"Big sister," Miria said.
I wondered if she intended to properly look after Vesta as her senior.
Regardless, there was no need for her to convince me. I wasn't in any position to be reserved about the food.
The combination of the simmered Toro's savory sauce and the crispy tonkatsu had been a genuine discovery. I’d have to recreate that pairing again someday.
From the following day onward, Roxanne’s relentless offensive continued.
It wasn't a struggle, nor was it even a negotiation. It was a full-frontal assault on the Labyrinth.
Clear one floor every day—it was a simple enough job.
Well, simple in theory, anyway.
Even if the monsters from the twenty-third to the thirty-third floors belonged to the same general category, they undeniably grew stronger with every single floor we ascended. And we were repeating this day after day.
My level wasn't increasing at that same rate. Eventually, we were bound to hit a wall. I had to be the one to identify exactly where that wall was.
It was better not to rely on Roxanne for that judgment. She might perceive something through some innate instinct, but I couldn't be sure. I kept my expectations low. I couldn't trust her—no, I shouldn't trust her—to tell me when to slow down.
I was the one who needed to make the firm decisions.
Then there was Sherry. But even she was...
"The battles have started taking considerably more time, but I wouldn't call this a struggle yet. I believe it's fine to proceed to the twenty-sixth-floor Boss Battle," Sherry reported.
"I see."
"The battle time has increased slightly, but we haven't faced a true challenge. We should move on to the twenty-seventh-floor Boss Battle."
"I... I see."
"It's still well within the easy category. Next is the twenty-eighth-floor Boss Battle."
"...I see."
Her commentary was becoming increasingly perfunctory.
I suspected Sherry was a bit of a know-it-all—or rather, she had heard too many legendary tales of Labyrinth hardships. Perhaps her internal standard for "difficult" was based on clearing the fiftieth floor and beyond. Compared to that, she probably felt we were breezing through these levels.
Then again, maybe it wasn't just that.
In the Labyrinth, beginners struggled on the lower floors, intermediate explorers found the middle floors grueling, and the elite engaged in life-or-death struggles at the very top. It wasn't as if only the highest floors were dangerous. A complete novice could easily die on the first or second floor.
If Sherry said we were fighting easily, then we probably were. In fact, we weren't actually struggling, even if the fights were dragging on.
Though, having the battle time extended was an ordeal in itself.
"It's coming!" Roxanne called out.
On our way to the twenty-eighth-floor Boss Room, a magic circle materialized beneath the feet of a Scissor Lizard that had slipped into the rear. As battles took longer, the number of enemy attacks naturally increased.
Following Roxanne's warning, sparks danced in the air. It looked like Fire Storm.
That was an all-target attack spell. It seemed monster spells were no different from the ones we used.
For a moment, my entire body flared with intense heat. My chest tightened, and my joints throbbed. It felt as if my toes were being torn from my feet. My skin felt like it was searing, and my sensory nerves screamed in protest.
The monsters in the front line didn't miss the opening and pressed their attack.
Roxanne swayed her body to dodge a simultaneous strike from two monsters, Miria stepped back significantly, and Vesta parried a blow with her sword.
How did they manage to dodge that just now? I would have taken the hit for sure.
Still, the agony only lasted an instant. The heat subsided immediately, and the pain receded. My clothes and rucksack didn't seem to have caught fire. Perhaps only my body had been targeted by the heat.
A part of me was actually thrilled to finally face some all-target magic, and that part of me was feeling hot, hot, hot.
So this was the monsters' all-target magic. Having taken it for the first time on the twenty-eighth floor, I concluded it wasn't lethal. I wouldn't die from just one or two hits.
I launched a counterattack with Breeze Storm.
"Did it," Miria said.
Increased battle time did have its benefits. Miria’s petrification was more likely to trigger. Once one enemy was turned to stone, we could manage the rest.
"Moving back a bit," I instructed.
Leaving the petrified Cape Carp behind, we lured the remaining monsters away so the front line could hold them.
A Cyclops swung its arm in a massive arc, but Roxanne parried it effortlessly without a hint of panic. Sherry stood her ground, spear at the ready, glaring at the enemies to ensure they didn't fire off consecutive spells.
As I alternated between First Aid and Breeze Storm, the Cyclops eventually fell.
"Did it," Miria repeated.
Miria neutralized the remaining Scissor Lizard shortly after. With that, victory was essentially ours. All that remained was to finish the job.
"So that was all-target magic."
"It was just as I thought—nothing major," Sherry remarked.
So, "not being a big deal" was exactly what you expected? Well, I had to admit it lacked lethal power. One or two hits wouldn't kill us. Though if we were showered with them in the double digits, that would be a problem.
Being hit that many times consecutively should only happen on much higher floors. Besides, I couldn't accurately measure exactly how many hits I could withstand. If I were to test it, it would be a matter of seeing how many hits it took to die.
Even though the Substitution Misanga would activate... I really didn't want to test it.
"It's not unbearable. It's tough, yes, but that can't be helped. We should judge this level of damage as perfectly manageable," Sherry declared.
Even Sherry was becoming incredibly bold. Well, I also thought I’d taken a hit, but I didn't feel like I was on the verge of death. In this world, maybe this much was considered nothing.
"I will fight," Miria added.
"That's right. I think we'll be fine with this much. Oh, I don't need First Aid," Vesta said, actually refusing the healing.
She was way too tough. Was it because she was a Dragon Knight that she was so sturdy?
By the way, I had applied First Aid to myself, then Roxanne, and then Miria during the battle. After the fight, I’d also applied it to myself and Sherry. In other words, I’d given myself a second round just to be safe.
"Even if it doesn't look dangerous, tell me if the damage is lingering," I said.
"Yes. I am fine. Thank you very much," Vesta replied.
It didn't seem like she was just being polite. The all-target magic hadn't made me feel like I was in immediate danger. So, it was probably fine.
And since we hadn't been hit a single time until just now, I didn't think things would suddenly turn south. They might spam it once we reached higher floors, but that was still a ways off.
Was I being too influenced by Roxanne? But it was unavoidable since the monsters weren't actually using the magic often enough to be a threat.
We fought on without being hit by any more area spells.
"There's a monster with a scent I've never smelled before nearby. Let's head over," Roxanne suggested.
When we exited the twenty-eighth-floor Boss Room and reached the twenty-ninth floor, Roxanne spoke up. Fundamentally, we were focused on Boss Battles, but if there were monsters nearby when we reached a new floor, we hunted them as a little bonus along the way.
We were entirely at Roxanne’s mercy.
"The monster on Quratar Floor 29 is the Molochtaurus. They use magic, but they are basically power fighters. They are known for their tackle attacks, so we need to be careful. They are resistant to the Fire Attribute and weak against Water Magic," Sherry explained.
"Molochtaurus, huh?"
It sounded like a formidable name. I didn't really know why, but it sounded cool.
Following Roxanne’s guidance, we encountered two Molochtaurus and one Cyclops. I showered them with Water Storm.
The Molochtaurus was a monster with the head of a cow. In short, a cow-man, or perhaps a bipedal cow. Being a cow, it had horns on its head, and its build was rugged.
Even so, it didn't feel very frightening. Mostly because it had black and white spots.
Black and white spots, seriously? Was the Molochtaurus a Holstein?
Should I say it couldn't be helped because it was a cow, or was it just weird for a cow-man to have those markings? Despite having a fearsome face, the two-tone pattern gave it a strange, accidental charm.
Of course, I launched my magic without mercy. Roxanne and Vesta stood in front of the cow-men, and Miria stood before the Cyclops.
The weakness of the Cyclops, a monster from Floor 28, was the Wind Attribute, not Water. It was appropriate for Miria to handle it.
Using Water Storm was... well, it couldn't be helped. Worse cases could be imagined, like monsters with resistance to Water. It wasn't as if the elemental weaknesses of all monsters would always align perfectly.
Floor 29 was a middle-of-the-road experience—nothing too easy, nothing too grueling.
"Did it," Miria said.
And as planned, the Cyclops stopped moving. As long as we weren't outnumbered, we could get by like this. The reason it didn't feel like a struggle even with the increased battle time was thanks to the petrification. One could say that was why we were moving up the floors so rapidly.
Then, the Molochtaurus in the center lunged forward.
To describe exactly what happened: it advanced with blinding speed for just a couple of steps. It slammed into us, its entire rugged body acting like a battering ram. The speed was almost like teleportation.
Or was it possible that the black and white spots caused an optical illusion that made it look fast? Did the pattern induce some kind of hallucination?
It wasn't something simple like hypnosis or super speed. It was a far more terrifying attack.
Roxanne stepped back half a pace with a light movement. She dodged the cow-man's charge by a hair's breadth.
She actually dodged that?
The Molochtaurus extended its arms further, but Roxanne struck them down with her rapier. It was an exchange that happened so fast I couldn't even tell what had transpired. Even the monster likely didn't know what had been done to it. It must have caught a glimpse of something far more terrifying than itself.
After overlapping my magic several times, we finally defeated the Molochtaurus.
"So that was the tackle attack. It was incredible."
That wasn't just a "tackle." Not by a long shot. Despite those ridiculous black and white spots.
"Yes. It might be dangerous if you take your eyes off them for even a second," Roxanne said.
It would be dangerous for me even if I were staring right at them, though. As expected of Roxanne.
I silently exchanged a glance with Sherry. Her eyes were full of sympathy. Sherry used a spear, so she could keep her distance. She was probably pitying me since I sometimes stepped forward with my sword.
"Watch closely," Miria said.
I wondered if simply watching closely was enough to deal with that.
"It's just a bit of a bump; I'm sure it won't be much of a problem," Vesta added.
Even Vesta was saying terrifying things. Well, Vesta was larger than the cow-man. The impact might not be a big deal for her. Even if there were female cow-men, Vesta would likely still be larger. I wasn't going to specify what exactly would be larger.
Since I didn't say it, the feeling that I was getting a cold stare from Sherry must have been my imagination. I looked away from Sherry and watched the monster as it faded.
When the Molochtaurus vanished into smoke, a piece of red meat remained.
Bara. Appraisal identified it as the rib/belly cut.
I’d obtained it before by buying it at a butcher shop. So, Bara wasn't beef; it was cow-man meat? Could cow-man meat even be called beef? It was a monster, so overthinking it was pointless.
I’d gotten used to monsters leaving behind ingredients like goat meat, pork belly, or white fish. It felt a bit different since this monster was humanoid, but in the end, it was just a monster. Being a drop item, it wasn't even dripping blood. I might as well enjoy it.
"Cows don't drop meat, but cow-men do?" I mused.
"Yes," Miria replied.
After finishing off the petrified Cyclops with magic, I received two pieces of Bara and put them in my Item Box.
"I've heard that Molochtaurus occasionally drop Sankaku Bara—the triangle rib—in addition to the standard Bara. However, it's an extremely rare drop. It’s so rare that some people claim the triangle rib doesn't even exist," Sherry informed me.
So there were rare ingredients here, too. Sankaku Bara, huh? That would be the equivalent of premium boneless short rib.
"Tomorrow, let's hunt Molochtaurus like crazy."
"So we will repeat the twenty-ninth floor, including the Boss Battles?" Roxanne confirmed, looking pleased.
Wait, had it not already been decided that we were going to the Boss tomorrow?
I seemed to have been subconsciously avoiding the topic. No, was it because going up had already become the default state? I’d become too accustomed to the pace. The reason Sherry’s comments were becoming more perfunctory by the day was likely the same.
Roxanne had conditioned us all.
"Y-Yeah. The twenty-eighth-floor Boss Battle wasn't a problem, right?"
"Of course not."
"I wouldn't say we particularly struggled," Sherry added.
"Yes," Miria agreed.
"I think we will be fine," Vesta finished.
I’d definitely been conditioned.
The next day, we challenged the twenty-ninth-floor Boss Battle. Or rather, since we were making Molochtaurus our primary target, the Boss Battle wasn't much different. Or so I thought, until I remembered that two minions appeared alongside the Boss. There was a high probability that at least one of them would be a Molochtaurus.
If I said the wrong thing, Roxanne might end up guiding us only to rooms with five Molochtaurus. Roxanne was entirely capable of that. If that were the case, three monsters—even including a Boss—would actually be safer.
"The Boss version of the Molochtaurus is the Bosstaurus. Like other Bosses, it's essentially a strengthened version of the base monster. It shares the same Fire resistance and Water weakness," Sherry briefed.
"Bosstaurus, huh?"
Apparently, if we reached the sixty-second floor, they would appear as normal monsters. Even though it was currently a Boss.
"I've heard it has a devastating strike, so we must be cautious."
"Understood. Let's watch its movements and dodge," Roxanne said, nodding.
She seemed confident—or rather, as if it were a matter of course. Well, it was Roxanne. Even with a Boss we’d never seen before, I had nothing to worry about.
"Sherry, does the Bosstaurus have any rare drops?"
"Yes. The Bosstaurus can drop three types of ingredients. It usually drops Loin, but it occasionally drops Raku—a liquid condiment—and very rarely, Zabuton."
"I see."
So there were multiple rare ingredients. Loin was the common drop, while Raku and Zabuton were the rare ones. If there were rare ingredients on the line, I should definitely set my job to Cook.
I was also aiming for the Molochtaurus’s Sankaku Bara.
With the Cook job active, we entered the Boss Room. This time, we faced one Bosstaurus, one Molochtaurus, and one Cyclops.
The Bosstaurus was also a bipedal cow-man, just one size larger than the Molochtaurus. About the same size as Vesta. Or maybe a bit smaller. Just how big was Vesta?
The Bosstaurus had incredibly rugged shoulders, and its entire body was covered in brownish fur. It was a pity it didn't have the black and white spots. I suppose that was what made it look more like a "Boss."
"Did it," Miria said.
Miria neutralized the Cyclops, whose elemental weakness was different and therefore a nuisance. I finished off the Molochtaurus first, and then we all surrounded the Boss.
The Bosstaurus swung its arms ferociously, but Roxanne dodged every single blow. Its attacks were so ineffective it was almost pitiable. In the end, I finished it off with a strike from behind. Once surrounded, even a Boss was no match for us.
The Boss vanished into smoke, leaving behind a mass of meat. Loin, huh? A miss. Well, Loin was plenty good enough, it just wasn't the rare ingredient I wanted. The Molochtaurus also only dropped standard Bara.
The Sankaku Bara and Zabuton truly seemed to be premium ingredients. I wondered if the Cook’s Rare Ingredient Drop Rate Up even affected them. If it were effective, maybe Raku would have dropped at least.
Well, I couldn't judge a trend from just one attempt. I put the Loin and Bara into my Item Box.
"Hmm. So the twenty-ninth-floor Boss was like this. It is gradually getting tougher, though."
"Yes. As expected of Master, it's still not a problem."
"It is becoming slightly more difficult," Sherry noted.
"I will do it," Miria said.
"I think we will be fine," Vesta added.
As I suspected, Sherry was the only one whose assessment I could somewhat rely on.
Afterward, we repeated the twenty-ninth-floor Boss Battle. The fights were taking longer, but they weren't unmanageable. We were just getting used to the duration.
Getting used to it was fine, but if our sense of danger was eroding, that was a problem. Since battle time had increased, Miria’s petrifications triggered more often, and Roxanne remained completely untouchable. Because of that, I didn't have a visceral sense of peril.
Compared to the twenty-third-floor Boss Battle from just a few days ago, the fight duration had nearly doubled. It was vastly different from the twenty-second floor, though that had been a special case.
In any case, Roxanne and Sherry kept saying our party's battle times were short. This much was still "normal" to them. It meant it was nothing. I was sure it would change eventually on much higher floors.
For now, we stuck to the twenty-ninth floor. Since only three monsters appeared in the Boss Room, if Sherry watched two while I handled one with Durandal, we could prevent them from using All-target Magic. That was likely why it didn't feel like much of a struggle.
If Roxanne led us to a group of five Molochtaurus, the impression would probably be different. I hadn't given such instructions, though. If we were following a policy of raising floors while maintaining maximum safety, perhaps we should have focused on larger groups of difficult monsters. But there was no real need for that.
Normally, Boss Battles were supposed to be longer and more difficult. Even if Roxanne completely shut down the Boss in our party, there was a risk she wouldn't be satisfied unless she had a Boss to fight. Boss Battles were Roxanne's stress relief.
So, we kept at it. However, no matter how many times we fought, the Sankaku Bara and Zabuton refused to drop.
Oh. Wait. It wasn't a hunk of meat.
After several attempts, the Bosstaurus left a drop that wasn't meat. Since Zabuton was meat, this had to be something else.
"Yes," Miria said.
It was Raku. I took it from Miria, and Appraisal confirmed it. Like the Olive Oil from the Naive Olive, it was contained within a thin membrane. The inside was a liquid.
A mysterious liquid left by a cow-man.
"Is it... milk?"
"It's Raku. It's said that if you drink it, it's far richer and more delicious than milk. However, it's a precious item, so people rarely drink it straight. If you use it in soups, you can make extraordinary dishes," Sherry explained.
Since it came from a cow-man, I thought it was milk, but it sounded more like a high-end condiment. Maybe we could make something like white stew with it. I carefully placed it in my Item Box, making sure the membrane didn't rupture.
So, Raku was on the table. We continued the Boss Battles and gathered a few more helpings of it, but the Sankaku Bara and Zabuton remained elusive.
Judging by the Raku drops, the Cook job was definitely working. The other two must just be exceptionally rare.
"Does Sankaku Bara really exist? There's a theory that it doesn't, right?" I asked.
"It should exist. However, it's supposedly very hard to distinguish by sight alone," Sherry replied.
"You can't tell them apart?"
"Even butchers say they won't buy it as Sankaku Bara just to avoid disputes. Because of that, people assume it's a myth."
Sherry seemed to believe in it, though. And if Sherry believed, I was inclined to agree.
Still, despite getting more Raku, the rare meats never appeared that day.
"Master, it's almost evening," Roxanne noted.
"Understood. Let's call it a day."
"Yes."
Told by Roxanne, I ended the hunt.
"We worked at it all day, but no Sankaku Bara or Zabuton."
"That's right. They are notoriously rare. It can't be helped," Sherry consoled me.
But...
"So, I'm thinking we should stay on the twenty-ninth floor tomorrow as well. What do you think?"
"Mmm. Tomorrow as well?"
"If we quit now, won't it feel like we've lost?"
"Hmm. Losing isn't good," Roxanne admitted.
I was backing her into a corner now. I was finally cornering the relentless Roxanne. Could I finally escape the "one floor per day" mandate?
I didn't really know what we were "losing" to, but it worked.
"No. To end it like this would be a disgrace to a warrior. A disgrace to a Labyrinth warrior. It would be tantamount to a defeat at the hands of the Labyrinth itself!"
"Indeed. Defeat is unacceptable. It could even lead to a habit of losing. Very well. We should continue the twenty-ninth-floor Boss Battles tomorrow," Roxanne agreed.
Yes! I finally got her to agree. This was a monumental victory over the one-floor-per-day rule.
"Since we've come this far, we might as well see it through," Sherry added.
"I will fight," Miria said.
"I think we will be fine," Vesta finished.
Defeat was out of the question. With everyone’s agreement, we entered the twenty-ninth-floor Boss Room again the next day.
"Did it," Miria said.
The first battle ended quickly when Miria petrified both the Molochtaurus and the Bosstaurus in succession. Because this was happening as battle times increased, the pressure didn't feel as intense. I finished off the first Molochtaurus with Durandal, and since my MP was full, I used magic to finish the petrified enemies.
The Molochtaurus vanished into smoke.
Oh! Sankaku Bara!
When the smoke cleared, the Molochtaurus Miria had petrified had left behind the rare triangle rib. It finally dropped. This was a first—after all that hunting, it finally appeared.
"Here," Vesta said, bringing over the standard Bara from the monster I’d defeated.
"Yes," Miria added, picking up the Sankaku Bara.
So this was it. It looked almost identical to the normal cut—just a hunk of meat. I could see why butchers avoided the hassle. A regular customer wouldn't know the difference. Maybe a pro butcher would, but I only knew because of Appraisal.
If I pointed it out now, they’d ask how I knew. What should I do?
"Wait... could this be Sankaku Bara?" Sherry asked, looking slightly puzzled.
Could Sherry tell the difference?
"You can tell?"
"No... well, if it were the triangle rib, it wouldn't stack with the normal Bara in the Item Box."
Ah, right. That’s how she knew. Items of different types didn't stack in the Item Box. Sankaku Bara and standard Bara were distinct items.
Indeed, when I tried to store it, the triangle rib wouldn't stack with the others. It required a new slot.
"Oh! I see."
"Yes."
Darn it. I should have said it was Sankaku Bara from the start. I could have looked clever. Well, I am clever, mostly. I didn't need to fake it.
Sherry likely thought I was just confused because the item wouldn't stack. In her eyes, I probably looked like a bit of an airhead who hadn't noticed the rare drop. I felt like her gaze was a bit colder than usual. No, that was just my imagination. I really hoped it was my imagination.
If the Item Box could distinguish them, butchers really should use that trick. But since most customers didn't have Item Boxes, I guess it wasn't practical for business.
I stored the triangle rib, and then the petrified Boss fell to my magic. When the smoke cleared, meat remained.
Unbelievable.
It was the Zabuton. Right after the Sankaku Bara, the Zabuton had dropped too. Talk about a lucky streak.
"Oh! The Zabuton dropped this time. One after another!"
We were on a roll. Was it just luck, or were the drop rates predetermined by the day? Some people believed that on certain days, rare items just wouldn't drop at all.
I’d heard that while humans expect "once-in-a-century" events to be evenly spaced, they actually tended to cluster. Statistically, that was more natural. So, getting them back-to-back wasn't necessarily a sign from the gods.
"Incredible! As expected of Master," Roxanne praised.
"O-Oh, right." Well, as long as Roxanne was happy.
"Hmm. Truly remarkable," Sherry added. Her "remarkable" was definitely directed at the Cook job. She was always so analytical.
"Incredible," Miria said.
"I think it's incredible," Vesta agreed.
I’d take the praise where I could get it. "Thanks."
"Now we can move on to the thirtieth floor with peace of mind," Roxanne declared.
Ah, right. The only reason we’d stayed on twenty-nine was to get these drops. And since we got both in the very first fight of the day, there was no longer any reason to linger.
"Y-Yeah. We’ll need a map, though."
"Naturally, I brought it for that very purpose," Roxanne said.
She hadn't brought it "just in case." She’d brought it specifically because she knew we’d be moving on. There was no stopping her.
"All right. Since we got the rare cuts, let's move to the thirtieth floor. And for dinner tonight, we’re having a simple feast: grilled meat."
I made the announcement to the whole group. We had Bara, Sankaku Bara, Loin, and Zabuton for a full taste test. We didn't have soy sauce, but salt and pepper were plentiful. Simple was best.
"Yes! I'm looking forward to it!"
Roxanne was almost certainly more excited about the thirtieth-floor Boss, though.
We spent the rest of the day clearing the thirtieth-floor Boss multiple times. Was there really no one who could slow Roxanne down?
On the bright side, as we reached higher floors, leveling became faster. Following Swordsman and Gambler, my Herbalist job hit Level 30. Next, I’d focus on Knight. Since advanced jobs often appeared at Level 30, it was worth rotating through them.
There were jobs like Farmer where I wondered what the point was, but maybe there was some hidden benefit. After Knight, I’d probably do Farmer.
And, of course, I wanted to level Sex Fiend. No deep meaning behind it. Truly. I was doing just fine as it was, anyway.
There were also jobs I was certain had upgrades. Merchant’s advanced job was apparently Great Merchant, so Weapon Merchant and Slave Trader were likely offshoots. I wanted to work on those soon. Like Farmer, they seemed a bit pointless for combat, but if the discount rate increased, I’d level them in a heartbeat.
Training Knight now meant fighting Bosses without Warrior, Swordsman, or Gambler active, which was my subtle way of being difficult with Roxanne. It didn't seem to bother her at all, though. Fighting without Rush, Slash, and Status Ailment Resistance Down just meant the battles took longer. I’d hoped she might hesitate to move up if the fights dragged on, but my expectations were shattered.
"As expected of Master! The thirtieth floor was no problem at all. Tomorrow, we move to thirty-one!"
"We aren't struggling yet, so I believe it's fine," Sherry added.
"I will fight," Miria said.
"I think we will be fine," Vesta concluded.
I see, I see. Looks like we’re moving up again tomorrow.
The battle times were definitely increasing. The only reason I didn't feel a sense of crisis was because I was using Durandal in Boss fights to keep everyone healed.
Roxanne was the one fighting at the front the whole time, so she should have been the most aware of the danger, but I couldn't count on her for that. The attacks from a Boss on the thirtieth floor couldn't even graze her.
Sherry was the voice of reason, but as a rear guard in a three-monster Boss fight, she rarely took any damage, so she wasn't feeling the pressure either. Miria usually petrified her opponent quickly, and she thrived the longer a fight lasted. She wouldn't be the one to slow us down.
Vesta was my last hope for a dissenting voice, but in a three-monster fight, she and I teamed up to take down the final minion. While it wasn't "easy," she was incredibly sturdy and seemed to handle the pressure well.
In the end, it was up to me to make the call.
While I was pondering these safety concerns, Miria reached Warrior Level 30 at the end of a Boss fight. She had also acquired Assassin and Knight.
"Regarding Miria's job... I think I'll change her to Assassin to make the most of her petrification sword," I announced. I felt it would be wrong to change it without a word.
"Assassin? That sounds impressive," Roxanne said.
"True, I've heard they have skills like Poison Infliction. It should synergize well with petrification," Sherry noted.
"Yes," Miria agreed.
"I think it's a great idea," Vesta added.
Even though the job name was "Assassin," no one seemed to mind. My concerns had been unnecessary.
Of course, she would drop back to Level 1.
"Since she's taking a new job, should I move Miria to the rear until she gets used to it?"
"I don't think that's necessary," Roxanne replied.
"Even at the Guild Temple, if someone is in a party, they don't usually make such concessions. It shouldn't be a problem," Sherry added.
"I am fine," Miria said.
"I think she'll be okay," Vesta finished.
Everyone insisted she’d be fine. In a party, the buffs from other members’ jobs applied to everyone, so even at Level 1, she wouldn't be completely vulnerable.
"Hmm. Are you sure?"
"We have All-target Magic to worry about, so the rear isn't strictly 'safe' anyway. Deciding when to move her back to the front would just be a headache. It's better not to overcomplicate things," Sherry reasoned.
Her logic was perfectly rational for this world. I had my 20x XP Gain and could monitor her levels, so even if she stayed at the back, it would only be for a day or so.
"Fine. Understood. But please, be very careful for a while."
"Yes," Miria said.
I’d set my job to Alchemist for a bit and apply plating to her gear just to be safe. Since everyone was so confident, I doubted she’d be taken out in one hit. Plus, we had the Misanga. I suspended my Knight training to slot in Alchemist.
With Miria as an Assassin, I wanted to bring in Gambler too, but there was no rush. I’d wait and see how she handled the transition.
We continued our hunt with Miria at Assassin Level 1. After a few fights, she didn't seem particularly weakened. During encounters with two monsters, Roxanne and Vesta each took one head-on. Their tactics were solid. Roxanne was the one providing guidance, and she was being very considerate.
Clearly, my decision to make her an Assassin was a stroke of genius. I praised myself internally.
"Roxanne, thanks," I said.
"It was nothing."
I offered my gratitude and we kept going. Miria’s petrification rate didn't skyrocket immediately, but that was fine. If it had, it would have meant the skill was a flat bonus. If it didn't, it meant the skill was likely level-dependent. I’d look forward to her leveling up.
We even did a Boss Battle with her as an Assassin. It went smoothly. Roxanne took the Boss, and Miria handled the minions, just like a normal fight.
I won't mention that I actually took a hit because I was too busy worrying about Miria. I should have applied plating to myself, too. I’d thought it would be a waste if I didn't get hit, which was a dumb way to think. Since Durandal healed me anyway, it didn't really matter.
"Did it," Miria said.
She even managed a petrification. I finished off the minions, and we swarmed the Boss. As long as she was just part of the encirclement, Miria was perfectly safe.
"The Boss fight was fine, so moving forward, we’ll just proceed as usual, even with Miria as an Assassin."
"Yes, of course. There won't be any problems," Roxanne said.
"I agree. We didn't struggle, so the standard approach is best," Sherry added.
"I will fight," Miria said.
"I think we will be fine," Vesta concluded.
The consensus was unanimous. And with that, my secret hope of using Miria’s job change as an excuse to delay the thirty-first floor was officially dead.
I couldn't stop Roxanne, but as evening fell, we finally called it a day.
"Roxanne, Sherry, can you grill the meat and make some vegetable soup?"
"Understood. We'll handle it," Roxanne said.
"Since it's all beef today, let's have fried white fish tomorrow evening," I added, throwing Miria a bone. It wasn't quite peak summer yet, so fried food was still appetizing.
"Oh! Yes!" Miria beamed.
"Miria, Vesta, you two make the mayonnaise."
"Mayonnaise!" Miria said.
"Yes. We can do that," Vesta agreed.
Making it alone was a chore, but with two people, it was easy.
We left the Labyrinth and did our shopping—bread, vegetables, and eggs. Back at the house, I handed the ingredients to the girls and went to prep the bath. I couldn't forget my own evening ritual. If climbing floors was Roxanne’s joy, then this was mine.
"Mayonnaise," Miria said, handing me the finished product when I returned to the kitchen. She and Vesta had done a great job.
"We're making progress here too," Sherry noted. She was grilling the meat, and the smell was heavenly.
"Whoa... so this is the Zabuton."
Looking at the raw cuts, the difference was clear. The colors were distinct, but the marbling was the real standout. The other three cuts were lean, but one was beautifully flecked with white. That had to be the Zabuton—the chuck flap.
While it looked identical to Loin as a drop item, the cut surface was unmistakable.
"You can tell it's the Zabuton?" Sherry asked.
"Well, with marbling like that, it's pretty obvious."
I answered Sherry confidently. I wasn't just trying to cover up for the Item Box mishap earlier.
"It's so white... it looks a little strange, doesn't it?" Roxanne remarked.
"No, no. That's where all the flavor is," I explained.
Roxanne had apparently never seen high-quality marbling. I guess if you weren't used to it, it might look unappealing. To me, it was a work of art.
"Is that so?"
"Heh. I didn't know that," Sherry admitted.
I wondered if marbling was considered a flaw in this world. Surely not. The Zabuton was a premium drop—it had to be delicious.
"Sherry, can I have the pan drippings?"
"Yes."
"Vesta, mince these vegetables for me."
"Understood."
I set to work on a sauce. Normally, salt and pepper were enough for beef, but with this many cuts to compare, we needed variety. Just salt and pepper might get boring.
I simmered wine and the minced vegetables in the meat juices to create a simple pan sauce—a sort of makeshift demi-glace. It was enough to provide a different flavor profile. I put it in a separate bowl so everyone could help themselves.
Since the main dish was just grilled meat, dinner was ready in no time. If we took too long, the first batches would get cold. I’d have to look into getting a tabletop grill for next time.
We brought everything to the table. I served Roxanne’s vegetable soup to everyone, and the feast began.
The meat was incredible.
"Even the Loin is fantastic," I noted.
As a comparison test, it was almost too close because everything was so good. It just felt like a massive meat feast.
"This Zabuton is exceptional. Thank you for such a wonderful meal, Master," Roxanne said. She was right—it was incredibly tender, a cut above the rest. It practically melted on the tongue. But the Loin was no slouch either.
"The flavors are distinct, but they're all delicious," Sherry agreed.
"Delicious," Miria said.
"That's the triangle rib you're eating."
"Sankaku Bara," Miria repeated. It wasn't as tender as the Zabuton, but it had a deep, rich beefy flavor. I wondered if she liked it as much as her favorite fish. Since it wasn't seafood, she’d probably forget about it by tomorrow.
Come to think of it, because we were clearing a floor every day, we hadn't been doing the "whole fish" celebration for breakthroughs. Miria was probably the one feeling that loss the most.
"It's incredible to have so much variety. Is it really all right for us to enjoy such luxury?" Vesta asked.
"Well, these drops are rare, so it's a special occasion."
Vesta seemed to be enjoying the variety the most.
"The sauce really changes the experience."
"The crunch of the vegetables is a great touch."
"Delicious."
"This sauce is remarkable," Sherry added.
The sauce was a hit. We all thoroughly enjoyed the feast.