105 - - The Hundred and Three Trolls

We arrive at the 16th layer of the labyrinth and spend the night. From today on, Sarah and the others are going to be fighting against some tough opponents, so I have to brace myself. We finish breakfast and stow the mobile base.

"Well, let's get used to defeating the demons in this layer by scouting around instead of heading for the stairs in a straight line. The new ones are Trent and Troll. Be careful of Trent's mimicry. Uri is the best person to recognize them. As I said yesterday, trolls can't be killed with a single blow, so stay calm. Keep these things in mind and do your best.

Tulu told me that the spirits of the earth can recognize torrents. They can tell if it's a tree or a torrent by the magic that comes from the earth. If they can tell the difference, we won't be taken by surprise, and it won't be any different than chopping down a tree.

"Yes, sir. Master... okay... I'll do my best.

"Yeah, good luck with that. And Bell, you're to guard Sara and the others. Normally we'll just watch over them, but if Sara and the others get into a fight, keep the other demons away from them. Can you do that?"

"Yessir." "Coo-coo-coo." "Yessir." "Coo?"

I thought I'd forgotten you, but I remembered you. I guess I remembered it because it somehow sounded like a mission.　Bell, noticing Tamamo's blank stare, tells him what's going on. Tamamo wasn't around at that time.

"Kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk."

Tamamo replies with a wagging tail, as if he has learned it all. Belle is nodding behind him with her arms crossed.

I hope it's just my imagination that Fukuchan and the others are looking at me with interest. ...... Sylphy, don't look at me like that. I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to get a good deal on the newest additions to your collection.

"Uh-huh. "Hi everyone!"

"Yee-ha ha!" "Coo-coo-coo!" "Yee-ha ha!" "Coo-coo-coo!"

This will be used when people remember and will eventually be passed on to everyone.　......It's hard to tell the happy belles that they can't use it anymore. It makes me a little sad, so I'll just put up with it.

Well then, let's go.

**

I've never had a problem with demons I've beaten before. The trees blocked our view, so we had to fight them closer than in the grassland, but with Fuchu and Mame's scanning, we could almost always defeat them with a preemptive attack.

Trent is detected by Uri, and is immediately silenced when attacked in his mimicry. Even the floating spirits are cheats if they can communicate with each other. Now that we have experienced this layer to some extent, it's time to go out and defeat the trolls.

"Sara, Marco, Kikka, it's time to go defeat the trolls. Send Fuku and Mame out to scout and find the trolls.

"Yes, Fuchu, go find the trolls. Please.

Mame-chan, please."

Sarah is fine, but can Mame recognize Kikka by the way she says it?　He flew away with confidence, so I guess he's okay. He must have heard the conversations around him and understood what was going on.

"Well then, Sarah and the others should go over the plan again before we find the trolls. We don't know what will happen, so don't be in a hurry.

"Yes. Master. sis, let's go over the timing one more time.

While I was watching Sara and the others having a strategy meeting, Belle came swooping in.

"Do you want to find Belle too?"

He was bored just being an escort and wanted to do something. After Sarah and the others get used to it to some extent, I'll ask Bell and the others to gather mushrooms. They enjoy gathering mushrooms as if they were on a treasure hunt.

"Now I'm training Sarah and the others, so please wait a bit. It's important for them to find the monsters by themselves. Belle, please protect Sara and the others. When we're done, we'll go mushroom hunting."

"Oh, yes!"

As Belle buzzes around with delight, Rain and the others come up to her and say, "Belle, we're going to re-shoot!" I reported back to him and he started to rejoice, so I hurriedly told him that I would wait for him after the escort was over. He is about to run off.

If we ask Sylphy, we can send Belle and the others to go and pick them up right away, but it would be a good training for them, so we'll ask them to do their best.　

While Sara and the others are thinking up a plan, I'll go over the trolls. Let's see... trolls are hated by adventurers. ...... For a moment there, I thought they were just like me. haha, I might cry a little.

...... well, he's strong and powerful. Self-healing. Weapons are impenetrable and heals quickly from light damage.

The most common way to defeat trolls is with magic or poison, but there are only a few mages, and poisons that work on trolls are expensive and difficult to deal with. And even if they are killed with difficulty, they have few materials. Leather can be used as a material for armor, and the only other income comes from magic stones.

Fortunately, trolls in the 16th to 19th layers are few in number, and adventurers avoid them. The rank of trolls is B, which is outstanding in this layer, so all adventurers who are making money in this layer run away. I'd ignore them too if it weren't for Sarah and the others training.

Oh... Mame is back. She must have found the trolls. Sara summons Fuchu and we head toward the trolls with Mame-chan leading the way.

After a while, we hear dull footsteps. They seem to be on the move.

"Master. I'll begin."

"Yeah. Good luck."

I nodded, and Sarah and the others moved cautiously in the direction of my footsteps. I follow them at a slight distance, a little worried, and then I see the trolls.

He's still as tough as ever. The troll looks to be about three meters tall. He looks like a sumo wrestler. His neck, arms, and legs are as thick as logs. He holds a club in his hand.

I wonder where the weapons that the demons in the labyrinth carry come from. I wonder ...... if they don't make them themselves.

This is not the time to think about what we don't know. We need to keep an eye on Sara and the others. If it's really dangerous, Sylphy will take care of it, but that doesn't mean we can let our guard down.

FUKU-chan and the others are in position as instructed by Sara and the others. I've heard about the plan, but looking at her, there is a possibility that it may fail. The key point is how much they can penetrate his strong body with their attacks.

I'll be watching the operation with nervous anticipation. ...... Uri is on the left. Fukuchan is behind. Mame is on the right. The plan is to strike the head from three directions at once by matching the timing. I think the success rate is high because of its simplicity.

Sara waves her hand down so the trolls can't see it, and magic is released from three directions. ...... lie. If I'm not mistaken, Uri's spear of earth stops halfway down. The blade of wind also seems to have dissipated in the process, spurting out blood but not fatally.

You said it was tough, but it's amazing how sturdy it is, even though it's a neck. Even a floating spirit has the power to easily blow off a goblin's head, but it can only inflict that much damage?　I'm surprised.

Surprised by the sudden attack, the trolls began to flail about, swinging their clubs. The spear of clay that was stuck in his neck hits his hand and shatters into pieces.

Blood spurts from the place where the spear had been pierced, but it stops in a flash. The blood from the area cut by the wind blade has already stopped. Being strong and self-healing is quite a feat, isn't it? Now, what will Sara and the others do from this situation?

As was the plan when Fukuchan and the others failed to finish them off, they launch additional attacks, but since they are on the rampage, they are unable to hit the same spot and are not fatally wounded.

The club he is wielding reaps the trees in the vicinity. With that kind of power, Fukyu-chan and the others' wind walls can't protect them. Oh, it's running! And they're coming this way.

Marco summons Uri to prepare for the trolls. He and Fuchu and Mame are going to continue the attack.

"Sylphy, are you okay?"

I'm getting worried because it's tougher than I thought it would be.

"I don't know if we can win, but I'm sure Belle and the others can handle the trolls, so we'll be safe."

Yes, we'll be fine with Bell and the others. It is the master's role to watch over us with trust. But since it's mainly Fukuchan and the others who are fighting, it's very strange to see small animals vs. trolls.

Oh.... Uri, under Marco's direction, has the trolls bogged down in front of him. It looks like an incorrect answer to a round robin quiz. As he struggles to get up, Fukuchan and the others rush in and fire a series of spells into his medulla oblongata. The troll finally runs out of strength, unable to get up, his feet caught in the mud and the attack.

"Hey, guys! "Thanks for your hard work, guys! It's a tough fight against a tough opponent like a troll, isn't it? Now that we've learned some things we need to work on, let's try to improve as much as possible so that we can beat the troll with ease.

"...... but master. Even if Fukuchan and her friends' magic was completely successful, it was not fatal. It would be difficult to win easily."

Because the power of magic is a big problem. It would be difficult to increase the power of magic rapidly, so we need to take other countermeasures.

"Well, I guess that's true. Well, I guess so, but you should try various things, such as targeting the eyes and mouth, or attacking from three directions by surprise this time, but next time you should concentrate on a single point from the beginning.

"Eyes and mouth? It's hard to reach them with the wind, and I'd put a spear of clay in their eyes. Or pour mud in the mouth and breathe ......"

Perhaps my words gave her a hint, but she came up with something scary to imagine. Sarah is a bit of a radical for a girl who used to be a lady.

"Well, I'll give you some time to talk it over and make the best of it. Can Belle and the others go get some herbs and mushrooms?"

Sarah and the others went into a review meeting, and Bell and the others flew out joyfully to collect.

"Hey, Sylphy. Floating spirits can become lower level spirits relatively quickly. How about you, Fuku-chan?

"No matter how easy it is to become one, it's impossible to become one after less than 30 days. But as a floating spirit, you have a lot of experience in battle, and Sarah and the others are growing, so I don't think it will take more than a year.

A year...that's not long when you consider that ...... grows, but it seems difficult to gain strength right away. I guess the best we can do for now is to keep our wits about us.

Sara and the others are getting used to it, and if it's going to be tough with just the three of us, we should think about increasing the number of people in the group. The more people we have, the more attacks we can make and the easier it will be to win even against tough opponents.

I wonder if it is possible to meet a beautiful woman who wants to become a genie magician. ...... is impossible. Even if I could, with my current reputation, I'd have a hard time getting her to join me.