Setting Monica aside for now, the focus should be on us!

…Or so I told myself, but there wasn’t really anything to do.

The upper floors were actually easier to pass through than the shallows.

Though the monsters here were stronger, the hunting grounds had clear visibility and were well-defined, making it easier to hunt.

Moreover, those who hunted here were more skilled than those in the shallows, so there was little chance of trouble.

And so, we had now arrived at the Knight Order’s stronghold, the deepest part of the upper floors.

I had taken to calling this place the main camp.

Even here, Fiora had found some work to do, busily inspecting magic tools and the dismantling process of monsters.

She was particularly thorough when it came to magic tools.

These installed magic tools were similar to refrigerators from my past life—they ran continuously, day and night.

Because of this, they were highly durable and rarely broke. However, that was under the assumption that they were used indoors.

Installing them inside a dungeon was quite a rare case, and she had been diligently checking them for some time.

The surrounding soldiers were all members of the 2nd Unit, and they seemed rather tense.

Yet, they would joke around casually with Alec and Zighart.

Now that I thought about it, it wasn’t just Fiora—Teresa got the same treatment.

Maybe they were giving off some kind of aura…

“Oh? …How’s it looking?”

I had been waiting outside the tent so as not to get in the way, but Fiora soon emerged, having finished inspecting the installed magic tools.

She looked quite satisfied.

“No problems. It’s still uncertain how well it would fare in a place like the shallows, but long-term use inside a dungeon isn’t impossible. This place will be withdrawn along with the equipment during the closure period for the festival, but it should hold up until then.”

“Hmm…”

The shallows were practically a jungle.

It was a terrible place to test durability.

Since it was close to the entrance, it made more sense to simply carry things there rather than trying to install anything.

Still, so they’re going to withdraw everything when the place closes, huh…

It seemed like a waste to bring everything here just to pack it up again.

But if they left it unattended, monsters would destroy it.

And they couldn’t exactly station soldiers here indefinitely.

I supposed it couldn’t be helped.

“If you notice anything, write it up and submit a report. Now then… we’re done here. Sera, let’s go.”

At the mention of “report,” the soldiers flinched for a moment, but Fiora paid it no mind.

The 2nd Unit was full of muscleheads…

Unlike the intellectuals in the mage division, they probably needed a different approach.

Maybe conducting verbal interviews would be better.

At any rate, it was time to move on.

Apparently, an adventurer party was hunting in the middle floors today, but we had no business with them, so we would pass through.

The unexpected detour had cost us some time, but we should be able to reach the lower floors without issue.

◇

As expected, nothing happened in the middle floors.

We skulked along the walls and slipped down to the lower floors.

As always, the scenery remained unchanged.

A group of Ogres occupied the central area of the great hall, keeping an eye on us but making no moves yet.

The other wandering monsters followed their lead.

“Alright… what’s your usual approach?”

“Hmm. I use 【Purple Wings】 to spread poison. It usually takes about… 20 or 30 minutes to take effect? After that, some of them manage to resist. Around that time, the Giant Apes will come from the passage over there… What’s the plan for today?”

“Let’s stick to the usual.”

“Got it. Here we go… hop!”

After a quick strategy discussion, I activated 【Purple Wings】.

I also reinforced our defenses with other blessings and 【Amber Shield】.

There weren’t any airborne enemies, but the Ogres sometimes threw rocks.

Better safe than sorry.

Now then, time to start spreading the poison.

◇

Several minutes passed as I floated in the air, scattering poison.

Soon, monsters began to collapse one by one.

At that moment, a Giant Ape lumbered out from the passageway in the back.

“Alright, I’ll take care of the still-moving monsters first. I think it’ll be fine, but stay on guard just in case.”

“Of course. I’ll be fine.”

Fiora wasn’t exactly built for combat.

With her away from me, she wouldn’t benefit from 【Wind Cloak】, and if a stray rock from the Giant Ape came flying her way, she might not be able to dodge it.

【Small Orb】 had decent mobility, but I couldn’t be sure how well it would fare in an actual fight.

I needed to finish up quickly and regroup with her.

Just as I was thinking that, a glow appeared behind me.

Unlike the intense radiance of Zighart’s light, this one flickered gently, like a wavering flame.

Curious, I turned around—

“…Whoa.”

Fiora had drawn the fan she usually kept at her waist and was preparing to cast some kind of spell.

Her target… was probably the Giant Ape.

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

Sera・【Hideout】+1【Prayer】【Mira’s Blessing】【Wind’s Garment】・【Floating Orb】+1【Shadow Sword】【Scarlet Bee Needle】【Fairy’s Eye】【Dragon’s Lung】【Amber Sword】【Danrem’s Thread】【Serpent’s Tail】【Ankle Bracelet】【Amber Shield】【Purple Wings】【Red Sword】・24 cards

Seriana・【Range Identification】・【】・36 cards

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

Alec・【Strong Strike】・【Red Shield】【Fierce Horned Trumpet】・9 cards