The overnight stay in the safety zone was as uneventful as ever.
After dinner, sweets made with the ‘Legion Ant Honey Orbs’ we had obtained today were served, and they tasted similar to the high-end honey I had bought once in my previous life. However, it was even less peculiar than honey, and it certainly felt like it could be used in various dishes. Of course, all the members gave it high marks, and it was unanimously decided, especially at Freinir’s strong request, that the amount obtained this time would not be put up for sale.
After drinking tea and taking a breather, Larni looked at me with a grin.
“Well then, I guess it’s about time we saw Soushi wearing that armor, huh? Right, Soushi?”
“Indeed. I’d like to see Lord Soushi’s magnificent figure in that armor, with the mace and shield, fully equipped,” Shizuna chimed in, hiding her smiling mouth, and everyone’s eyes turned to me. Some had expressions that seemed to be teasing me, but overall, their gazes felt like they genuinely wanted to see it. Since there’s no entertainment in the Dungeon, it might be natural.
“I’ll put it on since I’m going to use it anyway… but don’t get your hopes up,” I replied, standing up, but I was quite reluctant to put on that gaudy golden armor.
I took out the ‘Summit of Divine Peak’ from my Item Box. By the way, this armor comes as a set, not only with the torso part but also with gauntlets for the arms and leg armor that protects the legs up to the thighs. The only saving grace is the lack of a decorated helmet, but otherwise, it’s exactly like the one I saw in manga.
Sfenia and Sakurahime helped me, and the donning itself was completed without much trouble. Rather, it fit my body perfectly, as if it had been custom-made, which honestly made me feel quite complicated. Also, the weight seemed to be several hundred kilograms, so much so that few adventurers would think of fighting in it.
For now, I had the members look at me in my armored form, and…
“Lord Soushi’s appearance is truly befitting of a savior. Anyone who sees this armored figure will undoubtedly revere Lord Soushi as a hero,” Freinir began to pray with her hands clasped together, which was embarrassing but unavoidable. Larni and Sfenia said things like,
“Yeah, it would be a little embarrassing if anyone other than Soushi wore this~”
“With such magnificent armor, if the person inside doesn’t measure up, they’ll just be dismissed as a show-off.”
Furthermore, Shizuna and Sakurahime made some concerning remarks:
“In Oz’s terms, this would be quite the flamboyant outfit. What do you think, Sakurahime?”
“In this one’s eyes, it looks like armor that an ordinary warrior could not pull off. No one but Lord Soushi could wear it.”
Karma and Mariane also said,
“Well, even the Emperor couldn’t wear this armor. Only Soushi-san is allowed to dress like this.”
“If you’re going to be a legendary adventurer, you need this kind of look. If this figure is on the battlefield, the morale of the troops will only go up.”
They were being quite considerate, and Dorozitte and Marishielle went so far as to say,
“Hehe, we need to call a famous painter and have them paint this figure. I’m convinced that leaving this record for posterity is the Grand Master’s duty.”
“I also agree with leaving it as a painting. I’ll talk to my brother about it.”
Hearing such terrifying things, I immediately wanted to take off this armor.
Finally, Geshura concluded with,
“The armor itself is the work of a divine craftsman, but unfortunately, that craftsman seems to have been quite eccentric. The appearance is too unique.”
That was almost certainly not a compliment.
After that, I also took out ‘That Which Equalizes All Things’ and ‘Immovable Fortress Wall’ and held them, and they were well-received because “the balance is good, and the gaudiness of the armor becomes less noticeable.”
Well, whether that can be called well-received is debatable, but it was also true that I had to think that way to ease my embarrassment.
The next day, we stepped into the unexplored 21st floor of the ‘Dragon’s Cradle’.
The floors, walls, and ceilings of the passageway were made of translucent milky-white stone, creating a somewhat otherworldly Dungeon. However, in my mind, the Dungeon itself was already otherworldly, so I wasn’t that surprised.
“Hey, Soushi-san, when it comes to unexplored Dungeons, it’s been a while since the A-Rank Dungeon in the Royal Capital, other than the ‘Wandering Dungeon’,” Karma said cheerfully. Around her neck was the skull-decorated necklace ‘Fallen Angel’s Remorse’, which she had obtained in the A-Rank Dungeon in the Royal Capital.
Since I had obtained the ‘Summit of Divine Peak’, the ‘Fallen Angel’s Remorse’, which had the same Enchantment Skill, was left over, and as a result of last night’s scramble(?), Karma ended up wearing it.
I thought everyone had been avoiding the ‘Fallen Angel’s Remorse’ because of its appearance when we first got it, but I guess they realized how powerful it was during yesterday’s Evil Eyes battle. I’d like to refrain from thinking that they wanted what I was wearing.
“Investigating unexplored areas might be what true adventure is all about. Unknown monsters will probably appear, so let’s tighten our belts and move forward.”
I said, holding ‘That Which Equalizes All Things’ and ‘Immovable Fortress Wall’ in both hands, and started walking at the front. Of course, I was wearing the ‘Summit of Divine Peak’ on my body. Yesterday, I only felt embarrassed, but when advancing through the Dungeon, it gives me a great sense of security.
As we advanced through the milky-white, fantastical passageway, I sensed something with ‘Presence Detection’, and a monster appeared.
I guess you could call it a Dragonkin. Its body shape was similar to a human, but it had a dragon’s head, dragon wings and a tail on its back, and its entire body was covered in scales. It had a broad one-handed sword and a circular shield in its hands. Its height was about two meters, similar to a human, but its presence was overwhelming, surpassing that of a large monster. There were similar races among the ‘Twilight Kin’, but this one didn’t seem to have any intelligence, so it was definitely a monster.
“It’s a monster I’m seeing for the first time. Its name is ‘Were Dragon’, and it’s said to be a warrior-type monster that uses multiple Skills,” Mariane reported the results of her Appraisal. Unfortunately, Appraisal doesn’t reveal the Skills that the monster uses.
The 15 Were Dragons began to imbue their swords with various attributes. It seems they can use Enchantment Magic. Furthermore, their entire bodies faintly glowed, which must be an ability-enhancing Skill. It seems like we’re going to be fighting them like adventurers.
“Frei, use Divine Light. After that, it’s the usual.”
I held up my shield and stepped forward. At the same time, the entire passageway was enveloped in light by Freinir’s Divine Halo. The Were Dragons groaned as if they were momentarily intimidated, but immediately after, they used the Swift Run Skill and charged at us all at once.
As a countermeasure, magical spears from the rear guard flew out. Five Were Dragons were hit directly and blown away, while the rest deflected and defended against the magic with their round shields and swords. I see, their swordsmanship is also at the level of an A-Rank adventurer.
I activated the Provoke Skill weakly, attracting five of them to myself. The remaining five began to fight against the front guard of Larni, Karma, Sakurahime, and Marishielle.
I swung my mace, instantly turning two of them into minced meat. I tried to cross swords with the remaining three, and indeed, they seemed to have swordsmanship that surpassed the Ogre Adept that appeared on the first floor. However, their swords couldn’t even scratch the Immovable Fortress Wall, let alone the Summit of Divine Peak. It seems that this armor also has terrifying defensive power, just as it looks.
As I was about to smash another one with my mace, Mariane instantly moved behind the Were Dragons and decapitated two of them. It’s terrifying that her movements are almost invisible, or rather, that her presence can’t be detected at all.
The front guard had also finished their respective battles.
Larni activated the Space Jump Skill, teleporting instantly to the side to match her opponent’s attack, and beheaded them.
Karma bisected her opponent head-on with Tiger Fang Slash, and Sakurahime overwhelmed and defeated hers with a flurry of attacks using the Riot Skill and the Dance continuous attack Skill.
Marishielle, who was fighting against two opponents, maneuvered as if she were controlling their movements, and with a flash of purple lightning, she slashed down both Were Dragons.
“Hmm, they’re weaker than the Twilight Kin, I guess. But they’re still really strong as monsters.”
“Yeah. But opponents who fight with swords like this might be just right for practicing PvP,” Larni and Karma commented, and with that, the analysis of the Were Dragons was over.
Dorozitte checked the Magic Stones and material horns that had dropped, looking happy as she took notes. It seemed she was keen on gathering information since it was her first time seeing these monsters.
“Soushi-san, could you fight like that a couple more times? ‘Soul’s Guidance’ is too strong, and it ends before the monsters can even show their abilities.”
“Got it. I’ll change my fighting style a bit as we go.”
Analyzing while fighting is dangerous, but as someone who was saved by the Adventurers’ Guild guide, there’s no way I can refuse to help the Grand Master gather information.
Honestly, I could finish them off with one shot of my ‘Crushing Wave.’ But I’m not doing that because I also want the members to gain experience.
In life, I’ve often learned that if you take the easy way out, it’ll come back to bite you. I want to avoid experiencing that in a Dungeon, at least.
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