The quest objective was to exterminate the monsters within a dungeon located about a half-day's journey east of Saloom Castle Town.
While monsters born inside a dungeon typically remain within its depths, many venture out once the space becomes too crowded. When that happens, they begin to prowl the surrounding areas, significantly increasing the danger for travelers.
Consequently, the Adventurers' Guild periodically dispatches members to cull the population. Of course, the guild had mentioned it was perfectly fine to collapse the dungeon entirely, so I planned to lay waste to it without hesitation—and help myself to some nuclei while I was at it.
As a side note, the Receptionist had repeatedly warned me to be careful. Even though she had said things like, "It's dangerous, so don't come crying to me if you die," she might actually be a surprisingly kind person when it counts.
"But we didn't really need to become adventurers for this, did we? If you wanted me to gain combat experience, couldn't we have just gone to any random dungeon?" I asked.
"Dungeons are born, destroyed, or even move quite frequently. Their locations shift so often that a map can become useless in as little as a month," Sylpha explained. "Without an organization like the guild to manage a vast number of adventurers, it would be difficult to track their precise locations."
"By the way, the massive, stationary dungeons are strictly managed, and a Guild Card acts as a pass. It’s pretty hard to get inside one if you aren't an adventurer, y’know," Tao added.
"We can also sell any items we find to the guild. Aside from that, this should serve as an excellent learning experience for you in many ways... Oh, it looks like that’s the place."
Following the direction Sylpha pointed, I peered through the trees of a forest slightly off the main road. Tucked away in a clearing was the mouth of a cave.
"That's the dungeon, y’know! I'm heading in right now!"
"Wait."
Sylpha snagged the back of Tao’s collar just as the martial artist was about to dash off.
"Hey! What gives?! You're choking me!"
"I appreciate you accepting the request, but Master Lloyd is the primary participant here. There is no point in this exercise if you go ahead of him."
"Hmph, I know that. I’m supposed to stay out of the fighting as much as possible, right?"
Tao pouted, looking thoroughly bored. Sylpha had stipulated that while it was fine for Tao to accompany us, this was ultimately my practical combat training, so she was to avoid interfering whenever possible. In exchange, Sylpha had promised to arrange an afternoon tea party with Albert once this quest was finished.
"Hehe, a tea party with Master Albert... I can't wait, y'know! ♪"
Sylpha looked down coldly at the giddy Tao. I actually wondered if it was okay for her to make those promises without Albert's permission. Well, for now, it allowed me to move around freely, which was a help.
"Well then, shall we go, Shiro?"
"Woof!"
Shiro barked energetically at my side. Indeed, my other objective for this dungeon excursion was an experiment to see how useful Shiro could be in a fight. I had a general grasp of how to handle a magical beast using magic power now, so I intended to test various techniques in actual combat.
We stepped into the cave. I sent Shiro out in front, letting it scout the path ahead as we advanced slowly. Sylpha and Tao followed a few paces behind.
"Grrr..."
Shiro growled, glaring into the darkness ahead. Hmm, a monster? I sent a command to Shiro through our mental link: Attack.
"Woof!"
Obeying my order, Shiro lunged into the shadows. A high-pitched screech rang out, and a creature emerged from the gloom. It was a horned monster about the size of a human child—a Goblin.
"Woof! Woof!"
Shiro continued to bark. Apparently, there were more of them further in. Wait, the barking was getting more distant? Shiro must have been chasing the Goblins as they fled. Dammit, I couldn't see what was happening around the bend. Regardless, it was dangerous to pursue too far, so I sent a mental command for it to return.
"Gishaaa!"
"Whoops."
While I was focused on Shiro, a Goblin lunged at me, swinging a wooden club. I leaped back to dodge and drew the sword at my waist. This was the blade Dian had given me. He likely wanted me to use it and get a feel for it. I decided to put it to the test without holding back.
"Hah."
I let out a short breath and swung the sword. At that moment, I felt a slight sense of dissonance in my own movements. Right—I wasn't actively copying Sylpha’s sword techniques. However, my form was better than I’d expected. Since I had mimicked Sylpha’s movements so many times in the past, my body seemed to have memorized them subconsciously.
The Goblin tried to intercept the blow with its club—but the sword sliced through both the wood and the Goblin's torso in a single, fluid stroke. The monster collapsed with a look of utter confusion, as if it didn't realize it had been killed.
The sharpness was incredible. An enchanted sword was even more impressive than I’d imagined.
"Woof! Woof!"
The barking returned. I could hear multiple sets of footsteps. It seemed Shiro had successfully driven the remaining Goblins back toward me. Nice work, Shiro.
"Gi?!" "Gishishi?!"
The Goblins, though being pursued, spotted me and raised their weapons to charge. There were five of them; I would stop them in their tracks first. I leveled my hand at them and cast the Earth System Magic 'Earthball'.
Normally, this spell launches a projectile of solid earth, but I had tinkered with the spell formula, drastically increasing the earth's viscosity to fire it as a mass of sticky mud instead.
Splat! The Goblins were pelted with the sludge and ground to a halt. The stickiness made their movements incredibly sluggish. I stepped in and delivered a wide horizontal slash.
"Gyaaaaaa?!"
The Goblins were cut down all at once, falling in a heap. Phew, that was a little nerve-wracking. I really am not suited for swordplay.
As I exhaled in relief, the mud at my feet suddenly writhed.
"Gishaa!"
With a shrill shriek, a mud-covered Goblin lunged at my legs. It had been hiding in the muck, feigning death.
"Woof!"
The moment I moved to counter, Shiro came charging in and clamped its jaws onto the Goblin’s throat. After flailing for a few seconds, the creature went limp.
"Thanks, Shiro. You saved me."
"Whine..."
When I stroked its head, Shiro let out a contented purr. How cute.
Glancing back, I saw Sylpha and Tao whispering to each other.
"Hehe, was even the expressionless maid getting flustered, y'know?"
"...No, not in the slightest. I have absolute faith in Master Lloyd."
"Then why are you clutching your sword hilt so hard? Talk about a worrywart."
"If you're going to say that, look at yourself. Your fists are still clenched."
"Hmph..." "Hmph..."
I didn't quite catch the specifics, but they both seemed to be smiling. These two might actually get along better than I expected.
"Even so, despite it being his first actual combat, there was no hesitation in his sword strokes... It seems the results of our 'swordplay practice' are bearing fruit. Splendid work, Master Lloyd," Sylpha remarked.
"Even though he's just a kid, he didn't hesitate for a second to kill those monsters. Plus, the way he mixes magic into his fighting style is top-notch. Lloyd is going to grow into a formidable warrior, y’know," Tao added.
The two continued to follow me, murmuring their observations.
...Being watched so closely made it a bit hard to focus on the magic.