Published: March 21, 2026
"All right, first let's split into teams."
Everyone agreed with my idea that moving in one big group would be ridiculous, and since we had enough people, it would be easier to split up.
Including me, there were thirteen of us.
If you counted Yoru, who wasn't here, that made fourteen.
Three teams would be about right.
"For now, Amelia and Amaryllis and the non-combat group will stay here. And you, too."
I said the last part to Noah. She snorted.
Apparently she already understood without me saying it.
"Am I in the staying-behind group too?"
Amelia asked with a slightly sulky face.
She'd probably noticed that I'd been keeping Amelia away from combat.
I, expecting that question, explained the reason I had already thought out.
"Amelia, I want you to defend this place together with Noah. We can't afford to lose our base."
I patted her on the head. Amelia smiled embarrassedly and reluctantly nodded.
Noah probably didn't need guarding. She seemed energetic enough to blow away the current heroes.
"The rest of us will gather materials similar to those Noah specified. One group will get them from demonic beasts in combat; the other will take anything usable from the passages the former Heroes left behind."
At least the combat unit would be me, the hero, Kyousuke, and Mr. Zeal.
That left Ria and Tsuda to handle shields and barriers, Yoru as our runner, and Crow and the others guiding and appraising materials in the passages.
The combat team might be smaller than the others, but it's better to reduce the number of people who haven't practiced coordination. At least three of us can coordinate — that's how we broke through this forest.
"Combat unit, leave as soon as weapons are ready. I'd appreciate it if you'd wait until Yoru returns."
"And where is he? He hasn't been seen since before we entered this forest."
Crow muttered.
From looking around, Amaryllis was the only one who hadn't noticed Yoru's absence. For better or worse, besides pharmacology, she was just a normal woman.
"He's heading here by a different route. Mainly at Amaryllis's request..."
When I glanced over, Amaryllis shrank back and hid behind Ria's back at the extra attention.
I explained that the enhanced human who killed commander saran had been a soldier who drank the enhancement drug she had refined, and that she had been one of the contest winners and forced by a Beastmen man named Gram to make the drug.
At once, I noticed Ueno's face go pale in the corner of my eye.
"Amaryllis came with us to help make an antidote for the remaining enhancement drug. She needs some herbs that grow further south of here, so she's going to fetch them tonight... Also, while we're here, have Hosoyama and the others teach everyone how to keep people alive."
I glanced at Amaryllis, who was trembling and cowering behind Ria, then looked at the heroes checking their weapons.
"So, can you leave immediately?"
"Of course. What about you?"
The hero shot back rudely. I snorted and drew my two-bladed Night Blade God with both hands.
"I'm always ready without needing to prepare."
In labyrinths that was obvious — monsters never waited for me to be ready.