Wiping the blood from the blade with a cloth, I sheathed my gladius.

After everyone had secured their weapons, we exchanged glances.

I glared up at the tall Void.

"See? I told you there was no need to worry. Don’t treat me like a kid again, Void."

Void scratched the back of his head, grimacing.

"Yeah, well, you’ve got a point. By the way, Eremia, where’d you learn to fight like that?"

I was finally being called Eremia instead of “kid” or “brat.” It seemed I’d earned a bit of recognition.

"I read Blythe’s texts. It’s just mimicry, really."

Half of that was a lie. Blythe never left behind any texts. There are plenty of books written by scholars who analyzed his techniques on their own, but the content is nonsense.

No forms. A beast's swordsmanship.

Each moment, each opponent, my sword changes shape. Such a thing couldn’t possibly be documented.

"For real? At your age, that’s some genius-level stuff. This was your first real fight, wasn’t it?"

"Yeah."

That wasn’t a lie. It was my first actual battle as Eremia. As Blythe, I’d fought countless times.

Oujin nodded, impressed.

"There are similarities to my swordsmanship. That’s why I chose to study abroad at the Lehan Knight School, where Instructor Ituka, a follower of Blythe, teaches. But to think a student could reproduce such techniques... and at just ten years old."

"Oh? Oujin, what’s your school of swordsmanship?"

"Interested? Mine’s called the Karaburi Ittō-ryū. It’s a style from an island nation—you might not know it."

Actually, I’d heard of it. It was said to have produced sword demons—figures equivalent to sword saints in this land—renowned in the East.

"Interesting. Let’s spar sometime. I’d like to incorporate your techniques."

"Uh, well... sure, I guess."

Suddenly, without any warning, Miku wrapped an arm around my head, pulling me into her chest.

"Whoa!?"

"No way! El-tan is mine, so don’t even think about stealing him! Bleh!"

My head, snugly wedged into the undeveloped valley of her chest, struggled to pull free. But even with all my strength, I couldn’t overpower Miku.

"Hey, let go! I belong to no one!"

Oujin smiled awkwardly, scratching his cheek with his finger.

"Ah, uh... no, of course, that’s not what I meant. I was just interested in his swordsmanship."

Why are you even humoring Miku’s nonsense? Seriously, Oujin?

Meanwhile, Miku wasn’t even listening anymore.

"Small, cute, and strong? You’re the best! When we graduate, I’m totally taking you home!"

"Enough! Let go already!!"

As I flailed about, Void grabbed me by the scruff of my neck and yanked me free of Miku’s grip. His handling was rough, but I was grateful nonetheless.

"Hey, what’s the big idea? Every single time... Wait a sec—Void, don’t tell me... Are you into boys? Jealous of me and El-tan’s bond?"

What the hell is she saying, looking so delighted? Wait—no, right? Void? Tell me that’s not true, Void!

"Idiot. I’m only into older women. Besides, he clearly didn’t like it. Keep pushing, and he’ll hate you even more."

"Hmph... What’s with you? Acting all righteous for a delinquent."

It’s fine if it’s righteous, though, isn’t it?

"Tch, talking sense to someone like you is a waste of time. Hey, Eremia, I told you to watch out for Orunkaim, didn’t I?"

He says it right in front of her. What kind of relationship do these two have?

Miku widened her eyes.

"Oh, really? So you’ve been whispering about me behind my back? How surprisingly petty for someone who looks so tough."

"Hah, well, now it’s not behind your back, is it?"

They glared at each other.

Void aside, Miku’s expression had also turned serious. This might be the first time I’ve seen her like this.

Though her tone and expression hadn’t changed much, her voice was slightly lower now.

"And what exactly do you think you know about me? Please, enlighten me."

"Who knows. I’m not interested in little girls, but—"

This is bad. With our current predicament in the depths of a dungeon, the last thing we need is infighting.

If I hadn’t repeatedly rejected Miku’s clumsy advances, this argument might not have happened. Void, despite his appearance, was a righteous guy.

"Ah—"

As I started to speak, Oujin stepped between the two, sliding his sheathed blade between them.

"That’s enough. We can’t afford to be fighting amongst ourselves right now."

Void clicked his tongue and looked away, while Miku nodded grudgingly at Oujin, her expression sour.

"Besides, look."

Oujin pointed his blade toward the direction from which the goblins had come.

There, a staircase leading to the upper floors came into view. It wasn’t a dead end after all—beyond the stairs, the corridor continued. The exact size of the area remained unknown.

Most likely, the goblins’ living quarters were over there.

In any case, Oujin was right. We had discovered the stairs to the upper floors. For Ilga, who was injured, we needed to press on quickly.

"Let’s head back to the others. We’ll move together as a group."

"I agree with Oujin."

When I said that, Void and Miku both nodded as well.

"Tch, fine."

"Aye aye, sir."

Watching their backs as they began walking ahead, I couldn’t help but think:

We’re fine in terms of combat strength, but this party sure keeps me on edge.