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Volume 7 Chapter 4 Part 10

My conclusion after they both wore it is that albeit slightly, the number of attacks received by both of them when they were wearing the boots has definitely decreased.

 

Well, they hardly receive attacks to begin with, and the boost to the evasion from just one item does not seem to be all that great, so it’s actually not that big of a loss.

 

Still, Hardened Leather Shoes of Willow could prove to be a good equipment for Roxanne.

 

At some point, it may be a good idea to decrease the attacks received by Sherry and Miria as it will increase the efficiency of our hunting. The reduction of hits means the reduction of the times healing Spells and items

 

But it is not a matter to consider for now, only in the future.

 

「Okay, after all the testing that we did, I decided that this equipment is going to go to Roxanne. Are you fine with it, Sherry, Miria?」

 

「Yes, I think it’s the best possible idea.」

 

「Okay, desu.」

 

I confirm my choice with Sherry and Miria. None of them objected to it, which means that I can give it to Roxanne without any remorse.

 

「So Roxanne, it’s yours from now on.」

 

「But it is better than Master’s equipment. Master should be the one to use it.」

 

「I have tried it already and didn’t find it all that effective. It will be far more useful if Roxanne uses it.」

 

「Okay, thank you.」

 

Roxanne bowed her head to me.

 

To make her stronger, the Hard Leather Shoes of Willow were hence passed to Roxanne. Now, in order to check how powerful her evasive abilities are going to be, it would be best to find a powerful monster that would be perfect to showcase how truly untouchable Roxanne is.

 

*          *          *

 

After that, we have finally cleared the fourteenth floor of Haruba’s Labyrinth. Perhaps it was due to all the new equipment that we have gotten for ourselves, but the speed of our exploration has increased tremendously.

 

When it comes to Labyrinths, Haruba’s and Quratars are both big ones, so it is very unlikely that that the entrance of the floor and the entrance to the Floor Boss’s waiting room are going to be located right next to each other.

 

Unfortunately, exploring a floor takes time. While there are instances of finding the Boss Room in the left having started the exploration from the left, there are also instances of finding the Boss Room on the right having started the exploration from the left, too, so the time required to clear a floor depends mainly on luck and nothing can be done about it.

 

In case of the fourteenth floor of Haruba’s Labyrinth, the time required was short.

 

The objective of our Party is not just exploration. Because we have Roxanne in our Party, we can hunt efficiently as well. For this reason, we keep moving from here to there to somewhere else, which increases the time required to clear a floor. But there’s no knowing when you may find yourself at a dead end, so gaining EXP in the meantime is efficient.

 

There’s also a possibility that we can’t take out monsters on a floor. Therefore, efficiency aside, you have to keep leveling up or the floors may become too difficult to clear, stalling our progress.

 

Even though we are stronger by the standards of this world, the difficulty keeps on increasing with every floor. That said, there’s no such thing as safety margin. Even if you’re adequately leveled, one wrong step in the Labyrinth may prove to be your undoing.

 

It is also said that you can be surrounded by multiple groups of monsters if you take too long to exterminate a group of monsters.

 

If you laugh at incompetence of others, others will soon laugh at you. That’s just how it works. In a Labyrinth, survival should always be your top priority. After all, a horse that can return its rider to safety from the battlefield is always going to be worth more than a horse that cannot do that.

 

「Can we perform well on higher floors with the current level of our strength?」

 

「Umm… well, that’s…」

 

Sherry finds it difficult to answer my question.

 

「Forget about it then. What about other Parties?」

 

「If there are combat slaves in the other Party, they go for higher floors as much as possible.」

 

「Is that so?」

 

「Yes.」

 

Roxanne answers in Sherry’s stead.

 

「Umm… usually, they try to go for higher floors as much as possible. The higher you go, the more experience yo’re going to gain, and the quicker you become strong. Although the danger on higher floors is considerably greater than on the lower floors it doesn’t mean that total annihilation is the only outcome of a failure. Leaders of the Parties normally have access to Recovery Magic and Recovery Medicines, so the danger to the Leader of the Party is not that big anyway.」

 

Sherry explains. In other words, slaves are sacrificed in emergency situations?

 

Although the danger is great on higher floors, combat slaves are subjected to most of that danger while the risk to the owner is minimal.

 

Now I know why sherry was hesitating. If the owner doesn’t know that, it’s better for the slaves, Combat slaves have it tough after all.

 

「But there will be no such thing in our Party. It will be troublesome for me if Roxanne, Sherry and Miria are were not here with me.」

 

「Thank you very much. Still, it’s better to go for higher floors.」

 

「Okay, thank you very much.」

 

「Party Members are irreplaceable.」

 

「…Thank you, desu.」

 

Miria was the last to express her gratitude because she was waiting for Roxanne to translate my words.

 

The Floor Boss of Haruba’s 14th floor was Nepenthes which we had already defeated on the twelfth floor of Quaratar’s Labyrinth. The Nepenthes couldn’t land an attack on Roxanne, the dodging ability of whom had increased even more due to Hardened Leather Boots of Willow, while the rest of us attacked it directly under my orders.

 

「Which monster appears on fifteenth floor of Haruba’s Labyrinth?」

 

「Bitch Butterfly.」

 

「Its weakness is Wind Magic, right?」

 

After defeating the boss of 14th floor, I ask Sherry the usual questions.

 

「It is.」

 

「Because we have already fought against Bitch Butterflies on the sixteenth floor of Quratar’s Labyrinth we can afford to skip the trial stage, Roxanne.」

 

「Try to search for groups with more Bitch Butterflies than Sarracenias, Miss Roxanne.」

 

Sherry interrupts.

 

「Why?」

 

「Have you forgotten that Bitch Butterflies are resistant to Fire Magic?」

 

They are? I don’t remember hearing such a thing before, even though she always briefs about the attribute of magic which the monsters are weak against. Or perhaps I didn’t pay attention to any information more than that?

 

If I use 「Fire Storm」 against a group of Sarracenias and Bitch Butterflies, I may be able to take out Sarracenias but Bitch Butterflies will still be standing.

 

I need to be more careful regarding composition of monster groups, it seems. I’m a Mage, so by definition I should be able to make the best use possible out of my head.

 

「I see. As expected of Sherry. From now on, I will ask for your input before issuing instructions.」

 

「Okay.」

 

「Well then… Roxanne.」

 

「Understood.」

 

The first group Roxanne guides us to is comprised of two Bitch Butterflies and a single Sarracenia.

 

I first take the Bitch Butterflies out in six 「Breeze Storms」. With three more「Fire Balls」, the remaining Sarracenia drops down. The monsters seem to be becoming stronger again, but that is something which is within my expectations.

 

「Sherry, if an enemy has resistance to a given type of magic, then does that mean that the magic he is resistant to will work on it at all?」

 

「I don’t think that’s exactly how it works. But I don’t know exactly how effective it is either. And it also differs from monster to monster. I’m sorry for not knowing anything more useful than that.」

 

「Should we test it out then? Roxanne, search for a group of monsters with more Sarracenias than Bitch Butterflies.」

 

「Understood.」

 

I ask Roxanne for a very specific search this time, and then we find a group of one Bitch Butterfly and two Sarracenias. The Sarracenias drop down in six Fire Magic Spells. The Bitch Butterfly collapses in four more Wind Magic Spells.

 

Four spells huh? Not as much as I thought.

 

「Guide us to groups with more Sarracenias, Roxanne.」

 

「I see. Understood!」

 

There are a maximum of four monsters in a group on the fifteenth floor. If there is more Sarracenias in a group, then there can be no more than one Bitch Butterfly.