The Boss Monkey was certainly strong, but in the end, we managed to defeat it without sustaining any injuries.

The key to our victory was successfully dividing it from its allies.

Magical creatures generally fall into two categories: those that excel in solo combat and those that show their true strength when fighting in groups. The Cymodoki belongs to the former, while the Boss Monkey was clearly of the latter type.

Observing its combat style, its strength and roar were formidable, but it rarely used its initial rock-throwing attack, nor did it display any particularly unique abilities.

Had it been summoning mid-tier monsters or attacking from a distance with relentless rock-throwing, we might have defeated it, but we certainly wouldn’t have had the luxury of choosing how to fight.

Our strategy played a significant role in our victory, but I can’t help but think that luck wasn’t on the Boss Monkey’s side.

“At the very least, we had the luxury of choosing how to defeat it.”

August concluded his thoughts while glancing at Liesel.

“Commander August, what evidence do you have that it was a Demon Lord species?”

One of the participants raised their hand to ask. Although the discussion about the battle with the Boss Monkey had ended, this question hadn’t yet been addressed.

“That was identified by Lady Sera. It seems it was made possible by a combination of the Burrowing Snake and a blessed artifact.”

“Wow…”

The room buzzed with surprise. I could feel their gazes turning toward me, as if they were expecting something.

“I suppose it became evident when we encountered that wolf-like Demon Lord species before. However, this one itself is relatively fragile, so don’t go assigning it to search for other Demon Lord species, okay?”

Zighart remarked with a chuckle, causing the gathered gazes to dissipate.

Well, as expected.

While I don’t mind searching, I’ve been concealing my true combat strength, and more importantly, there’s no clear lead on where they might be. Even if we were to assist in tracking it after an escape from an encirclement, aimlessly hunting for Demon Lord species would be far too demanding.

“Seria would probably scold me for that… Let’s leave it be,” Liesel said jokingly.

It wasn’t as if anyone was angry, but Zighart’s demeanor had unnerved the others slightly. It was the perfect time to lighten the mood.

“I was handling the smaller creatures with Lady Teresa and Lady Fiora, but there were some among the same species that couldn’t be defeated in one hit. Sera, do you think those were influenced by the Demon Lord species?”

Now Luban spoke up.

“Ah… I wasn’t using the Snake’s Eye at that time, so I can’t say for sure.”

Back then, I only had the Fairy’s Eye active, and the snakes were fighting as usual. I couldn’t determine the extent of any influence.

“I see… What do you two think?”

“I was just finishing off the ones you weakened, so I can’t say much. Teresa, you engaged them directly, didn’t you?”

“Yes. There weren’t any among the Youma species, but there were certainly some stronger types among the Beast species. The larger ones were dealt with by the princess, so I can’t say about them, but size didn’t matter for the others. They were likely influenced.”

“Interesting…”

“Why are you surprised?” Seriana asked with an exasperated tone as I reacted to Teresa’s words. But honestly, I’m not the type to gauge an enemy’s strength through direct combat.

This time, I had left most of the fighting to Akame and the others.

Though I had my suspicions, it seems it was indeed a legitimate Demon Lord species.

◇

Afterward, August fielded questions, answering them until no more were raised. Then he shifted the discussion.

“This…”

From his pocket, he produced a single Holy Coin. It must have been obtained during the battle with the Boss Monkey.

“A Holy Coin, huh… Oh, so you’re the one who landed the final blow?” Liesel observed, seemingly confirming that August had delivered the finishing strike. She wasn’t wrong.

“Yes. But it wasn’t just me. Commander Alec, Zighart, and Lady Sera also confronted the Demon Lord species directly, while the three of you, who didn’t engage in combat, obtained one simultaneously.”

“Wait, what!?”

Liesel was visibly astonished.

The common understanding of Holy Coins is that a person who defeats a magical creature might acquire one, with some luck. This applies to Demon Lord species as well.

But this time, it was different. Every participant received one Holy Coin.

“It seems that anyone who participates in the battle against a Demon Lord species within a dungeon will receive one.”

“So, increasing the number of participants would increase the total number of coins obtained in a single battle?”

“Most likely.”

A murmur of excitement spread through the room.

I can understand their reaction. If there’s another Boss-like creature in the dungeon, and it’s also a Demon Lord species, it could mean that bringing as many participants as possible would yield even more coins.

That said…

“Even so, I believe the next battle should still be conducted by our group alone.”

“Too dangerous?”

“Yes. While the knights are well-trained and capable in the shallows or upper layers, venturing deeper is a different matter entirely.”

“I see… That’s unfortunate, but I understand. I’ll leave it to you again.”

Liesel’s disappointment was evident. While some others seemed to want to object, Liesel’s decision silenced them.

Though he was diplomatic, the message was clear: additional participants would only be a hindrance. It seems August’s point had been effectively conveyed.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Seria ・【Hideout】+1【Prayer】【Mira’s Blessing】・【Floating Orb】【Shadow Sword】【Crimson Bee’s Stinger】【Fairy’s Eye】【Dragon’s Lungs】【Amber Sword】【Danrem’s Thread】【Snake’s Tail】【Ankle Bracelet】・64 cards

Seriana ・【Range Identification】・【】・28 cards

Elena ・【】・【Green Fang】・1 card

Alec ・【Strong Strike】・【Red Shield】【Fierce Horned Trumpet】・4 cards