Chapter 41
Chapter 41 Maid explorers and the battle junkie

[And so, I’ve come to report that the maid training for these three is done . ]

Says Lusia, dressed in a maid’s uniform . Cynthia and the twins are similarly dressed standing at her side .

[Wait, why is Lusia also wearing maid clothes?]

[Yes . It is because I am now also serving as a maid here . ]

[That’s the first time I heard about it though……]

[Since we have a lot of children, someone as old as me has to take care of them . I didn’t think I had to report such a trivial matter to Jin-sama, so……]

[I mean, aren’t you training the adventurer group too?]

Isn’t that a lot of work to do? Is the meaning I put in when I asked her and……

[Since the adventurer group have become more competent, I don’t need to lead them as much as I used to . The maid’s side as well; the earlier maids have already become qualified, so my role is nothing more than a representative . ]

[Well, if you say so…… So, their maid training being complete means there are no problems even if we go to the dungeon, right?]

[Yes . I have tried giving them battle training, but they didn’t progress much there . They focused in studying as a maid to the end . ]

[Well, there is a limit to what we can do in three days after all……]

[Even so, I think I have given them enough training so they would not embarra.s.s the master . ]

Those three step forward, pick their skirt’s hem and bow as Lusia said that . Hmm, it is a really good greeting .

[Sir . Allow me to introduce myself again nodesu . My name is Cynthia . ]

[Likewise, I am Sora . ]

[Likewise, I am Karen . ]

[[[I look forward to working with you, Sir . ]]]

[Yeah, same here . ]

All of them step back at the same time . Lusia also speeds up the topic .

[I have taught them the basics in weapon techniques; swords for Sora, spears for Karen and blunt weapons for Cynthia . I think they will be doing well enough for actual combat . ]

[The twins aside, why blunt weapons, Cynthia?]

It is a little out of place for a Hero to use blunt weapons . No, I’m not saying it’s bad though……

Cynthia steps forward . ……What? Does she have to step forward when she’s spoken to?

[It is because the quality of the weapon doesn’t have much influence in staff technique nodesu . I would like to spend the time I would use to maintain the blade in killing monsters instead nodesu . ]

Her way of thinking is quite disturbing . I mean, she’s got the logic of a battle junkie .

[Then isn’t unarmed combat good enough too in that case?]

[That is my final target nanodesu . I want to reach the point where I can hunt large amounts of monsters with just my bare hands someday nodesu . ]

Totally a battle junkie’s reason .

Oh right, let’s check Cynthia’s status carefully . I intentionally didn’t peek at it since removing the from her .

Cynthia

Level 1

s.e.x : Female

Age : 11

Race : Human

Skills :

Martial arts

Magic

Ability

Physique

Other

t.i.tle : Jin’s slave, Human hero .

She acquired a lot of skills as planned .  She’s basically like Maria . She is also good at acquiring other skills too . But she hasn’t tried as many things as Maria had, so she doesn’t really have many skills .

I think is worth mentioning . Maria doesn’t have it, so I think it falls under the rare category .

Raises status depending on the stimulation of one’s emotions . Raised value is dependent on the emotions and method of stimulation . For example, a state of [Anger] would raise one’s offensive power .

Lastly,  I am guessing and are hobbies she used to have .

Regrettably, neither Sora nor Karen has any point of growth worth mentioning . Well, comparing them with a holder of the t.i.tle of Hero should be pitiful . Their skills have more or less risen by one point . Yeah, that’s good enough .

[So, what about the weapons?]

[Yes, about that, I am thinking about letting them use the weapons Knot created . ]

[Knot? The Dwarf? Why?]

Knot is a dwarven slave and part of the adventurer team based in Kastal . He did say he wants to become a master blacksmith .

[It seems that a blacksmith they had saved had taken a liking to him and taught him smithing techniques . Since it runs side by side with their activities as adventurers, I have concluded it won’t be a problem . ]

[Well, it isn’t a problem . I do have the plan to have him make equipment in this base at some point after all . ]

I should just think that my plans of learning crafts have sped up .

[I did give him one point in skill, didn’t I? Has he become good enough to make some equipment?]

[Yes, it seems that he can still only make simple equipment, but I believe they are just right as beginner weapons . It’s because the quality itself is not bad on the whole as far as I can see . ]

[If Lusia is making that conclusion, then I have

nothing else to say . But it’s probably better if you report our current state once in a while, including the other slaves . There things I can’t grasp about are increasing by a lot after all . ]

A: I know them all, you see . I have basically decided to not to inform you of things of relatively low priority .

[It looks like Alta knows all of it, but I’d like to hear it from you personally for myself after all . ]

[Understood . I shall prepare it in advance . Please tell me if you need it . ]

[Okay . ]

After that, each of them equipped the weapons and armor prepared for them .

[Come to think of it, are they going to keep wearing the maid outfits like this?]

[Yes, given they have done maid training, their uniform are to be the maid clothes . ]

[Is that so?]

[Yes . Please feel free to use them as maids inside the dungeon as you see fit . ]

I even feel like it’s fairly harsh though…… But when I look at those three, they nod with a serious look . I guess it doesn’t matter if they have the motivation for it .

[If the people in question have the motivation for it, then that’s fine too I guess . The preparation seems to be done as well, so let’s head to the dungeon immediately . ]

[Yes nanodesu!]

[Yes! We’re looking forward to this, right Karen-chan?]

[Yes! We’ll be giving our all in this, right Sorchan?]

It was a good opportunity for the twins to say the same lines given that the twins spoke simultaneously, but it is hard to understand them when they say slightly different things, so I’d like them to stop that .

We return to Lilia city after gathering the other members and do the registration of the three at the explorer and adventurer guilds . Though we’re young, we were taking along three maids which attracted people’s eyes . Fortunately, we didn’t get in trouble with any vulgar gang . Well, people who don’t want their nether regions be stabbed by a rapier shouldn’t come meddling with us . As it happens, Alta told me I’ve become the town’s gossip with the matter of our introduction from Elinsia the other day . How scared are you, Elinsia?

[T-This is a dungeon card EX! I heard rumors about it before nodesu, but I never though I would have one in my hand someday!]

[So happy, Karen-chan!]

[So amazing, Sorchan!]

I was able to get the three of them a dungeon card EX too with Elinsia’s letter of recommendation, their mood is strange . What? Is it something to long for that much? I try asking them who are looking with eyes like it’s a treasure .

[Yes! It’s the no . 1 aspiration to the residents of this country nanodesu!]

[It’s an aspiration!]

[It’s a treasure!]

[I see . Good for you then . ]

[[[Yes, Sir (nanodesu)! ]]]

All nine members, including the three who are completely in a good mood, now head toward the dungeon entrance .

The dungeon entrance is roughly at the center of the city . It is just like for the first village we visited, with stairs leading to the first underground layer . It seems that most of the cases you call it the first layer without “underground” .

There is a building on top of the entrance of the underground in this city, we enter it . There is a reception desk . It is a necessary to follow the procedures to go underground . The contents are well managed in this building even if it is spilled from the dungeon item box so that’s a relief (maybe) . At the very least, in this city that is .

We’re still drawing attention even if we entered the building . A strange group has come consisting mostly of young and little girls, even maids too, so it can’t be helped . Ah and then there’s Elinsia’s influence .

After our business at the reception is done, we descend underground . There doesn’t seem to be any inconvenience in visibility since the walls shine lightly just like the one in that abandoned village .

After we go down about as much as the stairways in the abandoned village, the stairs immediately turn into a pa.s.sageway . The pa.s.sage is really wide though, about four traffic lanes in my former world’s standard . But we can’t let our guard down since monsters can come out from the floor, the walls or the ceiling at any moment . My map has quite the bad affinitiy with the dungeon since I can’t even see the locations the monsters appear .

[Mio, are you okay with this much?]

[Yeah, it looks like dungeons are fine for me . I wonder if it’s because I know what shows up here aren’t ghosts, but monsters . ]

[Err, I’ve heard ghost monsters come out here, you know?]

[Eh?]

Mio stiffened . It can’t be helped, so I carry her on my back . Dora looks jealously at us .

>

I wonder what will happen if let Dora fly while riding on my shoulders . Let’s try it next time .

[Sir, please don’t play around in the dungeon . ]

[Sir, please don’t fool around in the dungeon . ]

The remarks from the twins left me astonished .

[This is how we are everyday, so please get used to it . ]

[That’s impossible, right Karen-chan?]

[That’s not good, right Sorchan?]

[Huh? My field of vision is high? Wait, why are you giving me a ride on your shoulder!?]

Mio who just regained her consciousness got confused .

While I’m thinking about that, we encounter our first

first dungeon monster .

Dungeon Slime

LV3

Note : White mucus shaped monster .

It is a slime that only lives in the dungeon . Let’s see, if it’s this then even if I leave it to the three rookies ……

[I’m going nodesu!]

Cynthia charges toward the monster . A maid charging in and abandoning her master should be NG I guess……

The Dungeon Slime noticed Cynthia and hurls itself towards her . Cynthia on the other hand, swings her iron rod (Knot’s work : Iron rod) downwards . The Dungeon Slime collided with the iron rod with the force of its dash and crashes into the ground with 0 HP .

[Haa, haa……]

Cynthia’s breathing is being rough . She must have been really tense because this is her first fight, even if it didn’t last long .

I approach her so I can scold her for not asking for instructions and praise her for her first victory .

Cynthia’s cheeks are flushed, her eyes are moist and her mouth has slacked slovenly . And the area between her legs as well as the ground is wet .

……Looks like she wasn’t tense, but excited instead . And she leaked out from overexcitement……

[……Your first battle, how did it feel?]

Somehow I only ask that to her .

[It felt veery, very good nanodesu!]

[I see……, but……]

-*kotsun*-

I lightly hit her in the head .

[That hurts nodesu!]

[Don’t run off without listening to instructions!]

[I-I’m very sorry!]

[Also, what are you wetting yourself for, how shameful . ]

[Ah, you are right nanodesu…… I didn’t notice that nodesu . ]

Looks like she really didn’t notice at all, she looks surprised seeing what happened between her legs . Also, Mio is secretly looking away from this .

[“Clean”]

[Sakursama, thank you very much nanodesu . ]

Sakura cast her magic from the side . She was settled to have the main role of “Clean” . ……I think it is originally magic used for cleaning blood,dirt or mud though .

[Cynthichan, going alone is unfair . ]

[We wanted to fight too . ]

[Sorry nanodesu……]

The twins come booing at her . We had talked about having the three newcomers about fighting together in the beginning, but she jumped out on her own and left the twins with nothing to do .

[Well, let’s just honestly say congrats on being able to defeat it safely . Did you feel aversion in taking away life?]

[No, it is fine if the opponent is a monster nanodesu . ]

Well, being fine enough to wet yourselves out of excitement makes it fine, right?

[You haven’t gone to a slave dealer like us but you are doing fine, I suppose . ]

[That’s right . Mio-chan, Serchan and I had our sense of values changed by the slave dealer, but surprisingly it may have somehow worked out for you even without such changes……]

Sera and Maria say in a curious-like way .

[Well, our village was attacked by monsters . Isn’t that a good enough reason to change our sense of value?]

[That is also true……]

[Yes! I want to become strong enough to not lose to any monster nodesu! That’s why this isn’t the time to be shaking from just taking down monsters nodesu!]

[But, subjugate them under instructions, okay?]

[……Yes nanodesu]

Cynthia becomes dejected . For the time being I resume giving instructions so that they will fight with the three of them next before proceeding .

The first layer must have a lowered monster sp.a.w.n rate . Monsters didn’t come out even ten minutes after our first fight . By the way, we are heading towards the closest the stairway to the second layer according to Map . From Lilia city’s entrance to the second level takes only about 30 minutes . The plans of the cities in this country are said to greatly factor the ease of access to the lower layers . There are many small villages whose entrances have bad access to lower layers . All the more you could say that the attack on the first village is unusual .

[Monsters are coming . Three Dungeon Slimes]

As I conveyed that, the three ready their weapons . We could see the three monsters after walking a little .

[Alright, this time you three……]

Cynthia rushes out at the point I said that much . Listen to what I’m saying……

[You two, after her!]

[[Yes Sir!]]

Cynthia who went ahead unleashes a blow with all her might . Even if it dealt large damage to one of the dungeon slimes, she wasn’t able to defeat it . Furthermore, she delayed her next move due to straining herself too much, allowing the two other slimes on the sides to hit her directly .

[Ow!]

[[Cynthichan!]]

Cynthia was blown away . The twins catch up to her and immediately take a stance and cover her . The two safe slimes target them with a ramming attack . Karen blocked it with her spear and Sora tried to dodge it but couldn’t and she got hit on the shoulder .

[Ky!]

[Sorchan! ……Why you!]

Blood rushed to Karen’s head as Sora was attacked and so she thrusts her spear not towards the dungeon slime that has come to attack her, but the one that attacked Sora .   

The Dungeon Slime still has more than half of its HP left after getting stabbed by the spear . And then the other Dungeon slime who was attacking Karen from the beginning hurls itself against Karen once more . Of course, Karen who was trying to thrust her spear again naturally didn’t dodge it and so she is. .h.i.t in the back .

[Kya!]

And so, the three of them collapsed and couldn’t move after receiving heavy damage for the first time in their life .

……They’re weaker than

weaker than I thought . Or more like, they don’t really understand how to fight . Lusia had said she taught them a little so I tried having them fight suddenly, but it looks like it won’t work if it’s not from a bit of training .

[I guess the three are knocked out for now . Sera, take care of those . ]

[Understood . ]

Sera dashes out and in one sweep she bisects all of the dungeon slimes who were trying to follow up on the collapsed three .

I cast “Heal” on the collapsed three . They still have a lot of HP left but it seems like their first damage was a bigger shock than I imagined .

[Alright, it’s evaluation time . ]

I let the three girls sit on their knees in the dungeon and hold an evaluation meeting . No, that’s not right . Cynthia is currently prostrating herself .

[I’m sorry nanodesu! I wasn’t able to contain my emotions in the end when monsters appeared in front of me and I ended up rushing out nodesu!]

Cynthia is a complete battle junkie . She’ll honestly be hard to handle if she can’t control herself .

[For now I’m thinking about giving Cynthia her punishment later ……]

[Hiii-!]

I ignore Cynthia who shrieked .

[Didn’t you learn the basics of combat?]

[[Yes, we did . We were taught the way to hold and swing a weapon and also footwork, but we didn’t go as far as a practical fight……]]

[I see, if it’s only that then it’s probably harsh to put it in practice so suddenly . Now then, I’ll roughly explain the bad points of the fight just now . First of all, Cynthia, don’t attack a single opponent with all your strength despite having multiple opponents . Consider your next actions . ]

[Yes nanodesu……]

[Sora, you shouldn’t only think about dodging while you still aren’t used to fighting yet . Start with getting used to defense first . Defending with your sword will get you only so much damage after all . ]

[Yes……]

[Karen, don’t take your eye off your enemy just because Sora was attacked . If you want to cover for Sora, at least keep your eyes on both enemies . ]

[Yes……]

They became more and more depressed .

[Okay then, let’s decrease the number of enemies . Let’s get you used to three on one first . ]

[[Is it really okay to let us fight again?]]

[Well, I didn’t tell you not to fight after one failure, now did I?]

[Thank you very much . Aren’t we glad, Karen-chan?]

[Thank you very much . Aren’t we saved, Sorchan?]

[W-What will happen to me nodesu?]

Cynthia asks with a troubled face . It’s because this is the second time . The “one failure” doesn’t include her . Let’s see, what to do . I can’t let them fight without any countermeasures as I expected I guess .

When I think about countermeasures against Cynthia’s reckless behavior, her face became tearful .

[Siir, I’m really soorry nanodesuu . Please forgive mee . ]

It seems that she misunderstood my thinking about something for being upset about her . Well, it’s not like I’m not upset though……

[Aside from forgiving or not forgiving, I can’t take you along to our dungeon capture if this keeps up, you know that? I will let you continue being a maid at our base if that’s the case, got it?]

A member with a habit to charge in is nothing but a minus in dungeon captures . If that’s the case then I guess I’ll let her train as a maid in our base and when she becomes one I’ll let her join fights or have her do adventurer’s work or something .

My words made Cynthia’s face pale and she comes clinging to me .

[No! I’d like you to allow me only that nodesu! I will do everything you say nodesu! I want to fight nodesu! Not to mention that my senpai’s will get too scary if I’m sent back because I caused trouble to master nodesu!]

Cynthia is clinging to me and trembling . I wonder if the maids have a vertically structured society . Moreover, Cynthia is a newcomer but she suddenly comes along with me now . I bet it isn’t amusing to the members who were there before her . Lusia told me that most of the maids want to belong by my side too……

[That’s if Cynthia doesn’t cure her habit of charging in . Now then, what should we do?]

[Can’t we just bind her with the slave crest?]

Sakursan comes up with a groundbreaking solution .

[Sakursama, the slave crest does not render you unable to violate an order, but it produces intense pain when violating an order . If an intense pain occurs during an attack, you will end up writhing in pain in front of your enemy . That’s dangerous . ]

However, Maria shoots it down . So she charges in, falls down from the pain, writhing in pain and then be attacked by the enemy . Huh? Won’t she die from that?

[Is that how it works? Then we should give up on that . ]

[Right . It won’t become a practical solution like that . n.o.body else has any other idea?]

I try asking, but it doesn’t seem like anybody has a particular idea . I guess we can’t do anything but take the time to discipline her thoroughly .

[It can’t be helped then . Let’s recover our strength and hold back in charging in for today . Sera, carry Cynthia . Mio, if enemies appear, reduce their numbers until it’s just right . ]

[For three people, two monsters should be enough, right?]

[I guessenough, right?]

[I guess . It should be fine for those three . ]

It’ll be more advantageous than a 1 on 1 fight .

[After we cut down the number of enemies I can release Cynthisan, is that right?]

[Yeah, and you twins start at the same time as that, got it?]

[[Yes Sir!]]

[Cynthia . When today’s fighting is done, discipline will be waiting for you . ]

[Hii-!]

Cynthia leaks out a short scream .

[If you don’t want that, then fix your charging habit by the end of the day . ]

[Hahiiii . ]

For the time being I’ve decided to put Cynthia’s countermeasure on hold and go ahead .

Sera is carrying Cynthia under her arm . Even if a monster comes out, she can’t charge in since she’s trapped as one would expect . I let Dora ride on my back while I’m at it . In other words, the amount of people unable to partic.i.p.ate in battle has become four . Aren’t we making too light of the dungeon I wonder……

An enemy appeared again after walking a little . This time it’s a single dungeon goblin . Dungeon goblins are quite formidable for the first layer level and will come out in groups on the third layer . they’re is just small fries for me but they should be more than enough of a threat for the three newcomers .

When Sera releases Cynthia after timing it, she charges in as is . Yep, not even a single bit of sign of being cured at all .

[Taa!]

Cynthia swings down her iron rod . Dungeon goblin stops the blow . It has turned into a deadlock, but Cynthia seems to be weaker so she is gradually being pushed back .

[[Yaa!]]

However, Cynthia bought time by daringly not drawing back from that . Sora and Karen attacks in that opening from both sides . The dungeon goblin only has two hands and both of them are holding the club right now . In other words, he got hit directly without being able to either dodge or stop the attack .

[Ei!]

The moment the dungeon goblin lost its strength because of the twins’ attack, Cynthia used that chance to flick its club away and adds another blow . At this stage, the dungeon goblin’s HP is 0 . I wouldn’t call that cooperation, but it looks like they were able to use their advantage in numbers .

[We did it, Sorchan!]

[That’s right, Karen-chan!]

The twins put their hands to each other and are delighted . Cynthia however looks dissatisfied .

[What’s wrong?]

[Eh? I feel dissatisfied because I couldn’t defeat it alone nanodesu……]

[Just cooperate with each other for crying out loud!]

[Ugh~, my ideal is fighting hand-to-hand on my own nanodesuyo~ . ]

I think she has the solo player battle junkie personality or something, but I want to tell her to restrain herself .

[For now, you have to think about cooperating with the twins during combat first and foremost, because I’m letting Sera hold you back from rushing in . ]

[Yes nanodesu . ]

Afterwards we continued fighting on the first level for a while . We discovered the stairs to the second level, but I don’t need to suddenly increase the three newcomers’s burden , so we’re staying on the first level .

Since the twins obediently fix the things I told them, they improved quickly . As for Cynthia, despite having overwhelming talent, her habit of rushing in stayed beyond repair . What a waste .

Nevertheless, they fought about 10 battles, so their level was raised . It was just a little but, but since I’ve shared the statuses of the defeated monsters, all of them have without a doubt become stronger .

It seems they got enough skills to work it out on the first level after doing around five more battles . I try letting them fight against the three dungeon slimes for today’s closure . We didn’t have any three on three fights after that first one after all .

[It’s three dungeon slimes . Show something unsightly just like before and there will be punishment, you understand?]

[[Y-Yes Sir!]]

The legs of the Twins are trembling . It seems like they are more scared of my punishment than of the dungeon slimes .

[Ugh~, ugh~]

Cynthia is struggling in Sera’s arm . Really, she’s not showing any hints of fixing it .

Cynthia always charges at enemies whenever I let Sera release her . It seems the twins got used to it a little, so they match and go forward ahead of her .

The battle itself ended safely . Cynthia attacked with all her strength just like always, but the twins moved in order to support that so she never got bombed . By the way, Cynthia’s first hit instantly killed a slime .

On a side note, more than 70% of the monsters living in the dungeons have a different color than their counterparts on the outside since they have been inside the dungeon since the start . The so-called palette swapped monsters . Preparing graphics must have been difficult .

Dungeon Rabbit

LV3

Note : A horned rabbit inhabiting the dungeon . Not as delicious as its outside counterpart . A rabbit horns growing .

Dungeon Wolf

LV3

Note : A fang wolf that lives inside a dungeon . Still unpalatable .

That’s about what’s inside the first level for now . There are no delicious monsters for food .

If we had noone who can cook like Mio, then I have the utmost confidence that I won’t be able to dive into the dungeon .


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