At the shallows of the dungeon, this lineup was more than overkill, but since the monsters were getting riled up, we had no choice but to face them head-on.

Normally, Zighart or Luban would just blast them away with magic and wipe them out in one go, but…

“Everyone, step back. I’ll handle this.”

Liesel was ready to fight.

Drawing his sword, he stepped forward, signaling the others to stand down.

Even just from sparring with him a little, it was clear that Liesel was strong. That, and 【Fairy Eyes】 combined with the serpents’ vision made it even more obvious.

This was my first time seeing the latter in action, but… yeah, he’s strong. On par with Luban from a few years ago.

Normally, he’d have no trouble clearing even deeper floors, but… his equipment today wasn’t ideal.

His armor looked flashy but seemed cumbersome, and his sword—while stylish—looked impractical.

His armor was at least reinforced with 【Prayer】, so it might work out somehow… but the weapon was another story.

It was a slender sword, similar to the one Seriana used, but slightly longer and visibly unbalanced.

It didn’t radiate any magical power, and just by looking at it, I could tell it would snap easily against something tough… Is this really okay?

But my worries proved unfounded.

Just before the goblins appeared, Liesel stepped forward—

“Ha!”

With a single sweeping slash of his sword, he cut through trees and everything else in its path.

That one swing didn’t get all five of them, only actually defeating two. But still, before the goblins even had a chance to fully show themselves, the leading two were sliced clean in half.

Even monsters would be terrified of that…

The remaining three were frozen, unable to counterattack.

One stood still in shock, while the other two tried to flee—one backward, one to the side.

Of course, Liesel didn’t let that opportunity slip away. In a flash, slash, slash, slash!—all three were cleanly bisected.

“…I guess that’s it?”

Even after finishing them off, Liesel remained vigilant, his sword still at the ready.

It was my first time seeing him fight, but… that was truly impressive.

◇

Since Yusef and the others were from the royal capital, and Alec and the rest had a warrior’s intuition, they weren’t surprised.

But as someone who could only judge based on appearances, I was utterly shocked.

How the hell did he cut so cleanly with that flimsy-looking sword…?

Seriana had used a slightly shorter sword, but her fighting style was more focused on thrusting rather than slashing.

Even then, landing a proper thrust without breaking the blade was tricky… but slicing something in half? That was on another level of difficulty.

“…? Something wrong?”

Noticing my gaze, Liesel looked up at me.

“Hmm? No, I was just thinking how relaxed everyone seems.”

Though he took the lead in the first fight, he had now sheathed his sword and retreated to the center of the group, letting Alec’s team, the Riana group, take over.

Yusef and the others had drawn their swords, but they didn’t seem intent on joining the battle—merely standing guard.

Even the guild branch chief was in the same group.

This floor had already been thoroughly investigated, so this was just a formality at this point.

The three at the front were handling it with ease, taking down the cores, piercing, and cutting through enemies effortlessly.

“True. By the way, Sera, are you not going to join the fight?”

“Me? …Well, considering my outfit, I think I’ll pass.”

Today was more of a demonstration than an exploration.

Even Zighart, who usually didn’t wear armor, was suited up, and both Alec and August were wearing the Knight Order’s armor instead of their usual gear.

And as for me, the distinguished Vice Captain of the Second Squad? I was wearing a blue dress adorned with ribbons.

…Still barefoot, though.

Aside from that detail, I looked just like a proper noble lady.

Well… since I lacked presence or authority, this look was probably the most effective.

There weren’t just adventurers at the guild’s entrance—townspeople were watching too.

It must have been great publicity.

“If I recall… Lady Sera reached the upper layers of the royal capital’s dungeon solo. How do you normally fight?”

Hearing my exchange with Liesel, Yusef spoke up.

“How I fight, huh…? I guess… I kick?”

Wow, what a dumb answer.

But I had to keep 【Shadow Sword】 a secret… and among the weapons I carried, only 【Scarlet Bee Needle】 and 【Danrem’s Thread】 had enough attack power against monsters.

I wasn’t sure if they knew about my bow, but given the situation, that was the best answer I could give.

“More importantly, Liesel, how did you do that just now? That’s just a normal sword, right?”

“It’s actually weaker than a normal one. It’s just a ceremonial sword made purely for appearance.”

Pointing at the sword at Liesel’s waist, he once again drew it.

A sleek, long, and elegant blade.

Even the surface had intricate engravings.

…It really didn’t seem like a combat weapon.

“If I channel magic into it, it becomes somewhat usable, though.”

With a spin, he swiftly returned it to its sheath.

He didn’t seem like he was planning to use it again.

“…I didn’t sense anything, though?”

There were techniques to enhance weapons by infusing them with magic.

I could use it too, though it took time and wasn’t particularly strong.

But at that moment, I didn’t see any signs of Liesel using magic.

Since I could see magical flow, I was sure I wouldn’t have missed it…

———————————————————————————————————————————————-

Sera ・【Hideout】 +1 【Prayer】 【Mira’s Blessing】 【Wind Cloak】 ・【Floating Orb】 +1 【Shadow Sword】 【Scarlet Bee Needle】 【Fairy Eyes】 【Dragon’s Lung】 【Amber Sword】 【Danrem’s Thread】 【Serpent’s Tail】 【Ankle Bracelet】 【Amber Shield】 【Purple Wings】 ・15 cards

Seriana ・【Area Identification】 ・【】 ・28 cards

Elena ・【】 ・【Green Fang】 【Amber Sword】 ・4 cards

Alec ・【Heavy Strike】 ・【Red Shield】 【Fierce Horned Trumpet】 ・8 cards