End Of The Fourth Day.

I finally took a breather once the shell-pot was mostly empty. Stretching my arms wide and looking up at the ceiling, I noticed the radiance of the Solar Rock was beginning to dim. Since it’s supposed to be linked to the sun on the surface, it’s likely around three or four in the afternoon.

Finishing today’s planned exploration of the fifth floor is definitely impossible now. Well, we’ve had more than enough of a harvest for one day anyway.

Looking around the plaza, I saw goblins everywhere with expressions of total satisfaction, chatting and laughing together in high spirits. Mia and Paula were sitting side-by-side, seemingly engrossed in their own conversation.

“I see. So, one must not always be pushy with a gentleman.”

“Yep, yep! Auntie Rosa said that being a little cold once in a while is effective too.”

“How educational. I tend to think only of devoting myself immediately.”

“Elze-san said that men are creatures that love the chase. You have to run away more, Pau-sama!”

Who on earth is feeding Mia all this unnecessary advice?

On the laps of the two talking merrily, Yoru and Kuu had fallen fast asleep with looks of total accomplishment. It seems they hit their limit after pushing themselves so hard.

I guess that’s it for today’s dungeon crawl. As I relaxed my shoulders, a calm voice called out from behind me.

“Good work today, Sir Nino.”

“Ah, Hans-san. How did the reconnaissance go?”

“Yes, I managed to hear many interesting things.”

I had asked him to gather information from the goblins while I was busy serving food. Naturally, they don’t speak the same language, but it’s surprising how much can be communicated through gestures.

“First, regarding those Assault Birds—they are apparently only seen near the walls on this side of the floor.”

“That’s a relief.”

I breathed a sigh of relief knowing that the villagers working near the entrance wouldn’t have to worry about being attacked. A flock of vicious monsters crashing into a farm in progress is not a joke.

“The flocks move around quite a bit, so the goblins said they keep sentries posted to stay alert.”

“Maybe that was the group of five that attacked us the second time. Wait, so the birds don’t appear near the stairs?”

“Those were likely just patrols out hunting rabbits or gathering garlic.”

“I see. Rabbits are important, after all.”

Not only do the horns become arrowheads, but the goblin clothes—which I thought were just filthy rags—are apparently made by pounding and stretching harvested Horn Rabbit pelts.

“Also, it was a bit hard to understand, but the bird attacks only happen once every twenty or thirty ‘blinks’ of the bright rock on the ceiling.”

“So about once a month.”

“They also lamented that the village had been destroyed many times by that exceptionally large bird.”

Hans-san continued with a smile.

“But they said that since Sir Nino is here, they aren’t scared at all anymore.”

“…………I’m not exactly eager to face it again myself, though.”

It depends on the respawn frequency of the “Gluttonous Dreadbeak.” If it’s once a year, it might be the perfect interval for a meat festival.

“By the way, regarding the olives—those trees apparently grow back in about ten days even if you cut them down.”

“That fast!?”

That was more good news. It seems we won’t be hurting for timber either.

“Ah, there’s one more thing. Please, take this.”

I opened the leather bag Hans-san handed me, and red magic stones came jingling out.

“What’s this for?”

“From Red-Feather. He said he couldn’t accept payment from a ‘comrade.’”

“Loyal in the strangest ways. It’s easier to deal with him as a business partner.”

“I thought you might say that, so I gave him a replacement item.”

Following Hans-san’s gaze, I saw the goblins frantically rubbing pieces of wood together. They were striking what looked like flint against the resulting wood dust. I watched as a small plume of smoke rose, and the goblins began jumping for joy.

Good grief. I just hope the settlement isn’t burned to the ground by the next time we come back.

“I should leave something too.”

As I spoke, I placed a pile of Assault Bird meat and a slime-pouch full of salt next to the shell-pot. Perhaps they’ll develop some new recipes in the meantime.

According to Hans-san, the goblin craftsmen were incredibly curious when he showed them the leather shield and bat-wing hat. Just as the concept of fire is taking root among them, perhaps their sewing and leatherworking skills will grow too if things go well.

“Yeah, maybe I’ll introduce them tomorrow. …………Alright, let’s head back for today.”

“Yes, it has been quite a long day.”

As we prepared to leave, the goblins broke into a grand display of grief and tried to hold us back. …………Specifically, Imo-tchi. For some reason, the Great Caterpillar is more popular than I am. It makes sense, given how hard it fought to protect the settlement. So, I decided to leave Imo-tchi here. Yo the Fairy flew around looking a bit lonely.

“Th-this is higher than I thought. And it wobbles quite a bit. Whoa-ho-ho!”

“Go, Ge-chan! Yahooo!”

On the way back, I’d had the sudden thought to try riding on the back of an Assault Bird. The feathers were soft and comfortable to sit on, but once it started running, my rear bounced so violently I felt like I’d fall off immediately. While the bird’s head remained perfectly steady, the movement of its torso was incredible. I remember hearing that terror-bird types have massive semicircular canals to keep their balance while chasing prey.

“I… I really need a saddle and stirrups. I… think I’m gonna bite my tongue.”

Unlike me, who was barely clinging to the neck, Mia was riding her bird with a cool face. I guess this is what they call the vigor of youth.

Furthermore, an even more surprising fact came to light. Hans-san and Paula were following along at the bird’s brisk pace as if it were nothing. A normal human would be out of breath instantly, but both of them were running alongside us with nonchalant expressions.

“A-are you okay?”

“Yes, we’re fine. …………In fact, we’ve been going slow until now to match your pace. Were you not aware of that?”

“Was that so? I… I’m sorry.”

When I apologized for the point I’d completely missed, Paula, who had spoken a bit sharply, suddenly looked flustered. She sped up, overtook To-chan, caught up to the Mia and Ge-chan duo running ahead, and began whispering frantically.

“Mia, I cannot do it. I feel as if my heart will burst.”

“Do your best, Pau-sama! Wheee!”

Watching the two pull away in an instant, Hans-san spoke to me kindly.

“You should try to keep your back straighter, Sir Nino.”

“Like… like this?”

“Hmm. If you like, there is an unused donkey saddle back in the village. Shall we try fitting it when we return?”

“Yes, please. By the way, are you really okay, Hans-san?”

We were moving at a speed close to a human jog, but Hans-san didn’t even have a bead of sweat on him.

“Yes. It has only been two days since I came to this labyrinth, but just by breathing the air here, I feel as if my body has changed completely. Mana is a wonderful thing… but it is also a terrifying one.”

I felt the truth of those words even more strongly when we arrived at the stairs. The farm I’d asked the villagers to build had been tilled over an incredibly vast area.

“Teacher, how is it? We pushed ourselves a bit!”

“Phew… I don’t feel tired here at all. What a mysterious place.”

“My, what a big bird! But it’s not very cute, is it?”

I didn’t care about their opinion of the Assault Bird; the sheer work ethic was abnormal. I’d said status values were relative, but it seems the increase really does have a tangible impact. To change this much in half a day of leveling… it’s almost scary.

Today’s Haul

The meat supply has increased significantly. I’ll need to work hard on tanning the hides too. Our new companions are the Assault Birds, To-chan and Ge-chan—promising new monsters that will serve as our transportation.

Because of the Unique Monster battle, everyone has leveled up a decent amount.

Some specialties have increased as well, but I’ll look at those in detail during the next exploration. Despite everything, the event-filled fourth day has come to a successful close.