Chapter 26 - Search for the sacred sword part 3

From the first to the third floor, there was nothing but wood golems. Their numbers increased by one with each floor, but Karan burned them all.

The situation finally changed when Survivors reached the fourth floor.

“Guoooo…!”

“This time it’s bronze golems. Apparently there are metal golems in the middle part but…”

“…Can we take this with us? It’s bronze right?”

Tianna asked as she stared at the bronze golem.

The shining brass colored body without a hint of blue rust would surely fetch a good price with dwarves that would want to cast or engrave it.

But…

“We can’t, if we try to take it with us the door won’t open. Apparently it’s something called a ‘security system’. The labyrinth uses the golems adventurers take down to make new ones, so it would be a  problem if people could take materials with them…”

“So stingy… Well, if people started stealing golems this place wouldn’t last long.”

“People from long ago were cautious. I should learn from them.”

“That’s right.”

Sem and Tianna murmured, while the two in front of them were moving around restlessly.

“Take that! Karan!”

Nick moved all around as he fought the bronze golems.

The bronze golems were completely focused on Nick. Their bodies were too heavy and slow to hit him, and Nick cut them with his knife any time he saw an opening.

When Karan saw a chance to strike, she didn’t let it get away.

“Yaaah!!!”

Gugagagah!?”

Karan’s Dragon Bone Sword severed one of the golem’s neck.

It was hard to melt its bronze body with fire breath. Wind and cold were also not very effective, so it wasn’t easy to take it down with Tianna’s magic.

This was why Sem cast support magic before they entered the middle level, Nick drew the enemy’s attention, and Karan finished it, in other words, the usual strategy.

“Alright, one’s down!”

Nick hit the remaining golem’s knee with his knife. It wasn’t a slash, Nick saw the golem’s center of gravity and its structure, got hold of it, and made it fall.

“Soryah!”

Karan swung down her Dragon Bone Sword and hit the fallen golem.

It twitched for a second, but soon stopped moving.

“…I’m the only one that’s not doing anything.”

Tianna said with an upset expression.

“Well, once the battle starts I’m left with nothing to do too.”

“Sem you cast support magic. I like how easy it is, but still…”

Tianna sounded bored, and Nick replied.

“The show only really starts in the lower floors. Once we get there you’ll have to work more than you’d like.”

“I guess that’s true.”

“Yes, we’re saving you for when we get there. Karan are you hurt? Do you want some water?”

“I’m not hurt, I’m alright.”

“Karan drank from the canteen that Nick handed to her.

Ever since they defeated the ogre together, Karan had been listening to Nick’s instructions, and Nick had been taking care of her a lot. Sem and Tianna looked on with grins on their faces.

“You two are like brother and sister.”

“…N-No.”

Karan was a dragon person, and she was blessed with a nice body for her age.

Humans and dragon people have more or less the same lifespan, but dragon people reached adulthood faster. Someone that didn’t know this would surely think that Karan was older than Nick.

“What? Do you have a problem with that?”

“That’s not it, I was just thinking that if I had a more muscular body I would be able to do a lot more…”

Nick sighed.

“I think you’re very skillful. Look at me, I’m tall but that doesn’t make me strong.”

“…If anything, if you take damage or go down as the vanguard, we’re all in trouble.

I didn’t give a lot of thought about this job when we took it. If you weren’t here, we wouldn’t have a map of the labyrinth and we wouldn’t know so much about the enemies… So seriously, we don’t want you to put yourself out there too much.”

“Karan is right.”

Nick was the cornerstone of this party.

Everyone knew that their success depended on Nick’s guidance, both in the labyrinths, and when they were accepting quests.

“N-No… I’m sure you could find another scout of my level… And my information isn’t perfect either, there should only be one bronze golem here, but two appeared.”

“It can’t be helped, no one can know for sure how many monsters appear.”

“And normal scouts can’t hold their own one on one against an ogre. And…”

“Hn? What?”

Nick looked at Karan, and she hesitated to finish her thought.

For some reason, she felt too embarrassed to tell Nick to his face that he’s not the kind of person that just lets other people take care of everything.

“…No, nothing.”

“C’mon, what?”

“I said it’s nothing.”

Karan looked away and drank the rest of the water.

“Yes yes, stop playing and get moving.”

“Y-yes.”

Tianna urged them to continue their exploration and Nick got up, even though a question mark still hovered above his head.

“Anyway, let’s finish our job.”