"I thought solo exploration of the thirtieth floor was supposed to be dangerous, even for you, Rache-san?"
"I’ve already got that figured out, nya! I heard that muscle-head is stationed at the usual spot, so I’m going to go pick him up, nya!"
By "muscle-head," she likely meant Masso-san. Since he was also an A-Rank Adventurer, the math was simple: our combat power would double. I suppose she calculated that we could explore with at least a margin of safety that way.
"Is there actually a chance Masso-san will cooperate?"
"It’ll be fine, nya! I’ll tell him that if he helps find them, I’ll make them participate in his muscle training for a full month, nya. They caused everyone a lot of trouble, so I won't let them complain, nya!"
It seemed Rache-san intended to secure his help by using her companions as bargaining chips—or rather, as sacrifices. There was no guarantee Masso-san would actually agree to that, but I suppose we wouldn't know until we asked.
"Even so, wouldn't it still be tough with just two of you?"
"That’s exactly right, nya. That’s why I want you and your party to help too, Tort."
Saying that, Rache-san bowed her head.
When we had spoken previously, she had said it was still too early for us, but it seemed she had changed her mind. Specifically, she appeared to have caught wind of the fact that we had defeated a B-Rank Fear Trent. While A-Rank monsters were starting to appear on the thirtieth floor, the majority of the enemies were still B-Rank. She must have judged that if she and Masso-san handled the A-Ranks, we would be able to hold our own.
For my part, I wanted to help Rache-san. With two A-Rank adventurers leading the way, I felt we could survive the thirtieth floor. However, I couldn't say it was perfectly safe. I couldn't let my personal feelings put the rest of my party in danger.
As I hesitated, I felt a sudden pat on my shoulder. It was Lowell.
"I’ll follow your lead, Tort... but you want to go, don't you? We’ve been getting stronger, too. Don't worry."
The others seemed to agree; when I turned to look at them, they all gave me a supportive nod and a smile.
"I understand. We’ll go with you!"
"That’s a huge help, nya! Tort, everyone!"
Overcome with emotion, Rache-san grabbed my hands and began shaking them vigorously. She was so worked up that she was rattling my entire body without mercy. Once I finally managed to calm her down, we immediately set off for the Teleportation Door.
Incidentally, we had received proper permission from Buffy-san for this excursion. While it meant the paperwork would pile up, Rache-san had spent the last few days in such a daze that she hadn't been getting any work done anyway, so it apparently didn't make a difference whether she was there or not. However, after hearing the parting words, "I expect you to make up for every bit of missed work the moment you're back," Rache-san was visibly trembling.
We used the Teleportation Door located at the midpoint of the dungeon entrance to warp into a mysterious space, where we were instantly surrounded by members of the Gurna Warrior Group. Since we were already on good terms with them, we likely would have been released quickly, but Rache-san was a different story. That said, she was a famous figure. Combined with the fact that she had arrived with us, the warriors seemed unsure of how to proceed.
"Ugh, what stifling muscles, nya... I don't have any business with you lot, nya! Hurry up and go fetch the Head Muscle!"
The men looked somewhat bewildered by Rache-san’s brazen attitude. One of the warriors had already sprinted down the back hallway, so the "Head Muscle"—Masso-san—would likely arrive shortly. Indeed, we barely had to wait at all before Masso-san appeared.
"Rache, what on earth is your business here? And Tort’s group as well."
"My companions haven't returned from the thirty-first floor, nya. I’m going to search for them, so give me a hand, nya!"
"The Great Busters, is it? To think they still had not returned. If they are truly still on the thirty-first floor, the situation is dire. Very well, I understand. I shall assist you."
"That helps, nya! But you're being awfully cooperative, nya?"
"Umu... I have been holed up here aiming to capture Evil Cultists, but progress has been non-existent. It was becoming a bit stifling. While I never neglect my daily drills, actual combat is indeed the ultimate training! This is a perfect opportunity for a change of pace!"
Masso-san was significantly more enthusiastic about the idea than I had expected.
It seemed the plan to lie in wait at the Teleportation Door to catch the cultists wasn't going well. If the cultists were simply laying low, that was fine, but if they had found an alternative means of travel, things could get complicated.
Since he agreed before any negotiation even took place, the Great Busters had managed to avoid being forced into muscle training. At least, that’s what I thought, until...
"Umu. To think they cannot complete an exploration on schedule... they have grown slack, have they not? Once they are found, I must train them thoroughly. At least three months will be necessary."
"T-three months, nya!? W-well, you do what you want, nya..."
It seemed their participation in the training had been decided regardless of any deal. Furthermore, the sentence was much longer than the one Rache-san had planned to use as a bargaining chip.
Well, I suppose getting stronger isn't a bad thing... right?