Not long after Luna had left the living room, a few reporters finally arrived at the mansion.
I led them into the room.
The reporters gave me a somewhat hesitant look, but there were a lot of them, and this room was plenty big enough, so what was the problem?
"I-I say, Lord Oliver! It is a tremendous honor to have you personally sit for an interview with us."
"Nonsense, answering interviews is part of our duty. Besides, there was something I wanted to discuss today."
"Something you wanted to discuss? Well, that certainly is intriguing!"
"Hmph. There’s no point in keeping it a secret, so I’ll give it to you straight. We’ve decided to replace one of our party members."
From there, I told the reporters everything without holding back.
I told them how Orun had been nothing but an incompetent Enchanter.
I told them how we had welcomed Philly—who had been a major player in the Great Labyrinth of the West—to the party in his place.
I told them how we had reached the 94th Floor even with a piece of dead weight dragging us down.
And I told them how this party, now that its only flaw was gone, would reach the 95th Floor—no, how we would conquer the Great Labyrinth of the South in the very near future.
I told them all of it.
"My word... I never expected to hear a scoop like this! Tomorrow's front page is as good as decided!"
"Glad to hear it. Report it far and wide."
The more they publicized this, the more money I’d be able to squeeze out of the nobility.
After hearing this story, there wasn't a noble alive who wouldn't want to invest in me.
Once the funds started rolling in, I could finally buy those Magic Tools that Orun always refused to get, claiming they were a "waste of money."
◇
Usually, we all just ate dinner whenever we felt like it, but today we decided to dine together to hold a welcoming party for Philly.
I had even invited a famous chef from the city to the mansion to prepare the meal.
While he was working, he complimented us, saying, "The kitchen is so well-maintained, even though it’s clearly used every single day!"
Why would the chef say something so pointless? No one even uses the kitchen here.
It seemed Luna wasn't quite petty enough to skip the welcoming party altogether.
She still looked a bit drained, but she’d probably be back to her usual self by tomorrow.
"Well then! Once again—Philly, welcome to the Hero Party! We’re looking forward to great things! Cheers!"
""Cheers!""
"Thank you so much. To think you'd prepare such an expensive meal for me..."
"Don't sweat it. It’s not a problem anymore. That preachy treasurer of ours is gone, after all! Did you know? I took a look at that 'ledger' thing he was managing—you know, the paper where he wrote down all the numbers? When I saw the amount of money we actually had, I thought my damn eyes were going to pop out!"
"That really was a shock! He was sitting on all that gold, so why was he such a stingy cheapskate?! If you have money, you’re supposed to spend it!"
Hm? A ledger?
It was true that I’d left the financial management entirely to Orun, but do we really have that much?
Come to think of it, I didn't actually know the exact balance of our savings.
"Nah, that was definitely just money he was hoarding to play around with on his own! Letting him manage the funds was a huge mistake. Kicking him out was definitely the right call—our money was probably being spent behind our backs!"
"Um... wouldn't those be the party's activity funds?"
Philly spoke up, sounding a bit hesitant after Derrick's outburst.
"Huh? Activity funds? We pay for the stuff we need out of our own pockets, don't we?"
"No, I mean... things other than Labyrinth exploration cost money too, right? For example, the rent for this mansion."
"Ah. The rent. Right, I see. I guess stuff like that adds up. But if we have that much cash, wouldn't it be faster to just buy the mansion outright? What do you think, Oliver? Why don't we just buy the place? We’re going to be using it as our base for a while anyway. If we ever leave, we can just sell it off!"
"Derrick, you're a genius! Let's do it! That way, we can spend whatever's left however we want without anyone complaining!"
"We'll consider that in due time. For now, let's focus on the immediate schedule. I’m making tomorrow a free day, and the day after that, we're diving to the 92nd Floor."
I wanted to say we’d conquer the 94th Floor immediately, but I wasn't going to be reckless.
We would confirm our coordination on the 92nd Floor first. If there were no issues, we would then embark on the conquest of the 94th Floor with full preparation.
"Hah? Why are you being so soft? Conquering the 94th Floor is the only choice!"
"He's right! Now that Philly’s with us, reaching the 95th Floor should be a piece of cake!"
"I understand how you feel. But this is Philly’s first time in the Great Labyrinth of the South. She’s never even set foot in the Deep Floors before. Because of that, I think we should test our teamwork on a floor where we can back her up, rather than a floor we haven't even cleared ourselves."
"I guess that makes sense. It is Philly's first time in the Deep Floors."
"True. Then let's do as Oliver suggested and explore the 92nd Floor first."
"Everyone... I'm so sorry to be a burden."
"Don't worry about it. We're comrades. It’s because we expect great things from you that we’re starting on the 92nd Floor."
"I am against this."
Just as the discussion was wrapping up, an objection came from an unexpected source.
It was Luna. She had been sitting there with a furrowed brow this entire time, but she hadn't interjected until now.
"You again?! Quit trying to ruin the mood of the party!"
"Calm down, Derrick. Luna, why are you against it?"
"It’s simple. I have no death wish."
A death wish?
She was talking as if we were going to die just by stepping onto the 92nd Floor.
"Luna, we aren't going to die on the 92nd Floor."
"...How can you be so certain?"
"We reached the 94th Floor even with Orun. And now we have Philly, an Enchanter who is several leagues above him. With this roster, our overall power has increased significantly."
"And you know Miss Philly's true abilities, do you?"
Now that she mentioned it, that was true.
I’d only told Luna today that Philly had joined the party.
If I told her about Philly's achievements, surely she’d change her mind.
"She’s an Explorer who was active in the Great Labyrinth of the West. She’s reached the 100th Floor there."
"The 100th Floor of the West... Then she might indeed be an excellent Enchanter. By the 100th Floor, do you mean she was a member of the 'Hero's' party?"
The 'Hero' was the alias of the Explorer who had conquered the Great Labyrinth of the West.
I didn't actually know why they were called that, though.
"N-No. It was a different party."
"I see. I understand that she is a capable Enchanter. However... I am still against going to the 92nd Floor."
How long is this girl going to keep clinging to a fantasy of Orun that doesn't exist?
I really wished she’d wake up and look at reality.
"Luna, this is a final decision. I won't hear any more refusals."
"Sigh... Fine. I understand. ...............It’s already over, then."
After Luna gave her reluctant consent, she murmured something under her breath.
It was so quiet I doubt anyone but me heard it.
That's right, it's already over.
Once we finish our exploration the day after tomorrow, she’ll finally realize just how pathetic Orun's abilities actually were.
When that happens, Luna will finally come to her senses.
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