kscans

Chapter 193 - Feelings for Maryanne, and the Crystal Palace

"A Dullahan?"

I shouted, looking at the knight in front of us.

"No, he's not carrying his own head. He's just a headless soldier."

"'Just,' huh…"

A Dullahan becoming a 'just a headless soldier' didn't make it any less creepy. And I had no idea how that changed the monster's strength. I remembered fighting a headless bull with Marmi in the castle in Heilon. That had been a nightmare in itself.

"Mo, are you not scared of things like that?"

"…It's gross, but not scary."

Mo said, pointing her wand at the headless soldier.

"Mash, give us orders!"

Myra shouted. I recalled how Famu and Mizuki had struggled to get close to the Ropers because of their tentacles.

"Famu and Mizuki on the headless soldier. Marmi and I will take the Roper. Myra, you're on rearguard support…"

I trailed off and looked at Trusar.

"What is it? Feel free to give me orders. However, if you'll grant me some freedom, I'd like to train Famu. Would you lend her a katana? I can't use any other weapon. This is all I can teach."

He said, slapping the long sword hanging at his waist.

"…"

I stared intently at his expression. Had Maryanne really found my swordsmanship lacking and sent him as an instructor?

"What's with that look? It's creepy. Make a decision already."

"Are you perhaps Maryanne's master, Trusar?"

At my words, he laughed heartily.

"No. I'm her senior disciple. Our master is a frail old man."

I took a katana from my storage and handed it to Famu. It was the sword Maryanne had given me. She frowned for a moment but reached out and gripped the hilt.

"Master, I will become stronger than anyone."

"Once you get stronger, the next strong guy will just show up. There's no end to it, so just take it easy."

Famu and Mizuki readied their swords and advanced toward the headless soldier. Marmi and I turned to face the Roper approaching from behind. The Roper had already formed a fireball.

"…I'll cancel it out with magic."

Marmi also created a fireball and prepared to counter.

I had no confidence I could dodge the Roper's whip-like attacks. I nocked an arrow to my bow and waited.

As the monster launched its fireball, Marmi fired back. The fireballs collided in front of us and erupted in a fierce blaze. I waited for the flames to die down and then loosed my arrow.

After firing two arrows, the enemy's movements slowed, and Marmi finished it off with a bolt of lightning.

Confirming there were no other enemies, I turned my attention to Famu and the others. They were handling their opponent without any problems. A short distance away, Trusar stood watching the fight.

The headless soldier's swings were wide and easy to read. Famu and Mizuki slipped past its attacks and flanked it, launching their own.

However, it seemed their attacks couldn't penetrate its plate mail.

"Are their attacks not getting through?"

I figured my bow would be useless too, but I nocked an arrow, thinking it could serve as a distraction. Just then, Mizuki's sword traced an unnatural arc and pierced the plate mail. Her special skill, Super Kill, must have activated.

The headless soldier's armor crumbled away as it collapsed and then vanished. Mizuki picked up the Mana Seed it had dropped.

"…"

Trusar stared at the scene, his eyes wide. He then turned to me as if demanding an explanation.

"It's just as you see. Mizuki is the strongest in our party."

Mizuki was no match for Trusar.

"Why is someone like that in your party?"

"Kuh, she was summoned by Laciel along with me, and I'm doing my best to make sure she doesn't leave."

"I see…"

Trusar tilted his head, lost in thought.

"Hey, why the fortieth floor? You've seen what we can do. I want to move to a lower floor or go to the guild and switch to an herb-gathering quest."

"Your teamwork is better and you're stronger than I imagined. And you've managed to conserve the priestess's strength. It seems you can still fight on higher floors."

"N-No way…"

Was this old man really planning to suggest we go to a higher floor? If he did, I swore to myself I would firmly insist on switching to herb gathering. I wouldn't risk Famu and the others' lives just to test our limits. If we were going to test ourselves, it would be on lower floors to get used to fighting first.

"No, the Area Guardian on the fortieth floor always drops a certain item. I want you to receive it, Mash-dono."

"…Me?"

Was there really an item worth risking our lives for? No, he must have seen our previous fights and thought we could handle it. But the Area Guardian's room was a one-way trip. If possible, I wanted to go in with the confidence that we could clear it. At worst, I wanted to wait until after noon when I could use Goddess Summon.

As I debated my answer, Famu approached.

"Master, I want to try fighting on this floor."

"I think that's a good idea too. We'll have a lot to deal with from now on, so I want to gain experience and get stronger,"

Mizuki agreed with Famu.

"That's right. The battle was over before I even had a chance to do anything,"

Myra added. I looked at Marmi, who hadn't spoken yet.

"…I'm fine either way."

Her words made my eyes widen in surprise.

"…What?"

She took a step back, looking frightened.

"Everyone in my party is so violent. I've never had anyone say something like that before, so I'm moved!"

"What are you talking about!"

Mizuki retorted.

After several more battles, we arrived in front of the Area Guardian's room. We had taken some detours towards monsters, but Trusar's steps were sure, and we never got lost. He seemed used to coming here. And he never did tell me what item the Area Guardian dropped. The answer, he said, was inside this room.

"What kind of monster is the Area Guardian?"

"You'll see when we go in."

He didn't answer my question and opened the door. Famu, Mizuki, and Myra—the violence squad—followed him in.

"…It's fine. If things get dangerous, I'll wipe everything out with lightning."

For a moment, Marmi's words sounded like something Reeni would say, which only made me more anxious. Praying that it wouldn't come to that, I handed her a Mana Seed.

The Area Guardian's room was the usual circular arena, but it felt larger. Was it because the ceiling was made of crystal glass, creating a sense of openness? Just like in the corridors, the labyrinth of the upper floors was visible, and I wondered if my sense of perception was being distorted, but that wasn't it. The space was clearly wider.

As I stood there, stunned and looking around the room, the door behind me closed. A pillar of light erupted in the center, and from within it, the silhouette of a massive object emerged.

Watching this, we all readied our weapons. Our front line consisted of Famu, Mizuki, and Trusar. I had Myra and Marmi fall back, and I took out my bow.

From within the light emerged a giant, ten meters tall. He had golden, curly hair, a long beard, and a body as powerful as rock. He wore nothing but a loincloth.

"A Gigantes,"

Trusar muttered.

Before I knew it, the Gigantes was holding a stone. To the monster, it was a stone, but to us, it was a boulder.

The monster pulled its arm back, coiling its whole body like a spring, and hurled the boulder at us.

"Dodge!"

We scattered quickly, but Marmi was a step too slow. I grabbed her clothes and pulled her toward me.

The boulder passed by with a roar, just grazing her flowing hair. It crashed into the wall behind us with a sound like an explosion and shattered.

The Gigantes flexed its muscles, pulling its elbows back and puffing out its chest as if to show off.

"GUOOOOOOOOOH!"

The monster's roar echoed throughout the room. At the same time, countless snakes swarmed out from its feet. They were large snakes, about a meter long. They spread out in a radial pattern from the monster.

"Watch out. They're poisonous snakes,"

Trusar said. He drew his sword and decapitated one of the approaching snakes.

"Let's go!"

Famu and Mizuki nodded at his words.

Famu and the others tried to charge at Trusar's call, but they were held back by the poisonous snakes guarding the Gigantes. Myra cast attack and defense enhancement magic on them in quick succession.

"Marmi, can you wipe out the poisonous snakes with lightning?"

"…I'll try."

She gave a small nod. In the meantime, the Gigantes was creating another boulder in its palm for its next throw.

"Water Magic, Icicle."

I aimed for its face to break its concentration.

"GAAAAAAH!"

the monster roared. A membrane of air formed and deflected the icicles. It didn't matter. All I had to do was avoid its throws until Marmi could cast her lightning. As I prepared to fire more icicles, the monster started running toward me.

Famu and the others on the front line tried to stop it, but the size difference was too great. They couldn't block its charge and could only manage a single slash as it passed by.

"Mash!"

Myra readied her mace and stepped in front of me. The approaching Gigantes had its fist raised.

"No! Myra, don't take it head-on!"

I grabbed Marmi and ran. But a shockwave ran through the ground at my feet, and I stumbled and fell with her. A poisonous snake had bitten my calf. I grabbed its neck and forcibly tore it off. Then I gripped it with both hands and squeezed, breaking the snake's neck.

"Guh…"

A burning pain shot through my body. I pushed Marmi to her feet and shoved her back, trying to at least get her to safety.

Myra, who had been watching this over her shoulder, crouched low and charged the Gigantes head-on. Her mace, swung sideways with centrifugal force, collided with the Gigantes's fist. But the size difference was too great. The monster's fist caught Myra, and she was sent flying backward.

She twisted in the air and managed to land without falling. But the damage from the blow was severe. She fell to her knees, hunched over, and coughed up blood.

The monster seemed to have taken no damage and stood there, glaring down at us. But if you looked closely, the middle finger on the right hand that had hit Myra was trembling. Her small blow had had an effect.

Just then, a magic barrier appeared around each of us.

"…Lightning."

At Marmi's voice, lightning shot out from her in a radial pattern. The flash of light pierced through the poisonous snakes slithering on the ground and the body of the Gigantes.

"GUAAAAH!"

A scream echoed out, followed by the smell of burning flesh.

The snakes were wiped out, and Famu and the others immediately began attacking the Gigantes. I tried to stand up, worried about Myra, but I was hit by a wave of dizziness and nausea, like vertigo.

I remembered being bitten by the poisonous snake and took an antidote from my storage and drank it. All the while, she remained crouched and unmoving.

Overcome with a fierce sense of panic, I staggered toward her. All the while, the other three were attacking the monster, and Marmi was supporting them with magic, but my thoughts were completely consumed by Myra.

I placed a hand on her back, and her body trembled slightly. I pulled her toward me and laid her on her back. I took out a healing potion and brought it to her lips, but she didn't try to drink it.

"Myra…"

I took the healing potion into my own mouth and passed it to her with a kiss. Her throat moved up and down slightly. Then, she slowly opened her eyes.

"Mash, please give me a little more…"

"Alright."

This time, I took a larger amount into my mouth and poured it into hers through our lips. She drank it more forcefully this time.

"Mash, one more time."

At her words, I was about to take more healing potion into my mouth, but the bottle was already empty. I searched my storage and took out a new one. At that moment, I noticed Famu and the others had surrounded us.

"Th-The Gigantes…"

"We already beat it,"

Mizuki answered.

"Is that so."

I looked around and saw that the monster was indeed gone. As I confirmed this and was about to take the healing potion into my mouth, Famu stopped me.

"Master, giving her any more won't have any effect."

Her tone was cold.

"I-I see."

Looking at Myra's face, I could see that her color had returned and she seemed to have regained her vitality. It was a shame I couldn't savor the feeling of her lips anymore, but I was relieved that she had recovered.

As I was about to put the healing potion back in my storage, Trusar held out a clenched fist.

"Hold out your hand."

Though I didn't understand, I held out my hand, and a small ring was placed on my palm. It had a small, light blue stone set in it.

"It's called a Warrior's Ring. It slightly increases the wearer's attack power. Those who serve the One-Land family wear this ring with special sentiment."

He himself was wearing one. It was a symbol of dedication to the One-Land family.

"Please, I want you to give this to Maryanne-sama from your own hands, Mash-dono."

"Maryanne is the head of the family. Isn't it strange for her to wear this ring?"

He shook his head at my words.

"It is true that due to her position, Maryanne-sama would not wear it in public. But the dog-eared race becomes stronger when they find someone to serve and receive a token of trust. Like this one here."

Trusar placed a hand on Famu's head. He was, after all, Maryanne's knight. The look he had given me all this time was one of determination to protect her no matter what. She had said she had no supporters, but there was a man like him. And he probably wasn't the only one. There must have been many. They had been waiting. Not to prop her up themselves, but for her to stand on her own two feet.

"Alright. I'll give this ring to Maryanne."

As I said that and clenched my fist, I noticed Famu and the others were glaring at me with stern expressions.

"Why only Maryanne?"

"It's not fair that she's the only one."

"I was the one who did all the work…"

Only Marmi said nothing.

"A-Alright. Let's come back here again. Let's get one for everyone here."

Of course, I had no intention of coming back here. I didn't want to come to a place where Myra could get injured, even if it was due to my own carelessness. I felt bad for them, but I would buy them something from a shop and placate them with that.

"Is that so? Then let's start another run right away. Do you think we can gather them all today?"

Myra, who had been leaning against my arm, stood up. She then briskly started walking toward the exit door. Famu and Mizuki followed her.

"…Are you serious?"

As I watched them go, stunned, Marmi held out her hand to me. I took it and stood up.

"Mo, do you want a ring?"

I figured she would have better equipment at home.

"…Of course, I do."

She gave a small nod.