CH 157

We’ve finally reached the entrance to the tenth floor, but the knights don’t look too proud, as they go down the stairs.

“What are we going to do now, master?”

Asks Sera.

“We’re going to get through the boss room and leave. But do you want to eat and rest for today, or go back to the city and return here later?”

We end up not going back. I guess what happened before plays a part in that too. And there’s no one here in the safe area either.

Apparently the knights aren’t going back either. They’re going to challenge the boss.

They say they don’t want to risk coming here later and see other people waiting, because that would be a waste of time.

“I’m not tired, so I could just keep going.”

I feel like I’m full of energy, because all I did was walk.

But I only had preserved food for lunch, so I’m getting hungry. I keep seeing Hikari rub her belly too.

“There’s no reason to push ourselves. Let’s eat and rest for today, and go to the boss room feeling refreshed.”

Sera’s vanguard has good stamina, but Mia and the other mages not so much. Of course, that wouldn’t be as true if we were comparing them to an average person.

Not to mention that it would be a waste not to use this safe area.

We take our place a bit far from the knights, and I start cooking. Hn? You want to help, Hikari?

I take out two griddles and pots, and we start cooking right away. It’s a good thing this cave can’t get filled up with fire or smoke.

Once the griddles are hot, I start cooking meat on them, and making soup in the pot. I see Hikari is also making soup, and I get the feeling she’s getting kind of good with her hands.

Sera is with Fred and Gown, tending to their weapons, and the mages are laying down the sheets and doing other preparations to camp.

The knights are also tending to their weapons, but I can see them stop and turn this way. Is it because they can hear and smell the meat?

“Sora, can we talk?”

“What is it?”

“Ah… Apparently they’re asking for you to share your food.”

It sounds like Fred is having a hard time saying that. I’m guessing the captain asked him to say it.

“Master, I think that’s fine.”

I can’t believe Hikari just said that.

“Yes, I guess we can give them some of your soup, Hikari.”

We’re talking pretty quietly, but they start cheering. Is it because they get to have some homemade food?

“If you’re fine with that Hikari, it’s fine. But should I make some more meat then?”

I take out two more griddles. They have portable rations, so they shouldn’t need a lot.

“And about paying for the food…”

“Yes, I know. I took away their earnings, so it’s fine.”

Fred smiles awkwardly and nods, probably thinking back to that.

Yes. I went in front because they said they wanted to see me fight, but I didn’t just start swinging my sword around.

When goblins appeared in a passage, I fired magic at them. I covered the whole passage too, so none of them could get away.

All that was left was ash. Like the monsters were never even there.

The knights stopped completely, but I kept on walking. I felt like some of their faces started twitching, but I didn’t stop to check.

Then I started using Wind Magic while keeping Presence Detection active, as we looked for the staircase. By using it kind of like a sonar, I could stretch the wind like a string and look for the staircase.

The wind follows as long as the magic energy keeps going, but this will probably sap a lot of magic energy in a wide area.

It’s faster to have it displayed on Map, but it’s good to practice in case I can’t use that.

And so, I kept on stomping goblins, and the knights were speechless. Even Fred and the others were looking pale.

But some of the knights looked fine. They told me there are mages in the mage division of this country’s army that can do this too. It makes sense for this country to be good at magic, considering the magic academy.

Maybe high ranking adventurers can do this too. I’ve never actually seen an A or S rank adventurer fight.

I guess maybe my perception of how things are and what’s common knowledge in this world still don’t quite match… There’s always someone above.

On the way here, someone asked me if I couldn’t have taken down the shadow wolf more easily if I used this.

“I can’t control the power of my magic very well. I mean, I could have used it, if I didn’t mind roasting everyone alive too.”

Fred’s face twitches when he hears this.

Well, that’s not entirely true. But if I say this, they won’t get careless and start relying on me.

I made sure to give off the impression that I’m just a merchant who can’t control his magic too well. I fired arrow type magic in weird directions sometimes, and hit walls. Of course, I was careful not to hit anyone.

I took down a few goblins with my sword too, and when the captain talked to me about it, I made up some excuses.

“Sometimes we merchants have to go to dangerous places to do business. I can’t go anywhere if I can’t defend myself to a certain extent. And I’m working on my own, not for a company, so I can’t make a living if I don’t stock up on things others aren’t selling.”

It looked like they were satisfied with that. The fact that it was goblins I was fighting helped.

If I was in their shoes, I’d ask if it wouldn’t be more profitable for me to just become an adventurer, but I guess they didn’t think of that.

I stop thinking about that and notice the food is done. That was close, I almost wasted precious ingredients.

The knights line up to take the meat and soup, and leave. Some of them do a little dance, because they’re so happy.

Hikari’s pot is almost empty, while mine is almost full. Only Sera and the others are having mine.

Eventually, Hikari’s pot does become empty, and the dejected knights receive mine while drooping their shoulders. How rude. At least they all thank me.

Once that’s all done, Hikari says they can start eating, and more than half fall over after one spoonful.

What a marvelous on-hit kill, is all I can think.

Are they all right? I can tell they’re alive because they’re twitching, but…

I saw Hikari cooking, and she didn’t put anything weird in her soup. Did something happen while I was talking to Fred, or when I was distracted?

Hikari is tilting her head in confusion. I’m going to have to check what she did and what she used, for my own health.

Oh… The soldiers are starting to recover, and looking this way with angry looks on their faces.

But once they see that’s making Hikari sad, they bravely challenge the soup again. Scary…

Hikari herself is eating the meat I cooked and the soup I made with a smile on her face.

Oh well.