Okay, let's go!

With the security of the camp that was attacked soon after our arrival stabilized, we finally decided to enter the mine.

As originally planned, a team of A-ranked adventurers have taken down the demons in the mine ahead of us to ensure their safety. We will enter the cave connected from the back of the mine and establish a second camp in a relatively large cavity near the ruins. The camp establishment team should conserve their magic and strength without participating in the battle.

　Since it's even more dangerous than outside from here, Lisou-san will be instructing everyone from the guild's staff as the leader.

''Got it!''

　As we entered the mine, we saw several adventurers at the entrance of the branch road we could see along the way.
I'm sure you'll be able to see that the best way to do that is to have a good time with your friends.
To be honest, it's an irritating position to be escorted.

But even so, they are surprisingly bright.

　The walls in the mine are lit with light magic and lanterns in places, so it's dimly lit, but it's no hindrance to progress.
　There are more lights provided, maybe, but maybe it's to eliminate places for demons to hide.

　The occasional sound of sword fights and magic bursts can be heard as the adventurers ahead of you are battling the demons in the mine.

　Perhaps because the adventurers who preceded us had secured the path, we proceeded deeper into the mine without encountering any demons.

　And after advancing for a while, the appearance of the mine changed.
　We're not going to be able to get out of the cave, but we're going to be able to get into the cave.

It's time to get inside the cave. There are many branching paths in the cave, and past research has not revealed their full extent. Be careful not to get separated from them.

""Got it!"

　We all get a heads up from Lisow, and we all brace ourselves.
　This is where it gets real!

　You're not going to be able to do that.

　When we enter the cave, the lights that the adventurers who preceded us have prepared for us are gone, and we attach light magic to the weapons and shields we were equipped with.

　The reason why we don't use torches is to prevent us from running out of air when we encounter a sudden fall and to prevent our hands from being blocked by the torches.
　You never know what kind of dangerous demons you'll find from here on out.
　No one can afford to have anything to interfere with the battle.

The air is very cold. Maybe there is a vein of water nearby.

　One of the thieves ahead of me says something like that.

'Do you understand?'

'Yeah, it feels chillier than in the mine. 'Yeah, it feels chillier than in the mine, that's a sign that there's something nearby that emits cold air. I had a similar experience once when I was exploring a large cave, and I came across a large vein of water. Be careful not to fall into an underground water vein by mistake. If you fall into a fast-flowing vein of water, it's too cold, too dark and too narrow to be of much help.

　It's no wonder you're an experienced adventurer. You can tell that much just from the temperature in the cave.
　Experience is the best weapon in the world.

All right, more lights, be aware of your surroundings. Watch out for holes and cliffs.

""Oh!"

　The wizards chanted the magic of floating lights and illuminated the surroundings.
Then, as I went on for a while, being on guard, a cold wind caressed my cheek.

'Look, there's a cliff over here. It's deep because the magic light can't reach it. If you listen carefully, you can hear a gurgling sound. There's probably an underground water vein running down here.

　Just like the bandit said, it seems that there really was an underground water vein running through the bottom of the cave.

''Don't get too close to it, it's in danger of collapsing and falling down.

Okay.

　We thinned our ranks a bit and then resumed our movement.

''And yet, there are no demons.

'Well, considering the amount of demons that have attacked the camp, they don't come out as unnaturally.

'Aren't the demons that attacked the camp the majority of the demons in the cave?

　And the other adventurers expressed their optimism.

''We can't deny that possibility. But as long as there was a dangerous demon like Hellebasilisk inside the mine, there's no doubt that there are similarly dangerous demons at the back of the cave as well. Don't let up until we complete the second camp.

I know.

　While talking lightly, everyone is looking around carelessly, and I'm also using my exploration magic to look for the demon's reaction.
You can feel the reaction of the demons in the cave, but fortunately the reaction is lower than our position.
This cave probably extends downward as well as sideways.
This way we won't have to worry about being attacked right away.

　Then the cave gradually widened and eventually we reached an open space.

This is the place we've been reading about," he said. Okay, let's set up camp around here.

　Under Lisou-san's command, the wizards begin to erect the wall with magic.

''Focus on strength rather than habitability!　The walls must be as thick as possible!

""Got it!"

　The building of a wall to protect the camp begins, and one by one, the surrounding area begins to be covered by the wall.

'For now, once the wall is complete, we'll be safe.

Yeah, I know.

　At the sight of the wall being completed in the blink of an eye, the senior adventurers let out a sigh of relief.

''Hey, hey, we're not finished yet, so don't let up, okay?　It's times like these that are the most dangerous.

　''I'm sorry,'' said Roddy, an S-ranked senior, tightening the relaxed air.

''Su, sorry.''

　As expected of an S-ranked adventurer's words seem to be persuasive, and the senior adventurers hurriedly correct their posture.
　And as if to say that Roddy-san's warning was correct, the exploration magic comes to tell them of the existence of the demon.

''It's the demon's reaction!　They're coming up from underground in the direction we came from!

Underground?

They must have come up the cliffs we just passed!　There are quite a few of them!

　Sheesh, since the space is connected, I should have considered the possibility of them coming through there.

'All hands prepare for battle!　Construction crews, make the wall a priority!　Everyone, make sure you can't get through the gimmick that hasn't been walled off!

""Oh!"

　After receiving instructions, the adventurers began to form up in formation.
　Although it wasn't as rigorously trained as the knights, they were instructed on formation and tactics beforehand, so they all completed their battle preparations in the blink of an eye.

''Yes boy, since this is a good opportunity, why don't we play a game to see who can defeat more demons?''

　Roddy comes up beside me and suggests something like that.

'Again?'

　This guy's not blinkered.

"We're in a fight. Why not have fun?　Yeah, let's invite the rest of the team to join us. Hey guys!　Why don't we play a game to see who can take down the demons the best?　Participation is open to both teams and individuals. Ten gold coins a mouthful is all we need!

　10 gold coins is a mighty game.

Teams have the advantage in terms of the number of kills, but the prize money is split, while individuals have the hardest time, but they get to keep the reward to themselves.

Okay, I'm going in as a private party.

We're going in as a team.

　I thought people would say I was being inappropriate, but surprisingly, there were many participants.
　Perhaps this leeway is what makes everyone an A-ranked adventurer.

''Now, boy, what do you do?

　Hmmm, what do I do?

'Mr. Lex, we'll take it as a team!

　And Liliera-san is ready to do it.
　That's right, the demons are going to attack us anyway, so it doesn't change the fact that we have to defeat them.
　If that's the case, there's no reason not to take it.
　It's all about making money if we win.

I understand. I'll take it.

Okay, the stakes are in.

""Oh!"

　The adventurers let out a high tension yell.
　Surprisingly, Roddy-san's gamble seems to have resulted in a boost to everyone's morale.

''You're a totally unavoidable guy.

　The one who blurted out, was Lisou of the Twin Great Fang.

''Hey, Seiran's!　Don't get too excited!

I know, I know. Let's get some momentum going before the show!

　As Lisou-san let out a sigh at Roddy-san's lighthearted comment, the sound of approaching demons can be heard from the darkness.

''They're coming!''

　Roddy-san and Riso-san immediately switch their consciousness and hold their weapons.
　And the demons appeared from the darkness.

　◆

''What is this?''

　It was a horde of white demons that seemed to fill the floor of the cave.

'Wow, that's a lot of them.'

　The demons look like lizards that walk on two legs and are small, about 30cm in size.
　However, this tremendous number of them gives you a sense of instinctive danger just by looking at them.

''Watch out!　The antraptor!　As the name implies, they are demons that attack in swarms like ants!

　The bandit from earlier announces the name of the demon and calls everyone's attention to it.
　So this is the Untraptor. This is the first time I've seen one in the flesh.

"Shit, I heard there was an S-rank in this thing, so I thought I'd be able to handle the bad guys, and now I'm in mortal danger!

We're explorers, so I don't know about combat... is it a good thing I didn't want to do this?

It's too late!

The adventurers who were nearby are blabbering about it.
It seems that this search request was recruited with the expectation of specializing in skills other than combat.
It's a good thing that you're able to get a good idea of what you're looking for.

''They're coming!

　As everyone came to their senses at the sound of Risou-san's voice, the demon called the Antraptor attacked us like an avalanche.

"Fireball!

Windcutter!

Freeze ball!

　Immediately, the wizards began to intercept them with ranged attack magic.
There are so many anthropomorphic anthropomorphs that you don't even have to aim at them to hit any of them.
　However, antraptor reinforcements appeared one after another from the darkness, and rather than diminishing, they only increased.

''You lizard bastard!

　Everyone raises their weapons and attacks the approaching antraptor.

While those who are confident in their speed and those who carry well-handled weapons such as daggers are doing well, those who use large swords and axes as weapons are unable to finish off the antraptor because of its small size and swiftness.
　And before they could defeat the injured individuals, the new ones attacked and swarmed their bodies one after another.

''Guh!

''d*mn it, get away!''

Ouch!　Don't bite me!

　No, we have to cover you!
　I rush to cut through the swarm of anthropomorphic creatures and rescue the one who was being attacked.

'I'm sorry,'

Recovering, Heal!

　Fortunately, thanks to her small size, the damage itself was small, and the healing process was quick.

　But this is not good, I want to do something about this number all at once, but if it gets to this point in the melee, poor range magic will hurt your allies.
　It's a good idea to use some sleep magic to put both sides to sleep.

　That was when I thought.

''Rock Thorn!''

　The stone spikes that grew from the ground pierced the legs of the anthrapters who were running around the area.
　The anthropomorphic anthropomorphs fall to the ground, screaming in pain.
　One by one, stone spikes sprouted on the ground, damaging the anthropes' feet.

''Be careful not to step on the stone spikes!

It was the magic of Team Cyclone's wizard, Chain-san, led by Roddy-san.

''Everyone calm down!

　While the antraptors were slowed down by the stone spikes, Roddy-san called out.

''The Antraptors are not someone to be feared if you take them one by one!　Wizards use magic that impedes their opponent's movement rather than offensive magic!　If you do!

　Saying that, Roddy-san tore through the antraptor who had injured his leg with a stone spike.

''This way it will be easier to put a stop to it, and if the guys in front can't move, the guys behind them won't be able to come forward with their allies in the way!　The vanguard should give priority to the enemy who is slowed down by the foot blockage!

Okay, I get it!　Earthbind!

Then that's it, Plant Rock!

Don't stick out!　Fight amongst yourselves and have each other's backs!

　The adventurers who decided that they would be impoverished if they continued to fight individually immediately followed Roddy's command and changed the way they fought.
　Thanks to this, the number of enemies has started to decrease little by little.

''That's great, Roddy-san!

　It's a smooth way to command, as if you've been leading this group for years.
　In my past life, I was more of a solitary person, so I'm not very good at fighting with a large group of people.
　A bad attack will get you caught up in the middle.

It's a good thing that you're a Roddy of Harurama. Don't you think he's used to leading people?

And Lisou-san comes over to me.

'Yes,'

　He's still fighting with dexterity, giving everyone instructions.
　Really, he seems to be used to leading people.

Rumor has it that he was a knight in shining armor for a certain country. Some say he was a general.

"What?　Mr. Roddy, you're a knight?

　I didn't know Mr. Roddy was a knight!

Haha, it's just a rumor. But he's surprisingly good at falling in line with the crowd. And before you know it, you find yourself in the middle of a group of people who have taken a liking to you. And he's especially good at making decisions when it comes to melee. He is able to give appropriate instructions to his allies while also not being afraid to step forward. That's why even those who aren't in a party trust Roddy and follow his instructions. That's a real storm that can stir up a storm on the battlefield.

　Indeed, it seems like that's the fact that he had the ability to cure a half-panicked situation in an instant.

''I see, that's why Roddy-san's two names are Hararashi!

Yes, he's usually in the center of the crowd like the sun, but when it comes to battle, he's like this. It's just that he's a bit of a do-gooder, though.


　Haha, do you mean the bet you just made?

It's said that he's a better individual than the S-ranked crooks, but that's not the whole of his power. His true strength is when he fights with his friends.

　Even now, Roddy is covering his allies by defeating an antraptor who was trying to attack his friends from his blind spot.
　He doesn't insist on fighting himself forward, but rather dexterously changes his position to suit the situation and change the status of the battle.
　That's what Rody-san is trying to say, isn't it, Riso-san?

''Well, it's rumored that he was kicked out of the country by a colleague who was jealous of that guy's success because of his competence.

　Wow, that kind of thing hasn't changed in hundreds of years, has it?
　I've seen enough stories in my past life to say I hate it.

'Spare me the potions!　If you run out of power, take the mana potion and restore it now!　The antraptors are outnumbered!

　In the meantime, Roddy-san intercepted a group of anthropomorphs while commanding his allies.

'The walls of the camp will be completed!　Hurry up and get inside!

　We hear voices behind us telling us that the wall is complete, and we hurry to flee into the camp.
　We'll be attacked from behind, but no one cares about a few wounds.

If you're injured, you can treat it later, and if you're an A-ranked adventurer, you'll have bought the right kind of armor.
Professionals spend a lot of money on equipment, which helps them survive longer.
We should prepare better equipment too.

　Then, as the last one escaped, the installation unit's wizards chanted a stone wall spell to close the gap that was left for a small amount of time.

　All that's left to do is take care of the few anthropomorphic creatures that entered before the entrance closed, and we finally take a breath.

''For now, this wall will keep them from getting in, right?

　Everyone let out a sigh of relief at Roddy's declaration.

　As expected of Roddy-san.
The name of an S-ranked adventurer is not justified.
Ramise-san who is a master of magic, Foca-san who is a recovering magician, and Roddy-san who has the ability to command?
Then, what specialties does Lisou-san have?

　However, the reality was not so sweet.

　The reality was that it was not so easy.

This is not good.

　I escaped inside the barrier wall with my companions in tow, and I quickly climbed on top of the wall to see what was going on outside.
　Fortunately, the wall of the second camp was thicker than the first camp's wall which was destroyed by the demons in front of the mine.
Thanks to that, the top of the wall of the second camp had enough space to be used as a simple rampart and viewing platform.
　But now, that convenience is giving me a hopeless sight to behold.

　With the completion of the defensive wall, I escaped danger for once.
　And after that, if the Antraptors give up, or if they don't give up and continue to spend time attacking from the top of the defensive wall, they will eventually win.
　That's what I was thinking...

I didn't expect them to try to get in there by this means...

　Realizing that no matter how much they jumped, they couldn't get over the wall, the Antraptors, to their surprise, used the bodies of their friends as stepping stones to come at the wall.

''No good, it's as if you've gone into the cage yourself!

　What do we do?　What do you want me to tell them when they think they've made it out of the woods?
We're better than them one-on-one.
　They're good enough to beat us in a normal fight.

But this number is impossible.
　This isn't a problem that can be solved with tactics and inspiration anymore.
As the name suggests, it's a sight to behold, a swarm of insects.
　The ants, though, are far different in size and danger.　

　Even now the antraptors are growing in numbers and coming up the wall more and more.
　If they don't have a few more minutes at this rate, will they be able to break through the barrier?
　It's unfortunate that with the destruction of the first camp, we've raised the wall not only in thickness, but also in height.

'Roddy, how's it going out there?

　A chain of wizards asks me as I sip my mana potion disgustingly.
　The swordsman Marcha is in the middle of being treated by the priest Almo?

''Yeah, that's not good.''

　It's easy to find out if you're lying to the chain of trusted friends.
　This is the most sensitive to such subtleties.
　Well, even if I guess, I don't often say it out loud.

Yeah.....

　He could tell from my tone that things weren't looking good. Chain's face turns grim.

'Call Lissou and Rameez and Foca, and ... and ... the boy. I need you to hurry.

Okay.

　Chain hurriedly, but unnoticed by his surroundings, ran to call for Lissou and the others.
　And soon, Lissou and his friends arrived. But Foca was nowhere to be found.

"Where's Foca?

He treats the wounded. That's what he does, you know.

　Then Lissou comes climbing up the wall.

'Right, this sucks,'

　I guess he'd expected it from the moment the chain called him, and Lisou was surprisingly calm in his reaction.

''As expected, this number is hard even for my magic. Well, if it comes down to it, I'll use my flying magic to escape.''

　I can't help but laugh at Rameez, who proudly states that he is the only one who will escape.
　That's why this shameless man is getting a sense of danger.
　.........You're not really going to run away, are you?

Wow, that's a lot.

　The boy still didn't understand the situation, or he was simply surprised by the number of demons.
　No, I don't need to go to the trouble of teaching him the desperate reality.

''Now, is there any good way to turn this situation upside down, gentlemen?''

Well, why don't you ask the wizard to put a lid on this wall?

　It's a ridiculously simple opinion, but it might be a relatively simple one.

'No, you'll die of oxygen deprivation if you do that. It's impossible to make a ceiling that can cover this size in the first place. We might be able to use magic to create a stone wall and then cut it out, but we don't have the strength and time to do it.

　I thought it was a surprisingly good idea, but Ramies immediately pointed out a technical problem.

''Well do you have any good ideas for the boy?''

　The boy has defeated dangerous S-ranked demons in the past.
Perhaps a good idea might come to mind.
　However, even a boy as expected would not be able to deal with a crushing attack by overwhelming numbers.

''Well, since they are reptiles, how about hibernating them with cold air magic?

Hibernation?　What exactly?

　To a surprising measure I ask for details.

'Yes, reptiles hibernate in the winter. And with the exception of a few, reptilian demons hibernate as well. So, if all the wizards who can use cold-air magic were to release their magic from the top of the wall at once, their body temperature would drop suddenly and the anthrapters would hibernate as well. Fortunately, the wall separates us from the antraptors, so we don't have to worry about our allies being damaged by the cold air.

　Hmm, hopefully we can disable the enemy without defeating them.
　If there's no other way, I'll give it a shot.　

Okay, let's give it a try. Okay, let's give it a try.

　Time is running out, I instantly called out to my friends in the wall.

　◆

Oh, my God!　What the f*ck?

How many of them are out there?

Don't lean back so far!　I can't help you if you fall in!

　When Mr. Roddy explained the situation, everyone screamed as they ran into the wall.
　Some criticized Roddy for telling them to run to the wall, but as soon as they saw this scene, they stopped talking.
　But as soon as they saw the scene, everyone shut up and realized that Roddy had made the right decision and that he was still alive because he had run into the wall.

'Look, do everything in your power to chill the Antraptor!　If we succeed in putting them into hibernation, we'll win without a fight!

I'll have to...

There's no way out.

　To Roddy's words, the wizards also prepare themselves.
　Even those who can't use magic have their weapons ready for the moment of need.

You can't think about the rest!　Just do everything you can to bring the temperature down!

""Oh, the ministry!"

　Now that it's over, everyone's fired up.

Okay.　Do it!

　At Roddy's command, everyone unleashes the largest ice magic they can use at full throttle.

''Frost Storm!''

Blizzard Wall!

　Among them, Chain's and Rameez's magic was different from the others.
　Both of them are using ice storm type magic to cool their surroundings all at once, but just by making the camp the center of the storm, they are making sure that they don't cause any damage to their allies.
　Under the influence of their magic, the temperature of the surrounding area drops all at once, and the adventurers protected by the walls start shivering from the cold and rush to the campfire prepared in the center.

''Oh, geez, make the fire magic stronger!

No, no, no, no, we can't use the least amount of fire to put the Antraptor into hibernation!

You need to fill it up even more, Nana!

Chill out!　The enemy is out there, even in the depths where the light can't reach!　Just chill out!

　The people waiting inside to hear Roddy's instructions scream.

　Alright, I've got to go for it too!
With my allies protected by the wall, I'm ready to fight as hard as I can!

Prison Cocytos!

"Whoa, it's cold!

　With the activation of my magic, the temperature around me gets even colder, causing the wizards to shrink back.

It's also a good idea to have a good time with them.　So, yeah, that's lost magic too?

　Something Ramise says, but the priority now is to lower the temperature.

An ice fog of absolute zero, also known as the ice of the underworld, is created around the camp and begins to chill the antraptors throughout the entire area, regardless of the difference in elevation.

The anthropogenic anthropophores, whose bodies have been frozen by the ice fog, cling to the anthropophores next to them, blocking their movements even more.
The anthropomorphic anthropomorphs, which were so numerous that they impeded their movements, were trapped one by one in cages made of the bodies of their own companions.

　Alright, at this rate, I can lower the temperature enough to hibernate all the anthropomorphic creatures hiding in the back!

'Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's about it, nee nee nee nee!

　And as I was chilling with enthusiasm, I was stopped by Roddy-san for some reason.

"Huh?　But we need to cool it down more or we won't be able to hibernate all the anthropophores.

'Momo Momo Momo Momo Momo Momo Momo Momo Momo Momo Momo Momo Momo Momo Momo Momo Momo Momo Momo Momo Momo Momo Momo Momo Momo!'

　The first thing that comes to mind is the fact that there is a lot of work to do.

"Momo and Momo are already all over the place!

"Eh?

　If you looked, you could see that all the antraptors outside had frozen over and the ice was packed to the crevices, making it look like a glacier all over.
　And the glacier had gone all the way to the back of the cave, making it impossible to see.

'Huh?　Is it already frozen?　I guess I wasn't as cold as I expected.

'That's not the point!　It's too cold in here!　This is going to freeze even the salamanders!

　''I'm sorry,'' exclaimed Liliella, who was protecting her body with body-enhancing magic, shrinking back.

''Eh?　But the frosted dragons didn't hibernate until they were a bit cooler, you know?

" " " " I'm pretty sure it wasn't hibernation, it was just freezing to death!　I mean, how can you freeze a frosted dragon to death?

　For some reason, I got poked by everyone.
　It's oops, my master said that reptiles usually stop moving once they cool down, so it's okay to not worry about their attributes or anything else.