Chapter 76: CrespyThe Adventurer’s portal opens to a stone wall. Fortunately, it’s a natural wall and the byrinth portal is nearby. The ndscape is rocky with sparse groups of trees. No buildings or signs of settlement can be seen from where we stand. We are urged to enter the byrinth quickly and are taken to the floor he selects. We promptly exit and the Adventurer starts his chant to return immediately. I still can’t see what he’s so afraid of.

  Sherry puts her spear away and pulls out a wax tablet. She has a small shield attached to one arm and a sword at her waist. It’s nice to see that she’s so well-prepared. I forgot that we had those small shields and she probably has her normal one in her Item Box.

  I open a portal back home to see Roxanne’s bright smile.

  “Ready to join us, Roxanne?”

  “Yes, Master, thank you.”

  We reenter Crespy’s Labyrinth and I select the 22nd floor as the only option besides the 1st.

  “Roxanne, which monsters can you detect?”

  “Ah, Fly Trap and two other types. I’m sorry, Master, I don’t recognize them.”

  “That’s fine, Roxanne. You’ve only been to a few floors in this tier with us. I’ll check my notes for Nordselm. Alright, the options are butterfly, mermaid, shrub and troll. So, I’ll start with lightning, fire and wind, I guess.”

  Sherry points out the obvious fw in my pn. “David, that’s three spells.”

  “Oh, right, forgot to mention. New skill. I can use three attack spells at a time now. The third one is locked so it’s not perfect.”

  “What?”

  “Oh, I guess it can be changed. Wait, now I can’t change it back. Dammit.”

  “David, what are you talking about?”

  “I got some sort of bonus job recently. I’ll tell you about it at home. Roxanne, please take us to some unknown monsters.”

  The very next set of monsters has shrub and troll.

  “Yes! They’re all weak to fire! Everyone stay back with me because I’m going to burn them all. Roxanne, lead us to the boss room!”

  “Master?”

  “Just pick a direction. Let’s go!”

  Burn Storm, Burn Storm, and Fire Storm — total inferno. This is so damn awesome!

  Zara and Sima hide behind their shields, Alina and Roxanne hide behind the vanguard, and Sherry hides behind me, to cover my rear, of course. We progress like this for barely 30 minutes before Sherry tugs my sleeve to stop me.

  “David, you need to slow down.”

  “Right, thanks, Sherry. I got carried away.”

  Running low on mana, I warp behind the next group of monsters and beat on them for a while. When I come back, Sherry admonishes me.

  “David, take me with you next time. I can’t keep an eye on you when you disappear like that.”

  “Sorry, Sherry, I let my magic get too low. Let’s continue at a more reasonable pace.”

  I switch my Wizard spell to Lightning Storm and skip Mage’s Fire Storm in favor of the Burn Storm that’s stuck as Errant’s skill. Two spells at a time might be a good compromise for continuous use.

  Some time ter, Sherry catches my attention again to stop. I’m calm so it’s probably for lunch.

  “Let’s go see how dangerous it is out there.”

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  I open a portal at least 20 meters beyond the byrinth entrance and peek outside — no one waiting for us. We step out to find nobody, no one at all. After a brief search, all we find are the remains of a small fire pit. This is probably from the marquis’ earlier expeditions here. Not a lot of wildlife in the area. So few that it is probable that leaked monsters wiped them out.

  Some ways off, I see some small animals, maybe rabbits. No, they’re actually monsters, Slow Rabbits, not just rabbits that aren’t quick.

  “I guess it’s just those weak monsters. I’ll zap them.”

  Ah, I can change Errant’s skill back to Lightning Storm. I use two Lightning Storms and a Fire Storm to wipe out over 40 little pests. Wow, that’s much cooler outside than in the byrinth. With this number, I could feel the MP loss even against level 1 monsters. I guess storm spells don’t scale well for so many targets, especially three spells at once. We gather the drops together and give them to Sherry.

  Alina warns, “David, if anyone sees that sort of thing, there will be some uncomfortable questions.”

  “Yes, I get the hint. Only single spells outside. Let’s have lunch now. Keep alert in case stronger monsters are out here.”

  I’m absolutely being managed by my party members. It’s good that they feel comfortable enough to question me when I’m being foolish.

  Now that I’ve bravely protected us from the dangerous bunnies that were nowhere near us, we sit on some rocks and enjoy a light lunch. The bright sunlight and warm breeze give a nice picnic feel to it all. Now that I think about it, I don’t spend much time exploring nature. We really have been working too much. Maybe we should have weekends off, or something like that.

  I wonder if this pce has some established vacation spots. Public beaches, campsites, nature trails, ski resorts — it feels like these should exist in this world. With the possibility of monsters wandering around, it’d be especially important for safe areas to be set up somewhere. I’d prefer solo exploration, but a calmer pce might be nice to take everyone else.

  Enough daydreaming. Time to get back to work.

  We jump back into Crespy’s Labyrinth and continue our fight against the 22nd floor. I change my strategy from pyromaniac to only using fire when the monsters are far away, then switching to lightning when they’re close. This helps us take advantage of the stunning as well as avoid dealing with monsters that are engulfed in fmes.

  “Sherry, I’m going to warp behind them alone. I’ll be right back. Wait here for me.”

  “Yes, David. Thank you for telling me.”

  It’s good to see that she’s mainly concerned about me when I’m acting too wild.

  We continue like this at a good pace, at least, I think so since it’s impossible to know without a map. This is bound to take a long time.

  “Boss room ahead, Master.”

  Or not.

  “Good work, Roxanne. I saw more shrubs than the other monster so my guess is that’s what we’ll fight. Zara, Alina, and I will attack the boss. Sima, Roxanne, and Sherry will attack the attendant.”

  We rush in, stun the Rough and Love Shrubs, and are done in practically no time at all. The monsters are probably a bit tougher here than Curatar. Hard to tell for sure when spamming multiple spells.

  “Well, that sure was easy. Let’s go far enough to see what we’ll face next.”

  “Master, I sense Drive Dragon.”

  “Right, I forgot to ask. Thanks, Roxanne. Let’s go home, everyone.”

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  Alina starts cooking and Roxanne takes care of our equipment.

  “Alina, since you already have poison resistance from your Job, I’d like to give your cap to Sima. We can add a different skill for you ter.”

  “Sure, that sounds good, David.”

  “Sherry, please go empty your Item Box. I’ll help you with Zasi.”

  “What’s ‘Zasi’?”

  Zara responds in my pce, “Zara and Sima is Zasi.”

  Satisfied with that answer, Sherry goes upstairs to the storage room.

  I used my nickname for them by accident, so I ask Zara, “Does Zasi mean Zara and Sima?”

  “Yes, Boss. Always both.”

  Well, I guess it’s natural for sisters who are so close and my guess isn’t exactly insightful.

  Sherry returns and I switch both of us to Tutor, just in case it might help. Zara and Sima suffer through the Brahim lessons, where Sherry is their main teacher. Sherry doesn’t recognize their nguage either, but our students already speak Brahim well enough for that not to be much of an issue.

  We break for dinner and then resume the lessons immediately afterwards. Eventually, Sima whines “No night” before she and Zara go to their room. What was that about pushing too hard?

  I switch Sherry to Runesmith and ask her to add poison resistance to Zara’s leather cap.

  It’s te, but I’m reminded that I still haven’t expined myself.

  “I got a new job which allows me to use another attack spell.”

  Sherry asks, “So, this is a third magic job?”

  “No, not that specific. I can use any skill from other of my jobs. By itself, it’s basically worthless. It’s only good for someone able to use multiple jobs.”

  Alina asks, “Is this job only for you?”

  “I don’t think so. I unlock jobs the same way as everyone else. I only have a few skills that make me different.”

  “That’s not all that makes you special, David. Come upstairs and we’ll remind you.”

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  Day 89

  Downstairs at breakfast, I announce, “We are ahead of schedule, so I’ll make a very quick trip right now to talk to the duke. If he tries to keep me, I’ll just expin why I can’t stay.”

  At Bode, I ask to see the duke. As usual, I’m casually directed to his location, which happens to be outdoors instead of his office. He and his family are seated around a table.

  “Good morning, Lord Moreau. Nice to see you.”

  “Oh, I’m terribly sorry for disturbing your breakfast, Your Grace. I’ll come back ter.”

  “Nonsense. Have a seat and join us.”

  “Thank you, Your Grace.”

  “So, Lord Moreau, are you bringing bad news?”

  “I’ve actually come to ask a favor. This may be absurd considering how I’ve acted towards you, Her Grace and even Captain Gosr. Still, even if undeserving, it’s something that you actually might find favorable.”

  “Intriguing. What is all this about?”

  “I wish to marry Lady Mirabel Varenne, the second daughter of the Marquis of Valois.”

  “The daughter of a marquis?! Isn’t that too ambitious?”

  Cassia immediately bolts up, “That’s wonderful, Lord Moreau. We will of course do everything we can to help.”

  The duke motions for Cassia to calm down.

  “Lord Moreau, how far has this retionship progressed?”

  “Mirabel has introduced me to her family as a suitor. The marquis has given me a task to complete and asked me to provide letters of support from prominent people.”

  “No disrespect, Lord Moreau, but this does not seem even remotely pusible.”

  Cassia jumps in, “It seems the marquis’ daughter was involved in a particur incident that might help expin this unusual situation.”

  “Yes, Your Grace, it is exactly as Her Grace says. The marquis didn’t immediately approve of me, but he has given me a chance. Of course, it is perfectly understandable for Your Grace to refuse me, but I decided to start with the highest noble I know.”

  “Lord Moreau, a Letter of Attestation from a duke holds a great deal of influence. This is a legal document that makes me partially accountable for your conduct. I am willing to do this for you, but you need to understand the scope and significance. Are you prepared to discuss this reasonably?” [1]

  “Yes, Your Grace, though I feel bad about disturbing your breakfast. Should I perhaps return ter?”

  Cassia says, “Breakfast is over. His Grace has work to do.”

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  “Lord Moreau, let’s be perfectly honest.”

  “Thank you. I would greatly appreciate that.”

  “In my view, you ck restraint and consistently reject authority. I will not include such criticisms explicitly, but I cannot cim that you are ready for life among respectable nobles.”

  “I understand and completely agree.”

  “Good. What I can truthfully say is that you are capable, dependable, and honorable. Regarding diplomacy, I will say that you are ‘direct’.”

  “That is very kind, thank you.”

  “What I need from you is your word that you will not make me regret writing this letter. I do not expect you to suddenly show perfect social etiquette or pretend to be obedient. If you disagree with a noble, don’t defy quite so loudly or accuse them of treason quite so quickly. Can you do this, Lord Moreau? Can we perhaps meet in the middle?”

  “Yes, Your Grace. I understand and will do my best not to embarrass you.”

  “Also, not for the sake of the letter, but could we lower the formality now? I feel like I’m being punished.”

  “Yes, My Lord, my apologies. Please feel free to call me David, if you wish.”

  “Very good, David, I’ll see you at Rutina’s investiture. I’ll give you the letter then.”

  “Thank you, My Lord.”

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  Did that go so smoothly just because I finally needed something from him? Speaking to the marquis helped me to act like less of a jerk and just be patient. Actually, the duke’s communication skills improved as well. Maybe he learned from Cassia’s failure. Regardless of the reason, that conversation was dramatically better than usual.

  I warp back home from a safe location to find everyone ready to go. As I put on my gear, I address the troops.

  “It was really lucky to complete an entire floor without a map yesterday. It’s more likely to take two days or even three this time since the next floor will have Drive Dragons. They resist magic so the vanguard will have more work to do. Zasi, have either of you ever fought against them?”

  Zara responds, “No, Boss.”

  “Drive Dragons float, use spells of any element and have tough physical attacks. As long as you are prepared, it should be no problem to hold them back with your shields.”

  I open a portal directly to Crespy’s 23rd floor and we step through. Our first battle is against five dragons. I shoot off two Lightning Storms, which stuns two of them. Nice to see that they don’t resist everything. [2] Sima stuns another and the fourth gets petrified by Alina. Roxanne stuns her dragon after a couple more hits. A few more spells and devastating hits from our vanguards change these dangerous enemies into monster drops.

  It feels like we’ll be able to conquer a byrinth even sooner than expected.

  In groups with no or few dragons, I use fire magic from a distance. Otherwise, lightning is the way to go. Not sure if it’s chance or Roxanne’s guidance that brings us to the rgest groups of monsters. Every turn she makes seems deliberate and she led us to the boss room very quickly yesterday, so maybe she knows what she’s doing. Rather than being able to smell the boss room, the rule could possibly be to seek the rgest group at every junction.

  At break time, I take us out for another pleasant picnic outside the byrinth. This time, we encounter a horde of ants. I use Lightning Storm, Aqua Storm, and Water Storm, much to Alina’s irritation. I can’t help it.

  Back to work, we continue to bst our way through with minimal effort. I use Group Protect to heal and go forward to bash monsters occasionally to restore MP. Sherry seems to be dutifully keeping up with mapping and storing the drops. We all help gather, of course.

  By evening, we go home without reaching the boss room. We hold a shorter teaching session for Zasi today and I even remember to fill the tubs before dinner, a wonderful stew made by Alina. After dinner, Sherry enchants Sima’s armor with stun protection.

  I heat the baths and we enjoy a nice rexing evening.

  Upstairs in bed, Sima sneaks a peek, but doesn’t join us.

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  [1] Historically, Letters of Attestation were very serious. Copies would be filed centrally and could be accessed by other parties.[2] In the LN, Sherry says that no monsters resist lightning magic and none are especially sensitive to it (v11 c5).