studiobondurri Chapter 397: Expedition Force (2)
Chapter 397: Expedition Force (2)
Chapter 397: Expedition Force (2)
The founding ceremony was held in an empty mansion in the Imperial City.
It was a place that a certain count had been using as a villa, but he had to put it up for sale due to financial difficulties.
There was no need for a lavish ceremony, so they just set up a banquet and invited thirty expedition members and their sponsors.
And...
'It ended quickly.'
The formal part of the ceremony only took about 40 minutes.
The sponsors, including the Marquis, gave speeches encouraging and supporting the expedition.
"I'm sure you've heard enough about saving the country and being heroes, so I'll keep it short."
"Kill a lot."
"And earn a lot."
My speech, as the expedition leader, only lasted about 10 seconds.
The banquet followed the ceremony.
The sponsors included the Prime Minister, Duke Keallunus, a coalition of minor nobles, the Three Gods Church, the Alminus Trading Company, and the Explorer's Guild.
It was a gathering of influential figures, but the atmosphere was far from festive.
The food was plentiful, but it had been prepared in advance and was cold.
There was no orchestra, no servants to refill drinks, and no spectators to witness the event.
But no one complained.
Everyone knew...
This wasn't a place for laughter, music, and drunken revelry.
"It's an honor to meet you, Schuitz."
"I heard you fought four of Noark's guys at once? How did you win?"
"Four of them? What are you talking about?"
"Ah, you were on Sir Kaislan's team, right? Didn't he tell you about what happened?"
"It's been a while, Blood Spirit Marquis."
I was just sitting there, but countless expedition members came up to me and greeted me.
This is what it's like to be in a position of power?
"It's nice to meet you. I'm Lihen Schuitz, the expedition leader. What's your name?"
"Bentis Gerold. It's a pleasure to meet you."
I didn't turn anyone away and greeted them one by one, trying to memorize their faces and names.
They were the people whose lives I would be responsible for.
I had to know who they were.
As I was exchanging greetings, a familiar face approached me.
"I never thought I'd see the name Lihen Schuitz again, especially not at the founding ceremony."
"It's nice to meet you. I'm Bersil Gowland."
Wow, I didn't expect to see her here.
"I'm Lihen Schuitz."
"You probably don't remember me, but I—"
"I know who you are. You were the Vice-Captain of the Laレール Clan, right?"
I first met this woman when the 1st-floor Crystal Cave was in chaos.
They needed fifteen more spots for the teleportation magic, and she used dice to choose who would be left behind.
Our team was one of the unlucky ones.
Damn, it was a nightmare trying to break through with those fifteen people—
"Thank you for remembering me, but I'm not the Vice-Captain anymore."
Bersil smiled bitterly and continued in a self-deprecating tone.
"I slept for too long. When I woke up, my position was gone."
"Ah... You were caught in the explosion, right?"
"Yes. I was unconscious for over a year."
"I'm glad you're awake."
"Yes... If it weren't for the 'Agent', I would still be in that state..."
The 'Agent' was the High Priest of the Tovera Church's alias.
He was known to be the best healer in the city, even surpassing the paladins.
'But her tone is a bit strange...'
Her face and expression were also gloomy.
It didn't seem like she was grateful to the one who saved her.
"Bersil Gowland, what team are you on now?"
"I'm on the 4th Team."
"4th Team..."
The 4th Team was led by the paladin, Jun.
According to the information the Marquis had given me, the team consisted of four members, all from religious factions.
But now there was a mage on the team?
'She must be in debt.'
I could guess her situation.
And she must have realized that I had figured it out.
She looked at me with a meaningful gaze and nodded.
"...You're different from what I expected."
"What did you expect?"
It would take weeks for the five teams to gather on the 6th floor.
They would forget everything by then.
So...
"It's best for each team to fight independently and help each other in emergencies."
That was the conclusion of our leadership meeting.
It would be inefficient and problematic to force everyone to move as one unit.
"But we should at least create a formation, just in case."
They decided to categorize the members.
Mages with mages, healers with healers.
They would be given different markings to distinguish their roles, and they would be trained on their positions in the formation.
It would be much safer that way.
"Warriors with shield markings will be on the outer perimeter, and those with sword markings will be behind them."
"What about the healers?"
"They'll be in the center, of course. They need to be protected so they can heal the wounded. Archers and ranged support will be positioned to protect the healers and mages."
Okay, this should be manageable in two days.
None of them were rookies.
They all had experience working in groups.
"Schuitz, are you listening?"
"...Of course."
Geez, I was just resting my chin on my hand.
There were only two commands for the expedition leader.
Independent combat for each team.
And 'Gather!' for the entire expedition force.
Well, there would be more commands later on, like 'Charge!', 'Focus Fire!', and 'Shield Wall!'
But for now, that was all.
"Then let's leave it at that for now, and we'll continue the formation training on the 6th floor. Or rather, what do you think?"
"I agree. Let's do that."
The meeting proceeded with them discussing and then asking for my approval.
After the meeting, James Kala, the former clan Vice-Captain, diligently trained the expedition force on the 'Gather!' command.
And two days later...
「Entered the 1st-floor Crystal Cave.」
It was time to enter the labyrinth.
_______________________
The Crystal Cave, shimmering with a faint glow.
All team members were wearing robes that concealed their identities.
They wanted to avoid attention.
Tadat, tadat.
The team's movement speed was surprisingly fast, despite having a mage and an ability user who weren't known for their physical abilities.
They both had their own ways of getting around.
「Liard Ashid has cast the 4th-grade transformation magic [Foxfire].」
The mage transformed into a ball of light and flew through the air.
And...
「Gruold Aldidi has used [Luberta's Dove Boots].」
The ability user relied on a Numbered Item.
Amelia looked at the old man running effortlessly beside her with a curious expression.
"...Is that a Numbered Item?"
"It's a 3000-series Numbered Item called Luberta's Dove Boots. It can only be used outside of combat, but... it's very useful for someone like me in the labyrinth."
"Won't you run out of Soul Power if you keep using it?"
"Haha, you underestimate ability users."
Ability users always prioritized Soul Power in their builds, so they had more MP than any other profession.
"Don't worry. I usually only use it up to the 3rd floor. It's difficult to use on the 5th floor because the passages are too narrow, and on the 6th floor... we'll be sailing anyway."
Having a high-level explorer on the team was definitely convenient.
He was prepared for everything.
'Maybe we can even speedrun this time?'
"Emily, increase the speed."
I gave a new order and felt a strange sense of excitement.
Whoosh!
The ball of light flew forward like a meteor.
Whiiiish!
Didi tilted his body and ran with his feet barely touching the ground.
"...Schuitz, why are you falling behind?"
"In, case, enemies, appear, from, the rear."
Damn, I'm out of breath.
"..."
I can't believe I'm the slowest one on the team.