All the members of the Footprints formed a line and went outside. There was none of the excitement or anticipation that a hunter would have before setting out on an adventure.
There was a sense of urgency in the air, as if they were on their way to their deaths. Even though he had followed their requests.

Tino is standing at the end of the line, looking relievedly away.
Liz walked around to my front from behind, her lips pursed as she said.

'Hey. Why not? Why not? It's the kind of opponent Ark-chan is going to play against, right? I want to go. Hey! Cry-chan, please. You know?

A flirtatious voice.

Ryss recognized Ark. It seems that the all-powerful magic swordsman Ark Rodin is a tough opponent even with his Zekage.
His pink irises glittered with the hint of a tough battle. She's no good, a part of her brain has gone haywire.

Besides, the High Elixir you said you wanted earlier. It's a very expensive item from the treasure house.
The only one that the Ghost of Sorrows brought back, so I'm not hesitant to use it in case of emergency, but if I use it, I'll end up with a huge deficit.

You'll be able to use it in the event of an emergency.

'No, because you're uncooperative.

'Er, ......, it's okay. I'm fine. I'm sure everyone will adjust to me.

That's what I mean by uncooperative.
In the back of the room, Tino is looking at Liz with concern, his face pale. I pinched her cheek in front of her.

She looked up at me with a puzzled expression. She continues to gum her cheek.
Her skin is soft and unblemished, even though it is supposed to be strengthened with mana material. Mana Material is truly a strange substance.

'Besides, you just got back from the last hunt, right? You should get some rest.

We'll all be happier if you just sit tight. Of course I'm happy.
Lise smiled brightly at my words. Please always keep that expression on your face.

'Kya-chan, you're so kind! I'm fine. Hey, Tee?

'Yes, yes! I'm fine, sister. I'm at .......

'See?'

Tino nodded frantically, looking distinctly pale. I'm not sure what to make of it.

Liz and I have known each other for a long time. For the most part, we've been friends since we could remember. So I kind of know what you're thinking.

The way she's looking at me, like she's playing a prank.

You're gonna sneak out. No.

It's not that I don't want the High Elixir, but I can just see you pushing your way through the treasure house, kicking the other parties out of the way as they carefully make their way through.

I had no choice but to put my arm around Liz's shoulders. I put my arm around her shoulders and tried to persuade her in a low voice, as if we were talking in private.

'Hey, hey, calm down, Liz. I'm not going to let you ...... do that, because I have other things to do.

'......What? Is that so? I don't know what to do ............ then.

Liz blinked and made a disappointed sound. I'm sure she won't go out on her own now.

If you've known them for a long time, you know how to manage them.
The fact that I am still the clan master probably has something to do with the fact that there is an undisputed Ark in this clan.

Liz looked at me sideways and lifted her lips slightly.

'Hmm, so you'll just let Tee go? It's a great way to train yourself. ......'

Hey, that's not a good idea.

This time there are members of the trail, so they won't be as bad as last time, but Tino seems to be incompatible with the White Wolf's Lair. Otherwise, such a monster would not have appeared.
The solo Tino is not a good match for this kind of mission, and the ability of the apparition to appear seems a bit high.





I want to ...... look good. Especially if it's a young girl, even if she's my junior.

'No'.

'Yes.

'This is the end of the conversation.

'Yeah. ......'

You'll be able to find a great deal of information on the web.
And then, a large young hunter ...... Lyle approached.

He's not one of the first members, but he's one of the oldest. He is only a little taller than me, and his dull, used metal armor shines with an indescribable glow.

We are close in age, so we get along rather well as hunters. I recall that we had recently reached level 5, and we were making a lot of noise in the tavern.

Lyle looked at Liz next to him with an uncomfortable expression for a while, but then he turned to me and said as if he had made up his mind.

'Kry, this request is ...... that ...... okay?

A little further away, I can see the other hunters looking at me cautiously. Apparently, he's been dealt a poor hand.

But that's not for me to ask. I know far too little about this mission.
Maybe even less than Lyle and the others.

But ...... you're right. I'm a master. I'm a master, so I'm going to act like one.
He gives a thumbs up, inspiring his friends.

'Don't worry, it may be a difficult mission, but I'm sure that Footprints will be able to complete the task!

'......'

...... Huh? That's strange.



From the way things were going, I was expecting a cheer or a shout, but all that came was silence.
The hunters behind him and Lyle both had indescribable expressions on their faces. Then Lyle opened his mouth as if he was afraid.

'Yeah ...... that ...... what? If it's possible,......, as the master of this clan and a level 8 hunter, can you give me some notes?'

'Notes on ......?

Another difficult thing to say.

It seems that eye contact is not working.

I'm not sure what to do. I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to do that.

Be careful of illusions. Don't split up. Thieves should be the first to find the traps. Try not to solo. I'm sure you don't want to be given such advice.

But other than that, I'd say .......
I frowned and groaned for a while, then looked up, sighed, and said.

'I don't know if it's going to come out, but if there's a slime looking thing, you'd better watch out.

Well, you can take all the precautions you want. I really wonder where the city slime is.

Lyle heard my words and looked at me as if I were a madman. He's rude.

'Slime! There's no such thing as slime in the White Wolf's Den, is there?

It's normal for phantoms to appear in the treasure house. Even if another demon enters from the outside, it is usually killed by a naturally occurring phantom, so there are not many chances to see a demon inside the treasure house.
If the name of the demon that appears is Slime, the weakest of the demons, you might want to react in that way.

'That's why I said I don't know if it will appear or not.

'...... No, I'm not doubting you, but...' I'd like to ask you one question, how did you come up with the word slime?'

I didn't answer, but smiled.
Behind me, the hunters who heard our conversation immediately started talking about how to deal with slime. Aren't you guys being too honest? .......

'Oh, it's probably not a normal slime if it appears, so be careful.

'What? Not a normal slime? What do you mean?

I don't know.
It's probably called a slime and has the same weaknesses as a slime, but Citri is a bit of a stickler. .......

As Lyle and the others began to get confused again, I smiled and got down on my knees in my mind.


§ § § §


It was a large, bright space that didn't seem to be underground.

Documents were placed on the desks in a messy manner. The bookshelves against the wall were lined with thick books, and the cool air was permeated with a pungent smell.
Numerous bottles of medicines were neatly arranged on the shelves, and on a large table were reports written in a strange script, different from the official language of the Empire.

In the center of the room, a strange device resembling a glass pipe wound in an inverted cone made a quiet driving sound. The tip of the glass is stuck into the ground and occasionally vibrates slightly. It was as if it was beating its heart.

A man in a dark green robe who was observing this from his desk nearby sighed deeply.
The man was old enough to be called an old man. He had a wrinkled appearance and hair that was more than half-white. However, his gestures showed that he was full of life.

His eyes, in particular, held a dark energy.
The robes wrapped around his body and the silver staff that stood beside him, as tall as the man himself, would have made even a treasure hunter mage realize that this was a piece of equipment that even a treasure hunter mage could not obtain.

You can hear the sound of footsteps hidden above the ceiling. The footsteps of hunters passing above.
Normally, these footsteps should be almost inaudible, but the surveillance spell that had been cast during the construction of the room told us that the treasure house above was in disarray.

'It's time to go, ......'.

The man muttered without much regret as he looked up at the ceiling.

He knew that this situation would come sooner or later.
The feat that the man had been trying to accomplish for several years was not something that could be hidden forever, and no matter how unpopular the White Wolf's Den was as a treasure house, there would never be a lack of hunters.

It's just that it's a little earlier.
Rodolphe's intrusion was the shallowness of a sponsor who was excited by the results of a study that was finally beginning to show signs of success. If they'd been given a little more time, he wouldn't have survived long enough to be rescued.

It's annoying to abandon the lab just when it's starting to take off, but it's not the only one with a lab. There are other places to spare.
Anger disturbs your thinking. You must always remain calm.

He remembers the report from the Imperial City, strokes his short beard, and sighs to himself.

'A thousand changes', or ......, is a troublesome man. How can hunters be such a hindrance?

For a man who once enjoyed a high reputation as a mage, treasure hunters were an object of contempt.

They were akin to thieves who risked their lives to infiltrate dangerous treasure halls and steal their products.
They were crude, barbaric, and unreliable, with no respect for knowledge or history, acting as if the mysterious power of the Mana Material was their own.

But now it's a little different.

The mage's lips twist into a smile as he grips his staff.
A laboratory built in the basement of the Treasure House. In the years that he has been immersed in research there, the mystical power has dramatically improved the mage's power.
And that power had greatly changed the mage's perception.

Mana Material. An unknown power that no one has yet been able to control.
It's a power so powerful that the hunters who benefit from it the most are understandably overwhelmed.

Just by being exposed to it for a few years, a man could gain power several times greater than what he had gained over the previous decades.
If that's the case, how much power does a Level 8, one of only a handful of such hunters, have?

I do not underestimate them. But I don't overestimate them either.

'...... I have no problem retreating from this place, but ...... hmm......'

So the mage looks up at the ceiling, where one of the passages of the White Wolf's Lair should be.
There are about 20 people who have come to the White Wolf's Lair to investigate, so far.
They're probably trying to figure out what raised the level of the Treasure House and what caused it to go up in the first place.

As there is no particular incident, it is unlikely that the number of personnel will increase significantly.

If the man leaves, the White Wolf's Den will return to its original state as time goes on.
That would be too--boring.

'Since we're retreating anyway, let's do one last experiment. ......'

You open your desk drawer and take out a single ampoule. Inside is a dark liquid, unlike any potion.

It was a forbidden substance that had been accidentally created by the first disciple under the man's care.

An experiment in the manipulation of mana materials.


A byproduct of years of research, it is a potion that causes mana materials to run amok.

Until now, it was too dangerous to use, but now that we are retreating, there is no hesitation.

With sluggish movements, I set the ampoule in the syringe specially made to pierce even the thick-furred phantoms that appear in the White Wolf's Lair. The needle glowed dully.

Bringing it to the surface, even if its creation had been accidental, would have given the apprentice a reputation that rivaled that of the man.
Of course, the manipulation of mana materials is forbidden in all countries, so this is a story for the underworld.

I'm sure you'll be very disappointed with your lack of success,.......'

The mage stood up with his staff, muttering the name of his first disciple.

The level of the phantoms in this treasure house has already risen.
If you strengthen them further, even if their level is a little higher, twenty hunters will not be a small number.