..........

　Theresia is still holding the dagger - something that seems to be on her mind. Even though she was confused, she would feel remorseful if she remembered that she had been slashing at her companion.

'Theresa, I don't mind, so you should too. Because of things like this, you should try to throw your dagger (dirk) as far away as possible.
..........

　When Elitia calls out to her, Theresia doesn't immediately nod her head. I don't know how to take care of her at a time like this - even if I say something too sweet, with Theresia's personality, she might become increasingly self-doubting.

　Despite my concerns, Suzuna approached Theresa and began to wipe her wet body with water.

''I'm sorry, I splashed you with water... was it cold?''
..........

　Theresia shook her head. Suzuna smiled and draped the towel over Theresia's shoulders as it was.

''Stay like this for a while, because if you stay wet it will cool you down.
''Rear-kun, does Zhushuna have that kind of power?　It's like I can throw water on it and fix things.
'It wasn't clearly labeled, so I wasn't sure if it would help with the 'confusion'. I think it does have that effect on sanity, or something like that.
When Suzu scooped up the water from the puddle, I wondered what was going to happen! It was like magic. I'd like to have something magical like that too.

　Misaki also has enough skills to have a magical effect, though. After all, the mystical scene I mentioned earlier is something to look at and yearn for, isn't it?

''Elitia, is this the first time you've fought a mushroom now?''
''Yes you're lucky that I haven't met you before. I didn't even dive into this labyrinth when I was promoted... but there are more demons with habits than I ever imagined.

　Could it be that this is a demon unique to this labyrinth? It seems like mushrooms can grow anywhere - and we need to check the drop items first.

I've been told that the fruit that Trent is wearing looks a lot like an apple. What do we do with it, Rearward, what do we do with it?
'Would you like to try an appraisal? I'll try the "Elementary Appraisal Scrolls

　I took the apple from Igarashi-san and tried to appraise it - then.

　The apple of wit

　Eating one increases the maximum amount of magic power a little.
　A rare drop of "fiery torrent".

(Oh...!　That came out rather easily, Laird Drop. (I knew Misaki would be there to help you out in these areas.)

　If it's a rare drop item, it's going to be difficult to pick up this one for a target, but it's a huge harvest. If I had a wizard-type companion, I would have made him eat it first thing - but when I was thinking about it, everyone was paying attention to me, as if they wanted to hear the results of the appraisal.

It is said that if you eat this, the maximum value of your magic power is increased. Does anyone want to eat it?
''Rear-kun has the skill of dividing magic power among the people in your party, so I think you should eat first. I'm sure you're still tired and........that slingshot just now was amazing. You know how often the beam is shown in cartoons and such, it was just like that.
"Did Igarashi-san see it that way too? I was a bit surprised too.......but the wear and tear is huge, so I can't go on a wild goose chase.
I think we can use it as a trump card. Really, I'm counting on you to have my back.

　In the way Elitia looks at me, there's a natural trust in her eyes - to be relied upon by someone as strong as she is, it's a fearful thing, but it's still a proud feeling.

''.........''
...Teresa?

　Theresia, who was still being reserved, takes out an unused dagger and takes the apple from me and peels it.

''Huh?　Theresa, aren't you good at peeling apples?
It's amazing, I can't connect the skin like that.

　Not only were Misaki and Suzuna surprised, of course, but I was surprised too - I put the blade of the dagger against the apple and spun it around and peeled it off in a flash with a crisp, crunchy motion, splitting it on my hand and taking out the core. Then he broke it into six pieces and held out a slice to me.

''..........''
'Oh, thank you Theresa, you have some unexpected skills.

　Although I have a few thoughts about the fact that the fruit was put on by the demon we were fighting just now, it's hard not to trust the appraisal, so I'll eat it boldly here. It's a good idea to be able to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

''Hmm........wow, it's sweet. That's not the apple I know, this is........!

　The crunch is similar to the old-fashioned apples, but the taste is very different. I thought they would be sour unless they had been bred, but the taste of the apples overturned that notion.

'It makes me want to eat an apple pie or something, just looking at it.
You're getting redder and redder, what's going on?
'Miss Theresa I'm more embarrassed than I am watching you.

　I notice what Suzuna is going to say, and I notice it right after. Theresia holds out a handful of apples to me - higher than before.

'You're in a hurry to get ahead of yourself, Aricht. Why don't you take the plunge and eat it for yourself?
..........
Okay, all right. Well, I'll get on with it.

　This is not the time to get lost, so I ask Theresa to throw one apple after another into my mouth. I feel as if I'm being fed.

　And when you have finished eating all of them - the license shows that your ability has increased.

　Current Situation◆

　Arihito ate The Apple of Knowledge.
　Aricht's maximum magic power rose.

　My mind was clear and my body was filled with power - and the amount that the maximum value had risen, my magic power had recovered. When I checked my condition, the blue bar indicating my magic power had returned by a fifth.

''.........''
Oh, thank you ... that was pretty good.
'Miss Theresa, do you want to wash your hands because you've got apple juice on them?'

　Suzuna purifies the water again - this skill is too useful to imagine. It's hard to believe that she scooped it out of a puddle, because it makes perfectly clear water.

'And for Zion-chan I think it's better than drinking directly from a puddle.

　She also gives water to Sion, who is thirsty. Although Igarashi-san looked envious, this is the privilege of a "miko" who can use "hand water".

　The remaining item is the Dirty Mash, and the one that didn't rupture the spores could be collected as is. According to my appraisal, it seems that Dirty Mash ruptures them to protect itself, but if it can cut them out without rupturing them, they can be used as material for medicine. The bag is not easily ruptured, except for when the mushrooms are in danger of bursting, so it would not be a problem to carry them around with you.

　It seems that the umbrellas and axes of the mushrooms themselves can be eaten, but we didn't collect them this time - it takes a lot of courage to eat mushrooms that have arms and legs growing out of them.

Okay, now that we've collected them, let's continue our search.

　They re-formed their ranks again and moved forward. Trent and the others may have been small in number, but they didn't encounter any enemies for a while after that.

　Perhaps the reason the investigation of this labyrinth hasn't progressed is because the pace at which the demons are increasing is slow and there is less danger of stampede.

(It could be that there's not a lot of fruitfulness in it... but no matter how many 'apples of wit' are said to appear, if the probability is too low, we'll be wasting our time.)

　The license also comes with the ability to reverse engineer demons and their appearance locations based on what you drop. As for the demons that drop ability-enhancing items, you'll need to remember that just in case.

''Theon, it's not safe to go too far ahead.

　At the sound of Elitia's voice, he noticed that Theon was ahead of him. Sion went into the bushes on the side of the road a little further on and came out with something in his mouth.

　When Sion returned, what he brought in front of us was - goggles.

(These goggles........Georg's.......!

Does that mean the person who dropped it is still around?
Doesn't this belong to the person you talked about in the hall of our quarters, Rearward?

'Elitia, you shouldn't touch the goggles. It's probably blood.
Well yes. The owner of this thing is bleeding ... and that was a long time ago.

　There is one thing I can think of. Georg was wounded, and either a demon attacked him near here or something unforeseen happened and he dropped his goggles.

'Theon, can you trace the scent of the owner of these goggles?

　Theon understands what I'm saying, sniffs the goggles, and then starts walking again - his nose works, he checks his direction, and Theon walks into the trees on the side of the road.

'Let's proceed with caution. Sion's sense of smell can spot the enemy, even if his vision is poor.
Yes, okay I'm sure there are marks of people passing through...
That also sounds brand new but those goggles....

　The blood on the goggles had completely clotted. This meant that Georg had passed through here quite some time after he was injured.

　--and in the forest. Theon found a large tree that was noticeably larger than its surroundings and went around to the back of it.

　Georg was there -- with wounds all over his body, sitting with his head in his hands.

'Georg ... hey, get a grip!　I'll have you patched up in no time!
You're not the only one ... you've met ... well, you're the one who's in the Lady Orellus mansion ... gee, I don't know. How have you been doing...?

　Georg's eyes were unfocused and his voice was powerless. He was in such a predicament that he was in such a predicament that he had to flee for his life to get here.

　It's a valuable potion, but I can't say that. I took out a bottle of red liquid from my backpack and made Georg drink it - but even though the wounds on his body began to heal to some extent, his frustration didn't diminish.

　With Suzuna at the party, the effect of the 'purification' works, and Georg's mental state improves slightly. Georg, whose eyes were unfocused at first, finally caught a decent sight of me - and suddenly covered his face.

'....What's going on? Tell me, I might be able to help you.
'What ... what ... what ...?　Even I don't know how to do that...!

　Georg is in a state of depression. His own wounds are substantial - perhaps from the blows he received when his goggles were popped off, and he also had a wound on his forehead.

'Calm down,' he said. The friends of the 'Arctic Star' are still in this labyrinth, right? Were they captured by a demon, or........

　I wait for Georg to calm down. He lowers the arm that covered his face - trembling, Georg's lips quiver and he tries to say something over and over again, but he can't get the words out.

''It's okay. We're here to take the test too. You'll be helping the members of Polaris along the way. So don't hold back.

　The reason Georg doesn't easily ask for help is because he's so conflicted that he can't get his voice out of his throat, and he's proud to be an explorer.

　But I can't leave him trapped to this point, and I can't leave just to pass the test. If I can help him, I want to help him, I think.

....and the monster grasses that feed on the power of the...
All right I'll be in the maze upstairs. Georg, you're going to get out of here. Fortunately, there are few demons on the ground floor of this labyrinth. If we just think about escaping, we can get out safely.
I'm not... I'm not the only one who's going to run away...
'The wounded don't need to think about it. Get out and trust us to wait for you. You may not feel safe, but it's a lot better than sitting here shaking.


　When Elitia convinced him, Georg cowered and screamed. Misaki and Suzuna covered their mouths at the grief.

　How Georg was separated from his companions - just imagining it was painful.

　I thought I knew that the labyrinth was something that bared its fangs to explorers, that it was a place of no mercy. However, seeing Georg's appearance, which can only be described as horrific, there is an opposite emotion that has arisen.

　An urge that was close to anger and heated his body to the point of burning.

So please, stay alive........!

Georg, you and your men will take care of things. You just think about surviving now, okay?
Yes ... yes ... my friends ... please ...

　Once he voiced his emotions, the glint of reason returned to Georg's eyes. This wouldn't cause him to despair.

　Handing over the goggles, Georg grabbed them and started walking towards the exit. The potion was showing its effects and his footsteps were sure - this would be no problem.

'From what I've heard, you were attacked by a grass or some kind of demon. It suddenly appeared from underneath their feet and their party...
Yeah. Probably still trapped. Georg barely escaped trouble, but he was never able to leave the labyrinth.

　We encountered it upstairs. There, presumably, is a 'named'

　A mysterious monster with little information - a monster that has rounded up the 'Arctic Star'. It's an opponent that can't be traced at all, but it must be found and defeated as soon as possible.

"...Everyone, give me...
Don't ask me if you'll follow me, Mr. Allito.
'I'll follow Arihito-san. The ranks are allowed to walk in front of me, but that's how I always feel.
I'm the same way. If a very strong monster comes out and hurts you, you don't have to worry about it. A party isn't something that someone has to protect or be protected by, is it?

　--I realize that after being told that. I was getting more and more aware that I was being protected by everyone else, but on the contrary, I was protecting them with my rearguard skills.

　It's still the same now. I almost wondered to myself whether it was okay to involve everyone in saving the 'North Pole Star'.

''I'm sorry, I was drunk with myself. The only reason I'm helping you is because I want to. So I'd like you guys to tag along.
'Yes, of course. I don't think we're going to be 'forced' to follow Arich's policies anymore. Because I'm not....
Ellie, we can talk later. Theon has found the demon, we'll return fire!
Okay, okay, okay!　Kyouka, Theresa, let's go!

　Theon jumped out onto the path he had been on - and when he did, a group of Feartrent and Dirty Mash were blocking the path that seemed to lead to the second floor, opposite to the direction Georg had gone, and the path that seemed to lead to the second floor.

'Kyouka sister, sweat ... not sweat ... but something that smells good, please!
It's called 'Brave Mist,' remember that!

　Once you've dealt with an enemy, you can hit countermeasures. If he dropped Dirty Mash with a magic attack and blocked Fear Trent's 'Fear' attack with 'Brave Mist', then he could easily defeat it as a level-appropriate demon.