Chapter 79: Chapter 79: Strategy Meeting

Translator: ShiroiKaze/Soyokaze Translations

Following the map, we took the shortest route to the second floor, but only one more battle happened during that time.

We managed to collect three of the parts. Putting that together with the first one we got, we still only had four.

If we consider that we collected a tenth of what we need on the first day, then I suppose it’s quite the haul, huh?

“Hmmm, we got a lot less than I expected.”

“We only met them twice on this whole trip. Not much we can do about that.”

“They’re hardly a challenge as long as they’re not surprising us though. Isn’t there some spell that you can just go, click, and find them sis?”

“I don’t have any spells that convenient… Well, maybe I could make one if I think on it…?”

“I-I am not a fan of repeated battles… And those tentacle things are so gross.”

So Marle doesn’t like wiggling things?

There’s a part of me that wants to see her tangled up in tentacles… Except I don’t have the part of me that could get excited even if that happened.

Besides, I feel like she could instantly die if she was caught… Huh? But that wouldn’t be a problem if it was me?

“No no no, I wouldn’t be happy if I was caught. That’s something to be enjoyed by watching it.”

“Huh? Magic is something to enjoy?”

“No, I’m just talking to myself!”

It would be bad to have Haster awaken to any new strange preferences. It also wouldn’t be healthy for a young man’s education.

“But if you think about it more… The shortest route to the second floor is going to have the most foot traffic, so… That means they may just be all hunted out by those who went through here before us.”

“Oooh, yeah that could be.”

“If we think of the path we just took as the main street, then we would have been better off collecting on side streets.”

“But wouldn’t that also be dangerous? If we stay on the beaten path, then there’s a high chance of help coming in a crisis, but if we’re off to the side we can’t very well expect that. Especially when it comes to the girl we’re taking care of. I’d prefer we avoid going directly into danger.”

He seems to have become overprotective of Marle, since she’s been left in our care.

I’m so jealou… No, that’s just outrageous.

“With how powerful we are, we’ll be fine as long as we aren’t surprise attacked, right?”

“But those surprise attacks though… We’re a catastrophe when it comes to scouting skills.”

“Even without those, we can just use infiltration tactics. If Alec is the lead, and Haster carefully watches above us with [Light Ball], we shouldn’t have any surprises.”

“And since [Light Ball] is a maintained spell, I can still fight while it’s in effect… Okay, let’s go with that.”

I feel bad about doing this as soon as he’s getting fired up, but I’m gonna have to rain on his parade.

We were advancing carefully to this point, so a lot of time has passed; it’s about time we should be heading back.

“We’ve already spent a lot of time here, so how about we head back for today? Marle’s probably tired too.”

“Oh, now that you mention it, it took us a while to get here. Has it been about three hours already?”

“If we look at it taking another two hours to head back, it should be a good time. If we get used to exploring, we could go twice… Actually maybe three times faster moving forward.”

“Which would mean we could get to the fourth floor in a day trip then. I see, so that means novices have to be at the level where they can camp within the labyrinth.”

That’s probably the reason why they’re novices until they get past the fifth floor.

Camping out would be required to capture a labyrinth this huge.

Keeping safe within the labyrinth, obtaining the knowledge and techniques to take breaks, and becoming recognized as capturing some of the labyrinth… The fifth floor is the boundary for all that then?

“Today is our first day in here, and we’ve gathered a tenth of what we need… Well, let’s call it a passing grade. I also have a lot to think over, so I would like to head back if we could.”

“If that’s what you want, Yuuri, then we’ll do it. I mean, you are the leader, right?”

You’re still saying that?! And you’re grinning ear to ear about it.

He is totally and obviously messing with me.

“Please stop with the leader thing. I like staying behind the scenes. You and Alec can be the ones who stand out.”

“Standing out would be a problem for me too. Since I look like this now.”

“Then by process of elimination, Alec is the leader.”

“You’re gonna make me?! I’ve never done that kind of thing before.”

“It’ll be fine. Haster and I will give the ideas and guidance. You can just make the final decisions on everything. You can be something like a nodding elf.”n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“A nodding elf?”

“Someone who gives approval to all ideas with hardly any objections. It’s another name for a great leader.”

“That’s pretty amazing…”

I’m just making this up as I go, but… Probably best not to tell him that.

“Well if that’s all, then…”

Looks like I hooked him!

~*~

On the way back we again ran into no problems. We had one more encounter, but we easily annihilated them.

We acquired two more materials, bringing our total to six.

After having our dinner, we gathered in a single room at the inn and held a review meeting.

“Now then, I would like to call into session our first labyrinth capture review meeting!”

“Uhhh, pretty sure 6 on yer first day ain’t bad at all though?”

“I ask those who stayed home to please keep their mouths shut.”

“Haster, Yuuri’s bein’ darn mean.”

“Stop.”

After quieting the one who isn’t part of our fighting force, I consolidated the day’s results.

“The results of today’s battles are six materials. It’s unfortunate that we lost two in our first fight, but that’s probably good as far as results go.”

“At this pace we’ll clear the test in ten days.”

“Seven actually, Marle. Now, those are great results, but we do have things to reflect on.”

“We do?”

“If you forget to examine your own actions in any situation, then you won’t progress Alec.”

“Nor will you, Yuuri.”

Haster, I would really prefer you not point that out to me.

“Things to examine today would have to be our route choice mistake, and our poor ability to cope with surprise attacks.”

“Yeah, let’s try picking some places off of the main path starting tomorrow.”

“The problem is the surprise attacks.”

“Yes indeed. Fortunately we have the right number of people, so if we just split our watch between the front, above, and the left and right walls, it’ll be flawless.”

“Even the walls?”

“We were attacked from the ceiling before, so couldn’t they surprise us from the walls too?”

Our enemies are seaweed monsters. They could probably stick anywhere.

And it’s not like they’re the only things in there.

“By the way, Miss Levy, please give us information on enemies that appear in the first stratum. For free.”

“Hey, I ain’t gonna take yer money… ‘Sides the Creeping Vines, the first floor’s got Crack Worms too.”

“Crack Worms?”

“Puttin’ it simply… Friggin’ huge cockroaches.”

“… Haster, let’s go back to the cottage.”

“We’re not going back.”

But come on, that’s a monster that the housewife in me doesn’t even want to see, you know?!

I wouldn’t even want to touch the small-sized ones!

“You can at least pulverize them with magic. Alec would have to use his sword.”

“Alec, if we run into any of those, then stay away from me, okay?”

“Seriously?!”

“Umm, Sir Alec… I feel the same.”

“… … …”

Being rejected even by Marle, Alec cried sorrowfully.

We can’t help that we’re physically repulsed by them, right?

“W-well, this is just one of those things. We’ll have to give it our all with magic. Is there anything else?”

“Other’n that is some feral kobolds. Ain’t hardly nothin’.”

Kobolds are a type of beast people who stand on two legs.

They’re hardly a meter tall, so they’re monsters with physical abilities lower than those of a human.

“Which means… The problem is going to be the Crack Worms.”

“Especially their appearance.”

“Their power is nothing to laugh at either though, right? If we think about standard cockroaches, they’re quick, tough, and can fly.”

“Uhurp?!”

I imagined a gigantic cockroach rapidly approaching, spreading its wings, and showing its disgusting belly as it flies at my face, and felt like throwing up.

Well, as far as physical abilities go, they really are dreadful, but… Actually, putting together their abilities and the pressure of their appearance, could they be seen as invincible?

“While we’re on it, the Kobold’s fur and the Crack Worm’s feelers are what ya can sell from ’em.”

“What could they possibly use their feelers for?”

“Flexible an’ elastic materials have got all sorts o’ uses, y’know?”

Even insect which look like that are turned into materials, huh… This other world is a fearsome place.

After being here for five years, I have now felt true fear.

“Bugs make plenty o’ fine materials to be usin’ anyway, y’know? Like sickles from a mantis, an’ the stinger from bees can make mighty fine weapons.”

“They do tend to evolve specialized characteristics after all.”

“And they make for bothersome opponents. Since they’re specialized for one single trick, if you fight them on their own turf, then they’re really strong…”

I figured Alec had dealt with plenty of bug type monsters while guarding the village, but I guess some of them really were tough fights.

“Anyway, it would be dangerous to go around without thoroughly searching for enemies. Crack Worms and Creeping Vines would both have no problems crawling up walls.”

“Well then, we know Alec will keep his eyes ahead, and Haster will use a [Light Ball] to watch the ceiling. Marle and I will have to eye the walls to our sides.”

“With the four of us, that seems reasonable. Not having anyone watching our backs worries me a little though.”

“Oh right, that’s a thing too—In that case, Yig will be watching above us. You have good night vision, right?”

“Ugyu?”

Yig seemed surprised as he raised his head when the conversation suddenly went his way.

You were sleeping, weren’t you…? Well, he’s still a kid, so I’m not gonna make a big deal of it.

“If Yig can monitor above us, then Haster should be able to watch behind.”

“Yeah, that’ll work. However, using Yig as part of our force seems a little bit like we’re cheating.”

“We’ll use whatever we have. We’re beginner’s after all. Also, about the next problem…”

“There’s something else?”

“Searching for enemies. The biggest problem today was that we could hardly find any enemies.”

If we could quickly find enemies, then our hunting efficiency would increase, and we would even be able to move while dodging enemies.

Just as in my previous world, finding the enemy before they find you is a basic in battle.

“I can probably manage something about this with magic. Except it will probably take me a little time to develop the spell.”

“Hmmm… Then how about we take a break tomorrow and you develop it then? Going into the labyrinth once in two days seems like reasonable pace anyway.”

“That would help me a lot.”

“Can ya really go developin’ somethin’ like that so easy-like?”

Miss Levy, are you doubting my ability to develop things? Well, that’s fine.

If we need seven days at our current pace to get forty items, then going once every two days just doubles that margin.

I don’t need to hurry in developing the search technique, and it seems like we’ll need it anyway. I should be able to just take my time with this.

And so we adjourned our first day’s review meeting.