Pichon, the silence was so silent that you could hear the sound of falling water drops.
It was pitch black in the cave, and the torch in his hand was the only source of light.

'Renge, Sorte, there's a hollow,'
Yes, sir.

We continue to go deeper and deeper without losing the tension.
The demons in the cave are very different in strength from the outside.
They must be able to respond to a surprise attack by splitting up the front, back and sides of the cave so that they don't make a sound and don't miss any sign of the demons.

''From the front, there are a dozen Falconbats.
I'll go.

A bird and bat-like demon appeared from the front, flying through the cave at great speed.
This demon had the characteristic of acting in groups and using its sharp bill to pierce its opponents before returning to prey on them.
They can fly through small, dark caves and are considered dangerous because of their speed.

There are five or six B-ranked monsters that can be defeated safely.
You'll need someone with a shield, or a trapper, or someone who is skilled at sensing their presence.
But, well, if Renge is going to fight........

Ho. Yo. Hey. Uryaa... Hey!

He unleashes a fist to strike right next to his beak, knocking down the Falcombat that's coming towards him with every shot of power, as if he's slamming it into the wall beside him instead of catching it off.
However, even with the Falcombat attacking at a tremendous speed over the darkness, I felt my reaction was a bit slow.

''Renge, I'm going to use my magic. Running Flame (Flame Run)''
Thank God!　I can see it clearly!

I released a magic of fire that crawled on the walls, advancing in a straight line.
He released it on both walls to secure the light source.
Since shooting fire magic in the cave is very dangerous, I refrained from shooting fire magic as much as possible, but it was activated for a short time and only at a short distance.

''This is........the end!

After Renge defeats the last one and shakes off the demon's bodily fluids from the basket, he collects the magical stones and drop items that fell along the wall.
The higher-ranked monsters' magical stones are purer and more expensive, so they're the reward for this time and a souvenir for my lord.
Of course, I try not to pick up insect-based drops.

''It's time to look for a base.
'Yes. There's no sign of a demon, so why don't we split the torch and find a good place to put it.

I decided to use the dead ends and the hollows that people could get into in the cave as a base of operations.
Fortunately, the accessories gifted by the lord are ones that increase the state anomaly resistance high, so it's very gratifying that we don't have to be wary of poison gas traps and the like.

I'm not going to be able to get my hands on any of them.

'Good. This is the right place.

Find a spot about as wide as the hollow and the road, and dot the walls around it with torches to secure the light.
A fire and two simple sleeping quarters for sleeping.
I sit down, but I keep my weapons handy so that I can fight immediately.

''Hmmm.......pretty strong after all.
It's exhausting...
But it looks like you'll make it along the way.

We haven't encountered any strong enemies that we're in a hurry to get to yet.
The deeper you go, the stronger the demons get, but still, if it feels like this, there seems to be no problem.

''Don't let your guard down. There are powerful demons even if they are small in size.
But a lot of them seem to be threatened by the status quo. And thanks to this, which my husband gave me, it's easier than I expected.

Some demons go into a petrified state at the first sight of a demon, others become sleepy just by smelling it, and still others become paralyzed at the slightest hint of it.
Some demons become drowsy at the first whiff, while others become paralyzed at the slightest whiff.
The scariest thing about state abnormalities is that they can be piled on top of each other.
Once paralyzed, it is only slightly numb; twice it is hard to move that part of the body, and three times it is hard to move the whole body.
This accessory that reduces or nullifies those first times was very effective just by wearing it.

'Yes. I shall thank my lord when I return.
You're a monster. I'll go check it out.
Yeah, okay.

Sorte rises and a demon, attracted by the light, is revealed by the light source.
Goblins ... but they are clad in armor and carry weapons.
Perhaps, but it has been stripped from the bodies of past adventurers and equipped with them.
If it were a goblin with that level of intelligence, it would be a hobgoblin.
Furthermore, the giant, armor-clad goblin at the back of the room is the Hobgoblin Leader. It's probably the boss of these guys.

"Gigi, Gagiaaaa!

With a shout, the goblins attacked.
Humanoid demons can have some intelligence, which makes them a nasty foe.
But.

Giggling!

With a huge decapitation cry, the hobgoblin leader was defeated first.
It is also a characteristic of intelligent demons to slow down their movements as if they were confused if their own boss is killed.
Taking advantage of that characteristic, Sorte would be the first to defeat the Hobgoblin Leader.
The rest of the time, the same goes for the Aristocrats.

''Shall I boil some water for you?''
That's right. I want to bathe in the hot water too....
You can't take a bath. You can't just wipe yourself down.
Okay. The hot springs are waiting for us, so I'll just have to look forward to it.

Hmm.
Come to think of it, I was going to go back to my lord first thing when I was done, but if I just went back... well, I mean, would it be okay to smell or something?
Sorte, for example, would you just embrace it?
It stinks and they don't like it.........................?

Huh? It's over.
You're back. There's hot water for you to wipe up first.
'I'll take you up on your offer...'

Solte, whose clean tail and ears are stained with return blood and mud, takes off her armor, while Renge and I stand up and alert our surroundings.

''Huh ... I need a bath ...''
Oh, you said that yourself.
It stinks.........right........
Well, it's a cave. It's a cave.
Well, well ... Oh, well, the tail's in trouble but not this one.

Water is precious, basically for drinking water and washing wounds.
You can't use too much of it.
But if you have poor hygiene, apart from abnormal conditions, you could get sick.
If that happens, the accessories you've been working on will be of no use to you.

'Good. It's done. What's next?
Okay. Well, good luck with that.

As soon as Renge and Sorte took over, a larger boar appeared in the light source.

''Ugh, Evil Boar........''
I can't let you through...

It's a demon that specializes in rushing forward and has large fangs that extend straight up, skewering enemies while slamming them into walls.
If there is no wall, it is a vicious demon that will continue to run while stabbing.
If it comes at this rate it will be a major blow to Renge and the bonfire.

'I'll take care of it. If you miss it, please.
Yes, sir. I'll look after you.

He moves forward a bit and takes a lower stance on the straight line of the Evil Boar as it prepares to rush forward.
The red eye light shines and he swings his sword with all his strength as the light comes towards him in a flowing manner.

''Phew!''
'Bruhic!　.........

A small groan escaped Evil Boar, and was blown off to the right with great force by being struck by the sword's belly.

''Ggaaaa!''
Boogie!

Two groans.
That means that a demon must have been coming from there as well.
It was just as well, it seemed.

'That wasn't a problem.'
Yeah. .... hmm?　This is.....
Oh, my God, it's in bad taste...

Falling at his feet was a ring that looked like a skeleton, how cursed it looked like it was cursed.
Is this equipment from an earlier adventurer?
Or is it a cursed drop dropped by a demon?
These equipment can't be picked up, as the mere act of touching them can cause a curse.

''These things are like this!

Sorte lifts it up with the tip of his spear and throws the ring far backwards.
It would be better later on to deal with it firmly, but considering the purpose, is it the best thing to do?

'Einar.
Yeah.
Well it's fast.

A mysterious demon that moves at high speed from the direction of travel.
The sound is minimal, and the presence is so thin that you would not have noticed it if you didn't have the senses sharpened in the cave.
However, the sign is not exposed to the light source, and it leaves in the direction of the exit.

''.......What was it?''
Well, he's been keeping an eye on us, but...
You don't mean to tell me that thing is a demon of the deepest kind, do you?

Although I didn't think it was possible, the signs that it was moving away never seem to stop advancing.
If it is the deepest demon, it won't leave us alone.

''That should be fine. There's still a bad smell coming from deep inside........
I guess so. I guess it's still some time away, but I've got a tough one.

The two werewolf clansmen have good noses.
The reason may not be the only reason, but you can see that the source of this magic power is separate.

''Then let's proceed with a measure of caution, shall we?
Right. Oh, now it's Aina's turn.
Oh, I'll have to use the rest of it then.

I get the rest of the hot water they used and soak the cloths.
Remove your armor, take off your clothes, scrub off the mud and dirt from your body, and take a breath.
Tension will go down with mental exhaustion if you don't loosen up in the right way, so you have to make sure you pull it out in these situations.

'Huh..... That feels good........''
You can take your time. I think there's a group waiting for you.
Right. I'm going to go play with him.

It may be meaningless to clean up the dirt, because this is how the demons come to us.
However, refreshment is still important.

''Sorte, we're going to play a game to see who's less dirty.
Okay. Losers get a massage from the winners.
Well, then, let's go!

No, no, no, both of you.
I'm naked, so make sure you're also well alerted, okay?