Chapter 205 - Petra and Floor 45 of the Crystal Palace
We were on the forty-fifth floor of the Crystal Palace. The party was me, Fam, Mizuki, Maira, Marmie, and Petra. Petra's weapon of choice was a massive warhammer. It was hard to imagine those slender fingers gripping such a heavy weapon, swinging it with such brute force. Come to think of it, she also effortlessly carried barrels of ale, from the dwarven district in the west to the elven district in the east. She must have great stamina too. That woman just slammed her warhammer into the head of a giant centipede, shattering its hard, armored shell with ease.
The front line consisted of her, Fam, and Mizuki. Fam took the bait, using her quick movements to toy with the enemies while Mizuki and I provided support from the back with magic and bows. Mizuki and Petra would then deliver the finishing blows, and that's how the battle progressed.
"I haven't had a chance to do anything," Maira muttered, watching Fam pick up a magic seed after the fight.
"Even if Maira can heal someone's injuries, no one can heal her if she gets incapacitated.
"
Besides, she was the only one we could rely on when our backs were against the wall, or when a powerful enemy showed up. She was entrusted with the toughest situations. Basically, she was our trump card, an impact player. Her presence became even more crucial after Aira stopped participating. Yet, it felt a little odd that she wanted to actively participate in battle.
"I think it's best if Maira doesn't fight," I said.
"Why?!" she asked, barging into me.
"Aira is studying theology at magic school. She's my sister. If she gets serious, she's sure to get top marks. I also need to level up enough.
"
She gripped her mace tightly. Was she still chasing victory in a sisterly rivalry? As we continued our conversation, we reached a dead end. There was a pedestal there, and on it sat a treasure chest. Having come straight to the Area Guardian's room on previous floors, it was the first time we'd ever seen a treasure chest in the dungeon.
"Sorry. Looks like I took the wrong path," Petra said as she turned around. She was wearing glasses and a mask, so I couldn't gauge her emotions at all.
"Petra, I've wanted to bring this up for a while, but can't you do something about your attire?"
Mizuki, who had been eyeing the treasure chest, turned around in surprise.
"Huh? Is that what we're talking about? Aren't we more concerned about the treasure chest right now?"
"I guess? I'm pretty interested in that outfit myself. I'm confident I wouldn't even notice if I got swapped with a monster while wearing it."
"You'd probably notice that, right?"
Mizuki sighed. Maira, growing impatient with our pointless conversation, interrupted, looking frustrated.
"Mash, dwarven girls don't show their faces to anyone but family members. Even after marriage, very few women show their faces to anyone other than family."
"So…" Mizuki started to say but swallowed her words. She was probably going to compare it to customs in the original world. I for one thought calling a woman over fifty a girl was a bit much, but only I and maybe Marmie knew her age. Maira was fooled by her slender build and childlike voice.
As I was thinking about this, I thought Petra was looking at me over her glasses. I didn't want to get hit with that warhammer, so I averted my eyes.
"So, what are we going to do about the treasure chest?"
"Could there be a trap?"
Petra and Mizuki conferred. The treasure chest sat on a stone pedestal, its sides made of wood but reinforced with thick metal edges and iron rivets. The lid was shaped like a half-cylinder, giving it a very convincing appearance. After some time, Petra observed the treasure chest and peered into the keyhole.
"There's no trap. It's just locked."
"The key is…"
"If you explore the dungeon, you'll find them or they'll be inside another treasure chest. Keys disappear after use, but if it's from the same dungeon, they should be compatible. Well, sometimes keys are color-coded and won't work.
"
I was hearing dungeon basics now. We had just been possessed by something and kept exploring the Area Guardian's room and the forty-fifth floor. We didn't have a treasure chest key. It seemed that exploring from the lower floors and gaining experience was important.
"So, we should find the key and come back."
"Maybe? Another adventurer might find and open it. Then this treasure chest will disappear and move to a different location."
"Then, why don't we just smash it open...?"
Hoping for success, Mizuki looked at Petra with expectant eyes, clearly hoping her warhammer could do the trick. Though perhaps not break the contents.
"Well... I wouldn't mind if you wanted to do that. But all the monsters on this floor will gather here. I doubt the six of us could take them down."
"Hmmph…" Mizuki glared resentfully at the treasure chest.
"Why are you so hung up on this?" I asked.
"Have you forgotten? We have a debt of fifty gold coins!" Mizuki replied. Oh, right. If there was an easy opportunity for a windfall, we needed to grab it.
"Then, how about this key?" I took out the magic key I received from Racshell. Mizuki frowned when she saw it. She probably had bad memories about it. I should make her experience the same thing again. As I was lost in thought, Petra snatched the key and stared at it intently.
"This is incredible."
She inserted the key into the keyhole. With a click, the sound of metal interlocking, the treasure chest opened. Everyone's expectant eyes poured into the chest. Inside were two treasure chest keys.
"Well, we could get money if we sell them."
My interest in the treasure chest had already waned. We started walking toward the Area Guardian's room.
"Speaking of which, is that cow head worth money?"
Mizuki rummaged through storage as if remembering something.
"The cow head?"
Why would she have such a grotesque thing? Just then, she pulled out a cow head glowing with gold. Come to think of it, Mizuki and I had fought headless cows and-obtained them at Hayron's castle.
"...That's a symbol of the friendship Mizuki and I fought together for."
Marmie seemed to remember too.
"I don't have any such memories, but if it's worth money, it's in the way and creepy, so let's sell it."
As she was about to put it back into storage, Petra snatched it away.
"Hmm, you said the debt was fifty gold coins, right? I could buy it off you for that price."
"What? You're not planning to wear it, are you? I won't take responsibility if you get cursed and turn into a cow-person!"
"Not at all. I can't help but feel that this metal is mixed with Orichalcum."
"Orichalcum! Isn't that rare?"
Maira tugged at the hem of my clothes.
"It's incredibly rare. Weapons made from it are even rarer."
She whispered, trying to stop me. I realized that I had said something too far out of this world's common sense. Since she was talking to Petra and Petra knew my identity, there was no problem with saying such nonsensical things. But I noticed she nodded slightly in response to my gaze, so I decided to let her take over the conversation.
"I can't just casually sell it after hearing 'Orichalcum.' Plus, even if you say you'll pay fifty gold coins, can you really raise that much money right away?"
Maira asked.
"You have no need for this thing. Even Mash, who was silenced by the church, cannot accurately measure the value of this metal. I trust that I am the most capable person to properly utilize this metal in this city. I don't have fifty gold coins on hand, but my grandfather can raise the money. Also... well, how about I make a weapon out of this metal for you? And while I live I will maintain your weapons spick and span without cost, of course."
So saying, she put the cow head into her workshop. As she said, it meant nothing to us, and its intricately crafted design, which seemed to convey the dying moments and regret of the beheaded cow, amused her and she even gave us money. I was grateful. After several battles, we reached the Area Guardian's room.
"What kind of monster is in front of us?"
"Phoenix."
Petra answered in a short sentence. She pushed open the door.
"Wait! You don't die? How are we going to beat a thing like that?"
"Mash, it's called a phoenix, but the phoenixes in our world are not immortal, nor do they live forever. They rule destruction and regeneration, the end and the beginning, the cycle of life."
Mizuki replied to me. She followed Petra inside.
"Why would such a bird become a monster and be in a place like this..."
I remembered Marmie's words, 'Sometimes dungeons create monsters from people's imaginations,' and shuddered. On the other hand, I remembered that Petra had said she had fought this Area Guardian many times. That she was still alive meant it wasn't an unbeatable enemy.
"Fam, don't be shy if you feel danger."
"Yes, sir. Master, we must defeat the Demon King. What floor Area Guardian is the Demon King equivalent to?"
"If it's just one Demon King, Fam will stop the attack, and I'll use Goddess Summon. Even if it fails, Mizuki will finish it off, and Maira will heal the wounds."
She nodded. The two stepped into the room.
"...My name wasn't there."
Marmie, who was following behind, muttered quietly.
"If you weren't here, we couldn't even get to the Demon King."
"...That sounds like a rationalization. I'm going to get Patricia to punch me later."
"Why don't you punch me yourself?"
"...I'm not very good at getting angry. Also, I don't want you to hate me."
The entrance door closed. In this dark space, there was a circular dais, and we stood on it. The dais was soft and gently glowing, making me feel lonely, as if we were just the six of us in this world. When I looked up, countless layers of labyrinthine passages looked lifeless. No explorers or monsters could be seen from here. As I lowered my gaze, a pillar of light shot up from the center of the platform like a fountain. From there, the silhouette of a monster, a strange bird spreading its giant wings, emerged. Fam, Mizuki, and Petra stood at the front, each holding their weapons at the ready. Behind them, Maira, Marmie, and I stood in a line. I took out my bow and nocked an arrow.
The light pillar disappeared, and a huge shadow loomed over us. It was flying in the air. Its spread wings were overwhelming. Wings larger than my height were covered in white feathers, radiating a stately sheen. On top of the gracefully extending neck was a golden beak, and sharp, blue-black gem-like eyes stared down at us. On its head, crests decorated with scarlet and gold swayed. A long tail extended from its body, and sparks of fire fluttered from the tail and wings., Every beat of its wings kicked up powerful gusts of wind on the platform, and sparks of fire scattered through the air.
"Screeeech!"
The strange bird screamed, tearing through the surrounding air and shaking even the labyrinth above. Marmie raised her wand toward the monster. I pulled back the bowstring. But the monster was faster. The moment a clicking sound echoed from the monster's beak, flames were unleashed. I stopped my attack and grabbed Marmie to evade it.
"Lightning magic, Lightning Strike!"
A bolt of lightning shot from the tip of Marmie's wand, aimed at the phoenix. Incredibly, the monster dodged the attack with a single wing flap, then dove down and thrust out its claws. I was already off balance from the breath, so I couldn't dodge and fell to the ground to protect Marmie. A fierce metallic sound rang out behind me. When I looked back, Maira and Petra were deflecting the phoenix's claws with their weapons. Then Mizuki slashed at it. The phoenix flew into the air, dodging the attack.
"Demon Slaying Slash!"
Fam unleashed a slash in pursuit, but it seemed to be wiped out by the phoenix's flapping wings. The monster's flapping caused sparks to fly throughout the room, raising the temperature at once.
"It's hot... no, hot!"
Marmie and I stood up, each holding our bow and staff ready. First, my shot was deflected by the wind caused by the monster's wings, missing the target. And Marmie's lightning strike was also dodged as if it had slipped past.
"Attacks aren't reaching!"
"...The attacks are being refracted by the force of the wind."
She was looking up at the sky resentfully while holding her wand. At that moment, the monster roared again and flapped its wings. The vortex of flames that could no longer be called mere sparks surrounded us and blazed. Furthermore, it opened its beak wide and unleashed a fire breath. Maira must have cast a magic defense blessing, because we were momentarily enveloped in a soft light, but the flames that covered the whole body and the heat that seemed to burn our lungs were unbearable pain. I frenziedly shot water in all directions with water magic. The moment the cold water touched the fire, steam shot up violently, and the heat scorched my skin even more. The sound of water vaporizing echoed, and the steam enveloped the surroundings, turning the view white. I continued to shoot water without regard. Just as I thought my sight had begun to recover and the surrounding temperature had decreased little by little, a flash like a gleam came out of the steam and attacked me.
"Uwah!"
I recoiled in a hurry, a pathetic voice escaping me. I thought I had dodged it at the last moment, but a claw mark was firmly etched on my arm.
"Mash!"
Maira rushed over.
"I'm fine. It was just a scratch..."
Fresh blood dripped from the wound. I looked around, enduring the pain. The phoenix was focusing its attacks on Fam, Mizuki, and Petra, repeatedly attacking and diving up and down. The movements of the three were visibly slow, struggling to dodge the attacks, and unable to shift to counterattacks. It was clear that they had suffered more damage than me from the earlier all-out attack.
"I'm sorry. I couldn't get everyone within the range of the blessing."
Maira bit her lip.
"More! Magic Defense Wall!"
I shouted.
"...I can do that, but just defending will eventually lead to a dead end."
"That's not what I mean. The wall isn't to be behind it, but to be put above it. Don't let it fly into the air!"
She nodded and raised her wand. The phoenix dove toward Fam. Fam couldn't completely dodge the attack and fell. Marmie seized that moment and deployed a defense wall over the monster's head. Unable to fly into the air, the monster descended to the ground. Mizuki and Petra clashed with it from both sides. Flame breath was unleashed at Mizuki, who took the front. Mizuki deflected it with her shield and slashed at the monster's neck, but the monster dodged it with a quick step. Then Petra swung down her warhammer and dealt a blow. As the monster recoiled, Mizuki attempted to cut it down from the front. The monster resisted, offsetting it with its beak, and then thrust at her head. Mizuki deflected it with her shield. However, the blow was heavy, and her body wobbled as if her balance was broken., Petra, who was behind her, raised her warhammer and the phoenix kicked into her. She fell backwards.
"Petra!"
The monster moved sideways to escape the defense wall. I switched to a sword and rushed forward to block its escape route and slashed at it. White feathers flew from the blow. Fam, who had fallen from claw attacks, also stood up and stood blocking the monster's path, trying not to let it move towards Petra. Behind her, Maira rushed to Petra's side. The phoenix started flailing violently, trying to escape from that place.
"Not a chance!"
We surrounded the monster and desperately continued to attack. A fierce exchange of attacks continued. Just when it seemed the battle would drag on, Mizuki's eyes glowed red, and her sword moved in an unnatural way that seemed to slip through the phoenix's beak attack, slicing off its head. The monster fell to the ground. The three of them panted, looking down at the monster.
"Phoenixes are said to revive from the ashes again and again, but..."
Mizuki said ominously.
"I wonder which is stronger, the effect of Super Kill."
As I muttered, the monster's body turned into particles of light and dissipated. The three sighed heavily.
"Was Fam okay? She was hit by the attack."
I asked, watching Petra, who was receiving treatment from Maira.
"Yes. She received the shock of the impact, but the plate armor stopped it, and she didn't get hurt. But, her whole body feels like it's burned slightly."
"No, I think she's actually burned. I wonder if a healing potion would cure her."
I had been blessed by Maira, so I should have been in better shape than her, but I was also feeling a burning sensation. I tried drinking it, and the pain and burning disappeared. I wondered what the mechanism was, and then distributed a recovery potion to everyone. When I looked around, white feathers were lying around, but there were no magic seeds.
"It's kind of tough to farm this place, isn't it?"
As I muttered, Marmie came close.
"...It's okay. I know how to defeat it. Plop a stone ball on top of the phoenix's head when it appears next time."
"That's right. I've also figured out the trick to imbuing magic power into swords as Mash learned from Marianne."
Mizuki swung her sword as if to check its condition.
"I've also come to understand the flow of magic power in my body. I should be able to move a little faster next time."
The three girls' fighting spirit was overflowing.