Chapter 178: Companions’ Quarrel and Combat Confirmation

Heinz confirming that opened the door.

At that instant a Giant Rat charged Heinz.

But the door width is one-person size so if Heinz becomes a wall the Giant Rat cannot come out.

Heinz lowered his hips, prepared his shield and endured the charge.

"Heinz! Dodge!"

Il shouted.

"Energy Bolt!"

At the same time Fine shouted while thrusting her staff forward.

Instantly the tip of the staff lit and that rushed toward the direction the staff was pointed.

"Uo!"

Heinz was able to dodge by a hair.

"You!"

Heinz turned around and closed in on Fine right behind him.

"Are you trying to kill me, uo!"

A Giant Rat charged from behind Heinz.

"Don’t show your back to the enemy!"

Ovnil who was beside Heinz swung down his battle axe on the Giant Rat that charged Heinz.

By Ovnil’s axe the Giant Rat was split in two and slammed into the ground.

Seeing the Giant Rat that died scattering red blood I let out a breath of relief.

"What is that?"

Then Il raised her voice.

The depths beyond the door lit and next a rumbling sound together with a ground tremor occurred.

And immediately flames headed this way blowing away Giant Rats.

This is bad!

"Close the door!"

I shouted that to Heinz and Ovnil.

Both hurriedly closed the door and locked it.

The ones banging gan gan from the other side of the door are probably Giant Rats fleeing in panic sensing danger.

Heinz hurriedly held the door.

"Hard Lock!"

Fine who had been chanting magic from when the door was closed shouted.

Right after that there was a tremendous impact sound.

The flames and shockwave probably arrived.

By a hair.

"Uwachi!"

Without time for everyone to take a breath of relief Heinz who had been holding the door suddenly jumped back from there.

The door had taken on heat.

It gradually turned red.

Will it melt from the heat?

"It’s fine. A door granted Hard Lock will not melt even from dragon fire."

Fine said full of confidence.

"What happened?"

Heinz muttered in a daze.

"Humu, Fine’s magic missed apparently."

Ovnil answered while stroking his beard with his left hand.

Certainly Fine’s magic passed over the Giant Rats.

Probably that ignited the methane gas.

"You, are you trying to kill us?"

Heinz closed in on Fine.

"Shut up! It failed because you were in the way!"

Fine without looking sorry pushed her own failure onto Heinz.

"Haa!? My fault!"

Heinz and Fine started arguing again.

"Stop!"

I yelled in a large voice.

Honestly it is unrelated to me so I could have parted from Heinz and the others here and left.

Heinz and the others will definitely be wiped out if this continues.

I refuse to get caught in it.

Come to think of it we have not even talked about the reward.

But even if I abandon them it would sit badly.

I want to at least finish this job I got involved in safely.

So I decided to consider what comes next positively.

Until now I only had to chant Illumination so I did not interfere at all otherwise.

"Fine, better not use that magic from earlier anymore. Do you have other usable magic?"

I tried asking Fine.

"Eh? Y-yes. I have some for now. Power is lower than Pure Magic Bullet Energy Bolt though."

Fine who had been surprised and dazed came to herself and answered.

"Then support with that. Heinz and Ovnil I leave the vanguard as is."

"G-got it." "Umu."

Heinz and Ovnil nodded.

"Il, can you use some magic?"

"Spirit magic."

She answered expressionlessly and simply.

I wanted her to tell me in more detail.

But she has a bow so she can attack from long range.

Then as until now beside Fine is good.

"Then together with Fine I leave support of Heinz and Ovnil."

When I said that Il nodded koku.

The two in back as rear guard... apparently it was fine remaining like this after all.

"Beata and Rita continue watching the rear."

"Yeees!"

Rita answered energetically.

Ah, one more person...

"Beata?"

I looked at Beata who did not answer.

"Beata, your face is red. Are you okay?"

Beata had red cheeks and was staring blankly at my face.

I called out but there was no reaction at all.

"Beata!"

I called Beata again this time in a large voice.

"Eh? Ua, w-what?"

Beata answered looking surprised.

"You must not space out during combat."

"S-sorry..."

When I gently cautioned her she hung her head and apologized.

"What’s wrong? Are you unwell?"

To check her condition I brought my face close.

"Uwa, uwa, it’s nothing, it’s nothing so!"

Then Beata hurriedly avoided me.

...Did I perhaps get disliked?

This kind of thing is Beata’s job yet I butted in so perhaps.

Uun, well only this time.

I will be disliked silently.

"Be-Beata continue watching the rear as is."

"G-got it."

Hearing Beata’s reply I felt relief for now.

But when I looked at Beata Beata smoothly averted her gaze.

Is it okay.

I hope it does not affect combat.

"Being young is nice."

"Mo-mou, Rita!"

"Ehehe."

Rita said to Beata grinning.

Beata cautioned Rita with a red face.

...What is that about.

...

When we opened the door the smell of burnt living things combined with the original smell of excrement spreading in the underground passage and an unbearable stench assaulted the nose.

Because there is no oxygen there is already no fire anywhere.

If there was it would grow large the instant we opened the door so we should notice immediately.

Instead from the stench and lack of oxygen consciousness started growing hazy.

"Wind spirit Sylph. Just around us is fine. Clean the air."

Rita took a flute from her bosom and spoke to it.

The words are the same as when Sophia used spirit magic.

For some reason I can understand the content but again for some reason I cannot speak it, a strange language.

When Rita finished speaking wind blew from inside the flute and clung to us making breathing easier.

There is almost no smell either.

Heinz put his face out from the door and I peered around while holding the dagger granted Illumination magic in my left hand.

"Looks okay."

"Umu."

Ovnil also peeked from under Heinz.

In that hand he firmly gripped the battle axe.

"Alright, let’s go!"