The Darkness was Comfortable for me

——

The next day, we left the house early in the morning and headed to the dungeon.

Just from the fact that there’s several Chosen in this city was making it somewhat stressful to live in.

But we will be safe if we enter the dungeon.

The new guys can’t go all the way to the 3rd Floor.

We went to the guild and hired Grapefull just as usual before heading to the dungeon.

In the 1st Floor, there’s the chance there is Worigami-san, and Ferdinand’s group, but it looks like they are not here yet.

“They are not here, huh. It is nice that the masked guy and the blonde guy pair are so distinct. If we see them, let’s run.” (Jeanne)

I did explain it to them with drawings, but it is true that they are easy to tell apart. Moreover, the equipment of Chosen is unique, so that makes them even easier to differentiate.

“Jeanne-san, you haven’t met them yet, so is there really a need to run away immediately?” (Rifreya)

“Reya, you don’t get me at all. Do you think I would be able to talk with an elite like a future lawyer?” (Jeanne)

“No…I don’t even know what a lawyer is to begin with.” (Rifreya)

“Anyways, it means he is an elite. I was a woman who only played videogames all day while doing part-time jobs, you know? I am bad at dealing with elites. I am somewhat curious about this masked man though. I would like to see what kind of mask it is personally.” (Rifreya)

I feel like that’s not something you say with a proud look, but…I understand how she feels.

I am not that adverse towards elite people, but it is not like I am good with them. It would be one thing if it were like Alex, but Ferdinand felt like the type that wears his confidence as clothes. I am also bad at dealing with those types.

We easily reach the end of the 2nd Floor while talking.

We get out from the 3rd Floor after a few battles and reach the 4th Floor.

“Alright, we will challenge the Lamias too, today. Everyone, get ready.” (Jeanne)

“I am so excited-nyan. This is my first time with Lamyas, so I won’t be of use-nya, but I will be learning here-nyan.” (Full)

“Yeah, Kuro will be protecting you, Full-chan. Counting on you, Kuro.” (Jeanne)

“Got it.” (Hikaru)

I serve the role of adjuster in battle.

Rifreya is the DPS and Jeanne is the tank. The two have to maintain their attention on the enemy in front of them after all.

As such, I am left at the back protecting Full.

In that sense, we are lacking party members.

We should think about increasing our party if there’s anyone trustworthy. A party of 6 is what’s normal, and 4 people is clearly too few.

“Right. If our Scylla subjugation goes well, we are thinking about leaving the city, and heading to Gran Alismaris. Let’s go together, Full-chan.” (Jeanne)

“Nya nya?! Gran Alismaris?!” (Full)

Jeanne suddenly proposes this to Grapefull.

We have been hiring Grapefull almost exclusively at this point, but she is strictly a member of the Lynx Mutual Aid Association.

I did think that we should tell her if we are leaving the city, but it seems like Jeanne had the intention of bringing her with us.

Even if we have been in the same party, her standing is different from us 3, so we can’t just drag her into a journey to another continent, but it looks like Jeanne is not the type to bother about those details.

Of course, this all boils down to what the person herself decides though…

“N-Nyo way…that will be troubling-nyan… I still can’t become free-nya.” (Full)

“Why?” (Jeanne)

“The lynxes of the Mutual Aid Association are having their work mediated-nyan. In order to withdraw from it, there’s the need to make a contract with a Great Spirit-sama with the money you have earned on your own-nyan. It is only after making a contract with a Great Spirit-sama that you become full-fledged-nya, and you can graduate for the first time.” (Full)

“Then why don’t you just make a contract?” (Jeanne)

“I still haven’t saved up enough-nya.” (Full)

In order for a Lynx to make a Spirit contract, they need 1 gold coin; that’s what Full told me before.

1 gold is a lot. Their earnings are just a few small silver coins, so for lynxes to save that much can be said to be pretty tough.

That said, we have been giving her quite a bit ourselves. Even if it is not to the point of 1 gold, she should have a decent amount saved up…

“Hmm, if it is 1 gold, I can pay for it. Hey, Kuro, it is fine, right?” (Jeanne)

“Nya nya nya nya, I am grateful for that, but…recruitment is against the rules-nyan. If I take that, I won’t be able to show up at the Mutual Aid Association ever again-nya…” (Full)

“Really? What a pain.” (Jeanne)

“Only the coin that has been given to the Mutual Aid Association can be used as the coin for the Spirit contract-nyan… I do have a bit of coin I saved myself, but I used it to treat my juniors at the time when the dungeon was closed off…nyan…” (Full)

The lynxes were visibly dried up from the dungeon closing off after the Demon Lord subjugation.

Full, who had more earnings than the other ones, must have wanted to look after them… I also have been fishing and giving it to them, but I feel like the Mutual Aid Association should be taking out money exactly for moments like this.

For the lynxes, it is an organization that gives them a place to live in and would be the mediator of their work, but I also feel a strong sense that they are trying to imprison them.

“How much more do you need for your Spirit contract?” (Rifreya)

“I haven’t confirmed properly, so I am not sure, but I think I still need about 25 silver…” (Full)

“Looks like it will be taking a long while for that…” (Hikaru)

“Even so, it is still pretty fast compared to others thanks to Hikaru-shan and your party hiring me-nyan. I was told that, at this pace, I might be able to graduate within a year-nya.” (Full)

It hasn’t been that long since I have met Grapefull, but you could say that taking 1 year to become free could be called pretty fast.

“I am glad for the offer, but I still can’t go with everyone yet-nyan.” (Full)

Full looked apologetic with ears drooped, but the last part, she said it firmly.

It is a shame, but it can’t be helped.

◇◆◆◆◇

Having arrived at the 4th Floor, we take the shortest route to the location where the Lamias appear.

If our objective is ‘earning’, we prioritize ease of battle when making a route, but with the goal being set, there’s no such limit.

“The 4th Floor really is unpleasant… The footing is bad and the monsters are strong. Did you know that only a handful of people have gone to the Lamia nest? They all pass by the Lamias and the Scylla, and go to the 5th Floor.” (Rifreya)

“Hmm, a story you hear often in dungeons. But I am the type that tastes every little bit of it before heading to the next one. I will of course defeat the Lamias and Scylla as well. If it is a fun opponent, we could do a heavy rotation on them.” (Jeanne)

“Jeanne-san really is a peculiar character…” (Rifreya)

Jeanne said the battle itself is her objective without a single shred of doubt, and Rifreya was slightly baffled by this.

It is true that it would be impossible to clear a dungeon without at least that kind of mentality though. Strength is the most vital requirement after all.

“There’s one Lizardman ahead-nyan.” (Full)

“One? Then, sorry, but please give it to me. Fighting with that guy will be good training.” (Jeanne)

“Got it. Be careful.” (Hikaru)

Jeanne would train in combat like this in the 4th Floor sometimes.

The Lizardman has strength that surpasses a Mantis, but Jeanne can even win against a guy like that without getting a single scratch.

That said, there shouldn’t be many explorers who would gleefully want to fight a Lizardman.

Getting battle experience to get better and better in combat is her style.

The style of me and Rifreya is to fight in a way that settles the battle in the last amount of attacks as possible, so we don’t have that much experience in enduring and persevering through the attacks of an enemy.

There’s a lot of benefits to the style of both of us; especially the part of ‘reducing battle time’ and ‘lowering the chances of getting injured’. These 2 points are things that are absolutely necessary if you want to continue your job as an explorer, but even with that, it is the truth that we have only been doing ‘one-sided battles’.

For explorers, the style of Jeanne would in a sense be considered heresy, and the hobby factor is way too strong, but…in the sense that she is training her endurance as a tank, it really is important to get through the attacks of your opponent one-on-one and win.

Rifreya and I are the types that would suddenly show our weaknesses when the opponent gets the momentum.

In the words of Jeanne, it would be like neglecting your weak points despite knowing what they are.

“…Maybe we should get more battle experience when it comes to longer exchanges…” (Hikaru)

“Right. If we are going to be going further on, it would be rough if we can’t do a variety of things. My defense is weak too, so I have to learn a lot more battle styles.” (Rifreya)

Even if we are leaving this city, it would be difficult to survive if we don’t get even stronger.

Our minds and bodies have to get stronger -so that my heart doesn’t get bewildered by the 2nd group.

“Ah, she is done.” (Rifreya)

Jeanne avoided the overhead slash of the Lizardman and cut off its head with a sweeping strike.

That’s right. The Hellfire Steel sword can easily cut through even the tough skin of a Lizardman protected by tough scales. The weight is outrageous, so even swinging it around is difficult if you don’t use your body adequately, but Jeanne has been repeatedly adjusting as she fought, and she is now able to use it almost as well as with her previous sword.

“A warrior that can fight and win against a Lizardman one-on-one without using Spirit Abilities is something that probably only a few people in this city can do, you know. I can’t go losing either…” (Rifreya)

“Me too. I have promised her to accompany her in her journey to conquer a dungeon, so even more of a reason to tag along.” (Hikaru)

“It is the same for me. I will be following you, Hikaru.” (Rifreya)

We renewed our resolutions here.

It is not good to just have someone strong in the party.

Everyone has to get stronger.

◇◆◆◆◇

The waterfall dungeon where the thunderous sound is ever resonating.

The footing is slippery, the torches tend to be extinguished by the splashes of water, and the illumination isn’t stable.

We were being cautious of the Sahagins that suddenly jumped out and the slimes that hid in the shade of rocks, and we finally arrived close to the open space that’s called the Lamia Nest.