The next day, we came to the 'Holy Land of the Sea Dragons'.
The members are me, Cecil, Rita, Aine, and Rafilia.
Iris and 20 soldiers from the Ilgafa Lordship House and their guards. All of the soldiers are wearing blue plate mail and are equipped with spears and bows. Only the soldier standing next to Iris has horns on his helmet. Iris tells me that he is the leader of the soldiers. It's easy to understand.
The Sanctuary of the Sea Dragons is a rocky outcrop at the tip of the peninsula, surrounded by pillars.
The entrance to the dungeon is in the center of the pillar row.
There is an iron door at the entrance, but we're told that it's a natural cave inside.
According to Iris's map, it's about two floors below the surface of a normal dungeon. If you include the center of the dungeon, which only select people can enter, it's about 3 floors underground.
Our goal is to get rid of or exterminate the monsters in this dungeon.
And in the meantime, we have to protect Iris above ground.
It seems that the wards that Iris puts up every festival are getting a little weaker and weaker.
That's why demons are getting into the dungeon, and even if you're on the ground, there's still a chance of being attacked by them.
Therefore, the group that hides in the dungeon should get rid of the demons quickly, return to the ground and bring Iris and the full team back underground to reestablish the wards.
''Well then, Aine, Rafilia, I'll need you to escort Iris.
I know.
I'm so proud of you, Master.
Aine held up her newly purchased Hagane's Mop and Rafilia held her bow in her hand, each bowing towards me.
Entering the dungeon with me are Cecil and Rita.
Then there's Reggie the Magic Sword. And I'm going to take an option with me.
'Both Aine and Raphilia are quite the cheat characters, even though they look like this, so I don't think I'll be afraid to leave them to it.
I said to Iris.
She sat down in a small chair and looked a little uneasy.
'Is ...... 'Tiny Challah'?'
At least as strong as Cecil and Rita.
...... Yes, sir.
Iris looks at Aine and Raphilia curiously.
Aine is a normal looking maid and Raphilia is a fluffy looking elf. They definitely don't look strong, do they?
However, if I really pissed off these two, I might be able to at least annihilate Iris' guards.
''Then, Rafilia, give me an option.
At the entrance to the dungeon, I asked Raphilia for help.
'Yes, Master,'
Raphilia took out a small cloth from a gap in her leather armor. The one she had used as a handkerchief earlier. She holds it close to her own head. On her head is a blue hair clip. It trembled, stretched, and with a crunch, she swallowed her handkerchief.
''Eda-chan, please split up for the master!
Fluffy, twitchy, plop.
A palm-sized piece popped out of Raphilia's hair clip.
It grows as it swallows a handkerchief and turns into a piece the size of a cushion.
A blue body. A jelly-like surface.
No matter how you look at it, it was a slime.
It's a good boy, isn't it, 'Erda-chan'?
The hair clip trembled happily as Raphilia stroked it.
The true identity of the hair clip is a piece of the Elder Slime that he left behind.
Normally it mimics the hairpin, and if you give it something that is soaked in Rafilia's sweat or bodily fluids, it will split apart and spit out the options. The life span of the options is about two hours, but it's a great thing that allows you to use it as a mage during that time.
At my back, Magic Sword Reggie activates a cheat skill. I begin to control the will-less Elder Slime (child).
Undulating, undulating.
The blue slime stands ahead of us, advancing toward the dungeon's entrance.
His senses are in sync with Reggie's. If something goes wrong, he'll know.
We're ready to go.
First in line will be Slime, then Rita, then me and Cecil. Then it's me and Cecil. You got it?
'Yes, Nagi-sama. I won't let anything come near you two!
Let's just get this over with. I'm tired of getting the sea breeze on my clothes that Nagi bought for me.
Cecil and Rita, wearing their new equipment, nodded at the same time.
Cecil's 'apprentice wizard's robe' is a short dress. At a glance, she looks like a little magical girl.
Rita's 'sacred fighter's clothing' is a fighting outfit with a large slit at the waist. It's easy to move around and has good defense, and I like the fact that the chest is emphasized so it looks slimmer at the waist - in Rita's opinion.
''Then, Souma-sama, I'm opening the dungeon.
Iris took out the key she carried around her neck.
The entrance to the dungeon is sealed with an iron door.
The only entrances are here and the opening on the sea side where the sea dragons come in.
That's why Iris and the others think that the demons came from the sea side.
''Ladies and gentlemen, take it easy: ......
Iris inserted the key into the door of the dungeon.
With a creak, the iron door opens.
I check my equipment. Iris's map, okay. Demon data in my head. Aine's lunchbox, good. The list of anti-monochromatic measures that Cecil and Rita have been given, check. Emergency plan, huh? Good.
All right, I'll be back.
And so, we began to attack the dungeon.
And then, after Nagi and the others had gone into the dungeon...
Hey, there's a light in the dungeon.
The first thing I want to do is start with a light.
Heartwarming and sobering.
Iris, Aine and Raphilia are in the shade of a pillar in the ruins of the temple.
They have placed chairs as far away from the sea breeze as possible, and Iris is sitting there.
In front of her, there is a fire and a kettle suspended above it. As she gazed blankly at the fire, the maid offered her a cup of tea.
When she sipped the tea, it tasted like store-bought tea, but it was very deep and comforting. But the taste is very deep and reassuring.
There are many kinds of tea in the port town of Ilgafa. The maid in front of me blends the tea by herself. She mixes multiple teas and then brings out their individual flavors.
...... As expected of Souma-sama's maids, you can't underestimate them.
I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work.
It's a pastry made of bread dough.
It's also delicious. Tea leaves are kneaded into the dough.
The elf girl in front of me shook her pink hair and said, "Is it delicious? It's good." she smiles, shaking her pink hair. She is holding a bow in one hand as if she is wary of demons.
But in her other hand, she has an iron jowl for some reason. It must be filled with water because it makes a chirping sound. Why is it a jowl and not a water bag? Why are you pouring water into the kettle from there?
I mean, I'm on my second cup of water in the kettle that I'm rinsing, but why does it seem like the water in the jowl isn't decreasing?
Dear Iris. You don't need to worry about the water. Just drink plenty of it, I'm sure. Just drink at regular intervals.
At regular intervals?
'That's how the 'watering' skill that Master received from Iris-sama became.
An oversized "?" on Iris' head. Mark comes to mind.
But both the maid and the elf are smiling tenderly, as if they're concerned about Iris.
While touching the collar, which is the proof of Souma-sama's slavery, they are staring at the entrance of the dungeon.
Iris honestly thinks that's amazing. The mysterious abilities of these women and their adoration of Master Souma. Everything and anything to do with him.
I wish SOUMA was Iris's big brother.
Hmm. For a mysterious adventurer, you're quite polite.
The captain of the regular soldiers said to the maid and the elf.
He is a large man with horns on his helmet. He holds a slender sword in his hand.
He looks bold on the outside, but he's a sensitive character, and he's entrusted with this mission because he's often aware of it. However, because he's been a regular soldier for three generations of Ilgafa lords, he has a habit of looking down on ordinary people, which is troubling. Yesterday, I told him to be polite to Souma-sama's party.
'However, we are enough to protect Iris-sama. "But we are sufficient to protect you, Iris, lest you think you are more useful than we are. Keep your quota and don't jostle.
I know.
With a completely blank expression, the maid replies.
The captain didn't like her attitude, or maybe she didn't like her attitude, and she was going to say something with her heart, but...
'Captain! It's a bunch of harpies!
At the sound of the sentry's voice, both he and Iris looked toward the sea at the same time.
They saw a human-faced bird flying over the sea. It was a woman with her upper body and her hands as wings.
The harpies are coming straight at us. I knew it, the warding is getting weaker.
"Everybody at the ready! "On my mark...
graceful
Peeeeee! Piggy! Pee-gee!
Pop-pop, pop-pop.
The harpies, with their wings shot out, fell into the sea.
...... e.
When a stunned Iris turned around, the elven girl was about to sneak her bow away.
It was possible to hit them at this distance with a certain level of archery skill, but I only heard the sound of a bow string clanging once. Even though there were five harpies? That's one time? Funny. I thought Souma-sama's party was strange, but this elven girl is also quite strange.
It's just that the regular soldiers of the Ilgafa lord's house are indeed the same. The regular soldiers of the Ilgaffa lord's house are very good at shooting down demons without us noticing. It's amazing. Even the master is surprised.
Yeah, uh, ...... oh.
Or are you just fired up? Fervor? Well, if you are a regular soldier of the Ilgafa lord's family, you can shoot down a harpy with just a glance. It's amazing!
....... Of course you can go to ...... too!
The captain bursts out of his chest at the elf girl's words.
(What, you're getting on there?)
Iris's true intentions, which leaked out unintentionally, were not voiced, and the captain paused decisively as he readied his bow.
''My men are full of excellent men! It's as simple as shooting down a harpy!
...... I see.
Iris sighed quietly.
I don't care about the captain. What I care about is the elf girl.
She's faint but unfathomable.
How much power does she have in her?
Iris doesn't know.
She doesn't know that the skill crystal she gave to Nagi in the past, "Mizumaki Lv 1", has been rebuilt with "Archery Lv 1" to create a new cheat skill.
''Archery Lv 1''
A skill that increases the damage dealt by the bow and arrow (10% + LV x 10%).
"Watering LV1.
The skill of "spraying" water with the Jouleur
These two skills were reconstructed...
Archery Lv 1 (R (rare))
The skill of "spreading" the "damage" with the "bow and arrow".
You can fire multiple arrows at once.
The number of arrows you can fire is the sum of your "Archery" level (including heavy rain archery) plus one.
Currently, you can fire five arrows at once.
'Water Purification Lv 1' (R)
Skill to "increase" the "water" with "Joule
A skill that allows you to increase the amount of water stored in the Jouro at regular intervals.
The rate of increase is level x 10% + 10%. Current increase rate is 20%.
Can be used once per hour. The upper limit is up to the capacity of the jowl.
A short time after the appearance of the Harpy.
'Captain! There's a big bat in the water!
Mmm. All set your bows again! "As for the Lady Iris...
graceful
thou art thou
plump
The big bats, shot through by arrows, fell into the sea.
They killed a swarm of big bats.
Wow! Amazing! You are the regular soldiers of the House of Ilgafa, indeed.
...... Oh, oh.
Iris didn't miss the cold sweat on the captain's forehead as he nailed an arrow to his bow.
Even Iris has been amazed since a while ago.
The amazing thing is not only the skill of the elven girl's bow, but also her combination with the maid.
The same is true of her combination with the maid.
The moment the elf girl's bowstring sounds, the maids are cleverly distracting everyone. She makes tea, distributes sweets, and serves as a shield to protect Iris from the sea breeze. Each time, the demons approaching from above are shot through unnoticed and fall into the sea. After the Harpies, Great Bats, and Blue Albatross crash, the demons in the sky don't appear.
Yup. Even demons don't like being dropped in such an incomprehensible way, right?
The next thing you know, the elven girl's bow will sound and a few of them will crash together.
...... Even demons have the ability to learn, right?
Iris regained her composure and looked at the dungeon entrance.
It must have been about an hour and a half since Souma-sama and the others entered.
I wonder if it's okay. They're Iris's friends, so it's okay.
There are demons in the dungeon as well.
And it's not just sky demons that appear on the beach. It's the land creatures that are trickier. ......
''Here he comes, captain! It's Aqualizard!
"Everybody be a wall! Protect Lady Iris!
All at once, the soldiers formed a line in front of Iris.
A large lizard emerged from the rocks, its body wet with seawater. It was larger than a human adult. Its surface was covered with hard scales, and it was not prepared to let its blade pass through. It is even said that it is difficult for even high-level adventurers to fight multiple lizards at the same time.
"Nuh-uh-uh, this is a troublesome opponent, but we can't retreat now! All at spearhead! Whoever has a torch, light it and throw it! This thing must be vulnerable to dryness!
Dryness.
Even in a case like this, Iris shrugs involuntarily.
How do you keep your enemies dry on the beach?
There are even large puddles of water around.
Should I have hired a wizard, after all?
If only the Adventurer's Guild was functioning, I could have done that too.
A soldier charges in with his spear at the ready. The target is the open mouth of the Aqualizard. The spear, which luckily dives in, causes the great lizard's body fluids to spew out. The soldiers around them latch on to the opportunity. One of them is hit by the tail and falls down.
But the regulars don't retreat. They surround the Aqualizard and thrust their spears out from all directions.
Soon, multiple spears pierce the Aqualizard's abdomen. The demon, which spewed pale body fluids, stops moving.
The soldiers have won.
''We're saved. Thank you very much. ''Captain.''
'Ha ha ha. There's no need to thank me, Mr. Iris. I have a duty to perform.
The captain stretched his chest and put back the corner of his helmet that had been bent when he fell.
''How about it, adventurers? This is the ability of the Irgafa Lord House's regular soldiers. Even if you can use a few tricks, in a head-to-head battle, no one can match you in terms of skill and strength!
Yeah. That's exactly what it is.
It's amazing. As expected of the Ilgafa Lords' family.
The maid and the elven girl clapped.
Behind the girls were three of the Aqualizard's corpses lying behind them.
'........................ lie.'
A wooden cup fell from Iris's hand.
The large lizards were all dead, belly up.
Their skin had dried up and their scales had peeled off, as if their bodies had been deprived of water all at once.
But that's not possible. Because the Aqualithards are dying on a big puddle. How could they be drying out on a puddle? And that puddle. Was it that big?
The amount of sewage (・・・・) seems to be much higher than it was when I saw it earlier?
'Oh, that maid. No, Lady Aine Clunet. What is this?
Well?
'Well? It's not, is it!
I think they were all sick aqualithards.
The maid took the Hagane Mop and told her.
I tried to attack Miss Iris before the last of her life was extinguished, but I couldn't do it. But I couldn't do it.
I saw it too. He staggered up from the beach and fell down.
(No way!
Iris struggled to hold back the urge to get up from her chair and hang on.
Souma-sama has asked me to hide their party's abilities. There's no way Iris can break that promise.
But I can't calm down.
I want to jump out and question her, but I have to hold my knees.
It's always like that.
Whenever she's with Souma and the others, she almost forgets that she's a priestess and the daughter of the Lord of Ilgafa. She becomes a normal, early teenage girl. What is this uncomfortable feeling?
''It's okay. Nah-kun, not ......, the master will be back soon.
So please calm down. There's nothing to worry about!
It must be your fault that you are restless!
You are slaves to the Souma, aren't you? You're wearing a collar!
So why do you look so contented?
Do you enjoy your job?
What does Iris look like at ......?
Don't you look boring, even though you're the daughter of the Lord of Ilgafa?
Command! Message!
Suddenly, a soldier on horseback came running from the town.
The regular soldiers surrounding Iris buzz around him.
The messenger dismounts his horse, kneels in front of Iris and tells her.
'I have a message for you, Iris, from your brother, Neuel-Hafeumea!
Wow. The worst!
Iris couldn't help but slump back in her chair.
'I'm worried about my dear sister, so I'm going to check on her. They want everyone to be ready to meet her.