Cain smiled faintly and looked earnestly at Roxy, whose face had turned as red as a ripe peach.
"My job now is to get everyone out safely. If I back down, the others could be put in danger. Besides, Zoldat is the captain, right? Mr. Bruce and the others wouldn't stand by and let anything happen to him."
"I may be a novice adventurer, but as an adventurer, I'm prepared for this. Please understand, Roxy."
Roxy froze. Behind her, Brook, Mia, Rina, and Fira watched her with lips pressed tight and worry plain in their eyes.
Roxy fell silent. She knew she shouldn't say anything that would shake the team's confidence now.
But...
What about you, my foolish apprentice...?
Who decided the strong had to bear more than everyone else?
Roxy pressed her lips together and let out a slow, dejected sigh.
If something happens to you, what am I supposed to do... you great fool?
But Roxy said none of it. She had once stood where Cain stood now: the heart of an adventuring party, carrying everyone's hopes as she led them out of a dungeon.
In some ways, she was proud of him.
So...
Roxy sighed, then looked at Cain with renewed resolve. What else could she do with a foolish apprentice like him?
An apprentice whose foolishness made her proud.
"I understand. I'm counting on you, Cain! I'll support you from behind, so trust me to watch your back."
Roxy gripped her staff, determination in her eyes.
The others relaxed at the sight of her serious expression, gratitude in their eyes. Zoldat scratched his cheek and gave the two of them a helpless smile.
"Man, I'm going to owe you both big time..."
They regrouped around the fire and discussed their tactics.
"Given the difficulty of an S-rank Dungeon, there should be another five to ten floors below. We'll probably run into several monsters like the Flamebone Dragon Guard on the twentieth floor..."
"And the deeper we go, the more of them we'll face. The boss of this S-rank Dungeon will almost certainly be stronger than the guardians in a typical S-rank Dungeon."
Zoldat held nothing back, sharing every conclusion he had drawn with Cain and the others.
Everyone drew a sharp breath.
Cain alone thought for a moment before looking at Zoldat.
"So, Captain, are you saying we should retreat?"
"No, of course not. Not when we have you. We'd better make good use of our Sword God."
"You've got some nerve saying that."
Cain smiled faintly. Zoldat held out a fist, and they bumped fists lightly.
Some of the tension in the party eased.
"Drinks are on me when we get back. For now, let's move out and conquer this S-rank Dungeon!"
Roxy tightened her grip on her staff and nodded. She followed Cain with a serious expression. All she wanted now was to work with her apprentice and the others to conquer this exceptionally difficult S-rank Dungeon.
After regrouping, they descended cautiously to the twenty-first floor.
The twenty-first floor was just as dim. Soon, several Skeleton Warriors rushed out of the darkness, their bones making a teeth-grating sound.
"Unseen spirits of water, heed my command! Gather and surge, weave a cage, and seal my targets within still waters! Water Prison!"
Huge spheres of water formed around the Skeleton Warriors, trapping them. But the monsters soon swung their swords and split the prisons in two.
Roxy narrowed her eyes. Were ordinary spells no longer a threat to monsters this strong?
Still, she had bought enough time.
Cain closed in and swept out the Blade of Light, cutting four monsters in half at the waist in an instant!
The monsters below the twentieth floor were much stronger and more numerous, but the party still advanced steadily.
By the twenty-third floor, though, Roxy was visibly struggling.
"Cain, I'm a little tired..." Roxy's steps faltered.
"What's wrong?" Cain hurried over and caught her by the shoulders, supporting her.
"She must have used too much magic power!" Raffy, Rina, and Mia pressed their lips together. Watching Roxy lean weakly against Cain, they looked worried and felt deeply guilty.
"Roxy cast all those Advanced Magic attacks. Our spells... our spells barely work on monsters that strong..."
Cain frowned. Roxy's face was pale, and her small body rested entirely against him. She breathed in short, warm puffs, looking utterly exhausted.
He touched her forehead with his palm. It was hot, and her blue eyes were unfocused.
She must have a fever.
Cain placed a hand glowing faintly green against Roxy's forehead and slowly cast an Intermediate-class healing spell.
Foolish teacher. She always has to push herself...
Cain pressed his lips together, his expression full of helplessness and guilt. Then he turned to Zoldat, his eyes firm.
"I say we stop the expedition for now. Roxy is sick and needs to rest."
Cain wasn't asking Zoldat or the others for permission. Roxy's safety mattered more to him than anything else. If not for her, he would never have come to explore this dungeon.
Cain carefully lifted Roxy's limp body and headed for the stairs behind them. Fira followed, apologizing softly.
Roxy struggled to open her eyes. She stared dazedly at the boy carrying her, her cheeks flushed.
"I'm sorry... Cain... I..."
Roxy knew this was her and Cain's first dungeon expedition, and she had wanted them to clear it in one go. She had kept forcing herself onward, but it had proved too much...
"It's all right, Roxy. Please get some rest. I'm right here."
Cain looked down at Roxy in his arms and gave her a reassuring smile. Then he hurried on toward the exit on the upper floor.
Roxy was small and light in his arms. When she began to snore softly, Cain smiled helplessly. Guilt weighed on him. He should have noticed something was wrong sooner. Letting his teacher grow this exhausted was a failure on his part as her apprentice.
Zoldat gave a resigned nod and sheathed his sword. He watched Cain leave, then glanced at Mia and Rina, who were blaming themselves, and patted their shoulders.
"Come on. I'm not letting any of you get hurt. We'll head out and rest, then continue once Roxy's recovered. We've made it this far; a little delay won't matter."
Cain was unquestionably the key to the party's chances of conquering this S-rank Dungeon, while Roxy was its main source of magical offense. As captain, Zoldat couldn't ignore either of their conditions.
"Oh, we finally get a break? My arms are killing me. Perfect time to go out for a drink."
Bruce laughed at that and punched Zoldat lightly in the chest, a trace of gratitude in his eyes.
"That Cain really is something. I owe him one this time, Zoldat."
"Hey, rookie back there! We're heading back!"
Zoldat spread his hands and smiled as he watched Cain carry Roxy away.
"A guy that capable won't stay in our party for long. That much I'm sure of."
"Yeah, you're right."
"What happened to me...?"
"Ugh! My head's spinning."
Roxy opened her eyes groggily and sat up, rubbing them. She was lying in a soft bed, and the blanket slipped down from her shoulders.
"Huh? My clothes..." Roxy stared blankly at the white dress she was wearing, her cheeks turning pink. Wasn't I exploring the dungeon? How did I get here?! And what happened to my clothes!?
"You're awake, Roxy."
Roxy looked at Cain, who sat beside the bed holding his Tachi. He rubbed his eyes and smiled at her, making her blush even harder. She clutched the white sheet.
"C-Cain... why are you beside my bed...?"
As her face grew redder, the corner of Cain's mouth twitched. He hurriedly waved his hands. Surely his foolish teacher hadn't gotten the wrong idea...
Over the past few days, Cain had noticed that Roxy blushed for no apparent reason over the smallest things.
Maybe she's just sensitive and easily embarrassed. With that thought, Cain cleared his throat twice and said seriously,
"Don't get the wrong idea, Roxy. I was only here to keep you safe. Raffy, Mia, and Rina changed your clothes."
"O-oh, I see..." Roxy remembered then that Cain seemed to have carried her back after she passed out. Her cheeks had barely cooled before they began burning again.
That foolish apprentice could've carried me on his back. Though being held in his arms was comfortable too...
Before you continue