Sherry explained the situation to me, her expression one of clear dissatisfaction.
"Shell Powder, wasn't it?"
"Yes, that's correct."
The Clamshell’s drop item was Shell Powder. That was good news; it meant I wouldn't have to buy the stuff anymore.
"So, following the Bitch Butterfly, this one has a resistance to Fire Magic too. Since we’re on the sixteenth floor, we should probably avoid areas where Sarracenias are thick. All right, Roxanne. Start us off with a small group, if you would."
"Certainly."
I left the navigation to Roxanne. Sarracenias were weak to fire, but Bitch Butterflies and Clamshells were resistant to it. Running into a mixed group with a high number of Sarracenias would be a headache. If I used Fire Magic to clear the larger group first, the battle against the resistant monsters would drag on needlessly.
On the sixteenth floor, monsters appeared in groups of up to five. A combination like three Sarracenias and two other monsters was entirely possible. While Roxanne could completely shut down a single enemy, having two might lead to us taking hits. The shorter the battle, the better.
Then again, we were only two floors up from the fourteenth, where Sarracenias first appeared in the Halber Labyrinth. They shouldn't be spawning in massive numbers yet. In most groups, they’d likely be the minority. It shouldn't be a problem.
"Pig Hoggs are also resistant to Earth Magic," Sherry pointed out.
That was right. Which meant a group consisting of three Clamshells and two Pig Hoggs was also a bad match. I had to weigh the possibilities and select my magic carefully, and Roxanne had to consider the same factors when choosing where to lead us. Leading the way was no small task.
As I followed Roxanne, a monster came into view. Just one, as requested. Good girl.
So, that was a Clamshell.
True to its name, it was a bivalve monster, roughly one meter tall. As a monster, it was on the smaller side, but as a clam, it was gargantuan. If Roxanne sat on it naked, it would be a literal "Birth of Venus." Despite its size, it didn't have the wavy ridges of a giant clam; it was smooth and plain, like a common hard clam scaled up to an extreme degree.
Rather than lying flat, it stood vertically on its edge. Why a bivalve would stand that way was a mystery. How it managed to stand without sticking a foot out was even more of one. Its movement was equally baffling; it simply slid toward us while remaining perfectly upright, moving at a respectable speed.
Since it was weak to Earth Magic, I pelted it with a Sand Ball.
The Clamshell closed the distance, and Roxanne moved to intercept it head-on. Since there was only one target, Sherry kept a short distance and thrust her spear. Miria circled around to the flank. I shifted my position to stand between Roxanne and Miria.
The Clamshell launched a charge, which Roxanne deflected with her shield. As the shell shifted, it opened its mouth and spat a jet of water. Roxanne tilted her upper body to dodge. I didn't know it could do that. I would’ve been soaked if I’d stayed put; I was glad I’d moved to the side.
The shell shifted again, and the mouth opened wide. The Clamshell leaped straight at Roxanne, intending to clamp down on her between its two shells. Roxanne thrust her estoc into the opening before calmly parrying the rest of the blow with her shield. After forcing the shell to veer off, she stabbed it with her estoc again.
She was so composed. I’d actually flinched and backed away just now, despite being diagonally behind her.
"Was that the bite attack?" I asked. A one-meter-wide clam clamping down would certainly pack a punch.
"It would seem so," Roxanne replied effortlessly.
"The books in the library said its bite can cause paralysis," Sherry added. "Looking at that attack, it certainly seems plausible."
"With a movement that telegraphed, it would be difficult for it to actually land a hit," Roxanne noted.
Or so she said. Sherry and I couldn't help but exchange looks. Well, being able to chat like this mid-battle was a luxury afforded to us only because Roxanne was doing such a stellar job on the front line.
I bombarded it with several more Sand Balls. It didn't go down easily. Just as I was about to fire the next spell... the Clamshell collapsed.
"Oh. It's down."
"We did it."
The bivalve rolled over and flopped onto the cavern floor. It seemed Sherry’s spear thrust had been the finishing blow. It vanished into smoke.
"Well done, Sherry."
"Amazing, desu."
"Thank you very much. I believe Roxanne-san stabbing the interior when it opened its mouth was a significant factor. Also, since it's likely an aquatic monster, Miria's strength probably played a large part as well."
The girls were celebrating. This was the first time they’d finished off a monster I was targeting with magic. Since Roxanne had switched to the estoc, our overall offensive power had clearly increased.
"Does attacking the inside do more damage?" I asked Sherry.
"Slashing at the hard shell didn't leave a single scratch, so I imagine that is the case."
"Hmm. I see."
It made sense logically, though it was hard to tell for sure with monsters.
However, having the girls finish off the monsters wasn't ideal for me in several ways. If I didn't deliver the killing blow, my 64x Crystallization Acceleration wouldn't take effect. The Increased XP Gain was also a skill tied to me; if I didn't get the kill, the experience points wouldn't be boosted.
Well, I suppose once in a while was fine. Even if I didn't land the final hit, I’d whittled down its health with magic, so I was likely still getting a portion of the experience. Sherry had only attacked four or five times. Multiplied by three people, that was twelve to fifteen hits. It was bound to happen occasionally. It would be an unreasonable demand to tell them not to attack, so I couldn't bring myself to say it.
Next, we confronted a group: three Clamshells and one Bitch Butterfly.
"They're coming!" Roxanne called out.
In the next instant, Roxanne’s body blurred like a mirage as she moved. Water erupted through the space where her upper body had just been. It didn't look like magic, but she still refused to block it with her shield. She probably didn't want to get wet; dodging was the right call.
I was glad I wasn't directly behind her. Having watched the previous fight, I’d realized the space behind Roxanne was a danger zone. Even I was growing every day.
The Clamshells and the Bitch Butterfly closed in. The one that had spat water joined the line almost immediately. Since it wasn't magic or a skill, it didn't need time to construct a magic circle, which meant there was no delay.
The three on the front line took on the four enemies. I took out the three Clamshells by spamming Sand Storm. Unlike the single-target fight, the girls couldn't focus their attacks, which allowed me to secure the killing blows. I brought down the remaining Bitch Butterfly with a series of Breeze Balls, finishing that one with magic as well.
The girls gathered the drop items. Finally, I received the Shell Powder from Sherry.
"As expected, they don't drop very often."
Her words sparked an idea. Come to think of it, I’d heard that shellfish could only be eaten if they were monster materials harvested from a labyrinth. And the Clamshell was undeniably a bivalve.
Which meant... it should leave behind food. I was sure there was something about Hamaguri. I hurriedly equipped the Cook job.
"Oh! So that's how it works."
"..."
Why was she looking at me like that? Sherry was giving me a cold, sideways stare. In our world, that's considered a reward.
"W-well, as they say, if it were that easy to find, no one would be going hungry," I said, nodding with feigned wisdom.
I definitely hadn't forgotten. I just... didn't know. Wait, is that worse? Normally, you wouldn't expect a monster that drops Shell Powder to also drop food. You just wouldn't. There's no way.
No, wait. Was that why Sherry had been dropping hints? And now she was exasperated because I’d confessed my ignorance? Yes, Sherry was kind, so that must be it.
"...Usually, just hunting the Clamshells themselves is difficult enough," she said, mercifully playing along.
"Is that so?"
"It is."
"I-I see."
We continued fighting Clamshells with the Cook job active. A mere Clamshell was nothing for Roxanne to handle. While she masterfully evaded every attack, I picked them off from behind with magic. Sherry and Miria were also doing great work on the front line. Eventually, Sherry and Miria brought over some Hamaguri.
"To think two would drop at once!"
"Yes, desu!"
Sherry looked exasperated again. Miria didn't seem particularly excited either; apparently, clams fell into a different category than fish for her. I wondered if "seafood" was even a word in Miria's vocabulary. They were shucked meat, without shells. If you looked too closely, they were a bit gross, but otherwise, they looked like any other clam.
Appraisal confirmed they were Hamaguri. They weren't massive—about average size for a clam—but as a rare drop, they were surely a luxury item. At this size, we’d need several per person to make a proper meal.
"How do you usually eat these?" I asked.
"I haven't had them often, but they were usually put in soups," Sherry replied.
"In that case, I'll try making some for tonight’s dinner."
Since the girls hadn't eaten them much, I might as well be the one to cook.
"Thank you very much. To think we've finally reached the point where we can gather Hamaguri ourselves."
"Thank you."
"Yes, desu."
Miria still didn't seem that happy. Was it really just because they weren't fish?
"It's my first time cooking these, so forgive me if I mess up."
"If it's you, Master, I'm sure it will be fine."
"Grill, desu. ××××××××××"
"She says that if you grill them with fish sauce alongside some fish, it's simple and you can't fail," Roxanne translated.
Was she trying to sneak a fish dish into the menu under the cover of confusion? That trick is "the grilled clams of Kuwana"—literally. Her obsession with fish is truly "the Kishimojin of Iriya."
Still, grilling them with fish sauce did sound foolproof. I was starting to think it was a good idea. A very good idea. "The Konkon-chiki of Nagoya," as they say.
"Well, maybe another time."
"Another time, desu..."
I couldn't tell if she was happy or not. Her voice was lively, but the words were non-committal. I could almost hear her inner voice: When is "another time"? When is "soon"?
"Look, we cleared the fifteenth floor, so tomorrow’s dinner is going to be deep-fried whole fish," I promised.
"Whole fish, desu!"
Oh! Her eyes went wide. Now that was an expression of true joy. Perhaps she hadn't been entirely sure I’d follow through on the promise. I’m a man of my word—mostly because I’m afraid of what happens if I’m not. I’d have to make sure the Tatsuta-age was perfect.
"Tonight is clam soup; tomorrow is deep-fried whole fish."
"Thank you! We are truly fortunate. Since we began serving you, Master, our meals have become unimaginably luxurious."
"It is indeed something to be grateful for."
"Tomorrow’s dinner, desu!"
With Miria, I still couldn't tell if she was celebrating or lamenting the wait. Probably both. You have to marinate the fish in fish sauce for Tatsuta-age anyway, so tomorrow was the earliest possible time.
"We know we can handle Clamshells now, but we should probably fight a group with three different species at least once. Just in case."
"It would be wise to be fully prepared," Sherry agreed.
"We might find ourselves surrounded in an unexpected situation," Roxanne added.
"Yes, desu."
On Halber’s sixteenth floor, mixed groups made it harder to line up elemental weaknesses. We shouldn't rely on always finding favorable matchups. It was better to gain the experience while we had some breathing room.
"I can definitely identify a group with three Clamshells or Bitch Butterflies and one each of two other species," Roxanne said. "I'll lead you to one."
"I’m counting on you."
Roxanne was as reliable as ever. On this floor, five was the maximum. If one species had three members, the others would have to be one each. Apparently, she could distinguish that specific ratio because the gap between one and three was large enough to be clear.
"Um... I believe there is a group with three Clamshells, a Bitch Butterfly, and a Pig Hogg. What should we do?"
"Clamshells and a Pig Hogg, huh? Well, we have to try it at least once."
"Understood. This way."
Our first encounter with a three-species group on the sixteenth floor was exactly that. I cleared the Clamshells with All-target Earth Magic, brought down the Bitch Butterfly with All-target Wind Magic, and then finished the Pig Hogg with an extra Water Ball. It was a long, exhausting battle.
"We should avoid that combination whenever possible."
"Is that so? I didn't think it was that much of a problem, though it certainly took longer than usual," Roxanne noted.
Whether I had the Monk job equipped or not didn't seem to change much. And despite having the Cook job, no Hamaguri dropped that time.
The next three-species group we faced was three Clamshells, a Bitch Butterfly, and a Sarracenia. Once the Clamshells and the Butterfly were gone, a single fire spell turned the Sarracenia into a torch.
"This combination is fine."
"Yes, it seems there's no problem at all."
With Roxanne, everything was "no problem." But practically speaking, longer battles were a drain on everyone, not just her. I hoped the monsters would be more considerate of our schedule.
We fought for a while longer, but three-species groups weren't that common. Roxanne was doing a good job of steering us away from them. It looked like we’d be fine on this floor.
However, I decided I needed to keep the Monk job equipped at all times. Mixed groups led to longer fights, and five-monster groups often turned into chaotic scrambles. Even Roxanne might take a hit in those conditions. It was too much of a hassle to swap jobs every time someone got scratched, and safety came first.
To have Explorer, Hero, and Mage plus Monk and Cook, I needed a Fifth Job slot. Since I was pouring points into 64x Crystallization Acceleration, my experience-boosting skills were being sacrificed. It couldn't be helped. I just had to endure until the White Magic Crystal was ready or the auction took place. Besides, if we got enough Hamaguri, we could make a fortune selling them.
Sensing Miria’s expectant gaze, I cut our exploration of Halber short and headed to the twelfth floor of Bode. We stayed until two whole fish dropped. These were the star ingredients for our celebration meal.
"Two whole fish should be enough, right?"
"Yes, desu!"
Apparently, two was plenty for her. You can have too much of a good thing, after all. Having secured the fish, we returned to Halber's sixteenth floor—our real training ground—to finish out the day.
"I'm making the clam soup tonight, so please handle one or two side dishes."
"Certainly."
After finishing our hunt, we bought some bread and vegetables and headed home.
First, I lightly simmered the Hamaguri in water and wine. Since they were shucked, I didn't have the "opening shell" signal to go by, so I just gave them a quick simmer to keep them from getting tough. I finely chopped some vegetables and ham, sautéed them, and prepared a white roux. I quartered the clams, returned them to the broth, and added the ham, vegetables, and roux. Once it was just shy of boiling, the clam chowder was ready.
I took the pot off the heat and brought it to the table.
"××××××××××"
"Miria says this is her first time eating Hamaguri."
If I were the only one getting clams, there’d be a riot. Fortunately, they’d dropped in large numbers, so we could eat our fill.
"I put plenty in, and there's enough for seconds."
I ladled out the soup. I was reasonably sure it was a success, but I took the first bite to be certain.
Oh! It was incredible. The deep, rich broth of the clams permeated the soup. The Hamaguri themselves had just the right amount of chew and an intense, concentrated flavor. It definitely lived up to its status as a rare ingredient.
Why was it this good? And that aroma! That mellow, appetite-whetting fragrance... it was soul-soothing. Curse you, are you trying to test my refined palate? Call the proprietress!
"Master, this is delicious!"
"This might be the best Hamaguri I've ever had."
"Delicious, desu!"
It was a hit with all three of them. I’d have to make this again, though I shouldn't let us get too used to luxury. But since we gathered the ingredients ourselves, it was fine. Even Miria was eating with gusto.
And yet, the next morning, when a Hamaguri dropped and Miria picked it up, she just handed it over with a simple "Yes."
She still hadn't learned the word?
"It's Hamaguri. Hamaguri."
"Hamaguri, desu."
She said it, but I had a feeling she’d forget it within minutes. Did it really have to be related to fish for her to remember? Fine, I’d just have to show her how well clams and fish complemented each other.
"I'll make macaroni for breakfast. Please handle the soup."
"Understood."
"I'll take care of the soup, then," Sherry said.
After leaving the labyrinth, we split the tasks. Sherry started on the soup while I got to work on the main dish. I used plenty of white fish, Hamaguri, pork belly, and vegetables to make a stir-fry using the pasta available in this world. It was Seafood Starchy Sauce Fried Macaroni. Since we had bread too, I went heavy on the toppings.
"So good. Clams really are great."
"Yes! Your cooking is the best, Master."
"It’s very delicious."
The clam broth had soaked into the white fish. Surely Miria wouldn't have any complaints now.
"White fish... delicious, desu!"
Right. My mistake. When fish was on the plate, her attention was a laser beam focused solely on that.
Later that afternoon, when Miria handed me a drop item with another simple "Yes," I decided to test her.
"What's this?"
"Shell Powder, desu."
She’d learned that one because we’d used it for tempura.
"And this?"
"Hamaguri, desu!"
Oh! She remembered!
"She says it's because she ate it with white fish this morning," Roxanne added.
I see. It hadn't been a waste of time after all. If I wanted Miria to learn the language, food was clearly the most effective teacher.