We headed down the spiral dug mine to the hole where the gargoyles were supposed to come out.
　A number of gargoyles descended and attacked us on the way there, but a swing of a knoll killed them instantly, and I tried hitting them with an Excalibur to test them out, and they shattered easily.
　Don't realize that the Excalibur is also over-enhanced and has become rather unfashionably strong....
　When I arrived at the lowest level of the mine, there was a huge horizontal hole that looked like it was 4 or 5 meters in length and width.
　We continued to hunt the gargoyles coming out of it for a few hours through various trials and errors, and now we've arrived at the present.

'We should have beaten them pretty well by now, but we haven't seen any colossus at all.

That's true, isn't it? That's right. The rare species of iron gargoyles are appearing here and there, but...

'Oh, there's another Iron Gargoyle. Ei.

　An iron gargoyle, a full-body silver monster, emerged from the hole.
　Immediately after, Esther waved her wand and a long, thin stream of water was released from the magic circle that appeared in the air, and the iron gargoyle that received a direct hit shattered into pieces and turned into particles of light.
　And again, we wait for our next prey to arrive, looking at the hole that is now large enough for only a single gargoyle to come out.

　At the beginning of the hunt, Dius and the others were dealing with the gargoyles as usual, but when the hole was about 4 meters in length and width, they were coming out from all over the place.
　The gargoyles came out of the hole in a flying state and flew around in the air for a while, which really irritated me.
　Just as we were thinking about what to do, a revelation came down to Heihachi.

　First of all, I had the hole where the gargoyles came out to be blocked with Estelle's earth magic to build a wall.
　I asked them to make a hole in that wall large enough for only one gargoyle to pass through, and then wait in front of it, and if a normal gargoyle comes out, I and Nol will smash it with me, and if it's an iron gargoyle, I'll smash it with Estelle's magic.
　This method of hunting was the most efficient.
　I was worried that the earthen walls would break, but the walls with the Estelle mark didn't seem to be fazed by an attack of an Iron Gargoyle.

'This is the first time I've hunted like this since I've been an adventurer.......

I rather don't think anyone has ever hunted like this before...

　Seeing us like that, Dius and Miggle-chan sat there with eyes that seemed to say.......

''I've heard that you guys hunt a lot, but I didn't think you'd go this far.

'It's been going on for quite a while now, Esther, are you okay?　Aren't you tired?

Yeah, I'm totally fine with this. It's not even a third of the time it usually takes.

"When you hunt with Okura-dono, it's natural to do it from morning till night, isn't it?

Morning to night...?

　Miggle-chan looked at me with a puzzled expression. Her face is slightly drawn out.
　Even from B-rank, it seems that hunting from morning to night is abnormal.

'Okura, I don't know why you're hunting like that, but I don't think it's a good idea to hunt for long periods of time, do you?

'Yes, sir!　I wish you would say more about it!

'Geez ... come on, you've been remorseful and reserved lately!

　Dius said, and Noll did more!　He raises one hand and moves it back and forth as if to say, "I'm sorry.
　I'm sure it's a lot more relaxed than before........

''Even so, at first I thought you were talking about bloodless things, but you guys seem to be fine with going into that one.

'Not really. Right now it's one-sided because we're waiting to come out and hunt, but that won't be the case once we get inside. As I said, the Iron Gargoyle doesn't have that much of an attack on me or the Knoll.

''Even a normal gargoyle is crazy when you're beating and crushing it...''

　The gargoyles were easy to take down, so I thought I could get inside at this rate, but the rare species was still strong in its own right.

------
Iron Gargoyle Race:Gargoyle
　Level: 55
　HP: 6500
　MP:0
　Attack Power:1400
　Defensive Power:6200
　Agility: 130
　Magic Resistance:0
　Intrinsic Ability: None
　Skills The Claw that Slashes
------

　If it's this hard, even Noll's attacks are almost impossible to get through, so I'm using Estelle's magic to deal with it.
　The reason why I made the hole large enough for only one gargoyle to pass through is because I wanted to make sure my magic hits this guy.
　It's a good thing that they are flying in the sky and attacking at a decent speed, so it was a bit of a struggle at the beginning.
　It's hard now because if you go into this side-hole, you'll have to fight fair and square.
　I considered going inside for a little while, because if Sisha was here, she could treat me if something happened....
　That guy doesn't get to work as a priestess very often, but it's a different feeling of security when he's not there.
　With that in mind, I continued to hunt until the sky turned the color of dusk.

''Hmm, I'm here so late, it's getting close to nightfall.''

Yes, sir. I'm afraid this is the end of the story, sir.

　It was around noon when we arrived, so we haven't even done half a day's worth of hunting yet.
　And yet, Nol intends to be done with it. There's no way he can keep this up.

'What are you talking about?　We're going to camp close by today for the night, and tomorrow we're going to start hunting again first thing in the morning.

Well, you're still planning to do it, aren't you?

Haha, I've been here for two days and I'm not going to end up hunting for a few hours. We'll have to wait for you to come out.

'It looks like your brother's weird motivation has been ignited...'

　After spending so many days to get here, it wouldn't be the end of the world after a few hours of hunting.
　This time, I definitely want to hand over the colotium to Dius.
　Even though it's a small amount at a time, the magic stones they sent me are quite a lot.
　I definitely want to return this favor!
　

'Okura........Are you sure?　For my part, I'm grateful, but I'm sorry I have to spend that much time with you guys.

Don't worry about it. It's a shame that you've come so far and given up. We'll hunt until we come out, we'll make sure it comes out, I'll give you as many days as you want.

I don't know what you're talking about again...

'It's not the first time your brother has said weird things.

You know, I don't think we should do this for days at a time...

'So this is the kind of person Okura-san is...'

　I was determined to hunt until I got out, but that opinion was dismissed and I decided to just hunt tomorrow and go home.
　We traveled to a place a short distance away from the Stogar mine and set up our tents there.

''Since I wasn't able to play much of a role in the battle, I'll be happy to help you with dinner for the night!

Oh, well, then we'll make a nice dinner together!

Oh, I see...

No!　You've been working hard on your magic, Estelle, so rest up!

It's okay. That was not my fault.

　It seems that Noll and her friends make the evening meal, and it's just the girls.
　Noll seems to enjoy doing it, often by herself, but she also seems to enjoy doing it with everyone else.
　I looked away from the scene and sat down next to Dius and called out to him.

'Dius, don't you know how often the Colossus comes out?'

Hmm, I don't know. I've never seen it in person either. From what I've heard, it's a rare occurrence for the army to come out here to extract iron.

Wow, how long has that been a hunt?

'I don't know that much about it, but I think they're going to do it for at least ten days or more. It sounds like a pretty large group of people will be doing it, so I don't think it will be more than a few days.

　It's not likely to be something you'll encounter after a day or two of trying.

Even if you try hard tomorrow, it's doubtful you'll come out?

'Yes, that's true. But the speed at which Okura and the others hunt is extraordinary, so there should be a good chance of them coming out. I don't think even an army can kill them instantly as soon as they come out.

　I'm sure it's slow compared to going directly inside, but we should be hunting reasonably fast in our current state.
　I don't think the army is slow because there are so many of them, but we're probably faster than them because they're killing them in the blink of an eye from waiting to get out.

''What about the strength of the Colossus itself?''

I haven't actually fought, so I don't know that much about it either. I think the association's standards recommend a B grade. I'm told that he's not as fast as he looks.

'He looks pretty strong there, but it's going to be more trouble waiting for him to come out of there than defeating him.

''I knew it, but when I heard it was recommended for a B grade, that reaction was strange...''

　Dius is making a dumbfounded sound, but it can't be helped because it seems to be harder to encounter them than to actually defeat them.
　As we were talking about this, Miggle-chan came trotting over to me.

''Dius, give me that thing!

Oh, uh... here.

Thanks.

　Dius took a vial of red powder out of his bag and tossed it lightly to Miggle-chan.
　She took it and returned to the Nolls who were cooking, showing them the bottle and explaining something to them.
　By the looks of it, it's a spice?　But still........it's amazing how much you can tell what you want from that. Is that what you call "telepathy"?

How long have Dius and Mr. Miggle known each other?

''Eh ... well, we're childhood friends, in case you're wondering. We've known each other since before we became adventurers.

Yeah, that's why you always seem to get along so well.

'It doesn't sound so bad but do I look so bad?　We have a lot of fights like we had before we left.

　Dius scowls, but I guess that's the kind of thing that means they're close enough to fight.
　Then we chat as we listen to his old stories and such, and finish the night's dinner that's been made, and spend the night taking turns sleeping in preparation for tomorrow.

●

　The next day.

"Hey, it's evening and she hasn't come out yet!

Mmmm, if we don't make it this far, then the Colossus is a rare species among rare species, isn't it?

'It's easy to hunt, but it's hard not knowing when you're going to come out.

　He came to the hole we had blocked up again first thing in the morning, and just kept on knocking down the gargoyles that were coming out.
　And I've been hunting non-stop until the sun goes down, but the colossus still hasn't shown up.
　I can do my best because the magic stones are definitely accumulating one by one, but it's hard to wait for a demon that doesn't know when it's going to spring up.

''Look Dius. I got all this iron ore.''

Ha, really. How do I get it home?

　Dius and the others are laughing at the pile of iron ore, the size of a soccer ball, that the defeated metal gargoyle has dropped.
　Together with yesterday's, there must be roughly forty of them.

　More importantly, the sun is about to go down, so I'd better get home.
　But I haven't gotten the colotium yet....

"What do you think, Dius?　Shall we try again tomorrow?

Well no, I'm sorry, but I think we should give up this time and go home.

　He could have done it for another day if Dius wanted, but he shook his head, his face down in an apologetic manner.
　If he said so, there's no way around it. We'll just have to leave quietly this time.
　We'll hunt later by ourselves, and if we get the colotium then, I'll give it to Dius.

　That's when I was about to call out to Esther to undo the side-hole we'd blocked up before leaving.
　I thought I heard a dull sound coming from the other side of the earthen wall.

''........Hmm?　Hey, do you hear that?

Oh, yeah?　I don't hear anything, but...

It's a bit of a quitter, isn't it? I'm going to listen to the auditory hallucinations....

Oh, brother. There's something in the hole.

'Oh!　Oh, that's....

　When Estelle looked at where she was pointing, she saw a flashy orange object through a hole for a gargoyle.
　It was quite large just within the visible range, and it was struggling to get its hand out of the hole to get out.
　That's the Colossus.............................status check.

------
Species:Colossus
　Level: 70
　HP: 26,000
　MP:0
　Attack Power:2600
　Defense:8000
　Agility: 180
　Magic Resistance:0
　Intrinsic Ability Hyper Armor
　Skills Shrinkage
------

　As soon as I saw the status, the colossus withdrew its hand and disappeared from view.
　Did he give up and go back inside?　In terms of status, it's just that its defense is unusually high, and there's nothing else outstanding about it.
　Still, this offensive power is a threat to Estelle, so let's defend it well.
　Dius and Miggle-chan would normally rely on Gauss-san to defend them, so I'll have to take their place.
　I'm not going to be able to get rid of it.
　What's the contraction of this skill........

　The moment I noticed the skill, the wall that was blocking the side hole shattered with a roar.
　Then, a cloud of dirt smoke rose, and a huge statue of a human shape that looked like it was 3 meters tall walked out from within it.
　Shrinkage is a skill that allows you to move forward at once. This guy used it to tackle the wall!
　That's why you went back inside!

　Quickly holding the pot lid and Excalibur at the ready, I stepped in front of Esther.
　Dius and the others also picked up their own weapons, and needless to say, they stepped back behind me.
　The Colossus reacted to the movement and turned toward me, and as I thought, suddenly emitted light from his body--.

''Wha--Bu-hoh?

　The next thing I know, Colossus is in front of me, and at the same time, he kicks me in front of him with his stone-pillar-busting legs.
　But after seeing that, I just barely catch the attack with the lid of the pot.
　

''Noor!''

You are in charge.

　I let Nol attack first, trying to get her to slow down her movements in her usual pattern, but she let out a strange voice and shook her hand holding her sword.

''Shh, I'm numb........''

Oh, God!

　All you had to do was slow it down and you slashed it with all your might!
　While Noor's hands were numb and moping around, Colossus turned toward her as she changed her target to attack me.
　Then I saw her body light up again, and as I moved to make her stop immediately - an arrow flew into Colossus' head.
　I hear the sound of something hitting me, though I can't see it in the chase, and the body's luminescence subsides.

''Esther-chan, it's now!

I know!　Eh!

　I heard Esther's voice replying to Miggle's voice, and the Colossus' feet sank into the dirt.
　Hurriedly, me and Noll jumped back from the spot, and a fireball immediately flew off, causing a light explosion when it hit the colossus.
　The statue of the giant was still alive and well, but as two or three fireballs hit it in quick succession, it finally cracked and shattered all over its body.
　When his entire body cracked into pieces and turned into light particles and disappeared, a huge orange-colored ore fell in its place.

''d*mn it, what are you doing to a hard opponent?''

They don't look that hard, and I'm so happy that it finally came out that I had to put my energy into it.

'I admit, I might have been a little distracted by happiness the moment I came out.

　I can see a little bit that it doesn't look that hard compared to the metallic colored Iron Gargoyle.
　
　I was careless and my response was delayed, and I also owe it to myself for not properly communicating the status when I saw it.

I'm sure you'll be glad you did. Thank you, Miguel-san.

'No, we were of little help...'

It was just a little distraction, but I'm glad Mr. Knoll is okay.

Ugh, I don't see the point...

　The arrow was Miggle's attack, and what you couldn't see was Dius' sonic blade.
　I wouldn't have been able to attack in time, so it helped that the two of them attacked and interrupted my skills.
　I think Nol would only be fine if I took a direct hit from the Colossus' attack, but I don't want him to get hurt too much.

　Now, I've got the colotium I'm looking for. Let's take a closer look at it.
　It's a rugged orange-colored rock with an indescribably luxurious feel to it, with the whole thing shining.
　It's about the size of a balance ball. It's too big to be an ore.

So this is colotium....

I've never seen anything in ore before.

"Hohoho, this is what you'll use to make a pot, isn't it? Next time you find one, you'll use it to make cooking utensils!

'I don't think you should make cooking utensils out of rare ores...'

　Totally. Well, we're stuck with gacha-produced equipment, so I doubt we'll be making or enhancing equipment with it.
　I'm curious to see if we can mix it up in the synthesizer though.

''How should we take this home?　I'm holding a stone--

Yeah, right. Let's just take it to the nearest village.

Uh... yes.

　Miggle-chan was about to say something, but she shut up when I held the colotium in my arms.
　The power bracelet has Esther's supportive magic, so I can lift it up to this level.
　I'd really like to put it in my magic bag, but I don't want people to know too much about it, so I'll just be quiet here and hold it in my hand.

''No, it was just barely enough, but I'm glad I got it.

Yeah. What shall we do with our share?　Honestly, we weren't much help, so Okura and the others can decide what they want.

Hmm?　Dius will take it all.

What ... well, you're going to give me a whole one of those?

'Yeah, that's what I'm here for, you know. Oh, I'm not going to take money or anything, so don't worry about it.

　Huh?　You didn't come here with that kind of promise in the first place...........oh, maybe I just meant it and didn't say it out loud.

''Well, that's a bit of a quandary... if I sold this thing, it would be at least five million g's worth of crap, right?

All this for 5 million.... well, it's a small price to pay for that much cooperation.

　When I hear that, I feel a little regretful, but the gratitude of helping me gather magic stones is irreplaceable.
　But contrary to my feelings, Dius, who heard the reply, looks pale as he looks at Miggle-chan.

'Miggle I wonder what the hell we're helping with. I'm starting to get a little scared...

Wow, I'm gonna...

'What?　There's nothing dangerous about it.　I just promised to help you get the materials you want first, and once Dius and the others are better equipped, we'll be able to hunt rare species.......well, don't look at me like that!

I know you've been over-serviced.

That's true. It's too suspicious to be taken this far.

　Why, why do you have to react like that?　There's an undercurrent of doing this for the sake of the mess, but there's not a trace of guilt in it!
　Then, in the time between that and returning to the village, I made up all sorts of desperate arguments to get rid of Dius and the others' anxiety.
　Hmmm, if the conditions are too good, it will make them anxious on the contrary.......