Chapter 8,5 : Wing Break ②
Merris’s injury healed, and “Dragon’s Wing” resumed delving into the labyrinth.
As expected, our coordination had improved compared to before. While I took charge of scouting and planning, Merris learned how to read maps and handle other miscellaneous tasks, which expanded our capabilities.
…Honestly, I couldn’t help but wonder how we had managed until now.
Nevertheless, I believe we’ve been able to handle things in the 50th floor thanks to the potential of the three of us. Each of us had a shining aspect to our output, and sometimes reckless courage turned out in our favor.
But the future remained uncertain. I thought we could navigate between profit and loss as a mid-level party. However, the sight of “Dragon’s Wing” leading the charge in conquering the labyrinth and gaining fame was nowhere to be seen. There was no plan in place to return to those times.
Moreover, defeating the Floor Master seemed physically impossible.
To put it bluntly, our party’s capabilities were lacking.
Even the atmosphere at the party house dining table had become heavy. Chronos and Merris managed to maintain a cheerful facade, making everyone laugh and causing Nikra to make sarcastic remarks. However, the silent moments were unbearable.
“Hey! What if we recruit more members?” Chronos suddenly suggested. Well, it seemed like he had been considering it for a while.
“While I was too focused on rebuilding, we are an A-rank party in name and reality. If we recruit, we can gather as many members as we want. Once we have enough people, let’s return to the frontlines!” Nikra chimed in.
“How many should we recruit?” I asked.
“Well… the more, the better, I guess. We can even have dozens of them,” Chronos replied.
Everyone had a subtle expression.
Changing the party’s structure to that extent made it difficult for anyone to confidently support the idea, and opposition other than emotional rejection was also challenging.
“What about the selection process? Since our party consists only of girls, it wouldn’t be ideal if we attract men with that intention. What do you think, Merris?” Chronos stared at Merris.
I had learned quite a bit about this party, and it seemed that Chronos had a tendency to try to control people like this.
“W-well, I guess I feel more comfortable with girls than having men other than Chronos,” Merris answered exactly as expected.
This was also one of the party’s issues.
Merris and Nikra liked Chronos, as members of the opposite sex. And it seemed that Chronos had feelings for both of them.
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While it concerned risking our lives in the labyrinth, this relationship often hindered smooth progress or sometimes progressed too far.
The two of them still had subtle expressions. If a new woman joined the party, Chronos’s attention might be diverted to her.
I was the only one who could object.
“Um, Chronos…”
“What’s up, Sophia?”
“We should be a bit more cautious about expanding the party. There’s also the matter of money, and we don’t have anyone with the know-how to handle a large number of people…” I said.
As usual, the atmosphere became even more tense when discussing concrete matters. Chronos thought for a while, his chin and mouth covered by his hand, and then spoke.
“It’s not good to say it’s impossible from the beginning. Let’s start with what we can do.”
…I had expected this.
“Well, um…”
“Is there something difficult to say, Sophia? If it’s something you find hard to express, we can talk about it in our room later.”
“Actually, the recognition for defeating the Floor Master hasn’t been granted yet.”
“Huh?”
That’s right, “Dragon’s Wing” was not yet an A-rank party. The guild had not recognized our defeat of the Floor Master.
“What does that mean, Sophia?”
“Yes, according to the records I inherited from Vim, we submitted all the necessary documents and proof of defeating the Floor Master–“
The tension in the air suddenly became palpable.
Oh no.
“Sorry, Sophia. Please don’t mention his name.”
It seemed that mentioning Vim Strauss’s name was a taboo in “Dragon’s Wing.”
“I apologize. Well, based on the records from the previous member, we’ve submitted everything that needed to be submitted, so the recognition should have come by now. But for some reason, it hasn’t. And there’s also the matter of money…”
“So, he messed up again?”
“…That seems to be the case. Normally, we should have received recognition by now, but given that it involves the labyrinth, it’s possible that confirmation is difficult. In any case, it will be a while before we receive the money.”
The table was struck with a bang.
“Damn it! Is it him again?”
“Calm down, Chronos! It’s not your fault!”
“That’s right, Dragon’s Wing defeated the Floor Master of the 97th floor. This fact cannot be shaken.”
Chronos held his head in his hands. The other two comforted him. They made Vim Strauss the villain and reaffirmed their unity.
This had been the atmosphere of “Dragon’s Wing” lately.
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