Equipped to meet the quartet!


    Upon receiving Roland''s order, the members of the "Arsenal of Spirits" immediately worked on improving their skills and strengthening their equipment.


    Aina was hammering iron, remembering Roland''s words.


    ''Is it the forest at the foot of the mountain ......?''


    Yes."


    Roland drew a simple diagram on the board.


    The "Barren Zone" near the top of the volcano, the "Metal Line" in the middle of the volcano, and the forest at the base of the volcano.


    The "Fire Rest" is a fire-retardant ore, and I don''t think they will use the depths of the dungeon where the "Fafnir" flies around as a battleground. It would be suicidal to fight other guilds while being consumed by the "breath of fire" of the "fire dragon (Fafnir). If this is the case, the forest at the foot of the mountain will probably be the place where they will make their move. That is where we will be facing the Adventurers'' Guild, who are the offspring of the "Dragon''s Fires". That is why I want you all to develop special ground/personnel equipment suitable for fighting in the forest.


    Is the equipment suitable for combat in the forest ......?


    Yes. However, what we have to do is not so different from what we have done before. The basic tactic is to use Aina''s "coated" armor to survive the enemy''s attacks. Wayne and Pato are strengthening their unique skills. Leena should support everyone''s production with "Ore Refining" and "Recycle".


    (If we are to survive the attacks from the quartet ......, "Black Bow," "Fire Spear (Javelin)," and "Dragon''s Head Basket (Dragoon)," a half-hearted defense will not be enough. Then, why don''t we try that?)


    Aina decided to start developing a new product that she had been envisioning for some time.


    It was a double layer of "exterior reinforcement (coating).


    She immediately consulted with Roland, and then used Roddy''s ''product design'' and Aisu''s agility (agility) to turn a fast cycle of development.


    Wayne was impatient as he worked.


    (Hey, hey, hey. Seriously? The quartet is going to take four guys to crush us. d*mn, I didn''t think this would happen. If it was just Edgar alone, I might have been able to handle it if I held my ground, but with all four of them coming at us at once, even I wouldn''t be able to get through it. The equipment I made in this little workshop (atelier) would be no match for them. What should we do?　You want to run away?)


    Hey, Wayne. How are you doing?"


    Oh?　Roland?"


    Wayne stops working when Roland speaks to him.


    Aina suggested that we use two layers of ''coating'' to strengthen the exterior," Wayne said. I gave her the go-ahead.


    ......"


    It''s a good and reasonable idea. But even this is no guarantee that it will survive an attack from the quartet. Defeating them is such a tall order.


    I''m not going to say it''s a big deal. You can''t beat them that easily.


    So I guess that makes you our trump card this time, huh?


    ...... trump card?"


    Wayne''s eyebrows twitched.


    ''Yeah, ''cause it is, isn''t it?　If you can raise the firepower and support capabilities of the rear-guard mages with your unique skill "Magic Stone Cutting," you can reduce the time the vanguard is exposed to attacks. This will in turn lead to a better chance of surviving the quartet''s attacks.


    ......"


    I want you to use your power to save this workshop (atelier) and the adventurers. I''m counting on you.


    After Roland said that much, he turned back to Aina again.


    (Phew. A trump card. Oh, man, I can''t help it. This workshop (atelier) is really no use without me. I''ll develop A-class equipment quickly and save these guys.)


    Wayne once again set to work on the "cutting of magic stones.


    By that time, the thought of running away had already left his mind.


    Pato looked worriedly at Aina, who was absorbed in her work.


    (Aina-san. (Aina, you look like you''re having a hard time. I''ve been talking with Mr. Roland for a long time. Is there anything I can do?)


    Pato shook his head and chided himself.


    (No, let''s just focus on our own work here. I''m sure Aina-san is having a hard time, but I have to complete my own work. (No, let''s focus on my own work here.) Improving the quality of "Ryuon" is also an admirable support. The "Ryuon" cannot prevent attacks from the quartet, but it can outwit attacks from the "Fire Dragon (Fafnir). (This should lead to saving strength for the battle against the quartet.)


    Thus, in the "Arsenal of Spirits," alchemists worked hard to improve their skills and strengthen their equipment, and the months passed by in the blink of an eye.


    The next month came.


    The next month, a crustal movement (not caused by the "Giant Fire Dragon (Gran Fafnir)") occurred. The shape of the dungeon changed, and a lot of "Fire Rest" appeared on the surface of the earth again.


    The volcano''s flanks are clad in a red, shimmering glow, and the alluring glimmer invites adventurers deep into the dungeon where the dragon tribe is stirring.


    Seeing this, the "knights of hail" began to move.


    They were told by the "Dragon''s Fireside" that there was a shortage of ore, so they decided to procure the "Fire Rest" on their own.


    What a guild! After making us wait for two weeks, they want us to go out and get the materials for the equipment ourselves?　We had to pay for the deposit of the equipment and lodging for the wait!


    The best alchemy guild in the world is appalled to hear this.


    Anyway, I can''t complain about it. We can''t postpone our dungeon exploration any longer. I am not sure if I want to enter the dungeon without the "Fire Rest," but it is unavoidable. From now on, the first unit of "Knights of the Hail" will venture to search for the "Volcano Dungeon". I hope you have done everything you can to gather the troops and notify the allied guilds?"


    Cendric and his team had to wait a long time to gather information.


    They had heard that the "Knight of the Crescent Moon," who had challenged the "Volcano Dungeon" last time, had tried to conquer the dungeon in three separate attempts, so they decided to follow his lead.


    They obtained ore in the first search, hunted the "Giant Fire Dragon (Gran Fafnir)" in the second search, and used the third search as a backup.


    For some reason, the "Knight of the Crescent Moon" seemed to have left without daring to search for the third time, which was not clear to me. ......


    Roland and the others moved as the "Knight of Hail" alliance moved.


    The movements of the "Knights of the Hail" were known to the "Arsenal of Spirits" through Dylan''s information gathering.


    Roland and his team decided to enter the dungeon just in time for the day the "Knight of Hail" entered the dungeon.


    In front of the assembled adventurers, Roland made a speech.


    Everyone has done well to gather here," he said. While many adventurers have been swayed by the "Knights of the Hail" alliance, I thank you again for accepting our invitation. This time, we will avoid competing with the "Knights of Hail" and take a different route, targeting small- to medium-scale mining sites. Of course, if there is a chance, we will work on improving our skills and status. I look forward to seeing how each of you performs."


    Roland looks over the faces of the assembled adventurers.


    This time, in addition to "Shield of Dawn" and "Arrow of the Heavenly Horse," guilds such as "Guardian of Ore," "Silver Eagle Alliance," and "Wildcat" were participating.


    The "Guardian of Ore" is composed of four shield users, the "Silver Eagle Alliance" is composed of one healer, one shield user, and one swordsman, and the "Wildcat" is composed of three female bandits (thieves). Guild.


    This makes 6 shield users, 4 archers (archers), 3 thieves (thieves), 1 healer thief (healer thieves), 1 healer (healer), 1 swordsman (swordsman), 1 healer 2, 2 mages, 1 bard, and 1 appraiser.


    With a total of 21 members, the team finally has the appearance of a unit.


    The range of operations has also expanded.


    With six shieldmen, a six-row flanking line can be formed, and the firepower of the mages in the rear guard can be used.


    (There are 20 adventurers who have formed a partnership with the "Arsenal of Spirits. We''ve finally made it this far. But we are almost there. If we can get them all up to B class, we will have a very powerful force. (Especially these four ......)


    [Elio''s skills


    Shield Defense: B to A


    Shield Assault": B to A


    Hans Bergamot''s skills


    Bow shooting: B to A


    Silent Run": B to A


    Magical Shooting": B to A


    Will Wombat''s skills


    Blast Magic": B to A


    Lana Wombat''s skills


    Crustal Magic": B to A


    (These four are all Class A qualities. If all four of them could be class A''s, it would change the way people on the island think.)


    As Roland was thinking about this, Aina led the members of the "Arsenal of Spirits" to him.


    Roland-san. I brought you some new equipment.


    You''re here. All right, then, have all the adventurers equip themselves.


    The adventurers wore their new equipment according to their improved status.


    Pato was distributing new bows and arrows to Jeff.


    ''Is this my new equipment?


    Yes," he said. We have made special modifications to match Mr. Jeff''s status."


    [Jeff''s Skills and Status


    Bow Shooting: B


    Far-sightedness: B


    Agility: 70-80


    (Jeff, you are finally equivalent to a B class. You''ve been working hard. Good for you.)


    Pato looked around at the adventurers present.


    (Over the past few days, they had persistently gathered information, strengthened their equipment, and made every effort to improve their odds of winning. I hope somehow our efforts will bear fruit. ......)


    Suddenly, I see the "knight of the hail" entering the dungeon.


    （It is not equipped with "Fire Rest". I knew that the "Dragon''s Fires" lacked the "Fire Rest". Is it safe to enter the dungeon with that kind of equipment?)


    Also, adventurers from the outside are about to be swept away by the convenience of "Dragon''s Fires.


    The thought of it made Pato feel heavy.


    Hey, are you okay?"


    Oh, Mr. Dylan.


    Well, I''m worried about those guys."


    Yes."


    But we can''t afford to be helping other people either. Let''s just focus on our own work here."


    Yes, sir.


    Pato prayed for Roland and the others as they entered the dungeon.


    (Please bless them in their adventure.)


    There are two main routes into the "Volcano Dungeon.


    One is the "Crater Route" and the other is the "Lake Route.


    The two routes have the same entrance and end point (the crater where the "Grand Fafnir" is located), but the paths to the end point are quite different.


    The "Crater Route" was the route where the largest ore mines in the "Metal Line" were concentrated, and adventurers from major guilds who came from outside the island always took this route.


    On the other hand, the "Lake Route" is a route where small to medium-sized ore mines are concentrated, and the number of ores that can be mined is relatively small compared to the distance involved, so it is not worth the effort for large guilds and guilds that form large alliances.


    There are some roads that connect the two routes, but any attempt to go through them would result in a major detour and time loss.


    This time, knowing that the "Knights of the Hail" would take the "Crater Route," Roland and his team decided to avoid the competition and explore the "Lake Route.


    The "White Wolf" team looked at them with a bitter look on their faces.


    "d*mn. They have been exactly in sync with the dungeon explorations of the "knights of the hail.


    Rodo said, annoyed.


    I knew it," he said. "It looks like the man with the wits about him is in charge. He''s a calm guy."


    Zain, too, looks reluctant.


    Jamil also bit his teeth.


    （I''d like to hit the "Arsenal of Spirits" somehow, ......, but we don''t have time to split our forces in two. (If it''s the "Arsenal of Spirits" and the "Knights of the Hail," then by far the attack on the "Knights of the Hail" will be more fruitful.)


    You guys. This time, we will not go through the "Spirit Arsenal". Our priority here is to destroy the hail knights.


    Jamil. Jamil. We''re getting screwed over.


    The debt will be repaid in due time. For now, concentrate on the hail knight.


    Crap."


    Rodo watches in frustration as the "Arsenal of Spirits" enters the dungeon.


    Jamil glanced at the group behind the "Arsenal of Spirits.


    A group that had not joined either the "Knights of the Hail" alliance or the "Arsenal of Spirits" alliance.


    It was the "Hermitage of the Dragon Knight," a guild affiliated with the "Dragon''s Fires.


    (According to Edgar, the quartet is also working to destroy the "Arsenal of Spirits. We have no choice but to leave this to them.)


    Lizetta will be the main axis of the "Arsenal of Spirits" countermeasures.


    Despite Raul''s explicit words to the contrary, Edgar was secretly working on his own to take the credit for the project and was moving forward with measures against the "Spirit Arsenal.


    He proceeded to develop a weapon that would break Aina''s blue armor in a room in his workshop (atelier) away from the quartet''s room.


    With Edgar''s great physical strength (stamina), the equipment was assembled in the blink of an eye, just in time for the day when Roland and his men were to enter the dungeon.


    Now he is watching Roland and the others enter the dungeon with the "dragon knight''s hermitage.


    (After all, he came along with the "knight of hail" to explore the dungeon, didn''t he? Heh. It''s just a weak man''s strategy after all. I know what you guys are going to do.)


    All right. I''ll get you the thing."


    Edgar had his henchmen carry the equipment, which was hidden from Roland and the others by a crowd of people and cloth, and revealed it to the adventurers of the "Hermitage of the Dragon Knight.


    It''s amazing," said Edgar. I didn''t think they could prepare it in such a short period of time.


    Charles gazed at Edgar''s "black bow," his 18th piece of equipment, with a half-amused look on his face.


    It''s only natural. I won''t let Lisetta take the credit for this.


    Charles sighed.


    (You are truly a physical wacko, aren''t you? (He''s really a physical wacko, isn''t he? ) "How can he be working on the ''Arsenal of Spirits'' while also completing the requests for the ''Knight of Hail'' and the ''White Wolf''?


    Charles was always impressed by this kind of energy and muscle power of Edgar.


    Every time he did this, he made a mental note that it was not a good idea to make enemies with him.


    All right. You''ve done very well. Floyd.


    When Edgar called out, Floyd, a B-class archer from "The Dragon Knight''s Hermitage," stepped forward.


    This is the bow and arrow we will use against the ''Arsenal of Spirits.


    Huh. ......


    Floyd looks at the "Black Bow" with dismay.


    (One of the quartet, Edgar Logue''s equipment, "Black Bow". It''s certainly a powerful piece of equipment. ......)


    Hmmm..."


    Floyd lifts his bow and arrow, frowning.


    It''s heavy."


    Status of "Black Bow


    Power: 100


    Durability: 100


    Weight: 100


    [Floyd''s status].


    Power: 50-60


    Agility: 70-80


    Have a little patience."


    But it''s hard to operate in this way.


    You guys can work something out there. Listen up. Anyway, you have to hit the arrow in order to smash through the armor. As long as you can hit it, you can always hit the B-class armor.


    Huh."


    (Aina Burke. I don''t know what unique skills you have, but I''m not going to let you get away with this.)


    Hey. Is that A-class archer among your enemies?


    No, I don''t see it. It seems true that Monica Vermale has left the island.


    I see. Good, good, good. It looks like my information was correct. Then we''ve got a good chance.


    （Without Monica Vermeret, the quality of adventurers is almost even. ) Without Monica Vermeerle, the quality of the adventurers was about even. I''ve underestimated them so far, but with my real equipment, I won''t be beaten by some alchemist''s equipment.)


    The Arsenal of Spirits Alliance has finished entering the dungeon.


    All right. Hurry up, chase after them and crush them. Make sure you win the game while you''re still in the forest at the foot of the mountain."


    The "Dragon Knight''s Hermitage" entered the dungeon with no enthusiasm.


    They were sick of this mission.


    They had already fought and lost many times, and they could not join the "Hare Knight" alliance.


    However, they could not go against the "Dragon''s Fires" because they were holding the loan money for the equipment.


    Roland and his team dashed as soon as they entered the dungeon.


    They knew that the quartet would try to trick them.


    (Right now, there is no "Fire Rest" in the "Dragon''s Fireside. ) If they were going to try to set up a trap, it would be in this forest at the foot of the mountain, where the fire dragon (Fafnir) doesn''t appear very often. As long as we can get through this forest, we will be able to scatter the enemies that are chasing us for the time being.


    When Roland and his team encountered monsters, they tried to avoid combat as much as possible.


    (If a battle could not be avoided, they would use Erio''s "Shield Assault" to knock the enemy into a stupor and then flee.)


    After several minutes of running through the forest, Jeff, who was acting as shingari, noticed something unusual and raised his voice.


    The enemy is here!　It''s the hermitage of the Dragon Knight.


    What''s your formation?"


    Ten shieldmen, five swordsmen, two healers, and three archers. One of the archers carries a black bow.


    ?"　What about the Javelin or the Dragoon?


    ...... No, I don''t see any at the moment."


    Roland tilted his head.


    (I thought they were going to come and smash us with the full force of the quartet. ...... Well, never mind. If they''re going to lick me, I''ll take my chances.)


    As Roland was thinking about this, an arrow flew in with a wind noise.


    The arrow hits a large tree just beside Roland.


    The trunk of the tree was gouged more than half its thickness and snapped off in the middle.


    What the hell?


    The Black Bow!


    The unit was shaken.


    Jeff also turned pale.


    （Seriously? They gouged out the trunk of a tree. That''s not the power of a bow and arrow.)


    Everyone calm down," he said. It''s just a shot in the dark. It won''t hit you. We''re going to keep running and wear down the enemy''s status."


    Roland calmed them down by saying so, and the troops somehow managed to keep the unrest at bay and continue marching.


    (A great deal of power, to be sure. But this is ......)


    Roland continues through the dungeon, feeling somewhat uncomfortable with the enemy fire.


    The adventurers of "The Dragon Knight''s Hermitage" were running frantically to catch up with the "Arsenal of Spirits" alliance.


    However, no matter how fast they ran, they could not see the enemy''s back.


    d*mn it," said the adventurers. Still can''t catch up with the enemy?


    (Warning shots have no effect. ......?)


    Floyd bites his teeth when he sees Roland and his team not slowing down at all.


    As Roland had read, the blow he had just fired was just a shot in the dark.


    He was hoping to cause an upset in the enemy and lure them into a fight.


    (Even so, this bow is so heavy. Can''t you do something about it?)


    Floyd somehow made his way through the forest, feeling the strain on his shoulders.


    At this rate, the enemy will be able to get through the forest."


    Calm down," he said. There is a place ahead where a lot of ''big orcs'' will appear. There, you will run into a monster and have to slow down.


    As the man said, Roland and the others slowed down their march as they approached an area with a large number of orcs.


    It was dangerous to run through this area while being chased by the enemy, so they decided to set up a camp to intercept them.


    Soon, we began to see the enemy coming toward us, and we entered into a firefight.


    Floyd caught the enemy in range and fired his "black bow.


    Take that!"


    The arrow from the "Black Bow" still emits a loud wind noise, but misses its target and flies off to the far side, diagonally to the right.


    (d*mn! ....... It doesn''t hit.)


    On the other hand, arrows fired by Hans, Alice, Claire, and Jeff fly precisely toward Floyd, even though they are still far away.


    Ugh ...... wow!"


    Floyd panicked and switched with his shield-bearer.


    The shield-bearer was exposed to the arrowballs, which reduced his status and the durability of his equipment.


    （d*mn. The enemy''s shooting is accurate. I''m just trying to shoot this heavy bow and arrow.)


    Roland appraised Floyd''s status from behind.


    Floyd''s status.


    Hit rate: 40 (↙?40)


    (The hit rate is severely reduced. Some of this is probably due to wear and tear from running, but that alone does not explain it. Perhaps ......)


    Status of "Black Bow


    Power: 100


    Durability: 100


    Weight: 100


    Adaptability: 40 percent


    (As expected, the adaptation rate is very low. Even just carrying heavy equipment and this long distance march. It would be impossible to maintain their status. It is as if they were equipped with high-spec weapons without any regard for operation. That sounds like something a brainiac (Edgar) would think of.)


    Despite its early malfunction, "The Dragon Knight''s Hermitage" decided to bet on the "Black Bow" blow.


    He was going to hit the enemy with a single blow of his "black bow" anyway.


    Although he did not know what would happen after that, something would still happen.


    Believing so, they formed a line with their shields and advanced forward while being hit by arrows, trying to close in to a distance where even a bowman (archer) with a lowered hit rate could hit an arrow.


    Eventually they got close enough to where the "black bows" could hit them, even if their hit rate was somewhat low.


    Tension suddenly rose on the part of Roland and the others.


    Roland saw that the strategy was to sacrifice the shieldmen and close the distance to hit the "black bows," and decided to prepare for a counterattack.


    Elio."


    What is it?"


    If the enemy gets to that tree (about 50 meters from Roland''s position), switch with Jeff and do a ''shield assault'' on the ''black bow'' when they reach the tree. Can you do it?


    I understand."


    Elio tapped Jeff on the shoulder as the enemy approached, just as Roland had said.


    ''Jeff. Switch."


    !　Okay."


    The two switch fluidly and switch positions.


    Floyd stepped forward at the same time.


    Elio makes a "shield assault" toward Floyd.


    ''You are a fool to approach me yourself. You''re a summer bug that flies into the fire!"


    Floyd fired an arrow at Elio.


    Everyone present expected that the arrow he fired would pierce Elio''s shield and armor.


    However, on the contrary, the arrow not only scratched the blue armor, but also bounced back due to the "reflection" effect.


    What?


    The ricocheting arrow hits Floyd straight on his shoulder pad, piercing and stabbing him in the shoulder.


    ''Ggh ...... is''.


    Floyd was thrown backward and went down without a hitch.


    The "Dragon Knight''s Hermitage" was shaken.


    [Elio''s armor].


    Power: 140 (↑40 with "Exterior Reinforcement (Coating)")


    Durability: 100


    Weight: 80


    Special effects: "Reflection", "Flexibility


    Adaptability: 90 percent


    Roland was pleased with Elio''s work ethic and the strength of the armor he wore.


    （The "Reflection" and "Flexibility" were both very good. ), and the two layers of "coating" that combine both of these special effects, make for a shield armor with a power of more than 140!　(Aina''s blue armor completely surpassed Edgar''s "Black Bow")


    Oooohhhh!"


    Erio continues his "shield assault" and breaks the enemy''s line of fire.


    The shield-bearers and swordsmen immediately followed Erio from behind and beat the floating "dragon knight''s hermitage" in a scattered manner.


    <>