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The surroundings were filled with a constant hum of noise. Amidst the clatter of metal and aimless chatter, members of the Loki Familia moved about, some carrying gear, others driving stakes into the ground, and still others relaying messages.
It was the bustling scene of a field camp, housing a team of over thirty people.
The companions of Loki Familia were scattered about in twos and threes, preparing tents, food, and other camping necessities. Ryoji was among them, busily taking care of chores as well.
Now that they'd entered the realm of the deep floors, a mere Level 2 like him could only serve in a Supporter role. Aside from carrying supplies, he mostly helped with camp setup, and rarely would he have the chance to face monsters directly.
But when he did, without exception, they were all enemies on the level of a Goliath.
And he'd fought more than a few of them already. Once he returned to the surface, his Proficiency would surely skyrocket; he might even level up right away.
---
"Still, that was really close, huh?"
His companion, who was helping him pitch the tent, let out a breath of relief.
"When those Fomoire broke into our formation, I had no idea what to do… I honestly thought we were done for. But you, Ryoji, you actually dared to charge straight at one of them. That was seriously brave."
He, too, was a Level 2 adventurer, but he'd been shivering in fear in front of the Fomoire. Compared to Ryoji, his performance had been far worse.
Even most Level 3 adventurers were fragile when faced with the Fomoire.
Ryoji's bold decision to take the initiative and charge in had earned the admiration of many. And to actually defeat one? That was on a whole other level.
---
"Eh, it was nothing much," Ryoji replied humbly.
After several days of trial and error, he was finally seeing results from his Brave Heart training. His courage in battle had become remarkable.
Thanks to that, he'd managed to disable one of the Fomoire by severing its arm.
That was a clear sign that his standard combat ability had received a massive boost.
---
"Look, it's Ais San!"
"She was so cool earlier, so amazing!"
Amid this casual camaraderie between Humans and Demi-Humans, a golden-haired girl emerged silently from the large central tent and quietly walked to the edge of a nearby cliff.
Although it was referred to as a "cliff," in reality, the camp had been set up atop a giant boulder a few hundred meters wide. It wasn't far above ground level.
This was the 50th Floor, the fourth safety floor in the Dungeon.
After that intense battle on the 49th Floor, they had made their way here without rest and set up camp before nightfall.
The passage to the 51st Floor lay just ahead, inside a flattened ground cave.
Ais's appearance caused a brief ripple of energy among the group. Her performance in tearing through the Fomoire horde had greatly boosted morale.
---
"Something wrong? You look kinda down." Ryoji set down the gear he was carrying and walked up beside her, noticing how her eyes were lowered slightly.
When Ais was upset, her eyelids would always droop just a bit.
---
"Tch… slacking off again."
The man helping Ryoji pitch the tent silently cursed him under his breath.
---
"...Finn scolded me earlier," Ais muttered, recalling the conversation from the central tent. Her mood sank further.
---
"For abandoning your post and charging into the monster swarm? Ryoji only had to think for a moment before realizing why Finn had been upset.
---
"Mm." Ais gave a tiny nod.
During the previous breakthrough battle, Finn had assigned her to guard the right flank. But when a gap appeared in the frontline, she had left her post without permission, and later, she had even charged straight into the enemy ranks.
Although it hadn't led to any serious consequences, disobeying orders during a group battle was a major taboo.
"Sometimes, you have to adapt in battle. Just be more careful next time." Ryoji extended his hand as he spoke.
While comforting the golden-haired girl, he reached out and gently patted her head.
It felt nice, soft and smooth, like Dove chocolate.
"Jiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!"
A murderous glare shot over from another tent. No need to guess, it was Bete.
"Um… that's a little embarrassing…" Ais's cheeks flushed slightly as she softly protested to Ryoji.
Ryoji gave her head a couple more solid pats before letting go, prompting Ais to grumpily fix her hair.
"Wuooohhh!!"
A tanned-skinned Amazoness girl burst onto the scene with overwhelming energy.
"Ryoji! Pat my head too! I worked super hard just now!"
She skidded to a stop in front of him and started nudging her head toward his chest like a caterpillar, pushing insistently.
"Alright, alright! Stop pushing already…"
Ryoji hurriedly braced himself against her forehead, narrowly avoiding being rammed through the rock floor by the human drill that was Tiona.
"Ehehe~!"
Feeling his hand on her head, Tiona grinned with delight.
But the moment she realized that Ryoji and Ais had already grown close enough to be casually head-patting, a silent alarm went off in her heart.
"U-Um…!"
Just as Tiona was growing wary, a timid voice rang out behind her.
A girl with a bubbly, golden-yellow hair color timidly approached the group. Fidgeting and avoiding eye contact, Lefiya bowed deeply to Ryoji.
"Thank you… for saving me earlier!"
'Whoa! He actually patted Ais San on the head!'
Damn, I want to be patted too, wait, no! I mean, even I haven't been patted before!
Lefiya shook her head violently, trying to dispel the strange thoughts creeping into her mind and reassert her pure admiration for Ais.
But… why did she feel this weird twinge of envy?
I get it! I must want to be patted on the head by Ais San! That's it!
"What's she doing…?"
Watching Lefiya alternate between nodding and shaking her head in confusion, the others were visibly baffled.
"Damn, I'm so jealous!"
A Level 3 guy pitching a tent nearby looked like he was about to cry as he watched Ryoji casually surrounded by a group of beautiful girls.
The sky gradually darkened.
The rocky ceiling overhead faded into the distance, leaving only faint glimmers of phosphorescent light coming from the stone pillars far across the floor.
Under the night sky, countless dusty-gray trees disappeared into the darkness beyond. Leaf-vein-like streams wound through the vast forest below, bubbling softly.
On top of the massive camping rock, bonfires were soon lit. Several portable magic stone lamps hung from the tent tops, their flickering light casting gentle shadows.
A large pot was set over an open flame in the clearing. Familia members gathered around it. Inside simmered a stew made of herbs, nuts, and meat fruits they had foraged along the way, a hearty mix of savory and vegetable aromas.
"Ais San, aren't you going to eat?" Lefiya, as if trying to reinforce her resolve, offered up her kindness to Ais once more.
"Overeating is bad for battle." Ais replied while munching on a block-shaped portable ration. Even though her eyes, clearly under the control of hunger, kept darting toward the stew pot with longing, she still resisted the temptation of delicious food.
"Alright, let's go over the next part of the itinerary."
Finn, seated atop a container box, sipped his soup as he began summarizing their post-battle status and plans.
(End of Chapter)