As she slowly poured the amber liquid into a cup, she told Leon about the news she'd heard in Rivira:
"Word about us and Bors has already spread through Rivira. They say there was quite the spectacle at the town gate yesterday too... shame we missed the fun."
Leon took the cup, tipped his head back and drained it, then narrowed his eyes, savoring the mellow sweetness and fruit fragrance flowing over his tongue.
"Tsk... before long this'll probably reach the surface. Which is fine. It'll ease Demeter's and Lydia's minds, spare them from sitting home on pins and needles all day."
"Huh?! Leon!!"
A clear, startled cry suddenly rang out from the tents.
Laurier crawled out rubbing her eyes, her little nose twitched, and then her eyes went perfectly round:
"Y-you and Persephone have been drinking on the sly?!"
Leon & Persephone: "..."
...
The same old morning comedy routine.
Amid the noisy laughter and horsing around, everyone finished the breakfast Leon had carefully prepared, then took a short rest, and after that, under the direction of their head steward Rose, they efficiently took down the tents, stowed the odds and ends into their Wonder Packs, tallied supplies, and readied their equipment.
With everything set, the party reassembled.
"Everyone, apart from Margaret and Irisviel, I won't say much to the rest of you. This isn't your first time heading into the Great Tree Labyrinth, after all. The dangers there... you each know full well what they are."
At her words, Laurier's and Aura's faces shifted slightly. Clearly some less-than-pleasant memories of the last Expedition had surfaced.
"So I'll remind you one more time: stay on your guard. Understood?!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
With morale briefly stoked, Jeanne waved Margaret and Irisviel over.
"You two are still Lv.1, and this is your first Expedition. The floors before the Under Resort are one thing; at worst you're looking at Lv.2 elite monsters. But the Great Tree Labyrinth is a different story entirely. Its terrain is far more complicated than the cavern floors, its traps are better hidden, and the odds of an Irregular shoot way up. Most important of all..."
She paused, her tone growing steadily graver:
"It all counts as the Middle Floors, but if you take the Under Resort as the dividing line and call Floors 13 through 17 before it the first half of the Middle Floors, then the Great Tree Labyrinth is the second half."
"Remember: in the Great Tree Labyrinth, monsters appear with Lv.3 potential."
"So stay absolutely close to the party, and keep within your companions' protection at all times. Understood?"
She looked pointedly at Irisviel:
"Especially you, Iri. More than half the party's healing load rests on your shoulders. Be vigilant, and then be vigilant again. No letting your guard down, ever!"
"Lv.3 monsters are no joke!"
Feeling the weight suddenly settle onto their shoulders, Irisviel and Margaret turned solemn and nodded firmly in unison:
"We understand."
Once the two had rejoined the others, Jeanne's gaze swept over her spirited companions again, and she gave a small nod.
Then she turned to Rose beside her, who held a scroll of parchment, and asked quietly:
"Supplies and stock all tallied? Should be no problems, right?"
Rose twirled the quill between her fingertips and nodded:
"All fine. Everything's within plan; consumption has actually run a little lower than projected. When we drew up the plan before the Expedition, we already factored in a buffer for combat losses, so the cost of the Goliath hunt... hasn't affected the rest of the itinerary."
"Good."
Jeanne gave a brief reply, then exchanged a glance with Leon, who carried the Supporter-model Wonder Pack.
"Leon, the buildup's come this far. Want to say a few words?"
"?"
Since Jeanne had "graciously invited" him, Leon didn't stand on ceremony.
He lifted a hand, ran it through his hair, and then said in a deep voice, "Comrades... before us, no foe can stand."
Right after, he swept his arm forward.
"Move out!"
Everyone: "..."
Sure enough.
Jeanne rubbed the spot between her brows and waved the others along, resigned:
"Let's go."
...
19, 20, 21, 22, 23...
The next "attraction" after the Under Resort: the Great Tree Labyrinth.
Even with the enormous jump in difficulty over the floors before it, it failed to snag so much as a single step of the party's pace.
If it hadn't been for farming Excelia for the Lv.1 and Lv.2 ladies like Irisviel and Margaret, Leon and the others wouldn't even have been interested in stopping to explore in detail, and it made no difference that this was only his own second time this deep.
Killed Lv.2 monster, Excelia +0.1
Killed Lv.2 monster, Excelia +0.1
...
Killed Lv.3 monster, Excelia +0.1
...
Killed Lv.4 monster (Rare Species), Excelia +40
...
A thunderous crash! The colossal body, part dragon and part tree, caved in along with the bursting ice crystals, and when it slammed into the ground it set off a minor earthquake.
"Oh-ho!"
"Forty Excelia? That's an Lv.4 Rare Species for you. Not bad at all!"
Leon licked his lips and grinned.
He slid the Twisted Staff in his hand back into his pack's side pocket, then bent forward and clambered onto the "Tree Dragon" remains like a mountain climber. Half-kneeling on the still-warm trunk, he produced from who knows where a harvesting magic item shaped like a small hoe and set to tapping and prying in a steady rhythm.
Jeanne glanced at Leon, engrossed in his "gold panning," sighed quietly, and turned to Rose beside her:
"We've been in the Great Tree Labyrinth about three days now. The map of this place is about done, right, Rose?"
Rose unrolled the parchment-style map magic item, her gaze sweeping their surroundings like a scanner as she swiftly memorized the environment, the traps, and the types of monsters in the area. As her quill scratched and sketched across the map, logging monsters, ore veins, recovery materials, and the Dungeon's various resources into their corresponding zones one by one, she answered without lifting her head:
"Mm, about done. Time we entered the Water City."
Jeanne nodded and let her gaze drift from Rose to the other members.
They had settled down where they were, drinking Potions to recover their strength while taking out tools to maintain their weapons.
Judging by their movements, they had long since grown entirely practiced in this routine.
Persephone smiled softly, her eyes settling on Irisviel and Margaret a little way off:
"The Dungeon... really is the best place to temper a person." There was a hint of gratification in her voice. "Not even a week, and that rawness has already worn off Iri and Margaret. Mm... they finally look something like seasoned adventurers."
Jeanne followed her gaze and looked over...