Descending to the second underground floor, I, armed with a radar indicating no enemy reactions, cautiously surveyed the surroundings for potential dangers.

 

"Hmm... There's a trap near the left wall, but no need to worry as I'll proceed down the right passage. Miharu-chan, Instructor Aid, are you both ready?"

 

"We're good to go anytime!"

 

"...Miharu is also okay."

 

"Alright then, let's move forward!"

 

Despite Miharu-chan's discontent, I continued down the right passage, informing Aid and the others. However, at this moment, a question crossed my mind.

 

Come to think of it, the encounter rate with enemies seems lower than the last time I was here. Even when I cross-referenced the radar-displayed enemy positions with the map, there were only about 3 to 4 enemies 30 meters ahead in the current location.

 

Moreover, they are off the path I am taking now, so we shouldn't run into them. Still, it's a bit concerning.

 

"I don't know..."

 

"What's wrong, Erlaina?"

 

"I feel like there are fewer monsters than the last time we came. Did some other party defeat them, perhaps?"

 

"That might be true."

 

Well, it's better to progress easily, but... it becomes unsettling when only a handful of blips show up on the radar.

 

"You're lucky, aren't you? Besides, it's better to advance with ease, isn't it?"

 

"...True. Let's turn right here."

 

Even though I think they both have a good grasp of the situation, I point to the right passage just to be sure.

 

"Are there stairs leading down that way?"

 

"Yeah, if you continue down this path, you'll reach a T-junction. Take the left path there, and you'll find the stairs."

 

"Hmm, I envy your ability once I know it's genuine."

 

Ignore Miharu-chan's grumbling. She might get confrontational if I say something, so let it be.

 

"Well, we seem to be arriving earlier than expected."

 

"Is that so? Huh?"

 

"Warning! Multiple approaching dangers detected. Potential enemies identified."

 

Huh? Enemies suddenly appeared where there were none a moment ago. It didn't seem like they had just moved here. But more importantly...

 

"Three enemies are coming from the front!"

 

"Got it!"

 

"Understood!"

 

After a short wait, three wolves come running towards us.

 

They're swift, but we shouldn't worry too much about defeating them easily.

 

First, I aim the ORIGIN-12 at the leading wolf and shoot. Bang! It lets out a cry and falls to the floor.

 

Next, I aim at the wolf on the right and shoot. It falls to the ground without making a sound, probably instantly killed.

 

When I aim at the last wolf, it starts to show an unexpected move.

 

"Oh, really?"

 

Surprisingly, the remaining wolf, with a series of lateral jumps, moves left and right, coming towards us.

 

No matter how agile it is, if it keeps moving like that, the shotgun's spread won't hit accurately... unavoidable.

 

Facing the wolf jumping left and right, I release my grip on the ORIGIN-12 and draw the Karambit knife holstered at my waist.

 

Come closer... pull it in more...

 

"Grrraah!!"

 

Now!

Descending to the underground second floor, I, armed with my radar, observed no enemy reactions. Nevertheless, I scanned my surroundings as a precaution, ensuring there was no imminent danger.

"Hmm... there's a trap along the left wall, but no need to worry since we're heading down the right corridor. Miharu-chan, Instructor Aid, are you ready?"

"We're good to go anytime!"

"...Miharu is also fine."

"Alright, then let's proceed!"

Despite Miharu-chan's discontent, I uttered these words to Aid and others as I began walking down the right-sided passage. At this point, a question arose in my mind.

Come to think of it, the encounter rate with enemies seems lower than the last time. Even after cross-referencing the radar-detected enemy positions with the map and calculating distances, there were only about 3 to 4 enemies 30 meters ahead in the current location.

Moreover, they were in a location off the path I was taking, so it seemed unlikely to encounter them, but it still bothered me.

"...I don't know."

"I don't know. What's going on, Erlina?"

"I feel like there are fewer monsters than the last time I came. Maybe some other party took care of them?"

"...That might be the case."

Well, it's better if we can progress easily, but... it's a bit unsettling that only a few enemies are showing up on the radar.

"You've got luck on your side, that's why. Besides, it's better to make progress effortlessly, right?"

"...Yeah, you're right. Let's turn right here."

Although I think both of them have grasped the situation, I pointed to the right passage just to be sure.

"Are there stairs leading down that way?"

"Yeah, if you continue down this path, you'll reach a T-junction. If you go left there, you'll find the stairs."

"Hmm, once I confirm your ability, I can't help but feel jealous."

Miharu-chan grumbled, but I'll just ignore it. If I say something, she might come at me with a retort.

"Indeed, we seem to be arriving earlier than the estimated time."

"Is that so? Huh?"

"Alert! Multiple approaching dangers detected. Possible enemies."

Huh? Enemies suddenly appeared where there were none just a moment ago. It didn't feel like they had moved here. But more importantly!

"Three enemies are coming from the front!"

"Yeah!"

"Got it!"

After a short wait, three wolves could be seen running towards us.

They're quick, but they can be easily defeated, so no need to worry.

First, I aimed at the leading wolf and fired the ORIGIN-12. Bang! With a cry, it rolled to the floor.

Next, I aimed at the wolf on the right and fired. Without making a sound, it fell to the floor and stopped moving. It probably died instantly.

Unexpectedly, the last remaining wolf began to show unusual movements when I aimed at it.

"For real?"

At the end, the remaining wolf started making broad jumps left and right as if doing repetitive side jumps, approaching us.

No matter how you look at it, if it moves like that, even with a shotgun with a wide range like the ORIGIN-12, the aim won't be accurate... There's no other choice.

Facing the wolf, which was jumping from side to side, I released my grip on the ORIGIN-12 and drew the Karambit knife sheathed on my waist.

Lure it in... lure it in more...

"Grraaaah!"

Now!

Do you think you can get answers from Ellyra, even though you're practically a stranger to her?"

"Well, um..."

"What do you think?"

As Instructor Aid glared at Miharu, she began to look around nervously, her eyes darting from side to side.

"I don't think she'll answer."

"That's right. Stop questioning her."

"Got it."

"Alright, let's go after Ellyra."

"Okay."

It's truly impressive how Instructor Aid, a former knight, managed to persuade the somewhat unruly Miharu.

"We're nearing a T-junction soon, right?"

"What's wrong, Ellyra?"

"There's a wooden box in front of us. Could it be someone's forgotten belongings?"

Pointing at the wooden box in front of us, Aid nodded in agreement, saying, "Ah, I see."

"Perhaps a group that was hunting monsters used this as their base. There should be evidence on the wall over there, with a slightly rusty stake."

Indeed, when I looked in the direction Aid pointed, I saw a slightly rusty stake embedded in the wall.

Maybe they were doing level linking, similar to what you'd find in a game.

"Why did they camp here? Also, wouldn't it be better to camp in a spacious room instead of a passage?"

"They probably set up camp here either to earn money or to train new recruits. Besides, it's more convenient to camp in hidden rooms or passages than in a large room."

"Why is that?"

"Camping in a large room makes it easier to encounter monsters, for some reason. Well, if you're using magic or barriers to ward them off, it's a different story. However, magical wards need periodic renewal, and someone has to be assigned to maintain the barrier. Plus, buying magic-infused paper with protective spells can be expensive. The best method is to set up a tent in a passage."

"I see. So, is the contents of this wooden box just rubbish?"

When I opened the box, a lot of garbage spilled out. Imagining such a scenario makes me less inclined to open the box.

And above all, there's a sense of reluctance to open someone else's belongings without permission. Even if there's no unpleasant smell emanating from the box.

"That might be the case. As a rule, items like these left in dungeons are treated as dropped items, so whoever picks them up can do as they please. Though I don't think it has a name, if there's a name engraved, it becomes a dropped item, and you should hand it over to the soldiers at the entrance."

So, there are rules even in dungeons. I should look into them later to avoid breaking any.

"I don't have a name engraved, and I don't need that wooden box, so I'll leave it as it is."

Since it could be a trap, leaving it alone seems to be the best decision.

"If you say so, that's fine."

"It's the belongings of Miharu and the others, so isn't it okay to open it?"

Talking about Miharu and the others' belongings, it seems Miharu was planning to share the contents of the box.

"Well, if it were a treasure chest, I'd be tempted to open it, but since it's a suspicious box full of garbage, I'll leave it alone."

"...That's true."

"Well then, shall we continue?"

"Yes."

Upon hearing Miharu's response, I started moving towards the depths of the dungeon.

...But it's really strange. We're about to reach the stairs, and yet, there's been no encounter with enemies.

"We can see the stairs approaching."

"Really, considering it now, I've realized how reassuring it would be if you were in the party."

"I envy you for that."

Listening to Aid and the others' voices, I approached the stairs to check if it was safe.

"...Seems okay. Let's proceed."

After saying that, we descended.