I Wanted a Cute Girl to Cast Healing Magic on Me, So I Kept Protecting My Allies—and Ended Up with an Overprotective Party - 25

Chapter 25: I Guess I’m a Bit Different

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The carriage heading toward the dungeon was surprisingly luxurious. It was nothing like the regular F-rank dungeon carriage I had taken before to practice my 【Damage Adjustment】 skill.

Riding in a vehicle for an extended period could be more tiring than expected. Especially when we were about to begin dungeon exploration. Ending up saying, “My butt hurts, so I can’t move properly,” during the real deal was something I definitely wanted to avoid.

Unlike that previous carriage, this one had separate spaces for sitting and for lying down, and both areas were covered in something like a soft carpet. Each carriage carried around ten people, yet everyone could stretch out without getting in each other’s way at all.

Come to think of it, back then I was forced to listen endlessly to another party’s lovey-dovey chatter. Out of the five of us who had shared that carriage, four had been part of the same party—two guys and two girls, an F-rank group—and they were flirting non-stop all the way to the destination.

And now? All of my current party members, aside from me, were either beautiful girls or stunning women. I really worked hard to get here.

Faced with how drastically things had changed since then, I couldn’t help but get a little emotional. About an hour later, the sounds and shaking of the carriage came to a halt, and the coachman informed us we had arrived.

When I stepped outside, I saw a mountain before me, with a large section missing. That gap was the dungeon entrance—so wide that several people could pass through at once, as if it were trying to swallow up the adventurers whole.

Once everyone had gathered in front of the dungeon, an adventurer affiliated with the guild—likely the person in charge—gave another rousing speech to the participants. The adventurers entered with high spirits. Watching them, I felt reassured. While I usually preferred being alone, at times like this, just having others around made me feel much more at ease.

We entered the dungeon as well. Though the path was wide, with about fifty people nearby, it still felt a little cramped. Our party was positioned roughly in the middle, so we were slightly pushed from all sides. As a result, the space between party members was compressed, almost as if we were vacuum-packed together.

Because of that, Emil and the others were much closer to me than usual, and they smelled really nice. If I let my guard down, my body might brush up against someone in a very wrong way—so I did my best to avoid that at all costs.

The unexplored floor was said to be on B3, so the map up to that point had been provided by the guild. Somehow, descending downward felt more unsettling and creepy than moving upward.

Unlike F-rank dungeons, there were no lights installed here. The light was generated by guild-affiliated adventurers using magic. Even so, we could only see a few meters ahead—it felt like a reminder that this was what dungeon exploration was really supposed to be like.

“Karinka-san, why isn’t the Guild Master here? Even though he’s the most important person in the guild?”

I asked in a voice low enough that only the three party members could hear.

“You’re right to wonder. But actually, it’s because he’s the most important person. He has to keep his eyes on more than just this one mission—managing requests, monitoring the overall situation, planning joint expeditions, coordinating with the nation. There’s a lot he needs to do.”

“So basically, he’s too busy to personally attend every single field operation?”

“Is it just me, or did that sound a little sarcastic…? But yeah, that’s the gist of it. Besides, the guild has dispatched adventurers for this, and in cases where we’re dealing with a dungeon comparable to A-rank or higher, the Guild Master does sometimes personally participate. Maybe it’s hard for Rikuto to understand right now, but that’s how it is.”

If I think of it like a company in Japan, I guess it’s like how the company president doesn’t go out to the worksite personally? I wonder if I’ll understand better once I become a working adult.

The adventurers progressed steadily toward the third basement floor. But ever since entering, I’d felt something off. We hadn’t encountered a single monster. Why? Was it because we were moving in such a large group? Or was some strange monster-repelling force at work? Either way, it was kind of creepy in its own way.

“Um, Karinka-san, I’ve been wondering… Why is there no monster here? We’ve been walking for quite a while,right?”

“So Emil thought so too? Actually, I was wondering the same thing. Maybe the monsters are scared off by the size of our group?”

Apparently, both Emil and Miya had been thinking the same thing I was.

“Oh, that’s thanks to the Saintess. Before we departed, she cast a barrier spell on everyone to ward off monsters. It’s one of those special spells only the Saintess can use. Barrier magic is one of them.”

“So that prayer actually had a purpose. I honestly thought it was just purely ceremonial.”

If that was the case, wouldn’t having the Saintess come with us make us invincible? I wondered if I’d get scolded if I said that to Karinka-san.

“I kind of feel like if the Saintess came with us, we’d have nothing to fear~”

Miya, true to form, just said what I was thinking.

“Haha, well, it’s not unreasonable to think that. But the Saintess serves the kingdom—she has a much larger role. Have you ever wondered why monsters don’t show up in cities or nearby areas? There’s probably a reason behind that. And maybe there are things we ordinary folks aren’t told about.”

There were monsters outside of dungeons, but now that she mentioned it, I hadn’t once heard of any appearing near a town since I was reincarnated.

“And the fact that the Saintess was able to cast a barrier spell on this many people, and that it’s still working after all this time, is practically a miracle.”

I see. No wonder in those isekai stories, when monsters show up near towns, it’s treated like a huge emergency.

At last, we arrived at the third basement floor. From here on out, it was unexplored territory. No one knew what awaited us. The male adventurer from the guild who had been leading the way stopped, turned around, and addressed the general adventurers following behind.

“From this point forward, we have no idea what will happen. The Saintess’ barrier will also gradually weaken. So I’d like to reinforce the front line with as many tanks as possible. If you’re confident in your defense, please step forward.”

Immediately, several adventurers pushed through the crowd and moved to the front. Most of them clanked noisily with every step. Dressed head-to-toe in armor, even their heads were covered like they were wearing full-face helmets—it was hard to even tell their gender. The only clues were their height or voice.

I wasn’t especially trying to stand out, so I figured I could volunteer.

Right now, I had my 【Damage Adjustment】 set to 『Unharmed』. And honestly, in situations like this, I didn’t mind playing the role of a proper tank. It wasn’t really my style, but if there was something I could protect with my power, I wanted to lend it.

No, no, it’s only when Emil heals me that I get a little unserious—the rest of the time, I always give it my all, okay?

“Everyone, I’m heading up.”

Still in my light armor, I pushed my way forward through the other adventurers. And so, possibly the rarest sight of all—a light-armored tank—stepped to the very front of a fifty-person group.

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