. Yes, that must be it. It wouldn't be good for an outsider like me to interfere. It's not because I'm lazy or anything.

"Alright, if everyone is here, there's no problem. Since we don't have much time, can you tell me your names and positions?"

I had each of them introduce themselves. After the Ninth Squad finished, it was the Tenth Squad's turn.

"I'm Logan Hayward, the leader of this party. My position is Enchanter, and I will surpass Selma one day."

So, this is the Enchanter of the Tenth Squad. In the Silver Hare, the Enchanter leads the battle. I already feel uneasy about this boy leading, but maybe he's capable in battle. We'll have to see in actual combat.

"Ah, good luck. Next."

"Hi! My name is Caroline Ingrott. My position is Defender!"

Next, a girl with chestnut hair, which was wavy and reached her waist, and emerald eyes spoke. She was the same height and appearance as the other children, but one part of her body was quite developed. I won't say which part. Still, she's a lively girl.

Since we don't have much time, I should move on, but I have something I need to confirm with Caroline, especially since I already know Sophia.

"Do you not have any armor? Will you equip it once we enter the dungeon?"

"Hey, are you really asking that? I'm a Defender who doesn't wear armor or a shield!"

No, even if you say it with a proud face...

A Defender's role is to take the brunt of the monsters' attacks to protect their allies. Armor and a shield are essential. ...No, there is one.

In the hero party, the Silver Hare, there is an S-rank party with a Defender who doesn't wear armor or a shield.

"Are you aiming to be an evasive Defender?"

"Absolutely! I don't want to be touched by monsters. But I want to cut them up, so I became a Defender to be the closest to the monsters!"

I wanted to hold my head in my hands. An evasive Defender's skill is directly linked to combat experience. It's not a role for a new recruit, and evasive Defenders are powerless against new monsters.

The S-rank Defender has special abilities, which is why she can do it. Even with hard work, it might be possible to get close to her, but without her special abilities, it's impossible to be on the same level. Plus, the reason she became a Defender is to cut up monsters...

Is the Tenth Squad really a collection of problem children? ...No, Sophia isn't a problem child, so that's not it... Oh, right, she broke her promise with Selma and went to the dungeon on her own. So, I can't say for sure that she's not a problem child...

"An evasive Defender is not a good idea. Hasn't the clan told you that?"

"Of course they have. But she ignores it."

Logan answered my question.

"Logan, you don't listen to the teachers either! You can't talk!"

"Ah, ah, fighting is bad...!"

Logan and Caroline started arguing, and Sophia tried to stop them. My head really hurt.

"Ah... Next."

"Ah, yes! I'm Sophia Claudel! My position is Rear Attacker, Mage."

The way she introduced herself was the same as the Ninth Squad, which made me feel relieved.

"Alright, I've memorized everyone's faces and names. Let's take care of each other for the next three days. The other squads are already moving. Let's go."

I took the lead and followed the Eighth Squad.

And we entered the Great Dungeon. Finally, the training exploration began.

"In the Great Dungeon, I'll follow from the back. You follow the Seventh and Eighth Squads."

After telling the leader of the Ninth Squad and Logan, I moved to the back. Inside the Great Dungeon, the new recruits moved in two columns, and the supervisors guarded the rear and the sides.

◇

"Hey, hey! Why is the hero party participating in this exploration? Does the hero party not consider our clan a rival?"

After entering the Great Dungeon, Caroline asked me. The other new recruits were tense, but she seemed the same as when we were on the surface. She's either thick-skinned or something.

"Didn't you listen to Selma? I've already left the hero party, so I can participate. Besides, the hero party considers the Silver Hare a threat and always keeps an eye on their movements."

"Eh, why did you leave? The hero party is everyone's dream! What a waste!"

She's really pressing the issue... She seems straightforward and is a type I'm not good with.

"Does it matter? It's none of your business."

"Eh, it's fine! Tell me! For future reference!"

"......Difference in direction, I guess."

"Ooh! Difference in direction! That sounds cool!"

It's a common phrase to avoid questions, but does it sound cool? I don't understand her taste. But she seems satisfied, so I'll let it go.

However, Caroline's talk didn't end there. I found it troublesome but couldn't ignore her, so I listened and responded casually.

◇ ◇ ◇

Two white wolf-like monsters approached the back of the Silver Hare group.

The White Wolves steadily approached, relying on their sense of smell.

However, the White Wolves never caught up to the Silver Hare group. The ground suddenly rose like a spear, impaling the White Wolves.

The reason the ground rose was simple: Orun had cast a timed spell on the ground.

The impaled White Wolves turned into black mist, leaving only the magic stones behind.

Orun, while talking to Caroline, had sensed the presence of the monsters far behind. He calculated when the monsters would pass through his current location and set the spell to activate at that time.

Orun had already defeated several monsters since entering the dungeon.

If the monsters Orun had defeated had caught up to the group, a battle would have inevitably occurred, and the progress would have been halted.

The supervisors thought they were lucky to have few monster encounters, but in reality, Orun had been quietly eliminating the monsters behind them.

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