At Floor 16's depth, Scorch had outlived its usefulness as an offensive spell. Beyond buffing Fireball, it was practically dead weight.
Or rather, it had returned to its intended role. It was a fire-status magic at its core, designed to amplify other fire spells. Using it as a primary damage tool had been Leon's mistake.
Not that anyone could blame him. Back then, Scorch was his only offensive option. What was the alternative? Go caveman, grab a short sword, and start hacking at monsters?
Maybe some people could pull that off. Leon couldn't. He'd committed to the mage life, and he refused to compromise on that.
...
Time slipped by, and noon arrived.
The expedition halted at the passage connecting Floor 16 to Floor 17, settling in for a break.
Everyone knew that Floor 17 meant entering the Floor Boss's territory. But the finer details about Goliath were the kind of intel that lower-tier Familias, unable to explore the mid-floors themselves, rarely had access to.
The Astraea Familia and the veteran mid-floor Adventurers knew better. Goliath spawned in the massive chamber at the Wall of Grief, but that didn't mean it sat there waiting politely. The Floor Boss roamed after spawning, and its range covered the entire floor.
Which made staging at the floor passage the obvious call.
Each squad claimed a patch of ground and sat in circles to eat. Almost everyone was making do with simple rations, wolfing down a few bites of dry, tasteless Adventurer hardtack and calling it a meal. The Astraea Familia girls were no exception.
Jeanne, Laurier, and the others exchanged glances, and a flicker of awkwardness passed between them.
Reading the room was a survival skill in any setting. When everyone around you was grimly chewing through the same awful dried rations, breaking out a full spread and feasting in front of them was asking for trouble. It would make enemies.
This was Floor 16 of the Dungeon, with a Floor Boss fight coming up next. If some petty Adventurer decided to hold a grudge and sabotage them at the wrong moment, they wouldn't even know what killed them.
Adventurer ethics were never something to bet your life on. You couldn't be too careful.
The smart play was to blend in.
And that's exactly what they did. Leon's squad shelved the outdoor cooking setup and pulled out pre-made Magical Cooking instead.
Chewing on jerky and bacon-potato rolls, Leon's eyes drifted over to Alise and her group. He watched the girls chew their rations with blank, joyless expressions, and an idea sparked.
He shifted closer to Jeanne and dropped his voice to a whisper. "What do you think about selling some Magical Cooking to the Astraea Familia?"
His original plan had been to use his cooking to make money, with the Loki Familia's top three as the target customers. But fate had thrown him into this Floor Boss expedition instead, and the opportunity sitting right in front of him was too good to pass up.
The Astraea Familia, with those miserable faces over their hardtack, were the ideal business partners. They were the justice Familia. Given their character and reputation, Leon was confident that even after learning what his cooking could do, they wouldn't stoop to underhanded tricks.
The worst they'd do was have their goddess negotiate for a steady supply, and that was a minor ask he could live with.
Jeanne had been thinking the same thing. She nodded with barely a moment's hesitation. "Agreed. The Astraea Familia is trustworthy. But we should insist on a formal contract for any deal."
"Goes without saying," Leon said. "Even with a goddess of justice vouching for them, you still get it in writing." He cracked a grin, then caught sight of yet another Adventurer bowing and excusing themselves from Kaguya's circle. He flicked a glance at Jeanne and Rose, and they gave him a subtle nod.
He dusted himself off and walked over.
It didn't look out of place. During the break, squad leaders had been taking turns approaching the Astraea Familia to exchange information and coordinate. With a life-or-death Floor Boss fight ahead, nobody wanted to go in without touching base first.
Leon reached their circle, offered a polite smile and a proper greeting, and introduced himself. "Miss Lovell, Miss Gojouno, Miss Lyra, Miss Ryu. Good day. I'm Leon Hart, from the Demeter Familia."
Kaguya's eyes narrowed as she looked him over from head to toe, then she smiled, rose gracefully to her feet, and returned the courtesy. "Good day, Mr. Hart. I trust I don't need to introduce myself? What brings you over? If it's about tactical arrangements for the fight, there's no rush. I'll be briefing everyone shortly."
The others studied him with open curiosity. No matter how they looked at him, this mage, striking as he was, didn't match the image of the reckless fire-bomber they'd been watching all day.
Leon kept his voice low and got to the point. "Miss Gojouno, I'll be blunt. Our Familia's developed food that temporarily boosts all Basic Abilities. Around five percent across the board. The effect fades as you digest, but for a Floor Boss fight, it's a real edge."
Kaguya's expression didn't change, but her eyes sharpened. The others went quiet.
"That's a bold claim," she said.
"It is." He stepped in close, using his body to block the view from nearby groups, and pressed a cloth-wrapped bundle into her hand. "Anything I say is less convincing than trying it yourself. If the Astraea Familia is interested in a supply deal, we can talk after the expedition."
He bowed, turned, and walked back to his squad looking like every other adventurer who'd gone to touch base with the Astraea Familia.
"So? How'd it go?"
The girls crowded around him the moment he sat down.
"Clean. She'll try it, and then they'll come to us."
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