Chapter 15

Five <Ghosts> appeared. These are monsters that cannot be damaged by physical attacks. They float as if swaying and have the appearance of being draped in cloth, with scythes in their hands. They can be defeated, but they are quite troublesome opponents.

To deal damage, one must use magic or weapons with elemental attributes. Frey's <Holy Sword Gracious> does not have any elemental attributes, so her attacks do not connect. However, the <Stiletto: Fire> that came out of the treasure chest earlier can deal damage.

"<Body Reinforcement>, <Continuous Healing>!"

"Let's go!"

"Oh..."

As soon as I provided support, Frey kicked off the ground to slash at the <Ghosts>. It seems she didn't know about the <Ghosts>' characteristics.

Frey's sword slid right through the <Ghosts>' bodies, slicing the air. However, the scythe that the <Ghosts> simultaneously swung grazed Frey's arm.

"―!?"

"Eh, Frey's attack isn't working!?"

Frey and Reina were surprised and quickly took a step back to put some distance between themselves and the <Ghosts>. The <Ghosts>' attacks can connect with us, which is another source of confusion. After all, <Ghosts> and similar monsters are quite rare.

--But if we know how to fight them, we should be able to handle them without any problems!

I looked at the confused Reina and Luna and raised my voice.

"Reina! Use the attribute short sword to block the attacks! Luna, use magic to attack!"

"With the short sword!? ...Okay!"

"Eh!? O-Okay!"

The two immediately took action. Reina moved quickly towards the <Ghosts>. Her speed was probably due to the <Chaser> passive skill <Speed Increase>. With a clank, she skillfully deflected the scythe.

"O Flame, lend me your power! <Fireball>!"

Luna shouted with a strong voice, and the magic hit the <Ghosts>.

"! So magic works...? In that case—Thousand frozen blades, dance at my voice and annihilate the enemy! <Absolute Zero Blizzard>!!"

--Area attack!

The magic Luna used is an intermediate-level ice attribute skill. It creates a blizzard in a 10-meter range in the direction the caster intends, dealing damage to enemies. Despite not having the <Adventurer's Bracelet> to automatically acquire skills, the members of the hero party are truly impressive.

Reina also realized that attribute attacks can connect with the enemies and continued to attack with her short sword. She quickly defeated one. Three remain.

"What should I do!? I don't have any weapons with attributes!?"

Frey clutched her head and watched Reina fight lightly. She looked lively, so she probably wanted to join in.

--If the <Hero> has attribute skills, that would be great, but I doubt it. Unfortunately, in the game, no player managed to become a <Hero>. Well, maybe there were some who quietly became <Heroes> and existed, but as a somewhat casual gamer, I don't know about that possibility, so I think it's highly unlikely. By the way, I know some unique classes and often form parties with them.

While I was thinking about all this, the <Ghosts> had already been defeated. Reina and Luna are truly impressive; they are strong and, being twins, their coordination is perfect!

Frey picked up the <Ghosts>' drop item, <Fragment of Jewel>, and walked over with a dejected look. She must have really wanted to fight.

"Thanks, Reina, Luna. I couldn't do anything..."

"You should thank Sharon for suggesting the use of magic. Otherwise, I would have been at a loss and unable to act."

Frey was told by Luna that she was thanking the wrong person. But I only provided simple support and advice; the two of them actually fought.

"That's an exaggeration."

I chuckled, but Frey shook her head.

"No, it's not. Information is a legitimate form of combat power. Besides, it was my carelessness... I let my guard down, thinking we had arrived. I'm sorry!"

Frey bowed deeply and apologized. She seemed down because she could have avoided it if she had followed my instructions.

"With this party, I believe we can defeat any monsters that appear, so don't worry."

"But this is a dungeon we are not familiar with. It's better to be cautious."

--Ah, right.

I know Frey and the others' capabilities, so I understand that the <Ghosts> wouldn't be a problem. However, for them, this is their first dungeon, and unlike in the game, if they die, it's over.

I might have been a bit too complacent about this world.

"...Yeah. But I should have explained properly before we set out. I'm sorry."

"No, I should have confirmed things properly. Let's be more careful from now on."

"Yeah."

I nodded and explained the information about <Erlgore's Paradise>.

"From here on, it should be fine. As far as I know, there are no traps or gimmicks, so you can move safely. It's a dungeon, but it was the mansion where the deceased Erlgore lived, so the inside is like a regular residence. There are places to rest as well."

"Really...!"

Frey looked pleased at my words.

However—there are no traps, but there are some hidden gimmicks to obtain items. If I knew about the treasure chests that haven't been discovered yet, it would seem suspicious, so I decided to keep that information to myself.