Chapter 438 - Third Story: Labyrinth Exploration ③
The third prize was to give entertainment to the delinquents, but we stayed one night and became good friends with the Earth Dragon.
"Shall we take our leave soon?"
Matching the words of Mary, who is busy with trade, just as I was about to stand up...
"Wait a minute."
The Earth Dragon called out to stop us.
"It's not over yet. After you've had a break, I'll have you continue."
Eh? If we declare withdrawal, it should be over...
"Who said such a thing?"
Um, Roberts-sama? Did you switch sides?
"I said you could withdraw, right? To this room."
"But, if you say withdraw..."
"It's withdrawing once, then regrouping and having a rematch. A temporary withdrawal is a strategy to win in the end."
'Eleanor of Tactics' is breathing hard.
Why are the royalty of Sertoria like this...
Wait? Hold on. If this continues, won't it be endless? Could it be that the reason the dwarves don't approach is because they end up unable to return like this?
"But you know, it's just a repetition of the same thing. At most, one more B-rank is the limit."
It's as Beatrix says. To begin with, we lack fighting force. We might not be able to defeat the Demon Lord even in a lifetime.
"It's okay. The rules will change."
It's Eleanor-sama. She's lining up the five copper coins she won on the table. Harrison-san didn't participate in the bet because he's a priest. This might be the reason why he couldn't become a formal disciple of the Headmistress.
"Rules?"
"Next, you can use a map."
"It won't change that much."
That's true. We only took a detour once, and anyway, I'll faint in one go.
"That's not all. With two of these copper coins, you can reinforce the fighting force with one person. And with one coin, the limit on the number of times for one type of attack by one person becomes twice."
I see. That's encouraging. However, since there are five copper coins, the reinforcement is only two people.
"Jeanne. We're going to use Megiddo Fire."
Eleanor-sama is breathing hard. She must want to participate.
"Wait a minute."
Beatrix called a halt.
"Aren't we going to bet on how far we can go next? If Eleanor-sama wins again, the chance of conquest will expand."
Eleanor-sama froze. Because she would be non-participating.
"W-What are you saying, Beatrix?"
"Well, listen. Out of those five copper coins, you use four to reinforce two people and increase the number of attack times for one person, right? For the remaining three people plus the Earth Dragon-san, you bet one coin each, and if Eleanor-sama wins alone, it'll be four coins, so you can increase two more people again, right? After that, it's a repetition."
In other words, Eleanor-sama would be unable to participate until the end.
"I don't mind that either."
The Earth Dragon, the bookmaker, agreed.
"W-Wait a moment! Henry! You say something too."
"I don't mind that either."
Bishi! There was a sound as if the air had frozen for an instant. Something like a strange cold air is rising from Eleanor-sama. She might have used ice magic.
"Father, Mother, please leave this to us."
"U-Um. W-Well, I suppose it can't be helped."
Looking at the feet of Henry-sama, who replied to Roberts-sama's words, they are covered in ice. It seems the two of them will stay until the end and bet with the Earth Dragon.
So, it's the second turn. As Harrison-san, who doesn't participate in the bet, is a must, the other person was Violet. Because Wilson-san refrained.
"It's the first time I've fought together with Jeanne and the others."
Violet seems happy. Come to think of it, it's the first time we've teamed up. The claws on her flanks will be a powerful weapon. In addition to the Eleanor armor and helmet, she has a face guard, so she should be unfazed even by my unstrengthened Light.
"What magic can you use?"
"Um, if the opponent is up to B-rank, I can probably limit their movement with Charm and Doll. Also, it's not magic, but I can spit thread and stop them."
Isn't that perfect? Three of them are certain.
"But it won't work at all on A-rank, so it'll be a brawl."
A-rank means Demon Race executive class. According to Alex and the Elf Prince, they should be stronger than Number Six in the Northeastern Forest. Well, the Demon Lord would scout them.
Harrison-san is, of course, log-class Holy Lance and staff. Since he can fire magic from his mouth, he can do three consecutive shots. We can also do forward irradiation of Over super-advanced Holy Over Flow by combining with my Magic Reflection.
In preparation for A-rank, the one who can do two attacks became Roberts-sama's spear. Since we have Beatrix and Mary's ice magic, it'll be okay even if a turtle monster comes out.
Alright, alright, so we head for the second time.
The journey is quite smooth. The types of monsters changed, but we defeated them with basic and mid-level magic and the Class of 175 companions delivered the finishing blows with weapons. Because we had a map, we didn't have to take unnecessary detours, and each floor took three or four battles.
As planned, for the battle with B-rank, we were able to save Roberts-sama's sword and spear, Gladys-sama's spear, two shots of Mary's Cocytus, my eight simultaneous shots, Harrison-san's Holy, and Violet.
The first B-rank was a Hydra.
It's intimidating us with eight heads with a 'shuu-shuu'.
"Somehow, it's smaller compared to the one we saw before."
Beatrix said.
Certainly, it's compact. It might be about two-thirds.
"It seems he couldn't reproduce the size. However, the strength will be the real thing. Violet, we're counting on you."
"Then, I'm going."
B-rank became Violet's responsibility. When she gave a lighthearted reply to Roberts-sama's words, she walked with a 'stasta'. The Hydra is already intimidated and backing away. As expected.
I wonder if she said something while raising both hands above her head, as the Hydra advanced slowly. The eight heads are hanging limp.
"It is probably Charm. The heads are probably instinctively protecting the torso."
It's Harrison-san.
Charm controls the heart, and Doll controls the body. She said B-rank doesn't take well. In the case of Charm, the defensive instinct remains, and in the case of Doll, the feeling of dislike or hostility toward the caster remains.
"Defeat it quickly. Since it doesn't take well, it'll also be released quickly."
That won't do. We have to be quick. As planned, Will stabbed the heart area many times with the silver spear while dodging the heads and defeated it.
The second returned to the turtle monster. When Violet fired magic, it barked loudly without changing its posture. Only the body seems to be controlled, and its movement is extremely slow. Will circled around and dropped the head with a sword. As expected of Violet. If the order had been reversed, it might have retreated into its shell. She used magic properly according to the opponent's characteristics.
"Because I was watching together with everyone."
"W-Watching?"
"Yeah. That."
In the direction she points, there is the guide doll. Could it be surveillance?
"There was a crystal ball, right? With that, the Earth Dragon was watching how we fight and deciding the next opponent."
Is that why so many snakes came out?
"Eleanor was telling him all the magic Jeanne and the others can use."
"I-I see."
I didn't think there was a spy...
"In that case, let's fight to our heart's content."
It's Roberts-sama.
"Mother knows well how we fight. If we fight in our own way, this bet will also be Mother's victory."
"Indeed, indeed."
Harrison-san is nodding.
Well, whatever. If Violet is here, B-rank will be a breeze.
The third was also a turtle monster.
Violet wrapped it round and round, but it retreated its head, tail, and limbs and closed the lid. In this case, even Roberts-sama probably won't be able to defeat it easily.
"He's hit a quite difficult spot, hasn't he?"
When it comes to B-rank, advanced magic can't deal much damage.
"Violet's thread can't move the opponent's limbs, right? The point is to make it stick out its head."
Roberts-sama says that if we roast it with fire, it'll stick out its head.
"Then, shall we hang it?"
Violet hung the turtle monster from the ceiling. Spider thread is apparently tough, and if you twist many of them together, you can even hang a dragon.
Beatrix began roasting it by bringing it close to the head with the lid using the fire vortex of Fire Storm. The thread is burning through, but since the figure is huge, it's no problem as long as it's hanging. The head can be roasted sufficiently.
For a while, she roasts it. If it's the level where Beatrix, a user of five advanced spells, leaves magic power, she can go five times. Fire Storm continues to burn to some extent.
There was no reaction until the second time, but it started to move at the third. It's sweating, perhaps because it's hot. It might be using water magic inside the shell.
"The tail came out."
Since Violet is wrapping it round and round, it can only put out its head and tail. It's wagging its tail 'une-une', but the thread that can hang a dragon doesn't budge. The sweat is making a puddle on the floor, but it's just getting bigger.
At the fourth time, perhaps unable to bear it anymore, it put out its head and barked once... before it could, Roberts-sama dropped the head.
The fourth was also a turtle monster. Mary, with Harrison-san's log-class Holy three consecutive shots, made it hibernate with Glaciate aimed at the head, which Harrison-san strengthened with three consecutive shots. For the finishing blow, Gladys-sama cut off the head, which was hanging limp and snoring even after Glaciate was canceled, with the spear she borrowed from Roberts-sama.
The fifth was also a turtle monster. It's already the limit. I used one shot of my eight simultaneous shots and Mary's Cocytus, which I strengthened with my eight simultaneous shots, to freeze it instantly.
This time I managed not to faint. That's because I narrowed the output of the eight simultaneous shots for strengthening a bit. It didn't become over log-class, but the effect of the strengthened Cocytus was absolute, and the turtle successfully hibernated. For the finishing blow, Roberts-sama thrust his spear in from the base of the hanging tail.
Here, it became the second withdrawal. Fortunately, the stairs were found, so the next will be A-rank.
When we returned to the Earth Dragon's room, Eleanor-sama had won the bet.
"Roasting the Tarasque to make it stick out its head was brilliant. You earned one more with that."
It must be a shame she can't participate, but Eleanor-sama is the only one who can win the bet with the Earth Dragon. With this, two more people can be put in.
"I didn't think you'd save the Arachne's melee. You're quite cautious."
"Indeed. I thought you'd go to defeat one more while riding the momentum."
"I am very sorry."
A-rank means Demon Race executive class. I can't let Violet have a brawl.
"Jeanne, thank you. But since we're fighting together, I'll do my best to that extent."
"No, my Heal can't recover you."
"It's okay. I can recover myself."
Violet was easily recovering a Ghoul that would normally be dead... well, it's immortal... In human terms, she might be a super-advanced priest.
"No. What if you get seriously injured or faint?"
"Ufufu, thank you."
Violet stroked my head.
Since we have to recover magic power, we stay one more night. Originally, it was a three-day plan, so there's no problem.
As a new fighting force, Wilson-san participated, and Wilson-san's Cocytus and Harrison-san's Holy became twice.
The third journey followed almost the same process as the second. At the end of the B-rank conquest, as attack methods that can counter A-rank, Roberts-sama's spear twice, sword once, Harrison-san's Holy once, Wilson-san's super-advanced magic of all types once each, Violet's melee, Mary's Maelstrom, and my eight simultaneous shots remained.
"A-rank is Demon Race executive class, right?"
"Yes. Usually, it refers to those within Number Ten."
Beatrix asks, and Gladys-sama answers.
"Roberts-sama? Can you defeat them in a duel?"
In the Demon Lord subjugation battle, he delivered the finishing blow to the Demon Lord. Besides that, he defeated Number One in a duel. He seriously injured Number Five and won the duel with the Cait Sith who came as a proxy for Number Six using wooden weapons. I don't know what number he was, but he also defeated an A-rank Demon Race who had lost his sight.
"Impossible. Most of the victories were obtained at the end of double-casting all support magic, surprise magic attacks, and coordinated play with multiple people. In a true one-on-one, I probably wouldn't win. There's a possibility that Number One will come out many times. We'll go with full power, intending to defeat one and withdraw."
As expected, is that how it is?
"Then, I shall use Holy Lance. Why don't we try the eight simultaneous shots of strengthened Light against the Demon Race once?"
"Very well. After that, shall we fire Megiddo Fire in combination with Wilson's Prominence? I'll deliver the finishing blow."
With Light and Holy Lance, the direction can be controlled. If we all stand in front of Violet and protect her, there won't be any accidental hits.
The policy was decided, and when I actually got the instruction manual and read it, the opponent was the Earth Dragon.
"So it's the final battle. I wonder if he was lenient with us."
Beatrix says, but I think it's a bit different.
For now, since dragons are neutral, he might have refrained. Because if we can fight the Demon Race here, we can research conquest methods.
"That might be so. However, if it's the Earth Dragon, the way of fighting changes."
It's as Roberts-sama says. Neither Holy nor Light will work. I just ended up being saved. The opponent seems hard, and he'll probably use powerful magic.
"What shall we do?"
When Wilson-san asked, Roberts-sama began to think with his arms crossed.
After a while, he looked at me and laughed.
"Jeanne, I'll leave it to you, the Dragon Killer. Think of something."
Gladys-sama is bursting out laughing.
Um, it's impossible. Besides, you two are also Dragon Killers, aren't you?
When the lid was opened, it was an overwhelming victory.
When I had Harrison-san strengthen the wall made of Light three times with three consecutive shots and reinforced it with Wilson-san's Wind Barrier, the opponent completely lost his will to fight. It's been proven in the Lich battle that it repels even Over super-advanced magic. It repels magic, and since it's stuck to Wilson-san's Wind Barrier, it also blocked strikes and charges.
Since it lasts for two hours at a time, it's also strong in long-term battles. Since he only uses the same magic, we can do it as many times as we want. We gradually cornered him into the corner of the room and made him unable to move. In a sense, we were just protecting, but the opponent's spirit seems to have been exhausted first. He dismantled himself and returned to stone, wood, and soil.