The small-sized team member entered their nest.
It could have been dangerous since it had already collapsed once, but perhaps due to their greed for treasure, they insisted on going themselves, and we couldn’t stop them.
And surely, their intuition about something being inside the nest was right.
“I found it!”
The team member, who had gone in and out of the precarious pit, came out holding two large horns in their hands.
“There is! There’s a treasure vault inside!”
“Wow!”
Had they not discovered it, we would have given up due to the high risk, but once the treasure was discovered, the situation changed.
It was proven that there was value in investing, so all we had to do was execute the plan.
“I’ll give you 10% of the value of the items from there.”
“Thank you!”
Since the person who showed courage was a commoner, Princess Lasiell generously promised what they wanted.
You might think that giving only 10% to someone who risked their life to find the treasure vault is too little, but after all, that person alone couldn’t handle the massive group of monsters, and even if they found the cave, they wouldn’t be able to retrieve all the items.
So they accepted the 10% incentive with joy.
When brave actions are rewarded with a substantial incentive, the atmosphere among the other team members also becomes motivated.
Some teams reward properly based on performance, while others do not. We’ve learned that we get treated based on our results, so it was hard not to be pleased.
“Which way should we go?”
“Alright, I’ll explain. Only small-bodied people can go inside. There are corpses of monsters lying in between, so we need to avoid them.”
“It sounds incredibly dangerous.”
“In my opinion, it would be best to avoid having too many people go in at once since it might collapse. We should leave people at intervals and move the bags with the items back.”
“That’s a good idea!”
There was no reason to make the already dangerous mole tunnels even more precarious by having too many people go in and out unnecessarily.
“I’ve been there before, so I’ll go to the deepest part. Only small-bodied people, come this way!”
“What did you see inside the mole tunnel to be so proactive?”
“Whatever you imagine, it’ll be more than that. Just wait, there are tons of monster corpses inside.”
The monster by-products could be worth more than jewels.
One by one, the items taken from the mole tunnel began to pile up.
“These guys are more impressive than I thought. They killed all those monsters themselves.”
The by-products of monsters, some of which seemed several times bigger than them, were coming out more often than expected.
As they marveled, Sister Melody answered my curiosity.
“They probably fought by having a few monsters attack many monsters at once. After collapsing the ground, they made the field advantageous to them.”
The explanation continued that size didn’t matter to them.
What if they were bigger?
They could just bring more companions and attack together.
I felt a chill, realizing how efficient their hunting method was.
Had Melody not quickly analyzed the mole monsters’ behavior and destroyed the ground, there was a high chance our bones would have been stored in those monster by-products.
“The labyrinth is truly a terrifying place.”
One small mistake, and life could be at risk.
“With me here, you don’t need to fear. I can protect you.”
To my fear, Sister Melody gave me comforting words that were more reassuring than anyone else’s.
Thump-thump-
My heart raced at her words.
‘Indeed… she’s impressive.’
Being protected by someone.
Maybe it’s not such a bad thing after all.
Having filled our stomachs and pockets, everyone happily started moving again.
Since we had spent a lot of energy in the battle, we weren’t planning to walk for long and were looking for a place to set up a base camp.
“Are we stopping here? Isn’t it too close?”
How far had we traveled?
We were puzzled by the leader’s decision to stop so soon and asked, and Sister Melody kindly explained.
“Monsters in large groups are unlikely to have other monsters living nearby.”
“Ah, I see.”
Her immediate response made me feel that we had grown closer.
She used to only give short answers to me, but now she explained things kindly and in detail.
“I’ll handle it. Please leave it to me.”
“I can do it too! I learned last time.”
Setting up a tent, if you’re not an expert, takes over an hour.
Last time, when I tried to help set up a tent, everyone stopped me.
They said they would handle it themselves.
But since we’d be living in the labyrinth for a while, I felt it would be strange not to know how to make a place to sleep.
So, I asked her to teach me, and she happily agreed.
“How is it? It’s a bit clumsy, but I’m doing alright, right?”
“Yes. What made you think of learning something like this?”
“We’ll be going in and out of the labyrinth, so I thought I should at least know how to make a place to sleep.”
“Most people don’t even think of doing it themselves… You’re really unique.”
“I do have some peculiarities.”
I can’t argue with being called a peculiar person.
Even I think that most priests wouldn’t bother to learn how to set up a tent.
But isn’t this all part of the experience?
There might come a day when I have to set up a tent myself.
“I think learning anything will be helpful later on. I try to learn as much as I can.”
“That’s a good attitude. You definitely won’t regret it.”
Sister Melody’s compliment made me feel even better.
She wasn’t a cold person.
She just kept her distance from others.
‘Her job must require caution.’
Now that we’ve built some rapport, she demonstrated conversation skills no different from ordinary people.
I could understand why my mentor retired and sought peace—if you’re an inquisitor, you have to be cautious even when making friends.
As I spent more time with Sister Melody, I began to deeply respect the inquisitors.
The things they must give up to do their job were often the very things ordinary people hold most dear.
“Sister, have you finished setting up the tent?”
“No, not yet.”
Now that I think about it, her hair was wet.
She must not have had time to set up the tent because she was washing off the blood from her body.
“I’ll help you.”
Her tent was supposed to be set up right next to mine for my protection.
“I can do it alone.”
“If we do it together, it will be faster, and we can rest sooner. You’ve had a hard day.”
What would have happened if Sister Melody hadn’t collapsed the ground?
That was a contribution everyone acknowledged.
Team members would often give her a thumbs up when passing by.
After setting up the tent and resting inside, the cold air rising from the ground was blocked by the soft fur.
‘Is this just the beginning…?
We encountered a few small monsters while moving, but today was the first time we fought a proper group of monsters.
Once we go deeper into this place, that’s when the real dungeon exploration will begin.
I wasn’t feeling sleepy, so I suddenly stood up and went outside the tent.
“Huh? What are you doing here?”
“I was just sitting here.”
She wasn’t sitting in front of my tent to guard me, was she?
The small campfire in front of her flickered weakly.
As the snow stopped and the wind calmed, the cold was starting to recede.
Though, finding warmth in a place frozen solid in all directions was still not an easy task.
“I smelled something and realized you were grilling ham.”
“Would you like some?”
“If you’re offering, I’ll gladly accept.”
I sat next to her.
Crackle-crackle—
The poor little campfire, still weakly burning, was adding a subtle touch of romance.
“Can’t sleep?”
“Sleeping in the labyrinth isn’t easy. My body is screaming for rest, but my mind can’t seem to let go of the tension.”
That was the pattern of the first dungeon exploration. It was very difficult then, since I was much more tense, but now, since this was our second expedition, I felt like I was adjusting faster.
“Sister, having you around makes it easier.”
“Me?”
“You’re protecting me. I’m not used to being protected, so it’s a bit surprising, but honestly, it feels reassuring. You were amazing today.”
“…
Sister Melody, perhaps embarrassed by the compliment, said nothing and instead fiddled with the campfire.
“I hope you’ll continue to take care of me.”
I extended my hand to her.
It was a gesture for a handshake, and after a brief hesitation, she took my hand.
I squeezed her hand firmly as I spoke.
“By the way, why didn’t you come for treatment?”
“There’s no injury.”
“You have some minor wounds.”
“This much will heal on its own.”
“We might have to fight again tomorrow, and leaving it like this isn’t a good idea. Please stay still.”
She wouldn’t twist my wrist and say no, right?
I focused on the divine power, channeling it into her body while holding her wrist.
She flinched slightly, but thankfully didn’t reject the divine power I had infused into her.