Mika wasn’t very good at sports. She had decent stamina and average reflexes, but perhaps she lacked competitiveness. Or maybe… she was just a bit clumsy. Her rhythm was slightly off, making it hard for her to keep up with fast-paced games.

The one sport Mika could manage at an average level was tennis.

She swung the rake in her right hand like a racket, smashing it into the succubus that came flying at her again.

Size-wise, the succubus’s spread wings were even larger than Mika’s outstretched arms, but since it had charged head-on, she managed to hit it squarely. The succubus was slammed straight into the ground.

Gatt delivered the finishing blow. It wasn’t so much out of concern for Mika—who still seemed a little shaken—but because he sensed numerous presences deeper in the passageway the succubus had emerged from.

“It’s probably Iblieth. Mika, can you use the poison mist?”

“Leave it to me! Everyone, step back!”

At Dada’s voice, Mika flicked the rake lightly, pulled out a can of insecticide from her pocket with her left hand, and dashed toward the back of the passage.

Dozens of Iblieth poured out from the depths—no succubus in sight.

Without hesitation, Mika sprayed the insecticide.

It worked extremely well against the Iblieth. They dropped like flies, their numbers rapidly thinning. Remembering her lesson from last time, Mika stopped spraying early and took care of the remaining ones by whacking them down with her rake.

Stepping over the fallen Iblieth, she advanced further into the passage. It led to an unfinished mining tunnel, ending in a dead end about 20 meters ahead. A narrow ventilation shaft connected upward, letting in faint outside light. Some of the Iblieth might have escaped through there.

But chasing after them wasn’t Mika’s job.

There were no more Iblieth left in the mine.

They carried the bodies of the defeated succubus and Iblieth outside and buried them all. After re-entering the mine to check the other passages and confirming no monsters remained, they finally stepped out.

Checking the time, it was already past noon.

The once-white lunch set was now covered in dust, stained, and slightly grimy.

“Maybe white was a mistake…”

Still, thanks to it, her clothes were unharmed, and she wouldn’t need to shower today. She decided it had served its purpose well enough.

“Alright, take those off and put them in this bag. Hopefully, the stains will come out.”

She quickly helped the three out of their lunch sets and stuffed them into a plastic bag. She’d take them home for now and try washing them normally first.

“Ah, we can wash them ourselves—”

“Hmm, but I might tweak the sizing a bit. I’ll take them back this time. You can handle it next time, okay?”

Mika smiled at the three, her expression almost motherly—as if she wanted to say, How responsible of you to do your own laundry.

They weren’t children, but…

Back at the cabin, they washed their hands and held a debrief over lunch.

Today, Dada, Gatt, and Zurah hadn’t gotten sick from the insecticide, and the four of them were gradually improving their teamwork in battle.

Mika had expected the mine’s liberation to take a bit longer, but it was over in just two trips. The guild staff could inspect it later—the remaining three would handle the paperwork after Mika left.

“Speaking of which, Mika, let me see your cheek for a second.”

Zurah wiped away the blood with a damp towel, then chanted a spell in a sharp, rhythmic tone. The healing magic sparkled as it seeped into Mika’s cheek. When it was done, no trace of the wound remained.

“Oh, it’s healed? Magic is so convenient!”

“It’s good it was a shallow wound. Magical healing has its limits, after all.”

Zurah gently stroked Mika’s now flawless cheek with her long, slender, scaly fingers—soft and tender.