Avalon's Dungeon

　After passing through the darkness, they returned to Avalon once again.

「Ah, Avalon...」

　A gloomy space covered with fog. Unexpectedly, Alexis didn't think he would have to come here again.

　There are signs of monsters here and there, and it is hard to relax even for a moment.

（I thought I could get some rest—but I had no choice...）

　Alexis looks back at Eden and the others and sighs secretly.

　"Let's regroup first!" Alexis says to the group.

「I'll take the lead! In the middle, Fatima! and the next one are Lily and Fatima!」

　Fatima nodded her head, "Understood," while Lily looked nervous, "Yes, I'll do my best!". The new healer named Lily McLeod.

　Her honey-colored hair is in fluffy waves and reaches down to the bottom of her shoulder. She has round eyes that are a deep honey brown, giving her the impression of a small dog.

　She is small like a teenager, but she seems firm, and when Alexis saw her at the encampment, she was dressed in a healer's robe, moving around in the tent for the treatment.

　No sooner had he seen her than Sara said, "Oh, why don't you take her with you?".

「Oh, Sara-sensei! Have you come back?」

　Lily stops and smiles when she sees Sara walking up to her.

　Then Sara urges Alexis to come closer to her.

　Lily's expression becomes tense as she realizes that the sixth prince is approaching with Sara. As Sara stops in front of her, she looks back at Alexis.

「This is Lily McLeod, the medical officer. She is usually at the fort, but she comes to the front in rotation, right?」

「Ah, yes. T-That's right!」

　Sara held out the pouch she had brought and a bunch of medicine bottles to Lily, who nodded hurriedly, and smiled, "I'm sure she knows how to use my medicine—".

「Okay, then, you're my substitute.」

「Eh? What!?」

　Lily couldn't help but be surprised at this sudden surprise.

　Nevertheless, the young medical officer, the little girl Lily, has taken Sara's place.

「Sara told me that Lily is better in pharmacology than in healing magic, although she can do that as well... But do you have any other experience in combat?」

　Lily answered Alexis's question with a nervous expression on her face.

「Ah, I don't have any... I'm sorry...」

「Well... of course.」

　Alexis stares at Lily's outfit.

　Well, it was almost predictable that she would answer "no" when she being asked about her combat experience as a medical officer.

　Different from Sara, who could wield a big mace, Lily is equipped only with a healer's robe, a medicine pouch attached to a belt around her waist, and about four small knives bundled together.

　In short, the healer alone must have been reduced in strength.

　Nevertheless—

　"Lorenzo," Alexis turns to Lorenzo who was standing behind Lily.

　He looks three times more muscular than he did before.

　He now wears a tunic, pants, and boots from the encampment, and a breastplate made of magic crystal, and carries a sack and a set of bows and arrows on his back.

「Even though you are an engineer, you are supposed to be a strong fighter, so you will serve as a vanguard with Eden. Please do not allow anyone to break through to the center of the formation.」

「Of course, I'm an archer before I'm an engineer...」

　Lorenzo was banging his big fists together as he said this.

「And, at least I've had some manual training. Let's see what I can do.」

　Alexis nodded to Lorenzo's word.

「Ah, I leave it to you. Well, there aren't many traps around here, so we don't need to worry about the traps. More importantly, we don't want to reduce the firepower of the vanguard...」

　He thought of putting Fransisca in the rearguard and Lorenzo in the vanguard.

　However, if he sacrifices the firepower in the front, which is absolutely more likely to encounter monster, there is a possibility that the monster will break through to the rear.

　And it is true that Lorenzo has become huge in appearance, but his strength is too uncertain now to be trusted with his back. It would be better to leave it to Fransisca, who is familiar with the situation.

「And then—」 he turns to Eden.

「The last one is Eden, you're the last one.」

「...」

　Eden is silent, but this must be an affirmation.

「This is your second time in the dungeon, isn't it? Then you already know that you're likely to encounter monsters in this area regardless of your orientation. So, can you take care of the rear?」

　When Alexis said this, Eden nodded her head.

　"—Okay, let's go," Alexis said, looking around the team.

「Our goal is to find my brother! ...I don't know if we'll find him. After all, there's no guarantee we'll find him. That's why the time limit is three days」

　After saying this quietly, Alexis looks at Eden.

「Once the three days are up... I'm sorry, but you have to give up... I'll give up, too」

「......」

　Eden was silent.

　Instead, her face looked down.

　She may have a lot of things to say—but....

（I can't force any further. Fransisca is the most important thing. Fransisca's presence is essential to the safety when exploring the dungeon. If I continue the search I will have to force Fransisca to work overtime）

　Alexis glances at Fransisca.

　She seems fine for now, but how much more strength and energy will she have?

　Nevertheless, Alexis turns back to front. Then he said again, "Let's go".

* * *

　The team then wandered around the dungeon.

　However, in this area, there was nothing but fog and grassland to the right and left.

「Damn... it's hard. Is it getting worse?」

　Alexis talks to Fransisca, the only one who is also exploring for the second time.

　Fransisca looked puzzled.

「Worse...?」

「Yes. There are no more objects in this dungeon than there were in the last one」

　"...I guess it's that kind of place," Fransisca sighed.

「Perhaps if we continue on our way, we may run into some objects. If it's something familiar, it might help us to make a little connection with the terrain」

「Can't you do something? This used to be Sagrado's land, right?」

　At Alexis' question, Fatima, who had remained silent for a long time, suddenly spoke up.

「...I saw what looked like a road on the ground just now...」

「Hmm? Do you remember anything about it!?」

　When Alexis turned around, Fatima tilted her head.

「Well... More like a memory. I thought I remembered it. ...But it was only until halfway through that it seemed familiar... and then it stopped...」

　"It's not surprising," Fransisca said softly.

「If the objects are being teleported separately, shouldn't the terrain also be separated?」

　At Fransisca's point of view, Alexis thought it was quite appropriate.

「Uhhh... Well, that's also true.」

　Alexis was thinking about it.

（Still, this is a messy place...）

　Alexis looked forward again.

（I don't even know where I am... And you expect me to look for someone in such a situation? Aniki is such a fool...）

　Alexis clenches his fists as he starts walking again.

（...Damn brother. This is what I'm doing for you. You owe me... and I will make you pay me back. So... —Stay alive）

　but they're still brothers, and it's impossible not to feel something.

　Moreover, it was Alexis himself who chose to remain silent to Jerome. And though he has no regrets about that. But... —he did not think that it would lead to this.

　It made Alexis had a sense of responsibility and frustration about it, as one would expect.

（I have to... I have to find him）

　He had to find it, no matter what it takes.

　That's what Alexis thought.