In The Deep Forest.

“First, let’s map the area along the walls. Yo and Gob-tchi, you’re on scouting. Yoru and Kuu, move a little bit ahead. Paula, Mia, and I will be in the center. Chief, please watch the rear.”

“Understood, my Lord.”

“Got it! If I find anything suspicious, I’ll burn it to a crisp!”

“Wait, wait. is forbidden.”

“Ehh! Why!?”

The fire and wind created by sorcery are brought forth using mana. Therefore, once the mana contained in the spell is exhausted, it rapidly decays and vanishes. Usually, we don’t have to worry about the fire spreading, but it’s a different story on this floor. If the fire were to catch onto the undergrowth, there’s a high chance it would turn into a massive forest fire in an instant. It’s a terrifying thought, but given the mana provided by the subterranean labyrinth, it’s possible for trees and grass to regenerate constantly, allowing the fire to burn indefinitely.

“Th-that’s scary! That’s super scary!”

“So be careful. Kuu, don’t use either.”

“Kooooo…”

With two of my reliable heavy-hitters sealed off, I’ll have to act cautiously. I decided to send Kone-ko-chan One and Two through the trees a short distance away from us. They’ll act as insurance in case we’re ambushed.

Due to the trees reaching all the way to the ceiling, the space overhead was covered by a green canopy. It was dim, but the dappled sunlight provided enough visibility to move without major hindrance. The Solar Rocks on the ceiling, acting as the light source, must be quite large. However, visibility was extremely poor because of the giant trees standing like thick pillars. Even so, judging by the depth I could faintly see and the ceiling height—which looked to be twenty or thirty meters—this floor seems remarkably vast. And on a vast floor, there’s usually a large-scale—

“Kee-hee-hee-hee!”

Barely five minutes after we started walking east along the wall, the fairy’s laughter echoed, and we immediately went into a state of alert. Glancing over, I saw Gob-tchi with a perplexed look, trying to calm down a fluttering Yo. Since there was no sign of monsters attacking, we rushed over.

“What happened?”

“Ge-he-ge-he…”

It seemed Gob-tchi didn’t know either. Watching Yo fly back and forth excitedly, I didn’t sense any danger. While looking around for the cause, Paula pointed gracefully at our feet.

“My Lord, could it be because of this?”

Tucked between the earthen wall and the undergrowth were rows of small white mushrooms.

“I see. This is it.”

“Eh? What, what? All because of these tiny mushrooms?”

“Fairies are extremely fond of mushrooms, Mia.”

Hearing our conversation, Yo swooped down and sat comfortably on the cap of a mushroom, fluttering her wings.

“Really? With Yo-tchi sitting on it, it actually looks like a delicious mushroom. Sensei, what’s this mushroom called?”

“If it’s this small and a fairy loves it, it’s likely a Numbing Mushroom.”

I plucked one and stored it in my item list; it seems my guess was correct. Also known as “The Fairy’s Parasol,” it’s a relatively common mushroom to find.

“Ehh? Does it look dangerous to eat?”

“No, it makes your mouth tingle a bit, but it’s edible. It should be… quite delicious.”

I’ve handled them quite often, but I’ve never actually eaten one myself. I handed one to Yo and stored the rest in my special storage.

“Maybe we’ll make soup with them during our next break.”

“Yay!”

“Grateful—!”

“Koo!”

We put Yo, who was happily nibbling on the Numbing Mushroom, back in the lead and resumed our exploration. For forty minutes, we navigated around large fallen trees and small thickets. Finally, we reached the eastern wall. In that time, the only thing I’d noted on my handmade map was the location of a vast quantity of mushrooms. Not just Numbing Mushrooms, but also lumpy, rounded Black Rock Mushrooms and Apricot-Tome Mushrooms that emitted a fruity scent. It seems this floor is very mushroom-focused.

“Now, what to do?”

Should we head back and map all the way to the western wall? Or should we keep pushing further along this eastern wall? Ideally, I’d like to encounter any new monsters near the stairs where we can easily escape.

“Hmm. First, let’s take a break.”

I tossed Labyrinth Water, several types of mushrooms, and a reasonable amount of Labyrinth Salt into the iron pot and applied . With just that, an umami-rich mushroom soup was ready. I took turns feeding the soup—blown on to cool it—to Yoru and Kuu as they sat side-by-side with open mouths. Seeing their faces melt with every spoonful was, honestly, adorable.

“Here, my Lord, have some too.”

Just as I thought that, Paula offered me a wooden spoon she had cooled with her breath. I’m not of an age to be bashful, so I swallowed it in one go. Wow, salt and mushrooms alone can be this tasty? As Paula and I smiled at each other, the Chief gave a small cough.

“Forgive me for interrupting your play, but I noticed something of concern.”

“What is it?”

“That part of the trunk…”

Following the Chief’s gaze to a nearby tree, I saw a fresh wound running horizontally at a height taller than myself. Judging by the extent of the gouged bark, whatever left this mark must be quite massive. When I looked at Paula, she gave a subtle nod. Apparently, she had seen similar marks several times along the way.

“A large-scale species in a forest floor… This is it.”

I had intended to play it safe, but I’m forced to change plans. If my prediction is correct, the monster that scarred this bark has a high probability of being essential for land development.

“Let’s find the monster that made that mark. I want to confirm its identity if possible.”

“Understood.”

“Yes, my Lord.”

And so, our next path was set along the eastern wall. We followed the monster’s traces while checking the standing trees. In less than ten minutes, we encountered our target prey.

“Wh-whoa! Huge!”

“My, it’s quite large.”

“Alright! It really is a Branch-Horn Deer!”

Stretching its neck toward the undergrowth to eat something was a giant deer monster. As the name implied, its antlers branched out and extended widely to the left and right, spanning as long as my outstretched arms. Its height easily exceeded two meters. If it charged, I’d be sent flying. In fact, just a single kick from those thick hooves would likely crush my body like a tin can.

“Watch out for its specialty, Thrust Up . It should come at you from ground level with an upward thrust. Don’t stand directly in front of it.”

“Got it—!”

“Koo!”

“We should have the advantage in speed. Let’s whittle it down while keeping it distracted. Paula and Mia, focus on support.”

“Focus on support? Dedicating ourselves to it? Understood.”

“Er, I’m not allowed to use fire, right? Okay, I’ll go with bubbles!”

“Chief, attack when you see an opening. But be careful—if you’re behind it, it will kick with its hind legs.”

“Yes, leave it to me.”

In terms of level, the enemy was lower than us, but large-scale species have high base stats. The Branch-Horn Deer in particular is known for its exceptional physical attack and HP. Just in case, I handed defense-buffing potions to the three humans.

“Alright, let’s go!”

The opening shot was a blue flash darting past its feet. Yoru, riding atop the blue slime Sue, thrust her claws fiercely into the deer’s leg as she passed. Startled by the sudden attack, the monster let out a small huff and raised its front legs in a threat. It kicked the ground twice and then suddenly lowered its head and charged. The powerful was intercepted by a massive water bubble.

Without a moment’s delay, Kuu swooped down, baring thick talons inherited from the terror-birds. The deer, its back gouged deeply, swung its antlers frantically. Then, thwip-thwip-thwip, Gob-tchi’s arrows pierced it in succession. From the right, the slime Rah closed the distance, and from the left, the Chief closed in, unleashing and . The massive Branch-Horn Deer swayed and immediately tried to kick out.

At that moment, a perfect landed. As it froze in place, the monster-kids’ claws sank deep into it. Even with its high HP, it couldn’t last long against such a relentless, coordinated assault. Barely five minutes after the battle began, the Branch-Horn Deer, now covered in blood, quietly lowered its head to the earth. It slumped to the ground and ceased moving.

“Yay! We won!”

“Victory—!”

“Koo!”

I looked proudly at the group, who had won without any major scares. Yes, their coordination was becoming truly impressive. I approached the monster to collect it, but a sudden sense of discord hit me. I had been too focused on the fight with the deer; I had missed something—

Ah, mana.

It was only then that I realized the Kone-ko maid skeletons had vanished.