The Spriggan, a giant-kin standing over six meters tall, lay sprawled before them.
Even for a B-Rank monster, it had been helpless against opponents as formidable as Elena and Rei. Its massive corpse now occupied a large portion of the vast chamber.
"Elena-sama, look!"
Ara, who had been scanning the room while keeping an eye on the Spriggan, pointed toward a specific spot. There, where nothing had existed before their battle, was a flight of stairs leading underground.
"I see. So defeating the Spriggan guarding this room is the trigger for the stairs to appear."
Elena nodded, but Vel stood beside her with a pensive, troubled expression.
"Vel?"
"Ah, no, it’s nothing. I was just wondering about that crossroads earlier. I suspect the other two paths lead to similar boss rooms. I'm curious if defeating the monsters there would have revealed stairs as well."
"Given the setup of this room, that is likely the case. Though it’s only a guess. We won't know for certain unless we actually try the other paths."
Ara tilted her head as she watched Rei harvest materials from the Spriggan corpse.
"But Elena-sama, if there’s information about the Altar of Inheritance, that means a party must have reached the lowest floor before, right? If so, shouldn't the stairs have been visible if they had already cleared the room?"
It was Vel, not Elena, who answered the question.
"No, the Dungeon Core likely summons a new monster once the guardian of the stairs is slain. I don’t know if it takes hours or days to resummon them, though."
"For the Dungeon Core's sake, I’d like to think summoning a B-Rank monster like a Spriggan takes more time than a weak Goblin... It wouldn't be much of a joke if we finished our business at the Altar of Inheritance only to find another monster of the same rank waiting for us on the way back."
"At least there was only one. If they showed up in packs like the Emerald Wolves, we would have been in real trouble."
Ara was right. No matter how powerful a B-Rank monster was, it was still only one enemy. To a group as skilled as Elena’s, it was a nuisance but not a source of despair. After all, Rei had defeated an Orc King of the same rank single-handedly, and Set was an A-Rank monster. Elena, known as the Princess General, possessed combat prowess that rivaled them both.
"Elena-sama, I've finished with the Spriggan."
Rei turned back to call out to her, catching her off guard. For some reason, the moment her eyes met his, she felt her mind go blank for a split second. It passed in an instant, however. Recovering her usual composure, Elena looked toward the stairs leading to the lowest floor.
If we descend those stairs, we'll reach the bottom. The Altar of Inheritance is just a little further... but given our exhaustion, we should spend the night here to recover our stamina and Magic Power before we proceed. After all, a B-Rank monster appeared on B6F. There's no telling what awaits us on the lowest floor.
She turned her gaze toward Vel.
And Vel has spent this entire floor disarming trap after trap. He’s had brief rests, but he needs real sleep. If our scout fails to disarm a trap because of physical or mental fatigue, all our effort will be for nothing.
Refining her plan in seconds, she addressed the group, including Rei as he approached.
"We’ll spend the night in this room and head down to the lowest floor tomorrow morning. Since that huge door is sealed, the only entry point for enemies should be the stairs. We won't need a heavy watch like we did in the forest. Also, as Vel mentioned, the Core likely can't resummon a high-rank monster to replace the Spriggan immediately, but don't let your guard down. If you notice any signs of trouble, wake everyone at once."
"If it is resummoned, do we fight it?" Kyuste asked.
Elena shook her head slightly.
"It depends on the monster. If it's an enemy we can easily wipe out, we’ll do so and go back to sleep. If it's another B-Rank like the Spriggan, we won't be able to handle it right after waking up, so we'll have to flee to the lowest floor immediately."
"Understood. That seems like the best course," Kyuste agreed.
Elena then turned to Rei.
"Rei, I hate to ask this right away, but please prepare the camp. We won't use tents or sleeping bags so we can move instantly if needed. We’ll only need food and blankets."
"Got it. Just a second."
Rei brought up the Misty Ring list in his mind and began withdrawing blankets, drinks, and food. The meal consisted of piles of sandwiches and potage soup. Everyone was hungry from the long trek and began eating immediately. Even so, they managed to look dignified while doing so—a mark of their noble upbringing.
"Guruuu."
Set rubbed its head against Rei, asking for its portion. Rei handed over a few sandwiches and checked the Misty Ring list again.
"I guess I've used up all the monster meat I grilled for you... Set, do you want the monster food from the city that you can eat now, or should I grill some fresh meat? It'll take a bit of time."
"Gurururuu."
Set glanced toward the bloodstains left by the Spriggan.
"I see. You want the tasty option."
The monster food sold in stores was essentially dog food. Depending on the species, some might like it, but Set wasn't a fan. Rei had expected as much. Since Set had already snacked on sandwiches, it wasn't in a desperate rush.
"Now, what should I use... Hmm, oh, I still have that Ogre's right arm."
Muttering to himself, Rei pulled out the giant Ogre right arm he had obtained on B4F. Using his Mithril Knife, he stripped away the skin—which could be sold as material—and chopped the meat into large chunks.
"...Rei, can I ask you something?"
Elena had been watching him prepare the Ogre meat and spoke up suddenly.
"Sure, what is it?"
"How are you going to cook it? I know you're good with fire magic, but you don't have any firewood."
"Oh, don't worry about that. I've been storing dry wood in my Item Box whenever I go to the forest for guild requests, just in case."
Rei answered as he pulled out dry logs. He gripped his Death Scythe and began to chant.
"O flames, gather at my fingertips... Small Flame."
A tiny flame flickered on his index finger, which he used to light the kindling. Once the fire was going, he skewered the chunks of meat on sharpened sticks and propped them up over the blaze.
"Guruuu."
Set purred at the smell of roasting meat. As it cooked, Rei sliced off pieces, seasoned them lightly with salt, and served them to Set on a plate.
"Now then, regarding the watch... I'll take the first shift, followed by Ara, Kyuste, Vel, and finally Rei."
Everyone listened to Elena's instructions while glancing occasionally at Set. With no objections raised, they settled into their free time. Ara chatted with Elena while Rei continued feeding Set the Ogre meat.
Kyuste watched them with a faint scowl, taking a drink from a canteen Vel handed him.
"Seriously, you’re so stiff. Here, eat this."
Vel handed him some dried meat.
"I didn't say anything," Kyuste grumbled.
"Your eyes did. Besides, you know the truth, Kyuste. We wouldn't have made it here safely without Rei and Set."
"...I'll admit that. But it's also true that he's having an influence—a bad influence—on Elena-sama. Vel, you've noticed it too, haven't you? Ever since we left B5F, she's been far too focused on him. It definitely has something to do with that voice."
"The voice, huh... Well, our Queen has been acting a little strange on this floor, I'll give you that. But I think she's just looking at Rei because she likes what she sees."
"Sigh. I wish I had your optimism. It must be nice to be so carefree."
"Don't be like that. Here, have these. Eat up and get some sleep. We're hitting the lowest floor tomorrow, and I don't want you being a burden for some stupid reason."
Vel handed him a small jar of roasted nuts.
"What are these?"
"My special snack. Not exactly noble fare, but perfect for a dungeon."
"...Snacks but no booze, huh."
"I think the Queen would have our heads if we drank while camping in here."
"I told you, stop calling her that..."
One by one, the party members drifted off to sleep. Eventually, only Elena, Set, and Rei remained awake.
"Gurururuu."
Having finished every scrap of the fire-roasted meat, Set purred contentedly, walked a short distance away, and curled up to sleep. Rei finished cleaning up and stood to leave.
"Rei, do you have a moment?"
Elena had been watching him in silence and finally spoke.
"Yeah? What is it? Do you want a snack?"
"No. I was hoping we could talk for a bit. Of course, if you're tired, you're free to turn me down."
Rei thought about it for a few seconds and sat back down by the fire. A small smile touched Elena's lips.
"Rei, to be honest... I don't think we could have made it this far without you."
"Well, usually I'm supposed to be humble here, but... sure, I'll agree with you."
Elena let out a soft laugh.
"You... you're forcing yourself to use polite speech with me, aren't you?"
"I can't deny it. I lived with my master—well, the two of us plus Set—so I only know polite language from books."
"I see. So your usual tone is how you speak with Vel and Ara?"
"Of course. I wasn't exactly raised well enough to speak like a courtier all the time."
"...I see. As a reward for all your effort... as long as we aren't in a formal setting, you don't need to use polite speech with me. You can speak to me normally."
A log popped in the fire, sending sparks into the air as she made her offer. The faint glow of the walls and the dancing firelight illuminated the two of them.
"Are you sure?"
"I don't mind. Most nobles are sticklers for etiquette, but as you know, I'm not a typical noble lady."
"That's true. Most noble ladies don't lead armies onto the battlefield."
"I thought I said you didn't need to be polite."
"Sorry. I mean... my bad. Is this better?"
"Yes. I’d prefer it if you spoke to me that way."
"Is it really okay for a duke's daughter to be so lax about etiquette?" Rei asked.
Elena gave another wry smile.
"Not all nobles are obsessed with formality. Just look at my subordinates. Kyuste aside, Ara and Vel aren't exactly masters of protocol either."
"Wait... Kyuste was obvious, but Ara and Vel are nobles too?"
"Yes. Ara is the third daughter of a Count's house, and Vel is the second son of a Viscount."
"That’s... definitely not what I expected."
The two continued their private conversation for another hour in the warm glow of the campfire. Eventually, Rei stood up.
"Well, I'm going to get some sleep. We're hitting the lowest floor tomorrow, and I don't want to be dragging my feet."
"Right. You've done more work than any of us today. You should rest."
"Yeah. Goodnight."
Rei turned to leave the fire, but—
"Rei!"
Elena called out, her voice unexpectedly sharp.
"What's up?"
"Um... about today... no, it's nothing. I just wanted to say I'm counting on you tomorrow."
"Sure. I don't plan on slacking off."
Rei gave her a puzzled look, then wrapped himself in his blanket and settled down.
Rei... I... you... No, I’m being foolish.
Elena shook her head slightly, left alone with her thoughts by the dying fire. Thus, the night before their final descent drew to a close.