In front of us is a sprigan, a giant tribe with a height of over 6 meters.
　Even the rank B monster Sprigan was defeated in a head-to-head battle with people of strength such as Elena and Ray, and now its body is exposed to this large room.

"Oh, Elena!"

　Looking sideways at the spriggan, Arla points to one point.
　There was a staircase leading to the basement, which had not existed before the war against the sprigans.

"I see. If you knock down the spriggan that was protecting this room, you'll see the stairs leading to the basement."

　Elena nods, but next to her is Ver thinking with a difficult face.

"Ver?"
"Oh, no, it's nothing. I just wanted to know if I could go down the other two roads at the crossroads and there was the same so-called boss room as here, and if I could knock down the monster there, the stairs would appear."
"Well, as far as the state of the room is concerned, it is most likely so.It's just a prediction, though.You can't say for certain unless you actually go from one road to the other."

　Arra tilts her head as she sees Ray recovering the body of the spriggan.

"But, Elena, if you have information about the altar of succession, there must be someone at the bottom of the ladder, right? So if you had reached the room where they had knocked you down, wouldn't there have been stairs?"

　It was Ver, not Elena, who answered the question.

"No, I think the core of the dungeon will summon a new monster when the monster protecting the stairs to the basement is knocked down.I don't know if I'll be summoned again in a few hours, or if I'll need a few days."
"I'd like to think that it takes time for Dungeon's core to summon a rank B monster like Sprigan, let alone a weak monster like a goblin.It's not cool to see a monster of the same rank as Sprigan when I came back to this hierarchy after finishing the ceremony at the altar of succession."
"The least we could save was one, didn't we?"What would have happened if they had appeared in groups like emerald wolf?"

　That's right. No matter how many Rank B monsters you are, it's troubling for Elena, who's too much trouble to fight, but they're still not the kind of enemies that make you feel hopeless.
　In the first place, Ray has beaten the Oak King of the same rank by himself, and Seto is a Rank A monster.and Elena, who is called the Princess General, also has the fighting power close to one of them.

"Dear Elena, I'm done collecting the spriggan."

　Ray, who had been looking at him, looked back and was surprised when he was told so.
　For some reason, I felt like my mind went blank for a moment when I met Ray.
　That said, it was only for a moment.Soon, as usual, Elena began to think calmly, and turned to the stairs leading to the bottom.

(Going down those stairs, you'll find the lowest layer.The altar of succession is just around the corner.Considering your exhausted physical strength, you should spend the night here recovering your physical strength and magical powers before challenging yourself to the bottom.That's because a Rank B monster appeared on the sixth basement floor.What kind of monsters are there at the bottom...)

　He thought in his heart, and then turned his gaze to Ver.

(and Ver has lifted quite a few traps on this floor.You'd better take some time off, but still take it easy.if Ver, the robber, fails to release the trap due to physical and mental fatigue, all the trouble he has had so far will be wasted.)

　In a few seconds they gather their thoughts and speak to everyone, including Ray, who is approaching us.

"I will spend the night in this room to-night, and I will go down to the bottom to-morrow morning.Fortunately, only the stairs to the bottom of the room could allow the enemy to break in because of the huge door.The watch should not be as busy as it was in the woods.And the high-ranked monster in this room, which replaces the sprigan, probably won't be able to re-summon immediately, as Ver said earlier, but it won't let you down.If there is any sign of it, the watchman must wake them up at once."
"In that case, will the monster be knocked down?"

　Elena shook her head slightly to Custe's question.

"I can only say it's from a monster who has been summoned.If you are an enemy who can easily wipe it out, you may as well rest until tomorrow morning.But otherwise, if a Rank B monster like Sprigan is summoned, it will be hard to get up and do anything about it, so it will be down to the bottom.""Well, that's a good idea,"

　Custe nods in agreement, and Elena's gaze turns to Ray.

"Ray, let us get ready for the night-camp.As I said now, we don't use tents or sleeping bags so that we can act quickly in case of emergency, so all we need is food and blankets to use when we resting."
"All right.Wait a minute, please.

　Put a list of mistrings in your mind and take out blankets, drinks and food.
　The food consisted of a large amount of sandwiches and pottage soup, and everyone who had been hungry along the way reached out one after another and carried it to their mouths.
　The reason why they did not appear to be stuck is that they were all from noble families.

"Grull".

　She, too, rubs her head against Ray, so she gives him some sandwiches first, and again displays a list of mistrings in her mind.

"As expected, you've eaten all the monsters that Sett had baked for eating....Set, which do you want, the monster food you sold in the city right away, or the monster baked here, which one do you want to eat now?
"Grull".

　She turned her eyes to the blood of the spriggan.

"Well, I suppose it's better to taste good."

　Monster food on the street is like dog food, and I don't like seto very much, depending on the species.
　Knowing that, it was within Ray's expectations to choose a better monster, even if it took him a while.
　I guess I don't want to eat anything right away because I've been eating a few sandwiches.

"Well, what shall I do now?" -- oh, there was an auger's right arm."

　muttered Ray, taking out the right arm of the giant auger which he had fallen down on the fourth basement from the mistling.
　From the right arm, the skin that sells as a material is peeled off with a misril knife and cut into large chunks.

"... Ray, can I ask you a question?"

　Elena, watching Ray cut through AUGER's right arm, suddenly says so.

"Yes, what?"
"What do you do with fire when you say you cook? No, I know Ray is good at the magic of fire, but he can't do anything without firewood."
"Oh, that's all right."For a long time, when I was going to the forest at the request of the guild, I kept some dry wood in the item box just in case."""

　As she answered Elena, she took a dry piece of wood from the mistling, grasped it in her hand, and chanted a spell.

"Fire, gather at my fingertips... Little flame."

　When he chants a spell, Ray's index finger is lit by a small fire, which he uses to light the firewood.Then, the flame gradually grew larger, and the meat was cut into chunks with pointed wood, and at the same time, the wood was combined to form a stand to support the skewered meat, and the skewer with the skewer on it was placed.

"Grull".

　Soon, Seto starts to cry at the smell of grilled meat, and when it is grilled, it is lightly seasoned with salt and served on a plate.

"... now, for the time being, about today's watch.I'll take the turn of Arla, Custe, Ver, and Ray."He listened to Elena's instructions while turning his eyes to Seto for a moment, and confirmed that there was no particular objection, after which he had free time.
　Arra had a conversation with Elena, who was feeding her from where the auger's meat had been roasted to Seto.
　As they watch, Custe frowns slightly while moistening his throat with a water bottle handed to him.

"He's quite a hard-headed fellow.-- you know, eat this one."

　He opened his mouth while receiving dried meat from Ver, who was next to him.

"I didn't say anything,"
"Your eyes are as eloquent as your mouth is.You know it's mostly Custe, right? Without Ray and Sett, we probably wouldn't be safe like this."
"... I'll admit it.But it is also true that he has had an adverse effect on Mr. Elena.Ver, you've noticed him too, haven't you? Ever since he went down from the fifth basement to the sixth basement, Mr. Elena has been very concerned about him.I'm sure that the Lord of that voice has something to do with it."
"The Lord of the Voice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ."
"Oh, I'm glad you're so comfortable.I wish I could be as optimistic as you are."
"Don't say so.Here, eat this, too. And when you're full, go to bed right away.We're at the bottom of the heap tomorrow, and for some strange reason we'll be in trouble."

　In a small bottle which Custe received from Ver, there was a simple thrush that seemed to have been roasted with some kind of nut.

"What about this?"
"It's my special knob.It's nothing for the nobles to eat, but it's no problem in this kind of place."
"...only the knobs have no alcohol?"
"I think the Queen will scold me if I drink or drink at Dungeon's camp,"
"So, as I have said over and over again, the name of the queen is..."

　As they talked, they fell asleep with one or two of them, and sat up with Elena, the watchman, and Sett, who was still eating the meat of an auger.Then there is only one and two Ray who is taking care of them.

"Grull".

　and when he had finished eating all the meat he had cooked on the bonfire, he cried contently in the back of his throat and moved a little further away, lying down and closing his eyes.
　After seeing Seto off and cleaning up after dinner, Ray stood up again...

"Ray, can you give me a second?"

　Elena, who had been staring at her for a while, approaches her.

"What? I don't mind... something to eat lightly?"
"No, if you don't mind, I'd like you to go out with me for a moment.Of course, if Ray is sleepy, I don't mind if he refuses."

　After thinking for a few seconds, Ray sat down again in front of the bonfire.Elena opens her mouth with a smile around her mouth.

"Ray, honestly, I couldn't have come this far without you."
"Well, it is a place to be humble in nature, but shall I say yes?"Elena laughs bitterly at the words.

"You... aren't you pushing yourself too hard to speak respectfully to me?"
"Well, I can't say otherwise.I only know honorifics from books because I've lived with my teacher and two people, including Seto."
"Well, I see. Your usual tone is with Ver and Arra."
"That's true.I don't think I've ever had a good upbringing to use honorific language."
"... well, yes.Thank you for your hard work.Unless it's a formal occasion, you don't have to use honorifics or speak in a normal tone."

　Elena says so as the sound of flames bouncing in the bonfire echoes.
　The light of the bonfire illuminates Elena and Ray as the surrounding walls dimly shine.

"Is that all right?"
"I don't mind, for I am not a lady of the ordinary nobility, though she is strict about manners."
"Well, it is true that the daughter of a nobleman would not come to the battlefield."
"I told you that you don't have to use honorifics."
"I'm sorry. ... No, I'm sorry.Is this all right?"
"Well, it would be helpful for me if you treated me that way."
"She's a noblewoman, but she's not good at honorifics... Is that OK?"

　Elena smiles bitterly at Ray's words.

"Not all the nobles are formal.Look at my men.Not to mention Custe, neither Arla nor Ver seem to be good at it?"
"...what? It was obvious that Custe was a nobleman, but so were Arla and Ver?"
"Yes, Arla is the third daughter of the Counts, and Ver is the second son of the Viscounts."
"That was quite unexpected..."

　Thus, Ray and Elena continue their conversation alone for about an hour as the light of the bonfire dimly shines around them... and then Ray stands up in front of the bonfire.

"Well, now I'm going to rest.We'll be at the bottom of the heap tomorrow.I don't want to think of leaving you feeling tired."
"Well... I see.It's true that Ray was more active than any of us today.That's better."
"Oh, then good night,"

　Ray tried to get away from the fire, but...

"Ray!"

　Suddenly he was called out from behind in an unexpectedly strong tone.

"What's the matter?"
"Well, today's... no, nothing.I just wanted to say I'll ask you tomorrow."
"Well, of course, I'm not going to cut corners."He glanced at Elena's face with a curious look, and this time he really wrapped himself in a blanket to rest.

(Ray... I don't want you... I don't want you.)

　Leave the little shake of Elena's head on the spot.
　so that the night before he reached the bottom of the pile was late.