So this was what dual-wielding looked like in practice.
It was formidable.
If I were the one facing her, I’d be at a loss. Attacks from the right were parried only to be met with a counter from the left. Attacks from the left were blocked and answered from the right.
Vesta’s imposing stature only added to the effect. Facing her must have felt like standing before a mountain. Of course, cleanly parrying a monster's strikes was a feat in itself.
I finished off the Flytraps with fire magic, and we surrounded the remaining Clamshell. Vesta brought her twin swords down in alternating strikes. When she attacked from the side, the display was even more overwhelming; it was like watching someone beat a rhythm on a drum.
The Clamshell thrashed in a desperate struggle. It tried to snap at Vesta, but she caught the blow with her blade. It wasn't just a block; she seemed to neutralize the momentum with the force of her own counter-slash. Even if it tried to pivot toward Roxanne, she simply drifted out of reach with practiced ease.
A lone Clamshell stood no chance against us now. I fired a Sand Ball at the monster, ending the fight quickly.
"That was a bit of a marathon, but you all did excellently," I said. "I think we're more than ready to push into the higher floors."
"Yes, Master," Roxanne replied. "Opponents of this caliber pose no threat to us."
I figured she’d say that. Honestly, if Roxanne ever found an enemy "difficult," the rest of us would probably be dead within seconds.
"Vesta, you seemed to handle yourself well too."
"Yes. I am quite alright."
"Those were some impressive strikes."
"Thank you very much."
Since we had replaced her equipment and hadn't applied any Plating yet, I technically should have let her take a hit to see how she fared, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Taking damage was unpleasant, and I didn't want to force it on her—especially after I’d made her do it yesterday. Based on that test, she could certainly take a beating without dying in one hit.
As it turned out, Vesta made it through the entire day without taking a single scratch, all the way to the boss room of the eighteenth floor of Halber. Perhaps it was because we were prioritizing exploration over grinding. Either way, her safety was something to celebrate.
I summoned Durandal and stepped into the boss room. We made quick work of the Kettle Mermaid and the Animal Trap.
Purely in terms of damage, the most efficient formation for boss battles would likely be handing Durandal to Vesta while I focused on magic. However, since I could use Rush, the gap wasn't that massive. While I could turn Vesta into a Warrior, I had the benefit of Chant Omission. Besides, holding Durandal myself allowed me to react flexibly to any crisis.
Boss battles felt easy precisely because I used Durandal. I wondered how we’d fare without it. Probably fine, as long as Roxanne kept dodging. In the end, a win was a win; there was no rule stating I had to maximize every bit of firepower. If it truly came down to it, I could use Durandal while casting spells. For now, that wasn't necessary.
"The monsters on the nineteenth floor of Halber are Love Shrubs," Sherry informed me.
"They're weak to the fire attribute, right?"
"Correct."
We stepped onto the nineteenth floor. Following the Flytraps on the eighteenth, the Love Shrubs here were also weak to fire. It seemed the nineteenth floor of Halber would be relatively smooth sailing.
"Roxanne, take us to the first group of Love Shrubs you find."
"Understood. This way."
Guided by Roxanne, we encountered a trio of Love Shrubs. Since they were the only enemies present, I roasted them thoroughly.
"Well, that’s that. We can definitely handle this floor."
"As expected of Master," Roxanne praised.
The real metric for whether we could handle a floor was the frontline's ability to endure. The girls were the ones doing the heavy lifting, even if the speed of the battle depended on my magic. As we climbed higher, the number of spells required to kill a monster was steadily increasing.
"It’s a bit early, but let’s head back to rest. This afternoon, we’ll break through the eighteenth floor of Quratar."
"Understood. That sounds like a wise plan."
With Roxanne's agreement, we took a break. Vesta still hadn't been hit, so I pinned my hopes on the eighteenth floor of Quratar to see her in action.
"Roxanne, if you find a spot with a high density of Marbrims, make sure we stop there."
"Understood."
In the afternoon, I handed the map to Roxanne and we entered Quratar’s eighteenth floor. I swapped Bounty Hunter for the Cook job. Bounty Hunter’s growth rate was truly staggering.
"Milia, we have red meat for today, so how about we save the Whole Fish for the day after tomorrow?"
"Yes! I'd like that!"
I couldn't spoil her too much; having fish every single day might be overkill. We moved toward the boss room, with Roxanne scouting the path. We encountered several large groups, including one with three Marbrims and two Pig Hoggs. While the Pig Hoggs were resistant to the earth magic that Marbrims were weak to, I prioritized the drop items.
I unleashed a Sand Storm. Three Marbrims and a Pig Hogg lunged forward while the second Pig Hogg tried to circle around us. Roxanne initiated with an Estoc thrust, while Vesta swung her blades in tandem. One Marbrim charged Milia, who caught it firmly on her shield. Vesta blocked a Pig Hogg’s headbutt with her iron sword and simultaneously parried it with her steel blade.
The two Marbrims in the center focused on Roxanne, but she danced between their attacks as if they were standing still. Evading simultaneous strikes from both sides was a feat of pure grace. A yellow magic circle flared beneath one Pig Hogg, but Sherry canceled it with her spear. Then, another circle appeared under the one in the back.
"Incoming!"
The Pig Hogg spat a glob of mud. Roxanne dodged effortlessly, and Sherry avoided it as well. We were in the clear. I finished the three Marbrims with another Sand Storm, then switched to Water Storm to mop up the rest. It took a little longer than usual, but we were fine. Even with mixed elemental resistances, we could manage.
"Whole Fish!" Milia cheered, bringing the loot over. One of the three had dropped the prize. That made two in total.
"Is two enough?" I asked.
"Yes! It's plenty!" Milia replied energetically. Her enthusiasm was always her best trait.
I wondered if two really was enough. Even with her large frame, Vesta didn't seem to eat much more than the others. Still, she might just be acting reserved since she was the newcomer.
"Vesta, is that enough for you too?"
"Yes. I believe it will be sufficient."
I didn't want Vesta to accidentally eat so much that Milia started resenting her. I hoped that concern wasn't obvious. Increasing the food count every time would be a hassle, anyway. Two was fine—Milia was the "big sister" now, after all.
"Alright, since we got the second fish, let's head straight for the boss room."
"Understood."
I gave Roxanne the command and unequipped the Cook job. Vesta still hadn't taken a hit. I’d hoped for a small skirmish to test her, but the opportunity didn't arise. Even during the boss battle, she remained unscathed. Usually, Roxanne was the only one even targeted by bosses, and I tended to burn down the adds before they could cause trouble. As for Roxanne, her getting hit was a statistical impossibility.
"The monster on the nineteenth floor of Quratar is the Rootle Troll," Sherry briefed us. "It doesn't use poison, but its physical attacks can cause paralysis. It’s resistant to wind but weak to fire."
"Let's test the waters. Roxanne, lead the way."
Two hairy, grey monsters appeared. Level 19 Rootle Trolls. They looked less like ape-men and more like bedraggled old vagrants, their eyes hidden behind matted fur. They looked thoroughly unpleasant. There was no need for mercy. I invoked Fire Storm.
The Rootle Trolls lumbered toward us with long, slow strides. They were quite large—nearly as tall as Vesta. Actually, Vesta still had them beat by a hair. It was a strange sight to see a warrior larger than the monsters, though given the variety of creatures in the Labyrinth, it shouldn't have been that surprising. It was certainly reassuring.
As they reached the frontline, one monster raised a hairy arm and brought it down like a hammer. Roxanne swayed out of the way. Milia faced the other, managing to evade its strikes. I cast another Fire Storm to end things quickly. Vesta circled the monster's flank, her dual blades flashing as they carved into its hide, while Sherry followed up with spear thrusts.
Burned from the inside out by fire magic, the Rootle Troll finally collapsed.
"Well, that wasn't so bad."
It was our first time fighting them, but they didn't feel like a serious threat. I supposed things would stay this way until the twenty-second floor. The real jump in difficulty would likely happen after that. As long as we weren't struggling, we had room to keep climbing.
"This is nothing," Roxanne said. "As expected of Master."
"It seems the Rootle Trolls won't be an issue," Sherry added.
"Yes!" Milia chirped.
"I believe we'll be fine," Vesta agreed.
If Sherry thought we were okay, then we were.
"Vesta, you haven't been hit at all on the eighteenth floor today. Are you sure you're ready for the nineteenth?"
"Yes. Based on how I felt yesterday, the impact wasn't that painful. I can handle much more."
If she said it didn't hurt, I’d take her word for it. I doubted she had an abnormal pain tolerance; she was able to recognize when she needed First Aid and told me to stop when she was healed. Even if she did get hit, I didn't think a floor 19 monster would one-shot her. And if things went sideways, the Substitution Misanga would trigger.
We moved back to the Halber Labyrinth to continue our exploration.
"It's getting late. Shall we call it a day?" I asked as evening approached.
"I think so," Roxanne replied.
Vesta still hadn't taken a single hit. Part of it was our new exploration style; we weren't running into massive hordes as often. If there was one monster, Roxanne took point. If there were two, Milia stepped up. Even with three, the frontliners just took them one-on-one. Previously, I’d had Roxanne find the largest groups possible, which had been artificially inflating the difficulty. Of course, that was better for efficiency, but it was nice to have a smoother run.
"We'll stop by the first floor before we head out. Lead us to some Cheap Sheep."
"Understood."
On the way out, I stopped on floor 1 to test Dead or Alive. My Bounty Hunter level was now 26. The skill failed to trigger. I wondered if my hypothesis about it being a one-hit kill skill was wrong. I ended up just slaying the monster with Durandal. Maybe I should try it on Kobolds? No, the first floor of Quratar was too crowded for experiments. I’d just have to keep trying daily.
"Is this some kind of experiment?" Sherry asked curiously.
She didn't immediately dismiss it as me being weird, which was a nice change. She was really starting to settle in.
We returned to Quratar, sold our loot, and stepped out of the guild.
"For dinner tonight, I'm giving the red meat to Milia. I'm counting on you to prepare it."
"Yes, Master!"
"And I'm going to make a meat dish with Vesta’s help."
"Me? Of course!" Vesta sounded eager.
We couldn't just have fish; Milia would want a lot to eat, and I wanted something substantial.
"In that case, Sherry and I will handle the soup and another side dish," Roxanne said.
"I'll make stir-fried vegetables. Roxanne, can you take the soup?"
"Yes, let's do that."
Our roles were set. We bought the ingredients and headed home.
"Vesta, do you know what minced meat is?"
"Just the name."
Roxanne and Sherry both looked slightly uncomfortable.
"Is something wrong?" I asked.
"Well..." Roxanne trailed off.
"Minced meat is considered food for the poor and crude," Sherry explained. "My grandfather would never even look at it."
It seemed I’d stumbled onto a local taboo. I suppose it made sense; every culture had foods they considered "beneath" them.
"You're going to eat it too, Master?" Roxanne asked.
"That’s the plan."
"Since you are the one eating it, I suppose it's fine... but it would be best to keep this a secret from others," Roxanne suggested.
So it wasn't a religious taboo, just a class one. It was "peasant food" that no person of standing would ever touch. Given that it wasn't exactly a high-end ingredient, I could see the logic.
"I see."
"Then we must keep this a secret as well," Roxanne said to the group.
"That’s for the best," Sherry agreed.
"Yes!"
"Understood."
Wait, what did she mean by "this as well"? There were a lot of secrets in this house, but still.
"Are you all okay with eating it?"
"If it's with you, Master, we have no problem."
It was too much trouble to change the menu now. We’d proceed as planned.
"Vesta, can you make the mince?"
"Um, how do I...?"
"Just use a knife to chop the meat into very fine bits," Roxanne instructed. Apparently, she had seen it done before.
"I understand."
I handed over the pork belly from the Pig Hoggs and some extra meat I’d bought. A mix of the two would be best. While Vesta got to work, I soaked some crustless bread in milk and stir-fried some vegetables—something firm, like celery. I needed a bit of crunch, so it would be a good substitute for onion. I also toasted some flour.
"Alright, that looks good. Now, mix it all together."
Once the meat was ready, I had Vesta combine it with salt, pepper, eggs, and the vegetables, then tore in the soaked bread. After she mixed it thoroughly, I shaped the patties, made a small dimple in the center of each, and fried five portions.
Hamburgers.
After they were cooked, I used the remaining pan juices along with the toasted flour, some wine, mushrooms, and a dash of fish sauce to simmer a gravy. I wasn’t a professional saucier, but I’d seen enough to make it work.
I poured the sauce over the patties and brought them to the table. We had them with soup and the red meat Milia had simmered. The burgers were wonderfully tender and juicy, the black pepper providing a nice kick. For a first attempt at the sauce, it wasn't bad at all.
"This is delicious! I've never seen bread used this way before. As expected of Master!" Roxanne chirped. She knew what minced meat was, so she must have had it grilled before.
"It really is soft and flavorful," Sherry admitted. "I thought it was only for the poor, but I might have to rethink that. Of course, using such high-quality monster drops as the base helps."
Usually, if meat was good enough to be a steak, people just ate it as a steak. Mincing it was reserved for the tough, leftover bits. No wonder it had such a bad reputation.
"Amazing!" Milia said, though her eyes were firmly locked on her red meat. That was also quite good.
"Since I've come here, I've eaten nothing but delicacies," Vesta said gratefully. "Thank you."
"Vesta did the hard part today," I replied.
"That was nothing at all."
If I had to do all that chopping myself, it would be a chore. It’s definitely easier to just grill a steak. Still, since Vesta was happy to help, I figured I’d make hamburgers again sometime.
Speaking of "again," there was Dead or Alive. I had to keep at it. The next day, I tested it again at Bounty Hunter Level 30. Failure. The day after, at Level 32, another failure.
Was I doing it wrong? Was there a specific condition? The skill allowed me to designate a target, so the invocation seemed right. It wasn't like Rush, where you invoked it and then swung. Maybe it didn't work on monsters? But that would be strange. I even tried to see if it would resurrect a dead monster, just in case "Dead or Alive" meant "unquestioned state," but of course, it didn't. Life-restoring magic wasn't that easy to find.
Maybe the success rate was just incredibly low. Over the next few days, I made it a point to stop by the first floor whenever we entered or left a Labyrinth.
Persistence finally paid off. Returning from Halber early one morning, I invoked the skill. The Cheap Sheep simply crumpled. It didn't even make a sound; it just dropped dead.
One hit. It really was an instant-death skill.
"Oh!" Roxanne was the first to notice the anomaly.
"Finally," I sighed.
"Wait... did you do that, Master?"
"I did."
This was the second time I’d tried it on that specific sheep. So, a previous failure didn't lock you out of a success later. It definitely drained my MP, too. Considering I’d failed about twenty times since hitting Level 30, the success rate had to be abysmal. It probably didn't even scale with level.
"As expected of Master..." Roxanne whispered.
"So this is what you've been experimenting with?" Sherry asked, looking impressed.
"That was amazing!" Milia added.
"I feel like I've just seen something impossible," Vesta said.
From an outsider's perspective, I had just looked at a monster and it died. It was less of a Bounty Hunter skill and more of an Assassin’s dream. No evidence, no risk. Well, only for me—normally the chant would give you away, but with Chant Omission, I could take a life without moving a muscle. It was actually a little chilling.
"Keep this between us. No one can know."
"Y-Yes, of course," Roxanne stammered, and the others nodded in solemn agreement. If word got out that people just dropped dead when I looked at them, I’d be hunted down in a heartbeat.
I checked my jobs. Dead or Alive had succeeded, but I still hadn't unlocked the Gambler job. There had been a hint about training the Thief job, so I decided I needed to focus on that. I swapped Bounty Hunter for Thief.
That day, we reached the nineteenth-floor boss room of Halber. We’d just had the Whole Fish yesterday, but since we’d pushed the schedule back for the red meat, we were having another one to celebrate the breakthrough. Milia was over the moon.
"The boss of the Love Shrub is the Rough Shrub. It’s a violent monster with an expansive reach, so be careful," Sherry warned.
We entered the room. A Rough Shrub and a Flytrap were waiting for us. The Rough Shrub was a massive, sentient tree, its branches spreading much wider than its smaller counterparts. I used a Rush from the Warrior job I'd temporarily equipped to clear out the Flytrap, then joined the circle around the boss.
Branches whipped through the air. Roxanne dodged them easily, but they whistled past my face too. The reach was a real problem; you could get hit even if you were standing to the side. I launched a Rush, but the monster caught me with a counter-swipe. It was annoying—moving so much despite being a tree.
I ignored the damage, letting Durandal’s HP Absorption top me off, and kept up the pressure. I slammed several more Rushes into the trunk. The Rough Shrub lashed out again. I didn't even try to dodge, carving into its bark with Durandal. It had turned into a straight-up slugfest.
As long as I had Durandal, I wouldn't lose a battle of attrition. I just had to grit my teeth through the pain. It wasn't too bad; for a boss, it was manageable. Vesta’s passive Vitality Increase was likely helping more than I realized.
One final Rush sent the Rough Shrub shuddering. It toppled over with a heavy thud and finally died.
"Incredible fighting, Master!" Roxanne cheered.
"I got a little stubborn there."
"You took quite a few hits. Are you alright?" Vesta asked, looking concerned.
Unlike Roxanne, getting hit was part of my routine. "I'm fine. I've built up some resilience. For you, Vesta, those would probably feel like a light slap from a monster outside the Labyrinth."
"Oh, if that's the case, then I'm glad. You really are amazing."
She seemed to take that at face value. Personally, I never wanted to be hit even by a Level 1 monster, but I had to keep up appearances. I was actually surprised I’d tried to sound so tough. Vesta herself had mentioned that taking a hit on the nineteenth floor was "nothing," so she was clearly ready for the twentieth.
The boss vanished into smoke, leaving behind a thin, fluttering membrane. Appraisal identified it as Bark Shavings. It looked like wood curled by a carpenter's plane. Milia picked it up.
"Bark Shavings, huh?"
"Those are a material for Anti-Paralysis Pills," Sherry said.
I swapped my jobs and invoked Crude Drug Synthesis. The shavings in my hand instantly transformed into several pills. I scrambled to catch them before they hit the floor and tucked them into the Item Box.
"Wait... another job?" Vesta was wide-eyed, but she seemed to be getting used to my sudden changes.
"Sherry, keep half of these in your Item Box."
"Understood."
It was better to split the medicine. If I got paralyzed, she could help me, and vice-versa. We hadn't needed them yet since paralysis eventually wore off on its own, but it was better to be safe.
"Sherry, what’s on the twentieth floor of Halber?"
"Hat Bats."
Hat Bats, huh? After two floors of fire-weak monsters, we finally hit one that wasn't particularly bothered by fire. Oh well.
We moved to the twentieth floor to test the waters. The Level 20 monsters were definitely showing a jump in strength. With Vesta in the party, we weren't at our limit, but every floor from here on out would be a steeper climb. I wondered how far we could push this current setup. Floor 22 seemed doable.
Roxanne caught a Hat Bat’s dive on her shield. Milia danced away from a Love Shrub’s branches. Vesta parried a bat’s charge with one sword and swatted it out of the air with the other. My Breeze Storm finished them off.
The real burden of the higher floors fell on the frontliners. There wasn't much I could do except provide fire support, unless I moved to the front and the monsters became so strong that Durandal’s healing couldn't keep up. That didn't seem likely to happen overnight.
After a few runs on Halber's twentieth floor, we took another break and headed to Quratar’s nineteenth. I gave Roxanne the map.
"Roxanne, shortest path to the boss room."
"What about groups with Marbrims?"
"Ignore them for now. We'll stop by the seventeenth floor on the way back." I added the last part quickly, seeing Milia’s disappointed look. I needed the Cook job for the fish, and they were more common on seventeen anyway.
We fought our way toward the boss room. The Rootle Trolls hit like trucks; one solid punch looked like it could paralyze you on the spot. Roxanne, however, swayed through their attacks with effortless grace. Because they hit so hard, their wind-up was longer, which probably made them easier for her to read. Honestly, she could probably do it with her eyes closed.
Milia held her ground with her shield, and Vesta parried their strikes with one sword while lashing out with the other. She did it all one-handed, which was incredible to watch. While they held the line, I burned the monsters down.
We arrived at the waiting room before my MP ran out.
"The boss of the Rootle Troll is the Roll Troll," Sherry explained. "Roxanne should be fine, but apparently its attacks are ferocious. It has a rolling skill to hit your flank, and it uses lightning magic, which has a high chance of causing paralysis."
According to Sherry, it sounded like a nightmare. In practice, we could cancel the skills and magic. Still, lightning magic was a new one for us.
We entered the boss room. A Roll Troll and a Rootle Troll appeared. The regular monster had to go first. I carved into it with Durandal, stepping back when it raised its arm. I didn't want to find out how often that paralysis triggered. When its swing missed, I countered with a Rush.
It was exhausting work. Roxanne had her hands full with the boss, so maybe I should have Milia or Vesta handle the adds? It felt a little cowardly, but getting paralyzed would be a disaster. Even with Sherry's medicine, someone would have to pull me to safety first. The whole formation would break.
I decided that for now, I’d keep doing it myself but stay cautious. I finished the Rootle Troll without taking a hit and joined the others.
The Roll Troll was a hunchbacked, hairy ape-man. It was actually shorter than Vesta because of its curved spine. Roxanne was already engaged, weaving through its heavy blows as if she were dancing. The sheer wind pressure from its swinging arms was enough to make my hair stand on end; a boss’s strength was no joke. Yet Roxanne was dodging by millimeters, as always.
As long as she held its attention, the boss was ours. We surrounded it and unleashed everything we had. I used Rush, Sherry poked with her spear, and Vesta landed several heavy dual-blade strikes. One of Vesta’s hits looked like a critical—she caught the boss right in its curved back.
The critical rate didn't seem that high, though. It wasn't something we could rely on. Even with bonus points, you were looking at maybe a thirty percent boost over a base rate of five percent. It was nice when it happened, but we had to depend on steady damage.
Finally, Sherry’s spear found its mark, and the Roll Troll collapsed.
"From now on, we’ll double-team the adds in boss rooms," I said. "Roxanne and Milia will keep the boss occupied, and Vesta, I’ll need you to take the regular monster with me."
"Understood. I can do that," Vesta replied.
It felt a bit weak to admit I couldn't handle the adds alone, but prioritize safety. If things went south because of my pride, that would be even worse.
The boss vanished, leaving behind a chunk of Iron. So that was the drop.
"Thanks, Milia."
"Yes!"
"Sherry, is iron used for equipment?"
"Yes. Though I'm not skilled enough to work it yet. It takes over ten years of training as a Master Smith to handle iron properly."
So, Master Smith levels mattered as much as raw skill. I’d toss the iron in the storage room for now. Hopefully, it wouldn't rust before Sherry was ready for it.
"Iron, huh? Iron."
"Iron!" Milia repeated. Since it wasn't a fish, she’d probably forget the name by tomorrow.
"The monster on Quratar’s twentieth floor is the Love Shrub," Sherry continued.
"Love Shrubs again? Let's fight one group to see, then head to the seventeenth floor. Roxanne, find us some shrubs."
We did one quick run, then moved to the seventeenth floor. I swapped to Cook and we went hunting.
"Milia, I’m thinking of making Fish Fry with the Whole Fish tomorrow. Sound good?"
"Yes, Master!"
Vesta’s arrival probably made her think she was off the hook for making mayonnaise. Poor girl.
After getting two fish, we did a final exploration of Halber’s twentieth floor and headed home for the evening.
"Master, there's a note from Mr. Luke," Roxanne said when we arrived. "He successfully won the bid for the Coral Skill Crystal."
"Coral, huh? Sherry, what does that give us?"
"On a weapon, it grants Petrification Infliction. On armor, it gives Petrification Defense. The effect is supposedly much stronger if you fuse it with a Skill Crystal: Kobold."
Petrification? That sounded incredibly useful.
"If I put it on a cane, would my magic turn things to stone?"
"I've never heard of that happening," Sherry said. "It's likely impossible."
Figures. "Alright, we'll go pick it up tomorrow. Vesta, can you make more minced meat tonight?"
"Of course."
I handed her the pork belly. We’d go for a mix again.
"Vesta’s on meat duty, so Milia, you’re with me."
"Yes!"
And so, Milia was back on mayonnaise duty. In reality, we all shared the work, taking turns whisking while others cooked. Even I took a turn. Finally, Vesta finished it off.
While she whisked, I rolled the minced meat into small balls, coated them in Slime Starch, and deep-fried them. Then I tossed them in a sweet and sour sauce. This time, we were having Chinese-style meatball bites.
The ingredients were nearly the same as the hamburgers, but the flavor was entirely different. The balls were soft enough to melt in your mouth, and the tangy sauce was the perfect accompaniment.
"This is delicious! It's so sweet and tender," Roxanne said.
"It's amazing how different it tastes with a change in sauce," Sherry added.
"Delicious!"
"I've never tasted anything like this," Vesta said.
It was a hit. I don't think any of them considered minced meat "peasant food" anymore.
The next morning, I went to the Merchant Guild alone. I left the girls with the housework and met Luke in a private room.
"I want to use this with a Kobold crystal. Can you put in an order for another one?" I asked, accepting the Coral crystal.
"Didn't you just buy a Kobold crystal recently?" Luke asked.
"It's good to have a spare." I still had one, which meant I could fuse the Coral crystal as soon as I got home. Having a stockpile meant I didn't have to wait for auctions.
"It is certainly practical."
"See if you can get a few more. Now that the other buyers are out of the market, the price should be dropping."
"We saw some go for around four thousand nine hundred recently," Luke noted. "If you're not in a hurry, we can aim for that range."
"Five thousand is fine for the first one. After that, we can try to find bargains."
"Understood."
"Also, I need a Goat Skill Crystal."
We needed to keep climbing floors to level up, but higher floors meant harder fights. The easiest solution was better gear. I already had the Holy Spear; I just needed to put 2x Intelligence on it.
"Is this for the Holy Spear?" Luke asked. He’d been there when I got it.
"It's... for a private project," I said vaguely. If I told him it was for the spear, he’d expect me to buy a dozen crystals to account for the failure rate. Since I only needed one success, I didn't want to overbuy. I could just claim I got lucky later.
"I’ll go up to five thousand five hundred. Get me one bid."
"I'll see it done. At that price, it shouldn't take long."
I’d paid five thousand four hundred last time. A hundred extra was a small price for convenience. I finished my business with Luke and headed home.
"I’m planning to give the petrification weapon to Milia," I told the girls once I was back. "But should I put it on her Rapier, or should I use an Estoc?"
I wanted their input. If I used an Estoc, it might mean handing Roxanne's current weapon to Milia.
"There is a theory that a Dragon Knight should hold two status-effect weapons," Sherry said. "But I take it you don't believe in that?"
"Is that a thing?" I asked.
"The idea is that while a status effect isn't guaranteed, doubling your number of attacks with a second weapon increases the chances of it triggering."
"Is that so?" Vesta looked surprised; she hadn't heard that one either.
"Does holding two swords double the effect?" I asked.
"Not exactly. There are no reliable reports of the effects actually stacking or doubling," Sherry admitted.
So it was just a rumor. Even with dual-wielding, you weren't swinging both swords at the exact same moment. Unless the effect from one blade somehow influenced the other, it was pointless. I doubted a fifty percent petrification rate became a hundred percent just by holding two swords.
"Sounds like a dud."
"Well, if you're attacking from the flank, you can land hits with both. It technically raises the probability over the course of the fight. Or you could use one petrification sword and one poison sword."
"But wouldn't it be better to just put both skills on one sword?" I started to say, then caught myself. In this world, most people only put one skill on a weapon. Dual-wielding was the only way for them to have two effects.
"That’s only if you’re limited to one skill per blade," I corrected.
Sherry went quiet. She’d remembered my ability to stack multiple skills. If I could put two or three effects on a single weapon, there was no need to dual-wield different blades. One swing would trigger everything at once. Durandal already did exactly that with HP and MP Absorption.
"I'm sticking with the plan. The petrification weapon goes to Milia."
"Yes, Master!" Milia chirped.
Her enthusiasm, at least, was a constant.