Aside from the bloodstains and signs of battle left on the ground, not a single thing that could be exchanged for money remained.
Everything was stuffed into the Takemikazuchi Familia's backpacks, which were nearly bursting.
"Um..."
Kashima, carrying a huge bundle nearly a head taller than herself, walked somewhat laboriously toward Tsubaki and the other girls.
"Miss Tsubaki, honored ladies."
"The cleanup is complete."
"We gathered a total of three hundred and forty-two high-purity Magic Stones, one hundred and twenty long horns from Almiraj, and..."
Kashima's voice trembled as she reported the inventory.
These numbers were too thrilling.
..."
"Since the cleaning is done, let's continue."
Kirukiru Amou stretched her somewhat stiff neck, producing crisp "crack-pop" sounds.
Her gaze once again fixed on the dark entrance leading deeper into the place.
"Hey..."
"Are you serious?"
Rin hugged her knife, looking at Kirukiru Amou in disbelief.
"Our weapons are already like this, and you still want to fight?"
"That's because your knife is too fragile."
Kirukiru Amou raised her slender right hand, which was still stained with dark red blood, and clenched her five fingers tightly.
"As long as my bones aren't broken, I can keep going."
Kirukiru Amou said as a matter of course.
"Or we can just steal the monsters' weapons."
"As long as we can keep fighting, nothing else matters."
"You..."
Rin was choked with anger.
Complete lack of communication!
"If you can't keep up!"
"Then I'll go alone."
Kirukiru Amou grinned, showing no sign of wanting company.
In fact,
this suited her just fine.
After all,
compared to having to look after a group of companions who couldn't keep up, going solo was clearly more her style.
...
Seeing that Kirukiru Amou was truly about to venture alone into that passage, which clearly emanated a more dangerous aura.
"Oh dear..."
Tsubaki finally sighed in resignation.
With a swift movement,
she blocked Kirukiru Amou's path.
"Move aside."
Kirukiru Amou stopped and looked up.
Even facing a Level 5 First Class Adventurer,
Kirukiru Amou remained fearless.
Seeing this, Tsubaki felt even more helpless at the sight of this Level 1 Adventurer who dared to challenge her.
"Although I admire your reckless courage,"
"but,"
"that's enough."
Tsubaki extended her thumb, pointing to the tunnel behind them.
"Although it's only one floor down,"
"the Dungeon's terrain becomes more complex and unpredictable.",
"The mazes will be more intricate, and there will be more dead ends."
"And..."
Tsubaki paused, a serious look flashing in her single eye.
"The monsters will also grow larger in size."
"Once their numbers increase,"
"even if you're a formidable fighter, you'll exhaust yourself to death with just your fists."
...
Kirukiru Amou was silent for a second.
Then,
"So what?"
"As long as I feel pain, as long as I can surpass my limits,"
"even if I die from exhaustion..."
"Dying in battle is a kind of—"
"Okay, stop right there."
Tsubaki, hearing this, decisively raised her hand to interrupt Kirukiru Amou's declaration of death.
It seemed that reasoning with this stubborn mindset was indeed futile.
She had to fight fire with fire.
"So, you might not fear death,"
"but,"
"if you don't hurry back now,"
"by the time you return later, the sky will have darkened."
"If Lord Heimdall doesn't see you, he will surely worry, won't he?"
Tsubaki pondered and came up with a plan.
With these words,
Kirukiru Amou's previously expressionless face finally stiffened.
Seeing this, Tsubaki looked like an old fox who had found a weakness to exploit.
As a result,
Tsubaki didn't say much more.
"Tsk."
"What a hassle."
Kirukiru Amou irritably turned her head away, muttering softly.
However, despite her words,
Kirukiru Amou's feet, which had been heading deeper, honestly changed direction.
"Everyone has their weakness."
"It seems..."
"that in this world, only Lord Heimdall can control this little monster."
Tsubaki watched Kirukiru Amou's retreating figure, a smile flashing in her eyes.
"Let's go."
"Since even our vanguard has retreated,"
"it's time for us to head home."
"Otherwise..."
"we really will be kept waiting until dark, making Lord Heimdall wait."
...
With that,
as the group of women began their journey back,
the members of the Takemikazuchi Familia, tasked with carrying the spoils, finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"We're saved..."
Chigusa wiped the sweat from her forehead, feeling like her spine was crying out in pain.
But,
when she turned to see the heavy load on each other's backs,
that exhaustion was instantly replaced by a tremendous sense of satisfaction.
"Lady Sakura..."
Chigusa approached Kashima, who was also panting heavily, her voice filled with uncontainable excitement.
"With so many magic stones..."
"even if we only get a small portion,"
"we can cover our food expenses for the next few months."
"We might even be able to send a large sum of money back to the shrine!"
"That's true."
Kashima nodded, her sweat-covered face breaking into a wide smile.
Though exhausted,
this kind of fatigue, for them,
was already the happiest thing in the world.
"It's truly..."
"thanks to Chigusa."
"To have such good fortune."
Chigusa, from behind, also sighed softly, her hands tightly gripping the straps of her backpack.
"But,"
Kashima wiped the sweat from her forehead,
her eyes gazing at the group of girls walking ahead, particularly the black-haired figure striding confidently.
She couldn't help but sigh.
"This is the Haimo Familia..."
"Despite looking around the same age as us,"
"their strength..."
"is truly worlds apart."
Kashima recalled the previous scenes.
That monstrous strength that could tear monsters apart with bare hands,
compared to them, who had to be cautious every time they ventured into the middle floors,
was a vast difference.
"Even though we're all human,"
"why is the gap so huge?"
"This must be what they call monsters."
Kashima smiled bitterly.
"But..."
Chigusa, looking at that figure, softly said,
"To gather such a group of unique geniuses,"
"that god must be..."
"Definitely not an ordinary person."
"That's for sure."
Kashima nodded, then took a deep breath, adjusting the balance of the backpack to make her steps more stable.
"But no matter what,"
"this time, we owe the Haimo Familia a great debt."
"We must repay them properly."
-------------------------------
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