From the eighth floor onwards, up to four monsters can appear.
While thinking about how to deal with them, Selly came up with a proposal.
"What is it?"
"A mace is a weapon that can attack multiple monsters at once when swung. If I can do that well, we can basically have Roxane take on two and I take on two."
I didn't know that.
So a mace has such an advantage.
If the two of you can handle the front line, it will be easier for me.
Even if I have to adapt to the situation.
"I see. Should we try it right away?"
"Preferably when the monsters are clustered together. I want to try it when four appear."
"Got it. Let's do it Selly's way for now."
The first Collagen Coral Lv8 that appeared was taken down with five spells without any problem.
We had already fought Collagen Coral Lv7 in the Cooral Labyrinth.
In this world's labyrinths, monsters don't suddenly become too strong to handle just by going up one floor.
Unless we failed to gather information.
The next group of monsters Roxane led to the battlefield consisted of three, and the following group had four.
I usually ask Roxane to lead to places with more monsters.
Collagen Coral Lv8
Collagen Coral Lv8
Escape Goat Lv8
Naive Olive Lv8
The Escape Goat is a bit troublesome, but there's no helping it.
"Roxane, take the Escape Goat and the Naive Olive. Selly, take the two Collagen Corals on the left."
I gave the instructions and cast two Firestorms.
I would cast the third to draw the Escape Goat as it starts to run away.
The two front-line fighters faced the monsters.
Selly swung the mace from the left.
However, the mace hit the round body of the Collagen Coral and stopped there.
The Collagen Coral, having narrowly escaped, pounced and tackled Selly.
"It seems just swinging it isn't enough."
"Is it that difficult?"
Swinging it doesn't mean it can easily attack multiple monsters.
If it hits the first one, it stops.
To hit two with one swing, you need to just graze the first one, or...
"Is it necessary to swing it hard enough to knock the first one away?"
That's how it is.
"Or, if it hits the first one and the impact is absorbed, you need to hit it just enough to graze it."
I treated her injuries and reapplied the coating.
I chanted the third Firestorm.
The Escape Goat stepped back.
This is a chance.
When four are lined up, they can't easily turn around.
Roxane skillfully held the front, so they can't break through.
This gives them more time to escape.
As the Escape Goat retreated and turned around, I cast the fourth Firestorm.
Selly swung the mace again.
It hit the first Collagen Coral but the trajectory was off, missing the second.
She then took another hit from the second.
The Escape Goat also started to run away, so I cast the fifth Firestorm without reapplying the coating.
This should take them all down.
Ashes flew, and the monsters fell.
Selly killed all the monsters before she could be hit again.
"Grazing is difficult."
"What do you think? If it seems impossible, we can consider other formations."
I asked while treating her and reapplying the coating.
"Let me try a bit more. I think I can do it."
"Alright."
"It should be fine."
I confirmed with Roxane, who nodded.
"Got it. Let's continue this way. Your positioning was good, Roxane."
"Thank you."
Selly muttered to herself, practicing her mace swings.
It's similar to a baseball swing.
Since she needs to hit two with one swing, it naturally becomes a horizontal swing.
She practiced swinging from the left.
Is Selly a left-handed batter?
"Your hands are the wrong way around, aren't they?"
"Are they?"
For a left-handed batter, the left hand should be on top.
Selly is holding the mace with her right hand on top.
The normal grip for a sword.
"If you're going to swing with this grip, it's smoother to swing from the right."
In kendo, even left-handed people hold the sword with the right hand on top.
I don't know why.
In baseball, left-handed batters hold the bat with the left hand on top.
I don't know why either.
"Oh, really. This way is easier to swing."
Selly tried a few times, switching her grip.
I thought about teaching her the one-legged swing but decided against it.
In combat with an opponent, it leaves too much of an opening.
"But if you attack from the right or the left, the grip will reveal your intentions."
"Only if the monsters have that much intelligence."
I talked with Roxane while watching Selly practice.
Selly was swinging from the right with her right hand on top and from the left with her left hand on top.
"I see. Sometimes swinging the opposite way makes it harder to predict."
"Swinging a mace creates a large wind-up, so it's hard to hide, I think."
The next group of monsters consisted of three, and the following group of two were killed with Durandal before four appeared.
"Let's go."
"Alright. Show me what you can do."
I sent Selly out while chanting Firestorm.
Since there was no Escape Goat in the group, I cast the third spell before the monsters reached us.
Selly stood in front of the monsters and swung the mace.
The attack beautifully knocked one monster back and hit the second.
It was forceful and almost brutal.
It probably requires a very strong swing.
A powerful attack only a strong Dwarf could make.
I understand why Dwarves use maces.
"Why Dwarves use maces."
"I did it."
"Great job."
I praised Selly while chanting the fourth Firestorm.
Then the fifth.
The four monsters fell.
After defeating the monsters, I checked Selly's job settings.
The reason why Dwarves use maces.
Villager Lv9, Explorer Lv10, Herb Gatherer Lv1, Warrior Lv1, Merchant Lv1, Priestess Lv1, Swordsman Lv1, Cleric Lv1, Blacksmith Lv1.
There it is.
Such a powerful technique.
A Dwarf would need to be very strong to pull it off.
Conversely, a talented Dwarf could do it.
The condition to become a Blacksmith is to attack multiple monsters with one swing.
The rest might be Explorer Lv10 (or higher?), Villager Lv5 or higher, or something else, but I'm not sure.
In any case, Selly has obtained the Blacksmith job.
Now I can make Selly a Blacksmith.
Finally, I have the Blacksmith I've been hoping for.
"Alright. Let's call it a day for today's exploration."
Things went so smoothly that I almost lost myself.
"It's a bit early, isn't it?"
"Well, I have some other things to do."
"Understood."
It's not good to continue when I'm feeling too high.
Good things often come to an end.
My last words might end up being, "What are you doing, you bastards?"
It's better to stop today's exploration and start fresh.
The labyrinth is not a safe place.
Like the six-person party that was wiped out before us.
"Are you going to the Merchant Guild?"
Selly asked.
I remember that the Merchant Guild holds auctions for skill-equipped items.
The wiped-out party left behind five casting-delay swords.
Selly has become a Blacksmith, but she doesn't know it yet.
Her mood is normal.
I'm the only one who's hyped up.
"Right. Have you ever used the auction, Selly?"
"No, I haven't. Anyone can use it, but it's often done through brokers."
"Brokers, huh. I guess we'll see when we get there."
We end today's exploration and head to the Cooral Adventurer's Guild.
Outside, the sun was still high.
I asked for directions at the Adventurer's Guild and went to the Merchant Guild.
"A friend of mine, a Dwarf, said that brokers take profits, but it's hard to outmaneuver them because they work together."
On the way to the Merchant Guild, I listened to Selly.
If there's profit, people will come.
Brokers seem to be shrewd.
We arrived at the guild building and went inside.
There were a few people in the lobby.
Some of them looked at us as if they were appraising us.
It wasn't a pleasant look.
As I stood there, one of the men approached.
Laurel, male, 31 years old
Succubus Lv35
Equipment: Iron Sword of Mountain Collapse, Bracelet of Substitution
A Succubus.
The first one I've seen.
"You're a new face. First time here?"
"Yes."
There's no point in lying, so I told the truth.
"I'm a broker named Laurel. Would you like to hear what I have to say?"
"Sure, I'll listen."
"You can turn me down if you don't like it. Let's go to the back room."
The broker pointed to the back of the guild.
"Wait a moment."
I turned to the two behind me.
It doesn't seem right to take these two to a Succubus's room.
Roxane is beautiful and well-endowed, and Selly is small and cute.
"Roxane and Selly, go to the clothing store first. Let's buy two sets of clothes for Selly. Roxane can buy one set too."
"Is that alright?"
"It's fine. We had some extra income today."
"Thank you."
We can't just buy one set.
I was planning to buy Selly's clothes soon anyway.
I sent the two out and followed the broker.
He led me to a sparsely furnished room with just a table and chairs.
It felt like a conference room.
"This room is free for use in negotiations."
"Got it."
The broker went to the back and sat down.
I sat in the front chair.
From the front, I can quickly escape if needed.
He doesn't seem to have any ill intentions.
"Are those two with you for long?"
"Not really."
"You're human, right? There's a good job for humans to enter the labyrinth. How about joining our guild?"
So this is a Succubus guild recruitment.
I was tense for nothing.
Of course, a human man with two beautiful women would fit the criteria.
"A Succubus?"
"What? Are you in the same line of work?"
The broker leaned back in his chair and looked up.
I should be the one looking up.
"No. I'm not in the same line of work yet, but I've heard some things."
"Then how about it?"
"Right. What about the Chastity Attack? How does it work?"
I took this opportunity to ask.
"You know that much? We're not supposed to tell non-members much."
"Things have happened."
The skill is a secret.
Given the job's potential for prejudice, the guild's unity is strong.
"Alright. I enter the labyrinth once every ten days. It's not a one-hit kill on the boss, but it's a useful skill."
"Is that so?"
"Ten days of chastity is tough. I usually work as a broker here. I use the skill once every ten days. I'm married, so it works out well."
The Succubus broker explained.
Based on his explanation, I pieced together the details.
It seems that to use the Chastity Attack, one must be chaste.
Being married is related.
"Ten days is tough."
"Well, two or three days can still do some damage."
Agreeing with what he said, I got additional information.
Two or three days can do some damage, ten days can do significant damage to a boss.
In other words, the Chastity Attack's power increases with the duration of chastity.
The longer the chastity, the more powerful the attack.
In my case, I hadn't been chaste for long, so that's why it had that power.
The attack's power increases the longer one remains chaste.
Of course, one must continue to be a Succubus during that time.
The stamina-boosting skill is useful here.
The accumulated sexual desire builds up.
The stamina-boosting skill suppresses the instinct to act on the accumulated sexual desire.
Then, after a long time, it is released all at once.
It must be quite powerful.
It's indeed an effective skill.
An effective skill, no doubt.
But it's not for me.
"Sorry, but it seems difficult for me."
Ultimately, it's a skill I can't use.
Roxane and Selly in front of me for ten days of chastity.
It's impossible.
"Well, with such beautiful companions, it's tough. But if you want to join the guild, it's better to do it while you're young. As you get older, it gets harder."
The internal energy source is the stamina. As stamina decreases, the Chastity Attack's power also decreases.
If it were just a matter of time, an old person with decreased libido could use the Chastity Attack at will.
"Sorry."
"Alright. So, are you here to sell or buy at the auction?"
He easily backed off after I declined.
The guild recruitment was just a side note.
"Let me check things out. Basically, both."
"For buying, it's better to go through brokers like us. You never know when something will be listed. You can't just sit around waiting for the auction, right?"
"True."
There doesn't seem to be a system to announce what will be listed when.
It's not practical to wait around until what you want is listed.
So you place an order with a broker.
"For selling, a broker can sell at the right time. The auction price can vary depending on the timing."
Since you don't know when something will be listed, you also don't know if there will be a buyer at the right time.
There's a risk of being underbid.
"Got it."
"What are you looking for?"
"Right. A Kobold Monster Card."
"A Kobold Monster Card? Give me a moment."
The broker took out a notebook from his bag.
A cheap, brown notebook. Papyrus.
"It was listed for 5,200 nals yesterday. The previous one was 5,400 nals. Another one was listed for 5,200 nals on the 20th of spring. The one before that was also 5,200 nals."
I don't know the value of a Monster Card at around 5,000 nals, but if that's the market price, I have to accept it.
But it seems someone is consistently buying at 5,200 nals.
Fusion of Monster Cards often fails, so those who want it will keep buying until they succeed.
"Is that the price?"
"If you use me as a broker, the fee is 500 nals. I enter the labyrinth, so you can pay me later. Other brokers usually require payment upfront."
Entering the labyrinth means risking your life.
If the broker dies, you probably won't get your fee back.
That's why it's paid later.
"Got it."
"Decide on the maximum bid price in advance. The auction results are posted at the guild, so you can be assured. Since there's competition, it's rare to get it for less than the specified price."
The broker smiled lecherously.
I heard from Selly that brokers work together.
It's simple.
They pass on the maximum bid price to their colleagues and bid up to the limit.
If the seller is also a broker, they can split the profit.
Even if they don't split it, they can help each other when selling.
Conversely, if the seller is not a broker, they will be underbid for less than the maximum price.