Chapter 19.20: 19-20: Takatsuki Makoto forms a party with his classmate

"My head hurts..."

Lucy is holding her head from a hangover.

It is because you drank too much.

Cat Ears Garden has good food and liquor, so I understand how you feel.

"What should we do? Wanna rest for today?" (Makoto)

"No! That's how you will leave me behind and form a party with Fujiyan-san and Nina-san, right?! I will be ditched!" (Lucy)

Lucy shakes her head in refusal.

I wouldn't do something like that.

I have been thinking this recently, but Lucy-san's assumptions are extreme.

"Then, let's go." (Makoto)

"Awuu..." (Lucy)

Lucy was walking like a zombie as we headed to the meeting point.

◇◇

We gathered at the south gate's front.

"Takki-dono, over here-desu zo." (Fujiwara)

"Good morning, Takatsuki-sama, Lucy-sama. I look forward to working with you today." (Nina)

Nina-san was waiting with us together with Fuji-yan.

Fuji-yan is wearing the same merchant clothes, but Nina-san is wearing light armor.

But the point that bothers me is...

"Nina-san, you don't hold a weapon?" (Makoto)

"Nina-dono is a martial artist-desu zo. Her arms and legs are her weapons." (Fujiwara)

I see.

I have heard that beastkin excel physically and are strong even barehanded.

"Looking forward to working with you today." (Makoto)

"...Looking forward..." (Lucy)

Lucy is low spirited.

"Then, let's go, everyone." (Nina)

We begin walking with the words of Nina-san.

◇◇

We are walking inside the southern forest.

The southern forest is different from the Great Forest in the fact that the monsters here are weak.

We advance while clearing the way of Giant Rats and Horn Rabbits.

"So you were from the Fire Country, Nina-san." (Makoto)

"Yes, that's right. I had a fateful encounter with Goshujin-sama there." (Nina)

"She lost in gambling, and was fighting in the arena...as a slave." (Fujiwara)

"Wait, Goshujin-sama! You promised not to talk about that!" (Nina)

Nina-san is flailing her arms and going 'awawa'.

"Nina-san, you..." (Lucy)

Lucy looks at Nina-san as if she is looking at a pitiful person.

"And so, Fuji-yan, who loves rabbit ears, bought Nina-san once he saw her." (Makoto)

When I put it in words, it sounds lewd.

"He really saved me there though. The treatment of slaves in the Fire Country is bad after all." (Nina)

"Why did Fujiwara-san choose Nina-san? There's a whole lot of beastkin slaves in that country, right?', is what Lucy asks.

I don't know much about the Fire Country, so I didn't know that piece of information.

So that's how it is.

"Really, it was practically the first time we have seen each other, and yet he took a liking to me. He doesn't tell me what it is that he liked about me. When I was bought by Goshujin-sama and was freed from the arena, I thought that I wanted to follow him for the rest of my life." (Nina)

Nina-san speaks as if mystified.

"Now now, it was just a coincidence." (Fujiwara)

Fuji-yan left it vague.

Fuji-yan most likely read the mind of Nina-san.

[Galge Player] really is handy.

"By the way, Fuji-yan, where are we heading to?" (Makoto)

Fuji-yan's eyes shine.

"Be surprised! Actually, there's a dungeon that we discovered recently!" (Fujiwara)

"Eh?! There's still a dungeon that hasn't been found in the vicinity of Makkaren?" (Lucy)

The one who raised a voice of surprise was Lucy.

"Is that strange?" (Makoto)

"Cause you know, Makkaren is close to the Water Temple, and is a famous city for their good liquor, so it has a lot of beginners and even veteran adventurers. It is said that the dungeons close by have been hunted dry already." (Lucy)

"Hoh, is that so. I am surprised you were able to find it, Fuji-yan." (Makoto)

"Yeah, about that, I saw a dream telling me that I would find something good if I searched the southern forest." (Fujiwara)

"Dream? You believed that and investigated?" (Makoto)

That's quite the blind trust.

"Since becoming a merchant, I have made it a policy of mine to always investigate whatever my instincts tell me or whatever bothers me. Well, it misses most of the time, but this time around it was a hit." (Fujiwara)

Fuji-yan says with a proud expression.

"But if it is a dungeon that no one has entered, the difficulty is unknown. Wouldn't it be dangerous?" (Lucy)

Lucy was uneasy.

"That's okay. I checked it beforehand." (Nina)

"Nina-san did?" (Makoto)

"Yeah, under the orders of Goshujin-sama, I explored the dungeon. There weren't monsters that strong in there, so I think even you two bronze ranks will be okay." (Nina)

"Every base is covered, huh." (Makoto)

As I thought, when I am together with Fuji-yan, it turns into a way too easy game.

My eyes met with Fuji-yan's.

"Well, an easy game is good every now and then, right? I heard you have been having it rough lately." (Fujiwara)

Oops, he read my mind.

"Right, lately I had to suddenly fight an Ogre, and a Griffon suddenly attacked us. It really has been harsh." (Makoto)

Let's take it easy this time around.

◇◇

After advancing for a while in the forest, there was a cave hidden between rocks and trees.

"We are here." (Nina)

"This is the dungeon." (Makoto)

At a glance it just looks like a cave.

"Once you enter you will understand-desu zo. Let's go!" (Fujiwara)

Fuji-yan is pumped up.

There were lamps inside the cave for some reason.

"What are these lamps for?" (Makoto)

When I asked this, Lucy grins.

"Oh my, Makoto, you don't even know that? Dungeons are purposely made in a way that it lures in adventurers deep inside it." (Lucy)

"Hoh, is that so." (Makoto)

As expected of an Isekai.

"That's in the case of living dungeons. This one seems to be an artificially made dungeon-desu zo." (Fujiwara)

"Eh?" (Lucy)

Oi oi, Lucy.

What was all that confidence from before?

"It is probably some sort of research facility made by mages in the past. The owner seems to not be present, but the facility is alive and there's monsters living in it now." (Nina)

Nina-san explains.

"This is impressive." (Makoto)

"So pretty..." (Lucy)

After we advance in the cave, we arrive at a pathway of crystal.

This is the first time I entered a dungeon since coming to this world.

It has been 1 year and a half.

It took quite a while.

I honestly wanted to challenge a whole lot of dungeons as soon as possible.

But a mage apprentice challenging a dungeon solo and then getting surrounded by monsters...just thinking about it gave me the chills.

It feels as if my wish has been granted and I am a bit moved.

"This is impressive..." (Makoto)

"Uwaa, so pretty." (Lucy)

Lucy continues after what I voiced.

A while of advancing after that plain entrance into the cave, there was now a dungeon where the floor, walls, and ceiling were made of crystal.

I imagined a dark cave, but my expectations were betrayed.

A dim light was being released from the whole dungeon, and it made for a mystical sight.

"Hooh, this is artistic." (Fujiwara)

"You find this rare as well, Fuji-yan?" (Makoto)

"Yeah, the normal dungeons give out a more creepy atmosphere-desu zo. That isn't bad either though." (Fujiwara)

This is my first dungeon, but it seems we have stumbled upon a rare one.

"This place must have been made by a strong mage. The enemies that appear are all magic creatures." (Nina)

"Hm? Magic creatures?" (Makoto)

That's troubling.

Magic creatures are just as the name states, beings created by magic.

The famous one is the Golems.

Magic creatures have high magic resistance.

"Will my magic work...?" (Makoto)

I feel like I won't be able to deal any damage to magic creatures.

"Makoto, cheer up! I will blow them up with my magic!!" (Lucy)

"Lucy's magic inside a dungeon...that sounds scary." (Makoto)

I feel like we are all going to be burned into a crisp.

"What's with you! I am trying to console you here." (Lucy)

"Now now, calm down." (Fuji-yan)

Fuji-yan mediates.

"Ah, enemies have come." (Nina)

Nina-san points.

Humanoid wood monsters were coming from that place.

"Wood Golems?" (Makoto)

"Right. From the information we gathered before, this dungeon seems to be their nest." (Nina)

"If it is wood, we can burn them with fire! It is my time to shine." (Lucy)

"Oi, idiot, stop." (Makoto)

I covered the mouth of Lucy who was winding her arms and began chanting.

"Hngh?! What are you doing, Makoto?" (Lucy)

"It looks like Nina-san will be defeating them for us." (Makoto)

"Fufufu, you two can take it easy-desu zo." (Fujiwara)

"Here I go~." (Nina)

While we were talking, Nina-san jumped out, and lunged into the group of monsters.

Did she just jump around 10 meters without a starting run?

"Nina-san, amazing..." (Lucy)

Lucy had her mouth wide open.

Nina-san does a roundhouse kick.

A *bang!* sound like that of a car crashing was made and the golem was sent flying.

The golem that was sent flying hits the wall and scatters into pieces.

The enemies don't just stand there waiting to be defeated.

They surround Nina-san as if trying to suppress her.

"Is it okay to not go help her?" (Makoto)

"No no, it is okay." (Fujiwara)

I ask Fuji-yan, but my friend has the face of leisure.

"Hah!" (Nina)

Nina-san steps on the ground with spirit, and *boom!* something like a shockwave spread to the surroundings.

The surrounding Golems are blown away.

"That's...earth magic?" (Makoto)

It looks to me that Nina-san is combining her physical techniques with magic.

A magic brawler kinda thing?

"Eh?! That's magic?" (Lucy)

Lucy lets out a surprised voice.

Why is the mage not noticing?

"Nina-san can use chantless magic too..." (Lucy)

Looks like she is receiving a shock.

I don't think you need to mind it though. I should correct it.

"Nina-dono isn't doing chantless magic, you know", but Fuji-yan said it before me.

"Eh? Really?" (Lucy)

"By doing a specific action, the spell automatically activates -that is the result of her training. Her stomping the ground makes a shockwave." (Makoto)

"That's exactly right. I am impressed that you know." (Fujiwara)

Fuji-yan says with admiration.

I am a mage after all. I thought one could tell just by looking, but...Lucy-san didn't seem to have noticed at all.

"T-Then! Can I imitate that?" (Lucy)

Is she thinking she can reduce her 3 minute chants with this?

"You can clad yourself in fighting aura?" (Makoto)

"...Eh?" (Lucy)

Swordsmen and brawlers call Aura what we mages call Mana.

They are apparently covering it on their bodies or weapons.

Intermediate level and above swordsmen all use it, so Jean must have been as well.

I explained that to Lucy.

"Jean's wind blade was the same type." (Makoto)

"Eh? That wasn't a weapon spell?" (Lucy)

"That's also a kind of magic." (Makoto)

Rather than magic, it is more like a technique that uses fighting aura though.

"Nina-dono practiced the same technique tens of thousands of times under a magic brawler master, is what she grumbled once." (Fujiwara)

"Figures. The difficulty of obtaining skills that are both physical and magical doesn't fall behind to that of magic." (Makoto)

"...I-I see." (Lucy)

You can't just take an easy path, Lucy-san.

I wanted to become a magic swordsman, so I investigated that area pretty well.

What I learned was that if I were to use fighting aura with my mana amount, I would run out of gas in 5 minutes.

I learned that I could enhance my body to be able to at least swing a sword if I were to clad myself in fighting aura, but I gave up on using it in that way.

"I am done." (Nina)

5 minutes.

With the unmatched power of Nina-san, the Wood Golems were all broken to pieces.

"That's crazy." (Makoto)

So this is the power of a Silver Rank.

"Nina-san, that was amazing." (Lucy)

Lucy claps.

"Good work, Nina-dono." (Fujiwara)

"This much is easy." (Nina)

Nina-san didn't even break a sweat from this.

"These guys get remade by the dungeon, so after a while, they will come out again. We should advance quickly." (Nina)

"I feel like we aren't needed here?" (Makoto)

"Now now, don't say that. There might be another enemy here." (Fujiwara)

"I wonder..." (Makoto)

Dungeons are simple and are normally one way.

There's tunnels here and there where monsters come out.

An infinite wave of monsters?

Nina-san easily deals with them, but there's quite the numbers.

Just in case, I generated water with the Spirit Magic that I obtained recently, and tried attacking, but the effectiveness of the attack against the enemies was bad.

Rather than 10 Ice Arrows, a single kick of Nina-san was faster.

"This would have been impossible for Makoto and I." (Lucy)

"Right. I can't defeat them with my magic, and you cannot shoot consecutively, so we would have been overwhelmed by their numbers, and lost." (Makoto)

Let's take that as a lesson for the future.

"The numbers are ridiculous though." (Lucy)

Lucy who is not really doing anything seems to be bored.

"Making these many golems and controlling them would require quite a lot of mana. There's the chance that what's serving as the power source of this dungeon is quite valuable." (Fujiwara)

Fuji-yan seems to be having fun.

"Nina-san, how far did you investigate?" (Makoto)

I speak to Nina-san.

She has just defeated a group of monsters.

"There's a flight of stairs going down further from here, so until there." (Nina)

And just as she said, there were big stairs going down just at the end of this pathway.

The stairs continued on for quite a while, but enemies didn't appear in the middle.

After reaching the end of the stairs, we arrived at an open space, and we could see a big door.

Looks like we are close to the deepest part of this facility.

"The problem is the thing that's in front of the door." (Makoto)

"Right." (Fujiwara)

The alarm of Detection has been noisy for a while now.

There was a monster as big as the Griffon of before lying down there.

l