Volume 7, Chapter 35 – A Troublesome Monster

“Miss Camilla, are you not done yet?”

“Just hold on a little longer.”

“Ehh, I can’t hold on much longer!”

“Use the same energy you use when you’re being spoiled by Onee-sama.”

After parting ways with the adventurer Nana and her group, Yisi had followed the directions of the [Omniscient Map] and led her companions to the “Field of Revelry of the Steel-Blade Bees” on the tenth floor. The Bee Flowers that produced the deadly pollen were a food source for the swarm, so to get the pollen, they had to break through the bees’ blockade.

Although there was no one in the party skilled in fire magic who could just blow up the entire hive, Camilla still managed to freeze the two-story-sized hive with ice magic, relying on the power of her treasured staff, [Twilight of Eternal Frost].

However, to their surprise, even after eliminating the threat of the Steel-Blade Bees, obtaining the deadly pollen was no easy task. On the ceiling and walls near the Bee Flowers grew a type of vine-like monster called Exploding Pods. As Camilla’s group approached the flowers, preparing to pick them, the pods on the vines suddenly shot out thumb-sized fruits that would explode on contact. Overwhelmed by the sheer number, Camilla’s group was now in a tough fight.

To be precise, Mary was in a tough fight.

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Because Camilla had a spell, [Aegis of Arcus], that could redirect a monster’s aggro, she had changed the monsters’ target from everyone to just Mary. So, as long as no one else stepped in front of Mary, all of the Exploding Pods’ fruits were aimed at her. From Yisi’s perspective on the side of the battlefield, the fruits being shot by the pods formed a continuous line, and small explosions were constantly going off on Mary’s diagonally held shield. Because the explosions were so incessant and continuous, Mary had to slowly back away to offset the force.

As for the others in the team, Edith and Refina were of no use in this situation. Although [Aegis of Arcus] could redirect monster aggro, if someone got too close to the monsters, the effect would be nullified. Even with Edith’s agility, she couldn’t safely get to the Exploding Pods under the overwhelming barrage of firepower. Refina was skilled in earth magic, it was true, but her defense was still much weaker than Mary’s.

Tiffany was even less of a factor. If it weren’t for Tiffany constantly supporting Mary with reinforcement and recovery magic, Mary wouldn’t have been able to hold on for so long under the bombardment of about twenty Exploding Pods.

Therefore, the responsibility of counterattacking fell on the only magic chanter, Camilla.

It was the same as before. If there were a fire-attribute magic chanter in the party, plant-type monsters would become extremely fragile. But Camilla specialized in water magic, or to be precise, its superior form, ice magic. Against vine-type monsters, her only strategies were to either cut them down with ice blades or freeze them solid. Since the Exploding Pods covered the entire wall over a wide area, to eliminate the threat in one go, she had to use a second-tier spell, which was above her level. Therefore, Camilla needed a very long preparation time.

…Is she going to fail?

Standing not far away, Yisi silently estimated the difference in their strengths.

The Exploding Pods were monsters of around level 10. Although there were more than twenty of them, considering that Camilla’s group had still managed to win against level 20 spirit-type monsters on Mount Hermion, Yisi hadn’t thought of them as particularly difficult opponents. However, judging by the result, the Exploding Pods were stronger than the higher level spirit-type monsters. A monster’s strength couldn’t be judged simply by its level and number.

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It’s probably like how my magic power isn’t as much as the Tower of Alexia’s, but the tower can’t restrict me at all. How to use magic power efficiently is a topic for the future.

“But more than that, maybe it’s better to have Camilla try to learn fire-attribute magic? [Twilight of Eternal Frost] was originally a weapon of both ice and fire elements. If Camilla can learn to use fire magic, she’ll be able to maximize the weapon’s performance. The only remaining problem is whether studying two diametrically opposed elemental magics at the same time will put a strain on her. And I don’t have the aptitude to be a teacher.”

All my magic comes from [Ragnarøk]. I can use it, that’s true, but if I were to teach it to someone else, I wouldn’t have a clue. It would be like asking a student who got a perfect score by cheating to go up and explain the problem-solving process.

“Mmm… ah…”

A woman’s groan suddenly came from behind her. Yisi turned around.

“Are you awake?”

Looking like she had just woken up, Laxy, who had been leaning against the wall, sat up straight. She pressed one hand to her temple and supported herself with the other, her face showing both grogginess and the pained expression of a hangover headache.

“Hmph… where is this…?”

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“The tenth floor of the labyrinth.”

Noticing that someone had answered her, Laxy slowly lifted her head. Upon seeing that it was Yisi, her eyes widened, and she struggled to get up from the ground.

“Ah, my lord!”

“You haven’t fully recovered, Laxy. It’s better not to push yourself. Take this.” Bending down, Yisi stopped Laxy from getting up and handed her a bottle of light blue magic potion. “This is a potion that restores magic power. If you drink this, you’ll feel better immediately.”

“A magic potion… something that only a few lucky ones can make. My lord is willing to give such a precious item to me…” As if remembering something, Laxy suddenly shook her head. “My lord, where are those demon-worshippers now? Why am I here?”

“Except for the leader, the others got away. You’re here because I carried you. Even if an angel’s body is sturdy, I couldn’t just leave you in that hall unattended.”

On a side note, Yisi had thought Laxy would be heavy, but she was surprisingly light, only about one and a half Camillas. Her touch wasn’t hard like a doll or a robot at all. If Laxy hadn’t called herself a God-Forged doll, Yisi would have just thought she was human.

Hearing that she had been carried by Yisi, Laxy’s usual serious expression gradually became complex.

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“To have fallen to the point of needing my lord to carry me… What have I done?”

After muttering to herself, Laxy fell into what looked like a very depressed state, her head lowered and not saying a word, letting her gem-like blue hair hide her expression.

If this were a visual novel, there would probably be a choice prompt. Option A would be to go and console her, and Option B would be to do nothing. Yisi chose the second option. Although Option A might have increased her affection points, she wasn’t very good at consoling people. And since she didn’t know Laxy that well, saying the wrong thing could easily have the opposite effect.

After being depressed for a while, Laxy looked up again, her eyes regaining their usual spirit. She got up from the ground and dusted off her clothes.

“My lord, I suggest we return to the surface immediately. The judgment of the demon worshippers should be carried out as soon as possible. Also—”

“Also?”

“Also, I would like to leave your side for a while, my lord. Please forgive me. Of course, you are still my lord. An angel will not betray the master they serve. It is just that with my current body, it is difficult for me to help you grow. As you may have already noticed, my lord, there is a serious problem with my body. I must find a First-Rank Angel as soon as possible to return to normal. After that, I will do my utmost to assist you in becoming a nightmare for the demons, doubly so.”