We descend the stairs to the sixth floor.

Countless footprints remain on the ground. They are most likely Seneca's group. Just as Oujin predicted, they descended from the large hole to the fifth floor and had already advanced ahead to the sixth.

Ilga frowned when he saw them, but in the end, he said nothing. He merely increased the overall speed of our party slightly.

At the front, Ilga and Oujin are speaking about something as they move forward, but Ilga is the one setting the pace. Perhaps he's feeling the pressure of being overtaken by commoners.

Our formation has stretched slightly compared to the fifth floor.

However, we don't intentionally tighten it. Each of us has a certain combat range, and though I don’t want to think about it, if we were caught in a cave-in, clustering together would mean we’d all be taken out at once. We wouldn't even have the chance to send for help. Even if a situation arises where we must unite in battle, we’ll have enough time to do so when the time comes—so long as we remain calm.

In other words, based on my experience, this is the right decision.

Of course, if we stretch out too much, we won’t be able to grasp the situation at the front or back, which would put us in greater danger. But it doesn’t seem like that’s the case here.

The distance is optimal. The ten of us move in pairs, with a few steps between each pair.

Judging by this, it seems like the first and second teams had thoroughly discussed their formations before entering this rare dungeon. Was it Ilga who arranged this?

Suddenly, our party comes to a halt.

Looking ahead, I see Ilga and Oujin at the front, staring at the ground while discussing something.

Bernard mutters.

“Letis.”

“Yeah, yeah, I got it. The messenger’s always busy.”

Letis, who was walking ahead of us, runs toward the front to check, her twin pigtails bouncing as she moves.

I look up at Bernard.

“So the first and second teams have their formations and positions completely fixed.”

“Yeah. I’m in charge of watching the rear. Including Ilga, the leader, we aren’t supposed to move at our own discretion. Of course, exceptions are made for sudden events like battles.”

“Did Ilga decide that?”

Bernard shakes his head and looks down at me.

“We all decided, with Ilga at the center.”

“I see.”

It’s almost like a highly trained small unit. Not a bad approach.

For a group of about ten, this works. But once they become full-fledged knights, they'll have to operate at company, battalion, or even brigade levels. It’s best to get accustomed to it early.

Ilga is becoming more and more difficult to understand.

Bernard continues.

“However, only you and Oujin are free to move. That was Ilga’s decision. He thought that would make you two most effective.”

“……”

So Oujin and I are essentially the skirmishers.

“……”

“What’s wrong, Eremia?”

“Nothing.”

I recall the role my faction played.

We weren’t knights. We moved across battlefields without regard for unit boundaries. We didn’t give orders, nor were we under anyone’s command.

If we found an allied unit struggling, we struck the enemy from behind. If a team was isolated, we carved a path through the enemy to reach them. Sometimes, we even lured foes away by making ourselves the bait, stretching enemy lines as we ran.

We walked countless tightropes. It wasn’t just a bridge we crossed—it was a razor-thin wire.

The other hot-blooded disciples were one thing, but looking back, I’m amazed that Lili, the youngest and only girl in our group, stuck with us until the end.

Something stirs in my mind. Just as I start to remember—

Bernard places his hand on my head.

Snapped back to reality, I look up at the massive man once more.

“If you’re curious, you can go ahead, Eremia. Like I said, you’re free. No need to worry—if you move forward, everyone shifts up one position, and Letis will take my place at the rear.”

The fact that Ilga didn’t incorporate Oujin and me into the team, leaving us to move freely, shows he has a keen eye. Of course, Seneca also displayed similar judgment by sending our third team ahead in the last curriculum.

Which is exactly why I don’t understand. Why did Ilga divide the class?

A commander who has never faced true mortal danger might prioritize status and pride. I could understand that.

But Ilga was the one who came closest to death in this dungeon. Could status really be more important than life?

No, no.

This isn’t the time to dwell on that. It’s something to think about once we escape the dungeon.

I shake my head.

“I have my own role. Oujin entrusted me with rear security. I’ll wait for Letis to return.”

“I see.”

Darkness looms ahead and behind.

Since descending to the sixth floor, we’ve already passed several branching paths. We carve marks and dates into the walls, always heading toward paths without footprints—taking a different route than the commoners’ party.

At this point, that’s the best course of action. If we were to encounter them now, we wouldn’t be able to cooperate. Besides, if this rare dungeon holds any significant discoveries, retracing explored areas would be a waste of time.

More importantly—

Having crossed multiple forks means there are now unexplored sections behind us.

In other words, we’re already in a situation where an ambush from behind wouldn’t be surprising.

The darkness at our backs runs deep.

After waiting a while, Letis returns.

Oujin remains stationed at the front. Though he has the freedom to move, he likely stayed for the same reason I did.

The darkness ahead feels ominous. It’s just a hunch—but hunches like these are always right on the battlefield.

Letis, catching her breath, looks up at Bernard and reports.

“It’s a corpse.”

“Well, it’s an old dungeon. Whether human or monster, corpses are bound to be here.”

Annoyed, I reply, but Letis shakes her pigtails and shakes her head.

“No, it’s fresh! The blood hasn’t even dried yet!”

“What!?”

The situation shifts.

A tense atmosphere spreads through the party.