Mid-Boss?

The Undead parade that had nearly numbed our noses finally ended after we defeated an unusually large Mummy.

An all-warrior party would have struggled, but Alexia's fire and Elza's purification beautifully demonstrated what type advantage could do.

The Mummy tried to close distance using its endurance, but Alexia burned through it faster.

Being bombarded with fire magic larger than artillery… I almost felt sorry for the thing.

Probably a floor boss. A treasure chest appeared afterward, and inside were golden claws.

Gaudy taste, but the kind of item collectors would pay handsomely for.

"So shiny."

"Well, it's gold."

No question of it being fake.

We passed through and emerged into a monster-free rest area, so we washed off the clinging stench of rot.

The smell had thoroughly permeated our clothes, so we decided to change.

We stripped, dipped towels in hot water, and wiped ourselves down.

Felt incredible.

"Lucky the army left spare clothes. These are easy to move in."

"The ones you prepared feel nicer to wear, Master."

"Those cost money."

We all changed into military-issue underclothes from what the duke's forces had left.

Up until now, each of us had custom-fitted gear, so there'd been no uniformity. But like this, we suddenly felt like a cohesive unit.

Like we'd enlisted.

Not that I'd actually want to join the military, but playing dress-up was kind of fun.

"Alexia, that suits you."

"Think so? Being told military fatigues suit me isn't much of a compliment. Though it is refreshing to be out of that dress for once."

"That outfit of yours is still the best, though."

"That's your taste, Master… But I admit, this is surprisingly easy to move in."

We tried on the soldiers' uniforms and checked everything over.

Orleans struggled a bit, so I helped her.

The size was obviously too big, so it hung loose on her, but she was non-combatant, so it should be fine.

"This might be a bit tight on me."

"Elza-san's… big, after all."

Azu stared wistfully in the direction of Elza's chest.

Then she looked down and sighed.

She was still growing, so it wasn't something to worry about.

And even if she stayed small, that would be perfectly fine too.

We gathered the soiled clothes and had Alexia wash and dry them with magic.

Folded and stowed in the item bags.

After changing and spritzing ourselves with some fragrance, we washed our faces, and the smell was no longer noticeable.

We refueled on portable rations of flour, sugar, and water mixed and baked hard, washed it down with water, and pressed on.

"… Two doors?"

Climbing the stairs toward the next floor, we found two massive doors.

Both were firmly shut.

As I was wondering what to do, I noticed slots that seemed designed to hold something.

"This shape… a rosary?"

The left door had a sword-shaped slot. The right door had a rosary-shaped slot.

Naturally, all eyes turned to Elza.

"Let me give it a try."

Elza removed her rosary from around her neck and pressed it into the recessed slot.

A mechanical sound followed, and the door began to open.

Once it was fully open, Elza retrieved her rosary. The door started to close again, so we hurried inside.

"Feels deliberate."

"Like we're being told to go this way."

Given that this was a trial, normally you'd have to solve some puzzle here.

But Elza's rosary had bypassed it effortlessly.

The odds of a Creator King priest, already rare, just happening to show up here were slim. It felt like we were being guided.

"Hey, saves us the trouble. We have to climb anyway."

"True, but… something about it doesn't sit right."

No point overthinking it. Even if it didn't sit right.

Beast-type monsters started appearing on this side.

Even so, they seemed less threatening than those out in the open.

"The scary part about these monsters is when they get behind you before you notice, or when they stay hidden for ages."

"Right. If they only come head-on, you just watch the fangs and claws."

Alexia and Finn swept them aside as they talked.

Azu wasn't far behind.

Easy to say, hard to do… though apparently it wasn't that hard for those two.

Azu parried a Wolf Monster's pouncing bite and skewered it on the counter.

High agility made them difficult targets for magic, so warriors had the advantage here.

You could torch the whole area and bypass that problem, but then you'd have to wait for the flames to die down before advancing.

I was truly grateful we had a balanced party.

"Since we passed through that door, the monster count's dropped noticeably. Each one's stronger, though."

"Quality over quantity now. Works in our favor."

Getting swarmed was our biggest weakness.

We had various area-of-effect options, but none could be spammed.

Finn's bombs ran out with use. Azu's Sealed Sword drained magic heavily.

Alexia's magic wasn't infinite either.

So this was actually easier, it seemed.

The time spent per floor dropped considerably.

Then we arrived at the fiftieth floor, where a giant Turtle Monster and an Etoroki awaited.

"Once we kill these, I want a nap. I'm beat."

"Sounds great. Then I can go all out."

Holding back against big targets just drags things out.

Against monsters, stamina battles are a no-go.

High firepower and a quick finish is the safest approach. That much was proven.

The moment I gave the go-ahead, Azu, Finn, and Alexia charged in unison.