Otoko Nara Ikkokuichijou no Aruji o Mezasa Nakya, ne? Chapter 194

Starting next chapter things move towards the conclusion of this arc so 132-140 I'll do all at once next weekend as planned. I'll probably hold off on posting anymore chapters until Fri/Sat but if I feel like I might throw up some Reverse chapters from Miduchi's PoV ones this week.
Year 7445, Month 7, Day 15
The next morning, when I opened my eyes I went to the stables and checked the harness of my horse but the thing I wrote last night was still where I left it. I guess it's only obvious since the brat of the inn can't just take the horses out for a walk in the middle of the night.
I heard that {Sun.Ray} spends all of today training. It's training on the outskirts of town but the location is different from the {Slaughterers}. When I did some running as I headed towards the vacant lot at the end of the 8th road that I heard about and several people were already there doing forms.
When I got closer, it was Faruergaz and the others. I don't see Ruttsu or the two slaves anywhere. Even then since they arrived quite a bit early and are warming their bodies up they must be quite serious about it. I offered them morning greetings and then after grabbing a wooden sword in the corner of the vacant lot started doing forms as well.
Soon after the other members start to gather but quite a few are still missing. There's three people from the first party that aren't partic.i.p.ating and even four from the second party. According to the Rindobel couple they can't train because they're injured. Hearing that I realized, it's certainly true if it was that then it would be impossible. However, it came out as a topic for a bit yesterday when I was talking with Faruergaz and the others but I guess everyone other than Sanno was injured? It would have been fine even if they didn't hide it. Though I guess they weren't hiding it.
Right now it's 5 in the morning but after training for about two hours like this, I'll have some breakfast and then if there's still some time leftover I'll return to the in once and use healing magic on the injured people. After that I'll return back here by 10 and train until 3 pm or so before we break up. Of course, I was requested that if I have the leeway in my focus to try and use healing spells on the injured during that occasion.
I see now, I guess using healing spells on other people on the days off isn't an obligation. I didn't realize this until I was told about it. Certainly using magic requires a reasonable amount of focus. Even if you were to be told to use up your long awaited day off putting in hard work for the sake of your co-workers, you've already healed them once so they won't die, and it's not like you're currently in the dungeon and it will connect to a drop in combat forces so I guess some people disagree with doing it? Though I say that, if I think about it calmly using healing spells is like acting a healer who normally gains 50,000 Z per spell used. Though they're members of the same party just using it on them for free is..and I guess you could say it's that sort of stingy nature.
If that's the case then things would be quite bloodthirsty.
We confirm our simple formations and just like the {Slaughterers} split into two groups for separate offense and defense training. I thought it would be 7 people on the first party tam and 6 on the second party team but Koritto split off from the first party team to act as referee. Our numbers are equal. Well then, shall we do this?
In front of me while I was on guard with my wooden sword is Sanno, aka Sannose.k.u.miru who's also holding a wooden sword on guard.
"Ehe..I've thought this from a short while ago but you know. Greed-kun, have you met me somewhere before? Quite a while back~"
"..I think that the first time I've properly greeted you was after I entered {Sun.Ray} though?"
"Hn...That's right isn't it. Don't mind it, I'm sure it was just my misunderstanding."
"Yes."
After Koritto gave out the command our training started. But, it's something I knew to some extent from entering the dungeon the other day but I was troubled right away. Putting it simply the second party members of {Sun.Ray} are quite weak in terms of abilities. Even the leader of the second party Zemyunel isn't anything special. I wonder if it's because it's combat versus people, they're slow to step-in, and the large swings with the sword and thrusts with the spear stand out. It's considerably better than Basutoral but they're attacks that excluding him even the weakest Gwine could endure for a short while. If it was Angela wouldn't she be able to just endure them all to the end if she doesn't forget her s.h.i.+eld? I need to make sure to go considerably easy on them. It seems that it's no good to directly attack the opponents body. Since they'll get injured.
Although, it's not like we'll actually end up fighting against people so those large swing attacks could end up hitting and aiming for doing heavy damage itself isn't a bad thing. But, right now we're split into groups doing practice matches versus people so isn't it somewhat important to match the training up to the opponent? Even if we were to take practice matches versus people seriously I don't think there's much meaning to it but I wonder what level of monster just this level of training is a.s.suming? There's a question mark over my head.
In the middle of that, as expected of Faruergaz and Hirosukol the two who received invest.i.ture as true knights they seemed several levels better than the other members. Starting from watching the distance between them self and the opponent, the way of carrying their legs, the timing of attacks, the way to swing their weapons, all of their movements have proper training behind them and were splendid. If you were to ask which, then I think Hirosukol is above due to the advantage in his physique. It seems like he has more technique than Toris and Zulu as well. However, his fighting style as an adventurer is still lacking. If you look at it in the case of abilities as an adventurer then unless it's a humanoid monster he might even fail in comparison to Angela.
Previously, a short while after Toris and the others joined us we obtained some information about the training of {Verdure.Brotherhood} and went to do some reconnaissance. Their training wasn't something like this. Obviously, since we're up a.s.sumed to be against monsters in the dungeon the attacks were often large swings with power in them but the practice matches between members were more how do I put it, intense.
During the training of {Verdure.Brotherhood} they would put in some feints and try to confuse the opponent, make gaps and put in a sharp attack there. The one who is on the receiving end was serious as well and skillfully controls their s.h.i.+eld, I think that the splitting of roles was done properly. Though it's training against monsters, both the {Slaughterers} and {Verdure.Brotherhood} wracked their brains in training under the a.s.sumption of fighting things more powerful than monsters.
In comparison, in the case of {Sun.Ray} the second party seems to be considerably below the first party as things already are. Their attacks are too obvious.Ah, since recently our training has been done under the a.s.sumption of fighting ogres it might have naturally gotten close to versus humans. Though ogres are huge, they're still humanoid, and their height is close to three meters, but there's rarely ever any individuals that are actually three meters. They can skillfully make use of their clubs and occasionally while they're crude some of them come out using s.h.i.+eld-like things as well so naturally the one taking on the role of the monster differs from other monsters in how they use the sword and s.h.i.+eld considerably seriously.
Even when it became the first parties turn to go on the attack, it was attack training that matched up with the abilities of the second party members. Of course, the level of technique is going up though. Nevertheless, just this level huh..I guess that means the combat experience of the {Slaughterers} who fight countless times everyday in the dungeon is above. Well, you could say it's still better that they're just doing training. The only adventurers in Baldukk who do any proper training are the ones who are above second-rate and showing their faces around the 4th floor and the majority of adventurers don't even bother training. On days off they really are just (injured) resting, or playing around.
Just like that we trained for around two hours switching offense and defense a number of times and temporarily split ways for breakfast. I quickly ate some food and then went around Rokko and the other's inn using {Cure Serious} on the three of them one at a time. Since I left a bit of a gap to recover MP in-between, well there shouldn't be any problem. Just in case I tried checking my harness but the fact that my horse was still in the stable meant that the report was still in it as I left it. It seems it would be best to hope for some new instructions around this evening. Additionally I decided to add a new report with the combat ability of each of the members of {Sun.Ray}.
Just before 10 I returned to the training place of {Sun.Ray} and this time it centered around the members of the first party instructing the members of the second party on how to move in the dungeon without making noise, or how to suddenly start das.h.i.+ng from there to escape monsters. Hohou, I can learn from this. We've never done anything like this even once.
Following that was training for when we advance in unknown territory. And training centering around the spear users over methods to discover pitfalls, crossbow and alarm traps was performed. This seems pretty much the same as us where we would proceed while hitting the ground with a stick but they had a trick to their way of hitting or rather, they only take one step forward after hitting from left to right in the shape of a fan that sort of extremely stupid form to it. To be more accurate hitting at a fixed speed and angle guarantees moving at the maximum speed maybe, I couldn't close my opened mouth.
Among them, Faruegaz, Hirosukol, Sanno and the others let alone {Sun.Ray} they're newcomers that have only been entering the dungeon for about half a way. Just like that they were making serious expressions while recieving advice from senior adventurers about things that we've overlooked until now like how to tie up clothes or luggage with rope so the flask at your waist won't make any noise or to prevent the sound of clothes when moving. Ah, these sorts of things, we just covered up in the {Slaughterers} with some appropriate rubber bands.
Come to think of it there's no members in {Sun.Ray} that use heavy armor like banded-mail or splint-mail compared to the other top teams. Everyone uses leather armor. I wonder why? It doesn't particularly matter though.
"How is it? {Sun.Ray}?"
Haruku called out to me.
"As expected of everyone. After all there's reason for being a top team. The training details even cover down to the fine details. Ah, that's right, I'm sorry for saying something rude like the 6th floor was too soon the other day. Since we ended up being ambushed and someone was even seriously injured, it seems that my opinion was a mistake. I apologize."
I'll just wash it away by saying some random flattery.
"..It's a bit different from just doing combat training right? I think it's important to pay attention to all of the members like this. You should properly learn from it as well."
Hirosukol said in a cynical tone of voice but there was no malice in the smile on his face. Judging from his state I guess he meant it as advice for me. By the way, I wonder what the bento for lunch today is?
"That's right, there's quite a bit for me to learn. Ah, Hirosukol-san, just now you forget to hit the right edge once, please be careful."
"Mu, I..I see. Sorry about that.."
"Right, you should take one step forward while moving like you're grabbing the upper side of the stick with your left hand and it's faster."
"Ah..Like this?"
"Nn~ after you finish hitting with the right end it would be better to step off with your left foot. Simultaneously the area you just hit previously is safe so place your foot there..it's no good if you don't remember the places you hit. You need to learn to do this without thinking about it."
I was a.s.signed to the normal department of the JSDF but when I was in SDF university I received the basic training of the engineering department. It was only once but I was trained in how to use the mine detector that was just introduced at the time that was like a vacuum cleaner. These are all words I heard from the drill sergeant at that time though.
The bento for lunch was porridge (not tasty), and some cooked pork (crude seasoning), and raw cuc.u.mber for vegetables (it was thin). But, there was plenty in amount, so I was able to properly fill my stomach.

We continued with our training into the afternoon. Each member has a part of their body designated and the one who is called out falls over with that part injured. It's training for quickly changing the formation in the case that an ally falls over. I was amazed that there were rules for how to fall as well. Is there really meaning in going this far? Ah, since they often have people getting injured I guess there is meaning huh? Or rather, I also feel like it might be considered important training as well but after all I feel like it's meaningless as well.
Well, something like how to fall doesn't matter at all but they properly do training to change the formation I see. It's said that when someone falls over in the dungeon it's the most dangerous time for adventurers. It causes the other members mental unrest and is a direct fall in combat potential as well. In those cases rather than trying to take a formation to follow-up with that in a fl.u.s.ter it's not a theory but there's actually truth to making the body remember so you can reflexively do it when it actually happens, I've thought once again that it's something necessary. It's certainly something worth taking the time to perform.
After that was first-aid training. Ah, it's not the healing of wounds. Ah, no, I guess you could call it that as well. When an ally is injured, often times you'll use healing spells to do the initial healing but it's something that takes into consideration running out of mana in combat and being unable to use healing spells. Temporarily moving the one who fell to a safe place to prevent them from getting in the way, during that time a simple method to stop the bleeding, as well as exchanging information on the most effective way to use blood stopping medicine at that time, and it ended up almost like a course.
Combat is certainly important but adventurers have a mountain of other important things than just combat as well. There's a saying among adventurers of "Just because you're smart doesn't mean you'll become first-rate but if you aren't smart as well you won't make it as first-rate." I was like this when I first came to Baldukk as well. Thinking of the efficiency I used wind magic to make things easier maybe I've forgotten my initial resolutions since being taught effective spells by Karl and teacher Mila.
But, if I think more carefully about it, it's only obvious that it's better to make use of everything I can. It's fine if I just put effort on my own stage.
However, I never properly knew the details of other parties training up until now so finding out a bit of the actual state of things is a good learning experience. It's nothing much special at all and if I just figured that much out then that's plenty. Adding to that, I was able to understand that there's a lot of people who can't even make it as second-rate because they don't even do things like this.
.................
After training, we returned to town once and I went to use healing spells on Rokko and the others once more. With this they should already be completely healed. Since I had time until dinner I went running and when I returned to my inn there was instruction from Toris...Ho~ that's quite extreme. I feel like it may hurt the conscience a bit but it's not a bad hand to play. Since I've heard a similar story from Miduchi before they might have made reference of that as well.
Well, even without that story, it wouldn't be strange if anyone of them were to think of it. However, these details, they sure are rough at using people. Well, it's a good thing to try and make the maximum use of the pieces you can use. Looking from their side, they probably a.s.sumed that I could easily do it, and I'm sure I actually can. It seems the {Slaughterers} are entering the dungeon starting the day after tomorrow. Also, they intend to finish making preparations 8 days later by the 23rd of this month. They must have included a bit of flexibility. They intend to put quite a bit of work into it. However, I feel they're overdoing things a bit. This is, another deduction in points.
After taking a shower and changing it was just as I was leaving the inn to have dinner at a random place when Jeru, Jarutodo.Ramiresu came looking for me. It seems he came to invite me to a popular restaurant among the members of {Sun.Ray} as thanks for the healing spells I used before.
The two of walk through the streets of the town of Baldukk as it gets darker and arrived at the restaurant "Foton". It was a cheaper place than "Gonru" where we had my welcoming party. So this was the place that {Sun.Ray} always use as a gathering place. If the gathering place is at this level then I guess it makes sense that "Gonru" would be the level for a welcoming party for new members.
The other members of {Sun.Ray} were inside the restaurant and all ordering their own meals from the menu. Jeru and I joined them and I started drinking some cheap ale that seems to use less hops than beer. Ale isn't half bad either but I guess my own personal taste leans more towards beer being delicious because I'm a former j.a.panese person.
While I was eating some thinly sliced bacon and was.h.i.+ng it down with ale and the Rindobel couple appeared making the restaurant almost completely reserved by {Sun.Ray}. They sat down at the same table as Jeru and I were drinking and after ordering the same ale and some food they started talking to me.
"Greed-kun, how was the training?"
After taking a sip of ale Koritto said.
"No, as expected of the training of a top team. Everyone was moving energetically, I found it quite admirable."
"Oh my, you say quite pleasing things."
Meiria said that a bit happy.
"I don't feel bad hearing Greed-san say that."
Jeru was happy as well. Jeru continued asking me.
"By the way, Greed-san. Is it really true that the magic stones of ogres on the 7th floor really sell for 800,000 each?"
With Jeru's statement the conversation that was going on around my table stopped.
"..It's true."
"Uo~ So that was true!"
"Even if we wanted to ask it was difficult."
"I wanted to ask as well."
"Amazing~ 800,000 from just one!"
"After all what the magic stone dealer said wasn't a lie huh?"
It was an uproar like agitating a bee's nest. They must have been restraining themselves and unable to ask during my welcoming party. But, even if they don't ask if you investigate it you can find out, so they probably thought it wasn't worth asking.
"I've heard that ogres are considerably strong monsters but can they easily be defeated?"
Koritto asked.
"I wonder about that. I don't think they're as strong as they're said to be. They're something like a slightly larger Hobgoblin. Of course you can't let your guard down with them. In actual fact among my previous allies there were several people who defeat them one on one. It was to the point where I thought everyone might be fine. Ah, of course I can defeat them as well."
I didn't speak any lies. If he uses the paralysis poison then now I think even Basutoral can defeat one alone.
"Eeh!!? Is that so...This is, there's no other choice then to try going.."
I didn't miss the instant Meiria's eyes turned into dollar signs.
"But, the problem is the 6th floor right.."
It seems Koritto is a bit cautious.
"Ah, in regards to that. I think if you put me at the lead then we can clear through a bit easier."
When I said it casually like that and the couple opened their eyes and objected to it.
"No way, that's dangerous."
"That's right, if something were to happen to you.."
I guess they're worried they wouldn't be able to sue my company. The things they're saying sound splendid but I'm sure they're calculating things in their heads. Though if they hadn't tried talking to me about things in regards to my company I wouldn't have thought this either. Talking about things so lightly is the reason you're easy to read.
"This is something I suggested realistically but I'm proud of the fact that I have quite a bit of combat experience on the 6th floor. If you want to place breaking through the 6th floor as the first priority then I don't think there's any option other than making use of me. I think it would be good to at least let me try taking the lead once. However, I'm quite grateful that you're willing to take my safety into consideration."
Well, with this I should be able to stand at the lead. It's just a matter of skillfully guiding them.  
....................
Year 7445, Month 7, Day 16
Starting the next day we started to put emphasis on personal combat training aimed against ogres. Just as we predicted. I spent the entire day using {Cure Critical} on the two slaves, Ruttsu, and Hisu from the second party. With this they can return to the battlefield starting tomorrow as well. Thanks to this I received words of deep grat.i.tude from not just Faruergaz, Hirosukol, and Sanno but the leader of the second party Zemyunel as well. Well, it's fine.
..................
Year 7445, Month 7, Day 20
Just like this time continued to pa.s.s by and today is already the day we enter the dungeon.
The first thing we ran into on the 1st was a group of four orks so I used {Stone Arrow Missile} (there's no way of telling the stone bullets apart in the dark dungeon so no one can tell it's a missile) to destroy one of their heads, then after that charged in and from a position my allies can't see used {Air Blade} with my left hand and used the sword in my right hand to wipe them out in no time at all and I was yelled at after that. They said to move more carefully. Yeah, I get what you want to say. I was getting full of my head because I wanted to blow some stress. Sorry. I'll move more carefully.
The amount of time it took for us to clear through the 1st floor with me at the front was..8 hours. We made it through the 2nd floor in close to the same amount of time of 8 hours as well. The fact that it takes {Sun.Ray} even more time even though they have a map(especially since it's a map based on the one Gwine made of the 1st floor) is just a courtesy, I guess you could say.
.................
Year 7445, Month 7, Day 21
If you were to ask my opinion I took things extremely slow and cleared through the 3rd floor in over half a day. Even then if you were to look from {Sun.Ray}'s standpoint it's an abnormally fast pace. As expected I was told some complaints. According to them, "There's no guarantee that traps that aren't shown on the map won't increase." That might certainly be true but that's just a method of teaching with no basis right. I've never heard of it happening after all. Putting it frankly, if you take too much time out of fear of monsters and taking detours it ends up taking far more time.
..................
Year 7445, Month 7, Day 24
After repeating to teleport into the 6th floor around 20 times, we picked a route with not many monster rooms. After that I walk about 50 meters ahead of the party alone and after that I use the spell {Detect.Life} to count the number of monsters in the boss room while pretending to scout. Since I gave the advice, "it would be best to use attack spells as much as possible from the start" the Rindobel couple was pleased that as a result there weren't any serious injuries.
Just as planned there wasn't anyone inside of the teleport room on the 6th floor that it took us 20 hours to reach.
There's a reddish-brown worn-out cloth covering the pot in the kitchen.
Is something inside? is what I was thinking but I'm sure there's nothing in it. Giberuti isn't around after all.
Author's Note: some comments on the amount of pain and relief from various healing spells. Summing it up 0 = no pain, 10 = able to act normally, 50 = somehow able to defend and move while exhausted, 70 = barely able to walk, 100 = completely incapacitated from pain, the actual numbers changed base on HP, etc.. factors.
HP = hit point recovery rate. P = pain recovery rate.
The parentheses is the amount of pain recovered for each time it's used after the first. The efficiency falls even more when a different person is using it after the first.
"Cure" HP 5%, P3(1)
"Light" HP 10%, P 10(3)
"Serious" HP 25%, P30(10)
"Critical" HP 50%, P45(15)
"All" HP 90%, P70(21)
"Heal" HP, pain, disease complete recovery.
*Cure Light and Cure Serious's water magic bonus don't apply to pain.