In the workshop, where the production plan had to be changed suddenly, Lange was busy adjusting the kettles.


    Since they were going to refine silver that day, they had to change everything, including the kiln temperature.


    Aryeh, on the other hand, was sorting the raw materials for the "Reiko-ishi" (spiritual light stone).


    She sorted the raw materials for the "Reikoishi" according to the level of each worker.


    She takes out one of the raw materials of "Yeonggwangseok" from each box and checks its texture by lightly heating it or tapping it with a hammer.


    (This one is class B. This one is class A. This one is class B. (This one is class B. This one is only class C.) This one is class A, so I have to do everything myself.)


    The selected "Reiko-ishi" were then sorted according to the level of each worker.


    The kiln is ready, Mr. Aryeh.


    Lange, who had changed the kiln settings from silver to "Reikoishi," came running into the room.


    I''m ready too. We will start refining immediately.


    Aryeh led the workers in refining 50 pieces of "Reikoishi" that day.


    The "Reiko Stones" were completed without losing any of their potential.


    The next day, when Roland and his team brought the "Spirit Light Stones" to the front of the dungeon, they found a unit of "Guardians of the Magic Tree" already prepared and waiting for them.


    Mr. Roland. I have heard your story. Preparations for the dungeon search are complete!


    I''m sorry, guys. We just got back from the dungeon.


    No," he said. If we can take two dungeons, we can strike a blow to the Golden Eagle. You don''t often get a chance like this. Let''s let the Golden Eagle have its fill.


    Shakuma said triumphantly.


    Listen to me, Mr. Roland. Those Sebasta Corps guys, they were going to attack us directly!


    Euphine said, unusually indignant.


    I can''t let it go on like this. We have to give them a good scolding!


    Haha. Yes, that''s right. I''m going to go to ......."


    Roland walked over to the girl, who even at a time like this seemed to be quiet in the back of the room, and called out to her.


    Monica, I heard you conquered the ''forest dungeon.


    Yes, sir." Somehow."


    No, I underestimated your abilities. I didn''t expect you to conquer it before Sebasta and the others. It''s amazing."


    We only managed to capture it with such ...... magre."


    Monica showed a blush of embarrassment on her cheeks.


    Roland," she said. We are ready.


    Euphine, who had finished allocating the "spirit light stones" to the item holders, said, "I''m going to give them to the item holders.


    Good. I''ll tell you the plan then.


    Roland opened the meeting on the spot.


    This time, the objective is to support Lilianne''s team. Everything depends on speed. So we need to organize a unit with the minimum number of people who can protect the item holders and still make it through the dungeon, with an emphasis on speed. That is what I have called this team here today. We are to deliver the "Spirit Light Stone" to Lilianne''s team in the shortest possible distance, ignoring quests and monsters as much as possible.


    Roland had organized the unit in advance, selecting members who were more interested in search speed than in combat power.


    This time, based on the members who were active in the "Forest Dungeon," he kept Monica, Shakuma, and Yuffine, the aces, and excluded those with relatively low agility, and added a support mage who could use "agility grant" and Rosiane from Lilianne''s squad.


    The equipment is also lighter overall.


    However, the balance has not been lost.


    This should have made for the fastest dungeon dive possible.


    Roland routinely made a list of available adventurers and their skills, stats, and equipment, and thought of various formation patterns according to their uses so that he would be able to respond immediately in an emergency.


    The basic tactics remained the same. "The basic tactic remains the same: Monica''s ''Hawkeye'' to choose the best path, and Shakuma and Yufine to provide combat support. Is that clear?"


    ""Yes.""


    Good. Go on then. I''m counting on you."


    Monica and her colleagues immediately went into the "mining dungeon.


    I will show you the way. This is the shortest way to the transfer magic circle.


    Rosiane, who had already explored the dungeon as Lillianne''s troop, said as she pointed to the path the troop had taken earlier.


    The 21st level was the stage of the ruins.


    ''No, this way is faster.


    Monica pointed out a different path than Rosian.


    The troop proceeded as Monica had said, as a matter of course.


    Rosian panicked.


    Hey, that''s a road that hasn''t been explored yet," she said. It is dangerous to proceed on a hunch at a time like this. If you hit a dead end by mistake, you will lose time.


    I don''t care. Do as Monica says.


    Euphine said in a tone of admonishment.


    The troop entered the intricate and complicated path.


    Rozhian followed them, bewildered, and soon they came to a familiar road.


    (I didn''t know such a route existed. This is the power of the unique skill "Hawkeye" (......)


    Monica and her team quickly made it one-third of the way through the 21 levels.


    A few hours earlier, Lukius had received word that a support unit of the "Guardians of the Magic Tree" had infiltrated the dungeon after completing the procurement of "spirit light stones.


    Lucius was astonished.


    What? You mean to say that preparations have already been completed?"


    (Nonsense. (How could they have completed their preparations before we did?)


    However, none of the workshops could immediately respond to Rukius'' sudden request, and in fact, they all showed reluctance to do so.


    Rukius, using his size and authority, forced his guild to stop all its current operations and devote all its resources to refining the "Spirit Light Stone," but in terms of footwork, it fell behind the "Arsenal of Spirits.


    But the "Spirit Arsenal" was lagging behind in terms of footwork. They are all useless!　How can we fall behind a newly formed guild?


    Lucius breathed out pneumatics in the conference room.


    (If this happens, we have no choice but to overwhelm them with the speed of dungeon exploration!)


    This is a battle we cannot lose. If we fall behind the "Guardians of the Magic Tree" here, it will ruin the name of the "Golden Eagle"!　We have to get our strongest members together and do whatever it takes to get there first!"


    Lukius'' idea of the strongest members was simple and clear.


    Thirty members were chosen in order, beginning with those with the highest adventurer ranks.


    This included Sebasta, a Class A adventurer, Jill, who had just returned from the "Dungeon of the Demon World" (where she had performed remarkably well), Dorwin, who usually worked in a corner of the headquarters tapping hardware, and the three Coater brothers. The


    It was truly an all-star affair, but in doing so, no consideration was given to the importance of speed, the chemistry of the combination, or the balance of equipment.


    Thus, the "Golden Hawk" strongest team dived into the dungeon with a heavy nose, but their march was extremely slow.


    Originally, it was a hastily created mixed force that ignored coordination, but this was compounded by the rekindled feud between Sebasta and the three Coater brothers, which had been born in the "forest dungeon.


    The members argued and wrangled over details ranging from formation placement and the paths to choose, to tactics and item possession ratios.


    Jill became impatient and frustrated.


    (How long are these guys going to continue this kind of infighting when the enemy is ahead of us? (How long are they going to continue this kind of internal squabble when they are ahead of the enemy?)


    Jill glared sharply at the end of the dungeon.


    The stage of the ruins was cluttered with buildings, and tall buildings stood in front of her.


    ''Hey, what are you doing?　Jill?"


    Dorwin looked at her suspiciously.


    Sebasta also looked at her askance.


    Jill!　What are you doing out of formation? The road is this way. Don''t act like you don''t know what you''re doing!


    I''ll make my way."


    (Don''t be fooled by appearances. It''s just a lump of dirt. If you can reap what you sow, you are no different from a golem!)


    Jill raises her sword toward the building.


    Jill raises her sword at the building. Hey, no way. ......"


    ''Everyone follow me!　Whoa, whoa, whoa!"


    The sword swung down.


    With a thunderous roar, the walls of the building were shattered.


    Jill blasted her way to the back of the dungeon, ignoring the debris that fell on her.


    He continued on, destroying every wall that stood in his path.


    Oh, no," she said. They''re so reckless. Who do you think is going to fix your equipment? That''s why you''re such a brainiac. ......


    Dorwin was disgusted and walked down the path she had made, complaining.


    Wow."


    Everyone follow Jill!"


    Suddenly energized, the troops begin to follow Jill''s lead.


    "Tsk. That was unnecessary.


    Sebasta, who for some reason did not want to go too fast, followed Jill and Dorwin ahead with a bitter look on his face.


    While advancing, Monica sensed something approaching from the rear at great speed.


    (Did the wind change direction?　(No, was it the building behind them that changed?)


    When I checked behind me with "Hawkeye," I saw a heavily armed knight literally moving straight through the dungeon, destroying buildings as he went.


    There was no one to stop them.


    Even the monsters in the dungeon fled in fear in the face of Jill''s furious advance.


    The dead from the land of the dead, the golem, a puppet with only a soul and no will, and even the orcs were startled by the sound of the building''s destruction and fled the scene.


    （What is this? What''s this guy? He''s going straight ahead while destroying buildings. ...... Is this possible?)


    In a blink of an eye, Jill caught up with Monica and the others.


    Monica and Jill ran side by side on the wide street and recognized each other.


    A shiver ran through the "Guardian of the Magic Tree.


    What is that?　Jill Irwin of The Golden Eagle!"


    A heavily armed knight with S-class potential!"


    Jill passed a squad of "Guardians of the Magic Tree" and climbed to the second floor of a nearby building, destroying the steeple and scattering debris in the path of Monica and the others.


    What the hell, he''s in our path!


    Euphine''s lips twisted.


    She said, "d*mn it. What do we do?　Do you want me to move the debris out of the way?　Or do we go around?"


    Shakma asked Monica.


    Let''s go around. There''s a path off to the side that the troops can take."


    (There is more than one path. But ...... that way is better in speed. How can I counter ...... such a thing?)


    He said, "Oh, no. Such a blatant blockage of the road. It''s illegal for adventurers to obstruct each other''s exploration. Do you understand?"


    Dorwin, who had followed behind Jill, said dismissively.


    I just destroyed a building. I had no intention of interfering with other adventurers."


    Again with that kind of quibbling ......."


    I''ve broken my sword. Fix it."


    Yes, yes. I knew this would happen.


    Dorwin took out a kiln on the spot and reforged the sword with fire magic.


    Monica and the others marched in troops through the bottleneck.


    (I''ve got it!　(There''s an ambush lurking over there.)


    From my high vantage point with Jill, I could see corpses (zombie archers) equipped with bows and arrows running into the buildings on either side of the narrow aisle.


    Sure enough, arrows rained down on them as they proceeded down the road.


    Yuffine!　Please!"


    Ok. Wide-area recovery magic!


    As Yuffine casts the spell, a magical path is created, and the troops proceed through the arrow sliding doors, recovering.


    Furthermore, the magic circle moves forward as the troops advance.


    What is that magic circle?　It''s moving!


    Jill and Dorwin looked at each other.


    (That healer''s skills?　I can''t believe they could develop a skill like that (......).


    (It''s not just about skills. Troop composition optimized for the mission, taking into account status and equipment as well. No doubt. I built that troop: ......)


    ((It''s Mr. Roland!))


    The two sensitively sensed Roland''s shadow.


    Tch. What is Sebasta doing!　I''ve gone to the trouble of making a path for you. Still can''t catch up?"


    Jill looked irritably back behind her.


    Sebasta was still marching slowly, far in the rear.


    （Sebasta''s mission this time was to carry the item owners to the deepest level!　No matter how far ahead I am, it is meaningless if the entire unit does not move forward. If I don''t do this, the "Guardians of the Magic Tree" will get ahead of me again!)


    Dorwin!　You too, quickly. ......"


    Here you go. It''s fixed.


    "Whoa."


    Dorwin hands the sword to Jill, who has completed the repair before long.


    I''ve also made it easier to destroy the building."


    ''...... what''s up with you all of a sudden. You''re more motivated than ever."


    Nothing. It''s the mission. Besides, it''s ......."


    (It''s not my intention to be seen as if I''m slowing down in front of Mr. Roland''s troops.)


    All right. Let''s go!"


    Jill brushes the dust from her hair, readies her sword, and tries to make her way again.


    ''Wait a minute, you two!


    Jill was about to raise her sword to destroy the wall when a voice came from behind her.


    Jill turned around with a startled look and saw a spirit.


    ''Is this the ...... skill ''astral projection''?''


    Dorwin muttered as he looked quizzically at the spirit.


    He was a person whose soul was summoned into the dungeon by the "astral projection" skill.


    Astral projection" is a skill that allows one to access acquaintances in the dungeon under certain conditions.


    The skill can only be activated if the user knows where he or she is in the dungeon and has talked to the person at least 100 times.


    Jill frowned at the spirit.


    ''You are ...... surely a member of the guild leader''s entourage. How on earth did you end up here?"


    ''I have a message from Mr. Lucius. I''m ordering both Jill and Dorwin. Return to the Gilded Eagle headquarters immediately.


    What?"


    Jill''s eyes widened in surprise.


    Why on earth!


    I don''t know why. But this is a strict order!　Both of you must give top priority to returning home, no matter what."


    But ......"


    What''s the matter with you guys? What are you arguing about?


    As Jill was about to object, Sebasta, who had caught up behind her, joined the conversation.


    ''Hmm?　You are a member of the guild leader''s entourage, aren''t you? What are you doing here?"


    In fact, I was ordered by Master Lucius to bring back Jill and Dorwin ......."


    What?　Is that so?　Then you should go back as soon as possible. Jill!　Dorwin!　What are you waiting for?


    But!　We have a mission to deliver the ''Spirit Light Stone'' to Arik''s unit. ......"


    What are you talking about? The guild leader has personally ordered you to return, hasn''t he?　If that is the case, then that should be the priority no matter what. If you disobey the order here, the bonds of the organization will be at stake. Return home immediately."


    I''m sorry, sir. ......


    "Yeah, yeah, yeah!　While we are waiting, the "Guardian of the Magical Tree" is moving on!　If you don''t want to hinder the mission, this is not the time for such a sterile argument, especially if you don''t want to hinder the mission. Why don''t you two get the hell out of here!


    Reluctantly, they turn back the way they came and return to the city.


    (Huh?)


    Monica, who had been proceeding through the dungeon, noticed something unusual.


    Monica?　What''s wrong?"


    Something about the pressure from behind me seems to have lessened. ......


    After Jill and Dorwin left, Sebasta, who did not want Arik to take credit, had blatantly slowed the speed at which the troops were advancing, as if this were a good thing.


    The distance between the two units, which had been shrinking, began to slowly open up again.


    After returning from the dungeon, Jill and Dorwin were made to change into formal attire and packed into a carriage without a moment''s rest.


    It was not until some time after the carriage had left the city that they were told that they were now going to see Count Elsen.


    Lucius was smiling as he sat in the carriage with the letter from Count Elsen in his pocket.


    The letter said that he wanted to consult with him about the silversmith and alchemy guilds.


    (Finally, he was willing to rely on us. (Does this mean that Roland is no longer of any use to us?　In any case, as long as we can get Count Elsen''s support, we''re done with that nagging investor.)


    Lukius naturally felt a surge of joy at the thought of not having to be any more reserved with the investors who were holding him down.


    As soon as the group''s carriage arrived at the mansion, they were called to the dinner table.


    Rukius invited Jill and Dorwin to join him.


    Count Elsen took one look at Jill and gasped at her beauty.


    ''Who is she?''


    Let me introduce you. She is Jill Irwin, a Class B adventurer belonging to the Golden Eagle.


    As it is, Count Elsen takes a serious look at Jill.


    （I see. So this is Jill Irwin, the famous female knight. I can see why Lukius likes her. She is certainly an attractive woman. In fact, there are probably no two women in the world as beautiful as she is. It is hard to believe that she is not an adventurer who has been through many monster-infested dungeons. (In my younger days, I might have been willing to give up everything to get her.)


    Not only that, but now that I am older, I could have given her everything if only I had the slightest impetus.


    Jill''s beauty had that kind of gravitational pull.


    She was discouraged, but that did not diminish her beauty.


    When Jill stared at him, Count Elsen coughed hurriedly.


    Lucius saw the look on Count Elsen''s face and chuckled.


    I thought we had a deal now," he said.


    I called you here because of one thing," Count Elsen said. I''m actually in a bit of a bind regarding alchemy. I wanted to ask for your help, since you have a strong influence over the alchemy guilds in the city.


    But then, why didn''t you ask the ''Arsenal of Spirits,'' a company highly regarded by Hakaru as well?


    Of course, I would have approached them in the first place. But apparently, their guild is short of silver at the moment.


    I''m not sure I''d like that. Is that so?


    Lucius smiled inwardly, knowing that his strategy was working.


    Even though they are an up-and-coming guild, they are still a weak guild. They seem to be lax in procuring materials. That''s where ......"


    I see. That''s a common mistake made by weak guilds. Even if they can temporarily attract the public''s interest by making eccentric products, they are unable to formulate a stable business plan because they are lax in procuring and managing raw materials."


    Mm. As the leader of the city''s largest guild, he understands the importance of planning. So, in anticipation of your wealth of expertise, I''m going to ......."


    Yes," he said. Stability is what makes a first-class guild. Too many guilds these days start out a little and then quickly get stuck and go out of business. They wreak havoc on the market and never take responsibility for the trouble they cause. To be honest, we are also troubled by the existence of such guilds. On the other hand, we are relieved. We deal only with reliable guilds and run our business solidly, so there is no way that the guild''s foundation will collapse in the slightest.


    Mm-hmm. As the leader of the city''s largest guild, he understands the importance of connections. That''s a big deal. So, in anticipation of your connections, I have decided to use ......."


    No, no, no. This is no big deal. It''s just that there are too many people who can''t take things for granted.


    I see. Very wise words.


    Count Elsen was slightly fed up with Lukius, who had just interrupted him to make a blatant appeal, but he persevered and continued to maintain his aristocratic, hawkish attitude.


    He was a little fed up with Lucius interrupting him earlier and making a blatant appeal to him, but he put up with it and kept up a hawkish attitude typical of the aristocracy. It will not be an open one like before, where even citizens can participate, but a private one among nobles, and the person with the title will introduce one silversmith per person. So I would like to enter one silversmith in the competition ......"


    I''ll leave it to you. In that case, Dorwin here will be happy to prepare some exquisite silversmithing for you.


    I''m not sure I''m going to be able to do that. Is this Dorwin? I hear he''s the best alchemist in town. ......


    That''s right. That''s right. In his hands, even a scrap of iron can be turned into a treasured sword.


    That''s great. But according to Roland, there is a shortage of silver in the city. Is everything all right in your part of town?


    Yes. We have alchemy guilds all over the city. We have more than enough silver in our warehouses.


    Oh, I see. That''s good to know."


    Count Elsen''s face fell as if he were relieved.


    I thought this would solve the problem at hand.


    Then I will ask you again.


    Yes, sir. Anything you need.


    I want you to support the ''Arsenal of Spirits. Supply them with silver.


    Yes, sir. I''ll leave it to you. ...... What?


    "Oh, will you do it?"


    I''m sure you''re thinking, "Well, ......, wait a minute. Did you say ...... to supply the "Arsenal of Spirits" with silver?"


    Yeah, that''s right.


    And that''s what we''re going to do?"


    I don''t feel sorry for you," he said. It''s a guild that''s just starting to grow. It''s not going to do well because it doesn''t have the right ingredients.


    Um, no, but ......


    Lucius was at a loss for words at the unexpected turn of events.


    Hm?　What''s wrong?"


    No, how should I put it? We have a lot on our plate. ......"


    What''s that?　Are you guys not getting along by any chance?"


    Oh, no, it was never like that. ......


    If that''s the case. That''s good. Help him out.


    "No, but ...... there are, you know, industry ties or ......


    You have plenty of silver, don''t you?


    It''s ......, yes.


    Well, that''s good.


    Uh, yes.


    At the same time, in the dungeon, Monica and her friends had reached the deepest part of the dungeon and rushed to Lilianne''s side.


    Lilianne successfully received 50 spirit stones, defeated the boss "Armored Ghost," and conquered the dungeon.


    The "Mine Dungeon" became the property of the "Guardian of the Magic Tree.


    <>