Chapter 18: Imperial Capital – Martial Arts Tournament – 20
After a long break, we set our sights on descending another ten floors underground.
We easily dispatched the low-tier foes: the ogre swordsman known as the Ogre Adept, the massive boar called the Titanoboa, and the small dragon referred to as the Small Dragon, reaching the door before the boss.
It goes without saying that the two beastmen and the High Elf were thrilled by the abundant drops of premium meat from the Titanoboa.
We also defeated three boss-level ice-type lizards known as the Freezing Lizards without any issues. Here, Sfenia and Shizuna’s Elemental Magic wreaked havoc.
All three treasure chests contained Elemental Silk. Given our earlier conversation, a subtle tension filled the air, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that Bad Luck was smirking at me.
Having accomplished the remarkable feat of clearing ten floors of an A-Class Dungeon in a single day, we began setting up camp in the safety zone. The absence of other parties was likely due to the rarity of groups challenging A-Class Dungeons even in the Imperial Capital.
As we erected tents, prepared baths, and set up partitions, our usual Soul’s Guidance-style camping was as comfortable as ever. In fact, I had even gone to a bedding shop in the Imperial Capital and splurged on luxurious beds.
Peeking into the tent, Shizuna remarked, “To be able to sleep on such a lavish bed inside a dungeon is truly wonderful. Being fully refreshed for tomorrow’s dungeon challenge gives us a significant advantage.”
She approached me with an impressed expression.
“It seems you have quite the preference for baths and bedding, Souji-dono. Is there something behind that?”
“I just want to be comfortable. Refreshing oneself and getting good sleep greatly impacts one’s condition for the next day.”
As I recalled a bit of my past life, my words seemed to resonate with her, and Shizuna nodded deeply.
“Indeed, that is absolutely true. Even in Oz, we place great importance on sleep. Perhaps I should have brought my bedding from Oz as well.”
“Do you find bedding more comforting, Shizuna? It might be nice to lay tatami mats inside the tent. We’ll have another chance to go to Oz, so we can prepare then.”
“Indeed. However, when I return to my mother, I wonder what she will say…”
“Isn’t it certain that you’ll be an A-Class adventurer? You should be able to return with pride.”
“That is true, but I suspect my mother has other expectations of me. Has Souji-dono heard anything?”
As she said this, Shizuna gazed intently at me.
It’s not something I needed to say again, but she was a beautiful girl with stunning black hair styled in a traditional manner. Moreover, her mother, the High Priestess Miona, had clearly broached the subject of marriage with me. It seemed that Shizuna was aware of this implication as well.
“…Actually, I have heard something, though I haven’t responded.”
“I knew it. Souji-dono is the Apostle of the Spirit Queen, so I understand my mother’s thoughts.”
“Well, I intend to respect your wishes regarding that. I’m not an Apostle or anything like that. You don’t need to worry about it. I’m the party leader, and I can support whatever you wish to pursue.”
To be honest, I was uncertain about her feelings, so I could only respond this way.
It seemed my response was satisfactory, as Shizuna’s face lit up with relief and happiness.
“As expected of you, Souji-dono. You understand my feelings. Then I can rest easy. When that time comes, I shall return to Oz with pride.”
With that, Shizuna suddenly hugged me tightly and pressed her horned forehead against my chest before slipping into the tent.
What on earth did that mean? I couldn’t decipher it, so I looked around to see if I could ask someone, only to find Freinir wearing a strangely sad expression. I hurried over to comfort her.
The next day, we swiftly conquered down to the twentieth floor.
The boss on the fifteenth floor was the Elemental Phoenix, a massive bird formed of flames. While we had encountered a Rare Boss in the Royal Capital’s dungeon, this time we faced three regular bosses. Although it was a monster resistant to physical attacks, Sfenia, enhanced by the Named short staff Bifrost, along with Shizuna and Geshura’s magic users, dealt with it effectively using ice magic.
As if on cue, the treasure chests yielded Elemental Silk, but one also contained an Elixir. It was a fortunate drop before a significant battle.
The boss battle on the twentieth floor featured a horde of shirtless fighters known as Ogres. Leading the charge was the Ogre Champ, accompanied by around 150 Ogre Strikers and Ogre Grapplers.
However, I suspected that if I unleashed a Shockwave, I could blow away half of them in one go.
“Souji-san, please show us that fight again!” Sfenia requested, and I engaged in a one-on-one barehanded duel with the Ogre Champ. Fighting a massive ogre with bronze skin in a fistfight was hardly what one would expect during a dungeon raid, but I didn’t mind it.
This time, after a flurry of strikes, we didn’t end up grappling; instead, I delivered a decisive punch to its face after knocking it down with a low kick.
Sfenia looked at me with an expression unbecoming of a High Elf, but I thought it was nice to indulge in such fun occasionally.
By the way, from the treasure chest, we received the rather troublesome King’s Loincloth. It was a powerful item with Tough Body +3 and Steel Core +3, but I certainly lacked the courage to wear it. Perhaps it would still have its effects even if not worn as a loincloth…
“I believe the men of Oz would gladly wear this,” Shizuna remarked, leading to the decision to take the King’s Loincloth back to Oz.
“Well then, we’ve established that we can reach this point in two days. With this pace, we should be able to reach the twenty-fifth floor in two days as well.”
When I confirmed this, Mariane nodded.
“If we can reach the fifteenth floor on the first day, I believe it’s possible. The bosses on the fifth and tenth floors are physical types, so if Souji-san goes all out, they should be dealt with in an instant. The twentieth floor was taken down without issue, and the twenty-fifth floor features demon types that are susceptible to physical attacks, so we should be fine.”
“Agreed. Alright, let’s return to the surface for now. We’ll take a day off tomorrow and dive back into this dungeon the day after. Does that sound good?”
When I asked, everyone nodded vigorously. To attempt to conquer an A-Class Dungeon in just one overnight stay was pushing the limits of sanity, but… well, I suppose this was just another aspect of Soul’s Guidance.