"Now, let's move out!"
Captain Meld faced the assembled class, his expression solemn and heavy as he issued the final instruction.
"....."
The students stood paralyzed at the massive, gaping stone maw of the dungeon entrance, exchanging terrified, uncertain glances. The reality of what they were about to do was finally crashing down on them.
But Kouki stepped forward, his sword drawn and gleaming in the morning light. "Everyone, let's go! Let's save this world from the demons!"
The class looked to their Hero for reassurance, but as Kouki proudly surveyed his team, his gaze snagged on Suzuki. Suzuki stood calmly at the back, surrounded by a tight-knit group of classmates who instinctively flocked to him for a vastly different kind of security.
Suzuki met Kouki's stare for a fraction of a second, completely unbothered, before smoothly walking forward into the gloom. Naturally, the moment Suzuki moved, a large portion of the class immediately followed him.
Kouki frowned, a deep, uncomfortable knot tightening in his chest. Even though he just controls the money...
Kouki was the designated "Hero." He possessed the most overpowered combat stats of anyone summoned. Yet, he could clearly feel that the class's absolute trust wasn't entirely his.
Will they be alright? Suzuki wondered, observing the trembling shoulders of the vanguard.
Unlike Kouki—who was blinded by the naive, invincible confidence granted by his overpowered Job—the rest of the class was terrified.
"Don't worry, kids," Captain Meld's booming voice echoed in the cavernous entrance. "We will start on the absolute beginner levels. The monsters here are weak. A standard kingdom knight can kill them easily, and since all of you possess special Jobs, you can defeat them without breaking a sweat. Furthermore, myself and the entire Royal Knight escort will stay right beside you. We will guard you, teach you, and if necessary, sacrifice ourselves so that you can grow stronger. So, do not be afraid."
"Captain..."
Several students teared up. Captain Meld's words genuinely moved them. Over the past two weeks, Meld hadn't just barked orders; he had bled with them, eaten with them, and trained alongside them. He had become a genuine mentor figure. Compared to the distant, manipulative King and the Pope, the students trusted Meld with their lives.
And if the King or the Pope ever fully realize that, Suzuki sighed inwardly, they are going to have Meld quietly assassinated.
Suzuki understood the brutal, paranoid mechanics of a feudal society. The closer Meld grew to the otherworldly Heroes, the more of a political threat he became to the Crown. Earning the absolute loyalty of the Kingdom's ultimate weapons was the fastest way to get a dagger in the back. But this simple, blunt honesty was exactly why Suzuki also respected Meld.
"Don't worry, Captain Meld!" Kouki puffed out his chest, completely ruining the solemn moment. "I will personally slay all the demons, so you won't have to risk your life! We will fight them all so the knights won't have to do anything!"
"....."
Kouki, please just shut up for one minute, the entire class screamed internally.
They wanted to curse the Hero for being so arrogantly naive, but none of them dared. Kouki was the strongest. If he stopped protecting them, they would die. Several students desperately looked toward Suzuki, silently begging him to say something to ground Kouki, but Suzuki ignored them.
His focus wasn't on Kouki's ego. As he crossed the threshold into the Great Orcus Labyrinth, he realized he wasn't afraid.
The dungeon was gloomy, stuffy, and incredibly tight—an absolute, suffocating hell for anyone with claustrophobia. Yet, Suzuki felt completely calm. The damp stone and the heavy mana in the air strangely reminded him of the Gates in Solo Leveling.
How many dungeons had his multiversal counterpart, Kim Min-Jun, conquered? Suzuki wasn't sure, but he knew the Korean shadow monarch routinely cleared three high-rank dungeons before lunch. Drawing on that conceptual confidence, Suzuki's mind remained as sharp and clinical as a surgeon's.
What actually made him nervous was the situation behind him involving Shizuku and Kaori.
Even though Shizuku had quietly told him "It's fine" regarding the Kaori situation, was it really fine?
Furthermore, Kaori had just lost her virginity to him in a highly desperate, emotional state last night. Yet, she had still shown up to the dungeon raid this morning. Even though her Priest class allowed her to instantly heal her own physical soreness and discomfort, Suzuki was still on edge. He had expected her to be an emotional wreck. Instead, she looked incredibly sharp, deeply focused, and strangely... relaxed.
...Was I really that amazing? Suzuki thought, completely bewildered by the sudden shift in Kaori's aura.
He could practically feel Shizuku's intense, knowing gaze burning a hole into the back of his head. He wasn't going to run away from the consequences. He fully intended to sit Shizuku down and confess exactly what had happened, even though Kaori had whispered, "Don't worry, Suzuki-kun. I won't tell Shizuku... but if I ever need your help again... you'll help me, right?"
"....." Suzuki rubbed his temples, feeling a headache forming.
"Are you okay, Suzuki-kun?"
A soft voice broke his train of thought. He turned to see Taeko Sugawara walking beside him. She was a pretty young woman with striking auburn hair tied into twin-tails, looking at him with wide, worried eyes.
"Yeah, I'm fine. What about you, Sugawara-san?"
Taeko was arguably the second most popular girl in the class, sitting right below the untouchable tier of Shizuku and Kaori. But Suzuki felt an instinctual chill whenever she got too close. He knew exactly what her designated Job was: Whip Master.
Jobs in Tortus didn't spawn randomly. They were manifestations of a person's core personality, hidden desires, and subconscious habits. Kaori became a Priest because she was inherently nurturing and kind.
So... what exactly was hiding deep inside Taeko's psyche to make the universe assign her a whip?
"...I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous," Taeko murmured, stepping a fraction closer to him. "But compared to me, you're in a much more dangerous position, aren't you?"
Unlike Aiko-sensei, who was safely managing crops back at the castle, Suzuki had actively chosen to enter the battle. As a Merchant, his base combat stats were theoretically the lowest in the party.
"As long as I stay in the backline and remain careful, I'll be fine," Suzuki smiled smoothly. "Besides, you all need me to be the pack mule, right? After all, who else is going to carry the logistics?"
It was the absolute truth. Suzuki was the only person in the entire class with a spatial inventory ability.
While the Kingdom had provided basic rucksacks, the students could barely carry enough food, potions, and clean water for a few days of intense fighting. Because a full labyrinth raid could take over a month, they were entirely dependent on Suzuki's [Absolute Storage] to keep them supplied.
"B-By the way..." Taeko fidgeted, her cheeks suddenly flushing a light pink.
"Yes?"
"Y-You managed to secure... the portable toilets, right?"
While the boys were entirely thoughtless and fully prepared to just use a dark corner of the dungeon, the girls had collectively panicked. The thought of squatting in a monster-infested cave was mentally breaking them.
"...I have them securely stored," Suzuki confirmed dryly. "But don't you think it's a little weird for me to be the one carrying all of your private bathroom facilities?"
"Don't worry. I am entirely fine with you holding them," Taeko smiled, her eyes suddenly curving into a sharp, predatory shape.
"....."
Yup. She is definitely a sadist, Suzuki concluded instantly.
"Also," Taeko leaned in, her voice dropping to a teasing whisper. "Unlike the other boys... I like you a lot more."
"...I have a girlfriend. Please don't say things that might get me stabbed in the back before we even see a monster," Suzuki warned, taking a very deliberate step away from her.
Taeko just giggled softly. Suzuki could instantly feel Shizuku's glare upgrade from menacing to lethal.
"RAAAAA!"
Fortunately for Suzuki's social survival, a guttural, terrifying roar suddenly echoed down the stone corridor. The first monster of the Labyrinth had arrived, instantly shattering the awkward calm and plunging the class into their very first battle.
---
Sorry!
I just got back with my girlfriend today. We talked for a bit, then we decided to go back, as we still had feelings for each other...
Yeah... once again, sorry.
Still, may love come upon you!
From your lovely author, Akikan40!