156 - - One hundred and fifty-four. - A lethal move?

We trained Sarah and her team over the holidays. We went into the marsh twice, and each time we brought back materials, Marie, or rather the demolition staff at Marie's place, screamed.

In the course of ten days, we had four giant deers the size of a two-story house and a giant toad. There were many Poison Toads and ten Marshland Lizards. ...... Even though it was originally a trading company that purchased materials for the labyrinth, it seems to have exceeded its capacity when demolition was included.

I had heard that Giant Deer were rare, but I found one or two in all four layers of the swamp. It may be that the number of giant deers is fixed.

Well, the Giant Deer were happy to see us, but they said it would be hard to dismantle the poison toad. I heard that it requires delicate work to use the poison for medicine, but it must have been hard because I piled them up like a mountain. I feel sorry for him.

In fact, I heard that Mr. Marie tried to get them to pay higher wages, saying that it was a good time to make money, but he couldn't do it. He apologetically refused, saying that if he didn't, it would affect the dismantling of Fire Dragon.

Well, I made 60 million elts, and the rest can be stored in my magic bag, so I will release it again when the time is right. I asked Marie if adventurers can make a lot of money, and she told me that the magic bag gives us a big advantage.

I heard that some top adventurers who have magic bags can go further and their bags have the capacity of a house, so the pioneering tools are really a cheat. It's not that simple...

****

"Sarah and the others can go out, but they must train. Also, you may meet the Valkyries when you go out, but don't follow them. I'm off then."

Early in the morning on the day of the rendezvous with Alec and the others, I gave a light warning to Sarah and the others who woke up to see me off, and then looked at Dolly. They nodded their heads, and I knew I could rely on Dolly to escort them.

Since I'll be away from the house in Fountain for a while, I've asked Nomos to help me take care of the house, so we're in good shape. But I'm worried about meeting a Valkyrie. We sometimes run into them when we're out and about. I'm afraid that they are closing the distance between us.

Well, she doesn't look like she's planning anything bad... so as long as you don't get caught up in her good looks you should be fine. I convince myself. I better get going. I bow to Sebas and head for the labyrinth with Sylphy, Belle, and the others. I've told Deene that she's supposed to start at the 66th layer, so there's no need to worry about her sulking.

(Come to think of it, it's been a while since we've been together as a group.)

"Long time no see?" Cue?""" Yeah?""" Coo-coo?"

Was it Belle and the others?　He's tilting his head. I want to pet them because they're so cute, but I'll hold back because it's outside, even if it's early in the morning.

"Hmmm, you're right. It's been a while since we've been together since I've been escorting Sarah and the others. Well, for the spirits, even the time since they met Yuta is a recent event, so it may be hard for Belle and the others to understand.

Spirits live a long time, don't they? ...... I mean, is there such a thing as a lifespan?　Sylphy adds a few words, and finally Belle and her friends understand.

"Long time no see, long time no see, long time no see, long time no see, long time no see, long time no see, long time no see, long time no see, long time no see, long time no see, long time no see, long time no see, long time no see, long time no see.

They were happy to be understood and flew around the labyrinth city in the early morning happily. If people had been able to hear her voice, she would have woken up the people in the labyrinth city.　　

We walk through the labyrinth city and arrive at the labyrinth, watching over Belle and the others as they fly around happily. Of course, there are soldiers standing at the entrance of the labyrinth even this early in the morning.

We show our guild cards and enter the labyrinth. I was surprised when I showed my guild card for the first time since I was ranked up, but I guess they have already been notified, or they just check my card. I don't want to tell you that I felt a little good when I was surprised, even though it was an A rank that I was forced to take.

"Okay, let's go."

"Yes, please."

I ask Sylphy to wrap me in a cocoon of wind and we move at high speed through the labyrinth. The cave-type layer is quite scary, like a roller coaster. I look at Belle and the others flying happily around me for comfort. Will I get used to it if I repeat it a few times?

**

After skipping most of the steps except the one in front of the door of the boss's room and the one with the other adventurers in the cave, it took me about four hours to reach the 49th layer. It is quite fast if you don't care about being seen.

The boss's room has been defeated once, so no demons appear, but the work of opening the door is tedious. Moreover, the exit door opens automatically and slowly after the entrance door is closed, making you feel slightly rushed. Usually I don't think about it as a break, but when I am in a hurry, it is a little troublesome.

The demons that blocked our way were blown away by the flying bells around us. If any adventurers passed by after me, they might be lucky enough to pick up some materials.

"Yuta, are you sure you want to go straight to the top?　Do you want to stop by that base over there?"

Ah, the base that the Adventurers' Guild is building in the 49th layer. ...... What should we do?

"...... I'll stop. I don't want to get in trouble if someone inside wants to go with me."

"Okay, let's go."

Instead of stopping at the base, we fly directly into the sky and head for the summit. The volcanic area is a bit troublesome because of wyverns and firebirds. We reach the top of the volcano, flipping off the wyverns that sometimes attack us.

Oh, there are wings of the labyrinth and Muscle Star in front of the stairs. They are looking at us and making some noise. You know who I am, right?　I don't want you to attack me or anything. I go down slowly, waving lightly just to be safe.

Thank you for waiting.

"No, no, I haven't been waiting that long. ...... Yuta, you can fly, can't you?"

"Yes, I can fly."

You say it like it's nothing. It is difficult not to be boastful or you will come off as a pain in the ass. Now Alec and Muscle and the others will tell the guild that I can fly.

I'm sure there will be some reaction from people around me for being able to fly, but I can throw it to the Adventurers' Guild and if I can get through it, I can fly around more easily. Not a bad choice.

"Ha, I see. ......"

Alec looks like he wants to say something terrible. It's too much trouble to be asked so let's just get this over with and say our goodbyes.

"Yuta-dono!　Is it possible to make us fly with that power?"

Before we could move on, Mr. Muscle interrupted us. He looked excited, and I immediately knew what he meant. I'm going to be flying around with Sara and the others, and if I lie here, they're going to know right away.

Yes, I can, but I'm not going to take you all with me. Let's just kill the fire dragon first. You guys stay behind me. Please don't do anything unnecessary.　　

I don't want to fly with Mr. Muscle and the others, so I'm going to move on and prevent them from asking me to do so.

"What, already?　What about breaks and meetings?"

Alec is surprised.

"It will be over in one blow, so you don't need to take a break or have a meeting."

"But in a battle, irregularities are bound to occur. You should have a plan in place if at all possible."

Alec advises me with a serious expression on his face. He is an experienced A-rank adventurer, and his words are very persuasive.

"......, if we can't beat them with a single blow, we'll retreat. Fighting senselessly will only cause injuries.

I don't want to have a strategy meeting with A-rated adventurers, because it will surely expose my ignorance. No one seems to be convinced by my words, but I force my way forward.

"We won't leave the entrance, so we can retreat at any time. Shall we go then?

"Oh, wait a minute, it's not that easy ......."

"Alec, we're slowing you down. If we can escape in case of failure, that's good enough for me.

Mr. Muscle followed up. He is a dangerous person who said his soul name is Muscle, but his response is surprisingly sensible.

"But, the opponent is a Fire Dragon!"

"Yuta said he could beat him with a single blow, and he has a track record of defeating him. It is impossible for us, who are inexperienced, to give instructions to Yuta-dono, who is only taking us there. We entrusted our lives to Yuta when we agreed to the Grand Master's offer, and it is our duty to obey him in silence."

Alec looked surprised at Muscle's words, then started to think of something.

"...... understand. Yuta, I am sorry for the trouble I have caused you. Thank you for your cooperation.

Alec bows his head. The title of honor has changed from "you" to "san. However, I'm not sure about Mr. Muscle's character, even though he seems to be the type of guy who can solve anything with his muscles.

He seems to be the type of person who can solve anything with his muscles, but I can't figure out Muscle's character. I try to stay away from him as much as possible, because I'm afraid I'll be pushed around if I get close to him.

If it weren't for the muscle appeal, I would respect him, but I don't think someone who would stop ...... muscle appeal would name his soul Muscle, and I guess I'll never respect this person.

"I understand your concern, it's okay. Let's move on, shall we?"

Bell and the others look bored, so I'd like to get this over with. We head down the stairs with Wings of the Labyrinth and Muscle Star in tow. Oh, there's something I need to check.

"Hey, is there anyone in the group who hasn't seen the Fire Dragon?　It's pretty powerful, so I don't want you to panic."

The first time I saw it, my legs were shaking... I'm sure an A-level adventurer can handle it, but just in case...

We've been here before to see if we can defeat the fire dragon, so we'll be fine. What about you, Muscle?

We've seen it before. We have withdrawn from the area because we are not sure we can compete with them at this point, but I don't think they will panic."　

"I see. I'm relieved. Please don't talk to me when I open the door and go inside, I'm busy preparing for the spirit technique. If you find that the attack has failed, please leave the room.

The labyrinthine wings and Muscle Stars nodded. I had to ask them to defeat me in the usual way, otherwise the Adventurers' Guild might find out what I wanted to keep secret, so after discussing it with Sylphy, I decided to say something like chanting in a whisper and add gestures.

At first, I thought of a cool chant to make it look normal, but my kitchen heart was too aching, so I pretended to be chanting in a whisper. It was getting fun, and I almost said that my sealed right eye was tingling. It's no good to be that open-minded as a person who has a pupil. I couldn't keep it all under control.

I signaled Sylphy with my eyes and opened the door. The fire dragon roars in menace as it sees us rushing in. I'm incredibly scared, but I pretend that I don't feel anything. My legs aren't shaking, are they?

I tell myself that I'll be all right if Sylphy is there, and I move my hands, mumbling in a whisper. I don't know any cool chanting choreography, so I try to fake it by modifying the transformation poses of the masked heroes. There is some regularity to it, and it looks like it makes sense.

A fire dragon is approaching you, making a thumping sound as it moves toward you. I'm glad I didn't choose Fire Breath out of the blue. This will impress upon you that it takes time to make a strong attack.

It will also make us more likely to be targeted by assassins, but we have shown that we can deal with surprise attacks without chanting, so we should be fine. If word gets out that the spirits can understand us when we speak, they might use us in the war. It is important to impress them with our gestures.

I hear an impatient voice from behind me as the fire dragon comes closer and closer. I'm sorry, but I'm going to make you wait a little longer.

.................. is about time. Someone is talking about running away, and I don't want to get in trouble if he really runs away. For the final touch, I raise my right hand high in the air and swing it down loudly while shouting the name of my special move.

"Final Wind Slash!"

Sylphy cuts off the Fire Dragon's head in time with the embarrassing words I have randomly arranged. On either side of me, Belle and the others imitate me, swinging their right hands down and shouting the names of their moves. Rain and Tamamo sound like they're cooing and cooing, but I think they're shouting the names of their moves.

There is a silence in the room.

"Did I miss?"

As soon as one of Alec's friends muttered something, the Fire Dragon's head slipped off and it fell to the ground. I want to feel really smug, but I have to act like it's nothing.