A Humble, Scary-Looking Mid-Rank Adventurer Is Offered Their Bodies by Every Member of a Rising All-Female Party, Begging: ‘You Can Do Whatever You Want With Me, Just Please Spare My Companions.’ - 25

Chapter 25: The Inexperienced Four

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Balg and the members of the Aurora Blade stepped into the vast cave system spreading beneath the Traga Forest. Leading the way was Nerva, who scouted ahead using her keen sense of smell and hearing. Only yesterday, she had been gasping under the crushing pressure of Balg’s body, but now her face bore the sharp focus of a serious warrior.

The inside of the cave was dark. After proceeding only a short distance from the entrance, sunlight no longer reached them, and pitch-black darkness loomed ahead. The only things capable of illuminating it were the lantern held aloft by Fana and the magical orb of light that Patema floated at the tip of her staff. Even then, the light had to be suppressed to the bare minimum so as not to provoke the magical beasts.

“Kyah!”

“Sierra, are you alright!?”

Poor visibility was not their only obstacle. Sierra, who had been following behind Nerva, slipped on the wet ground. Over countless years, groundwater had seeped through the rock, leaving the cave walls and floor soaked. On top of that, animal droppings and debris had accumulated, making the footing extremely slick. The four struggled with terrain that was entirely different from the muddy ground above.

“Here, grab on.”

“Th-thank you very much.”

Unable to watch any longer, Balg reached out his hand to Sierra. The girl blushed shyly as she took hold of the rough, masculine hand. Among the group, only Balg walked with complete ease. Even the uneven path carved over long ages by flowing water posed no problem for him, and he barely made a sound as he moved.

“I suppose I still have a long way to go before I can walk like you, Balg-san.”

“I’m just used to it. At the beginning, I fell over again and again until my body learned.”

Balg spoke gently to the frustrated girl. Rather than being discouraged or complaining, she was filled with determination to grow stronger as soon as possible. In that resolve, Balg sensed her potential.

“Enemies ahead. Tch! Cave Bats again!”

Just as Balg was beginning to feel troubled by how Sierra still hadn’t let go of his hand, Nerva’s voice cut sharply through their conversation. A moment later, powerful flapping echoed from deep within the cave, overlapping with her warning.

“Sierra, you’ve got the scent pouch, right?”

“I-I have it. I’m fine!”

What burst out of the darkness before Nerva’s poised spear was a gigantic bat with a wingspan approaching two meters. It bared sharp fangs and let out a ferocious screech, far removed from anything cute. As a magical beast, it exuded a strong yet primitive magical aura, which Patema and Sierra could clearly see.

“Heeeeyah!”

Nerva thrust her spear forward. The finely honed tip grazed the bat’s wing, tearing the membrane. Losing its ability to fly, the cave bat spiraled down to the ground, where Sierra rushed in from behind and delivered the finishing blow with her sword. However, it was not alone. From deeper within the cave, the thunderous sound of wings continued unabated. Even accounting for the cave’s echoing acoustics, there had to be dozens of them.

“Sierra!”

“Yeah!”

At Nerva’s signal, Sierra threw the small pouch she had prepared in advance. It contained a blend of herbs that emitted a strong odor cave bats instinctively avoided, the same kind Balg had used earlier to save them. The scent pouch traced a clean arc through the air and struck the snout of a cave bat charging forward at tremendous speed. In the next instant, it burst open, scattering its contents in all directions.

The mass of cave bats advancing as a swarm shrieked and scattered in panic. Bats possessed extremely sharp senses of smell, and being hit with such an overwhelming stench threw them into chaos, breaking their group coordination.

“This way!”

Patema shouted after scanning their surroundings. Charging head-on into the bat swarm was not an option. Forcing a fight would only drain them, with little to gain. Fortunately, the cave was riddled with numerous branching passages, giving them plenty of escape routes.

“Thank you, Patema!”

“Fana, hurry!”

The members of the Aurora Blade dove into the side tunnel Patema had found.

“Well then, looks like we’ll need a review session.”

Left behind alone, Balg split the head of a massive black-scaled lizard—a Shadow Lizard—that had been creeping up from behind with a single swing of his axe. He then tore out the internal organs of the Cave Bat Sierra had slain and scattered them around. After finishing this flurry of multitasking, he scratched his head vigorously and set off after the others.

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When resting inside the cave, they established a temporary camp. The ideal spot was a dead end where a small amount of clean, drinkable water seeped out. In the Traga Forest, where countless small caves intertwined and groundwater was abundant, such locations could be found with a bit of searching. With their backs to the wall and the entrance sealed using a thick light-blocking cloth, they could finally brighten their lights and enjoy a moment of respite.

“Alright then, we’ll start with Nerva.”

After preparing the day’s campsite, Balg immediately began reviewing the day’s events. It was their first day inside the cave, and the four had remained tense the entire time, leaving them utterly exhausted. Even so, they focused intently, determined not to miss a single word Balg said. Seeing how different their attitude was compared to before, Balg felt his chest grow warm inside. When he faced them sincerely, they responded in kind.

“When you hear cave bat wingbeats, hand signals come first. If we kill the lights without making noise, there’s a chance we can avoid them entirely.”

“Ugh… But doing that in the heat of the moment is…”

“Avoid unnecessary fights as much as possible. That’s a basic rule of exploration.”

“…Alright.”

Confronted head-on with sound reasoning, Nerva flattened her ears. Cave Bats were sensitive to sound, but their eyesight was highly degraded. If one stayed still and concealed themselves, there was a good chance of being overlooked. In fact, she had been taught this beforehand, and they had even established signals to warn of approaching bats. Even so, whether she could carry it out in a split-second decision was another matter entirely.

“Sierra, when you finish off a Cave Bat, slash open its abdomen. If you scatter its blood, the smell of a fallen companion will drive the others away.”

“Y-yes…”

“It’s somewhat cruel, but it’s important for reducing unnecessary effort. Plan your actions with that in mind.”

Cave Bats were fundamentally timid magical beasts. They spent most of the day deep within quiet, dark caves, venturing outside only briefly at dawn to gather food. The scent of a companion’s blood signaled danger and made them flee. Scent pouches were powerful, but their number was limited and their effect temporary.

“Fana, once combat starts, remove the lantern’s veil. If there’s noise, hiding is pointless. Securing allies’ visibility is more important. That also lets Patema extinguish her light orb and join the fight.”

“I had overlooked that. My apologies.”

“You don’t need to apologize to me.”

Light sources were vital resources. While advancing, the lantern was covered to reduce attention, but once battle began, that restraint no longer applied. If a single lantern could handle illumination, then Patema, a valuable magical combatant, could fully participate in battle. Precisely because Fana was a non-combatant, her role in supporting the battlefield was significant.

“Patema, when you find an escape route, make sure to check inside properly. If there’s a snake hiding in a side tunnel, you could be swallowed whole.”

“Nngh…”

Even Patema, who had found their escape route and guided the others, had room for improvement. In a cave where visibility was severely restricted, danger truly lurked just beyond one’s sight. This time they were lucky, but that would not always be the case. Magical beasts lying in wait to take advantage of chaos were a very real possibility.

“And overall, you’re focusing too much on what’s ahead. Caves extend behind you too, and just because you passed through doesn’t mean it’s safe. Keep your awareness evenly spread in all directions.”

“You make it sound so easy…”

“It’s hard, but if you don’t do it, you won’t survive.”

Sierra gently reprimanded the pouting Nerva. Balg’s critiques were strict, but all of them were accurate. Because of that, Sierra and the others keenly felt their own immaturity. Even though they had been allowed to enter the cave, it was clear they were still in danger without Balg.

“That said, for a first day, you did pretty well.”

Trying to dispel the heavy atmosphere, Balg offered some awkward encouragement. The review session ended, and it was time for food and rest to restore their strength.

“After you eat, take turns sleeping. You’re free to decide the time allocation. I’ll take a nap first to prepare for later”

“Huh? B-Balg-san, you’re not eating?”

“Rations are enough for me. You girls make sure you eat properly.”

Saying this to a strangely flustered Sierra, Balg stepped outside the campsite. It had been a demanding day in many ways, both mentally and physically. He judged that it would be better for the four, who knew each other well, to spend some private time encouraging one another.

Inside the dark cave, Balg leaned his back against the wall and sat down. Sitting cross-legged, he held his great axe close and drifted into a light sleep. When he explored caves alone, he didn’t even set up camps. He opted to rest like this instead. Even if a magical beast approached, vibrations through the wall or subtle signs would wake him. Exercising this refined technique of sleeping while standing guard, Balg quietly hoped that the Aurora Blade would continue to grow stronger.

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