Otoko Nara Ikkokuichijou no Aruji o Mezasa Nakya, ne? Chapter 253

Since there's also the convenience of the {Butchers} and {Exterminators} days off, with one day in between that starting this morning we {Slaughterers} have stepped foot into the dungeon again. This time when entering the dungeon we've sent Zenom to the {Butchers} and Zulu to the {Exterminators}. Including myself the remaining 9 of us are the unit exploring the 9th floor but up until now I've just had the {Butchers} and {Exterminators} continue training in the dungeon and not let them do anything like exploration.

Starting this time other than the time spent clearing the floors I've also given them a different mission. Explaining starting with the {Exterminators} that has the simpler one and I have them delivering consumables centered around dried meat to the 4th floor. I have them piston transporting the supplies over the one and a half day one-way trip to the teleport crystal on the 4th floor. The only parties that have arrived at the teleport room on the 4th floor and setup camp there excluding us {Slaughterers} is currently just those that have gone past the 5th floor, {Verdure.Brotherhood}, {Black.Topaz}, {Gehenna.Flare}, just those three.

They leave one person there to watch over it and then after the remaining 9 of them lower the supplies they teleport back to the surface right away and then enter the dungeon after preparing more supplies once more.

Next up is the {Butchers}. I have them primarily doing the job of {porters}. They end up transporting the supplies that have gathered in the teleport room on the 4th floor once more to the teleport room on the 6th floor. What you need to be careful of here is that I changed the organization of members in the {Butchers} and {Exterminators}. I moved Ginger and Hisu out from the {Exterminators} to the {Butchers} and in exchange for them I moved my combat slaves Henry and Rubi from the {Butchers} to the {Exterminators}.

Since the {Butchers} ended up organized with almost completely the members of the former {Sun.Ray} I left things there in the care of Zenom who everyone including them look up to. Even from their end Zenom is a leader they can relax with and they don't have any doubts at all about his abilities. As bait I also said, "Zenom will keep an eye on things during the journey down and if he gives his okay then it's fine if you beat down some ogres on the 7th floor to a reasonable extent."

Thanks to that this time the morale of the {Butchers} is strangely high. The members who it took the shape of being left behind in the {Exterminators} were upset but they know the best that their abilities are low from the combined training we do. If I were to speak my real feelings I'd have preferred if even just Rodrick moved over to the {Butchers} since it would be easier for him to earn experience points.

In regards to this I discussed it with Kamu and Ginger the night of the day before yesterday and for the time being they accepted it as well. Above all else the fact that he can use magic is big. Putting aside healing spells, attack spells are indispensable in combat further in the dungeon.

Particularly Kamu who's previously experienced combat on the 7th floor. Since it's almost right to say attack spells are a requirement to taking on ogres she was actually progressively pus.h.i.+ng for it. If Zenom is accompanying them then there's also the expectation that Zenom will almost definitely take down one ogre himself so there was no point in even taking into consideration the death of a member including Rodrick. Even I don't think there would be any problem with taking on the few in number ogres that appear in the areas where you first teleport into the 7th floor as long as they have Zenom.

In addition to that there's also the reason that Rodrick is the eldest son of Count Faruergaz who has both political and financial power. It would result in a gold lining for Rodrick and hearing of his efforts the Faruergaz family might send combat slaves or some kind of aid it seems. If that's true then it's certainly something good and I've also heard of similar stories before so it would be a happy occasion if we could put into practice. If the number of combat slaves increases then it would be possible to rotate the members out as well.

The amount of experience each individual gains would decrease but it would raise the average for the lower level people. It's not like everyone has to reach the realm of a first-rate adventurer after all. Even if they don't make full use of their increased ability values, if they can just level up and the time is right there's also the benefit of an increase to HP after all.

In any case after I managed to get the two of them to agree I called out Rodrick and tried sounding it out with him but he turned it down. The primary reason was, "Moving itself is appealing but I have combat slaves that I need to take responsibility looking after." Hearing that Kamu and Ginger were enraged.

"If you're going to say that then what about Al who has combat slaves in both the {Butchers} and {Exterminators} and depending on the case even sends over Zulu and Angela? Are you saying that Al isn't taking responsibility for his combat slaves?" was their viewpoint on it. Hearing that while I thought it made sense, I fully intend to be taking responsibility for their lives but I felt like it was a bit different from what Rodrick wanted to say so I approved of his wishes.

Of course, it's not like I don't like that either but it's difficult.

In comparison to me in those conditions, while Rodrick wasn't the eldest child of the wealthy Count Faruergaz, he was born as the eldest son. Supposedly ever since his infancy other than serfs there was a lot of different slaves in his house. He even said that there were useless slaves. Slaves like that were easily sold off. Supposedly excluding a few excellent slaves all the ones that worked at his house would end up being sold off in at longest a few years.

Rodrick always thought they were pitiful in that sort of situation. It left him with the way of thinking that the first combat slaves he owned individually Denda and Karimu were important and he wanted to take good care of them over many years. If you were to ask I think he ended up naturally being raised with a way of thinking closer to my parents. Though the only differing part is "Always remaining on the side of their master watching over them" or "Wanting them to be able to live their own lives even without their master" and it's not really the type of case of which one is better or correct.

If you were to ask which one was closer to the current Orth then it's the former. They say, "Blessed with a fine master, devote with loyalty, and have a fine life." it's a phrase that's like the ideals of slaves on Orth. Rodrick is probably thinking of becoming the embodiment for that. That itself is something that should be recognized as proper. Even I want to be the embodiment of that phrase in my own way. I just thought that while we're using different methods I'm aiming for the same place as Rodrick as well.

I thought, just as expected from someone raised in the family of a high ranking n.o.ble. It's the same for me as well but Toris and Bel were both born in n.o.ble families but our way of thinking hasn't adapted to the "Orth way" like Rodrick. I can't remember when it was but a short while after we met, when I was having dinner together with the three of us including Hirosukol there's something that he said.

"I don't think slavery is something that should be allowed. But, since the system of society is already based around it, it's just futile trying to struggle against it. These past few months I've learned several important things."

When Rodrick said that as he was starting to get drunk Hirosukol said.

"Ho? What kind of things?"

"If I were to purchase a slave from here on out then it means that at least I want to let that slave live a life I think is good."

Hearing that I thought "He~". After all I didn't think it was the type of line someone who found Basutoral's origins pitiful and forcefully saved him from the slave ranking would say. At the same time I thought that he was thinking about a lot of things in his own way as well. It was that sort of him that I gave the advice to try buying some combat slaves. I heard that Rodrick bought two combat slaves several days after that.

After that he's always taken good care of Denda and Karimu the two of them. He's probably not thinking of entering a different party without them. It was to the point where he declared he would change parties together with the three of them after all. In order for all three of them to switch to the {Slaughterers} together they're always continuing their running whenever they have the time. I guess the results of that are showing because the other day he happily said to me, "All three of us are only 15 minutes away from reaching the goal."

In any case, while everything didn't go exactly as I hoped from the start, the new formation was decided.

Now we just need to keep exploring the 9th floor and I want some kind of results.

Year 7446, Month 8, Day 12

It's the second day since we started exploring the 9th floor this time.

Along the way the room we ran into after teleporting twice had an altar we were already used to seeing. Before charging into the room I created enough dirt in the center of the room to cover 50 meters in every direction burying the gargoyles up their neck.

"Ralpha, Toris, Angela. You three are the {Advance.Guard}. Aim for the powerful one that gets summoned."

The three of them silently nod. Ralpha is licking her lips.

"Gwine and Basutoral are the {Spear.Interceptors}. Don't let the Kobold or Goblins or whatever approach us."

Gwine caresses her beard while holding the {Spear.Of.Piercing} on her side while Basutoral made a tense face as he maintained the stance to charge with both hands properly on his spear.

"It doesn't matter if it's bow or magic but Miduchi and Bel hit the Kobolds and such with that to confuse them."

The two of them probably predicted I would say that. They were already confirming the bowstrings with their left hand and pulling an arrow from the quiver on their back.

"I'll start off by hitting the small fries with a {Fire Ball}. After that, I'll keep an eye on the state of things and if it's necessary I'll support appropriate with spells. If I have the leeway then I'll finish off the gargoyles. Alright, let's go!"

The boss that was summoned this time was a {Green Gargantuan Spider}. It's a frightening monster with deadly poison.

However, just the same as when we came up to here, Toris was freely swinging around {Flame.Tongue} in all of it's fury and in no time at all the eerie green hairs tightly packed across the surface of the spider's body were lit on fire slowing the movements of the Gargantuan Spider. Even the strings coming from it's b.u.t.t (something like a natural {Web} spell) are no threat at all to Toris swinging {Flame.Tongue}.

Simultaneously I sent a {Fire Ball} aimed towards the center of the Kobolds that were summoned and in no time at all after it more than half of them died instantly, then while stunned before they could use spells they were finished off by Gwine and Basutoral's spears and Miduchi and Bel's arrows. The gargoyles were skilled without being able to do anything either.

When the movements of the Giant Spider are slowed from the flames covering it's entire body Angela and Ralpha use their weapons to gradually reduce the number of legs it has.

Finally after being smashed in the head with the tomahawk the spider stopped moving.

At the same time the shrine on the altar opened.

It's just these times that everyone is focused on the shrine.

While basking in eight looks filled with expectation the door of the shrine opened.

The same as usual Angela stuck her hands into the shrine and grabbed the thing that was enshrined inside of it. It seems it's difficult to grab this time so she put in not just her left hand but right hand as well.

"We've gotten quite extravagant as well right..But silver is it.."

Ralpha and Bel both sighed at the same time.

"This, somehow it's extremely heavy.."

Angela said that while holding out the silver ore for me. She's holding it in both hands.

"{Status Open}"

{Tungsten Ore}

"What?!!?"

Seeing the status I was so surprised I let out a loud voice and Angela almost dropped the ore. Everyone who was watching as if it was uninteresting was a bit surprised wondering what in the world it was.

On Earth it's not particularly a precious metal or anything like that but it's reasonably rare. Though I say that the price isn't anything great. It's several thousand yen per 1 kg or so and cheaper than silver. Since it's weight is close to platinum and gold it's famous for being used in plating fraud and shouldn't be really well known by the average person.

However, something even more characteristic of it is that it's melting point is over 3,000 degrees and it's not easy to melt. If I use the spell {Trans.m.u.te.Rock.To.Mud} to make a pot and mixing rod then even someone who doesn't know the spell can make any alloy they please as long as they have the mana. That is if they know the mixing ratio for it. Even Platinum and Osmium can be melted with fire magic and around 30 MP.

Even after using Identify it seems to be the tungsten that I know as well. If I just improvise a bit with the grip of the mixing rod and pot then it should be possible to create a considerably large crucible with this amount.

We've found something good.

"Hey, what is that? Isn't it silver?"

"Yeah, listen and be surprised. It's tungsten!"

Hearing that Miduchi's eyes opened wide. And then she started muttering things like, "If we make a sword with that.." She sure is knowledgeable. Tungsten is a metal with a considerable hardness to it as well.

"It's Tungsten, Ral."

"I feel like I've heard the name before.."

"Ah, the one used in industrial use tools.."

"Hmn, I only know about that much."

After everyone started talking Miduchi triumphantly stuck out her noise as she started explaining.

"It's hard so it's used in drills for the purpose of manufacturing metal on top of that it's heavy so just like "depleted uranium" it's used as the core material in "APFSDS" and "High-Velocity Armor Piercing" rounds for "tanks". Since it doesn't let "radiation" pa.s.s through it's also used in the armor for "tanks" as well."

Putting aside the drill, I'm amazed she knows such specialized information like the tanks high-velocity armor piercing rounds or the depleted uranium. It's a bit admirable. When I tried praising her and, "Eh? This is common knowledge in my field?" said that with a strange face.

Didn't you work in the same foodstuff industry as me? Are you really that quiet s.h.i.+na? In the first place why do you know something like that? There's probably not a single other person in that company that knows and could casually say that stuff. Rather~ even someone who normally knows about tungsten would probably mention the fraud stuff or the fact that they're used for the filaments in light bulbs first right. I can't understand how she didn't touch on those at all either. Wouldn't she have been better off if she studied other things rather than acc.u.mulating all that strange information...

Putting that aside, currently her information has been considerably useful. Also, I don't have enough free time to question her on it that much.

However, I really got my hands on something good. Putting aside the sh.e.l.l case it should be useful in making the bullet and various other things.