They accepted it without complaint.

"...Um, everyone, thank you for your hard work. I am sorry for worrying you. These are fish caught here, so please have some if you would like."

Judging from how enthusiastically Fenrisúlfr was eating, there should be no issue with safety.

"It is somewhat anticlimactic, but I am glad you are safe. We kept smelling something good from afar and were curious. May I have one?"

Rohen who seemed to have grown used to Qiong Xing’s unusual behavior reached out his hand.

Qiong Xing handed him one with soy sauce drizzled on it.

"This is... delicious. The mushrooms were good, but I did not expect it to go this well with grilled fish."

He seemed to like it quite a bit.

Since there was plenty, Qiong Xing offered him more, which he happily accepted.

"Ah, that reminds me, I forgot to mention. There is a large door over there. Is it okay to go inside?"

"Eh!?"

In the direction Qiong Xing pointed stood a large, extravagant door that practically announced the presence of something powerful behind it.

He had been told by Rohen not to move, so although he had been curious, he had quietly waited for everyone to arrive.

"There is clearly a boss here. And judging from the floor, it will be quite strong... I am impressed you were able to wait so calmly."

"That is what I was told to do."

As a rule, when you get lost, you should not move from the spot.

It might not have been exactly the same as being lost, but Qiong Xing thought it would be troublesome if he opened it on his own and caused problems for Rohen and the others who would come to help him.

Fortunately, Fenrisúlfr had found fish, so he had not been bored and even managed to get souvenirs.

"...Qiong Xing is truly Qiong Xing. You keep surprising me, but being with you somehow makes me feel at ease. It makes panicking alone feel rather foolish."

Was that meant as a compliment?

In Qiong Xing’s case, he lacked a sense of danger partly because there were many things he did not know, but also because he believed he could handle things to some extent.

"Now that we have finished eating, let us proceed. There will certainly be a boss ahead. You two must not leave my side."

"Yes."

"I can fight though."

Albe sounded dissatisfied, but since his role this time was to protect Qiong Xing, there was no choice but to have him accept it.

The heavy door creaked open, and they watched with a mix of excitement and tension to see what would appear.

"What? It is strangely quiet... there it is!"

Just as they thought there might be nothing inside the dark, silent room, lights suddenly illuminated the space, and they reflexively closed their eyes from the brightness.

"All units, battle positions! Do not let your guard down!"

While Qiong Xing still did not fully understand what was happening, the soldiers drew their swords and surrounded the enemy.

"...A horse? But... something feels off...?"

The creature standing in the center looked like a horse, but its form appeared unstable, as if it were made entirely of water.

"...So there are horses made of water."

"No, that is not normal. It is because this is a dungeon."

Qiong Xing learned something new once again.

However, even the soldiers were struggling against a creature made of water, unable to use their usual strength effectively.

No matter how many times they cut it, its body would immediately reform, making it impossible to land a decisive or fatal blow.

While protecting Qiong Xing and the others, Rohen watched the soldiers fight with a stern expression.

"It may be best to regroup here. I apologize, but Qiong Xing, you should go on ahead—"

"If possible, there is something I would like to try. Would that be alright?"

They could have continued watching, but it seemed difficult to win like this, so Qiong Xing made the suggestion.

Rohen nodded while remaining alert to their surroundings.

It seemed he had grown used to Qiong Xing’s sudden ideas.

"How about a practice run?"

"A practice run?"

"That."

Qiong Xing pointed to the sword Rohen was holding.

After thinking for a few seconds, Rohen smiled with interest and signaled for the soldiers to fall back.

As magical power flowed into the offered sword, Rohen gripped it and moved in to strike the enemy with clear enjoyment.

It was Qiong Xing’s first time seeing Rohen fight, and as expected of a vice captain, his skill was impressive.

"What is with that sword? It is giving off intense cold."

"Since the opponent is made of water, I thought freezing it might allow us to cut it."

Qiong Xing also cast wind, fire, and lightning magic onto the soldiers’ weapons, and they eagerly charged at the enemy.

This practice run was meant as hands on training for the soldiers, preparing them for when they might obtain magic swords like their captain.

What had seemed like a difficult battle was resolved surprisingly easily.

At some point, it even felt like they were playing, but after defeating the enemy with smiles on their faces, they left the dungeon in high spirits.

"That was an excellent experience. It has been a long time since combat felt this enjoyable."

Rohen wore a genuinely satisfied smile.

...

"Here, take this."

He reflexively accepted what was handed to him, but he tilted his head in confusion, unsure what it was.

"What is this?"

"It is meat and fish. I ended up getting a lot. They are marinated in the soy sauce I obtained this time, so if you would like, please give them to the captain as a souvenir. They are delicious even just grilled."

"...Thank you."

When he looked closely at the jar offered with a bright smile, he could see pieces of meat floating in a dark colored liquid.

Rohen had not expected to receive something for the captain as well, so he was surprised, but he gratefully accepted Qiong Xing’s thoughtfulness.