Ch 123.1
Translator: Jimi Editor: Ryunakama
Around noon, as I was accompanying Silverie who was killing Lucky Rabbits, a telepathic message arrived from Milly.
《Zeph, I’ve brought everyone over. Where are you now?》
《Ah, I’m close to the entrance now. I’ll be heading there in a moment, so wait for me near the city gates.》
《Okay, got it! Alright then, I’ll be waiting.》
They delayed quite a bit after waking up huh. I guess the preparation took some effort?.
When I broke off telepathic communications with Milly, Silverie was taking big gulps of magic recovery potions and finishing them up.
A small amount of white liquid leaked out from her lips, which she used her finger to wipe off, before sticking out her tongue to lick the potion off her finger. Her face was brimming with motivation.
I stealthily held Silverie’s hand.
At that moment, Silverie seemed so surprised that her hand trembled, then she nervously returned the grip.
「Zeph!」
Having spotted me, Milly waved vigorously from the city’s gates.
Claude, Shirushu and Lydia were together with her.
「Wha…!?」
「He he, sorry but you can’t escape this time.」
Silverie was about to teleport again, but because we were holding hands this time, she was not able to escape.
「…Zeph, you…!」
「Chill, chill, it’s fine, isn’t it? Just once in awhile.」
Regardless of the possibility of being disliked by Silverie, I forcibly pulled her to where Milly was.
However, Silverie did not put in serious effort into resisting me.
As I had predicted, she doesn’t really hate being involved with people.
The girls called out to Silverie.
「Hello, Silverie-san.」
「We’ve heard about you from Zeph-kun. …Thanks for taking care of us the other day.」
「Heh~ to be acquainted with such a beauty, even Zeph is not to be underestimated.」
「H-hello…」
「…Ah.」
Silverie gave a short response, looking as if she had resigned to her fate.
There, there, you were able to greet properly. Good girl.
「Okay then, shall we get going?」
「…my, my.」
Silverie muttered with a bewildered look on her face, but she also seemed pleased with something.
The moment we opened the door of the abandoned factory, a Guardian commenced its attack on us.
「Milly, Silverie, and I will fire our magic. Claude and Lydia will deal with those that slipped away from our attacks. Shirushu will heal us.」
「Okay ♪」
「Understood!」
Milly and Shirushu responded to my command, while the others nodded and took their battle positions.
Three Guardians were approaching us at once. Silverie took one step out in front of us.
「Leave it to me. –, — 」
What a high-speed incantation. It was so fast that I wouldn’t be able to hear it even if I focused.
The incantation was over instantaneously, and wind wrapped itself around Silverie’s arms.
「…Black Zero.」
When Silverie uttered the spell, a lance made of black wind was fired off towards the three Guardians.
With all three monsters within firing range, the Guardians were annihilated in a single shot.
「Wow…」
Everyone seemed to be astonished by Silverie’s performance.
He he, this lady is my master you know? As expected, when it comes to combat, she’s top-notch. As her former disciple, I feel proud.
「Let’s hurry ahead.」
「Y-Yeah!」
Silverie walked briskly ahead, while the rest of us followed behind.
After that, almost all the other monsters who tried to attack us were instantly killed by Silverie.
It’s understood that she’s strong, but in this way, there’s nothing left for us to do. Everyone seemed to be getting bored.
Having said that, it would be difficult to get Silverie to hold back on her attacks too. Should we try our hand at another hunting ground that is one rank above this one?
「With this many people around, we could probably proceed to the inner part of the abandoned factory.」
「Oh, sounds good~」
「I agree! The monsters here are a little too weak.」
Oi, it’s not like you’re the strong one here, you know?
Everyone seemed interested in my suggestion. They must have been pretty bored.
「Stronger monsters lurk within the inner parts of the Tiros abandoned factory. They tend to drop rare equipment made from magic metal. These items are suitable for vanguards, so we can use them to enhance Claude’s and Lydia’s equipment.」
「I’d appreciate that. After fighting all these solid Guardians, my sword has gotten slightly worn out.」
Claude was concerned about the condition of her sword while fighting.
If I remember correctly, one of the drops from the monsters in the inner parts was a good sword.
「Is that okay with you, Silverie?」
「…Do as you please.」
Silverie turned to the side in a huff, but she still obediently came along with us.
Although we were not holding hands anymore, she didn’t seem to have the desire to escape.
Silverie should have been the type of person who refuses to budge whenever there’s something she hates… Taking that into consideration, she’s unexpectedly motivated this time.
「Okay then, let’s go.」
「Oh!」
Raising her hand spiritedly, Milly placed it on the abandoned factory’s door.
Then, when she forcefully tried to open it…it would not open.
「Nnguu… gigigi…」
She continued to put in her strength until her face turned red, but it still didn’t open.
「Move alrea… dy!?」
I changed places with Milly, but the door sure is heavy.
Guess there’s no helping it… I placed my hand on the door, and cast Green Crash.
With a low hum, the door vibrated and creaked.
This time, when the door was pushed, it finally opened.
「…To use magic for this, how cunning.」
「What I used was my brain.」
「Muu…」
Milly glared at me with dissatisfaction, and I gave a light knock on her head.
Anyway, it sure is unusual for the door here to be rusty.
The inner parts of the Tiros abandoned factory has strong monsters, and is not a popular hunting ground, but sometimes there would be a bunch of people who aim to defeat the boss in the lower levels.
Well, the structure of this place is complex and even has several entrances. Perhaps, it has been a long time since anyone has used this entrance.
It’s not as if I’m completely familiar with the structures of all dungeons either.
When we entered through the door, the surroundings were still as death.
There were no branches in the road, so we proceeded in the only passageway available.
「…Monsters aren’t appearing.」
「Mm.」
Despite being in the inner parts of the dungeon, the fact that monsters have not appeared up till this point… is indeed strange.
Wondering about the possibility, I asked Silverie a question.
「Silverie, have you been here before?」
「Ah, I’ve stepped foot into the factory several times. …However, this is my first time on this path.」
A path which even Silverie didn’t know about… By some chance, this could be the discovery of a new passageway.
In the Tiros abandoned factory, monsters are strong and plentiful. Being unable to thoroughly explore the place, the likelihood of the association having overlooked a passageway is pretty high.
「…This seems like a chance to make a quick buck.」
「What a coincidence, Silverie. I happen to be thinking the same thing.」
When my eyes met Silverie’s, we chuckled wickedly.
「Hey Zeph, what are you talking about?」
「In dungeons, if you chance upon a new passageway which has not been recorded on any map, the association will pay you a monetary reward. For a place this deep within the dungeon, we won’t receive below ten million rupis even in the worst case.」
「Ohh! Yay!」
「However, being on untrodden land would mean that we cannot afford to be negligent.」
In contrast with the happy-go-lucky Milly, Claude was being prudent.
「It is as Claude said. If up until now there are no monsters, it must be because the area here is correspondingly low in mana. When there are places in a dungeon that has little mana, then there is something absorbing the mana. It could be a special monster, treasure box, or a trap.」
「I-I’ll be careful…!」
「We’ll be relying on you, Shirushu. You too, Silverie.」
Using the two ladies’ abilities in searching for the enemy, we should pick up on most threats.
With heightened vigilance, we continued straight ahead.
Both Shirushu’s nose and Silverie’s familiar did not react to anything.
「Ah, we’ve arrived at a door.」
In the direction where Milly was pointing, a small door was in sight.
When we entered through the door, we found strange tools scattered all around the room.
That wasn’t all. There was also a Guardian without limbs, and various types of humanoid robots all around.
Apparently, these were unfinished products. This was probably the maintenance room.
「Wow… amazing.」
「Mm. Amazing skills. If the city’s influential people did not think of strange things, and if the Magic Association did not keep an eye on this place, we might have a different future by now.」
A street where giant humanoid robots roamed freely… Hmm, what a dream.
I was absorbed in my emotions as I swept my hand over a desk that was covered in dust. At that moment, something happened.
Beep! Beep!
Nearby, alarm bells sounded, and red lights shone in the room.
W-what. I wasn’t touching anything.
「…Sorry.」
Milly apologized with a pale face.
She had apparently touched a switch somewhere.
Together with the alarm, the sound of mechanisms characteristic of humanoid robots was heard.
「Tch! Everyone, be careful!」
「Yes!」
We got into a circular formation and were wary of our surroundings.
However, even after waiting for a while, there was no sign of anything happening.
The alarm stopped, and the area was once again engulfed in silence.
「…Phew, that must’ve been linked to some device, but it could’ve broken down over time.」
「Geez, don’t scare me now… Ouch!」
That’s my line, you dumb-ass. You startled all of us, didn’t you?
As Milly heaved a sigh of relief, I gave a light knock on her head.
「Ahaha… Anyway, it’s good that nothing happened.」
「Hmm but, it doesn’t seem to be that way.」
Lydia replied to Claude as she looked ahead, and as we followed her gaze, we saw an enormous metal box and white fumes were seeping out from it.
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